yep. anniversary trip 2013 will be celebrated in thailand. did i mention we are a little spontaneous when it comes to travel?
how's that for overcoming traveler's guilt?
i am SO beyond excited... i can't even deal.
Showing posts with label travel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label travel. Show all posts
26 May 2013
23 May 2013
traveler's guilt.
hi there, and happy thursday. i've been absent most of the week, but not without good cause. the new blog is getting so super close, and i'm very excited for everyone to see it. it's in the finishing touches now, i think! it's been a really fun learning experience for me, even the days when i've cursed my macbook and pulled my hair with frustration at HTML. but today is not the day for the big reveal, so.
on to new things.
as you know, we've been planning a vacation for a very long time now. planning isn't even the right word... maybe i'd use dreaming, or scheming. we've both had the travel itch for months, and along with our five year anniversary this year - well, it's just the perfect excuse for a big trip. that, and the 120,000+ miles in my mileage plus account.
so all we really need to do is decide where to go.
coincidentally, that's been the hardest part.
we've been talking about this for months, literally. since january, to be exact. we've dreamed of thailand, south korea, vietnam, india, buenos aires, paris, prague, costa rica, italy, ireland + scotland... you name it, we've thought about it for this trip. and i don't know what i want. i want to be relaxed, i want to see the water, i want that feeling i get when i walk out of an airport to a place i've never seen before, i want to drink wine and eat. but not all of those feelings are available at every place.
as we've been dreaming of this trip, we've gravitated more and more towards italy + greece, or maybe france + italy. or just italy and a ferry over to sicily. but i can't seem to book those tickets just yet, because of this weird guilt that i feel.
i've been to italy twice now. venice, rome, pisa, florence, cinque terre, milan - been there. and as much as i love those places and know there are so many more new places in italy i haven't been that we can explore - the eastern coast, sicily - i can't get over this guilt that i have that i am returning to a country i've been, and passing up places i've never been before.
i love travel, and i love going places i have never been before - whether it's a new continent, country, or a new city. so if i go to new places in italy i've never been to before, that's still going somewhere new, right? but this traveler's guilt is still building up... am i wasting valuable air miles and money on going to a country i LOVE but have been to multiple times instead of going to a place i've never been? i could use those miles to get to argentina, and i've never been to south america. but if i'm going to argentina, we'll just be directly north of antarctica, the closest we will ever be - so we shoul see if we can get there. or we could really spring for a trip to thailand. or still go to europe and visit new countries like croatia and greece.
this is how my mind has been working the last few months as i try to decide where to go. and even though we may have the perfect vacation planned out - a summer road trip down the italian eastern coast ending in sicily - we may not do that if i give in to my traveler's guilt.
if i want to go everywhere [literally], then how do i justify going back to a country i've visited? but on the other hand, isn't a vacation supposed to be something to relax and enjoy, so what's the shame in going to somewhere i've been before and loved?
decisions, decisions. someone hit be over the head and help me decide.
til next time...
on to new things.
as you know, we've been planning a vacation for a very long time now. planning isn't even the right word... maybe i'd use dreaming, or scheming. we've both had the travel itch for months, and along with our five year anniversary this year - well, it's just the perfect excuse for a big trip. that, and the 120,000+ miles in my mileage plus account.
so all we really need to do is decide where to go.
coincidentally, that's been the hardest part.
we've been talking about this for months, literally. since january, to be exact. we've dreamed of thailand, south korea, vietnam, india, buenos aires, paris, prague, costa rica, italy, ireland + scotland... you name it, we've thought about it for this trip. and i don't know what i want. i want to be relaxed, i want to see the water, i want that feeling i get when i walk out of an airport to a place i've never seen before, i want to drink wine and eat. but not all of those feelings are available at every place.
as we've been dreaming of this trip, we've gravitated more and more towards italy + greece, or maybe france + italy. or just italy and a ferry over to sicily. but i can't seem to book those tickets just yet, because of this weird guilt that i feel.
i've been to italy twice now. venice, rome, pisa, florence, cinque terre, milan - been there. and as much as i love those places and know there are so many more new places in italy i haven't been that we can explore - the eastern coast, sicily - i can't get over this guilt that i have that i am returning to a country i've been, and passing up places i've never been before.
