Big Sweet Tooth

Heading South of the Border, then West...it all makes me smile

Not to take the focus off my Indo trip, but I just want to touch on a pressing question that folks have been emailing me about--What about the boat in the Caribbean?  Well, just before I scrammed to Bali and Lombok, I took a shortie trip down to the Virgin Islands to look at a stunning sailboat tucked in a little cove in St. John.  Here's the deal--yes, the boat was amazing, and yes I had a decent time in the islands, but in the end, I opted to keep my dinero and continue my volunteering stints around-the-world.  It just felt right in my soul and now after the volunteer situation I just went through, I know I made the right choice.  Certain decisions just clicked into place on this past trip and life cleaned itself up a little for me in the process.  So, here is the new game plan.  I'm heading home to TN for the holidays and then in early Jan. I leave with my little travel trailer for my Central America expedition (volunteering in each country along the way).  When I return to Chi in the spring, I'm packing up and moving back out West to LA where I can enjoy sunshine and a small sailboat year round near the mighty Pacific.  I will continue to work in the industry as well as continue to write and produce eco-retreats (the Mexico PURE is just around the corner!), but I just cannot handle the cold another second!  I'm feeling pretty dang good about the plan, especially when I toss in all my feel-good-about-givin-back vibes coursing through my body.  LA is just a better homebase for me right now...a warmer one at that.  And, yes, I'm selling my 30' C & C and I will purchase a different but similar boat out West.  So blessed. In the meantime, take a good look at this Cabo Rico 36 for sale in St. John--just breathtaking.  But, seriously, I was beyond UNIMPRESSED with the Carib as a whole.  Another one off the list, that's for sure!  Okay, back to the Indo dispatches...

My Magazine Subs Have Gotten Out of Control...

I'm the gal who freaks if the magazine hits the newsstand before it arrives in my mailbox.  And, I'm also the chick who promptly calls customer service directly when I realize that atrocity and demand a month (or two) credit because I had no control when I saw it in the store and had to buy it on the spot, therefore infringing on my already paid for subscription.  But, I will admit...lately things have gone wild.   All my mags have taken over my tiny place and I'm in a major take-no-prisoners weed out stage.  Hell this pile in the photo barely even covers it...I had already raged thru half of them.  These last men stading are the toughies, though.  I use them as source material all the time and it's extremely difficult to let them go.  It literally makes me want to cry when I think of all the places within these pages that I need to go and explore; all the boat projects I need to tackle; all the yummy recipes I need to attempt.  I'm trying to be brave though, I'm trying....

Goin' back to Mexico--just 3 more days~

In celebration of my upcoming trip back to my favorite little Mexican island, Isla Mujeres, I have been on a Mexican eating frenzy.  I've gotten a nasty addiction going for my corn tortillas fried in oil and stuffed with melted cheese (they have to be corn now for me, no more flour--it makes all the difference in the world).  I'm getting wild with the homemade guacamole and I have located the perfect tortillas chips (Xochitl).  Picking up fresh limes from the market down the street from my place takes my wishy-washy happiness to a whole new level and I cannot get enough of the smoky chipolte salsa I've been buying by the truck-load.  Sour cream is now just plain old nasty when compared to thick Mexican crema and I've still got my raging love affair with rum going.  Gotta say, I can't wait to get back to Isla, ride my bike and swill some drinks.  What would I do without Mexico?  Where would I be?  What would I obsess about?  What else is there?

Isla Mujeres is Right Around the Corner~~

Finally...this weekend, I am heading to Mexico.  I've been trying for a year to get to Isla Mujeres and now, in 48 hours, I'll be there.  It's just for a couple of days, but still.....done and done.
Bring on the 'ritas!!!!!!!!

Scuba, Spanish, Sail, Swim, Snorkel: Everything's Turning up S's

This year, I want to finally tackle all the S's.  They seem to dominate my thoughts all winter long, so I'm going to finally learn Spanish (instead of just getting by on my combat Spanish);  I need to become a much,much better sailor...especially if I want to buy a sailboat in Mexico;  I really want to learn to scuba...but not here in Chicago...I want to learn in some remote, pulsatingly hot, tropical destination--like Little Corn Island, Nicaragua (I snorkeled there about a year ago and it was amazing--though I did almost die--but, the 2nd largest barrier reef in the world is there, so you know the diving is primo); I really, really need to become a proper swimmer (not just get by on the doggie paddle, underwater and back stroke); and snorkeling...well, I just want to do much more of that.  The sea is such a glorious world and I want to explore it as much as possible.  How to begin all this?  Well, I'm thinking I will practice my ghetto Spanish on the cafe con leche maker at La Unica this morning (mas limon, por favor?) before I head down to the sailing show at Navy Pier...where I will sit in on a handful of sailing seminars and dream and scheme about my next sailboat purchase.  Dude, it's -10 degrees...what do you expect??  Yes, that is a NEGATIVE 10 degrees. Wow.

