The Scenic In-Between

Tag: Friends

  • Washington, D.C.

    Washington, D.C.

    I keep thinking about how this post’s title is missing a state… Anyway, I arrived in D.C. on Friday night to visit my friend Paola, who I met when I lived in Austin. On Saturday, we walked around the city. I was in D.C. last year, so I had already seen a lot of the free museums. We went to the Portrait Gallery and the Botanical Garden, since I hadn’t been to those.

    After that, we walked to the Wharf, a neighborhood by the water with a boardwalk with a bunch of restaurants. We sat at a bar and two of Paola’s friends met us there. It was fun to get to know them! I was exhausted by the end of the day. We basically walked all afternoon. Thankfully, it was cloudy and not too hot, so it was bearable.

    On Sunday, we went to Mass and then brunch. Another one of Paola’s friends met us for brunch. The plan was to go to the zoo after brunch, but we talked for so long that there wouldn’t have been enough time to go. We were also tired and it was a hot and sunny day, so we decided to go back to Paola’s place and chill.

    On Monday morning, I left D.C. and drove to Raleigh. Being in D.C. with Paola was really good for me. She moved to D.C. 7 months ago without knowing anyone there and now has a great community and a new job. Seeing how things have fallen into place for her, makes me less nervous about moving somewhere new.

    When we were talking about all this and about how she’s really happy in D.C., I mentioned that a few years ago, I asked a priest what I had to do to be happy. I grew up hearing that if I love God, am a good person, and do the “right” thing, I’d be happy. I had tried to do that my whole life, yet I was miserable. Since I had unsuccessfully followed the “happiness formula”, I was starting to think that maybe I was unhappy because there was something wrong with me or because being miserable was my cross to bear for the rest of my life. The only thing I remember about the priest’s answer is that it was completely unhelpful.

    Paola asked me what I’d answer Priscilla from a few years ago, given all that I know now. I would tell her to pray less, ask God for inconsequential little things that she wants but doesn’t need, and let him give them to her, not because she’s earned them with her incessant prayers, but because he loves her. Once she’s learned that God actually does love her and she’s able to relinquish some control to him, I’d tell her to think about the life she wants, regardless of what she thinks is “right” for her to want, and take steps to get closer to that life, even if it means taking risks.

    As I was lying in bed that night, I realized that my friends Grief and Loneliness haven’t visited me in a few months. Every once in a while, they wave at me through the window, but they never come in and stay. It’s been so good to reflect on where I was and see how far I’ve come. I wish I could go back and tell Priscilla from a few years ago that in a few years she’d go on a great adventure and we’d find our way back to happiness.

  • Stamford & Troy, NY

    Stamford & Troy, NY

    Nicole and I arrived in Stamford, NY last Friday for our sister Vanessa’s bachelorette. Our other sister, Nathalie, was already there and had decorated the cabin we were staying at. Later, Vanessa arrived with some of her friends. What happens at a bachelorette stays at a bachelorette, but I’ve been given permission to share a bit about the weekend.

    We stayed at a beautiful cabin surrounded by woods. You could see lots of stars at night and it had a wood burning hot tub and sauna. Nicole and Nathalie became experts at building fires. They poured their souls into heating up the hot tub and sauna. So much so that when the hot tub was finally hot after hours of feeding the fire more logs, Nathalie no longer wanted to get in the hot tub.

    On Friday night we had dinner, relaxed, and talked. The Baquerizo sisters often dominated the conversation and we had to remind ourselves to let others talk, but it seems like Vanessa’s friends enjoyed seeing the sister dynamic. You’re welcome for the entertainment, Anne, Emma, Zoe, and Carla.

    On Saturday, we hiked to a waterfall at Mine Kill State Park and ate our packed lunch there. In the evening, we went out to dinner and then went back to the cabin to party. Vanessa had requested both a cabin and going out to party for her bachelorette. Those two things are not compatible with each other because if you’re in a cabin in the middle of nowhere, it’s unlikely that there will be a place to party nearby. So we brought the party to the cabin.

