I'm over here!

At my friend Kelsey's blog today talking about my favorite travel destination and "home away from home" - Punta Mita!

You have heard me talk about this place time and time again so why not one more time? :)

Have a lovely day!

Got to get my fix

American fix.

After almost 3 months in a foreign country you really begin to realize what you love about your home. Mainly, the food.

I never realized how much mexican food I ate until it disappeared from my life. I have never craved chips and guacamole more in my life! Its a tough separation. So tough that my dad even sent over chips, salsa and 2 Pacifico beers in the mail from California! Can you say "best dad ever"?

So, I have gone on the hunt. I love French food but sometimes you just got to have something else. The verdict on the "mexican" food here...make it yourself! But the bagel....oh the glorious bagel! It was pure bliss. If only I could afford a 10 euro bagel every week, that would be the life. Maybe I should start a bagel fund?

I am also proud to announce that I am American-izing my Australian friend Isabelle. So far, she has had her first bagel, ceviche, reese's peanut butter cup, peanut butter m&ms, and up next: peeps! I have a feeling one day soon she is going to challenge me with vegemite and I am going to have to run away and hide.

What foods do you miss when you are away from home?

The best thing: the name of the bagel I ordered was the San Diego! Ah, it was meant to be great! 

Candelaria was actually pretty descent, the best I have had yet! (I've been to three Mexican places!)

Mexi & Co...good for a quick chip and salsa fix. I don't usually take my Japanese sticky rice with my burritos though... ;)

A really good burger from Schwartz Deli in the 4eme.

Trip around the world

One of the coolest things about my class is that everyone is from a different part of the world. We have 24 students and it is so interesting to learn about everyone's cultures. The different vocabulary, accents, lifestyles, perceptions, etc. Even though we are all from different parts of the world, we all have two things in common: our love for pastry and our love for this city. I am so lucky to have met such amazing people here and I have realized that although our world's may seem so far apart, we are all traveling the same journey and we really aren't as far apart as you may think.

Since we all love to eat so much, we started our version of "world traveling" by rotating dinner parties based on everyone's home country. It has been amazing so far and who knew all these potential pastry chefs could whip up such delicious savory plates? It is always such a fun time with these people, and it really is nice learning about their home cities. So far we have been to Brazil, Malaysia and Mexico. Guess who hosted Mexico? Yep, me. Nobody is from Mexico but I figured San Diego was close enough and I pretty much consider myself a native of Punta Mita anyway. Provecho!

Where the suns so hot

 I forgot to go home.

 

Mexico is my second home. I didn't get a lot of photos during this last trip like I normally do but really, how many times can you take the same photo?

My family and I had a great time relaxing on the beach, running through the lush greenery and mingling with friends. Not to mention eating loads of delicious food. 

Also I would like to report that I survived an almost but not really deadly attack from this alligator that has made its home in the lake behind our house. Almost crapped my pants. Long story.

Remember a while back I told you about this amazing chocolate dipped pound cake that they sell at the market down there? I finally got a photo of the goodness and yes I took a whole mess of it down over the week. We even had to drive the 45 minutes to get a second box full halfway through our trip. 

I still don't know quite how they do it yet but I will find out one day! Maybe I'll have to sneak in the back and hijack it. It would be worth it. 

We are back in California and mike and I are officially in the "unemployed" category for the next three weeks. It will be great spending time together before I leave to Paris and he drives to Colorado. 

Less than three weeks until it is here! There is a lot to do but I'm trying not to stress out too much and some days I don't even let myself think about it.

I hope you are all doing great! Has anyone read the Hunger Games yet?? I am in book three and loving it!

Also, anyone addicted to the temple run game on the iPhone? Please tell me I'm not alone!! 

Perfecto

This day is perfect here in Punta Mita, Mexico. It is undeniably gorgeous all year round but the weather right now, can't beat it.

We are at the end of our 12 day vacation, which is always bittersweet. I love it here but I also am missing Mike and Tay back home.

I wish you all could be here to soak in the beaming sun rays and breathe in this flowing, fresh air. Pictures just aren't doing it.

Just imagine waking up to little rays of sunshine peaking through your window shutters. You are a little bit tired, but you get up anyway because there is a lounge chair at the beach waiting to be napped on.

