transient travels

Three weeks ago I was surprised with my bridal shower. I’ve had a hard time writing this post because words really can’t describe how amazingly thoughtful it was and how overwhelmed I continue to be looking back on it. Every little detail had a huge amount of thought and sincerity behind it, and so much love.

The location was Nicholas Restaurant in Natick, MA. I spent most of my teenage years and my early twenties working at this former fried seafood, burger and ice cream restaurant most notably known for its Saturday night, old fashioned car shows with oldies music – Nick’s Ice Cream. Today, Nicholas Restaurant offers Greek-American dining in Boston’s Metrowest. It’s delicious and I’m not just saying that. I’ve compared their chicken kebabs to other popular Greek restaurants in the area and I genuinely think they have the best. Also, their roasted potatoes are incredible. And that’s coming from someone who knows a thing or two about a potato. I couldn’t have thought of a better place for such an important celebration.

One of the first things I did after being surprised was stroll over to the beautiful cake, which was from The Crusty Crumpet Bakery in Winthrop, MA. My family owns this bakery and the beautiful cake was made by Grant, my second cousin, who woke up very early that morning to have it ready for the shower. I’m not just saying this because it’s family, but it really was amazing. The cake was red velvet with cream cheese frosting.

Jenny made sure of it because we wanted that flavor for our wedding cake, but in an effort to go with the most simple and frugal offering, we ended up choosing a bakery that didn’t offer it. I was so happy it was included. I took leftovers home and Mike and I continue to talk about how much we need that cake back in our lives.

Bostonians, you need a cake? Call up Crusty Crumpet, seriously. Especially if you like red velvet with cream cheese frosting. Also, how beautiful is the design?

My beautiful bridesmaids made the party favors from scratch and they embodied some of my favorite things in the world – wine and chocolate. They were thoughtful enough to add a label that brought tears to my eyes. And I loved the little specks of Philly sprinkled throughout.

My bridesmaids also made delicious desserts that matched my wedding colors.

And they carried out a tradition of presenting a bottle of wine for every momentous occasions in life with a poem. There was no pulling from the internet though, they each wrote a poem that was sincere, thoughtful, witty and beautiful.

Also, instead of getting guests to offer us a piece of advice about marriage in a book, they asked guests to offer a piece of advice about where Mike and I should travel together as husband and wife.

One of the biggest surprises when I opened the book was that there weren’t just tips from my guests. There were tips from some of my favorite bloggers in the world. Lisa scoured my blog and the internet for my blog loves and contact information and asked if they’d offer a piece of advice to make my shower even more special.

I am so overwhelmed at how many of you contributed and like I said above, words can’t really describe how grateful I am. Thank you so much.

When looking back on my shower all I can think about is how blessed I am to have people in my life that love me enough to go through so much to make a day special.

Last night a friend and I had a conversation about a woman’s biological clock. The conversations took place two seconds after I cringed at the sound of myself stating that I would in fact be 28 today – well, today if I am able to hit publish by midnight tonight, July 28th. While I’m not one of those people that fears being 30 or 40 or even 50, the reminders that time is passing by is what always gets me thinking. At each birthday, no matter what age, I tend to ask myself: what have I experienced?

If you were to ask me what my ultimate fear is I’d probably settle on the fear of failure. Some may take that as a good quality because it means that I am determined, that I work hard, and that I will do anything to achieve my goals. But, the truth is, it’s not always a positive thing. In fact, more often than not, it’s not. It forces me to create guidelines that I must fulfill, and if there’s one thing I’ve learned about being happy, it’s that the best things occur outside of your so-called boundaries.

When I look at my travel goals, for the average full time working person, I feel like I am pretty fulfilled. I’m going to Tunisia and Spain for my honeymoon for crying out loud. Scratch that, “we” are going to Tunisia and Spain for “our” honeymoon. Yes, I’m still working on that.

But yesterday, someone at work was adjusting their personnel files and asked me if I was changing my last name in September, and if so, what it will be. Since our wedding is so soon, they thought it more efficient to file me under my future name now rather than have to change it later. Right now I am filed under my future name.

