A bite of the Big Apple

Bright lights, big city. Time Square, New York, NY.

Trips are great, even if they're just quick one-nighters for business. This week, I got the opportunity to go to one of the most facinating cities in the United States - New York, specifically, Manhattan near 5th Ave. and 40th St. Despite the short stay, my travel companion and I decided to make the most of our time in the Big Apple and as soon as we landed at LaGuardia and hopped a taxi to our Marriott 5th Avenue, we dropped the bags and started walking around town.

It was a bit chilly, and it got dark quickly, but we strolled around town and ran into a couple fun "touristy" sites like Time Square and Rockafeller Center. We walked into St. Patrick's Cathedral, which was very pretty, and perused the hallways of the NY Public Library. That was kind of awesome. We browsed the NBC store (in which I'm pretty sure I could bankrupt myself), popped our heads in a few boutique shops selling everything from homemade soap (don't wanna know what they make it out of) to cute scarves and hats (I had to be dragged out of there). We had reservations at a restaurant called Dos Caminos - you guessed it: Mexican - and enjoyed a lovely, expensive meal, including some kind of cactus-fruit martini to complement the homemade guacamole, shrimp quesadillas, empanadas, and other gastronomical wonders. I'm fairly sure I have never eaten so much in one night in my life.

After dinner, we walked down the street to a little hole-in-the-wall Irish pub (just my style) for a few drinks. Don't worry, the amount of food we ate sucked up most of that alcohol - it was a beautiful thing. We had some kind of cucumber and pear martini that was absolutely phenomenal! But, alas, our night had to end at some point, so we hoofed it back to the hotel around 2 a.m. so we could get our beauty rest before a full-day seminar beginning at 8:30 the next morning.

The seminar was very good, and extremely relevant to our business. Since that's really all we did the rest of the time, and I'm sure that is not at all interesting to you, we'll leave it at that. I would love to someday go to New York for two weeks and see everything I want to see. Though this was my second visit to the city, I still have yet to go in the Empire State Building, really appreciate and explore Central Park, visit Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty, or really even get lost in Manhattan and find fun restaurants and shops (what I'd really like to do!). Ah well, next time. Until then, I'm pleased with my mini-trip, my snack-sized bite of the Big Apple, if you will.

Cuyahoga Valley National Park

Blue Hen Falls in the
Cuyahoga Valley National Park

Having grown up in Northeast Ohio, I'm fairly used to the jabs and cheap shots (aka - "lazy insults") hurled at Clevelanders. Yeah, yeah, our river caught fire. That was almost a half-century ago; get over it. Yeah, I know, we have one of the smallest "Big Cities" around. And OK, I'll give you the fact that our job outlook is only slightly better than the worst city in the nation (must suck to be Detroiters! Just kidding. Kind of.). 

However... we have the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. 

What is this that I speak of? Why, it's Northeast Ohio's very own gem! The diamond in the rough! The best-kept-open-secret you can find, surrounded by decrepit has-been industrial cities! Where else can you spend 8 hours hiking in a vast wilderness, only to turn a corner, find your car and be at a Super Wal-Mart in less than 90 seconds? 

All joking aside, I think it's fair to say that the Cuyahoga Valley National Park is the most underrated attraction in Ohio. I've lived here my whole life, and I've never explored it until this year. On Thursday, I took a much-needed day of rest from work, and as a therapeutic remedy for my ills, I took my dog Louie to Brandywine Falls for a three-mile hike through the woods. Then, on Saturday, my husband and I decided to be a bit ambitious and took our puppy out for a five-mile hike on the Buckeye Trail, then we went on a 10-mile bike ride on the Towpath. These trails were not only breathtakingly gorgeous, especially with the autumn leaves on full, vibrant display on phenomenal sunshiny days, but aside from the Towpath, they were also relatively empty. It's not that people don't take advantage of our natural sanitarium, it's just that there are SO many trails to explore that there's room for everyone. 

We love hiking in the C-Val (as we cool kids like to call it). It's quiet. It's beautiful. It's a way to be active, appreciate nature, and recharge your batteries. Have you ever sat down in the middle of the woods, with no one around, watched the sunbeams stream through the leaves of an amber-gold tree, listened to the babble of a waterfall nearby and the sounds of countless unidentifiable birds and bugs chattering to each other, breathed deep and just thought, "OK, this is exactly what I needed"? 

I have. I highly, highly recommend it. 

So, pack a lunch, grab a water bottle, put on your most comfortable walking shoes and get moving. The Towpath is nice and flat if you want to be lazy... err... enjoy a leisurely stroll, and the Buckeye Trail will test your quads and gluts probably more than you'd like. But both are way, way worth the effort. 

Happy hiking! 

