My dad is a pilot and I grew up with a love of flying. It is a unique experience to climb into the clouds and realize the world is still happening below. It is a moment where I can escape, feel a sense of wonder at something that is hard to believe. On every flight, I find that my breathe is taken away and I feel a profound sense of faith. Seeing these views reveals to me with clarity that there is a God and He is big and He makes beautiful things. Perhaps one of my favorite moments flying was when I was in high school. My dad and I rented a Cesna and we flew over Ohio and watched the sun set. At first I was scared at the small door that stood between me and the sky, but I trusted my dad and I loved that he helped me to find my sense of adventure. I think one of the reasons he loved to fly so much is that he could see the face of God first hand. Some day, I hope to fly again together, just the two of us. Who knows, maybe I can even be the one with the pilot’s license… another dream to add to the list.
I have some go-to things I do for business travel. I have a system for packing that maybe crazy but I am a speedster through security. I have every pocket organized so I know where I stashed my favorite pen or the gum when my ears start popping at 5000 feet. But these are things everyone does (well at least I hope I am not the only crazy out there). Here are the tips I try to follow as I travel about the country…
1. Remember where you parked.
Seriously – you don’t want to be wandering the parking deck at midnight pressing the panic button (been there). I now have a system – I take a picture of the location I parked with my phone and then grab my phone as I head out to the parking deck, look up the last dated photo and it leads me to my car (without having to reach for the panic button) every time.
2. Stop and Enjoy.
I purposely fill my travel days with non-stop work. Some of this is due to necessity and some of it is so I won’t miss my family. But even when I am traveling solo, it is important to realize that I am blessed. Not everyone has the opportunity to travel and see the world. So take a moment – write an email while overlooking the Bellagio Fountain, walk down to the beach in the morning before work while in Santa Monica or grab coffee in bustling downtown Cincinnati at Coffee Emporium with the locals.
3. Wifi is your bff on flights
I think I am most productive on my flights from DTW to LAX. I work furiously until the battery dies. I feel like I get almost 2 work days out of 5 hours. I am ninja focused and the wifi is so slow, I can’t do anything but email. (pinterest is just painful to load at 10k feet). Spring for the wifi – it’s worth the peace of mind.
4. Yelp and eat like a local
If you are not fortunate enough to have a local guide (client or co-worker), hit up yelp to find the best new restaurants, hidden happy hours or killer views. Sit at the bar, make friends and feel like a local. I make my selection based on a place that has over 50 reviews with a rating of 4 or higher. When you find the negative reviews are things like: they only have microbrews on tap… or the food is too snobby – well I know I have found my place.
5. Remember the family and always bring something home.
It is easy to forget when I am tired of traveling that my husband would have loved to have seen this restaurant or liked this shop. While I can’t bring along Doug and Mags on every trip, I can bring something back to let them know that I thought of them. I always try to find something unique to the city – no lame postcards allowed. This picture is courtesty of Bottega Louie – a place I ate at and then brought back some of these wonderful cookies to Doug.
And yep, I am typing this at 4 in the morning LA time because I am on another business trip and the time change gets me everytime! Happy Travels.
I have been traveling for work alot lately. It seems that I am in the airport almost every week. I absolutely love airports. Perhaps it is because my dad was a pilot, or maybe it allows me to do people watching at it’s finest. I often imagine the stories that accompany the different people coming and going. Some are on their way to a big pitch. They are preparing for a meeting that could help define their career. Others are emotional, they have just left their loved ones. Their tear filled eyes remind me of all the times I have had to say good-bye to my parents. Then there are the ones headed off to find an adventure. Maybe they are visiting a new country, backpacking through Europe, flying for the first time or traveling as a group. Whatever their stories, in Detroit a special thing has happened. People began sharing their journey on the stones that surround the beautiful fountain in the mcnamara terminal. There are messages shared between travelers. Some mark where they are coming from, others communicate their next adventure, or even tell a secret. It is an organic storytelling gallery. So what story will you share? Bring a sharpee and be sure to tell your story in DTW.
