Minneapolis vs. Mexico: Pros and cons

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After a month in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, I returned to a snowstorm in Minneapolis. I hopped on an earlier flight from Atlanta so as not to arrive (or not arrive) into the ice-slush with which Minneapolis was welcoming me home. The trip home from an adventure is always a great time to reflect on my travels and life in general. I thought a lot about being in Mexico and how nice it was not to care what I was wearing, what stuff I had in my house, who I should try to get together with, etc.…I didn’t want to forget that feeling and lose the appreciation for the simplicity of life that I felt during my month of living in San Miguel. Continue Reading

Making art in San Miguel de Allende

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SAN MIGUEL DE ALLENDE, MEXICO—As my last week in San Miguel continues, I’m starting to think about the return home and at the same time reflecting on the past three weeks in Mexico. The beauty of living in a place for more than a couple of weeks is that you really feel like you know the place and aren’t just a tourist passing through. There’s a learning curve to a city and once you’ve made it past two weeks in a new place, it no longer takes such an effort to figure out where to go for a quick lunch, where to buy the best avocados, or how to find your way to the ATM. Life takes on a bit of a routine and you begin to feel at home. Continue Reading

Un día en la vida San Miguel de Allende

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SAN MIGUEL DE ALLENDE, MEXICO—The municipality of San Miguel has a population of almost 140,000 people. It feels like a small town to me, with winding cobblestone streets, cars that stop to let pedestrians cross, corner stores, and tiny taco stands. Continue Reading

Packing tips for the Minnesota-based traveler

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I just arrived in Mexico today. I’ll be here for a month. Yes, a whole month. Before leaving I made it clear that no one should do anything fun while I’m away. There’s a monthly brunch I attended last weekend and I told the organizer not to go anywhere super great in February.  Thankfully, I’m sure everyone will take that request to heart (right, guys?). Continue Reading

#Lutsenawesome: A weekend escape worth hashtagging

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I ventured out of the Cities this past weekend to go on a little ski trip known fondly as #lutsenawesome. We packed up ten people and one dog (my parents were trying to figure out how many skis Ninja would need) into three cars and went up to Lutsen for the following activities as advertised in the Facebox event: Continue Reading

The dos and dont’s of asking your server out on a date

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Have you even been sure your waiter/waitress has been hitting on you? Wait, no, they’re paid to be nice to you. But this seems a little beyond nice. Definitely beyond Minnesota Nice. Okay, it’s not easy to differentiate between the in-earnest “I’m interested” flirtation and the everyday “I want a good tip” flirtation that goes with the territory. Continue Reading

My New Year’s Eve: Bubbles, cheese, cameras, and new resolutions

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Is New Year’s Eve all about sequins, smooching, and champagne? Yes. Wait, I think maybe that’s supposed to be “no.” This year I wasn’t quite prepared for the big event that is New Year’s Eve. It sort of snuck up on me and I had trouble getting excited about the very things that often define the “holiday.” This year I didn’t even shop for a New Year’s Dress! (I guess that’s good, since my 2012 is supposed to involve less shopping.) Continue Reading

MUSIC | The guys of Dawes woo at the Varsity Theater

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Meredith Westin and I arrived at the Varsity Theater for the first of two sold-out Dawes shows and got a spot in front to check out the opening act Red Daughters. Meredith had already told me, “You’ll like them, they’re cute.” They were super energetic and what I noted as “totes hair-flippy.” Most of these boys had long free-flowing blonde hair and were not afraid to shake it. They were quite enjoyable to watch and I liked their a-little-bit-yelly-a-little-bit-rock-and-roll sound.

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Ladies Night: Now OkCupid-enhanced

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I have learned that having a week off from work makes you forget what day it is. It also gives you time to just hang out in your city and explore new places. Instead of doing that, I’ve mostly retreated to my “vacation home” for the holidays, practiced yoga, run lots of errands, and watched David Hasselhoff’s “Limbo Dance” video over and over on YouTube. I did check out the new Thai place on Nicollet for the second time and pay my first visit to the Emergency Vet Clinic in Golden Valley—on Christmas Day! (Don’t worry folks, Ninja is absolutely fine now). I also attended a Ladies Night at a friend’s house and we talked about boys and braided each other’s hair. Minus the hair-braiding part. Continue Reading

“Lord of the Rings” trilogy at the Riverview Theater: 690 minutes in Middle-Earth

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On December 18, I did something I never planned to do. I went to the Riverview and sat down in a sold-out theater with a bunch of nerds (I’m including myself here!) to watch the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Yes, for 12 hours. Well, runtime is 690 minutes and there are two breaks (so you can buy pizza or go out to your car and munch sandwiches and sip whatever you put in your flask or cooler). Continue Reading