After our exquisite lunch experience, our Trafalgar Tours Travel Director, Jonathan, suggested that the best way to digest the food that we had just consumed would be to wander around and the best place to do it would be in Avignon.  We began our Provencal journey in the village center at the Palais des Papes, or Pope’s Palace.  It is one of the largest and most historical medieval Gothic buildings throughout all of Europe.  Countless Popes over the centuries have called this magnificent place their home.

Depending on where you choose to marvel at this architectural wonder, it will change colors right in front of your eyes due to the sun’s reflection upon it.  I wish that I would have had time to further explore this UNESCO World Heritage Site, however the stores in the “City of the Popes” were sweetly calling out my name.

One of the things that sets Trafalgar Tours apart from its competitors is that even though it is a guided vacation and the Travel Directors are passionate about sharing their insider secrets, it still highly encourages its clients to make discoveries on their own during the trip.  Thus, we all separated for a couple of hours.  Before I got lost in some retail therapy, however, I wanted to see more of what the quaint cobble-stoned streets had to offer.

The main square in Avignon, which is lined with cafes, boutiques, galleries, and of course a carousel, is Place de l`Horloge.   This is the throbbing heart of the city where business deals are done over glasses of champagne and young lovers steal kisses underneath the moonlight.

As I made my way back to the meeting spot, I caught sight of a couple of my colleagues refueling themselves at a bar and I had no choice but to join them.  Once we were properly satiated, we then headed to dinner, which was again nothing short of amazing.  “Life changing food” was quickly becoming the theme for the trip and I made peace with the fact that I would return to the United States five pounds heavier.

The final stop of the day was to our hotel, the Grand Hotel Mercure le Roi Rene, located right in the middle of Aix-en-Provence.  Sleep came easily and so did dreams of the adventures we would be having the following day!

Thank you to TurboTax for sponsoring my writing about household finances.Learn more about how TurboTax can help you find every tuit.com”>tax deduction you deserve. I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective, which endorses Blog With Integrity, as I do.

When asked by the Clever Girls Collective to write a post about “Managing Your Family Finances” I could have easily written a cut and dry piece on how I take care of my taxes every year, however I decided instead to share an incredibly personal story in hopes that it will somehow help others avoid the same mistake that I made.

3 years ago I went into business with my best friend.  I trusted this girl with every ounce of my being as if she were my sister.  Everyone warned me about going into business with her.  They said that friends should never be partners.  I foolishly ignored their concerns, claiming that I was smart enough to make the right decision for myself.  Thus, I cosigned a small business loan and our LLC was created.  We opened up a state-of-the art Wellness Center and put an enormous of time, energy, money, and love into it.  It was our baby.

Since I was the creative one and she loved numbers, I handled the marketing aspect of our company, whereas she handled our finances.  I never once questioned her judgment.  Around the year mark, like everyone predicted, our friendship got in the way of our business.  A disagreement that had nothing to do with our clinic turned into an embattled rage between us.  Neither of us could forgive each other, despite our close relationship.

Although I knew we were headed in a bad direction, I was completely blindsided when I discovered that unbeknown to me she had started a competing practice on the other side of town and had been sending our patients there.  After I recovered from the shock and feelings of betrayal, I immediately took over our fiances.  Unsurprisingly, she was dishonest with our numbers as well and I had to pay hefty fines for her not having paid our taxes on time.

A year later I am in a better place (in all aspects of my life) and I now know how to take care of my finances, since I was forced to learn.  This painful and valuable lesson taught me the importance of learning every single aspect of your business and not relying on anyone else, even if you are in a partnership.  And you better believe that this year I will be filing my taxes on time!

Me in front of my new clinic. Photo taken by: Kirsten Alana Larsson

Thanks to Trop 50 for sponsoring my writing about fabulous bloggers.  This year Trop50 is granting 50 fabulous wishes.  Click here to enter for a chance to win $1,000 to help grant a friend’s wish!

When asked to write a post in which I highlighted some of my favorite current bloggers, I jumped at the chance.  I only entered the blogging world less than a year ago, but in that short amount of time it has become a central part of my life.  Some of my dearest friends I have met through blogging and I begin every day by perusing countless blogs for doses of inspiration.

