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Traveling for Work & Motherhood, Part 4

2015-11-07T21:43:00.000-05:00

This past year I've finally learned how to balance motherhood and work. At least on most days!! and only with the help of my husband, mom, dad and even a nanny. It really does take a village to raise a child.

I always wanted a job that made me travel. I didn't know what I wanted to do, but I always knew I wanted to travel. Finally in 2014 and 2015 I had to travel A LOT for work. The problem is that I always leave a piece of my heart at home. I still do what I need to do, but I don't do it with the excitement that it deserves. I know that Emma will be OK while I'm gone. I'm just sad because I will miss her and I'm sure she will miss me too. She has an amazing dad and I'm lucky to have a real partner who supports me 100%.

During one of those work trips, Emma was very sick. She was so sick that she was going to be hospitalized because the doctors didn't know what was wrong with her. I was literally across the globe and I felt like the worst mother in the world for being so far away. She got better and I came home a few days later but I was so close to having an anxiety attack many days while I was away. It didn't help that the teachers at her day care started to criticize me and telling me she is too young to have a mother that travels for work. I was upset when they told me that and of course I felt like a bad mom (again).

Skype was my best friend when Emma was under 2, but things changed when she got older. She thought that I was hiding behind the screen and she would look for me everywhere. It broke my heart to see her doing that. I simply had to stop calling her on skype. I would call my mom/husband/sister/aunt/anyone to ask about her, but I couldn't see her or talk to her. This was so hard. I had to do it for her, but it was probably the hardest thing to do.

On a positive side, I enjoy work trips because I can have time alone that I never have a home, I get to travel, have dinner most nights, exercise, and simply change my routine. I never get to sleep in not even in a quiet hotel room. I was away a lot during February to April but I have been at home since then.

Motherhood has been a test for me in many ways. Moms really are super heroes. We forget about our own needs to put our family first. It's really hard to "have it all", but I think that having a fulfilled career will make me a better mom. I'm not saying all moms should work outside of the house. I'm just saying that for me, working is what I want to do. There are days when I feel that I don't see my daughter enough and that I work too much. I feel guilty about it all the time. However, I'm learning to have quality time with her and give her 100% of my attention when I'm with her. I can only hope that I set a good example for her to be whatever she wants to be!

Riding a Camel for the First Time

2015-11-03T14:20:00.000-05:00

Riding a camel in front of the pyramids in Egypt is one of my dream travel experiences. I never dreamt of going to Qatar and thanks to my work, I've been there twice. I got to ride a camel while I was in Qatar in March. During my last trip, I stayed over the weekend and see a little more than what I normally see after working all day long. Some coworkers and friends hired a driver who could take us to the Arabian dessert. The driver took us about an hour outside of Doha to the dessert on a land rover to go dune bashing, see the inland sea, and waited for us while we rode a camel.

After riding a camel and about an hour of dune bashing, we stopped for a break at the inland sea. It was absolutely beautiful. I couldn't believe the color of the water. From here you can see Saudi Arabia at the other side of the shore. I thought about life for women in the Middle East and how we could be in trouble for wearing a bikini at the beach! Ha! I wrote something on my flight back to the US that I will upload to this blog regarding some thoughts about women...

This was one of my favorite days from the trip. I was sad after seeing the camels. Some of them had scars all over their bodies from being tied with chains. Some chains were rusty and there was so much skin damage around them that I just wanted to cry. I felt guilty for paying because tourists are the ones creating this "market". Animal cruelty breaks my heart and all I wanted was to bring the camel home with me. I'm really happy that I had this experience, however; I don't think that I will do it again.

My Favorite Place in Quito, Ecuador

2015-11-01T14:40:00.000-05:00

My husband's family lives in Quito, Ecuador. We traveled for 10 days during the holidays last year to see them. This was Emma's first trip to Ecuador and my second one. This trip was only 20 days after coming back from Colombia and I also took a short work trip in between. I was exhausted!

One of my biggest fears about traveling with Emma is that she will get sick. We arrived to Quito on Christmas eve and Andre's niece got sick that night. The day after we arrived, Emma got sick with a nasty virus that felt like the flu. She had a high fever for one day and after that she started to get better. I got sick the following day and Andre survived. He wasn't that lucky, he got e-coli and ended up in the ER one day. As you can imagine, we didn't do much. The only thing that we did was to spend an afternoon in the historic downtown. This is my favorite colonial downtown and I wanted to take some pictures of Emma and walk around after recovering from our tropical virus.

Just like it happened in Colombia weeks before, Emma wanted to be carried just by me. I was prepared with my ergo baby and I walked around all of downtown with Emma on my back. She even took a nap there. The altitude in Quito is 2,900 meters and I felt sick most of the days that we were there. It was hard, but I was happy to be out after feeling sick for several days.

For new year's eve, you are supposed to burn the "old year" at midnight. We did this in Colombia too. It's fun to make it and also to burn it and make some noise to welcome the new year. Some people make a full size doll and fill it with fire works. In Ecuador, you can buy a mask and use it for your año viejo. Some of those are local politicians. You can see the masks for sale on the pictures below.

We don't have any plans to go to Ecuador in the near future, but I am sure we will be back soon. Hopefully we won't get sick again!

Lessons Learned: Traveling with small kids

2015-10-31T13:57:00.001-04:00

If you’re a parent you’ve probably learned by now that vacationing with kids is really not a vacation at all. As someone who loves to travel, I was delusional thinking about traveling with Emma before she turned 2. I wanted to take advantage of not paying for her plane ticket. It turns out, I didn't really want to travel. When we did, it was rough and it has taken me almost 3 years to finally get excited about planning a trip. The best part is that I'm happy to pay for her seat. Flights with a lap baby are terrible mostly because economy seats are tiny and we both got hot from having her on top of me the whole time. I still seat her on my lap for short periods of time but we have room to move with the additional seat. She likes to seat by the window and look out when we take off and land.

I recommend taking a small backpack full of toys, snacks, crayons, and coloring books. Download a lot of kid friendly Apps that don’t require Internet. Take her favorite toys, but try to only use on the plane the ones that you can wash. Emma loves books and I always try to bring several ones for the trip and hide a few for the flights back.

One time, she decided to go #2 in a flight from Atlanta to Oklahoma City. Since this was a smaller airplane, they didn't have a changing table in the bathrooms. I had to get creative and change her standing on the toilet seat and hoping that nothing will get out of the diaper. At she she was old enough to stand up. I would want to do this on the bathroom floor. Try to pack extra clothes; not just one set of extra clothes because you will need more than that. We have lots of souvenir PJs for this reason.

