Winter Florida Getaway: Islamorada and Sarasota

Oh, the satisfying anticipation of heading to warmer weather when the city is a frozen mess. It's this annoying thing we do here : Bye New Yorkers, enjoy the frostbite!

image via naoligo.com

Then we come right back and join the misery. Ha ha. 

 Andrew had work in Sarasota, and we decided that a) I'd tag along- free lodging! and b) we would go earlier and check out the Keys. Well, our smug little happy dance got checked when we saw the 80 degree temps the day before our departure dipping to 50-60 degree welcome weather for our arrival. 

#tbt to Oahu

In the middle of placing old photos into albums and scrapbooks, I came across these memories from my first trip to Hawaii back in 2004-2005ish. I went with my boyfriend at the time, and we drove a Jeep throughout the island of Oahu.

That's me.  I don't know where I was heading.

We went to Hanauma Bay.

I don't have many photos of me in Hawaii. In the few that I have, my eyes are closed. 

I was so excited to try out my disposable underwater camera.  To my disappointment, there was barely any marine life to capture on my nifty Kodak.  I suspected that years of us tourists trampling the coral reef killed everything off.  Perhaps it was isolated to when I went and where I specifically snorkeled (since recent Yelpers seemed to enjoy it), but it was a colorless aquatic graveyard for me.  My underwater photos might as well have been taken in a tub full of dirty water.  

I still can't tell if that's aggressive behavior, as in "Get the hell out of my way!"  This was probably before my first surf lesson in Huntington Beach, CA. I was so carefree and enthusiastic about surfing then. Now I'm terrified of sharks. Ok, I still surf, but with fear.

Other highlights of the trip were the garlic shrimp at Giovanni's Shrimp Truck and Matsumoto Shave Ice.  I also got in trouble for wearing my bikini top and shorts at a breakfast buffet. Guess I took the beach casual dress code too far. Some poor employee in a full-on suit at the Japanese-owned hotel had to politely let me know (that I was trash).  It was very uncharacteristic of me because a) bathing suits are not my best friend- I wear it to swim and tan. Otherwise, clothes are going on top asap. b) Hello! I'm at a buffet. I have been known to hang out at Las Vegas buffets for 3+ hours. Why would I want to wear only a bikini top when my gut is hanging out? 

Ah, 2004-2005 Erica. What an idiot.

Anyway, I would love to return to Hawaii one day and visit the other islands. Have you been to Hawaii? What are your favorite spots? 

xo,

Erica

Gringos in Las Terrenas

Here's the deal here:

You have the beautiful sleepy beach town area of Las Terrenas...

and then you have the bustling epicenter of the pueblo with the locals and constant stream of scooters and motorcycles zooming by.

I love that we are staying in the tranquil area near the beach, but we are five minutes away from the buzz of the main drag.  As you get closer to the more urban area, the music gets louder, the energy becomes more vibrant, and the food becomes more authentically Dominican. More on that!

Adventures in Getting to The Dominican Republic

My husband Andrew and I were so stoked to be able to go on a winter vacation away from the cold in NYC.  It's always so satisfying to leave the frosty city for a beach destination.  Successfully leaving the apartment on time after a 4:30 am alarm, we were greeted by awesome 53-degree weather outside. I was sweating in my coat. So yeah, we kinda abandoned some sweet NY weather. 

We felt secure in our ability to get onto the flight from JFK to Miami.  According to information we received the day before, seating was very open.  When we arrived to the gate, Andrew and I were nearly the last people on the standby list of 26 people for a full flight.  How did this happen?? Uh oh.  I rethought my original plan to pick up some morning Shake Shack (JFK's location opens at 6am!). I didn't want to tell Andrew, but there was no way in hell we were getting on that flight, so I might as well eat my Shake Shack while we figure out our next move after we DON'T get on this plane.  ;)

To my surprise, the gate agent went down the list of people who had their names on the standby list and WEREN'T SHOWING UP.  Every time we got excited a Mr. and Mrs. So-and-Sho didn't make it to the desk, some last minute ticketed passenger would run down the terminal up to the gate.  It was a constant YAAAY AWWWW NOOOO WHAT.

I was shocked at how late these passengers were. The airline reps would take their tickets while chastising the travelers, "You know you almost missed your flight!!" And I would have to stop myself from giving these irresponsible passengers looks of disapproval even though I've totally been there- running through the airport like the Home Alone family.  Anyway, five minutes before they closed the door, Andrew and I got ushered in. We were part of the four last seats, and there was a flurry of activity as the reps tore tickets and scribbled our seat numbers on them.  Andrew was asking the rep if he should tag his carry-on, and she yelled, "JUST GOOOOOO!" Like a scene from an action movie where she was forcing us to leave her to save our own lives. Like that dramatic, guys.

image via windowsearch-exp.com

A Little Getaway: Upstate New York

When my friend Jamie invited me on a hike going up Storm King Mountain, it was perfect timing.  I truly love fall, but the dipping temperatures made me feel sad and bitter.  It was almost as if we were going directly into winter! But life is easier when you see the positive, so I embraced the idea of fall while being one with nature and walking under a canopy of changing leaves.

