day 1: two tickets to paradise.

Flying at 6am is rough.  I wrestled with two options for being at the airport by 4am:

• Option 1: Go to bed on Friday evening around 7pm and sleep til 1am.  Get up, shower and pack, leave for airport at 3:45am.
• Option 2: Come home from work, pack and clean, go to bed at a normal time (10pm) and wake up at 3am, shower and leave for airport at 3:45am.

Option 1 sounded better initially, however, I'm a VERY light sleeper.  Jeremy didn't get home from work until almost 9pm, so I knew going to bed at 7 would mean I'd wake up as soon as he came in and not be able to rest well.  We ended up with Option 2, although we didn't get to sleep until almost 11:30pm.  Waking at 3am wasn't too bad, though, knowing that in 12 hours I'd be on a tropical beach!

Our travel was not without drama, though... most people who know me know that I'm pretty organized (I am an event planner and all), but that I have terrible luck when it comes to putting plans into place!  I'm also very bad at rolling with the punches sometimes, which can make traveling a little maddening for me.  

Anyway, we boarded our flight on time-- we were flying to Dallas first, and from there to the Bahamas.  We got settled, headed out to the runway and... nothing.  After about 10 minutes of sitting, the pilot came on to tell us two systems were malfunctioning and we had been instructed to return to the gate for repairs or an equipment change.  I immediately started getting anxious, because no one wants to fly on a broken plane and because our layover time in DFW really only allowed us about an hour of flexibility before we'd miss our connection.  Our connection, of course, was the only direct flight from Dallas to Nassau that day.

We returned to the gate and sat in anticipation for about 40 minutes.  We could see the mechanics working in the cockpit and eventually got the good news that we'd be able to leave soon.  We finally left the gate again, and our wheels were up about 55 minutes past our original departure.  

As we landed in DFW, we figured out we had just about 20 minutes to get to our gate.  Thankfully, the airport was laid out very efficiently and we managed to get right in line and on our flight.  Nothing like a little raised blood pressure to get vacation started!

Flying into Nassau was awesome-- I slept for about 45 minutes towards the end of the flight and woke up as we began the descent.  The water was the most awesome shade of turquoise I've ever seen, and I got so excited as we headed closer.  We hopped off the plane and into the hottest terminal I've ever been in; I guess the A/C wasn't working so well that day!  We walked for what felt like forever before reaching a few stops: first to customs where our passports were stamped, then a baggage check for our carry-on items and then we grabbed lunch before hopping into a cab.

Thelma, our cabbie, welcomed us to Nassau and drove us into Cable Beach.  I had forgotten that the Bahamas roads operate on a European system, so everything was reversed from what I'm used to!  The resort was only 15 minutes from the airport, and we finally arrived around 4pm.  Check-in was no problem, we were given vouchers for our two free excursions that our package included, so we made our reservations immediately.  We then headed to our room where we were greeted with a king sized bed and a balcony with a pretty awesome view.

 

We immediately freshened up from our flights, changed into our beach attire and headed down to check out the resort.  Our hotel, the Wyndham Nassau, shares its property and amenities with the Sheraton Nassau Beach, so we kind of got two hotel experiences for one!  We were able to use all the pools, hot tubs, beaches and activities at both spots-- pretty cool!  We spent some time exploring the grounds, but eventually grabbed a Bahama Mama from the beach bar and plopped into two beach chairs to watch the sun set.

We were pretty exhausted from our travels by about 7pm, so instead of going out, we ordered room service and snuggled in bed.  Part of being on vacation is getting to do things you don't normally do, right?  We munched on some pizza and chocolate cake and fell asleep early, ready to take on our first full day and our Dolphin Swim!

back to reality.

We're back, everyone!  We spent an AMAZING few days on Cable Beach, Nassau.  I truly cannot express in words how great of a trip we had-- we did so many cool things and saw some beautiful sights!  I will spend the next few entries detailing each day with a rundown of our trip and photos from our experiences.  Here is what we spent our precious days of relaxation doing...

