greece: out of toilet paper.

MYKONOS-- okay, story time.

after hopping off a very crowded flight to mykonos, greece--i had to take a quick detour to the ladies room. which--as all ladies restrooms worldwide usually do--had a lengthy line going out the door. and obviously, only two stalls.

not a problem.

the line worked its way up and finally the stall in front of me opened--out came a cute little japanese lady.

she stopped in front of the stall pointing at me--then the stall--saying toilet and then something in japanese. she proceeded to hold out a little stack of tissue paper and smile.

at this point, i finally had caught on that the stall was out of toilet paper and she was offering me tissue.

i was completely entertained by this situation. we both shared a laugh and smiling back, i accepted the tissue and nodded. thank you.

followed by more japanese words, which i am assuming meant you're welcome.

i then took my turn in the stall, and when coming out--took the stack of tissue paper and with a smile, offered it to the next woman standing in line--who happened to be french.

using my hand motions to relay to her, no toilet paper--i pointed back to the stall and held up the tissue.

though she also seemed confused at first, she then laughed and graciously accepted the offering.

merci. 

not sure why this situation stood out to me, but upon leaving the restroom i immediately relayed the experiences to my husband. explaining that it was not only comical but 'special' in a very odd-circumstanced kind of way.

not one of us spoke the same language.

and we all came from different countries, backgrounds, cultures, and experiences.

yet, it was a comically humbling moment. a lesson of human nature really. that no matter the barriers, we can all share out of the goodness of hearts--and can all laugh about such a light-hearted situation.

we're all just people. travelling has opened my eyes to the fact that even though certain cultures, traditions, and ways of life may be foreign to me--it is home to someone else. home--where they find their warmth, happiness, and protection.

just like the beautiful west coast beaches lined with strip malls and majestic utah mountains towering over a chick-fil-a are home for me. :)

"a nation's culture resides in the hearts and in the soul of its people." -gandhi

*picture from our first day on the island of mykonos (greek isles)

style guide: travel outfit

okay, here it is. piece by piece, this is my favorite travel outfit. and as you will learn, i absolutely love fashion, art, and anything design related--and my style is fairly simple. you'll notice that i tend to stick to solids or classic patterns. my goal is an effortless, simple class. i veer away from anything too trendy or extremely loud patterns. it's just not me.

okay, so obviously being comfortable while traveling is important (especially on these long international plane rides--they can be brutal) and  i've found that this combo works wonders for me and here's why...

the denim button-down is a staple of the ensemble. it's stylish, loose fitting and warm (which i love for long flights--because i'm always freezing on airplanes). my favorite denim is from nordstrom, and it's probably one of the best things that's ever happened to me. my husband gives me a hard time about how much i wear my denim tops. really though, i love them more than i should.

leggings are my fave. especially these ones. simply vera black leggings found at kohls. they don't stretch-out weird by the end of the day, they're just thick enough for cold days, and fit very comfortably. (i'm kind of a legging-snob. serious though, i hate when they get to loose by the end of the day or bunch around my knees, or look see-threw when you bend over--these are definitely my favorite)

forever 21 has leggings that fit nice as well--they're only like five bucks but they tend to fade quicker.

and boots, of course. every girl needs a boot she can trust. husband just bought me these pretty-in-camel-lookers for my birthday while we were out in london. the selection of boots at topshop was unreal, and after an hour of trying on just about every one-- these lil' beauties won my heart. (haven't been to topshop---well, you're in for a treat. i love them and i hate them. it's a torn relationship. dreamy selection of clothes with not-so-dreamy of prices. and i'm a tj maxx/nordstrom rack/sale rack kinda girl, so i struggled with how expensive they are--but i could dream about them for hours without end)

why? i fell in love with the riding flare that the side buckle adds, but also like a little bit of a heal, because it allows me to feel a little more dressed up without really trying. even a small heal makes a boot more versatile. these ones look great with jeans, leggings or skirts/dresses.

top these basics off with a eye-catching scarf (personally i'm obsessed with infinity scarves--i love how you don't have to re-adjust or tie them--they just stay snug around the neck providing extra warmth and style)-- one of my favorites is the one shown above from forever 21.

and then i just add my favorite h&m parka for additional warmth when needed. i like the parka, because it rolls up easily and i can pack it away nicely when i need to. some of my other coats do not hold up so well when folded/rolled or awkward squeezed into a suitcase. this one has truly stood the test of the fashion-conscious traveler.

okay, so there you have it.

who out there has some other great fashion-travelling tips? i'm still new to this, and  i'd seriously love to hear them!

