lizgeorjon

Cod and chips at The Prince Albert

Happy Birthday to Envizage!!! 🎉 I realise it took me quite a bit of time and an entire ‘red team’ to finally decide, but I absofuckinglutely love my new logo and name. I just love it. I rewarded myself with cod and chips plus the most incredible smashy peas I’ve ever had, just next to Battersea Park. What better way to celebrate my company’s logo birth date, 28 degrees and the secured deposit of 20 people throughout the gardens of Southern England for 2015!!? Besides, I’m on round three of the squat challenge now with triceps thrown in just for fun. After admiring the derrière of my thighs recently, I decided to defy genetics and rid myself of the aggravating underarm flab that my Stewart genes so generously birthed me with.

Numero del mese tre of waifdom proved merely as validation and total reassurance that this journey is my right path. Sì, i miei amici… I will settle and at this stage believe wholeheartedly that it will be in my beloved Manhattan. I am not blind to the raised eyebrows that every extension invokes, however, I’m not done with New York… yet. I suggest everyone have a listen to MGMT ‘Time to Pretend’, even though I am forty years old. 😃 Honestly though… it feels amazing, I plan to have a stunning new apartment but am all packed up nice and neat for now. Why wouldn’t I make the most of the situation I created!? I’m just not ready to commit. Shocker! 😉 I will eventually… but not before I spend 30 days in Rome, now possibly followed by a month in London. I’ve no reason, literally, NO reason not to! I’d be a buffoon to let this opportunity slip on by. I rarely order Chinese, but my last fortune cookie stated: “Be on the alert to recognize your prime at whatever time of your life it may occur”. Noted!

My brave nephew seems to be doing the same, only 15 years earlier. Well done Joey. Seems we truly are kindred spirits! Sawasdee ka and Ciao Bellisimo. 😘

It’s quite difficult to describe what all this feels like on the inside. But it is definitely emotionally charged… and only in the most ridiculously positive manner. Every one-on-one I experienced this week was immensely inspiring. Seems to be the theme of my entire waifdom… fuck the phases! 😆 The endearing, courageous and highly intelligent Emma reminded me last night how beautiful life is and that we all really do have control. This was before she took the sunglasses off a sleeping man, danced around a hotel lobby, took me to Mahiki and introduced me to the ‘treasure chest’. Think: ‘jungle juice’ from an ice chest at the lake but a bit fancier. What a truly beautiful spirit that young woman effortlessly exudes, I feel privileged to call her a friend. 😃 I am certain that many perceive my waifdom as a little bit insane, but all my supposed harebrained ideas tend to serve as magic to my soul. Now how many of us can really say that? I realise what satisfies our individual souls is very subjective, but I want to shout my happiness from the rooftops!!! I will save that for my 30-day flat perfectly located between Trevi and Barberini. 🇮🇹

I had the absolute BEST time in London. It was the first time I’ve been to the UK without freezing my ass off. What a joy! Proudly, I did not once see the Strand, Trafalgar, Waterloo, Big Ben (sorry Ash, to have given your boyfriend the cold shoulder) or Covent Garden. Instead… I chilled on Kings Road, brunched at Chiltern Firehouse and walked the canals of Regents to the diverse Notting Hill. I high-fived at Electric Cinema without having to announce it 😁, discovered Battersea Park, dined in Belgravia and learned what a ‘treasure chest’ is, in Prince Harry’s favourite bar. I managed to do all this with friends, for clients and colleagues whilst (that’s for you Mrs Ince) maintaining and in fact growing Envizage!!! I am on an expedition!!! And the only thing standing between my month in Rome now is a lovely weekend NYC visit from Dubai, and an entire week in Las Vegas to participate in the industry show of the year. 😍 I’ve collected all the Berocca and Compeed I could to tide me over.

