How To

A lot of the time travel guides will tell you the most popular places to see, eat, dance, play, drink, even a brief history lesson around the place, telling you why it’s worthwhile to visit.

But rarely do I see them telling you what to bring.

Especially if you’re new to the game of travel, packing can be a daunting task. Whether you’re moving into a hotel for a week, a dorm for a year, traveling with work for a month, or moving to a new home there are ways to make things easier on yourself. Here are some tips for efficient packing.

1) Boxing

If you’re boxing your things, I recommend first checking your local grocery store to see whether they just got any shipments in. They’ll most likely have collapsed cardboard boxes they’re willing to give you. Once you have your boxes, your first step is to gather materials. You’ll most likely need:

  • Packing tape
  • cling wrap
  • paper
  • bubble wrap

Note: DO NOT USE STYROFOAM PACKING PEANUTS! They do not provide the padded protection they promise. They’re only an extra hassle to clean, while being made from one of the most harmful materials to the environment made by man.

Instead, gather your clean linens, including towels, comforters and mattress pads. As you pack a box with fragile items use them to pad each individual dish and glass. The key to optimizing this protection is to keep each object from touching each other, as well as the walls or floor of the box. As you pack the box, periodically shake what you’ve packed, gently. Listen for any clinking sounds, and if you hear them, find which things touched and add extra padding between them. As long as you don’t hear any sounds of fragile material hitting fragile material, you will not unpack the box to find anything broken.

When taping a box, particularly if it’s heavy, don’t just tape the seams. The weakest points of the box’s floor are halfway between the edges and the center seam. Taping these parts of the bottom of the box, making it so there are three strips of tape at the bottom of each one, reinforces the box.

Delicate decor such as china and porcelain should be wrapped in bubble wrap. Paintings and posters should be wrapped in cling wrap. If you’re soliciting the help of professional movers and would prefer privacy over more valuable items, they can be wrapped in packing paper.

2) Packing a Car/Trailer

If you’re packing a car or a trailer put boxes with more fragile contents, oddly shaped objects, and heavier boxes towards the front. The front experiences less shifting while turning. Lighter boxes should be put towards the back.

3) Packing a Suitcase

To save space in your suitcase, fold your clothes in half the long way, then roll them into cylinders. Keep toiletries separate in a plastic bag. A shower caddy is often useful for not forgetting anything in your temporary space. If you’re traveling by plane, be sure your toiletries are either in a bag you plan to check, or are in travel-sized bottles. If you’re packing light in order to save money on checking for an overseas trip, you can find travel sized toiletry bottles marked TSA approved on Amazon.

4) Traveling with Pets

There is always a risk to traveling with pets, even if they are seasoned to being in a car. Bring all of their normal food, water and treats, as well as a leash, and bags and bags and towels for any leavings. You should have sealable bags to prevent smell, and if it’s a short trip, of course take them outside before you leave, for less chance of an issue later.

If you are traveling with a pet on a plane make sure you’ve called your airline beforehand to understand their regulations. There are TSA Approved travel kennels available at PetSmart. Be sure to have trained your pet to be comfortable in this crate long before travel, and consult your vet on whether they believe your pet might benefit from an anti-anxiety medication for the ride. If you would like more assurance of safety, organize your pet’s trip plan with an organization like PetRelocation.

5) Settling Into a Hotel

There is a luggage rack in every hotel room closet to store your suitcase. I don’t recommend putting your clothes in the dressers, both because you’re less likely to leave them behind after the trip and because I don’t always trust the dressers’ cleanliness. In the same vein, before sleeping, lift the linens off of one corner of the bed. If there is any blackness in the corner of the mattress, there are bedbugs, and you should ask to be moved rooms immediately.

I hope these tips help make your trip more enjoyable!

 

 

 

Informative

Waikiki Beach

Sorry Bing Crosby, not everybody dreams of a White Christmas. If the icicles have you down this December, let the Hawaiian sun melt your shivers away with a Luau Christmas on O’ahu!

