Thirty, Flirty and Thriving…

…Or so the saying goes. But actually, this statement could not be more accurate to describe where I currently am in my life.

We spend so much time in our 20s going through drastic change: the transition from the teenage years to the young adult years. Finishing the university years. First jobs, first loves. Gaining friends, losing friends. Gaining weight, losing weight. Second jobs. And third. Moves to different cities. Moves to different apartments. Moves to different countries.

I spent the last 8 years waiting to turn 30. This does not mean I didn’t enjoy my 20s to the fullest, because believe me, I did. It just means that, to me, 30 seemed to be that age where your life really begins. And for mostly professional reasons, I couldn’t wait to no longer be the ‘youngest one in the room.’ (Although looking back, I realize just how grateful I am to have been given so many opportunities at a young age professionally to be the youngest one in the room…way more on that at another time).  

Like the crazy over-planner that I am, when I started my first job at Emanate, I made a list. I set  goals. Professional and personal. I gave myself until the age of 30 to accomplish them. And then I did what any overachiever would do. I accomplished (most of) them between the ages of 26-28.  

But, there are two goals that remain unaccomplished. One personal and one professional. Twenty-something Dayna would be distraught right now. How could I have failed…especially when I had 8 years?! But grown-up Dayna is laughing.

I am laughing because I know myself, and I know these goals will definitely be accomplished. But the change is, I know they will not be accomplished right now. One day. I’m laughing because I can hear the voices of mentors, friends, and family who have been telling me over the last 8 years that it’s ok to slow down, that some things are going to take longer to achieve, and that there is no timeline for certain things. There have been many who have taught me that along the way. Many of those people who let me be in the room, and again, for that I am grateful.

Over the last year I’ve learned to appreciate the ride. And while enjoying the ride wasn’t always top of mind until more recently, thinking back over the last decade, what a ride it has been!

There’s a million things I could list, but here’s a brief look at 30 top memories from the last 10 years…

1.       Interning in London at the ripe age of 20. My favorite memory? It’s a toss-up between the completely insane night where we met three gentleman in red velvet top hats in a sketchy Chinese restaurant at 1am in Leicester Square and then willingly followed them back to their South Kensington town house to go swimming in their indoor swimming pool OR meeting another sketchy character – whom we shall call Big Al – in Ireland. Ask me the story privately if you want to hear more. Ohhh to be young and carefree. #sorrymom

2.       Spending the summer of 2008 appearing in every TV show filmed in NYC.

3.       Going back to Chapel Hill after London: rushing Franklin Street after the Tar Heels won the National Title, living on Noble Street with my best friends, eating alllll the Franklin Street Pizza & Pasta I wanted, working at Top O, many, many nights out, and of course, graduating from UNC’s Journalism school. I’ll never forget packing up my car to make the trek back to NY for the last time in May 2010. It was one of the saddest moments of my life.

4.       Accepting my first job at Emanate – albeit under extremely strange interview circumstances that ranged from being called the wrong name even to this day (don’t worry MB, I’m sort of over it) to my interviewers being late, to the office being a ghost town because everyone was in a conference room eulogizing the office pet frog. Or frogs? Who knows. It was weird, and for some weirder reason, I accepted the job. Turns out to have been one of the best decisions of my life. Not only will Emanate hold a special place in my heart for helping me launch a career in PR, it also introduced me to several life-long friends. Some of which have become family.

5.       After much searching, finding and living in the perfect West Village apartment with Emily. It truly was perfect. Perfect until the mice moved in, at least. But we were in the heart of the West Village, had exposed brick in a recently renovated apartment, two bedrooms AND a dishwasher. We still relied on our parents to get our groceries. And do our laundry. We were living large.

