Liquid Copper + Philosophy

The other day I was asking myself: Why do we as humans have such a tendency to talk about superficial stuff rather than diving into deeper things? After much thought, what I came up with was simple: it's a starting place. And it's a much easier one than politics, religion, existential questions, core values, or overarching philosophies. It's a much less divisive starting place as well; superficial things we can usually all agree on, and even if we don't, it's more of a "huh" moment than an "it's the end of the world (or this friendship)" one. But ultimately, I believe we hope that these matters of the physical world will eventually lead us to matters of the soul, mind and heart. The matters that really matter, if you will.

With that being said, I have decided that from now on I will only wear LUXURIOUS fabrics (only slightly kidding). No but seriously, life's too short to don that scratchy polyester sweater! Wouldn't you rather be enveloped in buttery silks, comfy cotton blends and sumptuous cashmere? This (admittedly somewhat superficial) philosophy was only confirmed when I received this highly anticipated dress in the mail and touched it for the first time. HEAVEN! The feel, the fit, the dramatic draping, all of it. Truth be told, I had been on the hunt for it ever since I saw a random tourist wearing a similar-looking dress (in a stunning rose gold silk) at the White Temple in Chiang Rai. I was simultaneously trying not to stare too hard at her and kicking myself for even thinking to appear at such a magnificent place wearing something that resembled pijamas (alas, waking up at 5am to get to your destination will make your fashion priorities go out the window). I didn't build up the courage to ask her where she got it but THANK GOD FOR THE INTERNET! It's not the exact same but it'll definitely do.

Anyway, that's pretty much it. Oh, and the park Ben and I went to on Sunday was a very cool study in mosaic art. I like to think it somehow relates to the Kintsukuroi philosophy (one of my favorite philosophies of all time), where a vessel is that much more beautiful for having been broken, for having what some would consider imperfections.

Isn't that all of us at the end of the day?

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El otro día me preguntaba: ¿Por qué los seres humanos tenemos esta tendencia de hablar de cosas superficiales en vez de profundizar? Después de analizarlo un buen rato, se me ocurrió una respuesta bastante sencilla: es un punto de partida. Y es uno mucho menos espantoso que lo que podría ser la política, la religión, preguntas existenciales, valores fundamentales, o filosofías de vida.  Es un punto de partida mucho menos divisivo también. Con las cosas superficiales es fácil que todos estén de acuerdo, e incluso si no lo estamos, no es el fin del mundo, ni de la amistad. Pero al final creo que lo que esperamos es que estos asuntos del mundo físico eventualmente abran camino a asuntos del alma, de la mente y del corazón. Los asuntos que realmente importan.

Dicho esto, he decidido que de ahora en adelante solo usaré prendas con texturas de LUJO (ok, quizá exagero un poco). No pero en serio, ¡la vida es demasiado corta para ponerte ese suéter de poliéster áspero! ¿No preferirías estar envuelto en sedas suntuosas y suaves mezclas de algodón? Esta filosofía (ciertamente algo superficial) sólo se confirmó cuando finalmente me llegó por correo este vestido altamente anticipado y lo pude tocar por primera vez. ¡QUÉ DELICIA! La textura, el corte, el drapeado dramático, todo. Para ser sincera, lo había estado buscando como loca desde que le vi uno semejante a una turista en el White Temple de Chiang Rai. Corte sencillo, tela de lujo (seda), y uno de mis colores favoritos (oro rosa) — ¡la perfección en una prenda! Mientras me le quedaba viendo intentando no ser demasiado obvia, me estaba arrepintiendo de haberme puesto prácticamente pijamas en un lugar tan majestuoso (la moda/belleza pasa a ser ultima prioridad  cuando te paras a las 5 de la mañana para llegar a tu destino). No me atreví a preguntarle dónde lo consiguió pero, ¡BENDITO INTERNET!  No es exactamente igual, pero igual me emociona.

En fin, eso es básicamente todo. Ah, y el parque al que fuimos Ben y yo el domingo nos presentó con una hermosa colección de arte de mosaicos. Me gusta pensar que de alguna manera se relaciona con la filosofía kintsukuroi (una de mis filosofías favoritas de todos los tiempos), donde una pieza es mucho más hermosa por haberse quebrado, y por tener lo que algunos considerarían imperfecciones.

¿Y no es éste el caso de todos nosotros?

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Carli Bybel x Missguided x Downtown Houston

Spent my Sunday strolling and shooting around downtown Houston with my lovely friend Erika, who is on the brink of launching her own lifestyle blog. As a native Houstonian, she knows that this place is cooler than its reputation. As we explored the colorful semi-permanent art installations commonly referred to as the Art Blocks and the delightful urban park that is Discovery Green, I believe I coined a new phrase (or should I say heavily modified an old one):

"Don't judge a book you haven't read."

Unless said book is 50 shades of gray. In which case judge the hell out of it. But my point is, you must know something in order to have an opinion on it. You can't say Houston isn't cool if you rarely leave the house. I plan on leaving the house more often.

Speaking of leaving the house, I may never do so again wearing this silk mini dress from Carli Bybel's Missguided collection. I love the moss green color, but the cut is all wrong. It's too short and too square. I must say, though, being completely monochromatic to the point of absurdity–nails included–was a really fun thing to do for a day. And I'm all set up to do it again with this same basic outfit but in rose gold. A bit excessive, I know. We will see if that ever comes to pass. (Check out my try-on haul video if that sort of thing interests you!)

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Pasé mi domingo paseando por el centro de Houston y sacando fotos con mi bella amiga Erika, que está a punto de lanzar su blog de lifestyle. Como Houstoniana ella sabe que este lugar es mucho más cool que su reputación. Mientras explorábamos las coloridas instalaciones de arte en el área conocida como los Art Blocks y el parque urbano llamado Discovery Green, se me ocurrió una frase nueva ( o más bien, un a modificación a una frase existente):

"No juzgues un libro que ni siquiera has leído."

A menos que dicho libro sea "50 Sombras de Grey", en dado caso júzgalo todo lo que quieras. Pero mi punto es que tienes que conocer algo para poder opinar sobre él. No puedes decir que Houston es aburrido si rara vez sales de casa. Mi plan es salir de casa más seguido.

Hablando de salir de casa, no creo que vuelva a hacerlo con este mini vestido de la linea de Carli Bybel para Missguided. Como te explico que me gusta, pero el corte está todo mal. Demasiado corto y cuadrado para mi gusto. Eso si, me encantó ser exageradamente monocromática–hasta mis uñas se unieron a la fiesta–por un día. Y tengo todo listo para hacerlo de nuevo con las mismas piezas pero en oro rosado. Excesivo, lo sé. Veremos si se materializa en algún momento. (¡Checa mi video donde me pruebo más prendas de Missguided si ese tipo de cosas te interesan!)

dress:carli bybel x missguided, bomber jacket:carli bybel x missguided, shoes:vans, sunglasses:madewell

photos by: Erika Marcial

Costa Rica travel blog

“Oh isn’t it just paradise?”, exclaimed the woman next to me as i shuffled around uncomfortably, jamming my bursting backpack under the seat in front of me. A middle seat. Not the aisle, not the window. No view, no freedom. Just the middle. “You mean Costa Rica?” I asked, taking longer than I should to put two and two together—we were flying out of San José, it was the only thing we had in common at this point. “Yes, oh my goodness, it’s just GORGEOUS, my daughter and I are already planning a trip to come back!” I couldn’t help but chuckle as I envisioned a side-by-side of what both she and I had experienced during the previous few days. On her side, tour-guided volcano visits, lush waterfalls, exotic wildlife, delectable gourmet food, secluded yoga resorts. Zip-lining over tropical jungles, enjoying the view without stopping to risk an actual mosquito bite. On my side… oh on my side. Suffice it to say, “winging it” doesn’t always play out the way you might hope.

Lauren, my beautiful friend of years (decades at this point) had told me last summer that she would be getting married in Guanacaste, Costa Rica, and I immediately told Ben that this was something we couldn’t miss. Before he could say no I had found a pair of tickets to San Jose we simply HAD TO BUY (try arguing with Holly in travel mode). Yes, they were to a city that was hundreds of miles away from the actual location of the wedding, and yes, I somehow managed to convince him that it would all be for the best. “We get to see more of the island this way”, I said. “It’s not an island, is it?” “Riiiiiight.”

