While in San Francisco, a quick trip to Whole Foods and dinner with an old friend each brought me face to face with something new, something that provided a window into a new part of the world. I love that feeling, and it tends to throw my research skills into high gear. In this particular case, they were also both edible…

Thing #1: Kouign Amman

Kouign Amman is a round crusty cake that was nestled in with the breakfast pastries, right next to the croissants. To my untrained ear it sounded vaguely Middle Eastern and peaked my curiosity. When I got home I discovered that it was actually a Breton cake made up of layers upon layers of dough, butter, and sugar and then cooked to caramelized perfection.  A little heavier than a criossant, but similar. I  associated Breton with northern France (Brittany specifically), but other than that I basically drew a blank…

Here’s what I found out. Apparently Bretons are an ethnic minority living in modern day Brittany, and Breton appears to be another word for Brittany. Sadly the Breton speaking population now is only approximately 250,000 people most of whom are in their seventies. Their population dwindles with every year that passes, which understandably leads to real concern about the extinction of the language over the next few decades. More information and a video from CNN: Bretons Fight to Save Language from Extinction. In addition, Locronan, a small town in the westernmost portion of Brittany (population: about 800 people), is the alleged birthplace of Kouign Amman.

Thing #2: Jook

Social media made it easy for Annelies and I to be back in touch and sitting at the window bar at BStar on a recent night in San Francisco despite the fact that we fell out of touch many years ago after college. BStar serves Burmese fusion and is owned by the same people who own the well-known Burma Superstar, where I’m told the wait is considerably longer. Both are on Clement Street in Inner Richmond, a neighborhood hailed as the go to spot for great Asian food and Annelies’s neighborhood. Based on her recommendations, we split the tea leaf salad, and I ordered the jook.

Descriptions pulled from the menu:

• Jook – rice porridge with chicken or pork, peanuts, scallions, ginger, chilies, and a  thousand year egg
• Tea Leaf Salad – romaine, ginger, garlic, peanuts, sunflower and sesame seeds, tomato and tea leaf

 

Both the food and the company were great. Intrigued, I promptly googled jook to find out more when I got home – i.e. how it was made, what is typically added as garnish, etc. It’s also called commonly congee or any of almost a dozen other names when served in various parts of India, Korea, Vietnam, the Philippines, and even Japan. It’s eaten for breakfast or when you’re not feeling well, and is considered comfort food much like chicken noodle soup. Variations on the boiled rice porridge are huge making it particularly fitting for an Asian fusion restaurant!

The other interesting thing was the thousand year egg, a.k.a. century egg, that was served with the jook. It’s round, greenish, and right in the middle of the bowl in the picture above. Looking much more like a pickle than an egg, if you ask me. This was the first I’d ever heard of preserving eggs. Thankfully the one on my plate looked a lot more appetizing than the one pictured on Wikipedia and I hadn’t read stories and misconceptions of how this preservation process was originally discovered either! The consistency was similar to a boiled egg, and it worked well with all the other flavors. I probably wouldn’t eat it on it’s own, but I’d happily have another in my next bowl of jook.

What I Love about San Francisco & Some Recipes

I love that all kinds of new things are on offer in the Bay area. The pervasive question seems to be “Why not?” Wherever you turn someone is doing something interesting. Very often it also involves food. Relatively inexpensive food too.  And, right below the surface, a simple Google search away, you’ll often find that someone more passionate and knowledgeable has done the tougher investigative work for you… Of course an obscure Breton pastry is available! It’s San Francisco!

Where to find more Kouign Amman and jook in San Francisco:

• Finding a Kouign Amann in San Francisco: Your Weekend Assignment from SFWeekley.com
• Congee Compendium in San Francisco on Yelp, and more about Congee in the Bay area.

Of all the food bloggers I expected to have a recipe for jook, David Leibovitz didn’t cross my mind! Kouign Amman makes much more sense simply based on geographical proximity. He’s mostly known for living in Paris, and desserts, especially chocolate and ice cream. Jook came up as a a hearty hangover cure… Good to know! Both of the recipes below are from David.

