List of Countries I want to Visit

Turks and Caicos

Aruba

Netherlands

Italy

Ireland

South Africa

Thailand

Japan

Chile

Brazil

Hope I get to see at least half of these throughout my life. 

Carib Trip (JOURNAL ENTRY)

This post is more of a journal entry than anything...so I can just document this trip :) 

So I haven't really been writing in this lately. The last month has been such a blur, it's actually ridiculous. Ever since it hit me that I had very little time left with my friends, I just zoned out. Everything became about having fun and doing things I don't normally do. And one of the the things that I sacrificed for that sake was spending time writing in this blog.

Anyways, what I DO believe is worthy writing about in this blog is the two and a half week trip that I am currently in the middle of. Lauren, Shiraz, Valentina, Anya and I decided to take a different route than most of our friends who are on Euro Trips. Instead, we decided to go on a Carib trip; specifically, Puerto Rico and Santo Domingo. We arrived June 10th to San Juan and situated ourselves at the apartment that we rented for 6 days. I can't even believe to describe the convenience and amazing-ness of this apartment. A two bedroom, two bathroom, dining room and kitchen apartment, we honestly couldn't have done better. And, just half a block away was the beach! The first two nights were kind of slow though in terms of nightlife because it was a monday and a tuesday. This was kind of difficult for us to cope with because we are so used to NYC constant nightlife. Instead, we decided to go to the beach at night or go to local bars (Colombo, Waiters). When Thursday hit, we finally got to go to Brava, the local nightclub and it was amazing. We made friends, danced a shit load, had some drinks...basically a lot of fun :) 

When we went to the island of Vieques, the pace of the trip altered by a lot. We were faced with limited space and nightlife. However, we got to do activities such as snorkeling, jetskiing, kayaking etc. One day, as Lauren and I were snorkeling, we wandered over by the rocks to observe the plants on them. However, the current swept over us and we were washed over the rocks. When that happened, Lauren got stung by a lionfish. At first, it didn't seem as serious but after about half an hour, we were taking a cab to the emergency center/clinic. It was a scary but an incredibly useful situation in terms of learning how to live alone. The second day at Vieques was possibly the most memorable. At night, we went on the bio bay tour that Vieques is famous for. In this particular bay, there are small plankton creatures called dinoflagellates. These planktons light up in reaction to any movement. So, as the sun set, the glow would grow stronger. If you literally just dragged your hand through the water, your hand would glow. As it got later in the night, you could see fish glowing as they swam by our kayaks. Each wave that crashed, would brighten up. Valentina and I jumped in the water and as we swam, we would light up. 

Today were off to Culebra, La Isla Chiquita. Culebra has one of the best beaches in the world called "Flamenco Beach" which I'm actually so excited for. 

Throwing out some things and packing others away is the most difficult task in the world. 

But I don't want good and I don't want good enough

I want can't sleep, can't breathe without your love"

Heal

I think that the one thing that I can't do by myself, and that I can't do on command is heal. A lot of people can just turn that switch on and be like, "Okay, I'm going to feel fine today and nothing will get in the way of that." But my heart feels like it's made of steel and sometimes I'm so stubborn to move on from something, that it blocks everything that could give me the power to get strength. It's a vulnerability, that's for sure. I wish I could just heal.

Home

So, today is officially the day when my house got its first offer. Literally, maybe an hour ago, a couple came here in the same exact position that my parents were in 16 years ago; they are about to have a baby and are looking for a quiet, comfortable home where to raise their child in. My room will be the baby's. There will be a cradle and a changing board. The wooden board near the ceiling of my room that currently holds some of my stuffed animals will soon be carrying the weight of that baby's stuffed animals. This home is where I grew up in. I've lived here since I was two years old. This situation is kind of bittersweet because it means that I have to grow up now and really face the fact that I will now be living in a new home, in a new place, with new people around me. But I can't help but wonder if any other place will really feel like this one.

I'll miss the hammock.
The window that connects the kitchen to the living room so I can smell my mom's cooking.
The wooden tiles that my father stuck on one by one all by himself.
The inappropriate paintings on my walls.
The sound of my dog slipping and sliding on the floor.
The view of the Empire State Building that I get to look out at.
The sounds of the fire trucks as they exit 29th street and roll down 3rd avenue.
I'll miss everything.
Goodbye to one chapter of my life and hello to another.

When I Was Your Man- Bruno Mars (Katie Stevens and Michael Castro Cover)

I actually fell in love with this cover.