A Sun-drenched Elsewhere

THE LIST

2012-01-15T16:43:00.000-08:00

10 years ago my French host family gave me a bottle of wine from Bordeaux and instructed me to save it until 2011- it's peak year. I drug that bottle across the country, from apartment to apartment, always anticipating the momentous event in 2011 when I'd finally be able to break it open. Would I get a dream project at work? a promotion? get engaged? A lot could happen in 10 years. 2011 finally came and I kept asking myself, is this a big enough event to warrant its opening? But nothing ever seemed to live up to my expectations. I had a great year, but somehow it was December 31st and I still had not found a good enough excuse to open my precious gift. It was now or never, so I decided to start 2012 off right. I made a French dinner meant to pair beautifully with the wine and invited some close friends over to partake. The moment of truth finally came and... it was terrible. We couldn't even finish our glasses. Dang, I guess all that time in moving vans and collecting dust in my cabinets didn't suit it well. We all had a good laugh and popped open a bottle from Williamson that was guaranteed to be amazing and the party continued. I'd set some rather unrealistic expectations for the bottle, just like we often do with NYE and most other major events in life . It served as confirmation that it's not so much about the event or the day, it's about the people you're with and what you're doing. That's what deserves to be celebrated. So, I decided 2012 should be about trying to live more in the moment, appreciating where I am now and not focusing so much on long term plans and expectations.

With that in mind, I've come up with a list of things I'd like to accomplish over the next several months. I'm not going to call these resolutions, but more like a to do list. You see I turn 30 in April (scary!) and there are quite a few things on my bucket list that I really think should be checked off sooner rather than later. It's a lot to accomplish before April 28, so I'm hoping to recruit some help with each one. Here goes:

1. Learn to use my camera in manual
2. Go to a swing dance lesson in Golden Gate Park
3. Go down the Castro slides
4. Participate in the city pillow fight
5. Surf the 38 bus (an old bet)
6. Try acupuncture
7. Have my palm read (just for fun)
8. Go to Angel Island
9. Come up with my own signature cocktail
10. Make a dress from one of my mom's vintage patterns
11. Participate in a flash mob
12. Sign up for a CSA box and start cooking more seasonally/trying out new recipes

Quote of the Week

2011-03-08T22:35:00.000-08:00

"People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered.
Forgive them anyway.
If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives.
Be kind anyway.
If you are successful, you will win some unfaithful friends and some genuine enemies.
Succeed anyway.
If you are honest and sincere, people may deceive you.
Be honest and sincere anyway.
What you spend years creating, others will destroy overnight.
Create anyway.
If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous.
Be happy anyway.
The good you do today will often be forgotten.
Do good anyway.
Give the best you have and it will never be enough.
Give your best anyway.
In the final analysis, it is between you and God.
It was never between you and them anyway."
-Mother Teresa

Missing Paris

2011-03-08T07:32:00.001-08:00

Le Flâneur (music by The XX) from Luke Shepard on Vimeo.

BLESSINGS

2010-11-23T21:20:00.000-08:00

I left for Nepal with the goal of getting to know a new culture and hopefully making a difference in a few people's lives. What I didn't expect, was that the effect they would have on my life in return, would be much more powerful.

From the moment we arrived in Pokhara, we were constantly showered with blessings, flowers, ceremonial scarves, and smiles from the locals. I was afraid that, this being a blitz build with almost 500 people from around the world, that we would completely overwhelm the village and they would distance themselves from the mayhem. Instead, this was the event of a generation. Even the President of Nepal came to the town for the closing ceremony! They embraced us whole heartedly. We worked side by side with one another and by the end we were family.

Their hospitality knows no bounds. I've experienced nothing that can compare. They have so little, but they gladly gave us the food they had, literally offered us their bed to sleep in when we returned to visit, and without hesitation would hand you the shirt off their back if you were in need. I'd like to think that I could be as selfless in the same situation, but the reality is probably a very different case. I have more than I know what to do with and still get annoyed at times when asked to make any sacrifices.

They invited us to a special house dedication ceremony where they asked each of us up individually to have a handmade flower lei and a ceremonial scarf placed around our necks, a traditional hat or handkerchief placed on our heads, they gave us a bouquet of flowers, blessed us with red powder, and gave us a tearful hug. Their willingness to share their culture with us and the gratitude they so obviously felt touched my heart.

By far, the most humbling moment of all, was when Kamol, a young Nepali guy we were working with on the site gave me a goodbye present. He has practically nothing. He is the sole bread winner for his entire family, and struggles to find enough work to support them. Yet he always had a smile on his face and I never once heard a complaint escape his lips. We got to know him and his story bit by bit throughout the build. He taught us a few Nepali words, demonstrated the local construction techniques, and became a friend. Every day he wore a silver bracelet to work with a Buddhist blessing inscribed on it. It was one of the few possessions he could call his own and it was obviously very special to him. On the last day as we were all saying our goodbyes, he took off the bracelet, placed it in my hand, and just smiled. I was blown away. I tried to refuse, but he insisted that I take this blessing home with me and I couldn't say no. No gift has ever meant more to me.

Quote of the Week

2010-11-11T21:29:00.000-08:00

"The only real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes." - Marcel Proust

Culture Shock

2010-10-29T21:41:00.000-07:00

I stared at the clean water coming out of the tap and marveled at the fact that I could stick my toothbrush in it without worrying. That was definitely one of the things I was excited about returning home to, but there were plenty of other things that I wasn’t so excited about- like the 480 emails waiting in my inbox. It’s really hard to feel as though the work you’re doing day in and day out is all that meaningful after seeing all the issues people are facing like poverty, starvation, pollution, etc. first hand. I was in Nepal and India not even a week ago and for at least half the time I was there, I really felt like I was making a difference in the world. Back at my desk, trying to choose between one carpet pattern that is slightly more teal than another, I’m not feeling quite so effective.

I’m tempted to complain, rail against the idiocy of western society and all that, but my mom always taught us never to give in to that until you had at least tried to do something to change your situation. But, that means it’s my responsibility to come up with a solution. Yikes. It’s left me on the lookout for opportunities all week. I’ve always tried to do some volunteer work on my own time outside of work, but that just doesn’t seem like enough. Now, I’m looking for something bigger, something life changing, not just an hour every few months. How do I make this a daily effort? I’m an architect and aren’t those skills pretty beneficial to people in need of shelter, education, and community support?

I’m familiar with organizations like Habitat for Humanity (obviously) and Architecture for Humanity, but how do they find these projects? Is there a way for me to get more involved through my current job? Someone just told me about a group in our LA office called gServe that is working on a school in Haiti. It sounds like a great project to be involved in. I don’t need yet another group to distract me, but if it means actually working on some pro-bono projects like the school- that’s what I’m looking for! Last night, I was able to attend a fundraising event for Rebuild Sudan, a group dedicated to building schools in Africa. A few of my friends are heavily involved- actually running the board, working with local architects to design the school, raising money etc. and somehow they find the time to do this outside their day job. Maybe there really are lots of opportunities out there if you just look for them...

Quote of the Week

2010-09-29T08:03:00.000-07:00

"Certainly, travel is more than the seeing of sights; it is a change that goes on, deep and permanent, in the ideas of living."- Miriam Beard

Today's the day! I'm leaving for Nepal in a few hours. I haven't had the greatest start to this adventure- managed to get sick days before departure, but I'm mentally willing myself to get well as soon as possible. Let's hope that my determination (and the medication I'm taking) will be effective enough to keep me from missing a single amazing moment.

Namaste!

The American Dream

2010-09-26T20:52:00.000-07:00

Made my third trip out to DC for work and this time finally managed to squeeze in a little time for some exploration. One of these days I'll have to make a whole weekend of it, but for now, I'll be happy with an evening out and about in a new neighborhood.

This time we took on Georgetown. Quaint and very, very all American. It all felt so familiar and comfortable, even though I've never lived anywhere even remotely similar. I loved the small scale and the old detailing. It's the kind of thing that everyone else is trying to imitate, but they've got the original, perfectly kept up.

It seems to epitomize the American Dream. I walked the streets and fully expected to see the requisite 2 kids playing with the family dog outside next to their picket fence.

All in all a beautiful space to spend an evening and escape the DC suburbs.

It’s Always Sunny in San Diego

2010-09-23T17:57:00.000-07:00

I’m supposed to be saving money for my big upcoming trip, but when I saw that Virgin had a deal for $65 round trip tickets to San Diego, I couldn’t resist. You can’t even rent a car and drive to wine country for that much money! My friends and I jumped on the deal for Labor Day weekend and went in search of some summer weather. We were all first timers, so while we spent quite a bit of time at the beach soaking up the sun, we tried to get a good sampling of the sites as well. We stayed in the famous Gaslamp District and explored out from there- Balboa Park, Coronado Island, a Padres baseball game … it was a full weekend.

All three of us are architects, so the trip wouldn’t have been complete without some nerdy field trips to the Salk Institute & the Neuroscience Institute- both stunning works of art that every architect drools over. Along the way, we also ran across the parasailing club in La Jolla. We watched them literally run off the cliff and then float above the waves. It looked like the best roller coaster ride you could possibly imagine. I was so close to signing up, but had to hold back and save my money for Nepal. Yet another thing to add to my bucket list.

As much as we enjoyed the city, I don’t think any of us will be moving there anytime soon. We experienced some pretty extreme culture shock when we went out for drinks. Let’s just say there’s a dress code that we were completely unaware of. If you’re a girl, you should find the smallest amount of fabric you can, then wrap it as tightly around your body as possible. There should be nothing left to the imagination. And I’m not talking about just a couple of girls, but every girl. I’ve never felt like such a prude in my life. Then again, in this case, I was totally ok with that. It made me miss the anything goes, crazy fashion sense in San Francisco, at least there’s variety to appreciate.

Other more exciting discoveries included, but were not limited to, chocolate banana pancakes bigger than your head, the greatest pose in the world, and Egyptian walking through hotels made in the 1800's. A fun time was had by all.

Quote of the Week

2010-09-23T07:23:00.000-07:00

"Within a circle of friends

truth sweeps

from lips to ears

to hugs embracing fears

springing the spirit within

thus helping out the love

to spread

accentuated in a

beautiful form.

No need for translation

In this place

we kiss"

Habitat for Humanity Nepal

2010-09-02T20:03:00.000-07:00

My trip is coming up fast! I'm starting to get things in order and the anticipation is really starting to build. I just got the construction manual today that goes into great detail about the methods we'll be using to build the homes, their layouts, etc. We'll be using local materials like bamboo that gets woven to create the structure of the walls. It's then plastered over, painted with bright colors, and decorated to welcome the new family. Since it's a blitz build, we will also be using some power tools to make the work go faster. Most of those types of tools are not readily available in Nepal, so our team has divided up each of the items and agreed to share the load. Fortunately, I didn't get stuck with a circular saw in my backpack (I'm not sure how well that goes over with airport security), but there are a few unfortunate souls that did.