There is always an "adventure" happening when traveling with kids. Flying is never easy, there is so much to pack and check-in (car seat, stroller, bags, food, diapers) that is easy to forget something. You can read about my adventure traveling alone with Emma when she was 15 months here. I always forget something: my charged iPad at home, or the diaper bag in the car to notice only when we got to security, bringing pants for me for 10 days in Colombia, or the stroller at home. We have been lucky and everything works out at the end, but it's stressful while is happening.

Now that she is older, it is easier to travel and have a normal flight. Plus there are no bottles to sterilize. However, the problem is the food. If it is possible, I try to spend time cooking for her so that the food tastes the same as it does at home. She ate so many apples in Ecuador that she now hates apples. Our last challenge was in Mexico. She didn't want to eat! not even bananas! She is picky and I know it, but the resort where we stayed had many options that she would normally like. She just didn't want to eat. We had some snacks from home and eventually ran out. She drank milk like a new-born. She didn't even want cake for breakfast!!! I never take her to McDonald's, but when I saw one in town I got her a chicken nuggets happy meal and she DEVOURED it. I don't know what is it about that place that kids like it so much.

We just came back from Washington DC and it went so well that we are traveling again on January 1st. This time it will be just Emma and me going to Charlotte to visit a great friend and meet her baby. She loves airplanes and she now drinks something for her ears instead of using the pacifier. I'm only waiting for her to be potty trained. Traveling is not the same as it was before. We have to take it slower and let her play or go hiking with her on my back. However, we still enjoy it and for us is more than enough when we go to bed before 9:00 PM.

Salento Part 2 & Valle del Cocora, Colombia

2015-10-29T21:51:00.000-04:00

Last year, during thanksgiving week, we went to Colombia. It was Emma's first trip to my home country and my first one in over 3 years. We went to the coffee region for 2 days and I fell in love with my country even more. One of the most popular places in the region is a little town called Salento. You can read about our trip and where we stayed here. The town is beautiful and it is close to a place called Valle del Cocora (Cocora Valley). I always wanted to go and see the wax (cold weather) palms. We went to the town mirador (lookout) the first day and to the Cocora Valley the second day.

Emma was very good during the whole trip. She didn't want to walk more than 5 minutes and she wanted to be carried ONLY by her mom. I did what every mom would do: take her on my back with the ergo baby. At the time Emma was 31 pounds!!!! The 2,400 meter altitude is OK; except when you are going uphill with a toddler on your back. After a long recovery from a broken leg just a year ago, I felt really proud of myself.

These are some of my favorite pictures from the mirador in Salento:

We hired a tour guide and he took us to the most wonderful walk. You can rent horses or just walk. We decided to walk to the river and back. We were supposed to go to the palm forest, but I was exhausted from carrying Emma after a long walk and that mean really going up the mountain. We will return when she can walk alone!! These are some of my favorite pictures from the Cocora Valley:

If you ever have a chance to visit the Colombian mountains don't miss these places. The pictures don't really show how beautiful everything is. I can't wait to return to this beautiful place!

Update 2015, Part 2

2015-10-28T21:29:00.000-04:00

I completely forgot about this blog for months!!! The last post was in February!! I got really busy with work and just forgot about writing. I'm happy to say that I finally feel more like myself again. The first year after having Emma I was physically and mentally exhausted. Now I can have some time for ME and that really feels good. I meant to share all the pictures from our family trips. I will upload them slowly.

Emma got very sick several times after starting day care in January. We were at the pediatrician at least once a month. I got her viruses while taking care of her, which resulted in having bronchitis 3 times in 5 months. Kids recover quicker than us. I was sleep deprived during this time because of my sick kid or thanks to my endless cough. Let's just say that we had enough antibiotics this year.

I traveled a lot for work in March and April. In those months I went 3 times to Pennsylvania, once to DC, and one time to the Middle East. I saw snow for the first time in February!! I was extremely busy until May and normal busy after that. I now have to work 3 times a week at another office that is 60 miles away from home. I always wanted to travel for work except that I want to fly not drive.

We took Emma to Disney in May. I never thought that a 2 year old could enjoy it so much, but she did! She keeps asking me to go back and remembers a lot of details. We are going to take her again for her 3rd birthday in January. I used my AA miles to book 3 plane tickets for a family vacation. We spent 5 nights at an all inclusive in Playa del Carmen, Mexico in September. We didn't have internet those days. It was difficult at the beginning, but after the second day I was happy to disconnect. The only problem was to locate Andre if we went different ways for a little bit. We hired a local photographer to take some family pictures. I'm still waiting for the photos. I can't wait to see them!!

I'm failing my goal of visiting one new country every year. Since I am not adding a new country to my list, I started counting Emma's. If it's new for her, I'm happy!! Mexico was her 5th country and she behaves so well on airplanes that people congratulate us all the time. Emma loves to travel and she asks me all the time to go on vacation again. She also gets excited when we drive by the airport thinking we are going somewhere. She still hates long car rides (just like me). We don't have any plans to travel before the end of the year. However, I'm always looking for great deals or low mile tickets.

I will share some of the travel pictures from Colombia, Ecuador, Orlando, Qatar, and Mexico in the next few weeks.

Colombia Trip 2014- Part 1

2015-02-06T22:07:00.001-05:00

I'm going to try to catch up with our trips from last year. I have a lot of pictures and stories to share. I've been busy at work and the little time that I have left is to spend it with Emma and André. In 2013, exactly on November 20th, I broke my leg. I had to cancel our family trip to my hometown just one week before traveling. I got a refund in the form of travel vouchers valid for one year. We couldn't decide where to go during the year. At first, I was in crutches and recovering. After I got better André got surgery and had 6 weeks of recovery time. Time just flew last year: we just went back to our original travel plans. We would go to Cali, Colombia for 9 days.

On thanksgiving day, we started our trip to Colombia. This was going to be Emma's first time there and my first time in over 3 years. I was excited and nervous. It didn't help that right after our vacation I was going to travel for work to the North East. I literally had to catch a flight from Miami to Pennsylvania. I had to take a suitcase full of work and winter clothes to Colombia and back to the U.S.

