10 Days in Puglia

I just went on a 10 day trip to the southern part of Italy, Puglia. After a crazy rain storm in the northeast and a missed my flight from NY connection to Italy by MINUTES, but I finally made my way to Rome from Vancouver & NY via Barcelona and a few days late.
(Note to all: Fly Norse Airline does not have digital check in, so despite making it to JFK from Newark in time for boarding the check in desk was EMPTY, so I literally saw my friend but couldnt get my boarding pass)

We started the trip in Rome for a few days before heading on our road trip of Puglia where we visited:

  • Bari - largest city and port town of Puglia

    • Bari is very small and you can visit it all in a day. Aside from a major port for boat/trains, the main things to do there are shop and eat, with 1 Michelin star, 1 recommended restaurant and lots of high end designer shops

  • Pogliano del Mar - coastal beach town by the water

    • Gorgeous beaches, but they are pretty rocky vs sandy but most known for Lama Monachile Beach (Cala Porto)

    • Boat and cave tour is a must here!

  • Monopoli - coastal beach town

    • Great town to walk around and have some seafood

  • Fasano - olive tree town

    • In Fassano, you can stay at a masseria, which now are more of resorts where you can get some much needed R&R. You can learn now olive oil and cheese are made at some of them!

  • Alberobello - known for the trulli style of architecture, which reminded me of some of the Smurf homes

    • You can check out some of the architecture and a few of shops for souvenirs and my favorite - gelato!

  • Matera - old town located within the caves and rocks of the ruins

    • Very cool to see how people lived in the past in some of the cave dwellings, many of which have been turned into shops and restaurants now. There is not much shade, so be sure to bring a ton of water and sunscreen before you start your trip!

  • Lecce - 2nd largest city in Puglia, known for a lot of their limestone buildings, with many pretty churches and even a mini coliseum

    • Great city to explore the local and historical architecture and delicious food!

Each of these towns had their own personas and brought something unique and special.

If you plan to make a trip out there, I would recommend renting a car, so you can drive around and see things at your own pace - however it was a bit tricky to drive down the narrow streets, especially at night in the more rural areas.

A Week in Vegas

Is a week in Vegas too much? If you stay on the strip… yes!

Exploring the Valley of Fire

My friends and I went on a girls trip to Vegas for the long weekend! It was a lot of fun, but just hitting the max of how long you should be in Vegas.

Here’s a rundown of the highlights of all the fun things we did! Feel free to reach out if you need any recs!

Vegas Highlights

  • Vegas Strip

    • Water Fountain Show at Bellagio

    • Lava Show at the Mirage

    • Conservatory Garden at the Wynn

  • Valley of Fire

  • Restaurants & Bars

    • Superfrico

    • Toca Moderna

    • Jessie’s BBQ

  • Casinos

    • Black Jack & Craps - I lost more than I would’ve liked , but at least I had a fun time doing it!

Day 1 - Arrival Day

Wynn

Loving all the decor for Chinese New Year

  • Flight from JFK to LAS
    My friends, Diana, Imen, and I few in on a late flight after work from JFK to LAS.

  • Check in at the Aria Resort & Hotel
    The entire hotel was decked out for Chinese New Year, which in absolutely LOVED!!! In hunger upon arriving so late, we checked out the mini bar, you would not believe how much a bottle of water and a rice krispy treat cost… the prices were $25 & $12.50, respectively - how crazy is that?!

  • Dinner at In-N-Out
    A trip to the west coast and late night cravings aren’t complete without a trip to In-N-Out and my double double did not disappoint! I did have to hold off on the milkshake at that hour though 😆

Day 2

  • Lunch at Din Tai Fung
    I had always heard great things about Din Tai Fung and it was right next to the lobby of our hotel, so we had to try it! The food was pretty tasty, however coming from NY and being Chinese, I did feel like it was a bit overrated and I’ve had better. Am I happy I tried it - yes, would I go again… likely not

  • Hello Kitty Cafe at Fashion Show Mall
    We were exploring Vegas and stumbled upon the Hello Kitty Cafe at the mall, it was SO CUTE and PINK! If there were ever a cafe that described me, this was it! I was also pleasantly surprised how yummy the Hello Kitty cupcake was!

