* Pampas
* Patagonia
* flamingos, jaguars, monkeys, crocodiles, toucans, tortoises
* gauchos
* Buenos Aires, the "Paris of the Southern Hemisphere"
* tango
* the clash of culture (i.e. food from EVERYWHERE)
* I've never been to South America
* has the southernmost city in the world
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Places to Go, People to See--Argentina
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Places to Go, People to See--Morocco
* Casablanca, Marrakech, Fes, Tangier
* the Sahara
* the Mediterranean
* the Atlas mountains
* camels
* the blending of religions and cultures: French, Spanish, Arabic, Berber, Jew, Christian, Muslim,
* mint, olives, citrus, saffron, couscous, green tea
* markets, colors, architecture
* history
Monday, April 28, 2008
Places to Go, People to See--Costa Rica
Now that I've gotten settled in Charleston, I'm ready to go out and travel. I've devided that, over the next few days, I'm going to build a collection of my "must see" destinations?
Why Costa Rica?
* In my previous post, I made resolutions about being more environmentally aware, and Costa Rica is exactly that. They've pledged to be the first country to be carbon-neutral, and they're planning on doing so within 13 years. Not bad.
* Chandler's uncle and aunt live there and have several properties there, taking out the expense and hassle of finding a place to stay.
*They have a female Vice President.
*They were the first country to abolish their army.
* The minor perks of the country: beaches, tropical weather (I have never been anywhere tropical before!), lush landscapes, etc.
* Why the heck not?
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Happy New Year.
I know that the Western New Year falls on January 1st, but if it were up to me, New Year's would fall somewhere in the Spring. Springtime stirs something in me. It makes me want to clean out my closet, be more environmentally conscious, start art projects, eat healthier, and so much more. Trying to eat healthier in January is almost impossible. It's the grayest, chilliest month of the year, when all I feel like doing is curling up on the couch and watching 19th century British miniseries.
In the Spring, I revel outdoors. Now, with Maya in my life, I'm more than content to ramble down to Hampton Park and sit under the angel oaks while my pup digs in the dirt. I people and duck-watch. I write in my journal. I become more content to just be with myself.
New Spring Resolutions:
1. Yoga. Yoga. Yoga. (I'm totally copying my boss, Nikki, here.)
2. Eat healthy, locally, and as organically as possible. (But not totally cut out sweets from my life. I could never say goodbye to Cupcake.)
3. As a tie to the above, grocery shop at the Farmers Market and transport there with the entry below.
3. Ride my bike and walk as much as possible before it gets swelteringly hot.
4. Read books that are beautiful and inspiring, like what I'm reading now: The Shadow of the Wind.
5. Try to buy less trendy clothing, and only things that I love (especially if it's recycled clothing from thrift stores.
6. Same with home decor stuffs.
7. Write in my paper journal more.
8. Stop using plastic bags, once and for all, in favor of Baggus.
9. Find a place to volunteer in the community.
10. Be more social.
If you're curious as to all of the eco-themed resolutions, I've had "environmental guilt" for a while (thanks to my Dad, who would pack my lunch in the empty bags that loaves of bread came in) and the fact that I was bombarded with Earth Day was yesterday was quite the impetus to do more than feel guilty, but actually do more about it.
Here's what I'm doing environmentally, so far:
* Recycling everything I can.
* Keeping appliances turned off and/or unplugged when not in use.
* Buying predominantly recycled clothing, furniture, etc.
* Composting
* Cutting down on packaging (plastic, cardboard, etc.)
* Trying to avoid bags at the store (and reusing the ones I do take).
* Not printing out paper at home.
* Avoiding using unnecessary electricity (lights, heating/AC, etc.).
* Limiting water usage: showers, washing dishes, laundry, etc.
Here's what I need to work on:
* Everything.
* Stop driving to work (unless it's pouring).
* Replace all bulbs with compact fluorescents.
* Replace all paper products with recycled paper products.
* Stop printing out unnecessary pages on the computer at work.
* Buying locally, organically.
* As mentioned in resolutions, completely stop accepting bags at stores and using cloth bags.
However, in order to be really, really socially concious, I think you need to be pretty wealthy! Buying clothes not made outside the US (i.e., in sweatshops) is expensive, clothing made from recycled or environmentally-friendly materials like bamboo is expensive! Paraben-free, environmentally-friendly makeup and body products are expensive!
Leave me more ideas on how I can further limit my environmental waste.
I leave you with a song that (no matter how played out) always makes me feel like Spring, and I will love it forever:
In the Spring, I revel outdoors. Now, with Maya in my life, I'm more than content to ramble down to Hampton Park and sit under the angel oaks while my pup digs in the dirt. I people and duck-watch. I write in my journal. I become more content to just be with myself.
New Spring Resolutions:
1. Yoga. Yoga. Yoga. (I'm totally copying my boss, Nikki, here.)
2. Eat healthy, locally, and as organically as possible. (But not totally cut out sweets from my life. I could never say goodbye to Cupcake.)
