stay : the common pursuit

I discovered this great site : The Common Pursuit : via this blog. 


The Common Pursuit is a collection of characterful, comfortable and interesting places to stay handpicked by the authors with links to the sources. I love finding off the path, quirky and unique places to stay when traveling so this page has definitely been bookmarked under my favorites.
The photos from above are from places in Argentina, Spain and Morroco. I love the colors and outdoor spaces as opposed to being in a hotel room, these are great spots to relax after a long day of sightseeing and exploring. 


website : The Common Pursuit

travelogue : colombia { part 2 }

One of the things that was top on our to do list was to go hang gliding.
My sister did it when she was in Colombia last year and I definitely wasn't going to miss the chance, even with my light fear of heights.
My cousins, sister and I hiked to a beautiful house high in the mountains and took off from there.
It was exhilarating and the views of el Valle del Cauca were breathtaking!
After the ride, we treated ourselves to delicious local fav - cholados - crushed ice, fruits, condensed milk and fruit syrup.

travelogue : colombia { part 1 }

We drove through small towns - Ginebra, Buga, El Cerrita - past rivers and beautiful fincas on our way to El Pomo.
Being a passenger, with camera in hand, soaking up the sights and sounds is pure bliss for me. 
There is so much to see and do in Colombia, that two weeks wasn't enough time.
We spent most of the days with family, but luckily we got to take a few roadtrips while we were there.

design : vacation home { sao paolo }

Casa Cinza by Isay Weinfeld in Sao Paulo, Brasil [source]

The last time I wrote about a dream vacation home was here and here so a new post was long overdue.
I plan to create a couple of recurring features and this is a great way to incorporate my love for travel, architecture and interior design. Plus, I think I dream more about my first 'vacation' home than my first 'home' home.

The neutral, earthy tones makes this place a perfect get away in the middle of a bustling city as Sao Paolo is.

We got back from Colombia a week ago and I can't put into words how great the trip was. Seeing family (after 10 years), spending time with my grandmother who turned 90, meeting my newest cousin, and other fun adventures - hang gliding off the side of a mountain (image above); late night horse back riding; salsa dancing all night (after all, we were in Cali, aka the "salsa capital of the world"); spending new year's eve/day relaxing at a beautiful finca with the entire family; visited Popayan, a beautiful city where my grandfather's brother, who is 92, lives with his family; driving on the Pan-American Highway to get to Popayan; eating delicious meals and much more. We didn't get to do all we wished to do, which only means we have to go back soon.

In the meantime:
- I wanted to share these incredible photos of architectural gems along Norway's road systems, not to mention the incredible views from these spots. A Norway road trip has definitely been added to my list. It also got me thinking how fun it would be to design these types of structures.
- I decided this was the year to attend Coachella and almost went crazy waiting in line (online) for tickets only to snatch 2 ten minutes before the second weekend sold out! So California in April it is! And #45 on my list will be crossed off. Very excited.
- My cousin is currently trekking Machu Pichu and I can't wait to see her photos and hear all about her experience! Hopefully, I can share some and her story on here with you.

I'll be posting pictures from Colombia soon. And already planning for more travel adventures for 2012.

dreaming of iceland

MADE IN ICELAND from Klara Harden on Vimeo.

found via odessa may society

a sign, perhaps...to book a trip soon?

endless blue

{ Lake Havasu, AZ }

A preview of my Arizona trip photos. I had an absolute fantastic time being on the road, exploring new towns and scenic places. It was great seeing friends that I missed dearly; visiting our favorite places and discovering new ones. I also missed the outdoors, in particular - the mountains! It has me rethinking of the city I want to live in someday. I've always thought I'd end up in a big city (Barcelona, NYC, San Francisco) with a metro and lots of culture, nightlife, dining and things to do. But more and more I realize I would also enjoy a place that is slower paced, connected to nature, or at least be able to have that a short road trip away. It's nice to get out of the busy city (and awful traffic) every once in a while, disconnect and let the endless skies and landscapes inspire you.

nyc from across the river + a cool playground

Soho drive

At the last minute, sis and I booked our tickets to attend a wedding in NJ this past weekend. Since we flew into LGA we decided to rent a car instead of troubling family to pick us up at the airport. We found ourselves driving through NYC on a Saturday morning, a beautiful morning it was! There was a nice coolness in the air, and you can see everyone out and about in their boots+scarves enjoying the gorgeous morning. We didn't have time to stop and walk around since the wedding was that afternoon,  but we did snap a few shots on the way and made mental notes of places to stop by on our next visit.

roadtrips + adventures

The Grand Canyon was magical and breathtaking.

Words can't describe.

It rained on and off throughout our day at the canyon so we didn't get to explore the trails much.

So on my next visit, my goal is to hike to the bottom and stay at the Phantom Ranch.