Recurring Series

5 Things I’m Looking Forward to Next Week

Well, it is officially my last day of work before vacation starts! On Monday, my mom and I will board the Carnival Paradise for our fourth cruise together. It’s a five-day cruise, sailing to Grand Cayman and Cozumel. We have fun excursions planned at both stops and I’m just excited to spend an entire week completely disconnected from reality, reading trashy romance novels while sunbathing, drinking fruity cocktails, and having completely new experiences.

On that note, I wanted to take time today to list five things I am looking forward to next week:

1. Fancy dinners. I was talking about cruising with a friend after I had come back from my cruise last May and she mentioned how she doesn’t like cruising because everything is decided for her, like entertainment and eating. I mean, I get it. You don’t get a whole lot of options when it comes to what you want to eat. But for me? That’s one of my favorite things about cruising: I don’t have to make any decisions! I don’t have to think about where I want to eat and then what I want to eat… I just go to the dining room at my appointed time and pick off the menu. They have a variety of options that changes nightly so I never feel bored with my choices. There are no “I don’t know, where do you want to eat?” conversations. It’s nice. Plus, the food is pretty good and the desserts are amazing. I think the only thing I don’t like about the dinners is that they seat you with other people on the ship. While you can request to have your own table, we never have. I just get very panicky about having to make small talk with strangers, but in a way, it’s very good for me to do so and be more friendly than I’m apt to be.

2. Serenity deck. Oh, my favorite part of the ship. The Serenity Deck is an adults-only deck that offers a peaceful retreat, away from the hustle and bustle of the lido deck. The deck chairs are more luxurious, the space is calm, and it feels like a true getaway. I love the Serenity deck so much, though it’s a small area of the ship so the deck chairs fill up quickly, especially on days at sea. It’s just a wonderful experience.

3. Our excursions in Grand Cayman and Cozumel. This will be our third time in each port of call, so we wanted to be more adventurous with our excursion picking. We’ve done Stingray City twice, we’ve swum with dolphins, we’ve toured ancient ruins, we’ve zip-lined, we’ve snorkeled… we’ve done it all, it seems! But we did a lot of searching, even looking at discount excursion websites to see if we could find different options somewhere else, but eventually wound up back on the Carnival website and found two fabulous excursions. In Grand Cayman, we are going parasailing (!) and then spending a few hours on the famous Seven-Mile Beach. We typically stay away from “beach escape” types of experiences, but once I got it in my head to go parasailing, I couldn’t think of anything I’d rather do! (The beach is just an extra perk!) I am really, really excited about this excursion and hopefully, the wind is calm and cooperates!

In Cozumel, we are participating in the Amazing Cozumel Race. My mom and I are huge fans of the reality show The Amazing Race and I’ve bypassed this excursion a few times. On the Carnival website, it has over 60 reviews and a 4.9 out of 5 rating. And I read through every single review and got this overwhelming feeling of, we have to do this! So we booked it and I’m equal parts nervous and excited. It involves running around San Miguel, the largest town in Cozumel. The locals get involved and it is a fun few hours of deciphering clues. At the end of the race, all the teams converge at a cantina for a post-race ceremony. Our excursions in Cozumel haven’t been the best, so I’m really hoping this one will be fabulous! It sounds like such a fun way to explore the city.

4. Disconnecting for five days. I am so looking forward to disconnecting from reality and getting away from it all. I need a break from spreadsheets and number crunching and analysis. I need time away from computers and Twitter and Instagram. I need five days where I can be completely present and in the moment, not worried about to-do lists or posts to write or workouts to complete. Just here. Present. Available.

5. That vacation feeling. Oh, you know the feeling. That feeling of release, of being free from problems that happen in the real world. That feeling of waking up leisurely and eating whatever you want. That feeling of having a drink at midday, with the sun beating hot on your face and the ocean in front of you. That feeling of experience, of getting outside and doing things that are slightly scary but bring the life back to your eyes. That feeling of not having a “to-do” list to work from or duties to adhere to. That vacation feeling… it rejuvenates me. It brings a pep back into my step. I’m so ready to experience that feeling once again.

Three more sleeps!

Categories: Recurring Series

Always, Sometimes, Never…: The Cruise Edition

I’ve always been a fan of Lisa’s “Always, Sometimes, Never…” series on her blog and thought, in honor of my fourth cruise coming up (five more sleeps!), I thought I would publish my own list – a cruise edition one!

While cruising, I always…

Get an ocean view room. The upgrade is completely worth it. I couldn’t imagine being on a ship and not being able to look outside. Waking up to the ocean stretching in front of me for miles and miles and miles is an experience I never want to miss. I need natural sunlight seeping through the curtains and to be able to watch the sunset while perched on my bed as I get ready for dinner. This is something I refuse to compromise on.

