Enchantment Learning & Living Blog

Welcome to Enchantment Learning & Living, the inspirational space where I write about the simple pleasures, radical self-care, and everyday magic that make life delicious.

The Colorful Barcelona In Review

June 2, 2014

The door to the Air B&B apartment we stayed at--fantastic!

Barcelona is the city of all cities in my opinion--such a livable place and so full of history, culture, and art. My family and I stayed in the heart of the city, near Las Ramblas, a stretch of street full of great shops and sights, including my absolute favorite, La Boqueria, an amazing open market filled to the gills with seafood, fruits, veggies, and, of course, jamon! And let me tell you, we ate a lot of jamon, a ham the Spanish are famous the world over for. Yum!

Fruit display from vendors at La Boqueria.

Seafood at La Boqueria--I've never seen some of these types of fish before!

Other highlights of the trip include a whole day devoted to Gaudi. We were blown away by the light and magic of La Sagrada Familia, a church designed around Gaudi's love of nature. It truly felt like a sacred space of light and healing that transcended any notion of traditional religion. Then it was on to Park Guell, a space Gaudi designed to be house development but that, when that project failed, became a gorgeous city park dotted with Gaudi's whimsical architecture. We finished off our Gaudi-fest with a night-time tour of La Pedrera, a space once built for a rich family to live and rent out that was reviled in its time for its strange organic shapes mimicking a rock quarry, but is now loved for those same features. Absolutely awe inspiring!

Me enjoying an amazing basil gin tonic from Xixbar, a local haunt dedicated solely to the art of gin tonic.

And there was tapas. Lots of tapas. And gin tonics. Thankfully, my sister and her husband knew all the great local spots to go, so we feasted at the cheap places the real Barcelonians went to. Perhaps one of our best meals (although, really it is hard to say with such great options), was our impromptu picnic at Sitges, a wonderful beach near Barcelona where we swam (briefly--it was cold!). We got olives, jamon, Spanish cheese, fresh bread, and caper berries from a local market. Heaven! Sometimes the best meals are the simplest ones.

Papas Bravas, a local dish of fried potatoes in aioli-like sauce.

A selection of tapas from jamon to prawns, octopus, and two cheese selections and veggies, and finally a potato-meat ball.  Delish! — A selection of tapas from jamon to prawns, octopus, and two cheese selections and veggies, and finally a potato-meat ball. Delish!

We strolled all the different neighborhoods and stopped off at a book fair on our last day. We saw some incredible art by a famous Catalan artist name Antoni Tàpies, and we strolled through more neighborhoods like the Gothic Quarter and Gracia. We shopped a little neighborhood markets and enjoyed the locals. I feel the words I use to describe this experience don't do it justice! I can't possibly tell you every adventure we had nor fully describe the warmth and openness of this great city. All I can say is it is worth a visit--and I would love to go back there again!

Enchantment Learning & Living is an inspirational blog celebrating life’s simple pleasures, everyday mysticism, and delectable recipes that are guaranteed to stir the kitchen witch in you. If you enjoyed what you just read and believe that true magic is in the everyday, subscribe to my newsletter below for regular doses of enchantment. Want even more inspiration? Follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter. Here’s to a magical life!

On London Cab Drivers

June 1, 2014

They were the first people to introduce you to London properly. Their shiny black cabs roamed the streets like traveling encyclopedias holding all of London past and present in the back of their seats.

Theirs was not the London of fastidious politeness and reserve as cool as the weather. Nor was it the Anglophile paradise of queens and outdated customs--the London that had been so off-putting, so full of its own importance as it was, the one that brought out the Chicana militant in you. (Their history is great yes, but so is yours. You will not bow down to them, not their conquests, not their customs.)

But the cabs, now there was the real London. The place where the drivers talked streets and politics and watching the telly over a few beers after work. In the back of their cabs, you learned about the best places to eat--Indian food, traditional English fare, French steak frites--as well as the best sights to see. You learned about the day to day life of the average Londoner--work, pub, home--and the affability you wouldn't necessarily find in a New York taxi.

