Archive for the ‘Travels’ Category

It’s Always Sunny in Santa Barbara

Posted: September 28, 2013 in Travels
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There is definitely something to this whole being in ‘the house you grew up in’… especially with the luxury of having it all to myself! I feel like I’m 15 years old again when I would wish for just one solitude moment in the house. Fast forward 25 years and here I am, having spent most of my adult life living alone, yet still relishing a bit! Nothing against my mother whom I love dearly but I am happy she’s out and about and will see her in a few weeks time. But… there’s just something about ‘your parents’ house. Immediate reaction: look in the fridge. What is the deal with that!? It’s almost like I’m checking to ensure nothing has changed from when I last lived here in my very early twenties. Knudsen’s pink container cottage cheese: check! Thanks momma, for letting me crash, it’s so cozy! I just made eggs but it’s no egg sandwich. ;). It’s of course a perfect day for a jog to Goleta Beach, about 79 degrees, or 26 to the rest of the world. 🙂 Enough time has passed that it does thrill me to be home. Good old Santa Barbara… apparently the neighbour’s house was ‘tee-peed’ last night, I noticed en route to my little pop-over on Oleander Street.

I’m so over-the-top excited to be invited to my best and first boss’ (the first one that counts) wedding today. I realize my life is a bit chaotic in comparison to some, but this was an event I just could not miss. I’d have flown to the moon and back to celebrate Richard and Tony’s nuptials. I’m pretty sure Richard has a relatively significant role in making me who I am… today. What a blissful Santa Barbara day!!! The day is sure to be filled with love and chaos every which way I look. What a fantastic day ahead! So honored to be a participant.

I came home from China, with two days to spare until my girlfriend came to stay with me. Poor thing (well… sort of) had a week long of intro into my crazy, but man oh man did she fit into NYC, like a glove! We had the absolute best time: NYC sites, my friends, burgers, exercise and total contentment! I missed her (yes, me, who loves living alone!) after she left. Fortunately I am in Santa Barbara this weekend and had an amazing intro into her fabulous world last night. Honestly… getting to hang with Jimbo, the father of her kids, was like no time had passed but bless us: in a good way. Their kids are amazing and beautiful and completely embody all the best qualities (and good looks!) of both my high school besties! So fun catching up at good old Rudy’s in G-Town and then with her parents as well. So weird when everyone looks the same (or better) than we did 20 years ago. By the way, I can’t wait to see you next month, Kelly! 😉

Things have been so full on the last few weeks, since I was in China. Hong Kong was like a fairy tale at this point. It was fabulous though, and so bizarre how my network tends to unfold. I think I prefer Shanghai, at the end of the day. I failed to update immediately after that portion of the trip, and have lived several lives since, so we’ll just have to call that one a wash! Or a reprieve from my blatherings. 🙂

Awww yeah… Daft Punk! The queue to get my ass shaking and jog back to mamacita’s to get ready for this amazing Santa Barbara wedding and fabulous old school friends. Standing on the pier at Goleta Beach, I must admit to the nostalgia…

No time for reminiscing though: next week is Rosewood Mayakoba, south of Cancun. Hey, it’s a conference, I don’t choose the locations! ;). Twenty meetings per day, each twenty-minutes long. I love my job.

Happy Birthday to one of my favourite Libras. Hope you and your gorgeous girls are celebrating well. x

Big fun in little China… already

Posted: September 8, 2013 in Travels
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The Shanghai skyline from Four Seasons Pudong infinity pool

The Shanghai skyline from Four Seasons Pudong infinity pool

I’m quite relieved to report that I had an uneventful Saturday morning trek to Newark. Yes… New Jersey, again! I’m a United mile whore… what can I say? I plan to use my two system-wides after making 1K this year to visit my Jetsetter in the Australian countryside in 2014. I half packed last night, which who-the-hell-knows when that was at this point, considering it’s now dinner time in China on Sunday. I was in bed at 20:00 hours on Friday (I am trying to get fluent with the rest of the worlds’ translations in weather, english, units, etc), and was up at 06:00! The only downfall of my flight was the unbearable breath of the poor sucker next to me, who, apparently likes to talk to himself. His laptop revealed Chinese powerpoint but with words like neutron and m-t atom, makes me believe he’s probably one of those really smart bad-breath people. It IS as bad as the ‘Bad Breath Brothers’ from Cabo. Remember them!!? 🙂 I don’t think they were the sharpest tools in the shed though. :/