Come upstairs and decide to be a little productive since, hey you have noooo plans. Put on some running shoes and go walk 5 or 6 miles with your mom. It is really not even that bad because the greenery is so nice and distracting, the air feels good filling up your lungs and you know your little worker friend at the gate has some ice cold water for you (such a sweetheart!).

Get back, feeling straight up awesome because you worked out on vacation. Shower off, put on your uniform that you have worn everyday for almost two weeks - a bikini.

Stroll over to the beach, lay down, open a book, and don't move until 5 hours later you need to reach for a beer or watch the whales breeching in the ocean right in front of you.

After an exhausting day of tanning and reading, come back home, shower off. Sit at the table and write this blog post while you watch the palm trees sway slightly in the breeze. Appreciate the perfect temperature of the air that is flowing around you because the entire wall to the patio has disappeared and it is one large room and the little birds singing their songs.

There are some really amazing places on this earth but, reallyyyyy...man...you gotta come here! :)

Launching my Directing Career

It is probably not going to work out. But, hey - it was fun!

Check out the video from our Mexico trip a few weeks ago. Its got the whole package - surfing, food, karaoke, margaritas (too many!), family pics, sunsets, awkwardness and all you could ever want in a movie.  I can't wait to go back in December, but for now, I am extremely happy laying on the couch in my pjs with Tay laying awkwardly on my shoulder and Mike engrossed in killing people in his video games. Life is good - here or there.

R&R

Life doesn't get better than waking up to a sunny mexican day in Punta Mita with the most important people in your life. I was so blessed to get to spend 10 days in Mexico with my parents, aunt, uncle and Mike. It was amazing.

Mita is the only place in the world that I feel completely at ease. My blackberry doesn't exist there, my iphone barely exists and I can just focus on my family, the sunshine, the incredible food, pacificos, surfing in 80 degree water, and letting everything else go. It really brings you back to what matters.

I could go on and on about how beautiful, breath-taking and incredible this place is but it will never do it justice. We spent Sunday night at our favorite restaurant to celebrate my 24th birthday. I may or may not have had one too many margaritas (oops!) but it was such a fun night and I got to practice my incredible dance moves like the "skier". Many thanks to Mike for taking care of me in my silly state of wanting to play a board game with myself and needing to go on walks at 3 am. Really Brit, really??? haha. All in good fun.

Other than that we spent our time surfing (or trying to), eating (lots of eating), drinking, and spending time together talking about life. I love my people and I love my place. I did miss my little Tay SO much. I am not excited to be back at work but it warms my heart to be back at my little apartment with Mike and Tay again. My little familia makes me smile. :)

Happy Birthday to Me!

Wooo 24! Photos from our trip so far. The sunsets never get old :)

We are celebrating tonight at our favorite restaurant. Right now, I am off to practice my non-existent surfing skills. Wish me luck!

This is the Life

I am in my absolute favorite place 

with my absolute favorite people

and my birthday is tomorrow.

Life is good. 24 is going to be good too.

Bienvenidos a BocaDeli!

Bocadeli (noun): a place of deliciousness serving handcrafted sandwiches, salads, specials, coffee and other scrumptiousness to visitors and residents of Punta Mita with nothing less then style and awesomeness.

My padre and his BFF4L, Marcelo and another friend all started this fab-tabulous deli down in Punta Mita. It is super good and like I described before about the chocolate pound cake, everything just tastes so much better down there than in America. No idea why! 

Anyway, Marcelo has been a fan of my blueberry oat bars since the last time he visited us in OC and decided that the deli was in need of a few sweet treat recipes. So one morning while I was there I spent a few hours at the deli passing on some recipes and poorly pretending to practicar me espanol. (Obviously, it needs work).

We made some cupcakes, blueberry bars, oatmeal cookies and red velvet cake minus the red.

*Marcelo y Chef*

* Postres!*

 *Marcelo, Yo y Chef*

They sold them at the deli the next day! I had a great time baking at the deli and next time I am thinking of bringing my own brown sugar and and some other ingredients because lets just say, things bake different on the other side of the border.

Here are some other photos of our latest trip to Mexico for your entertainment: