Costa Rica

Every once in a while good things happen to sort of good people like me. To be honest a lot of good things happen to me, but this one was a real doozie.

I like many people, am obsessed with travel, and the only reason I do not spend the majority of my time on a plane is that little bitch called money. I'm not poor or anything but I'm no Kardashian either.

Two years ago something incredible happened and I was able to spend ten days in Costa Rica for approximately the same amount of money I would spend on two wild nights at a local bar and a weekends worth of carry out Chinese food.

You see, my manfriend went to a Christmas party held by an old high school friend and the two got to reminiscing. They had not seen each other in years and we all know boys suck at Facebook, but for some reason this friend told Jose we should join him and his wife at their vacation house that February.

This friend owns a business and works like all the time, so every year he and his wife take a month off and rent a house somewhere. This particular year they decided on Costa Rica and said we could stay with them for a while.

We bought our plane tickets right away and I met them for the first time when they picked us up from the airport.

The house they rented was nothing short of amazing. We swam, hiked, caught starfish, ate fresh coconut, drank, saw monkeys, and parrots, and just had the best time ever.

Walking the beach

Gorgeous Caves

Cooking Dinner in the sweet ass house

We were so lucky to have a beautiful house to stay in free of charge. We got a pretty good deal on the plane tickets and spent most of our time doing outdoorsy shit so it was honestly one of the least expensive trips I've taken.

We stayed in Oracle most of our visit but we did spend two nights in Montezuma which made my little hippie heart so happy. This place is magical. We found a cabin in the jungle for about $40 a night and woke up to monkeys swinging in front of our window... I still can't believe it.

I really could not recommend a trip to Costa Rica more, if you like beautiful places, delicious fruit, and tropical drinks you would like it. You don't even need rich friends like I have to make it an affordable trip. There are tons of eco-tourism huts you can rent, cheap hotels, hostels, whatever your little heart desires.

Here are some more pictures to convince you to go.

Those would be monkey turds on our patio...gross and awesome all at the same time.

the streets of Montezuma. Home to every trustafarian this side of the Mississippi.

We climbed then jumped off that shit.

Pretty bird.

Another fabulous hike.

This dude...



Now make sure you click this link below to hear about other places to visit when you win the lottery...or just charge it like I do.

And don't you dare forget tomorrow is the My Fam Damily link up hosted by your truly. You should definitely take part and link up to my post tomorrow, just write about your family and grab this sexy button.

<div align="center"><a href="http://www.thepartygirlsguide.blogspot.com" title="The Party Girls Guide"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKBqyyCxMgKODpwN5FT_LohE0XJuZxD0dfkvmPuuX1W_xR_werIpdh8ZDBh22-LrRjvmh848oFH8byl91M2g847x4JoLtHVfh1FV8w7eVp7h_kSWCKqi8LTBZqcAWXqaI7xHzOjX4asSI/s349/famdamilybutton.jpg" alt="The Party Girls Guide" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

The Adventures of Big Tigger and Willy

Another weekend has come and gone. It is a pretty drizzly day here in Maryland, but I woke up with zero percent hangover which is utterly shocking considering the massive amount of beer and tequila i took in yesterday so I am a happy camper.

I woke up this morning for work to find friends passed out all over my apartment which made me feel young and I kind of loved it....but then I remembered i had to go to work and I just got jealous of them.

The weekend was not unlike most weekends for me, drank a little too much, went out to eat and shopped more than I can afford, and spent quality time with Fred.

Helping me cook

Just the two of us...building castles in the sky..

It was a pretty nice little weekend actually.

Saw a band Friday night, went to a bon fire on Saturday, and had a tequila infested BBQ on Sunday.

Of course no weekend can go by without something utterly ridiculous happening though, and this time it went down Saturday night.

Jose and I had dinner then packed a cooler and headed over to our friends' house Saturday evening for a little bon fire. Nothing wild, just the four of us, a fire, and some beer. These friends, a married couple, live in a nice house in a very nice neighborhood. Keep in mind also we live in a rural ass area, so you can imagine we were all a little caught off guard when a wiry crack head walked into the yard to join our party.

He was decked out in a bucket hat, at least four coats, and a belt buckle with a spinner....

He told us his name was big willy and immediately started rapping for us. He was drinking coors light in a solo cup on ice with a straw. At one point he pulled out an airplane bottle of Canadian Mist and made Jose and our friend John do shots of it...it's not every day two grown men share a mini-bottle with a crack head, they drank first though don't worry, or do because why on Earth we allowed this guy to stay at our bon fire for two hours is probably the real issue.

He told us he was not high, but some sort of pipe was clearly visible in his pocket....too be honest I wouldn't know a crack pipe if it bit me in the face but I am going to go ahead and assume here.

