Category Archives: Travel

Travel

NYC – Taking in the Sights

Well as much fun as I was having at the BEA, I am not a naturally social person (I’m actually more of a reclusive, lone-wolf type), so I function best with periodic breaks from the schmoozing. Downtime if you will. It was so nice to spend the entire day hard on the hustle, and then get to switch gears in the evenings and explore more of what New York had to offer from a tourist perspective.

And New York has so much to offer!

First off, I gotta give props to the New York subway system. Quite simply, it Rocks. You can get damn near anywhere on the subway, and I found it to be fairly easy to navigate, efficient, and most importantly, cheap. James and I were in Manhattan for five days and we only took a cab twice. I used to have a totally irrational phobia about underground public transportation, but I think New York cured me of that. I am so sold on the subway…

Alright, now on with the adventures… The island of Manhattan is freaking huge, and I wanted to make sure we ventured out of our little neighborhood to soak up some of the culture different parts of the City had to offer. As I said in the BEA blog, one of the receptions brought us up to Harlem. That was cool. Turns out I have quite the presence in Harlem…
LOL. That’s right – it’s all about seeing your name in lights 😉

The reception in Harlem ended kinda early (in New York, 11pm is early… we were getting in after 3am almost every night), so we decided to cruise through Times Square to see what that was all about. And it was just like it looks in the movies, lol.

Bright lights, large crowds, tons of activity. That felt very “New York” to me. Then, serendipitously (as only it could), James and I ended up hooking up with my good friend Omar for a late dinner at the Bubba Gump Shrimp Company. So Much Fun. James, Omar and I all met last summer at the Black Writers Conference in Dallas, and Omar is one of my all-time favorite writer friends. A Kindred, if you will 🙂 He was in town for BEA too (flew all the way from Brazil!), and had a very successful pitching session earlier that day, so we had lots to celebrate. It was so great to sit in a restaurant overlooking Times Square, eating shrimp, with two of my all-time favorite guys, talking about our books, writing, and commiserating about the ups and downs of the Biz… It was a phatty writer bonding session and I am so glad I have these two in my corner. I can’t wait until we’re all sitting around drinking wine in my NY Penthouse apartment, arguing about who just jumped who on the NY Times Bestsellers list 😉 I love you guys.

I was having so much fun by this point, that I really didn’t think it could get much better. I was so wrong! The following night we decided to head into the East Village for dinner, which turned out to be a GREAT idea. I found this awesome little hole-in-the-wall Italian Restaurant (Frank’s on 2nd Ave btw 5th & 6th – go there!) where we drank wine and had a lovely meal in a scene ripped right out of the movies. Seriously, the setting was perfect — dim lights, amazing ambience, me dressed up cause we were going to the club later – it was so much fun! I can’t even tell you how nice it was to stroll down the tree-lined streets of the East Village in a sundress, on a perfect 70 degree night, full moon and all, marveling at how GOOD life is. Freaking surreal. Then, on a recommendation from Ahna-Kristen (thank you Ahna-Kristin!!!) we stopped at Veniero’s (342 E. 11th, btw 1st & 2nd – go there!) for the most amazing cheesecake and pastries. Oh my God, I consider myself a cheesecake connoisseur of sorts, and that slice from Veniero’s put anything I’ve ever had at the Cheesecake Factory to SHAME! Stupid Good! We ate cheesecake on the subway on our way to Shadow Nightclub 🙂 It was so cheesy perfect, lol. (pun intended)

The next day, since I was battling a wicked hangover (free cognac is the main ingredient in a recipe for disaster ya’ll, lol), we kept things pretty low-key. After spending the day at BEA, instead of doing anything strenuous, we sought out a sports bar in Times Square where we could get dinner and watch the Cleveland Cavaliers try to pull of an upset in the Eastern Conference Finals (They won!). We ended up at the bar at Planet Hollywood, right in front of a plasma TV and it was Perfect. Called it a night relatively early around midnight…

On our last day, before heading to the airport, we decided to head down to Ground Zero. The whole scene at Ground Zero was very… strange. All I could think about was how many people had lost their lives there. I’m glad the City of New York thought to put signs up reminding folks that this is not a tourist attraction. That said, it is very surreal to visit the site of such a historic and tragic event. I mean, I can’t even count the number of times I’ve watched the loop of the Towers falling. But to actually see the hole in the ground where the World Trade Center used to be… I don’t know, Ground Zero will always be a mass grave to me, no matter what they build on top of it. My heart goes out to all the New Yorkers who had to witness and endure such unimaginable horror. I haven’t forgotten…

