Today I had another ultrasound at the AFM. I'm 26 w 1 d, and Ms. Ava is measuring in the 65% for weight, at 2.2 lbs! It was a growth scan so they took all her measurements and everything looked good! This is the first time that I almost felt like I was going to cry when she was like, "Ok, and now we're going to measure the femur." I'm like - omg. There is a little human, with a FEMUR BONE inside of my body!! This is insane. I just remember the first (transvaginal 😓) ultrasound, where she was like, a piece of rice. She was literally a little beating heart and that was it. And now look at her. She's got a femur (!) and a stomach (!) and a bladder (!) and a gallbladder (!). It's incredible. 

I'm feeling her move a LOT more now. Pretty consistently every night and throughout the day. Yesterday I was making felipe watch my stomach so he could see her trying to escape. 

That second trimester honeymoon is now starting to wear off -- which makes sense as next week I'll be in the third trimester -- but I'm starting to get uncomfortable when I'm sleeping, my back hurts all day, my feet are getting swollen, etc. I did pass the blood glucose test, but my iron is low, so I have to take an iron pill every day now. 

I also, unfortunately, googled "asparatame and pregnancy." Don't do it yall. These crazy hippy websites will freak you the fuck out! The good news is the actual medical websites said that aspartame can't cross the placenta easily. Still, I stopped drinking diet soda the first trimester then slowly let it sneak back into my diet. True, I drink a TON of water (100+oz per day), but I'm not sure if that negates anything. Actually I wasn't even thinking about this till yesterday because I was like, everything is developing great... but then I was like, but what if, like mentally, it's not. I've been so focused on the physical development, that I forgot to be paranoid about the mental/neuro development. Well, another day, another something to worry about. 

I am oscillating between excited and really effin' freaked out now! Only 3 months to go! 

I am exhausted and think Im getting sick because everyone at work is a jerk and came in when they were really sick . . . or it could just be allergies. And I have so much work to do, it's unreal, yet here I am typing a blog post. #procrastinatorsunite. 

xox

kim

Bumpdate: 20 weeks

How far along are you: 20 weeks

Cravings: diet dr pepper cherry 😓

Weight gained: 0 lbs net; 10 lbs since lowest weight 

Sleep: pretty good most nights, i wake up about twice to pee, and sometimes around 3am i can't go back to sleep. usually i go sleep in the guest bedroom when that happens. 

Baby Movement: i just started to really feel (with confidence) this week. every time i feel her i put my hand on my stomach and a couple times i felt a really good kick!  i made felipe put his hand on my stomach too and he said he felt her!

How are you feeling: i am feeling that second trimester honeymoon feeling!! seriously feel remarkably well, especially in comparison to how terrible i felt in the first trimester, and now i'm wanting to eat more, exercise, etc. basically i feel completely normal. i dont even feel super preggo -- because my weight is really the same as it was pre-pregnancy (i started overweight), but the doctor said on friday my weight gain was "excellent" -- lol -- probably the first and last time I'll hear that in my life!

Names: Ava! Ava Rae, Ava Rose . . . today Amy suggested Amy Grace and at first I was like, noo but now i was thinking about it and I really like it. 

Gender: una chiquita : )

Favorite maternity clothes: i haven't really been wearing maternity clothes yet. i have a pair of target maternity jeans and a pair of asos tall maternity ripped jeans i've worn. but i'm at the weird period where my regular clothes are too tight but the maternity is too loose. 

Diaper bag: i bought a $10 diaper bag off amazon. even though there are tons of cute diaper bags, and i love a good bag, i'm not interested in dropping a lot of money on that until I know more about how i'll use it and what i'll want. 

How do you become a morning workout person?

But really, I'm asking, how?

The sad part is, I used to be a morning workout person. I used to wake up at 5:45am every.single.day., 6 days a week (sometimes 7), and meet my bestie for a four mile run on a causeway next to the ocean and just talk the whole time and not be out of breath at the end. #thegoodoldays

This was pre-college of course; during college there's no way I could get up that early given that I really took the ol' 'going out' part of college seriously, and I worked 40 hrs a week, and I was getting my degree.

