The Dream of Getting Lost in Paris

Why I have yet to make the journey to Paris is a mystery to me. A combination of reasons -- timing, expenses, fear, and the fact that if/when I go, I may never return -- have contributed to today's travel resolution. The dream of getting "lost in Paris" still thrives deep within my wanderlusting soul.

I started taking ballet lessons at age three in a dance studio run by an old school French-style ballet genius, a difficult find in smalltown suburb, Ohio. She was in her late 60s when I knew her best, blonde gentle curls, shoulder pads, gold bangling bracelets, cigarette in hand, poodle at foot, propped in her short white director's chair. The piano player pounded away at the keys while we trained at the barre. I was physically there, but mentally, I was in France.

From age three, French positions and terminology were engrained into my daily routine -- plie, rond de jambe, frappe, tour jete! I was destined to study the language in highschool. And I did.

The language entrigued me, almost felt like a part of me I had yet to discover. The more I learned, then more I yearned to see The Louvre, The Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, and stroll down the Champs-Elysees. But even more than visiting the many tourist attractions you simply must see, my ultimate dream would be to get caught up in everyday life in Paris.

To sip wine and people-watch from a cafe on a bustling avenue and graze on freshly made baguettes, croissants and croque monsieurs would be the perfect day. Follow that up with a walk through the city at night, hand-in-hand with the man I love, gazing at the moonlit City of Lights, and I would be one happy lady. Might as well even throw some rain in the mix. Fine with me. We'd get lost in the beauty of Paris, just reveling in the history, lifestyle and emotion that is undoubtedly French.

Someday.

Until then, I'll watch and rewatch Amelie, Sabrina and Midnight in Paris to get my fix. I'll listen to my Edith Piaf radio station on Pandora, read travel posts, and Google images for Paris.

Oh, to get "lost in Paris" ... I'm sure I'd find another missing piece of myself.

This article (among other things) in NY Times inspired this post.

French bottled water comercial, must see!

FranceGuide

The Vacation Argument: An Oxymoron?

You never know where your vacation will lead.

It’s like complaining about a free lunch or having too much fun. Who does it and what’s the point? The other day a friend of mine mentioned the fact that she and her man keep arguing every time they discuss their vacation options for this summer. Which part of Mexico should we go to? How long should we stay? What should we do there? Let’s do something else instead, etc.

One of them has too many vacation days to use up this year. Sucks to be you, right? Must be nice! The other one can’t seem to convince him that she can only afford one big trip this year. Here lies the issue. If they plan on vacationing together, they must make a choice. The quarrel ensues.



My advice? Just pick one. All options are lovely. There’s no sense in making your vacation (or vacation plans) stressful. The point of a vacation is to escape your everyday stresses in the first place. I know, it sounds much simpler than it is.

Decide on your ultimate “goal” for the trip. Whether it be adventure, to see a particular show, concert or attend an event, pure relaxation, good food, sightseeing or just plain old togetherness, you can surely narrow down your options by agreeing on a common goal.

Family vacations always sound like a good idea, until the planning actually starts. He wants to be active on vacation, but she wants to relax. They want to be pampered and eat at fancy restaurants every night, but they want to cook their own food and lounge in comfy clothes and bathing suits all week. Is it really worth the fight?

It never fails. Every year my extended family tends to have big ideas about a vacation we can take together, and then after a few months of debate and juggling everyone’s calendar conflicts, we never actually go. Someday I hope to remedy this vicious cycle of vacation arguing so we can simply enjoy each other’s company in beautiful place we can all afford at a time that works for everyone. But I digress …

Make yourself available. Compromise is key. Chances are you’ll have a great time no matter which vacation you choose. Check your calendar and offer plenty of options for weeks you’d be available to skip town. Plan ahead for requesting vacation days from work and add to your vacation fund whenever possible.

