morning pages

Before moving to London last year I was all sorts of crazy. Not crazy crazy but there was A LOT going on between leaving my job, packing, and saying goodbyes. I didn't know what I was going to do professionaly but I knew that I wanted to put my creativity to use outside of a nine to five job. Looking for some inspiration and direction I borrowed a copy of The Artist's Way from a friend and began my own little quest for living a more creative life. I didn't get to finish the book before moving but I did take one major thing from it: morning pages. Morning pages is the exercise of taking time every morning to put pen to paper for three entire pages. You can write more but you cannot write any less. It's your brain drain space to write whatever is on your mind be it dreams from the night before, the day's to-do lists, life goals, worries, troubles, anything! And if you're drawing a blank and have nothing to write, well then you literally write "I have nothing to write" and after a few sentences of that your mind will wander onto something else and voila - you'll have something to write.

I've been amazed at how natural and motivating the exercise can feel. Even when I wake up on the wrong side of the bed and feel like it's going to be one of those days, all I have to do is write exactly that and respond to myself "snap out of it Ana Maria! " and you know what, I totally do. Creatively I start to draft "aha" moments without even realizing it. It's the best type of brainstorming because you give yourself permission to just sit and write whatever you want without any other motive. Kind of like those shower moments - just you and your thoughts, sans the soap.

Writing my morning pages is what led to opening The Pond Market, deciding to pursue graphic design and photography as freelance careers, and they have genuinely helped me adjust to two new homes. It's healthy to get things out, get them sorted, and for me, writing is the easiest way of doing that. No one but me sees the contents inside and I look forward to my one-on-one time in the mornings. If I skip a morning or two I definitely miss them but I know that they're there for me when I'm ready. It's a grown up version of "Dear Diary" but whereas before I was gossiping about my 4th grade crush Francis (he had the coolest hair) I am now sharing my thoughts in order to live my best life every day, in every little way that I can. Living with intention and action - that's the goal and morning pages are my way of making it happen. I'm completely in love with my latest notebook titled  "Lucky Notes". I bought it at a local stationary shop and it's too too perfect for the purpose. Have any of you read The Artist's Way or practice something similar to get your thoughts sorted?

today

I may not be there to celebrate with delicious BBQ, booze, and fireworks but you can bet that I'm thinking of the good ol' U S of A today. Distance has truly made the heart grow fonder and now more than ever am I thankful for that beautiful piece of land. America - you are rad. Happy 4th of July to all of you in the States and to my fellow expats scattered all over the world!

a PURSonal attempt

When we first got here there were three constant things that people would tell me:

1)  eat street hawker food - check 2)  go to the malls - quadruple check 3)  beware of purse snatchers - unfortunately, check

As of last week I can check off being a victim of a purse snatching attempt. I was walking home from the metro station, on the same two minute route that I always take, and on a very public and busy street, when two men on a speeding motorbike approached me. That's how they do it here, one guy drives while the other sits in the back and sees what he can get away with. It's a major problem here and whereas before it was common at night, it is now far too common to occur during broad daylight.

I've seen bikes on sidewalks before so I simply I thought that they were making a u-turn from the adjacent one-way street and I took steps to the side to get out of the way. But, within seconds, I felt and saw the guy sitting on the back pull my hand-purse, let go, and then speed away. I didn't realize what had happened until they were gone. I was in shock. Never in my life have I experienced a violation like that. Thankfully there were two women behind me who witnessed it and had it not been for their post-attempt company I don't think that I would have kept my calm the way I did. What was most troubling was how casual the encounter had been: the guy went for it but when he realized that I wasn't holding my bag loosely enough to snatch it easily, they continued on ... perhaps to the next victim. No big deal, just another afternoon and another drive-by.

Once at home I quickly locked the door behind me and started to process what had just happened. My mind started racing with questions like "how will I ever feel safe walking to the grocery store/metro/anything again?", "what if they had taken my bag, all of my things are in there!" or "why are we even living in a place where this sort of thing happens???"...

After a while I pulled myself together, thanking my lucky stars that it hadn't been worse. I've heard awful stories of women being dragged on the ground or getting their arm slit with a knife. I was unharmed and still had my possessions. I was one of the lucky ones.

