I took a deep breath of the smoggy Newark air as I stepped outside of the airport doors in Arrivals. After being in Germany for 8 months, it was the air that I wanted to breathe during this holiday season. I missed my O Sweet Home, New Jersey.

I was greeted by my best friend Patricia and it was such a wonderful feeling of familiarity and comfort. Thanks to FaceTime and Skype these past few months, it almost felt like we were never apart though physical presence was missing.

Going into my house I was surprised by a delicious cake and cronuts by my amazing sister and we hugged and laughed for a while. I couldn't believe I was home.

My mom arrived hours later because her flight from Mexico was a bit delayed and I finally felt complete after seeing her. It's such an amazing feeling when you see your loved ones for the first time after a long time. That feeling isn't any different than when a small child longs for their parent even if they are sitting a few feet away. I love this photo of us.

The next day I was anxiously waiting to see Mark. He was arriving late that evening from his residency interview and I was counting down every minute. When I saw him drive into my driveway, my heart dropped and all I could do was smile and jump onto him from excitement. It was very hard being physically apart for those couple of months, but we picked up where we left off and I couldn't be any happier.

We headed up to Lake Placid for a couple of days with friends and then spent some time in Saratoga Springs with his family. It was such a great time!

Once Christmas rolled around, my sister cooked for all of my family and I was able to see my cousins, Aunt, and niece Isis. We had such a blast playing taboo and headups that we forgot to take a family photo. I love them all so much and I was so happy to spend time with them.

A couple days later, my Dad and cousins from Massachusetts met Elsie and I in NYC and we wondered around the city enjoying the beautiful weather and christmas decorations.

We ate at such a good Korean BBQ restaurant called Jongro and stopped for dessert at Bouchon Bakery where Elsie works. All the food was amazing.

It was nice to spend time with my Dad since I don't see him as often since he lives in Puerto Rico.


After many days relaxing at home watching numerous netflix movies and eating great food with Mom and sis, it was Mark's birthday and my college friends Renee and Nia were coming up to visit for the night.

Trying to get us to take a normal photo takes forever. We need to start acting our age :)


We met everyone at one of Mark's favorite restaurants, DBGB, owned by Chef Daniel Boulud that serves french comfort food. We got numerous drinks, had great food, and had great conversations. It was cozy and we all had a great time.We made our way to Bowery Electric for an 80's dance party, but it was a bust so we went to a bar I've been numerous times before called Phebes. Overall it was a great night!

The next day, we went to see Kinky Boots on Broadway and it was hands down the BEST musical I have ever seen. The costumes, music, and performance were superb. I highly recommend it!

 After the musical I met up with some of my dental school friends at a bar called The Ginger Man and we had a great time catching up and reminiscing about the good times!! I really miss seeing them daily, but I'm so happy we are done with school and establishing ourselves in the world.

The next morning we woke up, I went shopping around, we ate this amazing Green Tea Crepe Cake from the bakery Lady M and got my hair done while Mark went to a Museum.

We met at a restaurant in Upper East Side called La Pulperia where we enjoyed many cocktails and seafood before going to a great concert by Gov't Mule. We stuffed our faces!

I couldn't believe how fast the days were flying by, but I was enjoying every bit of it. New Year's Eve came and we walked around central park trying to get our blood flowing after so much eating and drinking we had done that week. Apparently, Mark felt like a panda and was acting like one as we walked along central park...haha

Later that evening, before heading to his friend's house for dinner, Mark surprised me with a champagne boat cruise around NYC. It was very romantic and sweet! I love him, he's definitely a keeper! ;)

After a wonderful dinner with Max's family and friends, I went to my best friend Rachel's NYE party. Many of our dental school friends came and we had amazing food, danced, and drank the night away. It was a wonderful way to ring in the New Year, though I missed being with my family as the clock stroke 12:00 a.m. 

Unfortunately, these are the only blurry pictures I took all night!

After spending many days in NYC, I spent the remainder of my time at home with the family and Mark! I had such a busy and amazing vacation that the days weren't enough and I was really sad I didn't get to see my high school friends and a few others, but time was limited and hopefully I will when I come home again!

Thanks to my family, amazing friends, and boyfriend for making it one of the best Christmases yet!!Until we meet again!!