Source: davidlebovitz.com via Angela on Pinterest

Source: davidlebovitz.com via Angela on Pinterest

Also, in case you’re curious, click to hear how to pronounce Kouign Amman. I know I was!

If you ask me, the key benefit of making yourself freer and more flexible is being able to take advantage of great opportunities when they come up. Less baggage, more options. So I was excited when I discovered (through the serendipity of Facebook) that a friend of mine was about to embark on some extended travel in Southeast Asia leaving her San Francisco apartment vacant.

After a few emails and calls back and forth, and a quick conversation with my boss, it was settled. I would be taking care of things at her place – living and working from her apartment for a little less than a month while she was away!

Let me take a quick step back. About that conversation with my boss…. I was pretty nervous about pitching this idea to him. You never really know how a conversation like this can go, but I’m firmly of the mindset that it can’t hurt to ask. You get out of life what you settle for, but I also knew that I had a pretty friendly audience. He’s been very happy with my work, and we’d recently had an unrelated conversation about how I can do my job from anywhere since I already work from a branch office and not our corporate headquarters. All I really need is a laptop and a cell phone. In the end, the conversation was a non-event. He said yes, and I promptly bought my flight to SFO.

I’ve been contemplating making a move to San Francisco and was itching for a little change of scenery so this has been the perfect opportunity to get an extended stay in the city for far less than a hotel would cost and without having to commit to anything just yet.

I’ve been in San Francisco for almost three weeks now, and I’ve had a blast exploring neighborhoods all over the city – SoMa, The Mission, Hayes Valley, The Marina, Inner Richmond, Outer Richmond, Outer Sunset, North Beach, Russian Hill, Fisherman’s Wharf, Chinatown…

I’ll share more details and plenty of pictures very soon.

Today we’re going to take a little trip… I’ve selected stories from 7 different spots across the globe and put together a ’round the world jaunt just for you. So sit back, fasten your seat belt, and get ready to depart!

# 1 – First, we’ll snake our way down through Central America to the northernmost portion of South America, specifically the mountains of Colombia. Stumptown’s Colombia Source Trip (via Cool Hunting)

After taking my first trip to Colombia at the end of last year, I perk up now whenever I hear something about Colombia, and I’ve been itching to share this video since I stumbled on it… If you’ve heard of Portland’s Stumptown Coffee, you know that they take their coffee pretty seriously. I had no idea how seriously. This is a great video about their trip to Colombia to source their coffee. It reminds me so much of driving in the mountains around Medellin and makes me wish I’d taken time to visit a coffee finca (farm) while I was there.

#2 – We will continue MUCH further south past Ecuador and Peru, down the long coast of Chile, past the southernmost city in the world, (Ushuaia, Argentina), and across the turbulent Drake Passage to Antarctica. Dr. Edward Atkinson in his Antarctic Lab (via the Art of Manliness Trunk)

Check out this amazing photo of the Royal naval surgeon and Antarctic explorer from the National Geographic archives and follow the Wikipedia links to read about the Terra Nova Expedition from 1910 to 1913.

#3 – Next, we head back to warmer climates and across the Atlantic Ocean to the southeastern edge of Europe, in the Balkans. we’ll stop in the country that’s bordered by Montenegro, Kosovo, and Macedonia. Stumped? It’s Albania, of course. Riding a mini bus in Albania, by Lauren Quinn (via Matador Network)

Here’s a short excerpt:

“On a map, Gjirokaster is only 230km from Tirana. In any other European country, you’d walk to the train station at the center of town, sip an espresso while you waited for your train, hand a grumpy conductor your ticket, and gently rock your way back to the capital in a couple of hours … But this is Albania. And it’s not just the abandoned bunkers and minaret towers that make the country so utterly unlike the rest of Eastern or Western Europe. It’s the only European country without a functional rail system. And the buses don’t do a rousing job of making up for it. Fifty years of dictatorship and a civil war left infrastructure woefully dilapidated. Roads have begun to be repaired, but the things that ride on them have yet to improve.”

