Remember that whole I’m-going-on-vacation-and-swearing-off-technology-for-10-days idea? First of all, let me be the first to tell you… that is NEXT TO IMPOSSIBLE to accomplish.

With the exception of a few phone calls home to the boyfriend, the occasional e-mail checking and updates to Facebook and Twitter less than a handful of times, I’d say I did fairly well overall. But boy was it difficult. There were many instances when I would head off in the morning for the day and leave my iPhone at the hotel. Traveling technology-less is much harder than I originally thought but as I imagined, being disconnected was incredibly liberating.

Not only did it allow me to appreciate my surroundings much more (heck, I was in Europe for goodness sake) but I was partaking in a much more stress-free lifestyle. It’s amazing how much technology influences nearly every aspect of my everyday life. (I’ll also admit here that throughout the trip, I kept thinking to myself, “Oh my gosh, why aren’t I checking in on Foursquare?!” I was in the middle of Europe experiencing Foursquare withdrawal–I know, it’s quite the problem.)

Now the trip has officially come to an end and I’m sifting through 200+ blog posts I need to catch up on in Google Reader, 400+ e-mails and missing Europe terribly. Why must vacations always go by so quickly?

On to the good stuff

You might ask, “Where did you go on this European vacay?” Well folks, my travels took me to London, Normandy and Paris. While I’ve been to both London and Paris a couple of times before, it was my first time visiting Normandy. Here’s a little breakdown of the trip:

London: Aug. 10-12
- Milestone Hotel
- Fish and chips
- Hair
- Buckingham Palace/Changing of the Guard
- Windsor Castle
- Billy Elliot
- Tower of London
- Local English pubs
- Harrod’s
- Churchill Museum and Cabinet War Rooms

Normandy: Aug. 13-14
- Omaha Beach
- Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial
- Lots of fresh seafood
- Quaint little chateau in the middle of nowhere

Paris: Aug. 14-17
- Hôtel de Crillon
- Monet’s home in Giverny
- Musée de l’Orangeries des Tuileries
- Versailles
- Champagne
- Crêpes
- The Louvre
- Behind-the-scenes tour of the Eiffel Tower
- Dinner cruise on the Seine River

Pics, perhaps?

Siblings in London. Tower Bridge.

Stonehenge.

Pretty excited for the behind-the-scenes Eiffel Tower tour.

View of Paris from the Eiffel Tower.

It just felt nice to get away.

Sometimes you need to leave all the technology behind and breathe. And that’s exactly what I did on this trip. I had a chance to spend quality time with my family, see some terrific sights, eat delicious food and travel. While the schedule was pretty jam-packed with sight-seeing, simply being away from the hustle and bustle of home, my daily responsibilities, my job and my “real” life was much needed and very much worthwhile.

What now?

For the first time all year, I don’t have a trip scheduled in my planner (yes, I still use a planner). And to be honest, I’m not quite sure what to do with myself. With the exception of a couple weddings, birthday parties, weekends with the boyfriend and scheduled events, my planner is mostly clean of pink and purple highlighter. Truthfully, I’m kind of excited about it.

The thought of cuddling at home with Louipup, spending time with friends, getting back into Bikram yoga, catching up on some reading, getting ready for fall (where did the summer go?) and staying put for a little while sounds pretty nice. So for now, it’s back to the grind and back to business. Vacation was fun, but it always feels nice to be home.

- L

Congrats on getting through the week! It’s FRIDAY!

Honestly, I’m pretty surprised I made it to Friday without pulling all of my hair out. Check out what this week has included:

- Houston heatwave (slash thunderstorms).
- Work overload. <– understatement
- European vacation preparation.
- Reality TV deprivation.
- Enormous lack of sleep.
- Never-ending to-do lists.
- Zero time for workouts.
- Bills.

Sounds pretty unbearable, right?

I did, however, manage to sneak in some fun this week and meet this lovely lady for some tasty wine and snacks. And let me tell you, boy did I need a drink. We went here and truth be told, this place never disappoints. If you live in Houston, GO THERE. Oh, but avoid the ketchup at all costs–they make it in-house and even the waiter told us to steer clear of it. To put it gently, it’s nothing like Heinz. Otherwise, BIG thumbs up on the menu and wine. Delish.

