ashleyd /

Halfway Back to Reality

Yesterday, my views included cannons and brilliant blue ocean.IMG_1482IMG_1489

Today is my first day of work and working out in 2013. I’m halfway back to reality, spending the next few days down in Titusville, Florida to kick off Meghann’s wedding weekend!

Meghann picked me up at the airport last night around 8pm. It was so great to see her and the bridal glow that she is truly radiating right now! It’ll definitely be a crazy few days leading up to the wedding but I tried to remind her that it’s like this with every wedding and just how lucky she is to have all the support. It’s awesome to watch her mom, dad, siblings, family and friends help with every task!

We were both starving so dinner was at a Mediterranean restaurant near the airport. While neither of us had ever been there the Yelp reviews were true and it was inexpensive and delicious! After very few fruits and vegetables the past week I was craving a salad in a huge way! Their salad with chicken was so filling that I brought half of it home today for leftovers.

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After going to bed earlier than I have in the past week, we woke up this morning ready to enjoy a few miles together. Anytime I go without a workout for more than a day or two I get nervous and anxious. What if my body has forgotten how to run. What if a pushup is no longer possible. Therefore, one of my tricks, whether a placebo or not, is to baby step my way back into working out and healthy eating to ensure that I’ll enjoy it. A heart crushing workout is the last thing I wanted today. Running together, chatting about the wedding with Maddie tagging along at our sides was the perfect way to enjoy a 3.6 mile run that has me ready for an even longer run tomorrow.

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After our run we enjoyed breakfast together, compliments of her father, before I hunkered down in her brother’s childhood room. IMG_1506

I’m working remotely today, which is the perfect way to transition back into the work world. Views of her family’s front yard, warmth streaming through the windows, a sparkling seltzer, and some soft music has made this quite a nice morning among multiple conference calls.

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I’ll be posting a few more St. Croix updates in between my daily posts recapping the house that we stayed at, our overall view of St. Croix, and tips for planning a group vacation with friends or family.

How do you transition back to working out after a few days away?

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ashleyd /

New Years 2013: St. Croix Style

After a day of internet issues and lack of wi-fi on both flights today, I’m finally back to pick up where I left off in sharing our St. Croix adventures!

After a day of exploring St. Croix via the roads, trails, and beaches on Monday, we were ready to toast to the new year together as a large group. IMG_1419

Sunday night we realized that we still didn’t have any firm New Year’s Eve plans and since we cooked in the 2 nights previous, we thought it would be fun to go out to dinner somewhere. We didn’t really know if going into Christiansted was a safe idea with the New Year’s Eve craziness and figured that a large group would be hard to keep together during the night. Therefore, instead of bar hopping, we decided to take it back old school style and pre-game at the house during our evening dance party before being seated for a 10pm dinner at a nice restaurant on the island near our house.

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A local shop owner highly recommended the New Year’s Eve party at The Galleon Restaurant as the restaurant is known for their extensive wine list, reliable food, and live music. The 10pm seating was a perfect option for our group as it allowed us to toast to the new year together at the restaurant during their champagne toast and have some time to hang out together at the house. We made the reservations sight on seen but the Yelp reviews also helped seal the deal. IMG_1426

The night overall wasn’t exactly what our group had in mind, but we still enjoyed ourselves. After all, when you’re a group of 9, you can bring the party anywhere you go. We definitely dropped the average age of the dining clientele by around 20 years when we were seated which put a bit of a damper on our party spirits and noise levels. The food at The Galleon was very good and the wine menu lived up to the reputation however the staff and service left something to be desired. I wasn’t starving, so chose to enjoy appetizers instead of a main course. Raj and I split the tuna appetizer and I enjoyed the lobster ravioli, which stood out above the other dishes, as my entrée. Our group also liked that they didn’t have a pre-fixe menu for New Year’s Eve, unlike many other restaurants. This gave each person the freedom to find something that pleased their taste buds and budget.

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After quite a few glasses of delicious chardonnay later, our group toasted in the new year together with champagne, compliments of the house. The party hats, beads, and noise makers were fun props for a few pictures and helped us truly feel like we were kicking off the new year versus just having a nice dinner out on the island.

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After making out with the local restaurant guppy, better known as Shrek, it was time to call it a night.

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One magnum of champagne, shared poolside between friends and a few conversations about resolutions later, it was time for us to turn in, ready to dream about all 2013 has in store for us!

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