Good to know. When heading to Albania, try to rent a car … somewhere? Anywhere.

#4 – Heading east from Albania across the Mediterranean Sea, past divided Cyprus, across Syria and the Kurdish regions of Iraq, we’ll stop in the Islamic Republic of Iran. Traveling to Iran as Americans: All You Need to Know (by Uncornered Market)

I’ve been following Dan and Audrey’s adventures recently as they traveled through Iran. I was hugely curious about their trip and what Iran is really like outside of all the stereotypes and mass media reports. This post answers a lot of practical questions about traveling to Iran as an American. Is it legal? Can you travel on your own in Iran? How do you get a visa since there’s no Iranian embassy in the US? Can you use an ATM or your credit card in Iran?

“Iranian banks are also subject to international sanctions. So although Iran is full of banks and ATM machines, you won’t be able to get money out at any of them with your ATM card. So cash is the name of the game.”

Bonus links: Find out more about why they went to Iran and see some photos of Western Iran to satisfy your curiosity about what Iran really looks like!

#5 – Our next stop is over the mountains of Afghanistan and Pakistan on the subcontinent of India, in the eighth largest metropolis in the world, Dehli. Indian Maharaja’s daring act of anti-colonial dissent (by BBC News Asia)

Dehli is preparing to celebrate 100 years as the capital of India, and apparently the recent discovery of a “lost written diary by an Anglo-Irish aristocrat” named Lilah Wingfield has reminded the world of a forgotten act of defiance at the Dehli Durbar of 1911.

“Each Indian ruler or “native prince” was expected to perform proper obeisance to the King-Emperor by bowing three times before him, then backing away without turning. The maharajah not only ignored royal etiquette by turning his back on the king and queen after formally introducing himself but compounded his perceived insolence by reportedly “laughing disrespectfully” as he departed from their presence.”

#6 – From India, we’ll wander only slightly further east… We’re staying in south Asia and heading to the highly visited, travel blogger favorite of Thailand. The Hilarious and Strange Thai-Cambodian Border (by Christine Gilbert on AlmostFearless.com)

I’ve been a pretty regular reader of Christine’s blog for a while now. I enjoy seeing how she and her husband travel the world with their two year old son Cole, but what really keeps me coming back is her sarcastic sense of humor and honesty about long term travel and the places they visit. Check out the full story to avoid a long standing scam on your next border crossing from Thailand to Cambodia.

Here’s a short excerpt:

“It’s like some kind of compartmentalization that you achieve, especially in Southeast Asia, where you learn to not take these kinds of things personally, and maybe you think, “well that’s a scam for tourists who don’t know better, not for me”.  You still have to do business with the people who initially try to rip you off.  So you get used to it.  It’s like their opening bid.  Can I rip you off?  No?  Okay, what else can I do for you?”

#7 – And our last stop brings us much closer to home. Northern California, in fact. Horsetail Fall in Yosemite National Park (found on Pinterest via Evan Sharp)

I had to show the picture below because it’s so beautiful, and here’s the description Evan gave this pin: Horsetail Fall is a small, ephemeral waterfall that flows over the eastern edge of El Capitan in Yosemite Valley. For two weeks in February, the setting sun striking the waterfall creates a deep orange glow that resembles Yosemite’s historic “Firefall.”

The post above from todayandtomorrow.net also includes as short video as well.

Clearly, we left large swaths of the world untouched on this trip, but I hope you agree that these seven spots provided some pretty interesting stories, and I hope you enjoyed the trip!

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Photo: from Curious Expeditions on Flickr

I’ve been struggling with how to tell you about my recent trip to Cairo, which is funny since my friends and family can attest that I’ve hardly stopped talking about Egypt since returning, especially with the return to Tahrir and elections. Even in talking about it though, I’m not sure I’ve done it justice.

The thrill of experiencing an entirely new culture firsthand would have made the trip memorable enough, but pair that with getting the opportunity to meet and talk with some very accomplished and passionate people who are in the thick of defining real political change in their country and seeing the iconic pyramids, and it quickly became one of the best trips I’ve taken to date.