Rainbow Outside Iolani Palace
Rainbow Outside Iolani Palace

Hawaii’s “winter” (if you can really call it that) showers make for breathtaking morning rainbows, clear and bright stretching across the entire horizon. Instead of spending your time off shoveling a driveway, head to Waikiki Beach to take by-the-hour surfing lessons. Don’t feel like getting wet? Hang out on the beach under a complimentary chair and umbrella, with service from Hale Koa Barefoot Beach Bar.

With so many highly rated tours to choose from, there’s always something to see or experience. Take a peaceful audio tour around Iolani Palace, kept in perfect condition since Hawaii’s monarchy was overthrown in 1893.

On Christmas Day itself some businesses may be closed, but be sure to go to one of Honolulu’s famous Luaus Christmas Eve. Hawaiian honey-braised rotisserie pork is not the be overlooked. Eat a Christmas Eve with your family you’ll never forget as you watch a live traditional tribal fire dance show while you eat!

Waimalano Bay Beach

If a couple’s Christmas is what you’re looking for, a simple drive along the coast is all it takes to find a beach to yourself. Feel your feet sink into the sand and gentle waves caress your ankles as you walk along the beach, and enjoy the view of the sunset. It promises to be breathtaking no matter where you are.

Sunset over Waikiki Beach
Feature

Covid-19 has helped New Mexico do a number on the local businesses that line the downtown portions of Central Avenue. Nob Hill Albuquerque, preserving some of the original motel inns and neon signs that have lined this road since it was known as Route 66, the most bustling highway in America, has said goodbye to some chefs, jewelry makers, and artists that have made the area their second home for over 30, 40, even 50 years.

In 2016, a bus line known as A.R.T. (Albuquerque Rapid Transit) was signed off by the city council to be built along Central, despite many local protests. This project was an expensive re-design of the entire street which made it extremely difficult to reach the businesses of downtown by car for an extended period of time. The project saw delays, as the electric bus the city had wanted turned out to be over budget. Those two years of lowered traffic compounded with a global pandemic in an impoverished part of town, resulted in a death sentence for many nob hill traditions.

All of that being said, the circumstances have resulted in the addition of some new members to the Nob Hill area, that have reignited the spark of downtown for the younger generation. For example, Pink Rhino: the upscale thrift store designed with bright pop-art style colors, asymmetrical wall art and ballroom-worthy chandeliers. My personal favorite however, is the game center gone coffee shop, Empire Board Game Library.

Empire Board Game Library Albuquerque
When this charming business first opened, the walls of the building were stark white. Many buildings in Nob Hill give business to local street artists by allowing them to paint original murals on their blank stucco. So eventually Empire was gifted with a garden of pink and blue daisies and red roses, as the culture of the area would seem to demand. I was there only a week after it had opened, thanks to my friends introducing it to me a few years ago.

It was after a long week in late November, with finals on the horizon. I remember being extremely stressed. I had fallen behind in some work because of trying to balance college applications with my regular class work. Applying for music college starts months earlier than even early decision applications, because of a multi-tiered audition process. It begins with the recording of a video audition as a preliminary, moving up to tests in music theory and aural skills and finally a regimen of traveling to different schools for live auditions in front of a panel. I was overwhelmed with pressure.

To try and help me out, my friends wanted to show me a new place on Central they found. We piled into my 8-seater Toyota, parked on the hill around the south corner, and walked through the front door to hear the silver bell chime against the black doorframe. The founder of Empire toured us through the layout of the building.

Inside, all four walls have floor to ceiling bookshelves. Except instead of books, they’re adorned with boxes of board games. And instead of by the Dewey Decimal System, or alphabetical order, they’re organized by age range, category, level of difficulty, number of players and length of gameplay. On the back wall is a coffee bar. In the display case to the left of the cash register, homemade pastries like large peanut butter chocolate bars, cheesecake, cookies, donuts and coffee cake are a few of the many mouth-watering sweets I can never resist.

Once we were all seated, I ordered a maple bar and a fire and ice espresso shot: “espresso layered on top of vanilla and cream that burns like dragon fire and cools like winter frost!”

My favorite category of board game is strategy and a favorite of mine we played that night is called Splendor. In the game you’re a miner trying to gather the most rare gems before your opponents. Rubies, Sapphires, Emeralds, Diamonds and Onyx are organized in a hierarchy, as you gradually build up wealth. There’s a multitude of ways to approach the game; the long way, trying to accumulate enough wealth to buy the rarest gems at one time, or monopolizing on the less rare to try and scare others into believing you’re ahead of them early in the game, leading them to abandon their strategy and try to catch up. There is a way to strike a balance between these but it isn’t always simple to pull off. The art behind the game is stunning and though it takes a lot of thought, it’s relaxing to play. Before we knew it, we’d played three rounds and two hours had passed.

I didn’t even have to be good at the game. The joy came from getting closer to my friends as I tried to predict their next moves; feeling my stress simmer down as the top layer of my espresso upped my competitive fire, and the vanilla cream bottom layer frosted over and calmed my stress. The smell of the aged wood bookshelves and the sounds of soft music, air pressure on the board game lids releasing, cards being shuffled, fanned and dealt, my best friend’s laughs, the laughs of strangers at surrounding round tables and the texture of the pristine gameplay board, all married together to create an environment that truly felt like home. I had just entered this building for the first time, yet I felt like I’d known the building for years.

After checking out that day I felt mentally refreshed. I went home and immediately got to work on a college essay I’d been putting off. The friends I went to Empire with are the friends from high school I’ve remained closest with in college. Whenever I introduce Splendor or any of our other favorites to new people, I think of them.

In one visit, you can explore the ever changing game stock, purchase games for yourself, stimulate your senses with a fire and ice shot, or relax your palette with a London Fog or Matcha Latte. Whether it’s a date, a late night out with friends, or a Sunday brunch, Empire has always struck a perfect balance between laughable moments, competitive fun, a relaxing environment, good food, skilled baristas, and affordable prices.

I recommend bringing a water bottle if you visit. They only sell bottled water but they do have a water fountain. Whether you need to beat the New Mexico heat by finding an indoor activity after a walk around the plaza, hike in the Jemez, or bike tour around the park, want to find something different for your or your family member’s birthday party, or get up to the “trendy” new businesses of Nob Hill, I’ve never had a bad experience at the Empire Board Game Library.

Personal

Now that it’s fall, passers by will often see me in my favorite green pullover with “Teton Valley, Idaho” written on it underneath a drawing of Idaho’s mountain-scape. Every once in a while I have someone stop me to tell me they’ve been camping, hiking, or biking there.

My grandpa grew up in Teton Valley, as did much of my extended family. In an effort to remain close to each other, we have an annual family reunion, camping for a weekend in the valley. Traditions we have include horseback riding, hiking, jewelry making, and taking the kids to the creek to watch them try and cross and eventually fall in. I remember on my first reunion, I ran out of socks in two days because I’d gotten all of them wet. On the last night, we have a raffle to give away prize items that range from Teton merchandise to family-made blankets, necklaces and paintings. That’s where I got my pullover from.

But the most incredible experience I’ve had there was a couple years ago. Teton Valley happened to be in the center of a lunar eclipse. For a brief moment the entire world in front of me was bathed in a tangerine twilight. Cameras couldn’t capture it properly. The redness of the mountain, the warmth bouncing off each needle of pine. The campfire sent a bright red hue onto the kid’s faces, as they held still in wonder for the first time in that whole weekend. I saw a gleam in the eye of Aunt Doris, who objected to being wheeled out of her trailer that evening, but was finally convinced the cold would be worth it. A tear rolled down my cheek when I looked next to me at my mother’s water-welled eyes, and wide grin. She’s the one that convinced everyone it would be worth coming to watch this feat of nature. The eclipse was the moment that the biggest space nerd of the family’s dreams came true.

The lunar eclipse’s center will not be in the United States again for a long time. It feels almost like fate that the valley which holds so much of my family history became the epicenter of this breathtaking event.

The pandemic has meant that I could not hear that creek skip over stones, horses clop up the trail, or the campfire crackling under moonlight this year. It’s meant that I couldn’t pick huckleberries in the valley and blend them into milkshakes or savor their unique tang. But I’ll look forward to the next time I see my aunties knitting blankets outside their trailers, while their kids roast marshmallows. Teton Valley will always have more memories with my family to unlock, and more places to fill in my heart.

