Archive for the 'Engagement/Wedding' Category

Greetings from Rosalie Bay Resort in Dominica where we are celebrating our 1 Year Anniversary!  No one can hardly believe it has been a year since our wedding in Buenos Aires, Argentina, especially us.  I cannot wait to share details about our unforgettable trip to this tropical island paradise, but for now I will leave you with a little sneak peak into one of the best experiences my husband and I have had thus far here:

After much contemplation, I have also decided to share our wedding videos.  Unfortunately, we did not get the wedding video of our dreams, as you will see they are poorly edited and shot.  While it caused me a lot of stress and frustration at first, with time I have accepted that we still had the best day of our lives captured and that is really all that matters.

You will most likely not hear from me over the next couple of days.  It is simply because I am disconnecting from the world, so that I can give 100% of myself to my husband. . .

We knew the thunderstorm was coming.  A black cloud  had followed us our entire honeymoon and while we tried our absolute best to ignore it, it was always there looming in the distance.  The day had arrived, and despite being husband and wife now, we would have to say goodbye to each other yet again.  Even though we had said countless painful goodbyes over our 6 year long-distance courtship, this time was different, this time seemed impossible.

However, like always, we found the strength to survive our impending indefinite separation due to the profound love we share for each other.  Love truly conquers all.  What also helped was knowing that this was our last goodbye.  It might be months before Lucas would receive his visa that would allow him to immigrate to the United States of America, but once he did the long-distance would finally come to an end and we could begin our new life side by side.  The other thing that helped were the dogs of La Suite.  We had no way of knowing that they even existed when we decided to stay there.  We are both huge animal lovers and nothing could have cheered us up more than a group of dogs eager to give us their attention and affection when we needed it the most.

I get daily emails from followers of My Beautiful Adventures seeking advice on how to survive a long-distance relationship.  It is no secret that I am an expert when it comes to them, as I have had 3 great loves in my life and all 3 (yes, you read that correctly), were long distance.  One was 1,741 miles, another was 5,275 miles, and finally the other one was 10,355 miles.  At the end of the day, milage is insignificant as being even 1 mile apart from the love of your life is challenging.  Thus, here are some helpful tips for those that are in a long-distance relationship.

Have regular e-dates

Just because you are miles away from each other, does not mean you cannot have dates.  Even though you are not in person, you should still treat your e-date as a real date.  Get dressed up in your best clothes, light some candles, flirt shamelessly.  It is of the utmost important to keep the romance alive.

Start a co-journal

Pick out a journal the next time you are together and then send it back and forth when you are apart.  Do not tell each other what you have written or placed inside  – the element of surprise is half the fun!  It is always the best feeling to come home to a package from your sweetheart.

Communication is essential

One of the perks in being a long-distance relationship is that you are forced to communicate in a very deep and meaningful way, because when you are apart that is all you have to stay connected.  Couples in long-distance relationships probably communicate better than most couples who live in the same house.  Communication also strengthens trust and without it the relationship will fall apart quickly.  Make Skype the third person in the couple immediately.

Become experts in each others cultures

If you are from a different culture than your partner, then there are bound to be a lot of “lost in translation” moments that can be very frustrating.  Sometimes you are just not going to understand each other and that is okay.  Do your best to meet in the middle and you will discover that you will both become better people because of it.  The best way to have less of these moments is to do everything in your power to become acquainted with their culture.  Take language classes, read books on the history of their country, befriend people in your city that are expats from their city through social media or meet-up groups.

Always have another trip together planned

There should always be a date when you will be reunited on the calendar to look forward to.  Being able to count down the days, even if it is 6 months away (Lucas and I went over a year once), makes a world of a difference.  When the date is indefinite the situation seems hopeless.

Treasure every second when you are together

Since your time with your loved one is limited, when you are together make sure that you treat every second as sacred.  Willingly choose to not fight over anything insignificant.  Completely disconnect yourself from the outside world (if work allows for this) and give them 100% of your attention.  Time goes by fast when you are having fun, so make it count.

Endnote:  Thankfully, Lucas and I were rejoined several months later.  In case you missed the post that celebrates our reunion and which I labeled The Most Important Day Of My Life, make sure to check it out, as it is one of my favorites.  Long-distance relationships can seem insurmountable, but if the love is there, never give up.  We celebrate our 1 year wedding anniversary in 2 weeks!

