Currently March 2020

Currently | 3.25.20

Wow, what a difference a month makes. I missed the February edition of Currently due to technical issues and now the world has changed. We left Phoenix on January 29th and drove 4 straight long days (we were towing a trailer) to Raleigh, North Carolina.  We lived in a terrible, but cheap hotel for a month and then moved into our new home in the Raleigh-Durham area at the end of February.

Looking back on it, given the Coronavirus, the timing worked out well. Not only are we in our own house on 1-acre surrounded on 3 sides by woods (so isolated), but we did multiple big grocery and household runs to fill up our new fridge, freezer, and large pantry, so without hoarding, we were already set for the self-imposed seclusion the Misadventures family currently finds itself in.  That includes toilet paper because we have 3 bathrooms and a lot of closets. Who knew?!!

In mid-February, I went on a super quick trip to San Jose, California for a 1-day event and when I returned I had 5 business trips, including 2 weeks in Europe canceled and my employer, who saw the early signs, mandated a work-from-home policy. I am already a remote employee who just happens to live near our headquarters now, so not a big deal. But for many who are forced to work from home now, and especially those with kids, I know it isn't easy!

Not surprisingly, the travel industry, including travel bloggers, has been hit hard so I am encouraging you to spend some time on your favorite travel blogs to share some love. This will be over, not soon, but eventually, and there are lots of trips to research and plan for. Do some of that planning by reading travel blogs, trust me, they will greatly appreciate it!

Now, onto March and what's been going on in the Misadventures world!

And P.S.

Watching | Oscar Movies and More Series…

> Before we were “stuck” at home, we were stuck in a hotel for 3+ weeks. Mr. Misadventures did a great job hacking the TV so that we could stream from various sources. We watched season 2 of Lost in Space (loved) and the first couple episodes of Picard (I need to see more). I have also been catching episodes here and there of This is Us season 4 and Will & Grace season 3. And oh! I was thrilled about the announcement about the Friends reunion show – woohoo!

We have been watching movies that were nominated for awards during the Oscars, Golden Globes, SAG, etc. including Parasite, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, plus re-watching ones that we had seen in the theaters like 1917, Ford v Ferrari, The Irishman and Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood. Still up is Harriett and Jojo Rabbit. At this point, we are doling them out between watching other movies and series.

Like Containment.

We did go morbid and re-watched Contagion (still a solid movie that aged well); Outbreak, World War Z, but Containment was a new one for us. Check it out on Netflix, it came out in 2016 while we were RVing (and not watching a ton of TV) and only had one season, but I thought it was pretty good!

Reading | Alone Time

> I have been trying to be more intentional about reading these days carving out time to “step away from the computer” and the news and to escape into a book. This past weekend I finished, Golden in Death by J.D. Robb, it was the 50th book, I look this series about a badass female detective set in the near future. I am currently reading Alone Time: Four Seasons, Four Cities, and the Pleasures of Solitude by Stephanie Rosenbloom which seems to be fitting for a lot of people forced to be alone at the moment. I think if you are struggling with that, this book will help you realize that alone time can be a healthy part of your life and that you should embrace it.

Thanks to an alert from my friend Kristin who shared a photo of the book she is currently reading on Instagram, I learned that a great book I read last year (Next Year in Havana), finally has a sequel (When We Left Cuba) and that a part 3 (The Last Train to Key West) is on the way! By the way, Kristin has a list of 75+ books to read, aka as the Coronavirus reading list, if you need some suggestions!

I also have some friends that have recently published books. Leigh of Campfires & Concierges who I've had the pleasure of going to a baseball game with just released her book Arizona Day Trips by Theme. She very diligently spent 12+ months in Arizona scouring every corner for you! My pal Jody of Ireland Family Vacations and my Blissdom roomie released Planning the Ireland Vacation of Your Dreams, I think Jody has been to Ireland as many times as I've been to Paris so she is a bit of an expert!

Super bummed to learn that the darn virus has postponed my friend Lindsey's new book The New Parisienne: The Women & Ideas Shaping Paris until July, but you can still PRE-order it and if you haven't read her first book, The New Paris, now is the time!

Best Bite | Air-Fryer Chicken

> Haven't been going out, but am loving our new air fryer! Since we are low carb, we can have crispy chicken without the batter, although we are going to try zucchini fries with almond flour, parmesan cheese, and egg batter – I'll let you know in April's Currently!

Working On | Lifestyle Posts

> Of course, I have a backlog of travel stories and old posts to work on, but I have also wanted to integrate more lifestyle stories and with the current environment, now is the perfect time to do it! Beauty routine, house stuff, cooking, etc. Stay tuned!

Feeling | Survivor's Guilt

> I know a lot of my fulltime blogging friends are suffering and many families have sick loved ones. I feel blessed to have a fulltime job in the tech industry with busy days of meetings and interactions, it allows me to still connect with people and escape the news of the world for 8+ hours a day and sometimes I feel guilty about that. The company I work for is very open and has lots of frank discussions one of which was around this very concept which they labeled survivor's guilt. 

Planning | How I Can Give Back

> During my free hours I have been taking my own advice and have been visiting and supporting a lot of the travel bloggers that I have known and loved for the last 11+ years. I am having chats and helping others as much as I can to keep up morale, etc. I am also keeping my illustrator, Linden Eller, working with not only new projects but illustrations for old posts as well. Check these out!

New Posts with illustrations from Linden Eller:

Passage Couvert Paris – the Secret World of Passages in Paris
What to Wear in Paris: Tips for Packing for Paris in the Spring (+ Packing List!)
Paris – City of Romance

Old Posts with new illustrations from Linden Eller:

How to Order Coffee in Paris
A Typical French Breakfast – Pastries, Bread and Coffee
Sex and The City Paris
How to Order Coffee in Portugal

Loving | Jambu

> I love Jambu shoes and wear a pair nearly every day. They are beautiful, comfortable, adventurous shoes and the people behind the brand are wonderful to work with as well. It's rare when a brand will work with a blogger or influencer on a long term basis so I covet and appreciate the relationship and am grateful for it (and the shoes of course!).  Just completed a project for Spring 2020, check out the 4 new styles I am currently sporting! Support them too by clicking through to their site and seeing their whole collection. There is a promo code good for 20% off until April 5th (code at the end of the post).

My Favorite Photo | Bonjour!

> I am totally in love with my Bonjour mat! I am adding French touches in the new home, much easier to do here in North Carolina than in Phoenix where the style clashed a bit with the Southwest. When I saw it on Etsy, I had to have it! It ties in Frenchiness with Southern charm 😉

That’s my month, what’s CURRENTLY going on with you?

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