Post-vacation Blues - I HEART MIAMI - Why do vacations have to End?

lets try this again...i started to write a blog about my miami trip at the end of last week and i went to save it and i lost it all... so I got angry and I couldn't write it again. So round two - hope it goes better. (warning it will be long because I am going to recap the whole miami trip in this one blog)

I also want to say that on this day, Sept 11th, everyone whose lives were lost, their family and friends are in my prayers. And I want my friends and family to know just how much I love them and how important they are to me.

All last week I had post-vacation blues...I wrote to a friend (being the dramatic person I tend to be) "Why do vacations have to end????? Good times... I am suffering from a severe case of 'Why did I go to law school again, instead of being a beach bum bartender'???"

Last week I was sooo bummed to be sitting back at my desk and not laying in the sun on the beach or by the pool - knowing that my nights would be full of adventures. But of course, as always, my vacation ended and I found myself tanned somewhat rested and slumped over my desk.

Anyways my vacation was outstanding and I will give you a quick recap of Karin's days in South Beach.

Thurs. Aug 31st, 2006:
Linda, Vicky and Maryann arrived at my house in the Bronx the nite before and we all tried to crash early as our flight from Laguardia was at 6am! However the excitement kept Linda and I up chatting until 1ish when we were getting up at 3:30. The flight to Miami was pretty mild (however I did get a hot latino man sitting right next to me! - i knew it was going to be a good vacay). We landed in Miami around 9:00, had an adventurous shuttle ride with the MORON of the century driving (we had to give HIM directions to our hotel), and once we arrived we were able to check in early (Freddie the front desk clerk was sooo kind). Linda and I posed for pics on our ocean front balcony and in a flurry of haste (mind you I already had my bikini on because when i got dressed at 3:30am i decided the bikini HAD TO BE WORN) we found our way down to the beach by 11:00am. The water was a perfect temp, the sun was blazing and we were officially on VACAY! After a few hours of frolicking in the ocean, we moved poolside and found ourselves hungry - out came the delivery menus and we had pizza and BEER delivered poolside! mmm... We stayed floating and lounging in the pool until 5:00 or so and then headed to our rooms to shower for dinner.

Dinner was to be at MANGOs on OCEAN DRIVE. I slid into my new gold silk dress and gold strappy stilettos - and as one of the guys that tried to pick me up that nite said "I LOOKED GOLDEN!" Golden in Miami baby! At Mangos, we got a table right be the dance floor and we watched the festivities - workers dancing on the bar - the men were HOTT! After several drinks, we got up and joined the dancing (NOT on the bar). Mangos is full of sexy latin dancing and it was a great nite! It was an early evening for us though and home in bed by 1am - because we had to be up the next morning at 4:30am to be picked up at 5:30am to go on a DAY CRUISE TO THE BAHAMAS!

Friday, Sept 1, 2006:
On a whim the day before we decided to book a day cruise to the Bahamas. The bus to the cruise ship picked us up at 5:30am and we were on the cruise ship at 7am - eating breakfast and DRINKING MIMOSAS (ok i was the only one drinking but hey i was on vacation). The cruise over to Grand Bahama was around 4 hours - I found the first lounge chair available on the very top deck and set myself up for hours of sunbathing (oh and grabbed a Bahama Mama - a nice frosty beverage - while I was at it). Linda, Vicky, and Maryann ventured off to check out the festivities - Vicky got suckered into playing games - I just laid out, read, napped and continued to drink...
We arrived in Freeport, Grand Bahama and took a cab to Port Lucaya - once we got to Port Lucaya we headed straight for the beach - where we vegged for a few hours. After our beach time, we went to the Casino for our complimentary drinks and then we headed to the little market place to do some shopping. I picked up a few cuban cigars and a Bahamas magnet. The market was interesting - all the Bahamian women were running their little shops, saying Ladies just come in and take a look around. The colors of the shops were vibrant and Caribbean. After spending sometime wandering around, and Linda falling flat on her face in a puddle - it was time to meet our cabbie back up and head back to the cruise ship.
Once aboard the ship, we found our way to lounge chairs right by the pool and I settled myself in with a nice beverage that was in a fun little pineapple. Vicky and I stayed there sunbathing, while Linda and Maryann hit the cruise ship casino.
After have a few beers, I noticed a dark skyline approaching and a huge thunderstorm hit that sent Vicky and I inside. We spent the rest of the cruise time dancing and singing karaoke. It was a FABULOUS TRIP and NOW I CAN SAY I HAVE BEEN TO THE BAHAMAS!
We didnt get back to the hotel until after 1 and we all just crashed....

