I realize I haven't posted for almost 6 months, so I thought I'd give this blog a little more oomph. I'll try to be more consistent with my blogging, but a lot of other things have occupied my time lately. I know what you're thinking: Enough with the excuses! Well today's your lucky day :-) I thought it would be fun to list a few things that have made this year memorable and enjoyable so far. So in no particular order, here goes:
1. My Jam - This little number changed my listening pleasure for the better. My sweet boyfriend Josh got me one for Christmas and I was hooked from the moment it was connected to my laptop. It's wireless and my favorite part is that I can listen to my Pandora music wherever I go in my apartment. I can detach the Jam and take it to my kitchen, for example, without having to take my laptop attached to it! I love music and this was the perfect little gadget to listen to my Pandora music (ie. Prince Radio and La Bouche Radio hits ). When I'm home, I have my music on 95% of the time. Pretty much all the time. And the sound quality is not too shabby either, which is always a plus in my book!
2. Trip to Vegas
Back in March, my sweetie and I spent a weekend in Las Vegas. We stayed at Harrah's and took the Bolt Bus to get there and back. We would have flown, but by the time we started shopping around for flight deals, they got too expensive for our budget with 2 weeks left till our vacay. The ride via Bolt Bus was about $45 roundtrip per person. A steal of a deal, if you ask me! It was actually a smooth ride all the way to Vegas and back :-) Apart from spending a fun weekend with our friends, I discovered something that I know will be super useful and beautiful for my apartment. I spotted this lovely Paris souvenir cup in the shape of a hot air balloon while we were walking the strip and I just knew I wanted one! I can't believe in all the times I've been to Vegas, I had never seen one before...Ever!! It was just beautiful and made of real porcelain. I ended up getting one with a Miami Vice (Strawberry Dacquiri and Pina Colada), while my boyfriend opted for a Lemon-Tequila in a large plastic Eiffel Tower souvenir cup. The porcelain hot air balloon is beautiful as a display alone, but I'm not sure what to store in it yet. As for the Eiffel Tower, I can definitely see it being used to store coins!
3. Trip to Peru
A close friend and I went to visit my family in Peru earlier this year. It was only my second time visiting, and I had a blast! My dad was born and raised in Peru and if I could visit more, I certainly would! My family is amazing and it's wonderful to know more about my roots and spend time with my loved ones there. We stayed in Lima and the thing I remember most about this particular trip is the giant jellyfish we saw in the Pacific Ocean. It was huge!! I was a bit intimidated when we went for a dip in the ocean, because there were so many jellyfish. Everywhere! I just didn't want to be stung! Luckily, we all enjoyed a relaxing time at the beach and nobody got stung. (Whew!) It's common for the locals to serve ceviche and other seafood while on the beach, and we sure had some. Delish!
4. My Canon Camera - Major Upgrade! I have always enjoyed photography. I'm no expert by any means, but I love capturing memories in the form of pictures. My parents got me a Nikon camera as a gift when I turned 13, and I remember taking pictures at any opportunity I would get. My job in the military was a Combat Photographer and I spent almost a year training to learn the basics of photography and video (this was before digital photography was widely introduced). It was awesome! I've loved photography for so long and finally got my very first Canon DSLR just before the holidays last year. I've still got a lot to learn, but I'm enjoying the pictures I've taken with it so far. Here are some examples:
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| A cat with green eyes taken in Lima, Peru |
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| My sister Deborah, my Dad, our friend Jasmine and Me at Church |
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| A flower in Lima, Peru |
5. Chick-fil-A Calendar - I'm a big Chick-fil-A fan. It's sooooo good and for sure one of the things I miss about growing up in Georgia. I remember my high school used to serve the chicken biscuits for breakfast and I always looked forward to those Fridays! My sister got me a Chick-fil-A calendar for Christmas and it's the gift that keeps on giving, I tell ya! You activate a card that comes with it by signing up with your email. I have my calendar at my home desk and use it to jot down important appointments, birthdays, to-do's, etc. But the best part is that I have a select item to look forward to each month. This month, it's a large soda drink, but other months offer Chick-fil-A sandwiches, milkshakes and even a breakfast entree. I love it! I'm gonna have to sign up for another calendar for next year :-)
Is there anything in particular that has made your 2014 great so far? Pray tell. I'd love to hear about it in the comments below! :-)