The other noticeable observance is the fidgety-ness of the Chinese people. Please let me preface this entire trip with the blatant fact that I am anything but racist. Though, an observer at heart I remain. I remember watching a documentary on the regiment (and success!) of the Chinese culture and one segment in particular, where at certain jobs they have group stretching sessions. That’s what being on the plane was like! Funny. No, not funny ‘ha ha’ I am a beautifully compassionate and respectful soul! I absolutely brushed up on my respects for the country and even brought gifts! Which yes, I will present with both hands and a small head bow. It’s the least I could do for the insistence on being 100% pampered the moment I arrive. How bizarre is this: the General Manager of Asia’s #3 hotel, who I met in Vegas for 3.7 minutes, had me picked up at airport arrival, in their house Rolls Royce, and dropped at a completely unrelated hotel, and I am not even meeting with them until Monday!

Hard to tell from the photo, but I’m currently in a bit of a slumber at the Four Seasons infinity pool, with a glass of wine, which overlooks the Shanghai skyline, particularly Pearl Tower. I thought it would have been more lit up at night. I purposely didn’t sleep much on my flight so I’d be well exhausted tonight. My airport greeting was over-the-top so nice but then when the General Manager of my hotel came to greet me at check in and saw the Peninsula Rolls… he called with a 90-minute massage scheduled shortly after. I know it’s the Four Seasons, and I’m in a cosmopolitan city but still… not everyone speaks perfect english, so communicating preferences is just more challenging. Jena just completely dialed me in and yet the spa wouldn’t give me anything to sign for, and tips are considered offensive. Luckily I stocked up on Francois Payard from next door to JG’s for several ‘just-in-case’ thank you gifts. It’s gone over well so far. I’d say China already is a huge success!

I am not sure what type massage I was given, think it was just the jet lag massage, a mere 90 minutes but she used this hot Chinese herbal medicine cloth thing on every body area at the end, which was to die for. I did a bit of research in the last few days, to be sure I’m up on etiquette, and was under the impression things would be on the more conservative side here. So when they showed me the locker and disposable panties, I opted to wear them, whereas I’m usually pretty comfortable in the buff. Not quite sure why I even needed them as Jena definitely moved her hands around and tucked the silk overlay into them to get down to my um… well, close to that very last spine bone that is just at the top of ‘cheeks’… the coccyx I think. Then she did this whole ‘cover my nipples’ thing and did a full tummy massage plus the sides of my breasts even. I don’t care what anyone says… don’t judge me, it was one of the best I’ve ever had… and I live well beyond modesty in that realm, after my Turkish bath. For my friend who has FOUR naked men crawling up his wall, I think the spa has the same guys!

Oh! Armani Boy: I’ve got dinner in Hong Kong on the 116th floor… what floor is the restaurant (that you never took me to) at Burj Khalifa?! x

I’ve gone through my 4.5 years of testimonial emails to sift through contenders for my new kick ass website. Will be sending some of my lovelies permission requests, or if anyone has anything angelic-like and witty with praise for me and Envizage, now’s the time to send it over! Contract revisions are also ready for edit. Blog is up and will be the next project for a web designer who brought me to tears upon opening her first few concepts. Speaking of published blog, are you all following http://www.lizcostello.com!? It’s not that complicated and these tedious emails could be a thing of the past! 😉

I’m quite excited for this week. It’s difficult to explain but my brain is always working in the future and there is just so much coming up. I think it will be fascinating. I hope I get some jogger time in. Given NYC doesn’t necessarily expect me up until about 08:00 or 09:00 hours which is flip time for me (12 hours time difference), I plan to self-spin and run daily. If Dubai has self-spinners then Shanghai and Hong Kong must as well! I have no meetings set until lunches so I’ll be up early, I hope. It is inevitable though, I predict I will get a phone call from a particular London client in a panic needing to get from the UK to some random place (like Tokyo), like tomorrow, and back by dinner time with the family. 😉 Or something like that.

No doubt I will manage just fine. Especially considering the day that Peninsula lavishly scheduled for tomorrow, after this amazing, relaxing and gorgeous entry to Four Seasons.

I like it here!!! A lot.

