Everything is Bigger in Texas

"Texas is a state of mind. Texas is an obsession. Above all, Texas is a nation in every sense of the word"- John Steinbeck

A few weeks ago, I flew over to Austin to spend the weekend with one of my best friends. Sarah and I grew up together, and both went to college out of state.  We also both ended up getting jobs out of our home state of California. We don't get to see each other all that often, so when she mentioned she had a day off, I jumped at the chance to spend a weekend together. We decided to meet in Austin.

I forgot how great it was to be around someone who knows me almost as well as I know myself. Sarah picked me up from the airport with my favorite pastry, and she didn't even bother asking me if I wanted to get a cab- she knew we were hoofing it.

We spent the first day wandering the city, trying to get our bearings. Austin is an awesome city. The river, graffiti parks, music, food, and drinks are all top notch.

We were told repeatedly to take advantage of Happy Hour in Austin, so Sarah and I made sure to get our fill of specialty cocktails at as many places as we could get to. 

We were on a mission to see the bats fly out from Congress bridge, so we made quick work of our drinks and went to go find a spot to watch the bats at sunset. 

We got lucky and didn't have to wait too long before the steady stream of bats started flying out of the bridge. This is a surreal experience- I have never seen that many bats in my life (which probably makes sense).

We headed for a night out on Rainey Street. Rainey was very cool and if I lived in Austin that would most certainly be my spot. I will say it may not be the best spot for just two people. Sarah and I felt like we would have had a better time if we were in a large group. 

The next day we got an early start and went hiking on a few different trails surrounding the Austin area. We grabbed lunch at The Oasis on Lake Travis. The food is mediocre but the views are top-notch.

We ended up at a brewery, and we spent the afternoon chatting and relaxing in the beautiful weather. We had been told that we wouldn't like the 'Dirty 6', but Sarah and I agreed we'd check it out on our final night. We had the best time. 6th Street is a total mess, but in the best possible way. The energy is infectious, and everyone was having so much fun.

We literally witnessed a giant lumber-sexual looking dude preform a legit 'magic mike' strip routine when a bridal party gave him $20 to show their friend a good time. Sarah and I couldn't stop laughing. It was amazing. I couldn't hang out on 6th Street every night, but every once in awhile, that is a great spot. 

As always, getting to see my best friends in amazing places is always a blessing, and Austin was no different. I would totally go back, and I can't wait to plan another weekend trip with Sarah!

xxx

Manhattan Weekends

"There is something in the New York air that makes sleep useless."- Simone Beauvoir

One of my best friends had to be in NYC for a conference for work. Since NYC is much closer to me then where she normally lives in San Francisco, I flew up for a quick weekend visit. We stayed in a great little boutique hotel in Mid-town and had a whirlwind of a weekend. We met up late friday night and got dinner and drinks near our hotel. From there, we decided we wanted to get fancy and go to a bar specializing in whiskey/whisky.

We found ourselves in the Campbell Apartment. You may recognize the impressive glass from Gossip Girl… It's where Nate & Serena got busy in the pilot. We stayed out way too late and drank way too much and had more fun that should be allowed.

The next day, we spent the morning wandering Central Park, Museums, and the Highline. I had never been the the Highline before and I loved it. Very unique!

We grabbed lunch in Chelsea Market and had the absolutely most amazing caprese salad. The cheese was like a fluffy cloud from my dreams and the tomatoes were the best I had ever had.

That night, we found ourselves in an Irish pub that only serves two types of beer, light or dark. The proprietors led us to a table full of guys and made us join them. After a few minutes of awkward silence, we all started talking. It turned out the boys were from Ireland and had spent the last few months in the States and this was their last weekend before heading home. All the sudden, our table was covered in drinks and the beer did not stop flowing the entire night. We ended up going to a club with the group we had met. They happened to know the bartenders there… we didn't pay for a single drink the entire night. Kels and I had an amazing trip- it was short, but eventful. 

I really do love New York. I don't know if  I could live there full-time, but I would love to visit more than I do. It is such a unique city, and there is something infectious about the energy. You never have an excuse to be bored in the Big Apple.

Until next time!

The Most Magical Place(s) on Earth

"Magic exists. Who can doubt it, when there are rainbows and wildflowers, the music of the wind and the silence of the stars. Anyone who has loved has been touched by magic. It is such a simple and such an extraordinary part of the lives we live."- Nora Roberts

This past year, I made my way to Orlando twice. Home of both Disney World and Universal Studios. The first trip I took was to Disney World. It was my first time going since I grew up in CA and spent my youth at Disney Land. I was lucky that one of my favorite people from college was working at the park and had me come out to visit.