The only requirement for this post was to choose “5 Fabulous Bloggers.”  Of course, I could have easily chosen a hundred, but I was limited to 5.  Thus, I first narrowed down my selection to only females (sorry men!) and then to the female’s that oozed fabulousness.  So, without further ado, here are my choices:

1. Kyle of Kyle Hepp:

What makes Kyle fabulous: Kyle was one of the first bloggers that I began to seriously follow.  Her words and pictures about her expat life in Santiago, Chile touched me deeply.  Through following her posts I was able to watch the incredible evolution of her photography skills go from a casual hobby to a successful profession.  Every single photo she takes is a work of art.  In case you missed my posts in which I chronicled the beautiful boudoir shoot that I did with her, click here.  Kyle and I share so many similarities, one being our intense love for life, that I constantly joke we are soul sisters.  I cannot wait for her to shoot my wedding in May!

Twitter: @kylehepp

2. Kirsten of Kirsten Alana:

What makes Kirsten fabulous: Kirsten, like Kyle, is also a professional photographer.  In her past life she was a wedding photographer, but due to a change of heart she has decided to pursue her passion of travel photography instead.  I am a big believer in embracing change and allowing it propel your life into a new and even better direction, which is exactly was she has done and is one of the things that I most admire about her, along with her gorgeous pictures of course.  Lucky for me the wind blew her to the same city in which I live, so we are constantly experiencing fun adventures together.  Our next adventure happen to be in Cancun, Mexico for her 30th Birthday!

Twitter: @kirsten_al

3. Maryam of My Marrakesh:

What makes Maryam fabulous: Maryam’s blog is so incredibly rich with beauty, that it should have a warning when you first visit that you might become so enchanted with it that you could get lost reading for hours.  She is literally living my dream life, which is to buy a house in some exotic location (her’s being Marrakesh, Morocco) and turn it into a boutique hotel.  The name of her hotel alone, Peacock Pavilion, makes me want to jump on the next flight to Africa.  She has traveled all over the world as human rights and democracy specialist, speaks multiple languages, has the coolest friends, attends the most stylish parties, and yet at the end of the day still has time for her lovely family — proof that you can have it all!

Twitter: @MyMarrakesh

4. Alessandra of Gypsy Girl’s Guide:

What makes Alessandra fabulous: Well, just the fact that Alessandra is Brasilian already makes her fabulous in my book.  However, what makes her extra-fabulous is that she has created a blog that focuses on all things gypsy.  I have always identified with the gypsy spirit, in fact that is the first thing I state on my About page.  Recently, she has become a Mom and due to her new role in life and limited time, she has turned her blog in daily guest posts from gypsy lovers all over the world.  Every day I look forward to a post from someone I know who will inspire my wanderlust even more!

Twitter: @alessandracave

5. Pia of Pia Jane Bijkerk:

What makes Pia fabulous: Pia, a stylist, photographer and author, is an Aussie who moved to Amsterdam and vacations in Paris on the weekends.  If that does not make her one of the coolest female’s ever, then this will — she lives on a houseboat in a canal.   I love every post she does, but the ones that stand out the most to me are these unique little masterpieces she creates called Soundscapes, where she makes recordings of her surroundings for you to listen to while she takes you on a journey with her words.  To me she is the definition of chic!

Twitter: @piajanebijkerk

Do not forget to enter the 50 Fabulous Wishes contest for a chance to win $1,000 to support a friend’s wish.   I was selected for this Tropicana Trop50 sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective, which endorses Blog With Integrity, as I do.  I received compensation to use and facilitate my post.

My Dearest Blog Readers,

I hope this letter finds you in excellent health and with a joyful spirit!

What an unforgettable year 2010 has been for me.  I should have known it was going to be as I stood on Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janiero, Brasil and ushered in the new decade with 3 million others all dressed in white under a sky of fireworks.  In that moment I wished with all of my heart for my best year yet and my wish certainly came true.

