It's been a while since I have blogged, which is unfortunate given some of the amazing journeys that I have been on around the world (and close to home). I'll start filling in the numerous gaps on here as soon as I submit my thesis... I'll do my best to stay in chronological order, of course.

Yes, I am finishing graduate school at NYU for my Master's (M.Sc.) in Global Affairs, so pretty much all of the typing efforts have been devoted to papers, class preparations/notes and my thesis.

Which locales do you have to look forward to?

1. Prague, Czech Republic
2. Vienna, Austria
3. London, UK
4. Aruba
5. Hamptons (NY, USA)
6. Cape Code (Massachusetts, USA)
7. Jamaica
8. Las Vegas (Nevada, USA)
9. Cairo, Egypt
10. Zanzibar, Tanzania
11. Safari around Arusha, Tanzania
12. Delhi, Kolkata and Agra, India
13. Houston (Texas, USA)
14. Washington DC (USA)

Along with my travels, I have managed some diving, but not nearly enough. I've also been doing a lot of volunteer work and research. More to come!


Cheers!

 

I'm going going back back to Bali Bali!!

Very excited. I leave home (NYC) Tuesday night for the airport and my flight departs after midnight on Wednesday morning. Total travel time is just under 30 hours....which I don't mind because I am one of the few who actually enjoys traveling!

Next week at this time I'll be on Lembongan.

The first night we plan to stay on main island (Bali) then we'll run some errands and take the fast boat to Lembongan. I will be working while I am there, as will my boyfriend, but we'll still have some diving to do together and a mini-vacation to Gili Trawangen (I love it there!)

Started studying for my Divemaster although I admit I'm not 100% focused on it yet. Hoping to get some studying in with my boyfriend/instructor and do some more dives.

Out east....in the Hamptons!

I've spent the past couple of weekends escaping the city in the Hamptons. Our home is in Bridgehampton and perfect for us. Shelly's girls and husband are happily enjoying the vacation that their mother/wife so graciously planned for everyone. Anneliese (Shelly's older daughter) is learning to swim and has gone from clinging to the infant water seat to only floaties on her arms and jumping into the pool.

No trip to the Hamptons for me could be complete with a trip to my favorite extremely casual Mexican restaurant here - La Superica in Sag Harbor. Afterwards we enjoyed the view and the beauty of the numerous yachts docked nearby.

Back from Bali

Just returned from a lovely 10 days in Bali and on Nusa Lembongen which is of the southeast coast of Bali. The total travel time was just under 30 hours each way -- it felt much quicker -- on Cathay Pacific via Hong Kong (departed from my home in NYC).

The first night we stayed in Sanur then took a fast boat to Nusa Lembongen. On the island Jon and Sue (who own 'World Diving' and my boyfriend knows and I have yet to have the pleasure of meeting) were kind enough to allow us to stay in their home which is pictured above for viewing enjoyment. Their home was magnificent. It made my stay visiting him that much more enjoyable since we could cook meals together and and the comforts that only a 'home' can provide.

Did 16 dives with World Diving my boyfriend moved here to be a dive instructor) there and around Nusa Penida.

The diving is incredible there to say the least. While all were drift dives, some were more leisurely then others. The views were magnificent. We saw mola mola (ocean sunfish), mantas, sharks (silver tip, reef, nurse, bamboo), regal, semi-cirle and emperor angelfish (my favorites), eels, banded snakes....and I haven't even begun on the benthics! The list goes on and on and on. Simply beautiful! It was almost my first go at underwater photography which I fell in love with.

We had numerous lovely meals and enjoyed cocktails while watching the sunset. Much more peaceful here then home in Manhattan. Such a different but wonderful way of life.

The last couple of nights we went back to Bali and stayed in Ubud at Kamandalu Resort & Spa in Ubud. At night we had great mojitos and dinner followed by live acoustic music. During the day we explored went white water rafting (I definitely want to do that again but with more difficulty and rapids!!) Let me not forget the enjoyment we got from our private plunge pool in our beautiful villa over looking the rice fields and valley. They thought we were on our honeymoon and while we never told them it was...we never corrected them either. :-)

Off to Bali soon!

Leaving in a few days for Bali to see my boyfriend and do some scuba diving. Very much looking forward to see him and getting back in the water!!

Vegas!

Birthday gift from Shelly to our Annual Girls' Weekend in Vegas was upgrade to First Class on Virgin America to Vegas! If anyone ever has the ability to upgrade on that particular flight - do it! We drank mimosas, ate cheeses, fruits, nuts, salad until our hearts were content all while sitting in our super comfortable and ultra cool seats.

The annual girls' weekend in Vegas started because of a work related conference when I was in commercial real estate. Then some friends came out the following year for a bachelorette weekend. The rest is history.

Second year - Shelly and I













This year we stayed at the new Cosmopolitan. They gave us a junior suite which was perfect for us and done with great taste! Even the wallpaper with b&w faces all over it in the closets was tres chic! No matter how you look at it though, little time is spent in the room when you are in Vegas.

Lots of food, drinks and laughter. One night we had a table and went dancing at XS Nightclub at Encore in the Wynn and the following night was Marquee.

The weather was hot and perfect for the pool in Vegas. Bizarrely enough, the last day I stayed waiting for my flight which was much later then everyone's, and the weather was chilly. Lots of wind gusts had me covering up with a towel and the pool.

All in all - great weekend.

Back from Madagascar

Madagascar was truly an amazing experience!  I was lucky enough to not only start with a cross country tour doing lots of exceptional hiking but then spend the remaining six weeks volunteering in a region and village (Andavadoaka, Madagascar) for a cause (marine conservation) that I care about while doing a hobby (scuba diving) that I love. 

It doesn't stop there:

* Volunteered in the school teaching English (or in my case simply helping out)
* Was part of a local team that competed in and won the pirogue race during Blue Ventures' Open Day.
* Participated in a guest for a homestay in a nearby village of Tampolove where I learned about various land initiatives like sea cucumber farming.
* Helped a PhD candidate with his research regarding reptiles and deforestation...
* And in the last few days we went on a camping trip to dive in another area about 1-2 hours away via pirogue. Speaking of pirogues - most all trips involved them with one particular incident being similar to the movie "The Perfect Storm".

In all honesty, at times I felt guilty because I was receiving so much that I felt like I should be giving even more.

The cherry on top was that I formed some life long friendships....

...and found myself in the start of a new relationship with an incredible man....or did it find me?  I guess it is true - when one least expects it, it happens while you are doing something you love or in the least likeliest of moments.  For me - in a small fishing village thousands of miles away from home. 

I wrote more about my trip mostly discussing the principle about doing what I loved while giving back.  I hope to circulate it before posting on here for others to read.  For those of you interested to learn more about the NGO - Blue Ventures - I went with and possibly join an expedition, the website is www.blueventures.org