  • Dinner at Jessie Rae’s BBQ
    My friends and I decided to get off the strip and go to a local must go to spot and ended landed at Jessie Rae’s BBQ for dinner. When we first arrived, it seemed like we were in the middle of nowhere outside a dimly lit restaurant, but this was it. We had taken a 15 min Uber, so we had committed. My friend Diana and I split the a 3 meat platter and went with the Brisket, Baby Back Ribs & BBQ Chicken with Tater Tots. The food was AMAZING 🤤, some of the best BBQ food I’ve had and definitely want to return next time I’m in Vegas! We met an older couple, who frequent Vegas for trade shows and this is their go to spot, where they even know the owners.

Day 3

  • Brunch at the Henry
    Imen and I got a yummy brunch at the Henry in the Cosmopolitan. I had a very tasty truffle fried chicken sandwich - Vegas is delivering on food!

  • Pool Day!
    Diana was working today since she started a new job, so Imen and I decided to hit the pool, despite the 50 degree weather. We were happy to learn that the pool was heated (as was the hot tub), ironically the life guards were dressed in parkas while we were in our bikinis! 🤣

  • Dinner at Sen of Japan
    We met up with my friend Paul who is a pro-poker player in Vegas for omakase at Sen of Japan. The sushi was great and the staff was super nice. Not sure if this is a Vegas thing, but interestingly enough, we noticed that their omakase had a bit more cooked dishes than you would ever find at omakase in NYC.

  • OPM at the Cosmopolitan
    After we finished dinner, we headed over to the Cosmopolitan with Paul, his girlfriend Lindsay and his friend Henry to see OPM, which their friend Patrick happened to be one of the performers - a juggler!
    The show very raunchy and a lot of fun! The show was a raunchy variety show with a space theme.

  • Drinks at the Chandelier
    After the show, we wen to drinks at the Chandelier and were joined by Patrick, who also happens to be one of the top jugglers in the world! It turns out he peaked as #2 in the world the same year I peaked as Miss NY 😅
    Imen also tried an interactive drink, which involved eating a berry that will alter the taste of the drink (and make your tongue tingly)

  • Clubbing at the Jewel
    Next, I took Imen to her first club in Vegas, Jewel. Thank you to our new promoter friend Regan for hooking us up! (Message me if you want his contact information)

Day 4

  • Day trip to the Valley of Fire
    Vegas is a desert, so we decided to take a day trip to the Valley of Fire. We figured we should probably check out what else Vegas has to offer aside from shows, food and gambling, and you can only spend so much time on the strip as a tourist…
    The Valley of Fire was GORGEOUS! There were all different colored mountains and formations, there were even hieroglyphics on one of the old rocks!

  • Lunch at Eataly
    When we returned we took a little break and went to Eataly and met up my friend Antonio, who is the head pizza chef and an international pizza award winner!

  • Dinner at China Poblano by José Andrés
    We checked out China Poblano a Mexican and Chinese fusion restaurant. The food was OK, not sure I would recommend or go again. However, I will say the terra cotta soldier chocolate mousse dessert was fun to eat - you needed to break him open (like a chocolate bunny), to get to his insides and eat him!

  • Drinks at Toca Moderna
    This was Diana’s last night in town, so we had to do it big - we went to Toca Moderna, which may be my favorite spot for drinks in Vegas. In addition to an awesome cocktail menu, while we were sitting at the bar, we saw a fire eater aka a woman on the bar just eating and playing with fire. But back to the drinks, Diana and I both got some really cool and tasty drinks that were lit on FIRE! 🔥🔥🔥 I am by no means a pyromaniac, but they were pretty cool! We topped off the night with good vibes, good music (that DJ was on fire, metaphorically speaking this time) and a churro ice cream sandwich!

Day 5

  • Hello Kitty Cafe Truck
    Diana did not make it to the brick and mortar Hello Kitty Cafe, but our hotel was very close to the truck version, so we headed there for breakfast! Crazy enough, there was a long line for this cafe and barely one at the actual cafe.

  • Drag Brunch at Hamburger Mary’s
    We had brunch at Hamburger Mary’s off the strip. Sadly, I was disappointed by the caliber here, I think coming from NYC and the Vegas Strip to this local show, it just did not compare and the food was subpar and gave me a stomach ache.