6.       Bopping around NYC with Steph…after she learned how to make it from Penn Station to my apartment in 2010 ;-) In all seriousness, when she finally moved back to NY in 2012, it was amazing having my best friend right up the street. Countless dinner/shopping/movie/gym dates – and of course, exchanging date night stories

7.       DC reunions each MLK weekend with my UNC girls and trips to Deep Creek (well, in the early days, before we completely destroyed Casey’s parents’ house and became uninvited…)

8.       Watching the Tar Heels win 2 (almost 3) National Titles. Traveling straight from Japan to meet my sister in Houston in 2015 (calling my boss mid-way to say after almost two weeks of holiday in Japan, I wouldn’t be making it to work on Monday. What’s one more day?!) only to witness the heartbreak of Villanova winning in the last fraction of a second.

9.       Celebrating 4 (or 5?) amazing birthdays at the Boat Basin in NYC. Hearing from everyone it’s going to be too cold, and then beating the odds with picture perfect springtime NYC weather each and every time (except for the one minor downpour)

10.   Traveling to 30+ countries – including beyond epic trips to Australia, Thailand, Greece, Turkey and Japan with my childhood besties Rachel and Gillian. There’s absolutely no one else I’d rather do all of the below with than with my twin best friends from K-garden. Truly meant it when I told my fam on day 1 “I met twins, and I like them”: Bushwalking and feeding kangaroos in Australia, getting trapped on a boat in Thailand in the middle of water, cooking authentic Thai food in Chang Mai and riding elephants through the jungle, getting coerced into buying Turkish rugs in Kusadsi, spending 5 hours freezing and eating dumplings in the Beijing airport, and then almost missing our connecting flight back to the States…also in Beijing, seeing the cherry blossoms in Japan and so much more…  

11.   Meeting and becoming work soul sistas with Carolyn (see #4). Couldn’t have survived without this girl, who was right there next to me making a list of goals at the ripe age of 22. All the late nights at the office. Frequenting the sushi and Italian places on 2^nd avenue right near the office. And our epic news recording of Hurricane Sandy, live from the Upper West Side.

12.   Forming the Codell family (See #4 again). This absolutely absurd crew that is also one of the most amazing things that happened to me (thank you, Emanate….and Dawn Ray!!!).

13.   Falling in love with do-it-yourself frozen yogurt and sharing this love with two best friends, Jaime and Steph  

14.   Visiting Jaime in the middle of nowhere Pennsylvania when doing her residency and experiencing Hershey as an adult (and the AMAZING Turkey Hill ice cream factory. You can make your own ice cream! Seriously, the best). As fun as that was, I was so glad when you moved back to NYC so we could resume our Tuesday night Dance Mom + Italian/Chinese food dinner dates, shopping sprees, yogurt-runs-in-blizzards

15.   Long Island summers… in the Hamptons with Em and Amanda and Dix Hills with Steph

16.   Standing alongside Casey and Clay as they got married. Watching them buy their first home in DC…and so much more!  

17.   So much pride watching my friends grow alongside me. My friends are seriously awesome! From journalists to psychologists to social workers to architects to actors to fellow PR practioners and probably the profession I have the most respect for – teachers – I enjoy watching my friends absolutely kill it in whatever they have decided to do

18.   Skipping around the fountain from the Sound of Music in Salzberg, Austria singing Do-Re-Mi with Amanda.

19.   Moving to my very own apartment on the Upper East Side.

20.   Being the maid-of-honor at my sister and brother-in-law’s wedding and being a part of the day. I have never been in a room filled with so much love. It was incredibly special!

21.   Dinner dates at every diner in NYC with Diana! Our catch-ups that didn’t happen often enough, but were always the highlight of my week when they did happen. Watching her fall in love with Matt, and then watching them get married.

22.   Getting to participate in the Nudge Global Leadership Challenge in Amsterdam in 2015. You can only have so many life-changing experiences in your lifetime. This was one of them.

23.   Broadway shows with my family or Em! And Em and I taking our love of theatre to the next level by subscribing to every single discount tix outlet the city has to offer. Getting tickets to Hamilton. Yes, I’ve seen Hamilton in New York ;-)  

24.   Or just casually watching your friend on Broadway – such a special treat to see Blair as Nicola in Kinky Boots! (Also in the Blair bucket from this decade: Your beautiful wedding and watching you and Adam raise the most adorable child!)  