Take a risk. Never been out of the country and afraid to make the trip? Don’t be. Sure, getting a passport can be a frustrating (albeit expensive) task. Just do it. Get one, so you’re able to cross the border at a whim the next time your best friend wins a free trip to Mexico or your husband wants to take you to Niagara Falls for the weekend. I’m not talking about risking your life in North Korea or something … just easy international travel that millions of Americans do everyday (The Caribbean, Greek Isles, Western Europe, Australia, even Beijing or Tokyo). Book it and then fill in the details.

Just say “yes”. Say “no” less, and say “yes” more. Don’t be a stick in the mud, and be sure to keep an open mind. This is possibly the most important rule. OK, maybe even I wouldn’t jump at the chance to bungee jump off a bridge or go ice fishing for a week. No, no, I mean say “yes” to trying sushi at a great seafood restaurant at resort. Say “yes” to snorkeling in Mexico and don’t be afraid to be called up on stage to sing karaoke at a live show. Vacations are an opportunity for you to let loose and try new things in front of close family and friends (and 100s of people you’ll never see again). What better way to make a memory?

Everyone needs a vacation now and then. Speaking of which, I’d like one right now!

SniqueAway, yes please!

I love me a great deal, don't you? Here's a *Hot* new site to check out if you're planning a spontaneous getaway.  SniqueAway :: http://www.sniqueaway.com/ 

A sister site of TripAdvisor, if you sign up for a free membership, you'll be sent updates for stunning escapes at a fraction of the price -- up to 50% off!  If you act quickly (you have to since the deals only last up to a week unless they sell out quicker!), you can find some pretty wicked deals at some pretty awesome places. 

Destinations like the British Virgin Islands, NYC, Playa Mujeres, Arizona, Chicago and England to name a few, top the list this week.

These resorts are breathtaking! 
Check it out!

While you're exploring, follow me on Twitter too!

Travel 2.0

Prior to my recent jet-sets from Cleveland to Hawaii (9 hours) and Beijing (13 hours) I had only travelled relatively short domestic distances by plane. For a flight lasting longer than the average person's workday, I couldn't imagine the lengths passengers would go to avoid muscle pains, trapped-in-an-aircraft-for-a-day-with-a-bunch-of-strangers-aphobia and, perhaps worst of all, boredom. 

Thanks to a new generation of journey-friendly products and services I refer to as Travel 2.0, and a few calisthenics exercises, a long flight in coach can turn out to be a surprisingly positive experience.

In-flight Entertainment

My under the seat carry-on bag contained the usual self-entertainment items -- a book, magazine, iPod, headphones, cards, snacks, etc. -- but I barely read a page.   Thanks to the mini TV screen mounted directly in front of my face, I was thoroughly entertained by movies (I Love You, Man; Marley and Me; Eclipse; Wizard of Oz; 40-Year-Old Virgin; Cars; The Proposal), TV shows (The Office; Curb Your Enthusiasm; Project Runway; History Channel selections), music (a dozen channels of different genres) and games on demand.  Time flew by (no pun intended) just as quickly as if I were sprawled on out my own comfy couch watching TV on a Sunday afternoon ... except, I was sitting upright, surrounded by 100s of strangers in a dimly lit cabin of a Boeing 747.  Just like home!

Bonus: Regular headphones with a standard connector work just fine in the arm rest plug -- no need to purchase the flight-specific set like the old days. 

If you book a flight with touch screen options, you can easily select music, videos and flight info channels; and the trivia games allow you to play against fellow travelers on board.  You're goin down, lady in 28B! 

When you're ready for a snooze, set your screen to the map of your flight route.  It was surreal to wake up and realize that we were directly over the North Pole on our way to the opposite end of the world.  High-fives to Santa and all the penguins!

iPads

I was amazed to see how many iPads were popping out of the overhead bins.  Mostly surprised by the fact they didn't belong to adults -- kids ages 4-12 were the ones with the $499 toy!  Parents smartly loaded them up with kids' games, coloring apps, videos and Dora eposides before making the trip.  I found myself wishing I had one of my own, and also relieved that the kids were being so calm and quiet while we were in the air. 

