I'm Giving In and Planning My Next Few Weekend Getaways!

 

It is amazing how many facts, thoughts and ideas we hold onto during the day. I am not by nature a trip planner, however, when I couldn’t remember the name of the boutique hotel in Santa Fe, where I’ve been plotting a stay for months, I decided perhaps, just maybe, it was time for me to take a moment and write some things down.

I think weekend trips are so much more difficult to plan than longer trips. On a long trip, you have time to feel out your environment, explore, get local recommendations without the pressure of a schedule. It takes a bit of planning to use your time effectively on a weekend or long weekend stay.

In these situations I try to focus on the intent of my trip (if any) and isolate one or two activities, restaurants and a place to stay in the heart of my chosen scene.

There are three weekend (or long weekend) trips I’m in the process of planning for this fall:

1) Santa Fe, New Mexico

I’ve never been to Santa Fe, but I’ve been wanting to go for a while. Perhaps it’s the writing of Barbara Kingsolover or my holistic, new age, proclivities. As an East Coaster, the American Southwest is an exotic unknown land. I look forward to photographing the desert and gazing at the stars. Hotel: The Inn of the Governors, a cozy boutique hotel that seems to both blend into the environment around it and stand out like a piece of art. Places I plan to visit: Museum of Indian Arts and Culture, New Mexico Museum of Art, Santa Fe Railyard Artisans Market at the Santa Fe Farmer’s Market where I want to try the local cuisine which is supposed to have it’s own unique flair. I love Mexican food and I hear they do it well in Santa Fe.

2) London, England

I’m only planning a weekend in London because I’ve already been- twice. On this trip I want to focus on the British preoccupation with tea and on Literary tours. Stay: The Hotel Ibis, a modern British hotel conveniently located in Central London. Places I plan to visit: I want to sit on the bank of the river Thames and write, Camden Lock Market, People watching at Piccadilly Circus, Postcard Tea, and the London Eye. Tours I plan to take: Literary London Walk Where I intend to sip tea: The Goring Afternoon Tea

3) Miami, Florida

I’ve only ever passed through Miami. Each time, I wished I could stop, slow down and take a moment to explore. The focus of my weekend in Miami will be on food, fun and Miami Beach, South Beach to be specific. Stay: The Raleigh Hotel SoBe a beautiful Art Deco style hotel right in the middle of all the action. This is a definite splurge, but every now and again- why not? I’ve stayed in my share of hostels. Places I plan to visit: South Beach and Lincoln Road Where I intend to eat: Versailles Restaurant, Naomi’s A Taste of Haiti, The Cypress Room, Restaurant Michael Schwartz (Yes, I plan on gorging myself.)

Do you prepare for weekend trips or is it simply c'est la vie?

Breathtaking Beacon, New York: A Photo Essay

It has happened. I've started a full time job after my two year hiatus to raise Ohm, write and travel. To say that this adjustment has been easy, would be a lie. The days are long, my 90-minute each way commute from Brooklyn to the Bronx is insane, having two viable hours in which to spend time with my son and husband while trying to make time to write and travel has taken creativity, humor and patience. In the spirit of carrying on by all means necessary, I will  focus for the next few months on weekend getaways.

Autumn seems the perfect season to launch this exploration. It is the quintessential season of the quick crisp weekend away.

Last weekend, Ohm and I, along with my friend Freddy, set out to explore breathtaking Beacon, New York. It was the perfect Saturday day trip from New York.

Now that I'm back in Brooklyn, all I can think about is the shining sapphire view of the Hudson, the Victorian charm of Main St., and the artistic quirk of the boutiques and galleries.

Beacon, is spectacular!

Deep in the Hudson River Valley, about an hours drive from Manhattan, lies a stunning and artistic little town called Beacon. The drive alone, along the Taconic, through Westchester County, past Bear Mountain and beyond Putnam, New York (probably not in this exact order) is a serene field of green and calm.

Whether for the day as we did, or for an overnight stay at one of the beautiful colonial Bread and Breakfasts, Beacon, New York is a destination that is sure to invigorate your soul.

Stay tuned for more quick trip ideas!

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Thyme Tea

As the season transitions and sniffles and congestion begin to replace the languid sighs of summer, it is the perfect time to brew a fresh pot of tasty medicinal thyme tea. Thyme, a natural expectorant has been used medicinally for ages in the Mediterranean, England and Egypt as a tea to treat coughs, colds and bronchitis- ailments that tend to manifest in the Fall.

Thyme comes in many varieties, my favorite for tea being Lemon Thyme for it's lemony and zesty flavor.

