top travel moments from 2017

I've sat down to recap my travels in 2017 a few times now and can never really think of a good way to start.  Last year was very tumultuous for me with a number of large life changes - as with change in general some of it was really good and some of it bad.  When I started to think back on the year in general last December I didn't really think travel played such a huge role, but I did travel to 5 countries (and 10 states!) so for some reason all the other crazy stuff that happened just messed with my actual travel memories.  I'm actually super lucky I got to travel to so many places last year!

Without further ado, here are my favorite (travel) memories from 2017, in chronological order:

1.  Taxi Driver in Morocco

When browsing flights for a long trip in May last year, I found incredible deals to Europe.  One catch!  Europe appeals to me about 0%.  So in a compromise, my travel buddy and I did half the vacation in Spain and then spent $60 for a side trip to Morocco via RyanAir and promptly booked an adorable riad including airport transfer.  Unclear on whether we were stupid, didn't account for the time change, or what, but upon arrival at the airport in Fez we couldn't find our pickup for about an hour.  Since we landed at night, at a small airport, in my first Arabic speaking country in years, after the hell that is a RyanAir flight, we were notably disoriented when we walked outside.  Despite the language barrier and the fact that we could have been easily ripped off, all the taxi drivers were incredibly nice to us and helped call our guesthouse, find out where they were, and arrange for the car to come pick us up.  Crisis averted and a sweet reminder of the kindness of strangers.

2.  Treasure Hunting in Nashville

Another 2017 moment where I feel ~so lucky~ is all the business travel I did last year.  I know most people complain about business trips but I BEG to go on them!  It doesn't hurt that my job is cool and my business trips are to go to music festivals haha.  (Sorry to brag but there's plenty of negative things about my job that I have to appreciate all the good things when I can!)  To really get the most out of my work trips I try to book the latest flight home possible so I get 12 hours or so to explore whatever city I'm in.  When I visited Tennessee last June, I freaked out because Nashville has been high on my list for awhile, and spent the whole day walking around East Nashville and generally loving life (Nashville hot chicken is the bomb btw).  I know I'll remember the whole day for years for a variety of reasons but one of my highlights was the vinyl store I discovered with an amazing and cheap selection.  I picked up 6 new records as well as a designation of 'dad rock lover' from the employee working (proud of that TBH).  Nashville u have my heart.

3.  Listening to the Loons in New Hampshire

After my aforementioned tumultuous summer (filled with lots of fun and sometimes too much fun, including sleepless nights), I immediately accepted when invited to my uncle's vacation house in New Hampshire, located at on the banks of a quiet lake in the White Mountains.  Re-reading my journal from that 5 day trip includes multiple mentions of the 'catatonic pleasure' I enjoyed while there.  My bedroom was on the second floor, surrounded by trees, with lake views, fresh air, and a yoga mat to stretch every morning.  All of the silence was exactly what my body and mind needed.  The silence was only punctuated (when we got lucky) by loon calls (example here if you want to induce relaxation).  If it's not apparent I'm already craving another trip back next summer.

4.  Stargazing in Panama

By the time October hit I realized I still had 10 vacation days left and dwindling calendar year time to use or lose them.  After about 3 nights of obsessive nights on Google Flights, I forced myself to make a decision (I can be terribly indecisive) and book the trip I REALLY wanted to go on even though it was about $150 more expensive than I had planned to spend.  Sailing from Colombia to Panama via the San Blas islands has been on my mind for years and with my recent solo traveler status after the end of a 5 year relationship, I figured a boat trip with other backpackers would be the ideal trip to ease back into traveling alone.  I was right.  Although the entire 10 days was a 2017 highlight, stargazing from a catamaran in the Caribbean Sea miles and miles from shore almost brought me to tears (in the best way possible).  SORRY this sounds cheesy I know but it was incredible and I'm getting all sad & nostalgic right now just typing about it! 

5.  Bike Cruising in Tulum

To be honest, I wasn't really looking forward to visiting Tulum that much.  But I wanted to be somewhere warm for New Year's, my friend had been dying to go to Tulum, and cheap flights to Cancun made it a pretty simple decision.  It has a reputation for attracting a certain type of LA and NY residents, and when I travel I'm usually trying to avoid the vibe I experience in New York.  and yes, the reputation was quickly upheld when I arrived - so I just had to embrace it or make myself miserable in a beautiful tropical beach town in Mexico (which would be incredibly stupid on my part).  Despite my internalized crankiness I still found plenty to enjoy about Tulum, and one of my favorite memories is biking around on a pair of beach cruisers borrowed from our Airbnb.  It felt immersive in a way the taxis didn't (though we did love speaking mangled Spanish to the drivers) and also rationalized a few extra tacos & margaritas along the way.

