It’s time to switch up gears and talk about something other than travel. Over Memorial Day weekend, I had a chance to catch up with some friends for a little backyard party in Kansas City. It has been a while since we have all been together (thanks COVID) and it was great sharing some stories and laughs in the sun with our feet in a recently purchased adult-sized inflatable pool. Yes, you heard that correctly…
I thought I would go ahead and share this easy recipe for a lemon orzo pasta salad that was made at this party for your own picnics or get-togethers this summer. Keep your social distancing when serving though… everyone will gather around the bowl!
Let’s take a step and talk about cooking for a minute. I will be the first to say that I am not an expert chef. I have no doubt and respect that there are those that are more skilled, faster, and patient than anything I currently concoct or have the time for. It does not help that I live by myself in an apartment. This Gemini loves and needs the enjoyment of others, and the same comes to taking the time to whip up something. Thus, parties are where I can finally get my hands dirty in the kitchen and try something new.
And what do I Iike to cook? I would say my creative background has helped me in exploring and understanding flavor through spice, sauce and rub combinations. I will see a recipe that sparks my attention and then try to shake it up to make it my own, or take the best-of elements from several recipes to determine my own variation over a span of time.
A great example of this is pasta salad. This is one of my favorite things to have fun with that is super quick and easy. The slightest ingredient changes or portion modifications completely changes the outcome and taste.
For this particular gathering, I had to first think about the theme. Yeah, I am all about matching the vibe of the gathering. With 85 degree weather in Kansas City for that day, I wanted something that would be cool and refreshing in the warm sun. The summer season invokes feelings of bright colors, vibrancy of tart lemons, and the smells of fresh mint. I have been cooped up for a while and being outside felt refreshing and was a sigh of relief. This particular pasta salad incorporates all of these elements and tasted pretty darn good. We were already grilling brats so I wanted something light to complement and didn’t involve a heavier and creamier dressing.
One other note I will add is describing orzo itself. For those that do not know or haven’t had before, this is indeed a pasta and not a rice (though it does look like grain). It is a small and flat pasta that doubles in size when cooking and can easily be found in the pasta aisle. I love using this for something light in a soup or as part of a Mediterranean flavored pasta side dish. Now that we’ve got that out of the way, put on your hat and robe and let’s get to cooking!
Lemon Orzo Pasta Salad
Recipe:
1 cup of orzo (½ pound from package)
2 tablespoons of sherry wine vinegar
1 lemon juiced
½ cup olive oil
10 ounces cherry tomatoes (1 ¼ cups if fresh)
6 ounces feta cheese
1 shallot
2 cloves of garlic (2-3 teaspoons)
⅓ cup green olives
½ cup kalamata olives
½ cup basil
½ cup mint
1 tablespoon parsley
To taste: salt, pepper, red pepper flakes
Below please find directions and additional notes from the chef in putting this recipe together:
Dressing
In a mixing bowl, whisk the lemon juice and sherry vinegar. Slowly whisk in the olive oil to where all 3 ingredients come together to create a harmonious dressing. You will see it thicken up and have a bit of a hazy gold color.
Pasta
Cook 1 cup of orzo in boiling water. As always when cooking any pasta, don’t forget to season your water with a little salt and pepper. After about 8 minutes or so (depending on your stove and pasta), drain your pasta in a strainer with cold water and pour the pasta in your preferred serving bowl.
Toppings
Prior to and while the pasta is cooking, begin the process of preparing all of your toppings that will be placed in the pasta salad:
Tomatoes
Slice cherry tomatoes in half lengthwise
Olives
Slice kalamata and green olives. I typically get 4-5 slices from a typical single olive (depending on the size)
Garlic
Mince up garlic from 2 cloves or proceed with 2-3 teaspoons from a pre-minced jar
Shallot
Part of the onion family, these should be chopped up in similar fashion.
