On the Secret of Genius

"If everyone had the luxury to pursue a life of exactly what they love, we would all be ranked as visionary and brilliant...If you got to spend every day of your life doing what you love, you can't help but be the best in the world at that. And you get to smile every day for doing so. And you'll be working at it almost to the exclusion of personal hygiene, and your friends are knocking on your door, saying, "Don't you need a vacation?!" and you don't even know what the word "vacation" means because what you are doing is what you want to do and a vacation from that is anything but a vacation - that's the state of mind of somebody who's doing what others might call visionary and brilliant."

Neil deGrasse Tyson and Neil Gaiman on the Secret of Genius

Trivia Night

You know those times in life, when you really don't want to do something but know that you should? Last night was one of those nights. 

I am on the culture committee at my office, fondly referred to as Cult Comm. This committee is responsible for making the office more fun and inviting. Helping newbies feel welcome, creating more camaraderie among the staff, etc. We have a small quarterly budget to do things like trivia night, or have beer brainstorms in the office, or throw monthly birthday parties. As part of the committee, I very well could not show up to one of our events that I was so adamant about setting up. 

So, while I would have rather gone home, gone for a run, picked up that baby gift for this weekend; instead, I met my colleagues out at the bar for trivia night. My office buddies did not go, so I was on my own to be friendly with a lot of people I don't know all too well. Which is the point after all, isn't it. 

And, as with all those times in life when you really don't want to do something but know that you should, it turned out more fun than I had expected. I got to know a handful of my colleagues better and learned fun, random facts. Looking forward to Nicholas, also known as a human wikipedia, being in the city to join for one of these nights, as he will kill it. 

Long Way Home

Nicholas is taking the long way home  instead of a direct flight to NYC. After 19 years of work and an MBA, Nicholas is taking a little break. I am really happy that he gets to take some time and do more of what he loves. Travel. Of course, we both wish I could join him on the open road, but roles have been reversed and I am happy to be working, earning a paycheck and be the bread winner :)

This week, Nicholas is earning his diving license, something he has been wanting to do for many years now. I am thrilled that he finally gets to achieve one of his goals and, this one, I am happy to miss out on. After a terrifying experience in Indonesia, I am over the idea of diving. He is with one of his very good friends from GSG and I know they will have a great time.

From there the adventure continues as he makes his way slowly home :) Check out his instagram and twitter accounts for the hashtag long way home aka #lwh to follow his adventure. It's sure to be a good one.

And when he finally does make his way back to home*, I'll be waiting with open arms ❤️

*our motto: Home is wherever I am with you.

Get Lost

Guide to Getting Lost 

I just stumbled on this little gem and to say this is pretty much how I live my life is an understatement. I am not a huge planner in terms of travel. I so prefer to *discover* a city on foot and get lost in its streets. I cannot tell you how much this can irk people who are real planners and have to-do lists for traveling. The one thing I ALWAYS plan for is food. I am obsessed with eating the best a city has to offer, whether that is the best street tacos or a table with a white cloth, it makes no difference, as long as the food is satisfying and it gives me a glimpse of the culture. What easier, quicker and more satisfying way to discover a new place than to enjoy the food? 

I try to do this whole "getting lost" thing in my own cities. I take different routes to get to ordinary places. My commute to work is 6 blocks, but I try to take every permutation of those 6 blocks I can to see new things each day. I make mental notes of cute cafes I want to try, happy hours that I long to be able to make, and new threading salons to keep my eyebrows in perfect shape. 

Nowadays, it takes a lot to get off track with gps, google maps and check-ins. I say to heck with all of that and get lost! 

Where did March go??

The blog has clearly been put on hold for a while with the craziness of joining the workforce and trying to keep up with my old life of endless travel. March was a beautiful blur that included my first major project coming to fruition in Austin at SXSW. From there, I had a lovely visit from my dear Yann and we celebrated my birthday in epic gastronomical style at JungSik. Holy Michelin Stars!! Then in the middle of the glory of that visit, I hopped a plane and took off to see my love and my beautiful Seoul apartment one last time before we packed it up and went away to the Philipinnes for a week. And... here I am. Back in the city that never sleeps. About to start another work week and another project. The beginning of some unknowns. Who knows where this spring will take me, but I am ready for wherever it leads.

As with all my NYC Mondays, I bought myself a huge bouquet of roses to scatter around my apartment and office. I believe that you should always have something to look forward to. I hear so many people complaining about Sunday nights and the anxiety of going back to work the next day. I thought I would try to subconsciously alter that feeling to one of peace and eagerness. Something to look forward to. It's just some flowers, but it really brightens my day.

I also got a nice, relaxing run in and this. A short post. But hey, it's the little things, am I right?

Best Picture Showcase

This is the most amazing thing I never knew about. In NYC amongst some other cities nationwide, there is a Best Picture Showcase at AMC! This is where they have a marathon viewing of all the oscar nominated best picture films of the year on one day. This upcoming Saturday, March 1, is the day. You get a ticket for $60 for 9 films. The 24-hr marathon starts at 10am on Saturday and goes til the next morning with small breaks between the films and a dinner break at night.

This is the second year for some of my friends and I would love to go. Unfortunately, it looks more like I will be working than soaking up all the cinematic goodness. I already invited Nicholas to join me next year!

If you can do it and it is in your city, GO! Only a handful do the marathon, but many do the 2-day viewing. Where they split it up over two weekends, 4 movies and then 5 the next. I think the first viewing is already over, but you may be able to catch the last 5!

This happened

Yesterday, in the midst of chaotic planning of events for my client, I reached for my phone to call one of my vendors to change a contract. I scanned the invoice and statement of work for a contact number and in my haste, dialed the first one I saw.

The phone rang a few times. The office phone rang. It always rings. It probably averages two calls a minute, so there is constant ringing in the office. It can be annoying, but for the most part you can zone it out. Funny how that works. When I create my own business and run my own office, I would make it beautiful and create ways to have peace.

So, the phone keeps ringing and I shout something to my colleague and friend, about who knows what, but something urgent, no doubt. Finally, someone answers the phone, "Civic Enter... " I am confused and slowly turn around in my seat to see half of my office laughing. I had dialed my office's main line, which all the coordinators are responsible for answering. Which means they all could see my desk number come up and just let it ring for several rings until one of them decided to pick it up :)

I could feel the burning red creep to my face, before I laughed and shouted out, "Oh, crap. That's embarrassing."

I felt like the most appropriate thing to do at that point would have been to stand and take a bow, but decided to re-dial with a more careful eye.

Just another day in the life...