Not sure how to end this without saying '2018 has big shoes to fill' but that's a lame cliche so ending it now bye!

barbados

Remember that weekend it was super freezing in New York and everyone wanted to die/I didn't leave my apartment for 3 days straight?  Yeah, so that weekend I was so cold I spontaneously booked a trip to the warmest destination with the cheapest flight, which ended up being Barbados.  I've actually wanted to visit there for awhile now--ever since I read a Lonely Planet article on the Caribbean on a budget, where it recommended Barbados for beautiful beaches + good public transit.

And those things did deliver!  The flight down there was easy, thank you Jet Blue for old school leg room.  We arrived at 3am, which while not ideal for the aforementioned public transit, it was lovely to wake up (disoriented, at least me) to sunshine, warm weather, and the beachy white exposed beams of our Airbnb apartment.  The turquoise water didn't hurt either.  We spent the first day a little lost and confused but deliriously happy and stuffed with fresh fish + rum punch.  More thoughts on Barbados (my first trip to the Caribbean!) to come soon, but for now here's some beach porn to tide ya over.

today's reading

Goree Island, Senegal, 2013

For a More Creative Brain, Travel via The Atlantic 

In recent years, psychologists and neuroscientists have begun examining more closely what many people have already learned anecdotally: that spending time abroad may have the potential to affect mental change. In general, creativity is related to neuroplasticity, or how the brain is wired. Neural pathways are influenced by environment and habit, meaning they’re also sensitive to change: New sounds, smells, language, tastes, sensations, and sights spark different synapses in the brain and may have the potential to revitalize the mind.

One of many reasons I love to travel, and how it has shaped my personal development at such an integral part of my adult life.   Openness to new ideas and adaptability are even skills I put on my job applications!

red hook

Since Zack moved here I've been trying to make a better effort to see more of New York.  Not just my neighborhood, or my borough, but the less explored neighborhoods that have plenty of cool spots that I'm missing out on simply because of laziness.

So one day in December we made the trek out to Red Hook.  Mostly famous for two things: 1. Ikea 2. Devastation from Hurricane Sandy.  While the siren call of cheap Scandinavian furniture has indeed made me visit Red Hook previously, this trip focused on wandering around & getting snacks along the way.  Some of the area is abandoned warehouses, making for a slightly creepy vibe... made much more cool with the amazing street murals decorating the walls.  We saw scenes from The Shining, Frida's recognizable peeking eyes, and a tribute to Mr. Hokusai (among others).  The final destination was the pier, which we made in time for a windy and freezing sunset over Manhattan and the Statue of Liberty.

Next time I'm coming for Steve's Key Lime pies along the waterfront... in the summer that is :)

chinese new year, part 2

more photos from the year of the goat celebrations!

chinese new year, part 1

I live downtown, in an area that is slowly becoming Chinatown, a fight between the historic and online declared borders of neighborhoods (and the new immigrants: people my age) and the actual shop, restaurant, and citizen inhabitants.  Walk down one street on my block--some amazing dumplings stoops, places to get your hair cut for $5 (where your stylist might not speak English), open air markets that sell some unsightly food like fish and durian.

A lot of people complain about Chinatown's slowly creeping expansion (mostly those who don't like the aforementioned fish smells, particularly in the heat of summer), but I love Chinatown's defiant refusal to acclimate to the universal culture of the rest of Manhattan.  You won't find any Starbucks, or Duane Reades, or Equinox gyms in that area, and that's kind of the beauty of it.  Walking past the durian fruit sellers every morning on my way to the subway makes me a little homesick for Southeast Asia, in a good way.

Anyways, I was excited to check out the Chinese New Year parade this year.  I still haven't made it out to Flushing, but figured I should take advantage of my current apartment location and walk a mere 2 blocks to see the Manhattan parade.  It was one of the first warm days of the winter, warm enough to declare "no coats!" but cold enough to regret that later in the afternoon.  We rounded out the evening with bao, soup, and more Chinese food: a delicious ending to our Year of the Goat festivities!

Grandma's Congo Squares

See, what to do when it's 5 degrees outside.  If you're too lazy to click through... the answer is bake!  A Grandma recipe, preferably.

Grandma's Congo Squares

Ingredients:

2 1/4 cup brown sugar

2/3 cup shortening (Grandmas have such an affinity for shortening don't they)

3 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 1/2 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 1/1 teaspoon baking powder

1 1/2 cup chocolate chips (or a combo of choco chips & nuts if you so desire)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 8x10 metal or glass pan

Combine the brown sugar, shorterning, eggs, and vanilla extract

In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, salt, and baking powder

Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet bowl

Add in the chocolate chips (or nuts) last

Bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes

Sprinkle with flaky sea salt

Enjoy!  (weirdly these taste much better after a few hours out of the oven.  Not sure why, you'd have to ask Grandma)