Self Care. Step 1: Awareness

  

We all have heard of burnout.Physician burnout, caregiver burnout… Anyone can feel the effects of burnout, but how many of us recognize the warning signs? I discussed awareness of burnout on my Periscope broadcast ( which will be available for rebroadcast on Periscope and is also available on the blog’s Facebook page). Here are a few helpful schematics that I found on the web! 

   
    
    

Join us next week on Periscope (@peachsandpckls) as we tackle this issue and hopefully find solutions! 
Have a great week! 

❤️Dr. Peaches 

Traveling Solo

I’ve travelled to many wonderful cities since I gave in to my wanderlust, and have loved nearly every place that I’ve visited. But, when I recall my solo trip to Germany  and Italy, I will always say that it was my best vacation ever. EVER!

I had never travelled solo for vacation before. I’d travelled many times for work and conferences ( work/school related), but more often than not, I’d always see someone who I knew or strike up a friendship with someone also attending the conference.

But this time, I was all alone.

My itinerary was set for 2 weeks. I  left Atlanta and landed in Munich. From there, I visited with family in Germany for a week. After that week, I kissed them goodbye and boarded the train for Italy. Destination: Venice. Party of one.

No, I didn’t know anyone there.

No, I didn’t ( and still don’t) speak Italian.

 

The train ride through southern Germany and through Austria was picture postcard magic. Just beautiful. Being alone, forced me to look out the window and see the world as it whizzed by. Just before the train arrived in Venice ( Italy), the sea salt air beckoned me to lean out the window and take it all in. I got a taxi to the hotel from the train station and settled into my room overlooking the Grand Canal. Bella!!! Soon, my wander got the best of me and I had to hit the pavement! I love cities that are easy to navigate on foot, and Venice is definitely a walking city ( no cars are allowed). There are seemingly endless mazes of sidewalks and bridges, and it’s nearly impossible to take a boring photo there.  I walked for hours, well past sundown and found the city more alluring by moonlight. After my first few hours of solitude, I began to settle in. Even at night, I felt safer than I have ever felt in the USA. Of course, I used common sense, (and recommend that you do as well); no visiting dark alleys, no rides with strangers, etc. I checked in with home daily and alerted them of my daily itinerary. After a few days in Venice, and learning a few phrases ( Ciao!), I moved on to the next stop, Milan. After Milan, I spent the last days of my solo sojourn in Rome, the Eternal City, and my adopted second home.

So why was this vacation my best EVER?? For the most part of that vacation, I was footloose and fancy free. No rules. No guidelines. No expectations…And I loved every minute of it!! I danced to my own rhythm. I got up when I wanted. I went where I wanted and stayed and as long as I chose. I changed my plans on the fly- and no one objected. I ate when and where I wanted. I lingered  at tables over a bottle of wine and watched the world go by. I did exactly what I wanted to do, precisely when I intended.

I discovered a love of Italy, and consider it my European home. But most importantly, I learned how to enjoy being in my own company. That being alone does not equate to being lonely. I got out of my comfort zone and talked to strangers. I tried new things. And in the end, experienced Italy in a way that probably wouldn’t have been possible in someone else’s presence.

Now that I am a wife and mother, being away from them for 2 weeks would be nearly impossible for many reasons. But I will always hold this trip with special fondness. I recommend that,  if possible, take a solo vacation. You’ll be enriched for many years afterwards!

Some tips for traveling solo….

1. Give a family member ( or someone else that you trust) a COLOR copy of your passport photo page and driver’s license in case of emergency.
2. Give a copy of your itinerary, including how you will travel. Flight and/or train numbers, time of arrival/departure. Name, address and phone number of all hotels where you will stay and the dates of arrival/departure. Your hotel room number.
3. Give a copy of your medical history, including illnesses and medications and name/contact info of your treating physician(s).
4. Location of the embassy in every country you will visit.
5. Put a color copy of your passport in every piece of your luggage.
6. Before you take a tour, research it and make sure it is legit.
7. Take only authorized transportation. Be wary of random people offering transportation at train stations and airports.
8. Use common sense- be it day or night.

Enjoy your travels and tell us about your solo treks!

  
~Dr. Peaches & Miss Pickles

New Year’s Eve in Times Square

Visiting Times Square for New Year’s Eve has always been a bucket list trip for me. Every year, I’d watch the ball drop, and wish that I could be at the big party in NYC. So this past January, I booked the trip!

I’ve stayed in Times Square on a trip with Miss Pickles, and loved the DoubleTree Suites hotel. I used my Hilton Honors points to book the room and found an airfare sale. A few short ( read: long) months later, WE’RE HERE!!!

