I Gotta Go Where It's Warm 🌴

If you read my last blog post, you now know I am full of fish tacos and rum so it was time to hit up another beach to spend the afternoon soaking up the sun.  Jensen beach delivered just what I needed as I laid out my beach towel, loaded up on sunscreen, and took in the salty ocean air.  The breeze felt amazing so even though it was 90+ degrees, it didn't feel that warm and besides, you have an endless supply of salt water to cool off in.  The boats in the distance I imagined were Pirate Ships, and even though they weren't, they offered a great view. So, I'd say the Atlantic is being good to me! And yes, I changed outfits...I mean, swimsuits.

Today was the first day I experienced Jensen Beach.  The sand is soft and it offers plenty of room for those wanting to spend the day there.  The water was cooler than Bathtub Reef but refreshing, clear, and a great place to paddle board, swim, or just float.  The waves here are bit more intense but once you get past the undercurrent, it's smooth sailing.  However, they do recommend you have some sort of flotation device if you are going to venture out too far...I'd say that's not a bad idea for safety reasons.  It's a great place to visit, so pack up a cooler and an umbrella, turn on some Jimmy Buffett, and bring a mermaid attitude.

Jensen Beach is also known as Jensen Sea Turtle Beach because of three different species of sea turtles that will nest here. Designated areas are marked off to protect the species nests, so remember that as you visit.  Jensen Beach is also part of the Treasure Coast because of the many shipwrecks in the 17th century caused by shallow waters and coral reefs. It is said that treasures are still being found even today.  Anyone up for a gold hunt?

Seas the Day
Shona

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The Roads of Twenty17

Twenty17 was quite the year and it's time to share my annual review! It had some major positives and some days weren't all roses and bonbons but I believe those days happen and often at times they happen for a reason.  And as the year ended, I was able to reflect on it and appreciate it more than I imagined I would.  I learned more about myself, what I am capable of, my weaknesses, and my strengths.

This year started with my last ever "holiday break" from college.  As I started my 4th semester of Nursing school, I knew graduation was just around the corner!  No time to give up now! The last semester wasn't easy but it was worth the many hours of studying.  I was voted as Class President, would be giving a speech at graduation, and was offered a Nursing position at Shawnee Mission Health.

February meant a last-minute-leaving-at-midnight-trip to Eureka Springs with my BF.  I took my first test of the semester and after celebrating a friends birthday, we left at midnight and headed on our first adventure of the year! I loved Eureka Springs, it's definitely on the go back list!  My Dad also received the Kansas Bankers Association Award Soil Conservation for 2016, {insert}proud daughter moment.

March brought some warm spring temps and we decided we should start our camping adventures early!  We settled first at Clinton State Park and have visited there since then, spending the weekends with nature, campfires, and tent living.  Camping has made me realize how much I love the outdoors and even though I also love mascara and getting all dolled up, I can hang with the best of them. Dry-shampoo for the win!  Lesson, don't judge a book by it's cover...a long time rule.  We toured the Boulevard Brewery for the BF's birthday and if you haven't done it, add it to your list! The beer is great and so is the food! Plus, it's local!  I made an appearance on Fox 4 KC for Spring Fashion and auditioned for Fall KCFW.

April brought Spring KCFW and I was fortunate to walk Saturday night for Barbara Bultman and made the KCFW Instagram page showing off her amazing designs.  I walked for Noble Native at the First Friday's Alley Fashion Show, also showcasing Amina Marie Millinery and Coki Bijoux Designs.  Camping at Lake Perry and a last minute trip to Florida for Easter to visit my Mom and Stepdad were more highlights!  A photo shoot showing off fitness and running around Kansas City and my last clinical day ended the month off just perfectly!

May brought on Cinco de Mayo, showing off KC to friends from Tulsa, farmers market shopping, taking my Mom on her first KC Streetcar ride for Mother's Day, Nursing Night at the Royals, Memorial Day weekend at the lake, and finally....GRADUATION!  The next day, off to Palm Springs for more adventuring and exploring California!