You learned of their love of Stonehenge documentaries, their mental tug-of-war of selling or not selling their Spanish villa, their thoughts on race and class consciousness, and their master's thesis on sacred spaces--non-religious mass graves of 19th bishop's prostitutes where people still go to mourn the lost. You heard about their grandchildren and their trips to America. They drew you a map with their words of neighborhoods and beliefs and everyday life.

These are the stories you don't read about in guidebooks, the London that is made of grit and good cheap beer and honest work, the one that doesn't really care about the Queen or the national religion, only a good conversation and a job done well.

As you found your way through London from one taxi to the next, you relish the feeling of cracking the thin surface of antiquated Anglophilia as you would the shell of a soft-boiled egg so you could scoop out the fleshy center, savor the heart of this city.

On Understanding Paris

May 31, 2014

You will admit--sheepishly and only in a half-whisper to yourself--that your idea of Paris was more like a quaint village with little sidewalk cafés than the big bustling city stretched out before you.

Perhaps it was that at first glance, from the view outside the taxi cab window from the airport to the city proper, it looked like any other city: loud, industrial, overflowing with people and utilitarian buildings. Perhaps it was that you got in late at night after a long day in Barcelona and had no more room to truly see the city. In either case, your first impression of Paris was disconcerting.

It wasn't until the next day that you really saw the city--and began to understanding it. The visit to the Louvre did it first, then the walk along the Seine. This was the Paris of your old movies, the one you had read about in books. You embraced this more familiar notion of Paris even as you knew it was only the surface of this grand city--as all tourist spots are.

You went deeper still, on a long walk into left bank neighborhoods, past the tourist shops and pseudo-Parisian restaurants and into the city blocks where real people lived. This, this was Paris. It was the sidewalk cafe overflowing with people enjoying a drink after work. It was students walking to and from the Sarbon. It was old gentlemen enjoying dinner at a small bistro.

Now--between walking the streets and people watching at the cafe over a glass of whiskey--now you are beginning to understand Paris.

A Study in Gin Tonics

May 29, 2014

Your first gin tonic was nothing special--just a perfect blend of ice, gin, tonic. It was in a little cafe in Barcelona's Gothic quarter probably visited by locals but unknown to the makers of guidebooks. In fact, the only real defining feature of the cafe was the turquoise staircase winding up to the second floor of the building--the bright pop of color reminding you of your desert home. Even the drink was homey in its simplicity as if you were in your own place and decided to whip up an evening cocktail.

The second gin tonic was the stuff of dreams--tantalizing, ephemeral, yet pulling you into this world here and now, much like the Gaudi building you spent the day viewing. It came from a little hole in the wall famous for how well it handles this iconic drink. It was made of Hendrick's gin infused with basil--your favorite herb--and graced with fat ice cubes and Swepps tonic water. You watched in fascination as the bartender filled your glass, a fat round goblet, to the top with your restorative elixir. Your only distraction, the bottled of house infused spirits, like rows of apothecary jars along the bar.

You sat outside, watching cars whiz by, discreetly listening to your fellow gin drinkers. The drink was cool and tart on your lips, laced with the perfumey botanicals that make an ideal gin. The basil hits you last, like a memory or whisper of the herb at the back of your throat. Yes, this was the perfect palate teaser for tapas across the road.

Your last gin tonic was in another hole in the wall, this time in Sitges, a favorite tapas place for the locals. You don't remember much about that drink, only the sand and salty ocean that coated your skin, your hair, your lips. Even this was the taste of Spain.

5 Tips for a Perfect Cup of Tea

May 29, 2014

It seems only reasonable that since I am in England, I figure out what makes a perfect cup of tea. It is, after all, the stereotypical homeland of the perfect cup (let's not forget the Asian countries and beyond that also have pretty amazing tea histories). The English cup of tea is the stuff of novels--how can anyone escape a scene featuring tea while reading an Austen or Dickens' story? How can you survive an afternoon in London without searching for a marvelously fortifying cup of this magical elixir, for another matter?

