almost home
roma★
Sweet Seals For You, Always
Love Begins
taylor price
bliss lane
noise dept.
Noah Kahan
Lint Roller? I Barely Know Her
TVSTRANGERTHINGS
if i look back, i am lost
untitled
2025 on Tumblr: Trends That Defined the Year
Cosimo Galluzzi
Today's Document
Origami Around
Stranger Things
pixel skylines
h
@theartofmadeline
seen from Australia
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@travelingtrixie
Traveling overseas will be the best thing you ever do for your relationship. Here's why...
A wonderful article on why traveling couples build a strong and adventurous bond when traveling from Two Wandering Soles. As someone who met their significant other studying abroad and has since had many adventures abroad, including a recent move abroad, I resonate with all of these.
It’s strange...making a summary of all the places I’ve been lucky enough to visit only makes me want to visit more of this dynamic world
London Oddities
As with any big city exploration, you are bound to find something extraordinary in the everyday ordinary. I’m starting to realize that half the fun of living in a big, international city is more than just the cultural food and street festival pop ups; it’s about opening your eyes and just taking everything as it is. People, sights, smells ( not always great, I will admit) ...behind everything is a story. Sometimes they are benign and unworthy of retelling, but sometimes there’s a golden nugget worth all the drunken tube newbs and stinking carts. Watching life pass me by has provided hours of entertainment on my daily commutes to work. Some of the more interesting things I’ve observed in the last two weeks:
- An entire cart full of “fancy dress” individuals with no rhyme or reason for why or where they were heading. ( For those interested - Fancy Dress in the UK is NOT the same as Fancy Dress in the US)
- Several drunken tube goes trying to figure out why life has been so cruel as to force them onto a moving hell on their way home.
- Tapping toes to the very tone-deaf drunken tubers regaling passengers with their version of “500 Miles” and “Sweet Caroline”
- Pigeons (on more than one occasion) hitchhiking on the tube
- A group of 15-20 middle aged men dressed in lederhosen dancing & whacking their sticks together (no, not a euphemism) to ring in the May Day festivities
- Canal boats and everything they have to offer; dogs dressed as tiny sailors, floating book shops, waterway cafes etc.
During the more regular posts I will do my best to point out the London Oddities I’m experiencing. While each is a brand new opportunity to make a judgement on the city I now call home, I know can’t help but adore the random surprises I get to see each day. Until next time travelers!
London Living
We've officially been living in London for a month and a half now, and things have yet to slow down to what I would consider a normal pace. For the first couple weeks, I kept saying “we’ll get settled soon” but what I failed to realize was, in a city as alive and engaged as London, you never truly “settle in”. You are in a constant whir of social events, work, night life, and culture. Even getting on the tube each morning is an adventure. You never know who you will sit next to, or what you will see.
About two weeks ago, we moved out of our temporary accommodations in Hammersmith to our new abode in Parson’s Green. We are smitten with the area...with new restaurants, pubs, coffee shops and boutiques to peruse each day. We’ve found a wine club ( for the KC folks who know us, that’s very important) although it doesn't hold a candle to our beloved Cellar and Loft, and I’ve found a yoga studio that is literally right out my front door ( no procrastinating for me).
Work has been our main endeavor recently, taking up the majority of our lives with new challenges each day. I’d love to say it will let up soon, but I know that’s wishful thinking. To distract ourselves, the hubster and I have been planning our list of places to visit and making our new place feel like home. I’ve included the “before” pictures here. It will take some time but we will give this place the Tobin Touch.
Courtesy of: Sullivan Thomas
We asked a range of people, from writers and chefs to musicians and photographers, to share one experience from the last year that truly inspired them – something that, in no uncertain terms, reminded them why they love the world. Madly. Here's what they told us.
#17 was especially inspiration
Our new beginning
Hi Everyone!
I’ve been so swept up, immersing myself in my brand new home and city, that I have forgotten to post updates and pictures.This post should rectify that!
The move seemed to happen in slow motion...each moment pleading to last a little longer, and making the goodbyes harder. I’ve never been a homebody and thus never really been sad to leave. This move was different, and I can’t quite explain why. Luckily the excitement of the new endeavor is overpowering the sappy emotions. I know this is going to be the perfect thing for Zach and I.
[All my belongings for the next 2-5 years barely fit on the airport cart]
Our temporary flat is in the Hammersmith area. It’s a lovely little 4th floor walk up, perfectly situated between two tube stations. The area is surprisingly well connected, allowing us to get just about anywhere in 30-40 minutes ( the normal commute time here).
