Contemplating

Today I had a really good conversation with a friend of mine about the things that we hope to accomplish in the next couple of years. He told me that he admired me because I have the kind of life that is hard to predict over the next 20 years. In his words, "you can tell where some people will go, what type of lives they will lead - and actually predict where they will be in 20 years. You aren't like that." It was one of the nicest things anyone has ever said to me.

There are so many dreams that I want to accomplish. Most of them are what most would consider "silly" things. No life-changing, universe-altering accomplishments. They are mostly selfish exploits. Things that would make me feel good.

So here's the short list that I rattled off to my friend today:

Learn to speak Italian
Take a photography class
Learn to surf
Go snorkeling in the Florida Keys

I look at that list and each of those things would bring great happiness to my life.

I really feel that lately I've been seriously lacking in the happiness and joy department.

It's the little things that can bring a little bit of sunshine into your life.

Isla de Encanto

Last week, Steve and I visited Puerto Rico for the first time. I was exceptionally excited about this trip because not only was it a place I'd never had the chance to visit before... but it's also where my maternal grandmother was born and raised. My father recently bought a condo on the beach outside of San Juan, in Loiza. I had never heard of this city - and to be honest with you the city itself wasn't exactly memorable. It kinda reminded me of Hialeah. BUT, all that being said, it had one of the most exceptional beaches I've ever been to.

The sand was powdery white and the water was crystal blue. I'm used to the brown waters of lovely Cocoa beach, so I was impressed. We spent a late afternoon at the beach and I snapped a few pictures of the sun setting. I've never really appreciated the beach until this trip. It's always been a nuisance to me - the sand getting stuck in my bathing suit, and the awful sun burning my shoulders. I've made a resolution to not only "sunbathe" at the beach... I'm getting in the water.

Steve spent our time at the beach playing around with my brothers and just basically being "nature boy." He climbed a tree, taught my brothers how to open a coconut and surf waves. It was a great afternoon and for once I didn't want to leave the beach.

On our second day in Puerto Rico, we went to El Yunque National Forest. Our goal was to find a waterfall and swim in it. Simple enough - right? WELL we did find our first waterfall pretty easily. It was just a couple of kilometers into the park and right off of the main road.

Steve promptly jumped over the barrier and we snapped this shot of him in front of the small waterfall. There really wasn't anywhere for us to hop in for a swim though. We asked the cashier at the nearby gift shop where we could find a larger waterfall. She told us that just a few miles up the road there was a trail that would lead us to the second and larger waterfall. So we hopped back into our car and drove up another few miles 'til we spotted the beginning of the trail. We parked our car in the adjacent lot and set out on the Big Tree Trail.

Now I was expecting a bit of a walk - but it was actually much more strenuous that I expected. We hiked in just under a mile... which sounds easy. However, it was on a steep and sometimes slippery and narrow path on the side of a small mountain. I consider myself fairly fit - but I was panting at some points. We were determined though and were greatly rewarded with a beautiful sight after our 30 minute hike.

The waterfall was just a little larger - however, there was a pool at the bottom of it. We stripped down to our bathing suits and hopped in. It was icy cold but really refreshing. I tend to be a little more reserved and uncomfortable when it comes to nature... but of course, my Nature Boy husband was all about it. I had a really good time watching him scale all the rocks and climb into the different areas of the waterfall.

Our next day was spend taking a drive over to the Cuevas en Camuy (Caves in Camuy). Unfortunately, we didn't do our research and were only allowed to see the sinkhole. The caves have apparently been closed since January because of a tragic accident. A tourist visiting from California was hit in the head by a rock and died after visiting the main cave. It kind of made me nervous and respectful of the danger of a place like that. Despite that, we had a fairly decent time and got to see the entrance to a really gorgeous (and creepy) cave.

We were a little disappointed (and I felt really selfish for that... based on the reason it was closed) by not being able to see the inside of the caves. There was also a lot of family tension going on that day - I won't even go into that story as it deserves a whole entry of it's own. It was hot and we were all irritated by the inexplicable amount of lane closures on the highway in Puerto Rico. It took us a few hours to get home and we were basically ready to crash.

The next day, Steve and I took off and went to the beach at Dorado. We actually had never heard of this city until we saw a picture of someone snorkeling in the most astonishingly blue water on the cover of one of our travel books. (Thank you Frommer's!) We looked in the index and found out about this little beach town. We left fairly early that morning - glad to be relieved of the family tension and opressing heat of my Dad's condo. We found the beach and were pleasantly surprised - all locals! I hate touristy areas and when I travel it's my personal mission to find where the locals go. That's the way to experience a place.

