SAVE ROOM

One thing I enjoy, being home after a long week of the grind while taking in the surroundings in the comfort of my home. Lying around, wine in hand, soothed by the earthy colors of the walls and aromatic smells of the kitchen.

Pictures make up 75% of my home's decor. Each area of each room has it's own individual style of display. Between family in the dining room and weddings under the Eiffel tower clock, photos of destinations visited float along the shelves providing me the serene backdrop that forces me into my daily daydream.

There are a few spots that remain empty. Those areas of white canvas capture my gaze the most, allowing me to complete the picture of my own ideas on what destination will fill that spot next. There is nothing more fulfilling than capturing that perfect moment of a vacation and knowing you will have plenty of space to frame it in for those much enjoyed days at home.

WELCOME THUNDERSTORMS

So it's a beautiful Spring day. The sun is shining and there are no plans on the agenda. It's good thing. But, I can't help to think back to last weekend. Gloomy, raining and chilly are what most people were describing the weather. Most people, however, weren't at the shore without an alarm clock.

It was one of those peaceful weekends I haven't had in a long time, and I was even there with my husband. Just kidding, of course. There were no agendas, no places we needed to be and no noise. The gloomy sky and distant lightening illuminating over the tops of the vacant condominiums were a calming effect. We knew we had a safe and quiet retreat to hide back to. We stayed in the old lighthouse at Fagers Island on 56 street. Until now, Fagers was only a regular place to go for sunsets and martinis. Now it has a new feel to me. Situated next to the brand new condominiums Fagers calls "The Edge", the lighthouse has that nostalgic feel when you walk in staring at the rafters above. We stayed in a bay front room overlooking nothing more than just that, along with a few rowdy pigeons. We were on the second floor, below the more spacious and expensive suites with fireplace and double jacuzzi,placed appropriately, next to the king size bed. But, that didn't take away from our king suite overlooking a beautiful view. Even the decor was serene and peaceful in white fabrics, marble and lots of mirrors! The mirrors add a nice touch when housekeeping comes in for turn down service to light the candles in your room. But I have to admit, I am now on a strict diet after seeing a little too much of myself over the weekend.

As for the sunsets, we didn't have to visit the restaurant this time for that show. So we were still wanting a reason to go. Lucky for us Fagers offers a Sunday brunch from 11am-3pm with a diverse, but simple menu. Live jazz is happening in the dining room while you dine on the deck overlooking the bay. My husband is not a breakfast guy, but loves peppers and spice. It was perfect...he had the Potato and Chorizo Sausage Hash blended with spices which went over more like a lunch and I had the Smokey Tom, two english muffins topped with smoked turkey, eggs benedict and peppers. The potatoes were roasted perfectly and had plenty of seasoning. The omelet menu looked good for those who don't do spicy. If that wasn't enough, we made room to split what we read to be the "Best Bloody Mary on the Beach". Well, I normally don't drink bloody mary's on the beach, but this one was damn good. Again, we opted for the spice, plenty of old bay with our vodka!

So after eating our way through the weekend, I'm back in the hectic days of the real world with no complaints of the beautiful sunshine beckoning me outside. That reminds me, I need to go buy a hammock. Until next time...I will hopefully than be escaping gloomy weather to travel towards the sun. Funny how that works.

EXPLORER, STUDENT, DREAMER

Here it is, the first day of deciding what to write about on my very own blog. I warn you now, I know as much about the "blogging community" as I understand what my dog is trying to tell me. But, I figured after reading many of your blogs over the past months, seems to me it is great for a group of people that enjoy writing or just think they have something to say. So here I am.

So what is this journal o' the Internet all about? Well, I will be going on about my journeys, long and short...near and far. No matter where I go in life, I have found that I learn something new each time. This is an attempt to share that with you.

Life's best education is done through travel. To go to each destination as an explorer and less as a tourist. I hope to learn from the people, their culture, the landscape and the history that each destination presents us.

The many aspects of travel sometimes make being a tourist unavoidable. If at all possible, the research and responsibility one puts into preparing a trip should help us avoid that. I will do my best to also share with you the do's & don'ts, the basics, the tips and the hard facts of what is "good to know, before you go".

My hope is to soon receive emails from other travelers that will share with you the same things. I hope that those travelers are you. Sending me stories, pictures, tips and lessons along the way. As a community, my hope is that together we can find the explorer in each of us.

Been There, Done That.....coming soon

Check back for the journeys of a woman working for the weekend.