Then, I moved to NYC and was a teacher. 5:45am would no longer be even enough time because I had to be to work before 8, and realistically in NYC that means leaving by 7, for a 2 mile bus ride. Ugh. Not to mention, there's just literally no way I was running in the early morning in the NY winters, nor was I gonna run around my neighborhoods when it was dark out, by myself.

Then I was back to Tally in law school, and there was a little while there where I was working out in the morning basically with a personal trainer, but I literally have anxiety about working out "too hard" in the AM because I have (1) thrown up and (2) gone to the ER bc i (didn't realize at the time) had an exercise-induced migraine.

So, I think if I am gonna work out in the morning, to start with, I need to with walking and running. Eventually I would like to get back to adding in weights and strength training, but I think part of my problem is that I just try to do everything at once, and it's just not possible.

Anyways, so I'm going to, once again, attempt a morning workout routine. I've actually been trying to do this for a few weeks - I keep signing up for AM classes and then I back out. I've considered running, but, I do live basically in downtown Miami, and while I've never felt unsafe at the times I walk around, I wouldn't want to go running in the morning when it's still dark out. Part of exercising is that you want to be able to zone-out somewhat, amiright?

So, I don't know why I just remembered there is a gym in our building, and, instead of it being on the first floor, they conveniently (temporarily) moved it to the 10th floor - which is only 2 floors below me. Also, I'm realizing tomorrow is a Monday, so great time to start, and THEN I realized it was the start of a new month, great time to start, and when I realized it was MAY I realized it was a great time to bring back my old fave: "MileADayMay" !

So, for MAY, I am going to stick to running or walking or elliptically or stair climbing at least ONE mile every day -- when I wake up. 😑 I literally cannot take ONE day off, because all it takes for me is ONE day off and I will miss the next three. I also want to start with walking/running because I don't want to go sick and I know those exercises do not cause me to throw up/migraine. And finally, I need to start working out in the AM because of my work. I have been so busy lately, getting so many things thrown at me and that means that even on days I think: Okay, I'll do this after work, I either literally cannot because I have to work all night or I am so exhausted because the work day has been exhausting or I'm starving because -- dinner time. So, I need to workout in the morning so that I can "get it over with," and I hope eventually that turns into something I look forward to as "me" time. Also, I'm hoping this "mental" shift as to why I'm doing it will help keep me motivated (versus it being something I have to do.)

But please, enlighten me, if you're one of those crazy AM workout people - how'd ya start?

xo,
kim

Weekend Update: PupLife & Fort Lauderdale

On Friday we walked to a nearby "park" that was having a Puplife happy hour. I want to try bringing Barksdale to more things, even though he's kind of skittish around other (especially big) dogs which manifests itself as aggression AKA no good. But, this was close enough that we could leave if he was being bad. He only growled at two dogs so I call that a win. 🤣

On Saturday, we went to Ft. Lauderdale for this Taco / Craft beer battle. Some things I love. It has a lot of potential but I think it was the first year they did it so it was WAY too crowded, the lines for everything were monstruous and just generally unenjoyable. But then, since we were already in Ft Lauderdale we decided to go to the beach.

First stop: McSorley's for a little slice of NYC. Also, they supposedly had a rooftop bar, but when we go there the bartender told us it was closed. Womp womp.

After that, we headed a little further down the beach to a place called LuLu's Bait Shack. It didn't have the best ratings on yelp, but I really loved it. It was just a touristy, beachy place, with an ocean view and decent food. 

After that, we headed home and I had to take a nap. Can't hang anymore. 

We finally watched "13th" on Netflix -- it is so important, everyone should have to watch it. Most of it I already knew from my classes in law school re prison reform, criminal law and capital punishment, but I dont think most people realize the depth of these issues. 

Today is gonna be all about cleaning, laundry, and prepping for the week. Oh, and did I mention someone STOLE two of my grocery bags from Amazon Fresh? -_- WTF, honestly.

Happy Easter! Happy Sunday! Happy Weekend!

xo
Kim

Weekend Update: Time to Relax

Ah, sunday nights.

Wah!

I really needed this weekend to relax since last weekend was pretty much go, go, go -- will recap soon!