 

style guide: travel outfit

okay, here it is. piece by piece, this is my favorite travel outfit. and as you will learn, i absolutely love fashion, art, and anything design related--and my style is fairly simple. you'll notice that i tend to stick to solids or classic patterns. my goal is an effortless, simple class. i veer away from anything too trendy or extremely loud patterns. it's just not me.

okay, so obviously being comfortable while traveling is important (especially on these long international plane rides--they can be brutal) and  i've found that this combo works wonders for me and here's why...

the denim button-down is a staple of the ensemble. it's stylish, loose fitting and warm (which i love for long flights--because i'm always freezing on airplanes). my favorite denim is from nordstrom, and it's probably one of the best things that's ever happened to me. my husband gives me a hard time about how much i wear my denim tops. really though, i love them more than i should.

leggings are my fave. especially these ones. simply vera black leggings found at kohls. they don't stretch-out weird by the end of the day, they're just thick enough for cold days, and fit very comfortably. (i'm kind of a legging-snob. serious though, i hate when they get to loose by the end of the day or bunch around my knees, or look see-threw when you bend over--these are definitely my favorite)

forever 21 has leggings that fit nice as well--they're only like five bucks but they tend to fade quicker.

and boots, of course. every girl needs a boot she can trust. husband just bought me these pretty-in-camel-lookers for my birthday while we were out in london. the selection of boots at topshop was unreal, and after an hour of trying on just about every one-- these lil' beauties won my heart. (haven't been to topshop---well, you're in for a treat. i love them and i hate them. it's a torn relationship. dreamy selection of clothes with not-so-dreamy of prices. and i'm a tj maxx/nordstrom rack/sale rack kinda girl, so i struggled with how expensive they are--but i could dream about them for hours without end)

why? i fell in love with the riding flare that the side buckle adds, but also like a little bit of a heal, because it allows me to feel a little more dressed up without really trying. even a small heal makes a boot more versatile. these ones look great with jeans, leggings or skirts/dresses.

top these basics off with a eye-catching scarf (personally i'm obsessed with infinity scarves--i love how you don't have to re-adjust or tie them--they just stay snug around the neck providing extra warmth and style)-- one of my favorites is the one shown above from forever 21.

and then i just add my favorite h&m parka for additional warmth when needed. i like the parka, because it rolls up easily and i can pack it away nicely when i need to. some of my other coats do not hold up so well when folded/rolled or awkward squeezed into a suitcase. this one has truly stood the test of the fashion-conscious traveler.

okay, so there you have it.

who out there has some other great fashion-travelling tips? i'm still new to this, and  i'd seriously love to hear them!

 

time for a change.

change is a good thing. really, it is (this coming from a girl who has the most bipolar relationship with 'change').

i love it. and i hate it. there is a wildly feisty and independent part of me that aches for it. and then a more timid, mild me that wants to haul-ass-as-fast-as-i-can-away-from-it. talk about a troubled soul. so torn.

that being said, i came to terms with this at a young age and set a goal-- to never let that timid play-it-safe side of me dominate over my desire for change and experience. i knew that change, independence, and overcoming my fears was my only chance of true growth. and the only way i would not miss out on the exhilarating, breathtaking, sincerely honest moments that life had to offer. the kind i read about in literature. the kind that i would lay in bed at night thinking about.

i knew i could not let the power of my comfort zone silence the voice of change and adventure inside me.

that comfort zone is just so tempting. so safe. so risk-free. i'm sure many of you can relate, but for me--it's a constant temptation.

which brings me to the main point of this blogpost (and blog)

see, this last year was a landmark year for change in my life. it began with letting go of the past. i had made mistakes. i had held onto things that i should have let go of long before. things that had begun to burden me and taking their toll on me as an individual. it took a while, but i let them go. i moved on.

then, after much thought, soul-searching and insomnia--i moved to the city of my dreams. san francisco. it was scary. real scary. 100% out of my comfort zone. and 100% the best damn decision i could have made at that point in my life.

my time in that kookie city opened my eyes to a world i had never known before. it gave me the independence i had ached for, the adventure i constantly dreamt of, and finally--for the first time in an extremely long time--i felt happy. so perfectly happy. changed proved to be worthwhile.

but it didn't stop there. on top of all the happy-live-lovin' madness, i met my husband. a witty, intelligent, sexy, politically conservative and often outspoken gem of a man just hanging in liberal-crazy-sf. his day spent working the corporate america dream.

we met. quickly became obsessed with each other. and--as if moving to a new city, taking a new job, and meeting all new people wasn't enough change--we decided to get married. no question, no doubts, no hesitation--married we would be.

not only did san francisco teach me about a deeper kind of love for people in general--it also brought me to the love of my life. my best friend--who is now my husband. our own little city born love.

ahhhh change.

still newlyweds--almost two months now. loving each other more by the day. getting weirder by the second--as we mainly spend time with only each other. the change keeps piling on. we're now travelling the world (husband's job has blessed us with the opportunity to be skipping all around the globe).

experiencing different cultures. new faces. new languages. strange foods (which husband always loves). yes, everyday brings a new adventure. whether that means getting lost alone, without cell service while trying to find rumelihisari castle in istanbul, turkey (totally worth it by the way) or taking a long run through hyde park on a beautifully-grey and chilly london afternoon.

or maybe just a conversation with your family over a seafood dinner in houston, texas. or returning home to the familiar mountains of alpine, utah.

change and i are enjoying each other's company. and it has inspired me--to share. share my experiences with stepping outside of my comfort zone--that teach me daily. making me into a stronger wife, woman and individual.

life is all about change. it keeps us on our toes--learning and growing.

so be it all. be the traveler. the wanderer. and the wanderlust dreamer.

i know i am.

oh, and welcome to my new blog. i thought it may be time for a change.