25.   Traveling the world with my mom – from summer trips throughout New England, to trips to Florida to see my grandparents, to England, Italy, France, Spain, Belgium, Netherlands (before I moved!), Russia, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Switzerland, Monaco, Greece, Croatia, and Austria (I think that’s it?) all in one decade.

26.   Celebrating the 90^th birthdays of my nana and papa. And the countless trips to Florida not just in the last decade, but my whole life, to spend time with them.

27.   The birth of my niece and watching her grow into the smart, adorable, French-speaking toddler she is today.

28.   The “Miami WhatsApp Chain”. Not a day doesn’t go by that I wake up hoping there’s something absurd waiting to be read in the group chat.  

29.   My Florida “cousins”. Jackie’s amazing cooking for the Jewish holidays, babysitting Sebastian, shopping sprees in NYC and Florida, watching Jackie/Zach, Matt/Lara, Amanda/Jeff and Melanie/Adam get married.

30.   My move to Amsterdam. The scariest, yet hands-down most rewarding thing I did this decade.

31.   (I get one for good luck, right?!) Last, but not least, cooking a full Thanksgiving dinner for my colleagues in Amsterdam. Introducing everyone to the gloriousness that is sweet potatoes with [American] marshmallows and making 13 non-Americans go around the table and saying what they are grateful for J

And so, so much more. I absolutely cannot wait to see what this next decade has in store!

Cheers to 1 Year in the Best ‘Dam City!

I am sitting here completely perplexed. I am not quite sure how 365 days have zipped by so fast. 365 days of pure excitement and joy. 365 days of waiting to see if I’d question my decision, if I’d want to pack up and go back to New York. Nope. I’m good. And after 365 days of adventure and exploration, I cannot wait for more.

So much has changed, and yet so much has stayed the same.

Six months ago I posted 6 reasons why I HATE living in the Netherlands. I think that was my favorite post yet. And while I don’t think I can replicate that first stroke of genius…I am sure as hell going to try.

Here are 6 more reasons, except we all know by now I clearly don’t hate anything about living here:

1.       My Taste Buds Have Grown Up…Kind Of

I would never say I have traditionally been an adventurous eater. I used to stick to the basics. Something about living and traveling around Europe changes that. I’ve noticed just how picky Americans are. “I’ll have the salad…except hold this and that…and dressing on the side” or “I’ll have the steak, but can you cook it really, really well done. No pink inside. So, yeah, basically take out all the flavour.” That just doesn’t fly here. So I’ve rolled with it…and guess what?! I’m enjoying and appreciating food so much more!

Now, there are, of course, always exceptions to the rules. And while I’ll happily pat myself on the back for becoming a bit more adventurous with cheese - I will now tolerate parmigiana, unmelted mozzarella (sometimes), and white cheddar (but only because orange is hard to find outside of the US) – there are still limits.

I found myself in an unusually compromising spot a few weeks ago. As part of a work trip where we were hosting media, I found myself dining in a greenhouse owned by Francis Mallmann’s brother in Bariloche, Patagonia in Argentina. And our dinner was cooked by none other than Francis Mallmann himself. That is a story for another day.

Anyway, while feasting on slabs of meat and earth-cooked veggies (literally. cooked in the earth), a salad was placed on the table. Salad! I loveeee salad! So I helped myself to some. It was quite dark as we were dining at night, so I couldn’t see what was in it. I took a big bite. A HUGE bite. To my disgust, I chomped down on multiple chunks of goat cheese. I knew right away what it was. And I had to get rid of it. But…how? I am at a table. With lots of media. And Francis Mallmann is 5 feet away from me. Eeek! So, I swallowed it and washed it down with a big gulp of H41 (**new Heineken beer as part of the Wild Lager series – try it!!**). I’d like to say all was good in the world. But all was not good. I’m scarred for life from that moment.
So you see, some things change, some things remain the same.

