1. I had an entanglement that ghosted me. I immediately called him out on being a rebound. Idk why men can’t just call shit what it is. Sickly, I genuinely liked the guy as a person (a friend), told him as much, and his response was to post 13 IG stories of him and his girlfriend. My bad for wanting to be your friend… sowwie! Happy for you, though!!!

2. I watched Karma do her thing on a spectacular level. I still can’t believe I was allowed to witness it happen. Sheesh. But also… thank you.

3. I started seriously thinking about what lies ahead of me. At 38, it feels like I’ve lived so much, but I’m also just scratching the surface. Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about my mortality and what I really want out of life.

There was a time when I was making $10 an hour, dreaming about six figures, getting my master’s degree, and buying my first property. I accomplished all of it before 40. But here I am, wondering if I’m really cut out for corporate life. Do I want to circle back and lead cross-functional teams again? Honestly, no.

One of my biggest goals has always been to sell a business for a gazillion dollars. That’s probably not realistic, but also why isn’t it? I have a habit of talking myself out of things I think are unattainable because I’m a realist, aka terrified of failure. But fear is starting to get on my nerves because there’s literally nothing to be afraid of. Failure only teaches you how to succeed.

I’ve been in Jamaica for two weeks, clearing my mind and centering myself, and I think I've found my spark again.

So it’s time to put on my big girl panties, swing big, and go for what I want. I will sell a business. I will own a small boutique resort in Jamaica. I will live a life of luxury and leisure. I can have anything I want, and that’s the reality. I can’t forget that.

Aside from jamming down the road, my friend and I spent most of our days lounging beachside (shoutout to the burnout corporate girlies). We took a day trip to the sulfur baths and Sugar Beach. I wish I could take the sulfur bathes with me, my skin looooveeed it. All in all St Lucia was a vibe and a great primer for Trinidad carnival.

We didn't see the Flamingos because the Renaissance and De Palm Island were booked. I highly recommend booking these places early if you're attempting to get a day pass and/or a private cabana. Flamingos were a bust but we enjoyed a relatively quiet Baby Beach as a consolation prize. Baby Beach is a perfect spot for chilling at the beach. The water in this lagoon is shallow and calm making it a nice spot to bring little ones.

Everyone knows I am a food snob, so you know I got my fine dining on. We did the Chef's table at Senses and it didn't disappoint. It was so much fun getting to watch Chef Kelt Hugo Maat do his thing. We had 8 courses that married the chef's Dutch and Indonesian background perfectly.  

Overall I really enjoyed Aruba and will be back because it was 1 a quick trip from DC and 2 I didn't get to see a ton of the island due to not renting a car. I can't wait to go back. 

Years ago I couldn't picture myself where I am now and am truly living out an actualized goal. I have traveled around the world (with some dope vacations planned this year) and have the best friends/family on the planet. I've seen many good omens lately that reaffirm that the Universe is looking out for me. Life has been good and I am so incredibly grateful! 

What should be a stressful period in my life has turned out to be the opposite. I spent some money and literally the next day received twice the amount back. Strangers have been telling me that I have a beautiful spirit. I finally did a 3-turn during my ice skating lessons (Ive been trying for a year!!). It is kind of wild honestly but it just goes to show you to listen to your gut/universe when they're trying to warn you/protect you and you will be rewarded. 

Happy growing 

xo - M

Our first stop on our trip was Bogota. We only had a solid day here but we definitely made the most of it. We started our morning with a trip to the market to eat all the fruit. We enjoyed fruit native to Colombia as well as old favorites like Bananas and Strawberries.  My mouth is watering just thinking about all of the goodies we sampled. Everything was so fresh and juicy, I could totally eat like that every morning (vacation Melanie is into health). 

After eating my weight in fruit and a cafe con leche, it was time to explore Bogota. We decided to check out the Gold Museum. I love checking out museums when I am travelling because it is a great way to learn more about the history of whatever destination I am in. I was floored by the intricate detail that was put into the pieces. Some jewelry designs looked like something you would see today but were created before baby Jesus was born. 

After spending two hours looking a hundred year old jewelry/ornaments naturally we wanted our own jewels. We headed to the Emerald market. I learned that Colombian emeralds make up 70-90% of the world's emerald market. I also learned that I have expensive taste. Literally every piece I was drawn to cost the average price of a one bedroom apartment in DC. I eventually settled on one carat studs that were simple and chic. 

Our next stop was lunch were we had a traditional Colombian meal and rested our legs before heading to Monserrate. We took the cable car up to the top of the mountain and were treated with breath taking views. Literally breathtaking...the altitude was no joke, especially for an out of shape 32 year old. We walked around the chapel and surrounding shops. I recommend the coca tea, its probably a placebo effect but I immediately felt like I could breath again after drinking the tea. 

