Christian Dior once said, “A woman’s perfume tells more about her than her handwriting.” Perhaps that’s why there’s various scents for women that are so intoxicating they forgive bad penmanship. Still, without understanding the science behind the fragrances that make up your favorite perfume, how do you really define the scent of a woman?

That was the task put in front me on a recent visit to L’anai, Hawaii, where I chose to spend the holidays rejuvenating from a long year of work and travel. The little island made of up of 3,000 residents is located 45 minutes via ferry boat from Maui and embodies all Hawaii is meant to be: lush landscapes, colorful sunsets, intense relaxation and endless beauty. There are only three hotels on the island – two of which are managed by The Four Seasons, and one independently-owned 10-bedroom inn, The Hotel L’anai.

I had come here to reclaim my mind, plan out the coming year and, if possible, get a little sleep and a lot of tan. My goal: leave the island refreshed and ready to tackle the new year. According to the people of Hawaii, a fragrance defines a purpose, and so, I was determined to find my fragrance and return home with a new scent as a new, revitalized woman.

The island is flanked with blooming flowers and pine trees – a contradiction of scents in most locales but in L’anai, it seemed to work. Next to beds of roses were tall hibiscus plants; fields of lavender were planted next to pine; honeysuckle was placed near birch and orchids decorated the landscapes. Pineapple was everywhere and combined with the smell of fresh Mahi Mahi, it was hard not to let your mind succumb to the scents. But try to define your own scent? It’s a tricky game that’s part-chemistry, part-personality, and the options are simply endless.

When I sat down with Teresa Blackwell, spa manager at the Four Seasons Manele Bay, I was slightly intimidated. She pulled out what looked like a tool box from the 1950s, opened it up and displayed rows of little test tubes. Some where standalone scents and some were pre-mixed from Ajne, a combination of perfumery and apothecary created from sustainable and organic plant ingredients. Simply: fragrances in their natural form. The perfume blending is something offered by the spa to all guests and is a great way to do something new and take home a little souvenir (at a cost) from your trip.

I pushed aside the smells of Hawaii and started picking up mini-test tubes. WIthin seconds I had eliminated anything that smelled like citrus or might have been covered in chocolate. I pushed aside the sweet smells before a headache hit and gravitated toward the earthy, woodsy, musky scents that seemed to calm my brain and, dare I say, smell a little sexy. I picked out lavender, vanilla, moss, sandalwood, tobacco and a mixture of warm woods.

Blackwell took the 10 or so tubes I chose as ‘liked’ and started combining fragrances. What she came up with was near perfect. From the Ajne line, Blackwell combined three elements: Om, 3rd Eiger and Lakshmi. Om, she explained, works to calm the mind and invoke a sense of tranquility. Lakshmi is named for an Eastern goddess of beauty and prosperity, and was originally created for a New York beauty editor. The scent blends rare woods, amber and vanilla and is said to spur creativity, open the heart and enhance prosperity. The 3rd Eiger (third eye), made up of smokey mosses and warm wood scents, is said to help protect one when they choose to take a leap of faith and climb new heights. All things I wished for, and all things I hoped for in the coming year. Combine all three, and I have my scent – a perfect perfume blend that inspires, excites and ‘fits’ me.

I took a deep breath and inhaled my new perfume. The result: a new scent for a woman in a new year.

Before entering the treatment rooms at the spa at Canyon Ranch Miami Beach, all guests are asked to choose a crystal rock from a bowl. The crystal stays with you throughout your stay. Each time you enter the spa you choose another crystal; each crystal has a different meaning. I chose the Tiger Eye – the stone that focuses on the correct use of power, courage, grace and integrity. I needed a little of it all.

I had heard about the healing powers of Canyon Ranch. The part-spa, part-medical center resorts in Lenox, Mass., and Tucson, Ariz., were known to work magic on tired guests. But could Canyon Ranch Miami Beach share enough fairy dust to soothe my weary mind, body, and soul?