Choose an excursion through the cruise line. Look, I get it. I understand that when I book through Carnival, it’s more expensive and I can find cheaper, more authentic ways to spend my time in whatever port of call I’m at by searching around online. But I am just not at the comfort level yet of booking through a discount website. I have had nothing but good experiences with the excursions I’ve booked through Carnival and it gives me a level of safety and comfort that I need when I’m in a foreign country.

Buy the same drink, over and over again. I’m not a huge drinker and I can’t stand the taste of alcohol in most drinks but on my first cruise, I ordered a drink called the Mango Swirl. It’s half mango daiquiri and half pina colada and it is, without a doubt, the best drink I have ever had. I get it at least a few times when I’m cruising and I even drank it out of a coconut once. Oh, cruise life.

Come back to the ship at least an hour before it leaves port. I am a bit of a nervous wreck about being back on the ship on time. Obviously, you don’t want to get left behind in a foreign country so I make sure I know exactly when the ship is leaving, that my phone is displaying the correct time, and that I’m back on the ship usually an hour (sometimes earlier) before it leaves. Nobody wants to be stranded!

While cruising, I sometimes…

Buy the ship’s photos. Yes, they are crazy overpriced and cheesy, but how could I pass up a photo of my mom and I with a Rastafarian in Jamaica… or a pirate holding a sword up to my throat? While not all of the photos are worth the price tag, there are some priceless ones that are worth buying.

Check out the nightly entertainment. Some of it is incredibly cheesy, but there are some good shows that happen at night. When we have late dining (which starts at 8:15pm), it’s harder to get to the shows since they start when we’re still at dinner but there’s always something intriguing to check out! I especially love the comedy nights, as they have some fairly good comics on the ship. (Or I’m just easily entertained.) Some nights, there isn’t anything that interests us so those nights, we may walk around the ship but eventually end up going back to our room, putting on our jammies, and reading in bed. I love those nights!

Carry on luggage. Just as with flying, you can choose to carry on your luggage or let the ship handle it. This means handing it off to crew members outside the port and then waiting in anxious anticipation for your luggage to arrive at your door. Sometimes, this is within an hour of getting on the ship and sometimes it will be longer. I get really anxious about my luggage getting lost (it’s never happened, but I am a worrywart) so on our last cruise, we opted to carry on and we’re hoping to do that with this cruise. On our last five-day cruise, we grossly overpacked so I think we can manage to fit all our needs into our Grand Traveler. Fingers crossed!

Play in the casino. I’m not a huge fan of the casino and basically hate anything involved with gambling so it’s not an exciting part of the ship for me. But if there’s nothing going on entertainment-wise, or we have some time to kill before a show, we’ll go over to the casino and play the slots.

While cruising, I never…

Use the pool. I have never stepped foot into the pools on the ship. Mainly, because it’s always so crowded and filled with kids splashing everywhere. I’ve never been too impressed with the pools on the Carnival ships, quite frankly. (Though I have been on some of the older ships. I’m sure the newer ships have better pools. Right?)

Order room service. Even though it’s absolutely free and gives you the convenience of eating in your room, I have never ordered room service on a cruise. As introverted as I am, I like being out and eating from the buffet or going to the dinners and forcing myself to make conversation with my tablemates. I really have not seen a need for room service – yet!

Use the Internet. One of my favorite things about cruising (besides, well, everything) is that it’s my chance to completely disconnect and step away from technology. I have this problem with needing to be super connected all the time. I scroll through Twitter incessantly, think in 140-character thoughts, and feel as if I need to Instagram every major moment in time. I want to keep up with reading blogs and writing my own posts. My face is in front of a screen for more hours than it’s not. When I get on the ship, my phone goes on airplane moment once we start sailing. Aside from the first time I cruised, I never bring my laptop, opting to bring a journal and write out my thoughts when the moment strikes me. I rarely even use my phone, unless I want to capture a memory. I love being disconnected. The Internet will be here when I get back. There’s no reason for me to use it on my vacation.

Attend the deck parties. I have no idea what happens at a deck party. I’m not sure why I haven’t gone to a deck party on a cruise, but it just doesn’t seem like my kind of thing, you know? I’m sure it’s fun for people who like that sort of thing, but it’s not something that sounds like a good time for me. (Social anxiety, anyone?)

What is one of your “always” while vacationing?

Categories: Recurring Series

Currently…

Feeling… very apprehensive about Sunday. After much cajoling and peer pressure from my mom and her friends, I signed up to walk the Iron Girl 5K on Sunday. My mom, her friend, and I will all be walking it together and it’s her friend’s first 5K so that will be a neat experience. Plus, the race is located on Clearwater Beach so we’ll have gorgeous views, good conversations, and a pretty medal at the end! (Completely honest… I probably would not have signed up if I didn’t get a medal. I love races that give out medals for 5Ks!)

