Nice Adventures: 2023 Edition
I'm pursuing a lifelong degree in world culture, customs and cuisine. I write my own "distance learning" curriculum, I study at my own pace, I'm giving myself straight As and gifting Nice boomerang charms all over the world.
Nice travel is mindful, mutually uplifting and fun, full of discovery and adventure. For my law of attraction loving pals, it means travel in the vortex, aka, in the ease and flow with just the right balance of pre paving and spark-of-the-moment surprise and delight.
It is of course, best done with a positive focus, high expectations, a big appetite and a keyring full of shining bronze boomerangs to say THANKS for being so NICE.
Thank YOU for the shipping pauses during nice adventures.
Shopping with a one woman show like A Nice World can feel quite old fashioned at times. I hope that's a plus. I appreciate the balance and I hope you open your calendar right NOW to create space to prioritize your next adventure, large or small, near or far, whatever it may be.
Next Up: A Costa Rican Adventure
Pura Vida! Pure life! That's CR's motto and pure joy is what I'm expecting from December 12 to 26, as we return to Central America to explore a new country. We'll traverse the cloud forest, gaze at volcanoes, snorkel gorgeous reef systems, see mysterious rock spheres, visit the national museum and soak up the Pura Vida in hot springs so beautiful I'm sure I wont believe my eyes. Enjoy this holiday season and place orders now for timely gift giving!
Of Safaris and Synchronicity: Kenya, Tanzania and Istanbul
Travelogue: November 2023
Kenya & Tanzania safaris, Lamu Island culture trip and Istanbul for two nights compliments of Turkish Airlines.
My oh my, a year of planning and pre-paving this trip passed by in the blink of an elephant's eye. A whirlwind 21 days through Nairobi, three Kenyan Wildlife Reserves, Lamu Island (the birthplace of Swahili culture) and a synchronous two nights and three days in Istanbul, compliments of Turkish Airlines.
I could type a river about this experience. The wildlife! Seeing so many animals roaming free and safe, watching every day for the Leopard and Rhino to complete our Big 5 which happened at the last minute on the last day. So many interactions with amazing people I am in love with Kenyans and Kenya and I have a burning jewelry project that will (aw shucks) get me back there next year.
Istanbul was everything I dreamed of, and how that came about with 2 24-hour delays and complimentary FABULOUS Grand Yavuz Hotel was beyond. I ran around nonstop to see the grand market, jaw dropping mosques, a fashion show, and enjoyed interacting with the incredible people of Istanbul which of course means people of the entire world. What a place.
For much much more on the animals, the boomerang recipients and the culture of these amazing spots, check out the dozen or so video reels posted in the Kenya and Istanbul Albums on the A Nice World Facebook Page.
Wow. What a trip.
St. Petersburg: Salvador Dali and The Melting of Time
Travelogue October 2023: "The Persistence of Memory," when TIME melts and bends.
This weekend adventure was inspirational and motivational while relaxing and contemplative on the other side of the coin. The trip was a unique balancing act, oscillating between go go go (which I love) and sitting in stillness in a gorgeous garden backyard with perfect breezes barely brushing my face. I don't quite remember when doing nothing felt so very something, and it was decadent.
The fantastic sights and sounds of downtown, great foods and fun on rooftop patios, driving a friend's Porsche Panamera Twin Turbo were all a thrill and a joy and a whole lot of fun. That was the go go go.
At the Salvador Dali Museum, we first took in the sculpture and rock boulder garden, then the 360-degree immersive experience. That set the tone to see - for the first time - so many famous works. Delightfully, none of them met my expectations. The ones I thought would be HUGE were so small I still can't believe the detail within them. The ones I thought might be a couple feet wide filled entire walls with grandeur. To put my eyes six inches from those brush strokes was a wonder.
I consider myself in the 1% when it comes to synchronicity and magic moments. Visiting the museum the FINAL weekend of the "Ideas" exhibit with dozens of Dali's noodles, doodles and early sketches of grand works was a highlight of the year. I took 100 photos at least, so I can even hope to recollect the feeling of glimpsing these treasures first hand.
Friends, fun, cheese boards, really really special Spanish food at the Dali Cafe, my first grouper Ruben sandwich, my first oyster shooter, my first time driving a Porsche (apparently I like to start at the top), it was all an inspiration and a blast. Good friends make for fun adventures and I can't wait to return for Chihuly, Weeki Watchie, and more quiet mornings filled with those perfect Floridian breezes.
Palm Springs in Coachella Valley, California
Travelogue October 11, 2023: AAA Anita, Astrology & Aspirations
Sometimes Nice adventures are prioritized based on the people, not the place. Despite a busy travel schedule, late in September a strong, undeniable impulse struck: GO VISIT ANITA.
I chose to visit on 10-11-23 because 1011 is one of my favorite lucky numbers. Although I could only stay one night, it was perfect timing to visit to this fascinating, history-filled desert valley. As I sat appreciating a beautiful fountain at the Palm Springs open air airport, I noticed in the photo I had taken that I was across from Gate 10-11. To top it off, at that moment heard the announcement "Flight 1011 is arriving from Las Vegas with baggage at carousel five!"
I love it when the universe makes it so very clear that I'm in the right place at the right time and for the right reason: time with ANITA.
The incredible human being at the heart of this visit has been a friend since the late 90s when we met in a Spanish class in Tucson AZ. For a decade or so, upon moving to the desert southwest, I made it a point to always be enrolled in a community class whether it be jewelry making, stained glass, global dance, fire spinning, Spanish or other topics that caught my curiosity.
