Spring Break for Grad Students!

Hey Everyone!!

Long time no chat!! I’ve clearly been having a lot of trouble posting recently, but here’s for another shot!!

I just got back from a fun trip to Punta Cana with 5 of my fellow nursey friends! I’ve gone on a tropical vacation with one of my best friends every “spring break” for the past 3 years, and most of the years we’ve been able to avoid the typical college spring break crowd (we went to Bahamas, then Jamaica). This year our luck ran out as this place was FULL of spring breakers, but it turned out to be a lot of fun!!

I thought I’d share some essential tips for surviving a spring break trip as a post grad!

1.     DON’T feel pressured into doing things you don’t want to just because the “spring break” crowd is doing it

Its true. You’re old now. Looking around sometimes I would think to myself “Gosh, I am almost 10 years older than some of these people”. Believe it or not, we’re not really built for that type of partying like that every day for a full week, so take it easy. Sure, I had a great time reliving my glory days during events the resort had like foam parties and hanging at the swim up bar, but when we decided to venture into the “discotech” one night, I realized that wiggling in a dirty, sweaty room with a bunch of 18 year olds was definitely not for me anymore (especially with a sunburn). Don’t feel like you’re missing out on something like that (but by all means try it), it’s all part of growing up.

2.     DO have fun with the spring breakers!

Undergrad spring breakers are lively crowd to say the least. We enjoyed having fun with them!! Their lively carefree attitude is infectious. We had fun building a whole persona of us being undergrads ourselves, deciding on a college, year and major that we were studying. Being in a place where you know no one, and will never see these people again, makes it fun to pretend to be someone

totally different!

3.     DON’T drink too much, and DO drink plenty of water!

Now, I am ALL for drinking and having a great time. But most post grad bodies aren’t as used to alcohol as our younger undergrad bodies were! It’s easy in the real world to manage your alcohol well and regulate your sloppiness, but when the drinks are free and strong, it’s a little bit harder. Making sure you drink plenty of water and spacing out your drinks will make the vaca a little better for everyone!

4.     DON’T forget to let go of your inhibitions and do things you wouldn’t normally do

These resorts are a place for you to let go and have fun, remember, you’ll never see these people again!! The entertainment staff at resorts are usually very fun and encouraging (here’s looking at you Peter from Jamaica). They have loads of fun games and activities planned for the day including Zumba, games, volleyball and water games like water aerobics and yoga. Step out of your comfort zone and do something you normally wouldn’t do!

 

5.     DO remember to take a minute to relax and appreciate where you are

Being postgrad, vacations and fun are few and far between. Being in grad school and working makes it hard to find a spare moment in the day to relax, let alone have a week full of fun and sun, so if you’re lucky enough to go on a tropical vacation, make sure you take a moment to sit back in the sun, drink in your hand, friends by your side and think “this is my vacation, enjoy it”. My dad taught me this trick a while ago that he does on vacation, to just relish even just a second of your trip and appreciate where you are, and what it took for you to get there!

I love travelling with my friends so let me know if you have any questions about all inclusive resorts etc., let me know!

Xoxo, Bethany

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It's the Holiday Season!

Hey Everyone!

Holiday season is in full swing and this is by far one of my favorite times of year! So full of tradition and excitement, this season brings with it the promise of love, family, and a fresh start and new year when all is said and done.

This year is definitely not disappointing.

Every year, the weekend before Christmas, my family goes to an old inn called the Red Lion Inn in Stockbridge, MA (this was our 30^th year!!). This beautiful old building brings with it both nostalgia for my youthful Christmas seasons, as well as a peaceful tranquility I am able to appreciate more now that I am an adult. My days there consist of sitting by the fire in the lobby with a book and chatting with the family and friends who have also made this Inn a staple of their Christmas tradition.

 

I have gained an increasing affinity for red wine this trip, specifically Mark West Pinot Noir, as suggested to me by my cousin!

This year I also took a trip with one of my best friends to NYC for a night to really bring in Christmas week. We stayed at a beautiful hotel, Hotel Sofitel, courtesy of Expedia (we book our tropical vacations through Expedia so used our earned ‘points’ to get a free night at this gorgeous hotel!

We explored the city during the day at night hitting up tourist staples such as Bryant Park, Rockefeller Center, and Times Square.

We also went into the Flatiron district for drinks and dinner, hitting up Rolf’s (which has hands down the best holiday decorations ever, however had a line at 5pm and once you got in you are packed in the bar like sardines). We headed over to Eataly for dinner, but not before we took a quick power nap in the outdoor hammocks!!

The grand finale of our trip was the life taping of Good Morning America’s ugly Christmas sweater party! We woke up at 5:30 to get to check in at 6 (our hotel was 1 block away from the studio in Times Square). However things got hairy when my friend ran to Starbucks for much needed sustenance and we missed our check in and had to wait in standby (which after much lamenting, arguing and sadness, we were finally assigned seats in the seating room!!). It was so much fun to watch the behind the scenes of the show and I even got on camera!!

 

Hope everyone has an amazing Christmas, and here's to resolving to a more consistent blog schedule come 2017!

Xoxo, Bethany

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Random Acts of Kindness!

Hey Everyone!

I wanted to do a quick post today about something that happened to me yesterday that I thought was worth the share.

Yesterday I was driving to my women’s health clinical and I stopped at the Starbucks drive through for a much needed caffeine boost. This particular Starbucks I go to always has a long drive through line. I was running a little late but I really wanted to stop. As I was waiting in the line between giving my order and receiving/ paying for my drink I was getting more anxious as the minutes clicked by. I felt myself getting annoyed at the people in front of me as well as the Starbucks workers themselves. I like to think I am a pretty positive person but I do find that I get very frustrated when I am forced to wait for things (product of my generation I guess).

Finally, it was my time to receive my delicious hot coffee, pay and be on my way. The girl in the window, visibly flustered, asked what my drink order was. I realized that the hold up on everyone’s order was obviously because things girl was new and incompetent, so I repeated my order in a sassier-than-necessary tone and shoved my phone out the window so she can scan my Starbucks card. Then the girl said “your drink is actually already paid for.”

This shocked me. 1. I have never been apart of something like this (but I have heard of events like this on Facebook, and even somethings think of starting one when I am in a drive through, but never have the guts to). 2. I instantly felt mortified for being so annoyed at this situation. I told the girl that I would be more than happy to pay for the person’s drink who was behind me, and left feeling invigorated with a big smile on my face.

This event reminded me that the smallest acts of kindness are necessary for our society to grow. In a time when there is much animosity between many different social groups, offering a small kind gesture to a complete stranger is required of us to restore the focus on humanity. The person before me had no idea who I was, what the color of my skin is, what political party I identify with or what religion I practice. They reached out in kindness to me because I am a human (who also happens to enjoy overpriced coffee). This is something that I personally forget to do on a regular basis, and now will strive to sprinkle “random acts of kindness” throughout the lives of the people I am blessed to interact with.

Just thought I’d share a little about how I’ve been feeling this week as we gear up for the weekend!

Xoxo, Bethany

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