I didn't leave the apartment until the weekend with Joe's company but now I'm feeling better and all the more wiser. Unless I'm taking a taxi door-to-door I shouldn't carry any unnecessary things, always use a cross body bag, keep phone and cards in my pockets, and don't wear anything so bright that makes me a quick target from afar. All very simple things but I absolutely hate that I even have to think about them. I hate that I have to be on guard walking down the street, clinching my bag. And I hate that I have to be mentally and physically prepared to react should anything happen (again).

It's a shitty way to feel when you walk outside and unfortunately I can't see any obvious actions from the local government to prevent it. They post up signs to "be careful" but how about having some security on the streets so that it doesn't happen in the first place? I have yet to see ONE police officer since we've moved here. Coming from a place like London where even though it had its own problems with crime, there was at least the backup of CCTV everywhere and there was always a cop nearby. In LA, well...I never really worried about anything, even when I lived near Skid Row. There may have been a lot of crazy drug addicts but they were harmless to people outside of their circles. Here you have multiple problems with street crime focused on women: motorbike purse snatchings, parking lot assaults, and street junction thefts where men on motorbikes break car windows and steal purses from the passenger seats during a red light. I mean, really??? What's even more sad is that it's all so common that some people have an "it is what it is" reaction to it. Take this story for instance. A girl gets attacked (and cut up) at a mall parking lot and the management says it happens everywhere and that it's not serious. Excuse me??? It totally is serious! {Sigh} I should stop before I get really carried away as I think I've made my point.

The thing is, Malaysia is a beautiful country with beautiful people and things to offer but if it wants to be the tourist and industrial draw that it's trying to be then those in charge need to get these problems under control. Women need to feel safe. And personally, I need to hone a different set of street smarts and be brave. There's too much good here to let a few a-holes get to me.

fruit glorious fruit

We're back from a few days in Bangkok and while it's always nice to get away (for me at least, Joe was in business meetings), it stinks to come home to an empty fridge. I can't wait to go grocery shopping and make a pit stop at my new favorite fruit stand where they sell pre-cut pieces of almost everything in little baggies; papaya, watermelon, pineapple, dragon fruit, mango, and pomegranate seeds just to name a few. My selections usually run me about USD 4 and what I love most is that I save time by not having to cut them and I don't have to worry about rushing to consume them before they spoil. Now I'm really spoiled! When did I ever eat pomegranate seeds and watermelon like "yeah, whatever, no big deal"...? They were always either too expensive or too much of a hassle to buy whole. This is much better. Do you have a favorite fruit that you'd consume ridiculous amounts of if you could buy them more cheap and easy?

This snap is from our tasting at the Tropical Fruit farm in Penang. And yes, that is a little bug on the bottom left piece - welcome to the jungle.

{show & tell} collected

Okay so I did do one thing this weekend despite having a banged up foot: I finally organized my jewelry and by organize I mean I finally took the tape off of this hanging storage thing I keep it in. With every tape-rip and pull it was as if I was liberating each piece so that it could be enjoyed the way it was intend. I say this all the time but I really should wear my jewelry more often. I've been steadily growing my collection of wearable art for years finding them at flea markets, yard sales, charity shops, during travels, and even making them myself. Each one of them has a story or memory and feels extra special since it was found rather than picked off a shelf...it's how I like to shop and it's how I like to remember the places I have been.

Shortly after I took these photos I caught up with Sussie Bubble's fashion blog and then it hit me. The problem with having a collection of unique pieces (and plastering them all over my blog) is that I can end up sounding like the type of annoying world traveler she describes in a recent post:

"Oh this old thing?  I picked it up in a random market in Thailand when I went travelling around Asia" which vaguely translates to "You will never find this awesome thing I have on because I bought it in an obscure and far-flung place, which is my little secret..." 

After reading this I thought, oh geez, am I that type of person? I mean, I can recall a few sarcastic comments from friends back home whenever they'd ask about a piece and I'd say it was vintage but now add the new "world traveler" aspect of my life and it sounds even worse! What can I do though, it is what it is right? If I were re-modeling a house, going to school, training for a marathon, or making babies then I would be blogging about those things. These days I'm living as an expat who travels a lot and as Sussie puts it "the world is getting smaller". Collecting treasures from different places is bound to happen.

