The view of Midtown Manhattan from my office desk at the One World Trade Center. Why do we do the things we do? What drives us to take chances, or to embrace change - or not? To say I’ve been self-reflective since taking up full-time residency in New York City almost two months ago would …
Last week a former colleague reached out and asked if I would be willing to provide a consultation to the person who was hired as my replacement. Enthusiastic to help, I agreed to a video call and for over an hour I listened to an academically-trained ESL instructor vent her frustrations and feelings of overwhelm. …
Continue reading Seek to Understand through Empathetic Listening
From dealing with the stress of moving cross-country to pursuing the next chapter in my career, rituals of self-care and productivity have been the secret to thriving during these big life changes, not succumbing to them. In the spirit of my last post about mindfulness, I wanted to share another approach I’ve been employing for …
Continue reading Morning Rituals: Thoughts on Getting the Most Out of Your Day
This week marked the passing of one whole year since I last drank alcohol. A personal experiment of sorts to see what good could come of changing my habits. And before I go any further, I feel the need to preface this article by saying no, nothing “bad” happened; there wasn’t a rock bottom that …
Continue reading Mindfulness and the Year of Magical Reading
Because of the routines we follow, we often forget that life is an ongoing adventure... and the sooner we realize that, the quicker we will be able to treat life as art: to bring all our energies to each encounter, to remain flexible enough to notice and admit when what we expected to happen did …
So you’ve stood shoulder to shoulder with the fellow crowds of tourists from all over the world, tilting your heads up in unison to feast your eyes on the frescoes of the Sistine Chapel, that spectacular display of color and muscular bodies painted by Michelangelo some five hundred years ago. And you’ve made laps around …
Up high on the Janiculum hill of Rome, with breathtaking views of a city skyline filled with church cupolas and terracotta-colored buildings, sits San Pietro in Montorio. It's one of a handful of churches in the city dedicated to Saint Peter, the apostle who is easily recognized in paintings and sculptures by the keys (to …
Fact: it is very easy to have a less-than-thrilling dining experience in Rome. Fortunately, however, the good stuff is indeed everywhere, in every neighborhood, and yours for the taking with some know how and curiosity. Naturally, everyone has their own opinions, tastes, and fantastic travel experiences that led them to that holy plate of cacio …
Continue reading Si Mangia Bene: Eating & Drinking Well in Rome
I originally decided to visit the Rijksmuseum to study the 17th century Dutch painters who were strongly influenced by their contemporaries in the Italian schools of painting and inspired by the warm Italian landscape. Located in a room that is a straight shot to the right of the Rijkmuseum’s crown jewel, The Night Watch by …
Allyson Abroad 