I’ve always considered myself to be pretty good with maps. I am fearless behind the wheel, have a good sense of direction, am pretty accurate with estimates, and can handle practically anything that comes my way. Plus, technology, you know? So when google told me that it was a 3 hour and 46 minute drive with no traffic from the airport to the resort, I didn’t flinch at all. (I also knew that Ben is a fantastic driver and happens to actually enjoy it, so win-win, right?) We would arrive two days before the wedding and explore some towns and beaches, I thought. The non-touristy ones. The places the locals go. The real nitty gritty of Costa Rica.

Well, I guess you can say we got what we wished for. And by “we” I mean “I”.

Here are a few take-aways from our 4 1/2 day terribly-planned trip to Costa Rica:

1. THOSE ROADS!

Oh, to be a bird. As the bird flies, it looks to be a relatively easy country to get around (especially coming from the magna-state of Texas). But do not be deceived, my friend. If you are planning on renting a car, prepare your guts, your wits, and add a loved one to your will. We found nothing but narrow, crooked, bumpy, over-run, run-down, downright torturous roads. Ok, so they were one lane each direction with no shoulder and lots of curves. But seriously. Try dealing with that for 8 hours straight with sluggish semis appearing in front of you ad nauseam. A ripe combination of frustrating and terrifying.

1. THOSE SIGNS!

Ben and I could not get over how many times we saw signs by the side of the road for bars, restaurants, hotels, gyms, cafés, you name it, with, wait for it… NOTHING ELSE IN SIGHT. As in, you’re literally in the middle of NOWHERE and you’ll se a sign that reads “Bar Pura Vida” surrounded by absolutely nothing but trees. For miles. Un-freaking-believable. Other highlights:

• Soda el Camarón
• Pipa Fría
• Lubricentro ‘El Coyote’
• Aqui hay pianguá

What even is happening? We felt like we were in some sort of twilight zone where nothing quite made sense.

1. THAT NATURE!

To be fair, we weren’t totally bewildered as to why people flock to Costa Rica. Little glimpses of the beaches, the mountains, the sunsets, the wildlife—all provided a welcome contrast to the treacherous trails we’d traversed to see them. In the province of Guanacaste, a significant portion of paradise has been snapped up by the big resorts, but we were able to find a few pockets (through severe trial and error) that were wild and unclaimed. Bahía Salinas and Playa Rajada certainly deserve an honorable mention.

1. NO MATTER WHAT, TRAVEL IS ALWAYS AN ADVENTURE

Our first night we drove all the way out to Puntarenas, a beach town on its own little peninsula (the map showed that it was secluded which in our minds translated to exotic). We soon realized why it isn’t much of a tourist attraction. It’s less a beach and more of a port, with the water coming right up to the concrete of the city without so much as a grain of sand in between. Although I will say, they make a MEAN ceviche at the restaurant that everybody recommended, if I could only remember its name. Our next stop was Tamarindo Beach, which had a lot more going on, but we had driven about 7 hours to get there, and were feeling the pressure to go further north to Guanacaste for the wedding the next day. Didn't do much more than stop to wet our feet. From there we attempted to just “drive up the coast”, imagining it to be something similar to Pacific Coast Highway in California. Mistake. There is no such thing. And so, we found ourselves driving inland once again, our frustration seeping out in the form of laughter that slowly mutated into exasperated yells and heated rants.

The night before the wedding as we drove down a desolate dirt road, unable to find a place to lay our heads for the night, Ben’s eye caught a shimmering light and he drove toward it (I had given up all driving at this point, for everyone’s safety). “Blue Dream Hotel”, the sign said. And lo and behold, there was an actual hotel there! And despite the fact that I was in one of my less pleasant moods, we were greeted with such a sweet, cheery smile by the girl at the front desk that we knew this was our place. She proceeded to tell us all about the kite surfing school that they also run, and Ben immediately made plans to kite surf the next morning at the crack of dawn.

Yes, he did it, and yes, I lay on the beach like a slug without sunscreen for the entire duration. Hence, me being fluorescent pink by the time we arrived at Lauren’s wedding. But we arrived!

Nothing in Costa Rica managed to stop us from making it, and nothing in the world could replace the joy of witnessing my friend tie the knot. Seeing her shining, beaming face as she recited her vows and shared a kiss with her husband. Enjoying an intimate candle-lit dinner as we celebrated Lauren and Frank and laughed the night away, telling stories of our past, and dreaming about our future.

My birthday happened to be the next day, and I must say, life truly is a choose-your-own-adventure book! Ben and I enjoyed a relaxing time on the beach (although it took about 3 U-turns to finally find it), and contemplated the wonderfully humorous ways in which life allows us to co-author our own story. Sure, we could have planned things better, but then how would we have truly learned how important planning actually is? And how would we have proven to ourselves that we can come out smiling on the other side of what some might have categorized as a catastrophic trip?

Also, somewhere during our 8-hour trip back to San José, God gave us the biggest, brightest, most beautiful rainbow I’ve ever seen.

We found a wedding venue!

YES! YES! YES! We found a wedding venue!!!! Let me start by coming right out and saying it: Ben was right. And I’m so glad I followed his advice.

As soon as we decided that the Riviera Maya was our top wedding location pick (approximately 10 minutes after we got engaged), he said our best bet would be to take a short investigative trip. Although we’ve been many times, going with a mission in mind ended up being incredibly productive.

Here are the top things that I believe greatly contributed to us finding a place we are really excited about. I’d recommend anyone planning a destination wedding to follow as many of these as possible:

1. Knowing the language

(Or having a friend who does and letting them be your voice)

Let’s face it—If you are a rich foreigner, the assumption will be that you can afford more than your average local, and you will be charged accordingly. Therefore, the goal is to camouflage your foreignness to the best of your ability. Weddings are expensive enough without someone pulling the wool over your eyes!

In our case, Ben handled most if not all of the initial emails/phonecalls. In Mexico, you are less likely to be overcharged if your last name is Vargas than if it’s Tuggy. We even conducted our Google searches in Spanish, looking for sites that weren’t geared toward tourists. It takes a lot of scratching, but it’s worth it!

2. Going physically

(Having a friend who lives locally and lets you stay with her and use her car is a HUGE bonus—shoutout to the amazing Vania! We love you!!)

Clearly, nothing beats being able to see a place in 3D before committing to it. But it’s not just about the places; it’s about the people. Being able to shake their hands, to establish a rapport, to ask them questions, show them you’re legit and make sure they are too. Ben had a contact from one of the many phone calls he’d made prior to the trip (a DJ/light/sound guy), and he ended up being a goldmine of resources! He put us in contact with all the people in the wedding industry he worked closely with, and even calling them for us and telling them his “friend” was getting married so they’d give us the best deal possible! WOW, was that a relief, which brings me to my next point.

3. Keeping an open mind.

I had initially fallen in LOVE with a spot in Tulum that does gorgeous wedding packages, but it ended up being way out of our price range ($4000 dollars just for MIXERS for our guests, not including the alcohol! $3000 to rent the place but you HAVE to hire on their wait staff of 40, and oh, you wanted the sand on the beach as well? That will be another $3000. And let's not get into the cost of dinner, tables, chairs, sofas, flowers, a dance floor, you get the gist). Keep in mind most places are going to throw out crazy numbers. Why? Because people are willing to pay them! They know it’s one of the biggest days of your life, they know you’d rather not be bothered with the details and are likely willing to pay good money to have someone take care of everything for you. I was overwhelmed with what Ben was proposing—the idea of just renting a spot on the beach and being in charge of coordinating all the details ourselves. But somehow, miraculously I managed to stifle bridezilla and open my eyes to something I would have never thought of.

4. Opening your eyes to new horizons

This is basically an extension of my previous point. What I’m trying to say is don’t be rigid with decisions you’ve previously made. Be willing to look outside your original zone, and be flexible. I was dead set on Tulum. We both were. It’s a magical place, really. But the thing with magical places is that you’re never alone in thinking so. Demand goes up, prices go up, and this affects not only you, but your guests. We had completely ruled out Cancun on the sole fact that it reminds us too much of Vegas, but hadn’t thought of exploring the coastline a little further north. That’s when Ben’s contact came in: he suggested a sweet little place he had just done a wedding at a few weeks prior. Ample space? Check. Private beach? Check. Reasonable price? Check. No crazy rules or obligations? Check. (It's called Villa Chenera, for those of you asking.)

We think we made the right choice.

Vania was a wonderful host! / ¡Vania fue tremenda anfitriona!

