Santas on the Beach: Sign me up!

It’s never stressful. Gifting doesn’t take the spotlight as you have a real shipping excuse to not check everyone on that list. Anguilla definitely gets in the Christmas spirit for the holidays with a tree lighting and lights around town. It’s also very festive for New Years Eve as we always attendViceroy Anguilla’s lavish party to ring in the new year. They light 300 plus wish lanterns over the water, a truly magical and elegant evening involving world-renowned musicians, good friends, family and of course, champagne.

I think I can trade a turkey for this!

2. Where is home and what do you miss the most about holidays there?Our families are in Dallas, Texas and Whistler, Canada and the wintry snow hands down is missed the most. There is something special about a white christmas and cuddling up at our family ski chalet, chopping down our tree Griswold style in the woods, skiing on Christmas Day and having fondue and red wine around the fire.

Lacy aka Caribbean Santa in Anguilla

3. What is an interesting holiday tradition in Anguilla?December is Anguilla’s busiest month in the tourism industry so I would say that’s what is really interesting, everyone is working hard to ensure family vacations go off without a hitch. The airport is a private jet parking lot while the superyachts are lingering in every bay, truly a time for major celebrity spotting.

Lacy celebrating Christmas last year with her family

4. What do you recommend to travelers thinking of spending their holidays there?Have a Caribbean Christmas and make it your own. My family came last year and we spent our day bikini-clad and rum punch in hand on the white sands of Rendezvous Bay Beach. We also had a celebratory spread of grilled snapper, crayfish and lobster to top off our day at Bankie Banx’s The Dune. A true tropical white Christmas limin’ or hanging out as they call it in the Caribbean.

Beach in Anguilla

5. Do you recommend spending the holidays abroad and why/why not?Absolutely, as there is something experiential about seeing other parts of the world during the holiday season, partaking in local festivities and making new memories. My first Christmas in Canada we made maple syrup taffy pops on fresh snow and I will always cherish that new experience. London is next on my list, as I can literally taste the minced pies and mulled wine while strolling the Christmas markets. 

The post Holiday Abroad: Anguilla with expâté appeared first on The Dining Traveler.

Rewind to 1996.  After my freshman year at University at Albany I had itchy feet. I wanted to live a life of adventure. I joined the US Marine Corps Reserves.  As a young enlisted Marine, I did not get to travel abroad I got to see many places as a 19 year old Puerto Rican girl in Western NY didn’t get to see: Missouri and Kentucky! My senior year I ended up signing up for a study abroad program. It wasn’t that exotic (at least for me): I returned to Puerto Rico to spend a semester at Universidad del Sagrado Corazon. I needed the income from my reserve job and Puerto Rico had a unit I could work with. Fast forward to 2014: Did you know you can use your GI Bill while studying abroad?

Although I did not need a passport for that adventure, I was immersed back in my Puerto Rican culture. I spent my semester honing my writing and speaking skills in Spanish.  Although I grew up in Puerto Rico, my high school studies were mostly in English. It was great to master the literary part of the Spanish  language. I still use those skills at my work and my upcoming Spanish Language travel segment with Despierta DC.

Upon graduation, I was commissioned as a Marine Corps Second Lieutenant. My first assignment was in Okinawa, Japan. Needless to say, I was in a work/study abroad situation.  I loved driving around the island and walking into small shops and ordering from a menu that I couldn’t even remotely read! I pointed at kanji script and prayed (everything was always delicious)! During that year in Okinawa, I also got to do extended assignments in Thailand and Australia (45 days each). Those assignments opened my mind and my palate to travel. My next assignment was just as exotic but dangerous: Baghdad, Iraq. There, I learned from talking to the locals working on base, eating the best hummus I’ve ever had, and reflecting on myself and humanity.

In 2005, I returned home physically and emotionally exhausted from my deployment to Iraq and decided to use my GI Bill and all of my savings to move to Belgium, where I found a Masters in Management and Business Administration from Boston University (the program is no longer available in Belgium). Before my big move I visited Brussels for the BU program and the Copenhagen School of Business.  Although I was more keen to move to Copenhagen, I was turned off by the staff member I met with. She told me (by the way she was American) in a condescending tone: “you are aware that you have to have 5+ years of work experience to apply”. She automatically judged by my appearance as she had not seen my resume.  When I told her everything I had accomplished since my college graduation, she was quite humbled. Needless to say, it was a turn off. I was happy that the BU staff was so open and eager to have me join their program.

Although I had lived abroad before arriving to Brussels: Japan, South Korea, and my deployment in Iraq, Brussels was a whole new world in so many levels. I recall getting my student visa at the Belgian Embassy in Seoul (where I was living at the time) and the whole process seemed so foreign to me. I arrived to Brussels with no sponsor waiting for me at the airport, no housing office, no tax-free benefits, and no paycheck! Being overseas in the military has a lot of privileges that I was no longer entitled to now that I was on my own. I’ll be honest, it was difficult to adjust, especially as a graduate student since the environment was much more independent than my undergraduate experience.

Grand Place, Brussels, Belgium

At My Farewell Party in Brussels, 2012

The post Seeing the world: A Latina Abroad appeared first on The Dining Traveler.

