Come along for the last week of summer! We got into so much good stuff in this vlog. We ate very well, rode the ferry, went out dancing and even went to a fashion show!

To Arpoador

Oi amores! I am finally feeling better! My first day without a fever and a sore throat I took a walk to Arpoador, the rock that marks the separation between Copacabana and Ipanema beaches. You used to be able to walk across the sand to it but now there is a little park that you have to walk through. The scene was perfect, like a movie set, with all the brightly colored umbrellas and bikinis. Occasionally one of the many surfers would catch a wave and then dive back into the glowing water. I bumped into someone else from the hostel while I was sitting there and we walked back together. Later in the evening I found the dance studio I used to go to and took an African dance class. I’m a bit sore and happy about it. My body and mind needed it! 

Oi amores! Finalmente estou me sentindo melhor! No primeiro dia sem febre e dor de garganta, dei uma caminhada até o Arpoador, a rocha que marca a separação entre as praias de Copacabana e Ipanema. Você costumava ser capaz de atravessar a areia, mas agora há um pequeno parque que você tem que percorrer. A cena era perfeita, como um set de filmagem, com todos os guarda-chuvas e biquínis de cores vivas. Ocasionalmente, um dos muitos surfistas pegava uma onda e mergulhava de volta na água brilhante. Eu bati em outra pessoa do albergue enquanto eu estava sentado lá e voltamos juntos. Mais tarde, à noite, encontrei o estúdio de dança que eu frequentava e fiz uma aula de dança africana. Estou um pouco dolorida e feliz com isso. Meu corpo e minha mente precisavam disso!

xoxo

Mariamma

Lake Henshaw

I love the city, but this small town girl will always crave wide open spaces and some peace & quiet! I decided to give into my craving this week and took a trip to the desert. Luckily it's only a three hour drive. It's so nice to have my scenery change so drastically with just a couple hours in the car. That's the appeal of California I suppose! Everything is at your fingertips. 

x 

Mariamma

P.S. The whales made it safely out of the channel. Apparently they weren't in a big hurry to leave even when the tide went up. Marine biologists that were watching their behavior said that they were likely cleaning barnacles off of themselves on the sand. Happy ending!

Las Vegas

The last time I was in Vegas I was 16 years old and I was there for a family reunion. It was fun - we ate well, went to a Cirque du Soleil show ... and I pined for the nightlife I could not participate in the whole time! I had been wanting to return now that I'm well-passed 21 and I finally got the opportunity a couple weeks ago! Here are some photos from the adventure. I hope you enjoy!

smooooooch 

Mariamma

Mardi Gras

I'm sitting at my desk sniffling with a cold that I contracted from having too much fun. I got an invite to go to Mardi Gras from some friends a month or so back and it seemed like a trip I didn't want to miss. I had never been to Louisiana and I haven't taken a lot of trips to new places in the past couple years ... moving to LA was my big trip, but I didn't have much in the way of a break from work. I was overdue for an adventure! I had so much fun! The four days were a jumble of drinks, parades, dancing, live music, dodging & catching beads, good people ... and more drinks. I'm definitely curious about the city when it's not a giant party too, so it's on my list to visit again. 

hugs not drugs ;)

Mariamma

Thanksgiving

Hello! It's been a busy week, but it always bugs me when it takes this long for me to post again! My mamma is visiting this week. I picked her up from the airport late Monday after dance class and she'll be here until Sunday. I realized this is the first time I've really hosted her. She's been taking full advantage of the hot tub and the kitchen ... no complaints here ;).

Yesterday, Thanksgiving, was really nice - and not our typical family holiday. Raoul came over for waffle breakfast in the morning, then I baked the pumpkin pie while we waited for Jackson, my roommates dog, to be dropped off. We all went to the 80 degree dog beach in Long Beach for a few hours. That puppy loves to run! We ran so much and at one point he got completely soaked by a wave, but I couldn't tell if it was on purpose. He didn't seem mad about it and I laughed pretty hard. We came home and ate a delicious dinner and pie! Such a sweet day. 

Happy belated Thanksgiving 

Mariamma