Sarasota, FL

Two months ago my travel partner and best friend came down to spend a few days with me on the condition we visit Siesta Key Beach, one of the best beaches in the country. Considering I had neither heard of it or never been I immediately agreed. Siesta Key is about ten minutes away from Sarasota proper and about 4 hours away from Jacksonville. We left around 11 or so on a Thursday morning and arrived at our comfortable yet affordable hotel in the middle of it all around 3:30pm. We checked in and then headed straight back out to explore Sarasota!

First stop, happy hour at Marina Jack's! This pretty popular spot is located on the marina between downtown and St. Armands Circle. We stayed for a drink which helped us unwind and get us into vacation mode. Next, we decided to catch the sunset in Siesta Key. The fact that we went at the end of March significantly affected our experience. It was COLD and breezy but the sand was absolutely amazing, white and soft as can be. Z had to run back to the car to get us protection from the wind, we improvised and used my lovely car mat. Even though tears we coming out of our eyes, we braved the weather and left immediately after the sunset for dinner. 

We had reservations at Owen's Fish Camp in downtown. The restaurant is in a cute walking neighborhood but unfortunately all the shops were closed by the time we arrived so we headed straight to dinner. We both opted for some seafood, given the name, and it was fresh, flavorful and delicious! Since we wanted an early start the next day, we decided to go back to the hotel and crash afterwards. 

But before we did, we made a killer to do list for the next day and then I also decided I had to have ice cream from this one shop by the beach because its line earlier in the day caught my attention. Big Olaf  gives monstrous portions of their Amish style ice cream. I of course got coffee and amaretto, soo good! We were on vacation so we justified the binging ;)

Since we are admirers of the French language, culture, food, people, I could go on- we decided to head to C'est La Vie for breakfast. The cute breakfast spot in the heart of downtown was relatively peaceful on a Friday morning, at least right until we sat down. The place got packed literally in a matter of minutes but they have plenty of seating both indoors and outdoors and offer takeout so you can really take advantage of their food anyway you choose to experience it. 

Next up, the Ringling Museum! What an experience! I had no idea such a treasure existed in Florida and was saddened by the fact that very few people know about it. Because I am a member of a local museum in Jacksonville, I get free reciprocal admission to participating museums across the country. The fact that we paid nothing for our $45 worth of tickets made the visit even more memorable. The grounds are huge and you can easily spend the entire day exploring. They include the art museum, Ca d'Zan, circus museum and the gardens. Most people start with Ca d'Zan and since we arrived right at the opening at 10am we opted to start with the art museum to avoid the crowd. Best decision ever. We basically had the entire art museum to ourselves for a good hour or so and the fact that we discovered an amazing Herb Ritts exhibit made it an even better decision. What an innovative artist and visionary photographer! His work was breathtaking to say the least. We felt so lucky to have been able to experience it and if you have the chance you should too. 

                                               

After taking our time to capture each and every one of Herb's pieces in our photographic memory, we headed through the gardens to Ca d'Zan. The house was completed in 1925 and inspired by Venetian architecture and is overlooking the Sarasota bay. It is a great spot for a picnic, a nap, a break from the world with a great book. Conscious of our time and Z's request to get a great tan since we were lucky enough to get a beautiful sunny day, we had to leave. We were absolutely blown away by our entire visit and it really made our trip. 

Given the popularity of Siesta Key's beach, there was absolutely no parking in the middle of the afternoon. I would advise you to get there as early as possible if you are driving. I decided to forego my beach time and dropped him off while I enjoyed a solo lunch at The Old Salty Dog. This restaurant has a very laid back feel to it and was perfect for me to catch up on my T magazines over a simple sandwich. 

Once I knew he had taken advantage of optimal baking time, I picked him up and we headed to our massages, yes we rewarded ourselves for all our hard work! Luckily the massage place was right by our hotel so after our muscles were nimble we just had to walk over to the hotel for a quick shower before dinner. To continue with the indulgent theme of the weekend, we treated ourselves to a fancy dinner at Mozaic, a fusion restaurant that combined Moroccan and European dishes. 