  • Playing Tourist on the Strip

  • Dinner at SOL Mexican Cocina
    We couldn’t decide where to get dinner and ended up SOL, which was actually a great choice! We all loved our entrees and had happy bellies!

  • Absinthe
    Absinthe, what can I say about Absinthe… before even leaving NY, 3 of my friends from differ parts of my life all recommended to see Absinthe, in addition to a guy from Vegas on my dating apps. With all these recommendations we decided we had to see it. My boss described it as Magic Mike meets Cirque Soleil - after seeing it I would say it is more of a Magic Mike meets a raunchy variety show.
    The show was even MORE raunchy than OPM and had a lot of wonderful acts from acrobats to sword eaters. I came to learn from our new friend Patrick that they are owned by the same group and that he had actually developed and sold the rights for the juggling act in the show!
    If you go to Vegas and have done the typical shows, I would highly recommend seeing Absinthe

  • Clubbing at XS

Day 6 - Final Day

  • Knights Hockey Game at the T-Mobile Arena
    This was my first EVER hockey game, it was so much fun! The Knights and their fans really make the game and ambiance so much fun! I was sad they did not win their home game, but was so much fun!

  • Dinner at Superfrico
    Superfrico is a speakeasy Italian restaurant next to where the OPM theater is in the Cosmopolitan. I just love Italian food, but little did I know, they would also have performers to the style of OPM performing little acts throughout our meal!

  • Flight home LAS > JFK

First time Exploring Atlanta

Lunch at Ladybird Atlanta

First Photo in Atlanta at Ladybird

This past week I was in Atlanta for work, luckily I had the opportunity to fly in a day early to explore all Atlanta had to offer AND have some yummy southern food!

On Sunday, I landed around noon, got to the hotel and immediately hit the ground running in search of some southern food for my first official Georgian meal!

Shrimp & Grits at Ladybird

I found myself at Ladybird, which is a cute outdoor spot for food and drinks. At Ladybrid, I had some true southern Shrimp & Grits and Fried Okra, which was DELICOUS!!!

After a late lunch, I headed to Ponce City Market, where I met up with a former AMEX co-worker and explored Ponce City Market, explored the Atlanta Beltline and then e-scootered to Piedmont Park and then got some yummy food at Bettlecat, where my current coworker and new boss met up with us!

  • Ponce City Market is cool hangout spot with some shops and a large food court. I tried some doughnuts from Five Daughters Doughnuts, which were like cronuts, but with so many more flavors!

  • Atlanta Beltline is similar to the NYC highline, it is a 22 mile pedestrian rail park that will take you throughout the city

  • Piedmont Park is one of Atlanta’s most famous parks and often has events happening and vendors selling food and products

  • Beetlecat - was a cute spot we went to for dinner, they had really great seafood!

  • Lingering Shade - outdoor patio on the Beltline for cocktails and appetizers

The office, located in Midtown Atlanta, was the quintessential startup office, with free food, coffee and BEER on tap, as well as tons of free snacks and CHAMPAGNE in the fridge, but the best part was all of the DOGS in the office! As much as I love NY, the Atlanta office hands down beats the NY office!

Some other fun spots the team and I ended up at were:

  • Two Urban Licks - this was a great spot with live music and a cute cocktail bar inside and the outdoor space is right on the beltline, not to mention they had delicious food!

  • South City Kitchen - this spot was recommended to my team and I by a coworker, the food was good, however the fried chicken did not live up to our expectations, however the FRIED GREEN TOMATOES were delicious (and this is coming from a girl who was very skeptical about even ordering them)!

I did not know what to expect coming to Atlanta for the first time, honestly I had very low expectations - and let me say - Atlanta, you blew my expectations OUT OF THE WATER!

I had an amazing time and cannot wait to come back again!

Last Day in TLS

Today is my last day in Travel & Lifestyle Services (but not at AMEX). Traveling across the globe these past few years working with 7000+ colleagues in 23 markets across 16 time zones has been an amazing experience! ✈️

TLS is a magical place and I have learned a lot and made so many great memories. I will never forget the great times we have shared from NYC to Toronto to London to Sunrise to Phoenix to Mexico City to Cancun & more. ✨

I have truly enjoyed working with you all and will miss you! You have become more than just co workers & I am grateful for you all, there are too many of you to name. I could not have asked for a better team.