On Friday, I was just exhausted at work all day. When I look at my time throughout the week, man, friday is always dismal. And, just like when I was a teacher, I'll say - OK I'm just gonna do this on the weekend. And, do I? Nope.

I came home and took a nap and was intermittently getting texts about work, so, not my best work, and I am nervous about Monday because of it.

Yesterday all I did was clean ALL day!! Wow -- it's kind of crazy how I can clean all day and the apartment still just looks like ok kinda of better. The roomba is really clutch - even when I think the floors don't look that bad, after it runs, I'm like OMG -- horriyfing.

I made Felipe come and watch the sunset with me on the 10th floor (since our apartment has no view) - they've been really fabulous lately. That's really all we did. I started watching Ingobernable on Netflix. Really, within the first 5 minutes it's just insanity. Love it!

Sunday:

Ok, I got over myself and tried out a new Spin studio because it was a "themed" ride - Britney v. Christina. So fun! Also, they give complimentary spin shoes, so that was awesome.

After that, Felipe and I went to this place called Duffys. It's a sports bar on the water and I've wanted to go for awhile but have been put off by the fact that its like a 30 min drive for us, and honestly, there are just so many other places closer to us, it never seemed worth it. But, yanno, Felipe loves the yankees and I love the chance to be a bandwagon fan for the day, so I figured, why not.

They also had a DELISH salted caramel brownie dessert. WIN! Oh, and there is an 18+ patio with a pool and DJ #miamilife.

 

So, that's basically it. I also did a lot of planning for the week -- "planned" all my outfits! Planned my meal for tmrw. LOL. I need to plan out my workout outfits so I can actually, yanno, workout. We have a 5k "corporate run" in Miami at the end of the month so I need to try to get back up to a 5K by then (definitely doable if I actually commit). I'm realizing I REALLY need to be an AM work outer now though ... my afternoons are just too crazy to really commit to something then, unless I somehow become a person who can work out twice in a day (#inapastlife).

Also, coming up:

* Plan and finalize fourth of july trip to Guatemala (Antigua and Lake Atitlan)
* Weekend in Orlando -- getting the use out of our annual passes

xoxo

A Busy Month

As I sit here on Sunday night, drinking wine, watching Arrival, and relishing the fact that I am finally over a 2 week mega-Cold, I can't help but think about how I always have to be *doing*. What's weird is that 90% of my *doing* on the weekend or in my free time is truly useless. Time spent pointlessly on social media, scrolling-scrolling-scrolling, and picking up new hobbies while easily tossing aside last weeks' ... I can't help but ask myself what is a really fulfilling way I can spend my time, what do I really want to do?

One of the hobbies I've picked up over the past couple of years is "planning." LOL. Yes, this is a real thing. The "planner community" is a real thing. If you search on Facebook you will find hundreds of planning groups. The biggest one I'm in - Planners Gone Wild - has over 30,000 members (!!). There is an annual planner convention - this year it's in Nashville - tickets are $435 to attend, and it includes tons of "planner swag." I wanted to go last year but didn't, and this year I told myself if tickets were still available the day after they went on sale, I'd go -- I think they sold out in like 5 minutes. Anyway, it was a sign, I didn't need to spend the money.

The reason I like "planning" so much (also, bullet journaling is included in this, and I love to look at bullet journalers on IG/FB) is because of the memory aspect of it. Then, like tonight, I was like, OK I'm gonna work on finishing our Honeymoon planning/journaling but then it just seems so exhausting to pull out all the (too-many) supplies I have, go through pictures, print the best, figure out how to lay them out, etc. etc.

I wonder how I was so in love with journaling and blogging for so long and then I just stopped. When bloggers I'd read would just stop I'd think, "How can they just stop? That'll never be me. I'll never run out of things to say." The truth is, I don't think I ever ran out of things to say, but I started doubted my ability to say them. Everything had to be thought through, all the pictures had to be perfect, etc. etc. (I never did and they never were).

BUT, Man, is it so great to be able to come back here and look at posts I wrote 5, 6, 7 years ago. It's awesome. Even the not-so-great pictures, they are great because they bring me back to that moment.