[Kitchen in our temporary accommodations and fresh tulips]
The first weekend here, I was on my own. Luckily, my dear friend Jamie is here on assignment and was the perfect companion for exploring the city. We loaded our kitchens with fresh produce, cheese, bread and wine from the local farmers markets, had a picnic in Regent’s Park, and experienced an awesome bar opening in Soho.
[Regent’s Park Picnic & Borough Market produce on first weekend in UK]
My first official week as a UK associate was spent turning on a system at one of our hospitals...it’s what we all work toward on our projects, and consists of 12 hour days in hospitals. It was a crazy, busy first week, but it really helped to get me acquainted with work and navigating the public transportation on my own.
Now that I’m here, I’m trying to settle in and feel at home. The first few days really just felt like another business trip, but toward the end of the first week, I’m actually starting to feel at home, probably due to the arrival of my “roommates.”
Zach arrived on Wednesday which was wonderful after going two weeks without seeing each other. Moving to London has so many perks, but one of the biggest is the hubster and I will be spending far more time together.
Friday brought us the final member of our family. Luna is officially an internatiacat (Inter-natia-cat). He seemed to handle the journey pretty well, to our surprise. It’s been so nice having our little family together again.
This weekend, we continued the night life exploration at a bar/restaurant close to work, attended a Comedy Club for some late night laughs and ended Saturday at the Ice Bar (Yes, that’s me in a parka inside an ice pineapple).
Tonight I’m trying my hand at the Sunday tradition of making a roast. We decided to try Chicken for our first attempt, and are cooking lots of veggies along with it. It’s just one of the many charming UK traditions we’ve been hearing so much about. Fingers crossed it turns out well.
I know this post was a bit hodge podge, but I’m making it a goal to post every two weeks with updates on living in London, adventures in travel, and settling in to our new home. Stay Tuned and catch up on previous travel posts!
The Packing Post
So here it is...the packing post. I had this grand notion of documenting the entire process in detail, posting updates once a week with pictures and step by step guides to how the whole process went, but alas, work, life and friends had other plans for me and my preoccupied mind. It's four pm on my last day of work, and although I've maintained productivity on a highly emotional day, I can no longer focus on emails. Instead, I will start to detail how I went from living comfortable in a two bedroom apartment in KC, to reducing my possessions for the next 2-5 years into 5 suitcases.
It all truly started back in December when my husband and I signed our respective offer letters to move to London and work in our company's office for 2-5 years abroad. After months of talking about it, we finally received the offer two days before Christmas. That part was all so rosy and exciting, and we figured that by March 1st, we would both be settled in a flat in London with our newly minted Internatiacat, Luna. I don't know if it was naivety or delusion, but we somehow felt like the whole process would just sail by. Let's do a quick foreshadow to today...when our apartment looks like an earthquake rumbled the shelves to the ground and left all our belongings in its wake, scattered about the floor. More to come on that.
With the holiday travel, we focused on the spirit of family time and sharing our good news. Once we came back to work, we let everyone on our teams know that the dream was becoming a reality and we would be moving within the next two months. Emotions were high and going away parties were planned, but there was still work to be done, so we went to our meetings and flew to our clients without focusing on our plan of action to get ready for the move.
We did end up making a list and quite a thorough plan, but as with all good plans, it went almost entirely ignored until just recently. As we were driving around the Midwest for the holiday gatherings, we discussed all the logistics; what to pack, sell, take with us or give away. We made a plan of when everything should happen by and mapped out our upcoming vacation and work travel. Unfortunately, what we didn't really notice until it was too late, was that we had two vacations planned within two weeks of each, and multiple work trips between the two of us. We were left with the equivalent of two weeks that we would both be in Kansas City together to pack and run errands. Those two weeks were composed of scattered days over a two month time frame. So although the plans were solid, the execution didn't quite play out as hoped.
Last week when I got back from a work trip, we got down to business. Finally selling all the pieces of furniture we didn't need and packing up summer clothes. It was truly cathartic to rid ourselves of all the unnecessary things we'd accumulated. As I've come to find out...moving is humbling, and it makes you truly examine what you need and want to keep in life.
That was taken to another extreme for us, since we aren't moving all of our possessions to London. We are taking 4-5 suitcases each and our aforementioned cat. Everything else either had to be put in storage, sold, or given away. While I would advise putting more thought into the process than we did, our ultimate guide post was...if we are over there for five years, will we want this when we return? If the answer was no, it was sold or given away. If we answered yes, we then had to prove that it was worth hauling to St. Louis and finding a place for it in my in-laws basement. Ultimately, we got everything whittled down, but I'm positive that in a few years, we will be rummaging through boxes saying, "why on earth did we think this would be useful?".
