And the cool factor ante is upped again

The funniest town name exists in Neverland.


Nightcaps, New Zealand.

Nightcaps.

Isn't that hilarious?


There is also Athol... and Alexandra (aww).

On jerking myself around

"The most important reviews are the ones you give yourself."
- Carrie Bradshaw, after her first NY Times review
Season 5, 'Critical Condition'


Getting to know one's self is a lifelong quest, yes.

But this much I am sure: a healthy relationship is one where your own self, however developed or undeveloped it may be, is not surrendered or hijacked parasitically, but rather allowed to develop and flourish both healthily and independently of the other. Of course, it is always nice to see eye-to-eye on things, and certainly, a relationship is one that grows together in some, if not, many aspects.
But ultimately, the "oneness" starts at one's self.


Arguably my best and simplest revelation this summer:

I am the biggest jerk to...myself.


If we all treated ourselves with due self-respect, we'd see healthier relationships.
I'm not too proud to say that starts with me.

Contentment

Sun-kissed.
Family- blissed.
Nothing-missed.

Forest-soothed.
Lake-seduced.
Stress-reduced.

Makeup-free.
Care-free.
Pain-free.

Laughing.
Learning.
Cooking.
Cruising.
Discussing.
Dancing.
Reading.
Writing.

Swim suit-wearing.
Hairbrush-neglecting.
Sunset-watching.

Lobster-eating.

Content.

The Miracle of Life Part I

I had to stop babysitting when I was 16, because as my mom said,
"You're not going to want to have kids if you continue."

Thank goodness for my niece and nephew.

Stand clear of the closing doors please

I was trying to hold off mentioning this, but I chose "Strawberry Swing" as the first song on my blog playlist because it reminds me of my last summer in NYC.
The Viva La Vida album was my subway music of choice.
Those hot, balmy, stinky subways...

I realized this past weekend that this time last year, I was soaking up Fleet Week in the city that Will so hilariously describes as "a bizarre mix between On The Town and Nazi-occupied France."

Oh how I miss the sleepless wonderland of Gotham...


Dear Manhattan,
Just when I thought I was doing so well...

(i.e. forcing myself not to think of you for knowing I would nervously break down if I did)

...you killed it again.



Thanks to Betty's post for helping me re-kindle this currently long-distance romance...

Happy Mother's Day

Love you, bubbala!



Inside the Coliseum, Rome.
April 2008.

The Vatican.
April 2008.

Just got off the phone with her.
She ended the conversation politely hinting she wanted to get back to reading Japanland, in which she had one last chapter.
I'm glad she seemed to have enjoyed it as much as I did!

XOXO

The musical keys to my heart

I've been tagged by Kate to tell what songs are the key to my heart.

In her words: "The first man who sings me one of these songs can marry me...we'll work out the details later."

Here is the original post.

1. Not Myself- John Mayer - from his first album, when he was still sweet and vulnerable. I want that John back.

2. Yo Quiero - Camila -upbeat and fun, like something you'd dance around to laughing outside on a Spanish patio. (That or Enrique Iglesias "Hero"...my nods to latin love songs)

3. Via Con Me- Paolo Conte- it makes me want to make a man of George Clooney and live as a European princess in Lake Como for the rest of my life. That is all.

4. She Will Be Loved- Maroon 5- cheese, I know. but I'm sure anyone can sing it better than whiny voiced Adam Levine.

5. Lovely Tonight- Joshua Radin - straightforward and earnest...

Michelle meets the Queen

So some people are calling this a royal faux-pas....



but I think that it's symbolic of how silly I find England's royal tradition...

and how they should take a cue from what the Obama's are trying to spread...

LOVE

Read more about what happened (spoiler: it has a happy ending!) on Smitten.


Also, I got teary (once again) when I saw Mrs. O give this talk to girls at Elizabeth Garrett Anderson School.

Ahhh! I love her more than life itself!!!

Couples around the world

Inspired by Amy's post...

Snapped this gem in Espana....this couple was not holding hands, but they had the same crook in their backs which made them lean the same way....

just taking a little stroll at mediodia during siesta...cute, huh?

Kissing checklist

In lieu of planning my wedding or deciding which kind of diamond ring I want (something about cut, color, clarity? I dunno) for my engagement to a currently non-existent man, I'm now creating a kissing checklist as per this Smitten post.

- Atop the Eiffel Tower (3rd time up will be a charm!)

- Along the following rivers:

Seine (Paris is a magical place, I was proposed to at age 17)

Vltava in Prague

Charles in Cambridge, Mass (also a magical place: both my parents rowed there at different points in time, and it's where my brother and sis-in-law met and engaged)

- In Central Park
(almost happened last summer, but the dude was too dull and I wasn't about to go all progressive on him in the most romantic place in America if he wasn't going to man-up)

(yeah, we were sitting on the fountain steps pictured above...in the moonlight...long story short, I never wanted him to begin with, but for story's sake, yes, geez!)

- A mountain summit (Kilimanjaro...base camp of Everest... Any takers?)

- In Africa (Victoria Falls?)

- In Dubai ("Las Vegas on steroids")

- On a sunset on the lake my family goes to every summer

- On a boat (preferably on the a fore mentioned lake)

- On a beach

- In a jungle (Costa Rica, Amazon Brazil, or on an elephant in Thailand)

- In a forest (New Zealand, perhaps?)

- At the Lincoln Memorial

- In all 7 continents

(Antarctica will happen...can't you just take a little boat trip from the southernmost tip of Argentina? Dime, si sabes.)

How about you? Anywhere you want to smooch that I'm missing?

If you're feeling down today...

Because I'm not feeling down today but I know many who are, here's Betty's advice for you.

She has more life experience and wisdom and heartache in love than I do...

Basically, the gist is being proactive and doing things to improve yourself from the inside-out, and naturally, you'll become an even more loved (not to mention desirable) person.
And I couldn't agree more.
It's powerful. Read it.