 -Tschuss

Coconut Chia Pancakes

Everyone that knows me well, knows that I love breakfast food! Perhaps it's because I can either eat a sweet or savory meal and satisfy my cravings for the rest of the day. Actually it's because I can eat sweets and not be judged for eating dessert early in the morning...haha

Here is a great healthy alternative to your regular pancakes. Coconut Flour is grain and gluten-free and high in fiber. It is a bit more moist than regular All-purpose flour, so don't be surprised if your pancakes are different.

Coconut Chia Pancakes

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Prep time: 10 minutes  Cook time: 5 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup Coconut flour
• 4 eggs
• 1/4 cup coconut milk (you can use any milk)
• 3 tbsp coconut oil (liquid state- microwave or heat in a saucepan)
• 1 tbsp coconut palm sugar (you can use any sugar you desire)
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 tsp chia seeds (optional)

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, whisk eggs, milk, and oil until combined. 
2. In a separate bowl, mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
3. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until no clumps remain.
4. Grease your pan or griddle with coconut oil or butter and pour about 1/4 cup of the batter. Wait 3-4 minutes until bubbles begin to appear on the top and along the edges and then  flip them.
5. Cook on this side for about 1-2 minutes or until cooked throughly. 
6. Add any toppings.

Bon Apetite!

  

New Year's Resolutions

One of my favorite questions to ask my loved ones as a new year approaches is, "What are your New Year's Resolutions?" About 75% tell me, "I don't believe in New Year's resolutions, its stupid."

I'm always baffled to hear this. To each their own. 

To me a New Year's resolution isn't just an unrealistic goal you set for yourself in the month of January, but instead an opportunity to set goals that will allow you to become your best self throughout the new year. In order to know what you need to work on, you need to reflect on what went well or wrong the past year and how you handled it.

I've always written down my resolutions and it has been interesting to see how things I have written years ago have manifested perhaps not in that same year, but later on. It is very important to take the time to write down all of your dreams, goals, and wishes because this will help you form a plan that will guide you to those dreams. Perhaps its' the inner hippie in me that believes that you will receive all you wish for when the universe believes you are ready. When you focus on something and want it with all your heart, you will get it.

Here is my initial resolutions list for this year, but I'm sure as I learn from new experiences  and challenges throughout this upcoming year, more resolutions will be added to this list. And don't be too hard on yourself if you don't complete them.

So get your paper and pen ready and jot them down!!

10 Reasons I love Barcelona

1. Food

The food in Barcelona is heavenly. From my first meal at a local place called Bar Celta where we ordered a selection of tapas: seafood salad, croquettes, chorizo, octopus, tomato bread, and sangria to my last meal of Paella; everything was to die for.  I was in Barcelona for Thanksgiving and I would choose that food over turkey, pumpkin pie, stuffing, and cranberry sauce any day.

The food culture in Barcelona is very unique as advances in gastronomy continue to grow. Every small restaurant is a culinary experience and a stimulant to my tastebuds. From the delicious octopus sprinkled with smoked paprika to the churros with chocolate to the local jamon. Any food lover's dream. I highly recommend the food lover's tour to anyone who wants to enjoy a four hr experience tasting Barcelona's best tapas. A visit to the food market called La Boqueria is a must or your trip to Barcelona isn't complete.

2. La Sagrada Familia

The Sagrada Familia is one of the most impressive churches/piece of artwork that I have ever seen. Standing at 560 ft in midst of a city, it almost seems like a mirage.

La Sagrada Familia is a large Roman Catholic Church designed by the Catalan architect Antoni Gaudi. Construction began in 1882 and it is projected to finish construction in 2026. At 19 euro the entrance fee, tourists and money from the government help sustain the construction for this magnificent church.

The design has eighteen spires representing in ascending order of height, the twelve Apostles, Virgin Mary, the four Evangelists and the tallest of all, Jesus Christ. Once the spires are completed, it will be the tallest church building in the world!!

The church has two main entrances displaying the three facades: Nativity, Passion Facade, and Glory.
The Nativity facade was the first to be completed and it is decorated with a naturalistic style incorporating scenes and symbols from nature representing life, the birth of Jesus. Leaves, trees and animals are carved out in the stone giving the building a 3D look.

The Passion facade is plain with straight lines carved in the bare stone resembling the bones of a skeleton, intended to portray the sins of man dedicated to the Passion of Christ.