The hubster found a great amazon local deal for a company called Bellhops, that hires college students to do the heavy lifting. We were thrilled to have the help, and the guys that came were very pleasant, polite and helpful. Having there help made moving in the snow a bit more manageable. Learn from us and know that whatever time you think it's going to take to move out of an apartment, needs to be doubled. We thought with five people, we could clear out our apartment in two hours, easy peasy...and we probably could have if we had had all of our belongings packed and ready to go. (Again, the things we would do differently for next time...take a few days off work to actually pack things logically in boxes and label them, so when the movers come its as simple as loading up the dolly). It took us five hours, rushing most of the time, but as I said, that was due to our own ill-preparedness.
We drove across the state in snow, me with Luna in our little car, and the husbter with my father-in-law in the truck not too far behind. it was a bit of a stressful drive with the weather, but one of those moments that will make a fantastic story in a few months as we tell our new British friends about how we came to live in London.
As with most things in our exciting and chaotic life, the process made me appreciate the move, our families, friends, and my husband even more. Our families are being so supportive, helping us move, driving us to the airport, and giving us a listening ear when things get so stressful, we can't tell what day or time it is. Our friends have been there every step of the way, coming over to pack, buying/taking our unwanted items, giving us words of encouragement, and planning happy hours and parties to send us off in style. The move has given me a new understanding of the need to be happy with minimalism and simplicity, and my husband, ever the patient, optimistic man when I'm feeling overwhelmed, has once again shown me what a good balance we are. I can't wait to start this new adventure with him. Stay tuned for notes about our travels around Europe, setting in to our new flat, and the adventures of taking a cat abroad ( he's going to hate us...).
More later voyagers!
El cinco goodbye ... So many feelings 😔😭🇬🇧❤️ #goodbye #elcinco #thisislove #traveltroubles #londoncalling
Tranquilo en Puerto Rico
I've never been quite able to relax on vacation, constantly thwarted by the list of things to do when I get home or by worrying about getting to an activity on time. Oddly, the only time I've been able to relinquish the worry has been on work trips, when I only have one or two days to take a new place in. Somehow the pressure to enjoy as much in one day releases any worries I may have...possibly so I can focus those efforts on enjoying what I can while I have the limited time. That was the case, until I came to Puerto Rico, where somehow I was lulled uncharacteristically into nirvana...going days without knowing the time or caring. In our five day stay, I read two books, walked the beach, played in the ocean, explored San Juan, and delighted in seafood at every opportunity.
We arrived on a Friday afternoon and rented a car to drive out to Arecibo on the north coast. My parents and some friends of theirs had rented a house for 9 days. From the street looking in, it looked like a mediocre condo but the back boasted an amazing view of the waves crashing into the shore. The inside was nice, though we really were only inside to sleep and watch the Super Bowl. We enjoyed most of our time outside, where we could hear the constant rush of water at all times. The first night we got in late, but grilled a feast of brats and sausages in the backyard. That night, we opened our windows so we could hear the lullaby of the ocean as we fell asleep.
After sleeping too well (registering double digits on the sleep clock), we woke to a cloudless day which we spent on the beach. We started by simply admiring the waves and the shore, walking along with coffee in hand, but it wasn't long until we discovered the boogie boards behind the outdoor bar. Soon it was me and three other woman running out into the surf, competing against the waves. More often than not, the waves won. After an exhausting and exhilarating hour, I took a break to read...and thus began a pattern that would be repeated every day for the next four days. Coffee, ocean, book...then repeat two or three times a day, replacing coffee with a rum beverage. On Sunday and Tuesday, my husband and I walked the expanse of the beach, exploring the rocks and trees at the one end and the lighthouse at the other. Tuesday's walk was accompanied by inland clouds that threatened a downpour at any second. Competing with that image were the clear light skies over the ocean, giving a contrasting visual throughout the walk. Tuesday also gave way to a full moon, so we walked at dusk to see the sun set and the moon rise. The lunar effect on the tide was apparent and stunning. It was so serene that when we got back to the house, we couldn't force ourselves off the beach, even though it was dark. We sat in our spot...the spot we had occupied for days reading our various books and just talked. We often say that our best conversations happen while we are traveling, and this was no exception.
