Disconnect

My puppy is jealous of my phone. Well, not quite, but she knows that if I am scrolling through my apps, it will result in less belly rubs and kisses for her. Now, I don't see a huge problem with my phone usage around her. I can't be on much or she will chew a hole through the wall while I am not looking. Consequently, emails go unanswered for days and I go through life with my phone on silent should a surprise text message wake her from nap time. 

Many of us aren't present. Mindfulness, presence, and meditation are trigger words and all the rage in the top online articles. I am not trying to jump on the sensational bandwagon here, but the core issues have been a problem for years. About two years ago, my mom and I were getting our nails done at a local salon. We say a mom and her young daughter, maybe five years old, getting pedicures. Initially, it seems like a sweet and fun gesture. One to pamper both of them and make the daughter feel like a real grown up. However, I quickly noticed the mom spent a lot of time on her phone. I am all about productivity and sending some quick check in texts, but this poor girl was sitting there, staring blankly ahead, while her mother missed a crucial bonding opportunity. Even in Germany, I would see moms (and yes, sometimes dads, men are guilty, too!) speed walking along with their strollers. I would venture a good 90% of them were always staring at their phones, not even looking where they were going. People waiting in line, on the train, or the second they sit down at a restaurant, immediately pull out their phones. Like spending one minute taking in your surroundings or just being still would be too painful to bear. Hell, we even had to create laws to get people to stop aimlessly flipping through social media at traffic lights and causing accidents.

My point is, I am guilty too. Tom has called me out on it, he will be just arriving home from work and I will pull out my phone instead of asking about his day. Dahu will want to play, I'll see a notification, and feel compelled to check it right away. That dreaded two minute wait in line at the store or Starbucks, oh man, talk about painful alone time. I go to my phone. 

As a society we need to stop. There are commercials that play into our current culture, they show selfies, selfies of selfies, and Instagramming every meal and flower. Look at yourself, your friends, and your life for real. Not through a lens. See a pretty tree? Stop and look at the damn tree. Pumped about that bitchin omelette? Savor it with your senses, not your iphone. Babies know how to operate ipads with more ease than books. My dog has accidentally liked some Instagram photos. Our generations time on Earth will be remembered as never really experiencing life. Or just "doing it for the likes". This week, commit to spend time off your devices. I know it is unbelievably hard, but you will survive. One, even two hours a day completely tech free could be a huge step in the right direction. Give it a go. We could all use a detox.

Puppy Parents

I was hoping to fill our home and this space with decor, inspiration, and ideas for our place in the city. We have a combination of hand me down furniture, college furniture, and Ikea items mixed with a few new and forever items. Then our furniture chewing, clothes tearing puppy happened.

We have been looking at Rhodesian Ridgebacks for years. Literally, years. While in Germany, I really stepped up my search. Our hearts were set on a Ridgeback, but I was becoming incredibly frustrated as litters were not available in the Midwest and finding a fair priced, reputable pup was unbelievably difficult. Now don't hate, we did explore shelter options, and look at other breeds. But with the direction our life is heading, we are being extremely particular about the people, pets, and things we bring into our home.

Something magical happened once we were back on Chicago soil. We had been home for maybe two weeks and I came across a litter in Michigan born at the end of January. Fast forward through puppy interviews, puppy choosing, and a very exhausting trip to PetSmart for supplies, and we got our perfect little one at the end of March, when she was two days shy of eight weeks.

Some of our supplies, ready for her arrival

Dahu, at just over eight weeks old

Puppies are hard. I am convinced the reason puppies and babies are so ridiculously cute is to keep us interested in caring for them when they keep you up all night, poop on your floor, and spend their days draining every last ounce of sanity from your being. I can deal with kids, I have been every day for the past three+ years (Europe excluded). Puppies, however, are a whole new level of hard. 

Dahu is now just over ten weeks and has been doing stellar at walks in the neighborhood. She knows to sit for her food, she does not know shredding potty pads and newspapers to bits is not good. We love her to death. She is a cuddler, rare for the breed and we are encouraging it as much as we can. She is very smart (and I'm not saying this just because she's mine!) and this makes me all the more excited for her to be of age to attend puppy training classes. Until then, I will spend my days chasing after this ankle biting, hand nipping, face licking love bug. She takes up every spare second I have, but she's worth it. 

Seriously, that face melts me every time

Full disclosure: ANY and ALL new puppy tips are welcome!

St. Patrick's Day in the Windy City

One great thing about coming back is we were able to bring a bit of Europe with us, for a while at least. Some of Tom's colleagues from Germany were traveling to the city for work and we were fortunate enough to have two of them join us for St. Patrick's Day weekend and all of the adventures that entailed!

The Saturday before is always about dying the Chicago River green. It is a mellow, scenic way to kick off the morning. None of the hard party-ers have been partying too hard yet, and if you time it right, you can avoid the body crushing crowds. I made sure to start everyone off on the right foot with a solid meal of bacon, eggs, and toast before we boarded the L around ten am.

