Tag: Travel

Been island hopping: Key West, P.E.I., Key Largo… Ærø

by Living Wherever We Are, posted in Embracing Uncertainty, Martial Arts, Plane Travel, Travel, World Travel

Milan, Copenhagen, Malmo Sweden, Boulder Co, Sarasota FL, Boulder Co, Miami Beach FL, NYC, Nosara CR, Key Largo, Key West, Boulder Co, Halifax NS, Prince Edward Island, LA, Sedona AZ, NYC, Nosara CR, Miami Beach, Key West, Key Largo, Miami Beach, Malmo SE. That about catches us up from my last blog until now for those curious. It has only been about 2 years! Those who were asking for more have since given up asking. So, in typical Scorpio fashion on my own terms and without further adieu…

Since I last communicated the world has been changing so rapidly and it continues to be tumultuous and overwhelming for many, many reasons. We did not even go to Europe last year because of all the terrorist activity, instead we went quietly and safely to Nova Scotia and P.E.I. in Canada and they were lovely and remote. This year we headed for solitude again and in addition to the worldly problems are also more immediately escaping predators in our own backyard. There have been several black bears sightings in our neighborhood.  Literally, a black bear in the preserved land out our back door as well as a black bear in a swimming pool less than 1/4 of a mile away.  With bear sighting in the daylight it puts a damper on playing outside our home as well as the constantly looming infectious deer ticks and their daily menacing behavior ominous for avid outdoors people or people who just want to walk out of their house.

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE SWIMMING BEAR

On this years excursion first we took solace in our all familiar port of Malmo, the 3rd largest city in Sweden which lies across the bridge from Copenhagen.  Even after being away for 2 years it still feels like a second home we can navigate easily and all the people even speak English. Not just enough words to communicate but fluent English.  As a worldly world traveler I am not arrogant expecting to have others speak our language.  I know enough to get by in French, Spanish, and Italian and Rick’s Italian and German are bellissimo.  Once I tried to learn Swedish by audio tapes, I tried really I did but, my mouth betrayed me.  I could not get the sounds to come out correctly no matter how hard I tried.  So as he has been doing since 1989 Rick lead a Martial Arts seminar for his student Dan Johansson’s group MMA Alliance,  The students there loved the lessons and Rick looks forward to reconnecting with the group.

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After a weeklong visit we hopped on.  I may have mentioned previously that I love water.  Given a choice, Rick is more a mountain person and I the sea and salt water.  Maybe you are picturing some palm trees and sand as we are here in the islands again, this time not in the Caribbean but in Scandinavia. We went remote, super remote and quiet – Ærø, Denmark. Denmark is made up of 3 large landmasses and 2 of which are islands and then 404 more islands! The island we chose is part of the South Funen Archipelago in the south of Denmark in the Baltic Sea only accessible by ferry. And oh, you better make a reservation for the ferry because when we rolled up in our car rental to the dock and strolled leisurely into the Tourist office to inquire about the ferry departure the nice woman looked panicked. We did not come prepared with a reservation and the ferries fill up between cars and trucks heading over to the island. With her assistance we get a spot for the next departure but upon arriving we did not get a reservation for our return at the time we had hopped for.

View from the Ferry
View from the ferry

Being a green freak, I personally loved the idea of visiting this small island because it is near completely energy independent and up to a few years ago held the title for the world’s largest solar power plant. Ærø is only 22 miles by 6 miles but it’s 7,000 residents are very connected to nature and to the sustainability cause. Come on world, if a place that gets only approximately 50 hours of sunlight in December can do it what about the rest of us?

Borrowed photo of the solar panels
Borrowed photo of the solar farm

Speaking of sunlight, thankfully, Ilaria is a great sleeper at night because being so close to the Arctic Circle in the summer the sun rises at approx 4:30 a.m. and sets at approx 10:00 p.m.!  We do engineer the curtains and rig extra darkening to make sure that deep sleep happens.  We enjoy going for morning hikes but not too early!