The next morning we decided to visit a new part of town recommended by the New York Times where they suggested breakfast at the Blue Dolphin Cafe in St. Armands Circle. This area is catered to tourists and lacked the character the other parts of the city possessed. So we quickly left and went to explore the Pineapple Square district and randomly witnessed a free street Jazz concert and a farmers market. I highly recommend either staying in this part of town or at least walking through it because it has a great vibe to it, from the metal people  to the street murals to the giant elephants. 

We definitely made the most of our 2 day trip and loved every second of it. I am continuously impressed by all the rare gems the state of Florida has to offer! Come visit!

Chattanooga, TN

While in Jacksonville, I want to take the opportunity to explore surrounding cities that wouldn't have been on my radar otherwise. I didnt really know much about Chattanooga when I decided I wanted to visit. It was the bridges that lured me in and after visiting this past weekend, it was totally worth it. 

The view from Walnut Street Bridge

We started our trip on a saturday morning with the goal of arriving by lunch. It was almost a six and half hour ride for us. A few weeks ago, I found us a beautiful house to rent for the weekend on vrbo.com. The house was conveniently located in the North Shore district and was walking distance from Coolidge Park and Walnut Street Bridge. 

One of the first things you notice about Chattanooga is the beauty in and around it. The River City is surrounded by mountains and ridges that make for a constantly beautiful backdrop. In the city itself, there is public art everywhere. In 2001, efforts to improve downtown included a waterfront plan that beautified the city and the riverfront. As a result, sculptures and art installations are everywhere. You also notice a specific shade of blue all around you- on the bridges, the rails, river front paths and their rhino (named Blue Boy).

Native Americans were the first inhabitants of Chattanooga and in 1838 they were forced to move to Oklahoma by the US government. This exodus was called the Trail of Tears. I remembered hearing about this in elementary school but had no idea where it started. While walking around in Renaissance park, I noticed a really sad but beautiful sculpture. The sculpture reintroduced me to the Trail of Tears. In Chattanooga, Native Americans were kept in internment camps at Ross's landing before they were pushed out. There is a memorial there today but it really doesn't portray the severity of what took place over a 150 years ago.

We did drive to one destination- Rock City. Lookout Mountain kept coming up as a must see on all blogs, websites about Chattanooga. While driving there, we came to realize it is actually in Georgia. 20 minutes from Chattanooga, it is a beautiful area that allows you to see 7 states from the lookout point. Most critics claim you can only see 5 states. As we entered, we realized the attraction is setup very much like an amusement park and has a It's a Small World type feel to it because of all the gnomes! They caught us by surprise and  were everywhere. In the end, the views were worth the ticket price but just be warned. If you are hoping to hike like we were, Point Park might be a better choice. 

The last stop on our trip was the Hunter Museum of American Art. This visit was one of my favorite museum experiences ever. The museum has an old mansion and a modern extension that are connected. There are a lot of pieces outside that really do entice you to come inside. Our favorite was Boreal, a horse made out of welded metal. Another favorite was The Glass Art of Paul Stankard. The Hunter utilized the guide by cell audio tour which made the entire experience so much for fun and laid back.

All in all, Chattanooga was a great weekend destination. It had great food, lots of local restaurants and boutiques and great people. It also has a great aquarium that we decided to skip because we wanted to be outside. But maybe next time!

Costa Rica

We have 6 trips planned for the year but I wanted to finish off Costa Rica before our traveling for the new year begins next week.

Ahmed and I flew down to San Jose and met up with Chrissy and Z on Christmas. We rented a jeep and headed straight to La Fortuna. Took us forever to figure out our Spanish gps and, before we knew it, our three hour journey turned into a five hour drive in the rain through windy mountain roads. Well worth it though! It made us prepare for the next drive by reading up on our maps before we got moving. 

