New York in the Springtime

We're back and just over a week later the jet lag is starting to subside. I have a totally made-up, non-fact based theory that for each hour of time change you need one to two days of adjustment – it sounds logical, right? Austria and Croatia were amazing and I have a ton of pictures to go through and recommendations to share from places to check out, as well as a few things we (re)learned from our travels. More on that later this week, so stay tuned…

Right now it seems that New York is fully embracing spring at last. Hallelujah! What a difference a 10 days makes! We took a taxi out to JFK on the day we left and I noticed as we drove down Columbus Avenue that the trees were just beginning to show a pale haze of green. When we returned the cherry blossoms were in full bloom and the parks are equally full of daffodils and tourists.

Coincidentally, we had some friends from Texas visiting for the weekend and the city gave us two glorious days of sunshine - woot! I love having guests, both for the quality catching-up time and for the excuse to be a tourist in my own city. It’s cool to see familiar places through the eyes of someone who doesn’t hang out there everyday, and it’s fun to try out new places I might not seek out on my own.

 Over the course of the two days our friends were here we spent hours wandering through Central Park taking pictures, went waaaay downtown to see the very moving 9/11 Memorial, had dinner in the Village at Minetta Tavern (delicious), and celebrated Easter Sunday with our church family on the UES. All in all, great times with some of our favorite people.

 I hope that you had a wonderful Easter weekend too and that spring has found it’s way to your neighborhood!

Confessions of an Over-Packer

Image & Design: Laura Messersmith

It’s official! We leave for our 10-day excursion to Vienna, Austria and Dubrovnik, Croatia on Friday, which means it’s time for me to get serious about packing. Specifically, packing LIGHT. The ultimate test for me is whether my suitcase is light enough to carry it up an unexpected flight of stairs or over uneven pavement. I’m looking at you subway stations, and you too charming cobblestone streets.

I always have the best intentions, but my imagination runs away with me and I convince myself that I need XYZ item “just in case we….” Here’s a classic example: my wardrobe for a three-day trip to northern Florida as seen above.

First of all, this is far too much clothing for three days, second of all, the temperatures weren’t supposed to be above 72F, but guess who packed a sundress and multiple pairs of shorts…. And, guess what items never made it into the rotation…. I could have eliminated a quarter of what I packed if I had been disciplined and been no worse off when it came time to get dressed in the morning.

For our trip to Europe I’m determined to pack only what is practical, appropriate, and re-wearable. So, I’ve been preparing by reading lots of advice posts and gathering tips from experienced travelers who also pack light.

Here’s what I’ve found helpful so far:

1. Consider your trip. What’s on the itinerary – hiking, wine tasting, wedding reception, museum exploration? What will the climate/weather be – beach, mountains, desert? Is your destination formal or informal – will you need to ‘dress up’ or will jeans and sneakers more than suffice?

2. Plan outfit combinations in advance. Select items in similar color schemes that can be mixed and matched (ie. neutrals!), or do double duty. Use accessories (scarf, jewelry, belt) to jazz up your basics. Two great examples of what this looks like in practice from Travelista and A Pair and A Spare.

3. Minimize shoes. Hitha on the Go says three pairs in different combinations depending on destination. (See point #1) I'm hoping I can make do with ballet flats, tall boots, and a pair of cute kicks...

4. Downsize beauty products. I love these multi-colored stacking pill boxes for gels and creams I just need a dab of, and I will always snag extra hotel shampoos like these babies for the next trip.

5. Make a checklist. Include your clothing, grooming, and travel accessory needs (chargers, camera, books, passport, etc.) and stick to it so you don't forget something crucial! Real Simple has several for different travel scenarios, or there’s this classic packing list from The Container Store.

I’m hoping that if I follow all these tips and reign in my active imagination I’ll have all the things I actually need (and no more!) with room for fun souvenirs along the way. Wish me luck!