It was humbling and eye-opening, and I wanted this post to convey all of that. Rather than delay it any longer, I’ll just let the trip speak for itself and then you can see everything that made my five days in Cairo so special.

DAY ONE

Zamalek

We stayed at the Marriott Hotel in Zamalek, which is an affluent neighborhood that sits on an island in the middle of the Nile, separating Cairo and Giza, both of which make up the metropolitan city of Cairo. As you might remember, I came to Cairo to participate in Afar Experiences’ inaugural event. Since it didn’t begin until midday on my first day in Cairo, I ventured out to explore a little of the surrounding area on my own.

I set off in search of the Diwan Bookstore. It’s well known for carrying titles in English that are hard to find in the US, and it didn’t disappoint. I ended up carrying home two books – one titled Road to Tahrir containing photos taken by young Egyptian photographers of the January revolution that ousted Mubarak and the other titled What the Arabs Think of Americans.

Then I climbed the Cairo Tower to take in the 360 degree view of this massive city with its population of approximately 18 million people.

Overlooking downtown Cairo.

The southern tip of Zamalek.

You can actually see a faint outline of the pyramids from the top of the tower when overlooking the Giza side, but sadly because of the haze you can barely see them in the picture above. There will be more pictures of pyramids soon enough!

Manshiet Nasser

After spending my morning in affluent Zamalek, I met up with the Afar group for our first activity and ventured much further afield. I selected a tour of Manshiet Nasser, one of the largest slums in Cairo. Our tour guide was Jawad Nabulsi, a young entrepreneur and Tahrir revolutionary whose Nebny Foundation is working with local contractors to help revitalize the neighborhood, which has been largely neglected by the government, before and after the revolution. It sits in stark contrast to the leafy Zamalek. We walked through only the small part of Manshiet Nasser that was involved in the revitalization efforts, and one of the nicest blocks in the area.

People gathered and welcomed us as we made our way with Jawad through the streets of their neighborhood. As we were getting ready to leave, an older woman motioned to us from one of the windows you see above and invited a few of us to come up into her home. We were able to talk with her and her family about the work the foundation was doing and about the fall of Mubarak. It was an unexpected glimpse into their daily lives.

DAY TWO

The Egyptian Museum

We woke early to visit the Egyptian Museum before it opened. We broke up into groups of four. Each of which was paired with an egyptologist who deftly led us through the never ending halls of the museum and all the ancient treasures to show us just the highlights.

Walking through the museum felt like traveling back in time, not just because of the age of the artifacts, but also because the display cases and the building evoke the British colonial period of Egypt’s history at the turn of the century when the building in Tahrir Square was built. The mummy room near containing the mummies of about 9 ancient pharaohs was definitely a highlight of the tour, albeit a slightly creepy one. It’s hard to believe you’re really looking at ancient kings and one queen.

A Remnant of the Revolution

Another highlight of the visit to the Egyptian Museum was the opportunity to see up close the burned out headquarters of the National Democratic Party – the ruling party under Mubarak.

It was burned during the revolution and still stands empty now.  The building backs right up to the museum, and you can see how devastating the fire could have been if it had gotten out of control.

Tahrir Square

From the museum, we walked to Tahrir Square. As you can see below, in late October it was a bustling mess of traffic, and back to business as usual after the January revolution. Having seen this spot made the news come alive in a way I haven’t experienced when only about three weeks later people gathered again in Tahrir to protest the military’s efforts to maintain political control and protections under the post-revolution government and when reports and photographs showed people being injured, tear gassed, or killed during those protests.

The day also included speakers at Cafe Riche, lunch at Arabesque, a reception at the Marriott with opening remarks from the Minister of Tourism, and dinner at Abou El Sid.

DAY THREE

We began the day with a walking tour through the Coptic Christian cemetery to the church of St. Barbara.

We met with Father Sarabamone, a Coptic priest who told us about his church and answered most of our questions. On the heels of Coptic Christians being killed during protests in Cairo, he effectively sidestepped political questions about discrimination or persecution, but admitted that times are tough. Copts represent only 10% of the population in Egypt.