The Glory Facade is one of the largest and is dedicated to the celestial glory of Jesus representing the road to God: Death, Final judgement, and Glory while hell is left for those who do not follow god's will. Although the blueprint models Gaudi made were destroyed in 1936, this facade is still under construction and will be the largest and most striking of all.

Perhaps the most impressive for me was the interior of La Sagrada Familia. Modern, Majestic, enlightening. It's influences from nature made me feel like I was walking in a forest of tree-like stone columns with colored  sunlight reflected by the stain glass.To think this was planned hundreds of years ago in Gaudi's imagination, goodness what a genius!

3. Weather
Sunny and 70 in November? I'll take that. I'm so used to Bavarian grey, foggy skies that it sometimes hurts my eyes when I see the sun. I'm not kidding!

4. Park Guel

Another of Gaudi's creations! A long uphill walk to Park Guell was well worth it after witnessing the whimsical design and architecture of the park. The organic shapes seen in most of the sculptures are influenced by nature and the colors and buildings almost look like something out of a Dr. Suess book. Taking in all of this beauty stilled my mind and brought that peace and tranquility any park should bring, despite there being so many tourists. If you want to enjoy a less crowded walk around this park, definitely come earlier in the morning.

5. Barceloneta Beach
A city with a beach? How perfect!
Although the beach was man made for the Olympics games in 1992, it is still a very nice beach to sunbathe and go for a dip.
Interesting facts: Palm trees were from Hawaii, Sand was from Eygpt.

 
6. Shopping
The shopping was perhaps one of my favorite things in the city. Barcelona is very trendy and although there are big name stores, there are also very unique and affordable stores in Barcelona. Our hotel was in a big shopping area called Las Ramblas and everyone I saw walking the streets were probably more fashionable than I've seen in NYC. I definitely went home with more bags than my small carry on duffle bag could hold.


7. Magic Fountain Montjuic 

This magic fountain is situated below the Palau Nacional on the Montjuic hill. I felt like a small child staring into the lights and movement of water as music accompanied it. It was definitely magic.

8. Parc de la Ciutadella

Not only is it one of the greenest parks in Barcelona where many people enjoy picnics or long walks, it used to be a citadel around the 1700s, which was later converted into a prison mostly for political prisoners. The park was later designed under Josep Fontsere and guess who else? Your one and only Gaudi. Gaudi was a young student at the time and an apprentice to Fontsere where he worked hard to complete the fountain. This picture doesn't do it justice, and lucky for me I got to see a rainbow. What a beautiful place.

9. Art-chitecture

I know I've mentioned all of the beautiful artwork and architecture in Barcelona already, but everywhere I stumbled upon in the city made me appreciate how beautiful the ornate designs of buildings, churches, and sculptures were. Check these out for yourself.

10. Hablas Espanol?
Barcelona has two official languages: Catalan and Spanish. Although most locals speak Catalan, which is a mix between french and latin, mostly everyone speaks Spanish. It is so comforting to be able to communicate with people in a language you understand as compared to my struggles of communicating in German.

-I could list so many more reasons why Barcelona is easily one of my favorite cities in Europe, but I would rather let you discover them by taking a trip to this amazing place. Pack lightly, prepare your bellies for good food, and brush up on your Spanish. You are bound to have a trip of a lifetime. :)

Salzburg

Salzburg is easily one of my favorite cities in Europe so far. Not only is it the birthplace of Mozart and the set for the movie, "Sound of Music," it is one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen.

It's packed with lots of history and beautiful artwork. Strolling through the streets, I found quaint boutiques and unique restaurants. Salzburg is a must on your travel list.

My weekend there started in Salzburg's old town. Walking by the Pferdeschwemme Fountain (Ancient Horse Bath) really took my breath away. The cliffs in the background made this fountain grandiose and spectacular. It's definitely a great place to witness at night.

We wondered inside Salzburg Cathedral (DOM) and St. Peter's Abbey. The architecture and paintings were so beautiful and the feeling of peace and tranquility that I felt, really made me grateful for having the opportunity to visit this place and Salzburg. We later walked around St. Peter's cemetery and the catacombs and it was really interesting to learn how old it dates back to (1627).

We were so tired from walking so we stopped at a cute restaurant for lunch. I had this awesome chicken with greens and a light tasty dessert.

