Ego, Ipse - I, myself

Monterey Bay, California

Let's keep it short and simple (as a refresher for the nubies)!

W h a t : 

travel tips | life of a post grad | men's hair and style

ego ipse is a latin phrase that loosely translates to "i, myself" - a close phrase to match my own catch phrase "i'll do it myself", backed and trademarked by the 'rents since age 3 #AriesFTW

and what does the blog address "espioge" have to do with "egoipse"? try saying it backwards

W h o :

that's right, who am i! friends, family, and strangers usually call me trey. once a nickname, now my actual name that can rarely be said without a smile. dallas based corporate america YP by day | slightly overactive kid by night (and sometimes afternoon).  there's more to me than a paragraph alone can define, that's why this blog is here to help!

W h y :

the travel bug has bit me and my fever is rising! each trip has inspired me to do more and help other beginning travelers do the same by offering advice, and learning from you as well! though it is still forming, my personal style is something that reflects who i am, whether it be my clothes or hair. in all, just offering insight into the elusive life of a postgrad with his first job :)

Handstands in the Sand - Haulover Beach!

Haulover Beach, Miami 

located on the northern tip of Miami, this beach has expansive white sand dunes and deep blue water that offers a relaxing escape, when compared to most tourist beaches. though i went on a monday, the beach was still slightly crowded, with fun locals enjoying one of the sunshine state's best nude beaches!.......what?? that's right, this beach has a nude section for those wanting an "all over" tan. 

why would i choose a nude beach when there are plenty of clothing required beaches elsewhere? simply because....why not! i had never been to one, and figured i would give this new bucket list item a try. as you can see, i was rocking my awesome core vibe yoga shorts from +Eros Sport  [good enough to be featured on their Instagram page!]- but did i partake in the clothing optional, un-dress code? i sure did! - for all of ten minutes, ha. it is one thing laying nude on a beach, but an entirely different experience walking to/from the water, or anywhere else for that matter. 

now when i asked exiting beach-goers where this section was, i was informed that the nude beach sits between the two pink lifeguard booths. honestly i thought it would be pretty obvious to find the section, but this beach is over a mile wide. most married couples lounge on the right hand side of the beach [if facing the water], while a large majority of single males claim the left hand side of the beach. this divide was by no means set in stone or clearly defined, simply how a majority of locals choose to enjoy beach. if you choose to layout in the area, you can plant your towel or mat anywhere you wish, regardless of your Facebook status. i also asked if you are required to be nude to enter the nude section and the answer was - no! bearing it all is entirely up to you. no lifeguards or birthday suit police patrol the area to scare off wary visitors. 

for those worried about being unwanted eye candy or advances, fear not! though you may choose to bare it all, rules of conduct still apply. no means no, same with any other beach, sauna, swimming pool, or where you would wear minimal clothing. lifeguards do monitor for any "extracurricular" activity as well. no matter what you choose, always remember there is no pressure - the beach offers plenty of  places to relax away from the skinny dippers  

T-Tips:

• if you're beach hopping (like i was) use a ride share service such as +Uber  or +Lyft . fast pickup and only costs $15 from south beach - whoa!
• bring a beach towel AND hand towel. although great for laying in the sun, beach towels usually lack in brushing off sand when it's time to go. 
• use a marker to know where your belongings are (colorful umbrella, etc.)
• watch for underwater and over-water wild life 
• don't be alarmed if you see anyone [guy/girl] topless - this is officially legal in Dade county Miami
• double check umbrella/chair rentals before leaving your stuff

Calle Trece - South Beach

Port of Miami

from great people, amazing views  and tons of places to relax beach side - south beach miami truly is the place to be . since i only had a day, i decided to spend all of the daylight hours on the beach, because dallas is currently lacking in the beach department (at least until an earthquake brings the atlantic a little closer)

Calle Trece - South Beach

i chose a lovely AirBnB condo for my one day stay that was right on 13th Street [Calle Trece] - less than a 5 min walk from south beach and local cuisine! this was my second time using the new service, and i have not had a reason to complain just yet. beyond the location, the room itself was shared with the host, though i was given a key to come and go - excellent for a one night stay! 

the area itself is very active, with most people in some sort of beach attire during the day. all of the food places are interconnected outdoor seating, with shade umbrellas color coded to designate the end/start of the particular restaurant. lots of music and people of all ages, making for a slightly upscale urban beach feel 