Travelogue

In 2017, I was given the opportunity to study classical singing with professors at the prestigious Eastman School of Music, in Rochester, New York. As a high schooler, getting one-on-one time with esteemed faculty from this famous university was very hard to come by, extremely exciting… and incredibly nerve wracking.

The program was a three hour’s plane ride away from my home in New Mexico. I’d be living with a roommate in a college dorm for a month. That would be the longest time I’d lived alone that far from my parents.

When my parents and I got into an Uber to head to campus, I remember looking out the window, surprised to see how small the city was. When I thought of  ‘music’ and ‘New York’ put together, my mind went straight to bustling streets, skyscrapers, glitz, glamour and energy at every corner. But Rochester is in the Northern part of the state. Hours away from New York City.

The slightly unkempt streets of mid-town were lined with wall-to-wall faded pastel wood condos. I remember seeing two kids shooting hoops in their front yard and running into each other, seemingly because there was always less space to run around in than they’d hoped. The shopper’s buildings were short, flat roofed, made of brick or stone. I could tell when they were newly refurbished almost immediately, because there wasn’t paint chipping off the seams of each cemented rock.

All of this was in extreme contrast to Eastman campus.

The main auditorium at Eastman School of Music is made of glass, with a domed ceiling that towers over everything else on the block. When I walked up the stairs to the stage, the bamboo floors were freshly polished. I could see the grand piano’s reflection at my feet. A red velvet curtain cascaded down from the ceiling. I was in awe that I’d be performing here in a month.

For the first five days or so, I attended my classes quickly and quietly, did my homework in the lobby, and then would go back to my room and text friends back at home until dark. Sometimes until 3am since that was only midnight for them. I didn’t see my roommate much. She would spend a lot of the day out exploring. She’d sometimes invite me along, but I wasn’t really interested in exploring the city that kept me up at night with the sounds of sirens in the distance.

Then one night after rehearsal, a few girls invited me to go to grab pastries with them. I had been pretty recluse up to that point, so I was surprised they even knew my name. However, music theory homework was looking pretty daunting for that weekend, so I decided I was happy to have the distraction.

They took me about 3 blocks east of campus, and turned into a little blue door in the middle of the plaza. The sign hanging over it read “Java Café”. A bronze bell rang over our heads as it hit against the door frame. I was immediately greeted with a classic, vintage coffee bar. Hand-drawn chalkboard menu, copper espresso machine, tiered scone tray and all. The walls were painted cobalt blue, adorned with abstract paintings and distorted, modernist photos. The music was ambient and smooth. Almost as soothing as the smell of fresh cinnamon coffee cake, hot from the oven, being panned into the display case.

Walking around the corner I saw a mahogany staircase leading into a basement, coated in scarlet light. It was a bit steep, so I clung to the gothic black metal railing. The ambient music from above faded away as I descended, gradually being replaced in my ear by the sound of reggae. At the bottom, immediately to my right is a line of three pool tables, a bar at the far end. I immediately ask a hand for balls and cues, challenging one of my friends to a two out of three.

I went back upstairs and ordered an Aztec mocha (a mocha with a dash of red chili powder; a New Mexican staple, that apparently is also found in Rochester.) They served it to me downstairs, where I was already beating my friend at pool. Decisively.

After accepting defeat, the four of us went back upstairs and sat on the wood barstools in the breakfast nook. I ordered another mocha, iced this time. There were street performers playing the bongos and singing for a modest, but very engaged impromptu audience out in the plaza. They were only illuminated by the dim cream lights strung between lamp posts at either end of the lawn. Watching intently from the window, I sipped at my mocha and spiced dark chocolate filled every crevasse of my mouth. Its rich, decadent taste seemed to melt all my apprehension away. I fell into a daze, and the sounds of the room started to fade into the background. I hadn’t felt this relaxed in weeks.

I might have remained like that for the whole evening, but I was snapped back to reality by a young man greeting us at our table. He introduced himself as a free-lance artist trying to make a name for himself. As we invited him to sit down, he pulled a small black folder out of his saddle bag and opened it to reveal four charcoal sketches. Portraits of each of us.