There are many ways to prepare the tea, but I prefer to use fresh, not dried herb sprigs that I've gathered from my fire escape herb garden.

I pluck about five to seven sprigs for two cups of water. I boil my water first, then let the thyme seep for ten minutes in the boiled water.

If you have a toddler or young child with a cough (as cough syrup isn't safe for young children), you can take the same preparation and fill a small teacup halfway with the freshly prepared thyme tea. Add two teaspoons of honey and a teaspoon of Braggs apple cider vinegar then fill the other half of the teacup with orange juice. This is a wonderful cough and congestion remedy and it's tasty.

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Rockaway Beach Is New And Improved!

Overhead, the sky was awash in confusion. A thick haze of gray stretched across the horizon. Seagulls and pigeons flew in graceful loops, the seagulls dipping every so often into the water.

In the sand, children built sandcastles, played with shovels and buckets, and set to work burying dads. Groups of hipsters with fedoras and novels huddled under umbrellas, groups of girlfriends in bikinis chatted lazily beneath the haze. The waves lapped at the sand with mediocre force as the wind created a perfect warm clear day. It was, despite the haze and threat of rain, a perfect Labor Day beach day.

This Labor Day, I went to the brand new and improved Rockaway Beach in Queens, New York. I hadn't been in years, and not since hurricane Sandy devestated the beach front. There were definite reminders of what had been. Sand bags lined the base of the boardwalk, a few houses along Ocean Drive remained boarded up and damaged, but it's not what wasn't but what was.

Rockaway Beach is a great beach. With a section for surfing and a section for swimming and miles of sandy beach, it is the perfect waterfront getaway. Here you can swim, you can relax and when you're done you can visit the delicious food kiosk which offers a great selection of healthy food from veggie burgers to fresh squeezed juice. Yes, they've got your standard hot dogs, fries and frozen yogurt as well.

Pushing my stroller along the wooden boardwalk, I am struck by something. This is not the beach I remember, it's so much better.

It's hard to believe that summer is being replaced by fall already. Where did the time go?

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Adventuring to the Park with a Toddler

 

On Saturdays, when we're in Brooklyn and not on the road, Ohm and I visit Prospect Park.

It is important to me, to expose him to the many green spaces the city has to offer. Spaces that encourage the imagination and develop an appreciation for nature.

When we travel to the park, I leave all toys and distractions at home because I want Ohm to be present in the discovery and wonder of the park's beautiful environment.

At two, Ohm is a natural explorer. Once safely inside the park, he's out of the stroller leading the way. He is allowed to choose the trails we walk along and the direction that we amble. I stop when he stops and point out interesting observations along the way.

"Wow! That is a very tall tree! I wonder how tall that tree is. You look very small compared to such a large tree."

"Tall tree! Big!" Ohm squeals with delight as he runs to touch the trunk.

"What does the trunk feel like? The bark is so rough. This must be a very sturdy tree."

"Rough." Ohm repeats, while rubbing the trunk of the tree.

We meander some more, make some more observations.

"Look at the apples. What small apples. I wonder what tree they came from?"

"Where are the flowers? What color are the flower's petals?"

We happen upon a clearing. We take a moment to collect sticks and bark. I begin to draw shapes in the earth with the sticks. Ohm follows suit singing his ABC's. I draw each letter and help him trace the shape with his stick. We make it to O before he becomes distracted by a group of children blowing bubbles on the lawn behind us, we join them.

The children weave around each other in an attempt to catch a bubble before it disappears. Running in circles after clusters of bubbles that vanish before nearing him, Ohm seems to have developed a strategy. He stands still, watching the bubbles hover above before slowly descending around him. Keying in on one or two bubbles he waits patiently before the satisfying pop. "Boom!" He giggles popping the bubbles. "Boom. Boom!"

A minute later he is off, chasing a golden retriever down a path towards a tunnel. "Dog. Woof woof." He calls. Soon he realizes that once he's in the tunnel, his voice creates an echo. "Hello." He calls standing perfectly still. "Hello!"

A second later, he's off once more.

It's a beautiful thing to tag along with a toddler in the process of discovering the world.

Every city and suburb in almost every country around the world has some sort of open green space. When we're not in Brooklyn, we get to discover new green spaces all over the country and world. It's the perfect free of charge, low maintenance, accoutrement-free toddler friendly activity.

What activities do you engage in when going on an adventure to the park with a tot?

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Take A Leap Career Mentoring Program

 

Over the Labor Day weekend, I had the pleasure of meeting and sitting down with bloggers Rhonda and Sheree Washington. Twin filmmakers and Travelers based in South Carolina, we spent a majority of our time talking about their exciting and relatively new mentorship program- Take A Leap Career Mentoring Program, which gives support to professionals navigating the murky waters of transitioning careers.