We loved spending time with Vania & her mom / Nos encantó pasar tiempo con Vania y su mami

Ben the hopeless romantic / Benjamin, el romántico empedernido

We’re a little crazy together / Somos unas loquillas

We drove all over in search of the perfect spot! / Manejamos a muchos lugares buscando el ideal

Ben asking all the right questions / Ben sabe a quien hacerle preguntas para conseguir lo que quiere

Picked up some awesome people who were hitchhiking from Tulum to Playa del Carmen / Paramos por estos dos personajes que pedían ride en la carretera… ahora son nuestros amigos 🙂

Shrimp cocktails every day = obligatory beach behavior / El coctel de camarones como Dios manda! Comimos mínimo uno al día

It all started with our love / Todo empezó con nuestro amor

Isla Blanca is a kitesurfer’s dream! / ¡Isla Blanca es ideal para hacer Kite!

Nico, the guy we picked up, was a kitesurfing instructor. Ben didn’t let the opportunity slide. / Nico, el chico que conocimos en la carretera, resultó ser instructor de KiteSurf. Ben no desaprovechó la oportunidad.

The dirt road leading to Villa Chenera, our wedding venue / El camino a Villa Chenera

I can only imagine this with lights and tables and all our favorite people! / Me imagino el lugar lleno de luces, mesas y nuestras personas favoritas y me emociono.

*sigh* I could stay here forever / En verdad me quedaría mil años aqui.

Letting out my inner gymnast / Dejando salir la gimnasta que llevo dentro

The city of eternal spring

Never have 48 hours felt more like a week. I’m so proud of us. We don’t have many more days off this year, so we decided to squeeze every last drop of juice out of our weekend and hit up yet another wedding (this time, a beloved childhood friend of Ben’s). Did I mention that it has been wedding season since I was 23? I kid you not.Our destination was Cuernavaca, known in Spanish as “the city of eternal Spring”, not as in “the spring of eternal youth” but as in “not fall and definitely not winter”. Believe me, whenever you’re offered a ticket to run away from your least favorite season, you should take it.

On the day of the wedding we somehow squeezed in a tranquil morning coffee, an authentic mayan brunch (thank you, Jesus), getting lost courtesy of google maps, sightseeing in a taxi, and still having time to get ourselves spiffed up for the ceremony.

It took place at a gorgeous old-world hotel, decked out perfectly with elegant modern details. It’s different going to a wedding with your own in the forefront of your mind. We were definitely taking notes.

Highlight of the night: being placed at a table with two of the most interesting guys we’ve met in a while. I’m serious, the four of us just hit it off, to the casual observer we must have looked like long lost friends trying to catch up. They were such colorful characters, so inquisitive and appreciative and full of zest for life. They are also the first people in a long time to ask us about our love story and keep coming back to it even when we’d get interrupted. Most people find out we somehow met through the radio and then we trail off into realizing we are telling our story to ourselves. Needless to say, we think we’re inviting them to the wedding ;) It is worth nothing: interested people are always interesting.

Also, flying from Saturday to Monday is a lot less expensive than Friday to Sunday. #traveltip

To Xareni and Adrian, thanks for letting us be a part of your special day. We wish you a lifetime of happiness together!!!

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Fueron 48 horas  con sabor a una semana. Pero, ¡qué forma de aprovechar! No nos quedan muchos días libres este año, asi que decidimos exprimirle hasta la ultima gota de jugo al fin de semana lanzándonos a una boda más (en este caso, de una querida amiga de Benjamin). ¿Les mencioné que ha sido ‘temporada de bodas’ desde que tengo 23 años? Fuera de broma.

Nuestro destino fue la bella ciudad de Cuernavaca, o “La ciudad de la eterna primavera”, como le dicen los locales. Creéme que si la vida te ofrece un boleto para escaparte de la estación del año que menos te gusta (solo por eso del frío, discúlpenme pero NO es de mi agrado), debes tomarlo.

El día de la boda logramos tomarnos un cafecito mañanero, disfrutar de un desayuno auténticamente Maya, perdernos cortesía de google maps, turistear en un taxi un rato, y de alguna manera tener suficiente tiempo para arreglarnos para la ceremonia.

Se llevó a cabo en un hotel hermoso con una arquitectura rústica que contrastaba perfectamente con las decoraciones modernas. Es diferente asistir a una boda cuando traes la inminencia de la tuya en tu mente. Te aseguro que estábamos tomando notas.

Sorpresa grata de la noche: nos tocó sentarnos al lado de dos hombres súper interesantes. En verdad hubo química entre nosotros cuatro; empezamos a platicar y nadie ni nada nos podía parar. Eran personajes tan coloridos, tan inquisitivos y apreciativos. También son las primeras personas en mucho tiempo que nos preguntaron de nuestra historia de amor, y cada que parábamos o nos interrumpían, querían regresar adonde nos habíamos quedado. Generalmente lo que pasa es que nos preguntan, se dan cuenta de que nos conocimos de alguna manera gracias a la radio, y Ben y yo terminamos platicándonos nuestra propia historia de amor ya sin audiencia. Estos chicos nos preguntaban cada vez más por detalles y no solo por preguntar. Había un interés real. Sin duda, están invitadísimos a la boda. :)

Cabe recalcar que las personas que se interesan siempre son interesantes.

Tambien, viajar de Sábado a Lunes es mucho más barato que de Viernes a Domingo. #tipsparaviajar

Para Xareni y Adrian, gracias por invitarnos a ser parte de este día tan especial, ¡les deseamos toda una vida de felicidad juntos!

Paco & Ale tie the knot!

So we hopped on a plane for a quick weekend jaunt to Mexico City, main incentive being Ben's brother's wedding. It was a great chance to switch up the scenery, connect with Ben's family and chill (without actually ever chilling). We hit the ground running with tacos at "El Borrego Viudo" as soon as we landed (getting served in your car old-school drive-in style is where it's at! On second thought, maybe I should have avoided the onions.)  Met up with a few friends the next day, the kind you can pick up right where you left off with, and hit up the Frida Kahlo museum located in the colorful cobblestone streets of Coyoacán. It's in the actual house that Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera shared back in the 30's and 40's. Very intriguing being in the same physical space as such an enigmatic couple. Something smacks me square in the face whenever I visit Mexico. Nostalgia mixed with anticipation. It's like emotions are more real there. Sounds are more intense. Smells are more palpable. You are in the middle of it all, vulnerable, enthusiastic, and never quite ready. Anything could happen.

The wedding was beautiful, a memorable experience. You could see the joy in Ale and Paco's eyes. You could feel the love poured into every detail. And as far as I'm concerned, they set a new world record for longest, craziest wedding reception: something like 9 hours long!

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Volamos al DF así de rapidito con el objetivo principal de asistir a la boda de Ale y Paco (el hermano de Ben). Fue una buena oportunidad para escaparnos de la rutina, conectar con la familia y relajarnos un poco (si… relajarnos pero de puro RELAJO!) Al aterrizar, nos lanzamos directamente a “El Borrego Viudo” por unos tacos hechos así como Dios manda. Eso de que te sirvan allí en tu carro sin que tengas que salir a lidiar con el frío está genial. (Aunque pensándolo bien, hubiera pedido mis taquitos al pastor sin cebolla.) Al otro día nos vimos con unos amigos, de esos que por más tiempo que pase, siguen siendo tan cercanos como siempre, en el museo Frida Kahlo en las coloridas calles de Coyoacán. Está localizado en la casa donde Frida y Diego convivieron por más de 20 años. Súper intrigante ocupar el mismo espacio físico que esta pareja tan enigmática.

Hay algo que se apodera de mi cuando estoy en México. Nostalgia mezclada con anticipación. Es como si las emociones fueran más fuertes cuando estás allá. Los sonidos más intensos. Los olores más palpables. Estás en medio de todo, vulnerable, entusiasmado, nunca 100% listo. Porque cualquier cosa podría pasar.

La boda fue maravillosa, una experiencia inolvidable. Podrías ver la alegría en los ojos de los enamorados, sentir el amor impregnado en cada detalle. Y no me sorprendería si rompieron récord mundial con esa fiesta: 9 horas de música, baile, risas, y convivencia.

Sitting on the roof

Holly and Ben selfie

Giant Mexican flag

Museo Frida Kahlo

Frida Kahlo museum in Coyoacán

Cocina de Frida Kahlo y Diego Rivera

buganvilias

Visiting the Frida Kahlo museum

Frida Kahlo Quote

Frida Kahlo's paints

Fotografía de Frida Kahlo

Amigas!

Frida y Diego vivieron en esta casa

Superholly inside of a clay pot

Fixing a tire

Coyoacan de noche

Coyoacán at night

Radisson Pedregal

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Holly and Ben couple dressed for wedding

Superholly y su novio

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recién casados!