La Fortuna's economy is based on tourism for Arenal volcano. There are tour operators and souvenir shops everywhere. Our hotel was pretty easy to find because it is the tallest building in town, a whopping 5 stories! We decided to try the local, or "tipical," food sold at local "sodas," which are like hole in the wall diners. And the food was delicious. The main dish you see in all the restaurants is called a casado and it consists of beans, rice, vegetables, and choice of chicken, fish, beef or pork.

The next morning we drove to the volcano, hiked a few different paths and managed to see the top of the volcano for a quick second (it was cloudy most of the day). The hike was great.  We came across  lots of local plants and flowers, a giant tree, and lava rocks. And just before we left the ecological preserve, a Toucan flew across the front of the volcano as the clouds began to part.

After lunch, we started our drive to Santa Elena for the Monte Verde cloud forest. This drive was completely different from our last because it was a sunny clear day. We drove around the northern half of Lake Arenal and saw lots of wildlife. The drive was absolutely beautiful but to the west of the lake it started getting bumpy. There's no way we could have made it on some of these roads without a four wheel drive. 

Santa Elena was livelier than La Fortuna. Much more character, many more people and lots of local conservatories for butterflies, insects, orchids, you name it. We spent the evening walking around, hit up another very popular soda for dinner, picked up some things at a local supermarket and explored the main square. The next morning we headed to Monteverde Cloud Forest which consists of 26,000 acres of tropical rainforest. The locals initially wanted to raze the land and develop it but eco-tourism allowed them to maintain the unique space and protect it. Our tour guide was fabulous and took his time telling us about the diverse plant life. During our tour, our guide spotted and showed us a Resplendent Quetzal. A rare sight. After our hike we stopped at a local bakery and chowed down on spinach and chicken patties. There were toucans hanging out in the garden in the back of the bakery.

Next up, zipling! We couldn't leave the forest without gliding through it. We went down 14 lines and a Tarzan swing. Each line was longer than the last and the longest was 2 miles.  

The next morning, we drove down to Paquera and caught a ferry to Puntarenas. This was the fastest way to Montezuma and saved us a good four hours of driving. The Nicoya Peninsula consists of lots of sunny beach towns. It was warm and beautiful everyday. Montezuma was packed with locals and tourists because of the holiday season. We got a bungalow by the ocean with monkeys, iguanas and exotic birds as neighbors. We didn't really do much except eat and sleep on the beach and in our hammock. One of the days  was spent in Malpais where we witnessed one of the most beautiful sunsets. Ahmed, who doesn't know how to relax, created a not so little shack for us on the beach while we soaked in the sun. 

Our last stop on the trip was San Jose. But getting there was not as simple because of course something had to go wrong during our trip. We were on our way to catch the ferry back to the mainland and were a hour early but that wasn't enough. After arriving, we were told the ferry is full and we would have to wait for the next one which was 4 hours later. It really wasn't so bad. A few games of Bananagrams, some fried rice and conversations with locals helped pass the time. And fate allowed us to witness a lovely sunset on the Gulf of Nicoya. 

We got to San Jose and headed straight for an amazing last meal at La Esquina de Buenos Aires. This meal was heavenly. Not just because of the food though everything we put in our mouth was delicious. But the atmosphere made it feel like you were having dinner at your grandfather's place. Every one was laughing and everyone felt like they were family. It was the perfect end to our trip with the people we love. 

Morocco

Ahmed and I went to Morocco for our honeymoon after our fairytale wedding. Our first stop was Casablanca. We only spent a few hours here because it is an urban city and we wanted more of a cultural feel for our trip. The main reason for our stop was the Hassan II Mosque, a beautiful house of worship right on the Atlantic Ocean and to my delight right by a lighthouse.  We took a train into the city from the international airport and then a cab to the mosque. You can easily spend over a hour exploring the 22 acre space. The best part of our excursion was seeing the mosaic was used on our wedding invitation! Christina and I found it off of a google search and had no idea where it was from. It was a great way to start our trip.