Our last day, we woke up early to the same welcoming waves, loaded up the car, and went to San Juan. Our flight wasn't until 5 so we had most of the day to take in old San Juan...tourists and all. Once we pushed past the crowds, we found plenty to explore. We began heading to a couple places I had written down before the trip, but took a wrong turn and walked in to a cute little boutique instead. While they had their fair share of chatsky items, I did find two great (and cheap) sundresses, and necklaces made from a local stone discovered by an americorps worker (Larimar). It's a mix of pale and incandescent blues that look like the swelling waves we fell in love with. Once we corrected our path, we stopped at my first desired location; Casa Cortes. Casa Cortes is a restaurant and chocolate bar, where they incorporate chocolate into almost all their dishes. I had a Luna Negra (rum and chocolate milk shake), which I'm pretty sure was their signature drink, and split some Jamon croquetas with the hubster. He got what looked to be a melted chocolate bar in a cup. Delicious and filling after two sips. My mom and Dad met us there where I convinced them to get the Luna Negra as well. We all left with our cholocate cravings satisfied.
Next on my list was a place called the Poets Passage. Owned by Lady Lee and her husband, this little place offers a coffee shop, poetry and art for sale, and performances. It was a really fun place to walk around in but I was a little disappointed that I couldn't find any Spanish poetry. That all seems trivial considering the beautiful art and poetry that I was exposed to.
The husband and I continued on and walked until we found a charming rum boutique (Casa Mezala) with an even more charming family who ran it. The son had a charisma about him that guarnteed a fantastic conversation and experience. We could barely taste the fine rums he had waiting for us! We tried four traditional Puerto Rican rums and a newer flavored one made by cayum. We found our favorite to be Barrilito, what the family touted as the locals choice rum. We bought a bottle and some coffee the family's friends grew ( for those who don't know, I collect unique coffee wherever I can). My husband likes cigars on occasion and so we took the families recommendation on where to get some authentic Puerto Rican cigars. We walked in and again the owner told us of how his friend made these hand rolled cigars. I love this reoccurring idea that the shop owners know the producers of all their goods. We bought a couple and a few of their smaller flavored cigars to try during our upcoming going away party ( yikes/yay).
The trip was an amazing way to relax before the craziness of packing and the move. I'm incredibly grateful for the opportunity to travel to this amazing place, and we managed to do so on a very doable budget. Because the hubster and I have prioritized traveling in our life, we've gotten really good at maximizing reward points and keeping costs low, but I'm always looking for new suggestions, so post your ideas in the comments below!
Colorado High
High from all the gorgeous views and skiing! I don't know what you were thinking, but all I needed was the rush of wind in my hair as I skied down the slopes at Copper to feel high as a kite and free as a bird. I'm not an avid skier, but I love the feeling of being slightly terrified before making that fast s-turn and making my way down a mountain, and ending up at the bottom feeling proud and slightly jittery from the butterflies before.
The trip was a last minute vacation organized by my husband. He loves to ski and wanted to take his brother and father. He spent the first day teaching his brother and re-acquainting his father, who hadn't skied in 30 years. They both had it down within the first hour and were thoroughly enjoying the mountain within the first day. I'm going to chalk it up to the fact that the hubster has a knack for teaching and a passion for skiing that makes him a great instructor.
We stayed at a wonderful place we found on Airbnb.com (if you don't use this when you travel, you should start...now). We rented a condo just outside Dillon, which allowed for a short 20 min drive each morning to the mountain. For $200/night ( you would be lucky to find a hotel for this price in ski season), we had a 3 bedroom/3 bath condo to ourselves, with a fully stocked kitchen, fireplace and incredible views of the mountain. That meant no awkward rooming situations for the married couple and in-laws.
The mountain itself was great...we had plenty of runs to choose from for less experienced skiers ( I include myself in this category) with varying levels of difficulty and terrain if you get adventurous. Their blues also ranged in difficulty so that as I got more adventurous, I could move higher up the difficulty scale without wandering too far off from the others. By the end of our 3 full days of skiing, I was happy to head home to gain a sense of normalcy. That being said, I really can only stay still for a week or two, before I need another adventure, especially in the bleak period between January and April.
Lucky for me, I have a family trip to Puerto Rico right around the corner! It's feeling a bit surreal to me...in one month, I will have been skiing and lounging by the ocean. Don't think this is normal folks...we are just trying to get in as much family time as possible before the big move. We still don't have a date yet, but we are aiming for the first of March. Can you believe it...one month from now, we will be packing our things and moving across the Atlantic. Get ready for lots of packing posts!