Adriana Papell formal sequin dresses

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amigas superholly

formalwear with converse

Calvin Klein and Adrianna Papell for wedding

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Sam edelman sandals and converse

Parroquia La Esperanza de María en la Resurrección del Señor

Novios con globos

wedding reception

mariachi con novios

Novios bailando

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Vista desde el Radisson Pedregal

Pan dulce de El Globo

Amiguitas de la creación

Aeropuerto de la Ciudad de Mexico Terminal 2

LA was cool too!

The proposal/engagement/ensuing dizzyness happened in LA because, well, Ben wanted to do it in a place that's special to us. Apparently he has been wanting to get me out to LA for a while now but I, insisting on leaving the past behind and spending my money on new, more exotic destinations, have not been easy to convince. On this occasion he was working, I found a ticket with credit card miles, you know, what's commonly known as "the stars aligned" and that's why we were able to be seaside for the whole affair. It was mind-blowingly refreshing to be back.

~~~~~~~~~~~~ El compromiso/la mareada que me di ocurrió en LA porque, pues, así lo quiso Ben, que fuera en un lugar que es especial para ambos. Evidentemente ha estado tratando de convencerme de ir a LA por un ratote ya, pero yo, insistiendo que quiero dejar el pasado atrás (se que me gusta y no quiero que se me antoje volver a vivir alli), y que prefiero gastar mi dinero viajando a destinos nuevos y exóticos, no he sido fácil de convencer.

En esta ocasión el estaba trabajando, yo conseguí un vuelo con las millas de mi tarjeta de crédito, tu sabes, lo que todo mundo conoce como "se alinearon las estrellas", y por eso pudo pedir mi mano a la orilla del mar. (¡qué romantico!)

Fue sumamente refrescante y divertido estar de vuelta en mi querido LA .

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We're ENGAGED!!!

Half of me wants to write every detail down now, before I forget, before the memory fades away. It wishes that I had had at least a tape recorder, to remember every sweet thing Ben said to me, the casual yet poetic meandering of our three-hour conversation. To play it back one day in the future when I am not feeling myself, or forget how much he loves me. Or maybe if I’d had a camera, to capture the eerie brightness of the full moon and the crisp shadows our bodies cast in the sand. The rabid froth forming on the tips of the tunnels of water.

But the other half of me knows that everything was perfect. It wouldn’t change a thing. Not the bumbling in the dark hills in search of a way to get to the private beach without security stopping us, not drinking champagne straight out of the bottle as the loudest waves I’ve ever heard crashed onto the shore tirelessly. Not the way he looked at me when he said “Will you grow old with me?” or the feeling of his arms wrapped around me as I imagined how precious he’ll look with gray hair and wrinkles, or the streams of moisture on our cheeks that were evident when we finally let go.

I wouldn’t change a thing.

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Por un lado quiero apuntar cada detalle ahora, antes de que se me olvide, antes de que la memoria se esfume. Me hubiera gustado tener por lo menos una grabadora de voz, para poder recordar cada palabra linda que salió de su boca, la trayectoria casual y poética de la conversación que duró casi 3 horas. Y así poderla escuchar algún día cuando no me sienta yo, o cuando se me olvide cuánto me quiere. O que tal si hubiera tenido una cámara, para captar el brillo majestuoso de la luna llena y las sombras perfectas de nuestros cuerpos en la arena. La espuma que brotaba furiosa de los túneles de olas.

Pero por otro lado sé que todo fue perfecto. No cambiaría absolutamente nada. Ni las vueltas en el cerro buscando cómo entrar a la playa privada sin que nos parara el de seguridad, ni tomar champán directamente de la botella mientras las olas más ruidosas de mi vida chocaban repetidamente contra la playa. No cambiaría la forma en que me miró cuando dijo “¿Quieres envejecer conmigo?” o el sentimiento de sus brazos envolviéndome mientras me imaginaba lo precioso que se va a ver con canas y arrugas. Ni los ríos de sal empapando nuestros cachetes que pudimos ver cuando finalmente nos soltamos.

No, no cambiaría absolutamente nada.

LA was cool too! / ¡El viajecito también estuvo bueno!

photos by Benjamin Vargas, Yesenia Lopez and Holly Tuggy

Must visit in Houston: Biscuit Paint Wall

You can't really say you've lived in Houston if you haven't snapped at least a few pics in front of the infamous Biscuit Paint Wall. A clever marketing ploy by the houseware store (at least I think that's what they sell) Biscuit Home, they've truly capitalized on this generation's obsession with new and interesting selfie backdrops, and even have #BISCUITPAINTWALL boldly printed on an awning over the door to complement subsequent social media posts. Now that I mention it, I think we forgot to take a selfie. #Dangit.

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Vivir en Houston sin sacar un par de fotos en frente del Biscuit Paint Wall es como vivir en Paris y no sacar un par de fotos con la torre eifel. Uffff. Mentira. Exageración total. Pero ustedes me entienden. Nada tontos, los dueños de la tienda a la que le pertenece la pared se aprovecharon de nuestra obsesión por encontrar fondos para nuestras selfies cada vez más interesantes. Incluso el toldo sobre la puerta tiene en letras mayúsculas #BISCUITPAINTWALL. Ahora que lo pienso, se nos olvidó por completo sacarnos una selfie. Ahí será para la próxima.

Superholly Biscuit Paint Wall Houston

Biscuit paint wall couple

Biscuit Paint Wall kissing

Objects in the mirror

Paint wall Houston

dress:Club Monaco, throw:Rue 21, flipflops:GAP, sunnies:D&G, necklace:Mexico, bag:Peru

photos by Benjamin Vargas, Holly Tuggy, & friendly tourists

Where in the world?

It’s not India, Bangladesh, or Kuala Lumpur. This, my friends, is Houston.

Who would have thought that just a hop, skip and a jump away from Fry’s Electronics, Starbucks, and Archer VW, among malls and country clubs, tucked between freeways and toll roads, we’d find this gorgeous gem?

BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir is a haven for Hindu spirituality that was inaugurated in 2004. A true labor of love, it was erected in less than a year and a half thanks to volunteers who put in 1.3 million hours of work, assembling more than 33,000 individual hand-carved pieces that were shipped from India.

It is comprised of 2 types of stone, Turkish Limestone for the exterior and Italian marble for the unphotographable interior.

I’ll leave you with some images and Pramukh Swami Maharaj’s mantra:

To perform good deeds without expectations reflects purity of action.

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No es la India, ni Bangladesh, ni Kuala Lumpur. Esto, amigos mios, es Houston.

¿Quién iba a pensar que a tan solo unos pasos de Starbucks, Fry’s Electronics y Archer VW, entre plazas y campos de golf, autopistas y carreteras, encontraríamos esta preciosura?

BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir es un refugio para la espiritualidad hindú. El templo se inauguró en el 2004 y se erigió en menos de año y medio, gracias al trabajo y empeño de voluntarios que le dedicaron 1.3 millones de horas, montando más de 33,000 piezas individuales talladas a mano que fueron enviadas desde la India. Se compone de 2 tipos de piedra, piedra caliza turca para el exterior y mármol italiano para el interior.

Te dejo con algunas imágenes y el mantra de Pramukh Swami Maharaj:

El hacer cosas buenas sin esperar nada a cambio refleja la pureza de la acción.

Swaminarayan Mandir details Houston

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Photos by Benjamin Vargas and Holly Tuggy

Aruba Travel Blog

Suitcases are still strewn across the floor, I’ve been wearing my Aruba souvenir sweatshirt for three days straight, and my face is what some would call tan and others would call blotchy. But at this point sharing little nuggets from the trip that got me in this condition before they fade into the foggy distance takes precedence over getting my life back in order. 5 days in Aruba. An island just under 70 square miles in area (that’s 1/3 the size of Tucson, Arizona!) with just over 100 thousand residents. It’s not your typical tropical island. Well, first of all, because it’s not tropical at all. It’s arid, semi-barren, and full of surprising contrasts.

Here are 10 of my random observations about Aruba:

Las maletas con todo su contenido siguen en el piso, hace 3 días que llevo puesto el suéter con el emblema de Aruba, y mi cara ha agarrado un tono que algunos llamarían bronceado. Pero a estas alturas, compartir anécdotas del viaje que me tiene en estas condiciones antes de que desaparezcan de mi memoria es más importante que organizarme.