Can you believe it’s almost AUGUST? How are we already in the eighth month of the year?

Hey 2010, SLOW DOWN.

And since I love, love, LOVE the summertime–and this weekend’s going to be 100+ degrees (no, I’m NOT kidding)–I plan on enjoying every last bit of summer outside (with occasional dips in the pool and trips for snow cones) while it lasts.

So what’s on this weekend’s agenda?

- Margaritas + fajitas.
- Loui + dog park.
- Loui + grooming.
- Sun + pool + friends.
- Haircut.
- Dinner and movie date with good gal pal.
- Friend’s engagement brunch.
- Shopping for European vacation.
- Finish current book: Eat, Pray, Love.
- Anything else my little heart desires.

Oh, and I’m seeing Dinner for Schmucks on my gal-pal date because it looks HILARIOUS.

What do you have planned for the weekend?

Whatever you do, I hope it’s FABULOUS. Cheers!

- L

My friend Megan has a “Keep Calm and Carry On” framed poster–a saying that’s now pretty popular. When she bought it, I hadn’t ever seen or heard the phrase before but instantly loved it because it’s SO TRUE and something I need to tell myself on a regular basis.

Then this morning I came across the Keep Calm Gallery and fell in l-o-v-e. Here are some of the items I’m drooling over.

These little posters are perfect inspiration. Am I right? Clearly I’m not the only one who needs these reminders or else they wouldn’t be mass producing them. How many times has someone told you “don’t sweat the small stuff” or “when life gives you lemons, make lemonade”… In my case, TOO MANY TO COUNT.

Now, we can hang these up around our office, home or wherever our little hearts desire.

Remember–take things as they come, keep it simple, drink wine with dinner and be okay with failing every once in a while.

- L

It’s hard to find time in our crazy, hectic and fast-paced lives for ourselves. Between all the projects, responsibilities, events, meetings and obligations to work, family and friends, who has a second to spare to sit back and relax? As you know, I’m not so great at this either (but I’m certainly trying).

And in the midst of all the hubbub and chaos we call life, have you ever thought about those whose lives are completely different than ours? Sure, you drive your newly-washed car to work with the air-conditioning on high–but what about the person standing on the corner in the blistering heat who has just been laid off, can’t find work, can’t afford groceries and needs a little help? What about the families who have lost loved ones in a tragic accident? Or those who live paycheck to paycheck simply trying to make ends meet?

Don’t get me wrong, I’m definitely one of those car drivers. Since college graduation, my primary focus has been on getting my life in order and working like crazy. But you see, sometimes that’s just not enough. Do you ever find yourself asking, “Is this fulfilling?”

Lending a hand

In high school, I was a member of the National Charity League’s Houston Hearts Chapter. As a group, we offered our assistance to the community in a variety of ways, volunteering at food pantries, fundraising and giving our time and energy to local causes. In college, my sorority regularly participated in various campus fundraising events and held our own. It was always such a rewarding feeling to know that I was contributing to something bigger.

As New Year’s quickly approached last December, I found myself going through the same everyday routine and asking what my life was missing. After giving this more thought and examining how much time I had to offer and dedicate to something else, I ended up here in February 2010.

One may ask, “How did you find this place?” Well friends, it actually hits pretty close to home. In January 2001, my mother died. As you can probably guess, there weren’t many 15-year-olds in my school who had experienced something as traumatic as this. High school is a cookie-cutter world–everyone looks the same, dresses the same, does the same things after school… There wasn’t much room in all of that for sadness, tears or time for kids to try to relate or console. (And despite having great friends who tried their very best to be there, it was difficult–to say the least.)

So, I went to Bo’s Place for a couple months. Without going into much detail here, let’s just say that without a doubt, I wouldn’t be where I am today without having gone there. Bo’s Place is simply magical.