I think her post really hit home since I'm still in disbelief of where life has brought us (I'm sitting in a hotel room in Bangkok for crying out loud!). I don't ever want to take any of it for granted and I want to keep finding new treasures that excite and create conversation...even if it's at the risk of being labeled one of those types. Some things are too fun and beautiful to not share and at the end of the day, that's what this blog is all about - sharing the things I see, do, enjoy, and love, with you.  One day I'll have other things to blog about but for now, this is what's happening. Jewelry stash and all.

my not so mobile weekend

Hi everyone, how was your weekend? I didn't get around to taking any photos because well...I didn't really get around.

It was Saturday morning, or rather early noon, when we finally mustered up the will and energy to get out and run errands. Before getting ready to go, Joe started washing the dishes from breakfast but I said that the dishes could wait because we had a hot date (with the bank before it closed). I then proceeded to improvise a rap song called yes, "the dishes can wait, we have a hot date" - so clever am I. So there I am, putting on my makeup while making up rhymes when I hear Joe call out for help in a frantic tone. I stop what I'm doing and run out to the main room to see what is wrong. In a matter of one second, I see him moving the dining table and then I look up to see if there's a leak in the ceiling (mind you I'm still running in at this point). By the time my eyes and brain make it over to the water-filled kitchen sink and counter, it's too late. I slip, fall on my ass and slide right into the counter's corner feet first. POW - there goes my right foot. There's wasn't any time to register the pain as I realized that I was sitting in an inch of water flooding our entire kitchen and dining area! In our rush to get out of the apartment a certain someone forgot to turn the faucet off. My first thought was "glad it wasn't me!" but then I instantly regretted my new rap song...the dishes couldn't wait after all. With a water crisis on hand, we gathered every towel in our apartment, tossed them on the floor, brought out the mop, brought out the squeegee, and pushed the water out into the hallway. Thank god there's a drain right outside our front door! It's like, they expected this to happen.

After several towel drying cycles and re-soaking sessions later, we got the place back to normal and all was well. All except my foot. It was beat. My right foot's pinky got seriously smashed and I banged up my other toes, too. The bruising and inflammation got really bad so I spent the rest of the day reluctantly soaking it in ice water and popping advil. As painful as it still is, I'm just glad (and lucky) that I didn't break anything. Now I'm just hoping that I feel significantly better by tomorrow so that I don't have to limp around Bangkok while I'm there. I'm joining Joe on a quick business trip but I might have to scratch my plans of walking and wandering and hire a tuck-tuck for the day. I won't complain though, there are worse problems to have.

At least Joe now has physical proof that I'll always come running to his rescue. Even if that means that I run straight into the flames. And maybe next time I'll think twice before I free-flow ... I'm so good it's distracting ;)

(image: on my feet via Instagram; clockwise from top-left: TOMS, Rainbows, Coach, Clark's Originals)

colors, patterns, and textures - oh my!

It's all about the little details and Penang certainly had a few hidden gems. Most of these shots are from Chew Jetty, a colorful waterfront community, where I could have spent hours had we not made plans to meet with a friend for the evening. So much inspiration to take into the week and beyond.

If you're jonesin' for more colors, patterns, and textures be sure to visit this mega post from Marrakech, Morocco - I go back to it often!

the little things

I think my sister was onto something when she gave me this little jade color elephant last year. While it's not the real deal, I still like to believe that it holds the jade stone's spiritual virtues of wisdom, balance, and peace (yes, I'm totally into that stuff, don't judge). Ancient Asian beliefs and practices are completely fascinating to me and luckily I won't' be at a loss for places to explore them while living here. For example, yesterday I met with a friend of a friend for lunch and she took me to a semi-open air cafeteria behind a Buddhist temple. We ate surrounded by words of peace while listening to the chants of devotees inside. It was beautiful...and delicious. Can't wait to discover more gems like that.