The first issue we encountered on our way there was that I left Emma's diaper bag in the car. My sister took us to the airport with plenty of time. We got the bags out, the stroller, the kid and went to our gate. When we were putting everything through security, I realized what I had done. I forgot the diaper bag in the back seat. Emma's diaper bag was loaded with diapers, food, antibacterial wipes, regular wipes, 1 set of extra clothes, sweater, bottles, milk, sippy cup, toys and everything I wanted to have during the flight. We called my sister and she drove back to the airport. André went (ran) outside to pick it up. He made it in time to come back inside the gate before it was time to board. I really thought that I was going to have a panic attack. In the mean time I went to look for diapers inside the terminal. I found some but they only sell one size (4) and Emma is a size bigger (5). It was not a huge difference but soon after using the smaller size, her pants got wet. I was lucky to have the diaper bag with us again and our additional set of pants saved the day. I'm so relieved that we had time to spare that day. I don't think that we could have survived without her diaper bag.

The second mistake I did that morning was that I forgot my iPad loaded with apps and movies for Emma at home. I wanted to charge it until the last second and as a result I completely forgot about it. Emma was addicted to YouTube and watching the wheels on the bus was her favorite past time. We were OK during the first flight which was only 30 minutes and at the airports because I had internet. However during the long flight, there was no wi-if available. We made it with books, coloring books and a few apps that I had in my phone. It was hard but we survived the 3 hour flight without an iPad.

We finally took a break during our layover and had lunch and a Juan Valdez coffee. If I fly in or out of MIA's D concourse I have to have one. I had to buy souvenir pants for Emma because she got her second pair of pants wet and I had no dry clothes with us. It was a Minnie Mouse PJ with shorts instead of pants. Apparently when you can only find shorts in Miami. At least they we're dry.

I tried to feed Emma some real food during the long travel day. I got her lunch and dinner at La Carreta, a Cuban restaurant located in MIA. Emma didn't want any of it and she just ate fruits and snacks. When we got to Cali our cousin had dinner ready for us. I had never seen Emma eat her dinner so well like she did that day. She was so happy there. She was excited to see motorcycles. I didn't even know that she knew how to say "moto". The first thing that I ate when we arrived at home was a granadilla. This fruit is sweet and is one of my favorites. A trip to Colombia is not complete without my daily granadilla. We went to bed after midnight exhausted and ready to relax for a few days.

Salento, Colombia

2015-01-25T15:05:00.001-05:00

For several years, I wanted to visit Salento. Not Salento, Italy; Salento, Quindio, Colombia. This is a small town in the middle of the Colombian coffee region located 3 hours away from Cali. It was isolated for a long time and as a result, the traditional architecture was preserved. We finally planned a short trip last December while we were in Cali. It took us almost 4 years to get there. Emma was amazing. She didn't cry or complained except almost at the end. We had to improvise her lunch making a quick stop on the road. Luckily, highways are very interesting in Colombia. You drive through the towns and there many things to look around. She got car sick and as a result we had to continue our trip with the windows down. That was all part of the "adventure".

I fell in love with Salento and with the beautiful mountains around it. After living in Florida for 15 years, I get very excited to see mountains and green landscapes. We had the typical food lunch: trout and a huge green fried plantain. André loves his tostada as you can see below.

The best part was having a Colombian coffee right in the middle of the mountains where it's produced. The coffee shop was antique and everyone makes you feel welcome. If you want to go, it's on the left side of the church if you are looking at it from the town's main square or plaza. The barista has been the same for over 20 years and he has pictures to prove.

Our hotel was only 2 blocks away from the Main Street (5th) and I would recommended it for anyone who wants to go. It's called Salento Real. It's a new building, but it was built to reflect the typical architecture. The rooms are small but comfortable, and the service was incredible.

There are 3 big reasons to visit Salento and stay a few days: the town, the mirador (overlook) and visiting the Cocora Valley. I will share lots of pictures to share what we did in 2 days. It was enough time to see what we wanted to see, but sadly 4 hours each way is a long way to go and we were too exhausted. I would recommend staying for 2 nights instead of only one night.

2015 Update

2015-01-25T14:17:00.001-05:00

Every time I want to remember when my life was chaotic I can look at the gaps in this blog. November and December of last year were busy to say the least. We had 2 international family trips and I was working a lot to finish a few reports and projects before traveling. I also attended a training for work in Pennsylvania that consisted of 2 different trips. I was in and out of the airport a lot during those months. Now we have finally slowed down and after getting sick during our Christmas trip we got back to normal. Emma turned 2 on the 13th and the day after she started to go to a pre school for half a day. Everything was ok besides her crying (and mine) when she had to stay at school. It didn't take more than a week for her to get sick. She got pink eye. I did what every mom would do, run to the doctor. I took her to an after hours pediatrics clinic and she got an eye drop prescription for pink eye that we started right away. The following day her eyes were better and suddenly she had a fever. We had a long night and I woke up every hour to check her temperature. She needed several doses of Advil during the night and I stayed up for hours. The next morning, I called her pediatrician and she got an appointment. It turns out that her pink eye was just one of the symptoms of a very common virus for kids her age. I never even heard the name before. It's called adenovirus. I still have to google the name everytime that I want to remember what she has. We had another rough day and she finally started to feel better yesterday. She is on antibiotics for an ear infection and that comes with a prize as well because her stomach gets sensitive. I'm just thankful that she is eating again and that she is in a much better mood. It might be because she had been at home with my parents for 2 years but I'm not an expert to take care of sick kids and that makes me nervous. I called my mom and my sister all the time to ask them for advise. Emma hates her eye drops 3 times a day and she is drinking apple juice with antibiotics and cough syrup in it.

After getting something that felt like the flu in Ecuador, I don't feel like planning another vacation. After Emma getting so sick this week, I'm afraid to travel for work and leave her. Basically, I want to stay home for a while. We have plans to go to Orlando and take Emma to Disneyworld for the first time. We also have to move from the place where we live now. We have been house haunting since June and we couldn't find a house that we liked and could afford, so we will rent for another year.

In honor of her second birthday, André and I planned a photoshoot with us as the photographers. Last time that we paid for one it was a disaster and we did not want to feel like we wasted our money. I'm happy with the results. We went to the University of Tampa campus with balloons on a Saturday morning. It was the perfect setting and the campus was empty. I want to start getting into photography again. I'm hoping that my favorite model starts to cooperate soon. Here are some of my favorite pictures.

On the road again...

2014-12-24T01:10:00.001-05:00

I have less than 4 hours to sleep tonight and I'm so nervous about tomorrow that I can't get any sleep. Emma, André and I are traveling to Ecuador tomorrow morning. I've never traveled on Christmas Eve. I always travel on Christmas Day and the airports are empty. I wonder how it will be tomorrow.

