youtube – Andrea M Jara

Dear Diary… College Edition

Dear Diary,

Who am I kidding I am so freaking excited to be done with college and finish college strong with a bachelors degree. However, there were a lot of good times I will miss after I leave. First off to all those people you laughed at when they say “college flies by…” they were RIGHT! When you first start college, four years feels like it is going to be an eternity, and a semester of 12 weeks feels like 2 years. But then you are on midterm/finals week and you think to your self, “where did the time go.” You meet new people every year and watch people graduate and move on with their real adult lives. You congratulate people for getting a full time jobs after college. That’s the dream, to graduate and work. At this moment in time my goal is to work a full time video job until I get married and then travel and save up money to travel more as a married couple after graduation. I want to move to central florida or out of florida. I would only stay in south florida for my family. My dream job is to one day be a show runner and write/direct TV shows and live TV shows. I want to work on the floor and help an idea become a reality. I also want to continue being a freelance videographer and film personal movies and capture memories for people to have forever. Going back to the college idea, I have always been surround by people who did not believe in “college” however, I am so proud I was able to stay committed and stay positive and motivated to finish out my college career. Nowadays it is very hard to stay all four years (or more depending on major) and finish college because life is hard and gets in the way. Sometimes it is way to stressful, trust me I have had my fair share of panic attacks, however, I think college is so important for people to go out and meet people and experience a different view of social life. I have been able to meet so many professional and amazing people who I hold dear to my heart from my sorority, my internships and classes. I also went to a small college where I pretty much know everyone in every class of mine and run into the same people which makes my experience so much better. I believe if someone decides to go to college they should take every opportunity to join any club or take an internship even if that isn’t part of your major. Do not be afraid to make friends because even though college is only four years the people and relationships you make will last a life time. Also take classes that seem like you won’t be interested in because sometimes those are the classes you love the most. I was so afraid to take this class once and I tried to drop and couldn’t find another class but it has ended up to be the most interesting and had actually restarted my passion for film and started my creative flow again.

To my future self, You did it Andrea… well almost you have a little over a month of classes left but you are doing so well and you should be so proud. Where ever you are in life, remember where you started. You got this.

Thanks for reading and hope if you decide to go to college that you enjoy it and have fun!!!

Do not forget to be you and be happy.

Why I had surgery and have a cast on my leg…

Why I had ankle surgery and why I’m in a cast and will do it again soon…. I explain my story and the reason behind it

Hi, happy new Year! I celebrated the holidays with a beautiful cast on my left leg and a new Ankle! I’ve literally been asked hundreds of times, “what happened to your leg Andrea” and well it’s simple I was born with no ankle joints.

I have a condition called Tolecoalation Coalition, basically I’m missing my ankle joints and my bones literally squash each other and rub against each other… it’s extremely painful.

How I found out I had this…

I’ve always told people I had weak ankles because I always thought I was just weak as I used to do Judo my whole life and always thought, oh maybe all those years I just tired my ankles out. When I started my first job, at age 16, I started to notice my ankles hurt after work to the point where I couldn’t walk. I would go to the doctor and they told me I had tendinitis and gave me pain medicine. I never took the pain medicine because I hate medicine lol but the pain never went away for years and I would keep going to the same doctors and they would put me in a brace and tell me the same thing. Even though I seemed so happy at Disney when I left the moment I sat down I couldn’t stand up again without literally crying in pain, I would literally fall from how bad my ankles hurt. Ryan, my fiancé has almost taken me to the hospital many times because he thought maybe I broke them from how much I would cry and kinda yell in pain lol I wouldn’t even be able to sleep. So finally I said enough I researched the best doctors and I found one an hour away from my house but I was willing to do anything to help my pain. I go to the first appointment and I went with the mindset of, oh he’s just gonna tell me the same thing the other doctors have told me, physical therapy, a brace and medicine. So come to find out after one X-ray that I have no ankle joints and I have arthritis. I originally went in for pain in my left ankle because I always thought my right ankle hurt because I was putting more weight on it since my left ankle hurt but actually I had no ankle joints in there either haha Which kind of explains why I could never walk or stand and do normal things without crying in pain. I felt like I finally found answers and felt so much comfort with what my doctor was saying. I’m super happy with my choose of researching a doctor and even if I have to travel a little more for treatments and surgery I don’t regret it and love going haha