• Saturday, 2.26: Flew from Chicago to Dallas, Dallas to Nassau.  Arrived at the hotel around 4pm.  Checked in, booked our excursions, explored the area, ordered room service for dinner and went to bed.
• Sunday, 2.27: Took a shuttle from our hotel to the Paradise Island Ferry Terminal, then boarded a boat for Blue Lagoon Island.  Spent all day on the private island, including our dolphin swim, lunch, sunning, swimming and water biking.  Relaxed around the hotel and ate dinner outside on the terrace.
• Monday, 2.28: Slept in a bit, relaxed by the pool and enjoyed the beach.  We also had fun on the water slide, played poolside bingo and swam in the ocean.  For the afternoon, we took a bus to downtown Nassau and explored some shops and sights.  We had dinner and many drinks at the ever-popular Senor Frog's, which was a BLAST!  That night, we enjoyed some serious hot tub time and swam under the stars in the heated pool.
• Tuesday, 3.1: Woke up very early to catch a shuttle to the Ferry Terminal again, this time for our trip to Allan's Cay and Ship Channel Cay.  We fed iguana's at Allan's Cay and then stingrays and sharks on Ship Channel.  Got to snorkel, had a great grilled lunch and lounged on the beach.  We were tuckered out after our all-day adventure, but headed to Arawak Cay, aka the "Fish Fry" for dinner and went to bed early (9pm!)
• Wednesday, 3.2: Went for an early morning swim, packed our goodies and headed to the airport.  We flew from Nassau to Philadelphia and then to Chicago.  After a few travel delays, we arrived home around 9:30pm.  

Look for upcoming daily breakdowns of our trip over the next few days... for now, though, here's a sneak peek at some photos!

 The view from our balcony, looking east.

Enjoying our time on Blue Lagoon Island.

The Daiquiri Shack, our favorite drink spot!

On beautiful Allan's Cay.

on hiatus.

Well, folks, we are a mere 9 hours from departure! I just finished packing and managed to get everything into carry-ons. I am a notorious over-packer, but I think I did a pretty good job this time. Jeremy has some clothes in the wash right now (he only got home from work 45 minutes ago), but hopefully he'll be all packed by 10pm and we can go to bed! We have a friend driving us to the airport, but in order to make our 6:05am flight, we'll need to be up by 3am and out of the house by 4. Can you say crabby?! Thankfully, we bought some travel neck pillows so we can catch some serious z's on our flights.

Anyway, I'm signing off until late next week. I may post some photos if I get the time, but I plan on spending as much tech-free time as I can! Have a great few days, y'all.

fashionista.

My sister dedicated her blog to me yesterday, chronicling my fashion do's and don'ts from my first thirty years.  Check out some blast from the past photos and commentary here.

What's your favorite "look" of mine from 1981-2011?  Personally, mine is the sad clown.  I clearly hated that costume (I told my mom I looked like a bag of Wonder Bread) and wasn't afraid to show it!

thirtysomething.

I officially don't turn 30 until 5:58 EST, so I'm still in my twenties for now, right?

As mentioned in a post from last week, I spent the thirty days leading to my 30th birthday recounting my favorite memories of the last decade via facebook.  It's been such a fun daily task, thinking of all the amazing people, places and things I have encountered since 2001.  Here's the complete list, all in one place!

