My new BFF

Ok...I'm going to begin this blog by saying it is about the most far-out post I have, and possibly will, post.

I was recently told about a show that aired on NBC, a show about Victoria Beckham moving to America to prepare for the Beckham's transplant to the USA. I admit, the fact this was coming from my over 30 male office mate was somewhat shocking. Not to mention his feedback being so positive! All you ever see of Posh is a very stern looking face hidden behind big shades and her skinny little self toting some hot new bag. Well, it is only fair to give someone a chance to redeem themselves beyond what you see through the paparazzi's point of view. I logged on to NBC.com and took a look for myself (they stream the whole show on the website).

Victoria Beckham is my new best friend. I love her. I'm not ashamed to say that. Although it was only a short 45 minute peek into who she really is, I love her! Here are some reasons why:

Physical:
1) she's skinny as all hell but in a good way
2) her hair...amazing
3) clothing? love it
4) cheekbones and boobs
5) she is just generally hot
(i realize i sound gay for Posh...that's ok)

Personality:
1) she's a cheeky lil Brit through and through
2) her humor is often dry but packs a punch
3) she is down to earth...hates talking about money, wants to find the perfect house b/c it is such a huge amount of money to spend (hellooo...most people who make hundreds of millions of dollars don't flinch at 10mill)
4) she uses the word "Major" in the way that southern people say "bless his/her heart"...i.e. when used in a trash talking manner, it null and voids the negative portion of your statement. For instance, she was commenting on a crazy rich old woman with too much plastic surgery and crazy hair and said "her hair is MAJOR". Love it. Adding it to my daily vocab.
5) she love love loves her kids and hubby.
6) she doesn't understand why some women in America don't wear knickers (i.e. Britany).
7) "it's great to be fabulous"
8) when she found a negative post about herself on Perez Hilton's blog, and then found out the coffee shop he works out of, she went down there to talk to him about it...and was hilarious. Hilarious for many reasons, my fave being when he offered her a cookie, after genuinely thanking him, she said "oh i can't eat that in public...i don't want people to think i actually eat...that'd ruin my image!" in a very sarcastic manner. love it.
9) she doesn't believe in the flat shoe fad...she thinks heels are the only kind of shoe to wear
10) when pulled over by the police she said "i didn't know whether to pose or get arrested!"

Other:
1) She is married to David Beckham. Enough said.

I mean, seriously...she's awesome. Watch her and become a convert like me - Thursday 7/19 at 9pm on NBC.

Summer travel

My job requires a lot of travel, predominantly in the summer. It really is a bittersweet perk. Traveling for work is what keeps me interested and inspired. At the same time, Burlington summers are pretty much the best. Last summer I was gone for basically the entire month of August, only popping back into Vermont for Emi and Kevin's wedding. This summer I have bopped around a bit for various events but the thick of it is yet to come.

I realized that I have the next 2 weeks and weekends in Vermont and am so excited! That is one great thing about being gone so much is I appreciate my time here that much more. I do, however, wish I had more travel during the bitter cold winter months.

I will be shipping out on July 26th for approximately 2 and 1/2 weeks. I go to Atlanta to throw a party for Harley-Davidson and squeeze in some catch-up time with old high school friends. From Atlanta I head directly to California. Luckily I have a day or two of down time so will be staying with some friends in Carlsbad who recently got married. Then straight from there to Carson, CA (aka south LA) for X Games...basically a week of event madness. Apres X Games I'll be scooting down to Del Mar to take a few days off and stay with my sister...a little R&R, beach time, good dinners, cooking w/my bestie aka sis, and recharge the batteries. Back to Burlington for 2 weeks and then to Rochester for a long weekend for the Major League Lacrosse Championship Weekend. Phew.

It can be pretty intense, suitcase living, but it has become second nature to me. One of the greatest things about my work travel is that events like X Games are a family...it's the same people every year and we all look forward to being reunited for a fun week. The friends I'm staying with in Carlsbad I actually met through events...he is the team manager for Spy Optics moto and bmx teams and we have been going to the same events for 3 years now. So between seeing old event friends and getting to visit high school friends and my sister, all coincidentally without having to pay for flights, it's a pretty sweet deal.

This kind of travel is so different, yet similar, to my pleasure travels. There is still the slight bit of anxiety before shipping off for multiple events, knowing clients will be there judging and watching. There are still many hours spent in airports and hotels and cabs and car rental counters. There is still the task of packing effectively for multiple types of outings, dinners, crowds, events, temperatures. There is still the reminder that I have to open up and meet people and create a bond quickly. It is invigorating and gives me a similar rush to my other travels.