Anyway, we scooped up one of the last parking spaces still available adjacent to the beach and grabbed our snorkeling gear from the trunk. We meandered down the beach and through numerous barbecues and family gatherings. I told Steve that I loved how going to the beach was a "family affair" for the Puerto Rican's. I noticed that when you go the beach here in Florida, you will no doubt see groups of girls sunbathing and guys playing volleyball. At Dorado, there was none of this. Each group was a family - portable play pens and all - and everyone had a grill and coolers full of great looking food. I loved it. I wished that I could mosey up to one of the families and enjoy the day with them.

Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures of this lovely beach. We left our camera in the trunk and spent a few hours swimming out past the shallow reef to go snorkeling. The highlight of my day was being able to swim in the midst of a school of brightly colored, tropical fish. I saw a number of different fish and sea life and quite possibly the one of the largest brain corals in existence. It was a liberating experience to float above all of this beauty.

We were really excited after our gorgeous day and decided to take a ride into Old San Juan. We parked our car next to El Morro (the Spanish fort that hugs the ocean at the corner of the city). We spent a little time walking through the big, open grass field next to the fort. There were tons of families (again - LOVE the closeness of the hispanic families) flying kites and just relaxing. Steve and I found the place we wouldn't mind being buried.

I tend to have a hard time just sitting still and enjoying the atmosphere. Fortunately for me, Steve is one of the few people in this world who can get me to just sit down and take it all in.

The sky was blue, there were families all around, we had not a care in the world on this day. That's what traveling should be about!




After spending a while there, I decided that it was absolutely imperative to have a piragua (snowcone). We found a street vendor and grabbed a couple. We then started to just wander. Our first night in San Juan, we really had wanted to find the historic part of the city where there was some nightlife going on. We failed miserably though - it was like 100 degrees out and we were totally in the wrong part of the city. This day really redeemed that experience for us though. I completely fell in the love with the colonial Spanish part of town.

Now granted, I am probably biased because
I love anything that even remotely reminds
me of Spain. I couldn't stop taking pictures. I also fell into my "reminscing mode" where I can't resist thinking of how much I miss my Espana! All that being said - I really, really love the architecture of Old San Juan. I've always been an "architecture nerd" though. I rather take pictures of buildings than anything else.

The streets were narrow, cobblestone, and hilly. Steve and I found a few cute little shops before we we started to feel the exhaustion of the busy day. We wished that we had more time to spend eating dinner at one of the little restaurants in the city, but reassured ourselves that next time we're in Puerto Rico we will dedicate much more time to this part of the city.

We had to head out to meet the family for dinner... but I managed to snap a few pictures of the colorful Spanish colonial buildings:



Our last day in Puerto Rico was spent on mainly touristy exploits. We visited the Casa Bacardi Visitor Center and indulged in our two free rum drinks. I learned a lot of useless information about the history of the Bacardi Rum business and drank a Mojito. Rock on.


What can I say? I'm a classy traveler.

All in all - we liked Puerto Rico. We also realized that we had just scratched the surface of all that it has to offer. We hope to return sometime soon and find a few more "hidden" treasures (like Dorado!).

Daydreaming in the City of Brotherly Love

This weekend I flew up with Jerry to visit Jaime and Dan in Philadelphia. It was a great trip. One of those weekends that feels like it lasted more than two days. Jerry and I were exhausted and on our flight back all we could think was, "Damn, we did a lot this weekend."

I decided that instead of writing a lengthy post reflecting on every last detail of the trip, I'll just write about some thoughts and impressions that I have from this trip:

1) You know how you know someone is a true friend? You don't see them for a year and yet when you're reunited it feels like you were never apart. There are a lot of superficial friendships and acquaintances in this world. But certain friendships you know will last until you are old and gray.

2) Good friends are GOOD to travel with. Jerry = most laid back, low-key person I've ever traveled with. We were delayed for 3 hours on the way back and not once did I hear this man complain. I spent a large part of the 3 hours griping about how I'd only get 5 hours of sleep before my class on Monday. Yes, I can learn a lot about having a positive attitude from my friend Jerry.

3) West Chester is gorgeous. If I could could describe what my ideal suburban paradise would be - it would be West Chester. The houses are huge. The houses and lawns are immaculate. There were these beautiful trees with white flowers all over them that I couldn't stop taking pictures of. You'd think I live in an urban craphole - but you seriously don't see things like that around Orlando anymore. I wonder if I can convince Steve to move there.