We began at the dyeing of the river, where I lost all of those in my charge during a crowded bathroom break. We were soon reunited and I told them all off for deviating from the plan. We survived massive pedestrian street crossings and got a great view of the river.

From the river we followed the masses to the St. Patrick's Day parade. There we weren't able to score the best view. However, we weren't planning on staying that long and our location made for some interesting people watching... The beginning of the parade kicked off with bagpipes and I was able to get a decent view for that part!

I commend, yet am horrified with, the parents who bring their young children out to the parade! They are far more daring than I would be! Post parade we headed to a not too crowded bar before heading back to Lakeview for food and ice cream. While some people in our neighborhood had a much more traumatic St. Patrick's Day, we thoroughly enjoyed a beautiful day in the city!

We're BACK!

Okay, technically we have been back on glorious American soil for over a month now. We spent our first married Valentine's Day flying back to sweet home Chicago. And how did the city prepare for our return? With freezing cold temperatures! I instantly regretted not bringing my heavy duty winter coat and shipping it home instead. 

Two days later, our belongings were delivered from storage. To say this lead to a chaotic scene was an understatement. Boxes were everywhere, so much so we had no space to unpack and the first day was spend moving chaotic piles from one area to the next. Don't get me wrong, I love to clean and organize, like love to clean and organize, but this was too much all at once. 

A week and a half later we finally were unpacked, just in time for our shipped items to arrive. But hey, that was only five boxes. We easily handled that after our initial trauma! All of this packing, unpacking, reorganizing, and purging of our items left me in need of some inspiration, more inspiration than Pinterest could deliver for me. 

Enter: my latest read. The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up speaks to my soul. The title itself calms me and leads to hallucinations of the smell of a newly scrubbed floor. 

Moving and resettling in can lead to anxiety and a sense of overwhelm. Just reading the table of contents in this book brings about a feeling of calm. It really speaks to the idea that you are the space which surrounds you. Clutter equals chaos, a lack of cleanliness leads to a lack of mental order. If you're on the look out for a new read, or in need of a kick in the pants for your spring cleaning routine, check out Marie Kondo's book.

That being said, we have a lot coming our way. We've hit the ground running and have been going constantly since we returned. Europe was an experience I loved, it made me a stronger person and more aware of the world, as well as myself. However, it is so unbelievably good to be home.

My European Must See List

I hadn't a clue what I was getting myself into when we packed, shipped, and stored all of our belongings in the days immediately surrounding our wedding back in August. At the very least, I figured, I would get a first hand glimpse at another culture. 

In the grand scheme of things, six months isn't a large period of time. You have enough time to settle in, hardly enough time to get home sick, and daily opportunities to step out of your comfort zone. By two months in I guess I meshed perfectly already, as people were stopping me and asking for directions. This wasn't often successful for either party as German is still not my strong suit...

Regardless, this time has been filled with more than I could have ever begun to imagine. I like to think Tom and I knew each other quite well before moving to Germany. Together eight years, living together for three, totally comfortable around each other; we were fully knowledgeable about one another, weren't we? Oh but travel and ex-pat adjustment will bring you closer than you could ever imagine. Want to test your relationship? Travel constantly, live in close quarters, and be able to communicate only with each other. That will be an adventure in and of itself.

Through all of these experiences, we have built such an extraordinary base of memories and once in a life time opportunities that I simply had to share our top recommendations with you.

Favorite life long dream realized: London, England
London has been on my bucket list for as long as I can remember. London is also the one city I found hardest to leave. I am actually missing it dearly just thinking back on our four days there.

Things to see:

• Changing of the guard/Buckingham Palace
• Hampton Court Palace: You can spend an entire day there. Behind the golden leaf door at HCP's entrance was where Kate Middleton's wedding dress was made.
• Trafalgar Square: Walk from Buckingham to Trafalgar, it's so peaceful.
• Abbey Road: The iconic Beatles picture location, near St. John's Wood.
• Tower of London: Walk across the Tower Bridge and stroll along the Thames.
• Joe Allen's: Craving American food? Go here. It is also located in the theater district so you can catch a show while coming or going.

Favorite City: Ghent, Belgium
Why Ghent? Because Ghent was a total wildcard. We weren't initially planning on going there, we were thinking Brussels instead. It was on a whim, and a fantastic recommendation from a coworker of Tom's, that we ever heard of Ghent. It embodied everything I love about European cities. Ghent is located on a series of canals and had a very historical, even medieval, feel to it. A person will more than likely never go to Europe solely to visit Ghent, but if you are ever in the proximity, it may change your life.

Things to see:

• Canal tour
• Gravensteen Castle
• Shopping district: Their Zara Home store is heavenly.

Favorite country: Switzerland
Let's lead into this one with a dose of honesty. The one downside of Switzerland is the cost. It is a very expensive country to visit and, I would imagine, live in. I am partial as we honeymooned in Lucerne, but we've visited that city three times in all weather and I love it just as much.