Thank you for everything! ❤️

If you ever find yourself in NY, do not be a stranger! 😉

NOLA Bars & Experiences

In NOLA, the girls and I went to explore quite a few local and toursity bars. Here are some of the bars & local activities we explored!

Live Jazz

The Maison - Live Jazz Music & Bar

The Maison is my new favorite bar for live jazz music, located in the French Quarter. This bar is located a bit off the main touristy spot, Bourbon Street and more of where locals go for night life. I saw the best brass jazz band, the City of Tress Brass Band! The vibes were very chill and we were able to get a table near the front, which was nice as it was near the front but we also had the option to go on the dance floor.

Preservation Hall - Live Jazz Music Performance

Preservation Hall is a jazz music venue, where we watched a jazz show. The band was very seasoned and had even played and recorded with Eric Clapton! The show was great, and the band were very impressive. One thing to note that we did not realize is that Preservation Hall is purely a music venue, the venue is a small room with wooden benches and there are no drinks or anything allowed in the shows.

The Jazz Playhouse - Live Jazz Music & Burlesque

The Jazz Playhouse at the Royal Sonesta has a burlesque show with live jazz music. The show was OK, I have seen a better shows in NYC, however they also cost a lot more - I guess you get what you pay for. It was a good event to attend for an occasion such as a bachelorette, however I am not sure if I would attend otherwise. The main performer and producer was fantastic, however the other performers were ok. They made sure to be inclusive and interacted with the big parties and let Jayme showcase her burlesque skills.

Wine

Bacchanal

Bacchanal is an outdoor wine spot, with a backyard patio kind of vibe. They have a shop in the front of the venue where you can purchase bottles of wine and select cheeses that they will put into a cheese plate for you! Depending on when you go, they may also have a live band playing on the stage. There is also an indoor space with a balcony if you want to watch from up above.

Bars

Carousel Bar at Hotel Monteleone

The Carousel Bar at Hotel Monteleone is very cool, it is an actual rotating carousel. You sit around the carousel and move around the bar. Depending on the timing the hotel may also have live jazz music in the main room. If you want to guarantee a seat, I would suggest going when the bar opens. However given the impact of Hurricane Ida, the bar and all of NOLA was pretty empty.

Lafitte’s is the oldest bar in the US, with parts of the building dating back to 1722. Lafitte’s is known for their Voodoo Daiquiri, aka Purple Drink, which is a grape frozen slushy like drink. At night, they have live music played on the piano in the back area of the bar. It is rumored that the bar is haunted and Lafitte comes to look after the bar as well as hit on women in the bathroom - HAHAHAHA.

Pat O’Brien’s

Pat O’Brien’s is known for their Hurricane, is a bright red drink full of a lot of different liquors. What’s great about Pat O’Briens is they have a nice outdoor courtyard, which is great for large groups!

French 75 Bar

French 75 is a cute French inspired bar with a James Beard Award and ranked Top 5 in the country! This is a great spot for a drink before of after dinner. They have a lot of nice cocktails, including the French 75, which is their signature cocktail.

Check out some of the yummy restaurants and cafes I visited here!

NOLA Eats

I had a lot of delicious food while I was out in New Orleans. I thought I’d dedicate a blog post just for all the yummy restaurant I ate at while I was there!

Dinner

Restaurant Revolution

Restaurant Revolution has a modern steak house vibe with excellent service and food. We had our own room in the back and 2 people servicing us. Some of my favorites for the night were the crab beignets, death by gumbo, the seared scallops and all of the desserts!

Arnaud’s

Arnaud’s has a classic, old school steak house vibe. The food was great, my favorites were the potato soufflé appetizer and the bananas foster dessert - can someone please recreate the potato soufflés for me? For my entrée I got the filet mignon which was also tasty, but was less unique than the other dishes.

Costera

At Costera the table opted in for the chef’s tasting menu, which was a blind tasting menu, aka dealers choice, and only cost $55! All the dishes that were brought out were FANTASTIC! Some of the highlights were scallops, paella, steak and all the desserts! Costera is an Uber ride away from the French Quarter, but definitely worth it!

Brunch/Lunch

Napoleon House

Napoleon House has a very old school European ambiance and a nice outdoor back patio where we ate. This is a great spot for lunch, we had some very carb heavy, but tasty appetizers including a spinach artichoke dip, cheese platter and bruschetta. However, what was the true winner of the meal was the alligator po’ boy!

