Let's go to the beach, each, let's go get away

Happy Spring! You know what this means... we are one step closer to my favorite season- SUMMER. Speaking of summer, let's talk about the beach. Ah, the beach. One of my favorite places in the world. Luckily having grown up on Long Island, especially with a surfer dad, I have grown into a total beach bum. Unfortunately, since Long Island does not stay warm all year long, it is hard to get a great summer glow in the midst of winter. I would say Long Islanders still go to the beach no matter what season, but it is still not the same as good old summer time. Looking for a way around this issue, my parents found a quaint little town in South Flordia 10+ years ago and decided to invest in a condo there for winter getaways (and of course, so my dad can surf all year round)! Needless to say, that beautiful place is Jupiter, Florida. I have been lucky enough to spend plenty of time in Jupiter and consider it my second home. Jupiter has SO much to offer and is, in my opinion, one of the best places to live/visit in the Sunshine state... I may be a little biased :)

Jupiter is a great place to visit/live and is full of amazing views, activities, wildlife, restaurants, and, of course, my favorite, BEACHES. Jupiter beaches are some of the few beaches in the entire state of Florida that do not charge for entry or parking- what a deal! Not only are beaches beautiful, but each one is unique. The beaches are arranged by access number, which all have different meanings based on the amenities of the beach. If you want lifeguards and more people around, I would recommend going closer to the Pier. If you want a more secluded area with a variety of palm trees and other gorgeous views, I recommend going North on Ocean Blvd until you find the right beach for you!

As you can see Jupiter is one of a kind place that I hold very close to my heart. Stay tuned for most posts with all the hidden gems Jupiter has to offer!

Queen of Tarts

During my junior year of college, I was one of the lucky few (ironically) to get to take an introduction to Irish Literacy class. Being a part of this class allowed me to take a trip to Ireland during spring break... and even luckier, it was during St. Patrick's day! This was definitely a once in a lifetime experience- I mean what could be better?! Although nothing can compare to the amazing views, spirit, and the people that make Ireland great, I want to focus on the food that I indulged in on this trip. As we know, food isn't the first thing we think of when we hear of Ireland, but that doesn't mean it does not have anything to offer! I want to tell you all about one of the best places I ate at while I was in Ireland, Queen of Tarts!

Queen of Tarts is located in the heart of Dublin and was mine and my friend Danielle's favorite place to frequently stop throughout our trip. It was a cute and cozy spot for us to stop by, not only for yummy pastries, but also for an excellent meal. This beautiful cafe is known for their variety of pastries, but we also enjoyed their breakfast, lunch, & even brunch menu. As you can tell, Danielle and I were a little obsessed with this place.

The ambiance of Queen of Tarts reminded me of a mix of Victorian and Country styles, with little dollies and signs that made me feel like I was sitting in my grandmother's kitchen. Every item of food was adorably packaged and the minute you walked in the door the smell of baked good overwhelmed you!

It's a small and intimate cafe full of super friendly staff that loves to share advice about the best places to visit in Dublin. I think the reason Danielle and I came back to this lovely place so many times was because of the great customer service... but don't get me wrong the food and pastries were absolutely amazing! We both loved it so much we each bought a mug that I still use it to this day. Every time I sip my tea out of it I day dream about my time in Dublin. I cannot wait to one day go back to Ireland and visit Queen of Tarts and, of course, explore more the beautiful country!

I hope everyone has a Happy St. Patrick's Day full of luck & a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow =)

Hey you! Yeah you! YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL!

Happy International Women's Day! But in all honesty, what is all this hype over International Women's Day?! International Women's Day is defined as a general celebration of respect, appreciation, and love towards women. This celebration focuses on women's economic, political, and social achievements. Since the first International Women's Day was celebrated in 1911, this day is not just celebrated for the gals but overall gender equality. This day always makes me reflect on how women are depicted in society.

I was doing some research on self-esteem and the female population and let me tell you, I found so many troubling facts that women face in today's society. I found 3 shocking facts that really struck a nerve.

• Only 2% of women around the world consider themselves beautiful.
• 72% of girls feel a tremendous amount of pressure to be beautiful. 
• 80% of women agree that every single woman has something about her that is beautiful but do not see their own beauty. 

Wow, there is definitely something wrong here. I looked up the word beautiful in the dictionary and here is what I found: 

Beautiful (adjective) ˈbyü-ti-fəl: having qualities of beauty: exciting aesthetic pleasure & generally pleasing.

When reading this definition, I thought to myself, "Wow that is incredibly vague." So I looked up the definition of "beauty."

Beauty (adjective) ˈbyü-tē: the quality or aggregate of qualities in a person or thing that gives pleasure to the sense or pleasurably exalts in the mind or spirit.

I was shocked after looking up these definitions. The term "beautiful" is usually thrown around so much we often forget its true meaning. From what I experience in both my personal and professional life, the term "beautiful" is usually referred to as being physically attractive. Now as women, we have daily pressure to "look good." No matter how far you stray away from all forms of social media, magazines, and advertisements, we face these struggles no matter how hard we hide. 

Even the amount of money and time women put into our clothes, hair, nails, skin, etc. the beauty business will never go out of style. And do not get me wrong, investing in yourself is great for so many reasons, but even I get so caught up in this whirlwind of beauty that I forget how I really view myself as a young female. With this enormous amount of pressure, most women become victims of this very unhealthy cycle of comparing ourselves to unrealistic views of what society defines as "beautiful." If you read the definition of beauty it describes the qualities that focus not only physical characteristics but also spiritual characteristics. Spiritual does not solely focus on a person's religious beliefs but more so on the values and beliefs that person exhibits through his or her behavior. For me, I would personally define that as inner beauty. Inner beauty. Our society has heard this term before. However, inner beauty is never really used in our daily dialogue. It is interesting when you try to look up inner beauty in the dictionary you will not find a clear and concise definition, which says a lot about our society. 