Next we found our way through Cairo’s traffic to the Sultan Hassan Mosque and Madrasa to meet with a young, modern imam named Moez Masoud. I’ve written a little more about him and his unique perspective on Islam here on Afar.com.

Outside Sultan Hassan

Inside Sultan Hassan

After returning from the mosque, our afternoon speakers included filmmaker Mohamed Diab and economist Seif Fahmy. Both were outstanding. Mohamed Diab is a longtime screenwriter who recently produced and directed his first film, Cairo 6, 7, 8 about sexual harassment in Egypt. Seif Fahmy spent years in business and in politics at one time within Mubarak’s National Democractic Party before resigning en masse with other ministers when it became apparent that they couldn’t accomplish within the NDP what they’d hoped to accomplish. His perspective was interesting and invaluable.

Home Dinners

We concluded the evening with dinners in various Egyptian’s homes to get another opportunity to speak informally and to get to know Egyptians around their kitchen tables and outside of the tour bus. My dinner was at the home of Sherif Maklouf a young entrepreneur in the technology space. We’ve taken to calling it the young revolutionaries dinner…. He and many of his friends who joined us were in Tahrir, involved in the protests, and are actively helping to change the political future of Egypt. It was like political theory 101. Maybe it was more like an advanced political theory course actually, because the issues they’re grappling with are complex with no easy or simple answers for bringing Egypt through this transition. I left that evening being genuinely impressed with the passion, commitment and intelligence of those individuals helping and hoping to direct Egypt’s future.

DAY FOUR

The day started with a brief overview of Egyptian architecture – all four thousand years of it! We gathered at La Bodega to hear architect Tarik Labib introduce the highlights and show us pictures of his buildings as well. Then we headed to the El Sawy Culturewheel for a few activities over the course of the afternoon. We heard traditional Egyptian musicians perform, listened to Riham Bahi a women’s rights activist and professor of political science about the issues facing women in Egypt, and met Bassem Youssef a comedian, surgeon, and talk show host, who is also called the Egyptian Jon Stewart.

Me and Riham Bahi

Bassem Youssef

Since I didn’t taken any pictures of Bassem Youssef in Cairo, I decided to include the one above. When author and journal Robin Wright spoke recently in Dallas, she showed a picture of him during her slideshow as an example of the changes the Arab world is facing in the area of humor. He’s a YouTube sensation who now has his own television show doing political comedy.

Farewell Party at the Pyramids

After a quick shopping trip around Zamalek to secure a few souvenirs (bath salts from the Red Sea), it was time to board the bus to the farewell party overlooking the Pyramids.We arrived right before sunset to see our beautiful tent for the evening full of colorful rugs, a traditional Bedouin band, and amazing food.

There were also quite a few camels and their handlers waiting to give the tourists a quick ride around the tent.

It was an amazing end to a thrilling event, and I’m looking forward to hearing in January where the next Afar Experience will be.

DAY FIVE

On my final day in Cairo, I joined a few of the others from the group and returned to Giza to see the pyramids during the day – to climb down inside the smaller pyramid, see the famous Sphinx, and visit the boat built with no nails.

Contraband photo from inside the Pyramid. Climbing back out.

Having already seen the pyramids the night before, I’d questioned whether it would be worth the return trip to Giza, but in the light of day, they did not disappoint.

After taking in the sights, we visited the historic Mena House hotel (owned by the Indian Oberoi group). The hotel has hosted many celebrities, but it also served as a meeting place for Winston Churchill and General Montgomery as they made plans during World War II and was the site of the talks between Egypt and Israel in the 70s. We reveled in the opulent surroundings and views of the pyramids and ate an amazing Indian lunch in The Moghul Room.

The last thing we all wanted to be sure to see before leaving Cairo was the Khan al-Khalili souk so we went straight from Giza through all the evening traffic to the souk. We arrived just before sundown and finished a full day with a walk through the winding alleys. You can see pictures and more about the souk in my last post.