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| last trip to italy - cinque terre |
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| venice |
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| the train to florence |
i love travel, and i love going places i have never been before - whether it's a new continent, country, or a new city. so if i go to new places in italy i've never been to before, that's still going somewhere new, right? but this traveler's guilt is still building up... am i wasting valuable air miles and money on going to a country i LOVE but have been to multiple times instead of going to a place i've never been? i could use those miles to get to argentina, and i've never been to south america. but if i'm going to argentina, we'll just be directly north of antarctica, the closest we will ever be - so we shoul see if we can get there. or we could really spring for a trip to thailand. or still go to europe and visit new countries like croatia and greece.
this is how my mind has been working the last few months as i try to decide where to go. and even though we may have the perfect vacation planned out - a summer road trip down the italian eastern coast ending in sicily - we may not do that if i give in to my traveler's guilt.
if i want to go everywhere [literally], then how do i justify going back to a country i've visited? but on the other hand, isn't a vacation supposed to be something to relax and enjoy, so what's the shame in going to somewhere i've been before and loved?
decisions, decisions. someone hit be over the head and help me decide.
til next time...
01 May 2013
hello there from [snowy] colorado.
that's right, you heard me: snowy colorado. because it's may first, so obviously that means it's time for a good ol-fashioned spring snow. though we arrived early tuesday, today is our first full day here since we were nearly dead from jet lag for most of yesterday.
i wanted to tell you all sorry now and in advance for the absence from my blog. there are some pretty big changes i am hard at work on for the blog, so do stay tuned. i'll definitely be blogging but i am mostly hard at work at revamping... well, just about everything to be honest. it's getting a big-time makeover. here's a little hint at what i am working on [just a little clue!]:
but besides working hard on the new blog, here's what's been going on in colorado so far.
hope it's nicer where you are than where i am today...
til next time...!
i wanted to tell you all sorry now and in advance for the absence from my blog. there are some pretty big changes i am hard at work on for the blog, so do stay tuned. i'll definitely be blogging but i am mostly hard at work at revamping... well, just about everything to be honest. it's getting a big-time makeover. here's a little hint at what i am working on [just a little clue!]:
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| hanging out with my favorite puppy, brew. |
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| hanging out with my favorite girls. |
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| watching it snow. what. the. hell. |
til next time...!
29 April 2013
an eye to the past in NYC.
back again, unpacking and re-packing for tomorrow. we got in from nyc last night, spent a cozy night in our own bed, and we leave bright and early tomorrow for denver. it's our first trip back since the move back in december, so we are super excited to spend some time with friends, family, and doing some upkeep on our house while we are in town.
nyc was, as always, wonderful. i love spending time with my family more than just about anything else. i love walking into my nanny's house to see it unchanged - not just since the last time i visited, but for as long as i can remember. it's a safe, familiar feeling.
my family is complicated, as most families are. it hasn't always been that way, but a lot of things have changed in the last few years that have made things shift in new ways. and it's comforting to me, no matter how much my family dynamics change, to run up into this apartment and barge in without knocking, smelling the same smells from my nanny and eating the same unchanged spaghetti recipe since i was born. it warms my heart and soothes my soul when i need it.
here are a few of my nostalgic pictures...
and a few other weekend pictures.
of all the craziness of the weekend, the strangest to me was running into an old friend that i knew in prague in the middle of lunch on saturday. we were at separate tables on the patio and i instantly recognized him. really makes you think how small the world can be sometimes - a guy i studied abroad with in prague and i eating at the same restaurant in the village, enjoying the sunshine.
i gotta run - dinner planned with dad tonight before we head off in the morning.
til next time...!
nyc was, as always, wonderful. i love spending time with my family more than just about anything else. i love walking into my nanny's house to see it unchanged - not just since the last time i visited, but for as long as i can remember. it's a safe, familiar feeling.
my family is complicated, as most families are. it hasn't always been that way, but a lot of things have changed in the last few years that have made things shift in new ways. and it's comforting to me, no matter how much my family dynamics change, to run up into this apartment and barge in without knocking, smelling the same smells from my nanny and eating the same unchanged spaghetti recipe since i was born. it warms my heart and soothes my soul when i need it.
here are a few of my nostalgic pictures...
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| nanny's kitchen - this corner has been the same since i was in a high chair |
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| hung up in the dining room for as long as i can remember |
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| my nanny herself - an absolute saint |
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| my godmother and i in her new apartment in the village |
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| my friday in the city with PI |
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| puppy in a boutique |
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| walking the highline on saturday |
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| view from the highline |
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| tea shop in chelsea market |
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| eighth avenue street festival |
i gotta run - dinner planned with dad tonight before we head off in the morning.
til next time...!