Sat. Sept 2nd, 2006:
Saturday morning we woke up around 9am to make it down to our free breakfast...when we woke up that day I had bug bites all over my arms - looked like bed bug bites. As soon as we noticed we went to the front desk and talked to Tony, the desk manager, to make sure our sheets got changed and the room vaccuumed. We headed right out to the beach again after breakfast and we were sunbathing early and all of us fairly exhausted from early mornings and late nites. While we were laying on the beach we got a call from Tony that they had switched out rooms for us...Linda and I were worried that our ocean front balcony room was taken away...BUT it WAS NOT...We were upgraded to the BEST SUITE IN THE HOTEL!!!
The whole day Saturday was spent again relaxing on the beach and then the pool. Late afternoon it started to rain and we moved the festivities into our SUITE! Ordering a late lunch and drinking beers from the hotel bar! Our Balcony was right next to a concstruction site - so in the pouring down rain we had some fun yelling back and forth and teasing the workers stuck over there in the rain!
That nite we headed out to B.E.D. Miami (the club not bed) with VIP access through our wonderful concierge, Hugo. B.E.D. was sooo much fun - we danced and drank - I met Freddie (not the desk clerk - but my miami papichulo!!) We met a bunch of U of Miami basketball players, I even had one chase me down for my digits and we met Guillermo Diaz (new NBA LA Clipper)!!! We danced and danced until after 3am and then we headed back to the hotel for some late nite hot tubbin!!

Sunday Sept 3, 2006:
Sunday we were all up again early and we drifted down to the breakfast and the pool...we stayed poolside all day lounging, sleeping, sunbathing...just relaxing. For lunch we ventured down the boardwalk. Again afternoon showers rolled in, Linda and I just chilled in our room and the front lobby to do some people watching. Dinner was at Larios on Ocean Drive (Gloria Estafan's restaraunt) and then we headed off to the club Nikki Beach (again with VIP access). This club was cool - right on the beach with tons of outdoor seating and big bed type areas to lounge on. Only downfall - techno music, which we are all hip-hop girlzzz. We were out fairly late again, dancing and meeting men...and of course another late nite hot tub!

Monday Sept. 4th, 2006 (our last day)
Freddie the desk clerk, being the kick ass guy that he was, let us all check out late at 2:00pm. In the morning it was raining so we went and had lunch on Ocean Drive with some friend's of Linda and Vicky. Linda and I then walked around, took some pics, and did a little bit of shopping. Vicky and Maryann headed back to the hotel because the shuttle was picking them up at 2 (they had an earlier flight home than us). Linda and I packed up our bags and checked out at 2:00. OUR BILL was only $20 - NO RESORT FEES, NO BAR TAB!! NADA - the assistant manager hooked us up! The guys that worked at the Sovereign Hotel were amazing!! The Sovereign Hotel has been there for over 60 years and it is being torn down in January - the property was purchased by the Soho House for $25mill, they are building condos there...sadd....
Anyways we checked out and because the guys loved us they let us go spend the afternoon by the pool...our flight wasnt until 7:30 so we got a few more hours of sunning time - because by this time the rain was completely gone! I didnt want to leave - I enjoyed my relaxing vacation - I will definitely be back to South Beach sometime soon!!!!!

We had an amazing trip - MANY MANY MANY other details - either too much to write or just stuff that should be plain ole left out and kept between the 4 of us - you know the saying "what happens on vacation stays on vacation...." ;-)

Thanks girls for such a great trip!!!!!!!!!!