Hey everybody! Yeah, I quoted that Will Smith song! Anyway, did you all like the video? Sorry it’s so long and I couldn’t post it on the actual blog. Bah. But I’m back in Richmond now, and I was greeted with cold weather and a grey sky. All I could think was, “why did I leave Florida?!” Oh that’s right, I’ve got a life up here! I was also reunited with my little bumpkin, Matilda. Hehe she’s really not from the country but that word is cute! I missed her so much and she’s seriously looking more adorable than ever.

Anyway, let’s see… where were we on the Florida recap? Aha! Saturday morning…

Breakfast looked like a blob!

After getting home late, I managed to wake up around 9. I mixed some oats with yogurt and cottage cheese. I topped it off with a peach, dark cherries, apple butter, cinnamon, and peanut butter. I went to lie down a little bit more before I got ready for my AM yoga class. It felt so nice to be doing some deep stretches! After the yoga class, me and my mom went to the sauna for a bit. Then we came home and I whipped up a quick lunch.

Lots of green!

I made a stir-fry with bell peppers, zucchini, bean sprouts, and scallion with Teriyaki sauce. On the side is a ready-made Indian food called Patra. It is basically stuffed taro leaves and mildly spicy. We served it with a sauce made with coconut kefir (you can use any yogurt), and tamarind-date chutney. Check out the avocado!

On the side I had cottage cheese with fruit preserves and pomegranate seeds.

After lunch I got ready to run some errands with my dad again. We went to several places, and made an impromptu stop at a local Italian market called Doris’. Everything there is authentic and they have the best produce! They’ve also got fresh pastas and cheeses, aisles of olive oils, tomato sauces, chocolates and almond candies. Did I mention a bakery as well? I remember on Christmas they had a crowd of regular customers at the door right before they opened and they were thanking everybody for sticking with them throughout the years. We finally got home and it was time to get ready for dinner.

Mom and daughter!

I looked up Mediterranean restaurants in Miami and I spotted one that looked interesting. It’s The Lido and it’s located in a spa that’s apart of The Standard hotels.

It had a retro vibe going on.

Once we got inside we had someone guide us to the restaurant since it’s a part of a spa.

It's too dark to see really, but the pool looked like it was about to overflow.

Outdoor dining - the kitchen and bar were outdoors as well!

The atmosphere was very relaxed and people were just lounging around in the deep seats or by the bar.

It was a chilly and windy evening for south Florida.

Since we were sitting right by the bay, it was super windy! I ordered a coffee hoping to stay warm and not get tired. I had a night of dancing planned for me!

We ended up moving where we sat because it was incredibly windy and we didn't want to be eating our hair.

I ordered the raw vegan living "lasagna" which consisted of ground nuts, thinly sliced vegetables, and I can't remember what else!

My parents ordered fish dishes.

I wish I could remember what the dishes were, but my dad liked the yogurt sauce that accompanied his piece of snapper. They also gave us what I believe was toasted lavash and pita chips.

After dinner we just walked around the spa for a bit, and they had an "adult playground" with swings!

They also had a firepit which was perfect for the chilly night.

Afterwards, it was time to head back and rest a bit before I went out again.

Tonight we were dancing no matter what!

Kenny and Chris said they had a surprise for me!

I made the same face after my first sip!

Oh my gosh Kenny poured us what he called “suicidal shots”. Basically that meant 3 or 4 shots in one.I don’t really drink on the regular so I took a sip and made a sour-puss face. I ended up mixing it with pineapple juice. Then it was time to leave their place and walk to the clubs. Pilar and I were holding on to each other for body warmth. Even Florida has cold fronts! We were relieved once we got to our destination! I didn’t bring my camera, but I found some pictures online of the place we went to.

They had dancers

An outdoor area with a firepit and fountain.

And some places to sit indoors as well.

There were some very interesting people at the club! Some guy was dressed up as a gladiator and stood on one of the platforms and totally got into character by acting like some emperor. Then there was someone dressed up as… I can’t even describe. But they had everything covered from head to toe. Anyhow, we were dancing the night away and it was so much fun to let loose. Dancing is something I love and I never care what anyone else is thinking. It’s like the world around me just disappears. We finally headed back home and I passed out in the car, I was dead tired and I knew I had to wake up in 2 hours anyway. I got home and I didn’t even change into my pajamas. An hour later my dad woke me up and I quickly got ready, but I didn’t bother to change my dress. Stinky! But hey, this is what party animals do, right? Party all night, then catch flights in last night’s makeup and dress!

I did have something ready for me to eat that made for a quick breakfast!

If you like super thick yogurt then I suggest Icelandic style skyr. It’s thicker than Greek yogurt, the siggi’s brand is anyway.

I also packed myself a little lunch.

Ever since I got food poisoning at the airport, I’ve been kind of paranoid of eating things from any airport. So I just pack my own stuff instead.

Some orange tea before I passed out.

I made a PB&J sandwich! I also had two giant carrots (Bugs Bunny style) and Dr. Kracker's crackers.

Now I’m back and just getting into the swing of things again. The last two days in Florida were full of friends and family and just going out there and living it up! It’s hard to feel motivated to do schoolwork after going back home, but the semester will be done before I know it! I’ve also been having tummy issues, and I’m not sure from what. It really sucks though because my stomach is acting up after everything I eat. No bueno! I should get some ginger cubes and ginger root.

I hope you guys are bundling up if you’re experiencing cold weather. Being sick with the sniffles is not good… except for the part when there’s someone special spoiling you!