I like to consider myself an adventurous person.  For instance, I lived in Europe for three months by myself, moved to NYC without a job and jumped off a volcanic cliff 20 feet above the Pacific while on vacation in Maui.  Yep, I have a number of adventures under my belt, but I have always felt there was something missing.

One thing I’ve always wanted to try is SKIING, but I’ve just never made it happen.  Luckily for me, my parents recently relocated to Salt Lake City, UT, home of some of the best skiing in America, and I was headed to visit them for the Christmas holiday.  I was not going to let an opportunity to ski pass me up, so I made sure a day on the slopes was on our itinerary.

I decided to try my luck at Brighton Ski Resort, a great place to ski at the very top of Big Cottonwood Canyon outside Salt Lake.  Brighton offered a beginners package that was perfect for me – two-hour lesson, all rentals and a lift ticket for $94.  I was sold!

I started my day early in the rental shop, parents with camera in tow.  After asking no less than three people for help getting my boots on, I headed out for my lesson.  I can’t say that skiing came naturally to me, far from it, but after a little practice under a watchful eye I was definitely ready for the bunny slope.  Sure I fell a few times, but who doesn’t fall on their first run? After figuring out how to pull myself up without the use of my ankles (those darn ski boots again…), I really got the hang of it.  In fact, by the end of the day I was zooming down that bunny slope!  I’m still far from a pro, but I look forward to another ski adventure soon.

- Julie

When I originally saw my name on the list for a late-October blog post, I knew exactly what I was going to write about: a guide to being a Philadelphia Phillies fan in hostile New York Yankees territory. After all, the Phillies were supposed to still be playing baseball – a pre-season favorite to represent the National League in the World Series.

But alas, the cliché about “the best laid plans…often go awry” came true: the Phillies suffered an early playoff exit – and took my original blog post with it.

Not wanting to “throw the baby out with the bath water,” I figured I’d still do a Phillies-themed post. Because even though their record-breaking season didn’t end with a parade down Broad Street, I can’t help but look back on it fondly:

Sharing in the excitement of the Cliff Lee signing with friends and family back home in the wee hours of December 14…Buying my dad a “shirtsey” for each of the Phillies’ “four aces” and watching him open the box Christmas morning…Making the trip to Clearwater, Fla., for Spring Training with my sister and a friend, whose father – a big Phillies fan – had passed away just three weeks before…Treating my dad to two games at Citizens Bank Park, and marveling at how far the Phillies had come from the not-so-good ‘ol days, when his partial-season tickets meant spending money to watch a terrible team in an even worse stadium…Taking a last-minute road trip with my brother one Sunday afternoon in August to root for the away team in Washington, D.C….Enjoying Chickie’s & Pete’s Crab Fries, cold Yuengling and Dollar Dogs with my sister at “The Bank” while pulling for Roy Halladay to win his 16^th game…Being in the stands when the Phillies clinched their fifth straight NL East title.

As all of this suggests, there’s another – perhaps more important – cliché that best summarizes the season that was: “It’s not the destination, so much as the journey.”

 Only 112 days until the Phillies’ pitchers and catchers report to Clearwater. I can’t wait for the journey to start again.

-Amy

My cheap-travel-scouting most recently landed me in New Orleans for an end of the summer trip, with the hopes of boning up on my French and knowing I would probably gain a few pounds.

Amid threats of 20 inches of rain from Tropical Storm Lee (and after I just survived Hurricane Irene!), I made my way down to the Big Easy for Labor Day weekend.

Dodging raindrops, I ate my way through the city.  Even though I’m spoiled from NYC’s amazing cuisine and don’t eat much seafood, I was overwhelmed and delighted at what I found – including a plethora of Tabasco sightings, one of Hunter Public Relations’s most long-standing clients which happens to be headquartered in Louisiana. Here are some of the culinary highlights from my weekend:

Alligator cheesecake at Jacques-Imo’s:  I summoned all my courage to try this crazy dish, and it is almost exactly what is sounds like – alligator andouille and shrimp baked into a cheesy, creamy casserole. Just don’t expect whipped cream.

