Playa del Carmen - 10.10.18/10.14.18

When my high school best friend & GBF, Jim (or James to some of you) suggested that we take a trip in the Fall, I left the destination up to him; my only stipulation? Could I get there on my JetBlue points? Yes?

And so it was off to Mexico for some sun & relaxation! We ended up staying about an hour South of Cancun in Playa del Carmen at a really nice resort (not all-inclusive), but gorgeous, nonetheless!

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Wednesday, October 10th, 2018

It was a brisk Fall day, when I got up early to catch my flight to Cancun, where I would meet up with Jim before heading through customs. Bad news: his flight was delayed and we didn’t have much of a contingency plan, so I sat near the Cancun Airport baggage claim for around 2 hours until he arrived. Luggage in hand, we were off to meet our own transportation van, which would take us to Playa del Carmen and to our resort. The photos and website for the Grand Hyatt were gorgeous, but seeing it in person and the clear, blue water of the ocean was a whole another experience!

Once we dropped out things in the hotel room, it was time to go off and find some food. After walking around, we settled on a taquiera, where I ordered a mix of fajitas: steak, shrimp and chicken. What did Jim do, but immediately get on Grindr to chat with the local boys! After stuffing our bellies, we walked up and down the main street; 5th Avenue, where I spotted a carved wooden mask with none other than the Nebraska Huskers logo on it! (The Mexican community must really know their market of tourists!)

As the sun was setting, we went decided to head down to the beach for a bit. We found an empty cabana by the beach and setup shop for the evening. Watching the sun set with all the cotton candy colors was amazing and I could easily get used to this life (but leaving my love of Broadway behind would be too hard)!

After the beach, we went back into the shopping area to look for souvenirs. Jim wanted to find some sort of tequila or other alcohol, while I went for the novelty gifts. As we were walking around, I exclaimed that I wish I would have found one of the guys selling churros & Jim goes “he’s right there,” pointing directly behind me. Success! While they weren’t super fresh, they definitely comforted my sweet craving for the evening.

Thursday, October 11th, 2018

While Jim got up early to go to the gym, I slept in and enjoyed the amenities of our room. Once he got back, we went to check out the breakfast options. We got a nice view of the ocean from our table outside and I went to scope out the breakfast buffet, before settling on anything from the menu. I was a bit underwhelmed by the buffet: breads, yes, but where were the eggs, cereal, potatoes, etc!? I opted for the smoked salmon benedict and enjoyed the complimentary bread basket.

After our meal, then it was back to enjoy the ocean view and one of the many infinity pools. While we were sitting, I commented on how I needed to get one of the giant coconuts to drink before we left and again, a waiter appeared next to us, “Coconut?” Yes, please! (Between this and the churro guy last night, this was a good sign for the rest of this vacation!) I spent some time in the pool, then worked on reading my way through Jenny Han’s To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before; the perfect beach read!

Post-pool time, it was back into the city; for more exploring and trying to make Jim’s indecisive nature pick a place for dinner. After we walked for awhile, we ended up at a Thai fusion restaurant called Yum Yum (yes, just like the Thai restaurants in Hell’s Kitchen). Their complimentary appetizer was thinly sliced plantains with a spicy mango chutney; delicious, but a tad too spicy for my weak spice-tolerance!

We did a little more exploring and a quick trip to a Mexican grocery store for snacks before calling it a night. The next day, we had to get up around 4am to catch our bus to Chichen Itza; so no late night partying!

Friday, October 12th, 2018

Oof, that 4am wake-up call came too fast! At first I was angry with having to get up so early to catch our bus out to the Mayan ruins, but after I saw how crowded it got when we were leaving just after 11am, I was thankful for the early rising time!

Since my World History class in high school was crap, I realized how little I knew about the Mayan civilization and the crazy amount of math that went into how they built their pyramids and temples! Our guide demonstrated the significance of the snake and the number 13 in many of the Mayan’s structures (maybe Taylor Swift is a fan?); how when the sun set along the largest pyramid, that it’s shadow would cast and form the body of a snake! Then we went to one of the arenas where sacrifices were determined. We learned that from one end for the arena you could hear perfectly what was being said on the opposite end (where the ruler would sit) and the other side, you could hear nothing. This way the ruler could hear anyone trying to plan a strategy for the game. Yes, it was a honor to be sacrificed to the Gods, but even as I overlooked the giant cenote (where the bodies were tossed), it did not seem like an honor I’d want to have!