I walked into the hotel on Collins Avenue and immediately took a deep breath. The lobby area is open with high ceilings that allow fresh air to waft through the first floor. The library, restaurant and gift shop on the first floor serve as a welcome to guests as they make their way to the elevators, which inevitability lift them to a private oasis. I walked into my room on the 10th floor, opened up the curtains and stood on my balcony overlooking Miami Beach – it was the first time I had felt a sense of zen in South Florida. It was only just beginning… (more…)

I was never what you would call an “adventure traveler.” I’ve tested my strength on white water rapids in Maine, camped with skunks on Grape Island near Boston (not a pleasant evening), and hiked some of the most beautiful trails in the U.S., but I wouldn’t file any of these under “adventure.” To me, adventure is danger — and danger is not something I often flirt with (unless it flirts with me first). So, when the tour guides at Sonora Resort in Sonora Island, British Columbia, suggested I take a grizzly bear tour my first reaction was hesitation.

Every fall, the elusive grizzly bear comes down to the mouth of the Orford River in British Columbia to feed on salmon. For a few lucky visitors in the area, the chance to see these beautiful and endangered creatures up close is a once in a lifetime opportunity. While I was slightly hesitant to walk with bears in their natural habitat, it was an adventure I was not going to miss.

“Don’t worry,” the guide said. “We’ll give you something to wear so you don’t stick out.”

Clearly a city girl stuck in the country, I was ill-prepared with a wardrobe to head out on this grizzly bear journey. I suited up in lined fishing waders for warmth, grabbed my fleece pullover and stepped into the eco-boat for the hour voyage up Bute Inlet, through the Arran and Yuculta rapids to the Orford River. With my camera in hand I was ready for anything, but I wasn’t prepared for what appeared in front of me.

Read more about my adventure in The Huffington Post

Sydney, Australia; Los Angeles, California; New York City; Shanghai, China; Hong Kong; Miami; Santa Monica; Bermuda; New York City (again); Toronto; Vancouver, Canada; Austin, Texas; Newport, Rhode Island; and back home again to Boston, Massachusetts. This year has taken me around the world and back again, and while not without its complications, this year has opened doors to new ideas and experiences. Today starts a new year.

A friend and I were talking a few months ago about the typical things girlfriends talk about – men, work, family, shopping, life… and in the middle of our conversation she just stopped and said, “Tutto va bene”, which is Italian for  ”everything’s fine”. Not with a sigh or any distress, but with a smile – everything’s fine, live life, enjoy! The phrase stuck with me and has become my new way of approaching life’s daily challenges -the good and bad.

I woke up this morning with a new 5-year-plan, but not one that takes over everything in my life – a new plan that fulfills everything I’ve already go. I have been fortunate enough to live this year doing what I do well – writing about the rest of the world that I hope one day you’ll all see the same way I do. I’ve had my own “Eat, Pray, Love, Shop, Fly, Drink, Repeat” year, and quite honestly, I’m not done with it. However, I’ve always had Tuscany in my sight. Usually at a far distance but today, on this particular morning, Tuscany makes more sense than ever. Not because I’ve fallen love or won the some big book deal, but because it’s time for a new challenge. I woke up this morning, on my birthday, finally ready to take on a ‘moment.’

Italy stole my heart the moment I set foot there three years ago. There’s something captivating about Rome and Florence, and something so wonderfully inspiring in Tuscany. In Tuscany there awaits a dream – maybe a few – just waiting to be lived out. I don’t expect grand villas and wineries (although a few bottles would be nice) but I expect some inspiration to carry me toward the next phase of my life – whatever that may be. Boston has been home for almost 15 years and has provided me with the front step from which I’ve cast off on my adventures, and always returned home. Now it’s time for something new.

One of my dearest friends makes lists every year on her birthday. She writes down her goals and bullet-points her wants and action-items, and then at the end of the year looks back at them and because she’s who she is, she usually accomplishes everything she’s set out to do. I decided to make a list this year:

1. Pay off the rest of the debt.
2. Travel to South Africa.
3. More bylines. (Caveat: This has been an amazing year professionally, but who am I to not push myself just a little harder?)
4. Reduce/eliminate the bad habits that sometimes influence my daily grind (and they know what they are).
5. Push myself to new limits. Climb tall buildings (or take the elevator), eat new foods, take on new challenges.
6. Sleep more.
7. Find more time to exercise, outside of the aisle on airplanes or running through airports.
8. Finish the book proposal.
9. Volunteer more. This isn’t easily done given my schedule, but there are little things I can do to give back. I’ll be spending Christmas alone on the island of L’anai, Hawaii, this year (on purpose). I’m taking a much needed and well-deserved “ME” vacation, but I’m also working with the hotels to set up a Christmas party for kids at the local children’s hospital.
10. Get ready for next year. What that means we’ll wait and discover together. According to my astrology friends this year I’m entering is “Year 4″ – a year of hard work, slow and steady progress. It’s about establishing self-control and getting organized… apparently, year 5 is a fun and exciting year…