What did they do in surgery

With the opinion of my doctor, we decided on an ankle fusion. I have a scar on the left side of my ankle and on my heel. He basically took out the part of my bone where my ankle would be and put in a bone growth, mixed with some of my bone marrow he took out of my leg. Then he put two screws through my heel of my foot. Again I’m not a doctor so I’m not sure 100% all the technical terms and stuff haha

So now what?

I was in the white cast for two weeks today and yesterday I got moved into this green cast that I will be in for 4 weeks and a half weeks. The whole recovery process is 3-6 months until I see results. So far I’m excited and ready to improve my overall life and go back to walking around Disney eating all the food and taking photos❤️

So that’s my story of how I was born with no ankle joints and the journey I will be on for a little while❤️

Do not forget to be you and be happy!

OUR LOVE STORY/ WE ARE ENGAGED!!!

Ever wonder how Ryan and I met and when? Here are all the details!!!

I noticed I haven’t announced on the blog besides in my IceLand Blog that we are OFFICIALLY ENGAGED!!! I feel like I never really talk about how Ryan and I met and our love story… so sit back relax and enjoy the ride down memory lane.

OUR FIRST PHOTO AND DATE — OUR FIRST PHOTO TOGETHER

So May 2011 I was just graduating Middle School and was super interested into Marching Band. I actually really wanted to be a drum major. So at my high school they had this month event called Maydays, where 8th graders would come in and test out marching band for a week to see if they would enjoy it. During Maydays on the last day we were on the courtyard marching with the actual high schoolers when Ryan was behind me and said I bounced a lot when I did my back step. He said “I’m gonna call you bouncy” and I just remember thinking okay… Later Ryan finds me on Facebook and gave me his phone number. At this time, I was 13 and I had recently broken up with a boy in middle school that was super unhealthy. But I just remember telling all my friends I would NEVER go out with Ryan that he was so nerdy and desperate. Everyone knew that we would end up together. So on June 23rd, 2011 Ryan asked me to go out with him.

This was my Freshman and Ryan’s Sophomore Year in Marching Band!!! Can you spot us?

June 23rd, 2011

I began going out with Ryan but it only lasted three days. My parents found out that I was going out with Ryan and did not want me to be with him so I broke up with him on June 26th, 2011. Ryan and I remained friends and I started talking to other people but kept finding my way back to Ryan. There was even a moment where I was telling people I didn’t like Ryan but then I saw him hanging out with this girl at the beach and I got super jealous and knew I just had to stop being a baby and go out with him so he would only be mine.

August 1st, 2011

On August 1st, after months of talking and hanging out, Ryan asked me to be his Eight One Eleven. I remember it was like 11 something at night when he asked but I of course said YES! now at this time my parents still did not know I was going out with this boy but after two months of knowing we were talking and hanging out they finally said “Ryan seems like a nice boy it is okay for you guys to go out and little did they know we already were lol.

OUR FIRST DATE AND MEETING MY MOM

The first photo on this blog is the first time we went out on a date which was a bowling alley right by my house that everyone in my high school went to. We went with my three friends at the time and when my mom came to pick me up Ryan introduced himself to my mom. It was so awkward haha Ryan was barely 15 so he still had a little boys voice that was super squeaky. If you do not know Ryan is also very tall but at the time he was still smaller haha

His First Time he came to my house

The photos in the background of this photo are the photos we took from the first time Ryan came over to my house. We were so young his mom even came over to introduce herself to my family and I. Back to the good ole days when we were so young that we were only allowed to be in the living room haha Ryan and I seriously became inseparable.

OUR FIRST KISS

OMG our first kiss was after a marching band practice, late at night in the courtyard and we both kinda went for it but after we kissed Ryan got so nervous and happy that HE LITERALLY RAN AWAY!!!! Like it was cute but was like uhhhh okay then….