The Summer was spent mostly at the lake, working, studying for that wretched test...we all remember that...and just enjoying time with friends and family.  I drove to Colorado to visit friends and run my third half marathon, surprised my sister with a long weekend trip to Florida, had a jeep-day with my home girl Heather...cruising open country roads and sippin' on Sonic Route 44's. The very unique Valkyrie photo-shoot with none other than Jonny Hackett and Heavy Metal Heros was super fun and a crab broil with friends which included a slip-in-slide ended the month of July.  A quick trip to St Louis for a local runway show and getting to spend time with two of my favorites designers while they introduced me to "The Hill"...one word, Italian! I made an appearance on KCTV-5 for Fall Fashion with Jana, had minor surgery, and tried to watch the Eclipse...of course Kansas was cloudy and rainy that day! I was also fortunate to be photographed wearing Lucia Sarto gowns and Marianna Haritunian Jewels for a local photo-shoot in Lawrence.

September meant Labor Day and more lake days...by now I was getting pretty used to this lake life and loving every minute of it!  I participated in the Local Runway Fashion Show held in the West Bottoms and we spent another weekend camping at Clinton Lake.  The warm fall temps just meant more of nature and outdoor adventures!  This camping trip was the time the deer almost ran into me, literally...an unforgettable moment for sure!

October...October 4th, the day I found out I passed my NCLEX! I was at my Mom's that day.  I will never forget it.  They took me out for margaritas that night to celebrate...I have never been so happy. Mainly because it meant no more studying and I could finally start being a Nurse!!   I learned how to play Bunco and even won the bank that night...I was invited back, but the "older" people said I couldn't win again!  They were probably all cussing me as I strolled out with my dough! I walked both Friday and Saturday night for KCFW, spent Halloween with my nieces and nephew, and got that 10th tattoo I had been waiting to get.

November...let's be real, birthday month!  Celebrated with a little weekend get-a-way to St. Jo and a stay at the Whiskey Mansion with my Mom and Sister...it's tradition for us to have a weekend together.  Got a private tour of the Missouri State Penitentiary and while there had an amazing photo shoot capturing the architecture of the prison.  Spent Thanksgiving Eve with the rent's since I had to work Thanksgiving...my Mom made a special dinner just for me...and consumed way too many noodles! Adventured back to Arkansas, this time staying in Hot Springs, Ouachita National Forest, and Ozark National Forest...camping in 40-degree temps and surviving, a perfect weekend away with gorgeous views.

December...spent the holidays with family and friends and that's what's important. From baking cookies with Mom to an all-you-can-eat crab brunch and bottomless mimosas with our lake friends, to watching holiday movies and drinking a lot of hot cocoa...it was the perfect way to end the year!

{gift from my dad, 2017}

Here's to New Roads in Twenty18!
Shona

It's Not Just A Name...

It's time to confess...the name of my blog, where did it come from? I am finally deciding to fess up!

When I had the idea of starting a blog, I knew it was a chance I would be taking.  Will people like it? Will they read it? Do they even care?  I decided to make a post on Facebook, because apparently back then I thought that is where I would get the most feedback...an approval of some sort.  What I now know is that it didn't matter what anyone said, and that all that really mattered was that I was doing it for me and along the way maybe people would also enjoy it. But I am guessing that once you read this, you will be a bit surprised at how it all started and I couldn't be more thrilled about it!  I have spent the last two years really trying to commit more time to my blog and once Nursing School ends, I am on a mission to write even more!  From travel and adventures to local events; from my personal life to random thoughts I feel the need to share, it's a bit of everything.  Some of you may relate, others may not and that's OK!

The name...I was struggling with a name.  After all, I wanted it to stand out but also needed it to somewhat describe me in a short simple title.  I mentioned the hardest part was coming up with a name and so many people had suggestions.  But there was one that stood out.  Dirt Roads, High Heels. Holy sh*t...could that be more spot on? And even more important, why the hell couldn't I think of that? Thinking too hard maybe.  How could these four simple words be so perfect?  It was me...farm girl turned city but never forgetting her roots, how she was raised, and where she came from.  A girl who loves fashion, heels, and mascara, but also loves country roads, primitive camping, and farm life.

And I am already being sidetracked...let's get to the title of this blog anyway. So where did it come from? Well, there is a certain someone in my life...I like to call him my BF.  He made the suggestion on none other than that Facebook post I mentioned earlier and even though there were many options, his made the cut.  Not to get too deep, but we know each other from high school, yes that long ago, and even though we didn't hang out in the same crowd, in our town, everyone new everyone.  Life happened, time went on, and the rest, well...you get the drift. Years later, I now call this guy my BF and it just so happens he "named" my blog.  And I'm sure you have noticed, but he has been mentioned just a few times over the last year! That's life and I couldn't be more happy to say he is a part of it! I am guessing not one of you expected that...so you are welcome!