While I go off in search of my perfect cup here, I offer you a few tips on making your perfect brew---advice straight from London tea connoisseurs!--at home. Enjoy!

1. Know your brew time. Each type of tea is a little different, so it helps to know the steeping time for the tea you are using--too little brew time equals weak tea, too long leads to bitter brew. Below is a list of the most common types of tea and their brew times.

Black = 3-5 minutes

Green = 2-3 minutes

Herbal = 5-7 minutes

Oolong = 3-5 minutes

White = 1-3 minutes

2. Have patience. Don't swish the hot water or stir the leaves as it brews--just let the leaves sit in hot water. Be civilized--don't rush!

3. Don't use a strainer. This is a tough one--especially if you are on the go--but strainers constrict the leaves, making it harder for them to unfurl, which then makes it more difficult for the leaves to bleed into the water. Now I'm not saying you should never, ever use a tea strainer again in your life (I will still use them!), but if you have time, pour the tea directly into the pot and let them stew.

4. Always use quality tea. I know it's hard, but you will have to give up the tea bags! Most tea bags use the dregs of the tea leaves and the tea bags themselves have harmful chemicals in them--yuck! So stick to good loose leaf tea from a supplier you trust--you can thank me later. ;) Then use 1-2 tablespoons of tea per 8 ounces of water to get a strong cup.

5. Start with cold, filtered water. If you don't filter the water, the tea can take on the taste of whatever minerals come through the tap. Cold water ensures that your water boils nicely without tasting flat.

At its very best, tea is a break from the world, a hug in a cup, a consolation, a celebration, a soother, and a pick-me-up--all depending on what the drinker needs. In any case, make sure that you treat your tea as a self-care ritual in the midst of your day. Take the time to brew a good cup--it is so worth it!

London...and Beyond!

May 28, 2014

I'm on the last leg of my trip here in London. Wow! What an epic adventure!

I can't wait to try a proper cup of tea (okay, let me indulge just this one stereotype bred from reading too many Victorian novels, wink wink)--maybe even a real afternoon tea!--and genuine fish and chips. As for our itinerary, we have plans to visit the Freud Museum and the Tate Modern one day, and then take a tour to Stonehenge, Windsor Castle, Bath, and a small medieval English town the next. I personally can't wait to see Bath, the setting for so many of the Regency and Victorian books I read when I was younger--and the Enlightenment novels I read while in school.

Of course, the book lover in me will totally be geeking out too and will probably go in search of 221B Baker Street and other signs of some of the greatest stories ever written. I'll no doubt get plenty of Jane Austen history in Bath and even some Dickensian revelations in the streets of London proper.

What to see more of my adventures in London and beyond? Check out my Facebook page for updates and pictures!

On Flâneur

May 27, 2014

It's simple, really.

Your task is to be a flaneur. A stroller. A city wanderer. Yet so much more than that. You must be prepared to wander without a set goal, no clear destination. You must walk to feel the city beneath your feet, to observe and be observed.

It is a sweet treat to feel the streets of Paris under your feet, to taste the absence of no real direction. Your job as a visitor is to embrace the city one footstep at a time, to let the view of the Seine imprint itself in your memory, to feel the cool breeze on your skin, the taste of real croissants on your lips.

So in travel, so in life. It is an art to walk, to absorb, to resist the need to commit to a firm schedule. Perhaps you will encounter a cafe to sit and drink cafe au lait, perhaps a small little antique shop, or nothing at all. It is enough to stroll and learn the city through its people and the way the light falls upon the buildings at each hour of the day.

The French have it so right in this. There is divine pleasure in simply strolling, in wandering aimlessly--it is a practice in taking the time to enjoy everything about you.

That is the job of the flaneur.

On Studying French

May 26, 2014

It is difficult to wrap your mouth around the sounds--the nasal whispers that pronounce familiar letters in strange ways. You are much more at home with your Spanish or Italian that pronounce every letter and are so like one another that to know one, is almost as good as knowing the other.