3. As a tie to the above, grocery shop at the Farmers Market and transport there with the entry below.
3. Ride my bike and walk as much as possible before it gets swelteringly hot.
4. Read books that are beautiful and inspiring, like what I'm reading now: The Shadow of the Wind.
5. Try to buy less trendy clothing, and only things that I love (especially if it's recycled clothing from thrift stores.
6. Same with home decor stuffs.
7. Write in my paper journal more.
8. Stop using plastic bags, once and for all, in favor of Baggus.
9. Find a place to volunteer in the community.
10. Be more social.
If you're curious as to all of the eco-themed resolutions, I've had "environmental guilt" for a while (thanks to my Dad, who would pack my lunch in the empty bags that loaves of bread came in) and the fact that I was bombarded with Earth Day was yesterday was quite the impetus to do more than feel guilty, but actually do more about it.
Here's what I'm doing environmentally, so far:
* Recycling everything I can.
* Keeping appliances turned off and/or unplugged when not in use.
* Buying predominantly recycled clothing, furniture, etc.
* Composting
* Cutting down on packaging (plastic, cardboard, etc.)
* Trying to avoid bags at the store (and reusing the ones I do take).
* Not printing out paper at home.
* Avoiding using unnecessary electricity (lights, heating/AC, etc.).
* Limiting water usage: showers, washing dishes, laundry, etc.
Here's what I need to work on:
* Everything.
* Stop driving to work (unless it's pouring).
* Replace all bulbs with compact fluorescents.
* Replace all paper products with recycled paper products.
* Stop printing out unnecessary pages on the computer at work.
* Buying locally, organically.
* As mentioned in resolutions, completely stop accepting bags at stores and using cloth bags.
However, in order to be really, really socially concious, I think you need to be pretty wealthy! Buying clothes not made outside the US (i.e., in sweatshops) is expensive, clothing made from recycled or environmentally-friendly materials like bamboo is expensive! Paraben-free, environmentally-friendly makeup and body products are expensive!
Leave me more ideas on how I can further limit my environmental waste.
I leave you with a song that (no matter how played out) always makes me feel like Spring, and I will love it forever:
Friday, April 18, 2008
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
V to the 10th...Oh, the Madness.
What an exciting and exhausting trip! Margaret and I made it through, alive and (mostly) well.
To watch more videos, read our blogs, or view our photo galleries go to skirt!'s VDay '08 page.
Normal posting will resume shortly (I swear).
To watch more videos, read our blogs, or view our photo galleries go to skirt!'s VDay '08 page.
Normal posting will resume shortly (I swear).
Friday, April 4, 2008
Oh these days of spring, full of madness...
Spring is spring-loaded. It seems like greens, purples and yellows are popping from buds and branches and cracks in the sidewalks like tiny, beautiful explosions. I have this sudden desire to sit barefooted on my front porch while Maya watches me intensely write tangles of scribbled nonsense as she lies in the shade of the bushes.
I could write in my journal, time after time, day after day, about my struggles, my heartbreaks, and my endless insecurities. I could make a list hundreds of miles long about all of my worries and fears. But then, on a day like this, all of those things sort of crumble and all I have left is a very soft sort of hope and happiness.
"All of this around us'll fall over
I tell you what we're gonna do
You will shelter me, my love,
And I will shelter you"
I could write in my journal, time after time, day after day, about my struggles, my heartbreaks, and my endless insecurities. I could make a list hundreds of miles long about all of my worries and fears. But then, on a day like this, all of those things sort of crumble and all I have left is a very soft sort of hope and happiness.
V-Day ROAD TRIP!
I swear...I will start blogging regularly, one day. I promise.
Right now, my brain is filled with the V-Day Road Trip. Margaret (my co-worker) and I are leaving on Tuesday morning for a 5-day trip around the South to talk to women about feminism, women power, being a female, and all other things that may stem from this. We are also bringing camerapeople and documenting our journey episodically on skirt.com.
So come with us! Read our blogs and watch our vlogs as we talk about all of the incredible individuals we meet on our way to V to the 10th in New Orleans!
Knowing how incredibly bored Margie and I both get, I'm sure you'll see a lot of random and silly antics mixed in with interviews, music, landscapes and so much more. Leave comments on our blogs and cheer us on as we get further away from home!
(Photo from huffingtonpost.com)
Right now, my brain is filled with the V-Day Road Trip. Margaret (my co-worker) and I are leaving on Tuesday morning for a 5-day trip around the South to talk to women about feminism, women power, being a female, and all other things that may stem from this. We are also bringing camerapeople and documenting our journey episodically on skirt.com.
So come with us! Read our blogs and watch our vlogs as we talk about all of the incredible individuals we meet on our way to V to the 10th in New Orleans!
Knowing how incredibly bored Margie and I both get, I'm sure you'll see a lot of random and silly antics mixed in with interviews, music, landscapes and so much more. Leave comments on our blogs and cheer us on as we get further away from home!
(Photo from huffingtonpost.com)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)