Galway Girl

Now I finally get to share the reason I've been MIA the last month. I've been hanging out in Ireland with some friends :)... OK, well actually, it was a lot of work and not a lot of sleep leading up to the shoot, but the finished product is pretty fun. Enjoy!

Lisbon Pt. 2

I've never been one for guided tours. So my favorite part of Lisbon was getting to wander around by myself. It's the perfect city to just walk around and get lost, the alleys are even fun to walk though and lots of shops and cafes.

One shop that I found and loved was Lua de Champagne, an eclectic boutique that made me feel like I'd walked into a fashionably quirky friend's closet filled with unique clothes and jewelry- the perfect spot to buy birthday gifts for Teresa and my sister, and of course, a gift for myself too :) I found it by getting lost one day, the best way to find things when you're in a new city.

So if you find yourself in Lisbon, take some time to wander.

The Things that Calm Me: Yoga

Teresa first introduced me to yoga in college and off and on since I've gone through spurts of being really into it and then "not having time for it" aka, coming up with excuses to not go. Yes, I'm sure some of those excuses were actually legit, but a lot of the time, it was me not choosing to make time for something that calms me and gets my endorphins flowing. As I continue to deal with my stress and anxiety in practical ways, I realize that I am more productive, happier, calmer, and probably just a nicer person to be around when I'm doing yoga regularly.

When I step into a yoga studio, I silence my phone and force myself to be present there. I tell myself that the world around me won't fall apart in the hour and a half I've checked out (which sometimes isn't easy to do) and I focus on being there. It's a time for me to clear my mind, pray, meditate and breathe deeply.

If you've tried yoga and don't think it's for you, I'd say, there are a wide variety of styles of yoga, and maybe you just need to find what works best for you, or the right studio, or instructor. I know that hot yoga isn't for me, I typically do vinyasa but recently have gotten into yin.

After going fairly regularly this fall and winter, I was determined not to quit it entirely while we were in Europe this past month. I packed my favorite leggings and signed up for Gaia, which I'd describe as the Netflix of yoga videos :) They really have some good stuff on there, but I do so much better with classes in person rather than rolling around solo on hotel room floors.

When I got to Lisbon, I felt adventurous and decided to see if I could find a studio that taught in English and I few minutes of Googling later and I'd booked a class at Little Yoga Space, just a quick 10 minute walk from my hotel. I loved it! It was truly a tiny space with room enough for 8 people and a super friendly instructor and group of regulars who were super welcoming to me, this jet legged stranger from Seattle.

When we continued on to Amsterdam, a friend brought me along to Delight Yoga- which actually has four beautiful spaces around Amsterdam, one of which is pictured above. I wish I could move to Amsterdam JUST to continue yoga here. The spaces all look like they belong in a magazine, and most people hang around for a bit after drinking tea. It felt like stepping into a spa.

Both in Lisbon and Amsterdam, I noticed that the majority of the people showed up in street clothes and changed at the yoga studio, as it's less common to be walking around in active wear (BTW, if you haven't seen this, it's hilarious). Also, in both cities, it seems like it's much less common to bring your own mat to class. Apart from these small differences, it's nice that most everything else seemed familiar to me. I think that part of my travel traditions from here on out will include trying yoga in new places. 

Lisbon! Pt. 1

I loved getting to spend some time in Lisbon last month. Jason was directing a commercial while we were there, so he was busy for most of the days and I was left to find a good balance between getting work done remotely and sightseeing. I really had no expectations for Lisbon going in, but within hours of being there, I was already recommending it as a vacation destination to friends!

Rick Steves refers to Lisbon as the San Francisco of Europe, and in some ways that's a great comparison with the hilly streets filled with cable cars and it's beautiful suspension bridge...I'd also add in the AMAZING seafood, and great desserts :).

I ate a ton of wonderful foods in Lisbon, so much seafood, from oysters and clams to a variety of fishes, both cooked and an a variety of raw forms- sushi, ceviche, tartare, I love it all!

Sea Me was a quick walk from where we were staying, and after an amazing dinner there, I went back to have the exact same thing for lunch a few days later!

We loved the vibe and the view of The Insolito, and it was conveniently located on the roof of our hotel!

When we got tired of fish, we had steak at La Brassarie de l'Endrecôte.

