London and NYC Recap

The appropriate terminal for my arrival.

My October travels have come to a conclusion. It was certainly a memorable series of journeys!

I started off on October 5th to London. The purpose of this trip was to attend the Femdom Ball. I had been intrigued for some time with the concept of this event, and figured it was time to satisfy my curiosity. I had a bit of trepidation before setting out, as past experiences at London Heathrow Airport had not been efficient or pleasant during lay-overs (circa 2007). Thankfully, the process of getting to London went much more smoothly than I anticipated. Heathrow has changed significantly for the better. I was impressed with the entire process of making my way through the airport from landing, immigration, to baggage.

My faithful European travel slave, guy, was my attendant for the weekend. We have traveled to the Essen Fetish Weekend, and numerous video shoots in Belgium  in the past. He is an excellent traveling companion. I value his patience, resourcefulness, and above all humor in the face of transportation snafus. Let’s just say that our car service situation didn’t always goes as planned!

My Femdom Ball Ensemble.

The Femdom Ball itself was an interesting experience. I wore a latex top and skirt from House of Harlot. My female slave made the suggestion of choosing a color other than black. I thought that was an excellent idea and the results can be seen to the left. As for the event itself, I was fortunate to be seated next to Mistress Thick of New York. Let’s just say that we have like minds. I think our commentary kept the rest of the table entertained. One of the highlights of the evening was meeting Sardax. If you don’t know who Sardax is and you follow my blog, shame on you. Anyone who proclaims to be a follower of all things Femdom should know about his work. Sadly, one of the women at our table was completely clueless as to the man and his body of work. She was the winner of the real-time sketch with Sardax. Hopefully she has been adequately evangelized to his greatness and will become a future customer.

After the ball concluded, we made our way to Club Alice for the Rubber Cult party. Whereas the Femdom Ball was a formal event with many elaborate dresses and evening gowns, this event was simply about the rubber fetish. I saw every type of outfit imaginable! I think the latex cowboy ensemble was my favorite for originality and composition. Funnily enough, I ended up seeing some friends from the Texas Latex Party and Essen Fetish Weekend. It was nice to catch up with them.

The VQ Restaurant in London.

I didn’t session or sight-see during my time in London. I wanted to focus on the events on my schedule. There was plenty of socialization on Saturday and I used Sunday as a day to rest and catch up on social media and the like. We ventured out to the VQ Restaurant for dinner though. I simply HAD to visit this establishment. The VQ Restaurant is part of a chain that is open 24 hours–unlike my business! Ha!

 

I left London on Monday, October 9th and headed for my favorite city in the world: New York. I was obviously missed as the week was filled with sessions. When I wasn’t working at the New York Rubber Studio and bugging Mistress Ariana Chevalier, I was catching up with friends. Mistress Shane and I had dinner mid-week and Mistress Chloe joined us at the end. There simply wasn’t enough time to do doubles with either of them, but I’m hoping that this opportunity works out during a future visit. The best doubles manifest from real Femdom friendships. I also dined with @TheBootBitch during my visit. She is a Lifestyle Femdom friend.

The shoes modified for me by helix.

I don’t usually discuss sessions in detail that occur while I’m traveling, but this appointment was far more than “just” BDSM for pay. No, this was a life event. I say this as there are certain people in this world who have set themselves apart from the rest. The person in question goes by the handle of Helifix on social media. He not only enjoys being trampled, but he crafts BDSM toys as well. I think this is a bit of an understatement, as he has figured out a way to improve on a piece of equipment that I am notorious for using: the cockbox. He took the best parts of the cockbox–AND MADE IT PORTABLE! This device is also very visually appealing. Not only did he bring this portable cbt trampling board to the session, but he came bearing gifts. I am known for the modified high heels that Trampleguy has made for me. Helifix took it to the next level, yet again. He took a pair of “street legal” stilettos and made them into some serious “top fuel” contenders. I’m not exaggerating when I state that these shoes can’t be worn on the street. They simply can NEVER be on a floor. They can only be used on a soft surface such as flesh. Helifix and I had a great time using his cbt board and the new shoes. Like Trampleguy, he loves being recorded so I had a blast capturing video of the session. I am always fascinated to see what the ground level perspective of my trampling looks like. It just never gets old! I think it is apparent that I had a great time with helix. He is a very nice person as well as a great rug. My dream session would be where I trample him and Trampleguy at the same time.

