Category Archives: LifeList

Hooked, Line and Sinker

I was MIA last week because I was busy playing hooky from life, which everyone should do!

Collage of some of my favorite photos from Life Hooky! Thanks to minxes in the top left photo sporting their LBD's for this experience!

Collage of some of my favorite photos from Life Hooky! Big thanks to the two minxes in the top left photo, sporting their LBDs, for this experience!

I went to Costa Rica and met 19 “hookers” that quickly became life long friends, travel buddies, and business brainstormers. “Life Hookers” is what we affectionately called ourselves through the five-day trip of luxury, culture and risk taking with a side of business.

The excursion was concerted by the saucy minxes over at The Middle Finger Project in the form of Ash Ambirge, her partner in crime Jess Manuszak and their comrade Carlos. (Luckily, no arrests were made on this inaugural trip, though the bail money was ready.) I had the privilege of meeting Jess last May in Vegas at Bloggers in Sin City and she told me about TMF’s new venture, Life Hooky. Baller name, smart business women, fun adventure, all inclusive. Where do I sign up?!

When I initially registered, I’m not sure I knew exactly what I was in for. “If Jess digs it and is apart of orchestrating it, it’s gotta be good,” I thought. SOLD! Also Ash is a biznass genius, so there’s that. I love to travel and since I’m of the only-child origin it was nice to go somewhere by myself (especially a different country) where people were on the other side waiting for my arrival.

Many of the “hookers” connected before the trip through a Facebook group where there wasn’t a shortage of banter, humor and fuzzy mustached selfies. But the trip wasn’t about the mustached selfies, ziplining, plunging 80 feet into the pacific from a catamaran, volunteering at a local school, salsa dancing, cooking in a local’s backyard, or even lounging by the pool with a rum and fresh pineapple juice cocktail taking in the sultry sunsets night after night—it was about the people.

These “hookers” were all open-minded, ready for adventure, ready to talk business, ready to take life by the gonads, ready to crack inappropriate jokes, ready to LIVE.

The craziest part? We’re from different countries all around the world (seriously…France England, Australia, Canada were all represented), at different stages of our lives, but we  jelled. It’s a bit unexplainable and many of us during the last evening all together had trouble articulating just what it was that made us all cohesive. They all inspired me.  And I’m not quite sure Ash & Jess know exactly what they created.

But it’s safe to say… I’m hooked, line and sinker.

Check out this little ditty of a highlight reel! PURA VIDA!

14 Things to Start Doing in 2014

In the spirit of the New Year I’m listing 14 things we women, girls, females need to start doing in 2014!

Ready, steady, GO!

1. Say “yes” to yourself more
and “no” others or activities that really just don’t give you that “omg, I’m going to pee my pants I’m so excited” feeling! 

2. Exercise not to “get thin”, but because endorphins make you feel all the happies
Because, science

3. Accepting that life is a journey and you’re exactly where you’re supposed to be
hey fate, I’m looking at you

NewYear20144. Take a deep breath and relax
Maybe it’s yoga, a massage, some peace and quiet with a good book, or even a glass of wine. cheers! *clink*

5. Cherish moments with family & friends focusing more on the experience of being with each other and…

6. For the love of all things, put down the phone and walk a way
We’re all guilty of it. Desperately wanting to capture that moment, freeze it in time for eternity, posting it on the web, for eternity, but what about relishing the moment without the digital device? Try it. I think you and I will like it! 

7. Be mindful of spending
This year I have a goal of finally getting out of my parents house, yup I’m 25 and live at home because 1) real estate and rent in the DC metro area in outrageous and 2) I’d rather spend money on bottomless brunches and traveling. I’m tracking my spending, maybe cutting out some traveling, setting up automatic banking transfers to my savings, getting my Roth IRA up to speed and start some investing. Oh hey adulthood, waddup. By focusing on these simple and sometimes daunting tasks your 65 year old self will be happy to retire and not be poor. YAY!

8. Dance more, because again happies
Whether you dance in the club, Zumba at the gym, take salsa or line dance lessons or simply prancercise around your bedroom in your undies, we all need to let loose! 

