Post-vacation depression, it’s a thing.

June 20, 2014November 22, 20152 Comments

Raise your hand if you arrived back from a vacation saying, “Woah, so glad that’s over. I never want to vacation again.”

I can’t see you, but I know only fools would have their hands raised.

Post-vacation depression is a thing, I say this with all of my non-scientific knowledge. It is a consequence of real life hitting you in the face and saying, “Welcome back, you sucker!” It’s also a very confusing moment because you know you have to be grateful for the amazing time you had, but you are also miserable and decide to keep complaining anyways.

The thing with traveling is that, once you pop, you can’t stop.

Sure, you have wonderful pictures, videos and souvenirs to remind you of the amazing time you had, but in reality all you want is to go back and live everything again… and more.

“Oh, I wish I had visited that spot!”

“I wish I had more time in this city to explore this and that.”

“That restaurant was amazing, I want to go back and order this other plate.”

“Man, the weather was sweet, I wish I had another day to enjoy it.”

“Now I know two words from the language, need to go back and practice!”

Can you relate? I may sound like a little girl throwing a tantrum, but that’s kind of how it feels at times. You can ask my boyfriend for examples, like the fit I threw at the Dublin airport coming back from our most recent trip. There may have been a tear or two involved.

Now, with every return to real life, there are responsibilities and realities that hit you in the face. This means content from my vacation will be slowly coming up, but I’ll make it good for you all. Below is a little preview from Croatia, drool away.

If you are experiencing post-vacation depression, I’m more than happy to vent together.

Peace, Love & Diet Coke *

Plitvice Lakes National Park, the clearest water I have ever seen.

View from the wall in the old town of Dubrovnik, or as some of you may know it, King’s Landing.

Split, Croatia. It was odd for me to not have sand in the beach, but still, it was beautiful.

Check out more pictures of my trip in Instagram @peaceloveanddietcoke

More here soon!

“Great things never came from comfort zones”

May 27, 2014November 22, 20151 Comment

This has been my mantra for this past month. Not only is my big Europe trip right around the corner, but I got a new job and started a new professional journey (basically the reason why I have abandoned this blog for a few weeks) but cry no more, I’m back! (Only to leave in a week, but still!)

I also went home to my beautiful Puerto Rico and got to spend some wonderful days with my family and friends. It was really the perfect way to end a great chapter in my life and freshen up to start a new one. So really, I can’t complain. Sure, I’m peeling from the sun even though I am still technically white and sure, my bank account has taken a hit, but I’m sure I’ll live.

I try to stay away from all things cheesy (except when they actually are cheesy, yum.) but lately I’ve just been feeling like I have so much to take in from life (besides new work information, of course). Sure, I stress about things all the time, that’s just how I work. Who knows? This may be the nice weather talking, but life is good right now. Long gone are the days of miserable weather complaints and in are the sunny, sweaty walks to work. Ah, sweaty summer bliss.

But back to being corny,

Life is crazy, unpredictable and if you let it be, it can also be beautiful.

Speaking of beautiful, below are some pictures from La Isla del Encanto that I took during my last visit home (yes, I get to call paradise home). I always love giving out recommendations for travelers that wish to visit Puerto Rico, so feel free to shoot me a comment or tweet me any questions!

Yes, me and my boyfriend might have started a cheesy tradition of taking travel pictures with our feet #noshame – This was before our kayak tour at the bioluminescent bay in Fajardo. Tour started during the day, through the canals and into the bay to watch the sunset. Then, I was once again amazed by the beauty that is the bay’s natural glow. Third time doing it and it’s still worth the sore muscles!

Right before our journey! This picture has no filters, you can see how the sunset light glows in the water, giving it a nice natural tone.

Credit for this one goes to my dad (@josenogueraspr)

Hyatt Hacienda del Mar in Dorado, Puerto Rico

Basically, a little corner of heaven, right here.

It wouldn’t be complete without a food picture, wouldn’t it? For my boyfriend’s birthday I took him to a delicious restaurant in Dorado called El Ladrillo (The Brick) – I had been there when I was little and fine cuisine for me consisted of plain rice and chicken, coming back was absolutely amazing. Not only is the food really good and varied for all tastes, but the restaurant itself is beautiful. They have a true art collection within the space.

Be sure to follow my Instagram for more pictures that don’t make it to actual posts – @peaceloveanddietcoke

Main image credit – http://www.etmusiquepourtous.com/2012/11/07/16191/jpeg/

All other pictures taken by Cristina Nogueras © Do not copy or repost without attribution

Otto Strada, New Restaurant in Hoboken

May 8, 2014November 22, 20151 Comment

A few months ago, Otto Strada opened up its doors in Hoboken. If you are looking for delicious Italian food and good ambiance, this is your place. My personal struggle when visiting an Italian place is that I am never sure if I am going to want pizza or pasta, but Otto Strada had solid choices for both desires.

Another plus? It’s BYOB, bingo!

I also expanded my Italian vocabulary by learning that Otto Strada means Eight Street, which, voila, is where this new spot is located. Ah, the genius.

Although my food comma kept me away from ordering dessert, I was drooling over a gigantic dessert calzone. That’s right, calzone for dessert. I was creeping, but I could not look away from the Nutella drizzling from the inside of this wonderful thing. I recommend you leave room for dessert, highly encouraged.