But anyways this is the story on how we met and how we started to go out. Almost seven years later and we are less than a year away from being college graduates and engaged!!! We will be documenting everything from now on to the wedding on the blog and on my youtube channel ANDREA M JARA. SO GET EXCITED BECAUSE I AMMMMMM!!!!!

ENJOY MEMORY LANE OF OLD PHOTOS

MY SEATTLE TRIP

Processed with VSCO with t1 preset — VIEW FROM THE AIRPLANE!!!

AHHH…. IT FEELS SO GOOD TO FINALLY SAY I WENT TO SEATTLE, WA!!! I say that because this was a surprise christmas present for my boyfriend Ryan! Seattle has been on his bucket list for years and I love traveling and looking for cheap plane tickets and found some and book them without telling him. We went to the airport and I have known about this trip for a month Ryan thought we were going to Colorado only BUT we got to the airport and I printed out a ticket and asked him to read it in which he found out!!!! He cried I cried it was great then began out 8 and a half hour travel day!!! WATCH RYAN’S REACTION HERE ON MY VLOG CHANNEL!!!

We got to Seattle at 12:00pm Seattle time and as soon as we arrived we rented a car through the app called TURO. We picked up the car and check in our hotel, The Hyatt in Renton next to Lake Washington. By the way the Hotel was BEAUTIFUL!!!! It is a brand new hotel we paid $130 a night and it is near so many food places and things to do, they have a plaza called The landing that has EVERYTHING!!! Not to mention all the hotel employees learned my name and always took the extra mile to make us happy and feeling at home. It was so peaceful and is on Lake Washington. I was in love with this city and would recommend taking a visit!

However, as soon as we dropped off our bags we headed to Everett, WA which was less than an hour north of Renton. Everett is the home to FUNKO! Funko is the company that creates the collectibles called POP! figures. My boyfriend is a huge fanatic and knows the store managers and people all over the world that also collect. This was the main reason for this surprise trip!!! So we got to the store and Ryan went on a shopping spree!!! BUT then the store Manager gave us a huge behind the scenes tour!!! This office is the most magical fun office ever!!! They have slides to go down every floor, they have a private gym, arcade, and bowling alley!!! Who wouldn’t want to work there!!!

We bowled and hung out at the Funko store all night!!! Special thanks again to the Funko community for their hospitality!!! After our visit we just went back to the hotel to catch up on sleep and get ready for the next day!

Our next day was our last full day in Seattle! We first woke up and headed to Pike’s Place! We ate at a restaurant right next to Pike’s Place Fish Co that had the most unbelievable view ever!!!! The food was okay but the view was everything and more!!!

After, we walked around all 5 floors of the market before heading to the gum wall which is to the left of Pike’s Place when you first enter the Public Market! We added a Polaroid and our gum to the gum wall and took photos like any tourist would haha!

After our gum experience we walked over to the first EVER Starbucks!!! The store is small and there is supposedly always a line but we got lucky, however, a tip when you go is do not waste time look at the cups and souvenirs because they give you a brand new one at the cashier desk and they have a menu of all the souvenirs that they have in the store so as soon as you get there just get in line!

We then went to the Space Needle, which is under renovations so it is not a full 360 view but is deff worth the view of the city, mountains and lake!!!

We had so much fun in this city and can not wait to come back to see more!!!

SEE MORE PICTURES HERE AND WATCH MY VLOG HERE AND TRAVEL DIARY HERE

HOW TO HAVE FUN IN HOUSTON, TEXAS

I went on a last minute 2 and a half week trip to Houston, Texas and here is everything I did and suggest you to do as well!

WHAT TO DO AND EAT IN HOUSTON, TEXAS

We flew to Houston, using the airline Southwest and arrive to the city early morning. We booked an AirBNB to stay in for the first 2 nights of our 2 week stay. We stayed by Rice University and after the two days we moved to the Galleria area and stayed at the Derek Hotel for the rest of our stay. While we were in Houston we were able to attend a family friend’s Dulce and Wedding. Houston is the perfect place who can literally shop till they drop as there is lots of shops to go to.