As we left Chichen Itza, we stopped at a marketplace (versus all the unauthentic merchants selling wares at the site) and were given tequila to try and time to shop. I found a mug for my Dad, some smaller gifts for various family & friends and an embroidered dress for myself. It was barely lunchtime and we were headed back to Playa del Carmen, while Jim took a nap on the bus, I caught up on some podcasts.

Heading back to the city, I found a little gelato pop stand and got a popsicle dipped in milk chocolate. However, my best snack find was “Nitro Breath” some fruity flavored cereal dipped into dry ice, which lead to it’s ability to “smoke!” I chose a side of chocolate sauce and blew smoke out of my mouth while walking up and down 5th Avenue.

Saturday, October 13th, 2018

Ok, so I admit that I underestimated the breakfast buffet at the resort! There were FOUR separate sections and I only looked at one! Oops. Well, you bet that was what I chose to eat for our last full day in Playa del Carmen. I started with a few “low value carbs” as Eva Chen would say, getting a little cheesy mini bagel, a slice of French toast, a slice of banana bread, some sliced ham and chilaquiles (tortilla chips with salsa, eggs and cheese). For round two, I ordered a special omelette from the omelette and made-to-order eggs station. And since they also had lactose free milk, I got some cocoa krispies for a sweet treat and a last round of chilaquiles and eggs.

Post-breakfast, we went back to the infinity pools and found a spot in the “Adults Only” pool. I spent some time art directing Jim for a good photo of me in the infinity pool and enjoyed another coconut drink! Then to wrap up the weekend, Jim and I went to the Cenote Spa for a relaxing massage. While I got to the local Asian massage parlor in Ridgewood about every month or so, this was a whole different experience! First of all, I didn’t know what to do with the locker, robe and slippers…then when I got into my massage suite, there was a full bathroom with a waterfall shower! When my masseuse came. she even asked what kind of music I wanted to listen to. Wow, this was luxury at it’s best!

When I was done, I took a quick shower and got dressed. I wasn’t sure what to do next and the staff seemed surprised that I was done so quickly! Apparently, I should have kept my robe on, enjoyed the steam room and relaxed in the cenote. Instead, I was back in my swimsuit, and sitting by the cenote with a hot green tea, waiting for Jim to wrap up his massage. Big oops.

After our spa time, we went back into the city to pick up the last of our souvenirs. I was on a mission to find a wood carved monkey with the Huskers logo for my brother that I had seen a few days ago, but couldn’t quite remember where I found it! I found a cute woven basket for Popo, some bracelets for my friend’s kids and a little embroidered dress for Ellie! I had just given up on finding the monkey again and settled for another wooden monkey, when I was leaving a shop and saw the Huskers logo peeking out of the back of the display! Thankfully, the salesman let me exchange the plain wooden monkeys for the Huskers one!

With our shopping wrapped up, it was time again to eat! I was amused by the restaurant with a giant sign of an extra long hot dog on a hamburger bun, but ended up treating myself to some queso fundido. On the way back to the resort to pack for the trip back home, we stopped by a convenience store and found Ricky Martin on a variety of water bottles!

At the last minute, Jim left to go meet up with a boy for drinks, so I stayed in the room to catch up on social media and enjoy all the amenities for the last time.

Sunday, October 14th, 2018

Ok, Mexico, you were great! Back to the USA it is…at least I also took Monday off work to catch up, relax and hang out with Tempestt and the kiddos!

Chicago - 07.12.18/07.16.18

It's hard to believe that I lived in Chicago TEN YEARS ago!? I'm not that old, right? So, what better time of the year for me to go back than for the Taste of Chicago and to see some musicals (food & theatre = basically my brand). 

Thursday, July 12th, 2018

Sometimes you just need a break from NYC, well what better way to escape than to head to another city? Yes, I planned this trip around going to the Taste of Chicago (a food festival in Grant Park featuring all sorts of foods and native Chicago treats) and seeing some Broadway in Chicago shows.

