Costa Rica

I took my first vacation solo last month. I had one week between summer and fall semesters and had worked so hard this summer I decided to say "to hell with it all, peace out!" and splurged on a trip to Costa Rica for myself. I stayed on a farm on the eastern side in the province of Limon called La Finca Rio Perla. It was the perfect getaway. I was immersed in nature and got in touch with my roots there, literally. I learned about greenhouses and the farm life, eating the freshest fruits and vegetables I've ever tasted- no seasonings or dressings needed. I picked fresh lettuce for salads, milked a goat, made cheese with it, then ate it. It doesn't get much more "farm-to-table" than that. We took hiking trails to secluded, grandiose waterfalls and swam in the cool lagoons. I have a new-found appreciation for this lifestyle and learned that while it's so simple, it's still rewarding and not altogether a bad thing. I disconnected from internet, Facebook, Twitter, my cell phone for a week and frankly, I wasn't ready to turn it all back on my last day at the airport leaving San Jose. I took a day and went to the coast to see the beach and do the zipline in the rainforest canopy in Puerto Viejo. There I saw the most incredible beaches, picturesque like a Corona ad. The night sky there was unlike anything I'd ever seen, planetarium-like where there are millions of stars to be seen and they envelope you like a dome, feeling close enough to reach out and touch. The zipline was an unreal, exhilarating sensation that filled my entire body with the utmost joy and thrill possible. I connected with the locals and heard their stories- they were such warm, friendly people. Even a Rastafarian dude and I had some good talks and he showed me around Puerto Viejo. This trip was just what I needed. It was the biggest breath of fresh air, and I returned understanding my connection to people, food, the environment, and life itself.

The "road" to get to the farm

This is what a day old calf looks like.

Fruit of the gods, new obsession: Anon "biriba"

Milking a goat

Raw macadamia nut

Now that's a knife... peeling sugarcane

Coolest cowboy I know.

Cicada

Coco holders?

First time stepping foot on a volcano beach

Delicious fresh veggie sandwich at Bread & Chocolate in Puerto Viejo

Of course I had to try the chocolate too...

Ziplining in the canopy!

Summer in the City, pt. 2

My second trip to NYC this summer was at the end of July for a long weekend (that was in fact quite short). It was a quickie but a goodie. I mainly went to see my friend of 4 years now, Cassie, before she left in August to Europe for the rest of the year. I spent the first day and a half strolling around Williamsburg, Brooklyn and my beloved West Village. I then went to Long Island with Cassie and spent my last day there enjoying its quaint, suburbia appeal. I always value my trips out to see her, even if it is just for a day or two. It was nice not really having an agenda and getting to see a few friends, walk around aimlessly through the parks and streets and do whatever we felt like doing.

View of the city from Williamsburg

My new favorite: Peach Lambic

Washington Square Park

Piano Man

Sand Man

Jazz Men

Fancy dinner at Union Square Cafe

My dear friend, Cassie. Her self-portrait.

Main Street, Babylon, Long Island

Babylon Station

Pizzaaaaaa!

Family

When I Googled "family" this is what came up: "In human context, a family is a group of people affiliated by consanguinity, affinity, or co-residence."

I've come to realize that sometimes the people that aren't connected to you by blood are the ones that are connected to you most.

These girls are it.

Rock of Ages

I was lucky enough to get the opportunity to work on my first movie set! Sure I'd been an extra in Burn Notice once, but not too often does a big budget production get filmed in Miami so I jumped at the chance to be a "featured extra". They've been filming Rock of Ages here in my backyard basically, and transformed a street I frequent and hold dear in my heart in downtown, NE 14th St, into the old Sunset Strip in LA from the 80s. My scene was literally a photo shoot that we had to reproduce because apparently toward the end of the movie, a photo surfaces from Patricia (Catherine Zeta Jones)'s past and it's scandalous. They're going to photoshop in some young faces of the actors en lieu of the people we really did the shoot with. A few other girls and I were very scantily clad (in g-strings) hanging out being groupies backstage and "partying" with the band. It wasn't too hard of a shoot to say the least and I had a blast being on set... Definitely something I'd love to do again. Mr. Cruise himself even passed through a few times and stayed at the end to watch some of it, chuckling to himself about the ridiculousness of it all, because it was. Now I just need to wait a whole year before I can go see it!

Manhattan

I just saw Woody Allen's Manhattan last night for the first time. It conjured up all the emotions I associate with the wonderful city of New York. I went to bed feeling in love with it again. I really enjoyed the movie- the acting, direction, and storyline. It might even have been the first Woody Allen film I've seen. I'm now a fan, so far at least. This morning, I came across these old photos I took with 35mm film on a trip with my mom there in 2006 I think it was. Still as beautiful as ever.

Gaga Ohh La La

Yesterday I had an all-day photo shoot for Mandalynn: a new swimwear line. By friend Bekah and I shot her entire summer look book with 4 different collections/looks, 1 being cover-ups. This was from look 2 which felt very much like something I've seen in a Lady Gaga video. It was quite fun to play with, especially since I had gone to her Haus of Gaga album release party the night before and the monster was still roaring inside of me haha. It felt great to get back in front of the lens, as it had been awhile with being so busy. I'm hoping more will come from this- it's shaping up to be a very busy summer. Stay tuned.

I follow...

beautiful video

a rekindled love affair

I just returned last night from my first trip back to NYC after I left nearly 1 year ago. It was a whirlwind. The minute I got off the plane it was nonstop, go, go, go. But that's how the city is- and I squeezed in as much as I could in my 6 day vacation. I saw old friends, met new ones, went to a Kylie Minogue concert, celebrated Cinco de Mayo, had lunch at Tiffany's and dinner at Barney's, ate Magnolia cupcakes, enjoyed pizza nearly everyday, wandered around aimlessly on 5th Avenue, stumbled onto live jazz in Central Park, and ventured into Brooklyn to see old roommates and check out the flea market. It was absolutely delightful, despite the abnormally chilly weather for May; it was a nice respite from the sticky Miami summer heat. While visiting NYC is different from living there, I definitely rekindled my love for it. I was dragging my feet so much when it came time to leave yesterday that I missed my flight... I will definitely be back soon for another love affair with this wonderful city.

all above photos taken with iPhone 3Gs and enhanced with Instagram and CameraBag apps

Mind Fuck

I can't stop watching this video. I think it'll have the same effect on you too, once the initial shock wears off. Just wow- amazing.

I'm writing to catch you up on places I've been...

It's been a crazy past 4 months. Even crazier how fast it all went by. I became the City Restaurant Editor for DiningOut Magazine and that consumed most of my spring. Then there were some modeling gigs sprinkled in between, and Ultra to top it all off. Now Billie Jean is in my life and bringing me some normalcy. Below is a hodgepodge of places I've been and things I've been doing...

Dragonette at liv

Anthony Bourdain at the SBWFF

Midsummer Nights Dream by Betsey Johnson event

Spring Break. Happy Hour. Mojitos

Empire Of The Sun at Ultra 2011


,Grace Potter & The Nocturnals @ Culture Room

Boat Day