{life in a 5x7}

with just 48 hours left before departure, almost everything has been put into storage.  

it was definitely a bit of a puzzle getting everything in - but there's even room to spare!  dad, you would have been proud.  thanks, dolev, for helping me load the truck this morning!   

and thanks to my new bff - ramon at access mini storage in long island city - for helping me unload and get all of this stuff to my storage unit.  very sweet, especially since that manual labor is technically not part of his job description.  it's amazing how far a little friendly conversation and some southern charm can go.     

{nyc bucket list: part 2}

it was a busy few months - luckily i have amazing friends who are always up for anything! 

my first yankees game.  no, i'll never be a #1 yankees fan (thanks, dad), but i'll never turn down free tickets behind home plate (especially after spending an evening with so many of them at the private bar at southern hospitality).  i had to show the mets some love too and friends planned brunch at sunburnt cow before the game.  those aussies LOVE to serve the greyhounds.  though the atlanta braves will always have my heart, there's really nothing better than a baseball game on a beautiful day.    

 

brunch at saxon + parole, a few saturday nights in a row at wilfie and nell, cucumber slushies at mother's ruin (surprisingly delicious), and the famous manhattan at fedora.  though manhattans aren't really my cup of tea (or cup of rye, if you will), the place is very inviting.   

i'll save you the picture evidence of the happenings on avenue a at 2 a.m. on a saturday night.  

having my fortune told at employees only, drinks at hotel griffou, many a friday night dinner at the other old faithful - paquitos, cozy drinks at anfora, and delicious wine and cheese (and mac & cheese) at aria.  

i may miss artichoke pizza the most - you haven't lived until you've eaten this.  and it's extremely healthy.  

 

and finally, we spent a perfect memorial day (in 90 degree heat) eating shake shack in madison square park, buying street art, checking out the memorial day display at rockefeller center, and walking the highline. 

oh, nyc.  i will miss you. 

{nyc bucket list: part 1}

though this upcoming trip is not a permanent move (yes, yes, contrary to popular belief i AM coming back!), it still felt like the perfect excuse to knock a lot of things off the nyc bucket list.  so that's what i've spent most of the last 2 months doing.  i do realize that based on this post it appears all i do is eat.  i'd say that lately, that's pretty accurate. 

yes, an entire photo collage devoted to the spotted pig.  i'm not sure why it took me almost 2 years to eat here, but i definitely went twice in one week.  and i'd eat here every day for the rest of my life if i could.  my faves?  the gnudi, devils on horseback, deviled eggs, and the burger!

i was able to catch the newsies and anything goes on broadway this spring.  i would definitely recommend both, though i haven't seen a show yet that i didn't like (well, except for promises, promises, but apparently i'm in the minority on that one).  and no broadway show experience would be complete without an after-show drink at bar centrale.  this little hidden gem is a guarantee for celebrity sitings.  seriously - every. single. time. 

brunches and dinners at matilda, edamame dumplings (among many other amazing dishes) at buddakan, brunch at peels, happy hour at hecho en dumbo, drinks at the wren on bowery.   

edward sharpe and the magnetic zeros concert at roseland ballroom with ash and susan, and a few last trips to old faithful - the belfry with aly and helen. 

{words to live by}

i will miss seeing this hanging on my wall each day.  

{the itinerary}

when i first considered taking time off work this summer, i felt a strong calling to volunteer with children in africa.  and as so many of my vacations and holidays over the last 7 years have been interrupted by work, i also knew that i wanted to have some quality time to spend with my family.  i was lucky enough to turn these goals into reality, and just about half of my time will be spent in africa, with the other half spent traveling throughout europe and at home with family in virginia.  luckily, most of my trip is flexible so that i can easily change my plans as my experience evolves.     

the key stop of the trip: bagamoyo, tanzania - just north of dar es salaam

a stark contrast to nyc, in bagamoyo the culture is such that people are much more valued than time, and things that need to get done will get done eventually.  also, watches are very uncommon - indicators used for telling time are things like sunrise, sunset, roosters, when cows come home, and when hens/chickens go in (yes, this is for real).  though i'm sure it will be an extreme adjustment, i'm looking forward to being focused more on the people i'm with than on the schedule for the day.  for a month i'll be spending every monday through friday, from about 7 am to 4pm, primarily working with children ages 3-6.  the health of the children will be very different, as will the expectations for each day.  i am so anxious and excited to meet these kids!  though i really have no idea what to expect, i do know that my time there will be incredible.   

while a lot of it is still a bit up in the air, the itinerary for the next four months will mostly resemble this:

june 1: drop the last box in the storage unit, drive home to richmond, va
june 2-3: celebrate lang's 2nd birthday in lexington, va
june 7-july 7: volunteer and experience the culture in bagamoyo, tanzania
july 12-20: climb mt. kiliminjaro
july 26: fly back to DC
july 30-august 5: soak up the sun in aruba
august 9: arrive in london and catch an event at the olympics
august 10-12: amsterdam
august 18-31: berlin, prague, vienna, budapest, krakow, warsaw
august 31-september 4: heinsberg with the cavanaughs!
september 5-september 30: quality time with nephew #2 (arriving in august), lang, and the rest of the detwiler/rohas clan in lexington, va
october 1: back to nyc for the first day back to pwc

in preparation for the trip i've gotten countless immunizations and my malaria pills, have mentally prepared myself for mango flies, have attempted to learn the basics of swahili, and have refined my wardrobe so that i can be respectful of the people in bagamoyo - no knees or shoulders can be exposed.  i'm most worried about the bugs - those of you who know me know how even a tiny spider can cause me serious anxiety.  if nothing else, maybe my time in africa will help me to conquer my fear of bugs!   

{just say yes}

somewhat hesitantly, two years ago to the day, i said "yes" to an opportunity that took me out of sweet, southern, comfortable atlanta, ga to take on the big apple.  if the last 2 years have taught me anything, it's that saying yes - especially when you want to say no - is what truly changes your life.  here are just a few of the ways that my life has changed over the last 2 years:

 melbourne, magnetic island, bungee jumping in cairns, the whitsundays, sydney, the 12 apostles

typical beach food in phuket, the grand palace and other bangkok attractions, relaxing in the phi phi islands - home to the most beautiful beaches i've seen in the world

lots of family time - christmas in virginia,  meeting evie for the first time in arizona, celebrating both of my sisters' first mother's days, a summer trip to see lang, taking the family around nyc, spending time in florida with nana, linz, and evie

 

 lake trips to tennessee, shopping at la boqueria in barcelona, watching djokovic win the australian open, 4th of july fireworks on a rooftop in brooklyn, weekend trips to DC, summer triathlon season, getting my fill of the rockettes and every other nyc christmas experience

i'm so thankfully blessed to have had an opportunity to say "yes" to taking a 4 month sabbatical from work.  to those of you with whom i work - thank you for being so very understanding and allowing me to leave nyc feeling extremely encouraged and excited.  to my family - thank you for always supporting me - even when I come up with crazy ideas to take 4 months off work to travel the world.  and thanks for always reminding me I have a place to crash if/when I run out of money.