Yup. A full-time, big boy job at a PR firm in Manhattan. The hours? Monday to Friday, nine-to-five. Basic. I started the new position on April 1st. It’s all button-ups and staff meetings, conference calls, and a whole lot of Outlook calendaring.

While I’m grateful to have it, it IS going to cut into my travel plans, big time. I sorta wondered about the direction this blog would take now that my travel is going to decrease. But you know what? I’m still earning miles and points, still researching trips, and still deeply curious about the world and about travel. So the conclusion I’ve come to is that nothing really has to change. And if anything, it’ll give me a chance to talk about life, art, and New York a bit more. But the focus will remain squarely on travel.

I also realized I have a ton of trips coming up. I’m headed to Easter Island May 18-24, Anchorage August 22-27, and I’m sure I’ll squeeze in a quick trip to Toronto or Montreal using all my new Avios points. 🙂

While I’d love to be getting out more, it’ll be good for me to save up some cash, pay down my student loans, and carefully plan the next phase of my life. So if anyone’s wondered why I’ve been quiet lately, that’s why. But I’m back and feeling more focused than ever.

 

Other new developments:

YOGA

• I’ve been doing a ton of yoga. Slowly getting more flexible, and already feeling so many positive health benefits.

BREAKFAST

• I never really could eat breakfast. I got a blender, specifically a Magic Bullet (from drugstore.com after clicking thru the Ultimate Rewards shopping portal for 5x points/dollar), and have started having protein-rich smoothies to get my metabolism going at 7:30AM. I’ve also been slowly weening myself off coffee, which has been so hard and so full of headaches. It’s ultimately for the best, but it’s another step toward health.

BOOK/ART

• I’ve been editing a new book of essays and want to get that out ASAP. So that’s been taking up the bulk of my writing time. And after that, I want to start painting again. A LOT. Maybe grad school is in the cards?

 

So life is changing for the better. It’s slow and steady, and chugging right along. And I can’t freaking WAIT to go to Easter Island in two weeks (!). C’est la vie.

 

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