While I realize this probably not the most authentic cultural representation of the city, the Time Out Market is a great way to experience a whole lot of what Lisbon has to offer in just a couple of hours. This was great for Jason and a lot of the crew on the shoot, who were working the majority of the time they were there. We went one night for dinner and everyone ran around to different stalls ordering a little bit of everything which left us with a spread of food to sample that included everything you could think of- from squid ink to gelato :)

The Pastel de Nata is probably the most famous Portuguese pastry, but there are a whole wide variety of amazing things to try at bakeries all around the city.  While wandering one day, I happened on Zarzuela, a cute little bakery that makes them gluten and dairy free!

We stayed at two different hotels and would recommend both, depending on the type of hotel you're looking for. Both hotels are centrally located in the Barrio Alto neighborhood, the perfect place to be able to walk to so much of the city.

If you are looking for something with a great old school Portuguese feel that's looks like it's been decorated by Wes Anderson with tons of quirk and charm*, check out The Independente- which has beautiful suites and also has a very inexpensive hostel option! If my recommendation isn't enough, The New York Times agrees. I really enjoyed having a bit more space in a hotel room and having my own sitting room with a beautiful balcony looking out on the Miradouro de São Pedro de Alcântara and an incredible view of the city.

(*the downside to "quirk and charm" is sometimes it also means having to cram all of your suitcases in a tiny elevator and then you get to your floor and still have to walk down and up a half flight of stairs to get to your room...not a deal breaker for me, but obviously not ideal for everyone.)

If modern boutique hotels are more your style, we also stayed at 9 Hotel Mercy, which is a beautifully renovated building still in the heart of everything. This time we had an amazing balcony with a view looking out in the other direction over the city and out to the water with amazing sunset views.

Taking guided tours or bus rides isn't my prefered method to experience a city, instead I spent most of my time wandering and eating and doing a little bit of Googling of things that I found interesting. Rambling down alleys and side streets lead me to amazing tile buildings and colorful street art. The city was super walkable, and if it ever became too much, taxis or trolleys are readily available. 

Lisbon was a beautiful city and since this is getting long, I'll pause here and share more later. 

Beijos!

Goodbye Amsterdam!

After a month away, I'm back in Seattle.

Along with a cute pink raincoat, some new shoes and gifts I stuffed in my suitcase coming home, I'm bringing with me a changed perspective.

The project Jason directed (I'll post it when it's out!) was produced by an awesome production company based in Amsterdam. Thanks to the amazing people we worked with, I learned first hand that attitudes towards work/life balance seem totally different in Amsterdam than in the U.S. Personal wellbeing is a priority there, whether for yourself or for your co-workers. The idea that being caught up on sleep, taking time out for vacations and being with your family, even going for a walk, getting fresh air or doing yoga- all of these things make you more productive in the hours you're working. And overall, the idea that there are more important things in life than work- this is what I take home with me.

The silly thing is, all of these pressures to work more and work longer hours and never vacation, these are ideas I've forced on myself since I run the company I work for! It's time to make a change.

So today, I will do yoga at noon, and I won't feel guilty that I should be somewhere else working. I will be present there. And tonight, I'll make Jason sit down and eat dinner with me. Something we haven't done at home in ages.


Fun posts about my time in Amsterdam and Lisbon coming soon! 

Ireland!

If you follow me on Instagram, you might have noticed that I quickly popped out of the country to Ireland for a few days. It was a last minute trip, but so much fun! I loved getting to be there with Jason this time, as last time it was a girls trip to visit Teresa when she was living in Dublin.

As with most of our travels, it was technically a work trip, but it also sort of doubled as a mini anniversary getaway :) 

For the most part, we were driving through the Irish countryside and it was lovely to be out of a city and in a place that felt so different from my normal. 

Namaste!

Hello there!

I'm home from a two week adventure in India and Nepal.

It was a very busy two weeks, but we had a lovely time. It was surreal seeing the Taj Mahal (above). I remember a photo of it being in a elementary school text book. It seemed so foreign and far away to fifth grade me, and then last week, there it was in front of me, big and breathtaking in person.

The purpose of our trip has been shooting photos and capturing video footage for Construction for Change and The 30/30 Project. In India, we documented a village where a clinic is being built, giving 20,000 people in the surrounding areas access to quality health care. In Nepal, we visited a safe house for women and children rescued from the sex trade.

I'm excited to tell you more about the amazing organizations we've gotten to see in action and the great work they are doing.

If you follow me on Instagram (@jennykoekoe) you'll have seen a couple of photos from our journey thus far, more to come on the blog later! 