South Beach

oh, south beach. clear water, endless beach space and lively people......take. me. back! this was my first time going to the beach to actually swim in over a decade. i was hesitant of diving in because of my hair, but after the first overwhelming wave, that anxiety went out the window [along with my up-do]. serfbort > hair.....to an extent, but fear not my #LHDC team members! you can keep your up-do from forming into a do-not by using well placed bobby-pins, a visor, or both! if you plan on staying in shallow areas, you will be fine for sure. 

there are a few vendors that sell food & drinks. though the area is relatively safe, there are dollar locker rentals if you want to secure your belongings while enjoying the warm water. the best way to avoid any major loss potential is to minimize what you bring to the beach. for me, i only brought my room key, driver's license, debit card and phone - all stored in a phone sports sleeve/case. all items, including my galaxy s5, are waterproof! again, this is entirely up to you and who you are with. 

T-Tips

• double check umbrella/chair rentals before leaving your stuff
• bring a beach towel AND hand towel. although great for laying in the sun, beach towels usually lack in brushing off sand when it's time to go.
• use a marker to know where your belongings are (colorful umbrella, etc.)
• watch for underwater and over-water wild life 
• don't be alarmed if you see anyone [guy/girl] topless - this is officially legal in dade county miami
• lastly, try to walk, carpool or uber to the beach. traffic in the area can be a nightmare, especially if it is your first time to the area

Tea time

it's the last day of my cruise!  so bittersweet, but I'm ready to get some real beach time. i will admit, i was slightly frustrated that instead of staying another day in the Bahamas, the cruise planners decided to have us "park" midway between my new favorite island and Miami, but i'm sure they have their reasons...

so! i decided to try out bingo for my last day. i felt like burning money/there was nothing else to do...until i re-read the itinerary for the day and saw there was tea time at 3pm!!! problem: bingo also started at 3pm. which did i choose? por que no los dos!? 

i figured tea time wouldn't last too long, so i power walked on over to the wonderful Windsong dining room and found [for once] there was no line. just like at dinner, i was escorted by the wonderful wait staff to my seat, then another followed with a box of tea bags and mini-tea pot! the only de-caffeinated bouquet available was chamomile, but that worked for me.  

salmon bruschetta, chocolate macaroon, strawberry, lemon scone

an assortment of cakes, cookies, brownies, fruit, and macaroons!! wheeled by shortly after. i died a little; it had been far too long since i dined on this delicacy. sadly, the macaroon was crunchy aka stale. thankfully, the smoked salmon bruschetta and lemon scone made up for it big time. not to mention my fancy little tea pot! overall, the whole ten minutes was surprisingly relaxing [and filling] with the ocean view and quiet company. i definitely understand why this is so popular over seas [ba-doom-pshh].

as for bingo, i thought i would be too late, but the event didn't actually start until 3:30. though i didn't win any of the 5 games of bingo, i did win 5$ from a tear-off card #ballin [similar to scratch off, except you tear off ribbons to reveal your prize]

T-Tips:

    Tea-Time

• sit near a window - nothing is more relaxing than sipping tea while enjoying an amazing ocean view
• try at least one of every treat/food item - then order seconds thirds of your favorites
• ask for honey - i personally enjoy a little sweetness to my teas and prefer honey over sugar for almost everything.
• take it all in - tea time is a mental time out, don't rush it!
• yes, i needed to get to bingo, but this was a higher priority

    Bingo

• order a few tear-off cards [they are only 1$]
• check the price of bingo cards before purchasing - oops
• use your hotel room pen to mark the numbers - bingo daubers [markers] add extra excitement to game, but unless you plan on re-using them, save your 5$ [unless you brought your own]

DTown Bahamas!

 

woohoo, i passed through gate - what now Gandalf!?! now, i have found the one area with free Wi-Fi and making this hodg-podge collage post of  +Nassau. my excursion starts in just under 2 hours, so i sadly can't go into full descriptive detail at this point, but i will return!

horse-drawn carriages are lined and ready to go for those wanting a relaxed tour of the city, or island style drop off to your food destination!

one of the oldest sections of the island, the town hall area is spacious, rich with history, and...no shade at all. i know, i know - i'm on a tropical island and should not be complaining about the sun but i'm only pointing this out for the photos. since the sun was so high, i could barely see what was captured on my phone. thankfully, these shots turned out well, though slightly more angled than usual 

a small shopping area next to a McDonald's that looked rather neat to this tourist, though the McDonald's did not make the shot because....my phone, bleh

 

feeling slightly medieval-regal with this patterned pathway. there's only banks here, but still a very intriguing design

a church with features that reminded of a scene from a movie that i do not recall..oops

pirate mural outside of a pirates museum - most people take a photo in front of the mural, but since i was sans-selfie stick/no peeps around, i am not featured. i know, it is indeed one of the potential shortcomings treycationing solo, but i will be fine

lastly, the picturesque shopping alley near the beach!