A Manhattan in Manhattan.

My last working day in New York was spent on the outing I make every time I come into town. I meet up with a long-time client and we traipse around shopping and checking out new sights. The end of the evening was capped off by dining at the Carlyle Hotel. We first had a cocktail at Bemelman’s Bar. Then we moved to the restaurant. I thoroughly enjoyed the atmosphere of the location and the dress code: gentleman MUST wear a jacket. After experiencing fine dining in San Francisco, where there are too many patrons who don’t seem to care about their appearance, this was a pleasant change of pace. The cuisine and service were impeccable, as I expected. The bar has certainly been raised for out next excursion in Manhattan!

I was able to have a personal day at the end of my trip. I spent it with my best friend visiting a zoo and seeing a movie. I’m going to keep the details slim on that day as I really have done on a bit too long this time. It’s time to wrap things up and move onto planning for my next stop: Detroit!

The End Of An Era: Mistress Shane Returns To NYC

Mistress Shane & Vinyl Queen torment a slave.

My upcoming visit to Antwerp in April will be tinged with sadness. I have known of “the news” since December 2016, but I kept my word to not discuss it until now. It was then that Mistress Shane informed me that she would be moving from Antwerp back to New York City. Her time in Europe was coming to an end.

I know that many of my readers don’t know of how I first came to travel to Antwerp in the first place. Why there? Why not any other city in Europe? How did my bi-annual trip come about? It seems like now is an appropriate time to share the story.

The year is 2007. I was attempting to promote my DVD business by attending various shows that featured a BDSM theme. Domcon LA and Fetishcon in Florida were two of my destinations. I had heard of the market in Europe but had no idea how to break into it with my Femdom content. I came up with an idea to bring my DVDs to the Venus Fair and entice distributors in person. I purchased my airfare, made my hotel reservation, and crafted my plans to visit Germany to ply my wares.

Unfortunately, this business that I’m in doesn’t breed the best of alliances. People who claim to be friends (for years) often turn on you when their selfish desires get the best of them. That’s what happened with my plans to attend Venus Fair. I’m giving the Reader’s Digest version of the events that transpired. I’ve told the cautionary tale of whom to trust to those who know me personally. Needless to say, I had to cancel my trip after it became apparent that my so-called friend wouldn’t be an ally during the Fair. It just didn’t seem wise to make the journey if the ONE person I was going to know was turning his back on me. I canceled my airfare and hotel reservation, but that wasn’t the end of the story. I had six months to use my ticket credit. Now what? Who did I know in Europe?

I’m usually a fairly risk-adverse person. It’s just my nature. I over-research EVERYTHING and generally don’t do crazy things in my life. I have no idea what got into me, but I decided to take a big chance. I knew of ONE PERSON in Europe. How about  I visit an almost total stranger in a strange country to work? I would travel alone. I wouldn’t know anyone locally. What could possibly go wrong? This was even riskier considering what had recently happened with my so-called friend of many years. What if my host turned out to be a “great friend” like he was and stab me in the back? How did I even know her?

I had met Mistress Shane back in 2006 at the Black and Blue Ball in NYC. I remember her being SUPER nice. She wasn’t the usual bitchy standoffish woman who I have encountered many times at BDSM events. To this day, there are countless Pro Dommes who simply stand and stare at everyone passing by them. They couldn’t be bothered with a simple, “hello”. Not Mistress Shane. She not only exchanged pleasantries, but she invited me to come stay with her and work in Antwerp. It was this brief meeting that I decided to base my trip on. Sure enough, when I emailed her about visiting, she welcomed the prospect and made the experience as seamless as possible.

Nine years later and I have more regulars in Antwerp than I do in the SF Bay Area. Mistress Shane not only turned out to be a great host, but she also became a great friend. We have gone through a lot over almost a decade of visits. We have shared the stories of our lives and torments. We have bounced ideas off of each other. We have bitched and moaned, and laughed and cried. Thanks to Mistress Shane, I am comfortable traveling solo to Europe without batting an eye. I am not only a better Dominatrix thanks to her, but I am a better person.