2.       I’m Still Waiting for Summer…

I have now made it through every season. And once again, I find myself sitting here perplexed. I refuse to believe summer doesn’t exist in certain places in the world. Sure, if you’re at the North or South Pole that’s a given. But somewhere on continental Europe? That is just wrong.

I think in my 365 days the temperature went above 25°C (~77°F) 5 times. So, I guess I’ll stop waiting, and just get smarter. Already on the horizon for this spring/summer: trips to Spain, France, and Portugal. Summer, I will find you this year.

On the bright side, we just changed our clocks for daylight savings this weekend. Bring on the endless daylight! Nothing to complain about there.

3.       My Dutch Vocabulary has Expanded from 2 Words to 10… 30 if numbers count.

Me: “Hallo.”
Customs Officer: “Hei.” [Examines residency card] “Spreek u nederlands?”
Me: “Ja! Ik spreek nederlands een beetje.”
Customs Officer: [Says something I don’t understand]
Me: “Sorry. That’s all I’ve got”
Customs Officer: [Smiles…usually] “And how long have you been here?”

Can’t tell you how many times I’ve had that conversation.

Here’s the thing. No matter how many people tell me it’s useless to learn, I still really want to. But to learn you need to put in the effort. To put in effort means you need to have the time. I just don’t have the time. So, I sit there every week (or every few weeks…first thing to fall off the schedule when travel/other things come up. Wonder why I’m not learning?) and watch the teacher look at me like I’m an idiot. That’s fine. What he still doesn’t understand is that I’m enjoying building some kind of base. Even if we’re still on chapter 3. Since November.

Slow and steady wins the race, right?

4.       I’m still wondering why pretzels don’t exist here…

There are many beautiful things in this life. One of them is the pretzel. I’ve found pretzels in bodegas in Thailand. WHY ARE THERE NO PRETZELS IN THE NETHERLANDS?

Resigned to the fact they just don’t exist here (unless you want to pay €7 per bag of the not-even-so-good kinds at the American/British import store), I’ve built in frequent trips to the USA just to stock up on pretzels. Seeing friends, family, attending weddings are just an added bonus for these pretzel runs.

Thanks G-d for Delta priority status that comes w/ two free checked bags because you better believe one of those bags is always filled with pretzels.

Here’s what gets me…when I enter the Netherlands no one is searching my bag, but without fail each time I get home, I open my bag to find out TSA in the U.S. has searched the pretzel bag. I’m starting to think they’re on to me. They scan the bag, see my name come up and go “here’s that random girl again shadily importing pretzels into the Netherlands.” I’m waiting for the police to knock on my door one day and question me.

In the meantime, I’m going to continue happily enjoying the world’s greatest snack in the comfort of my Dutch home. The best of both worlds really does exist.

5.       Waning confidence in the doctor

By now I have learned if something is wrong that would typically require a doctor, just figure it out on your own. Doesn’t matter how scary looking things up on WedMD might be. It’s likely more accurate than your friendly neighbourhood GP. And if there’s anything seriously wrong, good thing I’m making those pretzel runs to the US!

I’ll just leave this one at that.

6.       De Fiet

And last, but not least, de fiet, or “the bike.” It’s doing really well parked alongside the Prinsengracht. When I pass it each day it just looks so perfect and happy there. Why move it?  

Since I purchased it in July, I’ve been on it 3 times. So, I guess you’d be surprised to hear that a few weeks ago, on a beautifully sunny and mild February day, I had this weird urge to ride it. I think seeing everyone zip past me gave me the motivation, and I did say this spring I would start riding it more. I am finally ready.

Actually, the real motivator is to ride it outside of the city through the tulip fields, and seeing how this week will be April, I have no choice but to be ready.

Anyway, back to that mild February day. I’m ready to get on de fiet. So, I go to grab the keys and take it for a spin. Except I can’t find the keys. Anywhere. A slight feeling of disappointment came over me. And then I got over it on. Oh well. I tried, right?

