its about to be 2 weeks ago that we went to Cancun on vacation (what the heck, time!) for B's bday so i thought I'd share some pictures. 

I'm super thankful to this guy for taking me along this trip because it was a blast but as much fun as it was, I'm glad that we're home. 
and planning for our next trip! 

ill just share some pictures and what they're about. since I'm  bunching them all together cause i didn't really take that many....
i didn't realize how basic i wanted to be until i had the chance to take the obligatory passport / boarding pass picture!

T H U R S D A Y
we flew out at midnight and arrived out there at 630 am. 
which means after it was all said and done, we were at the hotel by 730ish. maybe earlier. 
H U M I D  C I T Y ! ! ! !
holy crap super humid. 
because check in wasn't until 3 pm, we left our stuff upfront, and went to go have breakfast and mimosas and then walk on the beach and omg! soooo pretty!!!!
and then, the pool bar!!!!
and we lasted until about 12 because he wasn't having it. 
personally, i would've thrown on a bikini and stayed by the beach. but it was cool 
their version of a michelada. 
if you want a michelada out there (with clamato juice) they're called Ojo Rojo. 
SO GOOD!
look at that sand! how white! 
and that water!!!!
the dark part is all seaweed grass. 
i have a fear of water so i didn't touch it but the parts that were floating weren't weird or anything. 
even their seaweed is clean.
the view from our room. 
#719 (:
the hotel is pretty dope. we booked everything through Costco and it came out pretty well priced. 
the room was another story but whatever. overall it was nice. 
 
*when*
the first day, we landed, we ate, hung out, had breakfast, lunch AND dinner!!!! and then we called it an early night because we had our first excursion the morning after. we had them pick us up so we had to be in the lobby by 715 and since they're 2 hours ahead, i was all paranoid that we'd oversleep and miss our ride. 

F R I D A Y

a friend of mine from hs went to Cancun a few weeks before me so i saw her posting on ig all about Xplor and it looked like so much fun that i had to look into it (and bombard her with questions that she thankfully answered) 
guys!!!!!!! soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo much fun! 
i booked us 2 excursions and this was my choice and by far the best. even he agrees. 
they picked us up. ALL the activities are included. they fed us and delivered us back to the hotel. 
i only took these pictures and few videos that i have no idea how to post. 
BUT i bought the picture package that I'm so glad she recommended and i listened to her about because those pictures are the best!
i'll probably post those in another post but I'm so glad i got the package! so many pictures!
we did the zip lining first because it gets super packed. 
there are 2 lines (one is more "aggressive" than the other ) and we did them both. the waiting is what takes forever, but once you get to your first zip line, there is little to no wait. everyone from there on out is at their own pace. 
and let me tell you, they make you work for your few seconds of flying in the air lol. 
in the photo above, you see how it twirls? well that picture was taken inside a xenote. 
the "twirls"? we had to walk all that to get to the next zip line. doesn't look like much but man, it adds up!!!! still soooo much fun!!!!!

we did the zip lining, drove the amphibian cars through the jungle, we did it all!!!! 
...except the hammock splash. that one was too packed. 
so we were done early ish, so we did the drive through the jungle again and it turns out that there are 2 different paths so im glad we did that one twice. 

we did the river and that was sooo much fun! they have the shorter / longer version for mostly every activity and for the river we did the long one. which I'm glad we did because we got stuck behind a larger group. 
I'M FUCKEN PETRIFIED OF WATER so i was thankful people were there. i think it's the quiet that freaks me out. but also the fact that i have no idea what's underneath me nor how deep it goes. 

everything was suuper fun EXCEPT the underground rafts
I FUCKING HATED THAT!!!!
(i'm only cursing to express to you how much i hated it) 
basically, you get on a plastic raft and you propel yourself forward with your own damn hands. 
and you crash into everything. 
i think my hate for it stems from the fact that a) when we stopped to take a picture, we fell over (which the camera also caught. cant wait to see!) 
 and when i tried getting back on, my waterproof phone case thing got stuck between me and the raft and became unhooked causing my phone to sink straight to the bottom! 
LUCKILY we weren't in that deep. after freaking the fuck out for 10 seconds, i thought i saw my phone so i just dove and luckily i was able to grab it. love that damn case no water whatsoever. not then, not in the 4 days we were there. 
AND then, after i dropped my phone, the stupid hand thing you use to move forward also fell in. but I'd already used my 1 no-freak out about water card for my phone so i wasn't going to dive for that. 