Since Sarah had worked at the parks for a few months, (and was already a Disney World expert) we took on the various parks like professionals.  She knew when to be where for the shortest lines and the best experiences. 

Being that it was Spring in Florida - we got caught in a major electrical thunderstorm. We spent 30 minutes under a tent attempting to wait out the rain. We noticed a lot of people started heading out of the park, so we decided to do the exact opposite and see what rides were still running.  We made a mad dash for Tower of Terror and ended up riding it over and over with absolutely no wait time. If you are familiar with the story of Tower of Terror- they all die when lightening strikes the elevator shaft… So clearly, we were very smart. 

We also embarked on another adventure- drinking around the world at Epcot.  We had the passes that enabled us to stay in the park late so we made sure to take advantage. We had tequila in Mexico, Strongbow in the UK, weird Norwegian liquor in Norway, and more beer and wine then I care to remember.  The firework show that night was so amazing (not sure if that was because I was steaming drunk or if it was actually a feat in pyrotechnics).

I spent three glorious days in the Florida sun with a one-of-a kind lady that I am lucky enough to call a friend.

A few months later, my roommate and I decided we needed to get to Harry Potter World (Universal) as soon as humanly possible. She and I are major fans of the books and she had never been before and I hadn't been since Diagon Alley opened. Unfortunately, we didn't take a ton of pictures, but we had an amazing time.

 The level of detail in this park is exceptional. The noises, visuals, and the food all look exactly like imagined when reading the books. Honestly, I could live here. We spent three days roaming around and indulging ourselves in everything we saw. I think I ate and drank everything offered in Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley.

While I would say Disney World has more going on, Harry Potter World (or the Wizarding World of Harry Potter) is the absolute best. If you were a fan of the books/movies- you have to go. They should just keep expanding that portion of the park because it is so incredible. I also have to shout out to the Mummy ride. It is my favorite ride in the park and it never has a line… so much fun!

Regardless, if you are a kid or an adult- the magic in both these parks is worth a visit.

Paris Holds the Key to Your Heart

"A walk about Paris will provide lessons in history, beauty, and in the point of Life"- Thomas Jefferson

Our next stop was the City of Lights. We took a short train from London to Paris (it is insane to me that you can travel by train that far underwater). When we started to plan this trip around Christmastime we decided that each one of us would get to select one city that we would all go to without argument. Paris was my choice. I had never been to France and I had just seen Midnight in Paris so I was enamored by the idea of the city. I have to admit that Paris was my least favorite of all the cities we went to. I'm not sure what it was but Paris didn't live up to the gorgeous ideal I had for it. To be fair, when we told Gioia's Parisian friends where we were staying they all grimaced. So our hostel location may have had a lot to do with my disillusionment of the city. With that said, I would love to go back to Paris and stay near the Seine (not the red light district where we were) and do a five star trip.

Eiffel Tower

Featured Fashion: Maxi Dress, Chambray Shirt, Infinity Scarf, Sandals

Even though Paris was not my favorite place I still had a great time there. It's hard to not enjoy being in Europe with your best friends. 

The four of us spent an afternoon having a picnic at the base of the Eiffel Tower in the rain with baguettes, cheese, and grapes. Sitting underneath a landmark of that magnitude with people I couldn't love more was one of those moments that reminds me how lucky I really am.  We did all the major tourist things we could fit in. Just for future reference, everything closes on Monday in Paris so plan accordingly if you go. We missed out on Versailles, the catacombs, and the Musee D'Orsay because we didn't realize that. 

Sacre Coeur 

The infamous Moulin Rouge 

The Arc de Triomphe

Notre Dame

As most people are aware, Paris is synonymous with romance and love. One of the Parisian traditions is known as the lock bridge. Basically, lovers usually come to Paris with a padlock that they inscribe with initials, names, the date, really whatever they want. You lock the lock on the bridge and throw the key into the Seine to symbolize your undying devotion to each other. We decided that sounded pretty good to us (especially because our friendship has lasted between 16 to 18 years depending on whom you're talking to). Together we bought a lock, wrote our initials and the date, and threw the key over the bridge.

The Lock Bridge

Our Lock

I am incredibly blessed to have three incredibly intelligent, beautiful, and overall amazing best friends. We all went to different schools for college; two of us went out of state. Despite a 3,000 mile separation  we have maintained a friendship that I am overwhelmingly proud of. We all have our issues, but we love each other.  At this point in my life, there is no one I'd rather be in a city immortalized for love with. 

Stormy Day in Paris

Au Revoir!