The End of an Era

I never thought the day would come that I would land at LAX with everything I owned packed into the same suitcases I left LA for NYC with 7 years ago. But 2 weeks ago that happened, and it was the hardest, most emotional thing I have ever had to do. I have the habit of leaving- I remember the pit in my stomach, the anxiety, the tears and everything else that came when I left London, then Boston, then LA, then Florence and now NYC. Yet, no move has compared to this one. My last days in NYC were so surreal, it almost didn't feel real....it still doesn't. Honestly, it feels like I am on a leave of absence from NYC, on a long vacation, or just taking a break. It is not goodbye, just see you later.

My last shot of the Manhattan skyline.

The hardest part about leaving was saying goodbye to my friends, these beautiful people who have been there for me through everything over the past 7 years. They have become my family and the thought of them not being a cab ride away was the scariest part of leaving. In my last weeks I spent every waking moment with them; laughing, crying, and reminiscing on every adventure we had, every apartment we lived in, every heartbreak we endured, every trip we took and every single memory we shared. I am not going to lie, it hasn't gotten any easier...I have found myself randomly crying at a picture, a Facetime, or even a song that reminds me of them. The Friday and Saturday before I left there were so many parties, so many laughs and so many tears. It was not until Sunday night, my last night in NYC that it really hit me that I was leaving. I remember sitting at the dinner table at Otto with my 6 best friends, looking at them thinking I will always remember this moment. I was surrounded by people who genuinely love and care about me....friends who will do anything for me, friends who I know will be in my life forever.

My last dinner in NYC with my besties.

All my girls at my farewell party Saturday night.

So by now I bet you are wondering why in the world I would chose to leave my friends, my entire life, and the city I love most in the world? Well, back in February I was offered a position with G Adventures, an eco-tourism focused company geared toward active travel and young adults. It was a dream job opportunity- to travel, to inspire others while traveling and to blog about all of my adventures. As much as I loved NYC, my job at FCUSA, my friends and the life I had built, this was a life changing opportunity that I knew in my heart I had to take. I cannot believe the day is here, tomorrow I leave for San Francisco where I will begin my 3 week intensive training program with G Adventures. I am full of emotions, excited and anxious at the same time. I am about to face the unknown head on.


Ever since I took this job I have spent a great deal of time contemplating my life in NYC and how much I have grown from the naive girl who landed in the big city 7 years ago. Unless you have lived through it, you will never understand what it is like to live in NYC at the age of 18, to grow up there, to find yourself and to struggle to make it in the big city. I thought about everything NYC has taught me and how strong it has made me. I decided to compile a list of the top ten things I have learned over seven years. These are simply my thoughts as I reflect on my own experiences so take them as you will....

10 Things I Have Learned to Make it in New York City:

1. Find friends that will support you, inspire you and bring out the best version of yourself. In a city that will push you to your limit you need a group of friends who will lift you up when you are down, support you through hard times and celebrate your successes. I am so blessed to have found such incredible friends who have been my rock in NYC.

2. Realize that we are not invisible, bad things happen to good people. Addiction is real and can effect any one of us. You hear the words "don't do drugs" your entire life and think it will never happen to you. Two years ago I lost one of my very closest friends to the worst drug imaginable. Not a day goes by that I don't think about her and think about what I could have done or said. I will forever think about those late nights at the clubs, the lifestyle we lived in Italy and all the what ifs that come with such a tragedy. 

3. Do something alone- take a trip, have a meal, go on a walk. After I graduated college and was back in Italy I decided to be spontaneous and take off. I headed to Berlin first, completely on my own. Initially, I was nervous but after my first morning on my own I felt like a new person- a completely independent woman. I could do what I wanted when I wanted and nothing was more liberating than the feeling of independence I gained from that trip.

Lennon Wall, Prague

4. Find a job that you love. When you love what you do  you will be successful at it. I didn't think I wanted a corporate job, I didn't want to wear the uniform and sit at a desk all day. Yet, a month in to working at Liberty Travel I was top novice, absolutely loving my new career endeavor. Every morning I enjoyed going into work and ultimately happiness in what you do every day of your life is all you need.

5. Set goals. When I started working at Liberty Travel I had two goals- become a Team Leader (manager) and make it our Global Ball (read more about that in my trip to Asia blog). Within the first year I hit both goals and that feeling of being successful at what I do was completely overwhelming and exciting. I had never been so proud of what I had accomplished.