The Untrampled Back Roads of South Africa~

One of the most stunning landscapes I've ever seen is dead in the center of South Africa near a tiny town called Harrismith.  When you drive thru the village, you'd think you were in a perfect town in Vermont on a hot summer day.  If you head off of Route 74, though, you will come upon an area that brings to life The Land of the Lost.  Rolling hills, green pastures, mammoth lakes, and magnificent sunsets. Twisting thru the winding roads feels like stepping back into history and when our crew stopped to shoot the brilliant orange sunset, we were totally alone.  No better time to blast the radio (ironically, the song "Tennessee" came on) and dance silly in the back valleys of South Africa.  Life does not get any lovelier and I cannot wait to head back over there next week.  Bye-bye winter, hello summer~~

What Fills Up Your Bookmarks?

I just need to take a minute and rave about my favorite sites--the ones that I check in on a freakish number of times throughout the week.  Some get hit once a day, some are on the weekly chart and others get slammed about every half hour on the hour.  It's funny--if you dig thru someones history or their bookmarks, you could really tell what kind of person they are--or want to become (mine all seem to lean toward tropical escape). What is the hell did we ever do with out internet? Here we go--my Top 10:

1.  Gadling
This is my homepage and it is updated many times during the day with all sorts of tidbits on travel and adventure.  Very good stuff.

2.  Quality Peoples
This fella split from LA and headed to a small village north of Puerto Vallarta to surf and live the dream.  He's such a smart, witty writer and has the most AMAZING photos--which he takes all over during his escapades in Mexico.

3. Palapa in Yelapa
Love this site--another expat livin' the good life in one of my favorite villages in the world, Yelapa, Mexico.  I always check in on this site to see whats rollin' thru the community and who's setting up shop.

4.  Bali Blog
Another smart cookie who set up shop in Bali and updates his blog every day with all sorts of good intel on where to eat, stay, drink and play in the wondrous land of Indonesia. If you ever make it to Bali, I have three words for ya: You will DIE!

5. Epicurious
I check in on this site to try to quell some recipes for all the goodies I get in my weekly farm share--I mean, sometimes I am at a loss with what to do with green beans, Thai coconut and swiss chard

6.  101 Cookbooks
This chick has it down pat.  Beautiful photos, easy recipes, in depth writing and a killer way with words.  Bless her.

7. Baja Quest
Baja still has some of the cheapest property around and this site is updated pretty regularly with all sorts of real estate for sale.  Mulege has some especially great deals.

8. LTHForum
Update a million times a day, the foodies on this site have deep, untrampled details on eating in  Chicago.  They are very educated and you better know your stuff to post--trust me, someone will call you out.  They love getting little word wars going.

9. Go Abroad
This site literally makes me want to ditch it all and volunteer my way around the world.  They have a super comprehensive list of opportunities from teaching in Honduras to building homes in Thailand to saving sea turtles in Mexico.  Very inspirational and if I have all the dough in the world, I'd be rocking this life hardcore.

10. Craigslist
Nothing can beat the real estate ads on craigsy.  Not only can you see homes from all around the world (oftentimes for good prices), I've sold my sailboat on there and tracked down an apartment swith with a couple in Spain.  Brilliant.

Isla Mujeres, Mexico it is...

Finally, I have made a decision where me and my pal are headed...Isla Mujeres, Mexico.  It's a speck of an island off the coast of Mexico (on the Carib. side, which I have never been to in Mexico), and it's just 5 miles long.  We're staying at this super cute, Asian-inspired hotel (thanks Bali!) called Casa Ixchel which looks to be right up my alley...small, luxurious and on the beach. (There is nothing I despise more than big, resort style hotels that populate places like Cancun, Cabo San Lucas, Vegas and the like--which by the way, all those places are hell on earth to me.)  Who knew that finding a remote, ideal place could be such a time consuming process...there are so many places in the world that are not touched by massive tourism and they are getting harder to track down every single day.  I'm delighted by this trip--I haven't been to Mexico since last year, so bring on the margaritas! 

The Mighty Caribbean--Where to Go?

Right now I am in the midst of planning a trip to the Caribbean.  A really good friend of mine wants to take a trip and basically told me I can pick anywhere--as long as he hasn't been there before and  there is mad sunshine, good food and many cocktails.  My mind flitted over a dozen exotic locations around the world, but I am trying to narrow my search down to a very short flight (the 33 hours to Bali was a bit much).  So, I've been researching islands in the Caribbean (he's been to most of S. and Central America) and am having the most difficult time settling on an island.  Mostly because no hotel/resort that I come across compares to Uma (pool, pictured right) in Bali.  This was one of the most delicious places I have ever stayed and now, nothing seems to feel right--except there; so simple and beautiful and uncluttered.  Seems like everything I am coming across in the Carib is so busy...too much going on in the spaces.  And, jeez....there are so many islands to choose from, it's hard to know which one won't have mega-resorts, jaded tourists and all that jazz.  Stay tuned, though...I might pull a full flip out and get us to Vietnam--which is where I want to head, but seriously, that flight---I just don't know that I can rock it again in a few weeks--it took me almost a week to get over my jetlag.  Back to my research~it's a good problem to have, no?  And, by the way...I am leaning toward St. Lucia and/or Dominica.  I just really love mountains.