1. 2004 – The infamous “Cocktails and Cleavage” birthday party on Franklin Street.  Commons Crew, you know what I'm talkin' 'bout.
2. 2003 – Numerous road trips from Richmond to NYC, but especially Thanksgiving and the Macy’s Parade in New York City with Michael and Rich.  Thank you for letting me sleep on your couch and experience holidays in the big city!
3. 2002 – Living in a big ‘ol house with 4 pretty amazing roommates.  Although we had our drama, the good times were GREAT.  I’ll never forget 1310 late nights with Heather, Holly, Megan and Gretchen.
4. 2006 – Crossing my fingers, marketing myself and landing a job in Chicago.  IIT has been my home for almost five years and has introduced me to so many great friends!
5. 2006 – Graduating from the University of Virginia with a Master’s Degree in Higher Education.
6. 2002 – Celebrating my parents’ 30th Wedding Anniversary.  Thank you for giving me a stable household, supporting me when I needed it most and for showing me that it IS possible to love and live with someone for life!
7. 2003 – The exploding cake incident with Meena, my BFF.
8. 2007 – Becoming an aunt.  Thank you to my sister for giving birth to the coolest kid I know.
9. 2004 – Learning that sometimes to move on, you have to move out… so that’s what I did.  Interstate 64 led me to Charlottesville and the University of Virginia.
10. 2002 – Dinner at Joe’s Inn with Amy… gold lame pants and cat ladies in training!  
11. 2002 – Becoming Information Center Manager at the VCU Student Commons, attempting to fill the larger-than-life shoes of two great Michaels.
12. 2001 – Alpha Gamma Delta.  This should really be a decade-long memory, from being a new member to becoming a Colony and Chapter Advisor.  So many of you impacted me in so many ways you’ll never know; I’m thankful every day for you!
13. 2005 – Applying to graduate school, because literally anything sounded more appealing than another day in financial aid.  Thanks to my Cville friends for helping make those days more bearable.
14. 2007 – Watching my best friend marry her perfect match in style at the University of Richmond Chapel and celebrating at the VCU Alumni House.  And then, defiling a poor R2D2 cake at the bar.
15. 2007 – Grilled Cheese Mondays at the Edgewater Lounge with the Aville contingent.
16. 2004 – The famous vacation to the Outer Banks and The Land Before Time.  Robots, fireworks, sun poisoning and seamen abounded.  Good times.
17. 2010 – Whirlwind summer vacation, featuring the wedding of Emily and Brent in Atlanta, being lucky in Las Vegas, a drive through the desert and MLB in Phoenix.  Definitely a memory-filled week of different people, places and things!
18. 2004 – Hard times in Charlottesville, VA.  I truly learned the meaning of lonely, but learned a lot about myself.  
19. 2005 – Graduate School at UVa.  Learning about a true passion, meeting great friends and classmates, and finding out that you actually CAN love what you do.  Good times in and out of class with my amazing cohort!
20. 2008 – Took a big chance and went turtle racing with a cute boy I met on the internet.  Went against my rule and kissed him on the first date-- it turned out to be a pretty solid decision. I haven’t gone a day since then without at least hearing his voice, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.  <3 you, Jeremy.
21. 2008 – Graduating from Virginia Commonwealth University with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology.
22. 2007 – Reconnecting with high school friends, especially Brooke and Louise!.
23. 2008 – Not being afraid to ask for what I wanted at work, and actually getting it.
24. 2001 – Becoming a VCU Orientation Leader and being inspired to take a good, hard look at Student Affairs as a career path.  Thank you to all my mentors for their guidance!
25. VA meets MA thanks to Angel & Meena.  Nothing says "great trip" like duckpin bowling and getting pulled over in Peabody!  
26. 2006 – Going against everyone’s advice and moving to Chicago.  All on my own, 1000 miles from family and most friends.  It’s been an adventure!
27. 2001 – Thinking a "busy" day consisted of tanning, shopping, going to one class and watching American Idol.  Oh, to be young and carefree!
28. 2007- Surviving my first huge, self-planned event at work-- I took event planners for granted before having to do it all myself.  So fun, but so exhausting!
29. 2011 - Looking back on all the memories of my twenties and beyond, and realizing how lucky I am to have so many wonderful people and things I have known and seen.
30. 2009 – Said “I love you” and never looked back. Finding Jeremy has changed my life more than he’ll ever know. I look forward to forever with that guy, he's the best!

That's all I got. I could spend an entire year talking about my favorite memories! I hope you enjoy reading them, and if you were involved in any of them, THANK YOU. Happy Birthday to me!

bahamian dreaming.