I was going to be joining a group of pals: Jamie, Ed, and James. Before we even began our journey, food got involved. With the boys getting delayed in traffic, Jamie and I met up at McDonald's first. I know. It's such a travesty to eat this stuff when we live in a city with so many delicious food options. But it's my guilty pleasure, ok?  "What she order, fish filet?" Indeed, I did.  I also brought some for the guys.

We have arrived!  

Back Home To Atlanta

Essentials for a fabulous flight: Bridget Jones and TONYMOLY Peach Anti Aging Hand Cream. This cream smells heavenly...like peach gummy rings.  You'll want to eat your hands. Which could be bad. Southwest has been pretty badass at letting you watch inflight free live TV on your devices.

I tried to be a good girl and work out during my vacation.  My ClassPass allows me to visit studios in any participating city. This was my first time doing it outside of NYC. I took Pure Barre in Decatur. It was neat to see a view like this outside the window rather than...my windowless studios in New York.  You're cute, Decatur!

While waiting for my friends to eat dinner, I grabbed an iced coffee at the Java Monkey.  It's a fun creative joint that hosts poetry night, musicians, readings, and other performances.

We ate dinner at Makan, a Korean Chinese fusion restaurant that was oddly located inside of a Marriott Courtyard.

Pork belly bun!!! Slow roasted local pork and pickled red onions. The pecan sugar was a beautiful addition to this traditional appetizer.

Shrimp and pork dumplings: thumbs up!

The fried chicken was tasty. I wasn't blown away, but I wasn't complaining while I cleaned up my plate. The ramen was meh, and my friend's black bean noodles (Jajang myeon) was not impressive.  Stick to the dumplings and buns here!

Puerto Rico Part 2: Rincon

Destination weddings are such a great opportunity to explore a new area.  

Our friends chose a beautiful location in Rincon to say their vows. 

The Horned Dorset Primavera

The entrance to the swimming pool area, which was the site of a cute pre-wedding night of dancing and eating.

Weekend in Pittsburgh

The big event down in Pittsburgh was Uncle Dick's 95th birthday! 

First full day in Pittsburgh. Woke up to two little fawns playing in the backyard. I could only get a pic of one of them.

Some of the family went to The Strip , some chilled out and prepped for the party at home, and we went kayaking in North Park.

Puerto Rico Part 1: Old San Juan

You could basically call this post "overload of alley pics".  I was obsessed with how pretty all the little lanes in Old San Juan were...so this is my warning.  Get ready for some effing beautiful streets.

We stayed at Hotel El Convento, a landmark monument that actually used to be a convent. 

Life in Pics

New York City has finally thawed! Which totally means...

BRUNCH + Central Park!

I had no idea that Central Park had so many beautiful gardens .  If you haven't already done so, be sure to check out the Conservatory Garden. Pretty flowers and allergeeeez. But seriously, it's worth it!

I also had no idea that you can't order alcohol on Sunday before noon. I found that out during brunch at The Smith (looking like a total alcoholic when I asked if the server could just keep my Bloody Mary in mind when it hits noon).

I may have posted this pic already from a past brunch at The Smith. But it gives you an idea of the goodness there. Also, I ordered the same chicken sandwich I did last time. So it's still a pic of my most recent meal?

March Madness

My good friend Thuy is getting married next weekend in New Orleans! I've known that little spitfire ever since I worked FOR her at a production internship in LA way back when...nearly 10 years ago?

Her bachelorette was in March, and she had no idea what we were doing for it. When the bridesmaids pulled up to pick me up from LAX (with a bag of Del Taco-how great are they!), Thuy asked if she needed her passport! Poor thing thought we were getting on a flight to some exotic destination. 

Then I opened the trunk. No wonder she thought that we were going away. This is a pic after the airport and a Costco run.  But look at all that luggage!!  We actually just rented a house locally for the weekend, but you wouldn't be able to tell from the way the girls packed. Every nook and cranny of that SUV was filled- I even had pickle jars and wine bottles at my feet.

We had debated between a house near Hollywood or Malibu.  Although the Malibu options were a bit more classy, we didn't think the hike in price was worth the location since it was still cold.  We wouldn't even be able to hang out at the beach! So we focused on a place that had enough space for all the girls. AND a heated pool on the property. 

Ha!  Well, the joke was on us.  Because the pool didn't get warm enough by the time of our arrival (or throughout the weekend). We did use the jacuzzi. As for the space, it turned out that most of us Asians like sleeping huddled on the floor in one room even though there were five bedrooms. Go figure. 