We just got back from Colombia 2 weeks ago and I also took a short work trip right after we came back. We finished packing and we are supposed to be asleep. I keep running my to-do lists in my head. I was a mess packing for Colombia and I don't want to do the same for this trip. I have to write a list of things I learned from our last trip with a toddler (the hard way of course). I had too much work before Colombia and I had a normal work load this week so I was able to plan with more time what to pack. I might have over packed as a result of my lack of planning from last month. The good thing is I tend to forget my stuff instead of Emma's. It is easier for me to improvise plus we are trying to potty train her and she uses a lot of pants every day.

I have tons of pictures to share from our trip to Colombia. Those 10 days are still fresh in my mind. I will enjoy this week off because it will probably be the last one in a while. I'm using all of my personal time off with these 2 vacations in one month.

Feliz Navidad! :)

Hola from Cali, Colombia

2014-11-29T23:40:00.001-05:00

I'm home. I should just say I'm in my home town. I feel sad to say this, but I feel out of place. Maybe the almost 15 years that I've been living in the US have changed me too much. I feel nostalgic when I say that I'm almost a foreigner in my own land.

The first thing that we did "wrong" was to sit Emma without a car seat. The airport is outside of the City and the driving speed is higher. She was very excited to see motorcycles. They are everywhere. She is also excited to see taxis and buses. As soon as you drive within City limits, the publicity boards distract you from one add to the next. Ever since we got to the airport it has been like an sensory "explosion". This is something that I used to love and miss. Starting with the huge (single) line at immigration, the very little respect for personal space, the chaotic baggage claim and the welcome parties outside of customs. I really mean it when I say parties! I really thought that someone famous was on the plane. Adding to all of that, we now have a little girl to watch in addition to our bags. Our driver was waiting for us but we couldn't find him. It took us less than 5 minutes to find him but it was already a bit too much. I can just imagine what it would be like for someone who doesn't speak Spanish.

So many things make me home sick for Colombia that it's hard to decide where my heart belongs. I love the way people treat you, my friends that I've known forever, the food, the tropical fruits, the music everywhere, the convenience of having everything you want delivered to your door, the mountains... I could go on and on.

When I told Andre that I don't think I can live here again, he was relieved. Not long ago, we said that our goal was to move back to South America. We didn't say if it would be to Quito or Cali or Bogota but we were absolutely sure that we had to move back. Now, I'm not so sure we fit in.

After this trip, I will have to think about how to balance the person I am today with the one that I want to be. Until that happens I have to say that my real home is where my family is. No matter where we live, as long as I am with them I feel complete.

Longboat Key, Florida - Day 2

2014-10-30T19:48:00.000-04:00

For my birthday, I wanted to get out of town. I've always wanted to stay in Anna Maria Island about one hour south of Tampa. Florida's gulf islands were recently featured on Traveller Magazine and they are becoming more popular. I couldn't find a place in Anna maria but I found one in Longboat Key. This is just a few miles south and it has the same beautiful sand. I'm so happy that we found this place. We want to make it a family tradition. A weekend at the beach. The hotels in the area are not sophisticated and the area has more private condominiums than resorts. Since the snowbirds are not here yet, we felt like it was our own private beach.

We went to the beach right after breakfast and walked back for lunch. My mom and my sister made my favorite lasagna the day before and it was amazing. This was a big surprise for me.

After lunch, we returned to the beach. Emma didn't want to nap and I thought that it was going to be a difficult afternoon. Emma wanted to get back and play in the water as soon as we got back. I had extra clothes just in case and we had fun seeing her so happy. I didn't even try to put her bathing suit on again.

This was definitely one of my best birthdays. I can't wait to return to this beautiful place. The following day we had to be out of the hotel by 11:00 AM. We went towards St. Armands Circle. This used to be one of my favorite places a few years ago. I got lunch for Emma but unfortunately we were not hungry and we decided to drive back and let Emma sleep in the car. Life with kids is planned around their naps. A kid without a nap is not a happy kid except when they are at the beach.

Sunset from Longboat Key, Florida

2014-10-27T20:09:00.000-04:00

Last Friday, it was the first time that I watched a sunset from the beach in over 2 years. It was hard to go because Emma is usually eating dinner by 6:00 PM and in bed by 8:00 PM. That night, she ate dinner early that and we headed to the beach. This sunset was special because it was the last sunset before turning 33. I felt like it was a good bye to a good and also difficult year.

Emma loved the sand and even the cold water. She started to eat the sand and after the air started to feel a little cool we took her out of the water and dressed her with dry clothes. She enjoyed every second. We left right after the sun came down. We had a hotel for 2 nights to celebrate my birthday. Our hotel was right across the street and we couldn't wait to spend the following day on this beautiful beach.

33 Reasons to be Grateful

2014-10-21T13:51:00.001-04:00

In honor of my upcoming 33rd birthday, I wanted to create a list of blessings. I always try to give thanks at the end of the day. It reminds me of how much I have and even when I have a bad day I can think about all the good things in my life. This list is not un any particular order; except for Emma who is my number one.

1. My daughter, my life is completely different because of her. I love her too much to even try to explain it in words. I didn't know I could love this much!

2. My sweet husband who has been extremely patient with me. We've had a tough year and he took care of me and Emma with love.

3. My mom who has given me the best gift in the last few years: teaching me how to be a mom. I hope that I can only be as good as her one day. Also, she cooks so well that Emma and I are lucky when she makes us lunch (almost every day).

4. Living close to my parents who have taken care of Emma since I went back to work. Leaving my daughter was one of the hardest things to do and knowing that she is with them makes it easier. She loves her grandparents and they love her.

5. My dad who still spoils me in many different ways. Everyday when I drop Emma off, he gives me fresh fruit to go: oranges and bananas cut in pieces.

6. My sisters and their unconditional friendship and support. I love being the baby in the family. My life would not be the same without them.

7. Having friends who are all over the world. I have visited a few of them and it makes going to a new place even more exciting. I still have several that I want to visit! Wait for us!

8. I'm grateful for the first 18 years of my life in Colombia. I love Colombia so much and I appreciate many things that people take for granted when they grow up in a "1st world" Country.

9. I'm also grateful for the last 14 years in the United States. I have grown a lot. It took many years to adapt to this life. Now, I'm not sure if I belong here or in Colombia. I'm happy living here and it looks like we will stay.

10. For knowing people from so many different backgrounds. It has made me more flexible and open minded. We grow from knowing people different to us.

11. For my friends who are mothers and have given me so much support with the hardest job of all. We are closer because we now share this special "bond".

12. My favorite cousins and our funny group messages. They make me laugh every day. They were my first friends and I love them.

