Social Media Envy is Real...But it Shouldn’t Be

Here’s Why...

How many times have you found yourself looking at someone's Facebook or Instagram feed, thinking, “that person’s life is amazing,” or “they are the luckiest people in the world”? If you said no, you’re lying. Social media envy is real, and no one is immune to it. 

I love sharing the things that I do in my travels because it’s a way for me to share some updates - and hopefully provide some entertainment along the way. I will continue to do that until my family and close friends tell me to stop. So, if you saw my Insta-story yesterday, you’d think I had the most perfect day in London strolling down memory lane in one of my favorite cities in the world. 

However, while yesterday did include some amazing things, that perception couldn’t be further from the truth. Here’s the real story...

After a quick 45 minute flight from Amsterdam, I found myself at London City Airport for a long weekend of fun to catch up with friends, shop, and ring in the New Year. Upon landing I headed straight for the tube and jumped on towards the first stop where I could connect to the District/Circle Line. About 30 mins into the ride I go to make my transfer only to find most of the Distrct/Circle Line is closed. Ok, fine. I can take the Piccadilly Line to get where I need to go. No biggie. So I begin to backtrack. About an hour and a half later I arrived in South Kensington. The whole trip should have taken 45 mins.

Unshaken by this slight delay, I continue on my way to my AirBNB. The light rain is quickly turning into a full on downpour and the wind is picking up, but I continue on my 5 min walk until my umbrella complete craps out and my walk turns into a jog, with my rolling bag in tow. 

I said AirBNB before, but I really meant HomeAway. I decided to try that for the first time. Big mistake. The key collection was supposed to take place at the reception desk of the residential building I was renting in, but the address led me to a dinky looking hotel. I asked the receptionist if I was in the right place and she said yes, they manage the short-term rentals for the building, which is actually across the street. I can’t check in until 2pm (it’s about 9:30am), but I can store my bag here. Ok, fine. 

I left my bag and was on my way. 

I started the day with a stroll through the neighborhood I lived in when I interned in London. And then the plan was to meet up with a friend, who was bringing another friend, at Harrods for tea. (I know there are way better places for high tea in the city but I love Harrods and I love high tea and I love high tea at Harrods!). Anyway, unfortunately my friend had to cancel and since I didn’t know her other friend, she canceled too. So, tea for 3 became tea for 1, which really is just not as fun as tea for 2+. I actually don’t mind traveling on my own, although I haven’t done it since I moved to Europe. That said, there are certain things that are just better to do with friends or a significant other. Tea is one of them. 

But how bad could my life be? I’m in London, indulging in a feast at Harrods for God’s sake! Please, just read on. 

Throughout the afternoon I’m texting with my friend Hallie, whose birthday we are going to celebrate on Sunday at her NYE party! I made a rash decision Thursday to purchase tickets to see the new production of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child via StubHub because the tickets were guaranteed to arrive by Friday and the shows were on Saturday. No problem, right? Hallie graciously allowed me to send them to her place because I didn’t want to send them to the rental apartment address, unsure of what the mailbox access situation would be. The tix were supposed to arrive by 1pm. Well, just guess if they came...

So now I’m frantically trying to get in contact with StubHub and Royal Mail. The irony here is that I didn’t even want to see this show! It’s opening in NY in a few months and my sister tried to pin down a date for when I’d be in town next so we could get tickets because it’s literally the new hottest ticket in town. Now, unfortunately I do not share her or anyone else’s enthusiasm for the Wizarding World. An avid reader as a child, this was one of few books where I stoped midway through, put it down and never picked it back up. I read on a few chapters because I felt bad for poor Harry. He was like a modern day, British, male version of Annie and I couldn’t close the book until I knew he was out of the clutches of his evil aunt and uncle - who made him sleep in a closet - and safe at school.

So why on earth did I get tickets to the show, which, in case you didn’t know is told in two parts, so is a good 5-hour commitment? Good question. I’ll let you know when I’ve come up with an answer. 

By this point it’s almost 7:30pm, I’ve been out all day and my phone is near death, so I head back to South Ken and figure I’ll sort the ticket sitch out once I can power up my laptop. On the way to the apartment I got sidetracked by a nail salon and popped in. I now have beautiful nails, but it’s after 8 and I’m hungry again. I don’t want anything fancy, but I do want something I can’t get at home or don’t eat often. Naturally that left me with fish and chips! I popped into a well-known place that serves a delicious variation of the dish. After waiting 15 mins for someone to take my order, I’m told “Sorry love, we’re all out for today.” Whaaaat? How do you run out of fish and chips? In London? I left and went to the pub across the street and had - what was quite possibly - the worst fish and chips I could’ve possibly had in the city. 

