My First NYC "Blizzard"

29 inches. That's it?  Yes, that's how much snow came down in New York City last weekend!   Winter storm Jonas really delivered!!!

This is my first winter in NYC, and I could NOT wait to see what this blizzard was all about!    I had a plan:  Ski gear, check! Friend, check! Go Pro, check!  The snow is here....lets GO!!!

The snow didn't start until 10pm on Friday night.  It was like Christmas Eve, knowing I would wake up Saturday morning to a winter wonderland!  And boy did I!  It actually snowed ALL DAY LONG!  Look how excited we were!!!!

Well let me back up..  the first thing I wanted to do was make my first NYC snow angel!!!  The first beautiful patch of snow I saw, I knew I had to drop down and get my angel on.  YAY!

Now that I got my snow angel out of the way, it was time to EXPLORE!!!!!

We wandered around the city, trekking through the snow in the middle of the streets, taking pictures, I felt like a kid in a candy store!  

To be quite honest, I was surprised that this storm was the second worst snowstorm in NYC history!!!  Growing up in the south, all you hear about is how cold New York is, how much SNOW they get, blah blah blah.  So I thought two feet, aka 24 inches, was a regular thing.  So now 29 inches is a big deal?!  I was quite surprised!  But I get it, it's the clean up, the inconvenience of not having public transportation, people can't get around, potential power outages, etc.

But I must say, I thoroughly enjoyed myself!  Not only was it so much fun stomping around in fluffy snow, but it was beautiful!!!!!  

Most New Yorkers are like "bah humbug" when it comes to snow.  I mean C'MON!!!!!  I mean, it's obviously not that bad since they are still living here.  But in life what you experience depends on your attitude.  Snow is going to come down, love it or hate it is up to you!  

I definitely loved it, and I cannot wait for the next one!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Good Will Hunting After Thoughts

I just got finished watching Good Will Hunting, and now I'm sitting in my room in complete silence, the TV off. It's a Friday night in New York City and I decided to stay in and relax. I cooked dinner and I knew I wanted to watch a movie of some sort. After multiple scrolls and searches I settled on Good Will Hunting, like it should do.

I hadn't seen this movie in years, I actually can't believe it's almost 20 years old. But wow, what a great movie. Everything about it is great.

I love things that touch me to my core. I love things that make my world stop, that make me think, that make me look around and REALLY look at things, and really see things. How often do you ever really look and see what's around you. To REALLY take the time to stop, think, reflect, feel… It's as if there's a funnel from the universe to my chest flowing like a rapid into my soul. Making me wonder, making me question, making me feel the deepest and most honest thoughts.

Unfortunately these moments aren't frequent. They are few and far between. Whether they are movies, people you meet, connections, something rocks you enough to stop you. That forces you to reflect and look at life. It's such a beautiful experience.

This post is somewhat random, but I had to acknowledge this moment. The moment that you wish you could drag on forever. That you could bottle up and give away to people so they can feel what you're feeling right now.

BEAUTIFUL BERMUDA!

I didn't know what to expect when arriving in Bermuda. Honestly, for some reason I had no expectations. All I knew was that it was another "beautiful place" and I couldn't wait to see how much turquoise water I could find.

MY GOD was I impressed.

We stayed at the beautiful Cambridge Beaches. This place makes you feel like you're walking around a posh exotic country club. The grounds were exquisite and everyone was so nice.

Our first night there we had dinner on the beach at the resort, it was such a beautiful experience.

So Bermuda is a small island, maybe 22 miles long. You can drive from one end of the island to the other in an hour, on a scooter! We figured that out by accident by the way, haha.

I've always said BoraBora was the most beautiful place I've ever seen. But let me tell you, Bermuda is in my top three! The water around this island is breathtaking. Beautiful turquoise water hugged every turn of this island. I was so impressed!

Each day we tried to check out a new beach. There are so many picturesque beaches!

Bermuda is the epitome of class, cuisine and beach. From fine dining to local takeout, kindness is the underlying denominator to this majestic small island. There are plenty of things to do like snorkeling, scuba diving, jet skiing, etc.

Also, you MUST try a fish sandwich, the island has a fish sandwich competition every year! Below is a picture from Woody's, a true local joint. It was amazing. But my favorite fish sandwich was from Art Mel's.

Check out this gorgeous island if you get the chance!