Old San Juan: Day 1

We made it to Old San Juan! I've got a sweat-stache, but the weather is gorgeous. And the town is beautiful!

Cali Love

Flew into Los Angeles as the starting point for our road trip to Napa.

While in LA, my friend Thuy and I squeezed in a hike at Runyon Canyon Park.

This picture I took looked like it came out of some encyclopedia entry about the prehistoric era. Couldn't you see a dinosaur popping out of here? (ignoring the skyline)

A Weekend in the Nation's Capital

This past weekend, I visited my friend Courtney in Washington, DC. 

She and I have this crazy parallel journey - in terms of our locations.  We met in Salamanca, Spain while we were studying abroad through Emory University.  When we were done, we returned to Atlanta to continue making some zany memories.  I taught in Korea for a year and a half and moved to Los Angeles from Asia.  Well, guess who was also on the West Coast?  Yup, Courtney's originally a California girl. And now I'm in New York. and she's in DC!

One of the first trees I encountered after I stepped off the bus.  You'll see that I'm kind of obsessed with flowering trees.  I'm warning you now.

I adore the colorful buildings in the city. 

As usual, I got really excited about the food.  In a span of an hour and a half, I did a couple of rounds.

We had brunch at Barcelona.  

source

All of our friends were raving about it.  I thought it delivered!  That tapas were delicious!

Courtney showing approval.

We ordered Cava Sangria (Casas del Mar Blanc, St. Germain, 4 Orange Vodka), Gambas al Ajillo, Spicy Eggplant Caponata, Potato Tortilla (shown here), and the Grilled Pork Belly.

Travel Blog Posts Coming Soon!

Getting photos together for posts on my DC and Napa trip!

Yum!

Good Morning, DC!

Hello from DC! I'm hoping the sun will encourage the cherry blossoms to show themselves. Had my morning tea, heading to brunch, and then off the explore the city. Have a wonderful Saturday!

Beautiful Tulum

We were in Mexico at the end of March.  We stayed a couple of nights in Playa del Carmen and then moved on to Tulum for the rest of the trip.

We were greeted by a huge rain storm upon our arrival in Cancun.  It was a bit gloomy in Playa, but it encouraged a ridiculous amount of napping.  Luckily, the sun came out to play in Tulum.

We stayed in Cabanas Tulum.  We love it.  The staff is friendly.  The breakfast is delicious.  

The beach - gorgeous!

A lot of rustic stuff going on in the bathroom.

A lot of hotels in Mexico enjoy folding the towels into animals.  

This was the first time I've ever seen a towel folded into a baby.  It was creepy.  What was even more scary was when I went to go pick it (him/her?) up, the head fell off. I don't know if it was a hint.  Maybe the staff is appalled by the absence of procreation in our marriage?

The view from the room.  Many nights, we left the windows open.  I absolutely miss sleeping to the sound of the ocean waves.

Travel Fashion

I took the challenge to pack only enough for a carry-on for this trip.  After successfully doing so, I arrived in Portland only to realize that I totally didn't have enough outfits.  As the days went by, this did not become an issue.  I kept gravitating toward spandex and elastic waistbands.  The same two workout-ish outfits.  It's impressive how cute women look while traveling.  These fashionable females wear heels, jingly accessories, body-clinging materials, and belts.  I just keep in mind whether I will be active or sitting down for long periods of time.  If I'm sitting while flying or riding in the car, you better believe I'll be wearing a loose dress or forgiving lower body encasements.  Who likes those angry red lines in your flesh at the waist and behind the knees??  

I am hoping on arriving toward the perfect balance.  Having comfy clothes and nice you-will-look-so-fabulous-in-destination-pictures clothes.  Because what is the point of getting a beautiful scenic background when your loose, comfortable shirt gives you major mom body?  No offense, moms.

I guess in the end it shouldn't matter as long as you have enough underwear. 

Hey, wanna see what I tried on at Target? I'm obsessed with French Bulldogs, so this shirt made me so happy.  I didn't buy it because a) I need to stop buying shit, and b) it made me look like a box.

This is my view right now.  Doing the West Coast wind down.  I just saw some of my old teacher friends (as in back-in-the-day friends with whom I taught, not elderly teachers).  And about to meet up with a college friend.  I love meeting up with buddies around the country.  It totally stresses out my husband to travel because he feels super obligated to meet every single friend that lives in the city we visit.  Then he feels horribly guilty for not reaching out to these people.  If they have kids, my husband has irrational thoughts about his friends thinking that he must loathe their offspring because why would he NOT want to meet their children????!! 

I don't know.  I just figure true friends understand if you guys can't meet up.  Shit happens.