But there’s a very bright light at the end of the tunnel. Next stop is bed and tomorrow will be a lot better. I swing by the hotel (if you can call it that), pick up my key and bag, drag my suitcase across the street, open the door, and start to climb the stairs because there’s no lift, even though it said there was one online. Actually, I’m starting to realize it said a lot of things online and the pictures did not match what I was seeing. It actually is starting to look like one of those buildings you see in the movies where there’s someone shooting up meth in each stairwell as you ascend.

Great. This is really great. But I haven’t reached my apartment yet, so maybe, just maybe, it looks like the modern, normal apartment I saw in the pictures? Especially because I’m not a novice at renting apartments! I use Airbnb all the time! I swipe the card key, hold my breath and...nope. State of the apartment matches the state of the building. Fantastic.

I should have left right then and there, but it was late, I was exhausted, all my friends who live in London are hosting other family and friends right now, I knew I was in one of the safest areas of the city, and after a thorough bed bug check, I concluded the apartment was fine to sleep in. I really wanted a shower and to go to bed, except upon inspection of the bathroom, I quickly concluded that was not possible for reasons I wish not to explain.

Determined to at least sort this ticket situation out for tomorrow and look into new lodging options, I popped open my laptop and tried to connect to WiFi. No such luck. And the service on my phone was poor. And the outlets didn’t work, so I had to conserve phone battery. So, I just went to bed.

About 5 minutes later, my eyes shot open. The room was about 7,000 degrees and I literally could not breath. It was like I went to bikram yoga, laid down my mat and decided to take a nap. After hunting down the thermostat, and discovering it was stuck, I went to open up a window. It was raining out again. And now it was raining in the room. I felt like — SPOILER ALERT FOR THE CROWN — Prince Charles on his first night at that horrid school where the rain comes in and soaks his bed. After pushing with all my might, I was able to move the bed away from the window. And finally, go to bed. 

In the middle of the night I was jolted out of sleep by the fire alarm. For one split second this exact thought ran through my mind: “This is it. This is how it ends. I’m on the top floor and I’m going to have to jump out the window if the fire is below me. I won’t be seeing my friends this weekend, my family again. I won’t make it to ring in the New Year, and I’m certainly not making it to Harry Potter now.” Then I got up and did everything they tell you not to do in case of a fire. Put on my clothes, shoes and threw my belongings in my bag. I did reach for the door first to feel it was warm. All good. So I crept down the stairs, which had no sign of a fire - just the smell of something burning. 

As the fire trucks pulled up, the firefighters rushed in, and the rain soaked the handful of building tenants now on the street at 4:15am, I pulled out my phone and booked myself a room in a very nice hotel for the following evening. Thank you, Hotels Tonight. 

Once the building was cleared - some idiot burned a piece of toast and fell asleep with it in the toaster - everyone crept back in. I laid there waiting for the sun to rise, grabbed the rest of my belongings and got the hell out of there. HomeAway will be receiving a not-so-nice complaint from me soon. 

I am happy to report the following has happened in the last 12 hours:

- Checked into new hotel, showered, napped

- Acquired new tickets from StubHub at their pickup office in London (originals were never delivered) 

- Made some fantastic and fun purchases 

- Thoroughly enjoyed Part 1 of Harry Potter. Seriously. It’s great!!! The storyline is not too bad, the acting is superb, especially the guy who plays Scorpius and the special effects are amazing! To all my friends seeing it in NYC when it comes over, especially my sister, you’re in for a treat! 

Gotta go enjoy Part 2...

Cheerio from London! 

It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

My obsession with the holiday season dates back to when I could barely even talk, so my parents tell me. We’d drive around in December looking at all the houses decorated and I would continuously say “Lights! Lights!”

Christmas in New York City is my absolute favorite. Everything from the lighting of the tree in Rockefeller Center, to the jaw-dropping window displays at Saks and along 5^th Avenue, and the [relatively new] Christmas markets in Bryant Park and Union Square. It’s cold, but it doesn’t matter. That’s how magical it is.

Europe Does Christmas Right

Being a stone’s throw away from some of the best Christmas markets in the world, I made it my mission to visit as many as I could this holiday season. Grand total: 4…or 5 if I am allowed to count NYC. Here they are in order of preference:

·         Colmar, France: Nestled in the Alsace region, Colmar is a village that looks like it is right out of a storybook. It has a mixed German/French vibe, due to it’s history of being German – then French – then German – then French again after WWII. It’s remained French ever since. Everywhere you turn in Colmar there is a market, there are decorations, there’s mulled wine, and there is fantastic food. It’s like this village was just made for Christmas! And to top things off, just as we were leaving on Sunday, it began to snow – right on cue.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

