ch-ch-ch-changes

​Remember that time when I moved out of Brooklyn, put in my notice at work, and hopped on a plane to Jamaica? Because that just happened.  

To some this may have seemed like a hasty life decision, a bit of an adult temper tantrum to not liking the way things were.  But to many of my nearest and dearest, this came as no surprise.  I am strong believer that if I’m not happy with the way my life is going, then I should take a risk and mix it up.  So I did just that.  For the next six weeks, I’ll be embracing the college life at University of West Indies, learning all about the health system in Jamaica while attempting to gain some nursing skills, and soaking up some sun responsibly with heavily sunscreened skin.

Life here is considerably slower than its NYC counterpart so expect to see some more activity in these parts of the interwebs with hard-hitting topics such as:

-       how to be freezing cold for hours on end in a tropical country

-       where to find vegetarian food options when staying with Rastafarians

-       dorm room decorating for the post-graduate

How have you all been?  Anyone else spend the change of seasons humming some David Bowie while packing bags for a new locale?

how to survive: traveling on a budget

At the beginning of a new year, everyone seems to have the traveling bug.  The New York Times has posted their annual list of places to visit, blogs and businesses alike are jumping on to the top 16 of 2016 bandwagon, and if you live in the Northeast winter has decided to finally make an appearance.  As the mercury begins its daily struggle to rise above 30 degrees, warmer locales are looking mighty fine these days.   Mighty fine.  Travel isn’t cheap though and if you are like us (adequate but decidedly not fancy pants income + living in ridiculously expensive city + must go to all the places), you may find yourself with limited means to fund your latest weekend escape. Here are some principles we follow to in order to indulge our winter wanderlust.

- Find the Cheapest Seat - 

I am an equal opportunity traveler meaning I will take trains, planes, and automobiles as well as use my own two legs to get to where I need to be.  Usually to find the best deal, you need to be flexible with your travel dates.  Unfortunately with my current work/school schedule, this is not an option.  Instead I explore all my options before settling on one.  Kayak is great for flights (just don’t forget about Southwest) and I use Google maps to figure out what my public transit options are.  If you have some flexibility in when you are traveling, I highly recommend setting up airfare watchdog notifications for your intended destinations.  I’ve been able to book $130 round-trip tickets to Dallas this way.  NYC also has great bus options to semi-local cities, e.g., Boston, DC, Philadelphia.  If booked early enough a ticket can cost as little as $1.  Mind you time is money to me so maybe the cheapest method is taking a bus but it would require me to take a half-day of work off due to the extra travel hours.  If that's the case, I’m booking the flight or taking Frida out for a spin.

- Be Open to Creative Housing - 

I have surprisingly low standards when it comes to where I will lay my noggin to rest.  My criteria are basically no bedbugs and I have to feel safe (I know, vague…). This has led to a variety of lodging locales when traveling.  If possible, I crash with friends or family because a free place to stay will trump all other options – also bonus points for seeing people I love.  When Grace and I took an impromptu road trip to Montreal last January (how has it already been a year), we ended up crashing at a friend of a friend's sister's apartment and then Grace returned the favor during their visit to NYC.  My friend and I plan yearly getaways and take advantage of the cheap housing offered through her parents' timeshare.  This has translated into a two bedroom condo for a week at only $300 or so.  It requires a bit of flexibility in the travel location – our original plan to party up in Northern Idaho has been traded in for a desert destination – but the accommodations have always been perfect, i.e., hot tub on premise for soaking our tired post-hike bones.  Other more standard options include checking out what's available on AirBNB/VRBO-type sites or staying at hotels that are farther out from your intended place of stay.  A hotel in Brooklyn is cheaper than Manhattan and a hotel in Queens will almost always be cheaper than anything you can find in either of those boroughs.

 - Know Your Weakness - 

The last two times I have been responsible for picking up the rental car I have royally screwed it up.  As in having to call upon returning home and beg to have charges removed that I never intended to purchase (I'm looking at you overpriced and oftentimes unnecessary insurance).  There are things in life that I will never excel at – renting a car is one of them.  For all future car rental endeavours I will gladly hand off the responsibility to someone else, whenever possible.  I'm pretty good a procuring a cheap meal or finagling low cost flights so I'll save my energy for what's most helpful.  Recognizing what one's shortcomings and strengths are can go a long way in keeping travel costs low.

