DECISIONS, DECISIONS. - Sivan
07.23.15

DECISIONS, DECISIONS.


I’m kind of backwards in the sense that when I’m on vacation I become super inspired and motivated to get back to work. And let’s be clear, it doesn’t just happen the second I land somewhere. It usually hits when I’m truly relaxed and pretty much “reset,” which is more like Week 2 or 3. On this last trip it happened 3 different times, in 3 different cities.
What makes this time(s) so unusual, however, is my urge to delve into 3 different career paths. Sound weird? Curious? Read on.


After leaving Mykonos with an arm-full of tasseled & beaded bracelets I was dead-set on starting a jewelry line inspired by Greece. The colors, textures, and overall vibrancy of my accessories (which I don’t usually care for) was making me so happy! It just made sense. My husband was even discussing sending me back to Mykonos to begin my business before heading home but then reality hit and I realized that these bracelets do exist in the U.S., they just aren’t 5 euro. So not as fun!


When I had that insane gelato flavor in Santorini (rosewater + pink-pepper) I was convinced that I should open a gelateria in the states. With that flavor as the main attraction, banana, black cherry, dulce de leche, mint, and maybe something chocolate-y, my gelato shop would be chic and different. I couldn’t wait to Google what “pink-pepper” was. In my head frozen yogurt is SO 2012 and we are just waiting for something new and sweet to show up. Buuuuuuuut, do I really want to serve gelato for the rest of my life? Not really. Moving on.

For the record, “pink-pepper” is actually a dried berry from a shrub that I’ve never heard of.


Lastly, while in Lake Como (and feel free to blame all the Spritzs consumed for this one), I decided to write a novel. About an American girl who visits Lake Como on her honeymoon and falls in love with Italy, the lifestyle, and an Italian man. And just in case you were wondering, no, those things did NOT happen to me. Although I loved everything about Lake Como, the architecture, the food, and Italy in general, I just had a lot of time to think (and cocktails) while on this last leg of our trip.

Paul and I brainstormed all sorts of plot twists to make this not so Nicholas Sparks-y but once I arrived back home my idea just seemed plain silly.

That’s the thing about vacations, it brings me all kinds of ideas that seem brilliant at the time, but really they are just distractions from my usual thoughts. Call me high-strung or whatever, my mind just doesn’t shut off. These ideas didn’t take a lot of energy and didn’t take away from my vacation. They just gave me something else to focus on for a while. As a creative person I am always exploring new avenues and they are usually inspired by a new person, place, or experience in my life. In this case, the places were on point for instilling some creative juices into me. See, vacations aren’t just about laying around and being a sloth–for me, they are more about allowing my mind to unwind and focus on something new. It may be temporary, but it is the best way I know how to truly let go and “reset.”