Sunday Social

1. What is the best trip you’ve ever been on?
I have been on so many amazing trips (34 countries); it is really hard to choose just one. So I’ll just tell you about my most recent trip… I went to Chicago in May and had the best time!! Check out my blog post about it here.

2. What is your best idea for a girls weekend trip?
I have been on girls only trips to New York City and on a cruise to Mexico and Grand Cayman. Oh yeah, and all around Europe, Cambodia, and Thailand, but those weren’t typical girls trips. Although now that I think about it, I would recommend Southeast Asia as a great girls trip destination. Beautiful, lots of good food, and dirt cheap massages! Check out more reasons here and the best places to go here.

Laos, 2012

Oops, just realized the question said weekend trip… In that case, Vegas!

Sin City, 2008

3. What is your best idea for a couples trip?
Italy! I loved it and would love to take a boyfriend/husband there one day. Eat lots of food, drink wine, chill on the beach…

Cinque Terre, 2004

4. What is the best vacation on the cheap?
Southeast Asia!! See above.

5. What is the place you most want to visit?
Peru… Planning a trip there for 2014. 🙂

Travel Tuesday

In March 2008, six of us met up in Las Vegas for a four day weekend. My boyfriend (at the time) Daniel and I stayed at Stratosphere and our friends Tessa, Ronny, David, and Ryan stayed at Caesars Palace.

The first night it was just Daniel and me so we went to downtown Vegas. I would definitely recommend leaving the strip and going there one night. Totally different vibe and better deals! We drank for free for hours at Mermaids while playing penny slots. (The fancier the casino, the stingier they are with the free alcohol.)

On Sunday we met up with our crew at Bellagio for for their buffet champagne brunch. It was amazing! We stayed as late as possible (they kicked us out because the dinner brunch was starting) and drank and ate our money’s worth for sure.

That night all of us besides Daniel went dancing at Pure at Caesars Palace.

Daniel was addicted to the $3 blackjack tables at Circus Circus.

On our last full day in Vegas we ate at the Top of the World restaurant at the Stratosphere and celebrated St. Paddy’s Day that night.

We also walked up and down the strip and went into every major casino. Warning: Casinos appear closer than they are! Everything is so huge that what looks like not a very long walk actually is. My favorite was Luxor and that’s where I’d like to stay next time… I’m planning on going to Vegas again next summer. I also want to visit Hoover’s Dam and see a Cirque du Soleil show!

Wednesday Hodgepodge

1. Do you play games of luck/chance for money? Have you ever played bingo for money? Visited a casino? Placed a bet on a horse? Bought a lottery ticket?
All of the above! Haven’t played bingo or bought a lottery ticket very many times or in a long time for that matter. Casinos/slots are fun, especially in Vegas! I love betting on horses… I have been to the track in Dallas and Seoul and every year I go to Steeplechase.

Vegas 2008

Lone Star Park 2009

Steeplechase 2010… It’s all about the hats

2. Will you be preparing and/or dining on the traditional corned beef and cabbage meal this St. Patrick’s Day? Mashed, baked, hash browned, french fried… Your favorite way to have potatoes?
No, I will be making bangers and mash and Lucky Charms cupcakes! I like potatoes any kind of way.

3. What’s the last thing you felt ‘green with envy’ over?
Women who are naturally skinny… Not fair!

4. What’s at the end of your rainbow?
A pot of gold obviously… I could really use it.

5. March 12th marks the anniversary of the death of Anne Frank. Anne’s diary detailing her time spent hiding from the Nazis during the war ranks as one of the best-selling books of all time. Besides your blog, do you keep any sort of diary or journal? Was this a habit you developed as a child or is journaling something new for you?
My blog is my journal. As a kid and teenager I did keep diaries though. I have them all in a trunk. It’s hilarious to read through them. I even wrote really bad poetry!

6. What’s an item in your home or closet that contains every color of the rainbow?
I have a rainbow flag that says PACE that I got in Italy. (Pace is my last name but it also means “peace” in Italian.)

7. Write a limerick with you as the subject.
There once was a girl named Jen
She’d been wanting a job since who knows when
Finally she has one
So much shopping to be done
Heck yes, can I get an amen!

8. Insert your own random thought here.
I got a free ARC of Jeanette Walls’ new book in the mail yesterday… Super excited!!

L is for London, Las Vegas, & Los Angeles

London, England

I visited London with my friends Breanna and Hazel in May 2004. It was our first stop on a whirlwind European backpacking trip that I had planned as a college graduation gift to myself. It was also the first time I had visited another country. (Hard to believe that eight short years later that number has risen to 35!)

We spent eight days in England total (also visited my friend Anna in Exeter) and it didn’t rain at all! I guess we were lucky. I really enjoyed our time in London. My favorite place we visited was the Tower of London.

Piccadilly Circus

Buckingham Palace

Tower of London

River Thames

Las Vegas, NV

Daniel and I visited Vegas with four other friends in March 2008. We had a blast! Unlimited champagne brunch at Bellagio, gambling, clubbing… We never made it to Cirque du Soleil or the Hoover Dam so I’ll have to go back! It was definitely a party trip.

Los Angeles, CA

I visited LA on accident in May 2010. I was on my way to Korea (for the first time) and got stuck there for over 24 hours. (At least they gave me a free hotel room and meal vouchers!) So I made the most of it by visiting Manhattan Beach and taking a tour of the city (Venice Beach, Rodeo Drive, Hollywood).