Entries in Trips (9)

Tuesday
Jan122016

Bebémoon

Happy 2016, friends! Chris and I kicked off the new year across the pond in London and Paris. It was such a treat to get away for a bit and spend some quality time together before the arrival of our baby boy!

I must say that this vacation did not turn out the way I had imagined. Chris and I both caught bad colds on our way over to Europe. I lost the detailed itinerary which I had painstakingly organized for our trip. And upon our arrival in Paris, my brand new phone, which held all the photos from our time in London, was picked right out of my coat pocket. Très romantique, no?

And yet, it truly was. These unforeseen circumstances forced the two of us to slow down, let go of high expectations, and be mentally present to savor each moment together. Tremendously valuable lessons to learn, especially as we prepare to become parents.


Taking things at a slower pace, we allowed ourselves the luxury of sleeping in, and often returned to our hotels for afternoon naps. Most days were spent exploring museums, wandering through bookshops, and ducking into random cafés.

We walked miles upon miles, but also ate to our heart's content. There was not a single lackluster meal or morsel to be had. Let's just say that being pregnant in Paris is a sublimely ideal situation :)


It felt deeply bittersweet to acknowledge the fact that this would be our final journey as a duo. I know that sounds so stinkin' melodramatic (blame it on the hormones), but I really must admit to struggling emotionally and having a hard time letting go.

However, as we made our way through these cities, I noticed something peculiar. There we were, surrounded by breathtaking beauty... and all the while, we found ourselves completely unable to stop daydreaming, talking about our baby, and looking at pictures of his sweet little face.

Chris and I have been all over this world together over these past few years, and we are fortunate to have such extraordinary memories to look back and smile upon. Although that special chapter is drawing to an end, I know that God has something greater in store for us. Our most incredible adventure of all awaits, and it begins once we arrive at home. 

Tuesday
Mar312015

Lattitude Adjustment

You guys. Spring is FINALLY here! I know I'm not the only one who is completely thrilled at the fact that our days will soon be filled with sunshine, fresh blooms, and cuter outfits :)

After a grueling winter, Chris and I were desperately overdue for some serious downtime. Luckily, we had randomly booked a group getaway during a dinner party several months ago. Best wine-fueled decision ever! We zipped down to Mexico and spent a week far away from all the chilly nonsense. It was a short but sweet escapade with some close friends, and soo good for my soul.

We stayed in an all-inclusive resort called Secrets Capri Riviera. The luxurious adults-only resort provided a quiet, relaxing atmosphere to thoroughly unwind. There were also plenty of organized events keep us active and entertained. And let's not forget about the FOOD. Delicious snacks and meals everywhere, all the time! I must've eaten my weight in ceviche and fish tacos. We did not have a single bad meal during our entire stay.


Our days began with a run on the beach for Chris, and some oceanside yoga for me. We spent a good amount of time just lounging around the pool, and I did my fair share of just doing absolutely nothing at all. Paddling over to the swim-up bar counts as exercise, right?

I also found some solid alone time for myself where I could just sit by the water and reflect on what's been going on in life. There is something about spending time with the ocean that restores me with a profound sense of peace, joy, and inspiration. Oh, and I got to hang out with some pelicans, which was pretty neat :)


By the way, I am totally having a mini love affair with tropical plants at the moment. Their rich colors and lush textures were such a sight for sore eyes in the middle of such a crappy winter. I am definitely going to find some similar greens to bring into our home.

A huge highlight was the excursion we booked to visit an underground cave. Rio Secreto is a natural reserve located in Playa del Carmen. We had to take a long, bumpy ride through a desolate jungle to reach the sunken cave entrance of Ox Bel Ha, but the beauty we found inside was simply astounding. Here are some of my favorite shots from Emilio, our tour photographer!


We had to be careful not to disturb the delicate balance of the natural cenote sanctuary. This meant thoroughly washing all products off our bodies (makeup, lotions, hair gel, insect repellent) prior to entering the reserve.

Ox Bel Ha is the seventh longest cave in the world. It is about 112 miles long and over 98 feet deep. We hiked and swam through each cavern, being extra careful not to touch and disrupt the fragile limestone formations that surrounded us. Our wetsuits kept us buoyant and warm in the crystal-clear underground rivers. Neoprene is so hot this season.

Once we reached the main labyrinth of the cave, we turned off all our headlamps and spent an entire minute in complete darkness and silence. All I could hear was an occasional drop of water, and my own heartbeat. The experience was out of this world.

Still, the best part of this trip was the people we shared it with. I felt truly blessed to be able to savor moments of laughter, heart-to-heart conversations, and breathtaking adventures with such special, loving friends. I have officially snapped out of my funk. There are so many good things coming our way! More later :)


{Photo credit LittleBunnyNomi}

Thursday
Jul312014

You, Me, and the Sea

It's a bit crazy how quickly life sucks you right back into its nonstop whirlwind after a nice, relaxing vacation. I finally found some time this past weekend to sort through all our photos (selfies galore), and they totally reminded me how vital it is to come up for air once in a while.

