As the wise Will Smith once said...Welcome to Miami

It was time for a long weekend away from the city...and what better of an excuse than to celebrate Christine's 21st birthday (for the 8th time) and to see my brother. Christine (who I frequently visit) lives in Philly (it's usually a toss up who I mention more...Christine/Gab or my mother) and is part of the Australia Study Abroad Trifecta. As you'll see from some of the photos, my brother filled in for Gab since she just popped out Miss Ayva and couldn't travel. Sorry Gabs, Auntie Lo isn't ready to vaca with a baby :)

Packing for Florida should be easy, right?!...WRONG! I'm pretty sure Christine and I brought 11 pairs of shoes combined for a 5 day trip. I had shoes in my carryon suitcase AND in my bag under the seat. As a girl who wears black 90% of the time, I always tend to overpack for trips. This girl went to Europe already at the weight limit with the intention of going shopping! (which I did of course).

The Friday night packing session went a little something like this..."Okay 5 days in Florida...with a carryon suitcase...you need swimsuits...3 should be good...a pool suit..a beach suit...and an extra?...2 coverups (what if one gets wet)...night outfits...well you don't really like going "out out" (very different than just "out")..but bring those red heels you just bought...5 black tank tops (note: 3 of them were sheer and look exactly the same)...2 pairs of black denim shorts...1 extra pair of jeans...beach sandals...nice sandals...a dress...a curling iron...more pants...more black shirts...oh and workout clothes...(WHY GOD?! WHY DO WOMEN DO THIS?!...and the reasoning behind it!!...) because I'm going to get up in the morning and workout (THIS NEVER HAPPENS BUT WE DO IT EVERY TRIP!)...I'm going to be healthy this trip"... I wasted perfectly good suitcase real estate on tennis shoes. Do you know how many more sheer tanks I could have packed?! In reality - I think I wore 30% of what I brought...maybe one day I will learn.

Saturday, we flew in the morning, got a brief tour of Parker's apartment complex (aka how to get to the pool without getting lost), napped poolside, then went to a local sports bar to watch March Madness. Since Christine was the only one to complete a bracket, (I refuse to participate in activities that have the possibility of me losing...well except for dating) we scrutinized every scenario and outcome for her to win with having Gonzaga as the champs* (*Since UNC won, the Webb Siblings will not be responsible for any binge drinking of sorrows or loss of dignity and/or monetary funds by Christine.)

See Mom and Dad...we can get along in public

Sunday was a full and fabulous day! We started with brunch at Palace in South Beach...which if you didn't see my Instagram or Snapchat overload, is a 2-ish hour unlimited mimosa and pre-fix brunch that involves drag queens. Seriously, if you're going to be in the South Beach area, make a reservation and GO! The food is average, but you rarely have an empty glass...and let's be real...you aren't going for the breakfast burrito or steak and eggs...you're going with the hopes that a drag queen will make your brother motorboat their DD sized chest. Sadly, this did not happen...however after 2.5 hours of drinking..the energy level in the restaurant was at a 10...traffic was coming to a halt so performers could catwalk and cartwheel across the street, a 90 year-old grandma basically played the bongos on a draq queen's ass, and Christine twerked to get her birthday shot. (I have this on film for blackmail if she decides to ever cross me...muahahaha.)

That woman's face is the caption to this photo 😂

"Clap your hands if you've had too many mimosas" 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

Coing down from our drag queen high and mimosa buzz, we explored the rest of South Beach and ventured over to Wynwood. This area was a little more my style...more art galleries and building graffiti. Hard to believe, but South Beach really wasn't our scene...we wore too much clothing. The rest of the trip involved a spa day at the Victor Hotel, pool and beach time (probably in the same swimsuit), Titos, food trucks, and watching too much Drunk History. (seriously, watch it!) Relaxation trip was a success, however, I still firmly believe that I could never live in Florida...mostly because everything is in a strip mall. Sunny Isles, Florida...the city of sun and sea...and where Walgreens, the Russian Mafia Geico office, and an $$$ Italian restaurant on Yelp are all obstructed from the street by a Buffalo Wild Wings.

Vacation mode over...back to living on eggs, hitting the gym, and being on a budget (or so I tell myself.)

Love

A Lo Xx