For Humanity

2010-08-22T21:16:00.000-07:00

Had the pleasure of meeting Silvi at the Rock Make Festival. She's a talented poet that delivers masterpieces with the topic of your choosing in under 3 minutes. I asked for one about my upcoming trip to Nepal & India and was quite happy with the results.

The Death of the Holga

2010-08-17T19:59:00.000-07:00

I think it's official. I've killed Holga or at least seriously injured her. Quite awhile ago, I dropped it by accident, the back popped off (not all that odd since it's a flimsy piece of plastic and I hadn't yet duck taped it all together), lost a roll of film, and in the process I think I did some permanent harm to the camera itself. The slightly fuzzy artistic quality the shots are supposed to have has turned into a deep fog or perhaps what you would start to see if your eyes were going bad.

Awww, but what can you expect from such a cheap toy? Here are her last ditch efforts taken on various adventures around San Francisco.

May have to put a new one on my Christmas list this year.

Quote of the Week

2010-08-01T22:20:00.000-07:00

Coningsby: There is nothing I should like so much as to travel.

The Stranger: You are traveling. Every moment is travel, if understood.

-Benjamin Disraeli

Quote of the Week

2010-07-15T08:47:00.001-07:00

"I belive that everything happens for a reason. People change so that you can learn to let go, Things go wrong so that you appreciate them when they're right, you believe lies so you eventually learn to trust no one but yourself, and sometimes things fall apart so better things can fall together." - Marilyn Monroe

Adventures in California

2010-07-07T21:08:00.000-07:00

It started out like a pretty typical 4th of July, a short road trip, followed by some quality time in the great outdoors, sweating to death in the summer heat. I went on a hike with some friends in Castle Rock State Park on the Saratoga Gap & Ridge trails and the views out across the valley were absolutely breathtaking!

We left the heat inland and headed to the marina in Santa Cruz where we boarded the Wind Goddess- our sea worthy home for the weekend. In typical west coast fashion, the weather fast forwarded a few months to the dead of winter once we got out on the water. Who would have thought I would regret not wearing my long underwear in the middle of July? Then again, I have done this a few times before, I should really know better at this point.

Despite the cold, the moment I stepped on the boat, my mind was thrown back to our time in the Grenadines. (Can we pleeeeeez go back soon???) Thoughts of walking barefoot on the deck, in a bikini, staring out at turquoise waters kept me warm during our ride across Monterey Bay.

Hundreds of sea lions were waiting to greet us at the sunny marina on the other side. Unfortunately, the combination of Dramamine, cold cold wind, and the rocking boat lulled us all into a pretty boring stupor, but we mustered enough energy to take a tour along Cannery Row and enjoy some fish and chips.

We awoke Monday morning to thick fog and even colder temperatures, but it turned out to be quite a blessing in disguise. With the sky the same color as the water, every bit of movement or change in color was pretty easily discernible and our sailing adventure turned into a full on eco-tour. It wasn't just the weather on our side; according to the whale watching fleet in this article- some strange circumstances had randomly drawn a reported 200 some whales to the bay that day- an incredibly rare occurrence that hasn't been seen for some years now. We were able to get up close and personal with minke, blue, and humpback whales, along with porpoises and harbor seals- an amazing experience I'm not likely to repeat anytime soon. Thanks to Captain Rose for once again making these sorts of adventures possible!

And thanks to Michael for sharing some of his pictures with me!

Chico

2010-06-28T20:57:00.000-07:00

As a testament to my deplorable knowledge of California geography, when asked to go for the weekend to check out a bike race in Chico, I mistakenly thought we were heading to Chino. To make matters worse, the only reason I'd heard of Chino was a somewhat vague memory of references to it in that old TV show, "The O.C.". Embarrassing, I know.

I quickly discovered that Chico, is in fact a very quaint little college town in Northern California and quite worthy of a summer road trip in my opinion. I went to cheer on Mark, who was participating in the stage race over the weekend. There wasn't a good place to watch the road race on Saturday, so I decided to explore the town instead. I had a little difficulty setting out. The receptionist at the hotel and I were obviously not on the same page. I had read good things about the Farmer's Market and asked her for the best walking route to get there. She'd never heard of it and when I gave the general area, she informed me that my feet would go numb and fall off if I tried to walk there. Ok... I forget that anywhere outside a major metropolitan area you're considered a freak if you want to walk more than the 10 steps it takes to get to your car door. Thank goodness for i-phones. I got my google walking map and a crippling 1.5 miles away, found my way to the Farmer's Market.

It was very cute and pretty sizeable. Everything looked so good. I had a hard time controlling the urge to buy it all, but there's only so much you can fit in the hotel mini-fridge. So, I stocked up on some fresh fruit and then continued to wander the downtown area. Cycling is definitely the major past time there. I saw more bike stores than anything else by far. I continued my walking tour onto the college campus and listened in on a few tours I saw passing by. There's a really beautiful natural element to the landscape with a creek running right through the campus and trails along side it. I would love having shady spots like that as a student where you can relax before the next class. I made a pleasant discovery when I followed the creek into One mile Park and stumbled upon a huge swimming hole created by a dam in the creek. It's the perfect place to hang out on a hot summer day and it's free!

Sunday was filled with racing- time trials and a criterium through the downtown streets. I felt bad for the riders. 105 on Saturday and 96 on Sunday. If it were me, I would have passed out from heat stroke without even finishing a lap. Fortunately, I had a shade tree and a yummy Italian ice to get me through. They still somehow managed to put on a good show, but had to cool off in the fountains afterwards. Who could blame them? Mark says he's designing them into every plaza project he works on from now on...makes sense to me!

We finished up the weekend nicely with another swim and a nap in 1-mile park. All in all it was a great summer break before returning to the June Gloom of our beloved San Francisco.

I left my heart in San Francisco

2010-06-22T22:21:00.000-07:00

Some days I just step back and think how lucky I am to be here. This weekend was definitely one of those times. The perfect San Francisco weekend as one friend put it- filled with yoga, brunch, picturesque hikes, neighborhood festivals, housewarming parties, picnics in the park, good food, good drinks, and the random oddball incident like accidentally wandering onto a nude beach. Good times!

Quote of the Week

2010-06-15T10:57:00.001-07:00

"My darling girl, when are you going to understand that 'normal' isn't a virtue? It rather denotes a lack of courage."

Stockard Channing as Frances Owens in Practical Magic

The Sunny Side of Life

2010-06-13T19:58:00.000-07:00

You grow up, you move away, and the sad result is that you only get to see your family a few times a year, maybe less when one member has opted to live abroad for the past 4 years. It's a rare occasion that we all manage to see each other at the same time, but last week we pulled it off.

Plantation Island in Ormond Beach, Florida has truly become an institution in my family. It's not the most modern beach front resort, but it's comfortable and has sort of accidentally found its way into our traditions. Every year since high school at least some of us have headed there for some R&R. My grandpa faithfully books the room for the next year as he's checking out. We have to get the right one- 2 bedroom, 2nd floor, looking over the pool, facing the ocean. He's got it all down. We could even make our dinner reservations a year ahead if we wanted to. We've been going for so long, that everyone has their favorites, and there's hardly time to deviate from them. Grouper sandwich at Inlet Harbor on the deck, listening to amateur 70's and 80's covers, lump crab at Park's, key lime pie from Publix, rock shrimp at Dixie Crossroads... They even have the condo activity schedule memorized- beach BBQ at noon, ice cream social at 2, tie dying t-shirts, build-a-bear, water aerobics. They know it all so well, they could practically run it themselves.

In all honesty, it sounds like the furthest thing from my ideal vacation. Normally, I need new adventures, international forays into unknown cultures, never the same place twice, but this is a different kind of trip. There's no planning required, no thinking, I can simply load up 3 or 4 new books, a few swimsuits, and lounge on the beach. It's great. There might be one new discovery each year, but for the most part we lose ourselves in the comfort of the familiar and I'm OK with that. This time it's about spending time together, which we don't get to do often enough.

Now do I count this as my vacation for the year? Of course not! I didn't even take time off work. I couldn't spare a single hour of PTO, so I worked late, worked the weekend afterwards, and managed to work it out. I do need quality time with my family, but I need my new adventures just as much. :)

WUTHERING HEIGHTS

2010-05-10T20:49:00.000-07:00

It's hard for me to believe that I've lived in the San Francisco area for almost 3-1/2 years and only just recently heard about this hike along the cliffs near Pt. Reyes to a series of cascading waterfalls that drop down right into the ocean. How many other secret treasures do I have yet to discover? Fortunately, a coworker clued me in on this one and I convinced a few friends to take a day trip with me for my birthday.

We started from the Palomarin trail head just outside of Bolinas. Even on a nice day, it's pretty blustery along parts of the trail. I could easily picture Catherine running along the path in search of Heathcliff. The wind picks up and it feels like you might just sail off the side of the ridge. It's all worth it, though. The views are unmatched and you'll quickly find your way from open hills to shady paths. About 4 miles in, the trail leads to Alamere Falls. You can barely call it a trail despite how well traveled it is. It's probably the first time in my life where I felt like a machete might actually come in handy. As opposed to one big waterfall, there's actually a series of them at varying heights leading down to the ocean. The climb down alongside them seems intimidating at first, but really isn't bad at all. In fact, sitting on the warm sand, protected by the rock walls was one of the few places to get away from the wind, where you could simply soak in the sun. It's the ideal spot for a picnic lunch.

On the way back we took a detour down to Bass lake, continued our picnic in a nice little meadow and then went to explore the infamous rope swing. Having only just heard about it from several groups of fellow hikers, we had, unfortunately, not come prepared. A nice couple gave us all permission to go "nudey", but warned against the dangers of the resulting crotch burn. As tempting as that sounded, we all chose to abstain and instead decided that next time, with the proper attire, it would be the perfect break 6 or so miles into the hike.

Trekking Training

2010-04-25T13:09:00.000-07:00

My preparation for Nepal has officially begun. It started with a moderate 7 mile hike from Stinson Beach up Mt. Tam and back. I figured that sounded like more fun than running the Greenwich street stairs for practice. I had heard about a beautiful hike along a creek with waterfalls and convinced a few friends to join me.

We started the day off with lunch at the Parkside Cafe on the beach, then took the Steep Ravine Trail up the mountain. It was a beautiful path, meandering alongside the water. At the top we reached a ranger station and then took the Matt Davis Trail back down. It was nice to switch up the scenery- trading water for grass and flower covered hills, then down through the woods and finally back to the ocean. We obviously deserved a reward after all that hard work, so we capped things off by eating ice cream on the beach. All in all a lovely day! If only the rest of my workouts were as enjoyable.

A Picture is worth... a trip to Nepal?

2010-04-08T21:56:00.000-07:00

I'm all about contests now. It's not that I think I'll win them all, but it is worth trying, right? Especially if there's a trip at stake. In this case, it's the trip to Nepal that I've just been accepted to. Habitat is sponsoring a photo contest and the winner will get their entire trip paid for! They're looking for an image that embodies the need in the community or the good that Habitat is accomplishing. Unfortunately, I don't think I have a lot of great material this time around, but I'll give it a try and I'm sure I'll find many great photo ops while in Nepal. Maybe I can just enter those in the next Global Village trip contest.

