Tuesday, March 12, 2013

Finding my place

Since I started this blog, I started out as a travel/fashion blog.....well I've since realized I'm more than that.  Yes I love to travel and I do so every chance I get.  I also love fashion even when I'm sitting at home in my capri sweats wearing a Rolling Stones t-shirt.  What I've forgotten is how much I love to think and talk about issues.  These issues can range from political, sociological, technological, or fantastical.

So I'm taking this time as a break to rediscover myself and this blog and where I fit in.  I can say one thing, is I want this blog to be more representative of myself and other women.

Tuesday, January 8, 2013

Travel 101: Etiquette


 Traveling is fun, but keep in mind while you are trying to get to your destination so are thousands of others.  Planning and being mindful of others can make all the difference between a stressful trip and a pleasant trip.
Going Through Security
  • Be Ready.  It doesn't matter if you travel weekly or this is your first trip, make sure you are up-to-date with the latest TSA guidelines (they do change).  
  • If you know you're going to have to put your, laptop, toiletry bag, etc in a bin to go through xray, try to pack everything in the same zipper or compartment before you leave home. Keeping everything in easy-to-reach access is key to keeping the line moving.
  • Make sure you have your boarding pass and ID ready to go.  I once saw a lady open her suitcase at the TSA ID check because she packed her purse and wallet in her carry-on. Don't be her.
  • Once you get through security, grab your bags and bins and move over to the nearby benches so you don’t hold up the line.  Don't be the person holding up the line, getting stink-eye from the rest of us.
Carry-on Allowance
  • Airline guideline change a LOT!  Before you pack, check the airline website for size and weight allowances.  Investing in a luggage scale can save you lots in excess fees. Also, there are slightly different size requirements for international carriers vs. U.S.A. carriers, so make sure your bag works for each country/continent you’re traveling in.
  • Make sure you can lift your bag. I see this a lot.  If you can't lift it over your head either start hitting the gym or check it.  Even checked bags you should still be able to carry because you never know when you are going to encounter a broken airport escalator and elevator at the same time.  True story.
  • Only put your large bag in the overhead. Put your purse or briefcase under the seat in front of you, until you know for sure there will be room. Also, don’t put your jacket in a bin unless it’s going on top of or in front of your bag.
  • Don’t make it your plan to gate check.  This is a pet peeve of mine.  If you bring a normal sized carry-on that you are happy to bring on the plane but has to be gate-checked due to space, that is one thing. But please don’t bring an oversized bag that you know will not fit in an overhead bin simply to try to save a few dollars.   If you think you are bringing too much stuff, 1) you probably are and 2) you should probably check your bag. If you don’t want to pay the fee, bring less stuff. Don’t slow everyone else down because you’re trying to save $30.
On the plane
  • Put your bag in the bin as close to your seat as possible. If you are sitting in row 25, and there is no room over 25 and there is room over 23, that’s one thing. But if you’re sitting in row 25 and you put your bag over row 10 because you don't want to carry it down the aisle then you're being rude to the people in row 10.
  • Put your suitcase on the correct side of the airplane, facing the correct way. The flight attendants aren't telling you this for fun, roll aboard bags really do fit better a certain way.
  • Armrests.  I always let the middle seat have the armrests.  Those seats tend to have less room so give the armrest to the middle seat.
  • Respect the crew.  If they tell you to power off your electronics, then power off your electronic.  Don't try to dim the screen and hide it under your leg.  Also, the crew is responsible for the transport and safety of over a hundred people on your plane. You are not special and they are not your personal assistants.
  • Be mindful of reclining. This can be a controversial topic.  My rule of thumb is reclining is ok, except during food service.
  • Please, please don’t wear heavy fragrances, use any fragrant products, or eat any really fragrant food while on the plane.
Once you arrive
  • Stay seated.  It takes a while to connect the jetbridge and open the door, so there is no need to immediately jump up, block the aisle, just to stand there for 10-20 minutes.  We all want to get off the plane and you know what?  We will, but we can't all squeeze through the portal at one time so wait until its your rows turn.  The airport isn't going anywhere.  If there is someone who has a tight connection, it is polite to let them go first or pass you in the jetbridge if necessary. Think of how you would like to be treated in that situation!
  • Clear the path.  When you get off the plane and you realize you need to readjust your carryon, personal item, and coat, please do not stop in the middle of the jetbridge.  Wait until you are out of the gate, step aside and readjust your items.
Did I miss anything? What is your favorite etiquette tip?