Marrakech was completely different from Casablanca. It was full of history and life and you could instantly tell it was the most important of the imperial cities. We stayed in a local riad within the medina so we could walk to the markets and the sights. The souks were unlike any other I have ever seen, filled with spices, leather, glass and pottery. Medersa Ben Youssef was our favorite sight because of its tranquility. It was simply beautiful and calming in a way that was very spiritual. There are a lot of old palaces in Marrekech and after a while they lose their appeal but the Medersa was unlike any other place. The Djemma el-Fna should be visited once during the day and once in the evening to understand the stark transformation. During the day, it is a mostly empty square that connects with all the souks but in the evening it is a market of its own with hundreds of food stalls and street performers. Other highlights were the Maison De La Photographie and Majorelle Gardens. Both provide a modern take on Moroccan history. 

Fez was very similar to Marrakech but much slower and had more of an artsy feel.We saw an Oud for the first time and Ahmed got some lessons and fell in love so much so that he bought one for himself. We visited the tanneries and they are quite an experience mainly because the stench is so strong. We couldn't believe the workers become accustomed to it. It was amazing to see nonetheless! We also probably had one our favorite meals in Fez. We arrived starving and tired and ventured into the souks and one of the shopkeepers tried to sell us some carpets and we told him we need food first. So what did he do? Just happened to know the owner of a local restaurant that was closed for the afternoon. He told the owner we are his dear friends and translated the menu for us and left. We ended up eating in a palace, just the two of us! And the meal was amazing! And very affordable. We did go back and buy a small carpet to show our gratitude. 

Our last and favorite city was Chefchaouen. Its walls were painted blue by the Jewish refugees in the 1930s and the tradition was kept alive even after the Jews left. It is a very small town about four hours north from Fez. We spent a day here just walking around and enjoying the sights and sounds by the main square. At night, we went the roof of our hotel and gazed at a sky full of stars. It was perfect. 

The food in Morocco is exquisite. No matter where you go, you will get some olives and bread as starters and the olives were pretty much amazing everywhere. Tagines are famous all over the country and these are stews made with vegetables and either lamb, chicken, seafood or beef. We tried them all and loved them all. Moroccans themselves are very sincere and helpful and made our trip better than it would have been without their help. 

Next up Costa Rica in 2 days!

Catch Up

I can't believe my last post was in April. So much has happened since then and I just haven't had time to sit and share it with you all until now. 

April was a month of packing and unpacking boxes because Ahmed moved in after the Nikkah. This process was interesting because it tested boundaries and challenged opinions since this was the first time either of us  have lived with a partner. Both of us have learned to let go a little and genuinely listening instead of instantly dismissing an idea. I am happy that he is as involved as he is because it helped with setting up our home and planning our wedding.

All I remember about May is pain, discomfort and disgust because of two wisdom tooth extractions. Luckily, my parents came to visit that weekend and kept me company and were wonderful like we all know parents to be :)

June was a month of reflection and bracing for change. I decided to resign from my position at the Girl Scouts because of various reasons, but most importantly I just wasn't happy or challenged there and with my director leaving the decision became very clear. Luckily this month also involved a trip to New York and celebrating our 1 year anniversary, both of which provided a much needed cleanse and realignment. It was great to be reunited with my dearest friends in New York and sharing my ups and downs with them over laughter, I have missed them so much! St. Simons provided a great scene for our anniversary. Ahmed and I were able to unwind with the ocean at our doorsteps while enjoying a weekend with no presence of time. 

July feels like it came and went in a heartbeat. I started my new position at PACE and have absolutely loved it thus far. My team is wonderful and the staff really does believe in the mission which makes it all the more worthwhile. I am excited to see what transpires in this new role. We also took a trip to Miami to spend some time with a few of Ahmed's law school friends and one of them taught us how to ride motorcycles!! I am happy to report that no person or bike was injured. It was great to experience Miami like the locals do and that made me appreciate the city so much more. I can't wait to go back in Dec! Because of my restless nature I also started volunteering for Jhatkaa, a really amazing startup in India, and am helping put on a TEDx event in Jacksonville in October- both of which have been a great learning experience because everyone involved has accomplished so many amazing things and are such a delight to be around.

