JFK | Hold the Glamour

February 20, 2013

Handy travel tips that make life easier

Since my last post, I’ve traveled out of New York a couple of times to Philly and Little Rock again. This time I got stuck in Little Rock, Arkansas. Funny how I can make it home during one of the biggest storms (Blizzard Nemo) in our area in a hundred years however, I can’t get home because of a thunderstorm.

On Monday early evening I was to fly out of Little Rock to New York, via Chicago. A thunderstorm delayed my outbound flight to Chicago and immediately it threatened my connection to New York. I had the choice to risk it and see what happens, end up in a hotel in Chicago or stay put in Little Rock. I decided to stay put.

Fortunately, I didn’t have to work yesterday however, it messed up my plans I had with Mila for the day as well as a bunch of errands I had to run and packing for my next trip.

Yesterday I woke up at 3.30am and caught a 6am flight out of Little Rock to Chicago where I connected for a flight to La Guardia. It was snowing when I arrived in Chicago. I arrived home around 1pm, approximately 14 hours after I was originally due to arrive. This is not the glamourous side to the business.

Little Rock, AK – My 6am sunrise from the plane

Chicago – It’s snowing when we land

You see I’m at JFK airport right now, awaiting my Qantas flight to Sydney, Australia. I start shooting for Ezibuy on Monday for a week and I’ve finally stopped still for what seems like the first time in days.

The endless preparation that goes on before I leave on big trips such as this one is incredible. The kids, house, me and business keep going on and on. Is it like this for all working mother’s? Is it like this for all people who travel a lot for their occupation? The constant juggling and planning never stops.

I wonder sometimes how I get it all done… I know my amazing husband has a lot to do with it. I am thankful and grateful for Steve who is my true partner in life and love. We are a team. I know I could not do this and have the life I/we have without him.

Anyway, I thought I’d share with you some travel tips that I have found to work for me whether I’m on the road for business or pleasure. If you have any ideas or tips you would like to share – please do so. I’m all ears.

Drink plenty of water before, during and after your trip
Eat lightly
Pack healthy snacks like carrots and nuts in case you get hungry
Pack an eye-mask and ear plugs so you can zone out the noise and light and hopefully fall sleep
Pack some reading material especially for take-off and landing (no electronics allowed in use at this time)
Sleep whenever you can
Check and double-check all flight details and your itinerary
Ensure you have all travel documents in one, safe and easy place to access
Pack a scarf and extra clothes like a cardigan so you can layer – it can get very cold on the plane
Wear comfortable clothes

I’m sure I’ll remember other things to add. Stay tuned for more glamourous travel and life moments.

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January 14, 2013

Extremes of anything are dangerous

In the morning, I leave Sydney for New York. I’m flying with Qantas (my airline of choice), so I am looking forward to making my journey safely and comfortably home to the Big Apple. I cannot wait to see my precious family even though it’ll be for less than 24 hours.

Within 24 hours of touching down at JFK, I’m stepping on another plane heading to the middle of America for work on my next shoot. Catch-up family time is going to have to wait until the weekend (when I think I’m going to be home).

It has been a hot and fiery summer in Australia with fires burning out of control. Homes have been lost and certainly the lives of the innocent. It is headline news night after night – so sad and tragic to watch and listen to.

Global warming is out of control and we can see, notice and personally experience the impact of what it is doing everywhere in the world, whether in the Northern or Southern Hemispheres.

I know of someone who returned from Germany the other day and he describes his three weeks in Europe as freezing. New York up until recently has been freezing.

The weather patterns around the world seem to be out-of-control. Extremes of weather are dangerous. Extremes of anything are dangerous.

What are we going to do about it?

What are you doing about it?

What suggestions do you have to improve the way of the world?

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July 9, 2012

Getting it all done Big Apple style

Since returning home to New York, my time has flown by at record speed as usual. From unpacking to re-organising my entire closet/robe and getting rid of the clothes that needed to be, oh so long ago to purging the kid’s clothes again that are now too small and we have to make way for more to getting back to the gym and surviving the heat wave we’ve had in the last 10 days to getting back to my husband, kids and life in the Big Apple.

I had to go in to Ford and try a pair of jeans on for a client that had sent them to my agency for me to try on. So I went in, was introduced to two new bookers on our Ford + board then tried the jeans on. My booker took photos of me in the jeans and he emailed them through to the client. We had a quick meeting to discuss the work I have coming up and then I was off to run another errand or 10.

I worked a few days in the city and caught up with some wonderful friends and people I work with regularly in the industry. Here is a visual of my week at work.

NYC – The Empire State Building at 7am on my way to work

NYC – The beautiful Julie Henderson and I getting into mischief

NYC – My amazing hair & make-up artist, Keiko Hamaguchi and I

NYC – The studio in midtown

And now I must dash as I have a car waiting for me outside to take me to JFK airport. It really isn’t all that glamourous when I think back to my day and what I’ve had to do to get it all done.

The images my booker took must have worked – I’m going to work for them over the next few days. Till then…

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June 15, 2012

From New York to Sydney

I started this post in New York on Monday just prior to being picked up and taken to JFK airport. I had a plane to catch… I was on my way to Sydney, Australia to shoot for Sara, Ezibuy and due to ‘technical difficulties’ was unable to complete my post. So here we go, take two!

SoHo – Cutler Salon on West Broadway

This morning I had my highlights done and I feel so much better. It had been a while. I went to Cutler Soho this time on West Broadway and had the wonderful Ben Stewart take care of me and my roots. I was in his chair by 9am and had to be… I had an international flight to catch. Ben highlighted one side of my hair then the other. His assistant Jen rinsed one side then the other. It is a process and the colour takes time to develop. Ben can’t rush the process even though he knows I’m watching the clock constantly. I drive him crazy I’m sure.

SoHo – the very talented Ben Stewart highlighting my hair at Cutler Salon

It’s a mad dash home. I’m packed and ready to go so I shower, change and try to spend as much time with Steve and the kids as possible before Luis picks me up and drives me to JFK airport, Terminal 7. I’m flying with Qantas on QF108 from New York to Sydney, via Los Angeles. My journey to my parent’s place door-to-door is approximately 27 hours. It is very long indeed. I try to see it this way… I have something to look forward to at each end of my trip. When traveling to Australia I have my mum, sister, family and friends to see and returning home to New York I have Steve, Mila and Levi to rush home to.

It is certainly an adjustment being away from my sweet angels for almost two-and-a-half-weeks. It is an adjustment for us all in fact. We speak, email &/or text everyday and there’s a constant flow of pictures between my family in New York and me in Australia. We miss each other terribly.

So I leave on Monday night, am in transit on Tuesday and arrive in to Sydney on Wednesday. My first day is spent getting waxed, having a mani/pedi and catching up with family for an early dinner. My lights are out by 9.30pm. It is the deepest and sweetest of sleeps. I’m awake by 3am and drift off again by 5am. Don’t you love jet lag? What tricks do you have? Any tips to share?

My second day in the Land of Oz, I go and visit an aunt and uncle in the morning and after returning to mum’s for lunch I finally get to unpack and go through mail that has accumulated over the last three months since I was here last. Calls and emails take up most of my afternoon in the office before retiring by 9pm… Ready for my 6am start and day one of my Sara shoot in a studio in Sydney.

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