You can check out all the entries here.

NEPAL

2010-04-05T19:41:00.000-07:00

My next adventure has just been decided! I've been accepted to the Habitat for Humanity build in Nepal this October. I can't wait!!! We'll be building homes for families in Pokhara, just 200km outside of Kathmandu. It sounds like exactly the opportunity I've been looking for- to see the world and do some good at the same time. I can't wait!!! Time to start planning.

photos by Taylor Miles

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

2010-04-01T23:29:00.000-07:00

"Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile, but sometimes your smile can be the source of your joy." - Thich Nhat Hanh

THE ICE CREAM THIEVES

2010-03-30T08:00:00.000-07:00

While backpacking through Europe, my friend and I met in Florence. We were exhausted, it was pouring rain, and we were down to our last Euros. Only gelato could cheer us up.

We found the cheapest place and sank into the seats, grateful for the warmth and protection from the storm. We pointed at the 2€ sign on the counter and ordered. Out came gigantic scoops. We savored each bite, until they brought the bill. Apparently, 2€ was take-away only. If you sit inside, gelato costs more, you pay for service and the table too! We didn't have enough money! I envisioned us washing dishes to work off our debt.

Andrea looked at me, and said, "Let's run!"

“No! I've never stolen anything!"

"We have no choice! They're not looking. Go!"

Before I knew it, she was gone. The waiter turned, I panicked, and took off running. We raced up the street with them in hot pursuit. She had chosen the worst escape route possible- up a gigantic hill. I tried to imagine what Italian jail would be like and ran faster. We ran for miles, and then out of nowhere, found ourselves in a gorgeous park. The rain had stopped. Everything was a vibrant green and we collapsed in a fit of laughter & embarrassment. I, in no way condone stealing, but we never would have found this oasis if it weren’t for our “transgressions”. I’ll just have to pay twice as much for my gelato next time.

*Written for a Budget Travel contest asking for your best travel stories in 250 words or less. Think it has potential or should I send in another?

THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS

2010-03-21T19:38:00.000-07:00

I haven't been in the best spirits lately. Most of that is a result of outside influences beyond my control, but I started making a list last week of things that would make me happier, that I can control. I was swamped with work at the time, so this weekend is the first chance I've had to make any real efforts in the right direction.

I'm happy to report that my mental experiment was pretty successful. It helps a lot that I live in a beautiful city and the weather chose to cooperate nicely. I'm a firm believer that sunshine can do wonders for the soul. So, with that great base, I started on my list...

1) Focus on art... I love going to the latest art exhibition, I used to make a habit of sketching all the time, and I was always working on some little side project, but haven't felt like I had the time in awhile. So, to get things back on track, I headed to one of my favorite spots- the Palace of Fine Arts and hung out for awhile with my sketchbook. Voila! The first of this weekend's series:

2) Speak more French... I try to keep up my skills. It gets hard when I'm busy and the classes can get expensive, but there are still lots of alternatives- especially in a city like SF with so many francophones. I ended up talking to an old man at the park who moved here from France 49 years ago. He was as excited as me to find someone to converse with. Just a few minutes into a conversation about the Pays Basque and the fabulous food there and I couldn't keep the smile off my face.

3) Embrace and appreciate the unexpected... It's the little things that sometimes catch you off guard and brighten your day. You just have to pay attention. My roommate takes cello lessons and invited her teacher over to our house last night. I didn't want to disturb them, but my curiosity got the better of me and I sat down to watch for a bit. I was completely blown away by not just his skill, but the passion he had for his craft. He knows every composer like they were family, every piece as if it was his own, and you can see the joy and happiness just pouring out of him when he plays. He's literally in heaven and the feeling is contagious. It was amazing to listen to and encouraged me to try and bring some of that passion back into my own profession. I've really let the stress and the monotony get to me lately, and there's something quite therapeutic about remembering what brought me here in the first place and trying to figure out how to infuse that excitement back into my daily routine.

4) Spend time with friends... I have wonderful friends. I feel very lucky to be surrounded by such great people. It seems obvious that if I want to be happier, then I should spend as much time with them as possible. I got to catch up with a few of them over drinks on Saturday night and then spent Sunday having frozen margaritas and basking in the sunshine in the park with a few others. A little uke music, more sketching, and some great people watching all made for a very pleasant afternoon.

5) Yoga... It may sound cliche, but it's great for the body and the mind. Learning to let go of everything and focus on the moment really helps me clear my head and let the day go. I recently discovered Yoga to the People and I really love it. Their donation based philosophy really resonates with me. They want to make sure that it's available to everyone. I went back again this weekend. It was challenging as always, but I felt great when I left. I just need to carve out time for a few more sessions each week.

That wasn't my entire list, but I definitely made a good start. Here's to fresh beginnings and finding what makes you happy.

JOIE DE VIVRE

2010-03-17T21:04:00.000-07:00

It seems so rare to come across a hotelier in this day and age who's #1 focus is something besides money and the ROI. So, when you read something like this from the owner of a rising boutique brand, it really makes you stop to think. Chip Conley, the owner of Joie de Vivre Hotels, gets it and as a hospitality designer and avid traveler, I can't tell you how refreshing it is to hear his perspective. I think people are growing tired of the cookie cutter norm. Across the board, in everything from your hotel room to your tomatoes, our society was sold into this idea that mass production would save the world, or at least our pocketbooks. Things may be a little cheaper as a result, but in the process we've lost the flavor in life and our sense of place. What makes things special is their uniqueness. The best thing about traveling is making those new discoveries & coming back with stories to tell, even if you are on a business trip.

Mr. Conley really sums it up when he says, "Until recently, most of the world's largest hotel chains thought that the mirror we wanted was purely banal predictability with the Hilton in Austin feeling no different than the one in Boston. Road warriors like George Clooney in Up in the Air want consistency but they also want a sense of place with a soul. Aldous Huxley once suggested, 'Consistency is contrary to nature, contrary to life. The only completely consistent people are dead.'"

Here's hoping that more hotel developers start to see the light and help us all find our own "joie de vivre."

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

2010-03-09T19:46:00.001-08:00

"If what one finds is made of pure matter, it will never spoil. And one can always come back. If what you had found was only a moment of light, like the explosion of a star, you would find nothing on return." -Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

2010-03-02T20:51:00.000-08:00

"Your work is to discover your world and then with all your heart give yourself to it." - Buddha

WINTER WONDERLAND

2010-02-23T19:24:00.000-08:00

Living in a place like San Francisco, you start to forget about the change in seasons. The temperature only fluctuates a few degrees all year and we waver between rain and fog. It's funny how events start to run together in your mind as a result. You don't have those cues in nature helping you mark the passage of time. So, it's nice to get out of the city and spend some time in a place like Tahoe that really seems to showcase each season at it's best. I fell in love with it over the summer and despite my sincere dislike of cold temperatures, I was just as mesmerized by it's beauty in the winter.

I went up with friends for the weekend. They went snowboarding, but I chose not to 1) because I'm pretty much guaranteed to injure myself due to my lack of natural athletic ability and 2) as I said earlier, I avoid the cold almost entirely, have no snow gear, and by the time I rented it all, paid for the ski pass, etc. it would make for an expensive weekend. Fortunately, Mark didn't feel like snowboarding either, he has access to free snowshoes, and he knew of some great trails to check out. So, we set off on a completely new adventure for me. Despite the crowds of people in town to ski, the trail we were on was deserted. It was so quiet up there, absolutely untouched by man and gorgeous. We hiked for awhile and then found a good spot for a picnic overlooking the mountains and the forest and enjoyed the day.

We did have a brief scare when he dropped my camera bag (thank goodness it wasn't my camera) into a little pond about 3-4' down from the trail. In his efforts to retrieve it (which were quite entertaining), he ended up falling in, but fortunately the water was only a few inches deep and his boots were waterproof. So, frostbite was avoided and the bag was saved!

The rest of the weekend was spent enjoying good food with our friends at the cabin, spending some necessary time in the hot tub with the snow coming down above us, exploring the area a bit more, and much, much, too much time in the car trying to get there and back. Word to the wise- leave Friday morning and don't come back until Monday.

HERE COMES THE SUN

2010-02-16T21:56:00.000-08:00

The weather finally broke this weekend and we got several gorgeous days of sunshine. How perfect that it fell on a 3 day weekend! Every one's been cooped up indoors for so long, that every park, beach, and outdoor cafe in San Francisco was packed at the first sign of warmth.

I spent a great Valentine's Day touring the city by scooter (definitely one of my favorite pastimes), lounging in the gardens of Queen Wilhimina below the windmill in Golden Gate park, and picnicking on Ocean Beach.

I followed that up with a nice sunny day of wine tasting in the Russian River Valley for the 4th annual celebration of President's Day.

I can feel the winter madness finally breaking and I'm ready for some weekend trips! Tahoe in 3 days!

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

2010-02-02T21:44:00.000-08:00

"He who binds to himself a joy

Doth the winged life destroy;

But he who kisses the joy as it flies

Lives in eternity's sun rise."

- William Blake

WINTER MADNESS

2010-01-31T16:15:00.000-08:00

I don't know about you, but this time of year always starts to get to me... no sunshine for days, too much rain (and or snow depending on where you are), zero vacation time, and too much to do at work. All of these factors combine and you have a classic case of winter madness on your hands.

To keep from going crazy, I've been spending my spare moments daydreaming about all the places I'd like to go once I finally manage to accrue more than 2 hours of PTO.

Places like... Hotel Particulier in Paris. I know, I know, I just got back from there, but it's definitely one place I will never grow tired of and this place sounds so intriguing! Let's start with the fact that it's located in my favorite part of the city- Montmartre. Yes, it's touristy, but the views are unparalleled and there are plenty of places (like this one) that the crowds will never discover. It's hidden away along a secret pathway called "The Passage of the rock of the witch". You automatically feel like you're living in your own fairytale. Beyond the entry gate are extensive gardens and an old mansion with 5 hotel suites. Each one was designed by a different French artist. The one I'm dying to check out- The Hats & Poems Room by Olivier Saillard. Every object in the room has a little tag hanging from it with a poem inside. The room is literally full of secrets and discoveries!

Of course, staying in a mansion filled with first edition designer furniture & art installations comes with a pretty hefty price. Looks like I'll need to be saving more than just my vacation hours if I want to stay here.

Taking it SLO

2010-01-10T10:14:00.000-08:00

It's been pretty chilly over the holidays and I've been wishing for warmer times and thinking back on what a great summer I had this past year. I unintentionally ended up making a mini California tour- LA, Lake Tahoe, and last but not least, San Luis Obispo (or SLO as the locals apparently call it). I had heard it was a cool little college town, but wasn't really expecting anything out of the ordinary. Boy, was I surprised! I only went for the weekend, but we packed so much in and I still wish I could have stayed longer.