The posts I am like meh about, those are the posts that I wrote when I fell into the "blogger" hole. Here's a list of 10 ways you know it's Friday. Celebrities that look like animals. A bunch of random memes/gifs with no context. Hahah. I mean, it's fine if people write that, they definitely have a shelf-life though, and ultimately, that's not why I blog.

Why I blog is to remember, and, one day, to give a memory to my children. I see so many cool things parents do for their children - blogging, scrapbooking, opening an email address and sending them emails -- to be opened on their 18th bday - etc. etc. I would have loved  to look back at those memories. Of course, with social media, I think it will be easy to give those memories now.

So, here's an update: 

view from the conference hotel

February has been an over-the-top busy month for me. Despite the fact that my billable hours are still alarmingly low, I volunteered on the operations committee of a big law conference that took place this month. That meant I had to organize all the presentations, get food for volunteers, go on walk-throughs of the hotel, correspond with vendors, etc. etc. This was a really great opportunity for me to meet very well-established attorneys that I otherwise would not have had the opportunity to meet, nevermind work with, but it really wore me down.

Then, amazingly, after not having any friends visit since we've lived in Florida (okay, I get it, noone wants to come to Tallahassee), we had three friends visit. It was so great but I feel kind of guilty bc I was exhausted from that conference, and still sick.

 While they were here we did a lot of very "Miami" things, including going to Wynwood (which I love), Lagniappe (very cool jazz spot with huge backyard garden), drank mojitos, ate cuban food on Lincoln Road, sat by the water, visited the Vizcaya museum, had a drink at Sugar (rooftop bar), ate seafood at the River Oyster Bar, and went to a super cute restaurant in out neighborhood. It's interesting because I feel like (and joke that) Felipe and I are so lame and don't do anything, but the more I thought about it the more I realize that we have done a lot of exploring, at least in our neighborhood and it honestly never disappoints. I truly cannot believe how much I love Miami. Such an unexpected (happy) surprise!

inside the vizcaya museum

built at the vizcaya house to break waves 

donuts from the salty donut - a miami legend - and it DID NOT DISAPPOINT!!! 

(when you think you look normal even though your sick but then your eyes give you away)

Work has been picking up for me. And by picking up I mean I will be relatively to mildly busy and then at like noon I will get an assignment that needs to be done ASAP and I will stay up till 1am working .... 😒 So, I guess that's to be expected but it's really stressful for me because -- as I mentioned above, "planning" is a new hobby of mine so I really don't like it when my "plans" get thrown. LOL. I guess I have to deal with it because it's just the nature of the job.

Coming up: 

We have more guests this weekend. Then, Felipe is going out of town the following week, then the following weekend is his bday, and then at the end of March we're going up to NY for my sister-in-law's wedding (she's marrying my former colleague-- they met at my birthday party! 💗).

So, that's where I'm at. And I'm SO SAD about Bill Paxton, star of my first real horror movie: Twister.

xox

Miami Adventures: Wynwood Brewing Block Party

One of my favorite places in Miami is Wynwood.

 It's just so cool. And yes, it *might* be hipster, if you've been to other hipster areas, but I don't know. To me, hipsters are pretentious and think they're better than everyone else, but I think in Miami, pretentious is commonplace so actually maybe hipsters might just be normal people here. 😛

So, this Saturday was Wynwood Brewing's Third Birthday Celebration. It's one of the only breweries we haven't been to in Wynwood, and I love their La Rubia beer (a blonde ale).

So, they had a block party and a beer truck, beer trailer, and then the beer inside. My favorite was La Mami with Strawberries! I also had La Rubia, The Nutty Blonde, and some watermelon one. Felipe's favorite was the Ghost Fox - which was a beer with ghost peppers in it. He loved it, but unfortunately they're not going to be brewing it regularly for awhile.

Anyways, the real point of this post is to share pictures from Wynwood - which never ceases to disappoint with all the street art!

Happy Sunday!