While it’s hard to believe that I only spent five days in Cairo, they were five very full days that gave me a greater understanding of Egypt and laid the ground work for a better understanding of the region in general.

Having heard that Khan el-Khalili, a major souk in Islamic Cairo, was particularly pretty to see in the evening, we decided to make the trek across town to see it as we were leaving Giza after a long day of touring the pyramids. I was very glad to be with companions for the visit to the souk, including the men who accompanied us, instead of being on my own.

Nothing I’ve experienced in the US really compares to the feeling of being a foreigner without agenda or direction in the midst of Khan el-Khalili. It was packed. People seemed to be everywhere – cutting through the alleys on their way home, picking up spices or other necessary item, or pushing a packed trolley through an impossibly small space already full of people.The closest thing I can imagine is trying to navigate your way (for the first time) through the NYC subway system via Grand Central at the height of rush hour with a suitcase!

At one point as we wandered away from the more touristy portion of the souk, we were practically sandwiched between people seemingly commuting through the souk while we were at the same time still fielding requests to shop from the salesmen lining the souk. They continually assured us that “They had exactly what we needed.” Whatever that might be.

There were a few moments of relative calm during our walk through the souk, and the pictures below are mostly from those moments.

Sugar cane.

 Fresh dates for sale.

Alabaster jars and sheesha water pipes (a.k.a. hookah).

Loofahs and fabric.

Clothing piled and hung high.

Milling about outside the souk.

As you can see, the area was packed. This was Friday night traffic in downtown Cairo. It’s clearly the time to be out and about in the city. Since Cairenes don’t work on Fridays, it’s much like a Saturday night out in the States.

More thoughts on Egypt to come.

In a little more than 24 hours, I’ll be headed to Egypt! Cairo specifically, via London.

There will be plenty of big firsts on this trip – my first Muslim country, my first spot in Africa and the Middle East, and my first group tour ever. The event (sounds better than tour!) is hosted by Afar Media, publisher of Afar travel magazine.

Our itinerary includes convening in Cairo for a few days of dinner in Egyptian homes, conversations with revolutionaries about the future of Egypt,  sunset at the Pyramids, early morning access to the Egyptian Museum, and a visit to Tahrir Square…

And if that’s not enough, I’m also excited to spend a couple of days in London revisiting a few of my favorite touristy spots (Covent Garden, Regent’s Park, the British Museum) and exploring plenty of new spots too (Borough Market and the East End)…

I can’t wrap my head around the fact that it’s been over a decade since I spent a summer in London during college, but I’m definitely looking forward to making up for lost time!

I’d better get back to work now, since there’s still tons to do before I board the plane! But I’ll be posting plenty of stories and pictures (with my first manual camera!) over the next couple of weeks, so stay tuned!

I’ve thought a lot about this quote as I pared down my belongings and rented out my house…

I love to wander, whether it’s along a trail surrounded by old growth trees or through the streets of a new city. I do my fair share of planning for a visit to any new city, but the part I relish is the wandering. I like to think of it as “educated” wandering. This quote definitely speaks to that.

But, I think it also touches on another idea…

There’s a difference between being unsure of your next steps, despite having a goal or purpose in sight, and being lost, but from the outside, they can look exactly the same.

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Image: from Etsy at OfTheFountain’s shop.

Today is my last full day in my house. When I wake up tomorrow morning, I’ll be doing last minute cleaning and packing in preparation for the movers to arrive. Then, I’ll meet up with my new tenants and hand over the keys. It still feels a little unreal, but I’ve been thinking about making this change for a while…

Parring Down & Pulling Up Roots

I’ve been looking to pull up some of my roots in Dallas and to lead a less tethered life. A life with more travel. I know a number of people, mostly minimalist and travel bloggers, who live with almost no possessions traveling from place to place with nothing more than the pack on their back and what they can carry. That’s not what I’m looking to do.

I’m aiming to live with less so I can spend my time and energy on what matters, and for now, that means renting out of my house.