03 April 2013
lately around these parts...
actually, i haven't even been around these parts. i've been in vegas, yo! i feel like you all are thinking, 'ok, she said she's going to blog more often, then the blog is blank for a week. wtf?' but there were no computers on my vacation, and i kind of loved it.
we traveled to las vegas to celebrate pi's uncle's wedding. it was a huge family reunion of sorts, with all of us holed up in a spanish mansion off the strip, cooking and swimming and laughing. it was wonderful.
we were so blessed to be able to still go on our vacation. something came up and we weren't sure if we'd be able to travel, but we lucked out. and it turned out that a little bit of sunshine went a very loooooong way for us. i'm one of those lucky few with amazing in-laws, and the trip was such a welcome break for us from the gloom and dreariness of boston lately.
luckily we've come back to some sunshine - so we should be able to get out more! i'm so excited to start exploring boston more, and the sunshine should make that easier.
hope YOUR weekend was as fantastic as mine, and your family is equally awesome.
til next time...!
we traveled to las vegas to celebrate pi's uncle's wedding. it was a huge family reunion of sorts, with all of us holed up in a spanish mansion off the strip, cooking and swimming and laughing. it was wonderful.
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| playing pass the baby! |
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| enjoying the patio and barbeque |
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| easter eggs! |
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| saturday on the strip |
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| the venetian |
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| our little gondolier |
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| the happy couple who hosted us! |
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| cocktail hour on our formal night for the celebration. |
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| auntie nat with baby james. she has a way with those babies :) |
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| our nephew little man easter egg hunting! |
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| CANNONBALL! |
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| who could not LOVE that little face? |
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| lounging by the pool on easter sunday |
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| uncle philip & little man - buds for the weekend. |
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| OH. MY. GOD. |
luckily we've come back to some sunshine - so we should be able to get out more! i'm so excited to start exploring boston more, and the sunshine should make that easier.
hope YOUR weekend was as fantastic as mine, and your family is equally awesome.
til next time...!
27 March 2013
montreal!
it just dawned on me as i sent an email to a friend with montreal recommendations that i still haven't blogged about our trip! it was such a wonderful weekend fulled with smiles, snow, hockey and poutine. pretty perfect for me.
our first day, we spent the late morning and afternoon walking around old montreal, filled with churches, colorful buildings, great shopping, and wonderful food. some of the best we found was mechant boeuf bar & brasserie and taverne gaspar - what foodies those canadiens are!
our second day, we spent some time walking through montreal's underground city, which was basically like giant connected malls one after the other, all underground. then we took the metro to poutine la banquise, which makes over TWO DOZEN kinds of poutine. that's right. two dozen. we sample a few, and each one was more amazing and guilt-filled than the last. that evening we had our hockey game - which was the main point of our trip to montreal. centre bell is definitely worth seeing whether or not you are there to see a canadiens game. the history of the team is amazing, and being into the team made it all so worthwhile and meaningful.
our last day we stumbled upon the most amazing place for brunch - griffintown cafe, and explored the area around it. we didn't spend too much time reading guide books or researching where to go. besides the bell centre, we ate our way through the city and wandered wherever we felt like it, spending most of our time in old montreal. it was such a great trip, being only five hours from us, and i would happily go again [but maybe in the spring]!
pretty awesome birthday gift, if you ask me :)
our first day, we spent the late morning and afternoon walking around old montreal, filled with churches, colorful buildings, great shopping, and wonderful food. some of the best we found was mechant boeuf bar & brasserie and taverne gaspar - what foodies those canadiens are!
our second day, we spent some time walking through montreal's underground city, which was basically like giant connected malls one after the other, all underground. then we took the metro to poutine la banquise, which makes over TWO DOZEN kinds of poutine. that's right. two dozen. we sample a few, and each one was more amazing and guilt-filled than the last. that evening we had our hockey game - which was the main point of our trip to montreal. centre bell is definitely worth seeing whether or not you are there to see a canadiens game. the history of the team is amazing, and being into the team made it all so worthwhile and meaningful.
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| canadien beer at la banquise |
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| me + guy lafleur! |
our last day we stumbled upon the most amazing place for brunch - griffintown cafe, and explored the area around it. we didn't spend too much time reading guide books or researching where to go. besides the bell centre, we ate our way through the city and wandered wherever we felt like it, spending most of our time in old montreal. it was such a great trip, being only five hours from us, and i would happily go again [but maybe in the spring]!
pretty awesome birthday gift, if you ask me :)
05 March 2013
california sunshine medicine.
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| PI holding our new nephew, james, for the first time |
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| i LOVE little james' face here as he looks up at his uncle! |
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| kisses from ryder, now two [!!!!!] |
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| the cutest little goof ever |
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| spending our last day hanging out on the beach |
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| my two great loves - the ocean, and PI |
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| our pants were pretty well soaked from standing in the waves |
i could get used to tagging along on business trips with PI... relaxation, family time, and nephew kisses. what's not to love?
as for us here in boston, we are supposed to get anywhere from one to twelve inches in the next few days. you'd think they would be able to narrow it down a little more than that.
hope your week is going as well as mine! :)
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