Herbs
Chop up a handful of basil, parsley, or mint. Pre-packaged basil and parsley is fine, but I do recommend having fresh mint for including with this recipe. Once your mint is chopped, keep a little to the side and separate from the rest of the herb mixture that will be added prior to serving
Mixing Together
Once your orzo pasta has been drained and in your preferred bowl, first add ⅔ of your dressing and stir together in pasta. Add in your toppings and stir together. Now sprinkle in some salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes to taste and stir together in the bowl.
At this time, go ahead and seal up the bowl with plastic wrap and place in the fridge to chill for at least 2 hours or so. This will help all flavors come together. Once chilled, add in the crumbled feta cheese and the remainder of your dressing. Stir together and top with the remainder of your mint. Your pasta salad is now complete! Serve with a smile and enjoy the taste of summer!
I hope you enjoyed this recipe. Let me know your feedback and any questions you may have. Have a great week everyone!
Halló! Let’s journey back to early 2019, shall we? One of the most eye opening vacations I have ever been on was to the country of Iceland. In preliminary discussions for this trip, the following were the few things I thought I knew about the country coming from the USA. Iceland is/has:
Cold Weather
Cheap Flights
Viewability of the Northern Lights
Some lagoon that is in a lot of photos
Volcanoes
For real. Coming from someone with “decent” geographical knowledge, there was much I did not know about this particular country. However, I knew that it was supposed to be THE place to travel right now. I am happy to share that Iceland 100% lived up to the hype. It was a phenomenal adventure and I am happy to share my perspective in a brief overview.
The first thing to determine was when to visit. My friend and I ultimately chose late January for several reasons. This was supposed to be the peak of opportunity to see the Northern Lights. Additionally, it was during the off-season, meaning it was a lot cheaper to capitalize on everything we knew we wanted to do. Sold!
Reykjavik was used as our lodging homebase for the entire vacation duration. Each of our daily tours picked us up near our hotel. I will do a separate post that dives deeper to this city itself, the restaurants, and the overall vibe. But just know that this is such a quaint, beautiful and walkable area!
Something that is important to me and that I have learned the hard way on with past vacations is finding the right place to stay. Should you do hotel or rental? How do you know where to stay? It costs how much? Of these three questions, I find that most people lead by cost. I don’t blame you! However, it is worth starting this discovery and research process by looking at all of the noted factors. I want to be in the right area at the right price with the right ambiance. From that point I then look to determine if that leads me down the path of a hotel or AirBnB. Things that come in to play are transportation accessibility, rental parking (if applicable), charm, and amenities.
For this particular trip, we chose the hotel route and determined the Canopy by Hilton Reykjavik in the city center was our best bet. This was a super cute hotel with a very millennial vibe in the design choices made. There was an area bus pickup just outside the door which made transportation very convenient. It was also a block from the main shopping street and a short walk to destinations from each direction.
I have found that sometimes better deals can be found from the hotel site itself (as opposed to a third-party site), and that was the case with this one as well! Three amenities that made me very happy with my experience here was the speaker in the room that had Bluetooth connection to play music from my phone, the lobby walls adorned with vinyl records that could be picked up and played in cute seating areas, as well as the separate elevator that went directly to the restaurant (of which had a phenomenal breakfast buffet)!
With the hotel booked, the next step was in determining and booking the flights. Okay, so from being in Kansas City, I knew that Icelandair was now flying direct out of my airport and it was definitely the way to go for cheap and convenient airfare. Perfect! Well, what I didn’t know was that it only flew out of KCI from May-September. Welp! I ended up using credit card points to get me to Washington DC, from where I then flew direct to Reykjavik. It was still an insanely cheap trip. Something to note though, is the basic fare is just that… basic. Don’t be looking for a complimentary international meal or alcoholic beverages, something of which is standard with most travel. With that said, It was a very nice experience and I had no issues whatsoever. My credit card allows me access to select airport lounges, so we made sure we got our bellies and soul full prior to the flight at the stunning Turkish Airlines lounge.
