Dear Iya,

All year I promised my little cousin Danzel that I would take him on vacation. Wanting to visit someplace new and warm on the west coast, I debated between San Diego and San Francisco. After checking the weather forecast the obvious choice was San Diego. We only had the weekend so we put together a list of the top five things we wanted to do in San Diego. Since I wasn't renting a car and would have to rely on public transportation, I picked a hotel conveniently located. We stayed at the Four Points by Sheraton Downtown. It was a 10 minute bus ride to the San Diego Zoo which is in Balboa Park and within walking distance to Little Italy. To get to Ocean Beach we had to walk 5 minutes to the train station, catch a train, transfer to another train, then catch a bus. Coming back we realized we could have alleviated one train by walking one block further. Still it only took a little over an hour. Being from the city I was comfortable taking public transportation and didn't mind the commute at all. The sunset at Ocean Beach was definitely the highlight of our trip. It was absolutely breathtaking. There was also a lot to do around Ocean Beach and I wished I had stayed in that area. Besides the beach there are so many cool bars and restaurants that line Newport Ave. Don't get me wrong there are tons of bars and restaurants in Little Italy as well just a more "mature" crowd. Overall this trip was exactly what we needed, a brief escape from the cold weather.

My To-Do List

1. ~~Eat a fish taco from a food truck~~

2. ~~Visit the San Diego Zoo~~

3. ~~Watch the sunset at Ocean Beach~~

4. ~~Walk around Little Italy Mercato Marke~~t

5. Relax in Balboa Park (The San Diego Zoo took almost an entire day)

LOST IN THE OLD CITY

Ten years ago, while studying abroad in Rome, Nore and I were roommates. Recently we casually exchanged a few Facebook messages. Before signing off, not really believing I would, Nore suggested that I visit her in Tel Aviv before she moved back to Rome. Over the next few days I couldn't stop obsessing about actually visiting Nore. I mean, when else would I have a chance to see Nore or Tel Aviv? After checking flights and my vacation schedule, one month later I flew to Tel Aviv. Our friendship must have been tightly held in a time capsule, which sprang open upon my arrival. We laughed, ate, and drank for four days- as if those ten years had only been 10 days.

On my last day in Tel Aviv Nore had to work so I decided to go to Jerusalem, which is only an hour away by bus. When I arrived in Jerusalem I went straight to the Old City. Immediately I was bombarded by overly aggressive tour guides decked out in paisley shirts and polyester pants. They looked like they had been stuck in their own time capsule from the 70’s. They threatened that, without a guide, I would get lost in the Old City. Maybe it was because there were so many of them, or their aggressiveness, or the fact that they looked like they were lost in time without a map to the 21st century, that I decided to tackle the Old City on my own. Shortly thereafter, I would be completely lost……

I stumbled upon the Western Wall and then just wandered around. After about an hour I saw a long line of tourists and joined them. Forty minutes later, with no idea of what I was waiting in line for, I walked through metal detectors and entered an unknown site. While being patted down I noticed a pile of discarded books. I was shocked….. They were bibles! The look on my face must have really conveyed what I was feeling. A guard looked at me, then pointed at the bibles and waved his finger like a disapproving schoolteacher. Why aren’t bibles allowed in this site?

Upon entering, everyone gravitated like zombies hypnotized by a colorful beauty wearing a crown of gold. A marble, mosaic temple with a golden dome, which I had no idea what its religious significance was. Where were those pesky guides? I walked around for another twenty minutes, when all non-Muslims, like dust, were assertively swept out. I walked down one cobblestone street, up another, back down another. Every street looked exactly the same. No one spoke English. I was a mouse in a maze --completely lost. Pesky 70’s guides? Anywhere? Several hours later, I found an exit and scurried out! An entire day in Jerusalem and all I saw was the Western Wall and an unknown temple.

I believe that sometimes it is better to walk around a city completely lost in your own thoughts, letting your imagination run wild. But here in Jerusalem, a city with historical influence that presently significantly shapes the tumultuous religious beliefs and politics of so many countries, I should have willingly jumped into that 70's time capsule, for a better understanding of the 21st century--at least for a couple of hours.

MY SELF-IMPOSED CORPORATE PRISON

I've been withering away in a self-imposed corporate prison. Fear and low self-esteem keep me clinging to the grey cubicle bars of corporate life. My heart and spirit are battered and bruised from years of internal battles. Fear tells me that I lack skills and I'm lucky to have this job. There is security here. While my heart tells me that if I'm miserable then job security means nothing. My spirit assures me that it is they, corporate wardens, who are lucky to have me for I can go anywhere and I can do anything.

Every day the battle rages on. Today I am mentally, emotionally, and spiritually exhausted. My hands bloodied from clinging to those bars. I know that I hold the key to my freedom and happiness. Why won't I use it? When will I follow my passion and free myself?

Fear and low self-esteem have been winning this battle. But my heart and spirit are resilient and fighting back, one trip at a time, one photo at a time.

WYNWOOD ARTS DISTRICT: ART & VESPAS

I have been to Miami at least a dozen times. So in 2012 when a boyfriend, now ex-boyfriend, asked me to go to Miami for four days I wanted to find something unique to experience. Searching the internet for "Top 10 Things to do in Miami" I came across Isabelle's Travel Guide. She wrote about her experience exploring the Wynwood Art District on two wheels. I love graffiti and I love Vespas so this was a must do for me.

I couldn't believe that I had never heard of the Wynwood Art District. In 2009 Tony Goldman transformed the ghetto into a gallery. The Wynwood Art District is home to 70 art galleries, retail shops, urban street art, and ultra hip bars and restaurants. These once forgotten warehouses are now used as canvases for world renowned graffiti artists such as Sheppard Farley and Banksy. (SN: Have you seen Exit through the Gift Shop? You should).

I looked into the company suggested by Isabelle, Roam There, and a few others. I thought that $125/pp was a bit expensive. After further research I found that we could rent a scooter for four hours from one of the many scooter shops on either South Beach or Miami Beach. For $50 each plus gas, which was about $5, we could explore the Wynwood Art District at our own liberty. No experience needed just a valid driver's licence and credit card.

I entered "2550 NW 2nd Ave Miami, FL 33127" (This is the address to the Wynwood Cafe and Bar) into my GPS. The Wynwood Art District was a 15 minute Vespa ride straight up the Venetian Causeway from South Beach.

Although I had seen pictures of the Wynwood Art District, the graffiti was beyond my expectations. It was a Sunday and all the indoor art galleries and restaurants were closed. We were able to explore the area on our own. We did hear gun shots in the distance so someone was definitely in the neighborhood! We rode up and down, hopped on and off our Vespas for about two hours. There was a food cart in front of the closed Wynwood Cafe and Bar. The owner explained how he moved to Miami from New Orleans and had been selling hot dogs in Wynwood before it was this ultra cool urban outdoor museum. But due to licensing laws or something he is only permitted to sell his dogs when the bars and restaurants are closed. What BS! He was there first.

One of the unique things about the Wynwood Art District is that most of the amazing outdoor graffiti is only on display for about a year. So you can continuously visit the Wynwood Art District and enjoy a different experience. I visited Wynwood again in 2013 and some of my favorite pieces were covered up by another masterpiece. Its kind of sad because, unlike other art, it is gone forever.

There is a walking tour of the Wynwood murals the second Saturday of every month. With temperatures dropping in Pittsburgh I think it's time I take a trip down south and see what's new in the Wynwood Art district.

Warning: The area surrounding the Wynwood Art District is quite sketchy so if you aren't feeling adventurous please go with a tour guide.