Travel – Page 3 – @sommeligay

JOSH IS ALONE IN NEW YORK CITY: Day 1

August 17, 2015November 16, 2015 by Josh

So this year, the Wine Bloggers Conference is held in New York, and a small group of us decide to spend some time in NYC as a pre-pre-conference excursion before heading to the Finger Lakes. But it was only literally just a couple of days before our flight to New York that I found out my airplane buddy Donita could no longer go due to a health issue, so besides the couple of Vancouver friends I would meet up with later, I came to the realization that I was going to be mostly alone in a city I recently denounced as being crowded and scary. THIS IS IT, YOU GUYS. GOD IS TESTING ME.

I was late to the interview to my current job because I couldn’t figure out how our own buses work and I’ve lived in Vancouver since I was born.… read more

Josh Likes Maryland: Part 3

August 5, 2015December 8, 2015 by Josh

We were literally scheduled to just chill out and have an appropriate lazy Monday the day after New York City, though some of the family opted to go visit some large church or something. Monkeying around seemed much more fun, though I can say I went to a Chipotle for the first time ever, so technically I accomplished something. #goals

We ventured back out to DC the next day, getting as close as we could to the White House because how can you not, and then we had a big nerdy day at both the Freer Gallery of Art and the Museum of National History, both of which I loved. You can only retain so much information, but hey: cool rock exhibits are pretty and science is awesome, kids.… read more

Life · Travel

Josh Likes Maryland: Part 2 (New York City)

July 29, 2015November 16, 2015 by Josh

Every fear I had about New York City was true. Times Square – though I’ve been told that it’s much more magical at night – was a saturated shudder-fest, with everything seemingly hedonistic surrounding you: towers smothered with flashy promotions and posters of celebrities, insistent half-nude street performers (I’ve honed an impression), and junk food everywhere, all wrapped up in a frame of hot sun and a small dash of claustrophobia. But yes we’re ~*here*~! To explore possibilities and make dreams come true in the city, you guys!

JK because the parts of New York City we visited weren’t exactly my steez, but I’m back in a couple of weeks for the Wine Bloggers Conference so there’ll be more exploring. My cousin lives here and he led us around, thank god, because this city seems like a hopeless nightmare for someone with a terrible sense of direction i.e.… read more

Life · Quaffing · Travel

Josh Likes Maryland: Part 1

July 22, 2015November 16, 2015 by Josh

I’ve found that I can’t enjoy full-fledged roller coasters anymore, but I enjoy the hints of thrills from airplane turbulence and chunky landings. Kinda gross.

We fly to the eastern part of the continent for a family reunion on the mother’s side – not just the immediate family, but a whole congregation of 19 humans of all ages on a plane. And Baltimore is the closest relevant city to where we’re staying – so that’s where I tell people where we’re going for 13 days – and I have little knowledge on these parts of the United States so I understand none of the references on crabs (“…is there a really bad inside joke on lice that I’m not getting?”).

It’s a bit of a trek from the airport to the neighbourhood, which is best approximately described as a more brick and tree-laden Wisteria Lane, and the arrival day is a bit of midnight blur involving godly 1AM croissant sandwiches and inflating air mattresses.… read more

Life · Travel

Wine Bloggers Conference 2014 – The back of the bottle; the odds and ends

July 31, 2014November 16, 2015 by Josh

This was my first Wine Bloggers Conference – I partially regret not going last year, but at the same time, I justified my absence because my co-worker attended, so I thought work wouldn’t let us both take time off. Ironically, the bulk of us are on vacation in a couple of weeks.

Last year’s conference was in Penticton, i.e. it was literally super close to home, so I really do deserve a slap on the wrist for missing that one. I couldn’t resist not going to attend this year’s conference in Santa Barbara – first, California. Wine. Hi. Second, it would provide me with a fabulous answer for anyone that would ask what I was up to this summer, and I wouldn’t have to come up with a fancy complicated way to say “nothing”.… read more

Life · Travel

Wine Bloggers Conference 2014 – First time at a legit vineyard?!

July 31, 2014November 16, 2015 by Josh

Okay – so day two of the conference – after we’ve finished the breakout session (I went to the one about blends), we have a little break where I assume the bulk of us grab a snack or wash the summer Californian sweat/shame off our skin. We’re told to meet outside at 5PM sharp, and multiple buses would whisk us away to mystery locations. So literally, a couple of buses would show up, n-number of us would hop into one of the buses to somewhere we have no idea about, and then the remainder of us would wait for the next batch of buses. For all I knew this was the part in the horror movie where they would take us somewhere to get murdered, though let’s be real here – if I would’ve died from anything on this trip it would’ve been from a combination of alcohol poisoning and the shitty cliché of dying from how beautiful everything was.… read more

Life · Travel

Wine Bloggers Conference 2014 – First Impressions

July 15, 2014November 16, 2015 by Josh

Day 1. First off: intentionally-chosen attire: Brettanomyces shirt. Onwards.

By something like 4AM on the day of my flight, I was excited out of my mind. I was absolutely stoked for the Wine Bloggers Conference, but I also love early morning flights – I love the feeling of escaping while the whole city is asleep (though I hope that this doesn’t say more about my myself than I’d like). There’s also something I find weirdly satisfying about successfully passing the airport security portion. Like, I’m fine – why do I even worry? The metal detector can’t check for bad personalities.

“Sir, can you please step over here? We looked at the scanner and we noticed that you enjoy puns. Can you Gew over there for a pat down, please?”… read more

Life · Travel

Wine Bloggers Conference 2014 (in Santa Barbara!) – Scholarship Recipient

July 12, 2014November 16, 2015 by Josh

My knowledge of any sort of Wine Bloggers Conference begun in 2013. It took place in Penticton (so close to home!) and so it was a bit of a bummer that I couldn’t make it. The knowledge of the next one rolled around and a friend stirred up my excitement – I was eventually convinced to go, leading to eager registration during a tight schedule, i.e. attempting to apply for the WBC scholarship on an iPad during a movie night with friends. (For the record, we watched “The Purge”, which would have paired nicely with a smoky and gamey Pinotage reminiscent of gunpowder and revenge.)

Obviously I was thrilled when I found out that I had earned the scholarship, and thusly I immediately had a 5-minute Madonna dance party where I replaced all instances of “Holiday” with “Chardonnay”.… read more