transient travels

For a while I never had a huge interest in going to Hawaii because I’m not much of a beach person. I love the ocean, but the thought the of lying on a beach doing nothing for large amounts of time makes me anxious. My former idea of Hawaii is totally skewed I know, there is so much more to do in Hawaii than lie on a beach, but what actually peaked my interest in adding it to my wish list was hearing about my friend Lisa’s recent trip.

As I’ve done before, I wanted to take the liberty of blogging vicariously through my friend, and through some amazing photos, highlight her recent trip to Hawaii…

[All photos courtesy of my friend Lisa]

I’ve had a rough week, though it’s still only the beginning, but the wost is behind me. I’m sorry I can’t give my blog the attention I usually do this week, but I hope you enjoy this quick highlight, I think these photos are beautiful.

Do you wish you were there right now too?

For a while there my friends and I were doing Tuesday night dinners. We’d meet at someone’s house, cook dinner and chat - no TV, no background music, just ourselves. Crazy schedules have pushed us off track, but last Tuesday we got back into our groove, at least for a bit. We even ramped it up by going out to eat.

GinGa in Brookline is a place that my friends, the sushi lovers that they are, frequent on a regular basis. Last Tuesday, I had the pleasure of eating there for the first time.

Our waitress recognized us (most of us) immediately and we were offered an appetizer on the house as we mulled over the menu. I can’t remember what it is called, which I feel really bad about, but I can say that it looked and tasted delicious.

For dinner we all chose the Makimono Combo, which included a salad, miso soup and two rolls. I was most surprised with the miso soup because I usually don’t like it - especially considering my love/hate relationship with tofu - but at GinGa, I couldn’t get enough.

After we finished our rolls, we were offered a serving of mochi, which is a Japanese rice cake, on the house. The mochi encased a perfect amount of refreshing green tea flavored ice cream. I was hesitant at first, but I devoured my serving in seconds.

The food was great, but the real reason why I wish I lived next door to GinGa so I could go all the time, was the service. I dropped a chop stick on the floor and another one was being handed to me before I could even look down to grab it. And the way they show appreciation to loyal customers is something from which every single business owner can learn.

Our green tea was filled constantly, well after we finished our meals, and there was no pressure for us to leave- so we were able to reignite our regular Tuesday dinners, as if they had never been interrupted.

The second that Mike finishes his architecture exam tomorrow, which is one of many, we are making some travel plans. I can’t wait.

This post is a part of 20SB’s Looking Back Blog Carnival, and Ben & Jerry’s is awarding free ice cream to lucky bloggers and readers! This month’s theme is “Looking Back” and we are to post something from when we first started blogging.

It’s always strange to go back and read things you have written in the past, in some cases I smile at the actual memory but in most cases, I cringe. This time was no different. I did however, manage to find a post that somewhat meets the requirements of this carnival, which is to find a post that shows your mentality and outlook from the onset of your blog.

So, here goes nothing…

______________________________________________________

March 16th, 2008

just one ticket, please

Last week I went to the movies alone on a Saturday night. Almost all of my friends had seen Juno and I decided it was time to stop putting it off. While waiting in line for the automated ticket machine, I was cut in line by a couple of giggling mothers with coach bags. I don’t think they meant to cut me. At 5′0, I either wasn’t in their line of sight or the fact that I was alone made it seem like I was waiting for someone and not a ticket. The situation made me so insecure that I put my debit card into the machine backwards. When I assumed it was rejected, I fumbled for my credit card and added to a balance I swore I wouldn’t touch for some time.

I entered the theatre with confidence though, and I planted myself in a semi-empty row - the last one. For a few minutes I thought I would get through the previews without a strange look, but then an entire group approached me and asked if someone was sitting in the seat next to mine. I said “no, I can just move over here” and as the group quickly filled every seat except the handicapped one, my insecurity held me back from trying to find a single seat toward the front. So I illegally sat and hoped security wouldn’t notice.

They didn’t and the movie was great. When it was over I peeled out of my seat and walked swiftly out the door so that the people next to me wouldn’t catch my face in the light. As I walked through the parking lot to my car I felt invigorated. I can’t say that I am proud that something as simple as going to the movies alone would become such a fiasco, but I am glad I did it.

I have always thought that traveling somewhere alone would be cool. Last summer I even contemplated taking a weekend at a bed & breakfast in Maine to clear my head, but my life became too busy and it turned into more of an afterthought than a reality.

It has recently come to my attention that traveling solo is a bit of a trend. According to a recent article in USA Today, the “surge in people traveling without partners has companies making accommodations for them in a number of ways.” I have yet to travel solo, and though my trip to the movies began boldy, but then transformed into an awkward experience, I think it was good practice.

I didn’t realize there were so many resources for solo travelers and I think it is such a cool concept. In addition to the great sites to which I have been recently introduced, I looked into some other resources:

Wanderlust and Lipstick

Boldy Go Solo

Connecting: Solo Travel News

Women’s Travel Tips

Solo Travel

Hopefully a future post will track one of my own solo travels.

