New Orleans // Adventures with MEH

For Spring Break, we decided at the last minute to take a quick trip by train to New Orleans. We left out of Birmingham on the Amtrak Monday afternoon and arrived in New Orleans around 7:00 that night. With this trip, we had absolutely no agenda. Our main goal was to simply enjoy our time together and explore New Orleans and that is exactly what we did.

Monday night, we checked into Astor Crown Plaza Hotel, which was located on the corner of Bourbon Street. Our room itself was wonderful, too! I personally give this hotel 5 stars. The only downfall was that where our room was located, we kind of had a crappy view out of our window...but we were very rarely in the room so we didn't care.

On the ride to our hotel, our Uber driver suggested we go to Oceana Grill for dinner, so we took his advice. Oceana's served authentic New Orleans cuisine and it was delicious. We had snacked all day long and we weren't very hungry so we all order different dishes to share. We had fried gator tail bites as an appetizer, the taste of New Orleans as a meal (creole jambalaya, crawfish ettouffee, red beans and rice with smoked sausage), and New Orleans bread pudding and La Boheme Creme Brulee for dessert. It was all amazing!

Tuesday morning, we hit up Cafe Beignet for breakfast and hopped on a street car for awhile. We got off the street car at Jackson Square and found the famous Cafe Du Monde for some of their delicious beignets. 

Before stopping at the Gumbo Shop for dinner, we walked around Jackson Square and Royal Street stopping in at all of the cute stores and boutiques. We were all so intrigued by all of the street shows, too. I even got pulled into one, which was pretty fun.

After dinner, we decided to take one of the Ghost Tours around the city. It lasted about two hours and it was really cool hearing about all the history of New Orleans. My favorite story was about a guy named Zach Bowen and his girlfriend, Addie Hall. 

Wednesday morning we decided on Starbucks for a quick breakfast. We stopped at a few of the shops along the street and then made the walk down to Armstrong Park. Along the way, there were the most colorful houses, so of course we had to stop for a photo shoot. Armstrong Park was a quiet, beautiful place to rest by the water.

After relaxing for awhile, we walked back to Dreamy Weenies for a quick lunch, then we took the street car to Ogden Museum of Southern Art. My main purpose of wanting to go to the museum was to write on the "Before I Die" wall that was located on the side of the building. But when we got there, a new mural was in its place. (PS: I am obsessed with huge murals and graffiti...I think it is amazing!)

We ate dinner at Olde N'awlins Cookery, and like every other place we ate, it did not disappoint. Seriously though...the food in New Orleans is delicious!

My favorite part of New Orleans (besides the food, of course) was seeing and hearing all the street shows and musicians. Ya'll, there are some seriously talented people there. I love being able to hear the jazz music pouring out of all the shops along the street and on every street corner. Except there was one thing I didn't like...

Talk about scary!!!

On top of that, I got to spend all of that time with some of the best company. We laughed until we cried and we all enjoyed taking naps before dinner time! It was great! :)

What are some of your favorite things to do/places to eat in NOLA? 

Still

There are times when life just plain sucks. Everyone battles different hardships throughout life that are inevitably going to happen: lives lost too soon, heartbreak, illnesses that are incurable, financial struggles, and everything in between. You can face these battles with or without God by your side and I have learned the hard way that things are so much easier with God. (Not that I didn't already know this, I am just stubborn. He knows. He knows I always have to learn things the hard way.) Having God doesn't mean that things are going to hurt less, because it still hurts tremendously. But having God and trusting in Him just gives this peace throughout the situation.

I'm about to be totally transparent with ya'll...

The past few months have been hard. Things have happened and my plans for my life have been absolutely torn apart at the seams. I have said time and time again that I trust God and that I know He has a plan. But really, I was just praying that God would work out my plans. 

And ya'll, I know my God is shaking His head and laughing at me. I can literally hear Him right now saying, "Um honey...no. Just be still and you will see that MY plan is so much greater than what you have."

I was at my breaking point. I had just had another major thing thrown at me that absolutely broke my heart. I was questioning God. I was wondering why things were so tough right now. And then I was in the car with my mom and 'Still' by Hillary Scott came across my iTunes and my mom and I both just sobbed. I mean the words just hit like a ton of bricks. 

'Cause I get scared when I can't see the end

And all you want from me is to let go

You're parting waters, making a way for me.

You're moving mountains that I can't even see.

You've answered my prayer before I even speak.

All You need for me to be is still.

When the tears were dried, I couldn't help but laugh. Ya'll those words could not have been more perfect for me at that exact moment. It was exactly what I needed to hear. I just looked up and said, "Okay God. I know! I hear you and I am done. I give you all of this pain and all of this suffering and I am trusting you, genuinely trusting you and your plan. I am going to be still." 

