Pura Vida

Where do I begin? My trip to Costa Rica was amazing. There's nothing greater than being greeted by the sun. Every day at 5am I watched the sun rise, taking advantage of the quiet and stillness of the early morning filled with gratitude. Bright eyed and bushy tailed I was anxious and ready to start each day early to explore. We traveled an hour away from the airport to a boutique hotel right outside of the beach town of Jaco. The hotel sat amidst the rainforest at the top of a mountain. We had an incredible view of the ocean with excellent service and delicious food. The seafood was fresh and soo good. Jaco is a very tranquil and remote location. So if you're looking to really unplug yourself from the rest of the world this is the place to go. Everyone we met greeted us with a smile. The country's motto pura vida "pure life" was evident in everyone we met. Most of our days were spent relaxing by the infinity pool and the private beach running into people from all over the US. I also rode a horse for the first time and I was so terrified. I definitely stepped out of my comfort zone. My horse "Cricket" had a mind of his own, just like me, but I was able to steer the reigns gracefully. But we made it up the mountain, to the waterfall, and back safely.  It was another great experience to add to the books, and I would definitely go back again. 

xoxo

Victoria

Cruisin'

"I think you travel to search and you come back home to find yourself there."

-Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

This has been an AMAZING summer so far! I've already had so much fun going to local events in the DC area and I just got back from an awesome vacation! My mom says "you're always on the road!" Well this time I was flying in the air and cruising the ocean. I turned off my phone and took a break from the world while on a cruise for 5 days. The cruise stopped in Jamaica and the Grand Cayman Islands. The views at each place were breathtaking and the water was the perfect shade of blue. There's nothing like eating and drinking 24 hours a day while bonding with close friends on a huge ship. Jamaica was irie! I met some of the friendliest people in the world while in Grand Cayman, played with baby turtles and ate plenty of rum cake. When I returned to the Port of Miami, I escaped to the West Coast to LA and San Diego. I also crossed the border into Tijuana for a few hours. So it was definitely a fun filled week of adventures. Now it's back to reality *sigh.* I'm sure i'll be back on the road again soon, but as much I love to see new places, I still like coming home to my friends and family, and my big fluffy bed.