Big Willy called Jose Big Tigger at one point. Not Tiger like the Detroit Tiger's hoodie he was wearing, but Tigger like the character from Winnie the Pooh. Naturally that is the only thing I have called him since.

His rapping was pretty bad but I sang backup for him which he seemed to enjoy. When our friend tried to sing he told her she sounded like shit and he couldn't take it anymore. Obviously I have a promising singer career in my future if Willy says so.

Anyone else hang out with a crack head this weekend?

P.S. I want it to be Cinco de Mayo again, I like tequila and tacos more than almost anything I can think of.

Don't forget on Wednesday, I am having my first ever link-up called My Fam Damily...it will probably change your life, so be sure to visit my blog Wednesday and grab a button.

Speaking of link ups...click below for more weekend stories

A Shameless Plug for Fred the Dog

So there is this little contest going on for Blog awards. This contest is being put on by a blog I just love Venus Trapped in Mars. Obviously I would like to win every category, but I also don't want to admit how greedy I am to the entire interweb, so I will just campaign for this:

Fred has been bitching at me about this ever since he heard about the contest. He really wants to win and he deserves it if you ask me.

Now there are a lot of cute dogs out there. In fact, some of Fred's best friends are just adorable, and two of my favorite blogs Bourbon and Glitter, and The Little Things...And Vodka both have dogs I would like to meet as much as their owners. But let's get real for a second and keep two things in mind.

1.) Fred is a pitt bull.

2.) Fred is from Detroit.

Stereotypes about these two facts alone should scare you into voting for him.

Plus he looks like this:

He also has his own page on my blog, how many dogs can say that?

For the sympathy vote I suggest you read this.

And also because he was my Valentine, he clearly deserves to win.

If you don't want Fred to bite you, I suggest you get your ass over to Venus Trapped in Mars and Vote for baby Fred!! P.S. He would never, ever bite you....but I might.

P.P.S. Happy Friday bitches....let's all do some things we regret tonight.

Weddings 101...and I am a link-up fool

Even though I have calmed down quite a bit in my old age, I am still a wild child from time to time. I typically drink enough to be completely embarrassing at least once a week, and cannot seem to act like a reasonable adult at any type of open bar situation. What can I say, I love free shit.

Weddings are no exception. Not a single wedding comes to mind that I completely remember...I do know I always have a good time however.

I will probably regret this, but here are some sloppy shots of yours truly on various couple's most special day.

God, just look at my hair. I got ready for this wedding in the bathroom of a bar...clearly I could have used a little more hairspray.

It is always wise to stop at the bar for several hours between the ceremony and reception. If you forgot a card, just make one out of a miller lite sign...true story, it wasn't me either.

Starting the night out with martinis is never smart, nor are my tights...yikes.

I lost my phone at this wedding, judging by this photo that is no surprise.

Sometimes I spill drinks on bridesmaids.

I always dance like a damn fool.

If you think I am any better at a bachelorette party, think again.

Want to read more wild party tales, or just waste some time at work? Click this to visit one of my favorite blogs where a bunch of other drunks are linked up with their stories.

Along the lines of being a drunken bafoon, I would also like to share with you my favorite search topic that brought people to my blog according to that fancy pants Google analytics. 

For me it was, "Peeing in Parking Lots".  This is something I personally do quite a lot when I am boozing, but I have never felt the need to Google it. Luckily I had those weirdos covered though with this post.

This is a part of another link-up hosted by two of my other favorite blogs...Just click this link to see the weird shit people are Googleing these days.

Non-bloggers feel free to stop reading now!

I have decided to create my very first link-up! Oh my god, I know...what a big girl I am becoming. I'm not really an expert on any of this so if anything doesn't work the way it should cut a girl a break, but anyone that loves to talk about their family as much as I do should join me next Wednesday, May 8 for the My Fam Damily Link Up It will be real fun, tell the blog world why you have the best, worst, craziest, funniest, drunkest, whateverist family. Put this button or a link to my blog in your post and let's see where we all want to go for the next holiday dinner. Oh yes, and be sure to link up to my post next Wednesday...I will have one of those fancy link up tools. The button will be re-posted next week for anyone who misses it today so don't you worry your pretty faces. Oh and hey, if you want to write about your family any other day and want to use my sweet button, do it. And, no that is not my family, we are way more awkward.