WHERE TO EAT:

SWEET PARIS WAS HONESTLY THE BEST CAFE I HAVE EVER BEEN TO IN MY LIFE. It was so good we made sure to go twice before we left to come back to Florida. They had the BEST Nutella Hot Chocolate! I also ordered The Waffle with Nutella, Chocolate and Strawberries. Ryan ordered the Crepe with Nutella, Strawberry and Bananas. I would suggest going to Sweet Paris on a week day or early morning as there is limited seating and long lines. When you walk into the Cafe you can grab a menu and choose from any of their crepes and waffles or make your own. You will not regret going to this sweet place!

Le Peep was walking distance from the hotel Derek and it is a cute little mom and pop looking brunch place. We ordered the LumberJack Breakfast and it came with 2 eggs, 2 sausages or bacon, LOTS of potatoes, and 2 pancakes. We got 2 blueberry pancakes for a few cents more. My boyfriend and I spilt the meal and it filled us up! We loved this place, it really makes you feel like you are at home away from home. We also had the nicest and quickest waiter as well! I almost forgot to mention our bill only came out to $14.75!!! IT IS SO CHEAP AND DELICIOUS!

SPRINKLES CUPCAKE sprinkles offers an indoor shop with a selection of cupcakes, cakes and other desserts. However, the COOLEST part about Sprinkles Cupcakes is the outside vending machine on the back side of the store. You can order up to 4 cupcakes and it comes out with each cupcake individually packages and ready to go! It is so convenient for the on the go Houston, travelers who just need some sugar.

My mom and I also stopped into a nice Italian restaurant that was literally in front of our Hotel. Grotto Ristorante was a super romantic date night restaurant. My mom and I sat night to an open fire and a lit Christmas Tree. We ordered the Raviolis and a Triple chocolate for dessert!

Other food suggestions:

EMPIRE CAFE- Cafe of Drinks, Sandwiches and Desserts

PF CHANGS- Chinese Food

SMASH BURGER- Burgers and Fries.

FIT FUEL – Energy Food, Smoothie Bowls and Protein meals.

WHAT TO DO IN HOUSTON, TEXAS

Visit the WaterWall by the Galleria Mall! This wall is perfect if you want to take a cute Instagram picture, pop a question or want to see something new. I will say it is a little cold being by the water but is totally worth a visit.

Visit Discovery Green Park, this park is FILLED with Instagram background walls, Ice Skating Rink and a foot court.

VISIT SKY HIGH SPORTS this trampoline park will make anyone a tired happy person. It has a foam pit, dodge ball court and trampoline walls.

If you will be in Houston during the winter season, I would highly suggest going to theHouston Zoo to see their christmas lights. It takes about an hour to 2 hours to walk around the whole zoo and walk and see all the Christmas lights and decorations. No animals are outside besides Giraffes, sadly, but the lights make up for it! I would also suggest purchasing your ticket online as the wait in line was about an hour wait. Also, on the first Tuesday afternoon of every month the zoo admission is FREE.

VISIT THE HOUSTON DOWNTOWN AQUARIUM, the aquarium also has rides, tigers and stingray feeding and petting station. It is perfect for a cute date downtown or fun for the family.

Visit the 3 story Galleria Mall, you may need a few hours and get a little lost but this mall is perfect for the person who loves to shop.

ABOUT OUR HOTEL:

We stayed in the hotel called Hotel Derek. This hotel is super close to restaurants, Galleria mall, Target and a little shopping center that has an IPIC, HORSE CARRIAGE RIDES THAT ARE FREE, AND GELATO! The hotel also has elevators that require a key to enter all floors for safety. They have a super cute outdoor pool and bar. A fully equipped gym with color water bottles. Starbucks and a restaurant downstairs and friendly customer service. The room were also a good size for a family of 4-5 as next to all windows is a twin size couch. The hotel will be linked and can be food by clicking the bold Hotel Derek above.

Photo courtesy of Hipmunk.

Thank you for reading and I hope this helps you with your trip to Houston, Texas.

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