13. For my family vacations in San Andres. I will treasure those memories forever.

14. For Steven and Samuel giving all their baby things to Emma. Thank you Nati and Claudia!! We didn't have to spend a lot when Emma was born thanks to our loved ones generosity.

15. For my sweet nephews and my adopted nephews and nieces from my friends.

16. For all my friends with babies that make Emma's birthday parties more exciting than mine.

17. For Skype and Facebook. It is easy to keep in touch with everyone no matter where we live.

18. For still calling my childhood friends, my best friends. True friendships evolve and grow as we do.

19. For the friends that I've made recently who make my life brighter. Thank you for the good times and your support during the bad times.

20. For music and dancing. I don't get to dance as often as I want but I sign loud in the car every day.

21. For airline miles that allow me to get a free ticket at least once a year. I know it's not actually free but I can live with that lie.

22. For having my leg back even if I can't wear heals for too long. Anything is better than crutches.

23. For Claudia (Emma's baby sitter) for loving my daughter and taking care of her every day.

24. For my iphone aka my camera, pedometer, notepad, phonebook, ipod, Emma's favorite toy... I never get bored.

25. For kindle books. Now I can read everywhere. I only have to figure out what to do with my paper book library. Too much sentimental value with some of those books.

26. For Migdalia, who cleans our house every 2 weeks. Coming home to a clean house makes me happy. For all of you that live in the US knows what this means.

27. For my friends who motivate me to work out. I'm having the hardest time staying on track and I need them. Plus we can catch up before and after working out. This is my happy hour.

28. For living so close to the beach. We don't go as often as I would like. I'm sure that it will change when Emma is old enough to ask us to go. I will spend my birthday weekend at the beach and I couldn't be happier about it.

29. For all the travel memories. I am a better person because of what I have seen from the world. It has proven that stereotypes are wrong.

30. For Lilia, my great-aunt who loved me like a grandmother. I miss her everyday.

31. For the joy that the last world cup brought to Colombians. After 16 years without caring about the world cup, I was consumed by every game. Colombians showed hard work and joy with the team and the dancing celebrations. We might not be the best, but I am proud of my team.

32. For my job because they have been flexible with my recent life changes and they have helped me grow. It's up to me to keep improving. The opportunity is there if I'm willing to put the cotta effort.

33. For having so many blessings that made it easy to create this list fast. I am thankful for my life and for those around me. My only birthday wish is that I get to spend many more years with my family and friends. Happy birthday to me!

Baby Products that Will Make Your Life Easier - Part 3

2014-09-25T21:20:00.001-04:00

Some of the things that I never thought about adding to the baby shower list were bath items. I was lucky that I got a few items as gifts and that a friend with 2 babies edited my registry. You will use these EVERY DAY. These are some of my favorite bath time baby items:

Soft Shampoo Rinser

This soft cup is great because babies always move so much. Emma now thinks it's a toy and she loves to play with it. Another munchkin product that I love.

Newborn Tub

This is a useful tub for the first 6 months. After that it feels too small and they like to move a little more to reach for toys. Babies hate baths the 1st month and then it's their favorite time of the day. The mesh helps when the baby is too small to keep the head up.

Inflatable Duck Tub (or whatever the official name is)

When babies can can sit, they can play more. This tub is perfect to put inside the grown ups tub. Between 6 months and 12 months she used it for her baths. We took it outside when it was warm too. We really enjoyed this tub from Munchkin.

Water Thermometer

Until you learn how hot/cold the water needs to be, this water thermometer is very useful. I used it every day. It beeps when the water is too cold or too hot.

Kneeler

This is great to protect your knees while giving the baby a bath in the big tub.

Bath Spout Cover

Safety. Safety. Safety. And cute!

I have a few rubber toys and I've thrown away a lot of them. The water stays inside and I'm afraid that mold is going to grow. Also, I tried different shampoos and we liked Aveeno's products best. There are many options available and it is confusing. I used all the ones that other moms gave me and liked Aveeno more than Babyganics or California Baby.

*All pictures used are from target.com or babiesrus.com

Weekend in Orlando

2014-09-15T22:41:00.001-04:00

A couple of weeks ago, we decide to spend the weekend I'm Orlando. I had to use my hotels.com account and Orlando is just a short drive away. We decided to stay in the Downtown Disney area since we didn't have plans to visit the theme parks. Emma is obsessed with Mickey and Minnie Mouse so I wanted to give her a "Disney experience" without the long lines or the summer heat. I decided that the best was to find a character dining restaurant. At the same time, it was Andre's birthday and it was. A good excuse to over pay for a breakfast.

I tried to get reservations with Chef Mickey, the restaurant where Mickey Mouse is. Apparently there is only one Mickey and you need to book several months in advance. We found a reservation at the Cape May Cafe located in one of Disney's hotels. The characters at the Cape May Cafe were Minnie Mouse, Donald and Goofy. I have to say that the food was really good! I wasn't expecting good food with this experience and I was surprised. I can easily say that it is probably the best breakfast buffet that I've ever been to.

Emma was a little scared at first. I really thought that she would run towards Minnie instead if hiding from her. She did give kisses to all of the characters and we took their pictures several times. It was hard to get a good one. We had to seat in a room with poor lighting. I told the host that it was Andre's birthday. We sang happy birthday and he got a cupcake with a candle and a card signed by Minnie, Goofy and Donald. It was really nice.

The rest of the weekend we spent it at our hotel pool, taking naps with Emma, and walking around Downtown Disney. There are many things to see and do there. My favorite is just to walk around, eat something, have a Ghiradelli ice cream for dessert and shop at the biggest Disney store (The world of Disney). I used to go to Bongos, Gloria Estefan's restaurant, a long time ago. They have a live band and the food is good. I haven't been since 2010 so I hope that it is still as good as I remember. There is also a permanent Cirque du Soleil show, "La Nouba", that is worth watching if you are ever in Orlando. I have seen other Cirque du Soleil shows and La Nouba is still my favorite.

We had a great time in Orlando. It felt like a nice vacation. Next time, I want to stay at a Disney hotel. We loved the Beach Club Resort. This hotel has a beautiful pool, a beach, movies outside, bike rentals, restaurants with characters, transportation to the theme parks and everything was just picture perfect. I will keep an eye for Florida resident specials during low season. I'm sure that we will be back many weekends to Orlando. It never gets old.