Café Amelie

Café Amelie is a cute garden vibe brunch spot in the French Quarter, with some light breakfast/brunch options. We got salads, breakfast sandwiches and short rib with cornmeal pancakes.

Sylvain

Sylvain is also a nice outdoor brunch spot, a bit smaller outside area than Café Amelie. Their menu was a lot more southern based, known for their fried chicken. I loved the cornmeal pancakes, parmesan fries and chicken and waffles.

Cafes

Café du Monde

Café du Monde is a staple beignet spot in New Orleans, so you know I had to stop there! For those of you who do not know what a beignet is, it is a piece of delicious fried dough covered in powdered sugar. Beignets make a great snack for the morning, afternoon or evening. Café du Monde really streamlined the process, I was able to walk up to the window, get my order and grab a seat! A must do if you go to NOLA!

And if for some reason you are unable to make it to Café du Monde while you are in the French Quarter, they also have a location at the airport, right near the security check. You know I got 2 orders on my way home to NY!

Check out some of the NOLA Bars and live jazz venues I visited here

First trip to Napa

Today my friends and I took a road trip to Napa for some wine tasting! This was my first trip to Napa, we decided to go t a few wineries to get variety of samplings.

I learned a lot about why Napa is so famous for wine. Apparently the soil and climate in Napa is one of the most sustainable for growing the grapes needed for the wine. Thank you Matt & the man at the Rutherford Hill Winery for the learning moment!

Here are the wineries we went to:

Rutherford Hill Winery

Family owned winery off the beaten path with what is known to be best picnic spot in Napa

This was my first wine tasting and I was very happy with the selection - the wines here had nice fruity notes and were quite tasty. The outdoor setting was really relaxing and a perfect way to end the work week!

V. Sattui Winery

Voted 2020 Winery of the Year by San Diego International Wine & Spirits Challenge & Monterey International Wine Competition

We came here for a lunch picnic, the food did not disappoint! I ordered some Shrimp and Chicken Salad, which was delicious!

Priest Ranch Winery

A small tasting room for a much larger conglomerate owned by the family

The tasting room here was very cute and modern, however the wines were a bit more dry than what I like.

This trip, we went to 2 wine tastings - one at Rutherford Hill Winery and one at Priest Ranch Winery. Of the two, wineries Rutherford Hill was the clear favorite all around from the wine & hospitality to the gorgeous property and views.

Santa Cruzing - Week 1

Wow, what a week! This is my first time to Santa Cruz and Josh did not disappoint, he gave my friend Diana and I quite the tour of Santa Cruz this past week! Let me share a recap all the fun things we did our first week in Santa Cruz!

August 13 - Arrive in Santa Cruz

  • 1st stop… In -N-Out
    I ordered a Double Double & strawberry milkshake, what more do you need? 😋

August 14

  • Downtown Santa Cruz
    The downtown is a few blocks long, with few local shops, no big names and lots of restaurants and local performers playing on the sidewalks

  • Lighthouse State Park
    This is such a cute local dog park, perfect for Josh’s dog Ivy!

  • Hiking at the Land of Medicine Buddha - Soquel, CA
    We visited the Land of the Medicine Buddha and hiked the 5.6 mile trail in the Redwood Forest! The trail was a lot of fun, we went throughout the Redwood Forest and came upon some Buddhist relics along the way.
    The day before Josh had kept talking about signs and how they manifest themselves. Earlier that day, Diana had wanted to buy Pokémon socks, but dropped them along the way and sadly did not. If you look at shrine photo, there is a pokeball… if that is not a sign, I don’t know what is!!

  • Dinner at in the West End at West End Tavern
    I met Josh’s sister for the first time, after knowing him for 6 years!


August 15

  • Santa Cruz Farmer’s Market - local farmers and artisans selling their produce and goods with some live local music

  • Tamales & Pan Dulce at El Rosal Bakery
    This bakery had a HUGE variety of different types of pan (spanish for bread), they were all so pretty and tasty! They rate themselves for having the #1 tamale in town, they were not my #1 but pretty tasty!

  • Santa Cruz Wharf

    • Drinks at Makai Island Kitchen & Groggery
      This cute Hawaiian restaurant is super cute with fun decor and drinks! While sitting at the bar, my friends & I thought we were going crazy, but the entire back room rotates! If you go, I recommend getting a fun drink and sitting at the bar in that room!

