Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Where to next?


"Our battered suitcases were piled on the sidewalk again; we had longer ways to go. But no matter, the road is life." -Jack Kerouac


My upcoming travels:
-July: The Hamptons, Jersey Shore
-August: Vancouver/Whistler, The Bahamas
-September: Germany

Friday, June 26, 2009

Mile-High City

Greetings from lovely Colorado. Walked through Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs yesterday (photo), then had some authentic Mexican food at a local hole-in-the-wall spot with killer margaritas. Today's game plan: Working out at Red Rocks, hitting up the Denver Art Museum, shopping downtown, followed by a pre-wedding BBQ in Boulder.


More photos to come!





Sunday, June 7, 2009

Sentiment of the day

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." -- Mark Twain






Go Federer!


Spending a lovely Sunday morning at my parents' house, enjoying homemade quiche (my mother is a regular Martha Stewart), hot tea, and watching the French Open on NBC.

He just tied Pete Sampras for career Grand Slams (14). Can't wait to go to the U.S. Open in August!

Vancouver...Oh, how I adore thee.

My second business trip to Vancouver was just as exciting as the first. I came to the conclusion that I could truly live in this city someday. It has the perfect mix of laid-back atmosphere, health-consciousness and art and culture. Ahhh, just call me Zen Meredith.

We stayed at the new Shangri-La Vancouver, the luxury resort company's first North American property. I've never in my life experienced such service. As soon as you arrive at the hotel, an employee in reception excorts you up to your room for a unique in-room check-in experience.

Source: Shangri-La


Ever seen the moment in The Holiday (yep, just referenced that blockbuster of a movie) when Kate Winslet lays in her bed at the house she's staying at, realizes the buttons next to her head control the black-out curtains, the music, etc...and she squeals with delight??


...Yes, that was me.



The buttons by my head controlled the regular curtains, the black-out curtains, the electronic "do not disturb" message, the lights, etc. And to top it off, the room was bigger than my entire apartment in New York. It was pure bliss.



During my stay in Vancouver, I got a sneak peak of the facilities for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. And let me tell you, the Games are going to be amazing. [More to come on this]

Saturday, June 6, 2009

Welcome to Miami


Each year, my childhood friends and I get together for a girls' weekend reunion. Our friends travel to one location from North Carolina, Maryland, New York and New Jersey. This year's reunion was set in gorgeous Miami, Florida. My childhood friend's sister's fiance's family (yes...I'm sure you had to read that a few times to grasp the connection) has a huge condo right on Miami Beach and they offered it to us for a long weekend. I was shocked when we arrived -- the place was enormous and spotless and they even left us keys to their Prius!

This was the view from the balcony:




The first day was cloudy and chilly, so we made the most of our (rare) quality time together by whipping up some spicy Mexican food and catching up each others' lives.


We stopped by and wandered around the new Fontainebleau Hotel, which was a convenient six blocks from our home for the weekend. Even on a Sunday evening, the Blue Bar and LIV Nightclub were packed. What do these people do for a living? Nobody has to work on a Monday?




We headed to South Beach to explore for a day and, at the recommendation of my sister-in-law, we stopped by beachside bar "Wet Willie's" to check out the impressive selection of frozen drinks:


Such a great, relaxing trip. Over the course of the four days, I was able to catch up with old friends, explore a new city and complete an entire novel. What more can you ask for in a girls' getaway?