Monthly Archives: July 2012

Keep Calm, and Travel On

I’m sure at some point you have seen the popular “Keep Calm and Carry On” poster, in one form or another. In recent years they have emerged as personalized internet memes. About a year ago they were so popular they made BuzzFeed, and the responses to the BuzzFeed article were creative and tremendous [just click this link, scroll down, and see for yourself].

But where did this poster, turned internet sensation, originate? The government playing host to the 2012 Summer Games. That’s right, for those of you who didn’t already know, these posters started as a campaign produced by the government of the United Kingdom, specifically from the Ministry of Information, to raise morale among the Brits at the start of World War II. From what I’ve gathered the public was to “Keep Calm” in the event of an invasion or wartime disaster. Yeah, sure

Either way, these posters have regained remarkable popularity, and they can be quite fun to play around with as users make their own Keep Calm memes. In light of my recent travels I made the following parody’s [via Keep Calm-O-Matic + The Noun Project]:

Bon Voyage, America!

After months of planning and coordinating with colleagues and friends all over the world, I am finally departing for Europe! The number one question I get when I tell people about my travels is “What are your expectations while you’re over there?” and to that I say, I have none. It is so important to keep an open mind when traveling. I have plenty of plans to see all the famous sites and sounds, but I also look forward to wandering around the cities, stumbling upon hidden treasures, hole-in-the-wall eateries, and interesting people. My favorite part of traveling to a new city is discovering the unexpected and taking part in the unplanned. While living in NYC I would walk around Manhattan and Brooklyn for hours, exploring boutiques, new restaurants and coffee shops, and other lesser-known gems in the city, all while meeting some fascinating individuals along the way. I suspect London will be chalk full of intriguing people from all around the globe, each with stories to tell.

So, until I arrive in each of the cities and stumble upon these unplanned places and persons, here is a list of my plans for site seeing and excursions thus far:

First stop, Dublin

What I am most excited about in Dublin isn’t visiting the Spire, or even drinking the most genuine draught of Guinness in the world, it’s meeting up with one of my college roommates, Annette Drapac. Annette has spent her summer working as a coordinator for an Ohio University study abroad program in Letterkenny, Ireland. This weekend the study abroad group is taking a trip to Dublin, and I’ll get to visit with them.

Me and Annette out to dinner in NYC

Dublin Castle

Of course, in addition to meeting up with some bobcats abroad I’m going to be sure to check out the National Library of Ireland, Ha’penny Bridge, The Brazen Head—allegedly the oldest pub in Dublin—the Dublin Castle, see some traditional Irish dancers, and celebrate mine and Miss Natalie Schultz twenty-second birthdays [which were both on July 24] over a Guinness or Irish Whisky. Cheers!

 

Next up, Journee to Paris

Traveling to Paris will be a true test of cultural immersion and independence. This city is completely foreign to me: the language, the customs, the history, everything. I’ve tried learning some basic market-place French via iPhone apps, but I’m still nervous to interact with the French, who, unfortunately, are infamous for disdain towards Americans. I hope I find this to be untrue, I’ll have to get back to this topic at a later date.

Regardless of how the French feel about U.S. citizens, I am very excited to tour this beautiful and culturally rich mecca. I have many excursions [and a whole lot of walking] planned. On Monday, July 30 I will be taking a tour of the city via the Seine river. I also plan to hit all the big sights: the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, Pont des Arts, Notre Dame, Basilique du Sacre Coeur, the Moulin Rouge, Palace of Versailles, and if I can fit it in the St.Ouen Flea Market, on the recommendation of a well-traveled friend who claims it is the best flea market in the world. While the metro system in Paris is known to be very efficient I plan on walking the city to really take in all the sights and sounds. What are some of your favorite Paris hotspots and lesser-known gems? Let me know in the comments section.

Final Destination: London 2012

Tuba and I during our time together NYC

Just as I was excited to visit with my college roommate in Dublin, I am equally as excited to visit with two of my dear friends, Tuba and Kristen, in London! Tuba and I met while living in the same building in New York City. She is originally from Germany but has recently finished her masters degree program and obtained career placement in London—congrats! Kristen was the PR coordinator at the Miss Universe Organization during my internship with the company. Recently Kristen has joined the team at Taylor Strategy, working in London on the P&G, “Thank You, Mom” campaign.

The big sights that are on my must-see list while in London include: Big Ben, Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, Buckingham Palace, the London Eye, Notting Hill, Stonehenge, seeing Wicked at the Apollo Victoria Theatre, The British Museum, Abbey Road Studios, and of course, snagging a photo inside a red phone booth!