I woke up this morning to well wishes from around the world -text messages from Hong Kong, emails from Shanghai and Hawaii, Facebook posts from California to New York, phone calls from St. Louis and red velvet cupcakes from my friends in Toronto. I sit drinking my morning coffee, eating half a cupcake and wrapped in my new cashmere sweater, a birthday present from my friends, and I smile. I’m blessed, but mostly, I’m happy. Tutto va bene…

Caption: The photo that sums up my year.

Fashion is fiercely personal. Style knows no limits and sets no expectations. It’s a feeling, a personal emotion and in some cases, a sense of security. If you are what you wear, and you are stylish, why not travel in style, too?

The designer hotel fad was originally kicked off by Donatella Versace, who opened the extravagant Palazzo Versace on Australia’s Gold Coast in 2000. Over the past few years, fashion has made an impression on hotels. Versace did it. Bulgari and Armani did it. Missoni and Diane von Furstenburg continue to do it. Bulgari followed suit when it hooked up with Marriott and slowly, more designers made their way into hotel rooms, this time for design purposes.

Diane von Furstenburg room at Claridge's, London

Whether you indulge in luxury threads or sway more bohemian in style, what you wear and how you wear it makes an impression. Like it or not, the threads on your back shape you – good, bad or otherwise – and the same logic holds true in the travel industry. Where will you stay next, and what will you wear? The options are endless, but forever stylish.

Read more and view photos from my column on The Huffington Post

I travel to experience new things, meet new people and offer a glimpse of the world that might not be easily viewed for others. My life’s work is a labor of love, but from time to time I forget about the simple pleasures and need a little ‘centering.’

I was speaking to a friend on the other side of the world a few days ago. He was on his way to the last horse race of the season; I was suffering a mild bout of insomnia and working at unthinkable hours of the night. My mind immediately went to the horses.

My love of horses started when I was in grade school. The music teacher at school (whose name I’ve sadly forgotten) raised horses and would invite some students to her stables a few times a week. We’d care for the horses and in return, we’d get riding lessons. Never one to spend too much time at home, I jumped on the opportunity (and also on the horse) and within moments I was in love with this animal. I only spent one year at those stables, but I never really gave up riding. Something about being on the horse centered me. I was high enough above my problems and fast enough to escape them, and yet somehow I felt incredibly safe.

Shannon

Last year while in Sedona for my birthday, I walked through the artist’s village and stopped into a Native American jewelry store. Staring at me from the glass case was a gorgeous horse necklace – turquoise on one side; tiger eye on the other. I went back and forth on the notion of buying it, until the store owner (a Native American with Mojave tribe ancestry), explained the symbolism of the horse to me. He wrote down the message on a piece of paper and I tucked inside the box that held the necklace (which I eventually bought). I forgot about his note until the other night.

“The horse is a symbol of the grounded power of the earth and the whispers of wisdom. It is revered as a helper, messenger, and harbinger of knowledge. It’s considered wild and an emblem of freedom, power, grace, beauty, nobility and strength.”

It makes sense that riding centers me. I feel in control and at the same time, totally powerless. It’s a freeing feeling and while the horse I’m riding might lead the way, I need to make a better effort to travel to my center more often.

What’s better for a single woman’s soul than some good solid beach time? Some good solid beach time coupled with a few spa treatments and some amazing cuisine! Enter: Santa Monica, California, the first step in the journey with my truebalance 850s.

Santa Monica beach

I arrived Santa Monica late-night, checked into The Hotel Casa del Mar, and carried myself up to my room on the 7th floor. After one of the best night’s sleep I’ve had in a long while, I jumped out of the bed the next morning, eager to test out my new shoes. Surprisingly, these guys were very light! I expected toning shoes to be big and bulky but I was pleased with the weight and design. It’s not always easy to pack tennis shoes in your carry-on, but these shoes squished well between my clothes and still retained their shape when I removed them from my suitcase. The true test was still to come…

I’m a stickler for tennis shoes. Having been a ballet dancer for almost 15 years, I have arches in my feet that would make most cobblers crazy, and bad knees and ankles to round things off. Tennis shoes for me need to have supreme stability, support my arches and protect my ankles from rolling inward when I run or walk. I can usually tell within a few hours if a shoe is going to work, or if I’m going to limp home with excruciating plan in my hips. At 7 a.m. I knew I had a long day ahead of me, and I said a silent prayer that these shoes would hold up.