I took the aged piece of paper he’d drawn me on delicately from his charcoal blackened hands. I had a half smile on my face, eyes closed, taking a sip from my mocha. It looked like it belonged in a kooky Art Deco frame, posted on the wall with the rest of the art in this place. It almost seemed wrong to take the drawing out the door; it felt like I’d be ripping it from its home.

He asked us if we’d like to make a donation, and of course I accepted. I was captivated by the unique, quirky, animated style behind the piece. I found myself glancing at it and smiling for the rest of the night. I don’t think the frame I bought for it does it justice, but it is still hanging in my room to this day.

For the rest of that trip I couldn’t stop exploring the city. I visited the Java Café more times that I want to admit. (Let’s just say, by the end I’d reached first name basis with a few employees.) I started going to more concerts and sight singing parties with friends (these are where a bunch of singers come together to since a piece no one there has ever seen before. It doesn’t always sound great, but it sure is fun!) I contacted home less and less as I got more wrapped up in the city.

On the last weekend of the trip, I introduced everyone to a small underground karaoke bar I’d found one night, and we all surprised each other with songs to sing. I was given Sweet Child o’ Mine by Guns and Roses. Whenever I hear it I’m reminded of that trip, and the people I got to know over that month. A lot of them lived abroad, and I haven’t seen them in person since. But we’ll always have Rochester, Java, and Eastman School of Music.

Listicle

I know. It seems like we have been in lockdown forever. And even worse, it sometimes feels like we’ll never get out of it. I want to stress that right now, it is so important to socially distance and stay safe. But, one day these dark times will be memory, and on that day, these are a few things I’ve missed that I’m going to do ASAP:

1) Red Rocks Amphitheater

I have still never been able to see a like show at Red Rocks, a very well-known outdoor venue for live concerts and shows amidst the red clay rock of the mountain. Once it opens back up you’ll see me there!

2) Denver Performing Arts Center

As a performer, I’ve missed being able to dress up, sit in a theater, and watch the shows I hope to be in one day. Some shows scheduled in the 2021 season that I’m dying to see include My Fair Lady, Hamilton, Hadestown, Dear Evan Hansen, and so many more (it is a fantastic line-up!) Be sure to pre-order spots for some of your favorites!

3) The Church

The Church is a club, built into a church. (The irony!) Different dance floors (on different levels of the building) have different DJs playing different genres of music. Whether you’re the one who’ll be dancing (or in my case more like thrashing) all night, or the one who’ll just happily pick a floor and listen with a drink at the bar, The Church is a unique clubbing experience. So once it’s safe, grab a group of friends and spice up your weekend to celebrate that you made it through this pandemic!

 

Review

Evergreen Lake

My boyfriend grew up in Evergreen, and had been dying to get me up there and show me around. I finally made the time.

I had no idea what to expect. The only context I had were pictures of breathtaking, bright amber aspens he sent me last fall, saying he “passed by them on an afternoon walk”. I was completely dumbfounded. I thought he might have been pulling my leg. No way could he take these gallery worthy photos just because he decided to go on a walk…

Visiting myself proved me wrong.

Everything up in Evergreen looks like that. Editorial pictures right before your eyes. From the local bars that are built right into the mountain, to the mansions gracefully sitting atop hillsides, to the vast plains of tall grass. I saw three deer, a mom and two babies, just driving around a small peak. It was the closest I’ve ever been to a wild animal in my life. I saw a bald eagle in person for the first time, dive for a fish in the lake.

Evergreen makes for a very easy and inexpensive day trip from Denver. By highways it takes about 30 minutes to reach, but I recommend taking your time and finding the scenic routes, so you can find places to pause and take in the mountain air. In town there are plenty of locally owned boutiques, cafés, art galleries and novelty shops to browse, and live music from the patio by the dam to listen to while you do. I’m partial to the rocks and minerals house at the edge of downtown. There’s a very unique other-worldly mural on its side; you can’t miss it.

It was so easy to be present with my boyfriend in this environment. Watching people go by, I felt we were all in the same boat; we were all there for a moment free of trouble. To paint, shop, fish, walk, bike, run, hike— to relax. I felt as if the weight of my worries was being carried away by the summer breeze. I was truly at peace.

I can’t wait to go back again.

https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g33415-d812134-r772183510-Evergreen_Lake-Evergreen_Colorado.html