Built into an 800-year-old lava flow on the south shore of the Blue Lagoon? Count me in. Enter the Moss Hotel. Born of the Blue Lagoon’s volcanic frontier, dating from the year 1226, powered by sustainable energy, and surrounded by the mineral-rich waters of Lava Lagoon. Another highlight? The Lava Cove subterranean spa embodying the convergence of nature, architecture, and the radiant powers of geothermal seawater. Need I say more.

It was the dead of winter and, like many New Yorkers, Geetika Agrawal wanted to escape. “But I didn’t just want to sit on a beach,” she says. “I wanted a transformational travel experience—something that stimulated the creative side of my brain.”

The young creative director looked high and low for a trip that fit the bill and “settled on four days of acroyoga in the Dominican Republic,” she laughs. “But it definitely didn’t satisfy my urge for an artistic experience.” That’s when she recognized a gap in the travel industry—and the mission to fill it took hold of her.

In November 2015, Agrawal launched Vacation with an Artist (VAWAA), a website that offers short-term apprenticeships with artists, designers, and creatives around the world. Through VAWAA, an art-hungry traveler can book several-day workshops with a street artist in Buenos Aires, an ikebana master in Kyoto, and a bamboo bicycle-maker in Bangalore, among other artisans representing a vast array of mediums.

Agrawal and her business partner connect traveler and artist, suggest optimal flight routes and lodging, and generally act as guides through the experience. “Luckily, I’ve now been to all of these locations and spent time with all of these artists,” Agrawal says. “So organizing the logistics comes easily to me.”
In the years since her acroyoga misadventure, Agrawal has become seasoned at sniffing out artists eager to share their skills. When Google, travel agents, and even her community of experienced travelers weren’t able to point her in the right direction, Agrawal took a year-long hiatus from her role as a creative director at powerhouse ad agency R/GA to explore the world. Her goal: to locate master creatives renowned in their local communities.

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We’re all in search of the rare, unexplored experiences that this world has to offer. It’s the notion which Black Tomato was founded upon, and over the years they’ve been committed to seeking these rare experiences and delivering them. They’ve gone one step further and created Blink, an exclusive new travel service that offers the most personalized luxury travel experience imaginable; the chance to design your own temporary accommodation and experience in locations so private and untouched that no one else will have stayed there before and never will again in the same way.

Written for The Listserve

I live in a world of go. Go forth, go on, go in, go for it. It’s this constant go that gives me speed and strength. It’s also this go that gives me impatience, and a desperate need to discover the world at a rapid pace. At 31, I’m still learning, breaking, bending, growing and sharpening. But here are the greatest lessons I have learned along the way.

1. Attack every day with vengeance - a vengeance to inspire, both others and yourself, and a vengeance to do better than your best. To some, this vengeance can seem harsh, and well, it is. And if it seems all too serious, that’s because it is. The energy I put out into the world, the heart I put into my work, the lengths I take to inspire and learn from others, is no laughing matter, because I have made a choice for every moment to matter.

2. Passion is one of the most powerful tools we have - because taking risks requires heart, and it’s with this heart that I have fought to achieve my goals, and conquer them with fury. Whether it’s hiking in Nepal or building a kickass team, I bring a lot of energy and passion to my life and work. By being inspired, you will inspire others.

3. Not all connections are created equal - in life, there are residents, and visitors. All those that come into my world serve a purpose. I cherish them for who they are, the gifts they bring and the lessons they leave me with. I’ve learned not only to say goodbye, but that how I say goodbye is in my power. Be thankful for those who are simply passing through. It will provide you with peace.

4. Turn poison into medicine - the greatest challenges offer the greatest gifts. It’s only through the toughest of moments that we learn and truly expand. Dark days are inevitable, but how you respond to them is a choice. Approach each experience as a chance to challenge your beliefs and strengthen your values and courage. In such strength, you will realize that you are unstoppable.

5. Life is nonlinear - there is no such thing as work-life balance. I believe in building a life you love, inclusive of family, friends, work and travel. Make it work for you, don’t settle for less. Live life fluidly, and allow all of your passions to coexist.

6. Build a bird’s eye view - in time, I’ve developed a quiet confidence and calm in both my own acceptance and ownerships of self. I’ve grown to be more mindful about who I am and what I do. Every day, I lean into my strengths, and proactively work on areas for growth. There’s a lot of power that comes from knowing who you are and being able to see yourself from 30,000 feet without judgment and acceptance.

7. Be fearless, and take risks - going after what you want is an art form, and being fearless is a gift — both are attainable and accessible if you allow it. It’s about standing your ground, and fighting for what you believe to be true; only questioning yourself in hopes to learn and come back with a better game plan; only wondering if you can handle it, in order to handle it better. These are the pillars that I build my life on. The ones that push me in the direction of discovery: ready, set and fearless.

“And, when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it” ― Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist

In 1983, Land Rover launched the One Ten, a name referring to the purpose-built utility vehicle’s 110-inch wheelbase. Starting in the early 1990s, these models became known as Defender 110s to cement the model nomenclature. (The 110’s slightly shorter sibling, the Defender 90, featured a 93-inch wheelbase.) By 1985 all Defender models were running permanent four-wheel drive and more modern features than their predecessors, like one-piece windscreens and updated interiors. In January of 2016, after 67 years, Land Rover announced it would finally end production of the Defender, committing it to history as the king of overlanders.