    On Sunday, we went to Mass and then made brunch at the cabin. We played a Vanessa and Logan trivia, painted tote bags, and took turns going into the sauna. If you’re on the market for a sauna, I don’t think the wood burning part is worth it, but it did smell amazing in there.

    On Monday morning, we all said goodbye. It was a fun weekend! I didn’t get enough sleep, but it was worth it. I also learned that I might enjoy artistic things. I’ve never enjoyed arts and crafts, but I did find painting the tote bag relaxing, so I might need to try out some new hobbies.

    I drove to Troy to stay with my friend Cara for a night. I wasn’t able to see her when I was in the area in February, so I was really happy that it worked out this time. Cara spent Labor Day weekend at her parents’ house, so I arrived in Troy before she did. I went to Prospect Park to eat my lunch. I was going to go to a coffee shop to read after that, but the weather was so nice, that I stayed at the park and read there.

    When Cara was home, I went to meet her. We went out for drinks, had dinner back at her place, and had a great time catching up. The next morning, we went out for coffee and then I drove to Shenandoah National Park in Virginia.

  • Austin, TX

    Austin, TX

    Last Thursday, I flew to Austin for my friend Alex’s wedding. She and her husband, Miguel, are from Austin. Alex had already moved to Houston when I moved to Austin and Miguel was about to move. I met him at his goodbye party. A few years later, I met Alex at a retreat and we became friends when I moved to Houston. This meant that I got to see both some of my Houston and Austin friends at the wedding. It was a great way to catch up with so many people that I haven’t seen in a while.

    I stayed with Sofia, who you might remember from way back in February, when I was in St Augustine. She’s living with Estefania, who I had met when I lived in Austin but then lost touch with. It was really great to reconnect with her. They live near Westlake, a bougier part of town that I hadn’t explored before, so we spent the weekend joking about how we were going to HEB or a cafe and it’s so fancy because it’s in West Lake and it’s ok for us to go in our workout clothes because we can pretend we’re going right after our pilates class. In reality, they felt the same as HEBs and cafes in other parts of town, but it was fun to pretend.

    I was in Austin until Tuesday and all my days were packed. I managed to catch up with everyone I wanted to see, whether they were invited to the wedding or not. On Friday morning, I had breakfast with Tuby, who I shared an Airbnb with in Milwaukee in May. That night, I had dinner with Nicole V and Michelle. Michelle was flying to London the following morning and I’m really grateful that she made time for me.

    On Saturday morning, Sofia, Estefania, and I went to Swedish Hill and had delicious pastries. If you’re ever there, you should get the cinnamon roll. In the afternoon, Sofia and I went to the wedding. I went to the Mass alone, since Sofia wasn’t feeling well, and sat with Chiamaka, who was in Phoenix with me. Sofia joined us for the reception. Unfortunately, I only took pictures with a few of the friends I saw there.

    Sunday was our chill recovery day since we were exhausted. In the evening, Sofia, Estefania, and I took Sofia’s dog, Lola, to the dog park to see her friends. Then we had tacos at Rosita’s. Some of my friends used to go to Rosita’s all the time and raved about it when I lived in Austin, but I never went. I couldn’t leave without finally trying their tacos. They did not disappoint.

    On Monday, I spent the day with Lola while Sofia and Estefania worked and I had dinner with Nicole W, who got married in Milwaukee. We didn’t get to talk too much at her wedding since she was kind of busy getting married, so it was really nice to have time to properly catch up while I was in Austin.

    On Tuesday, it was time to fly back to Nashville, where I spent two nights so I could re-pack everything for the second part of my road trip. Today, I drove to Mammoth Cave National Park. The road trip officially continues!

  • Nashville, TN (Part II)

    Nashville, TN (Part II)

    After I got back from Ecuador, I spent 3 weeks in Nashville. This time, I stayed with my friend Daniel instead of Anne. He was going to be gone for the first 1.5 weeks of my stay, so I had the entire house to myself. Nashville is one of the cities I’m thinking of moving to, so I tried to make my weeks there as close to real life as possible.

