Joyeux Anniversaire to Me

7 years ago I discovered a little thing called wanderlust during my 1st trip abroad to Paris. 

I think it's time for a revisit.

In the mean time I will settle for good red wine, cheese, and fresh baked bread.

wan·der·lust

  [won-der-luhst] 

noun a strong, innate desire to rove or travel about.

Wanderlust Friday

Normally I try to feature a place that I've had the pleasure of traveling to or the next destination that provides me with enough daydreams to get me through the work day. Instead, today I have decided to share my "life will be complete when" ultimate travel to-do list. Yes, I am a believer in Bucket Lists, and I can't explain the satisfaction that ensues when I see another place checked off. Honestly, there are few places I would turn down a chance to travel to whether in the USA or internationally. Recently I sat down to update said lists and realized I have officially been to 31 out of 50 of the States. Bring on #32! Very rarely do I rate the order in which I aspire to visit any of the destinations, because I prefer keep it spontaneous. For example, last summer with a little under 3 weeks until departure date I booked a trip to Europe and checked off Norway, London, & Sweden even though I vowed to travel to South America before crossing the pond again. However, for years I had dreamed of cruising down a fjord in the majestic countryside of Norway so when the opportunity presented itself I couldn't say no.

MY LIFE WILL BE COMPLETE WHEN TRAVEL LIST

Morrocco

one word: majestic

Brazil

beaches, beautiful people, and a little Samba on the side. yes, please?

Thailand

 the amazing food would be worth the journey alone and the best beaches in the world

Istanbul, Turkey

modern day meets ancient exotic

Argentina

 regardless of the fact that I have heard endless amazing things about Buenos Aires I look forward to a nice full glass of Malbec while relaxing in Mendoza....I would also love to ride along with a goucho, drink some yerba, and eat a nice hunk of steak followed by admiring the lustful dance moves of the tango

Italy

 a month and nothing less

Bolivia

 while in Peru the reputation of the hearts of the Bolivians from other travelers resounded 

Costa Rica

to experience La Pura Vida

Vancouver, BC

just because

New Zealand

 have you seen Lord of the Rings?

Croatia 

jagged coastlines dotted with lighthouses and amazing views of the Baltic Sea

Ireland

 my homeland!

Isreal

would love to submerge myself in the rich history

Mongolia

arriving via the Mongol Rally would be pretty rad

Czech Republic

beer, opera, and amazing architecture oh my

South Africa

mountains, beaches, wineries

Japan

hot springs and cherry blossums

Greece

white washed buildings, blue tile roofs, and bronzed bodies

Australia

everything seems bigger and better and the accents sexier

Denmark

just to eat at Noma

Austria

to hop and skip and sing to the sounds of music in the countryside

Philippines

beautiful beaches and smiling peoples

India

a shock to the senses (isn't that often needed?) would be worth it to see the biggest love story ever written err built and the indescribable richness of the culture

So my list kept growing as I was typing, and I realized I really need to start planning my next trip.

Wanderlust Friday: Sunny Santa Barbara

I mentioned previously that I jetted off to the West Coast to celebrate the 30th. Three of my besties joined me in Santa Barbara and, oh boy, were we in for a treat. Why Santa Barbara you may ask? Good question! I was looking for somewhere sunny yet not entirely beachy (though I love the beach I cannot sit and do nothing for 3+ days) or a yet to be explored wine country like Sonoma County. A friend mentioned that she heard Santa Barbara had both. The beach and wineries? Sold! So, the trip planning began. I opted to fly into LA and set out on a road trip adventure up the scenic Pacific Coast Highway aka California Highway 1 as many refer to it. After an impromptu stop for Lava Flow's at Duke's in Malibu we arrived at our destination in approximately 1.5 - 2 hours.

I can't say enough wonderful things about Santa Barbara! From the Spanish Colonial style architecture with it's white plaster and clay tiled roofs (even the gas stations!),  perfectly manicured landscapes, and quaint little State Street to the friendliness of the people, the quiet little beach less than a 2 mile walk from downtown, and the close proximity to the St. Inez Valley wine country. I couldn't stop smiling, because everything was so stinking cute! It didn't hurt that our accents charmed everyone we met. We unofficially became known as The Mississippi Girls, and I am fairly certain we left our mark on Santa Barbara. While I have always related to Tony Bennett's renowned song, "I Left My Heart in San Francisco", I've now decided my heart awaits me in Santa Barbara. Enjoy my photos from the wonderful weekend!

our wheels for 4 days....who can think of Cali without thinking of a convertible?

the beautiful door that welcomed us 'home' each day

 The fabulous Mississippi Girls!!

