Caribbean Cruise

My family and I took a 7-day cruise to the Eastern Caribbean at the end of June. This was my 5th cruise, and I don't think I'll ever get tired of them! We stopped in the beautiful islands of Half Moon Cay (Bahamas), St. Thomas (U.S. Virgin Islands), San Juan (Puerto Rico), and Grand Turk (Turks and Caicos Islands). Everything was absolutely breathtaking and the ocean water was always so turquoise and clear. And let's not forget the cute guys, dance parties, nightly shows, unlimited food, delicious three-course meals, and 24/7 pizza and ice cream. This vacation was exactly what I needed to take a break from reality. :)

Parasailing in Half Moon Cay!! Unbelievable view of the island from 500 feet in the air. So much fun.

Snorkeling at Honeymoon Beach! So many colorful fish and coral. I was really hoping to find a sea turtle too, but no luck this time. Our tour guides on the boat were wonderful and hilarious...and quite cute as well. ;) "Don't try to tell me that a sea urchin chased after you and attacked you because they move about 2 inches a day..."

 

Here's our ship, the Carnival Liberty, docked at Grand Turk. Grand Turk was definitely my favorite port of the cruise. White sand beach, palm trees, coconuts, Hermie the hermit crab, and mango daiquiri. Paradise.

Spent a few extra days in Miami, Florida after the cruise. Miami Beach is filled with stunning seashells and a gorgeous view of the skyline. Miami kind of reminds me of a mix between Los Angeles and Las Vegas for some reason. Ocean Drive was crowded with people every single night, and people were still partying at the clubs at 5am. Miami goes hard, I guess.

On our second day in Miami, we decided to take a trip to the Everglades National Park. We took an airboat tour in Gator Park and even got to hold a living alligator named Larry. Quite the experience!

Have you ever been on a cruise? If so, what is your most memorable cruise experience?

Xx Kristin

God Bless America ✞✞✞

July 4th is one of my favorite holidays. I love the patriotic outfits, barbecues, warm weather, fireworks, sparklers, starry nights, long exposure photos, rodeos, and overall celebrations. I feel like everyone is happy on the 4th of July. :)

For this year's 4th of July outfit, I cut up an old XX-Large Disneyland t-shirt from the 90s. I cut off the sleeves and about six or seven inches from the bottom. I stretched out the bottom so that the edges would roll up a little. Pretty satisfied with how it turned out! I then paired that with my faded cyan frayed shorts and black cross earrings, complete with a messy bun on top of my head. We even dressed up my dog Junior with an American flag bandana. :)

We definitely had quite the feast this year! My sister and I tossed together some raspberries and blueberries to make a patriotic berry salad. Meanwhile, my dad barbecued bacon shrimp wraps, chicken, sausage, and delicious garlic bread.

This was my first 4th of July without sparklers or fireworks. Didn't have any money on me at all, but I guess that just means I saved a few bucks! We stayed in most of the night and listened to the crackles and pops down the street. With the streetlights turned off for the night, the stars shone brighter than ever in the night sky. Loved it. :) Hope everyone had a spectacular 4th of July!

What's your favorite part about 4th of July? Do you have any interesting family traditions?

Xx Kristin