As mentioned in my previous post, we are headed to the Bahamas this Saturday.  We booked our trip in early December and have been counting down the days ever since.  I love having travel plans scattered throughout the year, as it gives me something to look forward to when times are really tough.  For example, when I was sitting in traffic this morning (1 hour and 20 minutes for my 18 mile commute), all I had to do was pull up the forecast and see this to regain my composure:

I feel like a kid on Christmas Eve.  A high school senior the day before graduation.  A mother before her child leaves for their first day of school.  That is, I'm excited, anxious and scared all at once!  I'm so focused on the trip, quite honestly, that I keep forgetting my birthday is this Thursday.  This may have been the best plan I've ever had-- distract myself from turning 30 with an amazing Caribbean vacation.  I'm so focused on packing and planning that I'm not wasting any time on worrying about entering a new decade of life!

This trip will be an adventure for us both, especially because neither of us have ever been out of the country.  Admittedly, I'm a little nervous about the ideas of being in a foreign country.  Also, as a planner, I've been driving myself a little crazy trying to learn any and every thing I can about where we're going and what to expect.  However, I have gotten good at stopping myself and remembering to enjoy it all.  We're only there for 5 days/4 nights, and have lots of plans to relax, explore and do new things.  I am most excited about our two "free" adventure packages that we received from our travel company:

• Dolphin Swim at Blue Lagoon Island : I've ALWAYS wanted to swim with dolphins, and now I'll get to do it!  We'll have about an hour in the water with the animals and then spend the rest of the day exploring their private island.
• Exuma Powerboat Adventure : This is a day-long trip where we'll travel to a few different cays.  Along the way, we'll feed iguanas, sharks and stingrays, then have lunch and go snorkeling.  This trip is the highest rated adventure I've found in the Bahamas, and I am so pumped.  I especially think Jeremy will enjoy shark feeding time!

To those of you who have been outside the US before, do you have any tips for a first-time traveler?  Even better, if you've been to the Nassau-Paradise Island area of the Bahamas before, do you have any suggestions?  We're already planning to stop by the market on our way to the hotel to stock up on drinks and snacks so we don't break the bank buying $3 bottled water on site.  Anything else you think I should know?

friday favorites.

In the spirit of other favorite blogs, I'm going to start a weekly venture: Friday Favorites!  Every Friday, I'll feature a few items, websites or tips and tricks that I love, and that you might love, too.  

This week, as we prepare for our first-ever trip abroad (we leave February 26 for a 5 day vacation to the Bahamas), I want to share with you a few of the things that have been helping us get ready!

• kayak.com : It's like google, for travel!  I love kayak because it's easy to use, organizes things however you desire, and saves searches.  It's my favorite travel site because it combines popular deal websites like expedia, travelocity and priceline all in one.  You don't book directly through kayak-- all the site does is find the best deals, and the rest is up to you.  They also offer a cool option to track the prices of flights and email you daily, so you can get the best possible deal, if you have time to wait on travel purchases.
  
• fuji finepix XP10 : Since we're headed to the beach, we decided to buy a new digital camera that we can use without fear of it being ruined by the sand and surf.  The Fuji Finepix XP10 is dust-resistant and waterproof up to 10 feet.  It should be the perfect thing to capture pictures of our underwater escapades!
  
• alligator wallet : Probably not what you expected when you clicked that link!  I'm a little paranoid about traveling outside the US and looked for a long time to find something that we can store our passports in while traveling the beaches.  The Kwik Tek Dry Pak Alligator Wallet is a good size and had great reviews on Amazon; I tried them out at home the other night and everything inside remained bone dry!
  
• googledocs : I seriously don't know how I would keep my personal or professional life organized without google!  Googledocs has been a lifesaver when managing our travel plans, from setting up a budget, payment schedule, packing list and even an itinerary for us.  At work, we use docs for EVERYTHING, from staff meeting notes to daily ticket sales forms.  If you've never used googledocs, go today and give it a try.  It's best quality is that I can access from anywhere, save my work and then pick up on another machine or location.  Comes in very handy for all that work I don't get done during the day and have to pick up at night!

Those are my faves for this Friday.  Have you ever used any of the items or websites above?  If so, what was your experience?  Do you have any tips or tricks to share with me?

Happy Friday!