It saddens me to see and even experience it myself that so many females do not see themselves as beautiful. Our outer appearance is usually the focus of how we define ourselves as beautiful. We forget that our beauty really comes from within. Inner beauty focuses on the positive aspects of the person that are not physically visible. Some of these qualities include compassion, creativity, intelligence, perseverance, kindness, and the list goes on. Outer beauty fades but inner beauty does not. I always pondered the thought that if society focused on a person's inner beauty instead of physical beauty, would more females consider themselves beautiful?

It is also interesting to see how as human beings we are our own worst critics. We can find beauty in each other, but when it comes to finding beauty in ourselves it is a challenge. I am a true believer that what makes a person truly beautiful is how their character and personality are shown through. I believe every human being (yes, that includes men too) is beautiful. Each person has a unique and beautiful characteristics about him or her that contributes to the world being so beautifully diverse.  

About 2 years ago I came across this website. You-are-beautiful.com This site creates stickers that focus on three little words, "You are Beautiful." This site embodies this powerful message by creating stickers that are encouraged to be put or given in multiple areas/people (bathroom stalls, street signs, your best friend, etc.) to be a reminder that You, yes You are truly beautiful both inside and out.  I have been hooked ever since. I have these stickers on all my mirrors in my room as a daily reminder of my inner beauty. I try to take a sticker with me everywhere I go to either put on something or to give to someone. How can these daily reminders not brighten your day? Not only do I highly encourage you to check out this site and join the movement, but also to focus on your beauty and realize you are such a beautiful human being. 

P.S. Did I mention that YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL? 

44.1127° N, 73.9237° W = Highest Elevation in New York State!

The Highest elevation in New York State is Mount Marcy.  Back during my undergrad, my boyfriend Drew and I decided we were going to hike it for our anniversary on a whim. Not even twenty minutes later we literally threw a mattress in the back of his pickup truck, and we were driving North on I-87.

Mount Marcy is an 18-mile hike round trip near Lake Placid, in what some would call upstate New York. The route we endeavored was 6 hours to the summit and 6 hours back down to the base. WARNING: This hike is not for beginner hikers, and I recommend you to be in somewhat good physical shape before taking on this challenge. *stamina is key.

We arrived that night- it was pitch black, and we ended up camping out near Johns Brook Lodge Area at the base of the mountain (this was a $10 fee). Also, we noticed another campground in the area that was available to camp and pitched tents. We woke up before the sun the next morning and realized we had no food or water. We drove back to a local gas station and picked up snacks and water, and we were so glad we did. If you decide to embark on this hike, make sure you are prepared with a generous amount of food and water.  This hike is demanding, and you’ll enjoy the experience more if you nourish your body along the way.

The hike began smoothly with beautiful scenic trails, flowing creeks, and waterfalls.  Pretty soon after that, we came across I would say an uphill battle. It was definitely a huge incline so be prepared- and make sure you wear the proper footwear! I would recommend investing in hiking boots if you don’t have a pair because sneakers did not cut it for this girl. The trail is very narrow, so if you are walking slower or need to take a break, try to be considerate and go off to the side to let other adventurers pass since it's a tight squeeze. At least for the trail Drew and I chose. 

A quarter of the way we found this beautiful brook known as Phelps Brook. This was a nice place to take a break, hydrate and relax to the sound of running water. Then we came to Indian Falls, which gave an incredible view. Once you reach a certain elevation, the Alpine vegetation appears until it surrounds the trail. You will arrive at a wooden bridge not too high off the ground for explorers to stay on to not destroy the Alpine vegetation.

Finally, after 6 hours we made it to the top. 5,343 feet high, it took my breath away. The view was unbelievable. The air was so crisp and refreshing.  You are quite literally above the clouds at the peak. Speaking of clouds, Mount Marcy is also known as Tahawus, which means cloud splitter which is quite an appropriate name. When you reach the top, the clouds surround you with a 360-degree view, and the mountain top splits the clouds in half right in front of you. I was definitely on cloud nine all the way at the top. I just sat there and admired the view for an hour. Even when I look at these pictures, now I am still in disbelief. I would highly recommend this hike and if you hike it should be on your bucket list!

The second best part of hiking after reaching your destination is that it is much easier to climb down. It took the same amount of time to go down and is just as demanding as climbing up. Be careful not to slip down large boulders which comprise most of the trail. 6 hours later we made it down to the base.  Drew and I ran to his truck with open arms. We embraced our new blisters, cuts, and dirt on our clothes with satisfied smiles on the whole ride home. What an amazing experience!

TIPS

·          Wear boots meant for hiking

·          Bring a day's worth of water per person

·          Don’t pack heavy or greasy foods.  Fruits, nuts, and similar foods should get you through the day.

·          If they offer you a map- take it!

·          You’ll meet people from all over the world hiking this mountain, so start a conversation! You never know what stories or tips someone might have to offer!

·          Enjoy the views!

·          Pack toilet tissue! ;)

* All photos were taken by my wonderful and talented boyfriend, Andrew Maloney! 

   Follow him on Instagram: drew_maloney