transient travels

Photographs tend to make me want to go back to places. Not just because they simply remind me of the good times I had, but also because when I look at a photo, I am forced to focus. While it may seem limiting, sometimes looking within the confines of four edges actually opens my eyes to what I never noticed – or did notice, but didn’t actually take in – and realizing that, makes me want to go back.

In Quepos, Costa Rica for example,  it was easy to get distracted by the commotion.

But exactly across the street and a few steps to the right, was absolute peace.

Sometimes seeing a scene through a small frame is when you actually see the big picture.

I’m participating in Classy in Philadelphia’s Where In The World Wednesday! The idea of WITWW is to post a picture of you someplace in the world…it doesn’t have to be somewhere foreign or tropical. Just a picture of you somewhere you consider traveling.

I’m going to take a cue from Paula and make this week’s close to home. While the above photo doesn’t portray a certain area of Boston or even a particular attraction, it does represent a time when I stepped beyond a boundary, experienced something new and came out the other side with a fresh perspective.

One Christmas my friend Bryce decided to do a group present for our group of friends – she signed us up for a private hip hop class with Jose Eric Cruz. The night was a blast. Jose was so passionate about dancing and after he patiently taught us to dance, he gave us a rundown of the various types of hip hop, showing us videos and demonstrations. We walked away from that night with a greater appreciation for the intricacies of hip hop music, we learned how to Vogue and Cobra, and he also opened up a whole new world of Popping to us too.

Boston readers, if you’re interested in something fun and new, I highly recommend looking him up!

© Copyright CATALAUNICA(Montse). Creative Commons by nc nd 2.0

We haven’t nailed down the details or booked any flights, but Mike and I have finally narrowed down a country for our honeymoon. We’re going to Spain! We definitely want to include detours in our trip and depending on where we make our home base, we are considering Marseille, Morocco or even the Canary Islands.

I wanted to use this post to thank everyone for their amazing suggestions a few weeks ago. Everyone had such thoughtful comments and thorough advice and I really appreciate you taking the time to help us out.

Thank you Liz, Deeps, Kirsten, Hannah, Julie, Julie Q, Hope, Erin, A Super Girl, andhari, Meg, Sara, Jessica, Ryan, thisnewplace, Andi, Swimspot. I’m sure I’ll be throwing out more requests for advice again soon.

I love The Body Shop. I have been purchasing their vitamin E moisturizer and green tea face wash products long enough to be able to say, “I remember when this cost a whopping 8 to 10 dollars less.” Their prices are actually something I dislike very much, but I guess at the end of the day they are comparable to other beauty products that aren’t sold at CVS, and apparently that dislike doesn’t outweigh my trust in their products because with my Love Your Body card in hand, I just keep going back.

My friend Sue currently works there, one of her many jobs, and a couple of weeks ago she brought me a gift for no reason, other than she is extremely thoughtful.

You may remember that before I left for Costa Rica I procrastinated on purchasing a quality toiletry bag and sprung for one last minute at Target. It fell apart immediately, though Mike claimed that I filled it way too much, which is probably true.

The bag that Sue brought me is so fun and pretty and best of all it is sturdy. While I haven’t even had the chance to use it for travel yet, it does keeps me organized at home. For someone who sporadically goes away for weekends, whether for a girls weekend or another wedding, it is nice to be able to just pick up and go.

Part of why I love the show Mad Men is because it makes me nostalgic for a time in which I never even lived. It works because for one thing, the show is amazing, but also, while I was never alive during the 60’s, I feel like I have somewhat experienced them: in family photo albums that are so worn the pages are spilling out, and so old that there are black and white photos mixed in with those in color, and also through stories that my parents and their friends and siblings reminisce together at holidays and other gatherings.

Last weekend, I stumbled upon a place that gave me the same sentiment, except in real life. After the travel show Lisa and I walked by Anthony’s Pier 4 and decided it was time to see what the place is all about. I have been there before, in fact it was a strong candidate for my wedding reception, but I had never sat at the bar, relaxed and enjoyed what has always been a great, but sort of off the beaten path, tourist attraction in Boston. The restaurant has a really cool history and is apparently one of the most popular restaurants in the country. It is the epitome of having “character” and it also boasts many celebrity appearances.

The entrance walls, which are a dark paneled wood, are painted with signed celebrity photos that are so old, many of them are in black and white, mixed in with those in color.

The best part is, they aren’t kidding when they say they’re on the pier…

The location of Anthony’s Pier 4 implies that it is super classy and it is. However, when you first walk in, instead of feeling out of place, like you are about to spend way more than your budget allows, you get the feeling that you are walking into a townie bar that could be anywhere. Anthony’s Pier 4 is unique because no matter how tied it is to the pier, it also really could be anywhere. It captures the time in which it was created and it carries it well. And, its ability to maintain that character is really impressive.

I don’t know if it was the atmosphere or my mood, but I felt compelled to order a cocktail. Because I felt as though I would have been mocked for getting an old fashioned (let’s face it, I can’t pull off a Don Draper move), I decided to go for a Manhattan.

As we mulled over our choices for a drink our bartender brought us a snack that I considered to be much heartier than a bowl of traditional peanuts. We didn’t eat, but I am interested in going back to take a look at the menu to see if it matches up with our overall experience.

Have you ever been to a place that makes you nostalgic? Whether you’ve lived or even been there before?

