With summer coming to an end (officially on September 23), I figured I’d give you all a small taste of a Caribbean cruise I experienced. A last getaway before all the leaves start to turn that golden color and the fall crisp air starts rolling in.
In March of 2013, I boarded my first ever cruise ship. As a recent grad from Cal State Fullerton, family members were constantly asking what I wanted as a graduation present. While I already had the laptop and basically everything I ever need or want as a recent grad, the one thing I did want was the experience to travel.
My Aunt Annie, or as said in my language my Tita Annie, and my Uncle Rene, Tito Rene, have been going on cruises quite a bit. So as they were trying to book their next one, they added me onto their itinerary. So as my graduation present they booked me a 10-day cruise to the eastern Caribbean with them. While it’s been well over a year since I went on that cruise, I did take a lot of photos and videos that I still haven’t shared to the world yet.
So I have decided to relive this wonderful getaway and share the experience with you in my Eastern Caribbean Diary series. In the next few weeks I will share photos, videos and tell you all about my good and bad experiences while on my vacation. It’ll be a getaway for everyone to see.
So today is September 12, 2014 and yesterday marked the 13th anniversary of the September 11 attack on the World Trade Centers in New York City and the Pentagon.
Freedom towers under construction.
Here is a picture of the new freedom towers being built back in March 2013, in honor of the World Trade Centers that went down. I took this photo while I was on my cruise leaving for the Caribbean. It was cold and the air was crisp, but seeing these freedom towers brought a tear in my eye.
I’ve lived on the east coast before, and I have some close family that work in New York City, so when the September 11, 2001 attacks happened it broke my young heart at the mere age of 9.
Now, I don’t want to go into full detail of how I felt and how I feel now. That could take years; I just wanted to show a post of how far our country has come since these attacks. While, I’m not going to get into any political debates into anything happening now since then, I just merely want to take a moment to reflect on all the lives that were lost on this day 13 years ago. So many strangers banded together to help each other out, so many people lost their lives to help someone, and to everyone that was there and to anyone that had family there, they are all heroes in my heart.
I decided to post this after September 11 because I believe that while we will never forget 9/11 in America and we will take the time on that day every year to reflect upon the past and our future. I want to show that we will never forget it every day of our lives. I want you to remember to hold your loved ones close and always tell them you love them. And always remember all those heroes that lived and all those heroes that passed away.
God Bless America
But on another note, as of 2011, September 12 has been officially called National Day of Encouragement! I didn’t know of this day until my work gave us a nice piece of paper that we would put on our desk walls.
The paper starts with “The National Day of Encouragement is about inspiring Americans to make deliberate words and acts of encouragement a part of this day first, then a part of every day of their lives.”
Now I love this idea, so here are some quotes that my work decided to give us as words of encouragement.
“Challenges are what make life interesting and overcoming them is what makes life meaningful.” – Joshua J. Marine
“In order to succeed, your desire for success should be greater than your fear of failure.” – Bill Cosby.
“Nothing is impossible, the word itself says, “I’m possible!” – Audrey Hepburn
“Even if you are on the right track, you will get run over if you sit there.” – Will Rogers
“Never look down on anybody unless you’re helping them up.” – Jesse Jackson.
CHEERS my travelers. Spread your words of encouragement and tell the world about this day. Also hug your loved ones while you’re at it.
Do you have any inspiring encouraging quotes, post a comment with it below or tweet me @lostwithyvonne
Tonight marks the last pre-season game for the San Diego Chargers before the real games begin!
After 22 years, this born and raised San Diego girl has finally made her way to a Chargers game at Qualcomm Stadium! And we’ve got FIELD tickets!
Watch out for this Thursday night football game at 7 p.m. PST where the Chargers will play against the Arizona Cardinals!
Keep an eye out, I’ll be somewhere in the stands by the field goal! I’ll be the tall girl with the tall boyfriend proudly wearing her Phillip Rivers #17 Jersey. Bolt up!