T-Tips

• bring a glare proof photo capable device
• stay in populated areas
• hats/sunscreen 
• find da wifi

The Ship - as Promised!

dis my boat [which i sadly did not swim out to touch]. still working on getting that full angled photo, but i have more fun things to do than capturing the perfect close up for this ship haha.  

i will say that +Norwegian  [below] had the best artwork for their fleet

B~A~H~A~M~A~S

i'm in the BAHAMAS!! i never imagined myself going on a cruise to a tropical island for my birthday weekend, especially at 23! for the most part, i'm not a big celebratory person when it comes to my bday. even when i was three, all i wanted were the gifts   i just wasn't a big party person. yes, my parents still splurged on the skatium a few times, but that wasn't for me. 

when "sweet 16" hit, i definitely tried to turn this around, with plans of going all out on a tent/band/100+ people. sadly, the rents declined my +MTV inspired fantasy. the whole idea of a big bash was postponed to "semi-sweet 17." though the house party was great for a bubble child [small group|iTunes|rents "sleeping" upstairs], i began to consider accept that maybe, just maybe, a big celebration wasn't for me.

- Definitely not feeling 22 - [2014]
c/o: Priya P.

fast-forward to a year ago, i finally leaped into my bday-partizzay niche: flying solo, literally [seriously, look how i flew into 22^^]. 

what? how does that even make sense? who wants to be alone on their birthday? why am i using 90's slang?? apparently, i do. now technically, i was not entirely alone [had le-besties of le-besties with me for an ATX adventure], but i didn't have a huge crowd either. at that time, i realized that to enjoy another year of life means enjoying my life, for me. so! i set out to to carry this new mantra on daily instead of once a year. aka #treyday was born - eventually evolving into #treycation after my first solo trip

now to the present - here i am, freshly docked in +Nassau, ready to kick-off T23, party of one. am i nervous? not as much as my LA trip, but nervous nonetheless. standing at the edge of the pier, taking everything in, tears began to flow. that's right - tears. living in that moment of self-accomplishment/realization/mild dehydration [this is when i realized i lost my water bottle] completely overwhelmed me - and i was not prepared. it hit me hard and fast, but i could feel a weight off of my shoulders and an amazing sense of relief; a lot of self-doubt has built up over the years that could no longer be contained. i will always remember this moment - especially my hair

real-talk aside, it is time to explore this amazing city! check-out my tips for getting on/off the cruise ship below 

T-Tips:

• Driver's License and ROOM KEY
• security will not let you off of the ship without swiping your room key, however, your driver's license will be what gets you through customs
• you could bring your passport instead, but it is not necessary. you run the risk of losing it or water damage if you plan on when you go to the beach. 
• if you have a passport ID/card [like i did], that will work best
• eat breakfast and dinner on the ship. yes there are plenty of places to eat on the island (including McDonald's), but food is included in you cruise. why not eat for "free?"
• Carnival Ecstasy has a 24hr buffet, so load up a bag with fruits and other snacks for your day trip
• BRING A WATER BOTTLE - i almost died without mine
• cash. though major credit cards are accepted on the island, there's no guarantee that everyone uses them. many vendors are cash only, and accept US currency [i am not sure about other currencies, but there are exchange areas]
• how much? that is entirely up to you. i brought around $150 because i knew my excursion [post coming soon] souvenirs would cost near to that amount, but i was extremely nervous carrying around that amount with me. mainly because i am not a cash person, was alone
• $50-$100 should be pretty solid, unless you plan on doing heavy shopping
• sun glasses/hat/visor/breathable clothing - the weather that day was not entirely humid, but the sun is direct.
• sunscreen/block as well, though i didn't have any
• hand and beach towel - Carnival includes beach towels with every cabin, so feel free to bring them along
• sling bag for all above items
• i used a runner's arm band/phone case for my passport ID and room key, along with my phone. this way, my most important items are always on me
• keep your phone in airplane mode - APM
• unless you your cellular plan is not brutal for international calls/data/text, you will want to keep you phone in APM to avoid any surcharges
• with my carrier, incoming texts/calls are charged at a higher rate - so even if you have told your mainland peeps to avoid contact, it is better to be on the safe side
• also [if you have the capability] turn off mobile data before going into airplane mode. this ensures that if you accidentally turn off APM, your data will still be nixed [data charges are at their highest when going internationally]
• if you absolutely need to tap into the interwebs or need to make a phone call, the cruise ship does offer cellular/data plans utilizing their personal towers, but this usually costs more than what your carrier would charge
• leaving you phone on the ship would be best, but this only works if you don't plan on taking any photos or if you have a separate digital camera

