Vamos a Madrid!

It's official... I am moving to Madrid and teaching pre-kindergarten for the 2013-2014 school year. I feel so blessed and am so excited about teaching these pequenos monos (little cuties)!

I feel a little guilty sharing my good news after such a heart breaking day in Oklahoma. Please keep everyone affected in your prayers. Here is a link to the American Red Cross.

Costa Rica Series | Nosara by Charlotte

I arrived in Nosara early afternoon, met some people staying in my hostel, got lunch and walked around town with them. We stopped at a surfboard rental/tour excursion hut. The local Tico, Andre, convinced me to go paddle boarding. I went back to the hostel, changed into my swimsuit, and within 2 hours of being in Nosara, I was paddle boarding through the jungle. It was the first time I had ever been paddle boarding, and luckily I picked it up pretty quickly. It was so neat literally paddling through the jungle with all the wildlife at my fingertips. I fell once and that was pretty nerve wracking since there were supposedly alligators in the water! We paddle boarded to the beach, had some fresh juice, and watched the sunset. Andre, my tour guide, was so much fun and we became instant Nosara besties.

I was dropped off in the pitch black with Andre giving me verbal directions of how to get back to my hostel. All the roads in Nosara are unlit as it is on the countryside and not very “city” at all. This was another one of those scary moments traveling alone where I could have been abducted at any point and never seen again. Luckily, I finally stumbled upon my hostel with great relief. Nosara is a very quiet town full of yoga retreats and very earthy, granola people looking for zen. Not really my niche. And there’s not a huge night-life – no bueno for this chica. This was the first night I didn’t go out or do anything in the evening. I started watching a movie at the hostel with some of the other people, then decided I wasn’t in Costa Rica to watch tv or movies so I went to a hammock to read some, then crashed early and caught up on some much needed sleep.

The next morning I went to the beautiful beach, but it was so eerily quiet and desolate. I spent the morning laying out and playing in the water by myself, then went back to the hostel and got ready for my zip-lining excursion. This canopy tour was insane and incredible. I was picked up by a local from the company and taken to the zip-lining site. I got harnessed then trucked way up the mountain side. There were 21 zip-lining runs through the lush mountainous forest and it was an unbelievable experience. I am quite the adrenaline junkie, so this was perfection. After going through all the lines, we hiked to a waterfall and had the option of getting in, so of course I jumped in and played under the waterfall with our tour guide.

 

The landscape was beautiful in Nosara, but I felt as though I needed to head to the next location. When I got home from zip-lining, I showered, packed my bags, and cut my Nosara stay short in order to head to the next city – Samara.

Best of Dallas Series | Gluten-Free/Organic

Gluten-free eating became a huge fad right when I was diagnosed with a tricky lil autoimmune disease. This has been a double-edged sword for me these past 10 months. With the growing movement, more eating options are now available that I can eat. Yay! Kale chips! Plentils! Quinoa!

However, I also happen to hate diet fads and being accused of trying to be trendy. I came to terms with the fact that I am not trendy or cool a long time ago. Case in point, when I was in elementary school and my horrid chili-bowl haircut had finally grown out, I immediately got bangs and started rolling them every night in a sponge roller to sleep in. Total self-sabotage. 

Whether you are eating gluten-free for medical reasons or not, my best picks are Start, Company Cafe, Kozy Kitchen and Villa-O. Start is drive-through (genius), Company Cafe and Kozy Kitchen are very similar, but I think the atmosphere and patio give it an edge over Kozy Kitchen. Villa-O is really good and you need  a reservation on Monday nights and weekends during brunch hours. Ciao!