- Save Your Pennies -

There are no short cut around this - if you know you want to go away a few times a year, set aside money every month to fund your getaway.  It may sound simple yet it can be quite difficult to let your extra hard-earned cash just sit by its lonesome in a savings account.  I mean there are coffee dates to be had and bourbons to sip not to mention the late night I-don’t-want-to-make-anything-so-I’ll-just-order-sushi habit.  My current tactic to avoid spending my spare funds is to pretend that whatever is in my savings account doesn't exist.  That is barring a financial emergency what goes in does not come out until it is used for its intended purpose.  If transferring that money over from your checking requires too much willpower, you can set up an automatic transfer each month or have a separate savings account just for traveling.  Also, in the literal sense of saving one's pennies, I am a big fan of the putting pocket change in a jar travel fund.  It's like Christmas when I get to exchange all of those rolled up coins for paper currency to be used however I please on holiday.

Anyone else fully consumed with planning this year's getaways?  How are you planning on funding your wanderlusting habit?

notes:

apparently we are not the only ones with budget travel in mind.  the ny times has this handy article on ways to save for travel. it would have been a helpful read before i booked a trip to vietnam during tet.  oh well, you live and learn.  also, who knew the times had a frugal travel blog?  you probably knew this but in case you didn’t you can find it here.

you may notice that credit card miles/points didn't make the cut for this list.  frankly, it's just too much of a hassle for me.  one credit card is more than enough for my brain to manage on a monthly basis.  however, should playing the rewards game be more your style, there are plenty of resources to help you out.  the points guy and nomadic matt are two relatively well-known blogs pertaining to these matters just perhaps pay attention to when they are being paid to espouse the values of certain cards.  cheers to capitalism.

happy new year

As the years switched over, I spent the early morning hours gently rocking a sweet, new babe.   There was something poetic about holding a new life as January 1st rang in.  She was a reminder to express gratitude for the past, stay focus on the present, and embrace the future.  

New Year’s Eve is not one of my most favorite holidays.  It ranks above Halloween but that is not saying much for someone who may still be intrinsically frightened by people with masks.  So much hype goes into New Years celebrations – the parties, the people, the resolutions – and by spending my days in New York City, it is a force that cannot be ignored.  Most years I opt out of hubbub by escaping to Long Island or some other locale and this year was no different.  As the final preparations were put in place in Times Square, I was in flight to the Lone Star State anticipating meeting a good friend’s latest addition to her family. 

Since my visit was a bit of a last minute plan, I tagged along with like-minded people to a lake house an hour or so east of Dallas.  Games were played, drinks were imbibed, and lounging was pursued in earnest.  As the minutes ticked closer to then end of 2015, a sort of group consensus was made that we would all rather spend the new year getting an extra hour of sleep than participating in the obligatory New Year’s cheers. While the rest of the group got themselves situated in their beds, I scooped up the tiniest member for some one-on-one time by the lingering fireplace embers.  As we bounced, rocked, and swayed our way into the new year, I couldn’t help but feel encouraged by the changing calendar despite what ever anxiety provoking moments the previous twelve months had produced.

I’ve mentioned before my distaste for resolutions but this year has me longing after some more concrete goals in my life.  Perhaps it was the influence of new life that has inspired me to set forth some personal pursuits and attempt to mix things up in 2016.  I’m not quite ready to formally refer to them as resolutions so let’s just be vague about this whole thing and say here are some things I am hoping to incorporate in my life that may make me a better, saner person. 

1. Write Thank You Notes

I am a bit ashamed to admit my shortcomings in this area of my life.  This pertains not only to tangible gifts I have received but also those in the form of thanking someone for sharing their talents or perhaps some deed that they have done that might otherwise go unnoticed.  Also, it is time to bust out the pen and paper because nothing quite compares to the handwritten note.

