Cross-Countrying Across America

When I moved back to the States in summer 2006, my sister Pamela helped me drive cross-country from North Carolina to California, where I was to reside in the Mojave Desert somewhere between the resort spas of Palm Springs and the stark beauty of Joshua Tree National Park. Ever the event planner, I took our road adventure seriously as I mapped a 5-day road trip through 9 states of picturesque Americana. Highlights of the trip were the sights and sounds of Beale St. and Elvis's beloved Graceland in the birth city of rock-n-roll, Memphis, TN; the enormity and mystique of the Grand Canyon in AZ; hot air ballooning over Albuquerque, NM; seeing Cirque du Soleil's, "Mystere", in fabulous Las Vegas, NV; and stealing a butter plate at The Ivy, where we dined at LA's most frequented celebrity restaurant (Aww c'mon! Brad Pitt could've licked this plate!). Despite traveling 3000+ miles in the confines of a compact SUV hybrid, Pamela and I got to see some truly phenomenal landscapes. A great adventure indeed on the wheels of my SUV steed.

Where Art Thou Mi Italiana Villa?

Oh how I miss my Italian Villa. I have vivid dreams that I still live there. I had beautiful arched terrace doors in all the front rooms that looked out to the providence below and the Mediterranean Sea beyond. You could walk out on my terrace that ran along the entire front of the villa, which provided a breath taking view of land and sea. However, the view from my roof patio was even better, which could be accessed by climbing the marble stairway up to the top floor landing. Often I would dine outside on my second level terrace or throw a wine and cheese party on my rooftop patio with a live jazz trio playing to the ambiance of the evening, their sillouettes casting shadows along with the flickering candles that were lit throughout as twilight danced to the rhythms of the evening. My favorite memory though was the idyllic pleasure of reading outdoors on my patio hammock, eventually lulling to sleep by the sounds of Mother Nature singing to me as I crept into the stories I was reading. Ahhhh such a poignant memory of mi bella Italiana villa.

Reflections of a Broad Traveling Abroad

Over the course of my adult life, I have traveled and lived in the most amazing places. I still shake my head in disbelief and wonder how a quirky Filipina gal from North Carolina got to travel so far; a far distance from the small Southern town where she grew up in and often daydreamed of visiting exotic lands far, far away.... Thinking about my daydreams of yore have inspired me to pull out my memory scrapbook and place it within a blog. This year I turned the big 4-O which put me on a journey of reflection. I have decided that this would be the perfect forum to paste my adventures and allow me to simply re-enjoy. So, bare with me as I blow away the cobwebs and revisit my wandering past: In my late 20's I lived in Spain and drank Sangria, sunbasked on the whites sands of the Mediterranean, and club hopped tirelessly until 6 am. I traveled widely throughout Andalusia (Region of Southern Spain) and to bordering countries of Portugal, Gibraltar, and Morocco. In my early 30's I lived in Cuba where I chased iguanas, picked fresh mangos and cavorted in the Carribean. Nothing was more beautiful than kayaking in the early morn and watching the sunrise wake up the island, or watching it rise and set in the Bahamas and Puerto Rico; two islands I enjoyed that were tropical and tranquilly breezy in their own rights. My Carribean experience was a languid, idyllic time. Then, in my late 30's I lived in Italy in a large villa overlooking the Mediterranean with vineyards and olive groves growing bountifully on the premises. And the Italian food.... Mama Mia!... was so delicioso! Fresh pomodoro (tomotoes), basil, garlic and market catch-of-the-day seafood atop mounds and mounds of yummy pasta. I traveled throughout the "boot" to Rome, Naples, Florence, Venice, Tuscany, the Almafi Coast, the Islands of Capri and Ischia, and of course Sicily.... but Italy was the appetizer while Germany, Austria, France, Greece, Albania were the entrees' and Holland, Scotland, Ireland, and England were the dolce (sweet desserts). It was such a rich traveling experience that left me with an expanded view of the world. In a couple months, I will leave America again and spend my 40's living in Cairo, Egypt.... but that story lies waiting to unfold, and a new blogger tale to be told.