 

Best Gluten-Free/Organic Restaurants in Dallas:

Company Café

2217 Greenville Avenue | Dallas, TX | 214.827.2233

 

Start

4814 Greenville Ave | Dallas, TX | 214.265.1411

 

Kozy Kitchen

4433 McKinney Avenue | Dallas, TX | 214.219.5044

 

Villa-O

4514 Travis Street, #132 | Dallas, TX | 214.780.1880

Costa Rica Series: Tamarindo by Charlotte

Waking up and heading to Tamarindo was the first time I felt nervous because Liberia is not a touristy town and no one spoke English, plus the buses were not well marked. Upon arriving, I heard that the next bus to Tamarindo was canceled. An employee from the bus station came up to me and asked if I wanted a ride to Tamarindo. His selling point was that his car had A/C... I declined until an Austrian girl came up to us and said she’d split the cost with me. We got into his unmarked car and hoped for the best… Off to Tamarindo!

Arriving in Tamarindo, I got the absolute best vibe from the city and the people. I hopped out of the “cab” in front of Blue Trailz hostel and began my next adventure. I roomed with some welcoming and energetic Canadian girls. They immediately invited me to go to Playa Grande, where the surf is supposed to be the best. We spent the rest of the afternoon laying out and playing in the water until the sun went down. We headed back to the main beach in front of our hostel and watched the sunset. It’s at this time I ran into another traveler who was also traveling alone and checked in around the same time as me – Remington. He and I hit it off, made drinks, and chatted the rest of the sunset. Afterward, we grabbed dinner and headed out with the rest of our new friends.

The next day I went to Palo Verde, a national park which is more of a swamp/jungle land that is traveled by boat. I was picked up at the crack-of-dawn a and taken to the neatest house/restaurant on a bunch of beautiful lush grounds to have breakfast and café. From there, we went to the boat dock and started the tour. I sat at the very front of the boat with the tour guide and driver so I obviously made buddies with them. Palo Verde was fascinating because I was able to get SO close to alligators, iguanas, and monkeys. This was the first time I’ve seen any of these animals in the wild, so I absolutely loved it.

After the 2-3 hour boat tour, we went into one of small Costa Rican towns, Guaitil. I watched a local man make pottery and he taught me some of his tricks. Then I walked around the town and took it all in. I got back to Tamarindo just in time to make drinks with my friends at Blue Trailz and watch the sunset. Then Remington, Tom (another good friend I made), and I partied the rest of the night at Blue Trailz and played drinking games with a new batch of really fun Canadians.

The next morning I woke up, went to lunch with Tom, and played on the beach all day.  That was sadly my last day and night planned in Tamarindo, so the following day it was time to say goodbye to my friends and set out for Nosara. 

Next week in the Costa Rica Series by Charlotte is all about Nosara!

Best of Dallas Series | Mexican Food

Mexican food is a Texas staple and Dallas has great options whether you are looking for something high-end or a local hole-in-the-wall. My go-to restaurant is always Mi Cocina; I love the huge outdoor patio at the Lakewood location (pictured below) and the third floor bar at the Highland Park location. Javier's is my favorite for a night when my parents are in town or there is something to celebrate. Mia's is also delicious and more casual than Mi Cocina or Javier's. On Saturday mornings, the breakfast tacos at Taco Joint are the absolute best (and least expensive).

Best Mexican Restaurants in Dallas Locations:
Mi Cocina Lakewood
6332 La Vista Drive, Dallas, TX | 214.824.6246

Mi Cocina Highland Park Village
77 Highland Park Village, Dallas, TX | 214.521.6426

Javier's Gourmet Mexicano
2912 Cole Avenue, Dallas, TX | 214.521.4211

Mia's Tex-Mex Restaurant
4322 Lemmon Avenue, Dallas, TX | 214.526.1020

The Taco Joint
911 N Peak St Dallas, TX | 214.826-8226

Costa Rica Series: Arriving in Liberia by Charlotte

I'm really excited that my wonderful friend, Charlotte, is sharing her experiences backpacking through Costa Rica. This is a country that I would love to visit one day, especially after reading her awesome stories. She spent time in Liberia, Tamarindo, Nosara and Samara so I'm going to be breaking up the Costa Rica Series by city. Thanks again, Charlotte! Can't wait to move to Espana together!