I will admit that I was sad in a very selfish way when Mistress Shane told me of her impending move. All I could think of was, “Where will I work? Will I be able to return to Antwerp?” I wanted to be happy for her, but it was difficult. My friend was leaving! Ever the consummate professional, she had already researched my next host after she broke the news.  I felt bad for being so self-centered. She was clearly thinking of how to help me out. We used my last visit in December to plan out my next trip and discuss her future in NYC.

Thus, I will continue to travel to Antwerp twice a year. During my next visit, April 8 – 12, I will be hosted by Mistress Morticia. She has a wonderful studio just outside of Antwerp. I am looking forward to seeing my regulars and new clients. These regulars are almost all thanks to the generosity of Mistress Shane sharing her faithful devotees with me in double sessions over the years. I’m also looking forward to visiting Mistress Shane in my favorite city in the future: New York.

Thanks Mistress Shane for helping to create  the European Chapter of my Dominatrix Career. I couldn’t have done it without you!

 

Last Trip of The Year: Antwerp

I recently returned from my last working trip of 2015. It’s always a pleasure to head to Antwerp. I’ve been visiting twice a year since 2008, and I have quite a few clients who see me each time I return. This is due in no small part to the tireless efforts of Mistress Shane. I used to exclusively do double sessions with her during my first stays, but now many of those clients will see me solo. She also finds me clients for us to dominate together each visit. It’s convenient that we share the same tastes in activities so I can be assured of compatibility with each new slave I encounter.

Some people return home for the holidays–I go to Antwerp. This might sound silly, but the people I encounter in the studio are like an extended family to me. Some of them have been seeing me professional since 2004. A few have visited me in the United States or other countries in the EU. Since Europe isn’t as riddled with sexual guilt as our Puritan Nation, my clients there have a different relationship with me. They share more about their lives and it’s not “weird” to them. In turn, I know that my discussions with them won’t be peppered all over social media if we should have a falling out. Speaking of social media, one client didn’t seem to know who KK was! How nice that the evil influence of that family hasn’t spread everywhere.

Another big difference between, at least Antwerp itself, and San Francisco is the lack of obsession with screens. It’s like returning to a different time walking around that city. People aren’t compulsively staring down at their phones, or checking their iPads while they eat. I got strange looks when I had to check a map on my device while strolling around. It’s also nice to not see every single child looking at a device while they are out with their parents.

Belgium isn’t perfect by any stretch, but Antwerp is a nice location to visit during the holidays. The Christmas markets, the Cathedral bathed in holiday light, and a lack of tacky Christmas installations (inflatable yard figures disgust me) make traveling there in December good for the soul. Of course it doesn’t hurt that I’m immersed in kink for the duration of my stay. Most people attend vanilla holiday parties. I was able to visit the Femdomania Party during my stay. Mistress Shane and Mistress Morticia host an amazing  evening of Female Domination at The Fetish Cafe. A lucky slave from Paris attended the party with me. He was by my side as we witnessed male slaves serving their Dominas and prospective slaves vying for the attention of the Ladies in attendance. I was fortunate to have a fellow American to chat with. Domina M graced the event with her presence and we caught up after not having talked in many years. She shared with me that her new home base will be in Paris. How exciting! My worldly travels pale in comparison to where this lady has visited. I made sure to pick her brain and ask her all the questions I have about various locales. I’m delighted that she was more than happy to share tales of her adventures.

I missed seeing the lovely Mademoiselle de S at Femdomia, but at least I was able to share a double session with her at Mistress Shane’s. She is a true Lifestyle Domina that I met through a former client. She has participated in some of the videos I have shot while in Belgium. We are kindred spirits and I love to hear her order her slave about in french. For those who are aware of her, she IS available for double sessions with me when I visit Antwerp. I highly recommend serving a true Lifestyle European Domina. It’s an experience unlike any other.

While I enjoyed my visit immensely, I’m happy to be back in the US. I couldn’t live anywhere else. My travels only assert that the SF Bay Area is my home and probably always will be. There is a reason why everyone wants to live there!

Happy Holidays,

VQ