I am fascinated by this program on many levels. For starters, I know too well what it's like to feel stuck in a job I loathed, yearning for the opportunity to break into another field, follow another path. I am also curious because I'm relatively new at running my own business. I've made lots of mistakes and am still trying to figure things out. 

While relaxing alfresco with green juice, Rhonda and Sharee, answered some of the burning questions I had about the Take A Leap Career Mentoring Program so  I can share them with you. I've heard from a hand full of you who are interested in switching to careers focused around travel, international non-profit management, diplomatic work and teaching abroad. This post is for you.

S: How did the mentorship program come about?

R&S: Take A Leap Career Mentoring Program came about after we realized that transitioning to a new career requires a mentor. Our mentor is a film producer and having her in our corner stepped up our professionalism in Film, webshow development, and blogging. This mentoring program provides a platform for mentors and mentees to meet, and with our love of travel, we have incorporated an optional international retreat. The first international retreat will be January 17-20, 2014 in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. The program fee is $149 for mentees and mentors. The mentees experience in a foreign country relates to being outside of their comfort zone, which is needed in transitioning into a new career.

S: How does the program work?

R&S: The Mentees complete an application at the website www.weconnectedprod.wix.com/takealeap at a  of cost of  $50 for 1st year of mentorship and a $30 renewal fee each year of additional participation. Mentees are adults seeking to find their purposeful career. We identify a seasoned professional mentor/career coaches that correlates  with the mentees new career aspiration. The mentees and mentors must communicate at least once a month via email, phone call, Skype, and/or in-person. mentees must also complete journal assignments, forum discussions, and financial/career planning tools. The optional international retreat is a weekend intensive seminar in which we facilitate with concentration on the career and financial planning aspects of transitioning to a new career. There are no fees to be a mentor.

S: How do you go about matching your mentors with the program participants?

R&S: We post the Take A Leap Career Mentoring Program link on our Take A Leap blog, twitter, Facebook, and email. Mentees contact us via social media, email, and/or phone call. Once they have submitted the application and  paid the $50 fee, we find mentors through our personal and social media contacts. The mentor and mentees are provided each others contact information.

S: What words of advice do you have for twenty and thirty something's looking to switch careers?

R&S: Don't let fear of failure keep them from pursing their passion and purpose. They may encounter naysayers, but keep being positive. Network with people and join an organization in the new career field. In regard to having a mentor, take heed of their advice in opportunities and avoiding pitfalls. Final advice would be is to have Spiritual Faith.

S: What is your most memorable success story from your program?

R&S: The Take A Leap Career Mentoring Program is fairly new. The most memorable success was receiving an application less than 24 hrs after launching the program on June 15, 2013.

S:  If someone is interested in being mentored  through your program, how should they contact you to sign-up?

R&S: They can email us with questions at weconnectedprod@gmail.com and visit the Take A Leap Career Mentoring Program website at www.weconnectedprod.wix.com/takealeap We have a Frequently Asked Questions document and Mentee application under the Program tab.

There you have it. If you're interested in mentoring or being a mentee, take a leap, know your happiness and self-fulfillment are vital to living a healthy and balanced life and contact Rhonda and Sharee.

Charging Water With Crystal Energy

I've been thinking a lot about mindfulness. About how I can approach each day with a set intention and tune in, really be aware during each moment. Thus began my experiments with energizing water with crystals.

Now before your eyes haze over and you write me off as a new age quack, consider for a moment, the undeniable science behind the notion of energy transference; after all, everything is energy. Energy can be transferred from one form to another and can not be created or destroyed.

Crystals have long been held in high esteem as gatekeepers of energy. Each unique type harnesses specific energies and attributes. Placing a crystal, bursting with energy in water creates an environment of transference. The energy from the crystal is absorbed into the water and then once consumed, that property or intention is transferred to a person on a cellular level- hence a somewhat tangible way to practice mindfulness and active intention.

How does it work?

By placing a crystal in purified water for a set period of time, the energetic vibrations of the crystal are transferred into the water. Upon consumption, the energetically charged water is absorbed into the body and a transformation occurs however slight.

Are there health benefits?

Crystals emit negative ions. Negative ions have been proven to promote health and well being because they create an alkaline quality which boosts pH balance and antioxidant levels. Water infused with negative ions released from crystals is detoxifying because free radicals are neutralized leading to cellular health and a reduction in toxicity.

What do I do?

Charging water with crystal energy is a fairly simple process. First, wash your crystal(s) in a solution of sea salt and warm water.

