Hawaiian Vacation

This past spring break, I took a trip to Hawaii's big island with the parents and experienced some great things, like colorful fish, a steaming volcano, and delicious restaurants. The hotel we stayed at provided us with some magazines listing fantastic restaurants in the area but on our own, we found some great restaurants. Jackie Rey's was by far the best restaurant of the trip, decorated in cute Hawaiian decor and delicious fish straight from the ocean outside, it really completed the Hawaii experience. One disappointment was that we drove to Hawi at the tip of the island in search of the best restaurant, called Bamboo, according to our concierge but when we found it, they were closed! However, the town of Hawi was very cute with retro Hawaiian souvenirs. Maybe worth the long drive from Kona. Kikaua beach is where we found great snorkeling, and according to my magazine, is the best snorkel spot on the big island.Here we saw sea turtles, and many colorful fish without going very far out.If you aren't in the mood for a touristy restaurant, Ultimate Burger is where you want to be. truly worthy of it's name, this burger joint blows in-n-out away. Mauna Kea is not worth the 1.5 hour drive unless you are a mountain or astronomy fanatic and go all the way up. But, it is still interesting that it is the largest mountain in the world base to top. Hilo is on the wet side of the island and looks very tropical and rainforesty. the nearby volcano and water falls are worth visiting with a lava tube to walk through, steam spewing out of the ground and the most beautiful plants. However, be ready for lots of rain. We also took a glass bottom boat ride and saw a couple sea turtles.

Cutest Commercial Ever!

Spring Skirts

I recently came to the realization that while my closet has many sundresses from the past couple years, all my skirts are quite old and outdated. I decided in that moment that I would not rest until I found some new skirts to replace my old shabby ones. I searched Target and Target.com and found no cute skirts. I browsed Old Navy to find a $36 skirt in a pattern that would be difficult to match and didn't speak to me at all. I hit Kohl's Juniors section to find their only skirt was adorable, frilly and pink. However, it was still priced above what I wanted to pay. Luckily, I had connections to a 30% off coupon, putting this skirt within my budget. I kept this skirt in the back of my mind as I moved on to Forever 21 where I discovered an abundance of adorable skirts all under $15 each. I tried on at least 7 different skirts before deciding on what to buy. In the end I brought home two from Forever 21 and one from Kohls. I can't wait for Spring to wear my new skirts.

Velib

Omigosh.  A colleague just came by to talk about an event our company is having in Paris in a couple of months and mentioned this thing called Velib.  It's a free bike rental service.  You can rent a bike for free, and bike around town to the next Velib station and drop it off.  My infatuation with Paris just intensified.  This weekend I'm going to work on my French lessons and check airfare…I can practically taste the café and baguettes.  

New York Dream

Last week I was lucky enough to be sent to New York on business.  Kind of fabulous.  I arrived after dark at JFK and hired a car to take me to the Big Apple.  As I approached Manhattan, the world-famous Chrysler building, Empire State Building, and the rest of the enduring skyline came into view and I paused in wonder.  If there ever was an American city, this is it.  My goal in NY was to hit up all the famous boutiques and bring home a souvenir, but was unfortunately too busy with work to make it out to the shopping district.  As the car glided past the dark Louis Vuitton, Chanel, and Prada I longed to return when they were open. 

The hotel turned out to be just south of Central Park.  It was 119 W. 56th street at Le Parker Meridian between 6th and 7th.  It turns out that there are several fabulous restaurants in that area.  I was able to benefit from the company buying my dinner at the fabulous Ma Peche.  The food was amazing and  absolutely melted on my palette. 

The next morning I set out to explore the city a bit.  I walked south on 6th for 5 minutes and turned down toward 7th to find myself in the middle of times square! 

I met a coworker for a quick bite at a Carnegie Deli where apparently there is a $3 fee for sharing your food.  I had plans for a later lunch, so I ordered the cheapest thing on the menu:  the soup du jour.  My friend ordered a full-on corned beef sandwich.  The waitress looked at my with a sneer and said, "There's a $3 fee for sharing."  I told her I had no intention of sharing because I was going to lunch later.  She looked at me suspiciously and went off to place the order.  When she re-emerged with our food, she put it down in front of us, walked 10 paces away, and commenced staring at us to make sure we weren't going to share.  Good old New York hospitality. 

An hour and a half later I went to lunch with another coworker/friend at Serendipity 3, made famous by the movie Serendipity.  It was the cutest place I'd seen in New York.  It was like an ice cream parlor meets tea house meets Alice in Wonderland.  The food was kind of normal, but our waiter was flamboyant, witty and made us laugh.  He was my favorite part of the entire experience.  We finished off our meal with their frozen hot chocolate.  After lunch I had to head to the airport to catch my flight home, and poof!  7 hours of Jet Blue TV later I was back in San Francisco. 

I can go a while without that flight, but the city itself is magnificent.  I can't wait to make a return trip.  

Relax while studying

No one likes finals or midterms, but if you're still in school, they're something to deal with. To keep myself from losing my mind but still pull good grades, I try to reduce the stress and keep perspective. However, it's very easy to get overwhelmed. Here are some suggestions that would help anyone going into finals season. I like to get a cup of coffee or tea before I sit down for a study session. Finding a comfortable quiet space is very important when it comes to actually getting work done. Public places tend to be best because then you aren't surrounded by the laundry that needs to be done or the TV show that everyone is watching. Study breaks are important as long as they have a specific ending time. For instance, a fitness class, or your own workout routine is a perfect study break. I love my Monday yoga class because I leave feeling energized and relaxed. Another suggestion you may consider, is go out for lunch or cook a meal. Your need to eat is perfect for a study break, because it can get your mind off of school work and allows you to recharge before hitting the books again. If you don't need your computer to study, don't bring it to the library. If you choose to listen to music, make sure it is soft and soothing. Loud, fast music can create anxiety if you aren't careful. Lastly, keep it in perspective. An all-nighter before the test will probably do you more harm than good. If you're feeling too tired to study, maybe your study break should be a 30 minute power nap. Go outside, even if its just for a couple minutes, sunlight does wonders to boost your mood and re-energize you.