Baby Products that Will Make Your Life Easier - Part 2

2014-09-02T22:26:00.001-04:00

I started this list to help my pregnant friends decide what to get for their babies. I know it is overwhelming since there are too many products available. As a first time mom, I needed one of my best friends to create Emma's baby shower registry. If you missed part one, here is the link. This part 2 is about toys and activities to keep your little one interested. I didn't buy many things since I was lucky that a friend had 2 kids who were toddlers and Emma inherited their stuff. I also had a 3 year old neighbor who gave Emma some of her toys and my 2 nephews who were old enough to let go of their baby toys. She is definitely a lucky girl.

Play Mat

I used this since she was about a month old until she was about 6 months. It's easy to wash and you can change the toys. We called it the gym because is where she got her "tummy time", learned to hold her head and started to roll. We switched the toys to keep her motivated but she was the happiest with the mirror.

Bouncer

This is what I always get my pregnant friends. This chair a lifesaver. I was a babysitter when I was 18 and this chair was very calming. You can take a shower, cook, clean the bottles and keep the baby next to you. They love it and since it's on the floor, it is safe. I never shower with the curtain closed or let her out of my sight to be safe. We used it until she was getting to big to fit in it.

Swing

The swing is nice and some kids love it. I think that it takes too much room and the seat is small so by the time your baby is 3 months old, they cant fit in it. I would only get the bouncer if I had to buy them. Emma was lucky because a frriend of mine gave us everything that her kids used. I kept the bouncer at my parents' house and the swing at our house.

Jumper

My life really got easier when I started to use this jumper. Emma loved it!! The music and the toys kept her busy. I was happy because I could do other things while she played. She would play on it for at least one hour without getting bored. She stopped liking it when she started to crawl. I guess that she just wanted to be free.

Walker

After the jumper, the walker is the baby's favorite. She would run around the house looking for books or toys that she could reach. We loved watching her move and run around on this.

Floor Mat

These mats are the beast when they are learning to crawl. It makes the floor nice and not so cold. It is a nice/safe place for all the head bumps.

Teething toys:

The best is Sophie the Giraffe. They also love the ones that you can keep cold. Emma loved the ones that made noise, had rattles or mirrors like this one.

Other toys:

Emma loves music and one of her favorite toys is a piano. I got her an activity table for Christmas and she likes it a lot. It was nice to help her stand up when she was learning how to walk. When she got a big older she started to enjoy all cause and effect toy like the cubes with different shapes or games with balls that come in and out from different places. Sometimes babies don't even need toys, simple things like plastic containers and lids will keep them busy. My dad started to sing to her since she was 4 months old. He used his ipad to sing along. She soon discovered that the music from the ipad came with videos. We try to limit the amount of videos that she watches. However, I have to confess that dinner time is easier thanks to Baby Einstein. When she is cranky and doesn't want to eat or let us eat, we play a video and she would just dance and eat.

Day Trip to Tarpon Springs, Fl

2014-08-11T23:36:00.002-04:00

Last Saturday, my family insisted that we visited Tarpon Springs. They love going to this small town north of Tampa to spend the afternoon walking or at the beach. I used to visit this place often many years ago. I found an old post from 2011 where I mention that I want to go to Tarpon Springs more often. I never made it in the past 3 years because Andre said that he had never been to that beach and we had not been to the town together.

We first made an improvised stop at the beach to let the kids be free before sitting them down to have dinner. They loved it. The water was calm and warm. We stayed for a couple of hours and then we drove to the Greek side of town.

We walked around Dodecanese Boulevard looking at the shops and restaurants. A friend of mine dated a greek guy who loved to take us to a restaurant in town. At first, I couldn't remember where we used to eat. As soon as I walked into the bakery, I remember that was the place he loved. The name of the restaurant is Hellas and everything that we had was delicious. My parents and my sisters had not seen the flaming cheese so I quietly asked the waiter to get us some. It is delicious and fun when the whole place screams "OPA". We all enjoyed this night out.

Unfortunately, I was too full for dessert. I'm sure that we will be back to this place many times. Emma stayed up late and she was at her best behavior. This night showed me that she is not a little baby and that we can start having a semi "normal" life again.

Anniversary No.3

2014-08-06T00:00:00.000-04:00

Today is my third wedding anniversary. I can't believe that it was only 3 years ago. We have been through so much together that I feel like it has been longer. I am happy to say that our wedding day is still fresh in my memory. Our wedding was probably the best party and one of the best days of my life. Having our friends and family with us was priceless. I will be eternally grateful to all of those that came out of the comfort zone and traveled to Colombia. It really meant the world to us to see everyone dancing, drinking aguardiente and having fun. I wish we could do it again and have everyone travel. I really miss Colombia and my hometown of Cali. I haven't been there since we came back from our wedding.

Happy anniversary my sweet André. You are the best husband and father I could ever ask for. I love you. We are planning a short trip to celebrate this day. Emma will start paying for a plane ticket in January and I want to take a couple trips before the end of the year to take advantage of her "infant" status.

If you want to see some old posts about our destination wedding and honeymoon in Hawaii click here and here.

Photocredit: Efeunodos

Emma's 18 month-Photo Session

2014-08-04T22:04:00.001-04:00

When we visited my friend in Oklahoma City last month, she gave us a very special gift. She booked a photo shoot for Emma with her favorite local photographer. I was excited because I had seen the pictures that she took of my friend's daughter. Emma was not too happy when we tried to take pictures of her alone. We ended up having a family session instead of a session for Emma. I will treasure these pictures forever. I don't get tired of looking at them.

All pictures were taken by the talented Mandy Davis.

If anyone can recommend me a child photographer in Tampa, I would love to know!

First Beach Day of the Summer

2014-08-03T14:29:00.000-04:00

Going to the beach with Emma reminds me that the best things in life are the most simple. She had a great time chasing the seagulls, touching the water, playing with the sand. She was too excited to nap or eat her lunch. I will take her more often. The only reason with don't do it is because we like to take a tent and it requires at least 4 people to put it together. If we don't take a tent, we can't last in the heat and the sun.

We saw a family yesterday that had it all figured out. They used a wagon to carry the child and everything else that they needed. Their tent was a foldable one that was easy to assemble and they had a small umbrella to put near the water where the kid was making sand castles. We have a lot to learn and since we live less than an hour away from the beach I'm sure that we will learn fast. I took a few pictures of Emma yesterday that I love. Here are some of my favorites:

Life After 15 Years...

2014-08-01T22:39:00.001-04:00

Every December, I think about the day that I moved to the United States. On December 10th (2014) it marked 15 years. This year I was busy working and traveling and I completely forgot about my "US anniversary". I still want to honor that anniversary not just because it was probably the saddest day of my life but because I have learned to love my adoptive country. The reason it was hard it was because I was 18, in college and in love. I had many friends and a life that I loved and didn't want to leave behind.