After lunch, we went to Mozart's house. We knew we had arrived when we saw crowds of tourists taking selfies in front of a yellow house. 

Mozart was born in this house and resided here from 1747 to 1773. He was described as " The miracle which God let be born in Salzburg." At the age of three he was picking out chords on the harpsichord and at four he had learned to play the violin and organ and was playing short pieces, and at five he was composing. At the age of six, he was playing in many public places around Munich and Vienna, and across Europe with his family. Today, Mozart is known as one of the most famous composers of all time. 

I saw Mozart's first violin displayed in the museum and it was so tiny. It reminded me of my first violin at the age of eight. To think that Mozart was playing concertos and composing at such a young age, made me chuckle remembering when I struggled with "Mary had a little lamb." No wonder he was a child prodigy. For some odd reason the museum had a piece of Mozart's hair and other items from his time living in the apartment. It was neat to see all of his notebooks filled with compositions and writings. 

After the museum we set out to hike up to the Festung Hohensalzburg, which is the castle that sits atop a hill overlooking the city. Such great views from above.

Later in the evening we ate at an amazing restaurant and went to sleep after such an exhausting day! 

The next day we did a Sound of Music bike tour around the city. Bike tours are a great way to explore a city very quickly. It also makes me feel like an idiot when I realize I had been walking in circles all day... haha Oh well, I guess you have to get your exercise in somehow. 

These were some of the stops during the tour for any of you Sound of Music fans!

  Hearty lunch before we hit the road with a farewell from modern Mozart! 

Until we meet again, Salzburg!

Innsbruck

Wow!! It has been such a long time since I've updated my blog. November came and went! I cannot believe that it is already December and I am days away from going home back to NJ!!! I cannot wait to see my family, Mark, friends, and the little things I miss about America and being home.


I feel so lucky to have been able to travel to so many beautiful places this past month and I feel so happy to be living in Europe. Every place has its charm and because it's so foreign to me, I appreciate the beauty of all its simplicity. Here is a long and overdue post when I went to Innsbruck after my dental conference in Garmisch.

October 23, 2015

So my friend Esther and I set out on a road trip to Innsbruck right after the dental conference ended on Friday afternoon. It was only a 50 minute ride and by the time we arrived at our hotel, we were exhausted and went to sleep.

After 2 cups of coffee and awesome meats, cheeses, and bread for breakfast, we started our weekend adventure at the Swavorski Kristallwelten museum in Innsbruck.

I have seen a picture of this "Giant" on pinterest a while back and thought how cool this would be to witness in person. The Eyes and T zone of this Giant are covered in Swavorski crystals and it marks the entrance of this interesting museum.

The museum had loads of history and also showcased the biggest crystal in the world. Overall, the museum had really cool futuristic exhibits of the crystals and different contemporary art. It was definitely something to see. At the end of the museum, there was obviously a huge Swavorski store, and YESS  everything was so much cheaper since it is the factory!!

After exploring the grounds of the Kristallwelten, we met up with our friends Jordan and Morgan, for lunch. We drove to a restaurant up on a mountain, which was suppose to have the best authentic Austrian food ,with a view of the Alps on the horizon.

The atmosphere of the restaurant was so rustic and homey that it brought feelings of warmth and comfort as I ate my meal. I am a huge dessert fan and a dish called Kaiserlauten, was probably one of the best I have had in a long time. It is basically a shredded pancake with powdered sugar. Ours had blueberries and was brought out in a cast iron plate. We shared this of course!

Once we were loaded with energy after our big lunch, we went to Nordkette, which is part of Austria's largest nature park where you could see breathtaking views of the Alps and Tyrols. We were so lazy to hike up the mountain unlike other locals and tourists, so we took the cable up 7,401 ft to Hafelekar mountain where the views were spectacular.

We were all not prepared for how cold it was up there, so we froze and were blown away by the gusty snowy wind. We took haven in a bar up there and defrosted until we had to take the cable car back down.  It was definitely a beautiful sight. I highly recommend it to anyone traveling to Innsbruck.


After visiting Nordkette, we drove to the zentrum of Innsbruck, which is the main downtown.