We rounded out our New York trip by hopping on the ferry and heading over to the Statue of Liberty… Yes, it’s cheesy and cliche, but like the Grand Canyon, it just has to be done 🙂 It was so nice to take in the Manhattan skyline from afar – it was just as I’d imagined it…

And of course the Statue of Liberty. She really is awe-inspiring…
We did so much, but there is still so much more I’d like to do. It will probably take me four trips to NYC before I’m able to see and do all that I want to see and do. But for my grand initiation, the Big Apple did not disappoint. Somewhere along the way, I managed to fall in love… With New York, of course. 🙂

Full set of pics are now available on Flickr!

There is one more installment of my New York adventures to come, and that is my eagerly-anticipated RENT night. I Love RENT. So freaking much. Card-carrying RENT-head over here! Yeah Baby! And I finally, got to see the musical on Broadway. Finally. And it was freaking Incredible But that’s another blog 🙂 Check back!

Travel, Writing

BEA in NYC

Well, as most of you know, the primary reason for my sojourn to NYC was to attend Book Expo America, the publishing industry’s monster trade show. This was my first BEA, so I didn’t know quite what to expect, but WOW – what an event. Tons of free stuff, networking opportunities, free stuff, celebrity sightings, free stuff, panels/workshops, and oh, did I mention, free stuff? Overwhelmed does not even begin to describe me as I strolled up and down the aisles in the exhibition halls, lol. But let me begin at the beginning.

The African-American Pavilion actually kicked off it’s programming a day early, so on Thursday we headed over to a catered (and free) luncheon welcoming everyone to BEA. On the panel was bestselling author Zane, as well as heartthrob Blair Underwood. Yes, that’s right, THE Blair Underwood, who I’ve been crushing on since he broke onto the scene on the popular drama LA Law. Apparently he has just co-authored a book with Tananarive Due and Steven Barnes entitled Casanegra, which they were all there promoting. He was only the first of many celebrities I would see at BEA, but most definitely the highlight 🙂

James kept telling me to go over and ask for a picture WITH him, but I was too shy and didn’t want to impose. I didn’t want to get all groupie on his ass, and besides, the man was already being swarmed by adoring fans… But he was totally gracious, posing for every picture requested of him, and yes, I am kicking myself for not being more brazen, lol.

Next was a keynote by Victoria Rowell (most famously known as Drucilla on The Young and the Restless). She was there promoting her memoir, The Woman Who Raised Me and doing an autograph signing. Very cool.

Later that evening there was yet another catered dinner reception, with more free food and drink. Many of the African-American publishers had tables set up around the room, and everyone was giving away free books. I left the reception with a large shopping bag full of autographed books, and little did I know this was only the beginning…

After that reception, James and I headed to the Tribal Spears Art Gallery in Harlem for yet another catered reception hosted by AALBC.com, HarlemWorld, & MosaicBooks.com. More big-name authors and Black publishing heavyweights in the house… More free food and drink and tons of schmoozing. This would continue to be a theme for the weekend, lol.

Friday, BEA officially kicked off, and we hit the exhibition halls to meet and greet. Met a lot of cool folks (like Troy from aalbc.com, aka the Host with the Most), put faces to all of the names I’ve been researching the past few years, and collected more bags full of FREE books. Seriously, I shipped over 20 pounds of books home from the Expo – I had no idea it was going to be like that! I also got to see what kinds of books the various publishers are looking to acquire, and get an idea of the current trends taking the publishing industry by storm. Along with the free stuff, tons of priceless information was gathered, in addition to the networking. This was money very well spent…

Friday night, yet another party, this time hosted by Violator Records, G-Unit Books, St. Martin’s Press and author Relentless Aaron at the Shadow Nightclub. After a lovely dinner in the East Village (more on that later), James and I headed to the club, where we posted up in the VIP lounge, networking, eating more free food and drinking free cognac, before spending the rest of the evening dancing the night away… Good times, good times.