I know it sounds full on, and it most definitely is… but perhaps some of us just operate better at this level of chaos. More power to those who can truly identify and connect with their inner soul. x

We are not selfish. xx and ooo

Buckingham Palace, just around the bend from Taj

All the fabulous things you can’t get in the US

View from the unexpected Four Seasons SF stay

I did it! Three continents and five countries… all in one direction. After a bit of a reality check on my focusing efforts and timing expectations for the new Manhattan ‘dream’ apartment, I was meant to complete the last leg of my spin around the globe two days ago. 🌎

As luck would have it, not that I necessarily believe in luck, the weather on the east coast was torrential. My flight canceled and given the karmic theme that waifdom phase II inherently assimilated, I chose to make lemonade out of lemons! Just wish I’d saved a couple for my grey goose. 😉 But then again, who am I kidding… I can drink that shit straight. So long as I’ve got plenty of rocks! Which were far easier to come by at the Four Seasons San Francisco than Six Senses in Oman.😆 I was a bit proud of myself though, as I stood with the Pilot Captain and flight attendant, that I’d been notified of our flight cancelation before they even were! Damn… I am good at my job.

With my renewed faith in United Airlines, I rang the 1K desk to rebook myself, and chose to leave my luggage in their hands for the night. The beauty of my travel experiences and of course my business is that I’m prepared… for the most part. A little Tide packet and an Armani store across the street, and I was all set. Time to see who was free for happy hour! 🍷

This entire journey, waifdom phase II, it has been truly soulful and quite inspirational with the most bizarre perfect timing on so many random levels. Not much went exactly as planned but could not have been planned better! Including my impromptu overnight in my oh-so-favourite San Fran. As a result of this unexpected delay, I was able to explain the amazing new itinerary delivery and management service Envizage has invested in, to a client face-to-face. Then a couple glasses of Cakebread with my Mrs. Adorable 😘 followed by a desperately-needed 90 minute in-room massage at the Four Seasons… voila! Perfection! The amazing masseuse (whose card I have) was thankful I’d sought her out given the amount of tension and knots kinked up in my body and noggin! I’ve incorporated a tricep challenge alongside my squat challenge… but it seems I didn’t realise the toll all this globe-trotting had taken. Perhaps it’s the 27 boxes of random candies I’ve collected for Bistro that seriously weighs more than half my body weight. Needless to say, it was all v meant to be. And I’ve got a brand new Armani tee to boot.

Santa Barbara continually becomes more enjoyable as more time away goes by. We hit some fabulous spots, enjoyed quite a bit of family time… unexpectedly got to see both my aunties and sis-in-law 😊 and was able to tick a lot of the unchecked boxes off for Envizage. Onward and upward! Watch out world, because it’s only just begun! x

I descended into JFK, listening to my new incredible French rap MC Solaar with an excited and refreshed approach to finding my new NYC apartment. Thanks to the figurative slap across my face: “I don’t think the kind of apartment you’re looking to upgrade to is achievable to find in two weeks, dear”. 😳 Gulp. But as I headed ‘home’, to the Palace, I was 100% excited! Jerry from the car service, my Polish bestie, delivered me with well-wishes and Polish vodka. It will be so fun to start looking for real and without pressure. Plus now I know what I’m doing in NYC, and know what to look for. It’s going to be exhilarating! 🌆

I kind of can’t believe I circled the globe and hit five countries. Even crazier is all the lovelies I was able to cherish some true quality time with in each destination. I am sorry but that is def bad ass. Oman, Dubai, Bangkok, Tokyo, Santa Barbara… and people I love so much in each of them.

Wait. I’m not sorry. I’ve decided to stop apologising for ‘being’. 😁

So phase III of waifdom awaits. It will encompass an eventful trip across the pond, some serious apartment hunting, website completion and the industry show of the year. I could not be more excited to have seven days in my beloved NYC though. I am in an Empire State of mind!!!

Then what happens? Grown-up-ism? 😦

B.R.I.N.G. I.T. O.N.