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Escaping from reality, it is a fairy tale island; truly, in the old town most of the houses are one story tall and the oldest (still occupied) dates back to 1645. The streets are lined with hollyhocks and roses. In the main town strolling through the streets I took a photo of a particular door we found intriguing and it turns out it is not only the oldest on the island but, the oldest door in Denmark! Ærø is 22 miles by 6 miles, with 7,000 residents. The kind of island where people sell strawberries, honey, jam, and potatoes in front of their houses on the honor system, that kind of sweetness.  The nature walks were dreamy and surreal.

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Given the quaint features of this stay (and if you know us well) you will be shocked to see where we are going next. It may be the antithesis! STAY TUNED

Here we are living and still living wherever we are.

Move Over Willy Nelson

by Living Wherever We Are, posted in Travel, US Travel

On the Road Again… That was the theme of our recent exploration of California.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yXe1jtS7k28

The original estimates notwithstanding, here is a glance at the actuals:

10 Nights

8 Hotels (Including a pre-trip Newark Airport hotel)

20 Stops (Meaning a meal, coffee, or sleeping)

And a whopping 1123-Miles when we dropped of the rental car

A Visual
A Visual

So why the healthy jaunt through Cali?  It was a multi-faceted excursion and very practical (in theory only).  We wanted to catch up with some old friends while simultaneously cramming in every part of California we could possibly explore for future inhabitance.  This petite window helped us to rule out some parts of California for future living.   SEE RESULTS LATER IN THE BLOG

We are exploring California intently because there are many things about the state itself that we appreciate.  As a resident of the state, Bill Maher summed up many great points via his “New Rule” method.  Beside those points the weather and alternative public charter school funding and support are both sizeable pluses.

Every day 1 of traveling amazingly our daughter goes to sleep at 8:00 PM, even during travels into a different time zones.  This trip was no exception.  Over the years several people have asked if that is when we, the adults, turn down. Oh no, no, no.  Our secret hide-away, especially in warm climate or in this case not so warm, is always a room with a balcony or when not outrageous, a suite. In Cali this time of the year, balconies consisted of layers, a scarf, and one night, a very strong contact high.  A friend with 2 children once suggested always get a hotel room with a big closet and make it a special treat with lots of pillows and blankets to tuck her in but I would feel too guilty and besides 3 in a king size bed is not bad. After one early rising, I did do something I promised as a parent I would not do.  The unthinkable, a bribe of a gluten-free cupcake or treat that day if she went back to sleep and it worked like a charm (OK, more than once).  Alright, so it was a win-win and in California these are easy to come by.

Checklist of the abundant accomplishments this excursion included:

  • Trip to see amazing healer in Fullerton.   Ancient Chinese secret – our lips are sealed!
  • Watched the remarkable Alberto Villoldo PhD speak to his organization, The Four Winds Society, and reuniting Alumni from his classes.  The consummate orator Alberto never disappoints.  Also got to sit with him and his partner Marcella and reconnect with some other people that we have met through the organization.
  • Bruce Lipton lecture – WOW!  Simply astounding.  Oh just a little epigenetics and cellular biology defining the molecular pathways connecting the mind and body.
  • Time spent with the Drunken Taoist, Daniele Bolelli a favorite Italian Martial Artist of ours.  Daniele, an author, was originally introduced to us when he wrote the Martial Arts book On the Warrior’s Path.  It was great to catch up and have our daughters meet for the first time.
  • Santa Barbara – Lovely, lots of elements that we enjoyed.  Along with other spots in Ventura County we appreciate it for the Arts, Culture, and greenery.
  • Monterey Bay– This was just a stopping point for us on our trek.  Great vistas but wow the pier restaurant hawkers were bordering on belligerent!  Sorry we don’t want your chowder sample or to eat at your tourist trap.  We did however as you can see from our last blog Enter the Travel Guru enjoy some tasty authentic Brittany-style crepes on the pier at the Crepes of Brittany.

