Austin Here I Come!

 

At the beginning of this month I had the pleasure of visiting Texas for the first time. I planned on spending some time in Austin and making a pit stop in Dallas, but alas, time did not allow. So, I will simply share what I gathered from my one week in Austin, spending time with local Austinites - who will soon no longer be strangers to me, as I am moving!

My general, these were my superficial observations:

1. The topography and landscape was quite hilly, luscious and green, which I for some reason wasn’t anticipating. The green bushes were what I like to call round and squatty - can you tell i need to research the nature there? I think yes...there are lots of greenways to hang out at and parks to throw the Frisbee, nap on a hammock, etc. I am excited to cycle there and not be in the flat lands and absurd traffic of south FL.

2. The downtown and surrounding areas were super clean! I visited UT's campus and meandered around the downtown area for several hours and only found one single piece of trash - i'd say people there take pride in their city and conserve the area.

3.The buildings /community had its own sense of culture, style and uniqueness. I can see why some would call it "weird" but in my opinion, it's just a liberal city where the population prefers colorful, graphical representations on their structures...self-expression, if you will. This works for me, as I prefer odd to boring. Homes also openly exhibited their political affiliations and their support for political candidates - you don't see this in Florida or North Carolina, but then again, FL might be one of the most generic/ hodge podge/ places I have ever encountered (you can be sure to find these in any random order: surf shop, liquor store, dollar store, liquor store, bar, Wal-Greens…rinse and repeat).

4. It's taco Tuesday all day, every day! I am not sure what I was expecting, but the Tex Mex foodies really stepped up their game in this town, offering varieties of tacos that would please any palate. if you don't enjoy tacos, I stay away from Austin!! It's also food truck nation; there are countless (meaning, LOTS) of food trucks selling anything from cupcakes to...you guessed it, tacos!

What did I do while I was there?

The culinary highlights include a pit stop at the quaint and quirky Magnolia Cafe which had hands down the best squash dish I've ever eaten –  I know you are thinking “what?! squash?!...” but, seriously their vegetarian curry and squash dish was amazing. I would highly recommend eating there if you are looking for good customer service and a quick bite at an affordable price. If you are looking for a more upbeat atmosphere with live music and a killer view, The Oasis at Lake Travis is right up your alley. There, you can feast on frozen margarita treats and watch the sun  go down ...people even clapped and yelped at the impressive view.

Unbeknownst to me (and probably the majority of the general population) Austin houses the largest

urban bat colony in North America and I apparently came during season, which is mid-March to early November. How perfectly out of place and random...

In the SoCo area of Austin, there's a place called Off the Wall which is a crazy/fun conglomerate of antiques, unique finds and gifts from all over the world. I was lucky enough to get a behind the scenes tour of the store, allowing me to inspect the quality thrift merchandise which can only be described as eclectic and trendy (I must say i am biased here - i could spend hours getting lost in antique/ thrift shops)

Austin won me over with its friendly faces and small-town vibes. Now, it’s time to continue to do what I do best, which is keep on keepin’ on and making moves to new and unfamiliar places (which is not common in my family as both of my parents hate traveling and much prefer to stay at home). As I sit in the Philadelphia airport waiting on my flight to London, I am already hearing those old familiar UK accents; Europe here I come!

Life is a Maze and I am Heading Towards the Cheese

My blogging is back by popular demand! Okay, not really, but I think that my blogging hiatus has been extended long enough - it’s time for a new chapter…a new beginning.

I would first like to explain the reasoning behind my writers block and/or lack of time to even think creatively. When life comes at you fast, you end up in survival mode and let me just say that survival mode is NOT a conducive environment for… well, anything. Although I don’t anticipate that life will ever be stress-free, I have reason to believe that I am making life changes that are going to allow me to have more time for myself and the things that I love – including blogging!



This is a work in progress and it's a VERY rough draft, but I am working
 on a brand - inspired by my family.
Once the final product is finished, I will share the details.



After much debate, I left me previous job because of the extensive traveling involved, among other things. The so called 15 percent traveling average turned into permanent residency abroad on ship construction sites. I will not bore you with details; all that is important is where I am headed. After clearing my desk, clearing my mind and parting ways with some bad habits, I came up with a plan, which I wanted to implement immediately – quick like a Band-Aid.



This is how rough I look when I work 100 hour weeks...no one wants to look at this. Also, if you look closely, there's a yellow truck in the background that has my name on it.



The Game Changer

1 – Asses my life goals, wants and needs

2- Travel for pleasure and to discover new business opportunities

3 – Find a job that suits me and that allows me to have a balanced work and personal life

Here is my timeline for the coming weeks of finding myself (no I am not having a crisis – I am simply searching for more out of life):

April 4 – April 9: Austin, Texas. There, I will partake in merriment with great friends. I will also be scoping the city to see if I would like to relocate. I am a proponent for finding a space/environment where you feel at home; a place where nature is abundant, the culture is lively and people stop to say hello.



The lovely Emma who will be joining me in my Euro excursions.