After my time in Rio, I continued on to the Amazon Rainforest where I trekked through one of the most magical places in the world.  To say it was life changing is an understatement.  This was my first solo trip in a country where I did not speak the language.   Several months later I completed a lifelong dream of visiting India.  Ever since I was a little girl I had dreamed of visiting the country and when I finally found myself standing in front of the Taj Mahal it was one of the most surreal moments of my life.  Another incredible experience I had while I was there was riding an elephant through an ancient fort.  Soon after returning from India, I made a last minute decision to return to Brasil to see my then-boyfriend, Lucas.  We stayed in the seaside village of Buzios, which is not only one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen, but is also where we got engaged!   Then I completed another lifelong dream of traveling with my brother.  I told him for his High School graduation present I would take him anywhere in the world and he chose the Netherlands and Spain.  This was such a special experience to share with him before he left for College and I will always cherish the memories we created there together.

Planning an international wedding has been one of the most challenging projects I have ever undertaken.  Thankfully, I have a lot of help and I am confident that it will be a spectacular affair.  It will take place May 14^th, 2011 in Buenos Aires, Argentina; the city where Lucas and I met and fell in love in almost 6 years ago.  I just returned from a visit there (my 8^th time) and I was able to spend 10 lovely days with Lucas wedding planning, as well as enjoy a quick escape to Uruguay for a relaxing couple of days in between.  Before I arrived in Argentina, I took another solo trip, this time to Chile.  A highlight was surfing and diving in the most remote island in the world, Easter Island.

My Chinese Medicine clinic underwent big changes; I am now the sole-owner and switched locations into the amazing East West Center of Wellness.  While these changes were unexpected at first, they ended up being for the best, as my clinic has become quite successful and continues to steadily grow.  It is such an empowering feeling to love my job and to provide people help with their health and wellness.

Another exciting thing is that I have grown My Beautiful Adventures into a labor of love that I am very proud of.  I am averaging around 60,000 page views a month!  I have many exciting plans for the future of the website that I will be unveiling in the new year.

As you are reading this, I am in the midst of celebrating Christmas at home with my precious family and then a trip to the Bahamas for New Year’s with my brother and father.  I will be celebrating New Year’s Eve on the beach in Paradise Island, which is like a 2nd home to me, and I will of course be thinking about all of you.  Thank you from the bottom of my heart for taking time to read my blog.  It truly means the world to me!

Happy Holidays!!!  May 2011 be a year of PEACE for you and for all around the world.

With love,

In the spirit of the Season, I thought I would share with you different Christmas events that are celebrated all over the world.  Click on the map to learn about each one!

Happy Holidays!!!

BeijingHong KongLas VegasBerlinLondonLos AngelesMelbourneNew YorkParisRio De JaneiroSydneyTokyo

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Beijing, China

Date: 25h December 2010

Location: The Great Hall of the People

Cost: $231-$247

Richard Clayderman 2010 Beijing Christmas Concert

Looking for something different to do this Christmas? How about a night with Richard Clayderman, a world renowned pianist who holds the title of “The most successful pianist in the world”, not a small claim to fame by any means.

Accepted into to the Paris Conservatoire of Music at the age of 12, Clayderman has recorded over 1200 melodies in his career and has clocked up world record sales of nearly 70 million.

This Christmas Clayderman will be performing at The Great Hall of the People, West of Tiananmen Square, on December 25, 2010.

If you happen to be staying in Beijing this Christmas, this celebrated concert is not to be missed. Tickets are available in packages at $231-$247. Treat yourself a little by booking yourself into a 5 star Beijing hotel with Hotelclub and make this Christmas night unforgettable.

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Hong Kong, China

Date: 3-31st December 2010

Location: NP360, Lantau Island

Cost:
Adult – from HKD $138
Child – from HKD $86

First Snowy X’mas at Ngong Ping 360

Hong Kong is truly one of the most diverse cities in the world, culturally and now climatically!

Who would’ve thought you can experience a white Christmas in this hustling SE Asian city? Thanks to the clever chaps at Ngong Ping 360 (or NP360 as it is affectionately known) and a giant snow machine, you can enjoy an artificial snowy Christmas in a surreal Hong Kong setting.

The Christmas festivities include artificial snow falling from a giant Christmas cable car café, a family craft workshop, an angel workshop, a food fair showcasing Chinese and western Christmas-themed dishes, Christmas carols, and loads more!

NP360 has already established itself as a popular tourist destination. With its first Snowy X’mas, it is definitely a destination not to be missed.