This pickup-style model was sourced in Switzerland, where its watchmaker owner restored the car to its original glory, including rebuild of the 3.5-liter V8 and four-speed manual gearbox. He also added a four-barrel carburetor, Exmoor seats and interior parts, a complete repaint, and new clutch, new disc brakes, new calipers and a new canvas top. Since his meticulous restoration about five years ago, the truck has been driven only 5,000 kilometers. The vehicle was imported by Dutch Safari Company.

We’re proud to showcase this turnkey Defender 110 as a ready-to-work model in pristine condition. And, as would be expected from a mechanically-inclined, obsessively maintained owner, it runs like clockwork.

To inquire, email store@gearpatrol.com or call (347) 455-9730 (source: Gear Patrol)

Once a world class transportation hub, the JFK airport is now one of the more difficult airports to navigate and access. Despite serving a record 60 million passengers in 2016 and welcoming more international passengers than any other airport in the country, JFK’s terminals and facilities are badly out-dated and low on capacity. Governor Andrew Cuomo recently announced a $100 billion infrastructure plan to transform JFK into a state-of-the-art facility prepared to meet the demands of the 21st century. The plan calls for a redesign of on-airport roadways to eliminate bottlenecks for commuters to and from JFK. They’ll also be expanding terminals and redeveloping and relocating older terminals to create a better experience for travelers. In addition, fine dining, duty-free shopping, high-end retail, and conference and meeting room facilities will help return this important transportation hub to its former glory as one of the greatest airports in the U.S. Read more on the JFK AIRPORT OVERHAUL

by Bob Lefsetz

You can’t say we weren’t warned.

He defeated all his Republican challengers. Brexit told us that the elites were out of touch with the rank and file. The disconnect is not only about economics, but attitudes, education, identity…

That’s right, you went to a good college and pulled yourself up by your bootstraps and…

Everybody else was left behind, and they don’t like it.

The left wing said it was about racism. Pure and simple. That Trump had awakened all the bigoted nut jobs…

But you can’t win with the bigots only. He defeated Hillary fair and square. How did the intelligentsia get it so WRONG?

First, the mainstream press thought people were listening to it. To these holier-than-thou talking heads who are paid millions to bloviate in a world where we get our news from the internet, not television… If you’re still watching TV for the answers, you ain’t got a clue. How did I know Trump was gonna win? Because early in the evening Nate Silver had him ahead. Said his odds were better than fifty percent. The same Nate Silver the “New York Times” let go, because the sports reporters didn’t want to cede turf. If you watched the “Times” odds for the last six months the Donald had no chance, Hillary had it locked up.

But she didn’t.

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She’s the youngest person to trek to the North Pole. Here, the 14-year-old shares her story

In elementary school, most children spend their free time learning a musical instrument, practicing with a school sports team, or taking dance lessons. But not Jade Hameister.

By age six, Hameister had already completed a triathlon and climbed Australia’s Mount Kosciuszko. By 12, she’d made her way to Mount Everest Base Camp.

‘We climbed to Everest Base Camp with an expedition of experienced climbers, many of whom were going on to reach the summit,’ she explained. ‘I made close friends with a woman named Villa, who became my inspiration for the North Pole trip. Her stories were so incredible; I had to find out what it was like for myself.’

From that point, Hameister set out to be the youngest person to ever summit the North Pole, training for a year at home in Melbourne before setting out on the journey.

‘My dad and I did a lot of Crossfit, which isn’t really a thing in Australia,’ she says. ‘We were doing six days a week of strength and endurance training.’

The trip inspired a National Geographic photographer and filmmaker Petter Nyquist to join them, capturing the journey in the documentary On Thin Ice: Jade’s Polar Dream. The film screened at Soho House West Hollywood on Monday and will be shown at Soho House Berlin next month, before hitting Nat Geo channels globally later this year.

‘Petter was with us for the whole trip, and would stop me during different points of the journey to ask me questions and how I was feeling,’ she says. ‘The film was a great way for me to take the trip back home with me, and also to inspire other young girls to chase their dreams. I’d like to help girls focus on what they’re able to do rather than how they appear.’

Hameister also sent updates about the trip in real time on social media, setting up a modem each night to upload photos of her journey to Instagram.

‘It would take an hour and a half to post three photos, which is a long time when your hands are nearly frostbitten,’ she says. ‘But I think it was important to be able to share that.’

Despite being no stranger to the great outdoors, Jade was blown away by the terrain she encountered on her 11-day journey. ‘It was pretty surreal, the scenery was nothing like anything I’d ever experienced before,’ she says.

‘Landscape-wise, it really looks like you’re on another planet. Everything around you is white: the ice you’re skiing on blends into the sky and the water blends into the ice,’ she says. ‘Plus, the sun doesn’t set there – it just circles the horizon. You’re experiencing 24-hour daylight.’

Now that she’s back home, Jade is already planning her next trip: first to Greenland, followed by the South Pole by the end of next year.

Watch Jade’s TEDx Talk here and look out for her Nat Geo documentary later this year.

All images courtesy of Paul Hameister, Article via Soho House