Los Angeles: The Getty

Peaceful LA: The Getty

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LA never seems to sleep. So many people, businesses, restaurants, tourists, bars, celebrities, it can be a place that doesn’t feel real. Often when I travel to LA for business, I try to take advantage of waking up early from the time change and work as much as possible. Don’t get me wrong, I take advantage of some of these amazing restaurants, but I rarely take a moment to just enjoy some of the beauty that LA has to offer. So on my last trip out there, we took advantage of one of the best views in LA and decided to do a working day from the cafe at The Getty Center. 

Business Traveler Gold: For the cost of parking, you get a view, dose of culture and super fast wifi via The Getty Center. 

The Getty experience is breathtaking. From the tram ride up see magnificent views of downtown LA, the ocean and mountain ranges, it is a moment that will help you fall in love with this city. As an artist, the campus architecture and art collections are second to none. I spent my morning and afternoon sitting in the cafe working on my pitch deck with wall to ceiling windows. In the late afternoon, I watched the sunset on Los Angeles and spent some time in reflection in front of Van Gogh’s Irises. Not only did I get alot of work done, I had a chance to reflect and recharge. 

Some traveler tips for this trip.
1. Catch breakfast in Santa Monica: Urth Cafe – order the Sunrise Pizza .
2. For a great burger: Don’t miss Umami Burger order the truffle fries! 
3. Always have some fun with co-workers and capture it on film.
4. Bring something back. I bought a wonderful children’s book from the Getty for Mag’s and wrote an inscription to let her know that on every trip I think of her.
5. For free wi-fi with a view: The Getty 

Time to get away.

UpUpandAways.com
There are times that I think back to 2 years ago and miss that life and the person I felt I was. I am a mom now. I have a career that is demanding more of my time than ever before. I am STILL going after my masters. I am trying to balance all of this and be a good wife and friend to my incredible husband. A month ago, the moment came where I felt like I just had to get away. To remember what it felt like to be on a vacation. The moment where I forget all the responsibility and just enjoy the moment I am in. Can I do that anymore?

Parenthood is an Adventure. A post from http://www.upupandaways.com

Even though Hawaii was fantastic earlier this year, I never experienced a carefree moment. It might have been the touch of baby blues or the knowledge that my “real” life was still on the other side of the ocean, waiting for me. I am wondering how to relax within a family vacation. Is it possible to feel the sense of freedom and happiness that we used to know in our little get aways? Perhaps it is because I feel a hyper sensitivity to the world around me when M is around. I feel like we are that family, with the loud child, food thrown around the table and the mom looking disheveled, but should I care? For now, we will be the one with the smiling little girl that captures the attention of everyone that passes her. We will be the one that is picking up food off the floor and pushing the table out of reach of grabby hands. We will be the ones that eat quickly and try to enjoy a full cup of coffee. I think the key is that I have to find the joy in the moments of chaos. Travel is an adventure and so is parenthood.

its hoppin in asheville #traveltuesdays

asheville wicked weed brewingDoug is an amateur brewer and on most trips we frequent a brewery and he becomes fast friends with the brew master and they discuss things like gravity, yeast strains and grain contents. Recently, we fell in love with Asheville. This hipster town knows their beer and we stumbled across a brand new brewery. Wicked Weed is a collective of passionate people who love sharing a pint, great tasting beer and an atmosphere that respects the building’s history with an eye for design. We can’t wait to get back to see how they are doing.

away to 2013

A look aheadI took a break from posting for a while, I realized that this place is meant to be an enjoyment for me. A place to write about our adventures and dream about new ones. This past year has been an incredible journey. Becoming a mom in 2011 and trying to find my way with that new role in 2012 was daunting. And I still feel like I am wandering into it. So as I look forward to future trips and talk about past ones, I will also be talking about the journey that is parenthood. So far, I have learned that roadtrips are challenging with a 14 month old but not impossible. Goldfish will be found for years to come in our car and that there is no greater joy than exploring the world with the people you love.

This year I am going to continue to conquering my 30 in the year 30 (I figure it was a little too ambitious to get all of it done in one year so… I am giving myself a few more). We crossed another one off the list with the purchase of an original art piece while on vacation, but that will be in another post. I can’t wait to see what the adventures hold for 2013.