9. Write life in a journal
When I was 10, I started my journaling experience filling up an entire composition book of my thoughts and daily activities, and I can’t wait to stumbled upon that lovely piece of literary (ha!) work! Writing is therapeutic and often allows us to reflect on our day, week, month.  Plus, it’ll be fun for your relatives to comb through your life archives when you’re 90.

10. Finish things you start, this includes books, movies, and dreams
HUGE focus on dreams.  For about a year, I’ve had this business idea I’ve let fear wiggle its way in to my psyche! You can’t fail if you never take that first step and START! Getting to it “later” often means “never.”  That thing you’ve been waiting to start, be like Nike and just do it! 

11. Start to put yourself out into the dating world.
Personally, I was pretty dang bold in the realm of dating in the latter half of 2013, I randomly Facebook messaged one of these handsome guys from Inside Edition segment (successfully going out on a few dates), tweeted at Ryan Kerrigan of the Washington Redskins to be my NYE date. (to no avail) But seriously if anyone knows Kerrigan, holler atcha girl!!

12. Start believing in yourself
This is kind of like number 10, but if you can dream it you can do it. And for us fierce females we have to start doing because we are capable and we shouldn’t let the media, men, other females or anyone else dampen that spirit.

13. Learn something new
Coding, Photography, and there’s always those Pinterest recipes and crafts that no matter how many you pin, they will not make themselves.

14. Be you!

WHAT ARE SOME THINGS YOU’RE GOING TO START DOING IN 2014?!? Leave a comment! Happy New Year!

Because Vegas…

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Sporting the new shades!

This morning I went to clean off my sunglasses from this past weekend in Vegas, where I met 68 new friends, and decided to just leave the chlorine droplets, greasy finger prints and cigarette tinge because it reminds me of all the adventures and fun I had being in Sin City for the first time with some of the coolest and most genuine people I have met! And breathe.

So this post is going to have a bit of a personal spin, but its fun to open up every now and again right? Right. This is my first trip and last trip with Bloggers in Sin City as this will be the fifth and final time it will ever happen. I admit it makes my heart hurt a bit, but also I’m so happy I took the plunge and just went for it! ALL of it.
Luckily, prior to the trip I was fortunate to meet up with Nicole, the ultra rad creator of this fantastical weekend and other bloggers who came in town for the Rock ‘n Roll Half Marathon in March and another time I met up with the DMV bloggers to do what we do best, a boozy brunch. Meeting up with a few of my Internet friends in person gave me peace of mind and my mother the opportunity to realize that I wasn’t crazy and that yes these people I’ve “known” online are actually IRL (in real life) individuals.

ALL the reflecting:

Mixing at Serendipity3

Mixing at Serendipity3

Upon arrival I was hella nervous because many of the people had been there for almost an entire 24 hours together and had all the 8-second hugs (hugs bond people, fact.) I had missed out. I awkwardly showed up with all my things to the registration room and what I was not prepared for was many of these larger-than-life personalities online would in real life be introverted and you know what, they were freaking normal. Well at least for a few more hours because in those hours of eating Serendipity3 savory treats, staring contests, more 8-second hugs, pineapple mango mojitos and uncontrollable laughter we became friends.
Friends that in the next few days would dance at Margaritaville, sing Disney in the middle of the casino, play in waterfalls at the pool, nap, sightsee, frolick and be VIPs who sport white clothing down the strip leading to comments like:
a. “That’s the biggest wedding party I’ve ever seen.”
b. “Are they all getting married?” #sisterwives
c. “What is happening right now?”

Wicked White Party Classiness.

Wicked White Party Classiness.

Until this weekend I would have labeled myself a shy person in new situations with practically strangers, but I found that when put in said position I somehow naturally become an extrovert, maybe my way of coping with a new situation is just putting myself out there, squashing the nervousness and embracing the present moment. This is a forever fabulous observation and I often throughout the trip found myself sitting, hanging, eating, drinking, lounging and just gallivanting all over the place with every and all BiSC-uits because I wanted to be friends with EVERYONE. Because VEGAS.

My Days in Vegas Told in List Form

(because they’re just easier to digest and read, always.) oh! and more photos