Paris Where We Been!

Earlier this year I played with the idea of visiting Paris, France however, I never committed any real energy into planning a trip. I was talking to my friend Laci one day and she mentioned she was visiting Paris and I completely dismissed the idea until a month prior to the trip. My scheduled cleared up though and I immediately called Laci and asked if I could tag along, and the rest is history *cues Ni#$as in Paris*. See all the details of my trip below.

1. Where I stayed: An Airbnb in the Gambetta/20th District area of Paris. The Airbnb had an amazing view of the Parisian Rooftop landscape and wasn't in a touristy area which allowed you to really emerge in the culture. The metro wasn't too far from the flat either so we were able to utilize that method of transportation. I won't put any further information about the Airbnb because we ran into some issue and I wouldn't recommend staying there to anyone. 

2. Who I traveled with: As mentioned I traveled with my friend Laci. Laci and I flew and roomed together and we meet up with three other friends for activities; Mike, Darwin, and Johnny. Definitely some good souls to roam Paris with!

3. What I ate: I ate a lot of carbs, really good steak, croissants, salmon, pizza, and lasagna. Let me just say, the food in Paris is not only good but extremely healthy. The country does not use GMO and you can tell because the food is lighter and you don't feel sluggish after a good meal. We also found a soul food spot, you know for the culture. Also, I drank Rose with every meal, even the cheapest bottle of Rose is delicious!

4. What I did:

The Louvre

 

 

 

Eiffel Tower

 

 

 

 

Notre Dome

Palace Versailles

 

 

Malibu Black Barbie

This weekend was my friend Laci's birthday and we decided a "staycation" in Malibu would be the perfect get-away. Laci, Natalia, and I stayed in the cutest Airbnb right on the water. We spent the day laughing, singing, and celebrating life. The night on the other hand was spent relaxing to the melodic sounds of the ocean.

Oh and of course a few photo shoots took place, how could I forget that part!

I've been super busy these last few weeks and a bit stressed, so the opportunity to escape for just that brief moment was everything to me. Staying true to self, even though we weren't planning on leaving the Airbnb, I seized the opportunity to dress up in a sheer purple robe made by my mother. Spending the weekend twirling around in my robe, laughing, and cherishing friends was much needed. 

Malibu

Laci

Natalia

Nicaragua

My first big trip of the year was to Nicaragua! Turns out I am not the only person interested in spontaneous travel! One of my friends from work travels often and posted her plans to visit Nicaragua and i took that as an invitation. Several of us end up going on the trip. We rented an SVU and stayed in an Airbnb in Managua. Oscar our Airbnb host, was great! Oscar gave us tips on local cuisine and the last day he gave us a little history lesson on the cultural mask Nicaraguans wear during parades. Beyond that we went paddle boarding in the Marina Cocibolca in Granada, volcano surf boarding at the Volcano Cerro Negro, visited the Our Lady of Grace Cathedral in Leon, and to the beach in San Juan del Sur. Volcano surf boarding was the highlight of my trip. 

Seven Magic Mountains and The Grand Canyon

Went to Las Vegas to visit family and somehow convinced them to squeeze in a few site seeing trips. The first day we went to Seven Magic Mountains. Artist Ugo Rondinone’s Seven Magic Mountains is a large-scale site-specific public art installation located near Jean Dry Lake and Interstate 15, approximately ten miles south of Las Vegas, Nevada. Comprised of seven towers of colorful, stacked boulders standing more than thirty feet high. The exhibit opened in May of 2016 and will be active for 2 years. It was a very quick site visit and fairly simplistic however, I still found it worth the small journey.

The second day my family and I got on the road for 3.5 hours and went to see the Grand Canyon. My mom promised me thousands of times when I was younger we would make the visit and we never did, so this trip was mostly making her feel bad about that (lol). The view at the Grand Canyon was so peaceful and serene. Being surrounded by atmospheres like the Grand Canyon remind me how majestic God is.