Classic line: “it could be mind-to-troll”

Posted: August 11, 2013 in Travels
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Welcome to the American desert

What an absolute delight, to have an early, prepared-for and drama-free introduction to Virtuoso Travel Week, in my oh-so-favorite Las Vegas.  😉  En route from New York, the crass and rather hefty passenger-mates ensure that yes indeed, it is Vegas I am headed to.  Quite hard to choke on after watching one of the most amazing international films… ever.  Anton, your mind and taste are truly beautiful and brilliant.  I suppose I should have realized that at the ‘Oppan Gangnam Style’ moment we shared last year. 😉

This week is going to be chalk full of chaos, contacts and who knows what else!  Tonight alone carries with it several fabulous commitments with people I love and communicate with regularly, but don’t get to see so often.  😆  I’m super excited!  Me excited for Vegas, which I know is quite a stretch… but it’s been a full year.  I’m locked and loaded this time around. Watch out Vegas!

Earlier this week I was helping a client get to Beijing, from London… last minute of course.  Sorting through logistics of the new 72-hour chinese transit visa logistics for travel within 24 hours, quite honestly IS my idea of fun.  My life is typically random and last minute… and I just love it so much.  I never know what the next moment is going to uncover.  With this particular Brit client, as is so often the case, we tend to randomly share film recommendations and he has never steered me wrong.  It’s so strange.  I’ve barely spent much time with him in person, but we clearly share the same artistic taste! I’ve even been told he slams a red bull before pitches, just like I do before my daily exercise… I hope it’s at least a sugar free one! His latest recommendation for me, during our Beijing logistics coordination was a French film called ‘Intouchables’.  I downloaded it last night knowing full well United would not have WiFi on my flight.  And oh how I love the French.  Watch the film and you’ll know what my subject line means.  And your heart should dance with levity and laughter. I’m definitely moved. Can’t wait to watch it again without the subtitles!!! The lead character’s relation to music is so familiar to me, recently. Spinning and it’s relation to music has officially change my life, not to mention: the circumference of my thighs.

Last night at home was a bit fun.  Packing carefully, dodging wine invites from the recently resurfaced ‘boy who lives beneath me’, getting the final details on grandma’s 95th nailed, and growing more excited with the various texts from all the Saturday night Vegas arrivals which ensued, from all over the globe.  Plus I’ve got a special bonus from my very own Santa Barbara!  Can’t wait to finally meet E tonight!

In usual Liz-fashion, I’m strumming up a bit of a hurricane… already! But it just comes effortlessly. I love people, especially their differences, and I adore being in such an aware state of mind I gravitate toward those of a similar ilk, yet can still tolerate the others. Will be fun to see Hope! 🙂 I work alone from my apartment… and quite a few of the relationships I’ve focused on this last year make me feel like a whole newly enlightened person. For the girl with enough infectious energy to buzz the room up all night long (until I hit a wall and must be scooted by my armpits), this is quite the statement!

So round two of speed-dating for luxury travel awaits… in one of my least favorite cities in the world.  For those of you with upcoming travel, please know the time spent this week with travel suppliers has proven itself to be ridiculously beneficial for all of you.  Hence, upon the City of Sin I descend once again.  If you’ve got anyone or a place you’re heading to soon, now’s an ideal time to let me know!

If this fat, white haired Sodoku man in seat 1B does not stop hacking and coughing openly, I’m going to scream. Now he’s positioned himself (as he rubs his massive buddha belly) so his phlegm might be directed toward me. Nice. At least he’s not ‘sandel-guy’. There’s nothing I despise more than open toe shoes or flips, on an airplane. And while I’m at it: why do so some men feel like its appropriate to frequently adjust their penises out in the open? Note to men: It does not go unnoticed and is freaking gross. Please stop.

I am feeling in tip-top shape to see the Armani Boy, my beloved SB girl, then polish it off with a one-hour-limit casino sesh with someone I can just be myself with, so easily.  Leave the marketing schtick for tomorrow.  I hope I can collect a little posse!  Don’t worry, if there’s one thing I know, it’s how to make a table fun… or how to move on to one that I can!  My Raytheon BFF’s passionate coaching will never be forgotten.  Besides, it’s all about the intuition.  We either got it or we don’t!

xxx

PS: I miss ‘my person’ already and hope your entry to Dakota went well.  Still a little ambivalent but I’ll def see you in Fargo.

PPS: I miss you Jetsetter, and thought I’d sealed the deal on your participation!  See you in December, my lovely.

Oh!!! PPPS: Baby-stepping it to the book and would love for you to follow this on http://www.lizcostello.com. A fabulous designer is twirking it soon but the content is now finally up-to-date.  More excitement for Envizage’s Liz (now say that 5 times fast!).

“Envizage’s Liz, Envizage’s Liz, Envizage… oh fuck it…”.

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