The habit of "Always Be Learning" enriched my life beyond description. One of the biggest ways was meeting Anita and Woody. (HI WOODY! Now that he's returned to pure positive energy I know he can read this as I type, even before I hit "save" or "upload" to the blog. Love you Woody!)
Anita (and Woody) influenced me so much, taught me about life, astrology, meditation, inner peace, true priorities, friendship, love, Yiddish, life's mysteries and enjoying the unfolding of every chapter of life. Now nearing 90, she's still filled to the overflowing with life force and her influence is one I treasure and carry close.
We talked about Law of Attraction and what we want from life. I laughed about joking about La Quinta "The hotel?" to both my uber drivers. VOILA 24 hours later back in Tucson, I was asked to write a travel article on - where - LA QUINTA.
Hard to believe but then again, where thoughts go, energy flows. Its all coming back like a boomerang. The world is a fun place, there are no accidents or coincidences.
People like Anita help me keep my compass needle pointed to this truth and to my true north: JOY. I hope you do the same. Sit. Visualize. Appreciate. FEEL the joy and align your desires, beliefs and expectations into the sweet spot and see what the universe delivers.
Also, reach out to a friend or two. Visit if you can, give a hug, and tell them how very much you love having them in your life. Friendship. Loved ones. Connecting in meaningful ways. That's the nicest adventure of all. XO-J
Salt Lake City, Utah:
Travelogue October 2023: OUR in Salt Lake City
This adventure was sparked by a Kyle Cease workshop which doubled as an Operation Underground Railroad fundraiser.
The experience soared to new heights of inspiration through spending time with my dear friend Gayle Lantz of CEO on the Go and Work Matters. She introduced me to two of the most amazing leaders I have ever had the good fortune to meet, Amanda and Amy of Authentic CEO.
So much to write and share on this short weekend getaway, and I hope, more adventures with these inspiring women soon.
Aurora Borealis September Solstice, Alaska
Travelogue September Solstice/Equinox, 2023: A Northern Lights Dream
Just a hop skip and snowflake from the Arctic Circle lies Chena Hot Springs, a place I've dreamed to visit on the Solstice/Equinox to see the Northern Lights. I've always been lucky in travel, be it solo or with travel pals and for this trip, that's part of the story.
Sometimes - well, usually - life makes it very obvious how lucky I am. One example is manifesting a college bestie whose last name IS actually LOVE. Who has a birthday equal distant from the September Solstice as my own. I'm a week prior and she's a week after, so the turning point/tipping point Equinox is a perfect time to connect and explore a new part of the world and of our friendship.
Hot springs like I've never experienced before, SUS-V's heading straight up a mountain to a yurt on a domed hill for the best black-as-night viewing and more stars than I've ever seen. Spotting a moose, trying "Hard Tack" crackers for the first time, marveling at ice sculptures in a giant ice castle-igloo... there were a lot of firsts on this trip.
I'm eternally grateful to close my eyes and remember that miraculous, moving, changing, glowing light in the sky. I'll always be reminded that it is matched by the dancing light within me, always.
Isla Mujeres, Mexico
Travelogue August 2023: Isla Mujeres.
That's Spanish for Island of Women or Women's Island. This historically significant, culturally rich island is so fascinating, alluring and inspiring. To start, it was aptly named "Women's Island" by the Spanish. Upon arrival, they encountered myriad of goddess statues veritably covering this tiny island, thus declaring it Isla Mujeres.
It really is teeny tiny, but it has a great BIG story. The island is only 4.5 miles long and half a mile wide. Yet it has TWO Malecons, art galore, Yucatan cuisine, archeology, museums and nightlife both at Isla Mujeres and Cancun, just a ferry away. Add in beach time, Mayan culture, and if your timing is right, whale shark snorkeling and baby sea turtle hatchlings!
No visit is complete without a meeting with the women at the Isla Mujeres Bead Co-operative. I created some new designs to sell, benefitting the cooperative even further. Also a must, is sitting at Ixchel's Temple to watch the first rays of morning sun landing on the Eastern most point of Mexico.
That's a lot of discovery, exploration and gifting bronze boomerangs to Nice people along the way. Isla Mujeres is a great place to satiate your curiosities, pursue your passions or simply seek whatever unique moments that make your heart soar. XO - Jill
Ringing in the Irie New Year 2023 in Jamaica:
Travelogue New Year's 2023: Jamaican Paradise
A New Year to remember, a favorite favorite favorite from the planning to the doing to the remembering oh Jamaica you have my heart.
Where to begin? Learning and speaking Jamaican Patois, splashing in electric blue water in a Bioluminescent Bay, spending hours half-submerged snorkeling the beachline and ohhhhhhhhhhh my the Jerk spice!
Waterfalls.... crystal blue THICK clear streams and rivers a color I've never seen or imagined. I have never experienced this quality of WATER in such a heart grabbing way. This trip has me scouring every new land listing in the entire country, one by one, as they go for sale. I'm watching closely for a view and river access. It just feels right and until the right lot pops up, it feels amazing to look and dream.
I learned so much from Irena of Jamaica Irie and her inspiring Youtube channel. I loved getting to know her and her team. Highlights also included hand-feeding hummingbirds at an amazing sanctuary/reserve. Scheduling and rocking a private Reggae dance lesson, and I even had the pleasure to spin a little fire at a pre-planned fire performance show at my hotel, Deja. All this, plus more walking, swimming, dancing and eating traditional Jamaican foods and sweets until I couldn't take another step or bite.
Jamaica started 2023 like none other and she has left a heart shaped mark on my heart. I can't wait to see where it leads.