it happens

I was in such a funk yesterday with domestic matters. I was tired with the lack of internet in our apartment and annoyed that our bed linens had to be ironed because the two-in-one washer/dryer does nothing but create accordion pleats (all you people with fluffy tumble dryers - appreciate them, please!). Very trivial stuff, I know, but when I'm in a new country, in a new home, and I'm spending most of the day alone - I need the internet...and soft sheets. I need the internet's familiarity, the connection to friends and family, the ability to work, and last but not least, the silly but oh so valuable social pick-me-ups that it gives me via twitter and instagram. I remember feeling this exact way in London during the first month so I'm not surprised that it's happening again. The hardest part of moving is getting the technical details sorted so that we can have a comfortable home base. At least this time I know from past experience that any frustrations are temporary, or you at least find ways to deal with them. Once we get connected at home I'm searching for a local fluff and fold delivery service - I'm not putting that much elbow grease into those sheets again. Nuh uh.

Update: our internet was installed this afternoon - HURRAHHH!!! I grinned like a total dork when my homepage loaded. Plus, I re-designed yesterday's words worth repeating - I really shouldn't design when I'm in a funk...much happier now.

home goods

Hi, how was your weekend? Ours was good but I'm happy that it's Monday and that all of the above arrived safe as promised. It was so nice to have the movers bring the boxes in and unpack everything for us - definitely unlike my past moves when it was me + family, a u-haul truck, and lots of sweat and back aches. Everything already looks good set against the furnishings that the landlord provided (storage consoles, tv, lamp, dining table)...can't wait to put it all in its place.

the suite life

Just a few things that are making our temp apartment feel like home. We wouldn't dream of leaving our friend Erl tucked away in a box and Joe couldn't be without his favorite whisky. Recognize the Moroccan slippers and the book cover? The router has been a life saver since the suite only has a single ethernet connection. We've learned how to make hotel stays a bit more comfortable.

Do you have any favorite things that instantly make a place feel like home?

goodbye london

This photo was taken during one of my first ventures out in London just a year ago. Everything was so new and unfamiliar then but now the city feels like an old friend - it's home. I used to think like this - that LA and California were the end-all-be-all. As much as I wanted to travel it never crossed my mind to actually live anywhere else. "LA has it all, why would I leave?" I'd always say. And between the different landscapes available within a thirty-minute to three hour drive (beaches, deserts, mountains, wine country) and the weather, it does have a lot. But a year away has taught me a lot, too. It is possible to fall in love with other cities the way you love your hometown. It is possible to stay connected with friends and family even though you're thousands of miles away. And it is possible to envision a life much different from what you always thought was certain. At the risk of causing an uproar with my friends and my sister (love you guys!) I no longer feel the definitive pull to ultimately settle down in LA. At first it was scary to think that I was letting go but then it got exciting to feel so open to whatever may come. My perception of settling down changes with every day that passes and with every expat that I meet or read about. Take this couple, for instance, who sold all of their possessions to travel the world for one year and are still at it four years later. I can totally relate to the initial pain of letting go of your favorite things and all that is familiar but once you're out, you're out, and you know what....it feels pretty damn good.

Tomorrow will be our last full day in London before a night in Paris for Joe's birthday and then moving out on Tuesday. I can't believe our time in this awesome town has come to an end, it was truly one incredible year. Now it's on to jungles, beaches, and eating so many noodles that they start coming out of our ears!

I'll be back on the blog in one week but in the meantime you can catch me on twitter and instagram. Have a great weekend, upcoming week and see ya next time from our new home in KL!

p.s. amazing how this photo stuck with me as inspiration for my blog header design. totally wasn't intentional!

meet palmy

This is Palmy, our beloved palm plant that we bought at three feet tall. It is well on it's way to reaching Joe's wish of ten feet but unfortunately we won't be here to see it fully mature. We always knew that we wouldn't but just talking about how big Palmy could be one day was comforting given our temporary state. I like to think of Palmy as a symbol of our time here as we nurtured a new life together and grew as individuals with each other's love and support. I also like to think that you can tell a lot about a man by the way he takes care of his plants. Lucky for me, plants under Joe's watch always thrive.