Turtle soup at Commander’s Palace:  Never did I think I’d eat two animals scooped out of a swamp in the same weekend, but this famous dish was again surprisingly delicious.  Listening to a jazz trio as I ate it over brunch definitely didn’t hurt.

Chargrilled oysters at Acme Oyster House:  Even if you don’t eat oysters (like me), chances are you’ll enjoy these.  I generally don’t pass anything up that is coated in cheese and garlic, so these little guys didn’t stand a chance.

A Bloody Mary at Pat O’Brien’s:  Just perfect, served with a pickled green bean. Best if not consumed on the same night as a Hurricane and a Hand Grenade.

Not even the hurricane-force winds took away from my weekend. So if your next trip is threatened by unfavorable weather conditions, just remember, it’s never raining indoors.

-Lauren

The Interactive portion of SXSW (or as I like to call it, college all over again) brings together the world’s brightest minds in tech all onto one “campus” in downtown Austin. Its focus on emerging technologies has earned SXSW Interactive a reputation as one of the best predictors of where the industry is going, and many of today's biggest web and mobile apps were launched during SXSWi, including Twitter and Foursquare.

So what were some of the breakout stars of SXSW this year?

Group texting: Without a doubt, the talk of the town was apps like GroupMe and Beluga that allow you to have create group chats on any phone. These apps were especially useful to connect with fellow students, aka festival attendees.

Networking made easier: Another app that was a huge hit was Hashable, which allows you to ditch the business cards and exchange contact info with the new friends you make at that party. All you have to do is enter their email or Twitter handle into the app and it downloads their contact info. Also, it allows you to see who all your friends are connecting with.

Social TV: One of the most interesting ideas talked about was social TV, and how viewers are posting on social media sites while watching their favorite shows. This was especially interesting to hear about in a panel about the marketing of True Blood, a show that had really embraced the concept of social TV by reaching out to fan communities and providing them with exclusive content.

Being at SXSW completely felt like I was back in college for a week, with early morning classes (panels), meals with friends between class and parties at night. I learned so much and had a great time meeting some of the most interesting people from all over the world.

Olivia

As one of Hunter PR’s resident vegetarians**, I am always on the hunt for delicious veggie dishes.  I mean, I would LOVE to live off of grilled cheese forever, but alas, my nutritionist would not be too pleased.

In case you’re all like, “I like meat, I can’t live without it,” I thought I’d share some cookbooks/recipes that are helpful in beginning your trek to non-meatdom.

First, my favorite is The Grit Cookbook.  Yes, I’m partial to this one as I worked at this Athens, GA establishment, but really it’s some of the best vegetarian food I’ve eaten.  With recipes including Tofu Reuben (the best you’ll ever eat!), Black Bean Chili, various salad dressings, and vegan Chocolate Death cake (I can vouch for this as I also used to bake it!), you’ll be off to a great veggie start.

I also highly recommend subscribing to Vegetarian Times, or you can check out their recipes online.  Here’s one that looks mighty tasty for Grilled Tofu with Wasabi-Honey Glaze.  Yum!

Lastly, there’s Babe’s Country Cookbook.  Who can resist Babe?  I mean piglets are cute!  This cookbook has 80 delicious recipes that are all super easy to make, and will have you wanting more veg!

While I’m not one to pressure anyone into vegetarianism (I mean my boyfriend and all of my family members are carnivores), I do think that a lot of people don’t give veggie food the credit it deserves.  Hopefully you can open your mind, and your bellies, to more non-meat dishes.  Enjoy!

Charlotte

*Thanks to PETA for this title

**This means I eat no meat of any kind (including fish!), but do eat dairy products.

Those who know me know I am a music fanatic.  I enjoy staying on top of trends in the industry, traveling to festivals throughout the year and accidentally distracting coworkers with the level of volume on my iTunes (yes, even on my headphones).  When the time came for me to submit my Hunter Public Relations blog entry, I thought it’d be fitting to share the top five live acts I have seen thus far in 2010.  If you don’t know these bands or have the opportunity to see them live, I highly recommend you do so… Without further ado:

1. The Black Keys – Central Park Summerstage/Terminal 5, NYC

My friends and I decided to embark on a journey to see the boys from Akron, OH twice in one night.  Many thought this was a silly endeavor, but it turned out to be the best show(s) I have seen this year.