There’s a lot of stuff that goes along with a house, ongoing maintenance. I’m tired of doing it all by myself. As I started to think about what the next few years of my life might entail, I decided I wanted to travel more and have a little more freedom financially to take the next steps I’ve been planning.

I wanted to feel lighter, more nimble. So I sold or donated all of the things that I wouldn’t miss or need in the near future, and I kept only the things that I love and the things that I can imagine using very soon.

Where will I go?

Thankfully, my roots in Dallas run deep. So I have a place to lay my head and a closet in which to store the small number of things I’ve decided to keep. Then, I have the time and freedom to make any other changes that make sense without feeling rushed to do everything at once.

I’m also hoping to spend more time in NYC, San Francisco, Portland, and ultimately abroad… Trips to Southeast Asia, Northern Africa (probably Morocco or Egypt, not Libya…), and anywhere in South America are all on the list.

What if I regret it?

There is a lot I will miss about living here. My house has been my refuge, which also makes it really easy to stay holed up here, well inside my comfort zone. It’s close to my friends and family, and I will definitely miss that.

I don’t expect to live this way forever, and I have a really great house. So I decided to let someone else live here for a little while instead of selling it. Then I can undo anything I’ve done in a year’s time if I so desire. It’s only a year.

What next?

It is a mistake to look too far ahead. Only one link on the chain of destiny can be handled at a time. – Sir Winston Churchill

I’m not sure it’s a mistake to look far ahead, but I definitely think it’s a mistake to plan too far ahead without leaving room for chance and change. I have an idea of what I want the next few years to look like, and I’m doing my best to make it happen, but not all of it is under my control.

So I’m doing what I can and planning for contingencies, while leaving the rest open — to be handled one link at a time.

There were so many things I enjoyed about my visit to Portland earlier this summer… The laid-back, easy feel of the city along with the great, inexpensive food options lured me in hook, line, and sinker.  After 5 days, I wasn’t ready to leave, and I resolved to return to Portland. Hopefully, again and again.

The one thing that I still think about after having returned home was an amazing walk I took, twice. Some might call it a hike, but it’s not particularly strenuous.

First, we took the MAX train to the Zoo in Washington Park and from there followed the signs to the Hoyt Arboretum. As you embark on the path through the woods, away from the Arboretum, it is truly possible to feel a million miles away from the city, surrounded only by old growth Douglas Fir trees and moss covered stones. The temperature drops in the midst the trees and with it went any residual stress I was still carrying around.

As you can see above, about half of the walk is through the park, past the Japanese Garden and the International Rose Test Garden, but the other half is through the restaurants and boutiques of northwest Portland.

The best thing about this walk is how you spill out into the thick of the city after walking for an hour or so alone in the trees. The views are beautiful as you walk out through the park. I was so enthralled that I only took the one picture above. If you look closely, you can see the outline of the city in the center background.

After working up an appetite, we shuffled through the streets of northwest Portland, ate lunch, and eventually made our way to Stumptown Coffee Roasters, a Portland institution, in the ACE Hotel for a cold brew iced coffee. It seemed a highly appropriate way to end our afternoon wandering and to caffeinate before seeking out the rest of what Portland has to offer.

Here’s a link to the walking directions, if you’d like to retrace my steps yourself.

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Bookmark for Future Use: Best U.S. Hiking Cities, Easy Urban Escapes by National Geographic – “With wild hikes within an hour, these 15 cities have some of the best outdoor access in urban America—and the only prerequisite for exploring is a pair of sneakers. Plus, find out where to eat and drink like a local afterward.” Including Portland, SF, NYC, Chicago, and eleven others…

I tend to get a stir crazy pretty easily and need to seek out new adventures every so often. Right now this urge is worse than normal. I’m feeling the urge to mix things up big time.

Normally, I would just book a trip somewhere. And, I did that…. I’m headed to San Francisco for work, and I decided to take on some extra time to explore the city. I’ve loved spending time there in the past, but haven’t felt like I’ve been able to explore it nearly enough. Now I have to cut the trip short because I’ve been grounded.

