This New Year means countless new adventures and experiences for me as I have already dubbed it “My Year Around the World.” In 2015, I will meander my way through Europe while calling Florence, Italy my home for the next five months. Although January 26th marks my departure across the Atlantic Ocean, I appropriately started off my year of travel enjoying the Caribbean island of St. Maarten.
Mornings were spent at the most fabulous French bakery called Bon Appetite with a homemade croissant and a glass of their fresh squeezed orange juice. Trust me, if I had an unlimited supply of that stuff, all-liquid diets wouldn’t sound so unrealistic. The bakery was complete with an ocean view, fresh sea breeze, and a one-eyed stray cat that loved eating the scraps I snuck it under the table.
Most afternoons were spent splashing into the water via a giant rope swing for endless entertainment. When that grew tiresome, we took to the jungle and zip-lined from the highest point on the island. The adrenaline junkie in me was on Cloud Nine as my mom tearfully watched from 80 feet below.
Dinners were spent scavenging the island for the best lobster tail entrée. Pineapple Pete’s restaurant definitely won. The fact that they also had the strongest Wi-Fi we could find on the island was just icing on the cake. Speaking of which, for dessert, nothing could top Lee’s Roadside Grill. Order the banana chocolate chip cake and thank me later. It is definitely worth the short walk down the street from Pineapple Pete’s. The roads are lined with street performers, nightlife, outdoor restaurants, and a great view of the marina.
Christmas consisted of lazily sunbathing in my favorite seaside chaise lounge chair with a holiday book, while the New Year was welcomed with champagne toasts and all-night karaoke songs that are probably better left forgotten. We brought our vacation to a close by watching the sunset, enjoying two-for-one happy hour, and playing sand volleyball with other beachgoers until it was so dark we couldn’t see the ball.
While I would typically post about the trends and styles prevalent on the island, I honestly can’t say I left the beach long enough to ever put a real outfit together. In other news, some adorable bikinis from Triangl and Victoria’s Secret were seen gracing the white sands.
Stay tuned as I tackle the daunting task of packing for five months abroad in one of the most fashion forward cities on Earth and, of course, to see where my travels land me.
Ciao for now!
–Lindsay
The Cobblestone Catwalk 
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