Update: I found my keys about a week ago. They somehow found their way to the bottom of my recycling bin. I don’t know why, or how. I also have no idea how long they have been there. I have mixed feelings about their recovery…

So, there you go! Six more reasons why I hate stories about my life here in the Netherlands. Can’t wait to see what the next 365 days have in store!

Advocating Girl Power Since '88

I am lucky. I grew up in the age of Girl Power. One summer my friends and I dressed up as the Spice Girls and danced around to Wannabe in a camp talent show. I think there were more arguments around who got to be Sporty Spice than Baby. I, thankfully, avoided that fight as I had no competition for Ginger Spice. Perks of being a redhead.

I think back often about this group of strong-willed ladies who cared just as much about fashion and Jonathan Taylor Thomas as we did about scoring a goal on the soccer pitch or hitting a homerun. We sported the tomboy look one day and begged our parents for designer jeans the next. We truly had the best of both worlds. We were lucky.

Before I started working for HEINEKEN, I worked in mostly female-dominated environments. Maybe it was because of this, but I was somewhat blind to the gender injustices of the working world. Or maybe I was just young and naïve.

When I made the move to HEINEKEN, I was faced with a crazy assortment of mixed reactions from guys AND girls – ranging from “Wow, that’s so cool. Too bad it’s probably wasted on you” to “Do you even like beer? Girls don’t like beer” and my all-time personal favorite “Why would you do that? You’re going to get a beer belly.”

Well, four years later, I can assure you, nothing is wasted on me. I like beer. And I most certainly do not have a beer belly. Perhaps a pizza and chocolate belly, but that’s another story.

I think it is fantastic being a woman in beer. In fact, there’s no other industry I would want to work in right now. Working within a mostly male-dominated industry has lit a fire within me. I’m on a mission to help shape what it means to be a women in beer.

Last Thursday, the world celebrated International Women’s Day for the 103^rd time. I have mixed feelings about this day. Wouldn’t it be nice to live in a world where we didn’t need IWD? A world where pay was equal. Harassment didn’t exist. The ratio of male:female CEOs at Fortune 500 companies was 50:50. In this respect, I am not lucky, because this is not the world we live in.

So, until that luck changes, we celebrate International Women’s Day.

My friend Anouk invited me to moderate a panel as part of her company’s International Women’s Day program. Anouk works for The Student Hotel, a really cool company that’s dedicated to providing state-of-the-art accommodations for students (and non-students) in cities that is affordable and sustainable, while fostering connectivity and creativity. Check them out! https://www.thestudenthotel.com/about/

The panel was part of their Think Talks series, and was aptly named “Stories of Ladies Who Disrupt in 2018.” Each of the kickass panellists told their personal stories, and then I got to host a conversation with them. Wow. Were they inspiring.

We talked about how they disrupt. I asked them what feminism means to them. And then we got to dig deeper on the work that each of them does: a strategist who helps guide clients to execute purposeful campaigns, an international lawyer who founded a company to help refugee women in the Netherlands build their social and economic capital, and a soccer player who started Favela Street, a program for girls from low-income neighborhoods in Brazil that get them involved in soccer and off the streets. Check them out!

1. Christina Moreno | CEO She Matters - She Matters empowers refugee and migrant women to build their social and economic capital, boost their self-confidence as well as become leaders in their homes, businesses and communities. www.shematters.nl

2. Rocky Hehakaija | Only female member of world's best street football team Street Legends & Director of Favela Street Girls – Creating a new generation of strong (female) role models through street football.
https://www.favela-street.com/

3. Jessica Perri | Founder of INCITE – Jessica creates pro-social strategies for Fortune 500 companies. She speaks at events like SXSW, Advertising Week and Slush about how purpose can be used to strengthen brand relevancy. In her spare time, Jessica is a writer and activist. http://inciteideas.nl

I am grateful to Anouk for giving me this opportunity, and thankful I got to meet three amazing ladies!

