In October I attended Grace Hopper Conference in Houston, TX. The conference is a celebration of women in tech and is one of the largest conferences I have ever attended. I only spent a few days in Downtown Houston and did not get to get out and explore the city as much as I had wanted. Traveling is one thing. Traveling while recovering from a nasty cold and going from a crisp autumn climate in the PNW to the humid south zapped all my spare energy.…
Edinburgh. A city that I’m deeply in love with. I thought I’d recap my favorite places in the city and some things still on my list.…
Last week I went to spend a few days in Mesa with my mom. The desert landscape and the history of the people who inhabited and survived there is so intriguing to me. The heat was a nice escape from rainy and wet Seattle, and it was almost 40 degrees warmer down there then the Pacific Northwest! It’s a drastic change but to feel that sun hit your skin and soak in is a beautiful thing.…
Hawaii. My winter escape to sunshine and marine life. For me, it doesn’t matter that every year I go to the same place with my family. We stay in the same condo complex and see the same friends and this is perfectly fine with me. I am baking in the sunshine while the dolphins spin by and the whales spout along the coast. This is the epitome of a mental reset for me.…
Deep down there is a part of me that is an idealist. I get a romantic notion in my head about the way something should be & make me feel. I had this idea about autumn in the United Kingdom. I’m not sure why specifically autumn, and I’m not sure why specifically the UK. For years I have felt a pull from Britain. The idealist in me likes to think I had a past life there…but it’s probably because half of my heritage is from Britain. Anyway, after a direct flight from Seattle to Heathrow, we touched down in London, exhausted, and made our way through Heathrow and took a cab into the city. We stayed in a lovely little flat called Villa Fitzrovial, about a 5-10 minutes walk north of Oxford Street, but being jetlagged and finally getting settled at 5PM UK time, we crashed…woke up at 1 AM, crashed again, and then managed to role out of bed still feeling funny, but ready to take on the day. The view out the back of our flat. All of the brick is so charming.…
I wanted to update daily…honestly I did. I have been so overcome with my experience in London so far…I’ve plenty to write about…but I’ve experienced so much, too much, crossed so many things off a bucket list…that once I return back to Washington I’ll have plenty to write about then.…
I love my job. I’m blessed to be doing something I love, but about every June/July, I find myself burning out. Overloaded, uninspired and in need of a break where I am completely cut off from email & any thought of work. It’s just how it goes. A few back to back 60 hour work weeks in June this year after no real break in 6 months made me thankful that at the last minute we booked a trip to Mexico with another couple. This was my first trip to Mexico & it was lovely. Cabo is vibrant and full of culture. The people are kind & personable. And the food is fucking delicious. I may have permanently ruined enchiladas for myself. A wildlife conservation booth by the marina let’s you hold a tiger cub that is eventually sent to a wildlife reserve. You donate to reserve to hold the cub. I would never do this if it was purely for someone else’s profit. I love animals & this little guy was too cute. They rescue these animals from black market sales & we were happy to support this cause. Senor Frogs was awesome. Cabo Pulmo is home to the…
It’s been a little over 2 weeks since my return from tropical paradise (and oh how I wish I was still there basking in the sun) – and as I’ve sat down to think about what 2014 holds, I see more travel if things go as planned. I wanted to share a few of my travel essentials that are all carry-on friendly. 1. Aveeno Pure Renewal Dry Shampoo. To be honest I’m not sure if this comes in a carry on size but there are other dry shampoos that do come in smaller sizes. Dry shampoo gets rid of that greasy look and freshens your hair up right away. 2. Dior Airflash Foundation. Want to look like a million bucks after hours of travel? Spray onto and apply with a brush and your skin looks even toned & dewey. I was exhausted & comments had been made about how tired I had been looking. After I used Airflash one night, a few people in our group asked if I was feeling rested because I looked much better. It was the Airflash). 3. Halo Portable Charger. This was a Christmas gift and works better than the other portable charger I own,…
Last year started the same way – in Kona, Hawaii – being sunburned & loving every minute of it. This year was no different, I was just happy to escape rainy, gray Seattle and spend a week in beautiful tropical Hawaii. I fly Hawaiian Air whenever I go to Hawaii – their service is great & they still serve meals on the longer flights from the mainland to the islands. Tasty Passion Fruit Boogie Boarding at Hapuna Beach After a day at the beach we stopped at the Lava Lava Beach Club for drinks & appetizers. BEAUTIFUL view – great spot to sit & have drinks. I probably would have been happy going there every single day. Snorkeling at Kahaluu Beach – great spot for Sea Turtles, was pretty crowded though. The Sheraton Resort in Kona has a great bar with a boardwalk that you can walk out onto at night and watch people snorkel with Manta Rays Dolphins frequently swam back and forth past our condo everyday. We took a pontoon boat out to Captain Cook’s monument & went snorkeling – absolutely beautiful snorkel spot. My baby humpback! Highlight of the trip for me. This little guy breached over…