Absolutely LOVE being home in my NYC

jogging inside the gorgeous Lumphini Park

Ten days in the Middle East: check! A week in Bangkok: check! The nephew is doing really well: check! I became not only the [anti] american 😉 ambassador for Thailand’s tourism future but for Emirates 24-hour hotel check-in program as well. I got your back Dubai. I love how I’ve managed to find the only handful of beautiful genuine people within that land full of crazies. 😚

Spending such a long time in Thailand, with locals (old and new) after such a long time in the Middle East with expert expats was an interesting transition. I feel truly fortunate for being given a life (thanks mom 😊) and now a chosen career which allows for these experiences. It is rather empowering. Not in a power-monger way. As the VP pointed out: “you just don’t have an ego at all”, but in a positive, silver-lining and encouraging way. Honestly… think about it. Doesn’t everyone want to host a dinner-party at their house? Doesn’t everyone want their people to chill out for a bit in their neighbourhood? Doesn’t everyone want the people they love to equally want to do those things as well? Or am I the only sentimental one?! 😇 Being a realist in certain ways, I respect that not everyone has the desire, means or courage to travel. But it is quite rewarding to provide a bit of comfort and support to kindred spirits. Perhaps that is why travel has become my way and career… and why my people accept me for who I am. The VP is so redeemed for life with his randomly wise quotes of late: “you don’t have to love everything about everyone you love”. Quite honestly and obviously 😃 there are a lot of things I don’t ‘get’, but there is so much beauty, love and peace knowing that I don’t need to. I just wish my bus would add that stop to his route. 😔 For his own sake more than anything… pax. Sigh.

Thailand is so NOT scary. It is one of the most amazing cultures I’ve ever experienced… despite the coup d’état. Having been before, this trip was less about the newness or testing my comfort levels and more about the experiences, my business, and family. Much like Dubai, I’ve now seen and stayed in just about every bit of Bangkok and can speak articulately to it. As much as I’d ever need to, from a touristic viewpoint. The three colours of the Thai flag each have an endearing meaning. Red stands for the country Thailand, white for Buddha and blue for the King. The symbolism of the elephant is good luck, but extra good when it’s trunk is up! I learned about the extreme taxes and true wealth of many Thai people. They’ll always have their Buddhist mental wealth. But I’m talking about actual cash, amidst a country where one could live like royalty for $100 a week. I was recommended to take notice of all the locals driving Mercedes E Class carrying Coach handbags. Granted this separation of sorts exists in several major cities like São Paulo, Jo’Burg and Mexico City. Have a look even at my own neighbour Harlem, which is brilliant… in my opinion. Life is fascinating. Meeting with 5+ star hoteliers strategising how to promote tourism to their fabulously exotic destination, then spending time with a newbie expat who just happens to be my blood: it was good for MY soul.

Within the confines of one supposedly ‘dangerous’ city, I took a 3+ hour Italian business lunch with only the finest wines and black truffle, had a genuine chat with fruit and water vendors in Lumphini Park and went on a dinner cruise with 23 local Thai selfie-loving ‘gangsters’ on the Chao Phraya River. The common theme: we all seem to love and respect life, with a genuine underlying kindness. Yes it gets overwhelming at times, especially whilst running a business. Negativity has strong arms. It’s us fortunate ones who have fabulous aunties ☺️ soul mates and BFFs for that comforting support and reality checks. Disappointedly, I have left Thailand once again, without seeing even one ping-pong ball. Perhaps that is yet another thing ‘meant to be’… for the better. Waifdom phase II continues to be truly inspiring.

Whoever taught me to pull chopsticks apart, like doing the splits I could never do, rather than frontward and back… you have changed my life forever. And that wasn’t the only ‘first’ you showed me! 😆 Seriously though, I can work a chopstick with great precision and perfection. Heading into Japan now, it is nice without the anxiety of twisting them apart to an inevitable break. Pull, don’t twist! Where in the world were we when I so was enlightened? Definitely not Asia.

Mai pen rai, as my amazing nephew would say. 😘 He’s in such good hands with Patama. Alright then, enough of the drippy stuff! The weekend is over here in Asia. “You got to step up your game to make it to the top… so go-o”. Time to get those contracts updated, website copy edited and social media expert hired. I can see Harold Ziddler’s ginger moustache twitch about as he sings “the show must go on” at the Moulin Rouge. I’ve still got 150 squats to fit in. 😳

I was surprised late last night with a perfectly heated drawn bath. After a couple great chats equal distances east and west of Bangkok, and a few text photos of Pringles cans to some place in between… it was as if someone knew exactly what I needed well before I even did. I think the Butler did it! 😅 In my lavender hotel room with the candlestick.

I walked in to the perfect bath x