isle of capri

i've decided the next time i happen to find myself in europe, i'm going to travel to the the small italian island called capri. it is located on the south side of the gulf of naples, in southern italy.

i really didn't know very much about the island previously, but whenever i tell people about my trip to italy they ask me why i didn't visit capri. so i did some research on the island tonight and found some really interesting landmarks to visit. here are just a few of them:

the ruins of the imperial roman villas.

grotta azzurra (the blue grotto).

the natural arch.













i think one of the most intriguing aspects of the island is that it can only be visited by taking a ferry from naples or sorrento. it's the perfect weekend getaway!

Living la vida loca.

I just got back from the best spring break of my entire life. i traveled to puerto rico with seven of my good friends and we stayed at one of my friend percy's grandmother's house. words can't do the island justice. it's amazing that puerto rico is a part of the united states but is couldn't be any different in its culture. the majority of the citizens spoke both spanish and english. i felt like i was back studying abroad; i did not feel like i was still in america.

before we woke up every morning, percy's grandmother and father chopped down coconuts, star fruits, bananas and other tropical foods for us to eat. the grandmother cooked us chicken, rabbit, rice and beans for dinner.

during the day, we visited the city of san juan, the nearby beaches, el yunque rainforest and culebra island which is a remote, former military base located in the caribbean sea about an hour away from san juan.

i had the time of my life practicing my spanish with the locals and with percy's dad, who was born in puerto rico.

a week was definitely not a sufficient amount of time to spend in puerto rico, we could have spent another two or three days on the island and still wouldn't have been ready to come back home.
i recommend puerto rico to anyone who is looking for an affordable and reasonable place to travel. since it is an american territory, no passport or currency exchange is required. also, most puerto ricans speak english pretty fluently. there is something for everyone: shopping in san juan, hiking in the rainforest, lounging on the beach and scuba diving in the caribbean.
i hope to be blessed with another fantastic trip like this past spring break!

...these are a few of my favorite things.

yes, i thought i'd be julie andrews for a night and keep a list of some of my favorite things; sounds, sights and smells that give me that warm, fuzzy feeling inside- despite how peculiar they may be!

- whirling of a ceiling fan while i'm napping

- crashing of ocean waves

- waterfalls, fountains, pretty much any noise involving water is soothing

- sound of fingers typing on a keyboard 

- laughter

- wind chimes

- clink of metal baseball bats

- soothing music, especially by josh groban & michael buble

- the color yellow

- palm trees

- city lights at nighttime

- puppies/kittens/babies/anything miniature

- mashed potatoes

- cheez-its

- juicy couture/burberry perfumes

- coconut scented things

- cinnamon 

life's a beach.

i spent the majority of my day lounging in a chair reading magazines with sand surrounding my feet and ocean waves crashing beside me.

and there is honestly very little else that could make me happier in life than doing just that all day long.

i decided to visit my grandparents in naples, fla., this weekend to get away and relax a little. all weekend long the weather will be sunny and in the 80s. in my opinion, this is perfect weather! i haven't felt this relaxed all semester, so it's been great to get away and clear my mind from all the clutter that junior year has so ungraciously brought into it.

and so with this, i've come to the conclusion that after college i'm moving to a tropical island, opening up my own little boutique and drinking daiquiris by the beach every day for the rest of my life.

probably not realistic, but a girl can dream right?

it's the weekend!

after a long, stressful week i plan on doing nothing but sitting in my lawn chair by the pool all weekend long! yay for summer weather and good times with great friends :)

footprints in the sand.

one of my favorite stories is the story about footprints in the sand; God carrying us when we don't even know he is doing it. this story keeps me feeling at peace especially when i am experiencing a lot of stress-- like right now in my life. schoolwork and my job is very demanding at the moment, but i've learned to take some quiet time and find serenity in the silence. happy valentine's day!

God has a sense of humor.

while driving on campus, i noticed a funny sign in front of the catholic church:

the platypus is a sign that God has a sense of humor.

i laughed and thought to myself this could not be any more true! not just the platypus part, but the God having a funny sense of humor part. he works in mysterious ways, and the older i get the more i realize this in my life.

i am constantly trying to find answers in my life- why did this happen to me, why hasn't this happened yet, blah blah etc. but i'm learning that if i just keep asking questions, life will pass me by. i need to trust that whatever is meant to happen will work itself out. so while i am trying to find explanations in my life, it is just as important to take time to enjoy things just as they already are! 

we live in a beautiful world.