About two weeks ago we went to Greenville, SC on a bit of a getaway “staycation” kind of a trip. Doug’s parents offered us the use of their home in Greenville for the week and we were excited to explore this city. I was blown away. Really. Who knew this incredible approachable, foodie-filled city was just here? Well I think we just about visited 2 new restaurants a day, discovered about 5 parks, explored the beer culture and enjoyed this beautiful city with a river running through it. I was in awe. I don’t think I have experienced a downtown as vibrant as this one outside of Chicago or New York. It was packed with families, side walk cafes, street musicians and offered the southern hospitality available only in the deep south. Maggie was in heaven and we took our time to relax, read (I even got through the entire Harvard Business Review this month!) and build memories. Throughout a vacation, I often tuck away memories and think “I need to remember this moment”. I had quite a few of them, but perhaps my favorite moments on this trip were seeing Maggie discover her love for the outdoors. An unforgettable date night to celebrate my Masters (more on that to come) and hanging out with my BFF, Barbie, for a girls night out. There are alot of “Remember this moment” pictures but I thought I would share one that really puts the reason behind vacations into perspective. It is about connecting with family and building the moments that make up the fabric of your story together.
Any parent knows that traveling with a toddler can be a challenge. We have flown and drove across the country with our 16 month old and apps were a go-to solution for keeping her engaged (and contained). I am also going to include the annoying factor. Let’s face it, most apps for kids are incredibly annoying when it comes to the songs and sounds. I have found a few that are fantastic, but there is definitely a market opportunity for cool apps for kids.
My top 5 apps for free and for a fee:
Free:
Fisher Price Shapes and Colors:
This has two different settings and has transitioned from about 12 months to 16 months well. The second stage provides a key board and shapes and my daughter loves how the app uses responsive design when she tilts it from side to side the characters follow her movement. The design of the app is well done and there are not any distracting ads which get in the way of game play. Annoying Factor: 4 (out of a 1-5 scale – 1 is pretty perfect and 5 is pretty annoying) The songs on this are typical Fisher Price, it does keep my daughter engaged but I find the music rather irritating at times.
Free: Fisher Price Animal Sounds:
A cute app with engaging music and very intuitive movement for a toddler. My daughter loves the songs that play at the end of each animal cycle. The only drawback is that there are only two cycles of animals (she would love it if there were more animals to see). Annoying Factor: 3 (out of a 1-5 scale – 1 is pretty perfect and 5 is pretty annoying) The background music isn’t too bad on this option but the songs are still pretty typical Fisher Price. Watch out – it can be pretty catchy – I find myself humming this one from time to time.
For a Fee:
Peek-a-boo Barn:
By far this is one of my favorite apps for Maggie. They do have a lite version for free to try before you buy. Although it is worth the spend – so go for the paid version of this app. It provides updates throughout the year for each season and has a beautifully designed interface with a playful soundtrack. Perhaps the best part about this app is that they use kids as the voice over to identify the animals. It is super cute and really well done for game play for a toddler. Annoying Factor: 1 (out of a 1-5 scale – 1 is pretty perfect and 5 is pretty annoying) If all apps were as awesome as this one – I would be in heaven. The apps is made by Night and Day Studios and they have some other releases as well and range from $2-3 dollars per app.
For a Fee: Elmo Calls:
This app activates your camera phone to provide a facetime calling experience with Elmo and your child. It offers an easy to use interface but has some elements that make it more for an older toddler. When you select a button to have Elmo call, you have to press a small-ish green button to answer, if your child is used to pressing anywhere on the screen for a response, they can get frustrated with this limited touch feature. In addition, not all of the calls utilize video and the “voice” only calls are quickly ended. The updates provide new videos and you can also purchase additional characters to call. This app keeps my daughter engaged around 5-10 minutes usually and she enjoys watching herself and Elmo. Annoying Factor: 3 (out of a 1-5 scale – 1 is pretty perfect and 5 is pretty annoying) It’s the voice of Elmo – need I say more?
For a Fee: Fruit Ninja:
Although created originally for adults, who doesn’t like to play this app. The key for toddlers is to select the “Zen Mode” and for a minute and 30 seconds, watch them slice and dice fruit to their heart’s content. You can download a free version, however the ads and limited features make the investment in the full version worth the spend. Annoying Factor: 1 (out of a 1-5 scale – 1 is pretty perfect and 5 is pretty annoying) It’s one of the top rated apps overall for a reason. This is fun to play, easy to listen to and enjoyable to watch.