And do you want to know what my first thought was? I will not have traveled to Nova Scotia with my maiden name. I know that sounds weird, but listen. My ancestors flocked from Nova Scotia to Boston. Remember the guy at the Nova Scotia booth at the Boston Globe Travel Show? When he heard my name he told me that he knew so many Forshner’s. That name just isn’t as common around these parts. But there, it’s legendary. I in no way shape or form felt fear about changing my name, in fact the notion kind of excites me. But I did suddenly feel like a window of experience closed. A goal was tangibly unmet.

But back to biological clocks. I really don’t think about that too often. I have my own schedule. What I do think about are experiences, mostly those related to travel. I’m in no rush to fulfill the next stage of inevitable questions that come from those who used to ask “so when will you get married?” But I am in a rush to experience. I want to make sure that no matter what direction our life together takes us, that we don’t lose sight of what’s out there.

Mike and I have been really getting into Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservations lately. What I love about him is his ability to capture the essence of the places he visits, not only through food, but through his observations. But mostly through food. I love that he always dines with a local expert who offers both the cultural and culinary background of the places he sees.

Two nights ago we watched his Disappearing New York episode and now I am on a mission to get down there and visit every single place on the episode. Tonight we watched his Ecuador episode and now I am on a mission to get down there and visit every single place on the episode – except I can probably do without the guinea pig.

I also love his show because it reminds me that I want to make it a point to eat local at home and when I travel. That’s why some of my home cooked weekend brunches require a neighborhood stroll. And it’s also why I actively sought out Comida Tipica in Costa Rica no matter what else was on the menu.

While in Mexico, I was by default immersed in the cuisine of the resort, and with the exception of a couple of fancy meals, the majority of the food was a hybrid of faux Mexican and faux American. But, on the day that we took our tour of Chichen Itza, we also stopped at the restaurant of a local hotel somewhere in between the pyramids and the great Cenote called Hacienda Xaybeh de Camara.

To be honest, though the atmosphere was a clear give away that it is a stopping ground for tourists, I think the food was as close to local as we were going to get that week – and it was delicious.

Lisa got the pulled pork. She said it was the best pulled pork she had ever had and I agreed. I had the chicken with rice and beans and that too was great.

We also got to sample some local beer. Apparently, they have a very good and very local dark beer on the menu, which I uncharacteristically avoided. It was just too hot to not get something lighter. So, I chose the Montejo, and it was perfect.

Though it was just a taste, it was nice to break out of the confines of the endless chips and guacamole we wholeheartedly took advantage of on the resort.

Do you try to eat local at home and away?

Tonight was perfect. Me, Mike, Lisa and our friend Anna had a little Mad Men premier party.

Lisa made the martinis. I had a Manhattan.

I put together this lovely spread – with Lisa’s help. They weren’t served on our stove top, but I took a picture on it because I felt like our retro-appliance matched the theme of the party.

Anna made homemade cupcakes with a homemade, cream cheese frosting. They were amazing.

I don’t want to spoil it for those who missed the episode, but I loved it.

So, what did you think?

…is that there is a carefreeness in the air, even when there’s nothing about your life that’s carefree.

Even when all you can think about is the fact that there just aren’t enough hours in the day, summer does you a favor and extends daytime.

And while those hours aren’t lengthened, they are definitely a little brighter.

what’s yours?

In Mexico our tour of Chichen Itza was followed by lunch and then yet another Cenote. I can’t pinpoint exactly where we were, but somewhere between ancient history and modern resorts, we found ourselves admiring nature.

There were ninety-something steps to get to the bottom, where tourists could take a swim. I forget exactly how deep the water is, but I remember becoming frightened when I was told the measurement – so yeah, it was deep.

This video is of very poor quality, but it kind of shows you what it was like.

It was beautiful.

And despite everyone’s voices echoing from the bottom up, this place was also very peaceful. I loved watching the birds flying through the vines.

I have flown, I have swam, I have climbed, I have snorkeled and I have even ziplined, but one thing I never thought I’d do in my life is dive into a cave – let alone snorkel in one. While in Mexico, post-wedding, most of the guests went on an excursion that the adventurous and proactive groom coordinated for us in advance with Hidden Worlds.

After watching a video that gave us an overview of our day and some safety tips, and then signing our lives away, we all crammed into the back of a truck, hung on for dear life and bounced our way to our first destination. We began our adventure near Tulum, exploring the depths of our first Cenote, a place we became very familiar with by the end of our trip.

