London calling

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I referenced a while back that I had something exciting in the works and I'm happy to finally share it with you...

I will be starting an Executive Master's in Management program at the London School of Economics (LSE) in August! It's a part-time, module-based program with 1-2 weeks of all-day classes at a time (vs. night and weekend classes).  I won't be relocating to London, but I will be spending time there, Singapore and Turkey for classes, and taking advantage of traveling to places like Paris and Amsterdam when I can.

I have been thinking about pursuing an advanced degree for years and I finally found the right program at the right school. It's going to be an intense 1.5 years balancing school with my job, but I couldn't be more excited. I'll be sure to share my travel adventures with you and please fill me in: what are your favorite parts of London?

Adventure.

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Hi, friends! Sorry for my absence, but between work and a few days off, I haven't had a chance to write. 

We headed out to California to visit a dear friend and to ski at Mammoth Mountain. It was a great weekend and I loved having the chance to catch up with good friends and to embrace my one word: Adventure.

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Ski weekend gear

We're headed to Mammoth this week for a ski weekend with friends and I can't wait. I'm looking forward to hitting the the slopes during the day and cozy nights with good friends. My packing list looks something like this. What do you pack for a ski weekend? 

 Ski gear: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5
Cozy gear: 1| 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6

2-day Yosemite Itinerary and Gear List

James Roy Photography            

DAY 1 - Vernal and Nevada Falls
3 miles to Vernal Fall, 7 miles to Nevada Fall roundtrip, Difficulty: Strenuous
- From Yosemite Valley, take the free shuttle service to station 16 at Happy Isles or walk 1 mile SE from Curry Village to the Mist trailhead
- Follow the signs for Vernal Fall
- If you're ready for more, continue on to Nevada Fall
- For new views and less steep descent, take the John Muir trail back to the trailhead
- For more info, click here

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DAY 2 - Lembert Dome

2.8 miles round trip, Difficulty: Moderate
- From Yosemite Valley, take Highway 120 ten miles to the Crane Flat turnoff onto Tioga Road, then take Tioga Road 40 miles East to reach the trailhead at the far eastern edge of Tuolumne Meadows
- The top of Lembert Dome offers beautiful views of Tuolomne Meadows
- For more info, click here

James Roy Photography

Gear list for day hikes:
I borrowed generously from our friends Oren's and Cassie's gear list. You can check out their year-long around-the-world travels at 42nd Class (here).
- Layers of sweat-wicking clothes
- Pack and Camelbak reservoir
- If hiking with a partner, additional Camelbak

- Plenty of food and high-energy snacks
- Hiking shoes (men/women)
- Hat and/or sunglasses
- Hand sanitizer
- Tissues

Yosemite and Lake Tahoe

Below are the stunning photos my husband took of our trip to Yosemite National Park and Lake Tahoe. James really has become an amazing photographer and I'm in awe of how well he captured the beauty of those areas.

It was such an incredible trip, especially Yosemite, and I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a little adventure.

Update: On Monday, I will be sharing our 2-day Yosemite itinerary and what we enjoyed most while we were there.

James Roy Photography

may is the best month!

hi friends, i'm back from vacation, but you were in great company while i was gone, thanks to some of my favorite bloggers! did you catch all of the words of wisdom series?

 i loved reading through the insightful posts and hope you did too!

may is my favorite month for obvious reasons, but this year i was really spoiled. my bff took me  to florida for a couple of days, james spoiled me for my birthday and anniversary and THEN we went to mexico to celebrate our one year wedding anniversary! we completely unplugged and it was amazing.

what have you been up to? did i miss anything exciting while i was away?

packing light for vacation

before we dive in, i want to say thank you for the sweet comments last week! i was sick for a week straight, but i'm on the mend.
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today's post is 100% inspired by my excitement about our upcoming vacation to the riviera maya. it isn't until may (why didn't i book earlier??), but that's besides the point. i'm already dreaming about sunny beaches, local shopping, and romantic dinners.