  • Santa Cruz Boardwalk - boardwalk rides, games and boardwalk food!

  • Capitola - cute part of town with cute shops and restaurants

August 16

  • Dinner at The Crow’s Nest - cute little spot for Happy Hour at Twin Lakes State Beach overlooking the beach

  • Drinks (and open mic nite) at MeloMelo Kava Bar
    We downtown with the intention of getting cookies and ended up at this Kava bar, not realizing that it was not an alcohol bar but a kava bar. For those of you who don't know what kava is, it is a psychedelic root that literally means “intoxicating pepper.” According to WebMD, “kava contains substances called kavapyrones. They act much like alcohol on your brain, making you feel calm, relaxed, and happy. The plant is also thought to relieve pain, prevent seizures, and relax muscles.”

  • Cookies from Pacific Cookie Company
    The sweet aroma of cookies fills the store as soon as you walk in, there is a fun variety of cookies, my favorite was the “Almond Joe” - a twist of your classic chocolate chip cookie with nuts and coconut shreds, yummy! This reminded me of Diddy Reese cookies in Westwood, CA, however more flavors and the option of ice cream from local ice cream company, Marianne’s!

August 18

  • Hiking at Fall Creek State Park at Henry Cowell Redwoods Park in Felton, CA

August 19

  • Bonfire at Black Point Beach in Twin Lakes State Beach
    This was my first bon fire at the beach, it was COLD, but so much fun!

  • Matt & Lisa Arrive from NJ
    We had a few more friends arrive

August 20

That’s it for week 1 in Santa Cruz! Stay tuned for what we do in week 2 and please share any recs you may have on things to do and places to see!

Santa Cruz, here I come!

I’m headed off to Santa Cruz for some R&R, self reflection, destress and detox from my recent breakup and most importantly FUN!

Santa Cruz

I realized I have not really taken a real vacation since the pandemic started. My last trip this past April was a bit of a staycation, my friends who I was with were working most of the time, as was I, so did not have a full vacation. This trip will be similar in regards to working while I am there, but I am planning to take off on Friday and with a different mindset and goal in mind to relax.

It should be an interesting trip, my friend Diana and I will be going and staying with old co-worker Josh, who graciously offered to let us stay with him. A friend from my recent past and friend from my current day. Josh has taken a more spiritual path since he moved back to Santa Cruz from NYC a few years ago, I am hoping he can share some of his insights with me.

After my break up, I was in a bit of shambles to say the least, but it has been over a month since the initial conversation we had, and while I am not 100% better, I am in a better place with where I am in regards to everything. All of my friends have told me, to focus on myself during this time, so I am hoping this trip will also give me more insights into myself and what I want and need.

Please feel free to share your stories and journeys, I would love to hear them!

Global Summit in Florida

TLS Global Servicing Leaders

Group Shot of the TLS Senior Leadership Team & Market Heads

This week I was in Florida planning and hosting a Global Market Head Summit for the Travel & Lifestyle Services (TLS) Division of American Express. I had 28 colleagues from across the globe come together to speak about best practices and leadership about the global servicing for TLS.

The 3 day summit was one of my first big projects I have taken on as Manager of Strategy & Business Planning aka Chief of Staff of the entire global organization AND the first time a global event like this had been held. In fact, many of the team had not met one another in person, which added to the impact and influence this event could bring. This conference was very high stakes and high pressure as it overlapped and followed the senior leadership team conference of my company - however I thrive in pressure and was up for the challenge!

Menu from our joint team dinner I planned at Shooters!

The Summit was a lot of work, but it was worth it and we managed to accomplish and learn a lot from one another. It was great to meet everyone and eye opening for the team to have a true global perspective in person.

While I can’t say what we discussed some global takeaways I would like to share for global teams:

  • Meeting in person vs online can really unite a team

  • What may work in one country may differ in another, keeping a global perspective is key

  • You are not alone, a challenge you have may be shared globally

After many late nights and hours, I am happy to say the event was a success! A 9.3/10 according to my survey, I’ll take it for my first global event! If anyone needs an event planner, let me know!

Sunset in Sunrise, Florida - Not a bad way to end my time in Florida!