The Keflavik International Airport was beautiful. For being in a different country, this airport was very easy to navigate, had easily accessible and wide range amenities, and felt very fresh from its renovation. Something to note is that the city is about 31 miles from the city. A means of transportation must be utilized to get you to the actual city center. Upon researching the different options, we ultimately chose Flybus as our to/from transportation. Signage was clear and instructions were easy enough to follow to ensure we got off at the right place!
The most important thing to note is that buses are not allowed within the city itself. There are set bus stops that must be used for any pick-ups or drop-offs. Being that EVERYONE is doing the same, it can be an interesting process standing around watching and waiting each of the buses that pass through to your particular stop as to ensure you are getting on the right one… and hopefully don’t miss. I think for the next time I visit, I will get a rental car. But for this particular trip, we only used the transportation as part of the tours or our 2 legs in walking around the city and did just fine!
In regards to activities, we narrowed down to four different tours, each taking us to a different part of Iceland and had pick-up right at the block corner outside the hotel. A lot of research went to the options that were there for us, customer ratings, and overall price point. I will go in these tours specifically at a later date, but I will speak to each of these at high level to help give an idea of what we experienced:
Northern Lights
Golden Circle
Blue Lagoon
Southern Coast
Northern Lights: Okay, so as mentioned I was there at the right time of year to see this dang thing. However, what that does not account for is the weather that we are dealing with, of which may prevent you from actually seeing it. It’s a gamble, for sure. Wouldn’t you know… it decided to snow the week we were in town. What stood out to us about our particular tour was that it was that we were in a jeep with limited quantity of people. This allowed us to go off-road where the big buses couldn’t go, in search of viewability of the Aurora Borealis. Our guide was texting, calling, and emailing others to receive tips to where it could be seen, or based on the cloud movement had a chance of potentially being seen in the near future. We would boot, scoot, and boogy to those locations with each given tip. At the end of the night, we finally had about 5 minutes brief viewing at the top of a windy mountain at almost 1am. It was dang cold but at least I can say that I “saw it”. What you see is the best I could do with the rare break in the clouds. You’re welcome.
The Golden Circle Tour: This was amazing! Highlights for this small group tour included a visit to the Thingvellir National Park (a Unesco World Heritage Site), the Geysir geyser, the Gullfoss Waterfall, as well as a stop at the Kerid Crater Lake. Experiencing this Golden Circle sight-sightseeing route of some of Iceland’s most famous attractions is a must-do in shape or form. There are many tours that take you on the day-trip, or some that also include the Blue Lagoon (though I recommend doing separately). I would say my favorite highlight was being able to stand in between where the American and Eurasian tectonic plates meet and seeing the geyser shoot up to 100 feet every few minutes.
The Blue Lagoon: Is it touristy? Yes. Is it overpriced? Yes. Are there other spas? Yes. Are there a lot of rules and regulations? YES. With all that I just shared, is it still worth going to? Yes. The Blue Lagoon is a well oiled machine and definitely a unique experience to be a part of. We booked the package in advance that included the transportation from the city as well as lunch. Keep in mind that the Blue Lagoon is about 30 minutes from the city. The craziest thing about the experience is the check-in and preparatory process to get in to the therapeutic lagoons. It is REQUIRED to shower and cleanse prior to setting foot in the water. This process is confusing, vague and weird to say the least. I am glad I did enough research in advance or arriving to at least know what we were in for. Furthermore, it is recommended to keep the conditioner in your hair for your entire time in the water, as to not have the minerals ruin your hair. While not a big deal for a guy with short hair, it is more cumbersome for a woman with long hair.