Food Critic: Pies n Thighs, Brooklyn NY

For months I've heard about this "soul food" restaurant "Pies n Thighs." I heard they had amazing fried chicken, amongst other things! And finally, this past weekend I was able to try it out! I was there for breakfast, so I went for the basic fried chicken sandwich, it just seemed right. And boy it was! The sandwich was covered in honey and hot sauce, what an interesting combination. I love both of these flavors, why haven't I thought of this combination before?

The biscuit was the perfect consistency, not too soft otherwise it would have soaked up all of the sauce and been soft and gooey. It was crisp enough to hold the structure of the sandwich. I was that girl wiping every bite in the flavor of the plate. Yes!

I cannot wait to go back and have the sandwich again, try the fried chicken and try their desserts! They had an amazing display of donuts and pies, Lord please help me. Can someone just handcuff me to the treadmill for half of the day!?

This place is a must see! Lines can be long on the weekends, obviously. So if you're able to hit it during the week you'll experience a shorter wait time.  I believe they do take out as well.

Walk the Brooklyn Bridge!

Finally, after eight months of living in New York City I walked across the Brooklyn Bridge! I heard this was a cool thing to do, but for some reason I never got around to it until now, and I am so happy that I did! It was truly one of the most fun experiences I've had in New York City!

My brother and his wife were in town visiting for the weekend. It was actually her first time in New York City, so I tried to pack in as many cool touristy things as I could for them, and obviously for myself! :-)

The bridge is just over a mile long. There are walkways and bike paths! But walkers beware, bikers are ruthless in this city! If you're lucky you'll hear the bike's bell "dings" as a warning sign, but worst case you may get run over or elbowed. You don't want to be that person. Try to pay attention as you're taking in the beautiful surroundings.

When visiting New York City it's important to plan your day by proximity. Where the bridge begins/ends in Brooklyn and lower Manhattan are truly special places. In lower Manhattan the bridge is fairly close to the 9/11 memorial. There are lots of things to see in lower Manhattan (9/11 memorial, China Town, Little Italy) and in Brooklyn (Brooklyn Heights and Promenade), including ferry rides along the East River!

I highly recommend this if you're visiting New York City! This exposes you to some of the most beautiful places in the city, plus this is FREE!

Street Art in Williamsburg

The street art in Williamsburg (Brooklyn) is pretty awesome! In one day you can pass by so many pieces of art, expression. It makes you smile and inspires you, and sometimes makes you laugh.  

Polkadot Library in Kenya!

Everyone, my aunt is building a library in Kenya!

She fell in love with her town when she was in the Peace Corps for two years. The information below is from her fundraising site. Please check out the links for more information, and to donate if you want to be a part of this amazing library!!  I already have!!

www.indiegogo.com/projects/the-polkadot-library-kenya
www.facebook.com/polkadotlibrary



Let’s build a library for the children of Kenya.

For two years, I lived in a quaint but lively town in Kenya called Kabarnet. The people there quickly became my family. And, simply put, my family needs a library. Children make up 47% of Kabarnet’s population—that’s about 12,000 kids. There are 20 schools in the town, but only one library. And it’s not a free library, either. We need to create a free, clean, safe place for the children of Kabarnet to get access to books. So we’re turning a shipping container into a new, well-stocked library space complete with shelves, tables, books, and computers, along with a community meeting space and a thriving garden.

To make this happen, we need to raise $60,000.

It’s a pretty big number. But it’s going to make an enormous difference in the lives of so many young children in Kenya.

Here’s where the money’s going:

DESIGNING: $3,000 - architectural design of the library and grounds
BUILDING: $34,000 - constructing the shipping container into a library
PLANTING: $2,500 - supplies to plant and grow the library’s sustainable garden
SHIPPING: $6,000 - shipping the library from Houston, TX to Mombasa
MARKETING: $3,000 - marketing and fundraising for the project
REWARDING: $3,000 - rewards: sending letters, inscribing polkadots, and more
TRAVELING: $5,000 - the team’s travel to and from Kenya
COORDINATING: $2,500 - local agent coordinating the project
LEGAL: $1,000 - legal planning, counseling, and certifications

If you donate, your kindness will not go unnoticed—or unrewarded. Check out the right rail for perks you could receive as a thank-you for your contribution.

We’re not giving up.