    I started by finding a personal trainer. I felt ready to start strength training again and I wanted to make sure my form was good and I was doing the right exercises. A few people have asked me how I found her. I literally Googled “personal trainer for women in Nashville” and her website was the most complete. Kristin works with 2-3 people at a time at the gym, which sounded great for meeting people. She also has an online training option that I can join if I don’t end up in Nashville. When I told her my story about my road trip and only being in Nashville for a few weeks, she was not only accommodating but also very excited for me.

    I did 4 personal training sessions. They were really great! I felt good after every workout, didn’t get fatigued, I got to cheer on another woman as she got a new PR, and I learned how to use all the machines at the gym. I had told Kristin that I wanted to learn how to use the machines before I left so I would be less intimidated working out on my own at a gym. For my last 2 workouts, she included a bunch of different machines so I could learn them all. I’m taking a break from strength training while I’m on the road for the next few weeks, but I’ll get back to it when I’m in a city for a few weeks at a time.

    When we were still in Ecuador, Monica convinced me to get on Hinge while I was in Nashville. I hate dating apps, so I was very reluctant, but I ended up doing it and am happy that I did. I only lasted about a week on the app and I didn’t meet any millionaires, but I did meet fun people that helped me get to know Nashville better. I also made sure to have a plan with Anne once a week and a couple plans with Daniel. Anne re-introduced me to her friend Shannon, who is now my friend Shannon. I had met her a few years ago when I was visiting Anne, but I got to spend more time with her and her dog, Dolly, this visit.

    Here are some of the fun things I did in Nashville:

    • I tried a bunch of new restaurants in different neighborhoods.
    • I went to the Opryland Resort to see their massive indoor garden. They have a little river with boat tours, ice cream shops, and bars in there. It was amazing.
    • I watched the new Spiderman movie.
    • I hiked at Old Stone Fort State Archeological Park and sat with my feet in the river for a while after the hike.
    • I hung out with friends while we listened to live music.
    • I went to Pins Mechanical, an arcade bar.
    • I learned how to use a lawnmower.
    • I went for a walk in Centennial Park.

    On the professional front, I started a free basic accounting course to see if that’s something I might want to pursue. So far I really like it! I also took the Motivation Code (MCode) Assessment and figured out what my main motivators are. They made a lot of sense and help explain why I enjoy certain tasks and dread others. I can’t always avoid the things I’m least motivated to do, but I can reframe them into one of my top motivators to make them a little more exciting.

    That’s a wrap for Nashville! I think I would be happy living there, but I’m going to spend some time in a few different cities to figure out if I’d be happiest there. Now, I’m in Austin for 5 days for a wedding. I’m really excited to see the friends I made while I lived here.

  • Mindo, Pichincha, Ecuador

    Mindo, Pichincha, Ecuador

    We arrived in Mindo on the evening of July 26. We walked to the town square to find food that night. It was nice to feel safe enough to do that. We stayed at a cabin that borders a river and is surrounded by trees. There was an open-air yoga studio with hammocks nearby. We slept lulled by the river and the first thing we saw when we woke up in the morning was the trees through the windows.

    The cabin was so nice, that we scrapped all our plans for hiking, zip-lining, going to a butterfly house, and going on a chocolate tour. We were exhausted from all our traveling, and sitting on our balcony, laying in a hammock, and sitting with our feet in the river sounded a lot better than going on more adventures. We didn’t even have to leave the cabin to see hummingbirds and butterflies! It was the perfect way to end our trip.

    We did that for two days and on Wednesday, we drove back to Quito, returned our car (they charged us extra because of how dirty it got in Cotopaxi), and headed to the airport to fly back to Guayaquil. During our flight, we were able to see the top of the Cotopaxi! At least I think it was the Cotopaxi. It could also have been the Chimborazo, another volcano, but I’m pretty sure it was the Cotopaxi.

    We were in Guayaquil for 12 hours, mostly spent packing and trying to sleep. I got to see my mom for like ten whole minutes. She arrived in Guayaquil while we were in the mountains and was out with friends when we got back to Guayaquil, so I saw her at 3 am, as we were leaving for the airport to head home-ish. Monica is now back in Miami and I’m back in Nashville for a few weeks.