Maddie, Year Three

Perhaps it’s a bit silly or sentimental to love a dog so much, but we love our puppy-daughter and I’m the Chief Whimsy Officer of the Messersmith family, so I figure this type of post goes with the territory. This is a letter to Maddie pup on her third anniversary as a Messersmith.

Maddie-pup, Image: Laura Messersmith

Dear Maddie,

I’m typing with one hand right now because I need the other one to scratch your head.

This weekend marks three years since you came home to live with us. I admit when your Papa and I were contemplating getting a dog we were nervous about the responsibilities we knew would be part of being good dog parents. But, we also remembered how much we loved the dogs we grew up with and wanted to experience that kind of affection again.

I’m so glad we took the plunge and found you, Fuzzy Bear, I’m so glad we came to meet you at the adoption event on Mockingbird Ave that Saturday afternoon in March. You were three years old and some kind-hearted person found you a few weeks earlier with no tags and no microchip. You were also pretty darn sick with heartworm. We heard you had some close calls during treatment, but as we discovered later when squirrels were in the picture, you’re pretty stubborn and pulled through even when it looked bleak.

I don’t know what else to call our first meeting other than puppy-love at first sight. A short walk, some snuggles, and a proprietary snooze at my feet sealed the deal. Looking back now I think it was a lucky coincidence for a strawberry blonde dog and two people with Irish ancestry to meet on St. Patrick’s Day.

You came to live with us about a week later and we dubbed you Maddie, although since then you’ve picked up about a dozen nicknames ranging from Ladybug to Bright Eyes. Your arrival coincided with a busy season of work travel for Papa, so the two of us spent a lot of Q.T. in those early weeks. Since then we’ve taken countless walks together – first exploring Dallas and now making New York home  - and my arm has gone numb many times as I lean over the side of the bed to stroke your soft ears. The bond that we formed has only grown stronger.

I love your hopeful expression when a Honey Nut Cheerios box appears at breakfast, I love how excited you get when it snows, I love how you bring a toy to greet every visitor.

Your Papa and I love you Maddie-pup and we’re so glad that you’re a Messersmith.

Love,

Mama 

Internet Rabbit Trails

Does this ever happen to you? It starts with a little harmless scrolling through Instagram, which leads to a new blog, which leads to a board on Pinterest…. Two hours later I’m resurfacing from the depths of the Internet with no recollection of where the time went. One click leads to another as I follow the rabbit trails of linked pages and sometimes leads to unexpected gold.

Image & Design: Laura Messersmith

On one such day I excavated this interview with Rashida Jones written by Garance Doré. The lovely, hilarious, and very smart Rashida (may I call you Rashida?) reflects on her career and her responses are so grounded and thoughtful that I had to share.

My favorite is this one where she shares the best advice her parents, Quincy Jones and Peggy Lipton, gave her [emphasis mine]:

“I would say it’s not particularly career advice but life advice. My mom was all about following your heart and instinct. As I have gotten older, I have connected more with my instinct, which is good. And my dad always said to make decisions based on love, not fear. It’s so good. Why am I making this decision? Is it because I’m afraid I’m not going to get a job again? Well that’s fear. Or I love this thing so much I don’t care what anyone else thinks about it. That’s still a huge thing that guides me in my life.”

As I’ve been trying to figure out where life is leading me and wrestling with questions of career, family, future - the wisdom of this advice struck me as being really, really profound. It made me stop and ask myself: are the things I’m worried about driving me more than pursuit of the things I love?

I realize that this is a privileged position to be in, but I’m certain that there are other people in seasons of change grappling with the same kinds of questions. What would I like to accomplish in this life? What are my gifts and talents? And, how am I meant to be using them?

I don’t have the answers yet and maybe I never will (I hope that’s not the case!), but I have to give it up to the whims of the Internet for bringing the wisdom of Quincy Jones to my screen at an opportune moment. I hope that taking a moment to consider my motivations will give some clarity to my thought process and help me make choices that lead to things I love. I hope it will help you too!