Growing up as a child in the 80’s there are two rules of thumb you learn early on, nearly after you learn how to walk; Don’t talk to strangers and Don’t take candy from strangers.

With the unfortunate story of Adam Walsh long behind us in the past, one can easily overlook these golden rules, even as they apply to us in adult life.  So, yes, as a Jetsetter, I’m ever the wise not to accept drinks…aka “adult candy” from strangers, yet as a Gypsy, I’m a bit guilty of talking to strangers, so the time has come for me to relearn this childhood lesson.

While exploring the uber safe streets of the Back Bay and South Side neighborhoods of Boston on a recent afternoon, a typical occurrence happened to me.   Minding my own business, fully equipped in a hat, dark sunglasses and a blackberry in hand, as to ward off any possible approachers, I found myself chatting with a random guy walking along side of me on the street.

Did I solicit this attention you may ask?  Of course not!!!  He “liked my look” and complimented me on my leopard tights and my copper colored Isabella Fiore handbag.  I guess dead giveaways that I was not from the area, being that the other women spotted on the streets were working the super preppy look.  The fashion talk was a bit of a weak spot for me, and his “In”.

Boston is now about the 5^th city in 2 months where I’m clearly heading somewhere, mid day, albeit alone, and someone starts walking along with me.   I’ll give this character one thing, he was not shady at all, a decent guy, nicely dressed and just trying to make conversation with the rare bird.  Whether it was my overall tiredness from my extreme travel schedule or his persistence in the conversation, I abandoned my typical routine of making zero eye contact, slightly picking up the pace and remaining stone faced at any witty comments and actually began to answer his questions…nothing too close to home though.

Of course I can attribute it to a bit of the “New Girl Syndrome”, but this one could not take a hint at my agenda.

Following me into the restaurant when I thought the conversation was over, but I guess it was not technically “dead” and sitting there, speaking to me at the bar, while we dined for 2 hours, my laptop open all the while and my repetitive glances and typing efforts, as my subtle hint that I wasn’t interested, were never caught.  Finally, due to my being one of the slowest eaters in the world, I claimed my victory without having to say the harsh words of “Get Lost!”

In the end, I was able to enjoy the last hour of my lunch at The Butcher Shop, as well as take care of a bit of work on my computer.  Exactly what I had endeavored to do from the beginning.  The rest of my afternoon was spent enjoyably wandering in and out of the neighborhood streets and popping into boutiques here and there.

Later that evening, joined by my younger Boston resident cousin, Crysta, we set out to enjoy a fantastic, multi course dinner at Hamersley’s Bistro followed by numerous mixology style drinks and live music at The BeeHive.  She decided to call it a night a bit early by my standards, 1:30 am, but quite on par for this town, yet the night owl in me still wanted to see one more place.

On my walk home, I stopped off at Lolita, a chic bar and lounge characterized by dark shades of red and black chandeliers.  Having passed the place a couple of times already I knew I wanted to check it out.  The crowd was great, although it was beginning to thin out due to the hour, but it was certainly worth one drink.

At the bar, immediately after ordering my sauvignon blanc, the two guys to my right began to chat me up.  As I started to face them, much to my horror, directly behind them was “The Character” from earlier in the day, looking in the other direction by grace of god, and chatting up another woman.  It felt like infinity until the bartender brought me my change, and these guys probably thought that I was schizophrenic asking them to angle their bodies in a way that created a direct wall between my stalker and I.

Luckily I was able to settle up my bill and with a little creative bobbing and weaving, make my way from the bar to the back lounge room without being sighted.   Here, safely concealed from the eyes of “The Character” I was able to relax, enjoy my drink and what else…talk to a group of strangers for the rest of the night.  I guess there’s one lesson that this Gypsy will never learn.

“The most magnificent thing about travel, far outweighing the incredible experiences, beautiful sights and tantalizing flavors, are hands down, the people you meet along the journey.  For me, three years ago, I came across one of my most special friendships to have developed thus far, and in the most unsuspecting places of all…Vegas.  Yes, I know, I really don’t love and cherish this place, but it does hold a soft spot in my heart, as that’s where I met my dear friend Betty, my partner in crime in the travel industry and in many ways, the little sister that I never had.”

In special dedication to Betty Ortega Manzur

As my flight was preparing for landing this time around in Mexico City, a destination that I frequent about 2 to 3 times a year, something seemed different to me.  Usually when landing in a city where I’ve been to over a dozen times, I rarely even glimpse out of the window of the plane, but this time, something caught my attention.

The mountain top peaks that normally poke out of thick layers of clouds and smog below, actually looked ethereal surrounded by various rays of sunlight.  This time around, I was actually captivated enough to stare out of the window and take in this wonder that seemed so different than my previous landings, enough to result in a Tweet about it, as soon as the plane landed.

As always, when in Mexico City, I hit the ground running.  My fantastic driver, now friend, Miguel Angel, waiting for me outside of baggage claims, as my sort of “security blanket” that I rely on when in a town that can be like an uncut gem, a bit rough around the edges.