  • Cotopaxi National Park, Cotopaxi, Ecuador

    Cotopaxi National Park, Cotopaxi, Ecuador

    On Sunday morning, we went to Quito’s historic center for Mass at the Basílica de San Francisco. In the US, I’ve often walked into a church with a friend, they’ve mentioned how pretty the church is, and my response has always been “meh, it’s fine”. Churches in Ecuador, especially Quito, are the reason why. If you grew up going to churches that are entirely covered in gold leaf, you’d also think the prettiest churches in the US are just fine. Though the basilica where my friend got married in Milwaukee was actually really beautiful, so amazing churches do exist in the US.

    The San Francisco church isn’t even the prettiest church in Quito. We tried to get into La Compñía de Jesús, the church that’s considered the prettiest in the city, but they weren’t allowing tourists to enter until 12:30 pm, when we’d already be gone. So we walked around the historic center a little more, saw the cathedral, and saw the Basilica del Voto Nacional, a neo-gothic basilica, from afar. Then we went back to our Airbnb to pack up and drive 2 hours to Cotopaxi National Park.

    Unfortunately, the Cotopaxi volcano was covered in clouds, so we weren’t able to see it, but we still had quite an adventure at the park. The visitor center of the park is at 12,500 ft. We drove past it with the intention of hiking up to the José Rivas Refuge, which is at 15,900 ft. Most of the park roads are unpaved, and the closer you get to the trailhead, the worse the roads are. There were holes and huge bumps and it was all dirt, so if you didn’t know how to drive through the bumps, your tires would spin and you’d get nowhere. Luckily, I was with Monica, who is an expert at driving in snow. And luckily, the tricks that work in snow also work on dirt roads. She told me to swerve left and right to catch the bumps at an angle. That worked. Our car was very dirty, but we were able to get all the way to the trailhead parking lot when many cars had to turn back.

    Earlier in the week, I was pretty sure I wouldn’t be able to hike the 8 mi around Laguna Cuicocha, but on Sunday, I was convinced that I’d be able to hike the 700 ft from the parking lot up to the refuge. It was only 1.5 mi roundtrip. I can totally do that, right? Wrong. It turns out that at 15,000 ft, I can either breathe or walk. I can’t do both. I’d take 10 steps and then I’d have to stop to catch my breath for a minute or two. I probably could have made it up eventually, after a few hours of taking 10 steps and breaking to breathe. Monica for sure would have been able to. But it was cold and windy and I could barely breathe, so we decided to call it a day and go back to the car after 20 or 30 steps. Even though it was cloudy and we didn’t see the Cotopaxi and we didn’t hike up to the refuge, the adventure was worth it. Monica drove us back down to give me a break. Then she drove us the 3 hours to Mindo, our final destination on our Andes mountains trip.

  • Quito, Pichincha, Ecuador

    Quito, Pichincha, Ecuador

    We arrived in Quito late on Thursday, July 23rd. It was Friday by the time we got to our Airbnb. In the morning, we found an Asian cafe for breakfast and then went to rent a car. Once we had the car, we drove to Mitad del Mundo, the center of the world, where the equator is. We walked around and took pictures at the equator line. I’m going to let you in on a little secret, but you have to promise not to tell anyone. That’s not the real equator. They made a mistake. It’s pretty close though and it’s still a cool picture.

    After that, we drove 5 minutes to the museum where the real equator is. We didn’t have time for the whole tour because Monica had to get back to see clients, so we walked straight to the equator line. We were able to balance an egg on a nail, as proof that it’s the real equator. We even got a certificate for doing so, since not everyone is able to get the egg to balance. Supposedly, when you walk on the equator with your eyes closed, you feel lighter, but neither of us felt that. Monica did feel lightheaded when she crossed back and forth over the line though. After getting our certificates, we went grocery shopping and then back to our Airbnb so Monica could work.