I found a hotel near Millennium Park, so I could easily commute around the city via the El (elevated train) in Chicago. I started to make my way uptown, when I saw that a college friend of mine was in town for a conference. We met up for tacos at Velvet Tacos and to catch up on the last 10+ years of our lives.

When she headed back to her conference, I had to make a trek uptown to Strange Cargo. (Years ago, I found that they had a vintage New Kids on the Block screen print and customized a t-shirt with “CHEN” printed on the back in velvet letters and have been getting compliments on it ever since.) The store recently moved locations, but even the longer commute didn’t deter me from the pop culture t-shirt hunt! While I didn’t find any boy band themed screen prints this time around, I did find a great SPICE GIRLS one and a block lettered logo of NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK. While I grabbed a few decks of *NSYNC & Backstreet Boys photo packs and collectors cards, I spied a” Miss Vanjie” print that I missed the first time around. Just as I was thinking that I didn’t have time to wait for another t-shirt to be made, I turned around and found a whole rack of “Miss Vanjie” printed on t-shirts and tank tops! Jackpot! Boy bands, girl power and drag queens all in one spot!

Then it was back downtown to my hotel to get ready for dinner and a show! Once I had decided that a trip to Chicago was in order, I immediately went to see what Broadway shows were playing during my trip and wouldn’t you know, The Cher Show, was having their out of town tryout and I found a ticket to HAMILTON for under $100!? Done and done. I was especially excited, since JIn Ha (M. Butterfly) was wrapping up his run as Aaron Burr and it was a major first for an Asian-American actor. The CIBC Theatre where HAMILTON was playing was much larger than the Richard Rodgers in NYC, but I didn’t factor in the Dress Circle overhang, so I was only able to see the actors from the waist-down, when they were on the upper deck of the stage!

Friday, July 13th, 2018

Day two in Chicago and I was faced with the dilemma of where to eat for brunch! There were so many places that I loved when I lived in Chi-Town, but many of them had relocated or closed. Luckily, The Bongo Room had opened a new location within 2 blocks from my hotel! Now the major challenge starts; sweet or savory for breakfast? I ended up choosing both; sweet with cornmeal blueberry pancakes & maple syrup and a side of home fries with melted American cheese.

Fully stuffed, it was time to walk around the city a bit. I wandered through Grant Park on my way to the Art Institute. I could have easily spent more than 1-2 hours in the museum, as I wandered through the contemporary galleries. Inspired by all the sculptures and paintings, I knew I had one more stop before I left the museum; to find the Seurat that Sunday in the Park with George was written about. Yes, I finished the hat after a few false starts and headed back to my hotel for a quick refresh.

Then I was off to meet my friend, Jason & his boyfriend, Riley, for dinner. We caught up on life and talked theatre, since Riley knew quite a bit about Broadway, too; then it was off to see The Cher Show at the Oriental Theatre! I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I love Stephanie J. Block, so I knew she’d be fabulous! By intermission, we all determined that the story was a little all over the place, but you can’t beat Cher’s songbook and the costumes, oh the costumes! Bob Mackie really outdid himself re-creating some of Cher’s iconic looks and adding costumes for all of the ensemble members. I’ll be interested to see what changes from this run of the show when it comes to Broadway this winter…

Originally, when I was planning my trip, I thought about taking the weekend to head to Madison, Wisconsin to visit my brother, Philip and sister-in-law, Melanie…however, they were going to be in Chicago that weekend! They're avid ultimate frisbee players, so they were in town for a tournament all day Saturday and Sunday, before driving back home. After The Cher Show, we were able to meet up for some drinks & a snack near their hotel in Lakeview, before they went to rest and I went back to my hotel.

Saturday, July 14th, 2018

The day of eating had finally arrived! I woke up early to meet Jason in Grant Park, so we could feast at the Taste of Chicago before it got too crowded and the predicted rain was supposed to start. We both purchased two strips of tickets, which we thought would allow us to sample quite a few things and still have some leftover.