But French--that is another language entirely.

Your expectations are reasonable; you only want to be able to read a menu and ask for directions--and understand the answers. You want to be able to say please and thank you, for you are above all a polite lady. Yet as you study the words in your book and attempt to accurately pronounce the survival phrases your language podcast rolls out with ease, you realize that even as you know what "bonjour" should sound like, you will probably never achieve the delicate phrase reminiscent of the perfectly flaky croissant that you so hope to try.

No. Your French will be flat and garbled, without the grace of your classroom Spanish, or the happy buoyancy of your limited Italian. You take comfort in the fact, however, that the French will as least understand your joie de vivre even if they cannot make sense of your "parlait vous anglais?" or your "Je ne comprends pas."

Bonjour Paris!

May 25, 2014

Today I find myself in Paris--what a magical city! It is such a contrast from Barcelona's riot of colors but has its own beauty nonetheless. I can't wait to try my first real Parisian croissant or to take a long walk by the famous Seine River! Of course, you can't really walk anywhere in this city without seeing the Eiffel Tower. To be honest, it is so exciting--and a little disorienting--to be seeing so many wonderful cities and sights on this whirlwind trip. I mean, I've spent most of my childhood reading books and watching movies about Paris, Barcelona, and London, that it is such a dream to actually be experiencing these cities now. Part of me feels like a character in one of my books than a real person experiencing the world through rose-colored glasses, as Audrey Hepburn would say in Sabrina.

During our stay in Paris, we'll be spending time walking the streets, visiting the Louvre, and searching for that perfect croissant. We'll also be taking a day trip to Versailles, home of the famous French palace once occupied by Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette. I can't wait to explore the palace and its gardens!

Want to stay caught up on my adventures in Paris and beyond? Follow my Facebook page for updates and pictures!

Spain's Gin Tonic: 5 Steps to Perfection

May 24, 2014

Perfect after a day at the beach it Sitges!

Spain is famous for its love of gin tonic--and no, I didn't forget the "and" in "gin & tonic." The Spanish simply forget the "and" and go straight for the tonic. It seems only fitting that since I am both visiting Spain and love a good G&T that I should learn more about Spain's obsession with the drink--and how to make a perfect one! So here's what I've learned so far:

1. They like their ice cubes big. Bigger ice cubes mean the drink won't melt into tastelessness in the blink of an eye and the drink will stay cooler longer.

2. Choose good gin. This should be a no-brainer. The quality of a drink is dependent on its ingredients. I use to order G&Ts at bars because they are hard to mess up--but now I realize you really can taste the difference between a cheap well gin and a solid one. I recommend the inexpensive New Amsterdam gin for those of you who like a more citrus forward gin reminiscent of vodka. If you are looking to splurge a little, Hendrick's gin offers a wonderful botanical element to your drink.

3. Use quality tonic water. This means avoiding tonic water with fake sugar--another seemingly obvious rule, but one that is often overlooked. Real sugar preserves the taste and frankly, is actually safer for you to drink than artificial sweeteners. A good, but more expensive brand is Fever-tree, which doesn't have any artificial sweeteners or preservatives. For a less expensive option, try Hansen's Natural Tonic, sweetened with natural sugar cane and containing no preservatives.

4. Don't over think the garnishes, according to the Spanish. Lime is always the best option. While they like to add a little flair to the gin tonics with interesting flavors like lavender, they suggest that you shouldn't overload your drink with too many garnishes. It's a drink, not a salad!

5. Keep it simple. Sure there are lots of fun twists on this classic drink, including my Grape-Lime G&T. Just don't get so caught up on the flavor riffs that you lose sight of the basic flavor profile of a good drink: the bright flavor of the lime, the floral kick of the gin, and the bitter tang of the tonic's quinine.

Most of all, take some time to sit in the sun and enjoy your drink!

On Barcelona!

May 23, 2014

Wow! This city is a feast for the senses! It's like living in a glorious open museum, thanks to all the Gaudi architecture filled with whimsical designs and bright colors--my kind of buildings!

