We drove all night...KC---->Eureka Springs

Friday night, midnight..."Pack your bags, we are taking a road trip...and pack fast, we have 4 hours to go"...you have to love being spontaneous.  I have never packed for weekend this quickly but I threw in a couple outfits, hair and makeup essentials and took only the shoes I had on my feet.  Yes, you heard that right, one pair of shoes for an entire weekend, black and gold Adidas, they go with anything anyway.

We jumped on 71 South and headed to Eureka Springs, AR. I have never visited here before so I was super excited about the adventure and the all-night drive with my boyfriend and his sweet dog, Lola. We made two stops on the way down, one to pick up a companion for Lola...we found a giant stuffed Giraffe and named him Truman, and the next stop was to fill up the tank, fries, and coffee...give me a break peeps, it was now 2 a.m. and I needed a little pick me up!

We made it to Eureka Springs about 5:30 a.m. and luckily found the cutest boutique hotel, The Basin Park Hotel, with a very nice gentleman named Pat at the front desk that allowed us to check-in for some sleep!  More like a morning nap since by the time we got settled, it was 6:30 in the morning...I wasn't sure I wanted to sleep or just stay up, at this point, you get past the fact you have been up over 24 hours. But regardless, I knew the next two days would be full of adventure and unplanned plans.  Did I mention the hotel is haunted but we didn't see any ghosts, maybe next time!

After a quick 4 hour "rest", we were up, ate breakfast and ventured out and about this cute little town. I was impressed from the moment we drove in and couldn't wait to explore. We visited several local shops, ate a great hamburger and fries for lunch and then decided to hop in the car and drive around outside of town.  We stopped by the famous Christ at the Ozarks and snagged some photos by a section of the Berlin Wall they have displayed there.  An awesome piece of history to see in person. We took drive out by Beaver lake and over the dam before returning back to town to head out for some live music. James has visited here several times so it was fun experiencing Eureka Springs with him.

We hit up a small local pub called The Cat House Lounge; enjoyed a few beers, more fries and a scotched egg while listening to a local band...did I mention people watching?  One thing I have noticed about this town is everyone is super friendly.  We made our way to Chelsea's, another local joint for a few cocktails before calling it a night.  We walked the stone laid sidewalks back to our hotel to end the evening reading and for me, I was thankful for the amazing day I just had with him.

Sunday morning meant breakfast, checking out, and more perusing the streets of town.  It was a gorgeous 60 degree-sun-filled day so we had to take advantage before making the drive back home. Fresh ice tea and a chocolate shake to keep us hydrated while we shopped the local stores one last time. We made the drive home stopping to buy bags of fireworks...it's Missouri, we had too...and of course I found gold sparklers. It was a good day.

This trip was more than just an adventure though. I learned that I can pack for an entire weekend in 15 minutes, that I can survive with one pair of shoes, and not washing my hair. But the best and also a difficult conversation discussed and learned was this...nothing in life is guaranteed so focus on today and take it all in.  Reality and words of wisdom from someone who I know I need in my life and that it's ok to need other people to help you see and believe better things.

The first adventure of 2017 in the books and I can't wait to return.
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

Baltimore and Hotdogs At The White House

After leaving Philadelphia, we made our way to Baltimore. We would be staying at the Inner Harbor and first things first, dinner reservations for fresh seafood!  We found a spot just around the Harbor that had gorgeous views of the water and amazing yachts...yachts we tried to sneak onto just to see them more up close.  Ok, not really, but it did cross our minds.  After dinner, we found ourselves in what appeared to be a very popular place called the Cat's Eye Pub in Fell's Point to listen to live music and throw back a few beers. Rock-a-billy at it's finest.  It had a history too...it opened in 1975 and the son took over the pub once his father passed away and it seems he has continued to make it a success.

The next day, we ventured over to the Inner Harbor to grab some lunch and to our surprise it happened to be Fleet Week.  After a quick bite at Tir Na Nog, we had time to explore a bit more. Besides a beer garden with local cans to quench our thirst and more live music, the Blue Angels made their appearance and it was one of the coolest shows I have ever seen.  Did I mention the people? People everywhere but it was a gorgeous fall day and the perfect place to be at that very moment.  After spending hours around the Harbor, we were on to D.C.

We checked into The Kimpton Rouge Hotel in the heart of D.C.  This boutique hotel is hip with red accents and with the most unique mini-bar I've seen, I highly recommend staying there if you are in the area. That evening we had dinner plans with my boyfriend's cousin and his partner...and to be honest I was a nervous wreck!  We uber'd our way to their lovely row home in D.C. and had pre-dinner cocktails while getting a tour of their spectacular living space.  For dinner, we dined on Tapas at Tico, a local place they wanted to share with us. It was fabulous.  Post dinner, more cocktails at a place very special to our two hosts, the place they had their reception after getting married.  The evening was perfect.

Then next morning, my last day for vacation, we made our way to see the White House...we decided it was something we had to do while there.  After parking and ordering hot dogs from a street truck, it's America, what else would we be eating at the White House...we made our way into the park.  I am not sure what I was expecting, something more elaborate I guess, but we followed the path to where the crowd of people were.  We saw, we took a photo, we left.  Did I mention we saw the Pentagon on the way to the airport too? Check and check.

As we said our goodbyes, we loaded some of the books we purchased in Phillie into my bag, which made it 5 lbs. over.  Don't worry sir...I am a professional, let me rearrange...done, no overweight baggage charge for this girl!  As I sat in the airport drinking an over-priced Mojito waiting on my flight, I was thankful for the trip I had just experienced with him.

Another adventure in the books.
Shona