i'm a big fan of packing light on trips and avoid checking a bag when i can. i find when i overpack, i haven't planned efficiently and i haven't included the most versatile items. to avoid hauling multiple bags, pick pieces that you can mix and match and visualizing how you'll pair them ahead of time. for example, a staple like a neutral tank or tee is a no-brainer because you can pair it with any color pant, skirt, short, etc.

below is a guide to packing light that will give you well over a week's worth of outfit options.

now let's take a look at how we might pair some of these pieces to create several different outfits:

jeans | maxi skirt | pencil skirt | shorts | mini skirt | maxi dress | short dress | jacket | necklace | cuff | flats | sandals | sperry's | wedges

wanderlust: peru

"a llama keeps watch at machu picchu" by thomas wells via national geographic

i'm back today with another wanderlust post! if you missed the first one, on italy, you can read it here. today's country of interest is close to my heart; my mom is peruvian and argentinian and was born in peru's capital of lima.

i remember writing a book report on the incan empire, one of the largest empires in pre-columbian america, in 3rd grade and being interested in the country since. i'd like to visit my mom's birthplace and get a little closer to my own history.

lima
lima is the capital of peru and in addition to being the cultural and architectural center of the country, it is known for having some pretty phenomenal food. there is a melting pot of cultures in the area and the food is a reflection of that, with asian, european, and traditional andean influences. check out this restaurant guide and if you go, make sure to try the signature dish of the region - ceviche. it's delicious!

cusco
the cusco (or "cuzco") region is home to the incan lost city of machu picchu, which is one of the new 7 wonders of the world. the incas built the citadel in a remote area that was never discovered during the spanish conquest, so fortunately, it was preserved.

have you ever been in peru? or visited your parent's birthplace? i'd love to hear about it!

wanderlust: italy

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i have a serious case of wanderlust. the kind where i just want to hop on a plane and figure out the details later. i want to explore. to discover a new city on my own. maybe paris. or london. or rio.

since i can't jet off right now, i figured starting a wanderlust series was the next best thing. i'll be sharing the countries i want to visit and highlighting a couple cities or regions of interest. if you've been there or you're planning a trip, i'd love to hear your thoughts and recommendations!

if i were to plan out a trip, i'd start with italy. it would likely take me a few trips to see everything i want to see there, but i think i would start with palermo simply because that's where my father's family was from. they emigrated from sicily to texas, of all places, in the late 19th century.

from there, i'd head up to the amalfi coast for a few days of stunning scenery.

palermo
palermo is the capital of sicily and is known for its history, architecture, culture, and food. not typically a major tourist destination, palermo gives you a glimpse into what being a sicilian really means. just make sure you don't accidentally call a local an italian. my dad was always very clear - "we are sicilian."

the historic city of 850,000+ houses some 15 churches, 4 palaces, 2 opera houes, and one of the main museums in all of italy.

image: lisa gerard-sharp for national geographic

amalfi coast
the amalfi coast runs along the gulf of naples, starting in naples, and stretches to sapri. if 30 miles of stunning cliffs, bluffs, and charming villas isn't enough, maybe the limoncello liqueur the region is famous for will draw you in.

insiders say spring and early autumn are the best times to visit. there is only one road that leads to and through the area and it becomes clogged with traffic in summer. prices in the summertime are also the highest.

if you're curious to find out more about visiting the amalfi coast, i'm a fan of this article.

image: brooks walter for national geographic

san fran & sonoma

i had hoped to have these pictures to share with you yesterday, but alas, i ran out of time. james and i had such a great time in san francisco and visiting wine country this past weekend! if you follow me on instagram, you might have seen some of the cute places we went to.

we were visiting one of my maids of honor (pictured below) and j's cousins/our really good friends and they were pretty much the best hosts. we ate at starbelly in the duboce triangle, shopped in hayes village, grabbed drinks in the mission, played liar's dice in chinatown....and went wine tasting! it was raining and the highway to napa was flooded, but we had a blast in sonoma. it was pretty amazing.

hope you had a great weekend!

 photos by james roy photography

jet set in style

as my grandma once told me, "a lady should travel in style," and with holiday travels right around the corner, i have travel accessories on the brain. these chic items would make braving the airports a little more glamorous, don't you think?

headphones | eye mask | luggage tag | passport holder | luggage