Mindful Travel:
Explore the world smart and slow.

Planning Tomorrow vs. Living Today:
Not knowing where you’re going, you pay more attention to where you are, wherever that is.

Spending Time Wisely:
Just because technology makes it possible for us to work 10 times faster than we used to doesn’t mean we should do it.

Here’s Uncle B and I reveling in the joys of slimming down. Even though he kept the pirate hat for next year’s Halloween costume, my straw hat, blue wig and purple boa — plus a boatload of other stuff — did finally disappear during the huge tag sale we had at my parent’s house this past Saturday. We unloaded a ton of stuff between four families — and had a ton of fun doing it.

On the topic of slimming down, here is an interesting opinion piece by Gothamist’s Jake Dobkin about reducing material needs. Jake focuses on NYC, where he lives and works — I think there are unique and special challenges to simplyfing life in such a huge and expensive city, but the spirit of his article is right on — reduce stuff, do what you love, spend your money wisely. It just makes sense, and can make you a happier person too. I’m living proof of that.

To more happy days…

[The hot pink glasses belong to Aunt C — a definite fashion statement but NOT a tag sale item]

It’s been three full days without an office job, but I’m still keeping very busy. In fact, I’ve been getting up earlier than I did when I had an office to get to. I love having a flexible schedule and freedom to do my work whenever the time is best for me. And I love feeling productive and passionate about what I am doing.

The NYC excursion was a nice mini-vacation before jumping straight into all my writing and trip planning. The rest of my time in the city was spent catching up with N&P over dinner Monday night at Walker’s in Tribeca, followed by a nightcap at anotheroom. Great places and such an awesome area of the city that I’d love to explore more…

I left Manhattan early Tuesday morning and have been working and writing from my parent’s house ever since. We’ve also been gearing up for the big tag sale this Saturday — I’m helping mom and dad weed through a plethora of stuff that just needs to be unloaded. This is perfect timing, as I’ve got lots of things from grade school and high school just hanging around here that can go, and it will be good to get rid of it all before I bring my Baltimore belongings here to Pearl River.

Today I’m venturing out with Dad, for a belated Father’s Day gift visit to Dia Beacon, about an hour north of here. It should be a great day for a drive through the Hudson Valley — the sun is shining and it’s windy, so the colored leaves will be flying everywhere. I’ll see what I can capture on the camera phone…I really gotta buy that digital camera soon.

I’m at the Donnell Library Center on W. 53rd Street in Manhattan trying desperately to stay awake and get work done. I’m failing miserably on both counts. For some reason the publishing software for Gadling is not working well, so I haven’t been able to get more than three posts completed this afternoon. To make matters worse, I’m going on about 4 hours sleep, and it has now hit me hard.

Besides this late day sluggishness, I’ve had an incredible 48 hours in the city. Before I give up for good and go outside to grab a coffee, here is a rundown of what I’ve done since I arrived in Manhattan on Saturday evening:

SATURDAY:
– Took Rockland Coaches bus from Pearl River to Port Authority at 41st St., then took subway to 59th St.
– Had dinner at La Pizza Fresca and drinks at Vig 27 with my friend K, then stayed at her place off Columbus Circle.

SUNDAY:
– Walked across Central Park South to Lex and caught the subway uptown to East 96th Steet.
– Had a yummy NY bagel breakfast with my friend A, her husband and their new baby boy
– Walked from 94th to 85th and met up with friends at Molly Pitcher’s Ale House to prep for marathon watching. My friend E ran in the race and we spent the entire afternoon walking around town to cheer and support her. We saw her first at 85th and 1st, then again at 92nd right before entering Central Park. Afterwards, we all met back at the bar for free beers and snacks. It was so fun to watch the marathon — there is a great camaraderie and spirit that flows through this global event. I did not bring my camera to the city, but here is one shot from my phone. The costumes worn by both spectators and runners provided many laughs throughout the day:

– After the race, I met my friend C further east on 85th around 6 pm and cabbed it to midtown to have dinner with her boyfriend at The Mercury Bar on 3rd. We then headed to The Joshua Tree where the night took an unexpected turn and I wound up staying out till 3 am. We watched the Sunday night NFL game, danced to 80’s music and drank maybe one too many Red Bull and Vodkas. But it was a much-needed one night party, with no hangover headache today, so I’m not complaining.

