How I feel about the fact that I'm no longer on vacation.

This year was a true vacation. We went to Turks & Caicos after I read on TripAdvisor that it was one of the top 10 beaches in the world, and I'm just gonna throw it out there that YES, it was incredible!!! The water was like pool water!

Turks & Caicos is still pretty low on the travel radar scene, it was only in 1985 that Club Med built a resort there and it's been expanding ever since (most people go to Grand Turk when they're on cruises, but we stayed on Providenciales). So there really is not a lot to do there. Which, was just fine for me.

Anyways, on to those blues . . .

 ^^ full disclosure: that's my sister not me but how cool is this picture??

 Somehow I got roped into eating the "spine" of the conch, fear-factor style . . . also, doesn't that background look fake??

 THAT WATER THOUGH!! They told us they do victoria secret shoots out here . . . well, duh!

 Oh, paddleboarding? Not my jam

 it was better on my knees. (#twss?)

 I wish I didn't look like I had a lazy eye in every snorkeling picture I tried to take!

 View from our beach

 Our room was the bottom left!

Don't make me go back!

The biggest thing T&C has going for it (as opposed to other islands in the Carribbean) is that it is not overrun with tourists (yet). There were plenty of opportunities to take pictures and relax on the beach without seeing anyone else around!

The only cure for this post-vacation depression is a netflix binge . . . up now: Friday Nights Lights. 

Have you ever been to Turks & Caicos? Where's your favorite vacation spot??

A Tale of Two Airlines

I would say that I travel frequently and have flown probably hundreds of times (despite my fear of flying). 

So let me break down for you how ridiculous (and unnecessarily so) this trip to Turks and Caicos was (so ridic that I'm typing from my phone so I won't forget my impassioned injustice)

First of all, American Airlines and US airways have "supposedly" merged. That's important for this story. I have a US Airways CC so I can get free first checked bag + priority boarding. I booked my and my sisters flights on orbitz, but it wasn't like a "change airlines" thing, it was just: my first flight is American Airlines (really American eagle, AA's regional provider), second flight is US Airways. Everything from picking seats to checking in online was a mess. I would go to AA and it would only let me check in/pick seats for my first flight. So then I go to US airways to pick my seat:check in and it says it's an aa flight so I have to go to aa and it will redirect me. Mmmmmk.

Bottom line: I was never able to check in for my second flight. Whatever, I'll do it at the airport bc I'm checking my bag anyway (btw, the online checkin never asked me if I was checking a bag, but I looked and it said that international flights were free first checked bag.)

I get to tallahassee airport brigt and EARLY and there are like two checkin counters there - delta and us airways. I'm like, okay, us airways should be good, especially bc te sign when you walk in had BOTH company logos on it. I tell the guy (after waiting in line) that my second boarding pass (which is actually on us airways) wouldn't print. He tells me I have to go to the AA desk. What? There's an AA desk?? Yep. Sure enough, behind where you have to drop your bags off. This line is massive. I wait in that. Explain the situAtion. Get charged $25 to check my bag. Excuse me? This is international plus I have this credit card. No, technically it's not international because were going tally to Miami 😳. Okay, whatever, I'll write a letter later. then he tells me he can't print my boarding pass and I have to go to the us airways desk in Miami. What the actual fuck.

So, I get to Miami, go to the desk, the guy tells me he'll help me an hour before the flight departs. REALLY? You can't just print my boarding pass?? So then my sister and I go to the bar and when I go back right before boarding and ask him to print my boarding pass, he gives me a kind of knowing smirk and says "soo, what happened to your boarding pass?"

Oh no he didn't.

Now my flight is mega bumpy y'all. This is a good distraction. This is what I wanted after all..: for my flight not to get cancelled / delayed as I fly into a tropical storm.* No big.

Okay, but with a view like this, I almost (almost!) can't complain!!

Xox,

Kimbo

* were not flying into the trop storm ( at least not yet) but there was a trop storm warning in Turks and Caicos and it hit yesterday.

Travel Throwback Thursday: Akumal, México

In anticipation for my week-long beach vacay in Turks & Caicos (leaving Saturday!), I thought it would be fun to do a little Travel Throwback Thursday (maybe a repeating trend while I get my travel page fattened up!) on one of my favorite beachy vacays: Akumal, Mexico.