Family Trip to Southern Cali

Last week we took a family trip to Southern California to visit Patrick's aunt and uncle, Kathy and Mike. They live north of LA in Ventura County and were SO generous to welcome us and our extremely energetic toddler into their home for a week. After all the sickness and busyness of this winter it was absolutely wonderful to relax and soak up some Californian sun. Mylo had a blast playing at the beach as you can see above. He wanted to run back and forth "like a jet."

Speaking of jet's, he was SOO excited to be going on a plane. For the most part he was a good little traveler (a few meltdowns along the way, after all, he is two) and we made it there and back in tact. 

We explored a lot of Ventura County with visits to Ojai, Carpenteria, Santa Barbara and Oxnard Beach. My favorite was probably Ojai, we had a wonderful time exploring Bart's Books (an outdoor bookstore!), the Sunday farmer's market, and may cute shops (FIG was my favorite!). We also had a wonderful breakfast at the Ojai Cafe Emporium that included an amazing croissant cinnamon roll!

Kathy and Mike babysat for us one afternoon/evening so we could meet up with my friend Jenn and explore the new Broad Museum in downtown LA. We had a great time learning about modern art and drinking margaritas without the toddler!

We celebrated my birthday with lots of dessert, pasta and a fun hat that Mylo couldn't get enough of. Thanks Mike and Kath for a wonderful week! 

NOW, REMIND ME WHY WE DON'T ALL LIVE IN CALIFORNIA??

Short trip to Korea

I'm back in the states after my quick trip to visit my sister for her birthday this past weekend. I had such a great time, I only wish it didn't take quite so long to get over there! Stephanie was so surprised, all weekend she kept on saying, "I can't believe you're here!"

We had a great relaxing weekend, we went to a jimjibang, which is a traditional Korean bath house, it felt so great to sit in a salt water hot tub and look out at the sea and get a massage too! We also visited Innisfree's Jeju House where you can explore all of their great beauty and skincare products and even make your own soap.

I made Stephanie take me to ALL of the Korean skincare stores, Innisfree, Skin Food, The Face Shop, etc. and I need to do a post on Korean beauty products soon! As you can see above, we found some fun face masks! Incase you can't tell, I'm a fox and she's a lion :)

Happy Birthday Stephanie!

 When your sister turns 30, the best thing to do is fly half way around the world to celebrate with her!

I think I've mentioned it before, my sister Stephanie lives on Jeju Island, South Korea where she teaches at an international school. I was in cahoots with one of Steph's friends and co-workers who was able to get other teachers in on it, switch her class schedule around and make everything perfect!

Stephanie has no idea I was coming, she didn't even think her co-workers or students knew it was her birthday, so she was surprised enough when the technology teacher called her into her room and all of Stephanie's students were wearing party hats and sang happy birthday to her. Then they said there was a present for her in the other room, and naturally, since the kids were so excited about it, Stephanie thought it must be some sort of cookie or treat for everyone, but it was me!!!

I'm just here for a few days, but so glad I was able to make it work to come see her and celebrate. 

Mexico Wedding

As promised, here are a few of my favorites from Morgan & Ryan's wedding in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico last week. One of my favorite things about weddings in Mexico is the laid back vibe they all seem to have. I think it helps that most couples arrive at their destination a few days or more before the wedding. They're able to relax, unwind and kick it with their friends, so by the time the actual wedding day arrives, they're in vacation mode, and able to enjoy the day even more!

Another very cute part about this wedding, Morgan's parents met each other on the beach in Puerto Vallarta, just next to the spot where the photo above was taken!

If you're looking for more ideas and advice on destination weddings, check out this post I wrote a few years back. 

Seattle Spotlight: Yoga By The Falls

For my friend Alicia's birthday she invited us to join her for a yoga class, spa soak and lunch at Salish Lodge at Snoqualmie Falls, about 45 minutes east of Seattle. I've stayed at the lodge before but the new yoga studio with views of the falls is a welcome addition! We had a blast at the yoga class (which even the beginners in the group enjoyed), soaking in the sea salt spa, and eating a delicious lunch in The Attic (this pregnant lady indulged in the Beecher's Grilled Cheese, TO DIE FOR). Overall, I left the day feeling refreshed and pampered, what a great way to spend a birthday. Cheers to you, Alicia!

PS. Remember these AMAZING photos Jenny and Jason took at Snoqualmie Falls?

