Five After 5

This week's Five After 5 features five of my favorite U.S. cities that I've visited. I have different reasons for each, but here is a quick list off the top of my head, in no particular order.

Los Angeles

I actually have mixed feelings about LA (the traffic. omg.) and am not sure I could ever live there, but I have a specific fond memory of LA that I will cherish forever. I am a native-born Coloradoan, as land-locked as you can get, but as much as I love our mountains I have a fascination and longing for the ocean. LA was not the first place I ever saw the ocean, but it was the first place I swam in it. Not only did I swim, I learned to boogie board at Venice Beach. Surfing is a life-long bucket list dream for me and boogie boarding was a step in that direction. That summer afternoon is still one of the best days in my memory.

Denver

C'mon now, I can't leave out my city of birth. I love Colorado and no matter where I roam in the world, the Mile High City will always hold a special place in my heart. Love the abundant sunshine, love the dry climate, love the altitude, love how how you can be both a city dweller and an outdoor enthusiast in one place. I am definitely a proud Coloradoan.

Portland

When I think of Portland I think of lush greenery and the best bowl of [white] clam chowder I've ever had. That is all.

New York City

I've visited three different times and can't wait for my next visit. My memories range from visiting the beautiful campus of Columbia, taking dance classes at Steps on Broadway, taking the wrong train and ending up in Brooklyn when we wanted to end up in Battery Park, the beautiful bed & breakfast in Harlem, eating at a Polish restaurant with old and new friends in the Lower East Side at 3am, staying at the Waldork Astoria... The list goes on and on and on. I heart NY.

Chicago

Chi-town. Love love love the Windy City. I've only been once but I long for the next time I will walk down Michigan Avenue. I attended a dance intensive with Deeply Rooted Productions in the summer of 2009. That was a pivotal experience and it very well could be that my time at the intensive is what makes me so fond of Chicago. I learned SO much that summer, both as a dancer and as a human being. Even as I write this, my heart strings are tugging.

Images from Google Images

What are your favorite cities?

xoxo
J

The List

Chicago is four days away!! Now that the countdown can be done on one hand, I'm finally getting down to business figuring out all that I need to do in the next few days before I leave.

I don't know about you, but if something is too far out, even by a week, I have a really hard time motivating myself to start checking things off the to-do list. I won't even have a list established. Sure, I'll think about things - "I need to do this" and "don't forget to do that" - but I don't act on any of it until the running-out-of-time-pressure starts to mount. I'm not sure how well this will serve me when I'm planning a wedding someday... the thought of planning a wedding for a year or more overwhelms me... I'll be tickled pink if I can get 'er done in a handful of months (I've known people who have done this and have had beautiful weddings, so I know it's possible)...

But I digress...

There are errands to run, things to buy, apartment things to straighten out, laundry to do... All of these have their own sub-list.

I started compiling my packing list a few days ago, and it's steadily growing. I must have lists. I'm a list girl. I cannot function at the grocery store without a list, even for a quick trip. And I know that if I try to pack for an entire month away without establishing some kind of organized process (via The List), packing will be a nightmare. Of epic proportions.

My goal is to find the fine balance between packing enough but not too much. Yes I want to be cute and I have to leave room for my shopping spoils (look out H&M, a Colorado girl starved for H&M is heading your way), but I also hate overpacking. I learned from my last trip to NYC how much it sucks navigating the airport and subway and buses with too much crap. I remember trying to maneuver myself and my luggage into a corner on the hot, stuffy M60 while the bus was moving (a small-scale circus act) and the bus driver screamed at us all (nerve-wracking) to keep the aisles clear. OMG. I want to be the stylish-and-cute-but-efficient-and-low-maintenance kind of traveler. I'm still learning how to do this.

What outfits do I pack? How can I mix and match? Which shoes do I bring and which do I leave? Do I bring my seashell bikini or my cherry-print one? What hair and body stuff do I bring, and what do I just buy there since I'll be there a month? Since this trip is more than just a fun vacation, I also have to think about all my dance gear, including the rehab goods - athletic tape, Epsom salts, band aids, heating pads, ice packs, massage balls and rollers...

So...
Dance gear
Dance rehab gear
Night on the town gear
Day at the beach gear
Day at a Cubs game gear
Exploring Chicago in heat and humidity gear
What else, what else??

Seriously, this is overwhelming. Must consult The List!

Wednesday notes

The gray of the overcast day matches my mood today... So I'm going to pretend I'm in one of these places...

The warmth of the sun kisses my skin, sinking deep into my bones, and eventually it penetrates down into my heart, filling it with warmth and light. The bright colors cheer me and I am happy. No more sadness, tears or heartbreak.

Someday, someday.