I got this idea from Emily Schuman's post over on Cupcakes & Cashmere. I'm constantly traveling, which I attribute to the sense of wanderlust I was born with thanks to my parents moving us overseas when I was three. It's practically impossible for me to remember every single vacation I've taken, let alone write an entertaining synopsis about each of them. So for now, I thought I'd shine a spotlight on a couple of my favorite trips from the past few years.
Reason: Bar trip
What made it so special/memorable: My parents were beyond amazing during mine and the boyfriend's month-long bar trip (we traveled through Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia & Vietnam), but our trip to Vietnam was in a word, spectacular. We rode motorcycles through the city at night, toured the war grounds & crawled through hidey-holes, and ate dinners at abandoned opium refineries.
Vacation in one word: Spectacular (see, I told you!)
Best meal: Garlic chicken & rice at the Hoa Tuc opium refinery
Go-to drink: Gin--mostly because it's generally unsafe to drink liquor in Vietnam unless you bring it yourself, so we bought the biggest bottle of Bombay Sapphire I've ever seen while running through Duty-Free at the airport.
Best thing I packed: My sock bun maker (none of my styling tools worked overseas + humidity is real)
Best thing I brought back: A hand-sewn piece of art depicting Ho Chi Minh City life
Scent associated with the trip: Diesel fuel (this sounds creepy, but every person in Vietnam that is over the age of 13 seems to have a motorcycle, and you cannot escape the noise or smell)
Reason: Labor Day Weekend
What made it so special/memorable: This was my first time in Aspen (I've been three times in a calendar year, now) and nothing can prepare you for the first time you get to see the landscape. I had never even been up in the mountains before, so on this trip, I spent most of my time staring up at the sky with my mouth gaping open in awe. We explored the town, went to a music festival and hiked Maroon Bells.
Vacation in one word: Breathtaking
Best meal: Aspen Cruds (bourbon, milk & ice cream blended into a shake) & parmesan fries
Go-to drink: The cheapest sparkling wine in Aspen (which was like $18 but still)
Best thing I packed: Target combat boots
Best thing I brought back: An abstract painting found in a thrift store. I sort of got into an argument with one of my friends about who should get to buy it. (She saw it first, but didn't scoop it up. I ultimately won, and it's hanging on our living room wall right now. Sorry, Amy.)
Scent associated with the trip: Firewood
Reason: Spontaneous getaway
What made it so special/memorable: I had been to New Orleans a month prior for my birthday, and long story short, it turned out to be a disaster. I spent weeks reeling from the letdown that was that attempted trip, and the boyfriend had been working extreme hours. So on a dreary Thursday in January, when his schedule miraculously cleared for the weekend, we decided to book a last-minute hotel in New Orleans. We looked at it as a do-over for me and an escape for him.
Vacation in one word: Gratefulness
Best meal: Crawfish étouffée at Jacques-imo's. We waited outside the restaurant for almost three hours, drinking wine and playing Heads Up on our iPhones.
Go-to drink: Abita Strawberry Harvest Lager (it was the first weekend of the year that it was available)
Best thing I packed: My cream peacoat
Best thing I brought back: Café Du Monde coffee & chicory
Scent associated with the trip: Galatoire's espresso
I plan to do a few more of these posts over the coming months because I have so many other great trips I want/need to talk to y'all about (Isla Mujeres, Mexico, Santa Fe, Thailand, New York, Indonesia, Harry Potter World, San Fransisco, etc.).
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam [August 2013]
Duration: Three nightsReason: Bar trip
What made it so special/memorable: My parents were beyond amazing during mine and the boyfriend's month-long bar trip (we traveled through Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia & Vietnam), but our trip to Vietnam was in a word, spectacular. We rode motorcycles through the city at night, toured the war grounds & crawled through hidey-holes, and ate dinners at abandoned opium refineries.
Vacation in one word: Spectacular (see, I told you!)
Best meal: Garlic chicken & rice at the Hoa Tuc opium refinery
Go-to drink: Gin--mostly because it's generally unsafe to drink liquor in Vietnam unless you bring it yourself, so we bought the biggest bottle of Bombay Sapphire I've ever seen while running through Duty-Free at the airport.
Best thing I packed: My sock bun maker (none of my styling tools worked overseas + humidity is real)
Best thing I brought back: A hand-sewn piece of art depicting Ho Chi Minh City life
Scent associated with the trip: Diesel fuel (this sounds creepy, but every person in Vietnam that is over the age of 13 seems to have a motorcycle, and you cannot escape the noise or smell)
Aspen, Colorado [September 2014]
Duration: Three nightsReason: Labor Day Weekend
What made it so special/memorable: This was my first time in Aspen (I've been three times in a calendar year, now) and nothing can prepare you for the first time you get to see the landscape. I had never even been up in the mountains before, so on this trip, I spent most of my time staring up at the sky with my mouth gaping open in awe. We explored the town, went to a music festival and hiked Maroon Bells.
Vacation in one word: Breathtaking
Best meal: Aspen Cruds (bourbon, milk & ice cream blended into a shake) & parmesan fries
Go-to drink: The cheapest sparkling wine in Aspen (which was like $18 but still)
Best thing I packed: Target combat boots
Best thing I brought back: An abstract painting found in a thrift store. I sort of got into an argument with one of my friends about who should get to buy it. (She saw it first, but didn't scoop it up. I ultimately won, and it's hanging on our living room wall right now. Sorry, Amy.)
Scent associated with the trip: Firewood
New Orleans, Louisiana [January 2015]
Duration: Two nightsReason: Spontaneous getaway
What made it so special/memorable: I had been to New Orleans a month prior for my birthday, and long story short, it turned out to be a disaster. I spent weeks reeling from the letdown that was that attempted trip, and the boyfriend had been working extreme hours. So on a dreary Thursday in January, when his schedule miraculously cleared for the weekend, we decided to book a last-minute hotel in New Orleans. We looked at it as a do-over for me and an escape for him.
Vacation in one word: Gratefulness
Best meal: Crawfish étouffée at Jacques-imo's. We waited outside the restaurant for almost three hours, drinking wine and playing Heads Up on our iPhones.
Go-to drink: Abita Strawberry Harvest Lager (it was the first weekend of the year that it was available)
Best thing I packed: My cream peacoat
Best thing I brought back: Café Du Monde coffee & chicory
Scent associated with the trip: Galatoire's espresso
I plan to do a few more of these posts over the coming months because I have so many other great trips I want/need to talk to y'all about (Isla Mujeres, Mexico, Santa Fe, Thailand, New York, Indonesia, Harry Potter World, San Fransisco, etc.).
love love love! So glad you're back!
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad that you're glad! :D Lots of new, fun stuff coming up soon, too.
DeleteTwo thumbs up!
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