  

  
  
    
    
    
    
  
 

 

 

 STAYING IN TIMES SQUARE FOR NYE

Preparations in Times Square for the coming new year start very early. In the early morning hours, barricades start going up, and street closings start. People start filling up the streets as early as 9 am! Yes, these individuals will stand for several hours in the cold, without access to bathrooms, for hours awaiting the ball drop.

  

  
So if you’re planning to venture out, let’s say for lunch as we did, prepare for a trek. The DoubleTree is at the corner of 47th Street and 7th Ave. The Hard Rock Restaurant is at 43rd Street and 7th Ave…so not far. About 0.6 miles actually, and ordinarily a straight shot. But NYE in Times Square is anything but ordinary. We walked down 47th to 6th and then over to 43rd and back to 7th because of the street closings and barricades.  

The restaurants in the surrounding area close early. Many were hosting private parties with views of the activities. For example, Bubba Gump was closing early in order to host a party with a $900 pp ticket fee! (say whaaaaa?) So, if you didn’t make it to the restaurant before about 2 pm, you were out of luck! We ate at Bubba Gump ( because it was open), and as a bonus got great views of Times Square, the preparations, and growing crowds.

       This was the crowd at 1pm….
After we finished, we had hoped to take the same route back to the hotel….NO MA’AM! So, we trekked up 44th Street to 8th Ave., then over to 49th Street. We had to show our hotel room key along with a pass (given by the hotel) in order to get through the barricades. So down 49th Street to Broadway-more barricades, and finally a personal police escort (otherwise, we wouldn’t have been able to get anywhere) through more barricades back to our hotel. Whew!

HANGING OUT IN TIMES SQUARE

NYC’s police department uses barricades to create “pens” down 7th Ave and surrounding streets. Some rules:

1. Once you enter a pen area, there is no re-entry. Once you leave, you’re out.
2. There are no porta-potty’s.
3. The pens are closed by 11am.
4. Some larger bags are confiscated at the pen entry and are not returned.

So here are my tips for navigating…

1. Be aware that some train platforms close earlier than usual on NYE. So your train stop may not be available. And you may not be able to get back to your hotel depending on the time of day ( even with the passes/hotel keys).
2. BRING PATIENCE. There are about 1 million extra people in TS on NYE. It takes longer to go everywhere…
3. Prepare to walk—alot. On NYE, the streets around TS are closed to car traffic ( except for emergency vehicles) for many blocks.
4. The train schedule is altered, check the transit website for details.
5. Keep your ID handy.
6. Dress for the weather and for walking.
7. Plan to get out and back to your hotel early. I had hoped we could do an activity before all the festivities started…nope!
8. Reconsider trekking out with very small children (unless you are prepared to carry them), strollers, wheelchairs, etc. The sidewalks are incredibly congested.

All in all, I’m glad that I got the chance to cross this off my bucket list. It was great hanging out with my family, even though we were pretty much confined to the hotel. The energy in the area was incredible, and seeing the ball drop, and the confetti shower at the stroke of midnight, were definitely unforgettable. But I’ll chose another time for my next trip to NYC!

  That’s not snow…it’s confetti! Lots and lots of confetti.

Happy New Year from Dr. Peaches  & Miss Pickles!!

  

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It’s almost 2016!!!
This year has really flown by!!!

Today I am grateful for time. Of the things that I can claim to possess, it is the thing that I value most. Time is what binds us to one another through shared experiences and fond memories. In 2013 and 2014, I lost people that  I loved dearly, and the anniversaries of these loses causes me to stop and ponder about time. How I want more of it. How I waste it. How much of it is enough?
For those of us who are imprisoned by time, either mentally, or physically, time can draw out like a dull blade through bread. How sad it is to see someone squander the time to learn something new, do something extraordinary, or not to take time for self-reflection, meditation or prayer. Time is the one thing that once it’s gone, can never be remade. We can always make more money and have other possessions. Imagine it… we will never be in this moment ever again. EVER. In all of eternity, it will never again exist. As we move forward in life, we are a little bit older than we were a second ago. And so, going into my new year, I pray that I will always have time, or take time to appreciate time for the magnificent gift that it is, and that I use what time I have in wiser ways.

Falling Forward

Invisible Boundaries

In the pool, there was a line on the floor demarkating where the shallow end stopped and the depths began.  When swimming from the shallow end towards the deep, I would always stop and take a minute before proceeding into the deeper waters. It was my boundary, that for some reason, I could not cross. At this point, I could swim, and was fairly confident that I would not drown. So why couldn’t I cross this insignificant little line? After some time I connected an event from my childhood where I was caught in a rip current and pulled into deeper waters. I couldn’t swim. I couldn’t touch the bottom. I couldn’t see which direction was the safe one. This line in the pool represented the point in which I would be in “open water,” where I couldn’t touch the bottom and just stand up,  and I would have to depend on my fledgling swimming skills to keep me safe and get me to the wall. Once I recognized my “issue,” this line in the pool was no longer a boundary.