I had a wonderful time with Chris on this trip. It was great to unplug, spend quality time with each other, and focus on making memories. We ate sooooo much, I was such a happy camper. To balance it all out, we did a whole bunch of sightseeing, and, of course, a ton of yoga! As promised, here are some of my favorite moments from our trip :)


First stop, Venice! Our first visit to Italy was rather chilly, so it was awesome to get a second peek at this special city. Although Venice can get pretty touristy in the warmer months, it was still as gorgeous as ever.


I’d heard about a bookstore named Libreria Acqua Alta that keeps its books stacked in boats and bathtubs in order to protect them from the periodic flooding that is common to the city. As book lovers, it was a no-brainer- we had to go check it out. We spent the day walking around the maze that is Venice looking for this store, and got insanely lost for hours. I was ready to give up, but Chris was hell-bent on finding this place.

When we finally got there, I was so glad we followed through. We climbed staircases made out of old encyclopedias, and wandered through room after room, filled with dizzying towers of books. Boats and tubs were piled to the ceiling with books from all over the world, spilling over onto the floor. It was magical. Something about the musty smell of old books just makes me so very happy.


We visited the opera house to watch La Bohème, which was a fun experience. We had a great view from our private balcony room, and were happy to find that there were digital subtitles displayed above the stage throughout the show. This really helped us understand and appreciate the opera on a whole new level!




The next day, we took a water taxi to catch our ship! I was sad to say goodbye to beautiful Venice, but so excited to get on board and sail off into the sunset.



We had a private balcony in our room, which was such a treat because it allowed us to see all the ridiculous ocean views when we pulled in and out of port through the islands. It was also a great private space to get some morning yoga in. There I am in Boat pose.. on a boat :)

First port, Kotor, Montenegro! I didn't know much about this country prior to our trip, and we only stayed on land for a few hours. All I can tell you is that it is extremely mountainous and densely packed with a mesmerizing variety of flora and vegetation.



Steps into the sea in Kotor- there were tiny fish swimming around everywhere!


Most of our time aboard the ship was spent poolside on the top deck. We also got a few games of mini golf in! (That was me imitating a putter.. don't ask.)

The best thing we did on the cruise was make new friends! We met people from all over the world, and all walks of life. These new friendships added an additional element of fun to our trip, and I am so glad we are all still keeping in touch :)

One lovely couple, Joe and Megan, had been traveling the world for six months! They are sharing their journey through their fascinating and gorgeous travel blog - Check it out here!


Chris is a pretty big history buff, so he was excited to make the climb up the Acropolis to see the Parthenon. It was a steep, sweltering trek up the mountain, and not so fun in sandals. But my goodness, the view from the mountaintop was definitely worth it. Thankfully, it rained a bit while we were up there, which cooled things down - and lured some adorable turtles to come out and play!




We also strolled through the National Garden in Athens, and found ourselves walking through a purple sea of flower petals. Absolutely amazing.


This guy is my favorite travel buddy. I am really thankful to be with someone who is responsible, but willing to be adventurous, try new things, and photograph all my yogabombs. We make a good team <3

The countryside in Greece is rich in depth and colors. There are trees everywhere you look!


There were citrus trees everywhere! They were so pretty and smelled delicious.

Now i really want a little lemon tree for our home. How fun would that be?


Once we reached Mykonos, we drove up to a ranch for a day of horseback riding. This ranch was filled with the cutest animals! A tiny litter of kittens roamed the grounds, and there were geese, chickens, and turkeys everywhere.This was my first time on a horse, so I was pretty nervous in the beginning. Luckily, our horses, Hector and Spring, were so sweet and well-mannered! I quickly became comfortable and then deeply enamored with them.



We rode down the mountainside to a deserted beach.


Here we are at Fokos Beach!


Hector <3


There is nothing like seeing the world from between the ears of a horse. What a memory. I'll remember that for a long time.



I don’t think there is much need to mention how gorgeous the sea was from every single angle.


Of course, this had to happen - Mermaid pose by the sparkling sea.

To finish our trip, we visited Melissani cave in Kefalonia. It was pretty far from Arogostoli, where our ship ported, but I am so glad we decided to do this.

The top of this spectacular cave dissolved through chemical and physical water erosion decades back, allowing the sun to shine through and light up the shimmering blue underground lake below.

I'd heard about Melissani years ago, and had immediately put it on my bucket list. I never thought that one day I would actually be sitting there with my husband in that very cave, with the sun shining down on us. It was a dream come true, and the perfect way to end this amazing trip.

Well, I hope you guys enjoyed my plethora of photos! Now that we are back, I have tons of exciting projects that I have been working on and cannot wait to share with you. More later!