puerto rico Archives - My Inner Shakti

Three Things Thursday (8) – Puerto Rico

I thought a Three Things Thursday post would be the best way to share more about my trip to Puerto Rico.

Here we go…

1. Where we stayed – We stayed at the La Concha Resort which seemed to be located in a central part of San Juan. Everything about the outdoor part of the resort was perfect – multiple pools, beach access, great bars, etc. The guest rooms were pretty spacious as well. We stayed in a suite for two of the nights, and it was the perfect size for four people. The only negative thing about our stay at La Concha was the front desk staff. They weren’t super responsive and made multiple errors with our rooms. Other than that, I would highly recommend this hotel!

2. Where we ate – I would say we had a good food experience in San Juan. The service was hit or miss, but the food was pretty decent.

Sofia Italian Kitchen & Bar – We ate here on night one, and I will be the first to admit that I was skeptical about trying Italian food in Puerto Rico. But to my surprise, the food was delicious. A few of the dishes were standouts, including the gnocchi, spaghetti alfredo, and mushroom tagliatelle.
Orale Guey Mexican Bar & Grill – We went to this little hole in the wall Mexican joint twice. We fell in love with the nachos and queso on the first night, convinced everyone that we should eat a proper dinner there the next night, and ended up receiving so-so food. There is likely much better Mexican food in San Juan, but this place was located across the street from our hotel and was the perfect late-night-I-just-want-to-eat kind of restaurant.
KOCO (in the San Juan Hotel) – We ate here on Saturday night for a more dressed up/fancy dinner. Not only was the food excellent (I shared lo mein and gnocchi with Roshni) but the ambiance was beautiful and very elegant.
Solera (in La Concha) – We had a poolside lunch here one of the afternoons, and I think everyone really enjoyed their food. My veggie burger, while not the best I’ve ever had, was surprising delicious. And the fries were perfectly seasoned and crisp.
Punk Burger Bar Bistro – I wish we had found this place earlier during our stay. I wanted to try everything on the menu! We ended up going on Sunday before our flights home, and because I wasn’t super hungry I decided to get an acai bowl with berries, banana, and peanut butter (my first ever!). Monica got a burger and fries and raved about the food as well. A must visit restaurant for sure!

3. What we did – All of our days were spent poolside/beachside, and our evenings were filled with fun nighttime adventures!

Bioluminescent Bay kayak tour – So here’s the thing. I’m a pretty adventurous person. I like being outdoors and trying new activities. But put me in a small kayak and tell me to row around in the dark and I just can’t! While we did survive (thanks in large part to my kayak buddy Monica), I would say that this activity just wasn’t for me. Luckily, the bioluminescence and star-filled sky made up for the scariness of kayaking in the dark. And honestly, looking back, I find myself cracking up at the craziness of the whole experience. Makes for a fun story if nothing else!
La Placita – La Placita is basically one big block party occupied by both bars and clubs. We ventured over on Thursday night and spent the majority of our time dancing in one of the less crowded bars. A few people told us that the best time to go to La Placita is on Friday and Saturday nights. That’s when it’s supposedly bumpin’!
The Bar/Lounge at La Concha – We were lucky enough to stay at a place that had decent DJ and a big bar that came alive at night. Instead of leaving the comfort of our hotel, we opted to hang out by the bar on Friday night. Apparently, the La Concha bar/lounge is a popular hotspot for celebrities – too bad we didn’t see anyone famous!
Club Brava – Club Brava was our final destination, and it was a lot of fun. The club itself was fairly large with multiple levels, and thankfully the DJ on Saturday night was excellent. We truly danced the night away!

Well, there you have it – Puerto Rico in a nutshell! I had so much fun celebrating Sweeti and can’t wait for all the wedding fun in May!

Your turn to share – what are three things you’ve been thinking about/doing this week! If you’re a blogger, write a post and link back to one or all of the hostesses: Raj from Pink Chai Living, Nisha from Love Laugh Mirch, or Salma from The Write Balance. Then share a link to your post (not your blog’s home page).

Three Things Thursday (7)

written by Parita 9 Comments

It has been quite the week – my sister’s engagement, Vishnu’s residency match (I’ll share more about it soon, I promise!!), and my trip to Puerto Rico. Lots of good things happening right now!

With that, I thought I’d keep the excitement (maybe it’s just exciting for me!) going and share three random things I’m loving/thinking about right now.

1. I know I’ve said it a million times already, but Puerto Rico has been on my mind for the last month! I am so so so excited to celebrate my friend Sweeti. She’s one of the most fun loving people I know, so I’m positive this weekend is going to be a memorable one. I mean, how can it not when we have everything we need all in one place – the sun, the water, tropical drinks, and great friends!

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2. Before I share more about the current book I’m reading, I just want to say that I’m well on the way to accomplishing my 2015 reading goal of one book a month. I am on my fourth book right now, and it’s only mid-March! Go me.

Spring Chicken by Bill Gifford is my newest read, and even though I’m only about 10% through, I love love love it! Gifford’s delves deep into the vast world of aging and brings science, research, and wit to the table making this a really interesting and fun read. I heard about this book from my mom who heard about it on NPR. Like I said, I’m not quite done yet, but if you like well-written non-fiction science books, this one should be on your list.

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3. I’m always on the lookout for new blogs to read. And the ones that have been grabbing my attention lately are usually about making your passion come alive, overcoming obstacles, etc. My latest favorite is Clarity on Fire. The posts are so easy to relate to regardless of what stage of life you are in. The best part is that I’m always left with the “me too” feeling. It’s like Rachel and Kristen are in my head with every single post. I highly recommend subscribing to this blog! [A big thanks to Shannon for introducing me to this site!]

Your turn to share – what are three things you’ve been thinking about/doing this week! If you’re a blogger, write a post and link back to one or all of the hostesses: Raj from Pink Chai Living, Nisha from Love Laugh Mirch, or Salma from The Write Balance. Then share a link to your post (not your blog’s home page).

10 Random Updates

written by Parita 21 Comments

Mom’s new job – First of all, I want to thank each and every one of you for your sweet comments on the post about my mom, her job, and her big message. We loved reading them and marveled at how amazing perfect strangers can be! I’m happy to report that mom’s absolutely loving her new job! She loves her boss, she loves her team, and she loves the work. Win, win, win!

Minted – Thank you for all the feedback on the Minted post. I loved reading about why you chose the picture you did. So after going back and forth for a while, Vishnu and I decided to go with the Georgia picture! We may also purchase a similar print once we find out where we’ll be headed come June. More on that to come (along with a giveaway)…I promise!

Big Little Lies – Big Little Lies is the book I’m currently reading, and it is SO good so far! Liane Moriarty also wrote The Husband’s Secret which I really enjoyed. If you’re looking for a book that will grab you from the start and keep you guessing the whole time, Big Little Lies is for you.

House of Cards – This weekend + Vishnu + Me + Couch + Season 3 of House of Cards. Enough said!

Italy!!! – For as long as I can remember, I’ve wanted to visit Italy and take in all its beauty – the sights, the people, the FOOD! And in a little more than a month, Vishnu and I will be doing just that. I. Cannot. Wait!

I plan on sharing more about our trip and the cities we’ll be visiting. But in the meantime, if you have any suggestions (and I mean anything!) for the following cities, we’d really appreciate it — Sorrento, Naples, Rome, and Florence.

Puerto Rico – But before Italy, there’s Puerto Rico! I’m so excited to celebrate my friend Sweeti on a beautiful island with beautiful beaches. And it’s my first time visiting PR!

Highlights – For the first time in 31 years, I’m doing something drastic with my hair. And by drastic I mean highlights! My stylist promised she would keep things as natural as possible since I’m going for more of a sun-kissed look. To be quite honest, I’ll be happy as long as my grays are covered. They’re out of control right now…like give me a few months and I’ll be sporting a full on salt n’ pepper look. I’ll post the after picture on Instagram. Fingers crossed that my new look turns out ok…eep!

Work dinners – One of our sub teams met in Miami this week. I’m not a part of this particular team, but they were kind enough to invite me to some of their dinners and lunches. I’m happy to report that I stuck to my dairy-free ways (it was so hard to say no to baked brie!). I did not, however, say no to the wine!

Healthy eating at home – After our trip to Atlanta, Vishnu and I vowed to eat better and cleaner. Well, I’m happy to report that we’ve been doing just that. Lots of salads for lunch, veggie centric dishes for dinner, juices in the late afternoon (check out our latest juice – recipe included!), and fruit for dessert. I know this sounds boring, but you’d be amazed by what a little coconut oil and spices do to vegetables.

Ripped in 30 – So far so good! I did level one three times last week and started level two this week. I’ve also been running and walk a ton. I plan on writing a more detailed post about my experience with levels one and two soon. For now, I’ll say this. Even though Jillian’s super annoying, she knows how to put together a good workout!