As always, it helps when your tour guide is/was a local. We started off the day with a climb up Bishop Peak. It probably took an hour and a half or so to get to the top. The views are breathtaking and well worth the climb. It was a great place to start the trip, since the entire town as well as the ocean are visible from the peak. It definitely helps you get your bearings and gives you a great sense of the landscape.

We spent the rest of the afternoon touring around the neighboring beach towns on a scooter. Scooting is probably one of my favorite forms of transportation, but we almost froze to death during this particular run. I left SLO, which was a sunny 75 or so, wearing a tank top and skirt. Within minutes we had fast forwarded seasons and found ourselves in Pismo Beach, where it was a chilly 50 some degrees. It literally looked & felt like a bizarre winter wonderland with surfers emerging from the fog. Add the wind blowing against your skin on the scooter, and you'll understand my discomfort. For that reason, we made a quick loop and then headed back for summer at Avila Beach. The fog fell away, we found the sunshine again and spent some time thawing out on the sand.

We finished off the tour with a ride over See Canyon. We took a little road, very much off the beaten path, that I doubt most locals even know about. Fortunately for me, (yet again), my guide is an avid biker (that might even be an understatement) and this road is known as one of the best bike trails in town. So, we took the scooter off road for a bit, climbed another hill and stopped to admire the gorgeous views out over the bay. The fog was thick over the hills and I had no problem admiring its beauty from a safe distance in the sun.

The fun continued with an amazing meal at Novo Restaurant. We ate on their back deck beneath twinkle lights and overlooking the creek that runs through downtown. Beautiful setting & fantastic food!

Unbelievably, the day didn't end there. I told you we packed a ridiculous amount of things into the weekend, didn't I? We left dinner and made it to Sycamore Mineral Springs Resort just in time for their very last opening for a Sulphur Spring bath. "Wow" pretty much sums up that experience. They have a large outdoor garden with private sulphur tubs throughout. You walk down the tree-lined path to find your own secluded spring surrounded by a wooden deck and completely open to the sky above.

Sunday was just as fun-filled. We headed back to Pismo beach (with more appropriate attire this time) and ate some of their famous clam chowder at Splash Cafe. Then, we followed that up with an afternoon of wine tasting at the Edna Valley vineyards just outside the city. I'm pretty spoiled already, living so close to wine country here in San Francisco, but they definitely hold their own in comparison. I was very happy to go home with my tasty bottle of 2007 Dry Riesling from Wolff Vineyards.

It was a fantastic weekend and now that I think about it, it might be time for a return visit sometime soon...

HAPPY 2010!

2010-01-03T08:13:00.000-08:00

A new year, a new decade... you can't help but reflect on the highlights of the last 12 months and think a bit about how you'd like to see the next 12 play out.

All in all, I'd say it's been a pretty fantastic year for me- especially in travel terms. I was lucky enough to go on 3 vacations! Maybe not the greatest idea, now that I'm left working extra over the holidays since I used up all of my paid time off, but I'd say it was worth it. None of the 3 trips were planned very far in advance- opportunities arise and I'm never one to say no to the next adventure. :)

Here are a few (but, by no means all) of my favorite moments in 2009 :

Sailing- Grenadine islands

Ole! Splash Mountain, Disneyland- Los Angeles, CA

Pt. Reyes blue cheese with thyme infused honey picnic at the lighthouse- Pt. Reyes, CA

Last night in France- Picnic at the Eiffel Tower- Paris, France

Massage Point at the Rockhouse- Negril, Jamaica

Let's hope 2010 can be even better. I've got a good feeling about it...

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

2009-12-14T21:31:00.000-08:00

"Tourists don't know where they've been. Travelers don't know where they're going."

-Paul Theroux

Gonja farms & Gurus

2009-12-12T13:23:00.000-08:00

"How would you like to see a farm?", said our taxi driver after taking us to a field in the middle of nowhere. "umm... no thanks, we just wanted to go to Jackie's on the Reef. Shouldn't we be there by now?," we said. "No mon, it's far to Jackie's! You should see a gonja farm on the way! I have a friend... He can take you. You'll take nice pictures," he says as he stops the car on this abandoned dirt road. Then, proceeds to call a friend and speak in Jamaican patois that we can't understand. "Don't worry. I'll take you to the farm. You will love it, mon!"

I turned to Mark, trying to express my mounting concern telepathically. I've heard the stories about Jamaica. Have we really just been hijacked to work as slave labor on some gonja farm??? Our map says we should have past Jackie's a long time ago! We are no where near the town anymore! He's looking a little concerned too. We spot a couple ladies coming down the road 9(the first people we've seen for miles) and he (somewhat frantically) leans out the window to ask them if we are anywhere close to Jackie's on the Reef. They roll their eyes and keep walking.

Great... who knows what that means! "Please sir, just take us to Jackie's. We don't want to go to any farms." "Calm down mon," he says, "if I don't treat you right, you won't come back to Jamaica." uh huh... We get moving again, and finally pull up in front of a huge metal gate with a hand painted sign that says "Jackie's". We feel a little embarrassed for getting so scared, but this can't be right... we were looking for a spa with a nice spot to grab lunch & an afternoon massage. How do we even get back to the hotel from here? There hasn't been another soul for miles and I'm not getting in the cab with that guy again! So, we ring the buzzer and are ushered down this path to a huge open yoga studio filled with crystals, beds, drums, and all sorts of other accessories. "Jackie" gracefully walks up the hill to meet us wearing a little swimsuit bottom and a very loose fitting sarong across her chest. She's an older woman with an air of wisdom, and complete peace about her. You can just feel how calming and spiritual she and this place are. But, seriously, where are we???

We have no reservations, no expectations, but she happened to have massage openings at 2:00. "Feel free to wander around, swim in the ocean or the sea pools, have a bite of lunch and hang out until we're ready for you," she says. So, we made ourselves at home.

What had the potential for disaster, quickly turned into my favorite part of the entire trip! We let the waves crash over us on the reef, watched the waterfalls pour down, basked in the sun, and then ate one of the best meals I've ever had. We picked from the 2 or 3 options that change daily and ate at this tiny traditional cooking hut. They had smoked the chicken all night, marinated it in fresh fruit juices, placed it on a bed of shredded lettuce, and topped it with a homemade dressing. We both got giant fresh fruit smoothies to go with it. I was in heaven and the massage hadn't even started yet.

She escorted us to another small hut on the edge of the reef overlooking the ocean. We laid down and let the crashing waves lull us into complete relaxation. The massage was incredible and at some point, it started to sprinkle. You could hear the pitter patter on the thatch roof above. I couldn't think of a single other place I'd rather be. Miraculously, the rain stopped as we emerged from the hut. Jacki invited us to continue resting on the beds in the studio, sipping cucumber water and reveling in the feelings of peace and comfort that her home seems to exude.

This is another one of those places I absolutely have to get back to someday. She has a traditional looking hut that you can rent, complete with picture windows towards the surf, a huge skylight above the bed, and an amazing outdoor bathroom. Breakfast & dinner is included as well as a 2 hour yoga class each morning. I have a feeling you would definitely leave a changed person after a few days with Jacki. What a lucky discovery!

Rockhouse

2009-12-10T22:07:00.000-08:00

One of the primary reasons that I fell in love with Jamaica was due to the incredible hotel that we stayed at. It's featured in my Design Hotels book that I'm always referring to at work, it's on Tablet hotels (an equally great resource for boutique hotels), and it's got the highest ratings on every travel website. The Rockhouse is definitely a place that stands out from the crowd. We wandered up and down the beach checking out all the resorts, and there was honestly nothing that even came close.

It's a small group of rooms (only 34) situated on the western cliffs of the island. You have to book early because they go fast. Each villa is integrated seamlessly into the landscape and connected by a meandering garden path. If you're like us and still working on that first million, there's a lower budget option in the small 2 story hotel room block. The furnishings are exactly like the villas, you're just next door to someone. They still have outdoor showers and a beautiful/ timeless set-up that's completely suited to the climate. No TV's. This is where you go to escape it all.

Throughout the resort there are multiple vignettes that serve as your own private oasis. A little hut perched on the top of a high cliff or a couple of lounge chairs at the edge of the water... you'd think that you'd be interrupted by other guests at some point, but there seem to be plenty of hide aways for everyone. There's lots of opportunities for cliff jumping, snorkeling, yoga, and more. You can cap off the day at the pool which is perfectly situated to take in the magnificent sunsets every night.

Follow that up with a fantastic dinner at the Rockhouse restaurant (consistently rated one of the best in Jamaica) or the more traditional Jamaican Pushcart restaurant a little further up the path with live reggae every night. The food is good and the service is great, but it's the ambiance that's absolutely unparalleled. The restaurants sit atop caves within the cliffs. They're lit by ticki torches and you can hear the waves crashing beneath you. One table stands apart from the rest on the next rock outcropping over. It's alone out on the ledge and surrounded by votive candles. It's definitely a dining experience like no other. We had to reserve it for our last night. It seemed like the perfect way to cap off the trip.

Basically, you have everything you could want or need within easy reach. It was pretty tempting to stay put, but we couldn't resist exploring. There were just too many interesting things to see. You always need more time...

Yeah Mon!

2009-12-06T20:48:00.000-08:00

There are so many places in the world that I want to visit, that I rarely plan on going back to the same place twice, but Jamaica has made it on the list.

I just returned from an absolutely amazing trip to the island. The landscape is so beautiful and the weather couldn't have been better! In fact, the whole trip was perfect! I can't think of enough positive adjectives to describe it. It was the best blend of relaxing laziness and cultural adventure. I honestly wouldn't have changed a thing- except maybe to add more days... There was basically no planning that went into this and we discovered all sorts of places and activities along the way that we wanted to check out and just didn't have the time for. I guess that's just yet another reason to head back again.

I'm still trying to figure out why everyone is so scared of Jamaica, though. I don't know how many people looked at me with shock when I told them where I was going and said, "Be careful! I hear it's pretty dangerous down there. I wouldn't leave the hotel, if I were you." I'm convinced that these nasty rumors are promoted by the all-inclusive resorts (don't get me started...) to keep you trapped within their walls and giving them all your money. Don't be fooled. The pool bar is fun (strangely, they did have the best jerk chicken we tasted the entire time), but there are many more exciting sites to see outside the hotel walls.

More details to come...

IN THE MOOD

2009-11-24T13:50:00.000-08:00

Getting in the mood for my next adventure... 2 more days and I'll be on a plane to Jamaica. I'm thinking this place looks like a must see-The Pelican Bar in Taino Cove. It's a bizarre little floating bar out in the middle of the ocean. I'll be replacing turkey with rum punch this year. Happy Thanksgiving!

CHEESE 101

2009-11-09T22:07:00.000-08:00

Obviously, I can't go on all the trips that I would like to. I don't have the money or the vacation time, and as one of my friends is fond of pointing out, my carbon footprint is growing exponentially with each adventure. So, sometimes it makes sense to try and experience some outside culture here at home.

Hence my motivation to take a cheese class focusing specifically on the food & wine from Spain & Portugal. I heard about the school a couple of years ago (its actually the only one of its kind in the nation!) through my local cheese store Cheese Plus. I tried on multiple occasions to take a class, but they sell out almost immediately. Taking that as a good sign, I kept trying. I finally managed to get registered and went to the class last Thursday night.