SO FINALLY, i get back on and B's like screw this, ill just push you (mind you no life vest was provided for this activity....i mean he can swim so yea..) and he does. and then like 5 seconds later he's like oooh shit! it just got deeeep! so we had to hit a wall or whatever so he could jump on. 

and then of course he's recording me freak the hell out so I'm trying to maneuver us as best as i can. 
thankfully, another couple passes us so i didn't feel so alone. 
and then another couple passes us and for some reason their raft has a string hanging out the back so i grabbed it and let them pull us for a short bit. 
and then before i knew it that shit was over and i was glad to be out of there and never again in my life will I EVER do something like that. 

to sum it up: fuck that activity and I'm afraid of water because out of nowhere it can get deep and even though i can swim and it's probably all man made, who knows what the ef is  down there!

phew. 
so yea. 
that was Xplor. 
other than that little fumble, this place was amazing and I'd hella go back if i ever get the chance. and next time, i'd probably do the night version BECAUSE OMG CAN YOU IMAGINE!!!!

S A T U R D A Y

Saturday we did Tulum + Xel-Ha.
B is all about history and everything that Tulum has to offer. 
this is what he wanted to do so i booked it and chose the package that had Xel-Ha cause, WATER!!!!

Tulum was fun and all but it was too fucking hot to stand around and listen to the history when truth be told; i can google it (yes i know its not the same) 
we also had access to the beach in Tulum and HOLY SHIT!!!!!
that the most beautiful freaking beach i have ever seen (i mean, compared to LA anyway) 
if i ever get married and he's okay with the beach, i don't care who goes and my dress will be a white bikini, THIS IS WHERE I WANT TO DO IT!
if there is one thing i want to remember forever from this trip, it's this beach. 
it was so beautiful.
fear of water or not, i got in that damn water! 
i had too!!! that view was stunning! 
i cant even!!!! I'm so thankful that i was able to be there! ill forever cherish that!

after Tulum, which we were at for 2 hours (not enough time at all!)  we went to Xel-Ha
that's another water park and basically all it is, is just a huuuuuuuuuuuge river where you swim and can go jumping off of so many feet off this cliff into the water. i mean there's other stuff but YOU GOTTA PAY FOR IT ALL!!!
the only damn thing included is drinks and food (actually pretty important) and the river and the jump. then... $$$$

when we got there the picture mabober thing was giving us issues so we took more time than we should have but we ended up buying tickets to get on a boat ride called Adrenalina.
(cant seem to find it on their website) 
THAT WAS SO MUCH FUN!!!!
basically , you get on a boat with like up to 20 other people and they take you out into the ocean....and then they throw your ass around in it. it was so much fun! 
we did spins and dives and my head got thrown about left and right and it was the best! 

as i review their website, apparently a lot of stuff is included in your admission, the thing is, YOU have to look for it yourself. 
no one is there to say go here or there. you're on your own. 
after Adrenalina, we did the lazy river, 
this place is soooo HUGE that we had to take a little trolley train to the beginning of the river. i mean, if you have the time, you can swim over there but what's the point ya know? 

the beginning is sooooo pretty. they give you a float, and you're just floating down the river. 
and its like this secret garden path with water and without flowers. lol 
that leads you to the jump and because we were out of time, we got out right there to head back after we jumped several times each. 

to get back to the entrance you can wait for the little trolley again or you can ride bikes through the forest. 
we did the bikes and it was the best! it was quiet. it was just us and it was super sweet and i just loved that we did that.

you can actually get free goggles and a snorkel tub thing so you can see and breath underwater (you get to keep the snorkel thing after wards since its not sanitary to reuse them.)
if ya ever go, i suggest you get them so you can see where you are. 
like, I'm glad i got them but i because I'm afraid of water i kinda also freaked out. 

but yea....that was our trip! 
it was sooo much fun and I'm glad that we did excursions because while the beach was nice and everything was included in the hotel, there's only so much you can do there ya know? 
and I'm glad that we're back home. 
i was ready to come back home! 
...but i'm ready for our next adventure. 
Arizona, here we come! AGAIN!
hanging out by the beach on hammocks!
ready for dinner on our last night! (:
which, after wards, we went straight to bed and passed out. at like 1030. no regrets!
iguana family!!
these guys are everywhere yet somehow this was the only time i saw them. 
night views <3
Saturday they had some free on the beach dj thing going on. lots of fun!
sunday was our other "free" day so we went to Mercado 28. we bought a bunch of souvenirs, ate seafood, had drinks and wasted too much money but it was a lot of fun! 
after mercado 28, we went to the beach and just hung out. 
we were talking to some random girl when i turned around and BOOM!!!
this rainbow came out of nowhere! 
its was BEAUTIFUL. 
this picture does it no justice whatsoever but i feel like that was Cancun saying goodbye to us. 
it was the best!!!! 
loved all of the palm trees
FINALLY flying back home!!!!