So far, our plan has been to take in Gaudi's La Pedrera at night, which is finished off with a champagne toast pre-dinner--which doesn't start up until around 10 pm here (yikes! Way later than this lady is used too; but while it's way past my bedtime, but somehow I don't feel it...maybe it's the champagne). During the day, we will explore the city, from La Familia Sagrada, a famous church built by Gaudi, and several of the big museums, probably the Picasso and Joan Miro museums--but who knows where the day will take us!

Part of the fun of travel is having loose plans and then deviating from them. All I know is that there will definitely be tapas at night and, according to my sister and her husband, a really great Mexican restaurant here. Saturday will most definitely be a day at the beach in Sitges, one of the most idyllic places to swim and sunbathe--and home of the best tapas place on the planet, according to my sister.

Want to know more about my travels in Barcelona and beyond? Look for updates and pictures of my adventures on Facebook!

5 Things I've Learned About Travel from Audrey Hepburn Movies

May 22, 2014

As I get ready for another adventure abroad, watching old Audrey Hepburn movies while packing, it occurs to me that much of what I know about travel comes from her films, especially Roman Holiday, Funny Face, and Sabrina. I grew up watching Hepburn transform herself from the various versions of the quiet country mouse to the cultured, sophisticated woman of the world. She made everything looks so wonderfully marvelous! Even when I finally got to travel abroad for the first time last year, I found myself looking to these movies for inspiration and advice as I got ready to venture into the world--I still do. So if you too are wondering how to get the most out of your trip, be it to a nearby town or across the globe, here are five lessons I've learned from Audrey Hepburn movies to help you on your way.

Hepburn signing "Bonjour Paris!" on the River Seine in Funny Face. — Hepburn signing "Bonjour Paris!" on the River Seine in *Funny Face.*

1. Don't be afraid to be a tourist. As Hepburn and her cronies croon in Funny Face, there is a certain joy in being "strictly tourists." It's okay to snap photos and drool over the Eiffel Tower--lots of Europeans do the same thing when they visit the Southwest. The first time I went traveling in Italy, I tried so hard to look like a real Roman. After day one, I realized no one bought my flimsy act. I was a tourist. They knew. I knew it. I made my peace with it--and had a blast!

Hepburn riding a scooter for the first time in Roman Holiday. — Hepburn riding a scooter for the first time in *Roman Holiday.*

2. Be ready for adventure. Like her princess character in Roman Holiday, learn to be ready for anything when you travel, from dancing on the river (and getting in a brawl shortly after!), to breezing about on your scooter in Rome, to seeing things you never would have dreamed of, like the Colosseum. Travel is always an adventure--don't be afraid to dive right in and enjoy yourself!

Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck drinking champagne at a Roman Cafe in Roman Holiday. — Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck drinking champagne at a Roman Cafe in *Roman Holiday.*

3. No schedules, please! This piece of advice is also from Roman Holiday, when Hepburn, as a burned-out princess, sneaks away from her political duties to spend one day playing in Rome on her own. Her only caveat? No schedules! Having such a regimented life as a princess, she wants her free day to be a series of impromptu bits of fun. Sure, it's a good idea to plan ahead when you travel and get those tickets for the museums and big attractions that you want to see, but do leave time to simply wander, stroll, and drink champagne at a local cafe.

The newly posh Sabrina (in the movie by the same name) returning home after a year in Paris.

4. Let yourself be changed by the experience. In each of these movies, Hepburn gets a total makeover--most notably in her fashion-forward short hair cut (yes, almost all these films feature this, surprisingly!) and stunning new wardrobe. You might not end up with changes so material or obvious, but a good traveler must be willing to let herself be transformed by the places she visits. This could mean enjoying new customs in everyday life or bringing the flavors of your travel home with you in the meals you cook.