Read more, and take the TravelFIT Challenge on SingleMindedWomen.com

Shanghai is a city of complications and successes. It’s one of the most modern cities in China, yet still holds sacred its roots in China’s history. It’s lived in the shadows of Beijing and Hong Kong for centuries but today offers travelers a new experience, thanks in part to its hosting the World Expo Shanghai. Shanghai is a juxtaposition of old and new on every street. A five minute walk from the world’s largest Louis Vuitton store is one of Shanghai’s oldest parks, where locals converge to practice the art of Tai Chi and take part in morning dance rituals as a form of expression and exercise.

Imagine you have exactly 24 hours to explore one of the world’s most historical and modernized cities. What do you do first? Whether you’re heading to Shanghai as a stopover to somewhere else in China, or your spending your vacation in the Expo City, make sure to save a day for the following:

Early morning in Renmin Park 7 – 8 a.m.
Only a short walk from The Portman Ritz-Carlton at Shanghai Center (where I stayed during my trip to Shanghai), Renmin Park at People’s Square of Puxi offers a unique glance at the life of old Shanghainese. Early Sunday mornings are filled with generations of Shanghainese taking part in familiar rituals including Tai Chi and ‘disco’ – their version of what Americans would consider “line dancing.” Join the dance or just stop and take it all in. Everyone is wonderfully friendly in the park and welcome tourists to join the dance or take part in Tai Chi.

Read more and see photos from my column on Gadling.com

Happiness is a sunny day, a cold beer, the beach, a boat and plenty of SPF. By this logic, happiness is Memorial Day weekend in The Hamptons.

The Hamptons is a ecclectic destination. The areas of the island range from suburban North Hampton to ritzy East Hampton, and there’s a part of the island to suit all tastes and budgets. Past the tony East Hampton boutiques and endless designer handbags, through Sag Harbor and 6 miles from the end of the island is the town of Montauk – an understated blend of Long Island money and Jersey Shore housewives seeking respite from the chaos of the city and a weekend of bliss on a boat.

I arrived in Montauk just before lunchtime on Friday of Memorial Day weekend.

Destination: Montauk Yacht Club

Goal: A glass of sauvignon blanc under the sun. The wine couldn’t arrive soon enough.

Montauk Yacht Club harbor

Coming off a whirlwind tour of Shanghai, I was eager to relax for a weekend in the Hamptons. While work brought me here, there was time scheduled into the itinerary for relaxation, and the blend of hotel reviews and lounging by the water was fine by me. (more…)

There’s something romantic about cowboy boots that’s inexplicable. They’re unique, mysterious, and, on the right pair of legs, they are downright sexy.

On a recent trip to Austin, Texas, I found myself in the market for cowboy boots. I popped into a few local shops, spoke with the owners and makers of boots, learned the history of the boot and gasped at the price of the boots. Reality: Real cowboy boots are expensive, and for good reason – they are hand-crafted, hand-stitched and each piece of leather on those boots are hand-worked from animal to shop. From the colors to the textures to the form and fit, each pair of boots is made for someone in mind.

I walked down aisles of boots seeking the perfect pair. Tall, short, brown, black, some with embellishments, some with designs, each one a different pattern, look and feel. Recognizing my complete confusion and bewilderment in the field of boots, a salesperson named Ryan walked up to me and asked if I needed any help. Ryan was tall, blonde, big and handsome – if you close your eyes and picture a cowboy coming from a chicken fight on the farm, you are picturing Ryan. A cross between Kevin Bacon’s character Wren McCormick in “Footloose” and Kiefer Sutherland’s Sonny Gilstrap in “A Cowboy Way,” Ryan oozed cowboy and probably knocked around a few boots in his time.

“I have no idea where to begin,” I confessed.

“Just take a walk through – let the boots talk to you,” he replied. (more…)