(For more information on the Cuyahoga Valley National Park and the hiking trails, visit http://www.nps.gov/cuva/ )

Adventure

The adventure begins! 9/28/07

Today is my husband's and my third wedding anniversary. I had to laugh at the fourth person who asked me "So, where are you going for your anniversary?" because it's just assumed that we will hop in a car and drive somewhere to "get away from it all," last-minute-style, for our special day. Alas, we have decided to go no farther than Independence (roughly 17 minutes away) for a lovely dinner at LockKeepers, then have a movie night at home. To me, that sounds just perfect this time around. After all, we are going on a cruise in a couple months, so no need to completely bleed our bank account dry!

Let me tell you a bit about my husband, and what makes me pretty sure he's a keeper. Yesterday, I sent an e-mail with the subject line "Adventure!" that linked to a story about Virgin Galactic's near completion of testing its commercial spaceship. In a half-serious exclamation, I vowed I'd make it on one of those flights to space one day (of note: the only reason it's half-serious is because it comes with a $200,000 price tag. For now.) He replied with an equal-hearted "OK, but can we climb Mt. Everest first? It's only half the price!" (Also of note: we have never actually been mountain climbing - aside from the Salisbury Crags in Edinburgh, which I don't think count.)

Now, that alone is pretty indicative that we are soul mates. But it gets better. We took the e-mail thread a little further by discussing mountains in the United States that could be our "warm ups" for Everest. By the third e-mail, we had actual vacation plans starting to emerge - to the Smokey's, Colorado, and culminating in California and Alaska for the Big Ones. Our mentality: Why Not? This is one of the many reasons I love my husband.

We have been to so many different places together, and we're excited to discover new places as we continue our greatest trip of all - marriage. It is an adventure. And he is my guide - helping me make the decisions that will give me a thrill, but not kill me; letting me go off on my own but holding my hand when things get rocky and dangerous; there every step of the way. Some people wonder how we have been together for eight years (including dating) and are so happy, especially since we went through college together and first jobs, and many of life's biggest stresses. Some people are sickened by our saccharine relationship. But I'll tell you this much: it took a while for me to really, really understand just how lucky I am, and I am still discovering my husband every day. He surprises me with how in tune to my psyche he is. He surprises me with how much he puts up with me (make no mistake, and I'm sure this is shocking to find out, but I am NO peach to live with!). He surprises me with how he is not only a fantastic Mr. Fix-It, chef, adventurer, hard-worker, bread-winner, but he is also the most understanding, patient and caring person I've ever met. And best of all, he is my best friend. He's there cheering me on every step of the way, laughing with me, and lending a shoulder or a giant hug when I need it.

So, this one is dedicated to my partner in life for adventures large and small, near and far, happy and sad. Thank you for all you do.

A Laborious Labor Day

Well, I didn't decide to travel anywhere this long, lovely weekend, per se. However, I did run in my first 5k race this morning in Aurora, which was both an undertaking and a visual pleasure nonetheless. Having first started running about six months ago, and having only reached one-mile-status about three months ago (insert your clever joke that it took me three months to run a mile here), and also considering I'm an asthmatic ex-smoker who has what my physical therapist once called "the tightest hamstrings [he's] ever seen," I am pretty darn proud of myself for making it this far.

The location of the race was Sunny Lake Park in Aurora, Ohio, and it was quite pretty. Surrounded by tall, lush green trees hinting at autumn color, the lake was calm and the morning was chilly. I managed to injure myself before the race even started, because ...well, because that's what I do. I cut my thumb trying to open a sugar canister for my coffee, and bled through three band-aids before race-time. Yeah, that's about right.

My hubby came to watch me, and I acted all too-cool-for-school, absolutely non-panicky at all, while we walked to the starting point. Inside, of course, I was peeing a little bit (metaphorically speaking, of course). Half of me is thinking "You wuss, this is only 3.15213434 miles (roughly)," and the other half of me is thinking "If you casually jog to the left most of the first half mile, you'll make it back to the car through the woods and no one will notice." Luckily, the former voice won out - mainly because I had already told my friends and posted on Facebook that I'd be running the race, and my pride wouldn't allow me to back out now. And so it began.

I literally got passed by some of the 5k walkers - that is not an exaggeration - before the end of the first lap around the lake. But, I kept about an 11-minute-mile pace, which is good for me because I have teeny-tiny legs and have to take about double the steps that everyone else has to take. Once the 65-year-old passed me though, I picked up the pace a little bit.

The scenery really was beautiful. We ran around the lake and through the woods on a nice paved path, and the smells of the forest helped to calm my mind and my breathing a bit. I had a decently excruciating cramp about halfway through the second mile, which I attribute to the coffee earlier (that was strike two against that stupid cup of coffee. I don't even drink coffee!).

By the end of the race, I was feeling alright and saw my husband cheering for me at the finish line. I smiled and ran through it, having not walked at all, and shockingly landing about in the middle of the pack, with a 33:25 time. Not bad for a 5'2" novice runner. I might just keep at this sport. Maybe.

So, that was the most excitement I saw this weekend, which was just fine with me. I relaxed the rest of the time, saving my exertion for Labor Day, of course. I hope you enjoyed yours, as we all head back to the fabulous world of computers and annoying co-workers tomorrow (if you're one of my co-workers reading this, don't worry, I'm not talking about you).