So my question is this….

What invisible boundaries are holding you back?

Falling Forward: Facing your fears and winning

Going All In

I am an adult learner. I am learning how to swim. It has been a slow and steady process, and although this is my 4th time “learning,” I’m confident that this time the lessons will stick. While I’m impressed with my abilities and new confidence in the water, I’m more in awe of the things I’ve learned about myself and how it applies to my life. 
At the first lesson, I refused to put my face in the water. “You’re not a fish- you can’t breathe under the water,” my inner voice said. But without fully immersing my face, I’d never become the swimmer I wanted to be. So the question I posed to myself was simple… Do you want to be a swimmer, or do you want to just keep your head above water and be limited to the shallow end of the pool? 

Limitations. Hate those. 

In life, are you just keeping your head above water? In your marriage, as a parent, at your job? Or could it be that if you went all in, face and all, would you be a better version of yourself? Could you be? 

The lesson: 

Immerse yourself and be fully present. 

Staycation: Italy in Atlanta

Trying different foods when traveling is a big part of an enjoyable trip. Can’t go international? No problem! 

You can have a culinary world trip in your city! Our first stop in Atlanta? Italy, of course!!! 

One of the best things I ate in Italy was gelato. When I visit Paolo’s, located in the Highlands area, I am transported to one of the  best gelato shops that can be found outside of Florence, Rome or Milan.

Can’t make it to Paolo’s? Try finding an authentic Italian restaurant or desert shop near you! 

Buon Appetito!    
     
Next stop…. Thailand! 

Disney World as told by Miss Pickles

I’m proud and honored to introduce a new segment to Peaches & Pickles; The Pickles Perspective. Miss Pickles composed the following post, and I happily act as her scribe. This is about her adventure during the Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween party.
  
Hello, 

I would like to tell you about Disney’s Magic Kingdom. There are lots of things to do and ride. At the beginning (of the party) there is a show that you and your children can see. If you really like rides, go to Tomorrowland. Space Mountain is a roller coaster there. If you like mining rides, the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train is fun. Goofy’s rooler coaster is also fun.  If you like to fly, go on Dumbo, the Flying Elephant, and Aladdin’s Magic Carpet rides. If you like the ocean and mermaids,  you will love Ariel’s Grotto. I love the race cars in Tomorrowland because I get to drive my own racecar! Thanks for listening. 

~Miss Pickles

  

Walt Disney World

 

 

 

Walt and Mickey welcome you!

 

Tips for having a “magical” Disney experience.
Before you go…

Your welcome packet..

Don’t forget your luggage tags that were provided in your welcome package. You can drop your bags off at your departure airport and not worry about them until you get to your resort. These tags will get your luggage delivered directly to your resort. Allow an hour or two for delivery, so anything that you will need right away should go in your carry-on luggage. I always pack our swim gear in my carry-on so we can start to enjoy the pool right away!

Bring your welcome packet with you, as it has coupons for an arcade voucher, souvenirs, discounts on golf excursions and more!

The Magic Band.

I went all Cheshire Cat with mine

Miss Pickles went Minnie

traditional gray

I went all Cheshire Cat with mine

and of course, Miss Pickles went with her girl, Minnie

 

The Magic Band is one of my favorite Disney innovations. It’s a bracelet that you wear that is absolutely everything. It’s you key to the room,  scan it for admission to the parks, store your credit card information (securely) for spending so you don’t need to worry about carrying your wallet ( and leaving it, losing it, dropping it, etc.) through a crowded park, and scan it for dining, just to name a few things that you can do! You can personalize these with your names, if you order them ahead of time. The bands come in several colors, and now are even available in your favorite character. Personalize it further with fun add-ons!  You can have them delivered to your home, or pick them up at the desk at the time of check-in.

Download the My Disney Experience app (available for iPhone and Android).

My Disney Experience App Logo

This is one-stop coordination of your time at Disney; dining reservations, tickets for special events (like the Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween party), FastPass reservations, and maps of the resorts with expected wait times for rides.

About FastPass…

It’s a convenient way to que up for popular rides without standing in long lines. It’s worth it to check the wait times before you choose your passes, so as not to waste them-but generally the more popular rides, particularly the coasters will put the passes to best use. I wouldn’t recommend using them for shows, as the venues are large enough to get a good seat and the lines typically aren’t that long or they move very quickly. You can sign up for three at a time, but remember that you must use all three before you can sign up for any others. FastPasses go, well…fast. So don’t delay in signing up!