Saturday, before returning to the Expo, we attended a luncheon at B. Smith’s Restaurant hosted by my good friend Edwardo Jackson. More free food as we watched Edwardo give a presentation on his new venture Palibra, the ITunes of the written word. Edwardo has created a place where authors can post their work/articles/short stories, and readers can download the content for .99 cents a story. The author receives a 30% royalty on each download. It’s actually pretty cool, and I’m contemplating writing a series of travel articles especially for Palibra. More networking as James and I got an earful from the hilarious one-woman promotional machine, DC Livers of Black Press Magazine, who schooled us on how best to get our hustle on in this Bidness. So much fun. And the food was AMAZING. Then we all geeked out when B. Smith herself walked into the room (for those that don’t know, B.Smith is hailed as the Black Martha Stewart — this woman does it All!) She hung out for a bit, gave a little speech, posed for pictures, and even sat down and did an impromptu interview for DC. It was wild! I also got to meet my writer friend Thomas Brooks for the first time over lunch. Thomas is the author of A Wealth of Family: An Adopted Son’s International Quest for Heritage, Reunion, and Enrichment (you should check this one out Leish!), and a fellow mixed person. 🙂 All in all, a great day.

Three days and twenty pounds of books later, we finally said goodbye to the Javits Convention Center. Let me tell you, my feet were ready for a rest, LOL. But what a great time – exciting, fun, productive… and I haven’t even gotten into the sightseeing part of the trip yet 😉

Part Two of Steph’s Excellent New York Adventures (and pictures!) coming soon!

Travel

Back from New York!

Okay, much to everyone’s disappointment (I know ya’ll are just on the edge of your seats waiting for a detailed NYC review ;-), I’m sorry to report that this is only a teaser post… Re-entry is always a little rough, so it’s going to take me a minute to collect myself (and my pictures, lol) and write up the NYC/BEA experience. But I can say this — I had a BLAST. A freaking Blast. In almost every way this trip far exceeded my expectations, and I am on a giddy vacation high like no other. New York is an amazing city, with limitless things to explore, and while it is damn near impossible to take even a bite out of the Big Apple in five days (that went way too fast and we barely slept!), we sure did give it our best shot! Walked all over the place, saw all kinds of cool stuff, and had boatloads of FUN! I can’t wait to go back!!!

Like I said, a full report is forthcoming. 🙂 I’m actually going to break it up into segments (a tactic that worked so well on Leisha’s blog ;-), so this week will be “New York Week” on the blog. And while I can’t upload my pics onto Flickr until I get the ones off James’ camera, I can provide ya’ll with a little taste of some of my adventures…



Check back tomorrow for Part One of Steph’s Adventures in the Big Apple!

Family, Travel

Maui Love


I have just returned from a magical place… A place far removed from the noise and pollution of the city… A place where simplicity is revered, and people live off the land, consuming only what they need. A place where the rain falls from the sky with such abundance that the trees and vegetation grow tall and lush, reaching towards the heavens, a playground for giants. Where pregnant trees bear a multitude of fruit–avocado, papaya, mango, pineapple–just ripe for the picking on the side of the road. Where waterfalls tumble down the sides of mountains at every turn, the rush of water providing instrumental backing for nature’s song. A place where love flows free, filling the heart and nourishing the soul.

KC lives in the very remote and rural town of Kipahulu on the island of Maui. The way of life in Kipahulu is so primitive, at times I felt like I was on an episode of Survivor, lol. Located three hours from the nearest major city (Kahului), you make the trip to “town” once a week to stock up on food, water, ice, and propane. And whatever you purchase in town has to last you the whole week.

We had no electricity or refrigerator (the perishables were kept in a cooler), limited hot water for showering, and our toilet, shower and bath were located OUTDOORS. Super rustic. But it’s interesting to see how much of what we have in “civilization” is truly a luxury. How little we actually need to “survive”. The whole experience of living out in the country is incredibly humbling, and it makes you appreciate the little things (like hot water, lol), reevaluate your relationship to consumption, and minimize waste. I think it’s a journey everyone should take (truly roughing it). We are so spoiled in the city, and we take so much for granted…

The concept of time is also different on the Islands… We get up with the sun and go to sleep with the sun (since we don’t have electricity, there’s not much you can do in the dark, lol). There’s no rushing, there’s no deadlines. Shoot, there’s no stress. Everyone is amazingly chill, just going about their day, taking siestas, and gathering at the fruit stand in the afternoons to kick it and talk story. Good times, good times.