MONDAY:
-I left C’s place and walked down Lex like a zombie, hopped on the subway for a short bit, then walked back across CPS and down Broadway to 53rd, where I cut over to head to the library. I grabbed some pizza about noon and have been in the free wifi reference room ever since.

Next up: Meeting my friend N around 6 pm and taking a subway downtown to her East Village apartment. We’ll grab dinner with her hubbie, and I’ll crash on the couch. Tomorrow I may try and find another free wifi hotpot downtown where I can attempt to be more productive before heading back to PR in the afternoon.

Despite feeling sleepy this afternoon, I’m having a blast enjoying Manhattan during this mild weather spell. The colors in Central Park are glorious and their is an energizing buzz floating over everything that happens in this city. It feels really good to be here.

If we are always arriving and departing, it is also true that we are eternally anchored. One’s destination is never a place but rather a new way of looking at things.

~ Henry Miller

[photo by Luminous Lens]

Oh boy. Today is my last day of work, and then I am off to NY for a week — a few days with friends in NYC and the rest with my folks in the ‘burbs. And I’ll get to see both my bros this week too. This will be 7+ days on the go — full of planning, packing, decision-making, budgeting, writing, and hopefully a little relaxing too. A good trial-run for what’s to come next year. Let the adventures begin…

After living in Baltimore City for seven years, I was unsure why I’d never been called for jury duty. Probably because I lived at four different city addresses in that time. But they finally caught up with me, right before getting ready to leave town, and I was summoned to report today.

It was an interesting experience — I had flashbacks to my college polisci days, and got a much-needed refresher on our judicial system. Before doing roll call in the morning, they show a video with Perry Mason clips and a timeline outlining the history of judicial procedure, beginning with ancient Greece, and then European “trial by ordeal” practices like this: tie a man’s hands with rope and put him in the water — if he drowns, he is guilty. Done.

Things have gotten a bit more complicated since then…It was a loooooooong day.

My summons number was 265, and right before lunch I got called to a jury selection. I had a feeling I was going to get picked. I was right. After lunch, and numerous rounds of questioning with the judge, I was one of the first to go up in front of the attorneys, for a murder trial. I was selected as juror #9. My heart was racing for some reason, excited/nervous/worried that I really had to be at work tomorrow. But then, after all 12 jurors were picked, the judge asked the attorneys if they were satisfied with the final jury before them, and the lawyer for the defendant replied, “No your honor, strike juror #9.”

Just like that, he axed me and I was asked to step down. Someone suggested that maybe there were already too many white females on the jury — there were two others with me, but why was I the one they didn’t want anymore? Who knows, no biggie, but it was fascinating to watch it all unfold. As much as I was curious to see what would happen next, I really couldn’t afford to miss work tomorrow. But I am glad I was able to fulfill my civic duty before leaving town.

I was shocked that they give each juror $15 (!!) for lunch/transportation, I thought that was a nice amount, maybe too much? I did get to finish a book today, one I had started back in early September, so that was a major accomplishment. It was nice to be away from email/cell phone for an entire day, and a pleasant surprise to be able to eat lunch outside too.

My colleagues threw me a farewell party this evening. Great food, wine, a really nice gathering. They gave me a beautiful Hopkins desk clock and a cool Bawlmer Hon tee.

So yes, I teared up, when my boss said that “family is important to me.” It is, and as much as I joke about moving home, I can’t wait to curl up on the couch at my parents, cook dinner for them, watch movies, just veg out and be there with them for the holidays…and not have to worry about traffic on 95 and the long drive back after holiday breaks.

