A little run through the woods
Taken with iPhone 5s x Chamonix
With 10 quarters of school down and only 1 more to go, it’s a bizarre feeling to realize that one chapter of my life is coming to a close, while another (unwritten) chapter is about to begin. As Winter break is on the verge of commencement I have been thinking a lot about the past 3 years in Savannah and where my hard work will take me. The people I have met will be life long friends, travel partners, or just a person to call up and say hello. The work I have cried, laughed and stressed over was a way to challenge my mind that I will forever appreciate no matter where and/or what I end up doing. I have only grown to appreciate the work and relationships I have built through the time away from this historic town. The exceedingly long winter breaks given to SCAD students are a time for me to reflect upon the projects I have done previously, and obviously a time to blow off some steam. While I should be actively seeking jobs (which I am) I want to hold on to the small ounce of youth that society deems acceptable. Since six weeks is a potentially long time to do nothing, I think it is important to make it a potentially long time to do something. It is not about the places you go, who you see or what you do whilst there, but rather about the people you spend your time with. Freshman year , I spent my winter break skiing in the beautiful town of Zermatt with my mother (and of course, fresh pow + blue bird skies & the Matterhorn in the distance), came home, flew out to Colorado to ski with my longtime best friend and fiancée in Beaver Creek, then cruised the Caribbean for Christmas with my family all before bringing in 2011 in New York City with strangers who are now some of my dearest friends. While I have vivid memories of Zermatt’s crisp morning air filled with freshly baked croissants I remember the laughs shared with the people who I was meeting and traveling with the most. While exhausting, every decision I make when I have the time off revolves around the statement “I never want to spend life saying I wish I did that.”
So take a trip to North Carolina to get some fresh air, or a weekend road trip to Montreal. Remember traveling isn’t about the Instagram posts & facebook statuses, it’s about the people you meet & share moments with along the way. You never know how your actions may impact the people around you.
So where is next? I'll be spending thanksgiving with my family in Florida, and then will have the opportunity to go back to a city very dear to my heart, Chamonix. I spent winter break 2012 studying French at Insted language school in the heart of this mountain town. This year I have a unique opportunity to intern with a start up company in the alps. Why not integrate work and play? I'll be spending 4 weeks designing, working and of course skiing (conditions permitting).
Have a safe & happy holiday season.
Speak soon,
Per
P.S. Don't forget to volunteer & donate to local shelters this holiday season. Sharing is caring :)
http://www.metropolitanministries.org
Everyone is aware of Kickstarter, publish a project - hope it goes viral to publicly fund a project. A friend shared this link on my wall earlier today and I could not be more intrigued to see what Trevolta will come up with with the launch of this site. Trevolta does not give much information when you go to sign up other than "Trevolta: Crowd-funded travels" I mean...if it is a literal meaing to that, get excited.
Sign up and start planning!
Speak soon,
Per
http://signup.trevolta.com/invite/LK35G130029
After a long summer in the Cote d'Azur It is safe to say fitness was on my mind upon my return to the states. Running can get rather boring which is why the Color Run 5k was a great way to spend a Saturday Morning. It wasn't timed, but why not run with over 1,000 people and throw powder all over each other. Its a unique way to get people running on their feet, literally.
It has been 2 weeks since I have arrived to Scandinavia, and for those who know me best there is no surprise when I say I do not want to come home. Maybe it is the architecture, the people, the style or perhaps the overall standard of living. It is my third time visiting Stockholm and out of all of the cities I have ever visited this is the one that feels like home. I can imagine living here for a large portion of my life. With that being said this Florida girl has not experienced the cold, dark winter that everyone cries and complains about.
I am currently interning for Lorna Jane, an Australian athletic wear company with my best friend I have not seen in two years Hanna - I am loving it. It is a healthy working environment considering their motto is Move, Nourish and Believe. Not to mention their clothes are great to wear to work out or just to lounge around. www.activewearsweden.com They are opening the first official store in Europe this Thursday in Stockholm, and I am glad I will be here to experience it!
This past week I ventured to the wild west coast to visit my dear forever friends from Chamonix. I had the opportunity to explore the beautiful city by boat, plane and car. I thank everyone who hosted me and showed me where they are from, I wish they would come to Florida to visit me, hint hint.
The overall style of scandinavia is one that no other city could beat. Perhaps it is all of the good looking people, but everyone seems to get dressed up in the morning, afternoon and night, pre/post workout, hangover, etc. It is so nice to be around people who care about themselves (no offense America)
The moral of the story? From street style to life style Scandinavia has their shit together.
Speak soon,
Per
And yes, I do know how to spell "yacht" but for those on the MS George Washington, everything with a Y is Dutch(j) with a hidden J. Anyways, The Yacht Week. Hmm, where to begin. It was one of the best experiences I could have asked for, and for those who are interested and wondering TYW is not luxurious, you do not have access to clean bathrooms, you shower on the back of a boat / in the ocean and coming across ice is as hard as finding a needle in a hay stack.
With that being said, that is exactly what makes yacht week so wonderful. It certainly takes a specific type of person to camp on a crowded 46 ft boat with 11 people in the sun for a week. The experiences that are shared are those to last for a lifetime, that is if you can remember them.
