the cayman islands. {grand cayman, east end}

well first off, i hope everyone's christmas // holiday celebrations were wonderful and spent with loved ones. this year, i spent my first winter in tropical temperatures. from some aspects it's a little weird spending the winter break and all its celebrations away from friends and extended family and many are missed, but for the most part it has been such a fun experience. not to mention, we are basking in 85 degree weather down here in the caymans :). my dad, the trip planning guru and travel genius, proposed a vacation as our family gift instead of the assortment of gifts we usually receive. us being a family with a strong love and desire for exploration and travel, you can imagine we were all very open to this idea. the verdict: the cayman islands seemed like a great place to relax & unwind during the christmas season...

so, we began by flying onto the island a couple of days before christmas and spent our time lounging on the beach (we're spoiled, our room at morritt's was beachfront and had a balcony that looked right over the water and our resort's cabana dock), sipping fru-fru drinks (we had a really fun bartender at one of the pool's swim-up bar), and enjoying delicious meals (i mean, the seafood here is spectacular). for christmas eve we reserved a dinner at bombay chopsticks, which offers an asian-indian fusion cuisine and is definitely worth a recommendation. and christmas day was absolutely beautiful; we began the day with a brunch buffet at tukka (a native fusion cuisine), spent the entire day on the beach // snorkeling, and ended with a home-cooked meal. it was definitely the most unique christmas i've ever had. it feels so nice to be soaking up this wonderful vitamin d even in the midst of december.

we spent our first five days in grand cayman's east end and have just arrived in the west bay...i'll be updating the blog after our next five days here! in the meantime, here are some pics...

it was a rainy takeoff from stl's lambert international airport to our layover in atlanta, ga.

selfies with the big bro, sammy! i included the one on the left because i think he kinda maybe resembles harry styles?? maybe?

a sunny & warm landing on the island.

the vibrant colors of all the fresh fruits & veggies were too pretty to not snap a quick picture while grocery shopping.

the view from our balcony. isn't it just breathtaking?? (feat. the dock bar // cabana)

life is pretty sweet...

thank you go pro for this shot. lots of snorkeling over the past five days...

a little yoga on the beach...good for the soul.

our family outing to bombay chopsticks for christmas eve dinner (w/ the bros, sam & ian).

my yummy seafood curry, including naan bread & veggies.

merry christmas from our clan! of course a family selfie took place...

the sibs.

beachfront brunch.

an australian vibe with a native fusion cuisine. they even served kangaroo (!!!).

i'm not sure if i've ever had a prettier christmas meal than this.

take a peek, there's st. louis! i mean, what are the chances?! even the caymanians seem to love our amazing city :).

we found a furry friend.

 soaking up that sun.

cheers!

some more go pro snorkeling shots.

i hope your holiday season is blessed!

xoxo,

mary grace.

merry christmas!

merry christmas from the both of us! we hope everyone has a wonderful holiday filled with lots of love wherever you may be.
xoxo, caroline & mary grace

the field museum. {vodou exhibit}

one of the hardest parts about living in chicago is wanting to see EVERYTHING. this city offers endless things to do and, as a student, spending an evening ice skating at millennium park or an afternoon visiting a new exhibit at the field museum is much more appealing than say, studying for final exams :). it really is an amazing setup, though; school in the city is a beautiful thing. i’ll forever be grateful for the ability to both live & study in such a stunning, vibrant & exhilarating city.

there just so happens to be so much going on in this city that many times i’m unaware of its temporary attractions. when i see ads on the “L” or flyers around campus i immediately make mental notes. i've found that there is always something going on and i already have such a long list of things i want to do in this city. (sometimes you just have to play tourist in your own town!) i look forward to using the next 3.5 years (maybe more?!) to delve deep into the depths of the city and…explore.

this past week i took a spontaneous trip to the famous field museum. they are currently hosting an exhibit called vodou: sacred powers of haiti. these types of things completely and totally enthrall me so i made the decision to get out and go. i spent the better part of an hour learning about this fascinating religion. 

the exhibit is here through april 2015, so if you’re in chicago within the next few months (and enjoy this kind of stuff!), i recommend checking it out.

a brief description at the entrance.

the floor was filled with projections of vodou symbols.

a vodou ceremony.

they had the funkiest//coolest mirrors. the elaborate detail has significant meaning, as well as the mirror itself.

i was immediately drawn to anything that had to do with skulls...

inside.

hi sue!

just one of the many spectacular museums on chicago's museum campus.

lights everywhere. on cta bus & around loyola's lake shore campus.