But along with trusting His plan, I had to let go of some of the anger and bitterness that I was feeling. This is where I began to struggle because I felt like in order to let go of some of that anger, I had to be wishing good things and happiness onto this person who has broke me, this person who I have let steal my joy. And I so did not wish them well. So I mentioned them a couple of times in my prayers because I felt it was my Christian duty to do so, but I never really meant it. So one night I just said, "God...you know how I am feeling about this person. I feel that I have a right to feel this way toward them and you know I do not want to wish them well. Instead, I am going to pray for their salvation. I am praying right now, that this person, through this mess, will turn and run full speed to you. That's it. And this is the last time I am praying for them." And you know what, ever since I said that prayer...I have not felt angry. I have not felt hurt. I have had this odd and unexplainable peace.

You see, through all of this, I have had to let God break me. I have taken all of my hurt and bitterness and gave these burdens to Him to carry for me. I simply cannot do it on my own. By laying it down at His feet, I have allowed God to take my broken pieces and mold me into what He wants for me.

Can I tell you, friend...when you are going through a storm in this life, it is so much easier to just stop. Be still. And give it to God. Get close to Him and listen. He will direct your steps in the right direction.

God has opened many doors for me and I know many more will be opening. Through my hurt and heartache, I have added a wonderful story to my testimony and I hope that one day I will be able to use my experience to minister to others who are hurting.

"He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. He determines the number of the stars; he gives to all of them their names. Great is our Lord, and abundant in power; his understanding is beyond measure."
Psalms 147:3-5

Whole30 Favorites

Okay, so I told ya'll in my New Year post that one of my goals for this year was to start eating healthier. My plan was to loosely follow the Whole30 diet, but mainly just to eat foods that are actually good for me. So far...I have done really well. I do cheat occasionally, but like I said, I am not doing this to lose weight. I just want to be healthy! 

So here are my favorite Whole30/Healthy recipes so far. 

1 // Whole30 Chicken Salad 

(original recipe by Jay's Baking Me Crazy)

I cheated on this and used real mayonnaise and left out the green onion. I made this and took it for my lunch a few days and it was delicious. Especially with some Ritz crackers!

2 // Sheet Pan Shrimp Fajitas

(original recipe by No. 2 Pencil)

Okay, so I don't really know how healthy shrimp is for you. I have heard it is and I have heard it isn't. But either way...this was so good and super easy to make.

3 // Mixed Berry Smoothie

(original recipe by Tarryn)

I have to have a good breakfast or else it throws off my whole day. I do this in the mornings before my coffee. However, I do leave out the protein powder.

4 // Slow Cooker Lemon Thyme Chicken

(original recipe by The Natural Nurturer)

Since I am not a great cook, anything I can throw together in a crock pot is great for me. Instead of using a whole chicken, I used several chicken breast. It was great.

Do you have any favorite, healthy recipes?

Currently // January

Reading...Restless by Jennie Allen
Planning...lots of summer vacations.
Watching...Grey's Anatomy (season 3) and Fuller House (season 2)
Trying...to cook, LOL
Cooking...my Whole30/healthy meals
Eating...semi-clean. This girl still has to have her coffee-3 sugars.
Drinking...yogi green tea and lots of water
Calling...Meagan. Always. We could talk on the phone for hours.
Texting...Heather, Emily, and Jessica. We have a on going group message.
Pinning...lots of travel destinations.
Going...to concerts. Whoop whoop!
Loving...my new Morphe eye shadow palettes
Hating...this Alabama weather.
Discovering...life is so much better when you don't worry and you give it all to God.
Feeling...super thankful.
Hoping (for)...warm weather!
Listening (to)...2000's R&B
Celebrating...Heather passing her boards!
Thanking...my parents for everything they have done for me the past few months.
Starting...Hart of Dixie on Netflix.
Finishing...thank you letters from my graduation party.

What all do you have going on in January?

New York City

For my college graduation trip, my parents and grandparents planned a trip to NYC. Me, Mama, Hannah, Meme, Robin, Ali, Kay, and Paige, all packed our bags and flew out to the big city two days after Christmas. We flew into Newark, NJ and had a bus pick us up from there and take us to our hotel.

We stayed at the Hilton Times Square and it was literally right smack in the middle of Times Square. Just about everything we wanted to do was in walking distance of our hotel, which I loved.

On day one, we did lots of shopping and went to Rockefeller center and it was absolutely beautiful. We ate supper inside the shopping center at Bill's Bar and Burger and I don't know if it was because I was super hangry or what, but that was one of the best burgers I have had. 

 

We all went back to the room early that night to plan the next three days and get some rest. But I say early lightly because it was more like 11:00 by the time we actually went to bed, compared to 2:00 and 3:00 in the morning the other nights we were there. I mean, we were in the city that never sleeps, so why not?!

On day two, we re-visited all of the big shops we wanted to see again. We walked through Bryant Park and what seemed like every square mile of Midtown. We met our cousin and he treated us all to lunch at Park Avenue Tavern. Grand Central Station and the Vineyard Vines store were next after lunch. And of course we stopped at every Starbucks we found.

