Cancun 2014

This year Scott and I decided to have a relaxing 5 night vacation at an all-inclusive resort in Cancun, Mexico (Crown Paradise Club). As such, I have prepared some key notes and snapshots below.

On Sunday night we flew out LAX at 11:50pm and arrived in Cancun at 6:30am. We booked through Costco so there was a shuttle bus waiting to take us to the resort, where we checked in and headed to the room. Due to special adults only room and floor we got access to a special lounge with private concierge to make our dinner reservations. After getting settled and napping we sat at the sports bar for some margaritas and the Mexico soccer game. Then we grabbed food and went to the pool to relax in the shade. At about 5pm we went back to the room to clean up for our dinner reservation at the seafood restaurant. We both enjoyed some fancy drinks with my shrimp and Scott’s meat. After dinner we came up to the adult lounge for martini night and to catch up on internet time.

fancy drinks at dinner

For Tuesday we had scheduled a lagoon cruise at 11:30am. As we found out, it was for adults only with endless Coronas and drinks. We played a movie trivia game while riding around the lagoon and if you got the answer wrong there was a mouth-full of tequila coming your way. At about 1pm we had a nice chicken lunch while meeting a couple from Ohio who was celebrating a 20 year anniversary. After lunch there was another game on the boat where they made the men drink a lot. After we got back we relaxed at the pool before coming back to shower before dinner at the Mexican restaurant where we got chips and salsa to go with our margaritas.

 

On Wednesday I got up had breakfast and went to the adults pool for some sun. I tried so hard to put on lots of sun screen but on still managed a funny burn line. I then found Scott for lunch and then we went to the adults pool for the rest of the after noon. We had dinner that night at the French restaurant where we got a special romantic dinner with an exclusive menu. After food we found the pub bar and made some friends playing pool. There was a group of Europeans who had a game that we played for a bit and then went outside to enjoy the calm ocean and breeze at night.

view from our room

 

On Thursday I got up had breakfast and went to the gym, came back to shower and get ready for some time in the sun. We went back to the adults pool for a day on the sun. For dinner we had reservations at the steakhouse. After dinner we went back to the pub to play some more pool and show the Europeans how to take a shot of tequila instead of their sweet sambuca (an italian liquor that is apparently very popular in London and Wales).

Friday we got up and had breakfast, relaxed, and went to lunch. We tried to stay in the shade at the adults pool but Scott got burned anyway. After enough sun we came back to shower before checking out the souvenir shops and relaxing in the adults lounge. We had a late dinner at the French restaurant and then went back to the room to relax since we had an early flight to catch the next morning.

Saturday started nice and early as we had to be checked out at about 5am for the shuttle pick up to the airport. At the airport, we had quite the line to check in but made it through and even earned some seats with extra leg room. Once arriving back in LA we headed off to SmithHouse Tap and Grill for some food and beers before driving home and ending vacation.

Scott and Me

Overall it was a nice relaxing trip to get away and I am sad that it ended so quick. The views were amazing and the resort made it easy to just relax and not worry about anything. The “Crown” level upgrade was definitely worth it as we got a private lounge with free internet, private breakfast and drink/appetizers at night.  I think we may need to do more all-inclusive vacations in the future.

lovin’ life- kelsey.

 

End of Trip in Berlin

Due to flying into and out of Berlin, we ended up with an extra travel back to Berlin from Paris.

Massive Hotel in Berlin

Sunday, September 21

Once our flight landed we worked out how we wanted to get to the hotel. Even though our place offered a shuttle, it was cheaper for us to just take the bus. We did have to exchange our Hungarian currency back to dollars which proved difficult at the airport due to getting a horrible rate. After checking in at the hotel, we went out to find some food.  We found a nice place with a decent beer selection so we enjoyed a yummy dinner.  We then walked the street looking for a place to buy wine for the night. Once obtained, we went back to the hotel for some wine and TV time before heading to the pool and sauna. It was a very relaxing night to end our trip.

Monday, September 22

We had to wake up around 6 to catch the shuttle bus to the airport and once there we got to relax and eat before preparing to board.  We did notice that they took about every 4th person from the line to a room for more pat downs while using a wand on about every other person including Scott.  Once through that we relaxed and waited to board. When we arrived in Newark, we dealt with customs, rechecking bags, and doing security checks again before boarding our final flight home to LA.

lovin’ life- kelsey.

