My parents used to drag me and my brother all over Europe since we were very little (thank you, mom and dad, for making us decently well-rounded individuals!). I still remember, rather vividly, our tiny green Fiat Uno that took us through 12 countries in one go. But all that travel taught me little on how to manage my travel stress. After all, I had very little say in where we went and what to pack.
Posts filed under Travel Diaries
Houston Favorites | Buffalo Bayou Park
Chewie's favorite outdoor locales typically include any grassy surface that has plenty of fire hydrants and possible dog run-ins. But when you combine his passion for the dog life and my love for pretty hikes, you get what I would call, Chewie's Houston favorites playlist (aka Houston's finest green spaces).
Reasons to Love Houston: The Art Car Parade
What do flying zebras, roller-blading vikings, and the mayer of Houston have in common?
I had driven by the Art Car Museum, I had heard of the Art Car Parade, I had even seen some of the cars that participate in it on Houston's streets. But that did not prepare me for what I witnessed yesterday on Houston's Allen Parkway!
Travel Diaries | Manatees!!
1,000 lbs of Adorableness
I find manatees fascinating! Not too long ago, I came across this article about swimming with manatees in Mexico (which is still on top of my list of things to do!) And until I get to do that, I am perfectly happy with watching them play (and they are surprisingly playful!) from afar. The day we went to Blue Springs State Park, there were 341 manatees in the water! By far, the most manatees I have ever seen at once.
Fun fact about filming manatees? As cool as slow-motion video may sound (thank you, Apple for that), it is completely unnecessary in this case. Playing in the water for these guys happens in a rather natural slow motion. I smartly and rather not-so-quickly realized that by filming these guys in what resulted in some veeeeeeeeeeeeeeery sloooooooow motion. Maybe I will share that masterpiece someday... who knows!
Since I was only able to take pictures from above, here is an image of what manatees look like in full frontal (I snapped this guy back in March when I was at the Dallas Aquarium).
The best part? I got to experience the park with my 13-month old nephew who was more than happy to not pay ANY attention to the manatees but rather find all and any small objects along the walking trail far more fascinating!
Life is so good! Happy almost-Holidays everyone!
Travel Diaries | A Long Overdue Return to the Steel City
To be Precise, Six Years Overdue...
I often think fondly of my college years. I went to a small private school not very far North of Pittsburgh and the years I spent there were mostly marked by late nights, learning how to drink coffee and like it, tons of good quality education and rarely visiting the great city of Pittsburgh.
For that reason, Pittsburgh always had a certain enigma to it - I knew enough to admire and like it but not enough to ever feel comfortable in it.
And I was ecstatic to find out I had to make a business trip there (despite the 30-degree weather and general lack of sunshine). What I was most looking forward to was experiencing the city through a new perspective, one informed by the varied travels I have undertaken since I graduated and left Pennsylvania.
The city did not disappoint. In fact, my previous experiences made me appreciate its raw industrialism, layers of architectural history and friendly mannerisms of its people even more. So one could easily say that the rain gear, cold weather and grey skies did not affect my smile a bit. If anything, they added even further to the unexpected warm feeling of coming home.
Travel Diaries | A Close Encounter of the Best Kind
Dolphins are charmingly naughty.
My mom always mused over the fact that dolphins have the natural predisposition to look like they are smiling and happy all the time (sometimes I wish I had the same talent!). I am so thankful to have met one in person in the paradise-perfect turquoise waters of Roatan. So let me tell you this...
Do not be fooled. As it turns out, they can be quite naughty (or as their trainers would lovingly say, playful). They tend to chase each other in between very (very) tight spaces (ahem, people) and are rather choosy as to when they listen to their trainers (ahem, when there is food reward involved). And with their impressively large bodies of 6-9 feet long, incredible intelligence and impeccable maneuverability in water, one is left in complete awe and with a pinch of fear for their lives.
On the other hand, touching a dolphin is a remarkable sensation that I cannot compare to any other. As humans, we shed our skin in its entirety over the period of about 7 years... dolphins go through this process in a mere 2 hours! Which leaves them with the softest and most velvety skin one could imagine.
And above you can see me crossing off one more thing from my bucket list.. Only 235,632,599 left!!
Travel Diaries | Roatan, Honduras
Honduras is beautiful.
Everything you would expect from the Caribbean: lovely sandy beaches, gorgeous sunsets, kind and genuine people. For the short four days spent there, I was able to enjoy zip-lining (the forward, backward and upside-down varieties), snorkeling (with some amazingly colorful fish whose names I will probably never learn), dolphin encounters (with two rather naughty dolphin sisters), and hiking (on the steep hills of Roatan where you get the calf workout of the stars). But this trip meant so much more.
I have always been a great follower. The baby in the family. The adaptable survivor who is able to blend right in with the circumstances, the country, the relationship. Almost chameleon-like. But with old(er) age, a few grey hairs and some smiling lines, something far more valuable came along - the acquired confidence to start carving my own path without the comfort of following in someone else's footsteps.
Honduras was a symbolic trip for me. I had dreamed of visiting the Caribbean most of my life. And I somehow always imagined someone would take me there while I comfortably followed. But a little while ago I had an epiphany - I can be my own path-carver and make my own dreams come true (as Incubus put it so nicely, I was ready to take the wheel and drive...). And that I did (while also dragging my oh-too-willing significant other with me :). And this newly found freedom is far more empowering/intoxicating than I ever imagined! Wonder where it will take me next?
Happy almost Friday, everyone!
A few months back, a co-worker of mine convinced me to join my company's Spartan Race team. He didn't talk it up much: he mentioned it's a long-ish run with a few fun obstacles. You know, no big deal. Something someone who runs as much as me should complete more than easily (read, you don't really need to train for it). Ha ha ha.