Hepburn's character writing to her father as she begin her journey home from Paris in Sabrina. — Hepburn's character writing to her father as she begin her journey home from Paris in *Sabrina.*

5. It's okay to see the world through rose-colored glasses! This last piece of advice comes from Sabrina, as the now-worldly chauffeur's daughter is on her way home after a year in Paris. She talks about learning how to see the world through rose-colored glasses. So I leave you with this thought: be romanced by life, enjoy each simple pleasure on your journey, near or far, get swept up in the delight of it all!

Gone Travelin'

May 21, 2014

Yes, this is exactly how I look after 24 hours of plane hopping...don't you?

By the time you read this, I'll be on a plane across the pond! That's right, I'm leaving my hobbit hole for another summer adventure. Last year it was Italy--my first ever time abroad, a post-Ph.D. treat to myself. This year, I'm taking a whirlwind tour of THREE whole countries: Spain, France, and England, specifically Barcelona, Paris, and London. What an adventure!

And no, I haven't forgotten my promise to write a blog a day this year! It may take some fancy footwork on my part and some patience on your part, but I think a blog a day while traveling is still doable. So in honor of this trip, my blogs for the next two weeks will be focused on the joys of traveling and what I hope to see during this trip. I'll be reflecting on how travel informs and inspired us, and the things I hope to take with me from my destinations: from delicious recipes to ways of thinking to bits of everyday magic.

I'll also try to post pictures of my day-to-day activities on Facebook as I can--so keep an eye out! In the meantime, if you want to learn more about the places I'm going and enjoy some serious eye-candy, check out my travel boards for each location on Pinterest here: Barcelona, Paris, and London.

Until tomorrow!

On Packing Your Suitcase

May 20, 2014

You have learned your lesson from past trips: pack lightly, start early.

The past week has been one of packing and unpacking, rearranging and folding. Your bed has been strewn with dresses and skirts and leggings in an attempt to find a traveling wardrobe that is a unique combination of simplicity, style, and comfort.

Steamer trunks...glamorous? Yes. Convenient?  No.  Travel light! — Steamer trunks...glamorous? Yes. Convenient? No. Travel light!

You wistfully think of the giant trunks Barbara Stanwyck traveled with in The Lady Eve or those boxes upon boxes that Jane Russell and Marilyn Monroe tow around in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. These ladies have their arsenal of beauty concoctions and a wardrobe full of fashionable travel ensembles. Yes, that is the romantic notion of travel, always perfectly quaffed and ready for cocktails on the deck as your cruise liner takes you to your exotic destination.

Yet as much as you enjoy that happy vision of travel, you are not so taken with it that you lose all sense of practicality. No, you will stick to a wardrobe of tunics and leggings, walking shoes and plenty of room for souvenirs. It is a treat to take your small suitcase from one stop to the next--never wasting time on lugging steamer trunks about, but simply gliding from one place to the next with ease.

This is your preferred way to travel for all your fanciful musings on your silver screen ladies. As you fold your last tunic into your luggage, you think of your upcoming trip: a Gaudi-feast in Barcelona, days roaming the streets of Paris, high tea in London, leaving plenty of room in your day and your suitcase for experiences and mementos.

Yes, it is nice to travel light.

On Giving In To Doing Less

May 19, 2014

It is one of those days where life won't let you do anything but take care of yourself--despite the things you had hoped to accomplish before traveling, the things you had wanted to cross off your to-do list.

No matter now.

Your body has decided that you need a day to curl up in bed and read your favorite books, to eat chicken noodle soup and drink hot cups of tea. There are still things to do, but your exhaustion has caught up with you. Nothing is as important as resting.

It is as if your body wants to recharge your batteries, store up your energy for vacation--tapas in Sitges, early morning walks along the Seine in Paris, tea in London.

Soon you will be up and about again, but for now, you give into doing less. You close your eyes and snuggle deeper under your blankets.

On Kitchen Sink-ing It

May 17, 2014

You must get creative with the food you have, using it all up before you pack your bags and head out on your next adventure.