Cinco días en Aruba. Una isla con una superficie de tan solo 190 km², con apenas cien mil residentes. Ten por seguro que no es tu típica isla tropical, empezando por el hecho de que de tropical no tiene nada. El suelo es árido, con partes semi-abandonadas, y toda la isla está llena de contrastes sorprendentes.

Aqui, 10 cosas que pude observar de Aruba en mi corta estancia:

1. EVERYONE is a polyglot. The two “official” languages are Dutch and Papiamento (sounds kindof like Portuguese in the same way that turkey kindof tastes like rattlesnake). Ben and I were never quite sure whether we should speak to people in English or Spanish and ended up being somewhat sporadic about it—not once did someone fail to understand us. Feeling a bit inferior here... how much was Rosetta Stone again?

TODO MUNDO es políglota. Las dos lenguas oficiales son el Holandés y el Papiamento (suena semejante al Portugués a la medida que el pollo sabe semejante a la víbora cascabel). Ben y yo nunca supimos si hablar en Español o en Inglés y terminamos siendo bastante esporádicos al respecto. En todo momento nos entendieron. Sintiéndome algo inferior… ¿Cuánto costaba ese Rosetta Stone?

2. On one side of the island you get white sands and serene aquamarine waters, on the other side you have a tempestuous fusion of frothy midnight blue waves crashing into the rocky terrain in violent succession.

De un lado de la isla ves arena blanca con aguas turquesa-transparentes, del otro te encuentras con una fusión tempestuosa de olas azul marino chocando violentamente contra las rocas.

3. What’s pretty much guaranteed (at least at this time of year) is a strong & consistent windflow. PERFECT for kitesurfing, which is well on its way to becoming our next boarding obsession. We ended up at Armando’s Kite Shack on Palm Beach and signed up for 3 fun and incredibly thorough hands-on lessons. I’d almost say trying kitesurfing is a must for Aruba visitors.

Lo que si es prácticamente garantizado (al menos durante esta temporada) es un viento fuerte y constante, PERFECTO para practicar kitesurfing, cosa que amenaza con convertirse en nuestra nueva obsesión. Tomamos 3 lecciones sumamente informativos y entretenidos (¡por no decir dolorosos!) en Armando’s Kite Shack. Casi casi diría que hacer Kitesurfing debe ser prioridad cuando vienes a Aruba.

4. It’s home to the craziest arcade in America: Dream Land at Palm Beach Plaza in Noord. It’s separated into two areas, one geared toward kids, and the other more toward adults (all geared toward Ben, truth be told). We could NOT believe the level of insanity. I’m talking car-sized candy gambling machines, multi-player tetris with enormous joysticks, even a punch-a-prize game where you could win an ipod, a mac, or a gopro ($25 dollars in we realized it’s not as easy as it looks). Not to mention every blank vs. blank street-fighter hybrid and spinoff known to mankind. I am 99% positive that a large majority of those games exist only in Japan.

Nunca has visto unas “maquinitas” como las de Dream Land en Palm Beach Plaza. Está separado en dos áreas: una enfocada a niños y otra más para adultos (y bueno… todo enfocado a Ben). ¡Qué cantidad y qué calidad de maquinitas! Máquinas tipo Vegas pero de dulces y del tamaño de un carro, un tetris para dos jugadores con palancas enormes, otras donde mueves el brazo metálico para tratar de ganar un ipod, una mac o un gopro, o en su defecto un monito de peluche espantoso (después de invertirle $25 nos dimos cuenta que no es tan fácil). Esto sin mencionar cada juego de Street Fighter, Marvel vs. Capcom, y cualquier derivado que se te pueda venir a la mente. Estoy segura que la mayoría de estos juegos solo los encuentras en Japón.

5. Hidden gem coffee spot: THE HUB. As my mid morning slump was hitting on day two (appropriately, at around 5:30PM) we were asking around for coffee. When somebody said “inside the arcade” I thought we’d find a 7/11-style coffee dispenser, but to my surprise we uncovered a full-blown exquisitely styled café with a plethora of delicious treats (that mocha though). From that moment on it became our go-to spot for sweet-craving satisfaction. On the last day Ben asked if the owner was a graphic designer (based on a hanging rack of magazines) and he turned out to be there. An all-around great dude with incredible vision and good taste, and a wife that, among many other things, makes one mean brownie.

Tesoro escondido: El café THE HUB. Era el segundo día, me estaba pegando el bajón de carencia de cafeína, y andábamos preguntando por un buen café. Cuando me dijeron “ahí mismo en donde las maquinitas”, me imaginé cualquier cosa, pero para mi grata sorpresa, descubrimos un lugar super cuki, decorado con mucho estilo y con unas delicias que para qué te cuento. Terminamos conociendo al dueño nuestro último día allí y resultó ser un tipo super chévere con mucha visión y hasta más buena onda, y una esposa que, entre muchas otras cosas, hace un excelente brownie.

6. Smart Rent, the car rental company DOES, in fact, exist. Stoked as I was about the great deal I’d scored on it (less than $100 a day), I was beginning to doubt my intuition and wise decision-making-skills when I booked the Jeep rental online a couple of weeks ago and the “confirmation link” lead to nowhere, I couldn’t find an official-looking site, reviews were practically impossible to come by, and nobody answered the “If you have any questions, please contact us” telephone number. As we exited the airport, I was surprised and relieved to find a jolly old man holding a sign with my name on it, eager to drive us to the lot. They were super laid back about everything and incredibly helpful with giving us an inkling of what to do on the island. I’m talking a marked up map and detailed instructions on how to get places and where to off-road.

Speaking of which, off-roading was EPIC. A conclusion I came to while barreling down the road:

“Freedom is having the AC on, AND the windows rolled down.” Boom.

Smart Rent, la compañía que renta carros, SI existe. Tan realizada que me sentí cuando aparté el Jeep 4x4 que andaba buscando por internet unas semanas atrás—con esta compañía me había salido mucho más barato de lo que me hubiera costado con otras. Pero después de darles mi dinero y recibir el enlace de confirmación me di cuenta que no llevaba a ningún lado. Y al realizar una búsqueda por Google me salieron sitios que no se veían nada oficiales y reviews que parecían falsos. El número telefónico que proveyeron sonó y sonó dejándome cada vez más desamparada. Ya se imaginarán mi sorpresa y alivio al salir del aeropuerto y ver un señor con mi nombre en un letrero. Nos llevó de una al lote donde estaban los carros y en menos de media hora estábamos en nuestro vehículo, listos para explorar la isla (no sin antes recibir un mapa y escuchar instrucciones detalladas para llegar a ciertos lugares muy recomendados).

Explorar el terreno Arubeño fue increíble. Una conclusión a la que llegué dentro del Jeep mientras el viento enredaba mi cabello:

“La libertad es tener el aire acondicionado prendido Y las ventanas abajo.”

7. Fresh seafood abounds. We ventured outside of the recommended restaurants on the map and were not disappointed. One of our favorite places ended up being The West Deck in Oranjestad, the capital. We were driving around on the first day in our airport-induced stupor, and Ben happened to see it just as we realized we were too starving to cope. They ended up having fantastic ceviche and lobster salad, and mmm those fish fingers were out of this world. If I do recall correctly, Ben’s actual words after sampling them were: “That’s the best thing I’ve tasted… like ever.”

Abundan los mariscos frescos. Exploramos más allá de los restaurantes recomendados y no nos decepcionaron. Uno de nuestros descubrimientos favoritos fue un lugarcito llamado “The West Deck” en Oranjestad, la capital. Nos lo topamos casi casi por accidente, poco después de aterrizar en la isla, en ese momento crucial cuando el hambre la sed y el cansancio te pegan al mismo tiempo. Resultaron tener un menú bastante apetitoso y ahogamos nuestras penas entre ceviche, langosta, y deditos de pescado. Referente a los últimos, las palabras textuales de Benjamin después de probarlos por primera vez fueron: “Es lo mejor que he probado… En mi vida.”

8. Trust in God, but guard your stuff. This brings me to a shady situation that went down as we distractedly devoured our morsels. A family pulled up and parked right next to our Jeep, where we had left both suitcases and my backpack. A young boy got out and stood between the Jeep and the car and began “changing”. Ben, being from Mexico City, and having ever a keen eye for all things fishy, told me that something seemed off with them. When he walked down to the car to get more cash, they nervously began asking him questions that only a local would know (we later found out that our license plate had the tell-tale tourist sign on it, the initial letter V that is reserved strictly for rental cars). Shortly after that, they peeled out of the lot. When I got back in the car I realized that not only had they opened my backpack, they had actually taken out my little purse that was inside of it along with 2 books! They were just sitting there on the floor! Luckily, my camera was with me, and my wallet, cellphone and passport in the front pocket hadn’t been discovered yet. Sneaky little punks!