And it’s beautiful. Breathtakingly beautiful. Houses and yurts are few and far between, so you really feel like you’re in the middle of the jungle, surrounded by dense foilage. Waterfalls are everywhere, feeding tranquil mountain pools, and the ocean brings wave after wave of crystal blue water against a sandy shore. Paradise.

But by far, the best part of this trip was the time I got to spend with my family. KC and I have been best friends since the 10th grade, and she is one of my oldest and dearest friends. Now she has two children (the youngest is my Godson, Ola), and I love her boys like they are my own. Pono is 4 now, Ola 2, and both boys are walking and talking and just the most awesome kids. Smart, happy, and aware. We had so much fun, and I feel so blessed to be surrounded by so much love. Children love without limits–they think everything you do, everything you are, is just amazing. I strive to be someone worthy of their adoration and admiration. Someone they can look up to and learn from. It’s the least I can do — they teach me so much, every day, without even trying…

Check Flickr for the full set of pics from my Island Adventures… Re-entry is always rough, but I plan to make another trip to the Islands before the year is out… Aloha…

Travel

Made it to Hawaii (Finally!)

So I finally made it to Hawaii… I know, you’re probably looking at the date on my last post thinking – “what do you mean you’re just getting there???” Well, the reason I’m able to fly to Hawaii every year is because KC’s family sets aside a Delta Buddy Pass for my use, so I can go visit my friend and Godson. But the downside of the buddy pass is that I have to fly standby.

Well it turns out, Spring Break is a terrible time to try to fly standby. All the planes were full all last week, and I wasn’t able to catch a flight until Monday. But I’ve finally arrived, safe and sound, and though they did manage to lose my luggage along the way, I am in great spirits. I’m back in one of my favorite places on the planet, reunited with my Frover, and having a wonderful time…

The past month has been rather stressful for me, and it’s amazing how quickly all that stress evaporated once I stepped off the plane. This whole island is one big happy place for me. And having my Frover here with me is just the icing on this delightfully awesome cake.

So I’m chillaxin’, enjoying everything wonderful that this island has to offer… Such as…
*** Island time (i.e. I’ll get there when I get there)
*** Balmy 80 degree weather with just the right amount of humidity
*** Being able to swim in the ocean
*** Walking around half-naked
*** Visiting with aunties who insist on feeding you delicious home-cooked meals
*** Garlic shrimp and short ribs from Loco Moco
*** Poke
*** Island sunsets

And I still have a week left… Yay for vacations! So far the romance part of the vacay has been lovely, and on Friday I head over to Maui to hang with KC and the boys. Just wanted to let everyone know I made it safe — pics to come!

Travel

Off to the Islands

Once again, apologies to my loyal readers for the lack of blogs… I’ve discovered that my desire to blog ebbs and flows. Coming out of my winter hibernation, it appears that I’ve been heavy on the ebb… But spring is here, everything around me is thawing out, and I hope to get back to blogging on a semi-regular basis… That’s the plan anyway 🙂

As we speak, I am preparing to jet off for yet another getaway… Ever since my cross-country road trip, I’ve been somewhat addicted to going on vacation. Every three months, I gotta go somewhere. It’s pretty much non-negotiable. And next up is Hawaii… One of my favorite places on the planet. I am beyond excited.

But first the pre-trip planning and anxiety, lol. I’m a little OCD when it comes to packing up and leaving the house and my cats. My boys also seem to have their own bouts with separation anxiety. Both Cowboy and JJ know exactly what it means when I pull my suitcase out. And Cowboy has developed his own little strategy of resistance to prevent me from leaving him…

It’s cute for the first 10 minutes, and then it’s like “Yo, seriously, I’m trying to pack here…”

Anyway, I can’t wait to see KC and the kids, and my Godson!!! So much love waiting for me on the Islands. I also have some heavy duty romance on the agenda as well, eagerly anticipated and long overdue 🙂 I’ll be sure to update you all with a full report when I get back 🙂

PS: Ahna-Kristen, you SAVED me by letting me borrow your backpack! Thank you sooooo much!!! xoxo