NYCHS at FCUSA Global Ball 2014

6. Find an exercise routine that makes you happy. When I was in college I fell in love with Yoga to the People, a free yoga studio (donation based) for students. It not only provided me an exercise outlet, but would also calm my mind. Flash forward to today....it is not secret that I have an obsession with Soul Cycle. I will admit it might not be for everyone, but it is for me and that is all that matters. It mentally and physically challenges me and has made me an overall stronger person. I find peace when I am on the bike at Soul Cycle, so I urge you to find that exercise helps you clear your mind for an hour of the day.

7. Remind yourself why you came to NYC. Sometimes, on those tough days when your landlord decides to raise your rent, or the subway breaks down on your way to work...remember why you love NYC. Take a walk around Central Park, take in the views at the Top of the Rock, or just sit in the village and have the best cup of coffee in the world.

8. Never get too comfortable. I didn't leave NYC because I was unhappy, I was just too comfortable. Life begins at the end of your comfort zone so when you remain in that comfort zone life begins to pass you by. I began to notice my life had become a routine and I needed to make a change, no matter how difficult that change would be. Try something new, take a risk, and leave your comfort zone.



9. Do things that make you happy. It is all about the little things in NYC. Sometimes I found myself hating the city so much, thinking about how much easier life would be if I just moved back to California. I had to find little things, ordering take out pizzas from Otto, having prosecco on the rooftop of Eataly, picnics in the north woods of Central Park, brunching with my friends, sitting in a cafe writing this blog...I found that certain simple activities always had a way of making me happy.

10. Travel as much as you can. I guess this one is pretty obvious, but travel will change your life...so travel as much as you, as far as you can. Stop spending money on material items and just go somewhere. It will open your eyes to the world, I promise.

Tomorrow I embark on a new journey, and exciting new life on the road. I will be traveling from now until October so stay tuned for stories from my adventures as I travel across the USA and Canada as a true professional nomad!

Curacao Bound- Living the Island Life

Lets face it, Curacao is not the most well-known island. In fact, over the past few months I can't tell you how many people have asked me where Curacao even was. So here it is- Curacao is a tiny Dutch island in the southern Caribbean right off the coast of Venezuela, you can even see Venezuela from the shore. A few months back I won free nights at Sunscape Curacao courtesy of AM Resorts so my three besties and I decided to plan a girls trip! 

Off to the islands!

If you are ever looking to travel to Curacao Jetblue now offers non-stop flights on Tuesdays and Saturdays from JFK-->CUR which is about 4 hours. We arrived to the island around 3pm and checked into our upgraded ocean view rooms which were very spacious and had wonderful oversized balconies. That night we dined on the beach at Oceana and while the food wasn't the best, there is nothing like hearing the waves crashing as you dine. After dinner it was time for drinks and dancing. Curacao is known for their famous club on the beach, Mambo Beach Club. We met up with my two other friends from Liberty who were there as well and headed out for a girls night on the town. Luckily for us, it was only a 5 minute walk away! We danced the night and away and enjoyed every minute of just being together.

We have arrived!

View from our room!

Ready for our night out!

We spent the next day relaxing on the beach and by the pool. I have seen many beaches in the Caribbean, but the white sand and crystal clear water in Curacao is definitely toward the top of my list. We went kayaking, got some sun and just relaxed. For dinner, we decided on the Hibachi restaurant where our chef entertained us cooking the meal table side....it was probably the best meal of our trip- I highly recommend it. That night we headed back to Mambo Beach. Fun fact, Sunday is the main night out in Curacao, so Mambo Beach is hopping on Sundays. 

Poolside

Beachy

Megan and I

Lauren and I

Alyssa and I

 A beautiful sunset

The whole gang ready for Mambo Beach!

Monday we woke up for another day in paradise. The best part about being on a Caribbean island is that the only real decision you have to make all day is beach or pool? In the afternoon we ventured into town. The central town in Curacao is Willemstad and it is famous for its colorful Dutch architecture which was simply stunning. If you ever visit the island make sure to experience the moving bridge, a bridge that opens and closes to allow ships into the port....very cool.

Notice the Dutch colorful architecture in the background...

We are in the letters!

On the floating bridge

For our last dinner we decided on Italian, because what else would be more fitting! For those of you who don't know, I lived in Italy with these girls, and we will forever share the bond of Firenze. I am beyond thankful our friendships didn't end abroad and they truly are some of the most amazing friends I could ever ask for.

