Bahamas Photo Diary & Recap

I have been very inconsistent with my blog for the past couple of weeks. Right after graduation, you all know that I went on a trip to the Bahamas with a bunch of my friends. We had amazing weather, and it was great to relax, tan, and spend time with my friends.  After the Bahamas, I had college orientation for two days, and after that I went straight to the Jersey Shore where I am spending the rest of my summer. To continue my absence, I forgot my computer at home leaving me unable to write any blog posts. After all of this, I am finally back, and happy to share photos from my recent trip!

We stayed at the Cove at the Atlantis Resort. We arrived mid afternoon so we went to the pool for a couple of hours, and then got ready for dinner at Dune at the One & Only Hotel. This was my favorite restaurant on the trip! The hotel and restaurant are great with stunning views.

At dinner, I wore this Vineyard Vines maxi dress it was the perfect attire for the evening, and I love the color and embroidery.  

 

I loved these fun paintings that were inside the One & Onlyl!

The next two days we spent the majority of our time at the beach and the pool. It was really nice to relax. My favorite bathing suit I wore on the trip was my Solid & Striped one piece. It is super trendy, and I loved how I matched with the pool and the bright blue ocean!

In the evening, we would walk to the harbor and village where there were a variety of shops and restaurants. The village had adorable pastel buildings, and you could feel the Bahamian vibe as the night went on. 

This trip was the perfect way to end my senior year, and it is hard to believe that I leave for college in less than two months! I am definitely trying to live more in the moment, and spend less time on my phone because soon enough I will be away in Massachusetts. There is so much I have to do in such little time! I need to begin looking for bedding and items for my dorm. Eek!  Stay tuned for a blog post on that!

xoxo

Utah Recap

If you have been following me on Instagram (@theprepnextdoor), then, you probably noticed that I was away in Park City, Utah for Christmas break. My family and I go to Utah every year, and Christmas in Park City is one of my favorite places to be because it is very festive. I apologize for the photo overload in advance.

The first two days of skiing were incredibly snowy and freezing. It was literally a blizzard, but it was fabulous to have a white Christmas Eve and Christmas! We mainly skied at the Canyons Resort and Park City Mountain Resort in Park City, but we also made some trips to other ski destinations in Utah.

For Christmas dinner, my family and I went to Butcher's Steakhouse in downtown Park City for dinner. The food was delicious, and if you are every in Park City, I highly recommend having a meal there!

My outfit details: Navy pom pom hat / Navy Sweater / Blackwatch Pants / Navy booties / Pearl Necklace / Fur Vest (similar)

After Christmas, we skied at the Canyons Resort, and the weather was absolutely beautiful! I love skiing on bluebird days; it is truly the best. Of course, after skiing, relaxing in the hot tubs is the best treatment for sore muscles. The next day, my family and I trekked to the Snowbird Ski Resort. It was my first time skiing at Snowbird, and the views were breathtaking.

This was our view at lunch. It was the highest elevation of Snowbird at 11,000 feet. 

After a long day of skiing, we went into downtown Park City to shop. Downtown Park City is always so festive and beautiful. The buildings and lights always look amazing.

 

We popped into the Gorsuch store on Main Street, and let me tell you, this store is literal heaven. All of their merchandise is perfect. The Bogner ski coats and apparel are to die for!1 I am obsessed with the chevron coat and the matching pom pom hat.


 

We then ended our trip by skiing at the Deer Valley ski resort. Deer Valley always has fabulous skiing, lodges, restaurants, and shopping. The day we went to Deer Valley was another bluebird day which was great. I love skiing by the houses towards to the Jordanelle gondola. The view that overlooks the skyline and the lake is always beautiful. We then headed to the St. Regis for Apès ski and dinner. The hot chocolate was delicious. You can check out what I wore to the St. Regis here.

 Overall, this vacation was truly a success! I got tons of skiing in, and I had a blast being in one of my favorite places. I am so blessed that I got to spend lots of quality time with my family.

Did you do anything fun over Christmas break?

xoxo

Cuba Recap Day 3

 
 
 
 
 

On our fourth day in Cuba, it was more of a relaxed day consisting of less walking. We began our day by going to the Companla Irene Rodriguez to watch a live flamenco dance performance and music. Considering they had such a tiny stage, it was a phenomenal performance. We then visited The Cuban Art Museum where we say some of the finest pieces of art made by the Cubans. After a quick lunch, we went to a dance studio to learn how to dance some of Cuba’s dances, one of them being the salsa. The dancer instructors put on a performance to introduce the different dances that are apart of the Cuban culture to us. Once they were done, my group and I got the chance to try to dance them ourselves. To end the day, we got to do one of the top things on my to-do list, ride in the old cars. The bright and vivid colors and the old looks of the cars attracts to me a lot. During our car ride, we rode along the Malecon, we saw a 200 year old tree, and visited La Plaza Revolucion (Revolution Plaza)! All of these sights were very interesting to see!

Cuba Recap Day 2

 

To start off the day, we visited the Farmers Market in Vedado where we explored the different foods that were being sold in the little neighborhood within Havana, Cuba. The market is filled with entertainment and noise that is perfect for photographers. Then, we went to the Christopher Colon Cemetery where my group and I learned about the history with each tombstone that is placed over the hundred acres of land. Once we were done walking around the cemetery, we went to Habana Compas Dance where we watched a performance of Afro – Cuban rhythm, percussion and dance. We headed for lunch after the performance, and for the remainder of the afternoon we got to explore Havana and relax by the pool.

Cuba Recap Day 1

For our official first full day in Havana Cuba, we went off and visited the Escuela de Taller to learn about the current reconstruction project that is underway in Old Havana, also known as Havana Vieja. Then, we walked towards the Plaza de San Francisco where we walked around on cobbled streets, had a cup of coffee, and took some photographs of the 18^th century buildings and the school children that were playing in a portion of the plaza. After that, we visited the Rafael Trejo Boxing Gym where we watched some of the local Cuban boxers practice. While my group and I were at the boxing gym, we learned that one of the Cuban boxers was a silver medalist from the Beijing Olympics in 2008. It was really cool to see how the Cubans practice considering they don’t have intense work out equipment, and how far they come from such a tiny training facility. We had lunch at La Bodeguita del Medio, most famous of Hemingway’s haunts. My school group and I visited the Taller de Graficia Experimental, Havana’s printmaking studio, school, and art institution. To end the afternoon, we were able to roam a more plazas, and have some tropical drinks!