Cruising through the Catacombs of Paris

Paris is definitely one of my favorite cities to visit...and this particular adventure was a bucket list experience for me, so I thought I would share! If you are in Paris, don't get creeped out too easily, and don't mind being far beneath the city of Paris, in tight spaces, surrounded by skulls and bones, you gotta go! 

The Catacombs of Paris are underground ossuaries which hold the artfully arranged remains of 6 to 7 million Parisians in a small part of a tunnel network built to consolidate Paris' ancient stone quarries. Extending south from the Barrière d'Enfer ("Gate of Hell"), this ossuary was created as part of the effort to eliminate the city's overflowing cemeteries. It lies deep below the city, under the subway and water lines, and is SUPER creepy. I LOVED it, cause I like scary stuff! 

I HIGHLY recommend purchasing a "skip the line" ticket online BEFORE you go. Actually, I would buy the ticket a few days in advance. The walk-up line is CRAZY long on most days and you could be waiting for 2 hours outside, in a line wrapped around the block, just to get to the front to purchase tickets. I researched our tickets on Trip Advisor. Our tickets were around $40 when we went in 2019. Also, be prepared for a very tight fit as you descend the winding-staircase into the tomb-like darkness - with an evident temperature drop and the smell of damp earth seeping through the porous walls. Smells like, creepy history! 

Santa Fe's Magical Staircase

Miraculous things happen! And yet another reason why I find New Mexico so magical. Make sure if you are ever in Santa Fe, you visit the miraculous Lorretto Staircase. 
When the Loretto Chapel was completed in 1878, there was no way to access the choir loft twenty-two feet above. Carpenters were called in to address the problem, but they all concluded access to the loft would have to be via ladder as a staircase would interfere with the interior space of the small chapel. A mysterious carpenter / drifter / spirit ?! installed this miraculous staircase— WITH ZERO NAILS. Then, he disappeared. Whaaaaattt!!!? The staircase has two 360 degree turns and no visible means of support. It is said that the staircase was built without nails—only wooden pegs. 

For more information, visit the Loretto Chapel website.

The nearest exit may be behind you. Part 1.

Nestled in my cozy apartment in Makiki, I have views of Diamond Head, ocean and city. I love watching airplanes grace the skies of Honolulu. It's constant.

I daydream about where they are going (Dubai? Hong Kong? Wellington? Tokyo? Kansas?!). What kind of interesting people are buckled up in those uncomfortable seats, eating crappy salted peanuts-- and if they aren't first class-- they aren't even warmed. First world problems. The nearest exit may be behind you. In case of emergency, illuminated movie theater-like lights on the floor will surely guide you to safety, life vests are under your seat and instructions about how to escape a downed airplane are ignored by well-traveled passengers who simply turn on their $400 Bose noise-cancelling headphones and read through Sky Mall mag. You'll be fine.

Me, before donning my Bose headphones on a flight from Dublin, Ireland last summer...

There's always one person who thinks their bag can fit in the overhead bin and everyone watching the chaos and struggle, this person trying to stuff it into the tiny space, knows that seriously, it's not going to fit. We all know. Then, stewardess intervention, every time. Like clockwork.

Also, what's up to the dude who always drinks too many mini Jack Daniels (or whatever) to keep us all entertained. Glad to hear you, you crack me up, but also glad you aren't sitting right next to me.

Why do people actually choose the aisle seat as opposed to a window where they can lay their head to rest? Every time I get an aisle seat, my arm and/or leg is nearly chopped off by unruly, 500-pound beverage carts. On top of that, views from the window are rad. Breathtaking. And instagrammable (it's an adjective, right?). I think those with aisle preference need bathroom access or hate the feeling of being "trapped" behind two other passengers. That's my guess. I still don't get it. Also, there has to be zero people who request a middle seat. Unless they are creepy. Amirite?!

Babies are usually crying on airplanes-- 99% of the time I just feel bad for the parents who, as hard as they try, can't seem to calm them enough to stop their sobbing. I think their ears hurt? Or being crammed into a plane in economy is simply unnatural and it sucks-- and they know it.

Another rant? Can I please never get on a plane that doesn't have a personal screen? Have we not come far enough in our technological evolution that we still are forced to sit in planes without personal TVs and on-demand movies?! I can't sit on a pan-Pacific flight without it, people. Yeah, I am spoiled, but hey, airplanes should be like, super high tech. I mean, they fly. TV's in every seat is not too much to ask. 

But however uncomfortable, however comical the process of air travel is, I dream of being on that plane. Gracing the sky. Jetting off to exotic places. Even living in this paradise that is Hawaii, to see a whole new world, country, explore, have new experiences, it's so exciting to me. Can I please get paid to travel? I'm really good at it. And I have solid experience. Promise.