It was amazing! It felt like a big dinner party. We walked into what felt like a cozy apartment, grabbed a drink, chatted with the other guests and then found our name card and took a seat at the head of the table. We got to try 10 different kinds of cheeses from various regions and they provided two types of wine, sherry, dried fruits, fig spread, nuts, and some $100/lb prosciutto to try pairing with them. Our teacher (like all of the classes) was an expert on the regions represented and went into great detail about the history behind each one, how they were made, and what they taste best with.

The classes are a bit on the expensive side, but you definitely get your money's worth. I learned a lot and we ate so much, that we literally had to take a stroll around the neighborhood to try and work some of it off. I'm not sure however, that it satiated my desire to visit the countries themselves. If anything it may have excited it more... :)

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

2009-11-07T11:07:00.001-08:00

"One's destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things." - Henry Miller

TAHOE

2009-11-02T22:12:00.000-08:00

At this point in my life, I'm lucky enough to go on at least one big trip a year that takes me outside the country. As a result, I hesitate to count anything that doesn't require me crossing an ocean as a significant vacation, but over the summer a friend helped remind me of all the amazing places I had yet to really explore in my own backyard.

One of those trips was to Lake Tahoe back in August. At only about 4 hours from the city (minus any traffic) it makes the perfect weekend road trip. I'm not sure how I'd managed to go so long without visiting- during winter or summer. I was absolutely mesmerized by its beauty. The water shines with that deep, intense blue. The contrast between that and the mountains in the distance takes your breath away. It only gets better at night when you can see thousands upon thousands of stars. I could have literally stared at that expanse for hours, making wish after wish as the shooting stars passed above my head.

Even in the summer, it's hard to run out of things to do there. Boating, bike riding, giant ice cream scoops at Camp Richardson, hiking, live music at the beach, gorgeous sunsets...They've got it all. Some of it isn't cheap (like taking the gondola up to the top of Squaw Valley mountain), but I would still highly recommend it, especially when you have our luck.

We paid $60 to ride the gondola up to the top (absolutely beautiful), where we hiked around for awhile, even making our own trails at times, finally made it back for a late lunch at the cafe at the top of the mountain, and then lounged by the pool all afternoon. What an amazing setting! We decided to take one last dip in the spa before heading out, when we heard a big commotion. Apparently, some misguided child had decided it would be a good idea to go #2 in the pool. Gross! But, on the bright side, as we were walking out, we overheard the lifeguards telling the guests they could ask for refunds at the base of the mountain for their pool passes. We'd been there all day already, but figured it was at least worth a try. After some hassling, the guy finally handed over the refund. We expected to only get back the $12/person that we'd paid for the pool, but at closer inspection, we discovered it was all free!

Later that same evening, we stopped by the casinos (figured that's part of the Tahoe experience, right?) and decided to drop a couple dollars in the slot machine for fun. A few minutes in and we were already getting bored. So, my friend starts betting the max on each turn so we can move on to our next adventure. All of a sudden, the bells start ringing and the money count just keeps going up. He won $300!

The stars must have been aligned for us that weekend...

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

2009-10-27T07:30:00.000-07:00

"Love is all you need." -The Beatles

SHELTER ME

2009-10-26T22:46:00.000-07:00

I'm a designer and I'm obviously obsessed with travel, so it probably comes as no surprise that I prefer to focus on hospitality design at work. I'm one of those annoying people that takes pictures of their hotel room as soon as they enter. I evaluate every detail & file them away under do's and dont's for future projects. If only I could expense my trips as research!

On this last trip to France, we tried out many different types of accommodations- everything from couchsurfing to the newest hotel by Phillipe Starck. Stay for free in one place and you can spend a little extra in the next, right?

He did not disappoint. I'd been reading articles about Mama Shelter for the past few months. It's on every one's hot list and I had to check it out. It's marketed as one of the newer crop of designer "budget" hotels. The owner bought property further out in the 20th arrondissement, next to Pere Lachaise cemetery, so he could save a bit of money and charge a little less. I didn't feel slighted in the least. Everything in Paris is easily accessible by metro and this just encouraged me to explore new areas I hadn't fully experienced before.

Even if the neighborhood was terrible though, I would STILL recommend this place. The design is absolutely amazing. Starck's creativity and sense of humor are apparent around every corner. There's an eclectic mix of furniture and accessories that no one else would think to put together and yet he can somehow make it work. The ceilings in the lobby & restaurant are gigantic chalkboards covered in sketches & quotes. The same motif is carried into the corridors & rooms on custom carpet. Each room comes with huge Apple flat screens, super hero nightlights, and a fresh flower in your bathroom every day. The dark interior feels cozy even with the concrete walls. Downstairs, there's a restaurant that's popular in its own right. Feeling social? Take a seat at the communal table that's made from huge flat screens covered with a glass top. Feeling more private? Grab a wing back chair near the "fireplace" or head out onto the patio to enjoy your rapper themed cocktail.

Mama's definitely makes it on my top 10 list. You won't find a better deal for the experience. Don't miss out!

PARIS, JE T'AIME

2009-10-24T11:24:00.000-07:00

I know it's only been a month since I was there, but I'm already missing Paris. There are a few locations that are particularly special to my heart, and this weekend I really could have used the escape. It may be a huge city, but there are still a few secret spots where you can find some peace and quiet to collect your thoughts and just admire the beauty around you. A couple of my favorites:

1. Le Parc des Buttes Chaumont- discovered this one thanks to a friend on this last trip. It literally feels like you've been transported out into the country. You leave the dirty, busy streets of the 20th arrondissement and walk into a vast landscape of rolling hills, complete with caves, waterfalls, and duck filled ponds. Then, you catch a glimpse through the trees down over the city. You can't help but be transfixed by its beauty.

2. The stairs at Mont Martre- ok, this one isn't so secret, but it still remains one of my favorites and if you go really early in the morning you can avoid all the tourists and guys hawking fake purses. The light is beautiful coming through the trees and the view of the city is of course amazing.

3. The view from ??? in the 20th- I'm sorry, the exact location seems too good to give up. Maybe if you ask me really nicely... All I can say is, it's the best view I've ever had of the Eiffel Tower. You can dine outside on tarts with brie & honey or goat cheese & golden raisins, enjoy a fabulous bottle of wine, and watch the lights twinkle on the tower. Follow that up, by sitting along the concrete ledge at the top of the hill and just try to do your best to take it all in.

PS It's the Eiffel Tower's 120th birthday today! They have a special light show going on through December to celebrate. Joyeux anniversaire!

LESSONS ON THE LABYRINTH

2009-10-21T20:24:00.000-07:00

Music echoing between giant stone columns, crystal bowls, a labyrinth... Yoga at Grace Cathedral is absolutely an other wordly experience. I mentioned what a well kept secret it is before when Jamie Lindsay was teaching. Fortunately for us, Jamie's friend, Darren Main, agreed to take over his spot when he moved to NY and the church was adamant about keeping the class going.

Not to take away from Jamie at all, but the class has only gotten better. Darren often invites friends to join the practice and help set the mood by playing music. Just a few weeks ago Sam Jackson from Vibrant Stillness performed with his collection of crystal bowls. The sound was beautiful! It was unlike anything I've experienced before. Lucky for us, Sam has agreed to play the first Tuesday of each month. I highly recommend joining in. As before, it's every Tuesday at 6:15 and is entirely donation based.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

2009-10-07T22:42:00.000-07:00

"Our battered suitcases were piled on the sidewalk again, we had longer ways to go. But no matter, the road is life." -Jack Kerouac

RESEARCH

2009-10-07T21:07:00.000-07:00

My friend Vanessa and I quickly discovered that our French vacation was turning into what could have been the best honeymoon ever. Unfortunately for us, our relationship doesn't fall in that category, so we decided to classify it as research instead. We'll each just have to return someday and share it with that lucky person.

The highlight of the trip for me was definitely the town of St. Jean-de-Luz. It's a small village on the Atlantic coast, just off the Spanish border, and it literally exudes romance. You're surrounded by happy couples of all ages and it's hard not to picture yourself walking along the beach at sunset with that special someone.

We'd never heard of the city before and only stopped by based on a recommendation from our couchsurfing friend. It was obvious that it's not a well known destination for Americans. The majority of other tourists were definitely French & Spanish citizens and I get the feeling they'd love to keep this fantastic secret to themselves. I've been to quite a few towns along the Mediterranean coast, but this surpassed them all by far.

It's part of a grouping of 4 villages tucked very closely together with a coastal trail connecting all of them- somewhat similar to Cinque Terre, in Italy. The views along the path are breathtaking and vary widely between sandy beaches, rocky cliffs, and crystal clear waters. Around each bend there's yet another perfect spot for a picnic, a private swim, an impromptu photo shoot, or whatever suits your fancy.

St. Jean-de-Luz falls within the region called the Pays Basque which, among other things, is known for its amazing food. We definitely took advantage of that during our stay. There's a farmer's market every day where you can try their famous Ossau Iraty cheese, (We really should have smuggled some home. I discovered that it costs up to $60/lb. here in the US!) black cherry jam, peppers, and the fantastic hake fish. By accident, we stumbled across Piper Beltz restaurant and enjoyed what we both considered to be our favorite meal in France (EVER!). We decided to try all the local specialities and they blew us away- Gambas Roti (grilled shrimp), Merlu (hake fish), and Tarte Tatins to top the whole thing off. I rarely clean my plate completely and despite how full I was, I practically licked the crumbs off the dish.

It's not a bad way to spend your days- a nice hike in the morning, a swim in the ocean to cool off, picnic with food fresh from the farmer's market, sketching and napping on the beach, a fantastic dinner, and then finishing the day off by listening to the waves crash in as the sun sets. It's the sort of life I could get used to.

We only got to spend 2 days there and it wasn't nearly enough time. I suppose it's better that way if this was a research trip, though. There are plenty of things still left to discover next time.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

2009-09-29T21:22:00.000-07:00

"Like all great travelers, I have seen more than I remember, and I remember more than I have seen." -Benjamin Disraeli

VAMOS A LA PYLA

2009-09-29T20:32:00.000-07:00

The Dune du Pyla is the largest sand dune in Europe. It's about 117m high at the peak and then drops off into the pine forest beyond. We HAD to see it. In fact, we had to see it so bad, that even after discovering that there were no buses going there (since it was Sunday), we still decided to walk.

The nearest major town is Arcachon. We took the train from Bordeaux and then started walking. Fortunately, a good portion of the way runs along the beach boardwalk, then through the city park where we were able to stop off for a panini and Orangina break. About 3 hours later, we finally ended up at the Dune. That's a long way to go on foot, but it was soooo worth it! We walked along the coast, turned the corner around the forest and the Dune seemed to rise out of nowhere. It's hard to really grasp the scale of it until you realize the little dots across the face are actually people!

We took a well deserved dip in the ocean and relaxed on the beach for awhile before attempting the climb. Even then, we only got about half way up before we felt a break was necessary. Perfect timing for a jumping photo shoot...