2. Jay Z – Coachella, CA

Jay Z was a headliner at the Coachella music festival this spring and put on quite a show.  The highlight – his wife, Beyonce Knowles, joining him onstage to sing “Young Forever.”

3. The Strokes – Outside Lands, CA

Despite not having toured together in a number of years – these New York City boys are still as incredible as ever.

4. Vampire Weekend – Coachella, CA

Vampire Weekend’s music is lively and fun to dance to – when we checked them out at Coachella, we broke out some serious swimming dance moves!

5. LCD Soundsystem – Terminal 5, NYC

I had the opportunity to see LCD Soundsystem during their five-night stint in NYC.  The entire room vibrated from the number of people dancing and they’re rendition of “New York I Love You” was one of the most memorable performances of the year.

Rock On!

Christine

Having spent a semester abroad in Rome while I was in college, I definitely have an appreciation for a classic Italian meal. And, with last week being the San Gennaro Feast on Mulberry Street in NYC and the recent opening of Mario Batali’s Eataly, I’ve been hearing a lot of talk about Italian cuisine. However, given my high standards, these restaurants have yet to impress. So, if you are as much a lover of Italian food as I am, you MUST take a trip to my favorite Italian street in New York… Arthur Avenue.

Arthur Avenue is part of the Belmont section of the Bronx and home to many of New York’s Italian-Americans. In fact, the film “A Bronx Tale” is based on life in this community. Affectionately called “the real Little Italy,” the street is home to classic Italian bakeries, fish and meat markets, cheese shops and, of course, restaurants. Here are some of my personal favorites:

Emilia’ s Restaurant: Classic Italian dining with generous portions. Their veal saltimbocca and lobster ravioli are incredible.

Casa della Mozzarella: Hands down, the best mozzarella in NYC!

De Lillo Pastry Shop: Just like it sounds, a pastry shop that serves every kind of delectable Italian treat you can imagine!

Tino's Deli: Serves just about any hot or cold Italian dish and perfect for on-the-go. 

And, if the Bronx seems a little out of your way, here are some Bronx favorites you don’t want to miss:

Yankee Stadium (only about 3 miles from Arthur avenue)

The New York Botanical Garden

The Bronx Zoo

Or you can always visit my alma mater and cheer on our beloved Fordham Rams. ;)

Sara

During my first week here at Hunter Public Relations, I sat in on a new product brainstorm. It was like nothing I’d ever seen before. Tons of exercises that were called “excursions,” everyone stated their ideas starting with “I wish” and “how to.” But within minutes, there were TONS of brilliant, organic ideas flying around.

I was so intrigued to learn more about this process and much to my avail, I found out that Hunter’s annual offsite employee training was going to focus on this exact brainstorm process.

Fast forward to Full Moon Resort, where the entire Hunter PR staff was greeted by ThinkShop, a leading team of innovation consultations that help large companies develop new brands, flavors, labels, etc. 

So now that I’m a proud graduate of the training, here’s how it works:

You first learn how to conduct an excursion, which is an activity that gets the group thinking about the brainstorm’s objective. Lets say the objective is to find a new summer occasion for a wine brand.

My personal favorite excursion is called “worlds.” This is where the brainstorm facilitator asks everyone to think about “X” within the world of “X.”

Here’s an example: Let’s think about “grilling” within the world of “wine”.

The facilitator would then let everyone shout out words that matched that phrase. People can say anything that comes to mind: “BBQ,” “chicken,” “shish kebobs,” “Fourth of July.” The facilitator usually writes down about 20 words. Then, the facilitator chooses three or four key words from that 20 and tells the group to come up with campaign ideas that reflect the objective. And these ideas must be communicated as “I wish” or  “how to” statements. For example, someone might say, “I wish X wine brand would have a shish kebob grilling contest on the Fourth of July, where participants must also pair their dish with one of the wines.”

From there, you deliver those ideas to the client. This process can repeat as many times as you like – some brainstorms are one hour and others are two days.

Needless to say, I don’t wonder how this process works anymore – I’m part of it!