Writing… barely any fiction lately. Well, none, actually. And I’ve lost all my inspiration and motivation for fiction writing, too. I guess it’s true that the less you do it, the harder it is to jump back into it.

Reading… The Great Gatsby. It’s the April book for my book club. (I actually picked this book and pushed hard for it! Usually, I sit back and let others decide.) I read the book in 10th grade and remember liking it (and I never liked any novels I had to read for school!) so I’m excited to read it again. We made plans to see the movie when it comes out, too! Whee!

Listening… better when I’m around people. Like most people my age, I have a hard time putting my phone down but I keep seeing bloggers write about putting away the phone/laptop/tablet/whatever when they’re with people and I’m trying to do the same. It’s not always easy, but I am more intentional about it.

Eating… spaghetti, as I write this on Thursday night. Spaghetti is my go-to easy meal when I want to cook something simple, delicious, and moderately healthy. And the leftovers are the best ever!

Wishing… for a new pair of glasses. I’ve really never liked the glasses I have, so I’ve been scouring Coastal.com for something new. I really like their options and prices, so I may find myself ordering from them in the near future!

Enjoying… vacation anticipation. Just 17 days until my cruise! I can’t wait. My mom and I have been making plans, looking up excursion options, and getting all sorts of excited about our vacation.

Drinking… Mike’s Hard Lemonade. I rarely drink (and I never have drinks on hand at the house) but we bought this drink when our Favorite Georgia Family was here so I decided to break all my rules and have one on a work night. Delicious!

Learning… that I’m stronger than I think I am. We place so many limits on ourselves. Saying “I could never…” is so much easier than, “I think I can…” (Sorry to go all Little Engine I Could there.) The harder path is never the easiest, but it is the most worthwhile. I need to keep remembering that.

Missing… how I used to sleep. I just cannot sleep well lately. Weekends used to be my favorite because I would sleep in and feel so well-rested, but now I’m up by 7:30, even if I’ve gone to bed late. I’m not a fan of this!

Thinking… about what the future holds for me. Life keeps slipping past me, unnoticed. Days turn into weeks, weeks turn into months, months turn into years. And I feel so stagnant in my life. I feel like I have so much more to offer, so much more to explore, so much more to pour my heart into. But I hold myself back because of fear, loneliness, anxiety, laziness. I want more, but there are days when I just don’t want to put the time and energy into doing what needs to be done to get more.

Using… Spotify, finally. I chatted about it with a few ladies on Twitter and they convinced me to give it a try over Pandora. I’m still getting used to it and figuring out how to use it but I like what I see so far! Being able to sample entire albums and create playlists is what ultimately drew me to it.

Have you ever ordered glasses online? What’s your favorite go-to simple meal to cook at home?

// inspired by Amy

Categories: Recurring Series

Busy, Fun, Hectic, Exciting: A Weekend

This weekend was busy, crazy, hectic, and fun. I barely got any rest but I got a lot accomplished and good times were had. As much as I love weekends where I feel rested and relaxed and ready to tackle the week ahead, weekends like the one I had are really nice. A recap of sorts felt necessary.

Friday // A quiet night at home, where my mom and I picked up something from the store and then spent the night cuddled up in her bed with Dutch, catching up on episodes on some of our favorite shows such as Cougar Town, Dallas, and Happy Endings. (The fact that Happy Endings is on the verge of being cancelled breaks my heart! That shows is ridiculously funny and well-written.)

Saturday // I woke up way too early (6:30am – why, body, WHY?) so I spent some time reading blogs and writing a blog post. I got in a fabulous Best Body Bootcamp workout. I’m trying to utilize Tina’s suggested cardio routines this time around so I did her 3/2/1 interval workout and then Workout C, which was all about balance and core strength.

After that, my mom and I headed over to the baseball field to watch my nephew play t-ball. It was such a gorgeous day and all I wanted to do was bask in the sun.

After the game, my mom and I went to the mall because I had a $20 off coupon to use at Old Navy and I was on the hunt for a pair of capris. (Which was a success!) We ended our shopping date with froyo, as it should be.

And then it was time to scurry home, clean our apartment, and get ready to head over to my grandparents’ house. My favorite Georgia family came down for the weekend so we ate pizza, had dessert, and spent so much time reminiscing and laughing and just chatting about life. I love hearing stories about all my uncles and my mom (she grew up with five brothers) when they were younger. They definitely gave my grandparents a run for their money! 😉 (Also, I got lots of quality snuggle time in with my favorite baby. Can you believe she will be 6 months old on Tuesday? Crazy!)

