Tallying Up My Travels

This Thursday, I’m sharing the nitty-gritty details of everything I spent on my travels over the past couple of months. Before I set off on my first trip, I decided that I was going to make an effort to write down everything I spent so that I could keep track of where my money was going, and also not let things get too out of control. I knew that the total after tallying up my travels over the course of 25 days on 3 trips in 2 countries, 2 states, and more than a half-dozen cities, with transport via planes, trains, and automobiles, was going to be significant. But as I’ve shared recently, I really value experiences over the accumulation of stuff and this time after the bar exam before my new job and next phase of my life begin was a wonderful opportunity to see new places with old friends and make memories that will last a lifetime. The monetary value of tallying up my travels ended up totaling roughly $3,685.30. The rest of it? Well, that can’t be measured in dollars and cents.

 

Hiking near Keswick, England

 

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Five Useful Packing Tips for a Long Trip

Happy Friday, everyone! All this travel for me has meant I’ve been planning, packing, unpacking, and repacking for what seems like a month. I’ve gotten pretty good at it over the years, actually. I am one of those people who stands at the check-in line simultaneously untying their shoes and pulling their electronics out of their carry-on luggage to go through security. And I always get a sense of satisfaction when I use every item that I’ve packed in my suitcase and didn’t bring anything that ended up coming home untouched. So I figured I could share a few of the tips and tricks I’ve picked up! In this post are five useful packing tips for a long trip. I’ll throw a few for shorter jaunts your way in a little while 🙂

 

Experiences Versus Stuff

I’ve been thinking for some time now about the value we place on experiences versus stuff. Over the past year, I’ve tried to take an honest look at my life in an attempt to figure out exactly what the parts are that make me happy, and what’s just extra that really doesn’t add much to an otherwise wonderful existence.I suppose it’s a question of experiences versus stuff, and how much value we place on each. I talked about this a little bit when I first started the blog back in December. If there’s anything I’ve learned since leaving home to go to Oxford and coming back again for law school, it’s that the people in my life, both family and friends, and the ability to enjoy things like reading, running, and cooking, are much more important to me than the “stuff” that money buys. My recent trip to England brought me much more clarity than I’ve had in awhile.

 

Hiking and thinking a lot in the Lakes

 

California Here I Come

I can’t believe it’s the first day of September already. As I mentioned yesterday, I am determined to hang on to summer as long as I can. The weather here in New England is complying with my wish. It’s going to be in the mid- to high-80s all week, and pretty humid – so warm that when I head to Southern California on Thursday I may be heading into temperatures just slightly cooler than in Connecticut (although not by much!) I just whipped up a batch of my No Bake Peanut Butter Berry Bars because the oven is not coming on around here for a little while.

 

A bar with some strawberry ice cream to cool off

Weekly Workouts and Updates 8/24-8/31

Good morning on this lovely Monday! It’s the last day of August, but it’s still summer in New England. The sun is shining, the leaves are still green, and I am remaining firmly in adventure mode until my new job begins in October (which is when it will both actually be autumn, and I might admit that it is time to put away the shorts). It’s time for my weekly workouts and updates, which are pretty much all about being home and getting ready to head out again for the Dumbo Double Dare.

 

Bright and blooming back home

 

 

Pond Hopping Part 6: London Bits and Bobs

Today, I’m sharing all the little bits and bobs of my trip across the pond that didn’t make it into any of the blog posts thus far. I made the most of my time in England and wanted to gather my thoughts on the experience as much as I could while still living it, but of course there was so much to see and do and think that inevitably some adventures fell by the wayside – until now, that is! Here you’ll see a visit to the Victoria & Albert Museum, a stroll in the heart of classic London through Kensington and Chelsea and the City of Westminster, snapshots of Notting Hill, Richmond, and Kew Gardens, and more.

 

Mayfair, London

 

Pond Hopping Part 5: Oxford Revisited

There’s something I’ve wanted to share for the past week, but wanted to take the time to properly sort out how I wanted to share it! Last Thursday, I went back to visit Oxford for the first time since leaving more than three years ago, and I’ve been thinking a lot about the differences in me and my life from then to now, and the role that Oxford played in making me the person I am today. 

 

The Old Quad of Brasenose

 

Eating Gluten Free in England

Hello and happy Wednesday! I returned yesterday from my fortnight-long excursion across the pond, and I hope you all enjoyed following along with me as much as I loved being there. In case you missed anything so far…

My Pond Hopping Trip

Part 1: First Days in London

Part 2: Hiking and Eating in the Lake District

Part 3: More Lakes Adventures and Fun

Part 4: Workouts and Running Hyde Park

10 Tips For Running in London

 

Tomorrow I’ll be sharing my further thoughts on the trip as a whole, but since this is the day of the week when lots of us like to showcase our eats, I figured I’d take the opportunity to talk about what it was like to eat gluten free in England, both in London and in the countryside.

 

Pond Hopping Part 4: Weekly Workouts and Running Hyde Park

Greetings on the lovely Monday morning! I’m coming at you after a weekend filled with friends, food, and fun – and running. This is the last post straight from England, and I’ll be recapping my weekly workouts and running Hyde Park (well, more like 10 days of workouts, all over London). I fly home Tuesday morning, so look out for a few more posts on the whole experience later in the week. And without further ado…

 

10 Tips For Running in London

After all of the hiking in the Lake District and exhausting fun of it, I needed to get back into the running groove while on my English vacation. I wanted to not just as preparation for my upcoming races at the Dumbo Double Dare but because I’ve found that running can be a great way to explore a new place while traveling. So on Wednesday morning, I headed out for a long run starting in the Wandsworth area of London, heading over to Battersea, crossing the Chelsea Bridge into Kensington and Chelsea, and looping through the neighborhoods of Sloane Square and Knightsbridge on my way back. I covered 9.5 miles running and another mile or so of warming up and cooling down, and got to see familiar London sights and new places along the way. I also picked up 10 tips for running in London to share with you all (plenty are applicable to any new city you want to go run-sploring in!)

 

Albert Bridge