“I’ve been homesick for countries I’ve never been, and longed to be where I couldn’t be.” John Cheever
Today is one of those days where I read too many blogs, looked at too many pictures, and yearned to be anywhere but here.
Food: Noodle Soups
Whenever I go back to Canada, I always exercise extra hard the month before in anticipation of all the food I’ll eat once I am home. Growing up in a family that’s passionate about eating, food is a big part of our get-togethers. Weeks before I leave for Canada, my mom will call so we can discuss what I want to eat when I am home. In New York, there doesn’t seem to be a lot of good authentic Vietnamese food available surprisingly, so when I am in Canada the goal is to indulge in as much Vietnamese noodle soup as I can.
steaming bowl of pho
Photo of the Week: Graffitied Audrey
Manhattan, New York
This photo was taken in New York City of Tristan Eaton’s colorful Audrey Hepburn. This artwork is part of the L.I.S.A project where street artists paint murals around Little Italy. This caught my eye one day when we were walking to Chinatown on our weekly grocery run. I’ve always been a fan of Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany’s, so seeing this tribute to her on the side of a building is a pleasant surprise.
Every week, I’ll share a photo with you from my adventures around the world and at home. Most of my photos have little or no post processing. If you would like to see more, please click the ‘Follow’ button.
I Don’t Want To Be A Banana Fish
This time last year as I was walking home with Fausto, a thought hit me. So I turned to him and said “I’ve decided to give up shopping for a year, starting tomorrow”. I am pretty sure he thought I was just joking.
Rug shopping in Fez, Morocco
Places I Want to Go: Thor’s Well
Photo Credits: Aaron Hockley [via flickr]
All About Caitlin
Me on a sand dune in the Arabian desert
I am one half of the dynamic duo that’s lifeafter9to5. The other half is my husband Fausto, check out and see what he has to say about himself here. I am a full-time actuary and part-time traveler. I travel on the holidays, weekends, vacation time, basically whenever I have a chance. Check out this map of all the places we’ve been. The map will be continuously updated as we see more of the world. When I am not traveling, I think about it, I plan for it and I dream about it.
Quote: Travel Companion
Great advice Bill Murray gave to a bunch of guys at a bachelor party. “If you have someone that you think is The One..Buy a plane ticket for the two of you to travel all around the world, and go to places that are hard to go to and hard to get out of. And if when you come back to JFK, when you land in JFK, and you’re still in love with that person, get married at the airport.“
A great travel companion is the basis of a great life partner. Traveling together, you get to see how your partner reacts under stressful situations in an unfamiliar environment. We certainly had many travel horror stories, like getting stranded in the Atlas mountain in the middle of a snow storm or getting stranded in Thailand in the middle of the 2008 civil mayhem. In both cases, I am glad I had Fausto with me. I knew he was The One after we came back from Greece, our first trip together.
Random Thoughts: Countdown
Yikes! Just saw my Inca Trail countdown goes from months to days…Need to step up my preparation. The UA Base 4.0 cold gear have arrived, I tried them on and they fit! Although, I have to say, they are not as warm as I thought they would be for something that’s advertised as “built to take on even the most brutal cold”. I hope I am wrong and these will hold up at night. I don’t look forward to freezing in my sleep.
Photo of the Week: Bygone times
Siem Reap, Cambodia
This photo of 3 Buddhist monks strolling through the Bayon Angkor Thom in Cambodia brings to mind images of a bygone time and a bygone empire. Bayon is one of the many temples in Angkor we’ve visited while we were in Siem Reap province. The Bayon’s most distinctive feature is the multitude of serene and massive stone faces on the many towers. Angkor is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Every week, I’ll share a photo with you from my adventures around the world and at home. Most of my photos have little or no post processing. If you would like to see more, please click the ‘Follow’ button.
Going Home
There are just a few more days until I go home for 2 weeks! Even though I have a home of my own now, it’s hard to not think of my childhood hometown as “home” as well. A few times a year, I get to leave New York and go back to my small town roots. I am from a rural town in Canada (hint: Wayne Gretzky and I have this in common). Come to think of it, this town has grown over the years and probably is not even considered a town anymore but rather a city. Nevertheless, I am excited to leave the concrete jungle and enjoy some open space, or at least a place with a backyard. It’s been awhile since my last trip, so I am starting to get restless. Almost every day I look at the calendar and count down in my head.
life after 9to5 