To make your stay to Hong Kong the trip of your lifetime, Hotelclub offers a wide array of amazing packages that will suit your needs. You are sure to find a Hong Kong hotel that will make your stay memorable!

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Las Vegas, USA

Date: 22-26th December 2010

Location: Bellagio, Las Vegas, Nevada

Cost: From $165

“O” by Cirque du Soleil

There is no better place to celebrate Christmas than in the party capital of the world – Las Vegas. You might find yourself at the crossroads of too many hot parties to choose from but this show is truly something special.

Celebrate this Christmas in a breathtaking fantasy water world that is “O” and let Cirque du Soleil take you on an unforgettable journey led by a team of talented performers, acrobats, fire dancers, and other entertainers.

Shows are s scheduled on Wednesdays through Sundays from 7:30-10:00 pm. Admission to the show starts at $165. Guests must be at least 18 years of age or accompanied by an adult.

Complement your Las Vegas experience and stay in one of the many wacky hotels on the Vegas strip.

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Berlin, Germany

Date: 27th November – 9th January 2011

Location: Europa-Park, Rust, Germany

Cost:

€29 – for adults

€26 – for children

Magic Moments at Europa-Park

Known as Germany’s biggest Winter Wonderland, Magic Moments at Europa-Park is another must-go destination this Christmas. In addition to the wide array of fun rides it usually offers, Europa-Park is mixing in a big dollop of Christmas cheers by incorporating a Sleigh Ride Snowflake, skibobs, ice skating rinks, Christmas markets, snow ramps, ice bars, and a whole lot more.

The biggest attraction this year will be the big wheel in its Icelandic theme. Atop this terrific ride is a spectacular view of the magical winter wonderland.

Magic Moments is being held from November 27 to January 9.

The beautifully decorated trees and twinkling lights will surely brighten up your Christmas. If you can’t get enough of this wonderful festive place, you can choose from a variety of cosy Berlin Hotels nearby to prolong your experience.

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London, England

Date: 11-26th December 2010

Location: London Bridge, England

Cost:
£23 Adults
£17 Children

Satans Grotto at London Dungeon

Do you want to experience a one-of-a-kind Christmas event? Fed up with Santa Claus and want to be naughty this year instead of being nice? Then let’s experience a hellish Christmas with the Prince of Darkness at the London Dungeon. You won’t believe how naughty and frightening Christmas can be… oh yes! It’s about time that Christmas merry makers are punished for being too nice.

Satan’s Grotto at the London Dungeon opens on December 11-26 from 10 am to 5 pm. On Christmas Eve and Boxing Day, it will be open from 11 am to 4 pm, and will be closed on Christmas Day. Admission costs £23.00 for adults and £17 for children. Turn Christmas on its head and be sure to check out the many accommodation deals in London at Hotelclub.com .

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Los Angeles, USA

Date: 4th December – 1st January 2011

Location: Los Angeles, CA

Cost:1 day theme park:
$112 Adult
$104 Children

“Grinchmas”

The blissful season of Christmas is upon us once again! What better way to complete this wonderful celebration than to spend the festivities with your family and seeing the Grinch in person at the Universal Orlando Resort! Brace yourself for a fun-filled celebration. Enjoy the beauty of sparkling Christmas lights and decorations, and have your photo taken together with the Grinch and even get an autograph! This is one of the most famous events you simply can’t miss.

One day theme park tickets cost $112 for adults and $104 for children aged 3-9 years. One park access for adults cost $82 and $74 for children.

To make you family holiday budget stretch, there are many affordable Los Angeles hotels to choose from on hotelclub.com

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Melbourne, Australia

Date: 15th December – 24th December 2010 1pm -3pm

Location: Melbourne

Cost: Photo package $30

Santa Photos at Chill On Ice Lounge, Melbourne

Have a truly unique Christmas and visit Santa residing within 30 tonnes of carved ice!

You will be greeted at the entrance of the Chill On Ice Lounge where you will be handed a large winter coat to prepare you for the sub zero temperatures inside. The Ice Lounge is exactly what the name suggests, everything inside, including the bar and the glasses in which drinks are served, are completely made of ice.

Santa will be sitting on his ice throne from Dec 15 to Christmas Eve and you can bring your little ones for an artic experience that they will hardly forget.