International Rendezvous

One of my favorite aspects of traveling solo is it affords you the opportunity to make new friends. Not that traveling with people eliminates that possibility, but solo travel almost forces you to do so. You are out of your comfort zone of safe places with safe faces, and being alone is magnified when in a foreign country.

Upon my somewhat recent travels to Brasil, I spent a week in Barra da Lagoa on the island of Florianopolis. It was here that I forged some great friendships. I am one of those people who is really good about maintaining contact with friends made on the road...I collect and exchange emails and follow up every few weeks to see how these new friends are doing. It is not only a great way to live vicariously through others travels, but great to keep in touch with people you often share a lot with in short periods of time. Not to mention having a couch to crash on in many countries around the world. In Lagoa I made friends with an Australian lawyer named Steve. He stopped practicing law after about a year at the Supreme Court after earning his J.D. He decided to take some time to travel the world on a year, round-the-world ticket. This past weekend he landed for the New York City portion of his trip. Having known about this for some time combined with the manageable 5.5 hour drive, I made plans to meet him in the city.

It was great to actually reconnect with an international friend on somewhat home-turf. Steve had been traveling in mostly 3rd world countries for the past 6 months so was intoxicated by the Big Apple. We ventured the streets, laid out in Central Park as he strummed away on his guitar, viewed NYC at night from the Empire State Building, showed him some nightlife and caught up on life. It was extremely interesting hearing his point of view on the world after spending so much time amidst poverty and now comparing it to the excessive lifestyle of New York. Even from when I first met him a few months ago, there has been a shift...something I could tell was gained from time on the road solo, bouncing from hostel to hostel, bartering his way through visa offices, hopping on rickety buses and avoiding incidents on the streets, surviving bad illnesses and loss of bags, money and pride.

I have to say that being in the Big Apple with someone who was appreciating every minute detail of it was something that gave me a different appreciation for it. I found myself noticing all the various street artists and colors of shirts in a window, children playing music in a park, groups of people taking excessive amounts of photos, seemingly oblivious to the other hundreds of people laying nearby, children in their "I Love NY" tshirts. In a way, it was like going to Disneyworld with a young child...it is like truly seeing it for the first time. As we grow up, it seems our ability to pick up on the most beautiful, perfect nuances of something is diminished...until you see it through the eyes of a child or first-timer.

Life in the Fast Lane?

This past weekend I ventured to New York City to rendezvous with some friends. Christina and I packed up my car on Friday afternoon and made the 5.5 hour drive into the Big Apple to begin an adventurous 3.5 days of laying out in Central Park, walking the city, shopping, dining, partying and people watching.



Life in the Fast Lane.

New York City is an intense place. Maybe intense isn't the right word. It is almost an over stimulation of the senses. You have anything you could possibly dream of at your disposal. Have a busy day and get home late, shower quickly and go out for dinner only to realize it's 1am? No worries, they still serve dinner at most restaurants...often until 4am! Not to mention that on a weekend night, at midnight, you might have to even WAIT 40 minutes for a table for dinner. Want to go out for drinks but not walk more then 2 blocks? No problem! Want some chinese food, bagels, groceries, flowers, whatever delivered at any time of the day? Sure thing!

It is easy to see how people get sucked far into debt and gluttony while living in the city. If you aren't part of the swiftly moving river of trends and partying and dining and strolling the city, you are quickly pulled in the undertow. Upon entering the current "it" club of NYC and being ushered to the VIP table complete with bottle service and models, I quickly realized how seductive that kind of life can be. Being a woman in the city is not a bad thing either. While waiting a few minutes for even the smaller, less "it", more divey local bars I was pondering whether there'd actually be any males in the bar considering that the doormen seemed to only be letting girls in. Apparently guy get in either through a back door as VIP or with massive swarms of good looking woman. They WERE inside the bars, but I'm not sure how they got there.

One thing I noticed about the city that I really liked, aside from the cute little corner cafes with amazing coffee and paninis, was that, for the most part, people take pride in themselves. Granted, I live in a city where a hoodie and tshirt is not only acceptable at bars and restaurants but also pretty much standard. It was nice to see women in fun outfits, great hats or scarves or accessories, nice shoes even while hiking through the subway. Even better was the men. Nice jeans, button up shirts or at least very nice, fitted, clean non-button up shirts, nice shoes, and so on. It reminded me of Paris where people walk out of their house representing themselves, marketing themselves, taking pride in themselves and leaving the loungewear and hoodies for, well, lounging!

I am not sure if I could endure the city on a permanent living basis, but it could be fun to have a residence there as a second home. Granted, being in the upper echelon of earning would make it even better but we seemed to do pretty well with the right connections. It was an exhausting weekend but refreshing in the sense that there is an unmistakable energy in that city that invigorates and intoxicates. The view at night from the Empire State Building wasn't bad either.