The Disney Magical Express shuttle… Will take about 30-45 minutes to shuttle you to your resort from the airport. No muss, no fuss. Just riding into your wonderful time at Disney! But before you go, notify Disney of your intentions to use the shuttle. Remember that your tickets to use the shuttle can be loaded onto your magic bands and will also be printed in your welcome packet booklet. It’s also a good idea to inform them of your flight arrangements as well.

With these tips, you’re on your way!

Enjoy!

❤️ P&P

New York

 

 I have a confession…
I have not always loved New York.

When I was a kid, I really did. I spent my summers with relatives in Harlem. There are fond memories of having Mr. Swirly cones with my uncle while sitting on the stoop in front of his building, and going to the park…good times.
But then somehow, and I don’t know when, I just stopped loving the city. I was disinterested in it. Crazy, right?
Well, I have recently had an opportunity to fall in love all over again, this time through the eyes of my boon companion, Miss Pickles.
NYC with kids can be a daunting task. It’s big, loud, and busy. Or as Miss Pickles put it, “There’s so much of….EVERYTHING!”
Fear not, travellers! Peaches &Pickles will help you navigate the Big Apple.

 A few tips:

Plan out your day.
1.Get a New York City Pass and have pre-paid, quick entry into many sites, museums, etc.
2.Plan for only a few hours of activities with kids- they get bored, tired and cranky and then no one is having a good time.
3.Be flexible!
First of all, I must recommend this travel app, Tripomatic. With this app, you can plan your trip itinerary, change it on the fly, and estimate travel times between venues.

Our trip…

Day 1: We landed and travelled to Times Square. The M&Ms World! Today was just taking it all in… I introduced Miss Pickles to NYC pizza at Famous Original Ray’s Pizza…. Yummy!!! Miss Pickles’ first ride on the subway, and the Brooklyn Museum.

 Day 2: Saint Patrick’s Cathedral, walking Fifth Avenue where the window shopping is almost as good as the real thing…almost! The plaza in front of Rockefeller Center had amazing Easter eggs (http://www.thebigegghunt.com)that were on display. The rest of the afternoon was spent at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA for short). That evening we took on Broadway, and saw the phenomenal production of The Lion King.

 Day 3: Brunch at Alice’s Teacup, which is just the cu-utest place for scones and tea. Miss Pickles had her first try at having tea, and now loves Earl Grey, just like her momma. Next, we walked to Central Park, went to the Central Park Zoo, and later found our way to the Alice in Wonderland statue. We had dinner at The Loeb Boathouse followed by a walk through the park to my favorite bridge, the Bow Bridge.

 Day 4: We spent the afternoon at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and took a handsome cab ( a horse-drawn carriage) through Central Park. Lunch at the halal stand- the best hot dogs in the world! Then the American Museum of Natural History, where I’d hoped to see my nerd crush, Neil deGrasse Tyson, but it turns out he was somewhere else being brilliant that day…

Day 5: We walked across the Brooklyn Bridge (www.nyc.org), spent some time DUMBO, and concluded our day at the NY Aquarium. The aquarium was still in recovery from Hurricane Sandy, but once repairs and renovations are completed, it’s gonna be fantastic. After the aquarium, we sat and took in Coney Island. It was too early in the season, and therefore it was closed, but it was nice to breathe the salt air and feel the crisp early April breeze on the boardwalk.

 Day 6: Top of the Rock, the observation deck on top of Rockefeller Center. They should call it the top of the world! The 360 degree views of, well, everything, are just breathtaking! The Statue of Liberty in the harbor, the Chrysler Building, the Empire State Building, and Central Park. A-MAZING!

 Day 7: No visit to NYC is complete without visiting the great lady, the Statue of Liberty, and nearby Ellis Island. We once again took on Broadway, this time seeing the fantastical (yes, that’s a word) production of Aladdin.

 Day 8: The. World’s. Greatest. Toy. Store. EVER!!!!! Of course, I’m talking about FAO Schwarz. The Hello Kitty and Barbie collections alone had me making a wish list for Mr. Claus! Sadly, FAO Schwarz closed it’s doors in Manhattan in July 2015.) Lastly, we visited the Mothership, aka Macy’s in Herald Square. Miss Pickles and I had many an ear splitting squeal at all the wonderful wares. And topped it all off with dinner at Stella 34 Trattoria. I thought they would have to roll us outta there!

Day 9: Sadly, we had to bring our whirlwind romance with NYC to a close. But even our cabbie was a tour guide, driving us past the United Nations.

À bientot, NYC!!!

We love you!!