If it isn’t already evident from my existing blog posts, I will share a secret with you. I love taking photographs. I come by it naturally. When I was a kid, my father shot with two separate twin lens reflex cameras: a Roliflex and a Hasselblad. This is major equipment. He took incredible photos of my family and we treasure them to this day. When my brother played football, he obtained a press pass and was able to take photographs of all of the kids on the team. We had so much fun having all of the pictures printed (5×7 – my father would never settle for giving the families shots of their kids that were any smaller) and placing them in manila envelopes for each family to have permanent images of their sons on the football field. Similarly, my mother’s father was so enamored of photography that he built his own darkroom in his basement. As for me, my first camera had flash cubes (yes I’m that old) and a few years later, my parents bought me a Le Click Camera – a small point-and-shoot in deliciously 80s colors (mine was pink) that used disc film. In college, I would print three copies of each roll of film and hand them out to my friends who appeared in them. To this day, one friend admits she would not have a single picture from college were it not for me.
Continue reading “No Pictures Please”Sculpture Around the World
I’ve always been a lover of art. From childhood museum trips to concerts and ballet, I was raised to appreciate all forms of art. I’d be hard-pressed to choose a favorite medium. And yet, in the realm of visual art, there is something about sculpture that truly speaks to me. Of course, as with all great art, these photographs don’t truly do them justice. I hope you’ll get to see them in person. I hope I get to see them again.
in addition to being beautiful works of art, many sculptures are crafted out of materials that enable them to be outside, therefore presenting themselves as public works of art as well as merely aesthetically pleasing ones. Many cities, including New York, have sculptures in front of buildings, nestled in public gardens, or along waterfronts. Seek them out. See how they interact with the surroundings. Do you feel there is a difference between a sculpture and a statue? Tell me about it in the comments below.
Cork Grows on Trees?
Sometimes I don’t even know what I don’t know. Years ago, I watched a documentary about subways and skyscrapers and it turns out that the technology existed to build skyscrapers long before New York City built them. The problem wasn’t in building the skyscraper – it was in getting enough people to the building to work there. This all changed when the subways were developed. The local newspaper bought land waaaaaayyyyyy uptown, in what was known as Longacre Square, far from everything and said that it would allow the subway to build a hub there. The paper re-named the square after itself, and Longacre Square became Times Square. Friends, I have lived here my entire life. I have been in Times Square a million times. I have frequented that subway hub more than I can count. I even did the whole New Year’s Eve thing. Twice. (I didn’t learn my lesson the first year.) I never connected that Times Square was named for the New York Times. Maybe this tale just demonstrates how block-headed I can be, but I prefer to think of it as showing how sometimes you just need to look at things in a new way in order to discover something new about them – and sometimes about you.
Continue reading “Cork Grows on Trees?”The People of Paris
I love Paris. I’ve only been there once, and it was only for three days, but unsurprisingly, I formed an instant connection with Paris. I knew I would love being there long before I ever stepped foot on the Champs Elysees, and the reality exceeded my expectations.
My mother took me to Paris a few years ago as an add-on to our Italy trip. I was supposed to go visit some friends in Switzerland, but the timing didn’t work. My mother couched her suggestion of Paris in terms of consolation, but anyone who has ever visited knows that Paris is never a consolation. I think my mother was excited to be my personal tour guide in a city she adored.
Continue reading “The People of Paris”Tourist in My Own Town
I believe there are two kinds of people who live in and around New York City: those who never visit the tourist sights unless out-of-town family come to visit and those who immerse themselves in everything a tourist would want to see. I am one of the latter. I grew up just eight miles west of the George Washington Bridge and it was common for my parents to take my brother and me to see the attractions people traveled thousands of miles to enjoy.
Continue reading “Tourist in My Own Town”Welcome to my Blog
Welcome to my blog! I’ve been toying with the idea of writing a blog for a while now and I decided to bite the bullet and go for it. You’ll see that it’s called World of Austin, and that is pretty much just what it is. I will mostly be focusing on my travels around the world, but I’ll definitely throw in some other fun stuff here and there as well. It might be a book I’m reading, a recipe I’m cooking, or a pattern I’m knitting. Whatever it is, I promise you fun.
Those of you who know me in person know that I just might talk a bit. Okay, quite a bit. I’ve always been a natural storyteller, and what Malcolm Gladwell called in the Tipping Point, a connector. You want a great tour guide in Rome? I’ve got one. You need to know where to eat in New York City? Hit me up. You’re looking for the best chocolates in Zurich? Don’t worry, we did a taste test. And yes, they were all delicious. Keep your eyes peeled for my post about the chocolate tasting!
I’m the kind of person who enjoys trying new things and having fabulous experiences, and if I like something – especially if I think you’ll like it – I’m going to tell you about it. Whether it’s a new shampoo or a wine bar in Florence, I am fond of recommending the places, people, and things that speak to me. Hey, let me do the hard work of experimenting with things first, right? If you don’t know me yet, I might not know what you like yet, but take a gander at my blog and if you like some of the things I talk about, shoot me your email address so I can make sure to get you the latest and greatest information I’m discussing. And hey, if I’m in your town, let me know – we can meet up for coffee!