In the age of #MeToo and #TimeIsUp, being a women in business comes with a powerful responsibility: to pave the way for future generations. It’s a daunting, yet exhilarating task. I hope one day we do not have to celebrate International Women’s Day, but until that day comes, I am proud to be one of many who continue to press for progress.  

“The principles of true art is not to portray, but to evoke” – Jerzy Kosinski

The best thing I purchased since moving to Amsterdam is my Museumkaart. This little piece of plastic has given me access to so many amazing museums and exhibits, serving as a gateway to different cultural experiences around the city.

Earlier this month I went to the Louis Vuitton Legendary Trunks Exhibition with some friends. It was equal parts ridiculous as it was actually interesting. Such an iconic brand with so many brilliant stories. There were LV originals – travel trunks dating back to the late 1800s – and special-made trunks for authors like Ernest Hemingway to transport his typewriter and books. Oh, and the traveling casino. Because everyone needs that, right?

 

 

I also re-visited the Dutch Masters exhibit currently at the Hermitage last weekend with my friend Jenna. I briefly breezed through it at our Corporate Affairs Forum in October, and I’ve been dying to go back ever since. The exhibit is comprised of masterpieces that typically hang in the Hermitage in St. Petersburg. Some of the paintings have ‘come home’ for the first time in 250 years.

 

I appreciated this exhibit a lot now that I’m living in the Netherlands. It’s amazing to see how the art tells a great story about Dutch history through people, landscapes, etc. It’s like a time capsule that includes more than the few hand-written letters and a favourite toy from an era that you buried away as a child.

Walking through History in Berlin

I went to Berlin for the first time five years ago. It was Christmas time and the allure of the Christmas markets (surprise, surprise) overrode any hesitation to visit the city during the frigid wintertime. I had a great time with my friend Amanda, but vowed I’d come back the next time in nicer weather.

Fast-forward five years and my friends from London reach out to say, “Hey, we’re thinking of Berlin in late January. Are you in?” My visions of visiting Berlin in the summertime faded quickly, and it didn’t take me long to say, “YES!”

Our late-night arrival on Friday didn’t stop us from an evening of catch up over local beer and food. Well, didn’t stop those who actually managed to arrive in Berlin on Friday night (Sorry, Hallie!).

We started Saturday fresh with a three-hour walking tour of the city. The tour replicated one that I did years ago, but there’s something so fascinating about Berlin’s history that I didn’t mind doing it again.

Berlin is chock-full-of museums, but walking through the city with a guide is like walking through history. There are remnants of the imperial times before Word War 1. There are historic buildings plastered with gunshot and bomb wounds as a result of the demolition during Word War 2. And then there’s the stark contrast between the old (pre-1945) and the ‘new’ (1945-1989) which makes the years of the DDR (communist years) more real than you can imagine. Lastly, there’s the new, new. Which is anything that has been built (or is being built) since the fall of the wall in 1989.

 

When we booked the trip none of us realized we’d be in Berlin on International Holocaust Remembrance Day. But we were.

The Holocaust memorial, or the Memorial for the Murdered Jews of Europe, is a striking memorial. The artist said little about the piece when it was erected. It is left for the visitor’s interpretation. So, I’ll tell you how I felt:

You approach and you’re disappointed at first. All those lives lost. A whole culture gone.  And here are only 2,711 concrete slabs that are so impersonal. From the outside looking in it just looks like one big grave. It doesn’t do justice to the 6 million lives lost.

 

But then you’re in it. You feel isolated. The walls around you seem to close in. They get higher. You get smaller. It’s cold. Dark. And then you start to realize this is all deliberate. You stare in any which direction into a vast nothingness. There are multiple staircases that lead to nowhere. It’s frightening. It’s powerful. Oh, and by the way, 2,711 is the number of pages in the Talmud.

 

And then you start to approach the edge again. You sense the worst is behind you. Your breath starts to ease and the most miraculous thing happens. You are brought back into the light. The sun is shining. And you cannot help but think, where there is light, there is hope.

 

An emotional experience that brings me back to Kosinski’s quote -- “The principles of true art is not to portray, but to evoke.”

