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Fresh coconut water on the shores of the North Shore.
It was nearly a spur of the moment trip, spontaneously asked about and hurriedly booked. It was the end of January and we were headed to The Big Easy at the beginning of February. I love when circumstances in life come together and seem to stand to say, "Don't think, just do." So, we did ...
Booked on Allegiant for what, turns out, was their inaugural flight into New Orleans from Sanford, we landed on a Thursday and stayed until Sunday. It was the weekend of what the official Mardi Gras web site declares family week — the week prior to the week that builds in craziness and excess approaching Fat Tuesday. Still, the parades were grand and fun and the beads were a-plenty! Read on for proof of statement ...
A few snapshots from this year's annual family week at the beach!
Because no one was going to NAB this year, we decided to skip Vegas and celebrate our third anniversary on a 7-day cruise to the Eastern Caribbean. We jumped onboard Royal Caribbean's Freedom of the Seas at Port Canaveral and set sail for three destinations: The Bahamas, St. Thomas and St. Maarten.
Overall trip assessment: Awesome. Food? Great. Service? Solid. Room? Worked! Ship? Impressive. Ports? Perfection. The company? My absolute Favorite.
I know, it's been awhile! Miss me?
Anyway, aside from prepping for (and going on) my FIRST EVER ski vacation (we'll get to that in a second), I've been writing less because I've actually been writing more. I'm freelance copywriting a lot these days to bridge the financial gap left by last year's career switch. I'm writing marketing and technical copy for everything under the sun — from a party hat company to a small business IT solutions provider ... with a little HVAC repair, medical equipment supplier and roofing contractor thrown in! (Need a copywriter? Get in touch.)
So, my downtime has ceased to exist ... and, while I'm occasionally annoyed by that, I'm grateful for the opportunity to make money at something that utilizes one of my giftings and seems to flow pretty effortlessly.
Now, sitting with clients in therapy? Yea, that's still not so effortless. I'd say the days of sheer terror and intense feelings of inadequacy are fewer, but this new career (and the by-product business venture) continues to poke all my buttons. Seven and a half months in, I'm not where I want to be (hours and client load-wise) and that's disappointing. However, I've done some stuff I couldn't have imagined doing 7.5 months ago (like writing curriculum for and leading a 7-week class for 70 women) and that's encouraging. I am growing into the empathetic, helping professional I'm designed to be and that's kind of cool ... (Know someone looking for a counselor? Send them my way.)
Beyond that (Beware! GUSH ALERT!) ... I'm falling more in love with the Mr. every day. In this man is such a wonderful pairing of youth and maturity. Innocence and wisdom. Humor and sensitivity. Whether he's wakeboarding in a wetsuit in February, taking a GoPro for a sled ride, posting worship highlights, burning wood palettes, buying me flowers, researching stock options, cuddling on the couch to watch "the shows", scratching Moose or making faces at the nephews, he's 100% committed and delightful. For getting to know him best and getting to be with him the most ... I am the luckiest.
KEYSTONE, COLORADO (1/28-2/2)
Finally, the ski vacation. It was fantastic! I love me some Colorado — at least in the winter, in the midst of crazy snow storms ... and as a vacationer. I'm a #FloridaGirl, so this was my first time experiencing single digit temperature lows and FALLING SNOW and 36" of fluffy powder on the ground. It was crazy ... and beautiful ... and I can't wait to go again!
Here's a quick glimpse (and related linkage) of the trip:
// Flights: Frontier / Lodging / Ski School: Ski & Ride / Ski Rentals: Mountain View Sports / Food: Casa Bonita (Denver); Goat Soup and Whiskey Tavern; The Warming Hut; Dillion Dam Brewery; Red Mountain Grill; Atomic Cowboy (Denver)
I love me some Colorado — at least in the winter, in the midst of crazy snow storms ... and as a vacationer. I'm a #FloridaGirl, so this was my first time experiencing single digit temperature lows and FALLING SNOW and 36" of fluffy powder on the ground. It was crazy ... and beautiful ... and I can't wait to go again!
Ever been to the islands and experienced “island time”? It’s laid back, casual, relational … the exact opposite of our busy, scheduled, hyper productive daily lives here in the States.
I recently travelled to Jamaica for a second time and found myself struck by how stuck I was in the go-go-go mentality of my normal life. It took a couple of days for me to get on island time, but once I made the transition … well, my world completely changed.
My family's hit the same vacation spot for 30 years.
Back in my angst-ridden teen years, I sometimes wished that we'd go elsewhere. I'd flip through RCI catalogs and wish we'd take advantage of the membership perks and trade for "exotic" and "adventurous" vacations in places like Colorado or Key West or Maine. But, every year, April or June, we'd be back at the beach.
An hour and a half from home — same pool, same couch, same restaurants, different year.
Looking back on it now, I am in love with the consistency … in love with the bond and the traditions it spawned. Like a birthday or anniversary, it's a worn groove in my mind, a trigger for reflection and memory — each week a notable notch on my personal timeline...
A quick wrap up on our Costa Rican adventure, including a few lessons learned on one of the best trips ever ...
Back in San Jose, we grabbed a taxi from the bus stop to take us to our hotel —Gran Hotel de Costa Rica. It's old (historic) and pretty much dead central to downtown. It's decent, but maybe three-star by our standards. We checked in and then wandered down the road to El Patio for dinner (pizza and black bean soup - all pretty tasty).
The trip was AWESOME! Pictures are up on Flickr. And just in case you're interested or want to follow our lead, here is the first installment of a three-part rundown
The Mr. and I skipped town on Thursday evening. We've got a getaway to Miami/Grove Isle planned for two weeks out, but apparently we both needed a change of scenery sooner. So, he booked a hotel, we packed a bag, and off we went to Tampa.