Lauren

This summer, I was lucky enough to spend 10 full days and nights traveling throughout Israel on a Birthright program. For those of you who don’t know, Birthright is a free trip to Israel for Jewish people ages 18-26. Though I went with a friend from home, we were part of a North Jersey trip, with 38 other Jewish 18-21 year olds.

One of my favorite places we visited on the trip was on the first full day. After a hike in the morning, we traveled to the holy city of Tzfat. We visited the Ashkenazi and Sephardic Holy Temples there, and shopped for souvenirs in their artists’ village.

I also had my first taste of falafel in Israel in Tzfat, and it definitely lived up to my expectations—it’s ruined me for falafel anywhere else!

A definite favorite part of the trip for me was staying in a Bedouin village for a night—we slept in a familial tent with our entire group, and rode camels (some of us less gracefully than others…) before eating a huge, delicious dinner.

Another unforgettable part of Israel was hiking Mount Masada. Aside from being a major historical landmark in Israel, it was gorgeous! We hiked the mountain at 5 a.m., so that we were able to watch sunrise from the peak!

The trip was definitely one of the best experiences of my life, and I can’t wait to travel back to Israel. Until then, I’ll have to keep in touch with friends from the trip and keep meeting in the city to reminisce on our amazing time in the Holy Land!

Samantha

If you are looking to take a trip overseas, I highly recommend sitting through the 15-hour flight to Asia it will be well worth your time and money. I recently visited the “Pearl of the Orient,” the place where East meets West – the cosmopolitan city of Hong Kong. This bustling city will be liked by anyone who is adventurous when it comes to food, interested in experiencing a new culture and likes to shop.

A few quick tidbits about Hong Kong – the official languages are English and Cantonese; the currency is the Hong Kong Dollar; Hong Kong spans approximately 420 square miles and consists of Hong Kong Island, Kowloon Peninsula and the New Territories, and more than 200 offshore islands, which are separated by Victoria Harbor; Hong Kong was originally settled by Britain and has many British influences as a result.

If you find yourself in Hong Kong...

Try authentic Cantonese food!

Like fish? Visit any of the local fishing villages, including Lei Yue Mun. Here you can choose any fish or crustacean from the individual fish vendor stalls, and your fish will be hand-delivered to your restaurant for the chef to prepare to your liking.

For a fancy night on the town, try The Four Season’s Lung King Heen, the only Chinese restaurant with a three star Michelin rating. I suggest splurging for the chef’s tasting menu where you can try everything from shark’s fin to abalone to wagyu beef. The menu changes seasonally, so make a reservation and look at the recent menu before your visit.

Bring your sneakers, and pick up an Octopus card!

Like many big cities, Hong Kong is a place best explored on foot. You can walk to most places or enjoy the efficient train system called the MTR. Pick up an Octopus card and save yourself the hassle of buying train tickets each day by prepaying the fare. The train system is easy to navigate and you can use your cell phone underground – just be sure to keep to the right on the escalators.

Visit the Central area for an extensive array of shopping at the IFC Mall. As you make your way to the shops, you will see many of the towering skyscrapers that dot the city skyline. 

Next, set your bags down and head up to The Peak. For a good work out, walk up the windy path to the top in about 30 minutes or take a tram to the summit.  From The Peak you will see views of Hong Kong that are unmatched anywhere else!

After your day of walking, relax pier-side in Kowloon, located directly across from Hong Kong Island, for the best view of the city skyline. The laser light show was named the "World's Largest Permanent Light and Sound Show" by Guinness World Records. This attraction is free and runs on the hour.

The tourist hotspots are endless!

Depending on your length of stay, additional activities and locations to visit while in Hong Kong include:

- Happy Valley horse racing

- Lantau Island cable car ride to a giant Buddha

- Shek-O Beach for surfing

- Mongkok Hong Kong markets

- Lan Kwai Fong for nightlife that stretches far into early morning

- Museums in Tsim Sha Tsui including Museum of Art and Museum of History, Space Museum and Science Museum

There is so much to do in Hong Kong that I recommend you stay for at least 5 days. Find out more from the Hong Kong visitors center.

路順風 (Have a safe journey!)

Rebecca