The tears will really flow on Friday, I know it. They are welling up right now actually, as I write this. I’m truly lucky and blessed for the good folks I’ve met and great lessons I’ve learned the past four years working here. It is absolutely the right time for me to make a change, to follow my heart, but I know that going home to one family in New York, I am leaving several others here in Baltimore.

Oh, and the word is out — Some folks at the office have found the blog, and more will discover it soon. It’s okay, I’m not hiding anything…I just figured I’d wait till my last day to send everyone the link and fill them in on my part-time writing gigs. I didn’t think anyone would really be Googling my name, but silly me! Where I work, we all make a living Googling people’s names, so it was bound to happen eventually. If you are visiting from Hopkins, say hi, don’t be shy…

I was excited to find these two items waiting in my mailbox this evening:

1) The November/December issue of Transitions Abroad (not up online yet)
Among the many articles in this issue are ones about solo female travel in Europe, Slovenia/Croatia, and a series of pieces on “The Changing Face of Travel”

2) My WWOOF Italia membership pass, all the way from Casavecchia. It is so fun to get international mail; the Italian postage stamp on the envelope is very cool.

I just love receiving mail, especially anything travel related or postmarked from overseas. It is such a rare thing these days. I will try really hard to send postcards when I travel, especially to those who love getting mail as much as me. I guess blogs, like email, have probably had an impact on the number of postcards people send when traveling. What do you think? Do you still send postcards when you travel?

Another weekend comes to a close with a cup of tea and a sweet Halloween snack – I just treated myself to a pair of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups.

I spent a good portion of today catching up with friends on the phone. October has been a bit haunting on the relationship front, with some weird feelings and tricky situations that had me second-guessing myself. But today’s conversations and chats were good for clearing the air, and understanding where everyone is at in their lives right now.

I also had a chance to speak with my godmother this evening and hear about her recent trip to Italy. Aunt C lived in Florence for over ten years, has many friends there, and is married to an Italian, so I’ll be turning to her for assistance on planning the Dolce Vita leg of my trip.

Yesterday I tackled the simplification process again, tearing apart the kitchen and my bedroom — clothes, shoes, utensils and tupperware — what do I really need to keep? I’ve now got two huge bags for Goodwill and a large pile of kitchen stuff to donate. I also came across some special mementos that I’ve been holding on to because they remind me of places I’ve been. But nostalgia takes up space, so I decided that I had to part with these travel trinkets from the past:

– The empty special edition bottle of Kahlua (in the shape of an ancient Aztec) from my Project Mexico trip to Tijuana in Jan 1996; I remember Bob helped me snag it, but I don’t recall who drank its’ contents….

– The heavy knit wool Quill’s Irish sweater I bought in Cork, Ireland in August 1996; the one I never wear.

– The first bottle of Dos Equis that I drank when we arrived in Cancun in spring 1995; It was still full of sand from the beach, with a Fat Tuesdays necklace wrapped around it.

– The wooden plaque we painted on our Appalachian Spring Break Outreach community service trip to Ivanhoe, Virginia in 1994.

– My faded green Loyola athletic shorts, so worn that the Greyhound logo is completely gone.

I threw these items away, but have mentioned them here, so I’ll remember what these dust-collectors symbolized — special travels and memories from the early years. The rest of the weekend was filled with writing for Gadling, a quick walk, laundry, a little bit of cooking and some travel planning for my trip to New York next week.

Tomorrow is day one of my last week of work. There are more trinkets to bring home from my cube, and plenty to trash there this week. I already brought home my diploma and some photos. Last week I was treated to dinner with some co-workers and a happy hour with my department, and there are a few more on tap for this week. Things are moving at a nice pace and I look forward to enjoying this last week with my colleagues.

You need chaos in your soul to give birth to a dancing star.

~ Nietzsche