Overall Bogota was a lot of fun even thought the altitude whooped my ass on occasion. In the next post I will talk about my stay in Barcelona.

What I love about Tulum is the laid back bohemian vibe. Whether you want to be a party animal,  simply unwind, or get your holistic health on...you can find it in Tulum. This is something that I truly appreciated because at 32 I have low tolerance for partying nowadays. 

We spent our days exploring the ancient Mayan ruins, swimming in crystal clear Cenotes, and trying to find a beach with at least 10% less seaweed than Coco Tulum's situation. Currently, the beaches are overrun with seaweed, making it nearly impossible to enjoy the gorgeous beaches in the area. Luckily, Tulum has so much more to offer than the beach and our Airbnb had a private pool. 

If you are visiting Tulum you have to have to check out Gitano. One of my favorite highlights from our trip was dining and listening to live music al fresco in the Jungle there. Seriously this place serves vacation vibes on a thousand. Another one of my favorite dining experiences was at Burrito Amor. I seriously still think about my burrito experience there...like even right now I could go for a burrito. We also hired a private chef who cooked us a traditional Mexican dinner. He made a coconut ceviche, to accommodate my seafood allergy, that was out of this world. 

All in all Tulum was a lot of fun and I would totally go back.

Coincidentally my friend was in town the same time as I and we grabbed a drink at a quaint little bar that served up some killer cocktails and roamed (haha) around the city until 3 am. I am not sure how I managed to avoid a ridiculous hangover the next day but I am pretty sure it was due to the excitement of being in Italy. On our last night before we left for Amalfi we went to Life Ristorante and had a killer meal. I was literally dancing in my seat the entire time I was eating. This was probably THE best meal I had the entire trip and trust I ate a lot of good food.

We took the train to Amalfi after a couple of days in Rome. It was a scenic route to Salerno and I enjoyed looking at lush green landscape as we zipped by on the fast train. In Amalfi we stayed at awesome rental property that was perched on what felt like Mount Kilimanjaro. Imagine five girls struggling with overstuffed suitcases climbing what seemed to be the staircase to heaven celebrating reaching the top only to get to the gate of our villa to discover there were more stairs (OMG). However, the view from the top made it all worth it.

Our first day in Amalfi we took a tour of one of the many Lemon gardens. It was pretty cool to see and hear about the famous lemons of the Amalfi Coast and of course taste the Limoncello. For lunch we dined on the pizza we all deserved and have been waiting on for all of our lives. Seriously...it was amazing!

The next day we took a day cruise up the coast to Capri. This was hands down my favorite activity of the trip. Nothing makes me happier than being on a boat sipping on something sparkling. The views were unreal and the crew on our boat kept the bubbles flowing freely (a little too freely lol). We stopped at the Emerald Grotto before heading into Capri.

I ended up losing my Amex because... I am me but luckily it was near the end of our trip. The next day we headed back to Rome for one last hurrah. We went to the Colosseum which was a 10 minute walk from our Airbnb. Then we spent the remainder of the day touring the Vatican Museum and the Sistine Chapel.

Overall I enjoyed my time in Rome and Amalfi. I will definitely be back. This was one of the most relaxing vacations that I have been on.

What you really want to hear about is the beach, I know. It did not disappoint. Grace Bay is stunning!!!! The water is so clear that it resembles the gleam of diamonds sparkling in the sun. I could honestly stare at the ocean forever, and I practically did. I spent a lot of the time at the beach curled up under a beach umbrella either reading or catching some beach side zzz's. My absolute favorite part of the trip however, was the chartered catamaran. We sailed to near by Iguana island. The island gets its name because its occupied by several scary looking Iguanas. The trip was so magical that I forgot my hatred for reptiles lol.

I will say the island is EXPENSIVE so if you are headed down to Turks do not be shocked by the prices. I recommend bringing your own libations and snacks. Also, renting a car and buying some groceries unless you want to eat resort food everyday ($$$). Speaking of resort food, the best meal of the trip was at Bay Bistro, where we had a beautiful sunset dinner on the beach. Chef Clive, served delicious meals that we all raved about on our way back to the hotel.

I will definitely be visiting the island again.

I would describe my dad's style as comfortable and functional. My dad is very much a jeans and shirt type of guy but can mix things up when he is going out. That's why the chinos at Bonobos are perfect for him and any man who needs a multi-functional wardrobe. After all, who doesn't need a wardrobe that can do both?! Dad can easily pair the chinos with a pair of sneakers for an insta-casual look or  trade the sneakers for a pair of loafers for a dressier night time look.

Next time I am searching for wardrobe gems I might have to take a peak into my Dad's closet. Cheers to dad style! 