Confía en Dios, pero cuida tus cosas Esto me lleva a una situación desagradable que ocurrió justo mientras devorábamos nuestros bocados distraídamente. Llegó una familia y se estacionó al lado del Jeep, donde habíamos dejado ambas maletas y mi mochila. Un chavo salió y se paró en medio de su carro y el nuestro, y empezó a “cambiarse”. Ben, siendo de la ciudad de México, ha desarrollado cierta habilidad para percatarse de cosas sospechosas, y me dijo que algo andaba raro. Cuando bajó al carro por más dinero, inmediatamente le empezaron a hacer preguntas que solo sabría contestar un local (después nos enteramos que llevábamos la marca de turistas en nuestras placas, la letra inicial “V” se reserva para carros rentados). Se fueron poco después sin siquiera tocar la playa. Cuando revisamos nuestras cosas nos dimos cuenta que no solo habían abierto mi mochila, habían sacado la bolsita que llevaba dentro. ¡Estaba ahí en el piso junto con dos libros! Por suerte, tenía mi cámara conmigo, y mi cartera, celular y pasaporte pasaron desapercibidos en el bolsillo de adelante. ¡Caaaaaanijos!

9. Friendliest donkeys EVER. Seriously. We drove past some that were so cute, we instinctively made a U-turn and rolled down the window, only to find ourselves being ambushed by several large, friendly and highly expectant donkey snouts. What do donkeys want in life, BTDubs? Because I’d like to give it to them.

Tienen los burros más amigables del mundo. Pero en serio. Pasamos al lado de un grupo de burros que se veían tan lindos, que dimos una vuelta en U sin pensarlo dos veces y bajamos la ventana. De repente nos encontramos rodeados de hocicos curiosos, hambrientos y amigables. ¿Qué es lo que buscan los burros en esta vida? Porque me gustaría dárselos.

10. RIDICULOUS sunstes. Like Arizona status. (Now would be a good time to tell you how obsessed I am with Arizona sunsets). But make sure you’re on the West side of the island (Near Noord or Oranjestad should be a good start). We had heard that there were great sunsets at Baby Beach, but saw our star sink under the waterline with nary a color. The ones we did catch, though, had us jumping for joy.

Las puestas de sol son ridículas. Tipo Arizona. (Creo que es buen momento de confesar que estoy obsesionada con las puestas de sol en Arizona). Eso si, asegúrate de estar en el oeste de la isla (Empieza cerca de Noord u Oranjestad). Habíamos escuchado que las puestas de sol en Baby Beach eran la onda, pero vimos nuestro astro hundirse bajo el horizonte sin mandarnos ni un color. Todo lo contrario con las coloridas, esos tonos anaranjados nos tenían saltando de felicidad.

Aruba, we’ll be back. And next time can we use you as a springboard to South America?

Aruba, volveremos. Y para la próxima, te podemos usar como punto de partida hacia Sudamérica?

Vancouver travel blog

It’s true. People in Canada are friendlier, more polite, just generally more curious than people in the U.S. Yeah, yeah, they say you should never generalize, especially when you are grouping a specific bunch of people together based on their race or geographic location. So sue me. If it weren't for that one guy that flipped me off for not letting him in when the lanes were narrowing (how was i supposed to know?), I truly would have thought something was fishy.

Vancouver seems like the kind of city you could get comfortable living in, while still being constantly stimulated. Quirky shops and kooky cafés balance out sleek cityscapes, cozy hotels and hip restaurants. Locals, tourists, and soon-to-be residents all mesh together to create an eclectic mix of people that somehow all seem to be incredibly chill. And chilly it is, as you would imagine, but somehow knowing it was Canada made that less of a problem and more of an adventure. Yes, I just called putting on 7 layers of clothing an adventure.

Renting a mini van with GPS and snow wheels (who even knew those existed?) was one of our 239 best decisions during the whole trip (what can I say, I like to follow my own advice) It comfortably carried us (Ben and myself, and 3 of our friends from LA) around Vancouver and up to the impeccably magical impossibly frigid land of Whistler. Taking our GoPro camera was another one. Actually charging it on the second day turned out to be the cherry on top.

Our weekend was filled with things like reconnecting with friends (and family!), roaming around the city just to feel it breathe, soaking in the sights while listening to music, snowboarding and skiing down open and closed runs, eating really well, laughing, and not sleeping. The building blocks of a perfect mini-vacation. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Es verdad. La gente en Canadá es más amigable, mas cortés, y más curiosa en general que la gente en E.E.U.U. Ya sé, ya sé, nunca debes generalizar a un grupo de personas y mucho menos si te estás basando en su raza o su locación geográfica. Denúncienme, pues. La verdad es que de no haber sido por aquel tipo en la camioneta roja que me la mentó por no dejarlo entrar (se estaban juntando los carriles, ¿yo cómo iba a saber?), hubiera pensado que me estaban tomando el pelo.

Vancouver parece ser una de esas ciudades donde sería muy cómodo vivir, pero sin dejar de estimularte constantemente. Encuentras tiendas chuscas y cafecitos chulos mezcladas entre acogedores hoteles, elegantes restaurantes y espectaculares vistas de la ciudad. Locales, turistas, y futuros residentes se juntan para crear una mezcla ecléctica de personas que de alguna manera parecen estar siempre tranquilos. Y eso es con todo y el frío—un frío espantoso pero el hecho de saber que es Canada lo convirtió menos en un problema y más en una aventura. Si. Acabo de llamarle al proceso de ponerte 7 capas de ropa una “aventura”.

Rentar un minivan con GPS y llantas para la nieve (¿quién sabía que “llantas para la nieve” existían?) fue una de nuestras 239 increíbles decisiones durante el viaje (qué te puedo decir, ¡me gusta seguir mis propios consejos!) Nos llevó cómodamente a mi, a Benjamin y a 3 de nuestros amigos por las calles de Vancouver y por las montañas impecablemente mágicas e imposiblemente heladas rumbo a Whistler. Llevar nuestra cámara GoPro para documentar la acción fue otra excelente decisión. Sin embargo, recordar la importancia de cargarla no se nos ocurrió hasta el segundo día.

Nuestro fin de semana estuvo lleno de cosas como: reencontrarnos con amigos y familiares, vagabundear por las calles de la ciudad sólo para sentirla respirar, dejarnos llevar por las hermosas vistas acompañados de buena música, bajando la montaña en tabla a velocidades irreverentes (sobre pistas abiertas y también cerradas), comiendo riquísimo, riendo muchísimo, y durmiendo poquito. Todos los elementos para unas deliciosas mini-vacaciones. Byebye, Vancouver! We'll be back! / Adiós, Vancouver, ¡regresaremos!

photos by Benjamin Vargas, Yesenia Lopez, Aaron Lopez, and Rebekah Brown

LA travel blog

Los Angeles just might be the closest thing to home for me. Not that I really know what "home" means.

To sum up my childhood: we bounced around from city to city, spending 1 to 4 years in each place. The progression went something like Tucson-Puebla-Tucson-Orizaba-Tucson-Oaxaca-Orizaba. So for me, thinking outside the box happened in the form of staying inside of a box of some sort. And Los Angeles had just enough to keep my gypsy-nomad tendencies at bay for 12 entire years.

Arriving in LA as a visitor is a new experience for me. I almost didn't know what to do with myself. It's like I wanted to run around, go everywhere, do everything and visit everyone. But at the same time I was just as happy basking in the perfect sunlight, reflecting and appreciating, pondering and planning. It turns out I hadn't actually idealized LA in my absence. It just rules.

I'll let my pictures do the rest of the talking for me... If my math doesn't fail me, these pictures are worth more than 38,000 words!

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A estas alturas, prácticamente puedo decir que soy de Los Angeles. Aunque en verdad soy más como la India María: "Ni de aquí ni de allá."

Para resumir mi niñez: íbamos de ciudad en ciudad, pasando de 1 a 4 años en cada una. La progressión fue algo así como Tucson-Puebla-Tucson-Orizaba-Tucson-Oaxaca-Orizaba. Asi que para mi, viajar no era ningún riesgo. Viajar era lo más natural. El riesgo, el gran desconocido, era quedarme en un solo lugar. Y Los Angeles logró captar mi atención y calmar mis tendencias semi-nomadas por 12 años.

Llegar a Los Angeles como visita es algo nuevo para mi. Y estaba casi que no sabía que hacer. Con ganas de hacer todo, de ir a todos lados y saludar a todo mundo. Pero al mismo tiempo estaba 100% satisfecha absorbiendo el sol como lagartija, reflexionando y apreciando, meditando y planeando. Resulta que no había idealizado a LA mientras no estaba. En efecto, es la neta.