It's almost that time!

See that little guy in the middle?
He's the culprit...

I'm staring out my window at my office right now (don't freak out, it's my lunch break!), and I noticed something unexpected. The leaves on several of the trees across the street are - GASP! - turning an odd shade of ginger. I'm not OK with that. Not yet. It's only July, isn't it? August? Crap, I guess it is September now, isn't it? Either way, the audacity of those trees...

Well, I'm over it already. It's the end of summer, Labor Day weekend is just over the hump, and that means Ohio is about to show us her true, splendid, beautiful fall colors. We had one heck of a gorgeous August, so I can't complain too much that the temperature is going to start falling. I am excited for driving down I-77 - preferably to visit my brother-in-law at my Alma Mater, Ohio University! - and seeing the fireworks of red, orange, purple and gold littering the tree-tops. Here's to a few more weeks of sunshine and tee-shirts before we start with the bonfires, scenic road trips, football and sweatshirts!

Enjoy the holiday weekend, everyone. RELAX (that's what Labor Day is for! I'm even turning off my BlackBerry! OK, well, not really. I mean, let's be serious...), and let me know about any fun trips you go on. I'm not planning on leaving town, but hey - it's still early. I may throw a road trip in there yet!

Introductions

I swear, I'm not napping - I'm staring at
the beautiful Scottish sky in Edinburgh!

Hello, dear reader; thanks for checking out my new blog. First thing's first: let's kick this baby off with a little background - a brief glimpse into my semi-spectacular life (by my own standards) and what led me to start typing out my inner musings about my second-favorite subject on Earth: TRAVELING!

At the time of this writing, I am 26 years, eight months, and roughly two and a half days old. In that time, I've slowly developed a feverish passion for traveling, starting with family vacations growing up, then morphing into the wacky world of business travel, branching off to volunteer trips in foreign countries, and ending up now as a mixture of domestic and international jaunts with anyone and everyone who's willing to tag along with me - or alone, if no one will. I consider travel to be... completely necessary, to put it bluntly. I don't think anyone can truly understand this world (ever), but I think one can come a little closer each time one travels somewhere new.

I go back and forth trying to decide whether or not I'm a "travel snob." The truth is, I am a little bit, but not because any place is "not good enough" for me. It's more along the lines of, if I've been somewhere before, I'd prefer to go somewhere new instead of returning to that place time and again. I want to see what the rest of the world has to offer. We only have a few short years on this Earth, and it really is a damn big place. The best part is, ANYwhere you go, you can find something (or someone) amazing, life-changing, and new. You just have to know how to look.

I have a lot of people who think I'm crazy, my wonderful husband included in that group. I am asked often why I want to go certain places (Antarctica, Jordan, Israel, Ghana and Greenland are somewhere in my top 10), why I continuously spend all my money on travel, what's out there that you can't find here at home? The fact is, my main goal in life is to meet as many people and learn as much as possible about life, culture, history and our world that we live in. I travel the world as often as possible, and try to discover ways to learn and help whenever I can. All my experiences and every person I have met have made me the person I am today, and therefore, I am a constantly changing person. And I love that. It's not that I have to travel FAR, it's that I have to travel OFTEN. I can find what I'm looking for just about anywhere I go. But it's always exciting to see something exotic.

A quick word on the name of this blog: "You Can Sleep at Home." This is a phrase I use very often when I travel. First of all, let me just say I absolutely love to sleep. My hubby can attest to that - just ask him how loving and understanding I am when he tries to wake me up before 9 on a weekend. I think it's because I have a fantastic, very realistic imagination, and I've been known to have some pretty awesome dreams. That said, while I'm traveling, I want to see and experience everything I can while I'm there, so I have to constantly remind myself that sleeping is just wasting those precious minutes. Get enough rest to refuel, then get out there and explore (here's where you note the irony of my profile picture - passed out at a train station in France). When my travel companion starts complaining that they're tired - or when I'm hungover from a night out in Amsterdam - I usually end up half-mumbling the sentence, "Quit griping, you can sleep at home." Or... as it were... while waiting for public transportation.

So, there you have it. Quick and dirty - my introduction to the blog and a bit about me. Keep an eye out for future posts on where I'm going, travel tid-bits, general musings about the great world we live in, and whatever else happens to pour out onto my computer screen, other than my morning coffee. As my next (planned) trip isn't for a while, I'll most likely start off by recounting some of my favorite adventures.

Please feel free to leave comments, ask questions, subscribe to the blog, or share the link with friends. I hope you find it entertaining, quirky, informative and fun. I'll have plenty of information on the places I've been for those of you bitten by the travel bug as well, in case you're looking for ideas, and I'd be happy to discuss your trips with you further.

Until next time, enjoy the world around you and don't forget: everybody's idea of an exotic getaway is someone else's hometown - beauty is in the everyday!