·         Cologne, Germany: The Germans are the founders of Christmas markets, so skipping Germany was not an option. Cologne has one of the best reputations for markets, and it did not disappoint. A questionably quick (~2.5 hours) train ride from Amsterdam, you step outside the central station and are immediately hit with the stunning cathedral, followed by the endless lights and rows of market stalls. My friend Caroline and I spent the day wandering from market to market around town, picking up small trinkets and tasting all the culinary delights. When in Germany you stick to the 3 main food groups: carbs (pretzels!!!), starch (potato pancakes, or latkes), and sugar (mulled wine).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

·         Amsterdam, the Netherlands: Amsterdam isn’t known for Christmas markets. In fact, as I understand it, Christmas, historically, is not really a gift-giving holiday in the Netherlands…that is what Sinterklaas is for on 5 December! But, I had to put Amsterdam in the top three – it’s a hometown pride thing. The market that is set up on Museumplein is charming. This market is less about the shopping and more about entertaining. The stalls are mostly food and drinks and there’s a skating rink. Surrounded by the grandeur of the Rijks Museum, and the other museums on Museumplein, the atmosphere is charming and it makes for a great evening activity with friends!

 

 

 

·         Strasbourg, France: The trip to Colmar was really a trip to Strasbourg, the main city in Alsace. Strasbourg was fantastic and I had not gone to the other cities, it would’ve completely satisfied the Christmas market itch. I went with my friends Jonelle and Matt, who had been to both Strasbourg and Colmar before, but during Easter (apparently these towns also go all-out for Easter!). We wandered around enjoying the beautiful scenery, over-the-top decorations, and, of course, the warm pretzels and mulled wine, as one does in a European Christmas market.

 

It’s Christmas Time in the City…

I was lucky to get in a NYC trip earlier in the month. My first stop was to spend time with my family, and my nana in particular. It’s too hard to write, but I’ll just say it is very difficult to watch someone you love and admire deeply slip away. My sister and Alani came up from DC so we could all be together. It was a hard trip, but I am so glad we all got that time together. It was priceless, and I’ll hold onto that moment forever.

 

After the time with my family, I was able to catch up with some of my best friends. I’m pretty sure they think I am nuts, because all of all the things to do in New York, all I wanted was a quiet, cozy dinner in someone’s apartment with good, NYC Chinese food. And that’s exactly what I got J We had a great night with lots and lots of laughs. Love these girls so much!

 

The next day I got to spend all day with one of my best friends, Steph, and celebrate her bday! We had an action-packed to do list that included all our favorite December-in-NYC and general NYC things to do.  Of course a trip to the Bryant Park Christmas market, Rockefeller Center, and Saks topped the list. It was such a fun day gallivanting around the city!

 

 

On Saturday night I headed out to Connecticut for Tara and Barrett’s annual holiday party…except Tara didn’t know I was coming! With Barrett’s help we told Tara we’d create Robot-Dayna and I’d stay up extraaa late in  Amsterdam just so I could FaceTime with the crew when the party started. She never expected I would sneak up behind her – in person – right before the party started. Surprise success! The party was – as always – the holiday event of the season. Rach and Kristen came in from Portland, too! It was a wonderful evening and I got to catch up with so many friends and colleagues throughout the night.

 

The Holidays: Amsterdam Edition

After a marathon weekend, and a 5-hour flight delay due to the snow….everywhere…I found myself back in Amsterdam and headed straight into a marathon week. I landed in what was probably the one window on Monday when planes were able to land. Here’s the thing about snow in Amsterdam: they don’t know how to handle it! I guess I should not have been surprised to see the roads and sidewalks still completely covered in snow and ice on Tuesday morning…but the bike lanes were perfectly ploughed. Only in Amsterdam!
That week was chock full of celebrations. We had the company holiday party at the HEINEKEN Experience, and then the next night I had a really fun Hanukkah celebration with some friends where we introduced two of them to the Festival of Lights.

 

The festivities ended with a fun filled 4-day Christmas weekend. Like Thanksgiving, it was at first a strange decision to make, not going to NY for Christmas Week. But after a whirlwind year, it was so nice to have some quiet time at home. First up: Christmas Eve celebration-turned engagement celebration for two new friends, followed by Christmas dinner at my friend’s Lindsay and Chris. Lindsay and Chris had Chris’ family over as well as a few friends who stayed behind in Amsterdam. It was a truly merry evening with delicious food, games and lots of laughs.

 

Last on the list for the weekend was a ride through the canals of Amsterdam to see the Light Festival. Each year the canals are decorated with light sculptures from artists from around the world. Although it was freezing, it was a beautiful way to end the long weekend.

 

 

 

 

And now? Two days of work this week before saying goodbye to Amsterdam until 2018!  

Hope everyone has enjoyed the holiday season as much as I am. Until next time…