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Here is where things start to get blurry.  Onwards towards the Bay Area, the rest of our trip, which was supposed to be more investigative, was somewhat transformed into touring time.  We could tell right away that it did not feel right for us permanently.  Berkeley, which was supposed to be 2 days, we changed just to a lunch, too concrete jungle.  Petaluma – nice but obviously very San Fran suburbish.  Wine Country – Beautiful but touristy. Los Gatos – Nice to visit but can you say Stepford Wives?  We did manage to squeeze in a visit with my artist friend Tara de la Garza and family but bummed that it did not line up for a visit to my author friend E.V. Anderson.  By the end we realized that we were way to ambitious but got the information we were looking for.

Although we love travel and seeing new places switching hotels that many times is crazy and unadvisable unless running from the law or driving cross country on a deadline.  Contrasting hotels in other countries, most American hotel breakfasts include a personal hell filled with over-processed, high-carb foods so that is a pass for us and we head out early.  Our plans for big travels include renting places for a few weeks to a month and ah yes, breakfast sitting in our PJs.

With that many miles logged we could not help but play a healthy game of cat and mouse.  Not with the police, mind you, but our old foe the GPS.

  1. In park, set the destination and receive the arrival time.
  2. Finito.  Arrive at that time.

This technology is incredible and must be far more developed then we can comprehend.  No matter how fast our pace the arrival time never seems to get any nearer.  During the infrequent moments when it does, we are destined to encounter a speed trap thus requiring a bit more time be consumed.  Is the technology really that high tech or maybe, just maybe, we are monitored even more then we realize and the Matrix already knows our speed habits?  Our profile definitely fits the compulsive and competitive lead foots so we are categorize and triumphed over on every occasion.   Ok, one time we won by 5 minutes but that small trophy was not very gratifying for blowing 85 in a 55 plus all of the additional energy spent praying to the police gods promising to be good if they turn a blind eye once again.

Without further ado onto the results…

For us, Southern California.  We will see in the end but in contention nonetheless.

Tuckered out we returned to New Jersey with no traffic tickets and our gained wisdom of the 3rd largest state only to get catapulted right into the tumultuous packing Rick’s personal effects from PAMA and the taking apart our home.  It is daunting and exhilarating all at once, collapsing and deconstructing not only the physical but also the Egos attached to it all.  We are making progress on all accounts and in the mist of it all my ever resilient partner is planning out his seminar for this Saturday, his last as owner of PAMA 😦 🙂

Next blog:

-About the “Last Lecture” seminar

Enter the Travel Guru

by Living Wherever We Are, posted in Travel, US Travel
Fitting sign from our recent trip!
Fitting sign from our present excursion!

How did we decide to become sojourners?  Some background:

Rick and I do not make take grand decisions lightly.  We have been contemplating a move for quite sometime.  How long?  Believe it or not since 2008.  We think BIG.  Places we have examined in detail and even house hunted and bid on houses including as near as Hopewell, NJ and as far away as Chile, Southern Sweden, Nicoya Peninsula Costa Rica, Ojai CA, Sedona AZ, and Asheville NC.  Other visits and research include but not limited to Boulder CO, Brattleboro VT, and Great Barrington MA.   All great places but in all cases things did not seem to click or materialize for us as they should, so the search continues………

Comments and suggestions welcomed!  PS we are of Mediterranean decent, moderate climate preferred 🙂 

Our Search
Our Search

We began this process and intention as a couple and continued when our 2 became 3 with more fervor.  We feel even more of a desire for a community with creative like-minded people, nature, sustainability, art, and culture.  How can we continue the search with a 3-year-old in tow?  Easily when the origin of her name is Happy Woman/Bringer of Joy.  For those of you who know her, she is without a doubt just that and one hell of a seasoned traveler already.  Starting at 3 months she has already racked up frequent flyer miles going to Europe 3X, Central America 3x, the Caribbean 1X, crisscrossing the US 13X by plane not to mention long car rides up the East Coast.  The apple doesn’t fall far from the trees.