Muscle Stretches & Seating Tips
On both of my flights there were people who stood up most of the trip.  Parents walked up and down the aisles with their babies, older couples stood together and chatted in small groups and many passengers did ankle lifts and lunges to keep the blood flowing.  When I wasn't sleeping, I made it a point to get up at least once an hour (try to get an end seat if you can, for easy exiting), to stretch my neck, legs and back. 

For extra back support in your seat try using the blanket or pillow provided by the airline for a lumbar roll.  Wear comfortable, breathable shoes, and layer up for better temperature control.  The air tends to get stale, so even if you're getting chilly, you might want to switch on your air vent for some circulation.  Bring your own blanket and neck pillow if you're able, and an eye mask and ear plugs are helpful for a more comfortable sleep.

Food Service vs. No Food Service

My flight to Beijing was 4 hours longer than my flight to Hawaii, but felt much shorter.  How could that be?  Food service makes all the difference.  Try to find a flight that serves a meal and/or snack every few hours.  Eating makes the time go by much faster by breaking up the trip into smaller chunks.  If no food is provided, make sure to bring substantial snacks for yourself and eat every 3-4 hours.  Drink plenty of water and avoid concentrated sugar drinks (like cranberry and tomato juice) toward the middle and end of the flight. 

Many International flights offer complimentary beer and wine, which can help you sleep and calm your nerves. 

What are your long flight travel tips? 

Things I Learned in China

After an eye opening, life changing, 3-week visit to Beijing, I'm glad to say I'm officially back in America. Back in Cleveland. Back home!

There's no way I could have possibly prepared myself for everything I'd experience halfway around the world. The customs, food, culture, language and people couldn't be any more different than the U.S. They push and shove. They spit. They eat dried seaweed as a snack. They risk their lives just crossing the street. They're intelligent and kind and extremely professional, all speaking at least two languages. They drink only hot drinks in the winter, barely ever touch food with their hands and are very superstitious about life in general. A lot of the English is a choppy broken British English, making communication even in my own language difficult. I managed to live and work there for 3 weeks, but there was no lack of struggle involved. It was truly a humbling experience that I'll never forget.

About the PRN Office

The office is on the 7th floor (just like here!) of a building called Maple Tree Tower. It's located amidst the hustle of the Central Business District (the "CBD") of Chaoyang District, Beijing. Super close to major subway and bus stations, it's a great location for commuters and business people in general. Editorial is made up of 8 editors who sit in the same room with CSRs, Marketing, Tech and Media Relations. The office is new, clean, purple, and has an energetic and enthusiastic vibe -- it's a great place to work.

Some things I learned from Chinese PRNers

They are amazing. I've never been surrounded by so many wonderful people. They took me in as if I was one of their own -- across all departments -- always inviting me to lunch, dinner, out on the weekends, etc. They take pride in every job they do, never hesitating to help one another. If anyone asked for help, someone was immediately at his or her side. Their sense of urgency and customer service was unbelievable, something I've hoped to bring back home with me. Their SOPs and workflow are completely different than ours, but by working together and constantly communicating, somehow their system works, and their clients very rarely complain.

Clients pay for 100% of their charges on the day they sign their contracts, so there are no cost estimates involved with the job. Clients have a more specific standard distribution they always use, and editors are required to make a quota of "client visits" each month. They know their clients very well and strive to make their experience with PRN absolutely perfect. Editors live by their hard copy check sheets, making all of their memos on paper to hand off to the processor. (It's difficult to read ... as there are a few different languages written on the page in handwriting. And they consistently make their 9s backwards!)

Hands down, the greatest thing I observed from working in China was that no matter what job a person has -- from a top level business executive or police guard, to a waitress or street sweeper -- they seem to have enormous personal pride in their work. Never assuming that they deserve a job, they work hard to move up and to succeed in life. As an American woman working for PR Newswire, it has taken a trip to Beijing to help me realize that by re-examining my own work ethic, I could expand and virtually redefine what personal success means to me. It's a truly amazing and life-changing notion and an idea I'd love to extend to all of you!