Would You Stay in a Hostel with Your Kids?

The last time I stayed in a hostel was April of 2011 in Belfast, Ireland. We were living in Dublin at the time and traveled up to Belfast with my brother and some friends. We booked two rooms and my friend's husband was kind enough to switch with me so that us girls could have our own room and the boys bunked in together. The trouble was there was music blasting until 4am. When we checked out the next morning I looked Patrick in the eyes and said, "I will never stay in a hostel again." I was 27 years old at the time and decided that my hostels days were at an end.

These hostels may just make me change my mind though! All of these spots are family friendly and boast a lot of unique features that seem so fun for kids. Would you stay in one?

Plas Curig Hostel, Wales

Cozy and family friendly this place is adorable...

Costa Verde 727 Fuselage, Costa Rica
Yes, this is a hostel in a plane. CRAZY!

Freehand Miami, Florida

I WILL stay here. This is the place that started my wild goose chase of family friendly hostels. 

Montreallalone...

I'm heading home from Montreal today after a lovely impromptu couple of days relaxing and exploring Montreal solo. I'm realizing I've never actually been on vacation by myself before, and honestly, I'm still not sure whether I'd do it again on purpose. It wasn't meant to be a solo trip, Jason was supposed to be up here for work this week, but plans changed last minute and he was needed in Seattle instead. In my head, I'm already referring to this trip as "Montreallalone" Get it? Hehe.

It's been a crazy month of projects, and I was really hoping to have a couple of days with Jason. Even though he would have been working, we would have been away from the rest of our busy lives and the endless to do lists. But it seems I was meant to be alone for a few days instead. As you might be able to guess by this, somewhat atypical, overly introspective blog post, a couple days alone with my thoughts might have been exactly what I needed.

Mainly, I need to stop worrying. In the course of a few hours, I went from worrying about what I would do all alone for 3 days now that Jason wasn't going to be joining me in Montreal, to worrying that 3 days alone in Montreal wasn't enough time to do everything I wanted to! It's like my brain doesn't know what to do with itself if it isn't fixated on worrying about something.

One of my favorite things about travel, is the ability to see your life from a distance. Somehow, looking back at all the things I need to do when I'm home doesn't look quite as daunting from far away. I love feeling refreshed and just a little homesick, just enough to make me look forward to going home. A break from my reality always leaves me in a better state of mind, relaxed and ready to tackle life without overly obsessing about the things I cannot control and more appreciative of the people that I missed while I was in Montreal all alone.

Vacation Fun: Flash Tattoos

We are home from vacation and had an amazing time at Priest Lake last week! I can't wait to share more pictures but in the meantime I had to post about our fun little vacation accessory, Flash Tattoos! I got these for a gift in the spring and threw them in my bag at the last minute to try out on vacation. There were a ton in the package and we girls cut them all up and used them as rings, bracelets, arm bands, anklets, etc. With multiple sunscreen applications and swimming they didn't last the full 4-5 days but we enjoyed them for a while and they came off really easy. I think little girls would love these too! 

PS. Beyonce just designed a set of Flash Tattoos-- next time!

"Working" in Los Angeles...

While Teresa's enjoying her vacation. I'm working from LA for the next few days.

I use "working" fairly loosely because we shot an awesome wedding this weekend that was basically us getting to hang out some fun and very creative people (photos to come tomorrow!)  and now I've stayed for a few more days to work on a project with my friend Ash Lendzion. We're writing a script! Ash is a former college roommate of Teresa and mine. She's an actress and writer and an all around hilarious person who has done a bunch of script writing, but for me, this is the first thing I've attempted to write (well, other than this blog). Its the type of thing we've talked about doing for a long time, and then actually came up with an idea worth working on. Obviously if it turns out to be amazing, you'll be hearing plenty more about it :)

Anyhow, after a long day of  creativity, Ash and I walked from her place in Studio City to Spitz for some Mediterranean Street Food and it was bomb. They had four different varieties of sangria. Of course I loved the one with lavender.

And then, there were these. Streetcar Fries covered in goodness. We also shared a plate of veggies with hummus and tzatziki and the Streetcar Doner, which is an amazing wrap. I'd recommend it all. 

Somehow, after a whole day spent with Ash, this is the only photo I have to show. Just think of her as the new Wilson. You know, the neighbor from Home Improvement? Maybe you'll never see all of her face.