Children’s photo packages are available for $30. Bookings essential.

Book your Melbourne hotel now before it is too late!

(Photo Source)

New York, USA

Date: 20th November – 9th January 2011

Location: New York Botanical Gardens

Cost:
Adults from $20
Children from $10

19th Annual Holiday Train Show with Gingerbread adventures

Immerse yourself into a miniature NYC this Christmas at the Holiday Train show at the New York Botanical Gardens.

Designed by the award winning Paul Busse, replicas of 140 New York City landmarks endow the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory. Each replica is constructed of entirely of natural materials: nuts, tree bark, fruits, pinecones, and leaves, making this exhibition even more unique.

G-scale model trains have been doing their rounds around the miniature landmarks to the delights of countless visitors over the past 18 years.

If you are a locomotive enthusiast, or simply looking for something different to do this Christmas, get yourself down to the Holiday Train Show.

There are many New York City hotels near the Botanical Gardens but be sure to book early to avoid disappointment.

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Paris, France

Date: December 2010

Location: Paris

Cost:
£48 Adult
£44 Children

Disneyland Paris

For a Christmas trip your kids will love, you can not go past Disneyland Paris.

Fairy tales come alive in this magical world and this mega theme park is going to be even more magical this Christmas with the transformation of Sleeping Beauty’s Castle into an ice palace.

You will see one of the biggest Christmas trees you will ever set eyes upon and of course Father Christmas will be meeting and greeting you and your family in his toy workshop.

Standard 1 day tickets cost £48 for adults and £44 for children aged 3-11 years.

There are seven Disney-operated hotels at Disneyland Resort Paris. However, you can also choose to stay in one of the many hotels in Paris which offer free shuttle rides to and from EuroDisney.

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Rio De Janeiro, Brazil

Date: 4-31st December

Location: Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas, Rio De Janeiro, Brazil

Cost: Free

The Biggest Christmas Tree in the World

It might be in the Guiness Book of Records, but not many people have had the pleasure to witness the biggest floating Christmas tree in the world in the Rodrigo de Freitas lagoon.

The Bradesco Seguros Christmas Tree, standing at 85 metres high and adorned by over 3 million lights this year, is one of Rio De Janeiro’s proudest traditions. Over 100,000 people gather around the lighting of the tree in early December and it remains lit to the delight of over a million tourists each year.

This year is the 15th anniversary of the Bradesco Seguros Christmas Tree so Rio is sure to be more festive than ever.

Make your reservation now for your Rio De Janeiro hotel and see this great wonder this Christmas.

(Photo Source)

Sydney, Australia

Date: 18th November – 25th December 2010

Location: Sydney

Cost: Free

A Sydney Christmas

The Sydney Town Hall is one of Sydney’s most famous landmarks, and lately it has also become one of Sydney’s most prominent canvases.

This Christmas the external walls of the Sydney Town Hall will be lit up by decorative projectors to present some wonderful photo opportunities.

Every night from 18 November to 25 December images evoking A Sydney Christmas will be projected onto Sydney Town Hall, injecting a big does of Australian into the festive season.

With so many hotels near the Sydney Town Hall, A Sydney Christmas is a very accessible event for the whole family.

(Photo Source)

Tokyo, Japan

Date: 11th November – 25th December 2010

Location: Tokyo

Cost: Free

Marunouchi Bright Christmas 2010

Everyone has their own ways of celebrating the Christmas holidays. Most people put up colorful brilliant decors dangling around their Christmas trees and houses, while others may be satisfied with the presence of their loved ones and families during their festivities. But why not do both to get the most out of your Christmas?

Japan is one place that puts up an amazing and breathtaking illumination displays when it comes to the Christmas season. The display along Marunouchi Naka-dori (the avenue connecting Yurakucho and Otemachi) will include nearly 850,000 champagne-coloured LEDs. Additionally, there’ll also be an 8m tall Christmas tree (displaying gold and silver lights and a range of specially imported decorations) on display at Marucube, situated on the first floor of the Marunouchi Building.