The Crew:
YW Italy was for the 'veterans' most of the people who joined the 20 boats have experienced YW in Greece, BVI or the infamous Croatia. I on the other hand was a rookie. I couldn't of asked for a better crew, everyone mended so well and it is like we knew each other for years. 100% American, 100% Freedom. All I have to say is Cheers Buffalo, and sadly I forget the name of the other game but KOOOOOOOSH.
The places:
Sicily is beautiful, but wow. When you are on the open waters with the freedom to do anything and go anywhere it really is breathtaking. If we sailed past a small bay we stopped, well if we could find another boat to anchor to considering our Pov Boat's anchor was disabled to say the least. We climbed active volcanos, swam with jellyfish....., jumped off cliffs and swung off ropes from the side of our boat all in the deep blue Mediterranean sea.
The people of the Aeolian islands were so kind and generous. They were always willing to help and point a loud group of americans in the right direction.
Hitchhiking in Sicily - the things we do for canola oil.
I would have to say my favorite moment of the trip was climbing the volcano, as lame as it might sound it was surreal and we could have been on another planet and no one would have known. We were the only boat to climb the volcano in the morning with a private guide and we were literally the only people on the entire mountain. MAGIC.
(I may or may not have gone topless for a little bit - bucket list - check)
The Food:
It is Italy - need I say more? I probably gained 15 pounds. Not sorry about it. Also - the rumors are true. The tomatoes are magical.
Overall the Yacht Week really is not reality. I met people I will probably visit at some point somewhere, experienced things that some people search for for a lifetime. It certainly was an eye opening experience and shows someones true colors. There is no electricity or running water 1/2 of the time and no one even thinks twice about it.
(Steve Jobs Mega Yacht in the Distance - FYI)
If I were to give advice to anyone thinking of doing it - DO IT. It is worth every penny, just make sure you have a good crew, forget the hair straighteners and high heels at home and bring your party pants. You'll need them.
The Photo Diary
PREFER THE MOUNTAINS? No problem.
If the sun isn't your thing, European Travel Ventures decided to launch The Ski Week in Austria - I obviously had to experience that as well. Read all about it here. Which one would you prefer?
Being a little kid in a candy store is one thing, but there isn't much than can explain my excitement for the next 2 weeks of my life. It has been a little over 100 days since I sent my check in for The Yacht Week Italy, Week 30. According to those who have experienced TYW themselves it is not reality, and it is one of the best weeks of their life. I am most excited to meet the people coming from 80 different countries to sail, party and enjoy life all on a boat in the sea. I have come to find that being around people with similar interests to me including traveling, being happy, and having an open mind is the most important thing about living. Being surrounded by people that make you feel comfortable and alive is a part of life I feel as though a lot of people search a lifetime for. I am lucky enough to say I think I have found a passion that many other people share. A passion for adventure, exploration, the essential idea of living.
Anyways, I leave from the Nice airport - Milan - Sicily on Wednesday and arrive mid after noon where I will be meeting my friend Aaron from the USA, often referred to as Captain America. We will meet at the airport, rent a car and drive around Sicily for a compact trip of the island. We have 2.5 days to see Sicily until we meet up with the others in our crew (whom none of which I know - super excited to meet them) and sail around the Aeolian islands (while drinking, partying and bronzing of course).
Here is a little tentative itinerary of the places we will be stopping to in Sicily before yacht week:
Wednesday: Depart airport @ 1730, drive to the northwest part of island (3 hours), we are staying at a cute apartment here and will eat dinner and drink wine.
Thursday: Busy day full of Greek architecture. If we have time, we'll try to see the mosaics in Piazza Armerina (point F on map). First stop is Segesta, then Selinunte, Agrigento, and if we have time, Piazza Armerina. Arrive in Taormina late Thursday, the gem of Sicily. Drink more wine. We're staying at a B&B in Taormina; Villa Almoezia Charming B&B.
Friday: Sleep in; explore Taormina.
Saturday-Saturday: TYW - need I say more.
Destinations
- SALINA
- LIPARI
- STROMBOLI
- PANAREA
- PORTOROSA
It is safe to say I am one lucky girl, and really appreciate all of these opportunities to live life to the fullest.
Speak soon,
Per
When I first arrived in Cannes, I started researching for things I wanted to do and see when coming here. The first weekend I arrived (June 10) I saw that the original Earth, Wind & Fire was performing at the Nice Jazz Festival. I immediately bought a ticket, and boy I am glad I did.
I took the train to Nice in the late afternoon, did a little bit of exploring and then entered the festival. It was so well done and organized. I saw a variety of bands, people and of course enjoyed a few drinks which were surprisingly inexpensive considering it was a festival (only 2.50 Euro for a beer)
Earth, Wind & Fire put on such a great performance and I wish it didn't have to end. The best part about this whole experience is the fact that I decided to go to this concert by myself, bizarre I know, but for those who know me best it is not surprising nor shocking. Having the ability to be in a large crowd alone to enjoy the experience is a quality that I am glad I have. I really enjoyed the overall experience and the people I met while there.
Of course typical Perri did not plan ahead, and instead of booking a hostel to stay overnight in Nice, I took a cab back to Cannes after the concert. It was great considering my taxi driver did not speak much english so I had the opportunity to practice my french.
Anyways, I am off to Italy for The Yacht Week this coming Wednesday - Pictures and videos to come :)
Speak soon, Per
Yacht life in Cannes, France.