I (heart) CDMX

In 2008 I studied abroad in Buenos Aires. While there I met 2 wild women, who my father fondly refers to as "The Delicate Birds" (they're both 4'11"), and to this day they are some of my favorite people to be around. The first time we hung out, we sat on my friends homestay porch and drank water. We're wild. After about 8 years of the 3 of us trying to be in the same place at the same time, someone suggested Mexico city and everything was booked within 48 hours. 

When it's the right time, right place and you get your sh*t together.

One of the many reasons I love to travel with them is that they love to have a plan. Can't afford wasted time in a place as big as Mexico City. Here are my top 6 for our (basically) 48 hour spin around the city: 

• If you're into vintage shopping, head to Vintage Hoe in Colonia Roma, they have great finds and everyone is very friendly
• Panadería Rosetta, the smaller one on Colima for pastries and coffee
• Lucha Libre, because obviously
• All the places around Centro Historico, but mainly the flautas stand down the street from Palacio Nacional
• Mercado de Artisenías La Ciudadela, artisan market for handcrafts and folk art, a little touristy but I'm ok with it if you are
• Tie between the Museo Antropologia and Bosque Chapultapec because they are basically the same place, they are huge so the castle was closed by the time we got there, otherwise I bet it would be on this list

Again, Mexico City is really big, so that is a pretty limited list of all your options, but a good place to start. We all think we will be heading back that way some day. Hopefully sooner than 8 years. 

Ithaca, where flurries are inches and temperatures are freezing

Have you ever been outside in 5 degrees Fahrenheit? Actually 5 degrees? Well I have. I went with my main squeeze to visit his old stomping grounds and I'll tell you what, that is a new type of cold.

As we were boarding the plane up there the weather was calling for "possible snow flurries" that night. I love the snow, therefore, I was excited to get to see one more snow for the season. By the time we landed at the regional airport the flurries had begun! A dusting was all. They stopped as we were on our way to Wegman's and cleared by the time we made it to the house on Cayuga Lake. When we climbed in bed for the night, the sky was clear and the air was crisp.

In the morning, my eyes first landed on 6 inches of snow on the window sill. Where I'm from, that ain't a flurry. It was wonderful, we built a fire and made brunch complete with mimosas. Then cleared out the driveway to get coffee by the commons. The commons is a pedestrian mall downtown that is only about three blocks long. So why not go for a stroll?

Because it's 5 degrees out. 

Here are my top 6 things for a short time in Ithaca:

• Purity Ice Cream, the service wasn't great when we went, but the ice cream was
• Wander around Cornell's campus, when it is warmer of course
• Taughannock Falls was partially frozen, and beautiful from the upper viewing lot, or from the short trail up to it
• Viva Taqueria by the commons was a fun atmosphere and delicious
• Argos Inn is a historic mansion turned inn and bar, a beautiful space and interesting drinks
• Glenwood Pines Restaurant, or just The Pines, is a casual little place with a T.V. to watch any big Carolina games you might be missing while away

Ithaca is a sweet little town, I would love to go back in the summer!

I'm into Austin

Last year my sister and I realized that we had never been on a trip together on our own. 

That's lame. 

So we spent a while (a long while) trying to figure out when we could match up our schedules and where we could meet up. Finally we found a weekend in January and set our eyes on Austin, Texas. The weather was a little iffy so we decided not to risk too many plans outdoors, here is the top 6 of what we were able to get to with the threat of rain and a little more than 48 hours:

• Congress Avenue Bridge, a huge bat colony lives there and you can watch them emerge at dusk. If you're there at the right time of the year. We, apparently, were not. We walked to the bridge and hung out for a while eventually concluding there was a track playing to make it sound like bats were still there. We stood in a park with a nice view and had a giggly time anyway. 
• On South Congress is a shop named Parts and Labour. It is filled with clothes and gifts all made by local designers and artists.
• Güeros, also on South Congress, probably has good food but we just got a beer and sat in the outside area to listen to some local music before a storm rolled in. 
• Gourdoughs is a donut truck. Huge creative delicious donuts. 
• We wandered a bit up and down 6th street and had a good time just seeing what we could see.
• Salty Sow, a tasty dinner after wandering around downtown, then we headed to a secret bar so I'll have to leave that off the list. 

It is a large city with a lot of outdoor options that we will have to go back for, and a lot of breweries that we didn't plan well enough to get to. We realized that never having gone on our own adventure we didn't know how much or little the other liked to plan when traveling. Next time, particularly if the trip is as short, we will organize a little better. But we still saw things, ate well and had fun just being around each other. What else is there to do?