Now I have a bit of a confession. As adventurous as I try to be, and for those of you who know me in real life – as tough as I portray myself to be – in situations like this, I am really a coward. The good thing is I put myself in situations where I am forced to get passed it and grow (remember when I ziplined!?), but that process isn’t always pretty – in fact, it’s normally pretty embarrassing.

So, you can imagine my fear when we approached our first stop: a place where snorkel goggles and life jackets hung from the trees next to a tiny opening on the side of a hill, with a steep ladder.

One by one we slowly climbed to the bottom and when I finally pried my hands off the ladder, stood on the ground and looked around, my fear melted away.

The cave was gorgeous.

Our next step was to jump into the cold, fresh water and float among the stalagmites and stalactites shooting out of the walls of the cave.

The only way I can describe the water is crisp. It was cold, but it wasn’t unbearable, in fact it was refreshing. It was also calm, aside from the few ripples caused by my frantic arms slicing through the surface. And it was clear. I didn’t even need to go under to see the fish dodging my legs.

But, when I did go under, it was beautiful.

Picture what you see in these photos, except under water.

Now, picture random openings in the cave walls letting in sunlight, and that light bending and reflecting against the rocks, shining a spotlight on the unending openings below.

When I looked down I saw the edges of cliffs. I was just a tiny speck floating above.

And when I looked up, I was in a small cave again – in a whole other world.

I really wished I had an underwater camera at that moment, but at the same time, nothing would have really captured being there.

When everyone was out of the water, we piled back into the truck and moved on to our next adventure – ziplining.

Strangely enough, I think I was the only person that had ever ziplined before, so I was one of the first to go – which I was happy about. It was fun being with such a large group and I was glad to have everyone behind me as they mocked supported me before I flew.

Also, since I was one of the first, I was able to get a picture of almost everyone as they flew through the air – even the bride…

That was nothing though. Once we were all safe, we headed to the next two tracks, which were a little unconventional. Instead of soaring through the air to the safety of a platform with a nice man to help you down, we plummeted through the walls of a cave into the chilling waters of another Cenote – yes, in this horrifying instance, I call the waters chilling.

I was so scared, horrified even. I’m not a strong swimmer and you have never, and will never, see me slipping through the slides of a water park – that just isn’t my kind of fun. But in an effort to make myself just a little braver, I held my breath, hung on tight and let go.

By the time I got to the water, my head never even went under. The entire ride was pretty much one long pull up for me, but despite my inability to really let go, I loved it – it was exhilarating.

The third ride was actually just like a roller coaster. It was called Avatar (I don’t know why). The bars that hold you up are more sturdy because they take you through the forest, and they dip so quickly that as you fall your stomach flips. Just before entering the cave you are swung into a black tarp, like a tunnel, and when you came out on the other side, you are flung and pulled around, just missing the wall of the cave, and then dunked back into the water.

When asked if I wanted to go again, I politely declined. My bravery can only go so far. But, I don’t regret one bit – and that’s all that matters.

There are few times in life when you approach something so amazing that it literally takes your breath away. I mean the kind of things you’ve seen online and in books and even on TV, but that you never imagined you’d see up close. Lisa and I dedicated our last day in Mexico to such an encounter.

There are countless reasons why El Castillo, the Pyramid of Kulkulkan at Chichen Itza in the Yucatan Peninsula, is an amazing structure. For one thing, it represents the Mayan calendar. I can’t recall all of the intricacies, but our tour guide explained that the number of steps, sides, blocks at each level and more, are deliberate and represent a particular time or element of the calendar.

Also, when you clap while standing right next to the pyramid, it emits a unique echo, or a chirp. Our guide explained that the chirp resembles the sound that a Quetzal makes, which is an endangered bird that is sacred to the ancient Maya and Aztec civilizations.

The pyramid is also perfectly positioned so that when the sun rises and sets on the Spring and Autumn equinox, a shadow zig zags from the top  to bottom, showcasing the serpent’s head at the base.

For those reasons and many more I’m sure, Chichen Itza’s El Castillo was named one of the Seven Wonders of the World in 2007. And since then tourism has grown a lot. Tourists used to be able to climb the steps of El Castillo, but it is now prohibited. Looking up from that view, I was perfectly fine with keeping my feet on the ground.

We also had the opportunity to walk through The Great Ball Court, which is where the Mayans played athletic games. It was hard to imagine how they played just by standing in the court, but we were taught that part of the game included hurling a ball through a large ring that hovers over the court.