I recently went backpacking in Costa Rica, traveling alone. The trip was supposed to be with a good friend but she canceled two weeks before take-off due to personal reasons. I was devastated, but then it dawned on me – screw it, I can still go by myself. I had never been backpacking before, which includes staying in hostels and taking local buses, so this was an experience I was nervous and excited about. It ended up being the best trip of my life. Creating my own itinerary, happening upon incredible adventures and people, visiting unbelievable sites, and finding fun and entertaining hostels was empowering and invigorating. Being outdoors and spending the morning surfing or kayaking, afternoon zip-lining or paddle boarding, and evening checking out the local scene, was the most energizing and freeing experience. This trip also came at the perfect time in my life as I had a hard and emotional fall including a break-up with my boyfriend. I was set out to find myself and my confidence again, to create my own “Eat, Pray, Love” experience. This backpacking trip changed my life.

The cab driver picked me up from my apartment that December afternoon and began chatting with me, asking where I was flying. After explaining I was going backpacking through Costa Rica solo, he was taken aback. We ended up having a mini philosophical conversation that ended with him saying, “I hope you find what you’re looking for.” From the very start of my trip, I already began to see myself shine again. As I was sitting at the Houston Bush Intercontinental Airport, I immediately befriended two cute boys who were also going to Costa Rica. Their airplane seats ended up being directly in front of me, so we were able to chat most of the flight. As we were talking and I was explaining my Costa Rica plan of action, a guy next to me heard me say I was stopping in Samara and he got excited and told me he owned a bar there (little did I know this was going to be one of the hottest bars in Samara). He asked the exact dates I was going to be in Samara and told me to find him and he’d hook me up. Jackpot. Friends and connections made within the first few hours of my trip.

Liberia
My first stop was Liberia. I spoke to the owner of the hostel via email prior to the trip and arranged for him to pick me up at the airport. This could have ended horribly, but I had a good feeling about him and sure enough, he was there holding a sign with my name on it as I walked out of Customs. We went to a local grocery store and I picked up some fresh fruit and wine before heading to the hostel. I stayed up chatting with the owner for a little while, but hit the sack fairly early because I had a crack-of-dawn wake up call to hike Rincon de la Vieja the next day.

I woke up the next morning, walked to the outdoor market and had a traditional breakfast with all the local men waiting to catch the bus to work before catching my ride to Rincon. Rincon de la Vieja is a national park full of volcanoes, waterfalls, steaming vents, boiling mud lagoons, and monkeys. I hiked by myself for 7 hours straight going through all the trails and seeing the gorgeous and fascinating scenery. I then had some coffee and spoke broken Spanglish with the local waiter at the café on the park site until my ride was ready to leave. I spent the night at Hospedaje Dodero again and left for Tamarindo the next day.

Next week's Costa Rica Series by Charlotte will pick up in Tamarindo.

Best of Dallas Series | Brunch

Mmmmm, brunch! I love the combination of coffee, mimosas and breakfast on the weekends. Below are photos from Lark on the Park, a new restaurant next to Klyde Warren Park in downtown Dallas. I've been twice and really like the waiters, menu and ambience. Another restaurant I always recommend for brunch is Smoke for their barbeque-based menu and Texas vibe. For brunch on an outdoor patio, Breadwinners is always a classic girly place and Nick and Sam's Grill has my favorite blood orange mimosas. Sidenote: Nick and Sam's can be a little loud/obnoxious/Jersey Shore-esque so think twice before taking your grandparents.

 

Best Brunch in Dallas Locations:

LARK on the Park

2015 Woodall Rodgers Fwy Dallas, TX | 214.855.5275

Smoke

901 Fort Worth Ave Dallas, TX | 214.393.4141

Breadwinner's Cafe
5560 West Lovers Lane Dallas, TX | 214.351.3339

Nick and Sam’s Grill

2816 Fairmount Street Dallas, TX | 214.303.1880