on the way out there, our flight was overbooked so they gave out upto $1000 in gift cards to take a flight the next day. (one lady herself got $1500!!!!!)
had i known that day 1 was going to be blah, i hella would have jumped on it. 
theres soooo much shit i want on amazon!!! :( 

BUT on the way back they "upgraded" us. 
sooooo we got to sit at the very front behind first class which just meant we had more leg room. which honestly, im thankful for cause dammmn those seats are sorta small. 

overall, i will miss that beach in Tulum and just being on vacation and away from reality. but mostly, ill miss all the people we met. 

all the people who worked there but specially those 2 waiters & waitress at the main dining room, the guys at the pool bar, they were soooo funny! and that awesome lady who gave me a high five for finally growing the guts to jump into the water. 

Cancun, you were a blast!
cant wait to be back!!!!
(....but i think we're going to cheat on you with Cabo real quick!) 

ahh!
thanks for reading all that if you did! 
ill bring you something back from my next trip! ;)
published: 2017
pages: 378
isbn: 978-1-5011-5556-7
read: 6/19 to 7/3 2017
rating: love this man! love this book!
book: 24 of 29 for 2017

"in life, you can choose to cry about the bullshit that happens to you or you can choose to laugh about it. 
i chose laughter."
pg 2

Superstar comedian and Hollywood box office star Kevin Hart turns his immense talent to the written word by writing some words. Some of those words include: theaforabove, and even even. Put them together and you have the funniest, most heartfelt, and most inspirational memoir on survival, success, and the importance of believing in yourself since Old Yeller.

The question you’re probably asking yourself right now is: What does Kevin Hart have that a book also has?

According to the three people who have seen Kevin Hart and a book in the same room, the answer is clear:

A book is compact. Kevin Hart is compact.

A book has a spine that holds it together. Kevin Hart has a spine that holds him together.

A book has a beginning. Kevin Hart’s life uniquely qualifies him to write this book by also having a beginning.

It begins in North Philadelphia. He was born an accident, unwanted by his parents. His father was a drug addict who was in and out of jail. His brother was a crack dealer and petty thief. And his mother was overwhelmingly strict, beating him with belts, frying pans, and his own toys.

The odds, in short, were stacked against our young hero, just like the odds that are stacked against the release of a new book in this era of social media (where Hart has a following of over 100 million, by the way).

But Kevin Hart, like Ernest Hemingway, JK Rowling, and Chocolate Droppa before him, was able to defy the odds and turn it around. In his literary debut, he takes the reader on a journey through what his life was, what it is today, and how he’s overcome each challenge to become the man he is today.

And that man happens to be the biggest comedian in the world, with tours that sell out football stadiums and films that have collectively grossed over $3.5 billion.

He achieved this not just through hard work, determination, and talent: It was through his unique way of looking at the world. Because just like a book has chapters, Hart sees life as a collection of chapters that each person gets to write for himself or herself.

“Not only do you get to choose how you interpret each chapter, but your interpretation writes the next chapter,” he says. “So why not choose the interpretation that serves your life the best?”


MY THOUGHTS

that's a long ass synopsis. 

guys, I'm in a reading drought. and i think i just broke up with my library for a bit because i just returned 4 books that i renewed several times but didn't even crack open. some that i REALLY wanted to read. 
it's okay. sometimes breaks are needed to better a relationship. 

B got me this book at Costco because really, a Costco trip for us isn't complete if a book, he does not buy me? (idk wtf i just said. you know what i meant.) 

