Another semester bites the dust (finally) & we're back to doing what we do best: adventuring. I'm not going to Hong Kong this year (miss ya, Dad) so I decided to drive down to Weston with Jake so that we could have a little week of adventures together. My dad was kind enough to buy me a Nikon D3200 for Christmas. I've been playing with it non-stop all weekend & it's finally making it's Stellar Piece debut. J keeps describing it's photo quality as "crispy" & I'd have to agree. I'm in love.
We've only been here a day & it's been amazing so far. We woke up at noon, had lunch with his family & made a trip to Sawgrass Mills Mall. I feel compelled to tell you guys that I finally bought a pair of suede J.Crew loafers that I've been drooling over for months. They were originally $98 & I got them for $44 (hell yes).
Later in the evening, J & I drove to Radioactive Records to do a little hunting. I've been searching high & low for the Pretty in Pink soundtrack on vinyl, but haven't found it yet. Jake is trying really hard to teach me how fun it can be to patiently dig through bins at record stores. It can be pretty hard for a girl who doesn't know the first thing about patience, but I'm learning. J bought a couple of 7"s & I bought some Thompson Twins & Dead or Alive LPs.
Afterwards, Jake took me to this neat little dive called Le Tub. The decor was ultra kitschy & cool. They had metal bathtubs & toilets everywhere and their walls were adorned with old photographs & license plates. I had a yummy hot dog while J downed a huge cheeseburger. We finished it all off with some homemade Key Lime pie. It's amazing how much better you feel after eating when you're starving. J & I both turn into Betty White in that Snickers commercial if we wait to eat but luckily it only takes a few bites until we are back to our normal, silly selves.
I thought that we were heading home for the night when Jake took an impromptu right turn & took me to the beach so that we could run around for a few minutes. As we were walking down the boardwalk, I expected the beach to be nice & calm (you know, rom-com style) but the gale force winds kind of ruined that dream for me. It was romantic in a different kind of way, though. J & I were just running around like crazies, getting our shoes all wet in the ocean, drawing 'J+A Forever' in the sand & climbing all over everything. That's our style & I wouldn't have it any other way.
Love,
A
This weekend, A & I road tripped down to Weston, FL for a doctor's appointment of mine & to visit my parents. When we first met, Aisha & I agreed nearly immediately that we both loved adventure; we craved new experiences, exploring strange places & making weird memories. While we had some loose plans in mind for when we reached South Florida, nothing could have prepared us for the endless adventures that ensued.
We woke at a startling 6:30 am to hop in the car and hit the road. I crushed an iced coffee, but A kept it light with a small bag of veggie chips. I wish I had her self-control. We arrived in Weston for my appointment with plenty of time to spare, allowing my life motto to ring true: "if you're early, you're on time; if you're on time, you're late." (Thanks P-Rod).
Post-appointment, A, my mom & I found ourselves in Hollywood with some time to spare before my endlessly-hungry dad closed up shop at Total Nutrition, my parent's vitamin & sports nutrition store. I lightly suggested we head to Ft. Lauderdale to check out Radio-Active Records.
My mom is so in love with her new garden, which she so stylishly has included vintage pieces & housewares in. We stumbled upon a cute & quaint vintage shop in the plaza Radio-Active used to be in, & A bought two silk, monogrammed flags with "A" & "J" printed onto them to hang on her magnet board above her head in her bedroom. Swoon. We found Radio-Active at their new & super-improved location down the street, & I managed to make it out of there in less than 30-minutes (sorry girls!), but armed with a copy of No Age's "Nouns" LP & a Radio-Active Records t-shirt. #roadtripsouvenier
We all met my dad for dinner at Bokamper's, & we all reminisced on some of our silliest stories, especially the time my dad tried to eat the restaurant's "The Beast" burger challenge, but was stunted by the "meat sweats."
We spontaneously decided to head to East Miami to check out Ceremony's show at Churchill's Pub, something that was just slightly out of A's element. Hanging tough, she braved the pit like a champ while I caught some photos for my other blog, No Waves Radio. We teased the opening band & pretended to be code inspectors re-inspecting the building. In typical J & A fashion, we were classically uncool on a night where anyone else would be trying to be.
The next morning, I took Aisha down to South Beach for a quick shopping trip. We chowed down at Shake Shack, my true burger love hut. I inhaled a double cheeseburger & a Diet Coke, my royal specialty, while A demoed a chicken & apple dog (her first was at BurgerFi in Weston, both have been received positively). After learning that J. Crew on Lincoln Road doesn't have a Men's section & American Apparel was less-than satisfying, we headed to the Wynwood Art District in Miami for a little sightseeing excursion. We dropped a pin where the car was parked & got lost on the city grid for a little while, roaming around while taking in the incredible works on the Wynwood Walls & the surrounding areas. On our way out, we grabbed some iced coffee & tea at Panther Coffee. While A was waiting for our order, I guffawed at the massive coffee roaster and grinders they had on display in-house. We managed to beat the rain, but not the Miami rush hour traffic.
My parents surprised A & I and took us to Dave & Buster's for what ended up being the cutest little double date. My mom turned out to be quite the shark at four-player PacMan, Aisha discovered her one true passion in Deal or No Deal, & my dad showed me up in pop-a-shot while I threw up some serious bricks. Also worth mentioning: my mom is really, really good at Wheel of Fortune. And while we tried our hand at it, she wandered over to some other game & won the jackpot. She's a ticket-winning machine.
The next day would unfortunately be our last in South Florida, but we decided it would be a great idea to visit an IKEA on a weekend with my mom during a thunderstorm. In between nearly running over families cutting in front of our cart & shielding our eyes from women dropping glass bottles, we managed to get a pretty sweet deal on some pottery for my mom's garden. We had lunch at a new spot my mom's been dying to try: How Do You Roll?, where customers can design their own sushi rolls. I had the Beefinator (typical), while my mom created her own spicy tuna roll and A dined on a teriyaki beef bowl. Please, please open one of these in Tampa!!
We said our goodbyes to my lovely parents & headed back to Tampa through some less-than-pleasant weather. Rather than gunning it all the way through, though, A & I made it a point to leisurely make our way back, making whatever stops we wanted along the way. While not as glamorous as the rest of this post, we made a stop at our special McDonald's in Punta Gorda, where we always grab a coffee, go to the bathroom, or stretch our legs on a drive to Weston. We took a photo of mile marker 111, A & my lucky number. After an exciting stop at a park in Sarasota, we were finally home.
I know this post is long, but recounting one of the most adventurous weekends of our lives was a lot of fun, especially because we were able to spend it with my family. I highly recommend you pile into the car with your little love & visit one (or both) of your families. You'd be surprised at how much you can squeeze into a few days, and it's bound to be full of amazing memories.
Love,
J