Had a wonderful weekend skiing at Copper this weekend. Clear blue skies and lots of trips up and down the mountain #Atoptheworld #skitrip2015 #coppermountain #travelingtrixie
The push to minimalism
As many of you gathered from my previous postings, Zach and I are jumping into an new adventure, and moving across the Atlantic to work with our company in their London office. Along with moving to a foreign country comes the thoroughly despised task of vetting clothing and belongings and determining if they are worthy to make the journey across the sea. Everything is smaller and more expensive in London, so we are evaluating each item we own on the following criteria:
Will it fit in the flat
What purpose will it serve
Will it save us money
What will it cost to replace
Thanks to a very "in-the-know" friend & co-worker, I've started scouring the posts of the website into-mind.com. They have so many wonderful ideas on how to adapt to a minimalist lifestyle, which we are doing unintentionally with this move. My husband prefers the term "mobile lifestyle", but what it really boils down to is widdling down to the essentials for a couple of years. It will be a great experiment into what we really need in our day-to-day life.
A couple of helpful resources I have found are listed below. The first is a guide to cleaning out your closet. You may think needing a guide is silly, but once you have a pile the size of Everest sitting in your closet, a guide can be the difference between productivity and you on the floor in despair with only your wine bottle and pile of clothes to see you through. I also have a guide to a minimalism challenge listed below that has supplement the move to minimalism quite well by getting my mind in psych with the lifestyle adjustment.
Closet Detox
30 Day Minimalism Challenge - I'm in the middle of this right now and it's harder than you think. It's made me really stop and think about my day.
The process of moving is daunting enough on it's on, but the added piece of having to be selective in what you can take is an entirely new challenge. It's one we are excited about embracing and seeing if it affects other areas of our life as well. So at this point in Mid-January, a month and a half away from our proposed move date, we will focus on cleaning and good will piles. Hopefully by the first of February, we will be ready to start the packing process.
Have any really great pointers for de-cluttering and packing in a minimalist fashion? Pass them on! We will need all the help we can get.
Guess what #itsofficial #londoncalling
Signs you were born to Travel
I stole this from my friend, but I found it so fitting, I promptly sent it out to everyone on my team.
http://matadornetwork.com/life/23-signs-born-travel/
I can't explain how true these are.
Saddened and disheartened by the events that happened in Paris yesterday. My thoughts and love go to the families and friends of the deceased. #preachingpeace #jesuischarlie
Je Suis Charlie
Looking Back to Move Forward - 2014 in Review
Now that the madness of the holidays has past, and we have to trudge back to work, I thought it would be helpful to review all of the successes of 2014 and plan some things for 2015. My friend turned me on to a website called Into-mind.com that focuses on a minimalist lifestyle, providing advice and helpful worksheets to walk you through the process of de-cluttering your life.
In the spirit of the new year, they posted questions to review 2014 and get excited about 2015. I've always made New Year's Resolutions, but I've never truly reflected on the previous year, so I thought this was a great exercise in introspection and gratitude. You can review the questions here: 2014 Review.
I went through and picked a few to answer, for anyone interested.
If you had to describe your 2014 in 3 words, what would they be?
Adventurous, Opportunistic, Travel-Centric
What experience would you love to do all over again?Wine tasting in Chile, but with my husband this time. He would appreciate the beauty and "ondas" (vibes) as much as I did.
Which new skills did you learn?I started to learn Portuguese for my client in Brazil. Knowing Spanish really helps with comprehension, but we are working to be able to respond in Portuguese.
If someone wrote a book about your life in 2014, what kind of genre would it be? A comedy, love story, drama, film noir or something else?Probably a coming of age story (even though I'm already of age) about adventure, love, and realizing your dreams.
What 5 people did you most enjoy spending time with?Obviously my husband but also my team who I travel all over the world with. They are mi familia de trabajo, and I couldn't ask for a better group.
What book or movie affected your life in a profound way? The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (The remake with Ben Stiller). I can't exactly explain it, but I watched this on a plane ride going to Brazil, and I'm sure the person next to me thought I was crazy. I was tearing up and laughing out loud. It made me feel so proud of the travel I do and motivated to continue.
What do you want the overarching theme for your 2015 to be?
Contentment & Peacefulness. I tend to stress out far too much, and I would like to be at peace, knowing I've done all I can.
What do you want to see, discover, explore? This goes hand-in-hand with a rather big announcement for 2015 --> My husband and I have decided to move to London for work. As part of that, we want to see, discover, and explore everything in the UK and the surrounding countries. We plan to camp, so this will be our way to truly see the land and the country.
How did you feel about your 2014, and what are you most looking forward to in 2015?
Happy new year!
This year has taken me around the world on many fantastic adventures. I could not be more grateful. Here’s to more adventures in 2015 - http://flipagram.com/f/Nurwt2vY5h
