A Pisces by the Sea

One of my favorite places to be is the beach. Lounging near the waters edge, sunshine, sand, my favorite pair of sunnies, and an umbrella in my drink….its so peaceful and relaxing. This year for my birthday I decided to cross off an item from my 101 Things to do in 1001 Days list and I went to Miami for the first time.

What an AWESOME city! This will probably be at the top my my list for places to move to next with the Coast Guard. It has everything I love about NYC and the tolls are cheaper, the weather is consistently warm year round, and the beaches are beautiful.

I flew in the night before my birthday and met up with a friend I haven’t seen since I left my duty station in Mobile, Alabama, grab dinner, and met her kiddos. The next day we had a yummy breakfast at Big Pink before I checked in to the hotel and waited for the rest of my friends to arrive. The coffee and veggie breakfast burrito was delicious! Once everyone arrived we went to out lunch at John Paul’s House – a restaurant off the beaten path that I found through Gilt City. Then headed back to the hotel to relax poolside and before getting ready for nighttime festivities.

Our room attendant, Charles, was awesome! He made sure that we had everything we needed and even brought us vodka and mixers to the room while we got ready. We kicked off the night with dinner at Katsuya. The sushi was delicious! I had the Katsuya Special Roll and apple pie dessert Then it was off to dance the night away at Arkadia, located in the Fontainebleau Hotel.

Friday morning we walked the beach and chilled poolside before heading to the Cruise Port. We took a 4 day, 3 night cruise out of Miami with Royal Caribbean to Nassau, Bahamas, and Coco Cay, Bahamas.
This was my first short cruise, usually I go on 6-7 day cruises. There’s definitely a difference, but I had a great time nonetheless,  the service was fantastic, and we made it to each port call and back to Miami with no issues.

In Nassau, we spent the day at the Hotel Riu Palace on a day pass…all you can eat and drink, sunshine, the beach, and a pool bar…we couldn’t ask for more.

We pulled into Coco Cay (Royal Caribbean’s Private Island) the next day and spent the day relaxing on the beach and lounging in hammocks.

We pulled into Miami bright and early Monday morning, had breakfast in the dinning room, then headed to the airport….sad to leave 70 degree temps to go back home to snow in NYC. I hope spring comes to the Northeast soon.

Next year’s birthday ideas are already being researched…Europe, Hawaii, maybe Napa…we’ll see what happens.

Love AGT :)

Ending and Beginning the Year on a High Note

Hey Guys! Happy New Year! I took some time off from the blog last month to study for some promotion exams at work (I passed!), get ready for my vaca, and to learn how to use my new macbook pro. You weren’t far from my thoughts though :) I can’t believe how quickly 2012 went by, and that we are already 9 days into the new year! A year of new adventures, setting new goals and maintaining old ones, and new opportunities.

I think the best way to end and begin the year by far is on vacation…a relaxing, stress-free environment with friends and family. No worries, no cares….just relaxation, sunshine, adventures, and good times. This is the first year we’ve decided to end and begin the year on vacation…we tried out a New Year’s Eve cruise via Carnival Cruise Lines out of Port Canaveral, FL. It was so nice not to have to worry about anything other than having a good time. This is definitely trip I am pretty sure will become a tradition for years to come.

I went down a few days early to spend time with friends of mine that I was previously stationed with here in NYC. We hung out in Cocoa Beach, went to Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure (the Harry Potter ride and butter beer were AMAZING!), and danced to Dance Central on the Xbox (loads of fun and an awesome workout too).

We sailed away from Port Canaveral around 5:30pm and rang in the New Year at Sea!

Ventured down Duval Street in Key West

enjoyed beautiful sunsets, soaked up the sun, and made new friends at sea

Stopped in Nassau, Bahamas for Stand-up Paddle Boarding…I’ll admit, I sat down for some of it…my excuse “I’m on vacation”

and laid of the beach in Freeport, Bahamas sipping daiquiris and eating run cake before returning back to Port Canaveral.

I still feel relaxed and at ease 9 days into the New Year, and I’m looking forward to new adventures in NYC, the US, and abroad. How did you ring in the New Year?

Check out more pictures on my Facebook page an hit the like button while you’re there :)

Love AGT :)