We finally made it pretty close to the top. We knew we still had to walk the whole way back to the train station and felt like the view was already pretty amazing from where were standing. The ocean on one side, the forest on the other, and the Pyrenees looming in the background on a clear day. Absolutely worth the tired feet.

TOUR DE VIN

2009-09-27T17:47:00.000-07:00

Since moving to San Francisco, I've discovered a profound love of wine (something I somehow missed out on while living in France) and I've been dying to get back there and go tasting ever since. So, we made it a point to set aside a day trip to the small town of St. Emilion on this vacation. Perched on the hill and surrounded by vineyards, the village is absolutely picturesque. Many of the buildings are even carved out of the limestone hill, contributing to its UNESCO World Heritage Site status.

There were only 2 trains leaving from Bordeaux in the morning, one at 7am and one at 10:30. We wanted to make the most of our day, so we opted for the earlier train. Inevitably we missed the tram from the house and ended up walking/running 45 min. to the train station. It honestly felt like an episode of The Amazing Race. My friend Vanessa was softly humming the Speed theme music as we jogged through the deserted streets. We managed to hop on the train with moments to spare. I should have expected as much, it seems to be a common theme in my European travels, but at least it makes for a more interesting story in the end...

We arrived in St. Emilion at the "crack of dawn" (as my family loves to say). There wasn't a soul in sight, but the light across the vineyards was breathtaking- well worth our early morning exercise. We wandered the village, checking out the deserted alleys, the cathedral cloisters, etc. until the tourist office finally opened at 10:30. There, we were able to rent bikes and embark on our self-guided tour. We tried using the maps they provided for about 5 minutes, but with directions like, "turn left at the mail box, go down past the row of trees and then right when you see the rose bush", we obviously didn't make it very far.

Unfortunately, every winery we stopped at was closed- because it was the weekend, because they were at lunch, because they wanted to take a nap...there were a million reasons. The French just aren't very concerned with making money. We did finally find a couple places that let us taste. Fortunately for us, we stumbled into one of the Premiere Grand Cru vineyards (that means the best of the best) and got a full tour of their facilities after which they almost convinced me to drop 60 euros on a bottle of wine. It was sooooo good! It should peak in about 20-25 years- what a lesson in patience!

Despite the fact that we were unable to drink copious amounts of wine like we'd intended, the day turned out to be amazing. The bikes were a perfect way to see the countryside, the weather was beautiful, and we capped it all off with a nice nap in the park.

COUCHSURFING THROUGH BORDEAUX

2009-09-24T18:33:00.000-07:00

Am I the last person under 30 to have discovered couchsurfing.org? It certainly feels that way. Recently, a friend of mine told me he was hosting some couchsurfers and after seeing my confused look, he explained how it works. It's an online network made up of thousands of travelers who offer up their home as a free place to stay for those passing through and vice versa, they are hosted by fellow members when they go on vacation. What a great idea! Somewhat scary, I'll admit, since you can only trust about 50% of what people write on the Internet, but if the person is who they say they are, and they're genuinely interested in getting to know people from other cultures, what better way to accomplish it?

Much to my grandparents horror, I'm sure, my friend Vanessa and I decided to give it a try on our trip to France. To our delight, Phillipe offered to host us in Bordeaux. We were a little nervous that he might not show up or worse yet, he might turn out to be some kind of crazy serial killer, but the process was incredibly smooth. He was such a gentleman! He got us settled and then spent quite some time helping us figure out the rest of our open ended itinerary. It was thanks to him that we ended up in St. Jean-de-Luz, which was probably the highlight of the trip for me. What a great deal- a free place to stay, good advice from a local on what to see and do, great conversation about all the trips we've taken and we want to take...

He's hosted at least 45 people and couchsurfed himself in many different countries, but despite repeated questioning from us about the horror stories he must have inevitably experienced, he really didn't have a bad story to tell. Our experience honestly gave me a whole new level of confidence in humanity. Alright, that sounds a little extreme, but in the words of a fellow travel blogger, "in the moment I was truly overwhelmed by the efficacy of the couchsurfing project and overjoyed that such sharing between strangers even exists in today’s world." Not that you shouldn't exercise caution when using it, read the reviews about people before accepting offers, etc., but perhaps the vast majority of participants out there, really are good at heart and genuinely looking to help out fellow lovers of travel.

FRUIT TARTS MAKE EVERYTHING BETTER

2009-09-05T12:48:00.000-07:00

I'm in France now and loving it! My friend Vanessa and I had a rough start- we planned on going to Mont Saint Michel first thing, but due to some train timing problems and various other issues, we had to cut that from our trip and spend the first day in Paris instead. As usual, though, if you stay flexible, things turn out well in the end. We managed to get a pretty serious discount on a gorgeous room, comlete with a color changing jauzzi tub, in a new boutique hotel called Apostrophe Hotel (another accident- we were looking for an older, cheaper hotel that Vanessa knew and discovered it had ben recently renovated, but the woman at the front desk took pity on us). They let us check in even though it was early in the morning, we got cleaned up, and decided we deserved a true French tart after all of our frustrations. Half an hour later we were relaxing in the Jardin du Luxembourg with our tarts and couldn't imagine anything much better.

I highly recomend the hotel if you're looking for one. It's based on a poetry theme and each room has a different motif. We got the printing press room complete with block stamps used as art on the walls. We each had to try out the "rainbow bath", as we liked to call it, the next morning before heading back to the train station. It was definitely the best bath I've ever had- jets everywhere with mood lighting and bath salts... we couldn't help but laugh about how we must have ended up with the honeymoon suite. The location is perfect as well, in the quaint little neighborhood near Montparnasse. All in all, things turned out great despite our earlier mishaps.

OUTSIDE THE CITY LIMITS

2009-08-21T21:22:00.000-07:00

Without a car, it makes it more difficult for me to get outside the city very often, or for that matter to get outside the 3m radius around my home. So, I'm thankful to have friends with cars who will let me tag along from time to time. A few weeks ago, I was lucky enough to get outside the city for most of the weekend.

Friday:

Left work and hopped on the ferry to Tiburon. Every Friday night in the summer they close down Main Street & host a block party. All the restaurants set up tables in the quaint little street, there are multiple bands playing, face painting, kids buzzing around you on their razors, and even sailing races going on in the background. It felt like another world-almost like a scene from Pleastantville, but in a good way. It seemed hard to believe that the city was just a short 20 minute boat ride away.

Saturday:

Took a little road trip up the coast to Point Reyes- yet another must see item on the list of most tourists, that I still had yet to visit. We stopped in the tiny little town of Pt. Reyes station. It seems to be best known for its cheese. We couldn't resist stopping into Cowgirl Creamery for a little taste testing and of course couldn't walk out the door without a few purchases. We took our new treasures & headed for the lighthouse. The road was much longer than we anticipated, but the views along the way were breathtaking. Once we finally arrived at the lighthouse and made our way down the 308 steps, we were disappointed to discover that the park closes at 4:30 on the dot and we were quickly being herded right back up the stairs. Oh well, c'est la vie. We made the best of it and found a spot for a nice picnic back up at the top. We broke out the Point Reyes blue cheese and the thyme infused honey that we had bought back at the creamery and quickly scarfed down the entire thing. I don't think I've ever tasted anything quite that good. Those two ingredients create something magical when paired together. I'm not kidding- something aligns in the stars and all is right with the world. We even had a baby deer frolicking around us while we ate.

Sunday:

Headed over to Brentwood (a town I'd never even heard of prior to this little excursion) for some fruitpicking. That's right, we paid people to let us do their manual labor for them and it was great! We chose the Farmer's Daughter to bestow our kind efforts on and paid about $1.50/lb for as many peaches & plums as we cared to pick. They use all organic farming techniques and you can eat as much as you want while in the orchard. We gathered a large bucketful and then savored our bountiful harvest over a nice picnic in the summer heat.

All in all, it was a fantastic weekend! I love the city, but every so often it's quite nice to make an escape...

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

2009-08-19T23:20:00.000-07:00

"When you have once seen the glow of happiness on the face of a beloved person, you know that a man can have no vocation but to awaken that light on the faces surrounding him." -Albert Camus

CHEZ JIM

2009-08-19T22:48:00.000-07:00

Things have been super busy lately, but I'm trying to fit in some research for this upcoming trip to France. Fortunately, I've been getting some fantastic suggestions from friends. For example, I recently heard about Jim Haynes in this article. He's a 75 year old ex-pat, living in Paris who opens his home every Sunday night to anyone interested in meeting new people and enjoying some great food together. He doesn't even officially charge, there's just a suggested donation of 25 euros. Apparently, he's become popular enough that attendance can get up to 70 people or so. They say he's hosted over 120,000 people over the years. In describing himself, he quotes Tom Paine, "I am a world citizen. All human history is mine. My roots cover the earth. I believe we should know each other. After all, our lives are all connected." Who could say it better?

I love the idea of this! What better way to get to know locals and fellow travelers and take part in a truly unique experience. Unfortunately for us, we leave Paris on Sunday morning, so it looks like we'll have to miss this one. I'm so sad!!! I've heard there are other similar activities in town. If anyone knows of them- please pass on the info!

OUT OF AFRICA

2009-08-04T21:19:00.000-07:00

Recently, I've been getting more and more interested in the idea of "Voluntourism." I love to travel, but I also feel like we should be doing our part to make a difference in this world and finding a way to combine the two is important to me. Recently, my friend Sarah did just that and I asked her to share a bit about her travels.

"About 6 months ago, a good friend and fellow architect, Jill, told me about a trip she was planning to Sudan. Jill and Kevin, her close friend and pastor of her church Mosaic, had met one of the 'lost boys' of Sudan, Michael Kuany. After hearing his incredible story they decided to see what they could do to help his cause. Michael traveled thousands of miles on foot to avoid the violence that had broken out in his village during the Civil War in Southern Sudan. He was brought to the US under the Clinton administration to have an opportunity to start a new life. He has a US education, and he has decided to go back to help his village and his country. We were master-planning several buildings focusing especially on a primary school and a women's center. Everyone was so friendly! We spent much of our time meeting officials and locals and playing with kids. We spent a week collecting information and designing.

Sudan is trying to rebuild itself after a twenty year civil war, and right now isn't the safest place in the world to be traveling. Tourism of any kind is pretty much out of the question, but we had made it all the way to Africa, and we wanted to do the cliche African tourism things. So, we traveled to neighboring Uganda, where Jill and I stayed for 3 weeks. We went on safari, and we saw wild giraffe, monkeys, hippos, and even intercepted a pride of hunting lions. We had an exhilarating adventure white water rafting the Nile River.

