November

I've been back from Europe for months, and a lot has happened. I've gone into doing some freelance work and I'm in the midst of launching a small online publication for short fiction. It's a lot to take on. Let me yell you, I am really hoping to find a full-time more traditional office gig, in the sense that working for yourself is a 24hour a day deal. Which is why I haven't had much time to spend on things like, updating this blog, traveling, or on other writing projects. I tend to throw myself into my work full force - good for work - not so good for my neglected hobbies. It's all about finding the right balance, which I haven't quite done yet!

But I'm really working towards a career so it's worth it. And, when things get tough I like to reminisce about my time in Europe this summer. I realized that I hadn't yet shared my Paris photos. So here are a few.

My Parisian haircut and my Parisian apartment.

I know I need to get back to Paris soon! But for now, I want to know what do you do to find a good balance between work and personal projects/hobbies?

Florence! Firenze! Italia!

I have too many photos to sort out from the Euro-trip, and I have no time to work on any of my own projects (blogging/writing/reading). Life is busy right now and that's a good thing, but I do miss the time I spent wandering around foreign cities this summer.

During my time there I was able to spend four days in Florence, and seeing the art work at the Uffizi was a dream come true for me. Florence is such a beautiful city and I'm working out ways to get back there soon!

Ponte Vecchio & The Arno

At the Boboli Gardens

Random Barcelona

I really didn't do too much sightseeing around Barcelona. For one, I was working, and also it was not my first time visiting the city for an extended period of time (so I'd already seen most of the landmark sites). It is a really beautiful city, but for me, it just did not feel like home right away. For the first half of my stay I was adjusting to the time change, and climate change. There is a nine hour time difference between California and Spain. Also, Barcelona was about twenty degrees hotter than the bay area. It was also a bit lonely. It took some time to meet new friends, but that is true of anywhere new that you go in the world. Here are some random shots taken while out and about in the city.

The Streets in El Born

The Sagrada Familia