It took all your self-control not to over-shop at the grocery store, despite the perfectly rounded artichokes and thick stalks of asparagus staring you in the face. You bought only the bare necessities: coffee and wine. It took even more reserve not to go to the farmers' market; that would only lead to a fridge full of spring's bounty--tender lettuce, red radishes, and if you were lucky, garlic scapes.

You know mustn't do that, hard as it is. Everything but the kitchen sink must go, so you pile your plate with all manner of strange meals. You are traveling soon--that phrase playing round and round your head, a constant reminder--and have to clean out your fridge of anything and everything that won't last till you get back.

It has been a series of creative lunches and kitchen-sink dinners. There was the breakfast omelet with one and a half bell peppers and small wedges of several different kinds of hard cheeses; the lunch of quick pickled carrots, radishes, and cucumbers; the simple dinner of crudités and aioli to use up those eggs and any stray vegetables at the bottom of your crisper. Everything must go!

Then there is the carton of half and half that you try to ration out across the next four mornings, so you don't have to buy another and have it go to waste. There is the watermelon you had forgotten about--the one you intended to juice. A watermelon cooler must be made, perhaps several. You will diligently work on whittling down the contents of your fridge until it is nothing but bare shelves and butter, mustard jars and a wine bottle.

It's as integral to your travel preparations as packing your bags and boarding that plane. Yes, this is kitchen sink-ing it.

On Preparing for Vacation

May 9, 2014

It is more than just packing your bags or finding someone to water your plants while you are gone. More than confirming your plane reservations and outlining your day-to-day plans, a loose collection of potential adventures.

It is in slowing down the weeks before your trip, allowing for time to rest, to play, to nourish the spirit of joie de vivre. You must let your brain begin to breathe, your mind to expand beyond the work desk, or else the shift from your daily routine to far-flung adventure is too much, so abrupt so that you might find yourself in your proverbial business suit on a beach in paradise.

No. You must respect the transition.

Your preparations must include weekends goofing off, long afternoon naps, evenings doing nothing but enjoying your garden. In this, you learn to respect your need to heal, the importance of moving slowly, of doing less. Yes, you are preparing for your vacation by cultivating the pleasure of being less busy, unwilling to commit to a firm schedule or days packed with one event after the other. You court your next adventure with quiet days and impromptu lunch dates, evening cocktails and long mornings drifting through the fun parts of the weekend newspaper. You exchange your work heels for sandals, that business uniform for loose dresses and little makeup.

Only then can you begin to pack for your trip, finalize those little details, and be ready for fun.

Spritz Cocktail

April 25, 2014

This time of year has me pining for travel and adventure--especially now that school is almost at an end. It is as if the long weeks of grading papers have finally caught up with me and I can no longer sit still. I want to move, to be moved, to saturate myself in the bounty of life: art, food, music, laughing, loving.

And yet vacation is still a month away. So how do I cope? Easy! I bring the fun to me! One of the ways I do this is by recreating the wonderful foods and drinks I experienced during my own travels, especially to my travels in Italy, where people really know how to enjoy themselves.

One of my favorite evening cocktails is the Italian spritz, made with Aperol (a bitter orange liquor) and sparkling wine. I was introduced to this drink by my younger sister, an artist who lives in Florence, when I went to visit her and her writer husband last summer. There is nothing more refreshing than this bubbly orange drink after a day of museum viewing, city wandering, and food tasting. Of course, when traveling, you should eat (and drink) like the locals, so I was more than happy to try a local favorite cocktail for apertivo, or the Italian version of cocktail hour.

That said, back state side the drink could be a little too sweet for me, since I wasn't drinking right by the River Arno. Still, I love the idea of the spritz, so I decided to see if I could whip up a version that I could enjoy at home while dreaming of my Tuscan adventures. Typically the spritz is made with 2 parts Aperol, 3 parts sparkling wine, and one part sparkling water. I reduced the amount of Aperol and had my fellow spritz drinkers try it. Viola! We were left with a perfect drink. Feel free to try it the traditional way too, if you like sweeter drinks.