After training to become a facilitator–which in and of itself basically became a part-time job–I am now a facilitator who is giving back to the place that made such a difference to me. I can’t imagine volunteering my time anywhere else. No matter how tired I am or how crazy my day has been, I leave all of that nonsense at the front door. Knowing that I am walking into the same environment that more-or-less saved my life as a teenager makes me realize that there’s not a single place I’d rather be at that exact moment.

My question to you is–what do you do to give back and help others?

If you currently volunteer your time, I’d love to hear what you’re doing. If you’re not quite there yet, think about finding the time to make a difference in your own way. Whether big or small acts of kindness, the ways we each individually give of ourselves for the betterment of the communities in which we live can be profound. I challenge you to make that positive impact–trust me, it truly can change someone’s life.

- L

Right this very second, I’m on the 23rd floor of a beautiful hotel room overlooking downtown Atlanta. I’m sitting on a glorious king-sized bed complete with super squishy pillows (there are eight in total, yes EIGHT) in a room filled with state-of-the-art technology, clean lines and design, and the best water pressure I’ve ever had in a hotel room–and I’m definitely a stickler for bad water pressure.

Needless to say, I’m in heaven. If this is what heaven is like, sign me up (in about 60 years).

Earlier this afternoon when I arrived, I took a stroll (aka, got a little lost) while finding my way through downtown, and yes, I was on foot. Despite the fact that the sun was beaming, making it nearly 90 degrees outside, I was so incredibly happy. If you know me at all, walking around with sweat dripping down my back isn’t really my cup of tea; I prefer air-conditioning. Usually I’d be huffing and puffing and probably pretty miserable in a situation such as this. But there was something different today. Something very different.

As I navigated my way through Centennial Olympic Park, I watched children jump around in the grass, people walk their dogs, friends chat, couples hold hands, musicians play music and coworkers laugh–and everyone was smiling. And no, this isn’t an exaggeration.

Atlanta is such a happy place.

The hills roll, the sun shines, the wind blows and life is perfect. This place is truly unlike any other city I’ve been to before–and I’ve been to quite a few places in my day. Bottom line–this city is magical. If you live here, I’m jealous. If you’ve visited before, come back soon. And if you’ve never been here before, BIG MISTAKE.

- L

Side note: To all my friends and family who read the title of this post, don’t worry, I’m not picking up and moving to Atlanta. Although, I can safely say, I wouldn’t be upset if I had to.

Boyfriend and I had been looking for a dog for quite some time. We were on the search for a hypoallergenic dog (preferably not a mixed breed) that wasn’t a puppy but wasn’t very old either. We trekked around the city for several months visiting nearly every rescue we could find. But we kept coming up short.

Then last Friday we got a phone call about a 2.5-year-old silver miniature schnauzer named Smokey. Unfortunately, this wasn’t the most ideal timing considering boyfriend was just about to leave town for the weekend. Nonetheless, we returned the call and from the sound of it, he seemed pretty awesome. We requested pics to be e-mailed immediately and upon opening them, I started crying. I know, seems a bit over dramatic (and it probably is) but that’s how much I loved the little man right off the bat. He was perfect. This cute, cuddly, furry fuzzball of a dog was looking for a new home.

I rushed out to the rescue to meet him that afternoon and quickly fell in doggie love. He was precious. This sweet, happy pup seemed absolutely perfect. But could I really make this decision with boyfriend hundreds of miles away? So, I slept on it. Or so I thought… I got home and couldn’t sleep all night. I got up the next morning and hurried over to the rescue once more to see him. After an hour or two of signing paperwork, calling the boyfriend, playing outside and getting licked all over my hands, face and feet, it was done.

HE WAS OURS.

We scheduled Smokey for surgery (which of course, he still isn’t very happy about) and boyfriend–who had returned from his weekend trip–and I picked him up the following evening. He was super groggy from the anesthesia and probably doesn’t even remember his first night at home, but bringing him home was such a great feeling. The past week has most definitely been a learning experience (and a true test of our patience) but we’re all coming along great. Little Smokey (whose name has since changed to Loui) is full of love, life and most of all lots and lots of sweet kisses.

Meet Loui.

- L