August just began but it feels like it will be over before I know it. I head to Seattle tomorrow for a week for a workshop and then have a staff retreat in Amelia Island the week after for a few days. That only leaves one more week before I head to New York for the festivities. It still feels surreal that it is all finally happening. We began planning back on Aug 20, 2011 and a year has already gone by. I have no idea how! All I know is that I am elated, happy beyond my wildest imagination, lucky and feel extremely privileged to have experienced all that i have as well as that is about to come. 

Next post will be after the honeymoon in Morocco!

Our Nikkah

A few of you have reached out and asked for nikkah details and I'm sorry that it has taken me this long to get this out to you.

Our Nikkah was held on March 31st, 2012. I want to take a second to tell you what a nikkah is and what it means to Ahmed and I.  The word nikkah means  "Islamic marriage." But there's more to it.  As we are both a product of two very different cultures, Western and Islamic, and because we value our identity as well as our roots, we have separated two very important aspects of our marriage.

As simply as I can put it, the nikkah represents our commitment to each other and our wedding in the fall represents a celebration of that commitment along with our civil marriage.  Because we intended for the nikkah to be a very simple and solemn affair, we invited only a handful of our closest friends and relatives. 

The ceremony was held at Club Continental which is an old Spanish home that has been converted into a reception site. It overlooks the St. Johns river and has Spanish moss trees in the back that create the perfect ambiance. We lucked out with the weather because it was suppose to rain all day but the rain started at 9:40, 10 minutes after the ceremony had ended.

We had a brunch afterwards and then a dinner reception in the evening. The food was pretty amazing and really we haven't stopped eating since that day because of one reason or another. In fact, if you have a sweet tooth, you really need to come over because we have a ton of sweets.

Can't wait for round two in September!

St. Petersburg, Florida

I was recently whisked to St. Petersburg for an early birthday present. The sunshine city was a great host and exactly what we needed. It had the perfect balance of food, parks and sights required by any weekend getaway.

We started our Saturday by visiting the Saturday Morning Market in downtown. The market hosts a variety of craft vendors along with local and foreign food stalls. We opted for empanadas and some handicrafts from Thailand. Next up was the Dalí museum, really the main reason for our visit. The new building opened in January ’12 and is a beautiful home for the 98 pieces of art. The collection featured some of his more famous works along with some styles of art that most people would not associate with Dalí. My favorite piece was the Sugar Sphinx.

St. Pete is a very walkable city which is why we decided to leave our car in one of the many $5/day garages. From the museum we decide to walk along the water and make our way to Coney Island for lunch. This little hole in the wall opened in 1926 and still serves the exact same menu at unheard of prices like a $2 chilli dog and $3 hamburgers. During our walk, we came across many vintage shops that contained a lot of interesting items. I would recommend Misred Outfitters for women and Trendsetters Men’s Exchange for men. 

The city is filled with lots of beautiful parks with views of Tampa Bay, including the Vinoy. Once you have had enough lazy time in park, you can make your way over to the Pier and enjoy views of the city as well as the bay. In the evening we headed to Jannus Landing, where you will find live shows as well as the nightlife.  We had dinner at Ceviche after a friend’s recommendation and it was a fantastic meal. The setup reminded me of restaurants in Seville and so did the food! 

Our Sunday was spent at Fort De Soto Park, about 20 minutes away from downtown. It is a really isolated park that has everything you want for an outdoors day. Options include hikes, bike paths, the beach, camping and bird watching. Mazzaro's Italian Market is another great thing to check out but it is closed on Sundays. I loved my birthday present and can not wait to go back!