The next day we decided to purchase an iventure card to see the cities main attractions. We decided on the flexi 5 pass, which gave us access to 5 different attractions. We made it to the Sydney Opera House, the Sydney Aquarium, Zoo, the Sydney Museum, and the Queen Victoria Building.  Where do I even begin?! The Opera house is absolutely stunning. This was my wow...I'm really in Australia moment lol. I wish we could have seen a show but the next concert wasn't for hours and we were sun beaten.

Our hotel was located across the street from the Queen Victoria building...Jesus was a fence around my wallet and I managed not risk it all shopping at this gorgeous mall. After all I needed to drop money where it counted on Food! We stayed at Sydney Hilton and the later the Marriott. I would recommend staying at either hotel. The Hilton had an interesting speakeasy with a great craft cocktail list. Speaking of cocktail bars, we absolutely loved Eau De Vie, a 20's style cocktail bar. It reminded me of DC, I guess that's part of the reason I enjoyed it so much.

Overall, I enjoyed my time in Sydney and I would totally make another trip. Although, the next time I head down under I definitely want to check out Melbourne, Brisbane, and Tasmania.

After a couple of days in Auckland, we headed for Waiheke Island. The was one of my favorite parts of my trip to New Zealand. The picturesque island is filled with wonderful wineries and sheep! We stayed at the Gorgeous Inn, a cute little cabin with big scenery. I recommended it if you are ever staying in Waiheke. We took a half day wine tour to sample some of the offerings of the local wineries. My favorite spot was Thomas' Bach. Needless to say I left for Sydney with a suitcase full of delicious wine. Over all I really enjoyed my trip to Auckland, the people are friendly and the food is exquisite. I hope to make it back to New Zealand to explore other areas. We headed for Sydney after, I will dedicate another post to my time in Australia.

On Friday, we flew out to Bahia! I was most excited about heading to Bahia because of the rich cultural history. Bahia is the home to the largest population of black people outside of the continent Africa and it is apparent immediately. I felt like I was returning home in a sense because everything felt very familiar. The music, the food, and the overall vibe of the city is reminiscent of the Caribbean. My cousin and I were in awe at how much the people of Salvador were able to save culturally from the clutches of colonialism.

After taking in Salvador, we set our sights on Rio de Janiero. We arrived around noon in Rio and hit the ground running. We headed straight to the famed Escadaria Selarón steps, after walking up the stairs we built up a pretty hefty appetite. We grabbed lunch at a cute restaurant and indulged in Brazilian steak (o-m-g soooo good).

The next day we went to see the Christ Redeemer statue. I wasn't expecting the statue to be so massive, I was a little taken aback. In photos, it does not appear to be so large. The vantage point at the statue is absolutely stunning, you can see Rio's beauty from every angle. Did I mention it was blazing hot? To take a break from the relentless sun we concluded our day at  Ipanema beach (where the water is cold and the food delicious).

1. I have a sickening obsession with HGTV

2. I can eat Ramen until the day I die (which will hopefully be in my sleep at 90 years old)

I finally got to Yona after hearing el BF rave about the Ramen and me secretly wanting to kick him in the shins for not taking me to enjoy said Ramen.  Anywho...I crossed the bridge over to NOVA to gobble up the buns and the Miso Porky Ramen. After eating at Yona I can totally see why Chef Jonah Kim won the Rammy for Rising Culinary Star of the Year. The food is delicious. It was hard not to devour all of the small plate offering but I had to save room for the Ramen after all that is what I came for. The broth was pure happiness, the pork cooked to perfection (totally ask for extra pork btw), and the poached egg took it over the edge (lol). 

 Yona definitely makes it into my top 5 Ramen spots in the DMV area. 

 Anyway...I digress.... 

I almost had a near death experience straight out of the gate because I was half listening to the bread plate description. Of course the first thing I decided to eat had seafood in it. So I had to hightail it to a nearest pharmacy and inhale a Benadryl. Long story short...I scared our server to death but I survived. 

For my first course I had Pinzimonio which is a light and refreshing vegetable salad. My second course I had the Carne Curda which is veal tartare with black truffle and parmigiano.  AMAZING...
For my third course I had the BUE, aged sirloin steak. The Texan in me couldn't pass up the opportunity to enjoy a well cooked piece of steak. My fourth and final course was dessert. I believe I had the Torta Al Cioccolato, I am not exactly sure because the Benadryl had kicked in at this point. However my dessert was eyerollingly good.

On Monday we went to Tobago for a day trip. We took a glass bottom boat and checked out the coral reefs and eventually ended up at the famous Nylon Pool. If you are in Tobago you HAVE to get to the Nylon Pool. The water is beautiful and most importantly shallow (lol). Hopefully the next time I am in Trinidad I will get to spend more time in Tobago. It's the perfect getaway spot for a slow paced vacation.