Journey Juju

#best09 - Best Advertisement

In Paris in February, I saw a poster ad for Ray Ban. Of course there was a hottie in shades, with the slogan:

Never Hide.

I like that. It jives with my efforts to live an authentic life and to share it with others. But I have a confession to make.

I use my sunglasses to hide. Living in sunny Colorado, I've gotten used to wearing sunglasses all the time. But there are overcast days in Paris and Amsterdam and elsewhere where one doesn't need sunglasses.

And I still wear them.

So I thought this would be a good time to thank my shades. I've been through five pair in the last two years. Here they are, and no, none of them are Ray Bans.

Lisbon May 08 > Berlin June 08 > Panama December 08 > Hvar, Croatia September 09 > Vernazza, Italy October 09

Thank you, shades!

P.S. Which are your favorites?

#best09 - Best Stationery

Florence is known for its beautiful paper. Marbelized, creamy paper adorns notebooks, makes notecards and incites one to abandon oneself to the art of the epistle.

But the paper products in most of the shops I saw in Florence were expensive.  I don't tend toward parsimony when it comes to my precious paper products (Moleskines aren't cheap but I don't care!). But there is a limit.

Wandering on a Sunday morning in Florence, I found an adorable shop. Perched on the angle of an intersection near the Arno, Arti & Mestieri is a magical stationery shop.

Arti & Mestieri means arts and crafts in Italian.

I love all kinds of cards, and this shop specialized in them. I fell in love with the mini tarot deck and regret not buying it. I did buy a handful of cards, including the one below. 

To reach papier arti & mesteieri:

Indirizzo: Piazza Di S. Maria Sopr'arno, 1
CAP: 50125
Comune: Firenze (FI)
Telefono: 055 2343670 

I'll just have to go back to get those tarot cards!

#best09 - Best Shopping

When I travel alone I don’t shop much; it already costs enough to travel and with the weak dollar I try to keep my shopping urges in check.

Still, window displays in Europe are killingly tempting and it’s hard to resist the lure of a stunning garment artfully displayed. The clever and classy windows of Florence and Paris are part of the urban art and demand to be appreciated. It’s free to look and slowing down for leche-vitrine (window licking, in French) is part of slowing down to relish the city’s artfulness.

Furry shoes in Florence; Chocolaty Shoes in Amsterdam

But traveling with Mr. B was different. A self-avowed metrosexual, Mr. B dresses well and loves fine clothes. With him I breached the inner sanctum of Italy’s designer shops. Sniffing colognes in Ferragamo, trying on sports jackets in Armani, pants in Geox, Mr. B’s shopping gave me license to enter these previously avoided fancy pants shops.

Boots and shoes in particular became the focus of our shopping. Florence, famous for leather goods, flaunted an abundance of footwear. I scanned shop after shop for boots because I’d decided that I could stand another pair of boots.

I didn't find boots in Florence, but I did get a pair of leather gloves that I absolutely love.

I had better shopping juju in Amsterdam. The style there suits me more than that of Italy. The clothes are more casual and comfortable looking. I had the addresses of some second-hand shops in Amsterdam but they were disappointing.

Second hand deals require that the clothes were halfway decent in their first life. I was looking for a sweater, and in most of the shops I saw (Laura Dolls….) the acrylic sweaters looked like giant Dutch women in the Dutch countryside had worn them in the eighties. Ick.

But I discovered two great shops: one with new clothing and De Kleedkamer, a high-end consignment shop. I found tons of great stuff here including the sweater I wanted.  I also scored my boots here, gray Italian leather and plus a sassy skirt to wear with them. 


In the first shop, Liens and Linnen, I tried on a bunch of cute dresses that weren’t quite right. Then I found this sweater and fell in love immediately “Cut the tag off,” I told the shopkeeper. I’m wearing it out of here.

Somehow I made it out of Europe with a new outfit, scarves to sweaters to jeans to boots to gloves. I usually buy paper goods: journals, cards, and bookmarks, so the clothes shopping was a fun departure for me.

#best09 - Best New Food

Last meal in Cinque Terre>Trattoria Mario>Florence airport to Amsterdam

After breakfast in Cinque Terre, lunch in Florence, we bussed to the airport, where I applied a spritz of Bulgari perfume, and got on a plane to Amsterdam.

We arrived late on a Friday night. Mr. B and I made our way to our apartment, dropped our stuff off, went shopping for breakfast supplies and laundry detergent, threw a load of clothes in, and headed out for a late dinner.

The guy we rented the apartment from gave us directions to a street where he assured us there were plenty of restaurants. But when we found the street, it was like some kind of joke.  We passed Italian restaurant after Italian restaurant. “No!” I shouted every time I saw one. Then burst out laughing at the absurdity of it. This is some kind of weird food juju.

Finally we found a place that looked open and not Italian. It was Daar Baand, a Persian restaurant. I have eaten Persian food, homemade for me by my friend and leadership tribe mate Parisa, who is from Iran. But this food was different.