Cruise Time! : Norwegian Sky from Miami

Cruise Line: Norwegian Cruise Line
Ship: Sky
Room: Balcony/ 10th deck
Time: 3 nights (Friday to Monday)

So, over the Thanksgiving Holiday, Felipe and I decided to go on a little mini-cruise from Miami to the Bahamas. It was three nights. We left Friday and returned Monday morning. It actually worked out because we got on the ship around noon on Friday and then Monday we were still able to go to work. Even though it "worked out," I think in the future I'd want at least a day to recover. The problem is always that I'm lazy . . . aka I don't like doing stuff. I like to do, nothing. When it comes down to it, I can (and will) work hard, but given the choice, I'll choose being lazy . .. sleeping/ reading/napping/etc. errry day. But, I feel like I need to make sure Felipe is having fun, so it adds an unnecessary amount of stress on me. And it is unnecessary because Felipe likes to be lazy too, so there's no reason to feel like this.

DAY 1 - FRIDAY

So, Friday we got to the ship around noon. Even though it doesn't leave until around 5pm, you can get on, drop your bags off at one of the restaurants, and then start enjoying the OPEN BAR + Food! 

We got a balcony room and I was really happy we did. I have been on a cruise two times before - once when I was 17 and we had an inside room, and once when I was in my mid-twenties and we had an ocean view room. I wanted a balcony so that if we got seasick we could sit on the balcony, because I feel like having a breeze on you always helps. I was pleasantly surprised with the room, and yes, it was small, but the bed was a queen (two twins pushed together), and we had enough room to move around. The idea --of course-- is that you're not spending a ton of time in the room. 

After we set sail, the sun was setting, so, of course, we went on a mission around the boat to get the best sunset pic. Overall, nature never wants to cooperate, so the sunset was okay, but I've definitely seen better when I'm just like, driving down the interstate and can't stop to take a pic, yanno?

We went to dinner in the main dining room; we got there right when it opened around 5:30 so we got a good spot right by the window. I like how Norwegian does its dinner time whenever you want, and you're not at a table with a bunch of randos (which can also be a good thing, depending on what you're looking for in a cruise). 

After that, I think we went and took a little nap. Of course, it was around 7pm so Felipe didn't think I'd get back up (can't say I blame him!), but, we did! We went back out around 8 and we ended up spending most of the night in the piano bar, singing with some old peeps, but it was fun. We did go to the "dance club" after that for a little bit, but at that point it was like 1am, and I'd been up since early in the AM, and I just didn't have it in me to stay out any later. 

DAY 2 & 3

Day 2: Nassau

Day 3: At Sea (supposed to be on Norwegian's private island). 

Not gonna lie, I was hungover when we woke up on the second day. I had wanted to get up and watch the sunrise, but that didn't work, but I did manage to snap a good pic from our balcony before the other cruise ships started coming in. 

I wasn't too enthused about Nassau, I was more interested in the private island. The last time I was on a cruise from Port Canaveral, we stopped in Nassau and Bridget & I took a ferry (?) to Paradise Beach? TBH I don't even remember how we got there and if that's where we went, but I remember we were on the beach next to the Atlantis Resort. So, we could've done something like that on this day but Felipe is not really a huge beach person (and neither am I, tbh), and I thought we were gonna have a big beach day on Sunday. 

We didn't end up getting off the boat until prob around noon and had to be back by 4:30. We went to Senor Frogs for a drink and then were heading back to the ship when we stopped in a cool, pirate-themed brewery and watched the end of the Michigan / Ohio game. 

When we got back on the ship we ate dinner and then had a low-key night. I think NCL was trying to punk us though because all the movies they were showing were like movies about shipwrecks - In the Heart of the Sea, The Finest Hours, etc. 

The last day, like I said, they cancelled the private island day. They said it was too rough to tender over, but, tbh, unless we're going over in a little zodiac boat (we're not), no it wasn't. I am a little cynical of everything and I felt like, I know they're doing renovs on the island and I just felt like they didn't want us over there. 

But, we had a relaxing day. I sat on the balcony and worked on my book for awhile, drank several mimosas. We went to watch football in one of the bars at one point (FYI, they didn't show any college football on Saturday which I thought was really surprising/annoying, and I'd be interested to know if all their ships are like that -- for Felipe, not me, obvi). I also went to the spa and got my hair blown out, which, on the advertisement it said $35. When my check came it said $49 (long hair). That was really annoying to me, because they should definitely let a person know that it's going to be a different price than advertised. But, it was worth it to me bc my hair is so thick that if I'd had to do it myself in our room it would've taken me hours (not joking). 

We also spent some time in the Casino, which never ends well for me, but Felipe won a couple hundred bucks on roulette! And I lasted awhile on blackjack, so that is always surprising!

DAY 4- Debarkation

Monday was our debarkation day. The agenda we had (oh yeah, they give you a print out of all the stuff happening at all times on the ship! Super helpful!) said that we could get off starting at 7:45. This was a little late for us because Felipe has to be to work at 8, and me around 9. But, they ended up announcing at 7:30 that we could get off and it was super quick to get off and clear customs. From there, we both took taxis to work and I was exhausted for the whole day! haha!

Overall

I had a really good time and I'd definitely do another cruise, especially if we could find one for the same length that has a good deal. I'm definitely gonna be on the lookout during "slow" times because I bet we could get it really good deal. It was also good because neither one of us got sea sick except for a little bit on the last night, we could "feel" the ship moving, but it wasn't too bad. 

Have you ever gone on a cruise? Would you? 

Art Basel, Miami, 2016

Apparently this weekend in Miami was a big event called Art Basel. It takes place in Miami Beach and Wynwood, with a few other venues between those places. 

Today we went to Wynwood for some drinks and to explore a little. They said that they did new walls, but I only saw the old ones so maybe we weren't in the right place. 

It was really cool! It's like an outdoor open-air space with a fixed bar in the middle, and then food trucks all around. They also have live music every day (Sunday is for Reggae!), a little dance area, and did I mention the food trucks?

We had a few beers, and then I waited in line FOREVER for this "world famous" House of Mac. I got the buffalo chicken mac & cheese (obviously) and Felipe got the lemon pepper wings. Okay, it was legit, but not sure it beats NYC's SMAC. And I waited over an hour for it because people literally lined up for this food truck for 30 minutes before it even opened, and then they would order like 12 orders of food. 

Can we talk about how Felipe is this guy brought to life?

After that, we walked around a bit. I wanted to check out a brewery and maybe this taco place (Coyo Taco, FYI), but it was a madhouse on the streets! Reminded me of NYC except not as good because Miami is not really built for large crowds on the sidewalk!

Next up: 

Season Finale!

xo, 

kim

Honeymoon, Day 4- Elephant Nature Park

 Ok, so wow I really need to get this stuff blogged so I don't forget about it. You have a year to write thank-yous for wedding gifts though, right? So I still have time to write about our honeymoon, amiright?

You can see she's missing an ear 😔

Day 4. Day 4. Let's remember.

Okay, Day 1 - arrival, Day 2 - Bangkok, Day 3 - Chiang Mai and exploring, Day 4 - ELEPHANT NATURE PARK.

look at front left leg 

I'd also just like to note that this was a really special day for me for two reasons. Number one, we were interacting with rescued elephants, but number two, it was on August 4. August 4 is (was) my Aunt's birthday. She passed away in 2010, and my sister and I were very close with her so we have a trip every August on over her birthday to celebrate and remember her. This year, obviously, I wasn't with my sister, but it meant it a lot to me to be doing something like this and remembering her. [past trips: London -2011, Ireland - 2012, Iceland - 2013, Turks & Caicos - 2014, St. Pete - 2015 (weird year bc of wedding!), Vienna - 2016 (March - we moved trip up because of honeymoon and I was over there for a law school thing anyways)/ Thailand]

Fortunately, in the past few years my eyes have been very much opened to the terrible existence that is animals in captivity. Unfortunate because I want to spend my life interacting with animals (I might still visit animals in zoo without meaning to (busch gardens, anyone)) but after watching documentaries like The Cove and Blackfish, I just knew it's not in me to pay money to torture animals anymore. There are a lot of blog posts on why you shouldn't ride elephants or swim with dolphins, so I don't feel like I need to elaborate here, but needless to say - DONT DO IT. Please, don't do it. And if you are considering doing it, please comment here and I will do my damndest to convince you otherwise.