The way that sound waves travel through the court is unique in here too. Apparently, you can hear a whisper from one end of the court to the other. Also, when our tour guide clapped, this time there was no echo – the sound waves aren’t impacted by the wind. We also learned that once the game was over, either the winner or the loser was sacrificed by beheading. From what I’ve read, I think most assume the winner was sacrificed, which was considered to be a great honor. However, our tour guide stated that though that is assumed, it is not proven.

Speaking of sacrifice, not far from the ball court is a natural sinkhole called Cenote Sagrado, also known as the Well of Sacrifice. The landscape naturally opens up to the oval shaped pool of water below.

Right next to the pyramid was The Temple of the Warriors. Eerily enough, we got a close up right as the sky turned dark before it started to rain. The altar below was for human sacrifices.

We booked our excursion through Olympus Tours and we thought they were fantastic. On the way down we got a thorough overview of Mayan history, anecdotes of the surrounding areas and more. The tour also included breakfast on the bus, all the Corona you could ever want, lunch at a nearby restaurant and a dip in another Cenote. I’ll get to all that, but for now, I just wanted to relish in the magnificence that is Chichen Itza.

When I lived in the suburbs, deep within the safety and security of the family friendly, Metrowest area of Massachusetts, I rarely ran at night.

You see, when I ran in the suburbs, there was a quietness that was peaceful, but over time turned worrisome. When  in the dark, I’d start to hear my own footsteps, every single one, one at a time, even over the music in my iPod. I’d  hear everything actually, even though everything was just a symphony of crickets or a bubbling brook.

And I didn’t see much. Sometimes I’d see shadows, and more often than not they were from a tree branch swaying in the breeze or a rare car driving by no faster than 35 MPH.

It was scary out there.

I live in the city now and I find myself opting to run at night more and more. One would think that in the city, running at night is more dangerous, but I don’t think it is.

When I run at night, it isn’t dark out. Street lights pour over my path, and that path is almost always filled with pedestrians walking from the train or bus, no matter what time of night I am running. The sound of cars zooming by and the chatter from within the restaurants I pass sit behind the music on my iPod. When I run at night in the city, I’m not alone.

And it’s not scary at all.

A little over a week ago two gals hopped on a plane from Logan airport and made their way to Paradise…

Finally, it was time for Beth and Bobby’s wedding.

Lisa and I had the pleasure of sharing an apartment with Beth our senior year of college. It was actually during that time when she met her  husband Bobby, who lived right across the hall. Having been there for that very first, important milestone, we couldn’t wait to be present for their most important one.

Since I’ve been home, when friends and family ask me how the whole trip was, the first words that come out of my mouth every single time are: the wedding was stunning.

And it was.

The wedding took place at Barcelo Maya Beach in the Riviera Maya. While Beth had the luxury of beautiful scenery, the thoughtful details are what made the day so gorgeous.

One detail that I still can’t get over was their programs. The Chapel was so pretty, but let’s face it, we were in Mexico and it was hot. So, they created programs that they attached to a fan for every guest. Brilliant.

Once the ceremony was over we made our way to the beach for some fun, blue cocktails that matched their entire decor and also enjoyed some delicious food. Like I said, the entire scene was stunning. At times, I felt like I was crashing a high-end, celebrity photo shoot rather than attending a wedding.

As the night went on and the sun went down, the dance floor lit up, and various shades of blue made the entire beach glow. One of the most surprising parts of the night was when a wedding coordinator, one who was very serious and all business throughout the day, came onto the dance floor with a chair and a bottle of top shelf tequila.

What was he doing with a chair, a bottle of tequila and no shot glass, you ask?

Well, one by one members of the wedding party, and then guests, were instructed to take a seat, lean back and open wide for pretty generous pour. I was scared at first, but I think because the brand was so good, it went down much smoother than I anticipated.

We spent the rest of the night dancing in the blue light next to the beautiful blue ocean and caught up with old college friends. The night was amazing and it flew by.

As for the rest of our trip, it was packed with a lot of adventures -  we even left the resort.  The next day we zip lined and snorkeled in a cave. And on our last day, Lisa and I made the trek to Chichen Itza.

But since my blog has obnoxiously become only about weddings lately, why stop now? And also, because I’m so tired, more on that later…