Pero bueno. Dejaré que mis fotografías cuenten el resto de la historia... Si no me fallan las matemáticas, ¡estas fotos valen más que 38 mil palabras!

The Beatles of Houston

What to do on a sweltering Saturday in soon-to-be-September? Head out on a mini-excursion to feast our eyes on elongated editions of The Beatles, of course! It’s crazy that these 36-foot-dudes have been practically living in our backyard this whole time and we’d never heard about them before! John, Paul, Ringo and George can be found in a semi-abandoned lot near the former studio of the great artist and sculptor David Adickes, along with an ever-changing collection of president heads and busts he’s created throughout the years. Yes, it’s technically private property—but visitors are welcome to mosey and meander between Lincoln, Roosevelt, Clinton and (a rather small-headed) Obama. Ah, art. Bold, bizarre, beautiful art. Our day continued with seafood and drinks at local tremendously trendy hidden gem Julep (‘hidden’ as in hidden from us, not from the rest of Houston, apparently!) where I learned that oysters can in fact be tolerable, and was gently reminded that, indeed, I still haven’t developed an affinity for bourbon.

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¿Qué se puede hacer en un sábado soleado a semanas de septiembre? Salir de mini-excursión para conocer a los Beatles de concreto, ¡por supuesto! Lo más loco es que estas estatuas de 11 metros han estado viviendo prácticamente en mi jardín todo este tiempo, ¡y yo ni en cuenta! Puedes encontrar a John, Paul, Ringo y George en un lote semi-abandonado cerca de lo que solía ser el estudio del escultor y artista David Adickes. Conviviendo con ellos están docenas de cabezas y bustos de presidentes que ha creado a lo largo de los años y están en constante rotación. A pesar de que que es propiedad privada, puedes sentirte con la libertad de divagar y deambular entre Lincoln, Roosevelt, Clinton y Obama (Un Obama singularmente no cabezón). Los Beatles entre cabezas de presidentes, ¿Quién lo iba a pensar? Y es que así es el arte. Atrevido, absurdo, y hermoso. Nuestras aventuras continuaron en Julep, un bar escondido pero muy al día donde consumimos cantidades razonables de mariscos y cocteles. Allí aprendí que los ostiones pueden llegar a ser tolerables, y recordé que sigo sin desarrollar una afinidad por el whisky americano.

holly wears - top:madewell, shorts:american apparel,  boots:steve madden, hat:goorin bros, sunnies:madewell

Photos by: Benjamin Vargas, Holly Tuggy and Sylvia Maldonado

Tulum travel blog

I try to cultivate an attitude of contentment wherever I am. Focusing on what I do have rather than what I don’t. Appreciating what’s in front of me rather than pining away for what isn’t. But a few months ago it dawned on me that there’s something I really have been missing: the ocean. There is something so overwhelming about being able to stand next to this gigantic mass of water that can’t sit still, even for a second. Its sheer size reminds us how small we are, its power forces us to reflect on our fragility. It might have been that same day that Ben came up to me and said “I miss the beach!”. That was when I knew we had to plan our escape from this urban jungle to visit one of our favorite places on earth: Tulum.

Tulum sits on the Mayan Riviera just a short jaunt away from Cancun. But the differences between the two could not be greater. Tulum is the kind of place you go to when you’re looking to get away from all the man-made non-sense that surrounds us on a daily basis and just enjoy nature. I’m talking gorgeous unadulterated white-sand beaches, mesmerizingly bright turquoise waters, and lush fully-inhabited jungles. The seafood was so fresh and it was prepared so perfectly, I wished I could get hungry 4 or 5 times a day. The little bungalows and shops were so beautifully designed, I have a whole slew of new ideas for decorating my own home. And, as with most trips, I’m left here wondering if it really did happen, and if I am the same person now as I was before the trip. I wonder how in the world it can feel like time went by so fast, and I’m baffled that we managed to cram so much in to those 9 days.

Planning to go to Tulum? Here are a few tips to make your trip as delightful as ours was:

1. If at all possible, rent a car. Give yourself the freedom to go wherever you want, whenever you want and you will not regret it. It was so nice not to have to depend on others for our transportation. There are some things we would have for sure not done had we not rented a car. Yes, it cost us about $50 a day, but not having to look up schedules, wait for transportation, lug our suitcases to and fro, and budget taxis into every activity is PRICELESS.

2. Go with someone you really like. You are going to be spending a lot of time together. Make sure you really like the person.

3. You don’t have to plan EVERYTHING beforehand. The only thing we planned beforehand was purchasing plane tickets and getting vacation time. Other than that our trip was completely play-it-by-ear. We didn’t know where we were going to stay, what we were going to eat, even what activities we were going to partake in. We let it come to us on an inspiration-basis.

4. Find a balance between documenting and living the moment. Yes, take pictures, but don't spend your entire vacation planning photo-ops. It's about enjoying the moment, and sometimes that means putting the camera DOWN. With that being said, make sure you give yourself something to look back at (especially if you're a picture lover like me!). Seeing a picture from your trip will make you smile years from now.

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Trato de cultivar una actitud de felicidad y satisfacción donde quiera que esté. Enfocarme en lo que tengo y no en lo que no tengo. Apreciar lo que está en frente de mi, y no desear lo que está lejos. Pero hace un par de meses me cayó el veinte que hay algo que he estado extrañando mucho: el océano. Hay algo increíble que pasa cuando te paras al lado del mar, esa masa gigantesca de agua que no se puede calmar ni por un segundo. Su tamaño nos recuerda lo pequeños que somos; su fuerza nos obliga a ver nuestra propia fragilidad. Creo que fue ese mismo día que se me acercó Benjamin y me dijo “¡Extraño la playa!”. En ese momento supe que teníamos que planear nuestra escapada de esta jungla urbana para visitar uno de nuestros lugares favoritos: Tulum.

Tulum se sitúa en la Riviera Maya a menos de dos horas de Cancun. Pero las diferencias entre ambas no podrían ser mayores. Tulum es uno de esos lugares a donde vas para olvidarte de todo, para alejarte del ruido, la gente, la tecnología. Vas a Tulum no solo para apreciar la naturaleza, sino para quedarte anonadado con ella. Estoy hablando de playas hermosas de arena blanca, aguas brillantemente turquesas, y selvas pobladas. Los mariscos eran tan frescos y los preparaban tan perfectamente, que me hubiera gustado tener otra panza para seguir saboreando. Los pequeños bungalows y tienditas tenían un diseño tan ecléctico que ya tengo muchas ideas nuevas para decorar mi propia casa. Y, como me pasa después de la mayoría de los viajes, me encuentro aquí preguntando si realmente sucedió, y si yo soy la misma persona que la que abordó ese avión. Me pregunto cómo es posible que el tiempo se haya pasado tan rápido, y a la vez me sorprendo al pensar en todo lo que logramos hacer en tan sólo 9 días.

Planeando ir a Tulum? Aquí te van unos consejos para que tu viaje sea tan placentero como el mío:

1. Si es posible, renta un carro. Date la libertad de ir adonde quieras, cuando quieras. No te vas a arrepentir. Me encantó no tener que depender de nadie más para nuestra transportación. Hay algunas cosas que definitivamente no hubiéramos hecho de no haber tenido carro. Si, nos costó alrededor de $50 por día, pero no tener que andar viendo horarios, esperando colectivos, arrastrando maletas a media calle, y pidiendo taxis realmente NO TIENE PRECIO.

2. Ve con alguien que te guste mucho. Van a estar pasando mucho tiempo juntos. Asegúrate que realmente te lleves bien con tu compañero de viaje.

3. No tienes que planear TODO de antemano. Lo único que nosotros habíamos planeado era comprar de boletos de avión y pedir días libres del trabajo. De ahí en fuera todo fue espontáneo. No sabíamos donde nos íbamos a quedar, qué íbamos a comer, ni en qué actividades íbamos a participar. De esta manera nos dejamos guiar por la inspiración.

4. Encuentra un balance entre documentar y vivir el momento. Toma fotos, claro que si, pero al querer documentar no se te vaya a olvidar vivir el momento. Aveces, apreciar el momento implica guardar la cámara. Ahora, ya que aclaré eso, asegúrate de tomar unas cuantas fotos para poder recordar tu viaje más intensamente. Ver fotos de tu viaje seguro te hará sonreír, año tras año.

Photos by Holly Tuggy and Benjamin Vargas

Gracias 2013, VENGA 2014!!

It may seem a little late to be reflecting on 2013, but trust me, I did my share of it in the last week of the year.