If you're in London and are interested in giving Palmy or this succulent a new home, email me and we can try to arrange a pick up before we hand in our keys on Tuesday. Please do consider it if you have a green thumb!

a taste of KL

KL seemed to be all about contrast - modern skyscrapers towering over old rain trees and state of the art shopping centers next door to traditional street hawker stands. With cold and gloomy skies lurking outside my London window right now, the image of a sparkly new pool couldn't be any more different. An entire new world awaits. A very hot and humid one in fact. Just as I had curated a great little collection of wool and cashmere sweaters it's time to trade them in for cotton tops and linen dresses. Definitely not complaining though because as a So Cal girl I'm happiest in sandals and denim shorts anyway.  It felt strange to show my shoulders and legs again after months of hibernation and I couldn't help but wonder if it was okay to do so. Malaysia is a predominately Muslim country but the difference is that everyone is free to practice and express as they wish. That means that a woman won't be (our shouldn't be) chastised for not following the hijab dress code. Nevertheless, I'm used to traveling to places where it's one or the other so I wasn't quite sure what to do when I turned a corner and realized that I was the only female in sight not covered from head to toe. Going to the mall reassured me that I was going to be fine - I could have been in LA with hundreds of fellow flip flop, tank top, wearing peers! It was definitely the place to be. Shopping centers are a BIG DEAL but I'm pretty sure it has more to do with the omg-this-feels-so-good air conditioning than anything else.

In the evening I found myself giddy with joy at the fact that we were sipping mojitos outside without a coat or scarf in sight. Other things that I loved and look forward to is the incredible hospitably and customer service, amazing food both in proper restaurants and street-side stalls, and the awesome afternoon shows that thunderstorms put on for the city. Not to mention that with the exchange rate everything is either dirt cheap or at least LA equivalent - much easier to stomach than London Town's high premiums. And of course, I'm  rreaaalllyyy looking forward to our new swanky pad in KLCC (city center)! I can't wait to settle in, decorate, and jump into that pool! It's so different from our charming, traditional flat in London - ultra modern, brand new building, gym facilities, and city views. Basically, I'll be pinching myself for the next two years. A few suburban neighborhoods were suggested to us but a) we don't want a car as is necessary to live there b) we don't need that much space and c) we like to live where we play. It seems like the "nobody walks" mentality is prevelant due to the heat but we're down with at least giving it a go. Only thing is that the sidewalks are either non-exitent or in terrible shape in some parts but we'll eventually learn the best routes for what we need.

One thing is for sure: with KL being so modern and western yet also deep rooted in ancient cultures and traditions, I really want to make an effort to explore the latter as much as possible. I can imagine it being far too easy to simply float along with the modern aspects of the city once we settle in. I don't want to be that kind of expat. Between the humidity and the pool, I will, however, turn into a three shower a day person. That much I can guarantee.

{here we go again} we're moving!

Yep, this is the big announcement I've been mentioning - just as we mark our one year anniversary in London we're packing up again and moving to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia! We might as well balance things out by doing the other side of the world right?!? Joe was offered a new opportunity with his company and we simply couldn't pass up the chance to live in and explore South East Asia. It sadly cuts our time in the UK short by a year but we've got to take things as they come and trust that we'll have just as much fun creating a new home there as we did here.

The move is going to happen very quick. I'm talking the first week of May quick - eekk! Between squeezing in trips to Brussels and Paris (we need to leave our mark), visiting KL to look for an apartment, wrapping up work projects, and all of the moving stuff to do in London, it's going to be a crazy couple of weeks. For that reason I won't be blogging next week but I will be prepping a big moving sale for the shop and will have bits to share from the trip to KL the following week.

There's so much to personally reflect on and anticipate but that will have to wait for a later post - I need to get through a very long to-do list first! If any of you live in or have traveled in that part of the world I'd love to hear about your experiences, tips, and words of wisdom. I've never been so my eyes and ears are wide open!