We wanted to make sure that we were active and purposeful in our travel, so after our week of tourism, we were volunteering again. We worked on another architecture project in Lira, Uganda. We also taught a photography class in Kampala. Anyone can travel, but I think by being active, that we got closer to what is actually happening there. We were in the community meeting people and working with them.
We presented our project at Mosaic's Sunday gathering and Kevin asked me why I decided to join the trip. My answer was long winded and sounded meaningful, but when it got right down to it, I just wanted to learn something new. It is important to me to be curious about everything I encounter in order to learn and grow as a designer, and more holistically, as a person. As a westerner, and especially as an American, we have a very isolated view of what the world looks like. We have never seen real poverty or real struggle on a massive scale. Much more of the world lives like those in Sudan than we, as sheltered Americans, even realize, let alone do anything about.

This trip helped to put many things in my own life into perspective. It was a chance to slow down and step out of the box of my comfortable life. It was a chance to not only observe, but to take action and help. "

-Sarah

GETTING MY FIX

2009-08-02T20:18:00.000-07:00

It's official! I'm headed back to France for a couple of weeks in September. It's been 5 years since I was there last and my craving has been steadily growing to an obnoxious level. Now, I will finally be able get my fix. I can't wait! Let the planning begin...

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

2009-08-02T19:54:00.000-07:00

"It's the simple things in life that are the most extraordinary." - Paulo Coelho

LES AMIES

2009-07-26T21:37:00.000-07:00

It's strange how some people come in and out of your life so quickly and then there are others that you're lucky enough to stay in contact with your whole life. I'm happy to say that my friend Gaelle falls in the second category. She and I met 10 years ago during a high school foreign exchange program. It was my first trip outside the United States and my first trip on my own. I stayed with her family in St.Etienne and you can probably credit their kindness with creating this lifelong obsession that I have with both France and traveling in general. Afterwards, she came to stay with me and my family in Kansas City for a little while and amazingly we've managed to meet up every few years since. I vacationed with them at their beach house on the Mediterranean, visited St.Etienne again during my time studying abroad in college, and now she's made it back to visit me in the US.

We couldn't communicate very easily that first trip and rarely went anywhere without a dictionary in hand, but that frustration certainly motivated me to work harder at learning French. Fortunately, we can communicate fairly easily now. That's not to say that I don't make plenty of mistakes, but it makes me happy to be speaking anyways.

I'm already looking forward to many more visits to come.

THE MAGIC HOUR

2009-07-23T21:20:00.000-07:00

Sometimes it's good to be a tourist in your own city... but I say that with care. There are some places I highly recommend you steer clear of (like Fisherman's Wharf), but there are others that I love to go back to again and again.

The Sutro Baths is on that list and while I'd been before, my most recent visit was definitely the best so far. The key is to go at sunset. The ruins are perched on the rocky cliffs off the West Coast of the Peninsula. The landscape is raw & intense there. You certainly don't want to be caught without a jacket, but the view is unparalleled. It's impossible to see something like that and not feel lucky to live here. Add in a scooter ride along the coast at the magic hour to get there, some excellent company, and a glass of wine at the Cliffhouse and you've got yourself a perfect evening.

Oh and one other little known secret for success... get your glass of wine at the bar and then leave the crowd behind. You can quietly sneak down the elevator to the bottom floor and exit through some back of house doors out onto ocean lookout below. While not technically allowed... they don't seem to mind too much as long as you bring the glasses back.

STORMY NIGHTS

2009-07-23T10:26:00.000-07:00

I absolutely love this sound bite! Here in San Francisco we never get big thunderstorms and its one of the things that I miss most... watching the dark clouds roll in over the hills, listening to the rain, seeing the lightning illuminate the sky. Thanks Pia for bringing that back to me, even if it's only for a couple of minutes.

Shhh...

LOST BREAD & FLYING SHEEP

2009-07-21T21:20:00.000-07:00

There were a few unique gems that we managed to discover in LA.

The Farmer's Daughter Hotel-

One of those newer genres of design centric budget hotels. It's a renovated old motel on Fairfax in Hollywood. You can tell all the money went into the public spaces. They manage to bring a modern twist to the farm theme. They even provide lemonade & potato chips at the front desk. The room is much simpler. Kitschy extras like the flying sheep art & the tiny wooden red stool definitely bring some interest to the space. They certainly provided us with some good photo ops...

We had brunch at the hotel's restaurant, Tart, on Saturday. Unlike most hotel restaurants, it does seem to hold its own in the city. We ate outside under the big market umbrellas. Good food & a great atmosphere. I'd definitely recommend it on a sunny morning.

Comme Ca-

I admit it, I give any restaurant with a French name a few extra points, but this one did actually deserve them. The food was amazing! I had a roasted beet salad with pistachio encrusted goat cheese & a horseradish cream sauce. Soooo good! Based on my friend's reactions, I'd say the Pain Perdue ("Lost Bread"- otherwise known as creme brulee french toast) was equally as delicious. As a designer, the interior is practically as important as the food & the service and they did not disappoint. The interior is all black and white with just a few subtle red accents and the stark contrast is quite striking. The chalkboard wall of quotes & sketches ties it all together nicely. There were several sayings that caught my eye, but I think my favorite was, "How can one make friends without exquisite dishes?" Indeed... I highly recommend a visit.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

2009-07-19T16:00:00.001-07:00

"Laughter is an instant vacation." -Milton Berle

HOW FAR WILL YOU GO TO FIND THE ONE?

2009-07-16T07:41:00.001-07:00

Airlines getting into the matchmaking business? Is this the new way to boost sales in a dwindling market? Virgin got it started with their chat feature between all seats on their flights, but Air New Zealand has taken it to a whole other level. They've set up a flight from LAX to Auckland on Oct. 13th expressly for people looking to meet their soul mates. They'll have pre-flight parties, on-board food & activities, & post-flight parties to encourage mingling. There's an online group you can join ahead of time to check out the profiles of your fellow passengers and start conversations before hand and of course a host of romantic travel packages to choose from once you arrive. All for the low price of $580, if you book before the 18th...

Sounds a little like the newest reality TV show premise, but maybe that's just the cynic in me talking. It should be an interesting social experiment. That flight to Auckland could be a long 13 hours for some...

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

2009-07-15T20:35:00.000-07:00

"All journeys have secret destinations of which the traveler is unaware." -Martin Buber

BASTILLE DAY

2009-07-13T21:53:00.000-07:00

Joyeux Quatorze Juillet à tout le monde! In case you haven't figured it out yet, I'm a little obsessed with France. So, when one of their biggest holidays rolls around, I obviously have to celebrate. Fortunately for me, there are plenty of other people in the Bay Area who can't wait to celebrate with me.

The Alliance Francaise sponsored a picnic and French musical performance in Golden Gate Park on Sunday in honor of Bastille Day. It's essentially the equivalent of our 4th of July here in the states and commemorates the storming of the Bastille (a fortress/prison) back in 1789.

So, my friends and I picked up some amazing cheese, salami, a baguette, and a bottle of rose and set up our picnic on the grass. The weather was perfect, the music was amazing, and the company was the best. I couldn't have asked for a better afternoon.

We capped off the day by dancing the cancan with one of the bands, Les Grenouilles (the frogs), who did their own little mini performance even after the show was over.

I found a bit of France all the way over here on the West Coast and it made me very happy. :)

THE HAPPIEST PLACE ON EARTH

2009-07-09T22:44:00.000-07:00

We couldn't resist a visit to Disneyland while down in LA. Alright, no, I admit it, it was one of the main motivations for the entire trip. My friend seems to think the year isn't complete without an annual meal of Disney fried chicken & corn dogs. I'm personally convinced that their pineapple whip could solve all the worlds problems, but... whatever floats your boat (as my mom likes to say).

Disney may be super cheesy & way overpriced, but it's always held a special place in my heart. I had an internship with Imagineering at Disneyland Paris and that behind the scenes glimpse changed the way I look at amusement parks forever. Disney puts so much more effort into it than anyone else (hense, the price gouging). They come up with a well researched, detailed back story on literally everything from the log rides down to the ice cream carts. I have friends that were sent to Africa to research the design for Animal Kingdom in Orlando. Many of the artifacts on display are real things that they brought back from those trips. I'm by no means advocating that these parks are a substitute for the places they represent, but if they can expose kids to a different culture, encourage their imagination, and start to instill that interest in them at an early age, I'm all for it.

Or on this particular trip, it can simply be a good excuse to act like a kid again. There's nothing much more fun than seeing how fast you can spin the tea cups without puking and screaming as loud as you can down splash mountain. The parks draw people of all kinds and whatever their motivation, they seem to be happy. Sometimes, it feels really good to be surrounded by so many smiling faces, even if they are in a Princess Jasmine costume.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

2009-07-09T22:30:00.000-07:00

"A journey is best measured in friends, rather than miles." - Tim Cahill

ROAD TRIP! WOOHOO!

2009-07-09T21:42:00.000-07:00

There doesn't seem to be a more fitting way to spend the most American of holidays than going on a road trip- the quintessential American vacation. My friends and I decided it would be too depressing to spend another freezing 4th of July bundled in blankets and catching flashes of fireworks through the fog here in San Francisco, so we piled into a minivan and headed down to LA. No true road trip would be complete without a fast-food stop (since you have no other options) and don't forget to spice things up with a few cartwheels to get the blood flowing while making a rest stop.

The road trip seems particularly appropriate for LA, mainly because its practically impossible to get anywhere without a car there. It was my first visit. We kind of threw things together on the fly and didn't do a lot of research, hoping it would be easy to stumble across some more unique parts of town, but unfortunately we ended up basically doing the top 10 most touristy things there. It's not an agenda I would recommend. I found myself completely unimpressed. Hollywood Boulevard was so dirty and every time we asked for suggestions on what places to check out we seemed to get directions to the nearest outdoor shopping area. I felt like I was lost in a sea of strip malls. I know there has to be more to it than that, I'll just have to get better suggestions for the return trip.

We still had a wonderful time. There's nothing better than goofing off with friends and it was great to get a taste of real summer weather.

It was definitely a weird feeling spending so much time in a vehicle again. I gave mine up 2-1/2 years ago when I moved to the city and I really don't have cause to spend long periods of time in them anymore. So, despite all the fun we had, I was definitely ready to get back out of the car and on my feet again. I was happy to be home.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

2009-07-01T20:26:00.000-07:00

"Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass on a summer day listening to the murmur of water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is hardly a waste of time."

-Sir John Lubbock

I NEED A.... SABBATICAL?

2009-06-30T19:51:00.000-07:00

Is it just me or does anyone else find it absurd that American employees are willing to accept a measly 2 weeks of vacation time when so many other countries give a month or more? Not only that, but we'll use that time to paint our house or reorganize the closet instead of taking advantage of the chance to relax, rejuvenate, and see something new! We just don't have the same respect & understanding for the benefits of travel that other cultures do.

It's practically a requirement for Australians to head out on a year long "O.E." (overseas experience) at some point during their college years. Their friends & families know they'll come back a more independent, more well-rounded person with an appreciation for other ways of life.