 To see the accompanying post click here.

To see the accompanying posts click here and here.

My husband and I had big, big plans for Fernando de Noronha — dare I say grandiose — since it was after all our ultimate dream destination.  However, before you get too excited about seeing pictures of us from different spots on the archipelago or about reading insider suggestions on things to do and see, let me confess: we did nothing on our agenda.  Not.one.thing.

We found it almost impossible to leave our sanctuary Pousada Maravilha.  What we did enjoy thoroughly though was the hotel’s infinity pool and quite possibly too many caipirinhas.

Would you have been able to leave these breathtaking surroundings?  I have no doubt that the rest of Fernando de Noronha would have dazzled us, maybe even changed our lives, but we were cast under our hotel’s magical spell.

My conclusion: sometimes you want to expand your horizons, while other times the most beautiful adventures are best experienced right where you are.  Oh, and here is a secret that I discovered, if you do not do everything you had set out to do in the first place, well, then you have a great reason to return.

To see the accompanying posts click here and here.

To see the accompanying post click here.

On our last day at Pousada Picinguaba, we decided to venture into Parati, which was about a 30 minute taxi drive away.  I had heard rumors that this city was a “hidden gem,” but it was not until we were wandering throughout its plethora of colonial cobblestone streets did I know for certain it truly was.

This quiet coastal city is saturated with colorful 18th Century Portuguese architecture, however it still retains a strong Brasilian vibe creating a visual feast for the eyes.  My husband and I decided to bypass any tours and simply got lost inside the village.  We knew if we felt too turned around all we had to do was to look up for the spire of the local cathedral, as no building was permitted to be taller than it and it was located in the center of the city.

I treasured the fact that automobile traffic is forbidden within the city in order to preserve its peaceful ambience.  Despite having a population of 36,000, there was hardly any foot traffic either.  It seemed that no matter where we were in Brasil, we had the entire country to ourselves. . .maybe as a wedding present?  After an entire day of exploration, our bodies needed refueling, and when we heard there was a nearby restaurant that could only be accessed by boat, we knew immediately where we would be dining for the evening.

Kontiki Restaurante is not to be missed if you should find yourself hungry in Parati.  While, it might not be the most memorable meal of your life, the view and sangria make it an unforgettable experience.  Plus, the meaning behind its name is priceless.  Kontiki was the Sun King of the Incas and set off on a wooden raft sailing the Pacific Ocean 15,000 years ago.  Even though he did not quite believe he would find what he was looking for — another continent — he still crossed the dangerous seas in faith.  Today, Kontiki is the inspiration for those on an any kind of adventure.  Kontiki Restaurante believes why cross the world when you can cross a little of the Atlantic near Parati for a culinary adventure surrounded by a gorgeous landscape, as well as the watchful eyes of the enchanting Sun King.

As the sun began to set, we took it as nature’s cue that we should begin the long journey back to our pousada.

Parati has been described as a “virtual museum within a tropical paradise,” and after my brief visit there I could not agree more with that assessment.  This tranquil part of the world should definitely be considered a dream destination on everyone’s list.

To see the accompanying post click here.

To see the accompanying post click here.

Upon returning to Pousada Picinguaba, my husband and I went our separate ways.  He wanted to spend the rest of the afternoon slumbering in our suite’s hammock, while I wanted to further explore the grounds.

In my previous post, I discussed living a life of excitement and that my greatest passion is travel.  Over the past decade, I have traveled solo, with my family, with my friends, and with my ex-lovers.  As I became more comfortable with traveling, I preferred traveling solo.  I know it is not for everyone, however I do believe that everyone should at least try it once in their lives — nothing will teach you more about who you truly are as a person than exploring a foreign land on your own.

My husband and I had traveled together before, but not for more than a couple of days at a time, and never outside of the Americas.  This was due to our unique long-distance relationship.  Just to see each other we had to travel 10,000 miles, thus to then take off on another journey was not what we desired at the time.  We chose to explore each others respective cities instead; his being Buenos Aires and mine being New York City.  This gave us a feeling, albeit temporarily, of having a somewhat “normal relationship.”

Half a year before we got married, I decided that I needed one last solo trip as a single woman.  I wanted it be a place where I could be alone in my thoughts and where I could celebrate the old and new chapters in my book of life.  Thus, I chose Easter Island.  Could there be a more perfect destination for this transformational trip?