While weaving in and out of the traffic of this massive sprawling city, I was sorting the itinerary for yet another Rock Star night with Betty, and already creating a playlist on my iPod for the event.  Typically this consists of pre-partying on the high rise balcony of my suite of the W Hotel in Polanco, followed by our “always a must” dinner and catching up/sharing stories of our mutual “unluckiness in love” at Spuntino, just across the park on Avenida Masaryk, then hitting up any new place that she can suggest, being my ever gracious local host.

With the traffic in its height, my thoughts turned more to ways of topping mine and Betty’s previous experiences.  Reminiscing of the 8 hour drinking spree / double decker Turibus sightseeing tour around town, where we began by hiking up the hill of Chapultepec Park, working out my relationship issues with one said Mexican chef over a bottle of wine, while strolling down the hill after a brief sightseeing tour of the palace, sorting out hers with an older male love interest du jour, and enjoying cold beers and chips with hot sauce…always her favorite.

A few stops later at the Zocalo, of course we caught the ruins, but the true highlight was watching the sunset over drinks at the Restaurante Bar – Terraza at the GranHotel Ciudad de Mexico.  Our only concern was walking out a bit drunk, as you feel like you’re re-enacting scenes of “Titanic”, due to the extreme grandness of the period architecture and décor mixed with the uneven flooring of the historic building settling on land with water below.

On another fabulous weekend trip, Betty never disappointed, by taking me to the most chic place of the moment, the restaurant and lounge at Casa Roma, to enjoy an amazing night of dinner and drinks, while scoping out the local opportunities.

Any chance of a hangover the next day was immediately resolved as we entered the tiny “hole in the wall” known as Maria Isabel in Polanco and ordered our fried quesadillas…yes, not for the cholesterol challenged!

After our little pick me up, it was off to the hotel Condesa DF for an afternoon of fun, on the rooftop terrace bar.  This was the perfect Sunday afternoon setting, complete with Latin Pop stars and Telenovela actors galore, in my favorite, hip DF neighborhood.  What better setting could I have found to inaugurate the drink that is now known as “The Gypsy”.  Click through the image for a recipe.

Now, as I was almost arriving to my client meeting, coming back to the realty of Mexico City today, my mind was back on business and focused.  Work meetings and lunches, but fun at the end of the day to look forward to….

As it turns out, the playlist never got played and the stories of our months apart never got shared.

Much to my shock, Betty’s life was taken and my late knowledge of it can honestly be considered to me as one of the greatest downfalls of my travelling lifestyle.

Needless to say, she will forever remain in my mind the greatest champion of late night beer pong in Las Vegas, the little sister that I always wished for and the Angel watching over me upon my return to Mexico City!

Being my third year celebrating Thanksgiving outside of the US, but my first not actually recreating the meal for my international friends, I decided that if I can’t do the tradition, then I must do everything in the opposite of the tradition.

This year, amongst my travels, the Thanksgiving holiday fell towards the end of my weeklong trip to Paris with my parents.  For the special night we had planned on going somewhere nice, but the plans were really left in my hands as were the majority of the decisions for the trip in general.

Knowing that we had no place to prepare a proper turkey and pumpkin pie, I opted for a unique Thanksgiving dinner with my parents at one of my longtime favorite restaurants in the world, Le Refuge du Fondue, in the Montmartre neighborhood.

Of course, prior to doing dinner, we had to check out a few local establishments on the “Gypsy Style” sightseeing tour, which all include trying out the local beverages…wine that is.

After a few glasses at Le Cave des Abbesses, we made our way to dinner and fondue, where starting with our mini Camparis lead to a few baby bottles of wine per person along with the delicious fondue dinner.

The dinner was fantastic and quite the success, as my parents loved the non traditional Thanksgiving option, yet were eager to head home after a long and wine filled meal.

Already in quite the nightlife center and not having taken advantage of the full on Thanksgiving tradition of the “Night Before Thanksgiving Out”, I had to make up for lost times.  This meant heading over to the hot spot / mansion bar Le Carmen, to see what kind of fun could be had for a few hours.

As if my luck could not have been more back on track from that “clearing of my mind” session in London, I immediately stumbled upon a really unique party at Le Carmen.  Good thing for my business cards that got me into the bar, which I thought was initially just a tough door guy, but ended up being a private party for a magazine release.

The magazine, Schnock, owned by one of France’s past pop music talents who has recently been trying his hands in the DJ field, attracted many in the arts and media industries, so made for quite the cornucopia (no Thanksgiving pun intended) of new friends and very heavy drinkers for me to meet.   Topping off the evening was the new friendship with Chris, ever the eccentric host of the event.

Playing the role of a good Gypsy that night, I cut myself off long before the party was over, but I had been sufficiently intoxicated for quite a few hours. After all, I had to arrive home at a semi respectable hour of 3:00 am to the shared accommodations with my parents.

It has always been easy to work fairytale stories lines into my real life.  This night, picturing myself as a “Drunk Cinderella” with a timeline and imagining in the midst of a great party that my gold Sergio Rossi’s were about to turn into mice (or even worse, I twist an ankle and break a heel), made me ever the swifter in making my way into a taxi.

After all, who wants to turn into a pumpkin on Thanksgiving night!