Cheers to a life full of adventure...
Shona

A Tribute to Twenty16

Twenty16, you were amazing.  As I look forward to Twenty17, I must reflect on the year I like to remember as the year of unforgettable days, nights, weeks, and months.  A year for me that as they say, is going down in history.

The year Twenty16 started with a two hour brunch at Succotash, literally, on New Years Day.  I took someone very special...I can admit that because I am happy to say this special person is my now boyfriend, to one of my favorite places to enjoy brunch and after losing track of time, we had gotten a chance to catch up on the lives we had before the months-in-the-making date happened.  The fact I could sit down and have a convo with someone who I hadn't seen in a decade was a good way to start my year!

I had just started my second semester of Nursing School and knew this semester was going to kick my booty, and it did.  I passed the Nursing class but barely passed Patho and I will admit, dropping the class crossed by mind, but lucky for me the teacher talked me into staying in the class.  I was stressed to the max and ugly cried a lot, but it was worth the chance. I never have to look at Patho again!  This whole semester I was planning my Summer...because I couldn't wait to get to May...basically because I knew it was going to be my last free summer as a student :)

I traveled and traveled and traveled.  Even with school and work, I was fortunate to adventure around the U.S. and the Caribbean.  May began with Dallas and the Summer and Fall continued with Colorado Springs, Denver, Loveland, Tulsa, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington D.C. and the Dominican Republic. Dallas included dinner at Reunion Tower, Poutine at the bar next door, and nights at the Nylo with the rooftop pool were amazing. I met my boyfriend's family too, all very sweet and welcoming people.  A roadtrip with me, myself and I to Colorado to run my second Half Marathon; Dinner in Denver with a friend from KC, staying in the Springs with my good friend Alec for the remainder of the trip, and running in Loveland a cool 13.1 miles finishing with a faster time than the previous year proved to be yet another good get-a-way.  The next day we conquered the Manitou Incline, I wanted to die! Upon returning from Colorado, I was off with the BF to the Caribbean.  No plans but the sandy beach, ocean, beer, tequila shots and sunshine.  The resort was amazing and the DR was all that it could be.  Right down to the Coconuts and Machete's. This trip was super relaxing and we hadn't a care in the world.

August hit which meant moving and third semester of Nursing school. Not as tough as second semeter, but I still spent a lot of time studying.  I ended this semester acing Pharmacology and not doing to bad with the nursing course either!  It was a bit more relaxed but I didn't lose focus...just had a little more free time!

I moved into a loft at the River Market in KC, MO. I LOVE IT!  The views, the people, the fact I can walk almost anywhere or catch the Streetcar, brick walls, big windows and concrete floors...I couldn't have asked for a better first experience moving from suburbia to downtown city life!

In the Fall we made a road trip to Tulsa to attend the Deco Ball at the Mayo Hotel.  A weekend of fun around Tulsa, from nightlife to brunch, to the art districts and hot dog trucks and even had the pleasure of meeting some of the BF's friends.  A last minute trip to the East Coast to visit him while he was there for business turned into a Fall tour of 4 different cities and a lot of adventuring. It was a quick four days for sure!  Although I loved the entire trip, I really enjoyed the local bookstore in Philadephia we spent hours in and the night in DC with his family, who showed us some local places they enjoy hanging out at.

I attended my first Opera at The Kaufmann Center for Performing Arts, The Marriage of Figaro, and it was amazing! For my Thirty-Faux Birthday, the perfect gift from my BF followed by dinner at a local Mexican joint. Tacos, cheese dip, margaritas and a bite of his tamales was the perfect way to end the evening.

You know I love this city and this year had so many amazing opportunities around Kansas City.  From photo shoots to runway to live segments on Fox 4 with Jana Meister, it was a great way to meet new people and support my local KC peeps!

Twenty16 came to an end as I spent the Holidays with family and friends. New Year's Eve with my guy listening to Jazz music and a midnight champagne toast at one of our favorite River Market bars, Harry's. Happiness was all wrapped up!