The display will be open from November 11 to December 25, 2010 and there is no charge! With all the singing and frolicking around, you might want to extend your stay in Tokyo. There’s a wide selection of affordable Tokyo hotels you can choose from. Just don’t forget to bring your camera and capture all the precious moments you’ll have with your family!

Song of the post:

As with most trips, the time went be way too quickly.  L. and I had most definitely fallen in love with Buzios and had even flirted with the idea of going real estate shopping to get an idea of how much a house would cost us in the future if we were to move there.

For our final meal in Buzios, we chose to dine at the highly recommended French restaurant Cigalon.  And what a great decision we made, because not only was the food superb (so good that we each had our own 4 courses), but it also had to be the most romantic restaurant I have ever dined in–making it the perfect place to celebrate our unforgettable 4 days in Buzios.   Unfortunately, I did not get any pictures of the restaurant, however to imagine the gorgeous setting, picture a lovely candle-lit terrace that has been built next to the sea and overlooks the boats moored for the night.  Of course the waves crashing against the rocks in the distance and the lady singing lovely French ballads inside the restaurant only added to the mystique.

Celebrating our stay in Buzios with champagne!

I believe that most of my readers already know what happened next, especially since I announced it several months ago, but on our walk back to our pousada L. asked me to marry him.  I will not go into specifics as to how he did it, since it was an incredibly special and private moment.  I will say though that even though we have dated for 5 years and have talked extensivly about marriage, I was still surprised, and this girl LOVES surprises!

The newly engaged couple!

And for you ladies who are wondering what my ring looks like, here are 2 photos:

It was not given to me that night, as my man knows I am very selective when it comes to jewelry.  We did later find the most perfect “Andi ring” though.  Never one to follow tradition, I opted to forgo a diamond for an amethyst and pink sapphires. The wedding is currently being planned to take place in Buenos Aires, Argentina for this coming May.  Updates will definitely be ongoing.

While I was terribly sad to be leaving Buzios, I was eager to return to Rio de Janeiro, this time with my fiance!!!

When traveling throughout Brazil, make sure to purchase some Brazil Phone Cards, so that you can stay in contact with your family overseas.

Song of the post:

Whenever I visit a place that has a beach, I always try my best to fit in some time for scuba diving (one of my most favorite things in the world).  This trip, however, my attention was focused on something, excuse me, someone else. . .

L. and I were still on our quest to find our favorite beach.  Thus far we had only seen 2 and since it was our last day in Buzios we had to pick an extra special beach to explore.  We were told that Praia Tartaruga was both beautiful and that it had excellent snorkeling, since it was known for its abundance of sea turtles (hence its name, as tartaruga means turtle in Portuguese).  This made it the perfect choice for us!  I might not have been able to dive on this trip, but at least I would get some time under the water.

My 1st view of Praia Tartaruga.

Again we had the beach almost completely to ourselves.  We found our spot on the sand and before you could count to 10 I was in the water with my snorkeling gear and underwater camera.  Because there had been some storms overnight, the visibility was poor, though decent enough to see a couple of underwater treasures.

And just as I was about to surface for some beach time, I spotted a turtle!  I followed him gliding through the water for about 15 minutes.  What elegant creatures they are.

After I returned to shore, I gave L. all of my gear and told him that it was his turn to find a turtle while I enjoyed the sunshine.  About an hour later he returned both having spotted a couple of turtles and starving, so we walked down the beach to a makeshift restaurant that had been set up right in the sand.  As previously mentioned I am a devout vegetarian, but when traveling I sometimes make exceptions for seafood.  This happened to be one of those times, because the owner of the “restaurant” would fish in the mornings and his catches were what was offered on the menu.  There is no way you could get more fresh than that!  The owner happened to also make the best caipifrutas I have ever tasted.

Once we were fully satiated, it was time for a walk on the beach.  Along the way I spotted something that I had never seen before, something that I felt had to be a sign of good things to come.

As the sun began to set, we both agreed that the combination of a deserted beach filled with turtles and red starfish, as well as having the best seafood and drinks, simply had to be our favorite beach, well of this trip at least!

That feeling of good things to come was still strongly with me as we departed for our pousada.  If I only had known just how right I was. . .

This post was sponsored by Frequent Flyer Credit Cards, a new travel website from Australia where you’ll find tips on earning airline points and guides to airline loyalty programs.