“You have brains in your head, you have feet in your shoes, you can steer yourself in any direction you choose. You’re on your own and you know what you know, you are the guy (or girl) who’ll decide where to go.”
Dr. Seuss
Decided to share a little inspirational Dr. Seuss with all my travelers. Remember to dream big and believe in yourself. There is so much out there in the world to explore and see. You just have to get up and go. by Lost With Yvonne | 0 comments
I’m a huge Despicable Me fan. Ha Banana. So upon hearing that Universal Studios Hollywood added in an area dedicated to Despicable Me, that is when I jumped on the annual pass train for Universal.
So for my first Theme Parkaholics post I present you, Universal Studios Hollywood. While Universal is a bit more of a drive than Disneyland is, it’s still a fun place to go to. The last time I went to Universal Studios Back to the Future was still there and no one knew of what a Transformer was, well at least movie wise to all my comic book fans.
So with the great success of Despicable Me, Universal Studios decided to invest lots of money and make Super Silly Funland into a reality for kids. You see, Universal Studios used to be geared towards teens and adults because how can you compete with Disneyland not too far south of you. But with the new addition, it’s making Universal Studios a more kid friendly place.To get to Super Silly Funland you have to walk through the streets of Europe until you reach the Despicable Me: Minion Mayhem ride. The first time I went to Universal, this ride was only a 30 minute wait, but as soon as summer came along it jumped to a 2 hour wait. Safe to say, we didn’t go the second time.
While in line you have misters spraying at you to help protect you from the wonderful LA heat, TVs with minions, and even workers playing catch with you or spraying you with a water gun. The ride itself is a fun 3D simulator. You basically get to become a minion and part of Gru’s top secret mission, which will first be led by the girls putting you through basic minion training.
So if you’re a fan of minions, bananas, and just love Despicable Me, you’ll surely love this ride as much as I did. And hey, at the end you get to be a part of a dance party.
But after you get out of the Minion Mayhem, the fun doesn’t stop there. You end up in the Despicable Me store filled with everything Despicable me, I ended up buying my very own minion cup and I love it!
And then you end up outside in none other than SUPER SILLY FUNLAND! AGH! This little corner of the park includes a ride for small children, game booths filled with fluffies (and cheating workers who don’t let older kids win), and a mini waterpark all the while blasting songs like Happy by Pharrel (one of my favorite songs) and the whole Despicable Me soundtrack.
And yes, I said waterpark. During the summer this place is filled with dripping wet children in their bathing suits, if they’re a veteran, or just in their t-shirt and shorts. I have not had the pleasure to go through this waterpark, but I have passed by it and I would definitely have my bathing suit and change of clothes ready if I were to go through it.
But my favorite part of Super Silly Funland is hidden behind the waterpark. There is this balcony with little view finders and you can see the whole Universal Back lot and the mountains behind it. It was a beautiful site, unfortunately this is where smokers can smoke, but on a slow day it’s quite beautiful to overlook studio city from high above. Check out my video here.
Overall Super Silly Funland in Universal Studios is a great place to take the kids during the summertime and maybe even take a picture with a minion or two. Cheers my travelers. Hope you enjoyed the first edition of Theme Parkaholics!
These posts are simple, it’s about theme parks. I simply love going to theme parks. I’m an adventure seeker and roller coasters, expensive food, and scary mazes help fill some void in my life.
I currently hold annual passes for Disneyland/California Adventure, Universal Studios Hollywood and Knotts Berry Farm/ Knotts Soak City. So at least once every month I’ll feature a theme park, ride or food found in a theme park and maybe even a tip or two and blog about it. I’ll post awesome pictures and some videos and show you how fun theme parks can be. I’ll probably even include zoos and fairs and things of the like.
I hope all you travelers enjoy my Theme Parkaholics posts because I know we’ve all been to a theme park at least once in our lives and whether you bring your children there now or still run around in a theme park with the child within you, then I’m sure you’ll enjoy this.