Kopi Cafe and A Trip to Bali

There is always mad research to do when devising an upcoming trip itinerary. It’s such an exciting process, from the actual decision of the location (I usually go for the tropical and exotic) to the purchase of the ticket (thank God for frequent flyer miles) to the extensive emailing (setting up hotel arrangements and such). I love it all and there is no better place in the city to get globally inspired than Kopi Café. This Indonesian-influenced (but completely worldly) café is one of the warmest, brightest spots in Chicago to just chill and grab a cup of African tea or a slurp down a piping hot cup of fair-trade coffee (Kopi is Indonesian for coffee).

I try to make my way up to Andersonville as much as I can if only to sit a spell and dig through their library of travel tombs, phrase books and guide books for sale. It’s so easy to conjure up my next adventure via their dusty bookshelves and a vegan peanut butter chocolate bar, and I especially adore watching a bubbly troupe of globetrotters plow in from their latest trip (leather-bound journal in tow) and deconstruct their adventures to anyone who will listen (the wait staff is always delighted to hear about your journeys, as well as receive a post card from you from the road).

Bali, Indonesia and a Little Tomb Called: eat, pray, love

Leave it up to a good book to propel my next adventure.  I just finished reading this witty tale of a 32-year-old chica who had an internal crisis, got a divorce, sold everything and hit the road.  To quickly sum it up, she based the book around three very important words:  eat, pray, love.  She spent four months in three different countries around the world (Italy to eat, India to pray and Indonesia to love) and of course, totally changed her life.  It's one of the best books I've read in some time--she's just got a terrific way with free-flow writing and summarizing up thoughts in a very true and eloquent style.  Anyway, it was the Bali chapters that prompted me to book my flight to this magical little island in the Indian Ocean.  I'm going to head there for a couple weeks at the end of March and hell, do all three of those things (eat, pray, love).  My plan is to rent a little jeep and traipse the Eastern Coast of the island as well as head over to the even more remote island of Lombok for a spell.  Maybe go to the smallest of the Gili Islands, as well.  Indonesian food is some of the best in the world and I've never been to this part of the globe, so it's very exciting times, researching all this madness.  Bali is hyper-cheap, too...imagine a little hut on the beach for a couple of bucks...that's what everyone needs after a hellacious Chicago winter.  I don't really plan too much when it comes to travel--really, you just gotta get on the plane and go.  I will report back, of course.  Yep, this is just a damn good book....

Headed Home to the Mountain

The mountain I live on in TN is one of my favorite locations in the world; not only because most of my family is there, but because I love hiking up and down her as much as I can.  This view is from my favorite point on the the way down the mountain (trust me, you think you are in shape 'til you traipse up and down this thing--when I get back to the top, I'm dyin'--I guess this is what one would call 'real exercise') and every time I'm home, I bust out this trail (it's really part of the whole Appalachian Trail, which I would love to hike someday).  On the way down, there are majestic waterfalls, swinging bridges, lazy dams, roaring creeks, rock climbing, and my favorite: rock jumping.  I try to run down the trail and jump from rock to rock (you can only do this at certain points in the trail) without my feet touching the ground (yeah, I always hit the ground at least once).  My mom used to take us here all the time as kids and I feel like me and my brother were placed on some sort of wet garbage bag and hurled down a trail of leaves at 100 m.p.h....it was what my mom called, "play."  It's a wonder we didn't fly off the side of the mountain, you know? No trip home (where I am headed very soon) would be complete without me skipping through those leaves and attempting to conquer the mountain.

Tracking Expats in the Wilds of Baja

This tiny little slice of heaven is situated along the Sea of Cortez in the rugged wilds of Baja, Mexico.  Adventurous expats (some refer to themselves Snowbirds), load up a moho, stuff it with their gear and head down here for the winter.  They start small.  A rugged jeep perhaps.  Then they graduate to a moho.  Maybe, after a bit, they build a tiny palapa off the side of the motorhome.  Eventually, they buy a cheap piece of land (preferably on the water...I've seen land go from 5k-25k) and then do the same thing all over again.
They build a small home, start a business (kayak expeditions, charming cafes, language, yoga or sailing classes, art schools, etc...) and live in paradise for close to nothing.  Where do I sign up????
Their wild and crazy stories are the premise ot a new TV show my company, fatcake productions, is producing in a few weeks.  Stay tuned for dispatches.