ashleyd /

Mexican & Romantic Comedies

Hey gang!

How is your week going so far? This week is flying by in the best way possible. I have had an insane amount of energy this week which can’t be accounted for as I was exhausted when the weekend ended. I’m not sure if it’s the power of positive thought, healthy eating, strong workouts, or just a good mindset but I can’t help but smile this week.

I was up too late last night making travel plans as I’m heading back to the United States two times in the next 8 weeks. Cue the excitement but also a wee bit of overwhelming craziness as each of the trips are pretty quick. I’ll be in New York City for business March 9th through 13th and then I’ll be in Cincinnati in April to greet a new bundle of joy, Amy and Ryan’s son.

Long time readers may remember Amy and Ryan as a couple with whom we’ve traveled multiple times and they were also the first people to visit us in Geneva this summer. When they told us they were pregnant we promised to return the gesture by being the first friends to fly over and meet their new son. While Bo won’t be able to make the trip this time, I am so thrilled to have snagged an amazing deal on Delta.

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If you’re looking to travel, check out Delta’s deals to and from Europe right now!

While I’m going to be in New York for business, I am excited to fill my early morning and evening time with as many workouts and friend dates as possible! While I love Geneva I definitely miss the boutique fitness scene and am therefore going to spend every morning catching up with some of my favorite instructors at Barry’s Bootcamp, Soul Cycle, Uplift and hopefully try the new City Row!  When planning dinner dates I think things will pretty much revolve around Mexican as that is the one cuisine that I haven’t been able to enjoy in Geneva or London. I’m craving an Agave margarita and their guacamole like you’d never imagine!

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Can you tell I’m a little bit excited to catch up with friends, food and workouts in New York? This will all have to occur between 5:30am-8am and 6pm-11pm so it is going to make for some very long days but is so worth it. I’m thankful that some of my work and projects require me to go to New York at least once a year as I so value the time while I’m there.

The rest of last night was spent watching one of my favorite movies, Notting Hill. Now that I am more familiar with London the movie was better than ever. Though I have to say, the amount of smoking in the movie amazed me. I forgot how normal it was for people to smoke in movies and in general fiftneen years ago.

Notting Hill (1999) Poster

I enjoyed Notting Hill so much that I went through iTunes to find other similar movies and ended up renting and downloading Bridget Jones’ Diary, You’ve Got Mail, My Best Friend’s Wedding, Pretty Woman, and The Holiday. While I love a good Academy Award contender such as Dallas Buyer’s Club I have a soft spot in my heart for romantic comedies.

What is your favorite romantic comedy?

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ashleyd /

London: Tower of London

Greetings from London! It has been an incredible yet exhausting weekend with Bo and my parents. I love that when my parents visit London we have the opportunity to finally visit historic and cultural spots we’ve heard about so much.

I took Friday off from work so that we could enjoy the day together. Our itinerary included a relaxed morning breakfast, exploring Tower of London, cruising the Thames river, pub grub and toasting pints in a pub.

Tower Hill Overall, we thoroughly enjoyed our experience at the Tower of London. Culturally and historically, it was a great starting point for our London history tour. We were blessed with phenomenal weather which meant that we spent plenty of time touring the grounds and walking the perimeter wall.

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Did you know that this seal changes for each king or queen, replacing the first letter with their first initial? The R however remains the same as it stands for queen or king in Latin, which is regina for queen or rex for king.

IMG_4232 IMG_4274 IMG_4253 IMG_4262For us, the highlights included the crown jewels, which have been stored at the Tower of London since the 14th century when Westminster Abbey was deemed unsafe.  The Crown Jewels collection includes the coronation objects of the kings and queens such as crowns, robes, sceptres, and rings. IMG_4274

The jewels are guarded by members of the British Army. In addition, the Yeoman Warders, or Beefeaters, only qualify to serve in this role once they have honorably served in the army for 22 years! IMG_4263 IMG_4265 IMG_4268 If you’re planning a trip to the Tower of London, we do have a few tips for you based on our experience.

1. Buy your tickets in advance to avoid the very lengthy queues.

2. Research in advance to understand whether European school children are on holiday. If they are, then make sure you arrive as early as possible.

3. Make sure to allow yourself 2-3 hours to explore the Tower of London as there are many areas to visit and being rushed just isn’t fun.

Have you been to London before? If so, what was your favorite part?

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ashleyd /

Un mariage joyeux!

It has been such an incredible yet relaxing Geneva day!

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My parents were supposed to arrive in Geneva yesterday but due to the weather on the East Coast this week their flights have been rebooked and cancelled 3 times so far.  This means that we suddenly have a relaxing weekend in Geneva with no plans other than a wedding celebration we enjoyed this morning!

I was up and running along Lac Leman by 7:45 this morning, enjoying amazing views of the sun rising above Mt. Blanc and the Alps. The temperature was a perfect, crisp 35 degrees this morning which made me feel like I could run forever. The eight miles flew by and before I knew it I was back home.

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I quickly showered and got dressed as Bo and I had the pleasure of attending our first Geneva wedding ceremony this morning. Our dear friends Sarah and Renaud got married this morning in a civil ceremony in front of 40 friends and family members at the Office de l’etat civil in Geneva.

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The civil wedding was held in a gorgeous room complete with tapestries, a beautifully detailed large wooden table and decorated walls. It was far different than an equivalent courthouse wedding in most United States cities.

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We greeted the new couple with bubbles and rice as they exited the building with their son Ugo in their arms. Sarah wore a gorgeous sari which she found in London two weeks ago. 

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Following the ceremony we headed to their favorite restaurant, Le Crise, for cocktails and hors d’oeuvres.

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It was such a fun morning but after my run this morning the two glasses of champagne went straight to my head! By 2pm all I wanted was a nap!

I couldn’t decide what to wear this morning as I tend to wear a lot of black during the winter months versus bright colors. A black wrap dress seemed too serious for such a fun occasion and my other dresses felt to work professional. I found this Banana Republic Gemma wrap dress in London two weeks ago and am already in love! It is so comfortable and versatile as it can be dressed up with fun jewelry, makeup and heels or made more casual for either work or a summer evening.

Banana Republic wrap dress

I hope you all have a great weekend! Bo and I are going on a date night tonight in Geneva at a restaurant that we’ve yet to experience, Restaurant La Cigogne.

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