Ingredients:

.75 oz (about 1/2 shot) Aperol

5 oz (about 3-4 shots) of a dry sparking white wine

1.5 oz (1 shot) sparkling water

Ice (optional)

Pour aperol into the bottom of a glass. Add sparkling wine and sparkling water. Add ice if desired--sometimes I put it in, sometimes I don't. Serves one (so double the recipe and invite another adventure seeking friend to join you!). Pairs well with a sunny, Tuscan attitude and a lovely patio garden.

Looks like the perfect way to celebrate the end of the week!

On Goofing Around

March 20, 2014

You don't have any set plans. All you know is that you woke up feeling ready for something. A trip to Santa Fe maybe. Or a cruise down Central. Or even a double feature downtown. The day is calling to you, inviting experiences unfettered by schedules or set plans, only the sweet, buoyant energy of mischief.

Your only promise to the day: to lose track of time. So you do it, and you do it with abandon.

Here is the chocolate shop, where you hem and haw over your options, knowing full well that you will finally settle on your favorite caramel and almond dark chocolate lobos. Then your fancy takes you to the rock and mineral shop--any day is a good day for looking at stones and crystals and finding a new piece of bling to wear. It is the smokey quartz crystal that seduces your first, then the hematite and the lapis laluzi and the howlite and the list goes on and on. You run your fingers over each and everyone one of those stones, feeling the healing vibrations, the strong earth energy that grounds and invigorates...

...which leads you to think of gardening. Or was it the sun and the fresh air that got you thinking this way? No matter. You allow yourself to be swept up in another adventure, on the hunt for supplies for your potted garden--interrupted only by a pit stop at your favorite used bookstore because, well, you could.

Soon your attention is drawn to the idea of refreshments. Lunch, perhaps, or some tea. It doesn't really matter where you go or what you do, only that you don't think too hard about any of it. It is the pleasure principle guiding you from one indulgence to the next.

On Getting Lost in the Desert

March 9, 2014

Driving down to the Westside was not your ideal Friday plan--not even on your top ten list of things to do in Albuquerque. Sure, you love the bosque and cruising down Montgomery over the river and down to the petroglyphs. But that ritual is a far cry from actually having to go somewhere down there and be somewhere by such and such a time.

Nevertheless, you found yourself doing just that: navigating the Westside in an attempt to get to an office meeting. You were very proud of yourself. You left a whole hour early, just to make sure you got there on time, just to leave that little wiggle room for the unexpected twists and turns of the part of Albuquerque that is so foreign to you it might as well be its own city.

It is lovely at first. You drive past the bosque, over the river and turn on Unser, cruising past the petroglyphs into the wide open expanse of the desert. But the open space does nothing to cure your tunnel vision: you must get to the meeting. As you keep driving, a slow sense of unease bubbles up inside of you. You can't seem to find the turn off to Universe, can't find Rainbow either. It is as if the desert has buried its street signs under the bright morning light.

And so you keep driving down Unser, past one Walgreens after another, one housing development after another, until all the Westside blends together in a stream of buildings built over-night. You feel like you stumbled onto the set of a modern Wild West show where everything looks like hastily slapped up storefronts with nothing behind them. Eventually, you lose even that. Any inkling of civilization is left behind and you find yourself on a one-lane road driving deeper into the desert, the mountains ahead of you the only witness to your useless sense of direction. You have never seen this part of the city before and it is as if you stumbled across a lone stretch of land invisible to all in the city except for those willing to get a little lost once in a while.

It is only when you reach the end of the road--literally a dead end in the middle of nowhere--that you pause and examine your directions again. The meeting has already started. Yet despite your need to get back on the road and find your way to civilization, you take a moment to pause, to breathe, to enjoy the desert quiet. It is a gift, you realize--getting lost. A gift from Coyote, that desert trickster that sneaks up on us just when we most need to unplug from our narrow vision and get a bigger world view.

There, alone in the middle of the desert, you realize your life is more than just being a perfect worker bee and getting from one place to the other. It is sand and stone, air and light, mountain and breath. You take this revelation with you as you pull back on the road and find your destination.