VA Vacay

Since Maria moved out to Virginia in April, I’ve been excited about bringing Brad to see her and their new home.
Personally, I would go to Virginia every week if I could. This trip was, as they always are, super quick.
Still, it was so much fun (even though there were some setbacks)…

Brad and I left Friday evening. As expected, we hit traffic and got there about an hour and a half later than expected. The trip should be just shy of 6 hours, but with traffic and food/bathroom breaks, it always gets extended.

Artie had this bowtie on when we arrived. SO CUTE.

So, I took this photo on Saturday, as we headed to the beach. We were in the car for four hours without ever actually getting to the beach (that damn traffic) and I went MAD. If you follow me on IG, I had this up and deleted it. I never do stuff like that, but I was that angry. Also, it was a lie because we never ended up at the beach that day.

 

Saturday night got better. After naps and showers, we went to Norfolk to check out Field Guide for food and cocktails, and then The Birch for a variety of foreign beers. It definitely made up for the failure earlier in the day. Despite the fact that I wanted to go to the beach, I was also really nervous about the fact that we wouldn’t make it out to places like these, to see new things and try new restaurants. So it totally worked out.

 
 

On Sunday, it was a little rainy off and on, so we headed to Richmond instead of VA beach, and I love Carytown so much!
It’s such a fun place to shop. We started the day with Dixie Donuts and amazing Lamplighter coffee.
One of my favorite moments was at a book store called BBGB, a new shop that wasn’t there when I went last month.
It focuses on children’s books, but I saw some John Green in the window and had to stop and check out any YA.|
The woman who was working was amazing. She was helping a customer pick out another YA read (they were both older than me, proving yet again how important YA is to everyone!) and I fell in love. The customer had finished
We Were Liars by E. Lockhart and wanted something new! Brad ended up buying me a signed copy of
Grasshopper Jungle, which has been on my list since it came out. Honestly, guys. I would be so happy to just be surrounded by books all the gosh darn time. Books forever, right?

 

On Monday, we FINALLY MADE IT! We started at Zeke’s Bowls and Beans and had an awesome experience with great coffee. Then we headed to Virginia Beach and I read in the sand and swam in the ocean so much. Oh, to always be by the beach. I truly hope that, one day, I can spend a whole summer at a beach house. Or every summer for the rest of my gosh darn life. The dream, guys.

I can’t wait to go back. It probably won’t be for quite a while, but I’m sure it’ll be awesome whenever we do.

A Trip to Virginia

I’ve been wanting to go and spend a legitimate weekend with Maria since she moved out to Virginia two months ago. I really wanted to go with Brad, but he’s been traveling for work and this past weekend worked perfectly this month, so I went for it. It’s always a little nerve-wracking for me driving somewhere new on my own…especially a place that’s over 5 hours away. I was nervous but, luckily, the drive is actually quite easy. Not a lot of twist and turns. Traffic for sure (since you pass by Washington, D.C.), but it was pretty straightforward and enjoyable.

 
I left on National Donut Day…a.k.a. FREE DONUT DAY! I also had a coupon for a free coffee so it was excellent.

A seriously beautiful day for a ride.

My ETA was 2:45 but I ended up getting there closer to 4, thanks to traffic.
I love their welcome mat…come on, how cute?!

Attention to details: Maria got cute flowers for my arrival.

Maria took me to a cool new movie theater to see The Fault in Our Stars and this was what we walked past on our way to the cinema. There was an outdoor concert happening and couples and families with little kids were all over, enjoying the music and each other’s company. It was awesome.

The theater we went to, Paragon, has power reclining “leather” chairs, a tray for food and a cup holder for your drink (which can be beer or wine, which they sell there as well). We had one beer as we waited to enter the theater, but we didn’t get anything else. That stack of napkins was for crying purposes only and I STILL didn’t have enough. Damn.

 

On Saturday, we went to Virginia Beach and had an awesome time. I have pictures on my DSLR that I’ll share later.

Our view during dinner on Saturday.

 
 

Sunday, we headed to Richmond and stopped at the Bacon Festival being held at the Farmer’s Market. We got Chocolate Bacon popsicles, interesting but perfect in the heat. We did some touristy shopping and got food at a small chain, Mellow Mushroom, a pizza place that was delightful.

 
 

We finished Sunday with drinks and music on the porch/balcony. It was such a perfect evening, comfortable and warm.

I left yesterday around 5:30 pm to beat the traffic.
I didn’t get home until about midnight, but I didn’t have to wait in long lines. Smooth sailing.

I am so sad to be back, but I am ready to start planning my next trip. Brad needs to head down there, so I think we will pick a weekend in the next month and hopefully stay down there a little bit longer. I’d like to be able to go to the beach for an extra day or two. Thank you so much, sis, for entertaining me this weekend! It was much needed.
Love you!

