Just another excuse to travel! As if I needed another…
Oh summer. Why are you running away so quickly? You don’t have to peace out right after Labor Day. There’s still plenty of time for you to hang out before fall shoves in.
Stay a little longer. Please.
Just as Memorial Day is seen as the unofficial start of Summer, Labor Day is seen as the unofficial end of Summer. Big sad face. Summer is my favorite holiday and I feel like this summer flew, as usual.
According to the U.S. Department of Labor’s website, “Labor Day, the first Monday in September, is a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country.”
It’s a little odd considering the latest jobs report in the US is pretty dismal. I’m pretty sure that plenty of people would love to be ‘laboring.’
The Fourth of July is my favorite holiday. Hands down, the Fourth is the best holiday all year.
The Fourth falls smack in the middle of summertime. There are fireworks, it’s a long weekend, there are picnics with burgers, hot dogs, beers and music, lots of patriotism and quality time with friends and family…I mean, what’s not to love?
It’s the best. I’ve had so many fun Fourths! It has always been my favorite holiday and as a kid, it always happened to fall during our own family summer vacation, and oh so close to my birthday. I have to give my parents so much credit for always making our family Fourths fabulously fun – sorry, I am loving the alliteration.
Fun Family Fourths include:
What were your memorable Fourths? If you are here in the States, have a safe and fabulous holiday weekend.
Tomorrow is the first official day of summer, and with it comes a few months of peak traveling season.
I’m still sorting out my summer. Some long weekends in my near future include a trip to Florida, Cape May, New Jersey and Washington DC.
For August, Iceland is still a front-runner. 20 hours of sunlight sounds pretty cool to me.
Where are you headed?
In the spirit of Father’s Day, here is a short list of reasons why I love my dad:
* A little bit as in if he was any angrier, the next step was for him to get on a plane and physically bring me home. Thankfully, he calmed down and put some dollars in my bank account. It took me years to repay my parents for the monetary help they gave me so I could work and live in London – not the best place for the USD.
Today, between the burgers, beers and baseball, please be sure to take a moment to remember those who gave everything for all the freedoms that we regularly enjoy. After all, remembering our fallen soldiers is what this day is ultimately all about.
Sadly, the US trails the rest of the world when it comes to handing out vacation days so when planning trips I have become an expert at maximizing my days like extending international trips during US holidays to get that extra bonus day, or really maximizing the long weekend.
Even so, every time it’s time to return home, I’m always the one begging the gate agent to bump me so I can squeeze out at least one extra day. As I’ve learned from gate agents in Frankfurt, Zagreb, Buenos Aires and San Jose, Costa Rica (I’m persistent, okay?), airlines don’t typically overbook international flights, since it’s one of their last moneymakers, so getting bumped is quite slim.
But…the gate agents always tell me I’ll be the first they will tell if a bump is possible. I remember landing in Frankfurt, en route to Newark, the gate agent and I became BFFs.
Gate agent: ‘I can pretty much guarantee 100% you will be on this flight.’
Me: ‘Can you guarantee a football team won’t show up and need my seat?’
Gate agent: ‘No. But your flight is scheduled to depart within the hour so it’s not likely.’
Me: ‘Ha, so there’s a chance.’
I’m sure my file is flagged with ‘crazy.’
Memorial Day honors those who have died while serving the US military. It is formally recognized on the last Monday in May, giving most workers a three-day holiday weekend.
In New York City, there’s the annual event of Fleet Week. Everywhere you turn there’s another man or woman in uniform enjoying all that the Big Apple has to offer.
Memorial Day weekend is seen as the unofficial start to summer. For the past few years it has rained in the Northeast and this year I think this year, that streak may change!
Weather (!) or not it rains, at least we know it’s the end of May. And my favorite season, summer, is right around the corner!
Here we are, the fifth of May, also known as Cinco de Mayo!
I’m already craving guacamole and margaritas…but in a twist of cultures, I am going out for Ethiopian food for dinner tonight.
Speaking of the fifth of MAY…yes, we are in May. What is with this weather? All week I have been rotating between my lighter winter coat and a jean jacket. Can we just agree to get the temps up to break out of this cold and dreary weather?
I have winter clothes and I have summer clothes. Creating outfits to fit this in between weather is driving me nuts. Please let’s break out the summer dresses and flops already!
Olé!
As an addendum I had lunch in an Irish pub…quesadillas. Today is turning into quite the ethnic food day!
Another addendum: post-dinner at the Ethiopian restaurant, beers at a German restaurant…I have been in quite a few places around the world today and avoided airport security lines all day long!
simply three cents 