Booze Cruise!! [not really]

guess who's going on a cruise!!! i'm extremely excited to be sailing on the high seas for the first time evaaaaa. i never realized just how complicated i can make things  it can be getting onto a cruise ship! good thing is, +Carnival  is excellent with logistics, especially with their shuttle service readly available to transport you from the airport to you docking area. without this (and some other tips below), i would have surely arrived to my ship late and/or gotten lost on the way. destination?  let's just say....this B island ain't fo yo mamas! 

T-Tips:

• set-up your account and complete initial check-in on Carnival's website at least 2 weeks before your departure. 
• You automatically do this when booking directly with +Carnival, but i used +Expedia for a better deal on excursions
• make sure when booking to pre-pay for gratuity if you can 
• at the end of the cruise, you will be asked to pay an additional gratuity/tip for the maid services, staff, etc. that amount can vary a lot BUT pre-paying gets you out of that [i decided on $30 for 3 nights]
• if you are sailing solo [like i did] be sure to have your bed converted to a king size, unless you like switching beds [no judgement]. to do this: you can either call or check the box online 
• print everything! boarding pass, luggage "tags" [actually just slips of paper] and anything else you may need a ticket/pass to get into, since there's no guarantee of cellular reception, internet access and/or printer access
• the luggage tags are crucial to getting your luggage on board safely and to your cabin. 
• if you are flying in, check-in at the airport ground-transportation area. this ten minute stop will save you an hour or more instead of checking in at port.
• this is also where you take the reserved shuttle to port. +Carnival recommends reserving a spot on the shuttle at least 3 days in advance in case shuttle fills up, but i waited until i got there haha. [$16 one-way and i believe $30 for round-trip]
• this is also where you take your first photo [not the glamour shots above] for identification purposes by all of the cruise staff, so freshen up in the restrooms! 
• when you arrive at port, your luggage will be loaded onto the ship separately [just like airport baggage check] so take a photo of your luggage tags, and make sure they are secured! 
• if you completed your initial check-in online: you get to zip on through the express security lane! 
• there is a priority express as well for those who purchased preferred tickets, but they both lines went by pretty fast. 
• this is also where you will receive your room key. room key = your life. 
• after passing through security, check for any missing loose items on the belt. i sadly did not do this, and was without my trusty water bottle for my entire trip.
• if you are still in bedroom-chic/airplane attire, you might want to change in the restroom before moving forward. pre-cruise photos [above] will be taken here
• if you did not complete the initial check-in, you will go through the general boarding area. 
• this section was beyond crowded. think of TSA delays at an airport, times 10
• after security comes check-in. again, this area was extremely crowded, more so than the security check point. there were 32 lanes but the projected wait time from entry was still an hour. 
• once you are on the ship, ask someone where to find your room and relax! any of your over-sized luggage that was checked-in will be sitting outside of your room roughly an hour before departure.

• do not lose your room key!! not only is it expensive to replace, but it is also the one thing that will get you on/off the ship and proves your identity. Carnival security does a good job of reminding everyone of this, but be responsible
• your key is also how you access and pay for anything extra on the ship [souvenirs, alcoholic beverages, etc.]
• T A K E    A    N A P!

Alll Aboard!!!

South Beach Harbor

i'm officially on board this magnificent cruise ship, though my photos of the ship upon boarding were not as magnificent. just thought i'd share a quick view of South Beach - full details of the cruise thus far are in my previous post, so check it out!

also, this towel animal literally gave me a delayed min-heart attack! i walked into my cabin, turned on the bathroom light whilst searching for the main light through the darkness [window curtains were installed with no window, harty har har]. when i found the switch, i noticed the animal, but my body took a second to fully register this thing [with eyes] and i definitely did a shriek-back-pedal-cat-swat combo. 

i get that it looks cute in the photo, but the thing was made using beach towels aka semi-life-size animal on my bead. as a person who does not scare very easily, this was highly upsetting. 

2 | | 3

guess what day it is......my birthday!

excited to say i have crossed into the realm of almost old-personess with a giant smile. not because this is my special day (although that is part of it) but because my passport arrived in time for my bday trip! a very special gift to ipse, from ipse!

where to? let's just say this B island ain't fo yo mamas.........keep an eye out tomorrow :)