Category Archives: travel

I Learn Something New Every Day

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I came in here to write about what I dumb ass I was not all too long ago – always a good topic.  I’ll admit it, I thought that Banff National Park was in British Columbia.  Funny thing, I just now learned that while it is most definitely NOT in British Columbia, it is exactly where I thought it was (in the Canadian Rockies) and does indeed border British Columbia.  And to think, someone found this amusing enough to laugh about (and I’m sure I’m opening myself up for more laughter still).

Sadly I just fall into the generalization of yet another one of those damn Americans that doesn’t anything about the rest of the world.    Though to be honest, it does make me wonder why we learn all about Europe, yet nothing about Canada or Mexico while in school.  Then again I’m just not the type to try to make someone feel stupid because they didn’t know that Kansas City is in Missouri or that Texarkana is in both Texas and Arkansas.

But I always was about the teachable moment.  Of course, I’m sure that won’t stop some folks from still thinking me a dumb ass for not knowing my Canadian provinces, but who am I to judge.  A humbling experience though it wasn’t.  Ah well, live and learn; and learn I did.

While Packing My Clothes…

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I remembered seeing a Japanese video on a funky way to fold shirts. It was perfect every time. Thing is, they went so fast I couldn’t quite figure it out. So here is a nice slow, English version of this technique. Hope it helps you as much as it helps me.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cN6uLeEgLLk]

I Want to be Samantha Brown When I Grow Up

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She travels the world. She stays at the best hotels. She knows Walt Disney resorts like the back of her hand. She’s got the world’s best job. What’s not to love? Who wouldn’t want to be her best friend? Or better yet, who wouldn’t want to be her? Samantha Brown rocks, I tell ya.

I first became aware of her when I lived with my roommate. We’d pretty regularly hunker down and watch the Travel Channel for hours on end. But to be honest, I haven’t watched her in a few years. But I’m making up for lost time now (and as a side note, I don’t know what I ever did before the almighty DVR came into my life!) I’ve been recording her Latin America shows, but I’ve yet to sit down and watch any.

Instead, I’ve been watching her Passport to Europe shows. And of course, I’ve found a gazillion places that I just need to visit. For example, when we get to Spain (and dammit, we will get to Spain!) I now know that I will need to visit Valencia along with visiting my friend in Madrid, heading over to Barcelona and of course, Mallorca. Don’t even get me started on France and the UK. Hell, even Helsinki looks like fun.

All she needs to do now is do a series on spas and I’ll be lost. Or maybe I’ll just start stalking her so I can be her new best friend. Really, I think we have a lot in common. And now you can even take her on the road with you when you’re out traveling. Sounds like a plan to me.

Thursday Thirteen – Chicago, My Kind of Town

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Chicago

1. hung out at the ultra-hip, über-trendy hotel lobby, feeling way out of my element
2. walked around Navy Pier
3. ate Chicago deep dish pizza at Pizzeria Due (Uno was too crowded)
4. took the L
5. rode the Metra
6. visited with friends
7. hung out in the suburbs with friends
8. visited the Marshall Fields flagship store
9. had some caramel and cheddar popcorn at Garretts
10. tasted a Chicago Dog
11. got blissed out and pampered at Bliss
12. took tons of photos
13. admired the architecture

Chicago, Here I Come!

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I leave first thing in the morning to head on out for my shuttle to LAX. And no, really, I do mean first thing since I’ll be getting up at 5:00AM!! Keep in mind, many, many nights we don’t go to bed before 3:00AM. So yeah, this is a big deal for me. I’m really looking forward to seeing the hubby again (still missing him and still finding that a tad bizarre) and poking around Chi-Town. I probably won’t post until I get back.

In the hopes of getting some comments from folks (I get the views, just not to comments, it seems), I’d like to ask…where is your favorite US city to go to for business travel and why?

Bye Bye Baby, B’Bye

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So bright and early I got up to take the hubby off to the flyaway shuttle to LAX. Man, I do hate getting up so early and it’s even worse having done it on such little sleep. But oh well, it needed to be done and I’ll be doing it again for myself on Friday. Needless to say, I’ve been frazzled since and fighting off a migraine *yuck*

It’s weird though, the hubby has business trips two, maybe three times a year, and really, I’m fine with it. But today, for some reason, it saddened me to see him go. I don’t normally get sad when he leaves and in fact, we can go days without talking and just touching base through text messages if it comes down to it. But today though, yeah, not the same. Though I’ll see him again on Friday when I get to Chicago, so it’s not really a big deal.

Maybe I’ll just take advantage of the hubby-free time and eat all those things that they hubby won’t eat with me. Take out pizza and Ben & Jerry’s. Yum!!

Heading To Chicago – Let’s Hope it’s My Kind of Town

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Lakeshore Drive
Originally uploaded by noms78.

In a couple of weeks I’m off to Chicago. The hubby will be attending a conference during the week and then shooting a music festival out that way (Pitchfork) over the weekend so he invited me along for the weekend. For the most part, I’m going to be on my own from about mid-day (which is morning for us night owls) until late eveningish. We don’t know specifics just yet and he can’t seem to find the answers anywhere – so if you know how things run at Pitchfork, feel free to drop me a comment!

We’ll be staying at the W on Lakeshore, and I’ve already booked my visit to Bliss. Way back when, when I was taking care of my dying father-in-law, my husband offered his sister and I a spa package. Man I was psyched! At the last minute, he offered her some Kenny Chesney tickets and bam-o, my spa trip was canceled (I can’t quite blame her though). So I decided to treat myself while in Chicago, so I’m going with a 90 minute Carrot and Sesame Buff with a Hair Dew. Yummy. I can’t wait.

I’ll also be meeting up Saturday with one of my moderators and another friend from my site out in the ‘burbs somewhere. I’ll actually be taking the train out to meet them – yikes! We’ll visit, get tattoos (we’ll I won’t since I have my scrub the following day, but that was the original plan anyway) and have some good drinks, good food and good company. We’re keeping it small since it’s such short notice. I’m really looking forward to it.

And well, since I’m meeting up with my moderator and some members, why not turn it into a biz trip, right? So I’m also meeting with the admin/mod team of a local Chicago community that broke away from the Knot (much in the same way my site broke away from the WeddingChannel). Should be fun to be able to chat and share ideas.

Which of course doesn’t really leave me with all that much free time, but since I’m not that much of a shopper, I thought maybe I could just check out Chicago. Or at least my end of Chicago. I really, really want to go on one of the architectural cruises – I just have to convince the hubby that it’s worth the time and the money. I think the photo ops alone would excite him (I know one of my motivating factors!) Otherwise, I think I’d like to just kind of wander around and take pictures. I’m even going to confiscate his old D70 for this trip!

This is probably one of the only vacations we’ll take together where the hubby won’t have to have music since he’ll be at the festival all day. But because of being at the festival all day, we’ll also need to find some nearby, late-night restaurants. It’s not so much about the price tag of the meals as it is about being good food with a good ambiance – bar food is fine if it’s good. So again, I’m more than open to any suggestions.

With luck, we’ll fall in love with Chicago and just have to come back and visit longer. Since I’ve never really done the carefree-gal-alone-in-the-city thing before, I’m definitely open to hearing all about the must-see, must-do, on-a-quickie-visit-to-Chicago suggestions. So suggest away!!

That and well, if anyone wants to meet up for coffee or drinks, I’m always open to that too! 😉