Paris: September 20-22

Mona Lisa

Friday, September 20

We finally arrived in Paris after the bus ride from the Beauvais airport and we took the metro to our Hostel.  When we arrived, we checked in and decided the place is more of a hotel with the tiniest possible room and bathroom. We then headed out to grab some food, a baguette and pastries and then went to the Louvre Museum.  Since they were open late on Friday nights, we spent a good 4 hours seeing all the sculptures,  paintings and other antiquities on display. It was quite nice and when we left we had a beautiful night sky. On our journey back we grabbed a bottle of french wine to enjoy.

Arc de Triomphe

Saturday, September 21

We woke up and did a free walking tour around Paris. When complete we walked Champs-Élysées and saw the Arc de Triomphe. We walked in various car shops and saw lots of fancy cars. After we went to Notre Dame but after seeing a long line, decided we were satisfied just seeing around the building.  We then went to Montmartre district to grab food and walk around. Lots of places had happy hour so we got discounted beers.  After enough walking, we got souvenirs and headed to Centre Pompidou to see the building and enjoy drinks before it got dark enough to see the Eiffel Tower at night. When we arrived we got some pictures and then decided it was late enough to return home for showers and sleep before leaving in the morning.

Pompidou

Sunday, September 21

We were able to get a little extra sleep before checking out and heading to the airport for our flight to Berlin.  Unfortunately with it being Sunday,  the bread shop we had been going to during out stay was closed so we just had to take the bus to the airport and then eat there.  The Orly airport had a very long check in line for Airberlin but the flight itself was pleasant with drinks and easy flight.

lovin’ life- kelsey.

Budapest: September 17-20

Tuesday, September 17

When we arrived we tried to exchange money and find our Hostel.  After finally seeing a map, we got on the bus to the hostel. After checking in we walked to Loda cafe for dinner. It was a nice place with live music. We then came back to the hostel for showers and relaxing.

Buda Castle

Wednesday, September 18

We woke up early to go to the free walking tour and exchange money on the way. The tour was good and ended with a lunch recommendation of a cheap Hungarian meal. After the tour we went into St. Steven’s Basilica.  After that we got some gelato and went to Central Market Hall, a large area where multiple vendors sold various products such as meat, cheese, wine, fruits, vegetables, and more. We got 2 bottles of wine and then headed back to the hostel to relax before dinner. Our hostel in Budapest gave us a true hostel feel as we spent time in the common area talking with other travelers.

We ate dinner at Kolor in the Jewish quarter and then went out to Szimpla Kert, a local ruin pub which turned out to be very interesting and fun.  We enjoyed some wine and people watched.

Us at the top of the castle

Thursday, September 19

Today we got up and went to the house of terror museum, which was an exhibition on communism.  After we got some food at a cafe near the basilica where Scott and I got a good deal on a huge pizza. I also tried their lemonade which had a mix of orange, lemon, lime, and soda and it tasted quite good. We then walked in Budapest Ferrari store for a fun look before heading back to the hostel to relax.  After showering, we went to the lobby to do some planning for our time in Paris.

For dinner we went back out to the Jewish quarter and found another restaurant to enjoy some food and beer.

Beers at Dinner

Friday September 20

We woke up early to get to the airport for our flight to Paris.  It was our first time on  a Ryanair Flight but we ended up at the front of the line so we got good seats.

lovin’ life- kelsey.

Prague: September 13-17

Beer Sampler

Friday, September 13

We arrived in Prague from Berlin and exchanged some money at the train station. We then got on the metro to arrive at our hotel. After getting settled we went to Pivovarsky Dum, a local micro brewery for food and beer. We got a sample that included sour cherry, banana, and nettle flavored beer. We ended up spending about $20 for dinner and beer which was nice and cheap. After that we walked back to the hotel to relax for the night.

Saturday, September 14

We got up and had free breakfast at the hotel and then went to the meeting point for a free walking tour. The tour covered lots of Prague history and was a good intro to the city. After the tour, we relaxed in a park for a bit enjoying the sun and then went to the Communism Museum.

Bike Day

After the museum, we walked around Wenceslas square and got some honeywine. It had a very interesting taste but was sweet and enjoyable. While walking up to the top, we noticed lots of people on bikes and after asking a local, I found out that it was a bike-day thing to encourage people to bike around more. Lots of people attended and it was cool to take photos.

We then decided to grab food and beer and after walking for a bit we found a place, Kotleta that had nice outside seating. One thing we noticed about the beers is they are cheap but flavor is lacking. After our food we came back to the hotel for bed.

Part of Prague Castle

Sunday, September 15

We got up and enjoyed our free breakfast at the hotel. Then we headed off to the Prague castle. Our ticket allowed us into various buildings which were all interesting. After seeing the castle we walked down and looked for some food. We ended up at a nice restaurant where I enjoyed spaghetti and a lemon beer. After we walked to John Lennon Wall and across the Charles bridge. We then headed for the Prague Beer Museum that claimed to have a wide variety of beers. We ordered a couple each and I got some chips to enjoy as well. After that we headed back to the hotel to shower and get the smoke smell off.

Monday, September 16

I woke up and enjoyed the free breakfast while Scott relaxed a bit more. Then we headed off to Vysehrad castle which ended up being more of a large garden with a few buildings. After seeing enough while battling the rain we decided to eat at a place that seemed a pretty cheap.  After food we came back to the hotel to research our train for the next day and relax. For dinner we went out to U Medvidku, a brewery under a hotel. We expected them to have the beer they brew there on tap, but instead it came in bottles, while Budvar (Budweiser) was on tap. After our meal we headed back to get prepared for leaving the next day.

View from Charles Bridge

Tuesday, September 17

We got up and enjoyed free breakfast, got all packed and got some food for the train.  We then had a 7 hour ride to Budapest.

lovin’ life- kelsey.

Berlin: September 10-13

Brandenburg Gate

Tuesday, September 10

We arrived at Tegel airport at about 9 in the morning and worked to find a bus and train to get to the hostel. We ended up having to wait a bit for check in, but once settled, we found food at local bakery and then went off to start a free walking tour. While waiting went to the Willy Brandt museum, which depicted the writer and some political events.

The tour hit the Brandenburg Gate, Berlin Holocaust memorial, Berlin Wall remains, Museum Island, and Checkpoint Charlie. We ended up not being prepared for a rainy walking tour but we survived. After, we came back to hostel for a nap to combat jet lag and then we headed off to find food and drink. We found a nice lounge that specialized in Berlin spirits, which wasn’t quite what we expected but it worked. We got margaritas and I had penne pasta ratatouille. The weather in Berlin was a lot colder than we expected but doable as long as we were prepared.

Wednesday, September 11

Pergamon Musuem

We woke up to grab food at a cafe on our way to Museum Island. We started at Pergamon museum to see the sculptures and artifacts. Then we went to Nues Museum to see Egyptian artifacts. It was very interesting to see the various tombs as well as the building itself.

After the museums we came back to relax for a bit and then headed out to Berliner Republik, a local bar for some beers. This was an interesting place as the beer prices change during the night according to a exchange listing. This allows you to get a beer at a very cheap price when the market crashes. After a couple of beers and some food we went back to the hostel for sleep.

Thursday, September 12

Charlottenburg Palace

We woke up early to grab food at a bakery and headed to the Charlottenburg palace. We got to walk inside all the rooms and the garden. Most of the rooms didn’t survive  so lots of it was pieces from the Berlin palace and restorations.

Then we wanted to see the Reichstag building but after arriving we were told that you must make a reservation so there wasn’t enough time for that. Then we decided to go enjoy some German beers. We ended up next door to the bar we were the previous night. This place was known for their Gaffel kolsch so we got a couple each. Then we went next door to Berliner Republik again where they have beers that change prices based on a beer exchange. We ended up tasting almost everything on tap and then got some food as well. While we were at the bar a UK woman came and sat by us. We chatted with her about our travels. At the end of the night we walked back to our hostel, got some gelato and went to bed.

Friday, September 13

We got up and packed and then checked out of hostel and off to train station to head to Prague. The train ride was about 4.5 hours and we talked with the people in our compartment who helped us out by giving us a spare map.

lovin’ life- kelsey.

2 Week European Adventure

About a year ago, myself and my boyfriend started talking about the idea of traveling to Europe the summer after we graduate. Once we had both secured employment, we figured that this would be a good opportunity to go. Over the summer we booked our flight from LAX to Berlin and started working on where we wanted to go in between. We settled upon Berlin, Prague, Budapest, and France as we felt like it gave us a good mix of cheap, history, and fun for our short 2 week adventure. I decided to do 1 blog post per city including a description of our time along with pictures as well as this post to be both an introduction and a conclusion of our adventure.

Here are some things I noticed while traveling and some concluding items that I thought were interesting to point out:

• In Prague and Budapest the escalators in the metro station were very large and had a custom of non-walkers on the right side while walkers could come up the side of you on the left
• I felt like people in Prague had the most distinct facial features and looks out of the places we visited and most women were wearing nylons to cover their legs
• Budapest had a very nice airport, is known for producing wine, and the city is pronounced “Budapesht”
• Our best Hostel was in Budapest (Bazar) as the room was large and we were positioned very well by cheap food and drinks
• We learned Budapest is very popular for their “Bikaver” a dry, red wine so we enjoyed a couple of bottles during our stay
• The train rides were relatively easy and tickets were a lot cheaper buying in Europe rather than prior via raileurope.com
• Free walking tours turned out very helpful on our journey and I would recommend doing them again (we did one in every city to begin our visit)
• The metro stations in Europe use the honor system for tickets with rare checks except for Paris where you had to use a ticket machine to open the door
• According to Europeans, the stereotype is that young Americans just come to europe to drink, which I can easily see being true for 18-20 year olds who go crazy with the lowered drinking age
• While on the subways it is typical to see someone on board either:
  • speaking loudly in a rant/asking for money (not sure which as we couldn’t understand)
  • or playing music at night soliciting money

Us under the Eiffel Tower

Overall, I think I liked Prague the best due to its beautiful views of the city and great buildings. Beer was also very cheap in Prague, yet we did compare it to base level beer (Budweiser) with not much taste. Our trip was very fun and it was great to see so many sites. I think our allowance of 2 full days per city worked good to see everything in the city but still have travel days to relax. It was an awesome adventure and I can’t wait for our next vacation!

lovin’ life- kelsey.

A non-research degree from a research university

So this might be one of my more controversial topics, but I think my outlook is worth noting…

According to the UC system’s website, “Through its teaching, research and public service, UC drives California’s economy and leads the world in new directions.” From my experience as a student I would put more emphasis on the research and less on the teaching. Most majors at UCSB were research focused and the focus was to prepare you for graduate school. Because of this, the faculty was more focused on their own research than teaching applicable skills.

I studied Accounting, a “rare” major with no grad program on campus, a full non-research faculty, (which technically means I was only taught by lecturers instead of professors) and I participated in one of the most real-world applicable programs offered, Technology Management. With both of these programs, I had multiple connections with working professionals for assignments and projects. This allowed me to see what I would be doing after college. I enjoyed that projects included speaking with a professional on LinkedIn instead of reading through a textbook in the library. Most of my peers in these programs all graduated with jobs, where as most of the research majors are pursuing grad school.

I think part of the problem is the lack of jobs, which pushes more students to pay high tuition prices for more years to obtain another degree in grad school. But then, what jobs are they qualified for? If still entry-level, I question the value of those extra years.

My point with this is to not devalue grad school but to emphasize the value of preparing students for jobs right out of college. I think schools should be more proud of the percentage of students who graduate with employment in this time of high unemployment. If you are a parent helping your child select a college, would you like one that works hard to prepare grads for employment or one that prepares them for more years of school on your budget?

To conclude, I feel like my graduation cap sums up my feelings:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

lovin’ life- kelsey.

Resolution Update

Back in January I set some resolutions as laid out below. I have also updated my associated progress with each one.

1. pass at least 2 parts of the CPA exam– I have started studying for FAR and I hope to pass it along with BEC by the end of this year.
2. go rock climbing once a week at UCSB– thus far I have climbed about once a month, but worked out at the gym once a week
3. experience more of Santa Barbara before leaving in June– I rode Landshark, went wine tasting in Santa Ynez, and have been trying to do more biking around Goleta area. And I have extra time now as my plan is to remain in the area until September!!
4. expand my professional network beyond accountants with 10+ LinkedIn connections– Completed this one back in March, in total I have 40+ new non-accounting connections now.
5. take a vacation or travel europe after graduation– this is on the books for september 2013!

lovin’ life- kelsey.

College Accomplishments

In my 4 years here at UCSB I have accomplished quite a lot. I decided to list out some of the major feats in celebration of my graduation in June. UCSB offers a lot of opportunities and you have to be active to take advantage and reap the benefits!

1. secured full-time employment for after college
2. maintained the same job for 4 years at UCSB Rec Sports
3. spoke in front of 300 students and professionals at the 2012 Accounting Awards Banquet
4. organized the largest-to-date UCSB Meet the Firms, with over 600 attendees
5. received the Maxwell Pellish Award for Outstanding Service to the Accounting program
6. completed roughly 250 units in my time at UCSB including the Economics and Accounting major and Technology Entrepreneurship Certificate

lovin’ life- kelsey.