Clang Clang Clang Went The Trolley

We took our Australian honeymoon in 3 legs. The first stop was Melbourne.

After landing, we caught some much needed sleep at our beautiful hotel, the Park Hyatt. 28 hours of travel is no joke!

My favorite part about Melbourne was traveling around the on free trams you can hop on and off of that run in a big loop around the city!

Here I am on a tram car!

We started out our first day at the Queen Victoria Market which was a fun experience full of food and wares. We sat down for a meat pie (typical Australian street food) and set about our day.

To overcome our jet lag, we spent most of the day exploring the historic laneways and arcades of Melbourne. Some were covered in graffiti. Some were painted with huge murals. All of them were interesting and had a ton of character.

After walking by the most spectacular sunset, Alex planned a special dinner to celebrate New Year's Eve at Estelle by Scott Pickett. We sat bar-side and watched course after delicious course be prepared. We finished just in time to get back to our hotel to watch the fireworks display from our hotel room. Our view was perfection with windows overlooking the city skyline.

We visited the National Galleries of Victoria and saw Contemporary Australian Art, historical pieces, and the NGV Trienial. We ate most of our lunches at the historic Degraves Street.

We visited the race village for the Volvo Ocean Race - an around-the-world sailing race that we've been following. It was cool to see the boats we've been watching online in person. Alex was over the moon.

We had a crazy dining experience at Dinner by Heston (think bloody marys that look like glasses of wine and meat in the shape of a fruit) with a gorgeous view of the Yarra River.

Right by our hotel were the lovely Fitzroy Gardens. On our last day in Melbourne we went for a stroll exploring the beautifully maintained gardens and decided that the US most certainly does not have enough gardens to stroll around.

We capped off this part of the trip with a tour to see a penguin parade. Our amazing tour guide stopped along the way to point out kangaroos and wallabies. We walked along the rocky coastline of Phillip Island before settling in at the beach. It was dark and we were quiet. All of a sudden, "rafts" of penguins (they all bunch together to try to appear like a large animal and scare off predators) emerged from the ocean and made their way to their nests. Little nestlings wandered around looking for their parents. Penguin couples greeted each other with a little song and dance. These little blue penguins are only about a foot tall and are fast swimmers and quick but clumsy waddlers.

It was awe inspiring to observe their behavior. A truly unforgettable experience.

2018

Alex and I will be kicking off 2018 on our honeymoon in the land down under.

Looking back, 2017 has been a really eventful year.

• Alex and I have traveled to the snowy mountains of Vermont; across the globe to Seoul; and also to Richmond Virginia; Essex Connecticut; and Los Angeles California. 
• My family and friends threw me a bridal shower and bachelorette party in anticipation of my wedding.
• Alex and I got married, had a beautiful wedding, and went on a mini-moon in the beautiful autumn splendor of the Hudson Valley. 
• My job at the Jewish Museum is going great and I'm still loving the work, the hours, and my colleagues. 
• I was elected Vice President on the Board of Spark Movement Collective and have stepped up my responsibilities as a trustee.
• I've played my French horn in many concerts, read 22 books (and had lovely book club meetings to discuss quite a few of them), and taken on fun side projects like French lessons and joining a professional development group. 

After a hectic and exciting year, I've decided to take a deep breath and assess all the stuff I've got going on in my life.

My resolution for 2018: be mindful in new ways.

Each month I'll be taking on a project themed around mindfulness. I'd like to be kinder and calmer. I'd like to save our planet my own small way. I'd like to be a conscious consumer. I'd like to do things that are smart and healthy.

Cheers to the start of a productive year!

California Dreamin'

What's the perfect excuse for a long weekend in the city of angels? A good friend getting married there! Neither Alex nor I hadn't been to Los Angeles since high school so we were excited to do a bit of exploring while we were in town.

We stayed in downtown LA at the Ace Hotel. It was a hipster's paradise with a huge Chinese lantern as the main source of light in our room, a hopping rooftop bar, and plenty of exposed brick and shiny chrome.

The wedding itself was very LA - super low key. There was no ceremony, just a small reception with a burger truck, cupcakes, and tons of booze with a maybe-too-serious DJ wearing gloves and a scarf. We had a blast celebrating our friends and embracing the LA vibes.

And we did a whole bunch of other LA things too. We devoured some tasty bites at Grand Central Market, explored a multitude of museums (some highlights were a Chagall exhibit at LACMA, the sculpture gardens at the Getty Center, and a room full of Rothkos at MOCA), and took a walk around the La Brea Tar Pits. We rode a 117-year-old funicular, Angel's Flight. We hiked in Griffith's Park then relaxed with breathtaking views and a short stop at the observatory. We sampled tacos washed down with agua fresca and ate incredible sushi. We grabbed brunch with some friends in Silver Lake and I got the chance to catch up with my former boss from Juilliard over coffee. 

It felt great to get away from the grey skies and chilly temperatures of NYC and spend a little time in the sun. We thought for a moment about what it would be like to be a real Los Angeleno. But even with the beautiful weather and the laid back atmosphere, all those cars and traffic made us appreciate just how easy it is to get around NYC. Those sunsets though...they're reason enough for another visit.