Wednesday, January 30, 2013

My advice on how to get through a busy week!

This week is a busy week for work. There's high expectations and a lot of public-facing events. There's a ton of dressing up and being on your feet all day (trade show).

My way of making it through weeks like this is to do something totally not related in my down time. Vacation plan!

This coming July we're heading to California. It'll be our 3rd time there together as a couple and my....I have no idea...I've been there a lot! However, I've never explored the Central Coast. I'm already admitting there's going to be at least 18 bottles of wine in the belly of that plane coming home. :)

Below is the schedule: I'll post links later so you can see some of the great deals I got. Two nights we're staying in a state park that has 126 acres and Ranger led tours (and a breakfast buffet). $300 for two nights (a steal).

July 13: Fly to SF
July 14: Hike Muir Woods. Check out breweries in Berkeley. Stay in Berkeley at this lovely resort.
July 15-16 (stay in Pacific Grove in that state park).
July 17: Cambria to visit Hearst Castle for the first time.
July 18-19: Santa Barbara. Staying around 10 minutes from the wedding and the room comes with a basket of goodies (including homemade banana bread), beach chairs, umbrella, and bikes (for free). 1 block from beach. My family freaked out that the room does not have AC. I've never stayed in a hotel on the CA coast with AC so....I'm okay. Plus, if it's hot I'll just drink something out of a coconut or something and nap in the shade.
July 20: fly out of LAX with boxes of wine bottles. 

Staying 2 nights in this state park:






Thursday, January 3, 2013

Ye Old Bucket List

I decided it was time to start keeping track of some sort of Bucket List. It's a short list at this point. This is separate from a travel wish list (that's ever changing and evolving).

Here's list item #1: Go on a National Geographic Expedition to the Galapagos Islands.

#2: Go to a spa/yoga retreat. No, not one where you drink your own pee (as horrifyingly described in Yoga Bitch). Here's some yoga retreats that are in Europe and as far as I can tell...no weird stuff going on.

#3 Learn how to paddle board. This would not work at our lakehouse in Maine except in the wee hours of the morning. There are places in Maine to learn this sport though. Since this is a bucket list item I should say it also includes perfecting the art of paddle boarding and buying my own equipment.

#4 take a week-long cooking class in Tuscany.

The travel wish list, in no particular order is:

-Peru
-Cruise of the Roman Empire (Holland America). 10-day cruise.
-Germany
-New Zealand/ Australia
-Hawaii
-Brazil (Sao Paulo in particular intrigues me).
-France (countryside)
-Ireland & England (we've done Scotland and loved it)
-Scandinavia (all of it, Iceland of course has been amazing but I'd like to see the rest of the countries).

What's your bucket list or travel wish list? Do you already know how to paddle board? You have to admit, my #1 item is pretty darn unique.