Sunset in Sunrise, Florida - Not a bad way to end my time in Florida!

Little Havana Food Tour in Miami

IMG_1477.JPG

During my vacation in Miami, I wanted to more than just your typical beach and party routine.  After seeking out some recommendations from my new friends from Sunrise, Florida, my friend and I decided to take a food tour with Miami Culinary Tours.  They had a few tour options, but decided the Little Havana Food tour, would give us a new cultural tour in addition to some yummy Cuban Food!

Stop 1 - El Pub Restaurant

FullSizeRender.jpg

Stop 1 of the food tour was at El Pub restaurant, they are best known for their beef empanadas & coffee, which exactly what we had and a great way to start the tour!  For those of you who do not know, an empanada is basically dough filled with something, such as beef.  Variations of empanadas exist in many different cultures, such as calzones and dumplings.  I also learned about the "colada," which is a Cuban coffee that is mean to be shared (you should not have a full cup, but rather a small little shot, the size of a creamer).

 
FullSizeRender.jpg

Stop 2 - Cuba Tobacco Cigar Co.

Next we headed to the Cuba Tobacco Cigar Factory, where we learned how cigars were made and got to see it first hand.  Fun Fact - The owner of this factory was actually imprisoned for 20 years prior to starting this factory and was sitting on the couch in the front of the store.

 
FullSizeRender.jpg

Stop 3 - Domino Park

Domino Park is where all of the seniors go to play, you guessed it... dominos!  The park is a social club and the place to be during teh day for dominos and chess (but gambling is not allowed). Don’t forget to bring your ID, because they will card you!

 
IMAGE.JPG

Stop 4 - Old's Havana

We then headed lunch at Old Havana, where we had a delicious Cuban sandwich & croquette.  A cuban sandwich consists of pernil (one of my favorites!), ham, pickle and cheese, croquettes are basically fried sticks of food, usually consisting of potato.

 
IMG_1572.JPG

Stop 5 - Ball & Chain

We migrated to some live Latin music at Ball & Chain for some refreshing mojitos!  Ball & Chain is definitely one of the most lively places in Little Havana, with a fantastic live band in the front of the restaurant and a pineapple theme!   They also have a nice little patio area in the back, this may have been my favorite spot on the tour - I will definitely be back next time I am in Little Havana!

 
IMAGE.JPG

Stop 6 - Yisell Bakery

On to Yisell Bakery for some guava filled pastries (pastelitos).  This little hole in the wall bakery, looked kind of small and run down, but had some great pastries, bread and was very busy with locals. The bakery was crowded in the middle of the day while we were there, which says a lot about a place.

 

Stop 7 - Los Pinarenos Fruteria

IMAGE.JPG

This fruit stand has a variety of fruits that you would not find at your local grocery store, here you can find giant avocados, green plantains, lady fingers (baby bananas), dragon fruit, star fruit and fresh mangos to name a few!  Here we had a very fresh mango smoothie, which you could tell was made right on the spot, I could definitely use another one in this heat! 

Fun Fact: this is one of the only open air fruit stands left standing AND was featured in some movies.

 
IMAGE.JPG

Stop 8 - Azucar

Time for dessert!  For the final stop of the tour we headed to Azucar for some mantecado ICE CREAM topped with guava syrup! This shop was created by a local who saw the need to create a place for tourists to enjoy the local culture, thus Azucar was born!

 

Along the tour, we saw many roosters, both statues and real ones, very depicting of islands in general.   

Needless to say my friend and I were STUFFED by the end of this tour.  I would definitely recommend taking this tour if you want to learn about the culture, while stuffing your face!

Toronto in July

IMG_9852.JPG

Earlier this week, I traveled to Toronto, Canada on my first work trip... ever!  It was a great experience and I learned a lot about my new team, Travel & Lifestyle Services (TLS).  I had not been to Toronto since the North American Debate Championships (Northams) in January 2010 at York University.

My boss and I were only there for 1.5 days, so needless to say it as pretty jam packed with meetings during this market visit.  However, I was able to find some time to catch up with one of my MBA grad school friends who recently started working for AMEX in Canada!