I LOVE KEVIN HART!!!!!
I've loved him for a good minute. 
i know i don't know him personally but for some reason I've always gotten a good vibe off him. 
like he's worked for his shit and he hasn't let it get to him. 
know what i mean? no? just me? 
oh, well.

anyway, i loved this book. 
he starts from the beginning of his career to now (because as he states, it's not anywhere near over for him). 
he covers all the basics; from how his parents met to how his mother raised him, how he grew up and those rules his mother set up for him, shaped him to be the man he is now and also set his worth ethic in motion. how he met the mother of his children and their troubled relationship to how he met his now wife, Eniko. 
how his first job is the reason he is now where he is. 
how how struggled from the very beginning to get to where he is now. 

what i loved about this book (and honestly about him as well) is how honest and positive he is. 
he even says it. he could have had a shitty attitude towards life because of his upbringing but he chose to brush it off. 
it already happened and there's nothing that you can do about it so why give it more power by letting it continue to bother you? 

LOVED THE MESSAGE throughout this entire book!
seriously, pick it up. 

i could go on talking about forever about why i loved this book but i think the one thing that anyone who reads it can take from it is how your attitude towards your craft and your commitment is what gets you to where you are trying to be. 
and i know that DUH! its a given but it's VERY refreshing to hear it with such a positive attitude. 

it's not to say that there weren't parts where it wasn't dark for him because they were, but he never let them get him down. they weren't a burden in the end; they always were and will continue to be lessons for him

even though i love it all, i have to say that my fave part is definitely his drive to work with Nike when he was a shoe salesperson only to have it come full circle to working with Nike as the first comedian ever. 

this guy is doing it all!!!!

as you can tell, i basically flagged up the whole book! 
and while i usually just flag however, this time i tried sticking to a legend. 
red: paragraphs that hit a spot. paragraphs that i want to remember down the line. 
yellow: things to look up. (such as his movies and other things) 
blue/green: "quotes" per say. ....i ran out of blue so i had to switch over to green.  

so ill try to leave you with a few of my faves...

"I suppose that's my first family lesson: what's here today may be gone later today. Nothing is permanent." pg 9

"at times, life is random if not downright stupid." pg 51 // "growing up is a strange thing." pg 99

"your friends may love you, but the problem is that they love you as you are. you play a role in their lives that they've gotten used to, so they don't always want you to change. most of them think their job is to keep you humble and in your place."  pg 102

"every experience is a potential life lesson. even if you don't appreciate it at the time, each struggle in the present is preparing you for something else in the future. " pg 221

"life is not about the result -- we all have the same outcome in the end. life is about the effort you put into it." pg 250

and finally, 

" its okay to fail. it's not okay to quit." pg 373

i loved this book so much. 
its up there next to the Amy Poehler book, Yes Please
SO GOOD!!!

get a copy and let me know what ya think!

thanks for reading. 
#lesreads on IG

*i finally learned how to sign up for affiliate links so if ya buy a copy from amazon, i get some sort of percent. 
thanks for feeding me basically!...if i even did it correctly. 
OH! and on books posts, it will always only be (at least for now) linked at the synopsis like it always has.




happy (hella late!) 4th of July!!!!!

I'm back from vacation and back to work now so i can finally catch up on posts! 
i have several that i need to get started on.  i love that for a while, nothing happens and then BOOM!!! gotta play catch up. 
i have a book post and our vacation ones and then I'm caught up! 

anyway, sorry for going off track!

4th of July!, we spent it at B's house with his sisters, nieces and nephews. 
we celebrated his bday (another post i gotta write!) with cake and donuts which were gone as soon as the last line of the hbd song was sang. i made party hats out of popcorn holders and we partied it up with fireworks. 

last year we celebrated by the pool but this time we kept it at his house and he lives in the perfect area for this since he's at the end of the street. 

for the most part, my family doesn't really do much. well, us kids anyway. 
most of our cousins do their own things with their own families so I'm free to go over and celebrate with him. 
even more so since it's his bday the following day. 

after eating, we lit up all the fireworks, witnessed some illegal ones as well and saw what was probably the first dog in history trying to eat a firework every time it shot up in the air. 
it was the best (and he was NOT harmed at all!) 

i love having a phhhoto account where no one follows me cause it gives me freedom to just post whatever i want without worrying about blowing up anyone's feed. 
i thought id share my faves here (honestly, they were all posted on there). 

it's been awhile since I've shared a phhhoto post so i thought this would be the perfect start off point. 

anyway, i hope you all had a great, happy, safe 4th of July. 
i kinda hate the damn holiday because people swear they're on a competition to out blow their eardrums off and the dogs go crazy but other than that, its pretty great. 

have a great (rest of your) week!
ill try to post as soon as i can....i really need to invest in a computer. 

byye guys!!!

..but also, HOW THE HELL ARE WE ALMOST HALFWAY THROUGH JULY!!!!?????!?!?!??!