Big Sur, California

The first day in Monterey was spent exploring Big Sur. It was so unbelievably beautiful, and sadly photos can't really do it justice. We spent most of the day driving up the coast and exploring the area, and it was all so breathtaking and serene. This was my fourth time in California, and every time I fall in love with it all over again.

I have traveled to other countries, and seen so many places, but you sometimes forget that even trips on your own land can be just as exquisite, and interesting. I kept taking deep breaths of the air as we drove up the mountain, because let's face it, nothing is more refreshing than crisp mountain air. 

Although NorCal has its temperature changes daily, I liked being able to explore without feeling too hot most of the day. The weather, as abnormal as it seemed, followed a weird schedule that we eventually got used to. We made our way from the Big Sur Bakery, to the Bixby bridge, with some tiny stops in between. 

It's hard to photograph such a beautiful place because everything in view is so picturesque. I did my best to capture the beauty surrounding us, but as I've been told in the past, one can't simply embrace the beauty of a place without actually setting foot on it first. 

The Perfect Summer Mojito Recipe!

Hey guys! As promised here is another installment of "The Perfect Summer Drink" which is a new series I wanted to introduce on the blog. One of my favorite summer drinks is mojitos, and more specifically coconut mojitos. When I make them at home I usually use Malibu, but you can really use any coconut rum that you want. Since I have been a bartender for over six years now (currently only working the football season) I have a lot of knowledge on drinks and I definitely am excited to share some of my favorites with you guys. So I hope you enjoy it, and please feel free to leave me any suggestions of drinks you want to see made in the future!

What you'll need: Coconut Rum, Club Soda, Mint Leaves, Sugar, Limes, Ice, Muddler (if you have one handy, if not a spoon will suffice)

Step 1: Cut up half a lime into individual pieces and squeeze the juice into a glass.
Step 2: Cut up your mint leaves and put them into the glass with the lime juice and limes.
Step 3: Pour as much sugar as you like into the mixture and muddle!
(link to a video that shows how-to)
Step 4: Add ice.
Step 5: Add 1.5 ounces (typically one shot) of coconut rum into the glass, and fill the rest of the glass with club soda.
Step 6: Mix it all together or shake it up if you have a shaker handy.
Step 7: Enjoy , and pretend you're on the beach!

Weekend Festivities

Hey guys! Right now I am planted on the couch watching the storm unfold from my window. It looks like I will be stuck inside for the next few days, until the weather passes by. The weekend was so much fun, and I finally got a full day of relaxing and hanging out with my friends which is exactly what I wanted. Hopefully I can catch up on sleep and homework on this unexpected two days off,  I also got to miss a midterm which I am not complaining about :)

I also got to dress up in my Halloween costume this weekend, doing homecoming and Halloween in one day was a little crazy, but it was a lot of fun, and probably one of the best weekends I have had in a long time. Today all my nephews are over and we're going to be making some muffins, cooking, and watching movies. Be safe everybody! Happy Monday!

Snaps: Happy Birthday, America.

I had such a great 4th of July. As I mentioned I visited my friend Cate and her roommate Christa. They live in a beautiful community in Jersey City and although I don't see them as often as I would like, when I do, it's as if nothing changed. The day couldn't have been any better. I got to sleep in, roll out of bed and go straight to the pool, which sits right across the water from Lady Liberty herself. After soaking up some sun we cooked delicious vegetables, burgers, hot dogs, and pretty much everything you can imagine. I made my famous sangria, and we drank until laughter crept its way into every conversation we were having. We danced, we sang, and we had long talks. When it was time for fireworks we walked through the gated community to watch them over the Hudson river. The skyline looked amazing that night, so did the moon. Sometimes all you need is to see friends that make you happy, and you forget all the stuff that frustrated you throughout the week. I hope you all enjoyed your 4th as well!

Here Comes The Wrecking Ball

There's something beautiful about carnivals. I can't put my finger on exactly what it is but I get all giddy inside when I know I am going to one. One of my best friends Meaghan invited me down to her house to go to the St.Mary's carnival in her town this past weekend. I haven't been to a carnival in ages, and we had so much fun. We played games, went into this crazy fun house (the slide on the way down kicked my butt, I have a huge burn on my arm) and ate a lot of great food. 

I love the appearance of the moon in some of these photos, it just adds to the greatness of everything. I remember being younger, and going to carnivals/fairs and feeling so overwhelmed by everything going on around me. The lights, the smells, the music, everything is so intoxicating, and magical. My favorite rides are the carousel and the ferris wheel, and unfortunately I didn't ride either, but I did have fun regardless.

It's so nice to be doing things and try to get the most out of the summer. A few weeks ago I gave in to being tired and stayed in the whole weekend. I quickly realized I was going to be wasting my summer away if I did that. I must admit I have been pretty bitter about giving up my weekends, but I am trying to make the best of the time I have left. Although it leaves me a little tired, it's worth it. School starts the end of August, which is going to be here so soon! Things with work are still somewhat up in the air, but we'll see what happens, I am trying as hard as I can not to stress about it.

I hope you all had a great, relaxing weekend, and I am excited for what July has to offer. I have a lot of exciting things going on for this little blog and I can't wait to share everything with you guys.

The Final Frontier

Last Saturday was spent in Brooklyn at an art show called, The Final Frontier. A good friend of Alex's growing up was showcasing a piece of art with a bunch of other talented artists from the local area. It was really cool to get to see all the different pieces incorporated into the show with one underlying theme. Although I am in the city quite a bit, I don't usually make it to Brooklyn very often, so that was something new for me. It was a nice to get to see friends, have a few drinks, and enjoy the artwork. It was a beautiful night, pretty much perfect weather...until we decided to leave. As soon as I got into my car the torrential downpour began. I am glad we enjoyed most of our night before the rains came down!