Southern Coast: This was a pretty rad tour and honestly was probably my favorite day. After boarding a bus, we made the 1 ½ hour journey to the southern coast. Our first stop was to take in the beauty of the Skógafoss waterfall. We then made our way to the Sólheimajökull glacier by hiking to near the icecap. Next up was to explore the stunning Reynisfjara beach. With its black sand and powerful waves, this location has become a popular filming location.
As I look back, the country absolutely exceeded my expectations. In addition to the absolutely stunning and diverse landscapes, I was surprised at the options of local produce that were available, due to geo-thermal capabilities. This led to some exciting culinary experiences of varying price points. Additionally, I am a fan of craft beer and was pleasantly surprised to find some fun micro-breweries in the area to test out. Locals were very welcoming to interact with and had a strong appreciation for showing off and preserving what their country has to offer.
Two big questions that I had coming in to the vacation was the cost of the trip as well as the language barrier. From traveling to different countries, I can say that this was not the best location for US dollar conversion in January 2019. With that said, by knowing this in advance and pre-booking a majority of our experiences prior to the trip, we knew what we were in for (based on what already had been spent). It is very important to me that while I want to do what I can to save money where I can, I do not want, however, to use that as a crutch for my vacation and shave off quality aspects of a vacation experience that I may look back on years from now and regret. It is a very fine balance for sure.
Additionally, and by using the app XE Currency (available for free on all mobile devices), we were able quickly run conversions from the local Kronin currency based on what we were seeing on menus. I can say that it was not as outrageous as what I thought it would be, though still a reasonable increase. The average beer was around $10 and the average cocktail was around $20, and the average dinner being $30-$50. The biggest tip though, which I am grateful for discovering prior to the trip, was taking advantage of the happy hour timeframes around the city to menu items at cheaper prices. Additionally, I would recommend purchasing snack and libation from the airport itself upon arrival. This allowed us to pre-game properly prior to hitting the town and save a bit of money.
As it relates to any language barriers, there were NO concerns whatsoever. There is indeed an Icelandic language but I didn’t learn a lick of it, to be honest. The English language was very prevalent and all menus that we encountered included. Locals were very kind and did not express any frustration or attempt a cold shoulder by speaking English.
The fact of the matter is that Iceland is an area that absolutely relies upon tourism. Reykjavik is a relatively modern city with most of the experiences coming from the last 10 years since the volcanic eruption in 2010. I actually liked being there during the off-season as it does sound like it can be a LOT busier when the weather is warmer. So then you might say, listen Tyler, why would I want to escape winter by traveling where it is still winter? Great question, but here’s the deal; it was actually a bit warmer there during that given week than it was in Kansas City in late January. The temperature was quite manageable in the upper 30’s fahrenheit and I had no complaints. Let’s also be clear too while we are it it that it is warmer in Iceland than it is Greenland. So, it really just depends on the type of experience that you would like to have when you are visiting.
Photos were stunning with snow on the ground, though (and as similar to Colorado) it is a very different visual experience by seeing that area in the summer and seeing the green grass. I would have been able to properly see the crater, for example. Oh, and there would have been more hours of sunlight in the course of the day.
Overall, Iceland is definitely worth adding to your bucket list and at some point down the line, I would love to visit again. There is SO much more to be seen from this relatively small country of 40,000 square miles that I did not get a chance to explore. What would you like to learn more about? Specific restaurants? Stories from the tours? More details in tips and suggestions?
“Growing old is mandatory, but growing up is optional.” – Walt Disney
Where does one begin when trying to explain the Disney theme parks around the world to someone that has not been, or to offer new perspective to those that have been years ago? To be honest, the actual park slogan captures it pretty easily, “the happiest place on earth”. To all who come to this happy place, welcome. There is no other vacation destination that helps you escape reality like the Disney theme parks do. You leave your worries, troubles, stress, and work at the door for a chance to visit worlds you’ve only dreamt of or to visit imaginary places filled with experiences that interact with each of your senses.
