Sailboat School

The weather's warming up, and that means the boats are coming out! This is at the top of our apartment building, heading to the elevator. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the boats. Can you?

I had my hands full of groceries, but was so happy to see this sign of Spring that I dropped the food, picked up the camera, and ran to the roof to take pictures. Sailboats are everywhere! And there are little motorboats running around them, presumably shouting out instructions. Soon, the boats will be all grown up, and sailing around the lake on their own this summer. I've always loved watching them from the apartment, and I love that I got to see their first day.

Sun Spotlight

I saw this while getting off the bus the other day. It's been really cloudy lately, and I applaud the sun for attempting a breakthrough.

End of Dog Days

Some of our first friends here (the American and French neighbor couple) moved to Florence in January, and I'm starting to feel the void.  Their dog, Titi, was at our apartment quite a bit... any time William was travelling, any time Elsa was travelling, when Elsa was on bed rest, when their kids were sick or just born, and basically any time I wanted him.  Today, while getting off the bus, I saw his archenemies (the two cocker spaniels that live in the next building), and they made me miss him all over again.

These are pictures from our last walk.  I made it a good one... took him to a spot where he could get off the leash, watch ducks, eat sticks, and play fetch.

And here's a video.  It probably seems boring, but I like it.  It's what we did for about 45 minutes, while his parents were packing their car, on their way to Italy.

Last picture... roped to the railing, getting ready for his four hour drive.  He looks as sad as we were!

New York Wrap-Up

The rest of our trip was amazing. We got really lucky with the weather... this week, New York was forecasted to have three days of rain and snow on Friday. While we were there, it was full sun and blue skies, albeit a little cold.

I'm not sure if it's the excitement of being able to communicate easily (in English), but I made a few friends.  This picture is incredibly random.  I came to this place for lunch, alone, while Ryan was at work.  I ended up staying until dinner, and got Ryan to come straight there, so he could meet this group of four (otherwise, I didn't think he'd believe me).  They included a filmaker, and Italian olive grove owner (who was from New York, in his late 60's) and his 23 year old girlfriend.  And the one closest to us is the bartender... he thought the situation was crazy too, was with us for the past five hours, and wanted to be in the picture.      

We made more friends on St. Patrick's Day. We started the morning by watching the parade, and decided to find a bar for lunch.  We start talking to the people next to us... who were in town from IRELAND!  Before we knew it, we were fast friends.  They'd get one round, and we'd get the next.  That lunch turned into dinner as well.  Have you ever tried to keep up with an Irish couple? We did, and it meant crashing at the hotel at 8:00 pm.  We actually exchanged information, and met up with them again later in the week.  I can't explain it... this has never really happened on vacation before.  Ever.

The rest of the time was a little less crazy. We loved the play. Took a ferry ride. Ate the best doughnuts ever. Flavors included tres leches, peanut butter glaze and blackberry jelly, vanilla bean (my favorite), blackout (serious chocolate) and organic orange.  Pistachio is pictured. Amazing.

Then, Mom came to meet us! We continued to shop. Went to two more museums.  Took a walk across the Brooklyn Bridge, had brunch, and tried macarons that were better than in Paris.  If it makes me a total snob, comparing NYC to Paris macarons, just know that two years ago, I hadn't even tasted one.  Moving on...

High on Mom's list was a trip to Mood, and it did not disappoint (she got some great fabric). I said, "thank you Mood," in my best Project Runway voice.  I'm sure they appreciate the thousand of tourists who do that.

We took more walks (and found more shops). This time, on the unfinished High Line, through Central Park, and around West Village. But dinner on the last night stole the show. We wanted to celebrate big, and we certainly did, with the meal of a lifetime - which had the highest Michelin rating possible. There are only 11 restaurants in the US with that score, and it was exciting to see firsthand.  It was definitely over the top.  Ryan was too... he snuck presents in and had the waitress bring this little birthday cake (for me and Mom, her birthday was last month).  It was a very appropriate end to an extravagant week.  30 is definitely a birthday I won't forget.

Landed

We're back in Lugano, and not fans of night flights. We didn't exactly sleep on the plane, so we're a little exhausted. Small price to pay for an AMAZING trip. This was definitely the best birthday to date.

I'll write later, with pictures and more energy.

New York Day 2 & 3

I can't upload pictures for some reason, but it's just as well... today was a no picture kind of day. Ryan and I are still getting up really early, so this morning, we decided to take a walk and have breakfast, before he headed off to work. He's working near the NBC studios, so after seeing him to his office, I passed by the Today Show windows (trying to be nonchalant, until I saw Natalie Morales about six feet away... I then found it hard to pretend I wasn't there to gawk).

The entire rest of my day was spent in SoHo. I had plans to move on to other areas, but I was just too happy to be walking those streets by myself, stopping at every store, with no one hurrying me. That being said, at some point, I start anticipating Ryan's arrival. Around 7:00, he met me for drinks. We ordered something amazing, proceeded to thank the waiter for suggesting it, and he responded with some rant about how the Vietnamese jungle leaves are out of season, so he had to come up with another ingredient, and settled on cloves. I nodded, as if I completely understood his plight. We moved on to dinner, had another great time, and then braved the cold walk/cab ride home.