Beautiful last sunset

Life on the islands

Megan and I 

Simply breathtaking

Our last dinner

Leaving the island was nearly impossible for us. Not only did we have the absolute most amazing vacation in paradise, but we also were coming to terms with the fact that this would be our last adventure together for awhile. At the end of February I had made some major life decisions, ones that would change my world forever. Just like that our vacation was over and we were headed back to the reality that I soon wouldn't be seeing them my closest friends every day.

Stay tuned next week for the details on some big life changes and where I am off to next!

Life in the Travel Industry #NYCHVILLE

It took quite a long time for me to complete my Asia posts, but in the midst of detailing that adventure I was living my own new adventures. When I returned from Asia life went on, it was back to work, this time in a new office on the Upper West Side. From August to December I faced many changes both at work and in my personal life. As much as I struggled I was constantly reminded by my mentors and the people around me that life is good, I love what I do and I work for the greatest company in the world. I realized that we are stronger together and in the hardest times if we stick together as an area we will be successful. Side note- as you may have noticed, I call my co-workers NYCHS and our region is Nychville…it stands for New York City Highrisers, our area made up of all the offices in the 5 boroughs. I love Nychville and everything it represents. We are closer than ever and nothing will break the bond that us Nychs have. We work in the travel industry and honestly nothing is cooler than that!

Here are the top 5 adventures from Fall 2014 in the land of Nychville: 

1. We headed to Breathless Punta Cana for our annual Team Leader conference. Not only did we have an incredible time, but we proved to everyone that we are the most united area and are so passionate about what we do and how much we care about each other. One of the reasons my job is so awesome is that once a year we are sent on an annual manager conference. This year, AM Resorts hosted us at the very trendy Breathless Resort and Spa. The resort is fairly new and has a very chic, modern feel to it. Perfect for the young adult that wants a more lively, active holiday in the sun. Its' price point is excellent for a 4 star all inclusive, adults only in Punta Cana and I would highly recommend it for young couples or guys/girls trip. It is perfect for anything I would want in a vacation. It is far too expensive for the spring break crowd, but still has those fun spring-breakish vibes with DJ's by the pool, foam parties, and endless entertainment. We had an incredible time, a huge thank you to AM Resorts.

The NYCHS have arrived!

Sunset in Punta Cana

Ready for conferencing!

NYCHS doing the congo at our beach dinner party

Foam Party

Evelyn and I on the beach during our site inspection of Secrets

Beach of Secrets and Now Larimar Punta Cana

2. Our queen NYCH and three other FCUSA legends ran the NYC marathon and we cheered them on with FCUSA posters along the sidelines. Congrats team FCUSA, we all inspire to be like you!

So proud of Gus on his first marathon!

She did it!!!

Our legendary queen NYCH, Linda Balme!

3. A few of us got invited on Royal Caribbean’s Inaugural sailing of the Quantum of the Seas. I was so lucky to be invited onboard with my colleague and good friend Ashley. The ship was incredible and we took full advantage of all the activities onboard including bumper cars, IFly (indoor skydiving), roller skating, Flywheel (sorry I cheated on you soul cycle), rock climbing, and joining the Michael Jackson flashmob Thriller dance. We saw all of the shows and dined at all of the fantastic restaurants. I highly recommend Quantum of the Seas to anyone who is looking for a truly incredible, innovative cruise experience. Thank you RCCL for an amazing trip!

Bumper cars on a ship!

Bionic Bar- probably the coolest thing ever, a robot makes your drinks.

Ash and I making a pit stop in between activities for a pina colada!

New friends and rock climbing fun!

All suited up for indoor skydiving

Sunset on our balcony

Rollerskating!

4. In December we headed out to the Hamptons for a weekend Team Leader retreat. The weekend was complete with NYCH bonding, copious amounts of delicious food and wine, a backyard bonfire, and morning bike ride to the beach. If anyone doubted us before- this retreat was pure proof that we have so much love for each other it is beyond words. The Hamptons was amazing and I hope to get back there during the summer!

A Nychville Christmas in the Hamptons

Cheers to the greatest story ever told!

I made all of them bike to the beach with me!

NYCHS take the Hamptons 

5. Nychville celebrated the holidays in style at our holiday buzz night- A Black and Gold Affair. It was a night to remember! 

I love my job, I love the people I work with, I love my boss, and I love coming into the office every single day. Not many people can say that, and for that I am grateful. Life in the travel industry is a whirlwind, but I wouldn't have it any other way. I have the coolest job in the world. Thank you NYCHS for your unconditional love and support.....we will be the greatest story ever told.