Before I go farther, let’s take a step back and explore my own journey with Disney. Be prepared. Between watching & owning all of the movies (except those cheap DVD sequels from the early 2000’s), reading the multitude of books based on the stories and the company history, and enjoying all of the television programming over the years, these characters and stories have always been intertwined to my soul and well-being. In fact, my initials of T.D.C. could even stand for The Disney Channel. Coincidence? I think not.
As a child I was in awe by the man, the myth and the legend that is Walt Disney. At one point I even swore that I was him in a past life and vocalized as such to others I know. And just to be clear, please know that I was not high on pixie dust at this time. This abundance of Disney-ness is my life culminated by getting to go to Walt Disney World for the first time at the age of 5, increasing to a total of 8 vacation visits before the age of 18.
While I had absolutely NO idea what I wanted to do with my life while in high school, the one thing I DID know was that I needed to do the Disney College Program. So in 2003, I did just that and worked in attractions at ‘Splash Mountain’. Since I drove to college every day, I didn’t have the traditional college experience that others have had. So for me, the Disney College Program gave me that dorm experience that I needed and wanted. It also allowed me to meet others from around the country with similar passions that I am still friends with to this day. Upon program completion, I returned to Kansas City to finish college. During this time, I was a campus representative for the Disney College Program and shared my excitement and encouragement to other students in the Kansas City area schools. I would decorate the college campuses with the program paraphernalia in preparation for the recruiter visits.
After obtaining my college degree, I moved back down to Orlando and did the professional internship as part of the Disney College Program where I worked in the college recruiting office. 6 months later I completed an additional internship within Disney Vacation Club. Enjoying my time, and from having 4 years of retail sales experience at The Buckle, I thought I might have potential as an advance sales associate for Disney Vacation Club. I worked around the parks and resorts at a kiosk where I would introduce families to the vacation ownership program and encourage them to do a tour to learn more details. I quickly rose in ranks through my numbers and was offered a position on the cruise team aboard the Disney Cruise Line.
You might say this all sounds perfect for me, and I don’t disagree. And yet I knew there was more aspects of my creativity that were being un-used and un-touched. So surprisingly, I left the company. The aspects of Disney where I thought I could really shine were out of California. While that move out west has not yet happened, nor do I know if it will at any point, I still visit the theme parks and cruises as often as I can and have attended D23 events when I have been able to do so!
Why do I share all of this? Well, it’s to stress that you don’t have to be a child to love the theme parks, you don’t have to have children to find value in visiting the theme parks, and most importantly, that your experience at the Disney theme parks is something that you cannot find anywhere else. To be honest, I probably enjoy the theme parks MORE as an adult, than as a child. Sure, your state fair may have some rides you can go on, your city may have a local theme park you can easily visit, and you may have an area event that you can witness an evening fireworks show. I don’t disagree that those are cheaper and more convenient. But none of those amusements are able to hold their own to or compare to the level of entertainment that is able to be obtained and captured from the Disney theme parks.
How is Disney different? The combination of entertainment quality, attention to detail, and exceptional guest service allow dreams to be created and effectively delivered for guests that provide a lifetime of magical memories. That is the Disney difference. Something as simple as naming customers, “guests” and employees to the name, “cast members” help convey that this is a show and that they have a role to play while on-stage. Do the trash cans NEED to be themed to each of the lands that they are in? Does the ground you walk on NEED to be aged to show the hoofs of an animal or a wagon wheel that previously went through that area? Do the outfits for each president in ‘Hall of Presidents’ NEED to be designed in accuracy to each individual’s respective time period in history? Does ambient music NEED to be played in each area that is accurate to that land’s story and vision? The answer to all of these questions is no. However, they all help to set the tone and tell the story of the “show” that you are experiencing, regardless of how easily accessible or subtle they may be.
I have so many individuals ask for help in planning their own Disney vacation, and I look forward to sharing future blogs on just this, or to simply share new tips for your next visit! I know the property inside and out, I have eaten at a majority of the restaurants, and I have enjoyed about each of the entertainment offerings that can possibly be experienced.
