Ringing in the New Year, Miami Style

Posted on January 4, 2009 4 Comments

I’ve chosen to start 2009 in sunny Miami, where the weather is as perfect as the golden tans sported by lean bodies on the beach, where the mojitos are sweet and sunsets form peach, magenta and purple streaks over sparkling waters. It’s a far cry from my usual frozen hungover and sleepy start to the New Year. Just last week I was iced like a popsicle in sub-zero snowbanks, battling grey skies and a greyer mood, bundled in a down coat, scarf, hat, gloves, boots, two pair of socks, wool under layers, fleece mid-layers and more. Today I was lying on the warm beach in a swimsuit, soaking up rays and lazily watching primary-colored kites fly overhead amidst billowy clouds as manatees lolled by the shore.

For a $275 plane ticket and a free stay in my cousin’s condo, Miami and the Keys are the perfect winter getaway for this Budgeting Babe. The salty sea breeze is just what my body needed to ward off the colds I’ve been fighting for what seems like an eternity. And the pace of life…well, it may sound weird, but sometimes I actually forget that I’m still in my 20’s (though not for long)… the daily grind and a bevy of personal, financial and family obligations can get me a little stuck focusing on the future, rather than on the present. But here, it’s hard to get too far ahead of yourself as picture-perfect palm trees sway to the tune of ocean waves and care-free locals toss frisbees in the park. It’s a nice reminder to stop and focus on the present, to enjoy myself and to just live a little.

So how did I get here? Well, very serendipitously, actually. I was dropping off some gifts for my godson and his sister (who live in Texas) at their grandmother’s house in Illinois, and she mentioned that her son – my cousin – who lives in Miami was headed to Brazil for a month. She casually mentioned that he offered his condo to her as a winter getaway but she couldn’t take advantage of his generosity. My ears perked. At the time, B and I had just about given up hope on taking a trip to the Florida Keys during his winter break from law school… we had been trip-planning for several weeks, but hotel rates were too expensive for our taste. We immediately called my cousin (less than 24 hours before his departure) and arranged to stay here for a week. It was super spontaneous but we did it. And I must say, now that we’ve gotten over the weirdness of staying in someone else’s house while they’re away, it’s perfect.

In our first few days, we’ve managed to spend time exploring Coconut Grove (where we’re staying), South Beach and Key Biscayne. We’ve blown through cash pretty fast since our first day of meals and drinks was fairly expensive, and we also didn’t pack the right kind of clothing (note: 75 in Miami is MUCH warmer than 75 in Chicago!), but from now on we’ll be hitting the grocery store before heading out to the beach for supplies and groceries and avoiding the pricey dinners (the sushi on 5th Street was kind of calling my name last night…yum).

I’ll post some pics when I get back home, but now I’m off to go do some reflecting on my goals for the upcoming year and grab another mojito. Happy New Year to everybody reading my posts; I can’t wait to hear your goals and resolutions for 2009.

Category: Life
   Tags: Travel

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