United States

Eating in New Orleans

/ lifeafter9to5 / 1 Comment

IMG_5603

Where do I start?  It was our first time in Louisiana and we made the most of it by hitting up local eateries and trying out some authentic Southern fare.  It’s safe to say that there is no city quite like New Orleans and it’s food is a reflection of that. The dishes are a mix of traditional Southern style heavily influenced by French and Cajun flavors. Their use of ingredients indigenous to the area really makes eating in New Orleans a unique experience. We ate at upscale and hole-in-the-wall places to get a feel for all the different food that The Big Easy has to offer.  Here are the highlights of all the food we tried:

Continue reading →

Photo of the Week: The Bayou

/ lifeafter9to5 / 3 Comments

IMG_5386New Orleans, Louisiana, USA

Last weekend my parents visited me and we made a little trip down to New Orleans. One of the highlights of our trip was visiting the Honey Island swamp; winding through the waterways deep into the bayou where the majestic cypress trees covered in Spanish moss grow over the green velvety water. The sun rays shining through the moss covered branches created a beautiful lazy landscape, reminiscent of the scene from The Notebook.

This is one of the most truly unique places that I’ve ever seen. Stay tune for more posts from our trip down South.

Every Monday of each week, I’ll share a photo with you from my adventures around the world and at home.  Most of my photos have little or no post processing.  If you would like to see more, please click the ‘Follow’ button.

Photo of the Week: Cascading Waterfall

/ lifeafter9to5 / 1 Comment

IMG_8478Watkins Glen, New York

A few years ago I saw a picture of this place on Pinterest. The cascading waterfalls and the curious rock formations immediately grabbed my attention. This ethereal landscape looks like it came straight out of a fairy tale. I thought for sure it was in New Zealand or some other far flung place; imagine my surprise when I discovered instead that it is located in Watkins Glen State Park, near the Finger Lakes region in upstate New York.

It’s nice to discover beauty right in our back yard, and we wanted to go and see it for ourselves so we rented a car and drove 4 hours upstate.  Hiking along the main gorge trail, you’ll be able immerse yourself in Mother Nature’s embrace and appreciate her grandeur.

If you are in the area, this place is definitely worth a trip.

Every Monday of each week, I’ll share a photo with you from my adventures around the world and at home.  Most of my photos have little or no post processing.  If you would like to see more, please click the ‘Follow’ button.

Day Tripping to Cold Spring

/ lifeafter9to5 / 2 Comments
IMG_20140830_080635518_HDR

View of the Hudson River from the train

This past weekend, once again finding ourselves in the city on a long weekend with nowhere to go, we decided to venture out of the city on a day trip. We’ve seen those posters in the subway that urge you to “get out of town” and see the all the natural beauty that New York has to offer. Lacking a car, we had to find a place that’s convenient and accessible by train. After a quick search, we came upon Cold Spring, a small historical village nestled in the Lower Hudson Valley right on the bank of the Hudson River. Continue reading →

Deal Alert: 2-for-1 Broadway tickets

/ lifeafter9to5 / Leave a comment

IMG_4729

It’s that time again when the summer is winding down and Broadway week is kicking off.  For the first two weeks of September you can get 2-for-1 tickets to a lot of shows including Lion King, Mamma Mia, Chicago and many other new and old favorites.  If you are around the city, it’s the perfect time to catch that show that you’ve been thinking of going to, but never had the chance.  The show that I’ve been dying to see is Phantom of the Opera, a classic.  If you are not from the city, Fall is also the perfect season to visit.
Continue reading →

My New York: Summer Streets

/ lifeafter9to5 / Leave a comment
IMG_4311

Everyone came out for Summer Streets

I need to take a break from writing about Peru, so it’s time for another New York post. There are many positives and negatives about living in the city.  On one hand, the summer can be unbearable with the oppressive heat. On the other hand, there are plenty of free summer activities to choose from, ranging from free  movies by the waterfront to free concerts in the park.  When we are around on the weekend, we try to make the most of it. Continue reading →

California: Yosemite National Park

/ lifeafter9to5 / 1 Comment
IMG_1852_thumb.jpg

View of half dome from Glacier Point

A few weeks ago, while we were on the West Coast, we decided to rent a car and drive to Yosemite. It’s been awhile since we did a road trip in North America. We used to drive all the time to Canada, but due to the time constraints and cheap airfares, we end up flying for the most part now. I love road trips because I get to be the navigator. It’s very satisfying when you can figure out how to get from point A to point B. Mind you, it’s not too hard to do that here, but in a foreign country without a GPS, it’s a lot more fun.

Yosemite different from any park I’ve been to. For one thing, it’s massive, driving from one gate to another can take up to two hours. The scenery is breathtaking, from the majestic redwoods to the sheer cliffs at Taft’s point. Everywhere we looked, we were reminded that nature is magnificent and beautiful and we are a small speck in the grand scheme of things.

Continue reading →

Eating in San Francisco

/ lifeafter9to5 / Leave a comment

A few weeks ago, we both headed to San Francisco for the Society of Actuaries Annual Health conference.  The plan was that Fausto would attend the sessions and I would work from the hotel, then we’d meet up later on and explore the city.  Since I  was going to work East Coast hours, I thought I was going to have some time in the afternoon to do some touristy stuff.  But alas, things did not turn out the way I planned, work got really busy and both of us spent most of our time holed up in the hotel room.   The only thing we had time to do was eat.  I’ve been known to eat a lot, so this post will not disappoint.  We managed to fit in a lot of food in a little amount of time.  Here is a look at our food adventure in San Francisco. Continue reading →