What's Happenin' (April and May)?

I'm gonna merge April and May for this post because of the amount of travel I put on my plate (totally feasting on said plate), and the small amount of time I have in between to post.

So what's been happening in Ashley's world?

APRIL was the month that belonged mainly to San Diego. I was soooooooooo ready to soak up some sun. I was in SD for work, but obviously had the pleasure of seeing friends and family whilst gorging on Mexican food and In N Out for 2 straight weeks.

San Diego, in a nut shell:

Being in New York for awhile has made me appreciate San Diego to the MAX: It's clean! It's warm! It's a comfortable life! And being in San Diego for 2 weeks made me want to go back to NYC: It's interesting! There are things happening! CITY CITY CITY!  

That's why it's good I found a job that caters to my very gypsy soul that skips between different patches of green grass. I'll never change. 

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MAY is going to be the month where I'll be heading to London and Berlin for an 8 day trip. I'm stoked! My 2 favorite New Yorkers are coming with me, whom you will see in my upcoming posts. It's been quite awhile since I've set foot in Europe (a year--that's LONG for me!), so May 10th can't come soon enough. 

Other stuff that's been happening recently: 

1. It's SPRING in NYC. Break out my denim jacket...weeeeee!  New York is gorgeous in the  springtime, ya'll. 

2. My cousin has a bestselling book in Turkey! My family is cool: 

via

My cuz (Begüm) totally inspires me to be creative once more, especially when it comes to writing. One of my life goals? Become published (at least an article). 

3. I've made the decision to stay in NYC next year. This is a city that will give you a beating, but in a way that brings out a fervency to be the best. I reckon there will be a point where that will become exhausting, but I haven't reached it just yet. So it's one more year (at least) in the big city for this little lady. 

And there you have it, folks. The "main headlines" of Ashley's life for April and May. And if you feel like sharing...what's been happening with you? 

Favorite Thing Thursday

Lately, my favorite things have been:

1. My Two-Week Stay in California

It's been a relaxing 2 week stay in the Golden State. I'll do a full post on this later, but sometimes California is just the perfect antithesis to NYC.

2. New Haircut (I Got Bangs) 

Sporting a new springy do.

3. This Dry Shampoo

This is the **best** dry shampoo I've ever tried! I managed to get through 4 days without shampooing--magnificent! Sephora sells a travel size if you wanna give it a go.

4. San Diegan Mexican Food

 No other city in the US comes relatively close to San Diego Mexican food. The slight doughy-ness to the tortilla, the perfected hot sauce, the ambiance of a well-worn taco shop--this is San Diego at it's absolute best. 

My NYC Bucket List: The Metropolitan Opera

About a month ago, I checked off a longtime bucket list item--going to the Opera. What better place to see the Opera than a major metropolis, such as New York City?

I went with one of my besties, Christian, who is up for any and all art-related activities (if it makes him cry, BONUS POINTS).

We started the night with some naughty and indulgent food: grilled cheese and...WAIT FOR IT...Opera Cake. Yeah, this little guy was called Opera Cake and we couldn't resist, dammit! 

After our bellies were full of expensive cheese and chocolate, we made our way to the Met to see Madama Butterfly.

Obviously I didn't take photos of the performance, but isn't this modern space just lovely?

I am going to provide you with the promotional video for Madama Butterfly, because it's BREATHTAKING:

Going to the Opera in NYC will forever be a very cosmopolitan moment in my life. I'll tell the kids one day, "Mom used to do fun, cultured things!" Well, I don't plan on ever stopping doing fun, cultured things.

And so I ✓ this one off the list!