In honor of the 15 years of living in the United States, I thought I would list the top 15 things that I love about the Country and the City I now call home.

1. The North East: I'm fascinated with the lifestyle in the north east. The metro, the traffic, the seasons, the skyscrapers. It's makes it real that I am in the most industrialized/developed country in the world. I still get the same feeling when I go. I just say WOW and admire the surroundings.

2. California: The golden state is definitely a great place to visit. From the beaches to the wineries. There is something for everyone. I used to go more often because my sister lived in San Jose for many years. My sister now lives in Tampa. I don't need an excuse to go but it definitely was a priority to see her as often as I could.

3. Miami: Miami is what South America would be like if we had money or a less corrupt government that would build roads and take care of the City. Most people in Miami speak Spanish. I think most Americans feel like tourist in their own country when they visit this great place.

4. The American Lifestyle: The right to wear what you want without the worry of what would people think. I agree, most Americans still care about opinions but most Colombians are too judgemental about attaire even just to go grocery shopping. I feel less judged in the US because of how you look and what you wear.

5. People following rules: this includes respecting the police, not cutting the lines and (mostly) educated drivers.

6. Economic Independence at a young age: most Americans are independent from an early age thanks to starting to work when they are teenagers.

7. The Parks: The US is home to many impressive parks. Central Park in NYC is my favorite. I am also in love with Curtis Hixon park in downtown Tampa.

8. Super stores and stores in general:

This country has some of the best shopping. From outlet malls to places like Sam's Club where you can buy a year's supply of paper towels.

9. The cultural melting pot: This is a country of immigrants. Most people are a mix of different races/cultures. All I can say is that I'm 100% Colombian. I don't know much about my background other than remembering my parents saying that their grandparents were from Spain. Listening to different languages and having so many options for food makes this place a rich one.

10. Desserts: One of the things that impressed me the most when I first moved here was that any dessert was good! Even the cheap ice cream tastes good. I don't know what it is about Americans and their sweets but they know how to make good desserts.

11. Customer Service: If you have been to South America you will know what I'm talking about. In the US the customer is always right. Everywhere else, the customer is trying to trick the business. Or at least that's what they think and the way they treat you.

12. Mail: You actually can trust the mail system here. Getting a passport, renewing your driver's license online and getting it a week later instead of waiting in line for a full day it's priceless.

13. The big Cities and their impressive architecture: Maybe it's the nerd in me but I still can't get over how amazing Manhattan is or how beautiful the Golden Gate Bridge is.

14. The transportation system and the highways: I became a transportation engineer basically because I was so impressed with the highways in the US. I wanted to know more about how they worked. I had no idea that this was going to be my career when I moved here.

15. Everything is clean and it doesn't smell bad/ The streets, public bathrooms... This is not only an organized country but also a clean one.

I have lived in the US for so long, I finally feel like this is home! Colombia will always be a big part of me. However, I'm happy to live where I live today. What's your favorite thing about the US?

Oklahoma City for the Weekend

2014-07-29T10:55:00.001-04:00

Last month, over the 4th of July weekend, we went to Oklahoma City. This is not the typical vacation spot but one of my childhood friends lives here. I decided to use 70,000 delta miles (35,000 miles each) to get 2 tickets to OKC. I can never find seats for 25,000 miles using Delta. We had a 1 hour flight to Atlanta and a less than 2 hour flight to OKC. I decided to pay a little extra for economy comfort seats. It was only $19 per flight per person and It was worth it. Having a lap infant who is not a baby anymore can make things a little tight. I will continue to upgrade when possible even when Emma is no longer a lap infant. I have to say that Delta was great!!!! The 4 flights were on time, they let families with small children board first and the seats were comfortable.

Emma did great the whole time at the airports and during the flights. The only problem was that she decided to go #2 in the flight from Atlanta to OKC. Since this was a smaller airplane, they didn't have a changing table in the bathrooms. I had to get creative and change her standing on the toilet seat and hoping that nothing will get out of the diaper. There is always an "adventure" happening when traveling with kids.

My friend and I hadn't seen each other since 2006 so this was a special trip. Since we became mothers, our friendship has grown even stronger. When I couldn't travel for her wedding in 2009, I promised her that I would go meet her first baby. I always assumed she would have babies first. I ended up having a baby before her and it was too complicated for me to visit. Emma, André and I finally packed our bags and traveled to meet Grace, my adopted niece. I fell in love with this little girl. She was happy, smart and full of love. Emma was not too happy with her and she would run away from Grace when she saw her coming. It was funny to watch. We were together to watch the Colombia-Brazil World Cup game. We painted our faces with the Colombian flag, wore our team jerseys, listened to "Ras-Tas-Tas" (the Colombian team song), drank lots of wine, and did a BBQ to celebrate our second Country. We didn't go out too much because Grace and Emma had their naps at different times and it was hard to plan something. My friend and her family will be moving to England this fall. I dont know when I will see them again. I hope that we can stay part of each other's lives no matter how many miles are between us. We love you very much Maria and Grace. I'm really happy that we spent these days together.

PS: Era gol de Yepes!!!! (Yepes scored a goal that got annulled by the referee and it was a goal!!!!!!)

Baby Products that Will Make Your Life Easier - Part 1

2014-07-25T14:35:00.001-04:00

I wanted to create this list for my friends who will be moms soon. I will show you what I use and why I love it. It is hard for first time moms to know what we really need for the baby. There are too many things to buy and when you are thinking of what you need, you think that you will need everything. The truth is, there is never enough time to use it all. You do what you can and convenience is what you need the most. I will only review the things that I've used. I will make another list of things that are not really that good. I hope that this helps. This is only Part 1 or maybe 3. Don't freak out... These are the Basics.

Pack and Play:
This was where Emma first slept. She never got used to her crib and I was happy to keep her next to me for all the mid night feedings. Get one with the napper. It's perfect for the first weeks. I didn't buy a moses or a bassinet. I'm glad I didn't spend the money because my baby was so big she only used the little napper for 3 weeks. They are cute but you will need the room and the money for other things.

