Hello World!

Wow, 2011 flew by, and brought a lot of changes with it.  I went from couch-surfing to putting down roots in a lovely little apartment.  Shortly after I got a promotion (yay!) and traded my cube for a home office.  I love my new job but the first six months were incredibly BUSY!  I have a handle on things now, which means I also have a reasonable amount of free time again for this blog!  :) 

There are lots of stories to be told about my last six months of travel. Like I said, I’ve been B-U-S-Y, and yeah, that is my alibi! Over the next few weeks I’ll be posting on the following trips:

New Orleans

Chicago

Austin

San Antonio

Denver

International Falls, Minnesota

London

Paris

Cincinnati

Keystone/Vail

Oklahoma City

I hope this year will bring as much excitement and adventure as the last!  Here’s a picture of my hand-made Christmas gift from my very talented brother:

A Nomad's Home

I have earth-shattering news.  I have a home.

I’ve been waiting to post this update for a couple of months, as I was planning to include pictures and wanted to have the place looking decent!  However, I've been busy lately with other changes in my life, which I'll share with you in the near future, so when my place is nice enough to grace the pages of Domino (I miss that magazine!) you'll find them here.

First things first.  I'll explain how it happened.  When I began my nomadic venture this past November, I wanted to find a permanent home that fit my needs, rather than jumping into the first thing that was available.  I wanted the right size, price, and location, and at the time had expressed interest in a job on my team located in Chicago, so I wanted to remain flexible and avoid a lease at all costs.

One of my very generous friends is a pilot, and I often crashed at his apartment when he was on trips during my extended nomadness.  Lucky for me, he had the opportunity to “upgrade” apartments in his complex and moved into a one-bedroom, one-bathroom place with new hardwood floors, granite countertops, vaulted ceilings, and a spare room.  Guess who is living in spare?  That's right- yours truly!

The situation is perfect for me.  (I hope my roommate says the same!)  The location is perfect, space is just right, and my rent is priced accordingly, so I’m still able to stock away savings every paycheck.  We rarely cross paths so it’s a pretty low-maintenance relationship.

La Belle Paris

This weekend some friends and I saw Midnight in Paris, Woody Allen's latest.  Some may say I have no taste in movies as my interests are limited to rom-coms and documentaries about evil corporations, so take this review as you like.  I absolutely loved the film.  It spoke to me as it addressed issues to which I relate.  (At least four people walked out in the middle of the movie, but I doubt they knew what they were getting into.  It was typical Woody Allen, and that's not for everyone.)

My Nomadic Habit and Bro's Graduation

Today was a glorious day in Norman, Oklahoma.  The University of Oklahoma's graduates of the class of 2011 were awarded their diplomas!  My baby bro Nicholas was one of them, receiving his Bachelor of Fine Arts in Art from OU's prestigious Weitzenhoffer Family College of Fine Arts!  Hooray!  I can't help but brag about him.  Nicholas' talents range from graphic design to photography to painting...  I could go on, but you can see for yourself here: http://thetoltec.wordpress.com.  Nicholas is working as a camp counselor this summer but will be available for hire in the fall.  (Shameless plug, I know!  That's what good sisters do.)  Congrats, Nicholas!  We are so proud of you!

Working in LA

When my mom's and my recent vacation to SF came to a close, I flew down to  LA for a work meeting.  It's difficult to decide which is better, Northern or Southern California, so I'm not going to choose- I'll take both!

My teammates love a good burger, so we met for lunch at In-N-Out.  I'm not a fan of burgers in general, but their fries are awesome!  In-N-Out isn't your ordinary burger joint.  It's still a family run business after sixty-plus years that continues to focus on quality ingredients and customer service.  Plus, they have a secret menu that makes ordering extra fun!  (Insider tip: Order your burger and fries "animal style."  Just do it!)

Mother's Day in OKC

This weekend I took a quick flight to Oklahoma City to celebrate Mother's Day with my family.  Of course, I think I have the world's best mom!  Let me count the ways... She always puts others before herself, supports all of her kids' zany projects, she's a fabulous travel partner, and she makes the most decadent chocolate chip cookies from scratch!  She's also the only person I know who would bike across the Golden Gate Bridge after she'd just fractured her shoulder and not even mention it!  (Yes, it happened on our recent trip to SF.  She's still in trouble for that one!)

My lovely Aunt Arlene and Uncle Jim  invited our fam to their home today in Jones, Oklahoma for Mothers' Day brunch.

Girls Weekend in SF

Happy Earth Day 2011!  What a lovely coincidence that my post today is about my latest trip to San Fransisco, one of America's greenest cities!

San Francisco is my favorite city in the US.  It has everything – from world-class wine, savory seafood, shameless shopping, amazing architecture, easy public transportation, temperate weather, and plenty to do outdoors within the city and just outside its borders.