I’m participating in Classy in Philadelphia’s Where In The World Wednesday! The idea of WITWW is to post a picture of you someplace in the world…it doesn’t have to be somewhere foreign or tropical. Just a picture of you somewhere you consider traveling.

During their Spring break, Bryce and my sister Jenny visited Lisa and I when we studied abroad in Cork, Ireland. We took a trip up to Dublin where we obviously went to the Guinness Factory, but we also set out on another journey.

Our grandfather lived right across the street from that gate. With his address in hand, we walked up and down more times than I can count in search for his old apartment. But, in the end we couldn’t find it! When I came home that summer I tried to explain what I saw as I walked up and down the street to my auntie Bridge (Bridget). She said there is a good chance the numbers have been changed, which may be why we couldn’t pinpoint it.

It was sad and frustrating to think that we were so close, in fact, right in front of their home and didn’t even know it, but I guess it’s just another reason to go back. At least Jenny and I got to take a photo in front a view that they could once see through their window.

We ordered our save the dates from Vistaprint because they were cheap, they had a pretty design that matched our colors and they let us add a photo to personalize them. The picture of us is from 1998, when we both volunteered at Camp Arrowhead.

During our second #bostontravelers tweetup a couple of weeks ago the lovely Maureen, a representative of the Boston Globe Travel Show, handed out free tickets. So on Saturday Lisa and I attended.

Going to the travel show is hard because it only makes you want to go everywhere. Overall, whether I get to these places or not, there were a bunch of booths that really stood out with some creative stuff.

In no particular order, the most memorable were…

Novia Scotia. I was instantly drawn to this booth because they had tables set up with laptops where people could research their genealogy. I come from a line of Forshners that hail from Nova Scotia and the man at the booth who assisted me said he actually knows a Forshner – the world gets smaller every day. He also gave me information so I could do some more heritage digging at home.

Puerto Rico. As passersby approached this booth, they were greeted by men and women dressed in colorful suits and long flowing dresses, inviting them to hop on the dance floor to learn how to salsa. I never danced, which I regret because I have been wanting to learn to salsa for a while now, but it definitely had tons of energy and in the end was still memorable. Also, the booth was right at the entrance so it really set the tone for the show.

Busch Gardens. They always makes a big splash. This year, among so many other animals, they also brought back the penguins! This handsome gentleman was kind enough to pose for a photo…

Thailand. A demonstration on how to make a Thai papaya salad called somtum really stood out. Right after the demo they also held a salad making contest for attendees. It drew a lot of people and we unfortunately weren’t able to weasel our way in, but we did get to try a sample.

Ingredients include lime, green papaya, fresh bird chili, dried small shrimp, roasted peanuts, fish sauce, palm sugar, plum tomato, long bean and garlic. It also calls for a mortar and pestle.

The end result was delicious, healthy and very spicy.

AFAR Magazine. A new travel magazine that aims to convey “experiential travel” – a more authentic travel experience. Their booth was memorable because they were just plain nice. They were also eager to find out where our next adventure would be and anxious to offer whatever advice they could. They were handing out their current issue, which I have only had time to skim, but at first glance it looks promising. In fact, there is an article about the experiences of a woman from San Angel, Mexico, who works at a nonprofit that advises governments on economic, gender equality and human rights issues that I can’t wait to read.

Now I have remnants of the show spilling out of a plastic bag in my living room that I still have to sort through. I’m hoping I can find ideas and deals for my upcoming trip to Mexico for a friend’s destination wedding in July.

When I travel I do my best to avoid purchasing thoughtless souvenirs. Even on the occasion where I find myself at a string of shops specifically designed to draw in tourists like me, I at least try to get a back story – something that connects what I am purchasing to the place even more so than the thing itself.

While in Costa Rica I found pretty necklaces that I brought back to some of my friends. Before purchasing them I asked the seller information about who made them and where they came from. It turns out his family made everything, except they aren’t from Costa Rica, they’re from Antigua, Guatemala. I’m not sure how often he travels to Costa Rica or if he has completely relocated. And I’m not sure if his travels, whether intermittent or permanent, are due to the fact that there may be more tourists in Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica than in Antigua, Guatemala. I could have asked, but he was kind enough to humor me in Spanish with all of that and I didn’t want to keep him from other customers.

Either way, I think I walked away with a bit more than just a piece of jewelry.

Beyond purchasing little pieces of a place for my friends, I try to look for items for myself – for memories. One day while we were in Quepos we stumbled upon an art gallery that had unbelievable pieces from local artists. If the size of our suitcases or money was not an issue – I would have taken that entire gallery home.

We did find a piece from which I couldn’t walk away.

On the back the artist, local to Costa Rica, signed his name and the title of his work – tranquilidad - meaning, tranquility or peacefulness. Simple, to the point and spot on.

What do you look for in a souvenir when you travel?

I’m participating in Classy in Philadelphia’s Where In The World Wednesday! The idea of WITWW is to post a picture of you someplace in the world…it doesn’t have to be somewhere foreign or tropical. Just a picture of you somewhere you consider traveling.

In 2004 Mike studied abroad in Rome while I was in Ireland and while on my Spring break I visited him. To my surprise, he let his beard grow out. At first I told him he looked like a cave man, but I did get used to it. This picture was taken with a really old camera I had with me back then, hence the poor quality. It was my mom’s and I’m pretty sure it dated back to the 80’s. I recently scanned this photo so I could add it to our wedding website, which is just about 100% complete, finally. Above, we stand in the Forum.