Go-Pro Mexico

So, for work, Brad has access to a GoPro camera. His boss actually recommended that he bring it to Mexico with him so that he could test it out. Why he would need it in his particular line of videography and photography is beyond me, but he had so much fun playing with it, and he got some super cool photos of us when we went snorkeling.

 
 
 

To be honest, I don’t think snorkeling is for me. It’s crazy to have those fish literally swimming right past your face, but the apparatuses are intense. And yeah, I was a little scared of the fish.

There and Back

Mexico was only the third time I’ve traveled by airplane (counting the round-trip). The first was to Florida when I was super young, and I don’t remember any of it. The second was for my time in London, a lonely and anxious trip there.
Finally, Mexico. I got to sit with my boyfriend and I had a window seat! Needless to say, it was pretty great.
The best trip I’ve ever had on an airplane so far!

I mentioned this before, but I think everyone who likes taking photos wants some flight shots to add to their collection.
I’m so happy I finally have some!

 
 

Sneak peeks of ocean between the clouds!

On the way back, we flew into the nighttime. So I got some interesting photos of the sunset sky.

  
 
 
 
 

I can’t wait for my next plane trip, whenever it may be.

Valentine’s Day in Paradise

I’m not going to be one of those people who complains about Valentine’s Day. I love getting into most holidays, probably as a by-product of my sister’s enthusiasm for decorations and themed sweet treats. Whether you’re in a relationship or not, I think it’s fun to celebrate the love you have in your life. Obviously, you should do it all the time. And I don’t think you should ever have to feel obligated on one day to show that, because it usually sets you up for failure. Since I was in Riviera Maya for the holiday this year, it wasn’t a priority at all.
However, Brad had requested that we get to have dinner alone and spend some time just to ourselves.
The day started off perfectly with a nice breakfast and a flower from one of the kind waiters.

 
 

One of the “a la carte” restaurants that we were able to attend for free was a steak place, so we decided to make that our date night pick. It’s an open-air place by the pools, and it was the perfect night to enjoy the breeze. When we walked over, I got to see a full moon hanging over the ocean (I know the last picture is blurry, but I still love it) and enjoy the sounds of the waves crashing. I had to take some pictures. Brad was in line to put our names in, so I experienced this myself. It was a great moment of appreciating my life and my surroundings. 

 

We decided to purchase a bottle of wine, a tasty cabernet sauvignon that was perfect with our meal.
A toast, some conversation by candle light, and paradise surrounding us.
What more could you ask for on Valentine’s Day?

Riviera Maya

Vacations aren’t a frequent part of my life. Growing up, my family would head to Wildwood Crest for a few days, a not-so-long drive away. I’ve been to Ocean City, MD a couple of times since graduating high school. But still, none of it was for very long or very…exotic, I guess. When I was given the opportunity to go to Mexico with Brad and his family, I was so grateful and excited! It didn’t seem real, though, and I couldn’t believe that I would eventually be boarding a plane and landing at an all-inclusive resort as my hometown got pummeled in snow.

I don’t really know what to say about the trip…it was perfect! The weather was fantastic, the food was enjoyable, the drinks were fun, the company was great. When we first arrived, I felt like I was in a dream. Every morning, when I’d look outside of our deck or walk up to the pool area, I still felt like it couldn’t be real.
When I first knew about the trip, I couldn’t believe it. And I still can’t believe it, after being there and coming back!

Of course, I have to share some photos. I have hundreds, split mostly between my DSLR and my iPhone (I had to do some IG shots and emails to my family), so I’ll probably be talking about it for a while…

This was only my 3rd trip requiring a plane, and it’s been about 6 years since the last one. I was so happy to get the window seat! I feel like Instagrammers and photo enthusiasts have a little bucket list of pictures you need to take in your life. Photos from the window seat of a plane were definitely on mine, so I could cross that off. Here was my first view of Mexico! A lovely site after snow-covered buildings and cold roads.

 

The beautiful lobby of Catalonia Riviera Maya, where we were greeted with Tequila Sunrises.

 

Our room was on the first floor, and it was actually quite big. There were two beds, but we shared one and the other housed our suitcase and random clothes explosions and messiness. Brad took this photo of me on our deck, with the view of the pool and palm trees behind me. So beautiful.

  
 

Two big pools with swim-up bars, but the ocean was right there. I spent my first two days in these chairs, reading, drinking frozen cocktails, and swimming in clear blue water. Sigh…

 
 

So many more photos to show, but this is a little taste of the daily life. Palm trees, sunshine, clear blue water (pool or ocean), tequila-based drinks, and lounging without a care in the world.

I feel like I brought home some positivity, and I really hope to keep it with me. The fact that I got this opportunity in the first place proved that I’m super lucky and blessed, and I hope to carry that into my daily life.

*all photos taken with my Canon Rebel XSi, iPhone photos to follow!