After visiting a world that couldn't be more different than our own, I feel recharged with a new perspective as an Editor for PR Newswire.

I'd love to share stories and bounce ideas back and forth with all of you!

xie xie, It's so great to be home!

Cheers,

The Forbidden City, China

It was a smoggy 60 degree Saturday in Beijing. We woke up, ate breakfast and jotted down subway directions to world's largest surviving palace complex, The Forbidden City, in China. Ready to venture out on our own, we anxiously packed our cameras, scarves and snacks for a day trip to this ancient Chinese Imperial Palace from the Ming Dynasty.

Subway Line 1 seemed busy for a Saturday in the business district, but we boarded the train anyway. We'd been to both New York City and Washington D.C. in the past, but found that China's subway is by far the easiest to navigate as a foreigner. Maps are displayed everywhere inside the station, listing landmarks and the direction you're headed, and the station itself is wide open, clean and bright. Honestly, Guomao Station feels like you're travelling into the future instead of just North-South / East-West.

Advertisements are complete with moving images, pop-out 2-D displays, and colored lights lining the floors and walls. You're underground, but it feels like daytime.

We rode the subway to the Tien'anmen East exit, where we rode the escalator to the surface and into a Chinese time warp. To the left was a busy street lined with local restaurants, rickshaws and Chinese faces. And to the right was a sworm of people from all continents and cultures, all bottlenecking their way into the entrance of The Forbidden City. Prepared to pay our 60 rmb each, we held on to each other's hands and prayed that we'd make it through the crowd in one piece.

Stop. Go. Stop. Go. People don't look up or around or care where they're stepping. If they want a photo, they are stopping. No questions asked. No" excuse mes" or "I'm sorrys". They just let you run into them and continue to go about their business, talking amongst themselves in their respective tongues. "Are you sure we want to go in?" I asked one last time. "Well, we're here, so let's just keep goin'," said my husband.

Over the moat and inside the main entrance we went.

I'm not sure what I was expecting, but I'm sure the reality blew it out of the water. Through the tunnel, we followed the crowds, tour groups and guards to the outside where the scene opened up into an immense courtyard of sorts. We were surrounded by 980 gigantic structures all topped with Chinese roofs, carvings, gargoils and traditional palatial architecture so unique to the culture that we were instantly transported to another time completely. One can imagine great emperors roaming the grounds with their flocks of concubines following closely behind them. Relics of water urns line the walls inside, which at one time served as firefighting tools in case the ancient collection of wooden structures accidentally caught on fire. It's simply overwhelming to imagine the ceremonies, birthdays, weddings and Chinese history that took place on the very grounds on which we were walking.

The smog hung heavy over the tops of the buildings as we ventured into the inner courtyard. The trees, winding paths and charming Chinese structures were breathtaking. I couldn't stop snapping photos! Signs indicated that these inner gardens were where the Emperors and Emperesses "amused" themselves with poetry, games and laughter. A charming setting for certain.

Finally, we'd reached the throne rooms, boarded up and englassed with windows, of course. You could peer inside for a quick look if you pushed your way up to the front. As we made our way back to the front of the city (another hour long walk) we couldn't help but notice that people were outstretching their arms on their tip-toes just to touch the ancient relics throughout the city. They fought their way up to the front of lines to catch a short glimpse of the throne rooms where ancient ceremonies and history had taken place 100s of years before. We were amazed at their reverance.

Our trip home on the subway was a much different experience than our way to Tien'anmen Square. As soon as we entered the station, we were right back in present times, pushing and shoving and cramming into tiny spaces to stand on the train. After 5 stops we heard "Guomao Station" and prepped for our escape. The doors opened and we were free again; back to our bubble in the business district. We were safely back in 2010, with photos from the past to document our Chinese adventure.

My China Arrival

I've never been a minority, neither living in Cleveland nor anywhere else I've ever gone. I've always been one of many -- White, American, English-speaking and "in style" fashionwise. I've never stood out as someone who looks or speaks differently than everyone else. I've always felt that I belong.

