January 24, 2010
January 18, 2010
Back on the bike!
After weeks of being essentially forced to ride the tram due to snow, ice, and cold here in Amsterdam, I was able to resume commuting by bike this morning. It was about 35 degrees Fahrenheit when I left and looked to be precipitation-free for most of the day and into the evening, according to the weather report.
Well bundled, I set out along my former bike route, cycling tentatively in case there were still slick patches on the roadway. Thankfully, I encountered none, though a fellow cyclist hit some frost or black ice traveling perpendicular to my path and completely wiped out. In the middle of an intersection no less, but at least the oncoming traffic was stopped. I think he bounced a couple of times and his bike slid away from him. But he picked himself up, righted his bike, and scooted away, almost as if nothing had happened!
I'd really missed the time riding to and from work over the last few weeks. While the tram is a perfectly agreeable means of transportation, the physical aspect of riding for a half hour each way helps me warm up for and cool down from my day. My route is well known enough where I know what intersections I really need to be alert for, and when I can let my mind slip away into thought or daydreaming or problem solving. I arrive at my destination limber, slightly breathless, and energized. It's a feeling I miss when I don't get to do it.
This evening's commute was foggy, with the lightest mist kissing my nose and cheeks as I whisked home. It sounds like it's fully raining outside now; hopefully that will let up before the morning commute, and I can be back on the bike again tomorrow and through the rest of the week.
Well bundled, I set out along my former bike route, cycling tentatively in case there were still slick patches on the roadway. Thankfully, I encountered none, though a fellow cyclist hit some frost or black ice traveling perpendicular to my path and completely wiped out. In the middle of an intersection no less, but at least the oncoming traffic was stopped. I think he bounced a couple of times and his bike slid away from him. But he picked himself up, righted his bike, and scooted away, almost as if nothing had happened!
I'd really missed the time riding to and from work over the last few weeks. While the tram is a perfectly agreeable means of transportation, the physical aspect of riding for a half hour each way helps me warm up for and cool down from my day. My route is well known enough where I know what intersections I really need to be alert for, and when I can let my mind slip away into thought or daydreaming or problem solving. I arrive at my destination limber, slightly breathless, and energized. It's a feeling I miss when I don't get to do it.
This evening's commute was foggy, with the lightest mist kissing my nose and cheeks as I whisked home. It sounds like it's fully raining outside now; hopefully that will let up before the morning commute, and I can be back on the bike again tomorrow and through the rest of the week.
January 5, 2010
It's About the Journey -- and the Destination
One of the things I enjoy about traveling is the journey to the destination. Whether it’s a roadtrip or a flight, the process of getting there or getting back is part of the adventure.
For roadtrips, I love the process of mapping out the route and planning pit stops. As I’ve mentioned before, maps have a certain appeal to me, and the roadtrips of my youth included visits with my dad to AAA to pick up TripTicks or maps of various cities, states, or regions, depending on the destination. These days, I use Google Maps to plot the course, and print out physical copies to take a long on the ride.
Another throwback to childhood travels are trip treats. On roadtrips longer than a couple hours, my mother would allow my brothers and me to choose a bag of candy, chips, or other treat to indulge in (and share) on the ride. My dad always picked jelly orange slices, which I like, too. I usually chose Rolos (and once ate a whole bag of them myself on a roadtrip to visit my cousins in Virginia). I continue this tradition today, and while I still grab a bag of sweets, I try to augment with “better-for-me” food like granola, grapes, or the like. International air travel restrictions make it harder to bring trip treats on flights, but from time to time, I’ll buy a bag of M&M’s or a roll of Rolos at the airport newsstand to tide me over.
On flight-based trips, there’s the process of getting to the airport, getting through check-in and security, take-off, the flight itself, landing, and then making my way to the destination. Any point along the way can include mini-adventures. For example, to get to the airport from my apartment in Amsterdam, I have to take both a tram and a train out of the city, and timing that just right -- especially with the snow so far this winter -- can be an art in and of itself. When I landed at London Gatwick recently, it was a train/taxi combo to get me from the airport to the hotel. I could simplify and take a taxi direct from one location to another, but I’m too cheap to begin with, and I’d miss out on half the adventure.
In-flight, there are two things I get excited about -- the views of the ground or clouds below the plane (depending on the altitude and the weather), and watching movies I would otherwise not watch.
I’m continually awed by the physics of flight, that a massive beast of a steel structure can actually rip itself from the tarmac and stay aloft for hours on end. So, I love to look out the window -- during takeoff and landing, and in-flight. It’s fascinating to watch the ground below evolve -- it’s particularly neat flying westbound over the United States, transitioning out of the flat plains if the American MidWest into hills, plateaus, and finally, the Rocky Mountains. When the clouds cover the landscape below, the patterns they create are also beautiful to behold. On my trip home to Boston over the Christmas holiday, the clouds looked like they were quilted, the indents and swirls were so delicate and regular. Here’s a picture of today’s flight, somewhere over the ocean near Greenland.