My first Thanksgiving party in Brussels, 2009

Fast forward to 2009. I was living in Brussels and had already spent a few Thanksgivings there. I never had a plan and always ended up feeling sad and missing my family. That year, I decided to take matters into my own hands and recreate the magic of Okinawa but with my new family of expats.  I decided to make a menu that merged all of my influences: American, European, and Puerto Rican. There were always arroz con gandules, a big Butterball, stuffing made with baguette from my favorite boulanger, Gaudron, and cranberry sauce made with Kriek (a Belgian cherry beer). Tip: Although I got my turkey on base, I’m aware you can order your turkey from butchers in Brussels such as Jack O’Shea.

Serving the Arroz con Gandules

Some of my expat friends had very little awareness of what Thanksgiving meant for us Americans. It was great to share that experience with them.  Once they experienced one, they kept on coming!  I also made it a point for us to share our gratitude before we dug into the turkey.  I was grateful to have great friends who became my second family abroad. Expat Tip: When moving to a new country, enroll in a class, club, or a sport to meet other like minded people. 

Friends Digging in, 2010

My last three years in Brussels I had some amazing Thanksgiving parties.  The prosecco flowed freely, we ate, dance, and sang until the wee hours (in 2011 the cops were called to my apartment). Food was shared, new friendships were made, and if I recall, a new relationship as well. We had a room filled with people from Belgium, Venezuela, New Zealand, Peru, Germany, Congo, among other countries. Although an unlikely bunch, food brought us together.

Post Dinner Singing and Dancing

The expat life is pretty amazing when you have the opportunity to live in a different country, travel, and meet interesting people. It can be lonely as well, especially during the holidays.  Sometimes we need to take matters into our own hands and create new traditions. Now that I am back in the United States and close to my family, I miss my parties in Brussels.

Sharing Thoughts on Gratitude, Thanksgiving 2011

Have you ever spent a holiday abroad? How do you celebrate?

The post Thanksgiving in Brussels appeared first on The Dining Traveler.

It has been now five months since my return to the United States from Brussels.  I’m slowly getting settled into my life in Washington, DC.  Many friends have asked me which city I like best and how can I compare.  I’ve had the amazing opportunity to live in both the capital of the United States and the European Union.  On the surface things may look slightly similar whether it is the suited people coming out of the Schuman or Foggy Bottom metro armed with an agenda.  Both cities serve as a rally point for a diverse set of expatriates working at embassies, international organizations, and private businesses.  Additionally, both cities can be very transient due to the jobs that are offered in the area.


Parc du Cinquantenaire, Brussels

I was under the impression that living back in the United States was going to be more economical.  I recall my wild shopping sprees when I visited the US for work or play.  If my goal was to save, I picked the wrong city to live.  As I began to look for places to live, I noticed rental properties are 50-60% more expensive than in Brussels.  Living in Place Brugmann in Brussels (compare to Logan Circle) cost me a 50% less of what the going rate is for a one-bedroom apartment in that area.  I ended up settling for Bloomingdale, an up and coming neighborhood in Northwest DC.  For those who know Brussels, I compare it to North Ixelles:  up and coming with some dodgy spots. 
Along with the expensive real estate, comes the dining.  DC has been gaining national attention for the surge of great restaurants with famous chefs but the prices (especially if you add wine) seem to be much higher than the Euro capital.   A bottle of wine starts at $30 compared to most restaurants in Brussels where it starts at 18€.  A beer in any brasserie in Brussels will cost you 3-4 €.  The only time you will find those prices for beer or wine at a respectable establishment in DC is during Happy Hour.  … And you must not forget to tip!  I had become used to the service charge being added to the price of the food and drink and not being coerced to give a 20% tip.  Between real estate and entertainment, DC is much more expensive than Brussels.  Aside from the 50% I save in auto/property insurance, I am definitely not saving on much else (and let me not get started on the high prices of vegetables).

I give points to DC for its public transportation system.  Taking the metro, tram, or bus is Brussels could turn into an odyssey at times.  I recall waiting for the bus for a hour to arrive on a rainy day to realize there was a grève (a strike).  Grève also seems to be some sort of national sport in Belgium. During the summer, buses smell and if you end up on the wrong tram line you risk encountering a dirty drunk Bruxellois or a group of young kids harassing women.  Maybe it’s my usual metro line (Yellow) but I feel very safe in the Metro in DC.  It runs on time, very clean, and friendly staff.  I also noticed when there is a delay, the management does a decent job of communicating it to the riders.  For those who do complain about the DC metro, trust me, there is worse!
I have also noticed people in DC are very friendly. When I first moved to Brussels I thought people were mean to me because I barely spoke the language or I was a foreigner.  I quickly came to realize after meeting many locals that is just the way it is. Very short pleasantries and minimal customer service.  It is nice to get service with a smile, especially in my neighborhood establishments such as Big Bear Cafe, Shaw Tavern, and Baccio Pizzeria.
To compare these two cities is like apples and oranges.  It is hard to decide which one I like better.  There are days I miss so many things about Brussels:  outdoor markets, great architecture, drinking wine at the park, and delicious food.  Then there are things I love about DC: positive mentality, sunny skies, clean city, and the convenience of living in a place where things are open late and on Sundays!  For now I shall continue to get settled into my new city and get my Belgian fix through  Hoegaardens and Cote d’Or.

The post Tale of Two Capital Cities: Washington, DC and Brussels appeared first on The Dining Traveler.