Do you have a favorite theme park that brings out the inner child in you? Comment below or tweet me @lostwithyvonne.
So San Diego Comic Con 2014 has come and passed. And I was not there again this year and I’m okay with that.
Why would I be okay with it? Well that answer is as simple as saying that I don’t like crowds and waiting in lines (a reason why Disneyland can be conflicting to me).
But I have had the great privilege and pleasure to have gone to TWO Comic-Con Internationals in San Diego in my life. That’s two more than a lot of people.
On the Trolley to Comic-Con, just a tad excited.
It’s been years since my last Comic-Con experience and every year I hear how it keeps getting bigger and bigger. Comic-Con in San Diego is the biggest event that San Diego holds every summer. And big name celebs and directors all come here to reveal movie, book, and TV plots and pilots.
I want to throw it back to the old Comic-Con years I went to and how I felt so out of place at the convention they call ‘for the nerds’.
The San Diego County Fair or known as The Fab Fair for this year’s theme was quite a full-filling experience. And I mean that literally.
Located at the Del Mar Fairgrounds, which is the Del Mar Racetracks, as usual, the fair consisted of lots of unhealthy eating, thrill rides that make you re-think having eaten that deep fried corndog, and so many little shops you feel like you’re in an infomercial. And even though my body hated me the next day after binge eating grease and who knows what else, I am so glad I got to have a big cheat day and eat all that delicious food.
The San Diego County fair has always been special to me. I’ve grown up going to the SD Fair; it’s always a big deal in San Diego, as is any fair in any city really. But this fair has always been my main one. I mean I’ve performed a dance on one of the concert stages, worked for a radio station during the Michael Jackson zombie tribute, did the scary bungee ball ride.
But this year, we focused on the food, as it’s supposed to be.
The fair is always known for making the most outrageously bad, but actually so good, food for you. And every year the heart cloggers get more and more grandiose. While I didn’t try it, this year’s big heart attack item was called the Triple Decker Krispy Kreme Cheeseburger and I have heard reviews that it is good. I guess it tastes like it sounds: a cheeseburger wrapped around two glazed donuts, so if you’re up for it. I say, why not?
I am SO glad I got into soccer this last year. The 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brasil wouldn’t be as exciting if it weren’t for my sudden love of soccer.
My love for soccer stemmed from my new fitness regime where soccer is played every Sunday on the adult women’s league in a nearby town and I’m their goalie. I had never played soccer in my entire life until last year. And now I’m watching soccer for fun!
I just wanted to dabble in a little soccer talk about today’s game of USA vs. Belgium. This game was very special because USA, EVEN though it lost to Germany last week, still made it to top 16 in the elimination round. That is a big deal for USA.
And with fourth of July coming up, it’s no wonder that people from all over the United States have gathered around for the match of the year for USA. (U-S-A, U-S-A!)
I am sorry to report that we lost to Belgium in extra time 2 – 1. This has knocked us out of the world cup completely.
But what makes this game so special was how crowds and crowds of people have gathered to witness this game. Offices have the game streaming in break rooms, bars are probably packed to the brim, it goes to show that if America really bands together we can be a force to be reckoned with considering that a recent study showed that the USA had the most active online community on the World Cup since USA got into knock out rounds.
I love big games like these where all these countries are all put together into one place and onto one screen. While we all have our own teams to route for, I love routing for unity as a world. I love seeing all these different nationalities onto one screen and then seeing the crowds of all different kinds of people enjoying the love of the game.
2014 FIFA World Cup, you are awesome. Cheers. I can’t wait until I can one day go to a FIFA World Cup, wherever it may be next time.
Oh and a big shout to USA goalie Tim Howard. He kicked ass at this game with 16 saves, giving him the title of the highest goalie saves in a world cup in the US in over a century. From one goalie to another, congrats to you. Now if only I can be as good as him. Ha, cheers