I’ve been perusing Etsy the last few days because I am trying to convince my friend Bryce, the solo traveler, girlfriend getaway sidekick and talented designer, to get her own shop and I need to make a good case. Look, she’s already got a great start with this travel shoe bag…

[Taken by Bryce and sent via text]

I have also been getting lost on Etsy, as one can often do, looking into vintage items because I love things that have a story and a history behind them.

Searching for something antique, I stumbled upon tippleandsnack’s shop and found this globe which is from post WWII around the late 40’s early 50’s. My grandparents had a globe in their house that I always spun and inspected every time I visited when I was younger. It was old and delicate and beautiful and every time I see a globe like that one, I get nostalgic.

[From Tipple & Snack on Etsy.com]

This Traveling Wine Wrap from Nancy M. Designs is right up my alley too. I just can’t get over how cute and creative it is. You are meant to bring your wine to the host/hostess of a party or get together in this beautiful wrap and each recipient writes his/her name and city on the front before passing it along to the host/hostess at their next event.

[From Nancy M. Designs Etsy Shop]

Getting excited for the next season of Mad Men - as if you couldn’t tell with my recent Joan-style dress from last weekend, a look that I will pull off nicely with my red hair - vintage items from the early 60s have been catching my eye. This “Lady Baltimore Weekender” suitcase from Where Did You Get That is just plain classy. And, I’ve been needing a simple carry on since the suitcase that I own is part of a set that was split up between my family members- I got the big one when I went off to study in Ireland.

[From WhereDidYouGetThat.Etsy.com]

As I continue to gather up proof points to convince my friend to fulfill her creative side, do you have any advice or favorite shops I could send her way whilst I indulge my new addiction?

The Massachusetts Office of Travel & Tourism has been quite effectively getting the word out about Worldfest 2009. After hearing an ad twice in a row on two different radio stations one morning on the way to work, I decided it was time to see what all the buzz was about. Basically, they are promoting a series of ethnic and cultural festivals that will be happening across the state, all summer long.

As I clicked through the many tourist attractions in and around Boston I realized something. In all my travels, there are many basic Boston must sees for tourists that I have never encountered. When friends from out of town visit and ask for advice on what to see, oftentimes I will throw in a couple of generic locations and not be able to offer my first hand experience.

Do you have any mainstream tourist attractions in your city that you have never visited simply because you feel you will always have the chance?

For me, I grew up in Boston and I’ve never…

[From Associated Content: Travel]

…walked the Freedom Trail in its entirety

been on a Boston Duck Tour

had a drink in Cheers.

I also lived in Philadelphia for four years and…

[From OurKidsNews.com]

…the best view I ever got of the Liberty Bell was from the passenger seat of a car

I never saw the Constitution Center

or Independence Hall

To find out how I can become a better local traveler, I have been analyzing my Google calendar to see what I can fit into my upcoming summer weekends. It’s kind of sad to see the full picture - all your weekends fill up with commitments - and summer seem so much shorter than it is. Shortly after this thought crossed my mind, I was contacted by the folks at HomeAway.com about their Save Our Summer Vacation campaign, in which they are petitioning the US Congress to proclaim August 7 as a “National Vacation Day.” They feel that American families deserve a summer vacation, no matter the current state of the economy. They are also holding a contest and giving away a $10,000 dream getaway vacation. You can learn more and enter here.

Who would argue with that?

Thanks to Peter Shankman’s Help a Reporter Out, more commonly known as HARO, I was recently able to help myself out and get in front of a reporter writing a story on girlfriend getaways. In what I thought would be a quick explanation of the weekend trips I have taken with my girlfriends, the conversation quickly turned into a two-part interview on my experience and my “expertise” on weekend getaways - all I could think was, do they really want me to answer these questions???

But then I was asked a question that gave me some confidence: oftentimes people/families say ‘…we should do this,’ or ‘we’ll have to do this again’ but never do. How do you avoid being one of those people and actually start a tradition?

That, I could answer undoubtedly.

Almost two years ago my friend Caitlin had an idea that our group of friends should make it a point to take weekend trips to a new city on a regular basis. These trips have become a tradition and they were the catalyst for this here blog. They not only give us to opportunity to catch up and see each other, they allow us to travel - which is important to a group of girls who were bitten by the travel bug.

Getting back to the question - we are able to maintain the tradition because we all hold each other accountable. It is easy to get caught up in our busy lives and push it off, but for everyone, it always comes to a breaking point. Everyone needs to stop the train and get away. Even when you don’t have the vacation time, weekend getaways can be taken around all of our very different work schedules.

We also avoid making a strict agenda. If we were to commit to a trip a season for example, not being able to pull it all together within such constraints could seem daunting and eventually cause us to fall off track. Our more laid back approach - get the trip on the calendar when the mood strikes one of us - makes it easier to stick to it.