On the movie front, I’ve passed the time watching films that vaguely interested me when they came out, but I never saw and didn’t rush to see on DVD. (500) Days of Summer was one I saw on my flight from Boston to Amsterdam when I moved over officially, and it was actually really good. Other viewings have included Inglorious Basterds, The Time Traveler’s Wife, Julie & Julia, Star Trek and the most recent Harry Potter. (These last two I love and watch regularly, so couldn’t pass them up!)
I know the process of getting somewhere really stresses out some people (like my mother), and I understand that tendency. But the desire to see new places, experience new things so overcomes the hassles of “getting there” for me, that I’ve come to accept, embrace, and even relish in the journeys that usher me to my destinations.
For roadtrips, I love the process of mapping out the route and planning pit stops. As I’ve mentioned before, maps have a certain appeal to me, and the roadtrips of my youth included visits with my dad to AAA to pick up TripTicks or maps of various cities, states, or regions, depending on the destination. These days, I use Google Maps to plot the course, and print out physical copies to take a long on the ride.
Another throwback to childhood travels are trip treats. On roadtrips longer than a couple hours, my mother would allow my brothers and me to choose a bag of candy, chips, or other treat to indulge in (and share) on the ride. My dad always picked jelly orange slices, which I like, too. I usually chose Rolos (and once ate a whole bag of them myself on a roadtrip to visit my cousins in Virginia). I continue this tradition today, and while I still grab a bag of sweets, I try to augment with “better-for-me” food like granola, grapes, or the like. International air travel restrictions make it harder to bring trip treats on flights, but from time to time, I’ll buy a bag of M&M’s or a roll of Rolos at the airport newsstand to tide me over.
On flight-based trips, there’s the process of getting to the airport, getting through check-in and security, take-off, the flight itself, landing, and then making my way to the destination. Any point along the way can include mini-adventures. For example, to get to the airport from my apartment in Amsterdam, I have to take both a tram and a train out of the city, and timing that just right -- especially with the snow so far this winter -- can be an art in and of itself. When I landed at London Gatwick recently, it was a train/taxi combo to get me from the airport to the hotel. I could simplify and take a taxi direct from one location to another, but I’m too cheap to begin with, and I’d miss out on half the adventure.
In-flight, there are two things I get excited about -- the views of the ground or clouds below the plane (depending on the altitude and the weather), and watching movies I would otherwise not watch.
I’m continually awed by the physics of flight, that a massive beast of a steel structure can actually rip itself from the tarmac and stay aloft for hours on end. So, I love to look out the window -- during takeoff and landing, and in-flight. It’s fascinating to watch the ground below evolve -- it’s particularly neat flying westbound over the United States, transitioning out of the flat plains if the American MidWest into hills, plateaus, and finally, the Rocky Mountains. When the clouds cover the landscape below, the patterns they create are also beautiful to behold. On my trip home to Boston over the Christmas holiday, the clouds looked like they were quilted, the indents and swirls were so delicate and regular. Here’s a picture of today’s flight, somewhere over the ocean near Greenland.
I know the process of getting somewhere really stresses out some people (like my mother), and I understand that tendency. But the desire to see new places, experience new things so overcomes the hassles of “getting there” for me, that I’ve come to accept, embrace, and even relish in the journeys that usher me to my destinations.
###
On a side note, this is my 50th post, achieved in just about a year from when I started this blog. Thanks, dear readers, for your time, attention, and support.
On a side note, this is my 50th post, achieved in just about a year from when I started this blog. Thanks, dear readers, for your time, attention, and support.
January 4, 2010
Eclectic
This Christmas, I received $80 in iTunes gift cards from various people. That's probably an entire year's or more worth of music for me, and I was excited about the possibility of finding and downloading new and not-so-new music. I spent about 2 hours last night digging through iTunes and making my first purchases.
The process started out slow, and I wasn't sure I'd be downloading more than 3-4 songs during this sitting. However, persistence (and free money) paid off and I ended up with a fun, if eclectic, set of purchases. Here's the recap, in order of downloading, too, so you can see how I meandered from song to song, genre to genre, decade to decade:
The process started out slow, and I wasn't sure I'd be downloading more than 3-4 songs during this sitting. However, persistence (and free money) paid off and I ended up with a fun, if eclectic, set of purchases. Here's the recap, in order of downloading, too, so you can see how I meandered from song to song, genre to genre, decade to decade:
- That's Just What You Are, Aimee Mann. I saw Aimee Mann in concert this summer, and it was a great evening -- outdoor venue, pleasant weather, good music, good company. A truly memorable experience.
