Gatorland the Adventure

Forget being in a pit of vipers...how about a pit of Gators! Two weekends ago I was at Gatorland in Orlando, FL along with the Town of Palm Beach United Way Team (not so) Extreme. Our first "official" outing was the Scream Gator Zip Line. It just happened to be my lil brother's birthday so I took him along (he turned 15!). From high above the tree-tops, you go between towers, zipping along. You get to see the whole park from a bird's eye view. The final zip line, is a race after you cross a rope bridge, that really puts your balance skills to the test.

After the Zip line experience, you are then free to roam about the park and see the gators up close. They have Pops, the oldest gator who has been there since they opened and area where Albino gators live. Then there is the Jumpin Gator show. Where two good ol' Southern boys, Bubba and Cooter compete for a job, by seeing who can get the gators to jump up and eat the chickens - dead of course- off the line first. This is an experience all on its own.  

It was a really good time, and something I would not have thought to do on my own - so you see community service, can be an adventure.

Its all about Neiman's (Marcus of course!)

Entirely too excited about two fabulous events this week:

1) The Preview Party at Neiman Marcus tomorrow, Wednesday, I mean shopping while being served lite bites and cocktails, does it really get any better than that? A first look at what they are calling Lady Chic, rich bordeaux colors, fur, leather- I wish we actually had a fall here, but I love the fashion nonetheless - what's not to love? 

2) The Consolidation Sale beginning Friday, August 12 - where clothes from all over the countries Neiman's converge into our lovely little store here in Palm Beach and I get to shop fabulous designers at even more amazing prices. This leads me to think I should probably purge my closet before Friday. As I did just get some to-die-for outfits at Neiman's in Boston last month during Last Call. Here is one of my secrets: I love being in New England for the 4th of July and while I am there Last Call usually hits - plus no sales tax, love, love, love. Then by the time I get home, Last Call has hit Palm Beach, so I get the best of both worlds. Then I get word the consolidation sale is coming, and I am just in heaven.

I'll be sure to keep you posted on the shopping adventure...then this weekend...Gatorland. Taking my lil bro for his 15th birthday on the Screamin' Gator Zip Line as part of the Town of Palm Beach United Way, Team (not so) Extreme! See do gooding is an adventure too! 

As One Decade Ends Another One Begins

One week into being 30 and can I just say I am happy my 20's are over? I am happy, quite ecstatic actually. My 20's were a mix of happy and sad, joy and pain...like I think anyone's life is - but at moments it was just downright hell. I will report that it was really the first 4 years into my 20's that were misery to the point where I just wanted to check out. Isn't that sad? To be 24 years old and think life has just handed you a bad hand and you don't want to play anymore - its not a groovy place to be. Its not because my childhood was bad, or my parents didn't love me. Quite the opposite. For whatever reason, some of us come to a point in life where we take the wrong path. And sometimes, we travel too far, some of us never come back, and sometimes we get the gift of being restored. I've been given that gift.

The adventure is that since my 25th birthday, the world has opened up and smiled. Or maybe the world was always smiling, but I could never see it. The last 5 years have been absolutely amazing, and  it just keeps getting better and better. I have a life beyond my wildest dreams -to date. That is not to say it has been a bed of roses, but it sure beats what could have been.

I think the best part of turning 30 is not just the whole older, wiser thing. But I have a stronger sense of self. I know who I am, what I am, what I want (although that continues to change), what I stand for, what I will tolerate and what I will not, I am able to stand up for myself and not apologize because you didn't like the answer I gave you. I am not into the nonsense - leave that to someone else. That right there is priceless. I suffer not wanting to have gone through all the growing pains, to get those gifts, but I guess that is the deal and that will continue to be the deal. However, I have come to the place where I have peace and serenity in my head and in my heart - the majority of the time.

I know that life is the change, its always changing and the adventure is that we get to continue to change, if we want to. We can continue to learn about ourselves, which is really very cool. I have an amazing job, I live in a beautiful place, I have friends and family that love me and I love them, I have a quaint little home and a cute little car and a fabulous wardrobe, I do love the finer things. These are the tangible gifts I have - the things I touch and see - its the intangible, faith, hope, peace of mind, being comfortable in my skin, love and the general sense that THIS is the good life. Those are the gifts that on my 30th birthday mean the most.

Adventures in Nantucket

Day 1: In order to get to Nantucket I started my trip with a flight into Boston, to meet up with my aunt and her husband to drive from their home in Duxbury to take the ferry from Hyannis to Nantucket. Now after missing my 6am flight after having a total lapse in time, please don't ask what happened I finally arrived in Beantown at 3pm. After a delay at my stop over in Charlotte for over an hour, but lucky for me I was seated in an exit row aisle, that gave a whole new meaning to the term "extra leg room" and with an iPhone and iPod and reading material delays really aren't that tragic - at least when you don't have a connection. There is nothing quite likes flying (particularly with all the new regulations) to get you in the mood.

Day 2: We have an 11am ferry to catch, not a problem right? Right, unless of course Hyannis is about an hour away from Duxbury and you leave at 10mins til 10am to catch an 11am ferry. Then on the highway, about 10mins in, my aunt realizes she has left their tickets for the Nantucket Wine Festival in an envelope at the house. So a detour back to the house, stresses us all that we may not make the fast ferry! But thanks to easy traffic (thank you GOD) and swift driving of my uncle, we pull into the Steamship Authority with 10 minutes to spare and enjoy a relaxing hour cruise to ACK. 

Upon arrival we are greeted by a young man driving a taxi happy to take us to our house we are staying in. He is back in Nantucket for the summer, he winters at school in LA, I sense a bit of envy coming on. Anyway, we load up and take the short drive to our house on Rudder Lane, about 2 miles from downtown and will be base for the next few days. We choose our rooms, unpack and relax before venturing into downtown...we walk...that will be the first and last time we do that. We discover the bus stop is at the end of our street, runs every half-hour and is only a $1 -- you can't argue with meant to be. It also turns out that it is International Museum Day and you can get into the Nantucket Whaling Museum , part of the Nantucket Historical Association, for gratis!This is a special little place, a piece of New England history at its finest. Many people don't know this, but I am a bit of a history nut -- also I am usually not into presentations, but the presentation they offer on a Whaling story was so fascinating!

Later that evening my aunts friends arrive and then we all take off for the welcoming reception for the Nantucket Wine Festival at the White Elephant. Veuve Clicquot is the host for the entire festival and the distinct yellow label is everywhere. Not being a drinker - at all, one may think this a strange place to be for me, but I enjoy people watching and good food. With that said, the hors d'ourvres were forgettable, but the sweets were phenomenal!

I think that is enough adventure for one entry...up next Day 3 and 4. 

Let the fun continue!