The More the Merrier

Posted on November 10, 2014 by Abril

Today is a special day for my husband and I, it is our anniversary, a day to celebrate our love and our story. We met 12 years ago, fell in love 10 years ago, and got married 6 years ago. Last year we were celebrating all those milestones as well as our marriage and commitment with a wedding ceremony in front of our dearest and nearest. This year, we decided to celebrate by sharing with you all the biggest joy our love has brought us. It is with great pleasure and excitement that we announce to you today that we are expecting our first child together!
So today we’re not only looking back at all the past milestones in our relationship, but adding the biggest one of them all to our story, and gladly looking forward to all the future ones to come. We couldn’t be any happier or more excited about this wonderful blessing in our lives.
Also, I’d like to add that this is the reason I’ve been MIA from the blog and all social media lately, but I do plan to come back and share more of my journey with you soon. Until then, I wish you all as much joy and happiness as I’m currently experiencing.
Have a wonderful day y’all!

Hoy es un día especial para mi esposo y para mí, es nuestro aniversario, el día en que celebramos nuestro amor y nuestra historia. Nos conocimos hace 12 años, nos enamoramos hace 10 años, y nos casamos hace 6 años. El año pasado decidimos celebrar todos estos momentos especiales así como nuestro matrimonio y compromiso realizando nuestra boda frente a nuestros mas queridos y cercanos familiares y amigos. Este año hemos decidido celebrar compartiendo con ustedes la mayor alegría que nuestro amor nos ha traído. Es con un gran placer y emoción que hoy les anunciamos que estamos esperando nuestro primer hijo juntos!
Así que hoy no sólo reflexionamos sobre todos los momentos especiales del pasado, sino que agregamos el más especial de todos a nuestra historia, y esperamos con ansias todos los momentos especiales que nos esperan en el futuro. Realmente no podríamos estar más felices y emocionados con esta gran bendición en nuestras vidas.
También quiero agregar que ésta es la razón por la que he andado tan perdida del blog y las redes sociales últimamente, pero por supuesto que planeo regresar y compartir esta etapa de mi vida con ustedes muy pronto. Por el momento, les deseo a todos tanta alegría y felicidad como las que estoy viviendo este momento.
¡Que tengan un día maravilloso!

Travel: A Hidden Gem

Posted on September 15, 2014 by Abril

Watkins Glen State Park is a hidden gem of nature I had never heard of before, until recently. Okay, so maybe it’s not quite as hidden as I hear it is actually one of the most famous New York State Parks and the most famous of the Finger Lakes State Parks, yet somehow this amazing oasis of unparalleled beauty had managed to stay out of my radar my whole life.

It first came to my attention (barely!) a few months ago when I pinned a photo of one of its gorgeous cascades to my Travel board on Pinterest. However, even though the beauty portrayed in the photo captured me and it surprised me to read in the caption this was actually located in New York, I didn’t pay any further attention to it. I simply pinned it as yet another place on my travel bucket list that I’d like to visit “someday”.

Little did I know at the time, that for once “someday” wasn’t a vague word to describe a time in the very distant future, and that I would actually be visiting such wonder of the world before the year’s end. It wasn’t even that I planned to visit Watkins Glen State Park this soon, as I didn’t even remember ever pinning a photo of it, let alone its existence, but through various circumstances I found myself visiting the Finger Lakes area a few weeks ago and ended up exactly there in an almost spur-of-the-moment excursion.

I call this park a hidden a gem not only because I went my whole life unaware of it, but also because I’m extremely surprised that its popularity is sort of mild. Sure, there were other visitors exploring the park and hiking its trails while we were there, and I’m sure they get a good flow of tourists all throughout the summer, but its beauty is so incredibly magnificent it should be renowned around the world! It should be a household name, right up there with the Grand Canyon and Niagara Falls. It may not be as impressive in size, but its beauty will blow your mind.

I have traveled and explored many places in my lifetime, and I can honestly say this place astounded me. I didn’t even explore the whole park, but just the 1.3 miles of the Gorge Trail going over and under tens of waterfalls was enough to fall in love. Even a few weeks later, I still find myself looking at the photos I took of them, again and again. I just can’t get over it. And I’m pretty sure you won’t get over it either if you ever visit the wonderland that is Watkins Glen State Park.

Travel: NY Photo Diary

Posted on September 11, 2014 by Abril

I got back from NY a couple of weeks ago but I’m still very much in a New York state of mind, so today I bring you my photo diary from this last trip to one of the most exhilarating cities in the world.
For the first time ever, I ventured out of Manhattan into the increasingly popular Brooklyn, and I am very pleased I did. It’s funny how just crossing one bridge can feel like entering a completely different world, despite their similar old time charm. I only got to roam thru a bit of Prospect Heights and its beautiful Prospect Park, which you can almost consider the Central Park of Brooklyn, before heading straight for some famous Brooklyn pizza right under the Brooklyn bridge and then taking a ferry back to the city. All I can say is, I’ll be back Brooklyn, I’ll be back.
As for Manhattan, I got to finally see the 9/11 Memorial since on all my trips over the last few years, it had always been under construction. It is beautiful and touching as it should be. I also got to see another Broadway classic that has been on my list for a while, Mamma Mia! and I loved it, which I knew I would because I love the movie version just as much. Still, I gotta say Wicked continues to my favorite among the several musicals I’ve been lucky to see.
Another first on this trip was visiting Central Park during dusk. I’ve been there many times before but never when the light is fading and the park is significantly less busy. You get a completely different feel for it without all the hustle and bustle going on. I gotta say I did miss the street entertainers and artists one can usually find on The Mall walk during the day, and I wasn’t very happy to see some rats starting to come out to look for their dinner.
Anyway, after not being able to visit the Top of the Rock on my previous 2 trips because it was so overcast, I decided to make up for it by hanging out there for a while…that while turned into 3 lovely hours of admiring the city from all angles, enjoying a beautiful NY sunset, and getting delighted by all the twinkling city lights. It felt so good to stop for longer than a New York minute to take it all in. Whenever I’m in New York, I’m always rushing trying to make sure I get to see as much as possible, so slowing down was nice for a change. Note to self, remember to do that more often on my future trips.
Oh, New York, New York, how I miss you already! I guess for now I’ll have to settle for looking at these pictures and going over all the memories in my head (and my heart!) time and time again.

abril's corner

a virtual retreat

The More the Merrier

Travel: A Hidden Gem

Travel: NY Photo Diary