On October 10, 2010, my world was reversed, fast-forwarded 12 hours and completely switched backwards from everything I've ever known. "Don't freak out," was all I kept telling myself as I wandered my way toward the arrivals gate at Beijing Captial International Airport. "Don't look suspicous or scared. Just try to blend in." Armed with my passport and pre-stamped China Visa, I knew I was prepared. I was prepared, right? Wait. What was I getting myself into?

Alone. Nothing familiar. Different.

As I approached the arrivals gate, I took my place behind one of dozen counters that was marked "Foreigner". My flight was the first of many arriving at the same time, so I was lucky enough to be relatively close to the front of line. More travelers were filing in behind me by the hundreds, carry-ons in hand, speaking all different languages. I heard someone speaking English off in the distance. British English. Still foreign to me. People pushed and shoved their way into lines and stood on top of each other to avoid cut-ins.

With swollen ankles from my 13-hour flight, there I was, inching my way to the front, my heart racing with anxiety and fear of the unknown. After about a half hour, finally, it was my turn at the arrivals counter. The man took my passport without a word. I smiled. There was no return smile. He made a slash across my Visa, said "OK," and pointed for me to walk on through. I breathed a quick sigh of relief ... and I was on my way to baggage claim.

Surprisingly, retrieving my two checked bags and clearing customs were the easiest parts of my arrival. Baggage carts were available by the dozen, just like grocery carts, lined up along every wall. I grabbed one and booked it toward carousel #41. My baggage was right there waiting for me, neatly stacked side-by-side, with the green ribbons I'd attached streaming happily as identification. Customs was just a walk-through gate. No one even checked anything, as long as you weren't claiming any goods out of the norm. Phew!

Now, imagine you're a movie star on the Red Carpet with paparazzi lining the walkways holding signs, wearing fan t-shirts and shooting photos. That's what the arrivals gate in Beijing is like, except it's all Chinese faces staring back, and they're all waiting to pick up someone other than you.

Pushing my cart of luggage, I looped around to the far end of the "receiving" line and I heard someone yell my name. A familiar face!  Pushing through the sworm of people, I could see my friend, Anne, there to pick me up.  If it wasn't for her, I would have been doomed to somehow take a taxi cab by myself to a place that I didn't even know how to pronounce in Chinese. Thank goodness for Anne and her Mandarin skills. She was truly a lifesaver who put me at ease in this foreign place.

As if the airport wasn't an adventure in itself, I knew from that point on would be a great struggle to do anything that involved communication. Checking in. Eating. Working. Training colleagues. Getting from place to place.

I was overwhelmed ... but mostly humbled and intrigued. Much more to come!

China Visa

My Visa application is on its way to the consulate. Flight & hotel are booked.  Now it's a waiting game.  Even though I've followed all of the Visa instructions to a tee, I'm still nervous for everything to run smoothly.  Denial and I do not get along ...

I picked up a couple guides:  Top 10 Beijing (Eyewitness Travel) and Mandarin Phrasebook (lonely planet).  Hopefully these can help me plan excursions and get around the city. 

Today is the start of China's Mid-Autumn Festival of the Harvest Moon, which really got me thinking about how excited I am to experience their culture!  There's so much color, enthusiasm and tradition that I'm just hoping I'll be able to take it all in without being too overwhelmed.

So far my Mandarin knowledge is quite slim:
Ni hao, ma? = How do you do?
Xie Xie = Thank you

Next Stop - Beijing!

Ni hao, ma?

You read it right, my wonderlust is taking me to Asia!  I always said I'd like to experience China someday, but I never actually thought it would happen.  I'll be spending 3 weeks in the ChaoYang district of PRC's capital, Beijing, this fall.  I can't wait to start researching and learning some key Mandarin phrases.  Any tips you have would be lovely, as I'm definitely venturing into foreign territory here. 

Stay tuned for more info about my travel plans, how to obtain a Visa, etc. 

Great Wall of China

Rooftop view of part of the Beijing skyline

ChaoYang District (where I'll be staying)

 

Temple of Heaven, Beijing