 (image: taken in Shoreditch, London)

a year's worth of wanderlust

It's almost Easter and that means one thing: four day weekend! We're taking advantage of the time and jaunting off to Florence and Chianti to get to know my little obsession, Italia, a little better. I've been studying Italian using Rosetta Stone but since I've been a bit inconsistent with it, I'm just barely at the point where I can ask "where's the bathroom?", "how much?" and all of those other simple phrases that will hopefully be enough to get us by! During the past year's travels we've gotten by with our english, broken french, and my fluent Spanish. Joe speaks a little bit of Spanish but he learned it with the Castellano accent that turns every "s" into a "th" sound...it drove me crazy for a while but I've warmed up to it. I had to.

We've definitely accomplished what we moved here to do: travel. There are still so many places on our list but I'm beyond thankful to have been able to check off the ones below and leave with beautiful memories.

Here are some of my favorite moments, places, and thoughts from our European adventures...

shopping at my first European flea market (in Paris) and seeing a different type of vintage and market scene

stumbling across the Louvre at night and having the square all to ourselves

walking along Pont Des Arts in Paris with my mom, oohing and awing at the romantic gestures and inscriptions of the love locks. we even witnessed a couple throwing their key into Le Siene followed with a passionate embrace and kiss. must go back there with Joe!

cheering on team Atletico with Joe's college buddies in Madrid. we sat in a section called "Vomitorio"..."vomit" is spelled "vomito" in Spanish so it felt a little icky at first. the funny thing was that not even the locals could explain the name.

finally understanding Joe's love for simple Spanish meals. I could eat like this every day now.

searching for the vista point for the Toledo bridge but instead happening upon our own little corner. we somehow managed to avoid the crowds and feel as if the entire town was ours that day.

walking up to the awesomeness of the ancient aqueduct in Segovia (no mortar!) and then geeking out over the decorative walls and doors all over the place

witnessing a modern marvel being built, aka La Sagrada Familia, in Barcelona

and being even more impressed/amazed by what's inside

watching my mom enjoy "the best paella of my life!" while I cooled down with a chilled beer

watching the sunrise and looking for seashells on the beach with my mom in Barcelona. 

our first week-long European holiday in Sicily. we stayed in the countryside, Ragusa...it was heaven as you can tell

but we did take a dip in the Mediterranean! this was a total locals' spot that we came across while looking for a place to eat lunch in Syracuse. i'll never forget the views from the water looking back at the city.

having coffee in front of Check Point Charlie in Berlin and learning about Joe's uncle who was stationed there during the Cold War. finding the perfect German pub/restaurant, Sophien 11, with my friend Caitlin. the bar tender fell in love with her and gave her free beer mugs as souvenirs.

 

seeing Christmas come to life in Brugge, Belgium. i felt like i was in the original Disneyland the entire time. what a beautifully preserved medieval place.

giving into a guided canal tour in Brugge and going under stone bridges from the 14th century. i mean seriously? 

finding moments to look around and capture the details in Marrakech amidst the craziness of the Medina

visiting a Berber market in the Atlas Mountains. this was the parking lot...it was pretty muddy but i loved it. 

sipping on sweet mint tea and drooling over too many rugs in Marrakech. i wanted so badly to go through the piles myself and pick which ones I wanted to see. unfortunately that's not how it works. it's a full on presentation and very ceremonial but i was happy to oblige. we left very happy with our new magic carpet in tow. 

We've left every place very happy, it's hard not to. I can't wait to see what we come across in Italia this weekend and where our magic carpet takes us next!

one year in london - hurrah!

Yep, you know you've been in England for a while when you start saying "hurrah" instead of "hooray." The word slipped out the other day but it felt appropriate given the fact that this weekend marks my one year anniversary of living in London! I can't believe how quickly it has gone by. Joe marked his in March so now I'm all caught up and ready for another year of who-knows-what. I'm going to let the pictures do most of the talking since I've already professed my love to this city in writing. I really do love it. Without further delay, here are some of my favorite moments, places, things, and thoughts from the year....

learning to love bunting almost as much as the British do. they're crazy about it.

watching the wedding of the century at Hyde Park

slowing down to lay on the grass, enjoy the sun, and have a treat at Kew Gardens

making our first home together

this being the normal afternoon snack

discovering the awesomeness of London's museums

wearing wellies and getting muddy along a public footpath in Devon

indulging in rest and country comfort at Hotel Endsleigh in Devon

playing tourist with my mom during her visit. this was the only way we could get a shot of her in front of the gate as police kept foot traffic moving!

