Did you ever study abroad? Or did you ever spend some time during your formative years in a place far from home? I did. I studied abroad in Paris during my last year of college. And this summer I went back and retraced my old steps. The experience was like going back in time.…
During college, I was awakened to the life-changing benefits of travel. It started with a trip to Italy, the summer before my freshman year. And then you couldn’t stop me. It seemed I was always finding a way to convince my parents that my next trip was vital. Travel had become central to my life. But it wasn’t until after college, when I had an encounter with an old friend, that I could really pinpoint why it was so important to me. I remember, my Mom was having a party, and I was sitting around with a group of dear, old friends. I had been on a trip earlier that year. And I was telling them all about it. At…
I’m kind of a mutt when it comes to my genealogy. My mom is a blonde-haired, green-eyed babe whose parents are of Northern European descent. Past that, I don’t know many specifics about her side. But my dad is half Lebanese and half Sicilian. And it is my dad’s side of the family who are particularly prideful about our origins. My grandfather would often say, “Never forget your roots.†He, himself, was born in Deerfield, Michigan. But his parents were from the northern hills of Lebanon. And he wanted to make sure none of us forgot that. And although I grew up in Los Angeles, far from the Middle East, I don’t speak Arabic and I don’t have many close…
Yesterday, the blog, Positively Positive posted this quote by Joseph Campbell to their Facebook page. I love the quote because it is freeing and rings so true. Immediately after reading Mr. Campbell’s words, I thought about how to apply this to my everyday life – my work life and my romantic life. And then it hit me. This is a perfect piece of advice for traveling. I’ll just change the words around a little:…
Here’s video #2 from my series, Local Knowledge: Paris. The series gives a surprising inside look into Parisian life from dating and making friends to shopping and getting around. This episode reveals what goes on behind French doors at breakfast time. What torture! I want to be back there right now huddling around that table. What is your favorite French breakfast baked good? Next, I meet up with a Parisian to talk about making French friends.…
Our friendships are a very important component to our lives that is all too often pushed down our priority list. Maybe it is because we are overwhelmed at work, plunge into romantic relationships, have children or move away. Whatever the reason, many of us have a nagging feeling that we would like to reconnect with our friends. And the question is, what do we do when a comment on Facebook – or even a lunch date or a drink – just doesn’t feel like enough? That’s right. It’s time for a girlfriend getaway or “man-cation†or whatever term suits the gender of you and your friends.…