Friday, January 4, 2013

Resolving...Again!

Whew! Finally made it through the holidays!  Loved every minute with my family and friends, but with all the traveling, graduations, present buying (and second guessing) and apocalypse, its nice to move into the new year.

Which brings me to the latest topic of every conversation, resolutions.  Last years resolution was really more about stepping outside my comfort zone.  I'd always wanted to learn how to ballroom dance, but lets be honest I'm not a dancer.  Remember Elaine from Seinfeld dancing?  Yeah that's me.  Still it was something that has been in my head for years, so I decided to "suck it up" and signed up 3 months of lessons at the local Arthur Murray dance studio....You know what?  I actually liked it!  While I will never be a professional, I'm not exactly Elaine.  I still tend to lead more than I should, I'll probably never be completely relaxed, but I can dance AND carry on a conversation, so how's that for progress?

For the most part I'm very happy with my life.  Its busy at times but I think I do pretty well balancing my on-the-life with some good sit-on-my-butt time.  My closets are decluttered (2010 Resolution), my doctor is happy with my weight (I'm not) and exercise habits (2009 Resolution).

I've decided that instead of making a NEW New Years Resolution, I am going to revisit some old ones for a little....fine tuning.

Exercise - I run several times a week year round.   Running makes me happy.  It is a great way to clear my head, keeps my jean size in the single digits, and is just a great way to exercise.  The problem (if you can call it that) is all I really do is run.  I will sometimes cycle in the summertime, but I don't lift weights or go to the gym or do anything else except run.  So this year I'm going to shake things up.

I signed up my first sprint triathlon in August 2013.  Swim, Bike, Run!  They say that swimming is the best exercise you can do, its full body, great cardio, toning, and blah blah blah, but what it means to me is breaking out of my running mode.  I'm obviously going to need to not only swim, but swim for .6 miles. GULP!

Yoga, more specifically Bikram Yoga.  I first did Bikram Yoga in 2011 when I was in physical therapy for a running injury (hmmm surprise??).  The PT recommended I start doing yoga, so I found a Groupon for Bikram Yoga.  OMG! I loved it.  I felt great, my knee felt great, and I was back running after a few months....then I stopped.  So I'm going to start Bikram Yoga again.

Eat Better - I don't do TOO bad of a job of eating healthy (2009 Resolution), but I can always do better.  I'm not sure how I'm going to get over my weakness for burgers and fries and my roommate (Miss Size 6 and can eat anything) might go missing if she orders my favorite pizza this month but for the rest of January my eating goals will be:

  • 1 fresh vegetable juice a day 
  • Eliminate sugar, alcohol, and caffeine
  • Nothing fried
Family/Friends - With my travel schedule it can be hard to make time to see family or visit extended family, especially when you sometimes have less than 36 hours a week at home.  Well last year even though I took a great vacation, I still carried over quite a few vacation hours to this year.  So this year I'm going to make a bigger effort to visit family, see friends I haven't seen in a while, host a couple of dinners for my local friends, and run more with my runner friends.

Beauty - Take my makeup off every night (2011 Resolution).  If I want to age gracefully I need to take better care of my skin.

Work - I already work too much, but I love it, so I'm not going to resolve to work less.  What I am going to resolve to do is clear out my Inbox (2011 Resolution) at the end of every week.  I'm good about responding, but when I'm bad about is filing.   So I've been spending some time creating mail folders that are actually meaningful instead of keeping thing in "Misc".  I kept my 2011 Resolution for about a week before abandoning it altogether so lets see how I do this year.

What about you? What are some of your resolutions?