How did I get here??

No…really…how did I get here?  giggle

I have a habit of falling in love with every place I visit.  I went to Italy and thought…”I could live here”. After a few days in the Turks and Caicos I thought…”I could definitely live here”.  It happens all the time.  I’m sure along with my French, German, British, North American Indian background I must have a little Gypsy mixed in too.  I love to travel and explore…like a child of the world.

After a weekend at the spa in Carlsbad, California I thought…”I could live here”.  And a few years later, when my 3 daughters all left home for school, I did head south for a winter.  Got a place right on the ocean and just hung out and enjoyed watching the dolphins and surfers do there thing right from my backyard.  Walked the beach and lost myself in the comfy, hippie throw-back atmosphere of Encinitas, California.

I visited Austin, Texas and thought…”I could live here”.  Barcelona, Spain…oh ya…”I could live here”.  Then a little fishing town on the Atlantic coast of Florida…Sebastian.  I stopped by to visit a few friends and fell in love with a little spot right on the Inter-coastal and thought…”I could live here”.  So I did.  It was like waking up on vacation everyday.  From my bed I woke up watching incredible sunrises over the water and all kinds of wildlife I never knew existed.  In the mornings I could set off in my friends kayak, glide over the water, watch for dolphin and manatee and explore small islands teaming with even more wildlife.  At night, the sunsets from the dock and the star filled skies calmed my soul.

And all along the way, in between the rest of the adventures and places that made me say…”I could live here”, there were visits for a day here, 3 or 4 days there to New York City, New York.  I fell in love the very first day I set foot in Central Park just about 5 years ago.  This city pulses with electrifying energy attracting traveler and new residents from all over the world.  I remember standing in one of the many gathering spots in Central Park and slowly turning 360 degrees.  With each turn I saw and heard a new group of people - young families, an excited group of tourists and their guide, half a dozen teenagers on skateboards…a virtual sea of people of every race and background all passionately involved in their own activities that collectively lent an electrifying energy to the park and the city.  It felt like a movie scene and I was the lead character with a frenzy of activity swirling around and around…a multi-cultural high that I got hooked on with one deep breath.

Then last month, while I was in the city for a short business trip, it hit me…I don’t know why it took so long…”I could actually LIVE here!”  I could just decide to call NYC home…so I DID.  At least temporarily :-D

As the days progress, I’ll learn to add fun things to the blog like picture, captions, links, videos and all that good stuff.  If you have any comments or suggestions, let me know.  Your feedback will make it even more exciting and fun for me to find new things to write about and bring to you.

So please look in on me for a few minutes when you can and let’s have fun exploring New York City together!