<div align="center"><a href="http://www.thepartygirlsguide.blogspot.com" title="The Party Girls Guide"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKBqyyCxMgKODpwN5FT_LohE0XJuZxD0dfkvmPuuX1W_xR_werIpdh8ZDBh22-LrRjvmh848oFH8byl91M2g847x4JoLtHVfh1FV8w7eVp7h_kSWCKqi8LTBZqcAWXqaI7xHzOjX4asSI/s349/famdamilybutton.jpg" alt="The Party Girls Guide" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

Ways to not hate your significant other

I am the first to admit I have never been a relationship person. Before Jose most of my relationships were short lived. Sometimes I would get dumped, but mostly I would just get bored or start finding too many flaws in the lucky bastard I was dating. I mean, come on I am a catch you had to set up your game or I would kick you to the curb....Just kidding, kind of.

Jose and I started out as acquaintances and one day got drunk enough to become a couple. We kept it casual for a long time, but eventually he convinced me to change my Facebook status. Maybe it is because I am older and wiser, or maybe because he buys me a lot of stuff...but I no longer miss being single. There was a transition period to the couple life, but we have a dog together now for God sakes.

I am not saying we have the perfect relationship. We have our issues and fights just like anyone, but after living together for two years and dating for three, we still like each other.

So for the good of mankind and whatever it's worth, I have decided to share some tips for a semi-successful relationship.

1.) Don't be a dick. There are many times when I could really say something snotty to Jose when he irritates me. I was once the Queen of the little dig, but guess what?? It is just mean and it won't make you feel any better. Most likely it will start a fight. If you have the urge to say something crummy just resist whenever possible.

2.) Let things go. There are several house cleaning related items that Jose and I do not see eye to eye on. Such as the fact that I enjoy living in a clean house, and he doesn't realize things like floors and bathtubs need to be cleaned. He likes leaving things out and I prefer to have my tables and counters looking styled because I spend too much time on Pinterest. Instead of constantly fighting about it, I usually just let it go. Sometimes I ask him to pick up his mess or clean the bathroom but for the most part I just recognize this is who he is. There are lots of things he does for me that make up for his lack of cleanliness. And in the long run are a pair of glasses or set of keys on the table worth a fight? Probably not.

3.) Do nice things for each other. This sounds like a no brainer, but after you live with someone for a long time it can get a bit too routine. Sure you are nice in terms of not kicking them in the shin or berating each other, but do you do random kind things for one another? Jose brings me flowers quite regularly, I surprise him with coke in glass bottles when I find it, he buys me a nice bottle of wine once in a while when he is at the beer store, I bring him home my leftovers....shit like that. Little things.

4.) Go out on dates. It can be pretty easy to get bored of your man or woman friend if all you do is sit home and watch TV. Plus Jose only watches lame shit like sports whereas I prefer HGTV, the Food Network, and anything with Housewife in the title. We go out a lot. Whether it is to have a nice dinner, see a movie, go on a hike, sit by the beach, hang out at the pool, or go to a bar...we go out. So many couples I meet don't make dates enough of a priority in my opinion. Yes, we spend a lot of money on entertaining ourselves, but we also don't hate each other.

5.) Make things that are important to both of you a priority. If you love to travel like we do, make that something you both save money for and both take time off work for. We used to talk a lot about going places but never went. Now if we want to take a trip, we take it....within reason of course we aren't millionaires just yet.

6.) Don't fight about money. It's dumb. Money is a silly thing to fight about. When we first moved in together I was super concerned with making sure everything was 50/50. Now I just let it work itself out. Sometimes I buy stuff, sometimes he does. I know everyone is different with money, but I think we can all agree it isn't worth fighting over. We choose to be laid back about it, if a plan works better for you that's what you should do.

7.) Pretend to care about what the other one is talking about. You absolutely don't really have to care...but you have to pretend. Jose talks about disc golf and his job allllll the time. I could care less, but he would never know it. He does the same for me when I talk about events and marketing, and the dumb shit I watch on TV.

8.) Have your own lives. Don't spend every second with your person. Have your own friends, and hobbies, and interests. It is good for you, trust me on this one.

9.) Laugh a lot. We make fun of each other and ourselves all the time. It keeps things light and fun, plus laughing burns calories I hear.

10.) Don't talk too much shit about your boyfriend, girlfriend, husband, or wife to your friends and family. Of course you need to vent from time to time but if you completely rake them over the coals every time they piss you off just the slightest bit you will either; look like a total jerk for staying with them, or make all your friends and family hate him/her. Sometimes when you are mad at someone sharing all the details with everyone you know is the worst thing you can do....emotions are a lot stronger when something is fresh so make sure what you say is something you honestly feel. Or better yet, just don't fight....that's the easiest way to avoid this.

I want to go back to college so I can do this again....

One of the best decisions I have made in my life was choosing to study abroad in college. Yes it cost me and my parents an arm and a leg, and yes I was paying off my credit card for years after, but it was single handily the best experience I've ever had.