IMAGE.JPG
IMG_0121.JPG

During my stay, I stayed at the Shangri-La Toronto, a very swanky 5-star hotel chain with a gorgeous pool.  The room was so spacious, bathroom alone could have been a small studio apartment in NYC, which included a hot tub and TV built into the mirror.  The hotel concierge even left me a nice handwritten note and left me pound cake loaf to welcome me to the hotel.  I would definitely love to stay there again, can I afford it is the question!

 “Big Ass Steak” at Baro in Toronto

 “Big Ass Steak” at Baro in Toronto

After Day 1, all of the managers+ went to a team dinner at Baro, a delicious Mexican restaurant in downtown Toronto.  The food here was DELICIOUS and the menu had some great names of dishes.  My favorite dishes on the menu were the steak and the the tacos, but the most amusing dish names were "Big Ass Steak" and “Eat Like Jefe!” 

CN Tower

CN Tower

On the way back to the hotel from Baro, we had a great view of one of Toronto's most popular attractions, the CN tower.  For those of you who know me know I had to stop and take a photo. My new boss surprisingly followed suit and took a photo on Snapchat to send to his children.

The next day was filled with back to back meetings starting at 8:30 AM to 4 PM, which I then headed to the airport for my flight - delayed about 5 hours...  However, on my flight home, I sat next to someone who taught me a bit about meditation and turned about to be a new friend!

Can't wait for my next trip!

My First Work Trip!

New Role, New Team & New Country!

IMAGE.JPG

On my first day in my new role in Travel & Lifestyle Services (TLS), I was able to take a business trip to Toronto, Ontario for a site visit with my new boss.  (Do not worry I did not relocate to Canada)  I would be lying if I said I was not a bit intimidated to be travelling with my boss my first few days on the job - what would I talk to him about, would we get along or would I do something silly or embarrassing in front of him?  Thankfully all of these concerns were mostly in my head as I think I hopefully made a good impression.

The trip was very quick as we had landed on Monday afternoon, around 2:30 PM, due to delays, and left by end of day on Tuesday, less than 48 hours later.  However, even in this short period of time I was able to learn a lot.  I was able to:

  1. See how senior leaders at my company thing
  2. Listen to a call into the call center from the view of a Travel & Lifestyle consultant
  3. Hear the mindsets of what is and is not working and how senior leaders viewed these matters
  4. View the company from an international perspective
Team Dinner at Baro in Toronto, Canada

Team Dinner at Baro in Toronto, Canada

As part of TLS, the team creates, fosters and manages the relationships with some of the most high end hotels, including the Shangri-La hotel where I had the pleasure of staying and Baco where had dinner on Monday night.  While we were at dinner, we learned it was the regional VP’s birthday, so of course we had to celebrate while we were there!

Sadly, while I did not have any time to explore, but I did get a much better understanding of my new team, TLS.  I excited for my new role and what the future may hold!

Check out my next post for a lifestyle focus on my trip to Toronto and stay tuned for more of my travel adventures! (Hopefully)

 

Happy July!

Waikiki Beach, Hawaii

Happy July!!! 🎉

Who’s ready for some R&R beach weather? 🏖 I know I am! 😎

What do you have planned for the summer? 

In June, I took a weekend trip to Montauk in the Hamptons for my friend’s Birthday. I had a wonderful time celebrating and hitting the beach! 

This upcoming weekend, I will be headed to Vienna, Virginia for a high school friend’s wedding! I can’t wait to celebrate this momentous day with them! 

 

 

Motivation Monday w/ the Eagles

IMG_5500.JPG

Congratulations to the Super Blow LII Champions the Philadelphia Eagles!!!

If this journey does not scream MOTIVATION MONDAY, I do not know what does!  The Eagles have come a long way as underdogs to Super Bowl Champs and it has been a long time coming (at least that is what my co-worker tells me).

IMG_2492.JPG

In honor of the Eagles winning the Super Bowl last night, here is a shot from my photoshoot in Philly with Bill of Echelaeus Inc! 

I was actually in Philly for a charity fundraiser for New Leash on Life USA.  New Leash on Life, also a great Motivation Monday related non-profit, works to both save the lives of dogs at shelters by placing them with inmates, which in turn gives the inmates a chance at redemption, helping both the dogs and the inmates.  It was a very moving cause.

But enough about football, what motivates YOU?

My goals & motivations this month are to:

  1. Go to the gym more
  2. Get more sleep
  3. Just focus on being a better me

Share your motivations in the comments!