4) I've said it before and I'll say it again - I don't care if it's Philadelphia or Prague. I love to see new places. One thing that I liked about Philly was all the random street art. It added a colorful, trendy kind of aspect to the city that I really liked!

4) I missed acting a fool with my friends. I really like playing Mario Kart. I love to drink cheap beer and sit around talking shit with my best friends. My friends define who I am. Life is dull without my friends.

Coming Soon: My visit to Eastern State Penitentiary

Taormina

Since my husband is out of town on business and our anniversary is in a couple of weeks - I've decided to revisit some of the amazing travel that we experienced together early in our relationship.

Taormina.

Wikipedia says? A comune and small town on the east coast of the island of Sicily, Italy, in the Province of Messina about midway between Messana and Catania. Taormina has been a very popular tourist destination since the 19th Century.

I say? Beauty. A perfect picture of Europe. Classy. Breathtaking.

If Taormina was a person she'd be 6 feet tall, impossibly gorgeous and towering over you in her 4-inch leather stilletos. She'd be confident but not snobby. Approachable, attainable, and hopelessly charming.

Yes, Steve and I definitely fell for Taormina.

I had just finished my month studying abroad in Prague. This was my second study abroad experience, and I had approached it with a different attitude. I was completely taken with Eastern Europe and loudly proclaimed to anyone willing to listen that Prague was "the most beautiful city I've ever seen!" I had a week free before returning to the States and so I purchased a ticket to visit Steve in Sicily. At that time, he was one month into his six-month deployment in Catania. We had survived our separation through endless amounts of overpriced Czech phone cards and sappy letters. I was so excited to see him that I could barely sit straight on the plane.

While I was there, we decided that we needed to get out of Catania and explore Sicily. We rented a car and drove to Taormina on a balmy Friday afternoon. I had never even heard of the city but Steve had heard great things, so we decided to check it out. We rented a car (manual of course) and were almost mowed down by a tour bus on our way up the mountain to Taormina. Our nerves were so rattled by the drive that we promptly found the first parking lot in town and dropped the car off.

Getting to the city center involved taking a cable car up the mountain. That allowed me my first views of the spectacular city. Taormina is separated into two different sections - Taormina Mare (the part by the ocean - where we left the car) and Taormina Città (the city center). We arrived at the top and proceeded to look for a hostel for the evening. The first thing my eyes focused on was a small hostel on the corner where the cable car station was. The side of the building was painted with a mural of bright colors and there was a waterfall of bright pink Bougainvillea tumbling over the side of the wall next to it. Everytime I think of Taormina, this is the first picture that comes to mind. So simple and so gorgeous. We walked into that hostel and ended up staying there for the evening.

After changing we decided to take a walk down the main avenue of Taormina Città - il Corso. It was lined with adorable little shops and tons of gelato stands. It was a warm summer evening and the street was clogged with locals and tourists alike. After strolling for a while, we found a small restaurant tucked into an alleyway. Our meal was unremarkable (I think I had Chicken Marsala?) but the atmosphere was definitely memorable. The waiter was friendly and accomodating - suggesting different items on the menu and never rushing us. We took our time and savored the relaxing setting. I remember halfway through the meal we heard "In My Place" by Coldplay drifting through a window of a nearby shop.

Yes, you could say I was in heaven.

We eventually had to move inside after it started to rain lightly. We ordered a bottle of wine and sat down to enjoy the rest of the evening. For me, one of the most enjoyable things about the "European" way of dining is their complete lack of urgency. Three hours for a meal? Why not? Eating here in the United States is about getting the food in your body and getting on with your life. Eating in Italy is about enjoying the food, atmosphere, and most importantly - the company. We were surrounded by couples and families who, like us, had been there for well over three hours and were in no rush to leave.

Our dinner put us in the contemplative and talkative mood. We tried to find a club, but we weren't really in the mood for it. We settled down in a small bar and ordered a couple of beers. We continued our conversation and enjoyed the warm summer evening. We were content with simply enjoying each other's company. Being in Taormina with Steve made me realize that we just might be meant to be. I know it sounds cliche, but it is definitely something special when you feel completely at ease traveling with a person. At this early point in our relationship I was aware of the fact that Steve and I had reached a new level of connection.