Stroller and Car Seat:

You want to get a "travel system" which means the car seat clips to the stroller. When your baby is falls sleep in the car, you can take the car seat into the stroller and still run your errands or eat out. We used the one from peg perego and I was not impressed with the quality of the stroller. The peg perego car seat was great. I got it because my sister had it for my 3 year old nephew and they love it. Sadly, It was not the same for us. Our stroller was the pliko P4. It is now discontinued. When we tried to claim the warranty, Peg Perego informed us that they don't make this stroller since 2011. You can still buy it but they don't make it so they only sent us a replacement part without instructions. We now use a cheap stroller since we know that it will break I don't want to spend $300 more. We also have 2 other car seats. A cheaper one from Graco as a secondary car seat for my husband's car. It's comfortable for her but it's heavier and hard to carry around. We also have a Brtitax roundabout 55 which is the car seat we use now since December. She can look forward instead of backwards and it made a huge difference with her crankiness in the car. We got it when she was over 20 lbs but this car seat is great and it can be used since they are born (rear facing first).

Pacifier:

We bought different brands and our favoirte is MAM. It's shaped in a way that there is no up or down so Emma can put it in her mouth and it always fits the correct way. I wasn't sure about using pacifiers when she was born. It took one day for the nurse to suggest the pacifier when we were still at the hospital. I heard many things about babies having trouble breastfeeding because of it and thankfully it was not our case. She loved my breasts more than the pacifier but she also used the pacifier. I limit the use for the time she needs to fall asleep or if she is too cranky. It really calms her down! I suggest getting the strap because you will lose too many of them. Each pacifier brand needs it's own strap.

Bottles:

There are many options. I got the avent bottles because a friend of mine gave me the sterilizer. I have the classic bottle and the natural bottle. The natural bottle is easier to clean because it has less parts. You need bottles even if you are breastfeeding. Moms need a break and that's when pumped milk comes in handy. The bottles from the Medela breast pump are great for storage but the nipples are terrible. I don't recommend them.

Microwave Bottle Sterilizer:

We still use it every day for 5 minutes at the time in the microwave. The quality is amazing and I love having my baby's bottles clean. Some pediatricians say that you dont need to sterilize but I was not comfortable with only using the brush and soap plus the microwave does the work. A friend of mine uses the electric one and it looks nice but I like mine better (and it's cheaper). I even put the pacifiers and sippy cups in it. By the way, always wash bottles and nipples first. Milk fat will not come out with just water. I used to buy 7th generation baby bottle soap. Now we use 7th generation dish soap for all of us. I got tired of buying 2 different things and it's healthier.

Breast Pump (Medela Pump In Style Advanced Breast Pump On-The-Go Tote):

The Medela breast pump is the one that hospitals use and the one that I used. It was worth every penny. I carried it everywhere! Nobody knows is a breast pump because it looks like a tote. I will write a separate post about breastfeeding and pumping is an important part of it. To be continued.

Diaper Bag

When I was pregnant I spent a long time looking for the perfect baby bag. I wanted something fashionable and there are many options. However, those don't have enough pockets. I looked at the popular Petunia Pickle Bottom bags. My cousin gave me one but I didn't like it because it is too heavy. I decided to get one from Le Sport Sac. I love their designs and they weigh next to nothing.

Ergo Baby

There are many baby carriers available. The wraps look cute but they look complicated and unsafe for larger babies. I used the baby bjorn for months and I liked it. I decided to get the Ergo baby because Emma was getting too heavy. I wish I had used the Ergo Baby from the beginning. It's comfortable and easy to use. I can use it as a backpack now and I haven't tried yet but I know that I will. Sometimes this is the only way to do laundry and other things around the house while holding your baby. Just imagine having your hands free again!!!

Bottle warmer

Munchkin is one of my favorite brands. This bottle warmer was a gift and it has been very useful. We still use it. Milk should NOT be heated in the microwave and running hot water takes forever. We used to do that and a friend gave us this warmer when she saw how long it took us to heat up a bottle. Using this bottle warmer makes you a perfectly warm bottle in 2-4 minutes (depending on the amount of milk).

Drying Rack

After sterilizing the bottles, I always use this drying rack. The brush and the rack in the picture are from munchkin.

High Chair

You can use this when they are around 6 months old. I love to give her toys while I do things around the kitchen. She is safe and she loves being around me.

Boppy Pillow

This is supposed to be to help with beast feeding. I used it for a lot of other things including naps when she was little and helping her "sit" before they can hold their head up. I recommend having 2 covers because many accidents will happen.

Diaper Geanie

This is the best idea! Another one of my favorite items to gift. It really keeps the odors away!! We buy the cheaper refills from target and the work great. Make sure that you buy the one with the foot pedal. Typically you will only have one hand available to do things.

This is only part one and I already have many things in my head to add to the list of "basics". One of my best friends created the baby shower list for me. She explained to me why I needed all those things but it took me a while to figure it out. To be continued...

*unless Emma is in the picture, they are from www.babiesrus.com and www.target.com

How to Get From Rural Pennsylvania to Washington DC

2014-07-22T14:22:00.001-04:00

As a transportation engineer, I get to read and talk about the different modes of transportation. However, since I live in Florida I mostly use my car to get everywhere. A couple of months ago, I wanted to see some of my friends that live in DC after a work week in rural Pennsylvania. I had a rental car but I didn't want to drive to DC during rush hour traffic on a Friday afternoon so I did the following:

I started by driving 2 hours to Baltimore Airport where I had rented the car. From the rental car center I took the shuttle to the main aiport terminal. Then I took the bus to the Amtrak station close to the airport. I took the Amtrak train towards Union Station in DC. I got off at Union Station and dropped off my bags with my friend's husband. (He drove to work that day just for this reason). My friend and I took the subway towards U street to have dinner. We stayed out late with my cousin and other friends. We took a taxi to my friend's place instead of the metro. We slept for 4 hours and then she drove me to DCA airport where I took my early morning flight to Tampa.

I'm not sure if this was the easiest/fastest way to make it to Washington. I love public transportation in the Northeast. I never got lost and it was easy except for the part where I had to carry my luggage and laptop bag everywhere. I wanted to drive to the most northern metro station in Maryland, but returning the rental car at a different location it was going to cost me an additional $300.

I had not been to DC in over 6 years. It was the City where I wanted to live for a long time. Those few hours there reminded me how much I love it. I can't wait to go back and stay longer. During my flight, I took a nap and when I landed in Tampa it was almost Emma's nap time. Andre surprised me by bringing her to the airport. It was one of the happiest moments of my life. She was standing next to where the airport shuttle arrives. I was so happy to be home and hug my little girl after a week away.

I drove a car, rode the bus, took the train, a taxi and an airplane just to spend one night in DC. I don't see my friends as often as I would like, so I have to say that it was all worth it.