Our first stop, the pop-up section for the chicken & waffle balls. They were like little breaded chicken meatballs with maple syrup, sitting on top of waffle bits. Disappointingly, the “taste” size was only 2 meatballs…but we figured our stomachs would need room to eat more things. While Jason went on to try some alligator, I opted for some tortilla-crusted tilapia tacos and some bulgogi chicken on wonton chips; basically Korean nachos and truffle fries. When we’d had our fill of savory treats, I had to find the infamous Chicago “Rainbow Ice Cream Cone!” We finally found the stand, but quickly realized we’d need to load up on more tickets to make this treat happen. It was SO worth it: chocolate ice cream topped with strawberry ice cream topped with Parker House (New York vanilla with cherry & walnuts) ice cream topped with pistachio ice cream topped with orange sherbert! Phew. I got full just typing all of that out!

Once we couldn’t eat any more, we went our separate ways; full disclosure, I went back to my hotel to take a nap! When I woke up, I found out that TodayTix in Chicago had rush tickets for The View Upstairs, so I purchased a ticket and made my way farther South to Chicago’s Chinatown for some more eating before the show. I was craving some dumplings and found a great spot with delicious pan-fried ones. Then it was back to Joy Yee with their hundreds of different kinds of bubble tea! I opted for a coconut slush with rainbow jelly to help me cool off in the Chicago summer heat. I browsed through a few shops before heading back uptown to Lakeview for the show.

I was lucky enough to see Max Vernon’s show, The View Upstairs, about a gay bar in New Orleans that burned down in NYC and I was interested to see how the show would play at a smaller venue in Chicago. An intriguing work of historical fiction, the musical centers around a young gay man, who’s purchased the space where the bar, The UpStairs Lounge, once was. Through a strange turn of events, he goes back in time to the 1970’s when the bar was alive and thriving; one of the only safe spaces for the gay community to be welcomed during that time frame. Since I had seen the show before, I knew that the audience plays a role in the show, as observers and for the main character to speak to; so I chose my seat wisely. While I enjoyed the NYC production more, I was glad I got to experience this piece with a Midwestern audience and that they were being exposed to this story.

Sunday, July 15th, 2018

Ann Sather, Millenial Park, Sarah & kids, Navy Pier

On Sunday, my cousin, Sarah and her husband, Scott drove up to Chicago from Springfield, Illinois with their kids, Owen & Reese. They had visited me in NYC earlier in the summer, so it was great to reunite with them in a place a little closer to their home. Since they had a few hours to drive up, I knew where my breakfast stop was going to be: Ann Sather in Lakeview. If you’re looking for a great breakfast spot to get some of the best biscuits & cinnamon rolls that you’ve ever had, then Ann Sather’s is the place! (Plus, they give you SO many options for a great price!) I usually go with some sort of benedict or biscuits & gravy, but opted for “The Swedish Sampler” this time - 1 Swedish sausage link, 1 Swedish pancake, 1 Swedish meatball, poached eggs, 1 cinnamon roll, 1 biscuit and hashbrowns with American cheese. While I wasn’t a fan of the Swedish sausage, the Swedish pancake was almost like a crepe, but sweeter and the meatball was tasty; Ikea’s got nothing on them!

After stuffing myself full of carbs, I made my way downtown to meet up with my cousins. I was waiting for them in the shade of the Chicago Theatre, when Reese spotted me & I saw her come running down the block! After the necessary hello’s, we headed towards Navy Pier to explore and ride their new ferris wheel. The view from the little gondola carts was amazing and you could see the whole Chicago skyline! After the kids ran around the Navy Pier and we did a little shopping (a stop at Dylan’s Candy Bar was a must -- where I realized that I don’t feel so bad about my Care Bear collection compared to Dylan Lauren’s bunny collection), we headed to Michigan Avenue for food. After eating at the Grand Lux Cafe, we went our separate ways and promised to meet up again soon.

Monday, July 16th, 2018

For the last part of my Chicago trip, I took a moment to walk around before flying back to NYC later that morning. I must have forgotten that I was flying back Monday morning, since I had purchased tickets to Jeremy Jordan & Ashley Spencer’s show at Sony Hall. I almost decided to sell my ticket and not go, I really wanted to rest before going back to work, but went anyways.

I was glad that I did! When I walked in, I almost ran into Melissa Benoist (Supergirl) and shortly thereafter, she was joined at her table with a bunch of other Broadway celebs!