The London Bridge

And it goes without saying that with the Olympics being the primary reason I am traveling to London this summer I have a fairly busy schedule covering the events. I will be attending the following Olympic events:

  • 4 August: Women’s triathlon @ 9AM
  • 5 August: Women’s Marathon @ 11AM
  • 7 August: Men’s triathlon @ 11:30AM // Synchronized Swimming @ 3PM
  • 8 August: Touring BBC press center
  • 9 August: Women’s 10K swimming @ 12PM
  • 10 August: Men’s 10K swimming @ 12PM
  • 12 August: Volleyball @ 9:30AM // Men’s Marathon @ 11AM

I look forward to sharing my coverage of the 2012 London Olympics as well as my journey and findings in Dublin, Paris, and elsewhere in and around London with each of you. Thanks for reading!

Au revoir, for now.

Travel Gets Easier, One App at a Time

Travel can be stressful, especially if you’re unprepared. However, in the world of Smartphone’s, tablets, and laptops, travel just got a lot easier. As a disclaimer I should state that I am an avid Apple consumer. Therefore, my reviews are of apps created and implemented on Apple devices, including my iPhone 4, iPad, and MacBook Pro. It should also be noted that I am a U.S. citizen and biased supporter of  Team USA, as you will see reflected in the apps I have chosen to download and discuss.

The past few months I’ve been gearing up to head to London for the 2012 Olympic Games. In preparation I have downloaded apps specifically designed for the summer games. If you’re traveling to London, or just want to keep up-to-date with what’s happening as the games progress, I highly suggest the following iPhone and iPad applications:

2012 Team USA Road to London Olympics – FREE

Direct from the applications description in the App Store: “The official Team USA 2012 Road to London application provided by the United States Olympic Committee. The app will follow the making of Team USA and their experience in London during the 2012 Summer Olympic and Paralympic games.

Key features of the application include:

  • Daily updates of who is making the team
  • Unique and relevant editorial content focused on a particular sport and athlete served daily
  • Custom-made “cheer” button which enables users to send a personal message to athletes via Facebook and Twitter
  • Athlete bios, photo galleries and video clips
  • Ability to donate to Team USA or support the team by purchasing official Team USA gear”

NBC Olympics + NBC Olympics Live Extra – FREE

The NBC Olympics app offers users the ability to “experience the best of the 2012 London Olympic Summer Games…Get prepared for the Games now by checking out news, video, photos for every sport and all Team USA athletes.” This app also gives users the capability to keep up with real-time results, schedules, and medal counts. It also boasts that “during the nightly Primetime Show televised on NBC, the app will feature a second screen experience that makes a great companion to the on-air broadcast.” Very nice, NBC. Did I also mention that NBC is offering 5,535 hours of Olympic coverage!

The NBC Olympics Live Extra app is similar to the NBC Olympics app, with the addition of live coverage from NBC’s online coverage and the option to set event reminders. Don’t want to wake up at 5 a.m. on Sunday, July 29 to watch Men’s Water Polo, but you’d still like to catch some of the action? Not a problem, the app has a DVR capability so you won’t miss a second of the Games!

London 2012 (Summer Games) – FREE

This is absolutely my go-to app at the moment! It provides a comprehensive schedule of the Olympic Games, information on the venues, interesting facts about each sport, and notable athletes. You can look at medal counts once they start racking up, as well as medal counts from the 2008 Games in Beijing. The app also lets users learn more about the countries participating in the Games. See any of the participating countries national flags, their population count, size, and major languages spoken. Overall, I love the simplicity and accuracy that this app offers, I highly recommend you download it to find out when your favorite sports are being played.

Fodor’s London Travel Guide – FREE

“Fodor’s makes it simple to discover the best of London. Find trusted reviews of nearby restaurants, shops, sights, and hotels with the touch of a button. From Buckingham Palace to the Tate Modern, we’ve got you covered on all the sights that London has to offer!”

Navigating London

Ah, the Tube! I’m no stranger to public transport: I lived in New York City for nearly four months, frequently visit my sister in Chicago where the bus and “L” [generic abbreviation for the elevated transit system that runs through the city] are the preferred methods of transport, and I’ve taken my fair share of rides on some good ‘ol Greyhounds. However, I can’t seem to shake the uneasiness that comes with navigating the London transit system. While in London I will be living an hour outside of the city. Of course, I’m guessing going anywhere in the city during the Games will take a solid hour of transit time, in which case I better up my estimated commute time to 90 minutes or more.

A couple of apps that are helping ease my apprehension when it comes to navigating London: Tube Map + London Transport Map, both of which help users navigate the Tube system and find stations. Tube Map also links up with Bus London, another navigation/travel app that helps consumers pilot the bus network, which will be a great help to me as I have to take a bus from my residence outside the city to a Tube station!

Keeping in Touch

I cannot say enough good things about WhatsApp [$0.99]. I was first introduced to it by a friend of mine who is from Germany, lived with me for a short while in New York City, and I will be reunited with during my time in London, where she has recently landed a job! WhatsApp is well worth the mere 99 cents it costs to download. The app provides the ability to text with others on WhatsApp, internationally, at no additional charge [you need to be connected to WiFi]. This app was developed before iMessage existed, which also lets you text internationally with other iPhone users when connected to WiFi. WhatsApp is compatible with all Smartphone’s, so those folks still using their Blackberry’s and Android’s can readily communicate with you during your travels!

Ah, Instagram! The app that’s taken the world by storm [not to mention sold for $1 billion just 18 months after its founding]. If you don’t have Instagram, it’s time to jump on this bandwagon. Instagram allows users to share images, as well as like and comment on others images…not to mention it’s fun and simple to use.

Staying Fiscally Fit

The best advice for traveling I have ever heard was this:

Lay out everything you want to pack. Now, take half as many clothes, and twice as much money.”

Fair enough, because anyone who has traveled knows it’s likely you’ll spend more than you planned, and that’s OK, but you’ve got to keep fiscally fit. In my experience two of the best apps for managing finances are Chase + American Express. Chase allows you to look at the balances in your accounts, manage your cards, even deposit checks. American Express also allows you to keep track of recent transactions and balances.

You should be aware of how much you’re spending once the currency converts. The best app I’ve found for this is Convert Units – FREE. This app allows you to see the most current conversion rates for currency’s, it also allows you to convert distances [miles to kilometers, for example], mass, power, pressure, area…the list goes on. The free version does get on my nerves sometimes, as the adds always seem to pop up at the most inconvenient times, but hey, it is free.

More Great Apps for Travel

Yelp! – FREE | Check in for awesome deals, user reviews + recommendations, LOVE Yelp!

 

Learn French by MindSnacks – FREE | Playing games and learning basic French! I’ll have to let you know how helpful this app actually is once I get to Paris and attempt to order from a restaurant or greet the locals. Wish me luck!

 

Free Translator + Google Translate – FREE

 

 

Packing-Pro – $2.99 | The verdict is still out on this one, I may have a bit of buyers remorse…only time will tell, I’ll get back to you.

 

iTrans NYC – $3.99 | Well worth the money! Best app for traveling and the iTrans company has apps for other cities as well: DC, LA, New Jersey, Chicago.

Friday Finds: 20 July

With the ridiculous wave of heat that has been enveloping the United States this past month I’ve made a switch from hot tea and coffee, to iced alternatives. This Friday I’ve found a great step-by-step for cold brewing coffee. I’ve also found a great cupcake that’s not only cute on display, but a great, tasty companion to iced coffee. And as usual, I’m wrapping up this weeks Friday Finds with fashion + art finds! Thanks for reading, enjoy!

A How-to for Cold Brewed Coffee

During college my roommates constantly drank iced-coffee that they had hot-brewed, then cooled off overnight in the refrigerator. And every time, unsurprising to me, they were disappointed in the result. In high school I worked as a barista at a local Caribou Coffee. During my time there we took part in “coffee-talks” where we sipped black coffee and discussed the unique flavors of each blend, as well as coffee classes. I don’t remember much, but I do remember that pouring hot coffee or espresso over ice “shocks” the brew, forcing some of the dissolved solids out of the solution, causing it to taste very bitter. The same thing happens with iced tea. If you add ice directly to hot tea it clouds and tastes bitter, though, not as shockingly and unpleasantly bitter as icing hot coffee.

Worry not! There is a simple solution so you’ll never drink a cup of iced, shocked brew again [not to mention you'll save a bundle by brewing at home!]. I found this simple explanation for cold-brewing coffee from Smitten Kitchen:

  1. Visit your favorite local coffee shop or grocery store and purchase whole bean coffee. Then ask the baristas [or use a grinder in the grocery store] to coarsely grind the beans, about the same grind that you would use for a French press. The coffee doesn’t have to be an “iced blend,” just make sure it’s a blend you enjoy, but I will say that in my experience lighter roasts typically turn out a bit better than dark roasts when cold-brewing, again, just a personal preference/observation.
  2. Depending on how many servings you’d like to make measure about a third of a cup of coffee grounds for every 12 ounces of water.
  3. First put the coffee grounds in a container [I typically use a measuring cup for a single serving, and a drink pitcher for larger batches]. Next, fill the container with the appropriate amount of room-temperature tap-water.
  4. Cover the container with plastic-wrap and let sit for 10-12 hours, depending on how strong you’d like the coffee.
  5. Use a metal, mesh strainer [like the one pictured here] to strain the grounds from the coffee.