We ate John's Pizzeria that night for supper and I am not joking when I say that was literally the best pizza I have ate in my entire 22 years of life.

Day three was quite possibly my favorite day in the big city. We woke up early that morning and went to Top of the Rock, which I highly recommend. We bought our tickets and got the add on so that our tickets were good for two visits: one in the day light, and one at night time to see the city lights. 

After the morning trip to TOTR, we did a little more shopping and site seeing before packing into a van and heading to New Jersey to visit the mausoleum where my great-grandmother, great-grandfather and great-aunt are buried. We returned to NYC just in time for a quick trip to the Met before we had to get ready to go to the show. 

We saw The Lion King that night and OH MY GOODNESS!! It was nothing short of amazing. I wasn't so sure how much I would enjoy it because I typically get tired at shows like that (live plays, the Rockettes, etc.). But this show...just do yourself a favor and go see it. Totally worth it!

After the show, we took a bicycle carriage back to TOTR and that was quite possibly my favorite form of transportation in NY.

On day 4, we took a ferry boat tour around Manhattan to see all of the sights...the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, the Brooklyn Bridge. 

After the ferry boat tour we went to see the 911 memorial, which was one of the most humbling experiences of my life. The environment there was so much different from anywhere else in NYC. Throughout the entire museum and memorial, everyone was so quiet. There were tears being shed all around as everyone reminisced on that monumental day in history. I highly recommend everyone to take the entire tour if you visit NYC. 

That night we made our way to Little Italy where we ate supper at Sophia's of Little Italy. I had the best shrimp alfredo EVER. We did the touristy things around Little Italy. We got all of our souvenirs at a little shop by the restaurant and ate homemade gelato in the snow right before catching a cab to take us back to the hotel. 

After about two hours of sleep, we left our hotel at 2AM to drive to Jersey to catch our flight back home.

I definitely want to go back to New York for a longer amount of time and during a different season. If you have been, what are your recommendations?

(PS: If you like reading, please enter your email address in the box to the right to subscribe and be the first one to see my post! Thanks!)

Hello New Year // 2017

Y'all... I'm pretty sure I blinked and 2016 was over. I looked over my goals for 2016 and to my own surprise, I managed to reach all of my goals except for two. Whoop whoop! (You can find my 2016 recap here.)

I am so excited to begin 2017. I believe 2017 has some pretty big things in store for me. The first week isn't even over yet and I've already have some major decisions to make...like probably the most adult-y decision I have ever had to make in my life! (Stay tuned for more details.)

A new year means new goals and I have set these four for myself:

Be healthy. Y'all...I eat crap. I am constantly tired and I never have any energy. I'm 22. That should not be an issue right now. After a recent medical diagnosis and much research, I have decided that I am going to follow the Whole30 diet, loosely. I am not doing this to lose weight. I will cheat and I am sure I will cheat often. But I need to do this to live a healthier life. I am also going to try to exercise more. We will see how that goes.

Learn to cook. I know, I know. I am in my twenties and I should already know how to cook. But I don't. I can't. I burn everything I touch. But this year, I am going to get better. I am going to attempt all of the delicious Whole30 meals I have pinned on Pinterest. (I will keep y'all updated!)

Travel more. 2016 was a year of travel and I already have several trips planned and in the works for 2017. I can't wait to cross a few more destinations off of my list.

Blog, blog, blog. I completely failed at blogging for the past few months but with this new year, I have big plans and a lot of things I want to blog about. With that being said, if you would like to be the first one to get my posts, click on subscribe on the right hand side of the screen!

What are your 2017 goals or resolutions?

2016 Recap

2016 was filled with so much fun. I surrounded myself with family and friends and made so many memories. I traveled to many different places and got to see new parts of the world. I graduated college. I got a job in the school system. It has been a GREAT year. But 2016 was also a year of growth for me. 2016 brought on some very, very hard times. But those hard times did not make it a crap year. Through the hard times, I grew and I learned many lessons. I grew as a person. I learned to love myself and put myself as a priority. Most importantly, I grew closer to God. 

So, here is a recap of how I spent 2016.

January 1, 2016 // Moulton, Alabama

February 22, 2016. April 8, 2016. April 12, 2016. April 26 2016. // Birmingham, Alabama

June 13, 2016 // Orange Beach, Alabama

June 25, 2016 // Cozumel, Mexico

June 30, 2016 // Triumph Carnival Cruiseline

July 8, 2016 // Cincinnati, Ohio

July 18, 2016 // Diriamba, Nicaragua

August 10, 2016 // Decatur, Alabama

August 17, 2016 // Nashville, Tennessee

October 16, 2016 // Gatlinburg, Tennessee 

December 10, 2016 // Athens, Alabama

December 24, 2016 // Moulton, Alabama

December 28, 2016 // New York City, New York

Here is to a 2017 that is filled with just as many lovely memories!