One pro-travel tip-- if you are doing a long flight, like from Tokyo to US-- try to upgrade. You get free champagne and actual silver (fake silver) utensils. And cloth napkins. And way more food. And way BETTER food. And legroom.  And better blankets. And nice stewardesses. And sometimes eye masks and socks! Worth every penny (or mile), especially if you have to work the next day.

Also, enjoy the view as you leave where ever you are...take a deep breathe, get a little sentimental, and take it all in...you might never return..and it is, at least for me, cathartic, to say the least. Last view of the Ryukyu Islands in December 2015 (I vow to go back):

We fall in love 100 times...part 1

I realized one day that people fall in love a hundred times over. The most profound love of my life? Fleeting glimpses and flirting glances at a tall, dark and handsome in Bilbao, Spain. The Guggenheim, to be exact. We shared loving glances across the room-- gazing over Jeff Koons sculptures and wandering amongst masses of Asian tourists clinging to their audio tours. His shoes a tan leather that I'm pretty sure were an upper echelon Italian designer. I never knew his name, not one word was spoken, but for a half hour, we loved each other. Maybe not traditional love- but love all the same. Lingering over smiles across galleries. 

The point of this post is that we all have the ability to love, and coupled with that-- at least a dozen soul mates around the globe. Love that spans language and cultural barriers. For me, love can be a glimmer of a moment. The locking of eyes in a New York City elevator. Romantic? Maybe. Real? I think so. My list of the loves of my life includes instantaneous and fantasy and fleeting, as well as real, drawn out and dramatic. The feeling is the same, I think. It's an adoration and a feeling of comfort. I won't name names - but my list is, at minimum, as follows-- let's start with a few...5 of the loves- a hundred loves, part one:

1) The South American who gave me a rose at Disneyworld. I was like 16. He told me I was beautiful. I will never know his name. And I don't care to know...his accent was  gnarly yet music to my ears. My mom still tells the story. 

2) The local taco truck guy. I love tacos. He was gorgeous, yet worldly. Who can say they went on vacation to Tobago? Moscow? Intriguing. And tacos. 

3) The Irish guy I met on a plane to London. He worked out of Australia. We drank mini liquor bottles in business class and talked about life. He had a beard. First time I liked a guy with a beard. 

4) The guy with the spiral staircase in his house. He wore a beanie and cooked with black truffles. 

5) The Cali MadMan ad man who bought me my first bottle of Dom Perignon. I drowned in jewelry and flower arrangements....

This is me in love with life in Spain: 

If anyone cares to hear, I'll make sure to speak of the 95 more...whether fleeting or deep, love and lights of life in my shoes, usually high heels...and always either interesting or beautifully complicated....

Treat yo'self

When you get a chance, take yo' fine self down to the pink paradise that is the Royal Hawaiian Hotel in Waikiki, specifically the beach-side Maitai Bar, and ORDER THE PINEAPPLE DRINK (pictured above). Seriously. It is worth the $30 price tag. 

NOTE: It is NOT on the menu, for some reason, you have to ask for it specifically. For $30, you get a whole pineapple, cored and filled with a fruity alcoholic beverage of your choice. I chose piña colada, and it was refreshing and delicious. But it's not just a drink-- it's an experience! Like a mini staycation in the form of a drink, for real. Gazing out past the pink beach umbrellas and lusting after the oceans' many shades of blue, I soaked up the warm Hawaiian sun and felt those sweet tradewinds lightly graze my skin. In that moment, I was happy, admiring our island paradise. Happy with this ridiculous pineapple, complete with three umbrellas and cherries as garnish.

Treat yo'self--whether it be with one of these pineapples or something else that your heart may desire, and then remember how lucky you are to be in paradise.

Iceland floss. No words.

So my Fam and I walked behind this waterfall in Golden Circle, Iceland. Epic family vacation. Never knew waterfalls could be so huge! 

The epicness of Iceland.

Been wanting to post this forever it seems. Let me just say that my bucket list never included this destination. Hong Kong? Paris? Singapore? Yes, please. When my Mom said to meet the Fam in Iceland I was skeptic...cold just thinking about it. After a few hours in this beautiful country, my Mom was given a sincere apology for doubting her! 

Iceland feels like a movie set. Like the end of the earth. 

I'm outdoorsy in that I like drinking vodka on patios. But, this place?! Changed everything. I'm already planning a trip back.

Must haves in Iceland: 

• Private driver, tour guide to maximize time. 
• Skyr for breakfast every day. 
• Gloves because, who knew, it's cold. 
• $$ because it's pricey. 
• A visit to the HARPA Performing Arts Center (awe inspiring)
• Knowledge of beer sales / hours...because it's wayyyy different there. 
• Outlet adapter, because it's euro steeze. 
• Golden Circle drive. 
• Black Death (just go to a bar and ask for it)!!! 
• Sunglasses for when it's still bright out at midnight....