As I write this we are mid-trip driving up the coast of Cali.  OK, READY?  You may get tired just from reading this……… 10 days, 12+ stops, 6 hotels, 816+ driving miles (+ local miles) and lots of investigating and examining for a possible future location for our family after our sabbatical.  Very ambitious for just two adults let alone with a little one and she does not watch TV so the car rides are creative.

Crepe connoisseur Monterey Bay
Crepe connoisseur Monterey Bay

It has been a lesson for us from our little buddha. In anticipation of our trips around the world Rick and I are being schooled with some great travel wisdom that will truly come in handy.

  1. Why not wear your favorite clothes over and over?  Favorites over function, if you find them after rifling in the suitcase it doesn’t matter if they are worn and possibly with stains.  You need much less than you think.  Leave the rest home and this will make the packing very light.
  2. In adverse situation with controversy between travel companions just be quiet.   Testy when our blood sugar drops?  Simply said, “Mom and Dad stop talking to each other.”  Done, problem solved – Ferme la bouche!
  3. No matter where you are the place where you sleep is “Home”.  As in – after dinner 3-hour time difference and you are kept awake in anticipation of the 1-hour Fall Back daylight savings time change, “I am really tired, I really want to go home —- I want to go to the hotel.”  Ah embracing the blog namesake.
Fitting Quote found on LA wall!
Fitting Quote found on LA wall!

– Saving the Cali trip details for the next blog but here is a teaser:  It involves world-renowned authors and friends Daniele Bolelli and Alberto Villoldo as well as  Bruce Lipton.

Embracing Uncertainty

by Living Wherever We Are, posted in Embracing Uncertainty
Rick beginning to pack his office up. These bookshelves used to be completely full and overflowing!
Rick beginning to pack his office up. These bookshelves used to be completely full and overflowing!

The choice was made in a moment but we had talked, contemplated, and deliberated about what we were going to do for quite some time as only two Scorpios can.  The decision was made to move on from Princeton Academy of Martial Arts, a thriving martial arts mecca he had built, cultivated, and loved for almost 27 years and the life changing place that I had trained and taught for over 15 ½ years – but we would be transitioning far more then that.  The decision was made to move on from all of it, the academy as well as the traditional rules we have been told by society we must play by.  More money, more money, work and work, first for yourself then for your children until (maybe if you are lucky) retirement when you are too old or tired or set in your ways to enjoy each moment of unfettered experiences.

We have decided to step beyond it all and sell the business to our trusted friend and student then to deconstruct our lives completely.  Upon hearing the news about selling the business everyone’s first question – What are you going to do next?  To answer the question – Nothing, everything, and anything.  We are putting everything we own in storage, taking a sabbatical, and letting life lead us in the short term and then eventually in the long term.  The response from all has been a mighty WOW and positive encouragement.  And of course some Oh you are lucky — not really luck, this is a choice to put ourselves as individuals and our family first.  We are not independently wealthy but we are independent thinkers.  Anyone could do it, maybe not daring in this huge way but in everyday life and the decision that are made whether they are made from the heart and soul or from the mind, fear, and societal pressures.

To be a true Martial Artist means not only the physical excellence but researching philosophies and examining ourselves on a deep internal level.   We constantly talk and embrace, as true Warriors, courageousness and understanding that it is not truly the fight against ones enemies that we train for but to truly know oneself and how we relate to every situation and adversity.   We are taking this step as warriors not out of fear but out of love.  Allowing ourselves to decompress and to truly align with Spirit and our true selves.  Knowing all of these things, I doubt we will ever look back on this time we are entering and say we wish we had stayed the course instead of following our hearts.  We would not consider it luck but great fortune that we have made a conscious decision to truly Live Wherever We Are.

Stay tuned for more posts on:

–      What brought us to this decision?

–      Where to next?  The where, how, and why.