    Over the next few days, we used Quito as a launching pad for day trips to different provinces. We did see a little bit more of Quito on Sunday, but that’ll be in a future blog post.

  • Cuenca, Azuay, Ecuador

    Cuenca, Azuay, Ecuador

    On Tuesday, July 21st, my grandmother, Monica, Becky, and I went to Cuenca. There is a spa there called Piedra de Agua that my grandma discovered recently. Since then, she’s been taking all visitors there. Naturally, I told her she had to take me. Since Becky’s birthday is in July, she got to come along too.

    My grandma hired a driver that would take us to Cuenca in her car. It’s about a 4 hour drive. On the way, we stopped at a few lookouts and at Cajas National Park. Cajas reaches an altitude of 14,600 ft above sea level and I could feel it. It was beautiful though. Part of me wishes that we would have had time to hike there, but the other part of me is glad because I know that breathing would have been a struggle. We also stopped at the Shrine of Our Lady, Guardian of the Faith, which is in the park.

    When we got to Cuenca, we went straight to lunch. Guinea pig is a traditional food in the Andes mountains. I had never tried it before and we ordered guinea pig empanadas as an appetizer. The meat was very seasoned, so I couldn’t tell the difference between guinea pig and any other meat they could have used. The empanadas were good as long as I wasn’t picturing a guinea pig while I ate them. After lunch, we went to the hotel to take a nap and then walked to dinner. Becky and I had been craving locro, a traditional potato soup, but the locro we had that night was disappointing. It was watery and didn’t have cilantro in it.

    The next day was spa day! We got to the spa at around 10 am and were pampered for the next 4 hours. First up, was the red clay pool. We got in the pool and our guide gave us some red clay to spread on our bodies to exfoliate, detoxify, and strengthen the skin. Then, we moved to the blue clay pool. We spread the blue clay all over to soften, smooth, and polish the skin. Next, we moved to the hot and cold pools. We were supposed to stay in the hot pool for 4 minutes and then cold plunge for 1 minute. The first time in the cold pool was awful because it was so cold, especially after the nice hot pool. But once we knew what we were expecting, it was easier to do the cold plunge. Monica also kept telling us to focus on our breathing while we were in the cold pool and that helped too.

    After the pools, we parted ways. Becky and my grandma left for their massages, while Monica and I went to the steam boxes. The steam was really hot and almost, but not quite, unbearable. It felt really good, like all the toxins were getting pulled out of us. Then, we went to sit by the regular thermal pools on the property and wait for our massages. In the meantime, we ordered our complimentary fruit plate and drink. They took a really long time bringing them to us and we had only taken a few bites before they called us for our massages. We had to scarf down the fruit. Luckily, they let us bring our drinks with us. The massage was amazing! When we were done, we met up with Becky and my grandma at the restaurant and had our complimentary lunch. We each picked a different dessert and had fun trying and rating all of them. The entire day cost less than a single massage costs in the US. So if you want a spa day, Cuenca is the place to go.

    On the way back to the hotel, we stopped at the Mirador de Turi, a lookout that has great views of the city. Monica and I nearly gave my grandma a heart attack by sitting on the railing. Then, we all took naps. Before dinner, we walked to a rooftop restaurant that has a great view of the cathedral and the main plaza. We had drinks there and then walked to dinner. I ordered locro again and this one was exactly what I had been craving. It was delicious!

    The next morning, Monica had clients. My grandmother, Becky, and I had churros and hot chocolate after breakfast and then they left to drive back to Guayaquil. Monica and I stayed behind, since we were flying to Quito that night. When Monica was done working, we walked around the city some more, saw a few churches, got to see the cathedral, which had been closed every other time we’d walked by, and we drank agua de pítimas, a medicinal herbal drink made by cloistered nuns. Monica was very confused about why I was making her drink a red liquid with a very interesting taste. It wasn’t bad but it also wasn’t good. It’s a cultural experience, so we had to do it. We ended the day with dinner in a courtyard next to the cathedral. We really got to see the cathedral from all angles on this trip. Then we went to the airport to fly to our next adventure.