I decided to spend a summer in the United Kingdom to study British history at University College of London. I did not know anyone else from my college going (it was a huge school) and it was not the most exotic location I could have chosen, but that was where I wanted to go.

The evening I left, my parents took me out to dinner before driving me to the airport. For some reason I remember I ordered fish and chips which is ridiculous because that is like the only thing the British serve other than bangers and mash. On the way to the airport, my mom asked me if I was nervous and I told her not at all.

I had never flown alone at this point and the only time I had left the country was when my parents took us to Mexico. But I wasn't scared at all, just excited.

The moment I landed I knew I would love it. My program consisted of three months in London, ten days in Edinburgh, and four days in Bath. I had friends that were traveling other places in Europe and planned to stay after the program ended to visit Rome, Dublin, Amsterdam, and Brussels.

I met some of the coolest people. People who are dear friends to this day.

We drank a lot of cider in the cutest pubs. Did you know in London you can get beer and cider in a two liter plastic bottle? I was so excited by this and started buying it to drink in my dorm, then the RA told me only homeless people buy those and I stopped....just kidding I still loved them. (Please ignore my ridiculous pose)

It wasn't until I went to Europe that I learned to love wine. Turns out it was cheaper than beer so we drank a lot of it. I sipped wine in Rome, and it was magical. I feel in love with a waiter named Valentino....but only for a night and probably because of the wine.

I took pictures next to sweet ass fountains and learned not to be afraid to explore things on my own. I found out I was totally confident and could make friends anywhere. That was pretty empowering at that point in my life.

I visited the iconic Abbey Road and failed miserably at getting a picture like the one the Beatles took...it's a busy road that shit was hard. We quickly gave up to drink more wine.

I prayed...ok I didn't but I did visit some of the most beautiful churches in the whole wide world, and that is cool whether Jesus is your homeboy or not.

I swam in Loch Ness, and climbed a mountain in Scotland. I stole a shot of absinthe from a customer at a pub in Bath, and visited Billy Shakespeare's hometown. I discovered Stone Henge is super lame, but London is the best city on earth. I found out the Irish are really crazy fucking drunks and almost got arrested for open intox in Dublin. I "ate some sandwiches" in Amsterdam and thought it to be an incredibly beautiful city. I was moved by a visit to the Anne Frank house and entertained at the Sex museum. I saw amazing art in the museums of London and kissed boys from all over the world.

The coolest part about study abroad was unlike a trip that is over too quickly I got to live in London for three months. I had a dorm room and went grocery shopping and did anything a college student would do. It was an emersive experience unlike any I have ever had. I hope I am able to spend that much time traveling again one of these days. I know it's probably just a matter of weeks until I find out I have a trust fund I never knew about....at that point the world will become my oyster. 

The second coolest part about my particular study abroad program was that our professor was retiring just a few weeks after the semester ended and he felt the best way for us to learn was to explore and experience the UK; I am guessing he just didn't want to grade papers or prepare lectures. We spent approximately 4 hours in class in those three months and just had to write book reports on five books that none of us read. I could not have been happier with his teaching methods, or the 4.0 I received in his class.

If you want to hear more cool travel tales and read one of my faveorite blogs, click on this link:

Five things tag

So I wrote here about how I am not a yet real blogger, I am trying to be a little bit and as a result I am starting cyber romances with some very sassy women. And by romances I mean we comment on each others blogs. One of my new gal pals is Chelsee at Southern Beauty Guide, since i have the make up skills of a drunk toddler her blog makes me realize I need to get rich and hire someone to paint my face.

Anyway, she tagged me in her Five Things Tag! Post so I am playing along because she is awesome. 

Here are five random facts about me: 

1.) I do not drink rum...unless it is in the form of a mojito. I spent a week in Jamaica and consumed far too much rum and Red Stripe and now I stay away from both.

2.) I can't stand cats. I am 100% a dog lover. Sorry cat people, I try.

3.) Sponges disgust me. I cannot touch them, I think the word spore is freaky and I do not know how people clean with them. They are literally little germ cesspools.

4.) I started eating clean a few months ago, and am feeling amazing and don't think I will ever go back. The only thing that has been hard to give up is Diet Coke. I feel like a hobo looking for crack every morning when I don't get my DC.

5.) I love my job. I want to find my exact same job in a different location.

Now I am tagging five other bloggers who have to do this. It is pretty much like a chain letter so if you don't cooperate you will turn into a donkey or something crazy like that.

Without further ado:

The Little Things....(and Vodka)

Everyday Adventures

Vodka and Soda

Little Pink Droppings

Smalls