being prepared for rain at any time. it's no big deal now.

getting caught in the wind with these guys on Brighton Pier

pointing to our neighborhood and places we've been to from the London Eye. we felt like such locals.

looking up and seeing colorful and interesting details like this

learning the best bus routes to/from our favorite destinations

windy days that turn joe into a little kid with his favorite toy

wanting to learn how to samba after Notting Hill's Carnival

finding random places to chill on a nice day like this parking lot lounge/street food market in Shoreditch

hiring Barclay Bikes and riding around Hyde Park

sunset walks along the canal in Little Venice

experienceing quintessential London moments and sightings

exploring the unexpected in Hampstead Heath

seeing the first signs of fall

hopping on a high-speed train for a quick day trip to Windsor

weekend mornings spent trying new cafes and catching up on the papers

finding the beauty and charm in every pub

ice skating at the Natural History Museum

joe proposing under a beautiful tree canopy on the first snow day of the year

realizing that this river taxi view was just part of a normal day's commute. felt so blessed.

as is this view from Piccadilly tube station. cranes and all.

and best of all, learning and doing it all with my favorite person in the world.

Foreign travel moments and sights are next! Those will definitely be worth a "hurrah!"

feels like yesterday

Where does the time go??? Next weekend marks my one year anniversary of living in London and though we have done and seen a lot in this beautiful town, we've barely made a dent in these guide books. I think I'll dust them off and pretend like I've just arrived all over again since there's still so much to explore. In addition to planning new adventures around town, I'm going to commemorate our first year as American Expats by compiling my favorite photos and moments for next week's posts. There's plenty to share on that end so stay tuned!

owning it

"What do you do?" - the inevitable question that has become increasingly challenging to respond to. It used to be so easy when I worked for someone else and they told me what I did - I was intern, a manager, a marketing director...easy, it said so on the company business cards. Now that I'm pursuing freelance work in graphic design and photography - while writing this blog, doing DIY projects for this one, and running an online shop - I find myself scrambling for the right words when someone asks me the now very existential question. I do many different things in addition to my work pursuits like jogging, learning how to speak Italian and play the guitar, sew, play backgammon, go to the movies...

Unfortunately those other things aren't what people are asking about as we live in a world where titles rule. Since that's the case, why is it so hard to give myself a title? Better yet, why is it so hard to own it? Whatever you devote your time, energy, and/or interests to should be free-game to claim as "what you do" - and proudly so. Work-wise I have a crazy hang up about what I think I need to be doing in order to properly call myself this or that (have x number of clients, be making x amount of money, etc) when really, I'm already doing it! Now I just need to say it.

This goes for not being employed as well. When I moved to London with Joe, and hadn't quite figured out what I wanted to do, it was almost embarrassing to admit that I was a quasi stay-at-home wife. I was reluctant to own the title because those domestic aspirations had never been on my radar, in fact, they were completely foreign. I was a working girl and had grown to identify my personal worth with whatever my current job title happened to be. Looking back, my insecurity was ridiculous because a) a job shouldn't define who you are and b) taking care of the home, or for you mamas out there, taking care your kids all day is work, too. I invested a lot of time and energy setting up our new lives here and it wasn't any less valuable than sitting at an office desk for eight hours a day. When I think about my sister, who left a thriving career to take on the most important, difficult, and rewarding job of her life as a new mom, I couldn't be more proud. Even though it took her some time to recognize her new role, she now owns it like a rock star and the proof is in the pudding - those girls have more love and confidence than anyone I know!

We all take on different roles in different stages of life but whatever we do, we must give ourselves credit for it...new studies, new careers, new hobbies, new family. Everything has its worth and we owe it to ourselves to own it wholeheartedly. No excuses, no shame, no shyness, no whatever...the pursuit is ours and it should be celebrated every step of the way.

Have any of you experienced something similar in a new role or with a new pursuit? 