Things to see:

• Lake tour (Lucerne, Switzerland)
• Lion Monument (Lucerne, Switzerland)
• Kapelbrucke (Lucerne, Switzerland)
• Swiss watch shops and chocolate shops

Best things in Germany:

We've done a great deal of traveling in Germany, so I had to give it it's own category.

• Heidelberg Castle: People say it's touristy, but I consider Heidelberg very worth your while. They have a 212,000 liter wine barrel. Argument made.
• Stuttgart Cannstatter Volksfest/Wasen: I have to pay tribute to our beloved Stuttgart. The Wasen is Stuttgart's Oktoberfest, and is far more fun and less touristy (says the tourist).
• Hiking behind Neuschwanstein. The castle tour is cool, but the trails are where it's at.
• Berlin's German History Museum: Easily two to three hours of reasonably priced entertainment. I promise you will learn a few things there, too.
• The Berlin Wall Memorial: There is something about this that really intrigued me.
• New Year's Eve in Stuttgart. People are blowing of fireworks, sparklers, and anything else that can get their hands on for hours. It's crazy, it's fun, and you can drink a great beer while watching.

Best things to eat in each country:

Because good food can make or break a trip.

• Austria: You must try the local wiener schnitzel
• Belgium: hot, fresh street waffle
• England: fish and chips or fresh fish, depending on your preference.
• France: Hot chocolate at a cafe
• Germany: Kase spatzle. The Swabian mac and cheese.
• The Netherlands: Dutch pancakes. Pancakes Amsterdam has huge ones, the best are the ones with whole strips of bacon cooked inside the batter.
• Switzerland: Their pizzas are on point.

Best travel tip:

We didn't have wifi abroad. Before leaving our house or hotel, we loaded the city map in our Google Map app on our phones. I would save locations of restaurants and sites on the map. Also, create a note with a list of back up plans and places with addresses. You can also load the route so it makes remembering trains and buses easier. Second best travel tip: use a backpack, instead of a suitcase, as often as possible. You can easily spend pre-train/airport time touring with a backpack.

Schönbrunn Palace

Schönbrunn is a beautiful palace in Vienna with vast property and seemingly endless gardens. The palace was constructed in the 1600's and opened in the final year of the century. Vienna was our final European vacation, and Schönbrunn was our final palace tour. Luckily, we were not disappointed.

Pictures were not allowed inside, a lot of the items were original and they did not want to put their preservation at risk. We took the self guided audio tour, lasting about an hour, before hitting up the gift shop on our way out.

We walked through the gardens after the palace tour. They were icy and all leaves and flowers had long since gone. All the ice and snow really added to the beauty and mystique of such a grand space.

From the ground level we walked up a snow covered path to get a better look of the grounds. My riding boots gave me a real battle as I hiked up, at times sliding and losing whatever ground I had just gained! The view was fantastic. Beyond the palace, you could see Vienna beautifully on display in the background. 

From Schönbrunn we took the bus back through the city to have a home cooked meal with some friends before heading to the airport. Vienna was a fantastically relaxing weekend. I loved the coffee shops, the cakes, and some of the most beautiful scenery in all of Europe. I even bought some artwork I look forward to framing soon and hanging up at home in Chicago.

Vienna from the Sky

We spent our last official European vacation in Vienna, Austria. Vienna is held in high regard internationally and domestically. Their quality of life, standards of living, and natives such as Freud are literally award winning. Vienna is also exceedingly beautiful, even when covered in ice and snow. We were very fortunate in Vienna and had some friends who planned our weekend and showed us around the city.

Saturday morning we got an early start, eating brunch by the university before walking through the city. We walked through the museum quarter before heading to the Rathausplatz, where their government building is located. There was an expansive winter market set up in the area. The largest, and most intricate, ice rink I have ever seen snaked between trees and along buildings. Behind the pretzel, beer, and hot chocolate stands was an attraction which allowed you to see Vienna from above. My dislike of heights and I were not initially thrilled to get on board, but I went for it.

Votivkirche - Votive Church

Vienna Opera

The view was outstanding and made for some excellent pictures. To recover from such an epic and nerve wracking adventure, we grabbed some drinks afterward. We walked through the shopping strip and I saw THE Julius Meinl. Julius Meinl is my favorite brunch spot back home, there are only two in the States, and it was nice to pay tribute to the original.

We spent our afternoon warming up at Cafe Diglas where we had cake and drinks. I had a mint tea and chocolate truffle cake. While apple strudel is what Vienna is really known for, I had to go with chocolate. The chandelier was my favorite, espresso mugs hung from the lights. While this made me slightly apprehensive the whole thing may fall on me due to the added weight, I want an espresso chandelier of my own.

Post cake, we took the train to dinner where we had schnitzel larger than our faces. Literally. Two people split one order, paired with the local Grüner Veltliner wine. Before calling it a night, we got a round or two of Moscow mules at a local bar with a balcony overlooking the city. We went to bed full and content we managed to fit so much adventure into one day.