Doctors orders. It turns out that overtraining for the half marathon I ran in March can have some pretty serious implications – namely a stress fracture in each shin, which mean lots of ice, no weight bearing exercises for about 4 weeks (including walking for any real distance), and a handicap sticker, which my doc recommended, but I can’t bring myself to go pick up!

It’s truly amazing how hard it is to sit still and relax, or sit still and be productive, when all you want to do is get going.

So I’ve been doing my best to channel my excess energy into a couple projects and other sedentary pursuits. The list below includes a few “places” where new experiences can be found, in case you’re feeling the need for something new. I couldn’t resist adding the travel to the list!

1) In Your Work…

Seek new experiences wherever they are. “Life is just a set of experiences. As long as there are new experiences for me in a corporate job, I don’t think I have to be an entrepreneur. The cool thing about being an entrepreneur is I can guarantee to myself that it’s going to be new, because I am going to make it so.” by Sam Yagan in Confessions of a former entrepreneur. (Who, me?) This seems like the right idea to me. Don’t worry too much about the length of your future with any one company. Stay as long as there are new and interesting things to do.

Follow the work. “Social norms push at us relentlessly to make decisions about a singular work path. Choosing well, we are told, will set us up for success or failure.” This can be limiting. … “Focusing on a body of work will give you more freedom to choose different work options throughout the course of your  life.” by Pam Slim in Blow up traditional careers in favor of bodies of work

2) At a Desk…

Grab a pencil. I’ve started following a number of talented illustrators on Twitter, including Michael Nobbs. To better understand what they do, in preparation for a new project I’m working on, I’ve tried my hand at it using Michael’s Start to Draw Your Life booklet. If you’ve never done it before or it’s been ages, prepare to be humbled! Then, upload your bad drawing to his Flickr group created just for that purpose!

3) Abroad…

Have a unique experience. Afar Media, responsible for Afar Magazine – a favorite of mine, has recently launched a new service their calling Afar Experiences – providing once-in-a-lifetime events for spirited world travelers. They’ve put together an amazing three day event in Cairo in October featuring a unique schedule of events including the opportunity to understand Eqypt more deeply and to hear stories from many of the young people involved in the recent revolution. I’m normally much more of an independent traveler, but I have to admit that this kind of tour – small, unique, and focused on experiences – is the kind of tour I’d take. For a little more information about traveling in Egypt these days, check out Traveling and Safety in Post-Revolution Egypt, by Christine at Almost Fearless.

Get a passport. “The numbers tell the story: Of the 308 million-plus citizens in the United States, 30% have passports.” … “There were 61.5 million trips outside the United States in 2009, down 3% from 2008, … About 50% of those trips were to either Mexico or Canada, destinations that didn’t require a passport until 2007. Despite the climbing number of American passports in circulation [AFP: only because they're needed now to visit Canada and Mexico!], 30% is still low compared to Canada’s 60% and the United Kingdom’s 75%.” Need a resolution you can keep? Get a passport if you don’t already have one!

4) Online…

There are a couple of new sites I’ve started to visit online…

First, is Google+, the new social networking “project” put forth by Google to rival Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter. It’s brand spanking new and still hard to tell what it will be like when (or if) it will really be in use. I’m still getting my head around it, but here are a few of articles I’ve been reading to make some sense of it: Google Plus – First Look, How to Blog with Google Plus, and What Google+ Means for Your Business, all by Chris Brogan, and How to Use Google Plus from Read Write Web. If you’d like an invite, let me know…

Next is Pinterest, which is MUCH more intuitive to use than Google+ and super simple. It’s a virtual pinboard. See something you like while browsing online, from clothing to books to travel destinations to recipes to illustrations, then pin it. Using the bookmarklet they provide, which you drag up to your toolbar, you can pin something to Pinterest and add it to one of your many boards with a caption, without even leaving the page you’re on. I’ve started a travel bucket list, foods to make, and quotes I like, among others. Check it out, and follow me on Pinterest if you do.

Where are you seeking new things lately?