The next day, Steve and I spent doing the tourist thing. We went to the ruins of an ancient Greek theatre that you can reach at the end of il Corso. It was overwhelming to think that we were standing in the midst of something so historically significant. In the pictures taken from that day, we look extremely content with ourselves. Our tanned bodies are posed in front of the handrails, the ampitheatre in the distance behind us. I have my brown travel bag slung over my shoulder and Steve has his arms wrapped around me. We look like the typical American tourists. Despite that, I like to think that there was nothing typical about what we gained from our trip to Sicily and Taormina. I think we gained something greater, deeper, and more significant from our trip. Like I've said before, the typical tourist events don't really stand out in my mind when I think about my travels. Yes, those experiences can be beautiful and interesting. But do they make a lasting impression on my soul? I truly don't think so.

That evening, we drove back to Taormina. We had a much more relaxing car ride (I think Steve had figured out how to drive manual by then). We spent the ride talking about how we would definitely be returning to Taormina. That gorgeous city. Not a few weeks has gone by since then without us referencing our time there. "Where can we go next?" Taormina is always mentioned as a possibility. Steve and I plan to spend our five year wedding anniversary falling in love with each other (and Taormina) all over again.

Adventures to Come

So this summer is looking quite promising. So far we have planned:

1. A tentative trip up to Philly to visit Jaime! (Finally)
2. A confirmed trip to Puerto Rico. I am extremely excited about this one because I'll finally get to experience a place that is part of my heritage.
3. A trip to Destin, FL to stay on the beach and celebrate our one-year anniversary.

Ahh... the feeling of knowing that there is travel in your near future is fabulous.

Kentucky here I am

This trip has turned out to be way more fun than I thought it would be. :) I've been in KY since Saturday afternoon with a group of 7 people from my school. We're here for a literacy conference. I was a little anxious about traveling with these people that I don't really know that well... but it turns out that they are pretty awesome.

Yesterday, we hung around the hotel and did conference things. We had a free wine and appetizer hour on the 25th floor of the hotel we're staying at which was awesome. I have drank SO MUCH wine since I've been here.

Today we decided to rent a car and to venture across the Ohio River to Indiana. I thought it would be boring, but we had a great time. We drove about 30 mins into Starlight, IN to http://www.huberwinery.com for 7 bucks I did a wine tasting and had 8 different awesome wines. Then they gave us a sample of a Raspberry brandy infusion inside of a dark chocolate edible cup. Can we say ORGASMIC? We toured the winery and there was this beautiful little lake with geese and swans. I seriously felt like I was in another world. The area was so beautiful. I felt so peaceful and relaxed for the first time in a looong time.

We were feeling adventurous, so we drove another 45 mins to Marengo, Indiana and went to vist the http://www.marengocaves.com. It was seriously one of the coolest things I've ever seen! I can't even describe how awesome it was to be beneath the ground like that. I really had a good time.

I realized today why I like to travel so much. It doesn't even have to be Europe. I like going somewhere that I know nothing about and experimenting to see what I can find. I planned out the car rental and navigated all the driving around today and I loved it. Everyone was just content to have someone take charge and of course I welcomed it. I like to travel with people that I don't know well either, because it gives you such a chance to get to know people on a whole different level.

The best part is that I've been speaking Spanish almost exclusively since Saturday. I really love it. It's making me feel more confident and great to have a chance to use it.
I head back to Orlando tomorrow. I am off of work all week for spring break and I am really looking forward to being back home with my hubby!
Oh, and I turn 26 tomorrow. :)

Making Decisions

Just when I think I have everything figured out... travel - you sneaky little obsession, you - come back to make me question my choices.

I am at a point in my life right now where I'm being pummeled by changes. In the past 8 months I:
Got married.
Moved to a different city.
Bought a house.
Switched jobs (and careers).
Decided to go back to school.

In the past months I have not:
Traveled.

I have felt generally good about all of these changes. I welcome change. However streessed I've been, deep down I live for the excitement and uncertainty change brings me. If my life falls into monotony, I always try and find ways to add some excitement.

In October, I decided that I was not happy with my profession and would be starting law school in the fall. It wasn't what I thought. I wasn' t done with school. "There's just so much more for me left to do," I told my husband. "I know that I can accomplish more." He supports and agrees with every choice that I've made.

Now, I'm starting to think about the implications of being a student (and thus POOR) for the next three years. One of the main problems I'm having is that there will be NO travel in my near future. Although I've traveled before on a student's budget, before I didn't have a mortgage, husband, and responsibilities.

Damn you responsibilities. How do people with all these burdens manage to find time to travel? Is there some secret formula to making sure that you take some time to enjoy yourself, while still working hard and keeping up with all your bills and burdens?