Photos

May 1, 2013 In Honda, Massachusetts, People, Photos

hello new england!

I’m going on 1,500 miles in 5 days, racking up the miles on the BLR-Mobile:

Racking up the miles on the Civic

…going from DC to Charlotte, back up through VA, DC again, Maryland, NJ, NY, into MA:

Massachusetts State Line

Why? To get to my New England summer home base of course! To work on a most exciting project with:

Rita's books

…and a few other amazing people.

Big things. Good things. GREAT things are happening and the tipping point has tipped.

Boo-yah!

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March 29, 2013 In BLR Play It Forward 2013, News & Updates, Photos, Virginia

springing around

I took these during sunset at a friends house during Virginia wine time the other day:

Sunset at Frenchy's Cobbler House

Sunset at Frenchy's Cobbler House

There are no edits, no Instagram fixes, or color enhancements in these photos, nothing but a good click of an iPhone 4S and a gorgeous nature view. I love the reflection in the wine glasses. Not much beats a sunset view and good laughs with a friend.

I’m now en route to Napa for another house sitting gig continuing my spring of making sure pets and homes are well taken care of as their owners are in dreamy places like Italy and New Zealand. I’ll be sipping California wine in the Napa Valley during the next few weeks and hopefully watching more gorgeous sun setting like I was during the above photo session. (PS on the pet and house sitting note ~ I’m for hire and happy to provide stellar services anytime for absent home owners, so drop me a line if you need someone to stay at your pad: Diane(@)bluelollipoproad.com)

As I wrap up my 7 month stay in the DC area, I’m thankful for a few of the fantastic people I’ve met and spent time with. (People and conversation are always the best part of any stay wherever I travel and work.) In serendipitous timing of a location that I never expected to be in (isn’t that always the way?) there is one person in particular I finally got to meet face to face after 8 years which has been an incredible surprise. Go figure- click, click, click, and we’ve started work on a project that’s coming together like magic. I will share more when I can. For now I will say I believe more than ever if you keep fighting to be able to do work you love, always following your heart and instinct, it might be 1 year, 10, or 20, but eventually the tipping point will come. Sure, you’ll likely have to endure the shit storm (god knows I have) of horrible bosses, lazy company owners, long hours, little pay, coworkers you’d rather never see again than be in the same room with, or wearing some absolutely absurd embroidered maroon polo shirt (thanks Bottoms Up Pizza!)- but eventually your good fight will pay off and opportunity will knock for you to actually do work you’re passionate about and get paid for it.

Whoa. Awesome.

Until I can share about the above project (fingers double crossed) I keep working on my book, the 2nd Annual Play It Forward event, and a few other client projects that are always fun and rewarding. April through June I’ll be in the following areas (in order of travel) in case any of you out there will be in the same spot of the country and wish to meet up:

San Francisco, Napa, DC, Richmond Va, Wilmington NC, Raleigh, Charlotte, Nashville, Columbus OH, Chicago, Vermont, Upstate NY, Vermont again (BLR Play It Forward July 13th!) Then, drumroll please…(of course I can’t tell you yet:)

See you on the road! (That’s a hint by the way.)

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March 20, 2013 In Inspiration, Photos

freedom

Of course I chose FREEDOM:

The streets of Napa

…and I will keep this little tab of paper forever:

Blue Lollipop Road chooses freedom

free·dom noun ˈfrē-dəm
1 : the quality or state of being free: as
a : the absence of necessity, coercion, or constraint in choice or action
b : liberation from slavery or restraint or from the power of another : independence
c : the quality of being frank, open, or outspoken

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March 19, 2013 In Photos

west coast

One of the reasons I love California? On a random Sunday night, leaving an event in Downtown Napa- homemade posters like this are taped to the street signs:

The streets of Napa

I’ll let you guess which tab I tore off. Check back tomorrow for my reveal!

Which tab would you take?

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March 7, 2013 In Food, News & Updates, People, Photos

no wonder why tuition is so high these days

Nutella lovers unite!

It looks like Columbia students and I are in the same tribe. (The chocolate loving tribe that is.) Check out this article out today. Heads up all you college coeds: Add some Oreo’s to your Nutella obsession:

Diane noshing on Oreo's and Nutella

…and the university will be busting the budget even more to keep supplies in stock for your chocolate hazelnut cravings.

I say if you’re going to spend upwards of $60k a year for school, the least that institution should provide is an unlimited supply of whatever treat strikes your fancy and keeps you studying. (And smiling.)

 

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March 5, 2013 In Honda, Photos, Travel Tips and Tricks

tetris and other tricks

Recently I’ve gone from home base to home less once again. (Don’t cry for me Argentina, this is a chosen mobility.)

I’ve boasted many times in the past about my mad organizational skills and ability to live light, and I admit I am patting myself on the back a bit again today for this. As I was unloading the BLR-Mobile and repacking all my life belongings for the 7,777th time, I couldn’t help but think; Man do I rule at box and car tetris. Michael Phelps gets the gold for his by-a-tenth-of-an-inch precision in the pool, I think I should medal in- I fit all of THAT in THAT size box/bag/bin/compartment with not a fingernail length to spare like him.

Here’s an old photo of my mighty partner in crime during one of the pack, unpack, repack, days. This photos was taken in September of 2011, after I arrived in NJ to pick up my new Honda Civic Hybrid for my Honda sponsored road trip. The transition time never usually looks this neat and tidy, but I have just discovered during my iPhoto search, that surprisingly have very few car packing day photos:

The BLR-Mobile in NJ September, 2011

If you’ve followed here for any length of time you know, that everything I own fits very comfortably in my little Honda Civic any time I want it to. When I rent an apartment or find home base, I buy the big “stuff” I need, and when I leave I sell it. This is not only fun (because who doesn’t like furniture and vintage store shopping and scoping)- but also affordable for the smallest of salaries.

How you ask? Well:
1.) I usually resell for the same price I pay for items (up to 25% less- worst case scenario.)
2.) I don’t have to move any large items because buyers come for purchase pick ups.
3.) I never pay for storage.

Yet another bit of insight on how I have afforded my nomadic lifestyle on a very low budget.

The ability to sell for free on Craigslist, and liquor stores anywhere USA that offer free piles of boxes on any given day- are a very beautiful thing. It’s not easy, it takes a lot work, sweat and organization, but It’s all very, very worth it to be able to live free. There’s a good possibility I’ll continue training to stay on the medals podium in the unpacking and repacking Olympics forever.

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