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

Hogmanay

“Should auld acquaintance be forgot, and never brought to mind? Should auld acquaintance be forgot, and auld lang syne?”- Rabbie Burns

FYI: Hogmanay is the Scot's word for New Years Eve, and it is a massive celebration in Scotland

About a month before New Years, our exec staff informed us that we had two days off of work, not the one we were all expecting.  When I found out that I had NYE and NYD off, I decided to see if I could go on a quick trip somewhere to ring in the new year. One of the things on my '27 by 27' list was to celebrate the new year at Hogmanay ain Edinburgh. I shot off an email to some friends of mine in the city asking if they would be around. An hour later I bought a flight.  This was the most impulsive (and last minute) trip I have ever planned.

I landed in Scotland at 5 am on the morning of New Year’s Eve. I hopped on the airlink bus and headed into city centre. I was a little surprised to be dropped off a few stops away from the city centre stop, but Prince’s street was closed in preparation for the festivities.  I had an address for my friends’ flat and a general idea of where they lived, but I wasn’t exactly sure where I was.  Being that I am an idiot who loves an adventure, I passed on getting a cab and I picked up my 30 pound bag and started walking. I ended up on North Bridge as the sun started to rise and was treated to an amazing view of the city. I started to remember where I was and identified some landmarks of where I needed to be, and 30 minutes after getting off the bus, I found myself at my friend’s flat.
I was immediately greeted with tea (love that Scottish hospitality) and caught up with my friends. After an hour or so, I realized that I wasn’t going to be able to make it through the day, and certainly not the night, without a nap. I climbed into bed and slept for an hour. Throughout the day, more people came through (both old friends and people I had never met before). We had quite the group by dinnertime and headed out for a pre-festivity dinner.

We had a very filling meal and headed back to the flat to start drinking and getting ourselves fancied up. I had bought an amazing glittery dress from Asos for the occasion that I was super excited to wear. It was not at all weather appropriate, but if you can’t go all out on NYE, when can you?
We headed off to a few flat parties, and actually made it on the NYE snap story since one of the people we were with whipped out an accordion and we all sang auld lang syne.  As the night wore on, we drank and danced and sang, and as midnight came closer, we gathered up bottles of champagne for the bells. We decided to watch the fireworks from the bridge (great choice). We were treated to three different firework displays from all directions. It was totally magical. Everyone around us was singing auld lang syne and we were toasting to friendship. Not gonna lie to you- multiple people were overcome with emotions and started crying… We have pictures to prove it. I hugged about 30 people I’ve never seen before and everyone was sharing champagne (probably not the best idea thinking back).

My fool-proof tip for finding a NYE kiss (if you are single) is stolen from a friend of mine. I watched him kiss multiple girls a few years ago on New Years (he's kinda sneezy) and asked him how he was doing it. He told me he would sidle up next to girls and say (rather loudly) ‘damn, I wish I had someone to kiss at midnight’, it worked every time- I witnessed it. He used it hours after midnight saying, ‘ah my year is going to be so terrible since I didn’t get a kiss at midnight’. It was impressive, albeit it kind of gross. If I’m being honest, I really wanted a New Years kiss (preferably with a Scot) on the bridge at the bells. I spotted a really attractive, tall Scottish guysand pulled the NYE Kiss trick… sure enough he turned and looked at me, smiled, and grabbed me. It was totally random and absolutely perfect. We headed back to the flat after the bells, blasted some T-Swift and drank some more.

At this point, I was going on an hour of sleep over the course of the last 36 hours, and I was fading fast. I decided to be responsible, and at around 1:45 am I called it a night. My friends continued partying until 6 am, and I maintain that I made the right decision in going to sleep.

New Years Day was mostly spent collapsed around the flat trying to recover. At around 5 pm, we decided we had to absolutely get out of flat and do something. It was insanely windy and a little rainy, but we wanted to get outside. We walked up to the castle and spent an hour dancing in the streets and hanging of the fences around the castle. It was one of those moments where I felt so alive. But it was freezing, so we decided to head to a pub and grab a new years drink.  We walked to the Grassmarket and had some whisky and a few pints. We ended up back at the flat and made up a nice roast for dinner. It was a low key day, but it felt right.

The next day we played tourists in Edinburgh. We headed to my favorite spot in the City (Calton Hill) and went to the Christmas Market. Nell’s family joined us and I masqueraded as a 15 year old Scottish girl named Morag to get the family prices on the rides… I also may have had one glass of mulled wine too many. Riding on the spinny wheel in the sky with one of my favorite people (slightly tipsy) was a crazy experience. I was laughing like a loon and being slapped in the face with ice crystals. Totally great.

Emz and I grabbed dinner and had a totally girl catch-up shesh. I am always so excited to spend time in Scotland with these girls- they are honestly some of my favorite people. We spent my last full day in Glasgow with Naomi. I had been to Glasgow once before, but for a concert so I only saw a minimal amount of the city. I didn’t think I was going to like it, but I was happily surprised. Glasgow is great. Totally different vibe than Edinburgh, but still really beautiful. I’d like to go back and spend some more time there- especially since people claim Glasgow represents ‘the real’ Scotland better than Edinburgh.

One of my other flatmates, Erin, joined us for dinner on my last night in Edinburgh and she agreed to drive me to the airport early the next morning. (Bless her). My flight was delayed a few hours so Erin and I ventured out to see the Kelpies as the sun rose. It was the perfect way to close out an amazing visit to my favorite country.

xx

Holiday Cheer

"Christmas is not a time nor a season, but a state of mind. To cherish peach and goodwill, to be plenteous in mercy, is to have the real spirit of Christmas." -Calvin Coolidge

I love Christmas. For as long as I can remember, Christmas Eve has always been my favorite night of the year. I love the tradition and anticipation of Christmas Eve coupled with the amazing food and stellar company.

I was lucky enough to be at my parents house when we decorated. We all got ourselves a glass of prosecco and went to work turning the inside and outside of our home into a winter wonderland.

Back in the East Coast- my roommate and I decided this was the year to get a tree in our apartment. We dressed up as elves and got ourselves a tree. We decorated it with tinsel, colored lights, and terrible ornaments from the Dollar Tree. It was a tacky masterpiece. Our apartment was the exact opposite of the classic, catalog-like decorations of my familial home, but it was very cheery and full of holiday cheer.

Back in college, we used to throw an annual 'Holiday Party'. Luckily, I still live close to a number of my college friends and I was able to drive out for Holiday Party '14. It was a mess of frivolity and a lot of haircuts (peppermint schnapps chased with chocolate syrup). Buddy the Elf would have been thrilled with us.

Christmastime is the best- mulled wine, whisky, fresh snow, roaring fires, and I can watch Love Actually on a loop. What could be better?  This was the first time I ever bought a nice bottle of Scotch. I am well on my way to my goal of loving whisky. 

The company I work for throws a great Holiday party every year. Its always at a gorgeous hotel with multiple open bars, great food, and casino games. I love having an occasion to get dolled up, and luckily- I also really like my co-workers.  A lot of them are some of my favorite people.

Following the company party, I flew back to CA to spend the holiday with my family. It was a bit of a rough time- my Grandmother fell and broke a number of bones.  We were all very worried and considered canceling Christmas Eve, but decided to go on with the show.

I was so glad that we did- it was good to be surrounded by people we love. Two of my cousins had recently gotten engaged so we had a lot to celebrate.

I also love the holidays since it brings all my friends back together. We always try to get together as much as possible while we are all home.

Cheers!

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.