As I recalled and basked in the memories of the last 365 days, the fist thing that came to me was an overwhelming sense of gratitude—for the unforgettable moments, the places I’ve gotten to see, the people I’ve been lucky enough to spend my time with, and the lessons learned along the way. It is absolutely mind-boggling to me how life manages to get better and better every year!

Looking toward 2014, here are some things that I’d like to focus on/work towards:

Filter my consumption And I’m not referring to what I eat, although I am very much aware of the importance of this and will continue to live by it. I am talking about what I spend my time doing, what I look at on the internet, what I read, what thoughts I will entertain; THESE are the things that I need to filter. In 2014 I want to STAY POSITIVE, LOOK FORWARD, FOCUS ON THE GOOD, BE GRATEFUL!

Think less about what I need and more about how I can help.

Create more, believe in myself more, hang out with the people I love more.

And lastly, stop procrastinating! (But I must keep in mind, it is ALWAYS better late than never!) ;)

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Quizá dirás que ya es demasiado tarde para estar reflexionando sobre el 2013, pero créeme, la última semana del año yo parecía no hacer otra cosa.

Mientras en mi mente se perdía paseando por todos los recuerdos de los últimos 365 días, me sentí inundada de gratitud—por los momentos inolvidables, los lugares que he podido visitar, las personas con las que he tenido el privilegio de convivir, y las lecciones aprendidas.

Viendo hacia el año 2014, hay ciertas cosas en las que me quiero enfocar:

Filtrar lo que que consumo. Y no me refiero a lo que como, aunque estoy consciente de la importancia de esto y lo seguiré practicando. Mas bien estoy hablando (escribiendo) de las cosas que elijo para ocupar mis horas—lo que veo en el internet, lo que leo, los pensamientos que entretengo—estas son las cosas que necesito filtrar. En el 2014 quiero mantenerme POSITIVA, VER HACIA ADELANTE, ENFOCARME EN LO BUENO, SER AGRADECIDA!

Pensar menos en lo que yo necesito, y más en cómo puedo ayudar.

Quiero crear más, creer en mi más, pasar más tiempo con la gente que amo.

Y por último, dejar de procrastinar!

(pero sigo recordando, mas vale tarde que nunca!) ;)

THANK YOU 2013, 2014, I'm coming for ya!!!!!!

PERU is LOVELY

It’s odd to me the way the phrase “time is money” gets thrown around so non-chalantly as if the formula were that simple. I’m positive it’s much more complicated than that.

I find that when I am making money, I don’t have a whole lot of time to do much of anything, and when I have time, I usually don’t have a barrel of money.

It is true that the more time you are willing to give up, the more money you are able to obtain. It is also true that spending money can contribute in a way to how you enjoy your time (alas, no matter how much I try to fight this one, there’s no way around it). However, at the end of the day, money can flow in like a river just as easily as it can float out like a hot air balloon – what holds true value in this equation is TIME. Opportunities are the real treasure. One MUST take advantage of them whenever possible.

And that is exactly what I did when given the opportunity to crash my mom’s Peru reunion. (She met up with some of her old buddies from Yarinacocha, a small town along the Amazon river in Peru where she spent a large chunk of her childhood). I mean, WHEN will I ever get another opportunity to meander through the Machu Picchu ruins in the rain with mom and dad while learning all about what we think we have figured out about the Incas? (“...so the Incas took advantage of that” was our tour guide’s favorite phrase—he said it about EVERYTHING!) So I made like an Inca and took advantage of THAT.

What a delightful, surprising, inspiring trip. I expected the unexpected, but the trip somehow still managed to seriously blow me away. I met some incredible people, heard some awe-inspiring stories, was humbled and fascinated and dumbfounded and intrigued and forever changed. (And this, my friends, is exactly what traveling is all about.) But anyway I’ll let my pictures do the rest of the talking :)

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Me parece curioso que la gente use la frase “el tiempo es dinero” como si la fórmula fuera tan simple. Estoy segura que es mucho mas complicado que eso.

Yo encuentro que cuando estoy haciendo dinero, casi no tengo tiempo, y cuando tengo tiempo, pues digamos que no me llueve el dinero.

Es verdad que si estás dispuesto a sacrificar tu tiempo, puedes obtener mas dinero. También es verdad (aunque no me gusta aceptarlo) que el dinero tiene mucho que ver con cómo disfrutas tu tiempo. Sin embargo, al final del día, el dinero puede entrar como un río y salir volando como un papalote—lo que realmente tiene valor en esta ecuación es el tiempo. Las oportunidades son un tesoro. Uno TIENE que aprovecharlas cada que se pueda.

Y eso es exactamente lo que hice cuando se me presentó la oportunidad de colarme a la reunión de Perú de mi mamá. (Se encontró con algunos de sus amigos de la infancia con los que creció en Yarinacocha, un pueblo al lado del río Amazonas)

O sea, cuántas veces en la vida voy a tener la oportunidad de andar por las ruinas de Machu Picchu en la lluvia con mis papás mientras aprendemos acerca de los Incas? (“... asi que los Incas se aprovecharon de eso” fue la frase favorita de nuestro guía—lo dijo como 37 veces!) Asi que le hice como Inca, y ¡ME APROVECHÉ de ESO!

¡Qué viaje tan agradable, sorprendente, e inspirador! A pesar de que había decidido esperar lo inesperado, el viaje de alguna manera logró dejarme totalmente asombrada. Conocí personas increíbles, escuché historias impresionantes, quedé fascinada, intrigada y por siempre cambiada. (Y esto, mis amigos, es exactamente de lo que se trata el acto de viajar.) En fin, voy a dejar que las fotos cuenten el resto de la historia :)

The perfect summer day

A few of my favorite things –

Summer days, the beach, cheap funky sunglasses, nude lipstick, covering up messy hair with a beanie and the guy behind the camera. We spent the day driving around in the convertible and flying our new dual line kite like 12-year-olds the day after Christmas.

Let’s keep enjoying summer while summer is still with us!

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Algunas de mis cosas favoritas son:

El verano, la playa, los lentes de sol que son tanto llamativos como baratos, el labial color carne, los beanies para cubrirme las greñas, y el hombre detrás de la cámara...

Aprovechamos el sol al máximo desde temprano en el convertible, cantando y escuchando música a todo volúmen. Y al llegar a la playa volamos nuestro nuevo papalote de doble línea con la misma emoción de dos niños estrenando sus juguetes de navidad.

¡Sigamos exprimiéndole el jugo al verano mientras se pueda!

(sunglasses:popkiller, sweater:forever 21, shorts:H&M, beanie:hot topic)

Well hello, Solvang!

Tantas veces que he escuchado del famoso “wine tasting” y nunca se me había ocurrido ir a hacerlo - hasta ahora! Yesenia y Beks nos invitaron a Benjamin y a mi a Solvang – un pueblito Danés repleto de huertos y viñaterías a unas dos horas de Los Angeles.

Elegimos el día perfecto y la compañía ideal... Entre el calorón, las vistas, la plática, las risas, la aventura, y el vinito y sus efectos, se convirtió en una experiencia inolvidable.

(nota para novatos: Con dos rondas fue MAS que suficiente para nosotros! Presiento que se estaban pasando de generosos con las probaditas de vino – ha de haber sido la buena compañía, te digo...)

Regresando a casa, antes de llegar a Santa Barbara llegamos a una playita fresca y aislada que espero poder volver a encontrar algún día. *suspiro* Amo California!

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I’ve heard about wine tasting so many times that I almost felt like I’d already done it. But I hadn’t – until now. Yesenia and Beks invited Ben and me to Solvang, a small Danish community about two hours north of LA.

We chose the perfect day and the most amazing company... between the sweltering heat, the gorgeous views, the conversations, the laughter, the adventure, and the wine and its effects, it was a crazy day and an unforgettable experience.

(Note for novices: two rounds were about the limit for us! I have a feeling everyone was just being really generous with us – must have been the great company)

On the way home before we hit Santa Barbara we somehow arrived (funny how that happens when you’re not behind the wheel, eh?) at this refreshingly beautiful secluded beach. I sure hope I can find it again some day. *sigh* I love California!

top:pure+good, boots:sam edelman, pants:club monaco, sunglasses:club monaco

P.D. Estoy 100% consciente que ya me toca decolorarme el cabello otra vez, pero por el momento estoy disfrutando este 'look' bastante!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ P.S. I'm well aware of my roots, but enjoying them throughly for the time being, oddly enough...