The Beautiful Bahamas

I started 2012 off the right way... sitting on the beach next to my favorite person. =)

Arya and I have been to so many weddings over the last couple of years that we've started to get a little jealous. To help quell our jealousy we decided to skip the stressful planning of a big wedding and just enjoy the perks of a cheesy honeymoon instead. Where to go? What was the cheesiest romantic getaway we could think of? A Sandals resort in the Bahamas, of course.

"The Big Easy"

reat music, great food, and great fun was what made my 4th of July weekend trip to New Orleans way more than great. My amazing friend, Kait, and her hubby (both visiting from Australia) met me and Arya down in Louisiana for a long weekend adventure.

As a warning, this post is just going to center on pictures. Some taken with Kait's awesome new camera and some from Arya's iPhone camera. So please be forgiving if there is a difference in quality... some of us are just too lazy to carry around nice cameras. ;)

To Go or Not To Go?

"... Living in a foreign country is one of those things that everyone should try at least once. My understanding was that it completed a person, sanding down the rough provincial edges and transforming you into a citizen of the world. 

What I find appealing in life abroad was the inevitable sense of helplessness it would inspire. Equally exciting would be the work involved in overcoming that helplessness. There would be a goal involved, and I like having goals."

-David Sedaris

ot too far back, my very international second cousin got me thinking: Do I need to move?

My second cousin is half Persian, half Indian, born in Iran, raised in Sweden, moved to England, and then lived in different US cities including Seattle, New York, and DC. He brought attention to the fact that I need to get out of the area, considering I was born in the DC metro area, raised in the DC metro area, went to school in the DC metro area, and now work in the DC metro area. Maybe he has a point? I do see a pattern... Oh, and although I went away to college for a year in Harrisonburg, Virginia, he wouldn't count that since I was mostly surrounded by others from the DC metro area, on top of the fact that I came home every other weekend.

Part of my decision to stay around home during my college years were unfortunate family circumstances, but now that is all resolved, and I have no excuse. I am in a time where I have the flexibility in my life to go anywhere. I am young, no kids, no overbearing responsibilities to tie me down, and no career that forces me to stay in one position/location forever. I am afraid that time is running out for me and soon I won’t be so free or young anymore. My opportunities will be gone and all that is left will be regret. Probably my biggest fear-- being left with too many regrets at the end of my lifetime. I want to prevent as much of that as possible and now might be a big chance.

I have visited some international places, ie. France, Mexico, Colombia, Switzerland, and Italy. From these short trips I have already tasted the personal growth that comes from expanding your horizons and experiencing new places, people, and cultures. But is there a huge difference when you actually uproot your life and LIVE somewhere different? I wouldn't know; I am just a townie. A townie in a relatively diverse and highly populated area, but does that really make it any better?

I have no idea where I would want to go. And now that I start attending a DC law school in the fall, what are my options? Plus, I don't have a great aptitude when it comes to learning new languages, which doesn’t leave many English-speaking international options, when places like England don’t interest me. Maybe a different US city? LA or NYC definitely have a different culture than DC. I just don’t know right now. Do I really need to have lived somewhere else to have a full life? What's wrong with forever just taking lots of vacations and weekend excursions??

ko-LOM-bee-yaa!!

s a part of New Year's Eve celebrations in Colombia it is customary to carry a suitcase around the block to ensure many travels throughout the new year. Such a contrast to the kinds of things that Americans wish for at the start of their new year. Americans wish for things like smaller waistlines and making more money. So of course, among other reasons too, I was very excited to visit a country that puts such high value on traveling and experiencing new places.

From January 2nd through 9th I had the chance to visit Colombia for the first time. Why Colombia you ask? No, I am not Colombian, as everyone I tell about my trip first assumes. Arya went a couple years ago and ever since he had been raving about how amazing the country and the people are, etc, etc. I couldn't handle it anymore and convinced him (didn't take much effort) that if it was that great then he was due for a return. Plus, he wanted me to finally see what all his fuss was about. After more than a year of hearing about how amazing Colombia was, how could I turn down the suggestion? And that's how I eventually ended up in Colombia.

Although it was Arya's second time in Colombia, his first trip was very different than what we experienced this January. He spent his first trip primarily at the parties and beaches of  Santa Marta, while our trip was spent at a different city everyday. We got to see Bucaramanga, San Gil, Tunja, Villa de Lleyva, Sogamoso, Laguna de Tota, Playa Blanca, and Bogotá. A lot of time spent in cars, buses, and planes, but it was all well worth it.

I saw so much I don't even know where to start. I guess I will just share some pictures and let it stand at that. Please keep in mind that we only took pictures with an iPhone 4 (sorry we were lazy) and pictures never ever give beautiful places the justice they deserve. And Colombia is a BEAUTIFUL place, no lie. The only unfortunate part about our trip was that it was too short (there was so much more we wanted to see) and Colombia just experienced a series of freak floods, so it occasionally rained, which is very unusual. Even at it's ugliest, the country didn't stop taking my breath away. Considering how beautiful every place we visited was, I was not surprised by the pride and love all of their citizens have for their home.

And now for some pictures: