Back at it

Greetings friends! We are back in Abu Dhabi and back in the swing of normal life after our adventures in Bangkok for spring break. I will be getting more of Bangkok posted up on the blog this week after I finish sorting through the 800+ pictures that I took... what can I say, I was a bit photo happy. We did have a nice time yet we will never return to Bangkok unless there is a fantastic reason (read: free trip) to go. I'll update why in my post this week.

So we got back to Abu Dhabi and finished out spring break by just relaxing, getting the house cleaned up and filling the fridge back up with groceries. Gosh, we are so old. I will say that since moving to Abu Dhabi we have started grocery shopping together and I am pretty happy with this relationship accomplishment. In the states, I couldn't bribe my way into a shared trip to Publix if I tried. My husband hates grocery shopping at all cost. Yet, since moving here we go every week together and it is actually nice. I hate figuring out meals (he is the chef) so his input is nice. Also we found a great vegetable and fruit market where we load up each week on produce. Did I mention it is super cheap? We bought a whole watermelon, 12 bananas, 5 huge oranges, 12 plums, 5 pears, romaine lettuce, iceberg lettuce, a crate of carrots, ginger, celery, 5 ears of corn, 2 things of strawberries, 5 pounds of grapes, 2 pounds of green beans, green peppers, onions, and some other things for less than $40 usd. This is a great help since we are trying to eat better each day. I am still surprised by how cheap the produce is here. It makes life so much easier when trying to eat better and you can actually not break the bank buying the foods that you want to buy.

We've also started going to the gym together. We bought Fitbit HR's about a month ago to try to help us stay on track. If I could just remember to charge mine. I wore it in Bangkok and took it off, it went dead and it was stuffed in a bag so hopefully tomorrow I will have a fitness rundown at the end of the day. I need to get some workouts nailed down so I can go to the gym with a focus each time we go. Yesterday I did arms and cardio, today I did legs, arms, and cardio. My arms are so freaking sore and heavy today. I am sure tomorrow I won't be walking because my legs are already beginning their protest. I am posting each day on Instagram to keep me accountable using my hashtags #instafitgoals and #sparklesgetsfit. Feel free to follow along or leave some encouragement.

I'll get some of Bangkok recap up this tomorrow .... inshallah ;-)

Spring Break kick off

I am over the moon excited today as we pack our bags and head to Thailand tonight! I am not exactly sure what to expect but I know one thing for sure it is much needed after the last few weeks. I only planned a jungle excursion in advance so we can trek through the waters on elephants but other than that we are going to book some things once we are there. I don't want the entire trip to be running around. I hate coming back from vacation and feeling dead and completely worn out. The jet lag will probably take care of that for us.

Seeing as I am newbie traveler, I have absolutely no idea what to pack. So I have taken to Pinterest to get some ideas. Did I mention I will not be checking ONE bag!? So everything for a 5 day trip has to go in a carry on. Jesus take the wheel... So I will be posting up my favorite packing sites some Pinterest and some other sites that I found useful in my journey to pack up all the things that I need to take with me.

So check out this ridiculousness from yesterday. Talk about a way to kick off Springbreak: A huge Sandstorm. I would have to say this is my least favorite part of the UAE. I hate feeling gritty and dirty and there is zero escaping it when these babies come through. What stinks even more, there is zero warning. Usually you wake up and here it is, like yesterday.

I will say that it does a number on breathing though. Ugh.. I've gotta be more prepared and carry a scarf with me. The sand is real. While the sandstorms come quickly, they also go quickly as well. I went in to get a pedicure (this picture was about 5 minutes prior to entering the salon) and then about an hour and 15 minutes later...all gone! It was amazing. Today is absolutely beautiful and clear. So funny this weather is. I never thought I would find weather more unpredictable than Florida's but I was wrong. It is almost identical here in Abu Dhabi. 

Apparently these bags won't bag themselves and I know this is going to be a struggle so I need to get to moving. Follow the adventures in real time on Instagram @justcallmesparkles