School Semesters Passed, Check!
Adventures, Check!
Opportunities, Check!
New Friends, Check!
Time with Old Friends, Check!
Lot of Happy Hours, Check!
Time with those I love, Check!

Here's to the New Year! I have a feeling you may be better than the last!
Shona

Me, Myself, Friends, and the Rockies

From a night out in Denver to running at 10,000 feet to hiking a one-mile, 2000 foot elevation increase at Manitou Springs...I have to say, my last trip to the lovely and always amazing Colorado was one to be remembered.  I decided to take a solo venture across the state of Kansas to visit friends, run my second half-marathon, and take on the incline...just 8 hrs of driving by myself.  Stopping whenever I wanted too, although there just happen to be a Starbucks at every stop, listening to any genre of music or even just listening to silence...this journey alone was something I had never done. What it turned out to be was something more than expected.

I arrived in Denver during rush-hour, I planned that perfectly...driving through what seemed like never-ending traffic to get to my destination.  I was meeting a friend for dinner and arrived early so I decided to scope out the spot but then venture into downtown Denver to hit up a favorite of mine, The View House. I also timed that perfectly...the Rockies were playing and as drove into the area, I realized getting a seat let alone a parking spot wasn't going to happen.  So back to the Highlands area. I scored a close parking spot and decided I was going to tackle my fear of going into a bar alone, having one hour to waste, I really didn't want to sit in my car.

As I walked into Ale House a Amato's, I felt instantly comfortable. I marched to the bar like I'd been there before, hopped into a seat on the end which meant I wouldn't have to worry about anyone sitting next to me and started looking at the beer menu. The bartenders, both male and female were informative and gave me info about the local beers and offered up samples.  I sat there for an entire hour, drinking a beer...ok beers...and watched the Rockies game.  My friend Katie joined me later and we had an awesome time catching up and enjoying some wonderful food!

The next 4 days were amazing too! I spent my time with one of my besties Alec and her family... I hadn't seen her since last August. We visited the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, my favorite mainly because of the giraffe exhibit, ate lots of food and I was able to get plenty of Baby Cohen time.  We dined at Amanda's Fonda, The Loop (a must), and Narai Thai for carb-loading!

I planned this journey around the Slacker Half-Marathon, which I ran last year as a relay, running 9 out of the 13.1 miles.  This run starts at Loveland Ski Basin and ends in the cutest little town of Georgetown; 10500 feet elevation at the start and ending around 8500 feet.  I decided this year, I was doing it all and I was going to run it faster than last year. My goal was to be under 2:30 and I hit 2:26...the damn bathroom spot wasted about 7 minutes, but there was no way I was going it make it the last 7 miles without stopping...too much water!  Breathing at 10K feet is much different than in Kansas, but this year, breathing wasn't my issue.  I started having left knee pain about 3 weeks before the race, so I started wearing a knee brace to help. The race went well, I beat my goal, I felt good, but I did have issues with my knee...I often wonder if I didn't, what would my time had been? That night, after carb-loading at the Thai restaurant, I soaked in the hot tub...with a view of the Rockies.

The next day, Alec and I decided to tackle the Manitou incline.  I did not know what I was getting in to.  I figured I would go for it, who cares that I just ran 13.1 miles...let's beat another goal of getting to the top! I.almost.died.  A little over half-way, she asked me.."How do you feel?", my reply "I'd rather be running another 13.1!" It was tough and I know I was worn out from running, but one mile straight up, even being in shape, was hard as hell!  But guess what, we did it; 1:20 later and we made it to the top. The only thing left to do was go back down.  3.5 miles down a winding trail and we managed that in about an hour...that tells you how hard going UP is!  I could admit that old, "older" age was the reason for part of my pain...at this point both knees and my left hip was aching, but I refuse! Now, where is my margarita at The Loop?

The next day, I awoke early to get a head start back to Kansas and back to reality.  Another 8 hours of driving by myself meant more time to let the last 4 days really sink in.  I realized I had conquered fears, beat goals, and spent time with people who are very important to me.  You never know what life will throw at you, but I have decided to make the most of mine. I am 35 years old and in the last year and a half allowed myself to take risks...and what I realized is that those risks have paid off. Live your life...no one else can do it for you.

Thank you Carpenter Family...
Thank you Colorado...
Shona