Yesterday (sorry, working backwards) went something like this... Lower East Side for the best doughnuts I've ever had in my life, a ride on the Staten Island Ferry, Wall St., Ground Zero, Soho, Indian food, West Villiage, a cool bar, and then really good paella. We got a lot accomplished.

This is the reoccurring theme... as soon as Ryan and I sit down to talk, we say how much we love this city, and then plot how it can actually be part of our future. The plans are still fuzzy, but spending the next few days here will work for now.

I'm sorry if this post sounds disjointed - it's late here. The point is, I really liked today (and yesterday, and Saturday). And I think this might be the best birthday week in history.

We Made It!

We arrived in New York yesterday, and surprisingly, slept through the night! Today was filled with MOMA, the best bagels ever, walking, walking and more walking. Now, we're resting a little before dinner. Ryan's colleague really wanted a classic, American steakhouse, so we're going to the oldest in New York.  I figured that couldn't disappoint (especially when the New York Times told me it wouldn't).

The weather's been the biggest surprise - blue skies!  We thought it was going to be cold and cloudy, but today was beautiful.  Here we are in Madison Square Park and at the Museum (which had amazing views).  Great vacation so far - can't wait for the rest of the week.    

90 Credits

That's what I have, after this last exam session. That's also what's necessary to begin the next phase of my master's. Classes are over for me... I'm on to an internship and the start of my thesis (which are both requirements for graduation).

My internship is very exciting. Are you guys familiar with Design Within Reach? Ryan and I are. The dream home in my mind includes furniture they carry. And my internship is with a Danish furniture manufacture who sells to the US market through DWR. Upon seeing pictures of their products, I blurted out, "my parents have that couch!" to the owner of the company. Not my most professional move, but I think he was endeared. It's a good match - I'm interested in the product, and between my skill set and what I've learned in class, I actually feel qualified to answer their project questions. I get to work from home, take some side trips, attend a furniture market in Milan, and give a final presentation in Copenhagen. As far as internships go, I think I've hit the motherload.

My thesis is also underway. I'm writing about hiring practices. It's interesting for me because it's a topic that really doesn't have a clear answer, so I feel like I can actually gain something by doing research, conducting interviews, and possibly some experimentation. Plus, it's a huge problem... recent statistics show that up to 75% of turnover is due to bad hires. And turnover is four letter word. So, here's to trying to fix it! Just kidding... I'm not capable of that. But, here's to trying my best, and learning something! I think people will be interested in this research, so for the moment, I'm happy to be doing it.

This school thing has been beyond rewarding. I feel like I was taught by people at the top of their game. Switzerland is known (in Europe) for good education, and I'm lucky to have experienced it (especially in a BEAUTIFUL setting - see pictures below). That being said, the classes were hard, so I'm glad to have that phase behind me. On to the next!

Homeward Bound

It is official - our next move will be to New Orleans! Ryan had an interview with the NOLA office on December 23rd, it went really well, and he signed the final papers yesterday. Ryan's Swiss contract ends at the end of August, and we'll be Stateside in September.

Understandably, I have mixed feelings. I'm very happy to be going home. It's something I've wanted to do for a while. Luckily, Ryan loves New Orleans, and is not only willing, but a little more ready at this point than I am. My only hesitation is that I've loved our time here, and it's going to be really hard to say goodbye. We went to a pancake dinner on Tuesday (that's how our British friends celebrate the last night before Ash Wednesday), and just mentioning that our move was official put a little lump in my throat.

Our plan is to make every weekend count from this point forward. We've already started planning for Barcelona, Berlin, a revisit to London, Greece and Amsterdam. Ryan's asked off from work, so our vacation days are definite. FRIENDS AND FAMILY - CONSIDER THIS YOUR WARNING: if you've ever thought about coming for a visit, you have exactly 6 months to do so. We'd be more than happy to make room on our farewell tour.

PS - Here's Ryan leaving for his interview back in December... who wouldn't hire him???

Ryan's Funny (and I'm Fly)

I've been exercising in the morning after Ryan leaves for work. It can get warm in the apartment, and since the only way to cool down is to open a window, I decided recently to just not wear bulky t-shirts and running shorts. That leaves me with my old, cotton biking shorts from high school volleyball, and a sports bra from that same era. It's not attractive, but I didn't think Ryan noticed. Until this morning. As I walked him to the door, he asked me what time the Fly Girl tryouts were. Now, every time I catch my reflection, I laugh out loud. I will not be taking a picture of myself in this outfit, but judging by this photo, Ryan hit the nail on the head.

My Turn - Hitting Ryan Where It Hurts

I dropped Ryan's newest laptop.  There's a big dent in the bottom right corner and on the top of the screen.  It's not good, but it is working.  Judging by the look on his face, this hurts him way worse than my almost broken nose.

We are all sorts of accident prone these days.