And it's not just students that need this time of discovery either. I think the idea of taking an extended break from work (a sabbatical) is also finally starting to gain some ground. A sabbatical is basically a rest from your career lasting anywhere from 2 months to a year. It's typically reserved for those in the academic professions, but I've heard that employers like Google have started implementing similar programs for their employees. Supposedly after 5 years or so with the company, you can take a few months of paid time off if you present a summary of your work during your time off. I applaud their foresight! Who among us couldn't use some time to reflect & recharge? You can see why a lot of employers don't do it- without good planning and the right mindset, it could be a huge waste of time at the company's expense, but why let those few slackers ruin a great thing? I'd even settle for an unpaid sabbatical with the promise that your job would be held for you when you return.

I have a friend about to embark on her own "sabbatical" of sorts and she's really struggling with how to explain it to her boss & colleagues without sounding immature or unsatisfied with her current position. Personally, I think that instead she'll be enhancing her career & bringing a whole new perspective to it. Especially in a design profession, like she and I share, she'll be able to glean all sorts of new sources for inspiration in her work, new experiences to draw from, and a chance to really cultivate her creative side. I think any good employer would recognize that, encourage her, and welcome her back with open arms, wishing all the while that they had the courage to go do it themselves.

HAPPY PRIDE!!!

2009-06-28T22:17:00.000-07:00

THE PICNIC

2009-06-28T17:50:00.000-07:00

I credit the French with teaching me the art of the picnic. It is the absolute best, low-budget way to enjoy good food, good wine, & great company with friends.

I vividly remember my first picnic experience in France. It was the first warm day of the year and there was a literally mass exodus to the park. It wasn't just us skipping class, but our professors too. It's as if everyone was given a free pass for the day, no matter your profession. I had arrived in the dead of winter and never seen this many people in one place before. It's as if they had all awoken from hibernation. All summer, every park was covered with picnic blankets, impromptu soccer games, and copious public displays of affection by couples of all ages. It was not unheard of to spend the entire day picnicking. We'd pick up a baguette from the local boulangerie, some Camembert and ripe tomatoes from the market, and a nice bottle of rosé from the Loire Valley, and head to the parc de la pepiniere. Everyone gathered together in a way I'd never been exposed to growing up in the United States and I loved it!

It's not so different here in San Francisco. The tradition definitely continues on. On warm days, we pick up some cheese and bread from the farmer's market and a bottle of wine from the Russian River Valley and head to Washington Square or one of the many other parks there are to choose from. It's one of the best afternoons I can imagine for well under $10/person.

_Inspired by Matt Gross's recent article for the NY Times, "Frugal Paris" and this weekend's beautiful, warm weather in San Francisco.

GRACEFUL POSES

2009-06-24T19:55:00.000-07:00

It can be easy for me to get caught up in all the places I'd like to go, but I have to be really careful not to forget the wonders in my own backyard. Tonight, I had the pleasure of practicing yoga at Grace Cathedral, just two blocks from my house. Not only is the setting idyllic, but it's free! The class is held every Wednesday at 6:15. It has been taught by Jamie Lindsay for the past 15 years.

We spread our mats around the labyrinth and I laid there looking up at the French Gothic ceiling above me. At one point the tower bells rang and I could feel the bell chimes reverberating through the cold floor at my fingertips. You just don't get those kind of chances every day!

Unfortunately for us, Jamie is moving to New York and his last class will be on July 22nd. If we want this special class to continue, then its important that we let Grace Cathedral know it. I encourage you to contact them whether you're a long time participant, a new-comer like me, or would like to try it sometime in the future.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

2009-06-22T22:01:00.000-07:00

"For my part, I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel's sake. The great affair is to move." - Robert Louis Stevenson

LES CHAUDIERES

2009-06-22T20:12:00.000-07:00

I hate to give away a secret this good, but it just seems too selfish to keep this find to myself...

After our sailing adventure, we felt the need for some rest & relaxation for a few days. (Lounging on the deck of the boat & snorkeling was really hard work...) We had waited until the last minute to book anything and none of us were expecting much, but as we pulled into the long drive, we could tell this place was unique. (Special thanks to Christina for discovering it!) It felt a little like we'd snuck into some celebrity's vacation home. It all seemed just a little too good to be true- the house perched on a cliff facing the ocean, the rainbow over the valley, our own chef & groundskeeper, the open air living & dining room, an outdoor shower, a ping pong table, a library, a beautiful pool... we had discovered Les Chaudieres.

It's a 4 acre estate just outside of the small fishing village of Anse La Raye in St.Lucia. The views are breathtaking and even with the bugs & bats, I think we were all ready to move in for an extended period of time. You lounge by the pool all day reading books, play in the water, hike the 200 feet down to the beach at the base of the hill, play a little guitar, a little ping pong, and wait for the dinner bell to ring. That's what I call the good life. Our dinner the last night basically sealed the deal. We had mahi mahi grilled to perfection on the fire pit in the living room, topped with a fresh mango salsa, and served with fresh veggies, salad, and a key lime pie made from scratch. It just doesn't get much better than that. We were ready to take Christy, the chef, home with us.

I highly recommend a visit if you're ever on the island! I certainly hope to make it back there myself one of these days.

WISHING I WERE HERE...

2009-06-20T23:20:00.000-07:00

Perhaps over Labor Day???

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

2009-06-15T23:05:00.000-07:00

"Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, & narrow-mindedness." - Mark Twain

SLOW TRAVEL

2009-06-14T10:52:00.000-07:00

I think the best part of traveling is opening your eyes to new ways of doing things. My first trip outside the US was to France. (That's probably why I love it so much.) I went to live with a family in St. Etienne as part of a foreign exchange student program. I remember my light bulb moment came when I saw how their toilets flushed with a button vs. a handle. I know it's silly, but I'd never thought about another way to flush a toilet before. I assumed everybody did it the same way we did in the US. That first experience really taught me that there's no one right way to do something. We can learn from these new experiences and think about things from another perspective. They've been using those dual-flush toilets for years and only now are they finally becoming more prevalent here in the US because they conserve so much more water.

But, it's obviously about much more than how to flush a toilet. It's about getting to know people that are different from yourself, and that do things in a way that you're not used to, and appreciating those differences. There's a term that people are using for this kind of experience- "Slow Travel". It means taking the time to become a part of local life and connecting to both a place and its people; none of which you can do holed up inside your all-inclusive resort. You have to step outside the safety net and go to the grocery store, hire a local tour guide, not be afraid to ask the locals for suggestions on where to go, and find those hidden gems that only they know about. In that way you can experience a place more intensely, appreciate it more fully and leave feeling relaxed & renewed.

You'll also be contributing to the local economy. Many places like St.Lucia for example, depend on the tourism industry for their survival and yet if you stay at a Sandals or some place similar, eat all your meals there, and never set foot outside, all your money goes directly back to the pockets of some large corporation (most likely based out of another country), and not to the local people who need it.

Traveling also gives you an understanding and an appreciation for other people. It strips away the stereotypes and leaves you with new friends. So many of the conflicts in the world today are based on cultural misconceptions. If people took the time to get to know one another they'd see that most of their fears & assumptions are ill-founded.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

2009-06-10T22:46:00.000-07:00

Because I'm a true believer that all things happen for a reason...

"I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I intended to be." - Douglas Adams

THAT DOESN'T COUNT

2009-06-07T17:44:00.000-07:00

St.Lucia has become honeymoon central. There were at least 8 wedding dresses hanging in front of me on the flight there. Pretty much every passenger on our plane piled onto the Sandals bus when we arrived & back off as we prepared to leave. They're easy to spot- girls wearing high heels from their honeymoon wardrobe, full makeup coverage, trying very hard to look like the humid climate doesn't make them sweat. They're entertaining, but what pushed me over the edge was listening to their conversations while in line for coffee, before we took off.

"These prices say EC! What's an EC? I don't have any of that. How am I supposed to pay?"

Seriously? Had they really spent an entire week on this island without even bothering to figure out what the local currency was? I wanted to shake her! Why bother visiting a foreign country if you're not going to set foot off the resort? I love going to the beach, lounging by the pool, and being catered to as much as anyone, but if that's the only experience you're after, save yourself some time & money & go to Florida. I don't even think you can say that you visited St.Lucia. That's like saying you've been to New York City, because you once had a layover in Laguardia. I'm sorry, but that doesn't count.

Do they realize how much they're missing? I may not have eaten at the 4-star restaurants in their resort, but I'm willing to bet that the red snapper I ate at a picnic table, beneath a bare bulb, in a metal shed, where you bring your own silverware, served by a bunch of local fisher boys, was FAR superior! It couldn't have been fresher. We watched them bring it in off their boat. And, if you're looking for good service- after forgetting to give us our fresh fruit for dessert, they literally ran over to catch us at the dock. They handed it to us on one of their own plates and simply asked that we return it to them in the morning.

Add in a bug flying in my ear and the picnic table turning over when all of us on one side got up at once, and that's what I'd call a dining adventure that no one wants to miss out on! (Ok, so I don't want to repeat the incident with the bug, but how interesting can your story be about dinner at the Tex-Mex restaurant in your hotel?)

Quote of the Week

2009-06-03T22:23:00.000-07:00

In honor of sailing...

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do, than by the ones you did do. So, throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." - Mark Twain

Welcome to Paradise

2009-06-03T17:30:00.000-07:00

“Welcome to paradise!” The boat boys greeted us with this same introduction at each new harbor, anxious to help us find a mooring and get their tip. It’s hard to argue with them when you see the crystal clear, turquoise waters and the swaying palm trees beckoning you in...

I just returned from a trip to the southern Caribbean islands- St. Lucia, St. Vincent, and the Grenadine Islands to be exact. It was amazing! My friends and I had decided that we were tired of sailing in the cold Northern California waters and we wanted to see what real sailing is like. (I’m afraid we’re forever ruined now.) We chose the Grenadines because of their secluded nature- no cruise ships, deserted islands only accessible by boat, and relatively easy sailing. English & French Patois (Creole) are the official languages and the locals pass easily from one to the other. Life moves at a slower pace and that’s ok. In fact, it’s exactly the departure that I needed from a very hectic few months. People have names like “Smiley”, “Sunshine”, and “Beanie” and their friendly nature takes you in immediately. They just want everyone “to be happy, man”… and so we were.

We’d sail to a new island each morning. As soon as we arrived and moored the boat, we’d immediately jump in for a dip. We’d move from there to snorkeling, perhaps wander the island a bit, go to a restaurant to try out the local food or make our own on the boat. Then, watch the sunset. Oh, the sunsets! We probably took more pictures of those than anything else. They were too good to be true- especially when you had a rum punch to compliment it. Then, I’d end each night, lying on the boat deck staring up at the stars. It’s a luxury I don’t have in the city. I wanted to lose myself in that vast expanse. I could literally lay there for hours, thinking about nothing, thinking about everything…

What a way to live!

Quote of the Week

2009-05-18T22:31:00.000-07:00

"Adventure is a path. Real adventure- self-determined, self-motivated, often risky, forces you to have firsthand encounters with the world. The world the way it is, not the way you imagine it. Your body will collide with the earth and you will bear witness. In this way you will be compelled to grapple with the limitless kindness and bottomless cruelty of human kind- and perhaps realize that you yourself are capable of both. This will change you. Nothing will ever again be black and white." - Mark Jenkins