Santorini & Sequins

Midi Skirt (Chicwish); Striped Sequin Top (Steinmart); Necklace (a vintage 1950s find); Belt (eBay); Cardigan (Carson Pirie Scott)

This time last year, I had the good fortune to spend a bit of time in Germany, Italy, and France. The trip was the perfect combination of "vacation" and "travel" - time on the beach and golf course balanced against the discovery of historic sites and the exploration of backstreets that don't see many tourists (and certainly not American tourists). I have long made a distinction between the terms "vacation" and "travel." Vacation, to me, conjures up images of Spring Break in Ft. Lauderdale; a cruise through the Virgin Islands; a rented lake house in Michigan; Disney with family; or an annual pilgrimage to a favorite resort in Aspen. The purpose of a vacation is to have fun, relax, unwind, and perhaps engage in favorite hobbies I don't have enough time for in everyday life. 

These shoes from Poetic License are among my favorites.

"Travel" may also involve all of those things (and I generally hope it does), but travel is much more than a good book and a pina colada in paradise. Arthur Frommer (of guidebook fame) summed it up perfectly when he said "[a]t its best, travel should challenge our preconceptions and most cherished views, cause us to rethink our assumptions, shake us a bit, make us broader minded and more understanding." Travel is an opportunity to learn; to experience life from a different point of view; and if we're lucky, to connect with other cultures and other people in a way that has a meaningful impact on both sides. Backpacking on my own through Europe; spending three months volunteering with a governmental entity in Australia; hiking for days through unmarked (and bear heavy) territory in the mountains of Wyoming; studying language and history in Spain; and exploring small Irish towns on foot and by car - a treasured travelogue that has broadened my horizons in ways that a day at Epcot and a week on the beach never will.

Of course, vacation has its own intrinsic value, and I think it's important to make room for both. Tonight I booked a true vacation, and I'm looking forward to four days of fun and frivolity with friends when the time comes. But, I'm also dreaming of travel, and all the wonder that new and exotic places bring. This midi skirt from Chicwish paints a picture of Santorini that has me longing to explore the ancient cities of Greece, a place that has intrigued me since I fell in love with the Iliad and the Odyssey in high school English. And, if the picturesque seaside scene is any indication, I'm guessing Greece will offer plenty of "vacation" opportunities, too. Sign me up!

Fashion is what you buy; Style is what you do with it!

Safety Pin Clutch (Bodhi); "Van Gogh" bangle bracelet (Erwin Pearl); Citrine ring (David Yurman). Thanks to photographer Faith Blackwell for capturing a candid moment over drinks in the bottom right photo.

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