I love summer. Duh. Everyone loves summer. The problem is summer is ending. For me there are 5 official days left. I do not want to spend those days thinking “Gah! I wish I had been able to go to Singapore this year! (Seriously-read Crazy Rich Asians. We all need to go to Singapore immediately). I want to spend these days reflecting on all the great stuff I did this summer and being grateful that I have what most American adults consider to be an absurd amount of time to travel, relax and generally do whatever I want during each year. For example… Today I took 3 hours worth of…
How to Write a Blog: The Crisis of Fabulous
I am having a crisis about how to write a blog. Well, crisis might be a strong word. But I am having, at the least, a time of intense doubt and confusion. Like most crises, it started with good intentions. A few days ago, I typed “how to write a blog” into my google search bar. A reasonable thing to do, you might think. However, like all internet searches, it was a disaster that resulted in deep insecurities about all aspects of my life. For example, the first thing I am meant to do is “define my readership”. Oh. My. God. I can’t even define what I like…
Adventure Continues…
This Swiss adventure continues! First, you will be glad to know I successfully evaded the fly family from the Istlewald hostel. This morning we packed up and got back on the road. The travelogue continues with driving stories and, of course, lots of food. Highlights below: 1) The drive on Jaunpass road was wonderful. The road cuts through the middle of Switzerland from German-ish Bernese Oberland to French-ish Gruyere. It’s decorated with a changing landscapes of cows, mountains, and lovely cottages. 2) It also swerves rather dramatically at the beginning. Therefore, the monent we found the Jaunpass road instead of accidentally driving to Italy was certainly a highlight of…
On Growing Up
Given that I’m starting my third decade on the planet, I dedicate a fair amount of time to thoughts on growing up. This week was a real milestone. Why, you ask? Because this week I decided I’m too old for my hostel. I’m 32 and sitting in the communal room at Lake Lodge in Istelwald, Switzerland. The conversations in the room include: First, a girl and her Korean roommate talking about a tv show called New Girl. Also, about how many cities in Italy it is possible to visit in 5 days (it sounds like 6? Which seems high.) Additionally, apparently traveling in the summer is more expensive than…
Don’t worry about the jetlag
I woke up about 7 hours early for my alarm this morning. (This happens with international teachers. Read more here.) Since I had nothing more important to do than make it to the airport on time for a flight to Zurich, I decided to indulge in it. ‘Don’t worry about the jetlag and let it cure itself’. Of course, it’s not my go-to strategy for work days, but in the summer it works just fine. It’s interesting the places your mind will go with hours to think uninterrupted (or at least only moderately interrupted, by binge reading Amazon Unlimited best sellers such as “Maximum Insecurity: A Doctor in the supermax”….
Be Happy Right Where You Are
I think the hardest thing is to be happy right where you are. There is something about the American South that always highlights this concept for me. Human nature slows south of the Mason Dixon line. Communities thrive on small beauties, warm normalcy and delivered satisfaction. I thrive on hurried, fretful decisions, screaming adversity to normalcy and a constant search for deeper meaning. It’s important for me to come South and Slow Down. It’s here that I learn the most important lessons of how to be happy right where you are. I’m writing from Oklahoma City. The business district lays on flat, functional ground. The hotel manager called…
Vacation, Pray, Love
There is an order to the summer and it goes: vacation, pray, love. As one does on vacation, I have been amusing myself all summer with thoughts of what I would do if I quit my job and was able to focus on what I really wanted. Normal jobs only give a few weeks to consider the topic, I have been turning it over in my head for almost 2 months. Yesterday my thoughts turned to Elizabeth Gilbert and her darling 2002-ish plea to ‘Eat, Pray, Love‘: I think it is phenomenal she distilled what she wanted into 3 simple words. What would my words be?! Vacation, Pray, Love…
Soul Cycle Zen
Like many modern city girls, I depend on Soul Cycle classes for wise sentiments and Zen-like peacefulness. For those of you not familiar with Soul Cycle, I will outline the explanation I gave my boyfriend the other night: “They are these absurdly expensive spinning classes, but it’s more than just spinning class-they are a lifestyle brand. It’s like Anthropology but for exercise. It’s sort of like belonging to a cult.” I paused in my explanation and realized-it’s actually exactly like belonging to a cult! Entranced in my newfound sense of community, I considered the similarities: First, I happily give them all my money. Second, I believe everything…
Feeling at Home
Today I bought $75 worth of silver-plated picture frames from Zara Home. In the category of “picture frames” I also include whimsical candle holders and decorative boxes. I’m nesting. This is not a skill that comes naturally. For 5 years, the sum total of my furniture consisted of 2 beat-up, army-green ammo boxes. My last coffee table in California was made out of a cut-up 2×4 and 8 nails. I once lived in a high-rise on 67th Street for a month and didn’t bother to buy any pillows. I don’t mean “picture-frame-decorative-pillows”. I mean “the-pillows-you-put-on-the-bed-pillows”. In my defense, I often live in mostly-furnished places. Also, I move a lot. Also,…
How to Increase Traffic to Your Blog
I am a curious person. One of the things I am most curious about is how to increase traffic to my blog. The blogging life reminds me of a playground. More specifically, the blogging life reminds me of a playground where all the popular girls are standing around the tire swing, loudly laughing and thoughtfully adjusting their adolescent “I LOVE TAYLOR SWIFT” concert tee-shirts while I am lurking around the potted trees with the rabid squirrels, dying for someone to notice how awesome I am. Oh, the joys of childhood. But I digress. The point is–ALL bloggers want to know how to get more people to read their blog. I…