WANDERLUST FRIDAY: The Catalyst

When I was finishing up college a dear friend set out into the great unknown to follow his dreams. This same dear friend was the catalyst behind my first big girl journey aka my discovery of travel. I was entering my second year of graduate school with a mere 2 week break between classes. During this break I managed to be in the wedding of my best friend 6 hours away and squeeze in a trip abroad. My first trip abroad. I must confess I skipped the first few days of that semester to make the trip happen and never regretted it for a moment. As far as I was concerned craniofacial anomalies and phonetics could wait. There were much more important things at hand like discovering every inch possible of Paris. Inexperienced traveler that I was showed up without any forethought other than I was on a mission to have a good time. I had just finished summer school and the last thing I wanted to do was read another book. Fortunately, my friend was living there working as a tour guide, so for 6 wonderful days I was a sponge. Six wonderful days were filled with wine, museums (Louvre? What's the Louvre?), being honked at while dodging cars on bicycles, Sacre Coeur, crepes, Notre Dame, the discovery of Nutella, Luxembourg Gardens, fending off admirers, pate, the Eiffel Tower, Catacombs, croissants, Les Invalides. I still remember the sounds of the streets filled with motos and horns drifting in the windows throughout the warm nights. From the moment I stepped foot on that wonderful continent of Europe I got "that feeling", and I haven't stopped going since.

My favorite place- Sacre Coeur

view of the city from Sacre Couer via

Luxembourg Gardens

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Eiffel Tower

Notre Dame Cathedral 

thought by many to be the finest French Gothic architecture in the world via Trip Advisor

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Source: Flickr / celinenyc

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le sigh.....Laduree

Take a peak inside. Love their signature mint green color.

Yum. Yum. Yum.

via

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  photo by Peter Turnley/Corbis via National Geographic

Streets of Paris

via

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here

Pinterest

Photo by Steven Greaves

Me- Paris- 2006

WANDERLUST FRIDAY: VIVA ESPANA (Part 2)

Madrid was the first city I set off to explore while living in Spain. My purpose behind this trip was to meet a friend from the States who was flying in to travel with me for a week. Arriving a day early to get a feel for the city I quickly hit the streets in search of a place to sleep for the night. I had decided not to plan anything in advance and assumed I would be a brave traveler staying in a hostel for the first time. After leaving the 6th hostel with no luck finding a free room I began to panic. Naive American traveler that I was did not anticipate the hordes of people traveling for Semana Santa (Holy Week). 

I had emailed a few people on Couch Surfing a few days prior to see if I could stay at their apartment, but I had received no responses before arriving. Couch surfing is based on the concept that people offer travelers a place to stay for free as well as a bit of a personal introduction to the local way of life if the host has time. During this moment of panic I began considering other options if I didn't find a place to sleep such as spending the night on a bench in the airport, staying out all night, or going to the 1 store in Madrid that stayed open for 24hrs.

There was a guy on Couch Surfing who had listed his number in the event of an emergency. I came to the conclusion that it was officially a state of an emergency, so I sent him a text message. He eventually messaged me back and assured me I was welcome to stay at his apartment. After a moment of weighing the pros and cons I decided I wanted an adventure, to save money, and to see Madrid from a local's perspective. And that I did. 

My first Couch Surfing experience was fantastic, magical even. Miguel rescued me at a moment's notice and shared as much as the city with me as was possible in one night: tourist spots, food, coffee, authentic flamenco, disco, R&B, underground salsa (behind a closed metal door in an empty alley at 4am no less), and great conversation. I was so thankful I had opted to seek out adventure. After an hour of sleep I set out for the airport to greet my friend. The pinnacle of my adventure had occurred, and I knew nothing could ever hold me back.

Parque del Buen Retiro

Symbol of Madrid

KIO Towers

Plaza de Cibeles

Almundena Cathedral- attended mass here on Easter Sunday

One of the most unique cathedrals I have ever been in. Love the colors.

oh the details

Royal Palace

Prado Museum

Easter procession during Holy Week

mid day snack- cafe con leche and torrijas (a traditional Easter pastry)

had to fight through this to enjoy that

It is said all roads in Spain originate from this point.

Plaza Mayor

ham ham and more ham

Flamenco in a dimly lit room filled with smoke & good spirits. Interesting and oddly personal.

Puerta de Alcala

top image via