The zentrum had lots of shopping, cool restaurants, and bakeries. After walking for so long we ate dinner at an Italian restaurant and searched for the best Apple strudel and chocolate cake in all of Innsbruck. It was worth it! Innsbruck is a charming ski town and we will definitely be back in the next couple of months. Next stop: Salzburg

Berlin: October 9, 2015

I can't believe I haven't been able to write on the blog for a bit. October was definitely a busy month. I have only worked 10/31 days this month and I am not complaining :)  It definitely feels nice to finally be at home this week, though I've had military trainings these past three days, which have been exhausting. Can't wait to sleep and relax this upcoming weekend and also update the blog.

Berlin: October 9-12th

So I decided to go to Berlin during this 4-day weekend because Berlin was hosting its annual Festival of Lights. I remember seeing  pictures of trippy light shows on historical landmarks years ago and it was something I wanted to see for myself. A couple of us set out late Friday morning and we arrived  around 2 pm.

Berlin is Germany's capital and one of the most well known cities around the world. It captivates many history buffs around the globe and it is the home of the Berlin wall,  Checkpoint charlie, prestigious Humboldt University that housed 29 noble prized winners- among the pupils were Albert Einstein and Karl Marx, and of course the famous currywurst. 

Berlin is a large city and is split into many neighborhoods, but most people think about the West and the East when they think about Berlin. 

In 1933, Hitler and the Nazi Party came to power and destroyed Berlin's Jewish community and large sections of Berlin were destroyed in 1943-1945 during WWII. Soon after, Berlin was divided into four zones: West Berlin formed by the western Allies (U.S., United Kingdom, and France) and East Berlin formed by the Soviet sector.

In the summer of 1945, the powers met in Potsdam to discuss the future of Germany and conflicts between the Western and Eastern allies quickly ensued. The Western allies wanted to help rebuild Germany and kick start the devastated economy, while the Soviets insisted on huge reparations and began to exploit their own sector. Thousands of men and POWs ended up in labour camps in the soviet union. This feud escalated in June 1948, when the Western allies introduced their own currency without consulting with the soviets and this led to an economic blockade of West Berlin, but the Western allies stopped this. Soonafter, in 1949 the division of Germany was formalized. Although there was a division, people who lived in the West could still work in the East and those from the East could visit friends in the West. 

Because the government in the East was becoming more oppressive, refugees began to trickle into the West side. To keep the young and well-educated within the East, one night on August 13, 1961 while everyone was asleep, construction of the Berlin Wall began. To everyone's surprise as they woke up that morning, there were barbed wire fences dividing the West and East that were heavily guarded and mined. This led to an uproar and a face-off between leaders and armys at one of the most famous crossing points between West and East Berlin, known as Checkpoint Charlie. 

The actual turning point occurred in September 1989, when East Germans started immigrating to the West after Hungary opened its border with Austria. Since East Germany was losing thousands of people a day, human rights activists, church leaders, and opposition groups gathered at Alexanderplatz demanding political reform. The replacement of leadership caused a televised press conference when a spokesperson of Soviet political party lifted the restrictions to travel to the West. Thousands of people rushed through the borders and celebrated as the two parts of Berlin came together. Freedom at last.

A weekend was definitely not enough to explore all of Berlin. We walked all around the city during the day seeing many amazing sites: Brandenburg torr, museum island, Reichstag, Checkpoint Charlie, remnants of the Berlin wall, and of course eating a variety of amazing food. The Currywurst was amazing and if you are ever in Berlin you have to get one.  

We also visited the Jewish Museum, which showed the history of the religion and culture and also all of the events and stories that occurred during the Holocaust. The layout of the museum was very modern and contemporary and incorporated its messages and history in their architecture and sculptures . 

Symbolizes the suffering many Jews were enduring during the events of the Holocaust.

After walking for miles all day, we embarked on a 4 hour night bike tour looking at all of the sites that were illuminated during the light show. There were thousands of people and at times it was tough to ride your bike in the crowds. Our tour guide was awesome and so nice that he let me borrow his gloves and scarf because I wasn't prepared for the weather drop to 30 degrees in the evening. I wasn't even wearing socks!! What was I thinking :(

The last day before we headed home we went to see the East Side Gallery where there are portions on the Berlin wall still standing with different murals. Berlin is a beautiful, artistic city and everywhere you go there is a piece of work to interpret.  Cannot wait to go back and visit other sites I could not fit in this weekend!!