We ordered several small dishes: two kinds of eggplant, dolmas, 
Everything that was hot had a crust of cheese baked on top. I’ve never eaten dolmas hot with melted cheese. The eggplant dishes were the best. All of it was great, washed down with beer.

If I’d not been so travel weary I would have written down or drawn what we had. All I have are some bad photos. 

I’ll always be grateful for Daar Baand for breaking the Italian food spell.

#best09 - Favorite Place

breakfast in Venice

Forget finding a place to sit in a European café -- standing at the bar is where it's at. The food and drink is significantly cheaper and that's where the action is.

#best09 - Best Conference

 

Sid from Paris doing his graffiti demonstration

In April I attended the CREA conference in Sestri Levante, Italy. Sestri Levanti is on the Ligurian Coast, so I visited Cinque Terre for a few days before the conference to get in the mood.

CREA is the annual European gathering for creativity trainers, consultants and facilitators, mostly working with CSP, or Creative Problem Solving. My friend and colleague Martine Vanremoortele had encouraged me not only to attend, but to submit a proposal for a break-out session.

I pitched my Collaborative Story Making Excursion and it was accepted. It was a great honor to be in the program alongside Europe’s leading creativity trainers and facilitators. Imagine the conversations we had over abundant Italian buffets.

 

Flash mob Sestri Levante

I had such fun playing with my new tribe mates. I participated in my first flash mob (we pointed at the sky in horror, then ducked to the ground), walked the labyrinth in the Villa Balbi, a 17th century seaside villa, and danced all night in my new short blue dress and boots. I attended breakout sessions, learned about CPS, and heard about the cool projects my colleagues are working on.

 

Collaborative story making by the harbor

My excursion was a blast. I led the group through the streets of the village of Sestri Levante, a town on the Ligurian coast. We tuned into our senses, played “What’s that?” and paused to write together. After reading our stories, we finished with a cappuccino by the sea. (Yes, this is my job!)

 

Dominique, Maile and I getting our cappuccini

I could go on and on about this conference but I’ll stop there. If you have questions about my experience here, please leave a comment and I will elaborate.

 

Saluting the chefs at the last dinner. Check out the butter sculptures!

#best09 - Best Trip

 

Considering I took two five-week-long trips in 2009, it’s hard to choose a best one. But the memory that thrills me the most is visiting Cinque Terre, Italy, for the first time in April. 

I was alone, and despite this being a place renowned for its romantic aura, I was absolutely delighted to be there. The water, the pastel houses stacked on the cliffs, the seafood and pasta, the hiking I was blissed out. 

I loved it so much I went back in October, and it was just as beautiful. My two favorite photos of myself were taken in Cinque Terre.

Winner of the Stench of Travel Contest

 

The winner of the Stench of Travel Contest is Melissa Grossman, who knows all about the stench of the road. Melissa moved to France in April, 2008 and has been living as a creative nomad ever since. She recently fell in love with Italy and la dolce vita.

The prize for entering the contest was a copy of my e-book, The Graceful Return: Relish Your Adventure After You've Come Home. Whenever you come home or wherever your home is, Melissa, I hope this makes any transition smooth!

The winning description of the smell of well-traveled luggage? One word: goat. Can you smell it?

Melissa has a way with words, which you can discover for yourself at her web site, freshapproachcoach.

My Graceful Return

Words spilling out after my return

On the night I returned from my five-week trip to Europe, the family I live with was hosting a pumpkin carving party. By the time I arrived from Paris, they were done carving and were enjoying dinner. I sat down, gave headlines from the trip and ate a bowl of curried squash soup. It was a beautiful and autumnal return from a long and challenging trip. 

This may have been the most difficult trip I have ever taken. Honestly I am surprised I made it the entire five weeks. But that’s another story; it would be great if I could turn it into a screenplay. I see it as a movie starring Maggie Gyllenhaal and Tom Cruise. :) It was also a trip full of unexpected delights, abundant insights and deep learning.

For me, travel almost always presents opportunities to learn and grow beyond my perceived capacity. Think personal growth boot camp, made palatable by tons of beauty and many joyous moments and lots of good food and drink.

So, upon my return, what to do with the complex mix of impressions, thoughts and emotions from one crazy and intense journey?

I’m using the tools from my e-book The Graceful Return to process the insights and learning from my trip. While on the road, I spent a lot of time reflecting on my work and what I want to share with my clients and readers in coming years. Mr. B, a successful businessman, gave me a lot of feedback (some painful - think dry shave and you get it). I’m busy sorting through it all to develop my work. 

Recovering from a Mobile Lifestyle

From Part One of The Graceful Return, I’m using several of the self-care practices I recommend. I’m talking about my experiences with good friends, who are helping me unpack and understand what I experienced. I’m making sure to exercise and eat nourishing foods. Most importantly, I spend time each day reflecting on the lessons from my trip. My notebook is packed with wildly enthusiastic notes and sketches. I also know that this process takes time and I may still be gathering insights months and even years later.

 

The Original Impulse home office

Fitness for Travelers: Someone Else Exercising