We (my three girlfriends and I) went in October 2011 - over Columbus Day weekend. We got a living social deal and it worked out to $90 for each of us for THREE NIGHTS stay in a BEAUTIFUL condo, right on the water, in México! Those deals are no joke!!

We flew into Cancun, rented a car and drove about an hour to get to Akumal. It was pretty painless. One caveat though, and I'm sure if you've ever rented a car you know this, but ESPECIALLY if you are traveling just females, make sure you make note of any problems with the car beforehand. They basically tried to tell us we had to pay for four new tires when we turned the car in because one tire was flat. I was like, NO. Put air in it! But the rental place is not attached to the airport, it's down a dirt road and you have to take a shuttle there, so you could be screwed getting back to the airport if they really decide to be jerks.

It was pretty easy to check in, and we also got a day-trip to some "eco-adventures" thing. I've gone ziplining in Costa Rica and Panama, I've done the rapelling thing and all sorts of stuff, so I think in retrospect I didn't need to do this tour. I should've just stayed on the beach all day. The other day we did go snorkeling (I got seasick), then hung out on the beach all day.

The town was ABANDONED because it was October, and October is low-season for Mexico (everyone from up north wants to escape the cold winters!). We went to "our" restaurant - La Buena Vida (The Good Life) and ordered guac every day. YUMMMMM.

It was just a really nice, relaxing long weekend getaway with girlfriends and I'd love to go back! Now, some pics!

 the view from our back patio!! unreal!!

 getting dragged over the rocks. -_-

 a view from inside our condo. there were two bedrooms - one with two twin bed, other with a king.

 back patio

 "our" restaurant. blurry, but the floor is sand, and swings for seats!

 nom nom nom get in my belly!!

Have you ever been to México? I really want to go to Cabo!!!

xox, kimbo

downtown disney weekend

Is Thursday too late to publish a post about the previous weekend? Let's go with nooo because blogger effed up when I was doing this Sunday night and then it would not let me write a post or get back to edit this one until today! So, without further adieu . . .    I had the best weekend!   i have been so overwhelmed the past few weeks with working + summer classes and just so much going on, so I was looking forward to heading down to orlando, but also it's annoying to have to drive 4 hours, but, whatever.    we left here around 330 on friday and got down there at 8 (including a stop for food!). we stayed at the buena vista palace and it was close enough to walk to downtown disney -- where I haven't been for YEARS.    it's fun because when you walk in you can buy a ($7!!!) beer and walk around with it.    We went to Splitsville to bowl and I made Felipe buy this water bottle because I really wanted it but, let's face it, I ain't 22 anymore and I just cannot deal with fruity frozen liquor drinks . . . lucky for me, my BF can! :)

 I forgot socks (we didn't plan on bowling!) so I had to buy some there. Lucky for me -- only $6 for a pair of socks! At least I was representin' U-S-A!

 He loves me even though he hates the headband :)

 At the Irish pub in downtown Disney. Just ask expensive as Dublin, but smaller glasses -_-

 The view from our hotel room on Saturday. Thanks Orlando for the beautiful weather!

 We went to Medieval Times for my bestie + her fiancé's bday. One word of advice: bring your own plastic cutlery if, like me, you are totally horrified about eating with your hands!

 I was *very* excited about this green goblet . . . which I paid $10 for and then left in the hotel bar later that night . . . and I DID realize before we got on the road, but the bar didn't open till later on a Sunday -_-.

 

Besties for 17 years and counting! 

  Oh, and doin the tall girl slouch with my boo Mr. Potato Head. 
A really great weekend, so nice to disconnect from all things school! Of course, I forgot my contact solution and I HATE SLEEPING IN MY CONTACTS so I didn't get any sleep Fri --> Sat night and then on Sat morning I woke up at 7am and went down to the in-hotel Disney store, and surprisingly, they had it. Thank yuhhh Jesus!
This weekend I'm going down to St. Pete Beach for my sister's friend's 30th bday celebration! Should be another fun one, then time to buckle down and study for finals! #whenwillitend