THANKSGIVING AT ROSEMARY BEACH

December 4, 2016

The last beach I found myself on before my Thanksgiving trip to Florida was on the coast of Morocco, so you could say I found the waters at Rosemary Beach a little underwhelming.

Where were the camels? Where were my cool new friends from the hostel? Why was it crowded with screaming young children throwing sand at one another and completely disregarding their parents' exhausted pleas for some peace and quiet.

It took a few cocktails in the sun before I started to let myself relax after a long semester and remember why I love the waters of the gulf so damn much.

MAGNOLIA MARKET

November 7, 2016

It's been just over a year since the grand opening of Magnolia Market in Waco, an ample amount of time to let the craziness settle down before dragging myself to visit (or so I thought.)

My mom, sister and I packed our purses, grabbed our booties and made a pit stop at Starbucks before making the long trek to good ol' Wacotown this past Saturday. The sky was a disheartening shade of gray but our caffeine-induced excitement kept us hopeful on the way to the market.

4 LIFE LESSONS I LEARNED IN THE KASBAH

April 15, 2016

I've had just about a month now to reflect over my few days spent in Morocco. Numerous coffee dates have offered me the chance to re-visit my travels and share what I have learned with friends. Aside from questions about the food, one of the most asked things is what the people are like in Morocco.

There seems to be a lot of grey area on the internet (and in real life) about what the people living in Morocco are really like. I totally bought into some of the fear before my trip there, but can completely dismiss those doubtful feelings after spending time with them myself.

I will say this: Morocco is not for the faint of heart. I saw some things I don't think everyone would be comfortable with -- or desire to see on vacation. I'm not trying to sell the country as the perfect place for your next cool vacation. My aim is to instead give an honest perspective about what I observed in the streets of the Kasbah and markets of the Medina, how it impacted my thinking and what it taught me that has stuck.

It's so amazing how much you can learn from a country in the short period of time. I can't imagine what I would have learned if I stayed my original course of the trip and spent the entire week there, but I feel like I made the most of my time there. Sometimes a place has such a profound pull on your heartstrings that you can't help but be influenced.

PORTUGAL, SPAIN & MOROCCO

March 28, 2016

I’ve been reluctant to write about my recent trip to Portugal, Spain and Morocco.

Not because it was terrible or anything. I just feel like no words can describe the experiences I had while I was there, and I’m not even sure I want to share everything I experienced because I want it to stay close to my heart.

Going into the trip, I was excited for some superficial things. I was SO ready to have my own travel photos to post on Instagram, as well as a Jay Alvarrez-inspired video with only the best EDM song and most beautiful scenery. I was ready to come back and tell the world about what I did, what I saw, what I ate and who I met, but as soon as I landed in Portugal it was as if all my intentions for the trip dissolved.

I hit the ground running from the minute I got to Lisbon, and maybe it was the all-nighter I pulled on the plane, but my only focus was making it to my first destination, Seville. Plans derailed when I ended up having motion sickness in Faro, and after a few hours passed out sleeping in my hostel, I was able to start enjoying the trip -- for myself.

My expectation was I would be writing everything down, from the restaurants I was eating at to the sights I was seeing. In reality I was more interested in the company I was keeping, which was actually with my old high school sweetheart. People acted as if I lost my mind when I told them I would be traveling to a third-world country with an ex, but we always enjoyed a good challenge, and it was the best decision I could have made about the trip. There was something about being in a foreign country with someone who felt like family, because I had the chance to observe my surroundings with a sense of safety and familiarity. Plus, he pretty much paid for everything the first day and understood bus schedules which was totally great.

SUNNY SAN DIEGO

May 25, 2015

When I first caught a glimpse of that skyline, my heart felt content. It’s not every day that you visit a new location, somewhere made up completely of unfamiliar streets and a different culture, and feel so much at home.

Late night In-N-Out Burger was a must, considering we were in California, so we happily welcomed ourselves to the Golden State animal style. Even at 11pm there was a line out the door, but it was worth the wait. We returned to my cousin Hannah and her roommate Neil’s cozy North Park apartment where I curled up on a couch and fell asleep from travel-induced exhaustion.

Torrey Pines became day one’s primary focus, and we probably spent about three hours trekking up and down the large hills and stone steps of the park. It was absolutely breathtaking looking out over the coast; looking at the ocean never fails to make me feel so small. I apparently found it so breathtaking that I got caught up capturing a selfie and didn’t see the steps we were approaching. I took a tumble, dropped my belongings and got a scuff on my brand new white low tops, but it’s okay because the selfie turned out pretty great. There, the joke of the trip was born. It became sport over the next few days to see how many times I would trip or fall on our journey throughout San Diego. (The least amount of times I tripped in one day was twice, but that hardly counts, as Jenn pointed out, “Because you were sitting on the beach for the majority of the day.”)

SOLD AGAIN ON NYC

March 23, 2015

I had no idea what to expect on my spring break trip to New York City. Now my body was stiff, frozen in the window seat of row 14 on Southwest flight 1180. I wasn't ready for this, wasn't ready to dress business casual, run down the city streets in my Vince Camuto heels desperately trying to make it to meetings with writers and editors of some of the most notable publications in the nation. Hell, I wasn't even equipped enough to pack my suitcase under the designated 50 lbs. My head reeled with worries and "what if's" as the Boeing 747's wheels left the runway and the plane dipped into its ascent.

Three hours and 15 minutes, two magazines published by Condé Nast and 43 alternative songs later, I landed at LaGuardia and was whisked away by a middle-aged Jamaican car driver to the Hudson Hotel, my home for the next three days. I spent no time at all squeezing my 54.5 lbs of belongings into the closet of the cramped hotel room, eager to explore my surroundings. My travel companion and I grabbed a quick bite at Europan Café, and headed into the city with our cameras and a sense of adventure.

That first day I saw Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, climbed rocks in my faded black converse on the outskirts of Central Park and spent a notable amount of time in Times Square, in awe of the thousands of bright lights surrounding me. I stuffed my face with Italian food from Tony’s Di Napoli, and hurried back to the hotel where I curled up in bed to try and get sleep before the first day of office visits.