The rest of Saturday was a bit lighter. It had to be. Beers, pretzels, and friends pretty much sums it up. And a great visit with Shannon May. A colleague from Grey who is now living in Berlin. It’s been wonderful following Shannon’s vlogs as she travels around Europe and navigates the ins and outs of daily life in Berlin. It was even more wonderful to catch up with her in person after four years!

 

Sunday was dedicated to the DDR, or the Deutsche Demokratische Republik (German Democratic Republic). It still boggles my mind that the reunification of Germany was something that happened in my lifetime. This is not ancient history. Needless to say, I find it all incredibly fascinating.

We started the day at the East Side Gallery. This is a string of remnants of the Berlin Wall that were given to artists to share messages through art. It actually comes from West Berlin, but has been transported to it’s current home in East Berlin.

 

 

Here again, you are reminded of a dark part of the city and country’s history, this time the one that lived behind the iron curtain instead of the third reich. Panel after panel of messages that try to inspire through images of hope, liberation and freedom.

Most of the artwork was the same as five years ago, but there was one main difference. Five years ago the wall stood as a symbol. It was meant to teach us to learn from the past for a better future. Five years ago there was no Donald Trump in politics. There was no other wall. Visiting the gallery this time around evoked a whole new set of feelings. Has Donald Trump been to Berlin? Does he really understand the power of a wall? How could anyone believe in a wall? Can’t you see the danger in building a wall? I could go on and on...

We ended the trip at the DDR museum. Through a collection of please-touch style exhibits, the museum lets you into this world beyond the wall where the world is dull, things are scarce, thought is limited, and speaking out is dangerous. I highly recommend this museum to anyone visiting the city.

 

Berlin is an important city to visit. Although famous today for the underground party scene, swanky galleries and new food movements, we can’t forget the place this city has in history. In many ways, it’s a true living reminder of what was, what we don’t want to happen again, and how we can all move forward.

Until next time…

 

Eat. Pray. Workout. Love.

Can you believe it’s been 11 years since Elizabeth Gilbert’s Eat. Pray. Love. became an international bestseller? A few weeks ago, as we were preparing to say goodbye to 2017, it hit me. My life was mimicking the book. Kind of:

·         Protagonist was a late-twenty/early-thirty something: Check

·         Protagonist had a dream job in, arguably, the greatest city in the world (NYC): Check

·         Protagonist was married and divorced: Not check

·         Protagonist used travel as a way to learn, grow and discover herself: Check

This all came to light as I was thinking about my resolutions for 2018. The comparisons were a bit scary when I thought about it. It’s extraordinary when you look at what Elizabeth Gilbert did and how her year of travel led to such rich self-discovery. And while we can’t all up and quit our jobs and travel the world full-time, nor would that be personally fulfilling for me, there’s a lot to be learned from Gilbert about how we can use our time wisely to reflect on the past in order to carve our path for the future.

Eat.

2017 was the year of ‘eat.’ I spent the first few months of the year on a goodbye tour, eating and drinking my way through Manhattan with friends, family, and colleagues. A good excuse to hit all the local hotspots one last time. After all, when I got to Amsterdam I’d surely go back to some normal routine and have plenty of time to get back on track. Ha. Right.

Upon arrival I found Amsterdam to be one endless gastronomic wonderland. I was pleasantly surprised to discover a vibrant food scene. Elizabeth Gilbert spent 4 months eating her way through Italy. I spent 9 months eating my way through most of Europe.

In Amsterdam my excuses for throwing any semblance of a balanced diet out the window were easy: I was partly intrigued because I am a foodie who absolutely loves trying new restaurants and exploring new cuisines, and I was  partly reluctant to turn down an offer to meet someone for a meal or a drink because, well, that’s the way you meet people and make friends!

And then the travel began. When I was in France why would I not eat the croissant, and the crepe, and the pastry and drink the wine. In Spain the paella. In Ireland the battered fish, and creamed soup. And so on and so forth throughout the Netherlands, Belgium, Singapore, Myanmar, Denmark, Sweden, Estonia, Finland, Russia, Israel, Latvia, Germany and the UK.

