relaxation in bermuda

What an amazing way to spend a week long vacation! I got to sit by the pool and read a book, play trivia, overlook some spectacular turquoise water, and get a small history lesson. I have had a blessed life in that vacation for me ALWAYS happened in some shape or form....seriously always. I know that I may now sound super spoiled for saying that, but I am eternally grateful for my parents and their hard work to make vacations happen. There were times where our vacation would just be a long weekend doing something together as a family, but there was always a "vacation" 

Now that you now all of that information you understand why vacations are such a bug deal to me. My other half doesn't really feel that way about vacations- at all. He thinks that they are expensive and takes a lot of planning, but he is always up for adventure. My type A personality loves the planning aspect of a trip, but my wallet not so much. 

I decided back in January that a cruise would be a great vacation for the two of us! Unlimited food, shows, entertainment and soaking up the sunshine. We decided to cruise on Royal Caribbean to Bermuda for a seven day cruise. I had cruised before, once on Royal Caribbean and once on Carnival, and now that I am older I thoroughly enjoyed Royal Caribbean and the overall experience of a cruise. It was a pleasant surprise to be "disconnected" for a week with no wi-fi or cell service to depend on. (you don't realize how much you use Google in your life until you go without, haha)

We left the East Coast on Friday (June 5) and spent two days cruising down the Atlantic. I spent most of the time finishing up The Astronaut Wives Club  (which you can read about here) by the pool and soaking up the gorgeous sunshine.We were lucky to get seven perfect days of sunny weather!

We docked in Bermuda on Monday evening and hung around King's Wharf and the Royal Naval Dockyard since we didn't want to venture into town late at night. We got some famous Bermuda Rum Cakes and wandered around the Clock-tower Mall until dinner time. We also noticed the Moon Gate Arch in the Royal Naval Dockyard. "Couples who kiss under our moon gates, the wedding band shaped arches found throughout the island- will according to local legend be assured a long and happy life together. Walk through one of or lovely limestone archways, make a wish and look forward to a joyful and prosperous future." ← how adorable!

 The next day we got up bright and early to catch our snorkeling excursion to two of Bermuda's any ship wrecks. Did you know that Bermuda is a the ship wreck capital of the Atlantic?!? Crazy right! Anyhow the snorkeling trip was a BLAST! The water temperature was perfect and the water was so clear I could see 20 feet below me to the bottom. We got some great footage with the GoPro and that will get posted eventually. Our snorkel "guide" was born and raised on the island so it was also a brief Bermuda lesson and Q&A session all rolled into one. The boat also had a slide on the front which dropped riders about five feet above the water! It was one of the coolest things I have done in my life and made the entire vacation well worth the trip. 

After the morning snorkeling trip we took the local bus to Horseshoe Bay beach. I know that Bermuda has a ton of beaches to offer and I know Horseshoe Bay is the busiest and most touristy beach of them all, but I knew how to get there and I knew the bus ride wouldn't take that long. That beach also has the some of the nicest facilities for cleaning and since we were riding the bus I knew we couldn't get on with wet, sandy feet. We climbed up to the top of the rock that surrounds Horseshoe Bay for some spectacular views. I loved that we could swim in water up to our heads, yet still see our feet so easily. If we go back I would be more open to venturing off to a different beach to explore more of what the island has to offer. 

Our third day on the island we decided to catch the ferry to St. George's on the far north end of the island. St. George's is known for being the "old city" of Bermuda. It's where the British first landed when settling the island so there is still a great deal of British influence throughout the city. It was a nice city to walk around and admire the architecture and history of the island. We decided to grab lunch in St. George instead of the ship, and we payed the price-literally. Since practically everything in Bermuda is imported, the import tax is sky high and your wallet can sometimes pay the price. It was only one meal so it didn't break the bank and I was able to get some delicious panko-crusted wahoo fish!

The last few days of the trip were spent at sea and relaxing by the pool. I will admit that by about day five of the trip I was getting cranky and irritated. I missed by bed, my nice big shower, my dog, my mom, and other luxuries of home. Again, I know that I sound like a very spoiled person but I'm just being honest. Overall the trip was absolutely amazing and I had a blast. I loved spending quality time with my other half and relaxing without the phone ringing or emails buzzing.

book review: the astronaut wives club

What an awesome book!

This book kept me entertained throughout each flipping of the page. If you have seen movies such as The Right Stuff, Apollo 13, or have any interest in the "space race" that happened during the sixties you know how it ends. What you don't know is that the wives played a major role in deciding who the first man in space was. This novel takes you through the lives of the astronaut wives who put their entire life in the spotlight so that their husband's could go to the moon. 

It tells history from another perspective and that's what makes this book an excellent read. If you are looking for a non-fiction book that feels more like a "story" then this book is for you. I highly recommend picking up a copy at your local library.  

reno and demo: stage 2

While we were on vacation A LOT of work was done at the new house. Walls were taken down, cabinets were ripped out, bulkhead was installed, and the new electrical was installed. I walked into the "kitchen" when we returned on Friday and was met with a very awesome surprise:

The kitchen wall is down, and the structure for the peninsula/knee wall is in place. All the electrical wiring is reworked for a new kitchen layout and outlets. In order for the kitchen cabinets to line up properly we had to extend the bulk head around parts of the wall/ceiling. As you can see, renovations are coming along nicely. Next steps will be to pick out paint and start paining the trim and ceiling in the upstairs hallways and bedrooms. Stay tuned!

currently || june

craving || anything grilled outside. June is the official start of summer which means GRILL ALL THE THINGS!

listening || summer country on Spotify.

planning || cruising, again. As the day gets ever closer we are starting to buy last minute items and pack up our stuff.

reading || The Astronaut Wives Club

decorating || the kitchen. We just picked out appliances and will start real demo soon, now that all the wallpaper is gone. 

reno and demo: stage 1

Where to even begin....We spent the last weekend taking down wallpaper in an almost 100 year old house that has plaster walls. Let me tell you, wallpaper removal is not fun at all! It's sticky, it's wet and the solvent stinks. We had to remove wallpaper from the kitchen, downstairs bathroom, dining room, and upstairs bedroom. The whole process took all three days of the long Memorial Day weekend. 

In the middle of wallpaper removal our contractor decided to stop by to answer a few questions we had. While he was over he let me borrow a sledge hammer and start taking down the wall in our kitchen. That experience was AMAZING! Taking a huge sledgehammer to a plaster wall was major stress relief, but I had to clean up the mess afterwards-which was not so fun. 

Overall the process and project is coming along quite nicely. The kitchen wall is down to the studs, all the wallpaper is gone, and the basement walls are down to the studs as well. The next project will be to paint the trim and walls upstairs-since there is no work going on up there. Once the upstairs painting is finished, we will start painting downstairs.