2. Budget Better and Continuing Conscientious Consumerism

I budget, sort of, as in I have a general idea of how much money I have and where it is going.  However I have some big plans in mind for the next two years and so I feel the need to financially prepare.  Also, I love me some spreadsheets and number crunching so I might as well use it for my benefit.  Along the same line, I’m working on maintaining mindful spending shopping habits and expanding it to other expenses.  I’m not sure what that looks like quite yet but the intention is there.

3. Intentional Outdoors

My current method of getting outside is to run for the hills (or beach… or mountains… or airport…) whenever I get to the point of not being able to cope with city living.  This generally occurs one to two times a week which isn’t terrible per se unless I have the impulse to escape and cannot do it because life and being a responsible human being.  I’m hoping that by setting aside some time each week in the great outdoors, I can avoid the midweek concrete jungle panic. 

4. Run a Race

I was all set for running a marathon this past September and then managed to injure myself (unrelated to any exercise activity), which sidelined me from hitting the trails for a solid four months.  Slowly but surely, I am working on building back up the miles.  Ideally my return to racing would be a family-centric Ragnar but I’ll take what I can get.

5. Limited Screen Time

Somehow in the past year I have become increasingly addicted to my phone.  As I sit here typing, this blue rectangle of distraction is nestled lovingly next to me, pretending to be more of a benefit than a burden.  My current waking and sleeping routines involve me staring into its glow until I can convince myself to get out from under my covers or until I can no longer keep my eyes open, depending on the desired goal.  This cannot be healthy and I know I am not alone in the must-distract-myself-from-all-thoughts mentality.  I’m looking into switching my bedroom over to analog and quitting this habit cold turkey.  Wish me luck.

They’re not the loftiest of goals by any means but they’re where I am at and, fingers-crossed, attainable.  Alright 2016, it may have taken me a couple of weeks but I’m ready – let’s do this.

note:

i know. only three pictures and they are seemingly unrelated to this post. at the beginning of a new year, it has become a tradition of sorts for me to meander through heckscher state park, with an adorable pup (not mine), and ponder all the january thoughts.  while these musings are from texas, the photos are from new york.  in fact, i took only one picture in texas.  when the fall semester finally came to a close, i found it necessary to take a break (excluding job obligations) from all internet related activities. so i did.

terminally bored at lga

Earlier this week, I spent some quality time hanging out at LaGuardia with no plans to board a plane. You might think that sitting in an airport with no intention of taking off to another destination would be terribly boring. And in many ways you would be right. 

I have spent many an hour occupying myself in various airports across the globe but usually it is when waiting to go some place other than here. The anticipation of a new city/state/country is something that is hard to surpass. It's easy to feel downright depressed (slight exaggeration... maybe) at your own lack of traveling adventures ahead when you are presumably surrounded by everyone else's. Yes, I like to think everyone is headed off on some grand adventure or visiting loved ones or sometimes even for work to close a deal. I try to keep it happy. Why put unnecessary burdens on perfectly good strangers?

The people watching in airports is prime, especially in the food court. You have people waiting for friends to fly in, about to fly to somewhere new, perhaps meeting a potential lover they've never met in person before - endless possibilities I tell you. In the two hours I was there, there was a crazed man screaming a certain expletive (apparently he did not get what he wanted), small children running about with one in particular doing the whole make raspberries on the glass window panes routine, a gentleman who I would have assumed was homeless in any other locale when in actuality I think he was just ridiculously tired, and so many middle-aged, blonde bobbed ladies with black rolling suitcases. Seriously, is this some new trend?

