I have spent a lot of time reflecting and I've realized how gracious God has been to us. Never did I think that we would be traveling the world and taking in some of life's greatest experiences. Today, I thought back to our flight to Greece and as I scrolled though the music albums on the screen of the seat in front of me, to my surprise I came across Johnnyswim's new album, Diamonds, which I have been dying to hear. Some of you may know this already, but I love Johnnyswim and Ryan and my first dance as husband and wife was their song, "Paris in June." Abner and Amanda make some of the most amazing and sweetest music and I find myself getting lost in the lyrics everytime I listen to them. If you haven't heard of them check them out. One of the songs that touched my heart and was so fitting as we ventured off into our new beginning was Johnnyswim's song "Live While We're Young." We have been fortunate enough speak to our families since we have been here on multiple occasions, but this song continues play in my head. It's ever so perfect for our decision to move and the future we are about to create. So I wanted to share it with you. It brings both a smile and tears to my eyes because the lyrics are just beautiful. Enjoy!
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I have decided and rightfully so that while in Qatar, the best place for me to be in a car is in the backseat. This is not the place for passive drivers, nor road rage, and if you have never had anxiety while driving you will soon develop it. Think Miami driving...x 20! I'm pretty sure that I have gotten in the habit of holding my breath and hoping for the best. Not to mention the endless amounts of construction throughout the city. Maybe my anxiety was fueled from my time served as a claims adjuster. On the bright side there are a number of taxis or you can hire a driver for a reasonable price. So far our stay has been enjoyable. We haven't had an opportunity to explore a lot just yet as the work week began Sunday and ends Thursday. However, I have been exploring the coffee shop downstairs and although I never tried one in the States, I have have easy access to the prized Cronut. For those of you who don't know cronuts were all the rage about year ago when NY pastry-chef, Dominique Ansel, had the GENIUS idea to marry the croissant and the donut. Lucky for me the cronut has made its appearance in Doha. The results... my breakfast twice this week: PERFECTION! My biggest accomplishment today however was braving it and setting off to the Souq Waqif by myself. I managed to get there about 30 minutes before the shops opened for their second wind of the day. Although it was a 108 degrees, it was fun to wandering the alleyways filled with spices, fabrics, scarves, gold, and various other goods. Above is a picture of the heavily filled restaurant portion of the Souq Waqif during the work break. Souq Waqif is one of Doha's most recommended sites and now I am finally able to see why for myself. Not to mention it easily feeds my scarf obsession! So happy to have this in my backyard now.
If you're looking for paradise look no further than Santorini! It's the perfect Greek Island filled wineries, volcanic beaches, boutiques, and relaxation. I won't lie when I say three days is not enough. Our lovely hotel Mill House: Angels & Stars was located off the cliff side overlooking the sea and towers upon towers of beautiful white washed homes, hotels, and churches. The pictures that you see online or on television do no justice. Our room was a perfect little white-washed cave like suite in the side of the cliff. Many of our nights were spent on our balcony sharing wine and taking in the scenery. Even more the hotel states that they encourage laziness in the morning and so graciously brings you breakfast at your requested time on your patio. Champagne, croissants, fruit, and yogurt, and eggs... not a bad way to start your every morning. Our last few days have been filled with wandering the streets of Fira, visiting Franco's: a bar over looking the water that plays Classical Music and encourages you to disconnect with the world of social media, riding an ATV to Oia and many of the volcanic sand beaches of Santorini, and taking in how beautiful life is. Tomorrow we're off to our new home of Doha, Qatar, but for now we'll enjoy the beautiful sunset from our last night in Greece. Cheers to love and enjoying what God and life have given you! Let me start by saying that there is nothing like Good Old Greece to remind you just how out of shape you truly are. Our experience in Athens was certainly a learning and enjoyable one. Lesson 1) You should probably begin your Crossfit or Stair Master Training at least a month prior to visiting Greece. You'll likely regret it if you don't. Lesson 2) Pack lightly. There is always an excuse to charge you more for your extra baggage. Save yourself the hassle and pack one large bag and not two. On our second day in Athens we hiked to the Parthenon and visited the Acropolis Museum. I would say this was probably single-handedly the longest and hottest walk I have ever taken in my life. Nonetheless it was worth it. The view was breathtaking and to witness the remains of one of the world's oldest civilizations is quite amazing. So much time, effort, skill, and labor were put into every bit of these monuments. I can't even begin to express the beauty and skill of it all. All that I can say is add visiting Athens to your bucket list! Many of you may have seen Murad Osmann's photos of his girlfriend leading him around the world which was such a great idea! Ryan and I decided that we would do the same. So here is our voyage from the Parthenon. On our third day in Athens, we visited more ruins, but I made sure to get a little relaxation in. So off to Doctor Fish we went. For those of you that don't know what Doctor Fish is, it's a fish spa in which Garra Rufa Fish, a form of carp, gently remove the dead skin from your body. This is not for the squeamish at heart. It took me a little while to actually get my feet in the tank which was followed by laughter from the tickling of the fish swimming and nibbling all over your legs and feet. I am definitely glad that we went with the 10 minute option and not the 30 minute option.
After an hour and twenty minutes of sitting on the runway from Philly and ten hours of flying time, we made it to Athens, Greece at 10 am this morning. Lucky for us, Ryan chose a cute little boutique hotel close to all of the main attractions that Athens has to offer. Besides trying to catch up on sleep, we used the afternoon to explore shops and restaurants. Athens is filled with wine bars, restaurants, bakeries, and shopping. There is a bakery/creamery on just about every corner. Each filled with some of the most amazing pastries, froyo, and gelato that we have ever seen. Not to mention they are all open until the wee hours of the morning. Let's just say that's a dream come true for Ryan! Tonight we stepped out for wine and a late night bite on the rooftop of a restaurant called 360 Degrees. Perfect wine, perfect husband, and the most beautiful night time view of the Parthenon. If our first night has been this amazing we can't wait to see what the rest offers. Tomorrow we explore the ruins and soak up all of the the beautiful history of Ancient Greece. Cheers to enjoying every experience in life! |
AuthorAnd so it begins... My story of love, my passions, life, and travel. I am Ronita. Archives
March 2018
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