That trip will forever remain a special memory for me, however what I did not know then that I know now, is that not only when I said “I do” was I gaining a husband, I was also gaining a lifelong travel partner as well.  I am certain that I will take more solo trips in the future, but they are not necessary for me like they were before.  Now, I prefer to travel with my husband; to share these deep, meaningful experiences and, of course, the excitement of these beautiful adventures with him.

I love knowing that for the rest of my life I have someone to watch pink sunsets with.

Who do you prefer to travel with or do you travel solo?

 To see the accompanying post click here.

My husband and I awoke with a difficult decision to make: do we spend the day enjoying everything that Pousada Picinguaba had to offer its guests or do we explore the nearby village?  Over breakfast we decided we would do both and then set off to see what lied beyond the gates of the hotel before returning to its grounds later.

Picinguaba is a grand swath of land that is kissed by the sun and blessed with natural beauty.  Expect a tropical paradise of calm, aquamarine waters that are surrounded by hills of jungle striping the earth green as far as the eye can see.

A curious thing happens when you disconnect from technology for a couple of days.  Your mind is filled with thousands of thoughts that  would have never materialized due to the lack of mental space that daily life consumes.  I highly recommend carrying a notebook and pen around with you if you should choose to try this, so that you can capture these thoughts as they occur.

When I confess to someone that I have just met that I am a travel writer/photographer and that I have a blog, usually their first question posed to me is, “How did you get into that?”  I explain to them that it happened completely by accident, that I simply wanted to capture the thing that most excited me in life: travel.  When we pour our energy into the thing that excites us the most, our wildest dreams do come true.  As we wandered around Picinguaba I could literally feel my heart beat faster from the thrill of discovery and I wished in that moment that everyone had something in their life that excited them.

Life has the potential to be awe-inspiring if you let it.  Our lives are ours to design and create.  Every single day we have the opportunity to make decisions that influence our experiences.  Thus, our choices determine whether our paths are exhausting or exciting, mediocre or breathtaking.  I believe you can achieve your dream life by simply doing what excites you whenever the opportunity presents itself.

Remember that your passions may come and go, and what excites you in one moment might not necessarily excite you in the next, however when you make excitement a constant in your existence, life not only becomes more fulfilling, it also becomes more extraordinary as well.  Making travel a priority in my life requires me to make certain sacrifices, although it is a small price to pay to have a life saturated with pleasure, exhilaration, and optimistic anticipation.

Life is way too short to not be excited, so do something today that makes your heart smile.  What excites you in your life?

To see the accompanying post click here.

Before we began our honeymoon, we accepted the fact that there would be a lot of traveling during our time in Brasil.  We were visiting 4 cities, 3 of which were off the beaten track.  Our next stop would be Picinguaba.  We had to drive 1.5 hours from Trancoso to Puerto Seguro, then fly to Sao Paulo, and finally drive 3 hours to Picinguaba.  We are both obsessed with the movie Rio (if you have not seen it yet stop reading this post and rent it), thus when we saw we would be flying in a plane that was designed to look like one of the characters from it, we knew it had to be a sign that we were on the right path!

And the signs kept continuing, as upon arrival to Pousada Picinguaba, we were greeted in the lobby by this couple that beard a slight resemblance to us newlyweds.

Just like in Trancoso, we had arrived late into the evening, which meant we had no idea what our surroundings looked like and had to eagerly wait until morning to find out.  The staff generously left us a bottle of champagne and a thoughtful note by the gorgeous jacuzzi that was situated in the middle of the honeymoon suite.

We were tempted to skip dinner and take a bath instead, however a table had been arranged for us on the deck of the swimming pool with the gentle sound of the sea in the background.  Several years ago, Picinguaba acquired a nearby farm, which is where all of their organic produce comes from.  Only hotel guests are allowed to dine at their renowned restaurant.  The menu changes daily and is designed for guests to share the wonders of the ocean, the mountains, and the tropical forests that surround Picinguaba.

After our romantic dinner, we returned to our room to discover that during turndown service candles had been lit and a bath had been drawn for us.  It is as if the hotel had read our minds.

On this night we would relax, but in the morning we would explore.

To see the accompanying post click here.