One of the specials for the day: a delicious pesto with roasted tomatoes

My boyfriend is trying to learn to take food pictures, he is getting there very slowly, so cut him some slack! – Pollo alla Milanese con Prosciutto: breaded chicken pounded thin, pan seared, topped with prosciutto, homemade mozzarella and tomato bruschetta over a bed of arugula tossed with a lemon vinaigrette

Wordless Wednesday: Back Streets of SoHo

May 7, 2014November 22, 2015Leave a comment

Back streets can hold beauty too | Photo taken and edited by Cristina Nogueras ©

“Sure, I would love a mansion to use only three months out of the year.” – My visit to Newport, RI

April 14, 2014November 22, 20152 Comments

Have you heard of the Gilded Age? Call me ignorant or whatever, but I had not heard the official term until last month when I visited the astonishing mansions of Newport, Rhode Island.

In United States history, the Gilded Age is a period approximately spanning the final three decades of the nineteenth century; from the 1870s to 1900. The term was coined by writers Mark Twain and Charles Dudley Warner in The Gilded Age: A Tale of Today (1873), satirizing what they believed to be an era of serious social problems disguised by a thin gold gilding.

Thank you Wikipedia, you’re the best.

Interesting where we stand right now, I want my life easier not more elaborated. Fancy dresses are uncomfortable and I can’t imagine having someone do every single thing for me, I actually enjoy cooking.

How did people live in such an age? I bet their attention span was intact and their knowledge of history was more maintained, with all the time they had in their hands I would not expect anything less. I bet if they come to our time now they would be beyond overwhelmed and wouldn’t know how to deal with it.

What’s next for people then? How can it get more intense, more technological or more progressive?

I think we are going back to basics in many aspects of life. Are we losing connection with ourselves? Are we going back to times we thought of as grand? Is that what every generation does? The Gilded Age line of thought was to replicate and bring back the grandeur of Europe, especially France. Are we always, in some way, looking back to the successes of the past? Will all of this Google glass technology mindsets collide with a simpler way of living?

I guess what I’m wondering is, what will future generations look back and see from our times? What are they going to want to replicate and what are they going to laugh about (besides Justin Bieber’s music)?

I’m going to let you think about that for a while.

On a lighter note, follow my Newport journey through my pictures below! 🙂

Walking around the ocean drive

This is just the backside of the Marble House. Mind you, this was supposed to be their summer house. Imagine where they lived all year.

This was their tea house. Tea house. A house for tea. I have a box for my tea bags, but these people had actual buildings for tea.

The front of the Marble House is even more amazing

Breakfast at Beech Tree Inn, such a nice stay!

This might not be the most flattering picture, but this dinner at The Mooring was absolutely delicious!

Walking by the water…

You have to drive by the ocean drive, it’s such a beautiful view… and this is not even summer!

I feel like I should remember this mansion’s name… potato, potato? There are so many mansions!

Cliff Walk -Some of it is still closed due to damage by Super Storm Sandy

Even when it’s not sumer, even if there’s a cold breeze, this walk was still worth it.

The Breakers, just your average American summer cottage. Seriously? This is basically a castle.

Going down the Forty Steps…

Wordless Wednesday: Newport Waters

March 26, 2014November 22, 2015Leave a comment

It doesn’t have to be summer for the ocean to be beautiful…and that guy is pretty cool, too

Newport, Rhode Island

Warning. This thing called wanderlust, it’s getting worse.

March 18, 2014November 22, 20152 Comments

Oh yeah, and by the way, I booked a trip to Croatia.

As much as I wish I could say this was a crazy moment of enlightenment in which I decided to book a flight to a random country, it was not all quite like that. I’ve been wanting to jump back to the other side of the Atlanitc for a while now, it was a matter of getting around the decision of where to go (and with what money, of course).

Turns out, there is a reason for credit cards and tax returns. That reason is so that I can go to Europe. I am beyond thrilled to be able to explore a new country outside my beloved European classics like France and Spain.

It’s booked. It’s happening. It’s getting closer.

Life is too short to live on the extreme, think about it. Too much saving wont get you moving places and too much wilderness and abandonment will leave you with no savings. So take this as a sign if you’ve been saving to travel for a while, or if you’re extremely broke then also take this as a sign and open yourself a nice little savings account.

Have any recommendations about what to do in Croatia? Comment away!

Also, be sure to follow the blog on Instagram @peaceloveanddietcoke

Image Credit – http://www.cntraveller.com/recommended/beaches/croatia-island-beach-holidays/vis-island-croatia

[Brunch] The Elysian Café

March 2, 2014November 22, 2015Leave a comment

The fact that I love brunch is nothing new, so when last week various articles came out saying that bottomless brunches were illegal, you can imagine I started freaking out. Big thanks to The Huffington Post for letting me know that it’s going to be ok by sharing the State Liquor Authority’s statement here.

To celebrate, today I tried out brunch at Hoboken’s Elysian Café. (Mind you, this is not in New York City and I actually just drank coffee, but in the books it’s still brunch!) I had never been to this place before, it’s actually very cute. Turns out The Elysian Café is the oldest continually operated bar/restaurant in Hoboken. I have not had dinner there yet (hint hint to my boyfriend) but I can imagine that with the antique ambiance and the live music they have some nights, it has to be really nice.

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