*Inspired by my travels to Paris, I’ve teamed up with Braccialetti Cruciani to create the perfect wrist look for this destination.  Gypsy Love’s Cruciani, “Accessorizing my way around the world, one Cruciani Bracelet at a time.”  

Hope to see you rocking this look next time you’re in Paris!

There are various activities in life that I would consider myself holding the title “Semi Professional”, wine drinking, packing and travelling to name a few.  However, ask anyone who truly knows me and there’s one pass time that shines above all others on my “Semi Pro” status, where at times, I can even quite possibly cross that line into “Pro.” What would that activity be, you ask?  SHOPPING!!!!

After once again spending a little time in one of my favorite cities in the world, Barcelona, I find that the shopping scene there very much mirrors so many aspects of my life.  Although I’ve never been considered a two faced person, I definitely am a woman of double facades…trendy / downtown hip and laid back by day and uptown / fast paced chic by night.  This juxtaposition is very much what I find with the Barcelona shopping scene and it’s two hottest shopping districts, Avinyo in the Gothic Quarter and Passieg de Gracia in the L’Eixample neighborhood.

When shopping in these two neighborhoods, the first thing to remember is to look the part.  They are distinctly different vibes where the incorrect attire could land you with a stolen handbag in the former or a few upturned noses in the latter.

Downtown hipster crossed with backpacker hippie types fill the narrow streets of Avinyo and it’s surroundings.  In laymans terms, rock the old school basketball kicks and jeans maybe with a trendy scarf and hat on these cobblestone streets and leave any designer handbag back in your room.  This tiny street totaling about 4 blocks in length, between Carrer de Ferran and Carrer Ample is a wealth of indepent label boutiques, unique one offs and a few vintage haunts.  In general you’ll find fantastic and affordable clothing and accessories where you’re guaranteed to be the only one wearing them at any event that you attend.

Right around the corner from Avinyo, on C/Escudellers, is one of the oldest restaurants in Barcelona, Los Caracoles, and a great place to go for a bite while in the area. It was here that I met up with friend and London based designer Juliette Caputto of Vivo FelizMente to dine and then hunt for fashion treasures on this narrow Gothic street.  She was straight off a stint in Barcelona, where she had come to shoot her current campaign and stayed for a few months afterwards.  Here are some finds that we came across on Avinyo not to be missed:

Inside

A great selection or urban footwear for men and women as well as a trendy clothing selection in the back.

Address:  C/ Avinyo, 19   Phone:  34 933 012 330

www.99inside.com

Depeche BCN

Probably the largest boutique along Avinyo with a phenominal denim selection amongst other unique tops and dresses.

Address:  C/ Cervantes, 2 (corner of Cervantes and Avinyo)  Phone:  34 933 021 173

Urbana

Where crazy prints meet mod lines in almost every piece in the store.

Address:  C/ Avinyo, 46   Phone:  34 932 690 920

www.urbana-online.net

The Rent Shop

An urban male and female joint where you can find anything from unique hats and accessories to cute jackets and dresses, specializing in affordable yet cutting edge Scandinavian designs.

Address:  C/ Avinyo, 12   Phone:  34 931 824 519

www.therentshop.net

Another day and another look later, spare no expenses on your appearance when heading over to Passieg de Gracia as it’s quite the place to see and be seen.  Amongst the many international luxury fashion and fine jewelry brands that line this district there are a few lesser known brands, that I find to often be a bit more fashion forward than their neighboring siblings.  I’ve probably found my past three New Years Eve ensembles in this area, not to mention some of my favorite and most compliment worthy cocktail dresses of recent years.   In the Passieg de Gracia shopping district, you’ll certainly find success in coming across that high end / memory creating piece at one of these designer boutiques, and remember, after shopping up an appetite it’s an absolute must to stop at one of the most chic restaurants in this zone, Boca Grande, which is on the tiny pedestrian street, Passatge de Concepcio, between Passieg de Gracia and Rambla Catalunya.

Etxart&Panno

Their unique use of feathers, luxe materials and exotic prints make their flattering designs cutting edge musts for evenings out on the town.

Address:RamblaCatalunya, 89   Phone:  34 934 872 419

www.etxartpanno.com

Sandro

Although the label is French, I first fell in love with this designer in Barcelona at their boutique off of Gracia.  Chic everyday wear that has uniqueness in the details.

Address:  C/ Consell de Cent, 349   Phone:  34 934 881 577

www.sandro-paris.com

HossIntropia

Feminine cutting edge pieces where every seasons collection gathers inspiration from a different strong and creative female icon.

Address:Paseo de

Gracia, 44   Phone:  34 932 726 594

www.hossintropia.com

Hakei

Casual but chic daytime wear that can easily be worn transformed into laid back evening wear with the quick change of accessories.  The leather goods from belts to jackets to handbags are not to be missed.

Address:RamblaCatalunya, 57

www.hakei.com

On the worlds scale, Barcelona would be considered a great shopping city, able to compete on the same level as the All Stars of the Fashion world, yet not quite earning the elite reputation, almost, shall I say, “Semi Pro”.