  • Punta Barandúa, Santa Elena, Ecuador

    Punta Barandúa, Santa Elena, Ecuador

    On Friday, we had lunch at the Farallón Dillon in Ballenita, where we could see whales way off in the distance. After that, my grandparents dropped Monica and I off at Punta Barandúa, where we’d spend the weekend for my friend Joti’s wedding. We stayed at an Airbnb with some of my friends from high school. There were 9 of us total, a mix of singles and couples. We called it the frat house. Those of us in the wedding had the rehearsal in the afternoon and then everyone hung out at the beach in the evening. Joti is getting her PhD at Cambridge and some of her bridesmaids are friends she made there. It was really nice to meet them. Her friend Tarrah lives in the US. I wish I had met her sooner so I could have visited her on my road trip.

    The next morning, the bridesmaids left the frat house early to get ready for the wedding together. We spent most of the day taking turns getting our hair and makeup done, hanging out, and taking lots of pictures. In the meantime, those left at the frat house were singing karaoke. Then, it was time for the wedding. Our friend Dani sang at the Mass and she did a beautiful job. The party after the ceremony was so fun! I got to see more of my friends and we danced all night. It was Monica’s first latin wedding. She had a great time. Apparently she’s been invited to all future weddings.

    On Sunday morning, we were all exhausted, but we left early to get back to Guayaquil in time for the World Cup final. Monica and I drove with Gigi, her boyfriend, Jorge, and her sister, Cristy. We left early enough to stop at El Café de Tere on the way back and eat bolón. I hadn’t had a chance to eat bolón yet, so it made me very happy. We made it back to watch the game and all of us, except Cristy, were happy when Spain beat Argentina.

    On Monday, we rested and packed for our trip to the mountains the following day. In the evening, I had dinner with Dani, her boyfriend, Andy, Gigi and Jorge, and Rochi, who I hadn’t gotten to see yet. I had to leave dinner way too soon. We could have talked for hours.

  • Puerto Lucía, Santa Elena, Ecuador

    Puerto Lucía, Santa Elena, Ecuador

    On Tuesday, July 14, Monica and I went to the beach with my grandparents. They just sold their beach house in Ballenita that my mom, aunts, uncle, siblings, cousins, and I grew up going to. It’s an old house that had a lot of stairs and needed a lot of maintenance. The stairs were getting harder for my grandparents to manage. When their neighbor made an offer on the house, they made the hard decision to sell, and they bought an apartment in Puerto Lucía. While the apartment isn’t a house on the beach that’s filled with years of memories, it has an amazing view, a pool, and it’s much better for my grandparents. As my grandma said while we were there, we need to start creating memories in the new apartment so it starts to feel like home. That’s what we did in the following days.

    We started out every morning at the pool. My grandparents walked in it and I did my knee exercises. Then we spent a few minutes in the hot tub before going back upstairs. I spent a lot of the days on the balcony, reading. It was glorious. On Wednesday evening, my grandparents and I went to the beach while Monica worked. It had been 5 years since my grandpa had touched the sand and the ocean. He couldn’t get to the beach at the old house because of all the stairs.

    On Thursday afternoon, we took Monica to the Chocolatera. She thought we were taking her to a chocolate factory or store because of the name and was confused when we arrived and she didn’t see any chocolate. The Chocolatera is a rocky area where the currents make the ocean look like chocolate churning in a pot. Unfortunately, the current wasn’t very strong that day, so it didn’t look like swirling chocolate, but it’s still a beautiful area. Then we went to the Lobería, an area where you can see sea lions.

    After the Lobería, we went to say goodbye to the old beach house. The neighbors who bought it know how special the house is to us and let us go see it. The best part of the house is the view from the upstairs bathroom. My sister even has that window and the view tatooed on her arm. We walked around the house and took pictures. It was sad, but I’m glad I got to see it one last time. Later, I found pictures from the first time I was there as a 3 month old. I wish I had found it earlier so my grandma and I could have recreated it at the house.

    On Friday, the wedding festivities for my friend Joti’s wedding began and that’ll be in the next blog post.