Remember, if the mix is too strong you can always add additional cold water, since the coffee was cold brewed you’re safe from shocking. Add milk and sweeteners to taste and enjoy!

Death by Oreo Cupcakes

I can take no credit for this fun recipe. Many props to www.instructables.com! The photos and recipe come directly from their site and I can’t wait to give these tasty treats a try!

Ingredients:

  • 1 package Oreo Cookies
  • 1 package Mini Oreo Cookies, for decoration (optional)
  • 1 package chocolate cake mix (mix according to directions on box) *The original author recommends using dark chocolate fudge cake mix instead of a regular chocolate cake mix.
  • 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
  • 1/2 cup butter (1 stick), room temperature
  • 3 3/4 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Cupcake liners

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix packaged cake mix according to directions (do not bake). Line cupcake tins with liner, place a regular size Oreo cookie in the bottom of each liner. Take 1/2 of remaining cookies and chop coarsely and add to cake mix. Fill the cupcake tins. Bake for 15 minutes (or according to box directions). While cupcakes are baking make the frosting.

Cream together butter and cream cheese. Add vanilla, then add powdered sugar slowly until blended well. Chop remaining regular-sized Oreos very fine (I put the cookies in the food processor instead of trying to chop them up super fine and it worked out really well). Add to frosting. After cupcakes have cooled frost and decorate with Mini Oreos.

Click here for the original post by Instructables user, Foodsnots.

Fashion Find: LA MER Collections 

I’ve recently been researching watches, as I’m in the market for a new one [seemingly perpetually]. I came across this brand through Anthropologies collection of wrist candy, and I fell in lust. I hope wrap watches don’t go out of style anytime soon, because I’m crazy about them! Below are two of my favorites:

LA MER Collection’s Crystal Plum Eggplant Wrap

LA MER Collection’s Turquoise Crystal Slate Gray with Rose Gold Case Wrap

Fun + Artsy Find: The Paintings of Holton Rower [VIDEO]

It’s Never Too Late To Find Happiness

Keep Moving Forward

Today’s post is inspired from one of my favorite images that I have saved on my computer:

Over the years I have saved a number of photos and graphics to my computer that I find interesting, inspirational, or are just images that moves me in some manner. Many of the images come from the PostSecret blog, which I look forward to reading each Sunday. Other images are simply stumbled upon, found via Pinterest, on Tumblr, or other image based blogs and sites.

The collection of images I am sharing today have themes of overall life, perspective, happiness, and what people choose to pursue in order to find personal fulfillment.

It’s never too late to find happiness and content in your life. The following images are a perfect example that life can change at any age, and that we should always believe in the beauty of our dreams.

“I Believe that I will change that whole world one day (I’m going to do it too!)”

“I believe I will accomplish something truly great in this lifetime. I am going to be 53 tomorrow.”

Don’t give up on Happiness.

Make strides for a positive, happier life today.

If you’re afraid to take the next step, you’re not alone. Keep moving, you’ll get there!

‘Muricah

Happy Fourth of July to all my fellow Americans! I love July fourth, it’s the perfect excuse to take a day to lounge by the pool with family and friends, grilling out and chilling out. This is the first Independence Day that I have really appreciated what it means to have freedom: Freedom of speech, press and information, religion, assembly, petition, equal justice, private property…if you were born and raised in the United States it’s easy to take these things for granted. We enroll in only a few American history and government courses during our educational careers, courses aimed at teaching us about the country we live in and the opportunities and freedom which we have access. However, it has been my experiences abroad that have made me grateful to be born an American citizen. Our country is far from perfect, but I believe our right to knowledge and information is surely something to be celebrated. The fact that we, as U.S. citizens, have the right to hold our government accountable, access public records, and publish that information, is something we should celebrate.

I look forward to opportunities to travel and live abroad, but America will always be home. Happy Independence Day everyone! Enjoy your family, friends, and freedoms!

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And here is the greatest speech from a fictional movie, ever. Enjoy!