- Details in the Fabric, Jason Mraz. I'm always pleasantly surprised by the music I discover by Jason Mraz. Perusing through his albums, I usually come up short on downloads, but from time to time, little ditties like this one find their way into my recommendations lists, and are real winners.
- Home, Michael Buble. Guilty pleasure #1 on this list. I love how his voice reminds me of Frank Sinatra or Bobby Darin. Wraps me up with warmth and love.
- The Middle, Jimmy Eat World. I absolutely loved this song when it first came out. It's a good anthem when you're feeling slighted or unimportant or not good enough. And it's just plain fun to dance to, anytime.
- Snow (Heh Oh), Red Hot Chili Peppers. Not sure why I picked up this song yesterday; it's just so cool.
- Amber, 311. A good mellow song that's been on my radar the last year or so.
- Put Your Records On, Corinne Bailey Rae. Another fun song, which reminds me of summer. It's hopeful and encouraging: "You're gonna find yourself somewhere, somehow." I know two young girls who I think would enjoy this song, and maybe learn all the lyrics to it.
- Gold Digger, Kanye West & Jamie Foxx. Guilty pleasure #2. A good dancin' song. 'Nuff said.
- Sweet Jane, Cowboy Junkies. Funky, mellow, and sensual.
- Sadeness (Pt. 1), Enigma. Is there a Pt. 2?
- Ice Cream, Sarah McLachlan. I have this song on CD, and it's locked up in my storage unit in Massachusetts, so difficult to get to. iTunes recommended the song, and I couldn't pass it up -- it's one of my first, and favorite, Sarah songs.
- That I Would Be Good, Alanis Morrisette. From the MTV Unplugged album. While I mostly find Alanis' voice nasally and can take it only in small doses, I love this performance. It gives me goose bumps everytime I listen to it. Opening with raw acoustic guitar, not perfect by any means, voice full of meaning, clear piano coming in later, with strings following and adding depth and flesh to the music. Lyrics that speak to raw wishes and hopes even in the face of flaws.
- Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now, Starship. Guilty pleasure #3. How can you not sing this song at the top of your lungs!?!
January 3, 2010
Maps
I'm thinking of renaming this blog "Allyson's Adventures Abroad" (has a nice alliterative sound to it, doesn't it?).
Since I've last blogged, I've been to Koln, Germany; London, UK; and in the US: Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and New Jersey. This week, I head to Cancun, Mexico (for work, I swear!), then on to Barcelona, Spain, in mid-Feburary. I'm planning a trip back to the States in March, and expect my folks to visit me in April.
And one of my new year's resolutions (and I don't make many, or any for that matter) is to plan at least one trip a month this year, while I've got easy (and affordable) access to Europe. Paris is on my list -- and I have a tentative plan for when I'll do that. I'd like to go back to London, this time for pleasure, not for work; Italy's on the list, as is Scotland, more of Germany, Switzerland, and if Spain is pleasant, returning there as well.
Co-workers have said Egypt is a good escape in the cold months, and I'd like to visit Sweden, too. So, lots to plan and save for.
I've noticed that when I make trips to places outside the US, I either buy or pick up a map of the place I'm visiting. Even with my iPhone and Google Maps -- which are indispensible, frankly -- I still like to have a physical map with me, and use it most often upon my return to recall where I've visited and understand how much ground I was able to cover. I'm looking forward to collecting maps on my future trips!
Since I've last blogged, I've been to Koln, Germany; London, UK; and in the US: Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and New Jersey. This week, I head to Cancun, Mexico (for work, I swear!), then on to Barcelona, Spain, in mid-Feburary. I'm planning a trip back to the States in March, and expect my folks to visit me in April.
And one of my new year's resolutions (and I don't make many, or any for that matter) is to plan at least one trip a month this year, while I've got easy (and affordable) access to Europe. Paris is on my list -- and I have a tentative plan for when I'll do that. I'd like to go back to London, this time for pleasure, not for work; Italy's on the list, as is Scotland, more of Germany, Switzerland, and if Spain is pleasant, returning there as well.
Co-workers have said Egypt is a good escape in the cold months, and I'd like to visit Sweden, too. So, lots to plan and save for.
I've noticed that when I make trips to places outside the US, I either buy or pick up a map of the place I'm visiting. Even with my iPhone and Google Maps -- which are indispensible, frankly -- I still like to have a physical map with me, and use it most often upon my return to recall where I've visited and understand how much ground I was able to cover. I'm looking forward to collecting maps on my future trips!
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