April 16 – May Emma and CZ’s Excellent European Adventure: Includes but is not limited to the following cities – London, Brugge, Amsterdam, Berlin, Munich, Prague, Nuremburg, Cologne and Brussels. I can hardly contain my excitement!! I’ve been to many countries, but never to this region of the world. The shenanigans and excursions that are going to take place will be gold! I will also be sharing my travel budget – once completed - for the trip which is an adapted version of the following sites: Life Remotely and Microsoft Office Business Trip Budget templates.

The idea of moving and changing jobs can sometimes be overwhelming to people. Having lived abroad for a year and subsequently living out of a suitcase for a year and a half, I was more than ready for a change!  Everyone has bad days, but if yours heavily outweigh the good ones, it might be time for you to stop and evaluate what it is that is making you unhappy.

Action item for you, reader: For a month, document how you are spending your time, where your energy is spent, who you are surrounded by, what you are eating, thinking, etc. After the four weeks, you will have a good idea of your routine – or lack thereof – and what events/tasks/ behaviors are affecting the way you feel. Ask yourself, “is this what I want to be doing? Could I make any actionable changes (large or small) that will improve my quality of life”?

Simply put, if you are unhappy, it’s up to you to change it. No one else can change your attitude or behaviors for you. With that being said, sometimes all it takes is a simple attitude adjustment…but not in my case – I tried that first.

What a new environments/ relocating can do for you:

·         Force you to find a new rewarding career or business opportunity – network, network, network!

·         Allows you to meet new and interesting people - join a health club, participate in events with a local organization, support local businesses and take advantage of every encounter.

·         Give you a new perspective on American culture (given that the new location is within the U.S.). Different cities have varying cultures, lifestyles and demographics.

·         Depending on the circumstances, you may find yourself alone in a city, which pushes you to fend for yourself and find the independent person within. On the other hand, you may be moving to be closer to family and friends  - this will provide you with a much needed support system.

·         Different things to do and fresh places – you can spend your time discovering local treasures, interesting places to eat, new hang outs and more.

If you have recently moved, I would love to hear your feedback about your first impressions and reactions to your new environment!





Practical Advice - Traveling for Rookies

I used to be a rookie – I hadn’t taken a flight or ridden a train in over 5 years. Then BAM, my job took over and all I do (it seems like) is travel from place to place. The good news is that now I know which airports have the most obnoxious customs, the best food, the most exasperating layouts, the most inexpensive souvenirs...

Atlanta’s International Airport DOES suck, Munich (MUC) has great beer and crepes, and Milan’s train station is huge, like an airport and the likelihood of a pigeon crapping on your head is 60/40 them (see the dirty rascal above).

1) When flights say that you need to be in the boarding area 30 min before departure for domestic flights and 1 hour before departure for international, they are not joking. Even if you are about to piss your pants or are starving, find your gate first and verify that it is correct and when boarding begins. It has happened to me one too many times that I thought I was in the clear and went to pee or have a quick drink only to find out that a) they had been calling my name over the loud speaker - I of course didn’t hear a thing and they were pissed b) the gate was actually way father than anticipated and instead of a two min walk it was more like a trek c) I actually missed the flight, but wouldn’t have missed it had I not stopped to tie my shoe. 

- You can save a lot of time and hassle by just having a carry on. Beware: if the flight is too full they may check your bag anyways, but the good news is that you will not be charged.

- Save time by printing out your boarding pass and checking in online. If you have a smart phone, you can get the rewards or points card/ barcode your flights on there and simply scan it at the airport. If you already went on the flight (even if it is international partner) you can either fax in your ticket to get the miles applied or mail it in. Contact customer service to see what you can get because a lot of airlines are have merged and are partners and you may not even be aware of it.

- Speaking of international travel, you should think about applying for a credit card such as Capital One Venture card, which has no international fees. International fees can really add up, so this is a huge help and there is no fee to have the credit card for your first year + you earn rewards - I love rewards!

-Do not get water or fill up your water bottle until AFTER the security point – duh. I see people chugging water and it holds up the line. Why do people insist on wearing their watch, belt, shoes with lots of laces, coins, etc. you are going through security – is this baby’s first time or what?

-Wear slip-ons, sneakers, etc. but wear shoes! They make you take sandals off and it’s just gross to have to be barefoot in the airport. No wine openers – I have been a victim of losing a few, because for some reason I carry one around with me.

- Wear layers. Running around in the airport makes you extremely hot then mid-flight it’s arctic. I recommend wearing comfortable clothes with a cardigan or sweater and a scarf. The scarf can also double as a travel pillow on the flight.

- For long flights I recommend a moist toilet to relieve you of the “dirty” feeling on the flight and a small bottle of lotion because flying makes you extremely dry. Drinking plenty of water also helps.

- Lines at the train station for information and tickets are always a 30 min wait so it’s a good idea to research online and look at train times before you get to the ticket office. Do not assume they will speak English, so be ready to give them train numbers, destinations, and be ready to make train connections/ switches on your own.

- When you have to leave your car at the airport and you use services such as “park N go” or “park N fly” check online for coupons. They also have reward programs, such as, pay for 10 nights get one free.

- Most nice hotels will have outlet adapters in case you forget yours.

I am sure I will have more advice soon, as I am set to go back to Italy June and July. Picture of me enjoying a nice meal from my last trip below:

Diner and vino on my last work project =)