This is especially true in Asia, where animals (elephants + big cats), I mean, their lives are just horrible. So, I started researching alternative animal excursions and was so relieved to find that we could visit an elephant sanctuary and still interact with the animals and see them up close, but not perpetuate the industry.

Elephant Nature Park rescues elephants (and dogs and cats). The elephants have been formerly used for riding, logging, circuses, painting, etc. Did you know elephants can be blinded by bright lights? And then they are marched around crowded Thai cities at night, being blinded by car lights. It's horrifying.

So, we spent the day at this park. We started off the day by feeding Candy chunks of watermelon and other fruit. It was so cool! Then we our guide took us around to different groups of elephants and told us about their stories. We saw a baby elephant (!!) omg he was so cute. Do you know how hard it is not to run up and hug a baby elephant because you're warned they're much stronger than they look. Wahhh!!  But I WANT to!

Feeding candy. 🇹🇭🐘😍 #livinlargertw #riverasRus @yanks51

A video posted by kim rivera (@kim_wanders) on Aug 3, 2016 at 10:21pm PDT

Here's a baby elephant fighting against a rope. He wins! (3 months old ! 😍😍😍🐘🇹🇭) #riverasrus #livinlargertw

A video posted by kim rivera (@kim_wanders) on Aug 4, 2016 at 3:44am PDT

One thing, and not really specific to ENP, but damnnn was it hot. I don't think August is even the hottest month to visit SE Asia, because it's "Monsoon" season (I think April/May is the hottest time of year to go), but being dehydrated was a major concern of mine so I made sure to drink tons of water and nagged Felipe about it all day erryday. Luckily, we went through a travel agent so we were picked up in mini a/c-ed vans and provided with water at some of our hotter spots, but phewwww was I sweating!

They provided an AWESOME VEGETARIAN lunch buffet for us (love that it was a vegetarian lunch, even though I'm not a vegetarian because it really hammered home the point that they are about animal welfare.)

After lunch we went to the river to bathe them! How awesome! This was definitely a tricky situation as it was super muddy and rocky on the bottom, but, so awesome. You may have seen a viral video of a man getting "swept" down the river and the elephant chasing after him -- this was at ENP!

shirt here (but I think there's nothing listed at time of publishing)

We also observed them getting some more snacks, and it was so cute with the combo of the baby elephant and the dogs running around (they have rescued over 400 dogs who were abandoned in Bangkok after massive flooding. They also have a "cat kingdom" for rescued cats which we didn't see).

snack time! (baby elephant hidden in there)

At the end of the day, it DID actually start monsooning -- one of the only days it did -- but it was actually a great relief from the heat, and I didn't mind.

Overall, this was an AMAZING experience that I can't say enough good things about. Everyone should consider visiting an elephant sanctuary or risk being judged by me if you choose to ride an elephant.😛 (<<-- omg how long has it been since I've blogged that there are now emojis).

Have you ever visited an animal sanctuary? Would you? Do you research how animals are treated before visiting an "animal" attraction? How do you decide whether or not to do it? (so many questions because I genuinely need.to.know.)

xo

NYC Halloween

Honeymoon Day 2: Bangkok

Our second day in Bangkok was our first (and only) full day in Bangkok! We were going on a tour around the city of the big temples. Luckily, this is where having the tour guide REALLY came in handy. I know Bangkok is a hub for travel bloggers and expats, and I definitely think it's navigable on your own, but if you only have one day in a destination, you don't want to be worrying about how to get to places (or maybe you're a masochist and into that sorta thing, who am i to judge?). 

Be prepared and forewarned that they ain't joking about the "covering yourself" thing. It was worse in Cambodia at Angkor Wat (more on that later), but I still had to use a scarf to cover my shoulders. And this will not be the first time I mention how supremely fucking hot it was so just be prepared. To be honest, it was the same temperature and humidity as Florida in the summer, but I don't spend my days in Florida walking around covered from head to toe in 100 degree weather, 100 % humidity. But again, maybe you're a masochist into that sorta thing, so, who am I to judge? 

Anyways, here's some pics: 

i love this pic; it's as if they're all like: "whoa. hold up. slow ya roll. what you talkin bout?"

buddha buddha buddha buddah rockin' everywhere

to be continued