Around 9pm, we snuck out with our favorite Georgia family (FGF?) so they could see our apartment. We had drinks and spent an easy two hours just chatting some more. (And perhaps gossiping? Perhaps.) I can feel so out of place in my family but there’s something about this family that just fits. They get us, we get them. I wish they didn’t live so far away! We are crossing our fingers they can come back down for Thanksgiving. It’s so fun having them down here!

Sunday // Another early morning, but this time for good reason: Animal Kingdom! It was a really spur-of-the-moment decision on Saturday afternoon to go, since our next few weekends will be busy and I need to use up 3 more days at the parks by early June. We decided on Animal Kingdom since I have never been there.

We stayed for about 6 hours (with an 90-minute drive to and from, we can’t stay too long because of Dutch) and managed to do quite a few things. We saw the Finding Nemo musical and the Lion King show, went on Expedition Everest (one of my new favorite roller coasters!), a dinosaur thrill ride, and a safari where we saw a slew of animals up close: giraffes, antelope, a lion, hippos to name a few! It was such a fun day and I had the best time. I’m not sure if I love Animal Kingdom more than Sea World, but it is a very close second. I still have two days left on my four-day Disney pass so I’m sure I’ll find myself at that park again.

We left a little after four, made the hour-ish trek back home, and I was sliding into a bubble bath by 6pm! Ahh, perfect!

The rest of Sunday was spent lounging: writing this blog post, writing guest posts, watching TV, and preparing myself for another week ahead.

Happy Monday! What did you do this weekend?

Categories: Recurring Series

Monthly Check-In: March/April

I’m revamping how I write my monthly wrap-up posts by using a format Jessica uses for her monthly check-in posts. I love the way she reflects back on what happened during the month and then sets three intentions for the following month. Lately, I’ve only been reflecting on how I achieved or did not achieve the goals I set for myself (and I still plan on doing that with this new format in the future), but I also think it’s helpful to remember and reflect on what happened during the month, unrelated to the goals I set.

March was a pretty average month for me. I felt all over the place with my emotions, so deliriously happy some days and so miserable on other days. It’s the ebb and flow of life, but I also believe that how we view our world and our circumstances has a major impact on our happiness. We can’t be happy all the time, but I want to try harder at being grateful for what I have and taking steps to change what is making me miserable in my life.

In March, I…

1. Booked another cruise! This was a rather spontaneous decision after my mom saw that rates for cruises in April and May for past Carnival guests had been reduced. After looking through the options, we finally settled on a 5-day cruise that leaves from Tampa on April 29. It sails to Grand Cayman and Cozumel. At first, I wanted to cruise to ports of call I haven’t been to before but the only other option was a 5-day cruise that sailed from Miami and Miami is a 5-hour drive from where I live. The Tampa port is a 10-minute drive. SO. I am so excited about our cruise! (And if anyone has any good suggestions for what to do in either port, I’m all ears. Currently, we have toured the ruins and gone zip-lining in Cozumel, and in Cayman, we have gone to Stingray City twice, swam with dolphins, and snorkled. Am I missing a MUST-DO excursion I haven’t thought of yet?)

2. Watched my nephew play t-ball. My nephew started t-ball this month and it is the cutest thing ever, to watch 4- to 6-year-olds learn how to play. There are no rules, it’s just the kids learning the basics of the game. They each get a chance to bat three times and a chance to run the bases. My nephew is the most adorable kid on the field (obvs.) and watching him entertain himself in the outfield is hilarious. And I have to give major props to the patience these coaches must have!

3. Celebrated Easter with my family. We had a small celebration this year since my grandma wasn’t feeling well enough to do anything big. My mom, her boyfriend, and I all went to church (my first time back in MONTHS!) and it felt really, really good to be back there. I have missed the worship and preaching something fierce. Later on, my brother and nephew came over and we had a fun cookout with barbecue chicken, potato salad, potato chips, baked beans, and deviled eggs. YUM!

In April, I will…

1. Eat out less. As I’ve mentioned before, I have a love affair with eating out. I don’t discriminate between breakfast, lunch, or dinner. I just really hate cooking. Picking something up or going out to eat is so much easier than staying in and cooking something from home. But in the interest of losing weight and saving money, I need to get better at eating in and getting over my fear of the kitchen. I may never become someone who loves to cook, but in the interest of changing my story, I’m sure going to try.

2. Start a daily devotional series. One area of my life that has fallen to the wayside has been my faith and more specifically, my quiet time. I plan on using a She Reads Truth series to get myself back into the habit of reading my Bible, journaling and praying.

3. Enjoy another cruise. In just four weeks, I’ll be off on my fourth cruise! I am excited to truly get away and forget about life for five whole days. It’s exactly what I need and I plan on enjoying every bit of my vacation!