I didn’t invent the girlfriend getaway, but I can say that my friends and I have come into our own when it comes to thinking up new ideas, new cities and most of all, keeping up the tradition. We have picked up a few tricks along the way.

So without further ado, here are some bits of getaway wisdom…

1. Don’t plan too much ahead of time. If you are only traveling for a weekend, pretending you will be able to see every tourist attraction will add unnecessary stress to the trip. 
2. Pack plenty of snacks for the road- granola bars, water and goldfish are our favorites.
3. Bring sunblock depending on the time of year. I have found that I can be lackadaisical on such basics because it is only a weekend trip – but the sun is still out!
4. When deciding on a hotel, the ones on the outskirts of the city tend to be cheaper. However, do the math ahead of time because having to get a cot in a smaller hotel room nearby can save time and money on cab fare later. It might be the better option.
5. There’s nothing wrong with stretching the truth regarding how many people will be staying in one hotel room.
6. Make sandwiches for the road so you don’t have to spend money at expensive rest stops on your way.
7. Once you arrive, walk as much as you can. This saves money on transportation and it also gives you a chance to stumble upon places you wouldn’t have otherwise visited, which in many cases can be the most memorable parts.
8. If bringing a bottle of wine, buy one with a screw top or bring an opener- they don’t tend to have those in hotel rooms.
9. Do a quick run through of the city’s local newspaper before the weekend. You never know what events there might be.
10. Remember that even though it is the weekend, you are on a vacation, so get in that mindset to make the most of it.

So, do you have any advice to add to the list?

I made a great friend at my first job after college, Amy. Our contrasting personalities meshed in the best way instead of clashed, we took fun lunches, enjoyed wine on workdays and even partook in sophisticated tastings.

We effortlessly broke out of the awkward binds of the traditional work-friendship and we even started doing double dates! The last time Mike and I saw Amy and her now husband was at their wedding, which was in York, Maine.

Since then they moved up there and it has been difficult coordinating our schedules to get together. Two weekends ago, we finally did.

That Saturday we made reservations at a local Italian restaurant, packed up a cooler with cheese and crackers, a bottle of sauvignon blanc and a bottle of zinfandel, made it down to the beach and sat in front of the ocean until it was time for dinner.

Just as the sun started to set, we walked across the street to Mimmo’s.

Mimmo’s is one of those local joints that remind you of your grandmother’s house inside.

It is small and intimate and upon entering you will find Mimmo himself, weaving through the tables, checking in on the regulars and introducing himself to the newbies - he walks around like a celebrity.

If you look closely you will find that Mimmo places pictures of himself with his friends throughout the restaurant - which adds to the homey feel.

Mimmo’s was my very first real BYOB restaurant experience. I think the first thing our waitress asked us was if we brought our own wine and then when she saw us pull it out of a cooler, she ran and grabbed us an opener.

We enjoyed mussels and pasta, our own selection of wine, and best of all we had a perfect view of the ocean. And, even though Mimmo’s was BYOB, in true Italian style, they offer a sambuca after your meal.

After dinner I managed to grab Mimmo for a photo opp as he quickly passed by our table, one of the many times.

Too bad I couldn’t get Mimmo to sign it.

Right now I own two pairs of heels that have lost the bottom part of the actual heel and a few pairs of pants whose bottom seams have unraveled and need to be hemmed. And, my favorite pair of jeans are on the brink of unwearable. This weekend, as I gathered all of the clothing that needs to be taken to a tailor, it hit me that I could stand a little spree.

I am going to go ahead and say that the Wrentham Outlets in Wrentham, Ma are a destination for many New Englanders, at least those in search of revamping their wardrobes at a discount - like me. Since I was in high school, I have viewed the outlets as a place flocked to by people all over Massachusetts and Rhode Island. While the outlets are a hike for many, the amount of stores and the amount of discounts make it worth a whole day trip.

This Sunday I had a productive day. Among other things, I walked away with an adorable dress from Banana Republic.

And a cute necklace from Ann Taylor that was under 5 dollars.

That wasn’t the only place where I scored some fashionable new items this weekend. At the Boston BlogHer meetup on Saturday afternoon, which was hosted by Susan Getgood (who now has a travel blog!), I not only met some amazing and inspiring bloggers in person, I actually won a raffle! For the prize, I grabbed a gift that was brought by Megan of a girl must shop! It is an adorable necklace from Sentimental Silver.

At the meetup, I was also graced by the presence of so many other fabulous bloggers like Catnip and Coffee, Fairly Odd Mother, Momisodes, The Good Girl Gone Blog, The Coupon Goddes, Daddy Scratches, Meal Makeover Moms, Julia Does Boston, Fond of Snape, The rest of my life so far…, and the list goes on.

And here I am starting off the week, equipped with a newer wardrobe and best of all, new BlogHer buddies!