Happy New Year!

Wishing you and your family a happy and healthy New Year! Thank you for reading, commenting and following all of my adventures on Project Jet Away! I'll continue providing helpful tips and reviews this year and always remember that...

Christmas in New York City!

I spent the past 2 weekends in New York City enjoying everything related to the holidays. Just because Christmas has passed doesn't mean it's too late to visit the Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center, the windows on 5th avenue or go ice skating in Bryant Park. I do this every year and it never gets old to me. So if you're in the city this holiday season don't miss out!

Happy Holidays!

Travel Year in Review: 2014 Most Memorable Moments (Part I)

As I reflect on my professional, personal, and travel achievements for 2014 my heart is filled beyond measure. Professionally, I was recently promoted in my role as a finance professional, 4 weeks ago. This was a goal that I’ve been working on for the past year and a half. Personally, I just completed an intense 10-month prep program for women intending to pursue their MBA degree. In regards to traveling, I did not get to blog as much as I would have liked to this past year. However, I still was able to dedicate some joyous time to this passion of mine and do some traveling within the U.S.  

Vizcaya Museum and Garden in Miami, FL

At the very start of the year (January 2nd to be exact), I was a guest at the Vizacaya Museum and Garden. I was home for the holidays and ready to enjoy some much needed mother-daughter time. This hidden gem reminded me of my time in Versailles in France. The exquisite attention to detail in the architecture and the breathtaking view from the backyard was enough to make me forget I was in the fast paced city of Miami, where the nightclubs don’t close until 6am. My mother and I ended the day by strolling around the garden, with a fabulous mini photo-shoot session to go with it.

My beautiful mother

Women’s Travel Fest in NYC

I attended the very first Women’s Travel Fest hosted by Kelly Lewis, founder of Go!Girl Guides, in early March. This was a one-day event that aimed to inspire and empower women to travel the world, and to help create newfound travel connections. This absolutely made my day! Not only did I meet up with other travel bloggers I’ve connected with via social media, I also made some great connections with travel magazines and websites. The highlight of this day was meeting Samantha Brown the world renowned traveler from the Travel Channel.  She was the one who helped me to expand my view on international travel at the tender age of 18. On the flip side, this was also the day that I heard the very emotional, chilling and surreal story of Sarah Shourd, the American hiker and journalist who was held hostage in solitary confinement for 410 days by Iranian forces. This is a story that all female travelers should know about.

Samantha Brown and I

Sarah Shourd being interviewed

Summer, summertime (In my Will Smith voice)

Sometimes getting on a plane, train or taking a road trip isn’t always possible. And this was exactly my dilemma during the spring and early part of the summer.  Luckily, I live in the city that never sleeps. I’m a firm believer in creating the life and adventure that you want and desire. No way was I going to spend a summer bored, when being a tourist in your own city is so doable. I finally visited The Cloisters, the medieval museum and garden has been opened since 1938. It’s apart of the Metropolitan Museum of Art (MET) and you can take the A train going uptown to 190^th. The weekend of my birthday, I crossed something off my bucket list and vision board. I treated myself to a solo helicopter ride. Thanks Groupon! Viewing the city of New York and the Statue of Liberty from such high angles I did, definitely has me wanting more. I would much rather take another helicopter ride than go skydiving again {more on this later}. Last but not least, it wouldn’t be a summer without trying new brunch spots.

Finally made it to The Cloisters

 

My first time in a helicopter



The wind blowing in my hair

He was the best!

View of Central Park from my helicopter ride



Brunch with my girls at Apt. 78

Travel Year in Review: 2014 Memorable Moments (Part II) coming soon…

What was your most memorable moment in 2014?

How to Spend the Holidays in NYC

Can you believe it's that time of the year again? The older I get the more I realize how quickly time flies by. I am still reminiscing about my vacation in Mexico this past June (man, I miss the beach). As we begin to prepare for the New Year, spend time with loved ones, and indulge in desserts that our waistlines disapprove of. There’s no question about it; this time of the year is simply magical. If you are new to this city, just visiting, or a native New Yorker here are a few things you can still do this holiday season.

Take a picture in front of a huge Christmas tree

Nothing says you're in the holiday spirit more than taking a picture in front of a Christmas tree. The most recognizable tree is in Rockefeller Center (this tree comes down January 7^th). There is a Christmas lighting ceremony that occurs the first week of December every year.  In addition to this tree, there are a several trees around the city. There is a tree at Washington Square Park (you'll feel like you're in Paris), one at South Street Seaport and another in Bryant Square Park.

Shop at the worlds' largest Macy's

Located in mid-town Manhattan on 34th Street, this massive Macy's is a shopper’s dream come true. There is an entire floor dedicated to shoes (picture that...just shoes). There are ten floors, countless escalators and countless amount of places to grab a bite to eat including McDonald's, Annie's Pretzels, and Ben & Jerry's ice cream shop. This Macy's is also decked out with holiday decor. I feel like I'm in a scene from "Miracle on 34th Street" when I'm there, which is one of my favorite Christmas movies.

photo credit: kevinandamanda.com

View the holiday windows on 5th Avenue 

Exactly one avenue over from Rockefeller Center is 5th avenue. Make sure you stop by to view the holiday windows of high-fashion retailers like Bergdorf Goodman, Lord & Taylor, Bloomingdale's, Saks Fifth Avenue and more.

See the Christmas Spectacular show starring The Rockettes'

You can't come to New York and not see a live show…It’s like a rite of passage in this city. Keeping with the holiday spirit you should stop by Radio City Music Hall and see the beautiful and talented Rockettes'. Use the discount code DEC6WEB for 50% off your ticket purchase. The final performance is on December 30^th.

Go ice-skating in Bryant Park

A staple in the winter time, nothing makes you enjoy the holiday season more than ice skating with family and friends. Instead of ice skating at Rockefeller Center, like most people do, you should make your way to Bryant Park. The lines are much shorter and it's FREE! This rink will close on March 2, 2014.

Indulge in some holiday dessert

Ladies, you can start those diets in January. Gentlemen, you can put those protein shakes down...this is NOT the time. Enjoy some desserts or some hot chocolate. My favorite is Max Brenner located in Union Square.  If you love chocolate, you must make your way here. Try the chocolate fondue with a side of marshmallows, a chocolate martini or chocolate chunks pizza. Cafeteria located in Chelsea also has some pretty amazing deep fried oreos. Lastly, you can try Serendipity where they are known for their frozen hot chocolate. 

With my friend Indira from college at Cafeteria

Play in the snow

If you've never seen snow, this will be an amazing experience for you.  It doesn't snow that often in the city; but when it does, it's always a joy. If you make your way to Central Park you may be able to make some snow angels or have a snowball fight. Word of advice...stay away from the "yellow" snow.

Epic snow ball fight in Times Square-Winter 2009

  

NYC touristy things

If you have any more downtime after doing some of the things I mentioned above, feel free to do some New York City touristy things like walk across the Brooklyn Bridge, visit the 9/11 Memorial or spend an evening in Times Square. 

My cousin Sierra came in town from Montreal. 

Happy Holidays!