Soo RELAXING!!!!

At the end of January Udine had a business trip in Miami that he had to go to.  And since we had enough points from our frequent flier miles for a free ticket I asked if I could go too.  I knew I'd want some sun come the end of January.  I can honestly say I have never had a trip like this before.  It was soo amazing!  Don't get me wrong, I LOVE traveling with my kids, but it's not necessarily relaxing, and that's what this trip was all about.  Udine would be in meetings during the day, so I'd go hang by the pool and read.  To some that may sound boring, but I love the sun and I love to read, so it was a little piece of heaven on earth.  I can't remember the last time I was able to just sit and read without a hundred interruptions.  It was heavenly.  The hotel we stayed at was nicer than any hotel we could afford, and since work covered that expense it was so nice to be able to enjoy that too.  The first day I went to the pool I was a little uncomfortable because I'm not used to having a pool boy who will set up your towls for you and see if there is anything you need, etc.  But after the initial shock, it was all good.  The pool area was absolutely beautiful!!  And speaking of beautiful....the weather!!  It was perfect.  Not too hot, but with a little breeze to cool you off now and then.  Normally I am not a fan of humidity, but it wasn't so muggy that I couldn't stand it, it was just perfect...my skin felt moist for a whole week!  haha  Now it's dry and itching again.  ugh. One of Udine's coworkers wife came also, so that was a fun chance to get to know her better also.  I have never met anyone that gets lost as easily as I do, but she is just like me!  It was hilarious.  We'd get lost on the simplest outings during the day. 

We arrived on a monday night and the boys had to go to a business dinner so Marianne and I walked around the city for a bit looking for a good place to eat. We came across this Italian Restaurant called Fratelli Milano which I had read about and wanted to try so we went in. Boy am I glad we did!!! That was THE BEST Italian food I have ever eaten!! So good infact that we took the boys the very next night and also went back on our last night there. Even Udine really enjoyed it and he doesn't normally like Italian food. I enjoy the Olive Garden, but after eating this food, the Olive Garden doesn't seem too appetizing anymore. Mmm I wish I could have some right now!!

Udine's pizza, my lasagna...best I've ever had!!

Cream puffs: I'd eat the top half because Udine doesn't like chocolate and he'd eat the bottom half cuz he likes cream puffs. :) It's not very often you find a dessert we both can enjoy.

Our 3rd night there we decided we didn't want an expensive dinner and since Pollo Compero (one of Udine's favorite restaurants from Guatemala) was just 3 miles away, we decided we'd walk. Man, 3 miles didn't seem too bad, but once we got walking and it started getting dark, it seemed really far! It seemed to take forever and my feet were starting to hurt! Plus Udine was starting to get worried because the further we walked from the hotel, the sketchier the neighborhoods were getting. So he started stashing his cash in different pockets and hiding his phone, etc. It was kind of funny. Needless to say, we finally got there and Udine got to enjoy his beloved chicken. In hind site, I'd spend the money on a cab and not be so cheap, but it was a fun experience and something we will always laugh about. This is not the first time we have done something stupid like this, we never seem to learn our lesson....it's a typical move for us. haha We just laughed and laughed about it. Who else would leave the luxuries of where we were staying and be so cheap they'd have to walk (not take a cab) to go get a fast food chicken. hahaha Only us. Although, I have to say, if it had been a Kopp's Custard that close to where I was staying I'd totally want to do the same thing cuz I never get it. :) Anyway, good memories.

Friday morning was the last of Udine's classes so we booked a little 3 day cruise, so we headed to the port which was right near where we were staying. We went on the Carnival Imagination and it was a great time. I'm not sure what I expected but I'm glad we went on a short and really inexpensive one for our first cruise because I kind of feel like it was a learning experience for us. We know of some things we'd do differently, but we still had a wonderful time. We went to some comedy shows, dance shows, watched a little karioke, wandered the ship, enjoyed the work out room and the beautiful weather. 

On Saturday we hit port in Nassau, Bahamas and walked around for a while. We walked to these stairs that they call The Queens Staircase and got a little history behind that from a local. After that we went to Atlantas to hang out at the beach for the afternoon. Soo nice. The water was colder than I had expected so I didn't get in past my knees, but once Udine finally made his way in, he loved just staying in the water. After that we walked around the little mart there and enjoyed looking at all the handcrafted things the locals were selling. I wanted to get my hair braided, I've always thought that would be fun to do, but once I saw the price, I decided it wouldn't be that fun. haha :)

The water was so beautiful, clear and blue

Sunday was spent on the boat and we just enjoyed the sun again. It was a wonderful time. I was expecting a lot more from the food because that's what everyone talked about before we went, but I thought it was ok. It was good, but not as excellent as I was thinking it would be. It was always available, but nothing really stood out too much to me. All in all, it was a wonderful week! I loved every minute of it, but I was so ready to see my kids after it. It rejuvinated me, I kind of wish I could do that every year!!