And all those amazing friends who came to visit. I had to take them to Winkel 43 for apple pie, Pancakes Amsterdam for pancakes. Bitterballen at the bar. Tony’s Chocolonley bars. And so. much. bread.

I enjoyed every moment. I savoured every bite. I did not, and do not, regret it. But one day, just like Elizabeth Gilbert experienced, my clothes got tighter, the number on the scale was scary, and I just couldn’t do it anymore. Unlike Elizabeth Gilbert, I did not take this as a sign to move on to my next destination. I needed to find a way to have a better balance in Amsterdam.

Fast-forward to present day. Two weeks into 2018. Why would I share this? After all, it’s actually quite embarrassing to admit. But I am writing it because a. I know I’m not alone and b. if I put it out there, I have to do something about it.

So, there you have it: resolution #1. Focus on fitness again. Yes, you read that right. Do the same thing about 1 billion other people around the world are doing. But unlike 99% of them, stick to it. Just like I’ve done before.

Workout.*

*Ok, ok. I know this should be pray. But, as stated above, I said my life was kind of like Eat. Pray. Love. And part of Elizabeth’s spiritual journey included yoga, which is exercise. So, it’s essentially the same thing.  

 

In 2015 I went on a fitness journey. I joined a new gym, started working out with a trainer and took an interest in properly learning about food for the first time in my life.

It took a full year to see results. One full year. That year was frustrating. It was demotivating. Why was I torturing myself to get up in the pitch dark at 5:00am to go to the gym before work? Why was I cutting back on pizza? Why was I wasting time to pack my own lunch each night for the next day? Was it worth it?

Absolutely. I cannot describe how it felt to be in, arguably, the best shape of my life. My energy was up. My confidence was up. And here’s the catch: I never even got on a scale. The number never mattered. It still doesn’t matter. I just felt good and that was good enough for me.

It’s been a struggle to get back on track because for the last few months I’ve let the pain of that ‘year’ take over. I didn’t know if I could do it again. To try and try and not see the result for a loooong time. And although I never stopped fully training when I got to Amsterdam, I wasn’t fully committed the way I was back in 2015.

I’m pleased to share that mind-set stopped a few weeks ago. Mind over matter is real, and it’s powerful. I’m now excited to get back on this fitness journey. I know things won’t change overnight, but they won’t ever change at all if I never start again.

Resolution #2: Live the mind over matter mind-set. Not just as it applies to my workout/eating habits, but in everything I do. Maybe I am a bit spiritual after all.

Love.

When I was in London I looked back at some of my first few blogs posts. London, by the way, turned out to be so much fun after the complications of the first 24 hours. Anyway, I noticed I wrote about dedicating more time to dating. In the beginning that was absolutely the case. And then I got busy. Work picked up. Friends came to visit. Trips with new and old friends found their way onto the calendar. Dating became a secondary priority again.

What I love about Elizabeth’s experience in Bali is that she just fell into love instead of seeking it out (if I am remembering correctly??). It got me thinking: why doesn’t that happen anymore? We’re all hiding behind apps. When was the last time someone came up to you at a bar and struck up a conversation? Sometimes the apps are misleading. Sometimes the apps are downright scary. How great would the dating world be again if apps went away? But alas, this is the world we live in.

If you look on the bright side, a great thing about the apps is the amount of people you can potentially connect with. And although none of my app-based dates have amounted to anything significant in the last year, clearly, they do tend to make for fantastic stories to share with friends. So friends, you are welcome.

Resolution #3: Prioritize dating again, and be open to meeting someone via a dating app BUT never give up on finding Prince Charming in the real world. A girl can dream, right?

So there you have it. 3 out of my 4 resolutions for 2018. What’s the 4^th? It’s professionally related and now that I know how many of my wonderful colleagues are fans of my blog, I’m going to keep that one personal for now J

Happy 2018 everyone!