(image: vintage wood type blocks from Portobello Market)

it's an app app world

When I look at my iPhone I still can't believe what it's capable of doing. I mean, I remember having to wait in line at my High School's payphone to call my parents for a ride home after track practice was cancelled. The fact that I now have a neatly arranged digital wall of services and tools (with phone capabilities) ready to launch at the tap of a finger is still absolutely mind-blowing. And yet, I can't imagine my life without it. On a previous post I mentioned a few London transportation apps that save me in this city and one of you commented that you'd love to hear what those were plus more. So, here are several of my favorite apps in different categories that make my everyday things, tasks and thoughts more simple and efficient.

{To-Do List} Teux-Deux - a clean and minimal interface that acts (and reacts) like a real to-do list. It literally looks like a simple list, no bells and whistles with color-coding or categories. Just the way I like it. It also features the very important "someday" section for all of those thoughts and action items that don't have a specific timeline. Available online plus mobile app.

{Travel} TripIt - free itinerary management system that organizes your travel booking details in an easy to read/use package. Once you book your flight, hotel, car rental, etc, simply forward the booking confirmation emails to their designated address and voila! You can share trips with other users, add them as travelers, or email details to friends and family. The app is extremely handy when you need to reference a flight number or check-in time at a hotel - all of the info is there without having to sift through old emails. Also, it's accessible offline which really helps when you're in another country and have your data roaming turned off!

{When in London} TubeMap - fed by Transport for London (TFL), TubeMap gives live service updates, departure times, and plans your trip based on the fastest route or the fewest line changes. It's also a much more savvy way to refer to the actual Tube Map instead of the fold out paper one provided for free at each station - a dead giveaway for tourists and newbies (I was guilty for two months).

Bus Mapper - a Google Map function shows you where you are, what buses are near you, and which one to take to get to your destination. It offers several route options with total travel times and expected bus arrivals - it's been a life saver in a town where the bus system is great but can get a bit confusing.

{Read Later} Instapaper - don't have time to read something you've just come across online? Instead of emailing it to yourself or bookmarking it in hopes that you return to it later, use Instapaper's applet or forwarding email address to save the article, plus images, into your own feed. I love this more than words can explain primarily because I can access my saved articles offline. A major plus given that the Tube is an internet dead-zone and it's when I actually DO have the time to read long, in-depth pieces.

{Cooking} Foodily - a simple and visual recipe aggregator from the top sites and blogs on the web. What makes it stand out is that you can search for recipes with a single ingredient. For example, I buy chickpeas but have no idea what to pair them with. I type in "chickpeas" and up comes dozens of recipes for a complete meal or side dish. Ingredients, time to cook, and nutrition values are all presented up front and you can save and search by different categories like "quick" "vegetarian" "low fat" etc. All of this in a clean and modern user interface really motivates me to cook!

{Staying in Touch} WhatsApp - free text and MMS with other users from anywhere in the world. This one is big because it allows for my friends in the States and I to text as usual without incurring any extra costs! It works off of your existing data plan and can be used on different types of phones - so yes, iPhone friends can chat with their Blackberry or Droid buddies for free, too.

{International Conversions} Units - a simple, calculator-like, conversion app for anything from currency to weight. It has been extremely helpful since almost every unit of measure in the UK is different from the States. It's a trusty travel companion too for figuring out current exchange rates wherever you are as well as for buying fabrics by the meter versus by the yard. I know it's simple math but I'd rather let the app do the thinking on this one.

{Dining} Matchbook - a well-designed and easy to use app to save "places" you want to check out or re-visit. I LOVE this one and use it often while reading restaurant reviews or skimming through local newsletters that mention a new cafe or bar in town. You can save each place within neighborhoods, categories, and tags and when you're out and about, simply open the Google Map feature and it'll show you which "saved" places are near you. So great for never missing a good meal or drink ... I was the queen of "oh, I read about a place but I don't remember the name or street it's on" - never again!

So there you have it, my top app picks. Do you use any of these or have ones that I must check out??? Always up for finding new ones to make life easier and more organized.

(image: wall of vintage frames at El Rastro flea market. Reminds me of my iPhone screen with different frames of apps :)