As I sat there, waiting, and waiting, and waiting some more (ever so patiently).  I was reminded by the screams and laughter to look up from this device and take in my surroundings. There were endless stories swirling about me. Now if I could only perfect my I'm-not-staring-at-you-but-really-I-totally-am look. Human beings, we're a pretty interesting bunch. 

notes:

another favorite time passing activity of mine is to make up theme songs for strangers. this is a bit easier in situations where people are passing you quickly, say in penn station or the like. just make sure that you keep those songs in your noggin otherwise things get real awkward, real fast. not that i would know from personal experience. 

if you should find yourself hanging around terminal b for a couple of hours at lga, do yourself a favor and don't get coffee from fix in the center food court. take the time to stretch your legs and wander over to the food court by gate d for some better options. you'll thank me. better yet, make friends with someone who has a platinum amex and hang out at the centurion. 

all work and no play

I started work, class, sleep, repeat schedule a couple of weeks ago at which point I figured all fun activities would cease to exist.  I try to be realistic with myself as much as possible so I had gotten it in my brain that life would be, for the time being, all work and no play.  Let me tell you - I require a fair amount of play to maintain my sanity. 

Within three days of committing myself to that schedule, I found myself driving out to LI in search of an adventure.  It just so turned out that my travel buddy was back in New York for the weekend.  I spent the better part of Saturday in her parents’ backyard making a fool of myself while playing around with a GoPro.  And it was glorious.

I realize that this lifestyle adjustment has just started and maybe some people (myself included at times) would view it as a bad sign that I am already escaping but I have decided to place it in the category of self-care.  There really isn’t a substitute for good people and the great outdoors, even when that outdoors is just a backyard swimming pool. 

It’s so easy to feel guilty about not spending every minute of every day being productive.  I know this is especially true in NYC but my guess is that it rings true in most places.  We all love to inform each other of the various plates we’re spinning and I think there’s some sick sense of satisfaction with a fully booked schedule.  We get warped into this mindset of regurgitating the weekly to do lists and our conversations turn into repeating mostly the facts of one’s life rather than the thoughts and feelings that go along with it.  Don’t get me wrong - I think there is value in sharing both aspects of one’s life.  It’s part of how we relate to one another but when I allow myself to go down the rabbit hole of judging myself by what’s written on my CV, it’s a dangerous place and frankly not a very happy one.  And to be completely honest, it leads to a place of judging others as well because if I am managing all the crazy in my life why can’t you get all of your stuff together?  That’s not only unfair but also mean and I would really rather not be a jerk.

With all this in mind, I am embracing my wandering spirit and taking the time for breaks and reprieve.  There’s value in not taking oneself too seriously, at least there is for me, so I am going to focus on pursuing that and worry less about the never-ending list of checkboxes.  Besides which summer time is one of the best times and I need to make sure I get my fill of salt air in my lungs and dirt under my feet.

notes:

- fire island is one of my happy places.  to insert yourself into the beachy pics, take the lirr to patchogue and hop on a ferry to either watch hill or davis park.  you can walk to the ferry terminal from the train station or one of the cabbies there would be happy to give you a ride.

- if you enjoy water-based shenanigans as much as i do, i recommend picking up a gopro.  and by picking one up, i mean saving your pennies because these things are pretty pricey but oh so worth it.

- disclaimer: don’t worry mom, i am still getting my schoolwork done and fulfilling my job responsibilities.

wanderlust wednesday: airport diaries

Walking through the airport, ever wonder what it would be like to hop on a different flight? Pull a whole Home Alone move? Scratch all your plans and wake up somewhere new? Go some place without expectation of what you "should" do and just chill out? I do it all the time. 

Playing with the idea of going anywhere at the snap of my fingers feels free. After spending a long weekend at home with my family, I had European thoughts on the brain. I'd love to go stroll around Paris or Croatia or Italy for several days. To be in a place where I didn't know the language- and therefore wouldn't be required to talk to lots of people- seems so relaxing. (I guess you could say I got plentyyyy of family time.) I could sleep when I wanted to, eat when I wanted to, stroll around for hours and get lost in a new place. I would love to spend hours sitting in a little outdoor cafe writing and day dreaming. With no stress of meeting a deadline. Oh, and I could wear sundresses the whole time. (Hey, it's my dream.) I wouldn't complain over island life in the Bahamas or off the coast of Nicaragua either... 

But alas, I hopped on my very delayed flight back to NYC, and we're back to reality this morning! But hey, this kid hit the jackpot when he hopped on the wrong flight and ended up in the city that never sleeps... so maybe we're in for our own surprises.