Place your crystal(s) in a glass jar (mason jars are perfect) and add purified water. You want to avoid tap water as the chemicals used to process the water can interact with the crystals. Let the container sit overnight or approximately eight hours.

For an additional twist, you may want to set your jar outside to soak in rays from the sun during the day, or beneath the full moon at night to absorb the moon rays.

The moon is said to provide abundance, peace, calm and love, while the sun is said to energize, provide confidence, and enliven.

How do I know what crystals to use?

It is best to use rough crystals and not smooth polished ones as chemicals may be used in the smoothing process. Below are some crystal suggestions. You want to make sure that you choose a non-toxic crystal that doesn't contain metal. Do a bit of research before you purchase your crystals.

Ametrine- Removes blockages, disperses negativity, promotes healing

Amethyst- Stress relief, inner peace, balance

Rose Quartz- Unconditional love, spirituality, tolerance, joy, heart healing

What does this have to do with mindfulness?

Let's say you're developing a practice of setting a daily or weekly intention. If you would like to focus one week on peace for example, you can make a large batch of crystal water infused with amethyst. When you drink your water, you will be reminded of your peaceful intention. In addition, the energy of peace will be absorbed into your body to assist with your work.

So, how can this practice influence my physical health in a tangible way?

Let's say you have high blood pressure or hypertension (we can use the same example of amethyst infused water) the water which is vibrating with the energy of peace, stress relief and balance will be absorbed into your being. On a cellular level, you'll reinforce these states. Mentally and physically you will begin to alter.

Interested in giving it a go? Here are some resources that should help:

http://crystal-cure.com/

http://www.crystalwellbeing.co.uk/introcrystalhealing.php

http://www.crystal-healing.org.uk/crystal-healing/crystal-waters-gem-elixirs

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The Bronx River Forest

 

For a unique New York City experience, explore the Bronx River Forest. That's right, Bronx forest. There is a forest in the Bronx. A true, honest to goodness forest. If I didn't see it for myself, I never would have believed the stories of its existence.

You descend into the Bronx River Forest, much as you would any other city park. Follow the downward sloping path into a surprising gathering of trees, note the sudden quiet, the thickening canopy of green above, the soothing hum of rushing water, the call and response of cicadas, you are suddenly transformed. The air is decidedly clear. Your feet sink into the fluffy soil below. You've discovered a special place.

One of the oldest forests in New York City and a natural flood plain, the Bronx River Forest, home to the magnificent 23 mile Bronx river, is the perfect place to explore walking trails, go fishing, or rafting. Whether you live in the city and are looking for an autumn day trip or are visiting the city and want to do a little more than pound the pavement, the Bronx River Forest is a sanctuary worthy of exploration.

For up to date seasonal happenings, check out www.bronxriver.org.

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A Day at the Manhattan Country School Farm- A Photo Essay

Autumn is perfect time to take a trip to the country to soak in the colors, crisp air and quiet. Here's what happened when I ventured to the Catskills recently.

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The Virtues of Basil Tea

"You know what this is."

I was handed a bunch of fragrant teardrop shaped leaves. Inhaling the sweet scent, I knew without a doubt- "basil!"

During my stay at the Rohdes Hall Plantation in Jamaica a few weeks ago, we happened upon a large patch of basil while on a guided walk.

I know basil well, I have a hearty stretch growing in my herb garden in Maryland that I use to make summer salads and to season buttermilk biscuits and lemonade. What I wasn't aware of was the use of basil in Jamaica as a medicinal tea. From diabetes, to asthma, stress, to arthritis, basil taken as a tea can prove a powerful healing tonic. To prepare basil tea, simply pull about a dozen fresh sprigs from the earth and rinse. Bring your water to a boil then add the clean basil sprigs seeping for five minutes. Basil tea is a fantastic early morning tea as basil is known to bring mental clarity.

For an extra kick of green, I like to add a teaspoon of mint flavored chlorophyll. The taste combination is lovely.

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On Back Floating in the Ocean

Perhaps it's the feeling of suspension, weightlessness, a concrete surrender. The water's soothing sway, the gentle aquatic hug, an invitation to let go.

As summer slowly dissipates into autumn, I'd like to pay homage to one of my favorite summertime activities- back floating and doing the dead man's float in the ocean.

Ocean back floating and dead man's floating is my favorite form of meditation, the sound of my beating heart, the swirl of turquoise sea. I'm reminded of savasana, at the end of a yoga session, mindfulness in action, a gentle reminder to be present, to give in to new sensations- acknowledgement that it is just fine to be a very small human floating along the surface of an enormous ocean.

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