Additionally, I have seen with my own eyes how badly some individuals plan their vacations, execute their days while on property, and ultimately leave feeling stressed, tired, out of tears and broke. I won’t even mention the children with the monkey backpacks aka leashes. By having just a wee bit of strategy you can ensure that you will not be running around like a chicken with its head cut off, regardless of the time of year. Below are a few topics that I have been thinking about that might be worth writing about:
Walt Disney World with a family
Walt Disney World on your own
Walt Disney World planning tips
Walt Disney World hacks and secrets
Walt Disney World dining
Walt Disney World nightlife
Walt Disney World in (2) days
Walt Disney World vs. Disneyland
Drinking Around the World
Orlando tips without any theme parks
I could go on and on with bullet points and stories but I feel like those are a few to get started. You will notice that Walt Disney World alone covers the span of an area double the size of Manhattan, soooooo there is a lot of ground to cover and a lot of money to spend. Believe me, Disney is great at that. Is there a particular topic that you would like me to dive into that would be helpful? What have you wanted to know?
As I wrap this up, there might be a few of you out there that may be saying to yourself, “Self, I know all of this and already love Disney. You don’t need to sell me on anything.” Well, thanks for that feedback and attitude. For those individuals, below is a high-level list of some of my favorites in an effort to show my personality and style. Enjoy and have a great week everyone! TTFN.
“We wander for distraction, but we travel for fulfillment.”
The above quote comes from Anglo-French writer and historian Joseph Hilaire Pierre René Belloc and rings true to the yearning and burning in my soul when it comes to traveling. There is energy that awakens in me when venturing somewhere new, learning from the lives of others that may be different than mine, and journeying down an uncharted path to see what is around the corner.
Travel broadens the perspective of your own life when you get back to the daily hamster wheel that we all face with working in the United States of America. Exploration has allowed me to see the slower pace of life that others live, the creativity that shines in other communities, the hardships that others go through, and the culinary surprises that emerge beyond a corporate food chain. Here’s the deal. I will work my ass off and give my 110% when I am present and accounted for. However, I strive for working to live and NOT living to work. I was lucky to have parents who took our family on yearly vacations from a very young age. These memories and smiles were ingrained me and will continue to the day I die. This is more important to me.
Now let’s talk reasons I have heard why people especially in the USA do not travel. Sure… that money could be spent on a house instead of renting, a better entertainment system, a fancier car, season tickets to a local sporting team, or *cough cough* retirement. I get it. However, I choose to explore and live my life now. It may be down the street to visit a park I haven’t visited, an hour away to Weston, Missouri to visit a winery or it may be somewhere on the other side of the globe to check a destination off the bucket list.
The other thing I hear often is that it is too expensive and stressful to travel. Pardon my French, but I call bullshit. Part of the reason for starting this blog was to share stories of how I have been able to successfully conquer cities by living large and spontaneously planning my experiences for yourself or with your own families. When I look back at all the places I have been, I have no regrets to what I was able to do and am happy with the stones I was able to turn over. I can assure you that it is possible to feel like you are having and maximizing a first-class experience with an average person’s salary.
I look forward to sharing specific memories and stories from the places I have been in the entries to come from these short getaways. I do not have the luxury of being able to be gone for a month or have a full-time traveling gig like some bloggers. So these are things that YOU can execute with enough planning… once we are all out of quarantine and can travel properly, of course.
Below are a few of my favorite photos taken over the years from my own experiences. I am by NO means a professional photographer, but have always thought these turned out pretty cool. Let me know if there is a particular location you would like to dive in to with my first destination study.
I leave you now with one more travel quote. This one comes from St. Augustine of Hippo, a Catholic bishop and theologian, “The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.” I hope it inspires you in some way, and if not… well cheers!
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The Eye of the Tyler 