European Bucket List

Europe will always be my first love and hold a special place in my heart. Although I have traveled extensively throughout this continent, I must say that there are still plenty of places that I'd like to explore. Here are just a few of them:

1) Croatia- When I was a nanny in Italy, I lived right on the east coast of Italy, so it would have been easy to visit Croatia via ferry.  Ferries leave from Bari, Italy and go directly to Dubrovnik, Croatia. Unfortunately, the timing was never right.  Both of my sisters came and visited me during some of my breaks and we had other trips within Italy planned. Needless to say, I've never stopped wanting to go to Croatia! Dubrovnik always seems to make those lists of "most beautiful cities in Europe," and judging from the photographs I've seen, it's not hard to see why! This walled city is surrounded by such gorgeous turquoise water, and I've read that the Old Town of Dubrovnik is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Other reasons for wanting to go to Croatia include the sunny Mediterranean climate as well as the Roman architecture present throughout the country. It's also supposed to be easy to go island hopping. If that's not enough, the Croatian currency is the kuna (as opposed to the Euro), so my U.S. dollars will stretch further.

photo credit: Dubrovnik Croatia - 46 via photopin (license)

2) Tuscany- I have visited Tuscany twice, but I feel like what I experienced was just the tip of the iceberg. The places I've gone to so far are: Florence (twice,) Siena, Pisa (just for a few hours to see the Leaning Tower), and Cortona. I can't really say much about Pisa, but Florence, Siena, and Cortona were all amazing places full of beautiful Medieval architecture. The Tuscan countryside, good wine, and world-famous artwork, make me want to go back and see what else this stunning area has to offer. The next time I visit, ideally, I'd like to stay in one spot for a month or longer and then take day trips to cities like Lucca, San Gimignano, Arezzo, Pistoia, and Montepulciano. Of course, going to the Chianti Classico Wine Region and to Val d'Orcia are also must-dos.

photo credit: panorama bwj via photopin 

3) Northern Europe- I feel like Northern Europe often gets overlooked and takes a backseat to many other European countries. Visiting Copenhagen was a great time, but other parts of Scandinavia are calling my name. Between the national parks, fjords, glaciers, castles, viewing the Northern Lights, and possibly participating in some winter sports, Northern Europe has plenty to offer a wide range of travelers. What has stopped me in the past is the expense, but with time to save and proper budgeting, there's no reason for me not to go.

photo credit: DSC_0369 via photopin (license)

4) South of Spain- When my friend and I studied abroad in Europe, we intended on visiting several cities in the South of Spain. We were inexperienced travelers at the time and did not know about Holy Week being THE prime time for many European tourists to flock to Spain. Since we did not book our accommodation ahead of time, we basically had to leave Spain and head out early to Portugal because there was nowhere for us to stay. This meant we missed out on seeing places like Seville, Granada, and Cadiz.  The Andalusia region of Spain has both mountains and beaches and is famous for flamenco dancing, castles, and for its tasty gazpacho and jamon serrano.

photo credit: _MG_1181-2.jpg via photopin(license)

5)  European Russia- With all of the unique architecture and iconic buildings like the Kremlin and St. Basil's Cathedral, Russia piques my interest. I know that fewer people will speak English and it might be harder to get around since I don't know their alphabet, but sometimes I enjoy a challenge. If you're not convinced, give these two posts a read and see if you change your mind: 1) Top 10 Reasons to Visit Russia and 2) Reasons to Visit Russia.

Frequently Asked Questions

I've never done a Frequently Asked Questions post, so I thought now's as good a time as any to go ahead and do one. Why not?

Here are some FAQ's that I get asked in life, so why not address them here?

Are you still with your boyfriend? The short answer to this is no, I'm single. The last time we saw each other was over a year ago last June right before I moved to Georgia. The last time we texted each other was in February and neither one of us has contacted the other one since then, so I'd say that we are finished.  I guess it's better that things just fizzled out instead of going through a dramatic break up...I'm okay with not having that "official closure." I think both of us knew it just wasn't going to work. After spending five and a half years together, it came time to either take the next step (which I don't think either of us wanted) or to break up. There's just no point in being in a stagnant relationship. 

Do you want to have kids? I wouldn't say no, but I'm already in my 30's and I just don't know if it will happen for me.  I would definitely want kids if I met the right person, but I'm not going to settle for someone that I'm not head over heels for just to have someone to start a family with.  I already wasted enough of my time being with the wrong person (see answer to above question.) Regardless of whether or not I have kids, I know that at least I have a cute niece! 

Why did you decide to leave your teaching job in the United States to go teach in China? Although I never taught in China before, I have taught in Korea for three years and loved it. This past year teaching in South Carolina was really rough for me. The salary seems decent, but once the cost of living is factored into the equation, it's not enough money to live on! I seriously had to spend some of my savings just to make ends meet and that's not even including what I spent so far on organizing my trip to Iceland. If I stayed in S.C., I would eventually go bankrupt if I didn't find another job! Another reason why I decided to leave is that it was just too much...I'm not a lazy person and didn't expect my first year teaching to be a walk in the park.  When I was working 11 hour days every day with no break and then using almost my whole Sunday to lesson plan, it was just not a good work/social life balance. On top of that, I STILL never felt fully caught up. Even veteran teachers at the school I worked for were running around saying that there was no time and put in tons of extra hours each day. That was not very comforting to me. The time constraints made it difficult to meet people and to make friends. Truthfully, besides the two friends that I came down here already knowing, I would say that I just made one friend the whole year which is kind of sad.  I felt like my whole identity was just being a teacher and that I didn't have time to just be me if that makes any sense. There are many other reasons why I wanted to leave that school, but I chose China because I had been wanting to teach internationally again for awhile. The teaching schedule, behavior of the students, and lower cost of living in China will all work in my favor.

Do you think you will ever settle down? I know that this is a question that my dad wants me to say yes to! I guess it all depends. I don't see myself being happy without traveling being a huge component of my life.  If I "settled down" in one spot, I would still want to take a ton of trips.

How tall are you? I'm six feet tall. Read this post if want more information on my experience as a tall girl. :)

What is the best place you've ever been to? This is such a hard question to answer!! I will say that I'm biased towards the places that I actually lived in for an extended period of time. Those places would be France, Italy, and Korea. Without counting those places, I'd have to say that I have had amazing experiences the following places: 1) Kyoto, Japan 2) Newfoundland, Canada 3) The Australian Outback 4) Cape Town, South Africa 5) Yunnan Province, China

Okay, I could go on and on here, but in the U.S., it's pretty obvious that I'm partial towards Savannah!

How did you find a job teaching English in Korea and what made you want to go over there in the first place? During my junior year of college, I went to France for a study abroad opportunity. While I was there, I became good friends with this girl named Hannah. Hannah and I kept in touch during our senior years of college at our respective universities, but often talked about how we wanted to go abroad again right after graduation. We tossed the idea around about teaching English in France, but Hannah convinced me that Korea would be more lucrative for us and would give us a chance to experience living in a completely different part of the world. Hannah found a recruiter and passed the information along to me. Getting a job in Seoul was super easy at the time. There were many openings and all that was required was to have a 4 year degree and be a native English speaker. I also wanted to try teaching out in Seoul to see if I actually liked teaching. In France, I would have just been an assistant, but in Seoul I got to have my own classes. I don't even remember the name of the recruiter I used, but there are always a ton of postings for jobs on the Korean Forum on Dave's ESL Cafe. 

This was a pretty fun post to write! If you have a question for me, leave it in the comments below and I'll answer it. :)

Summer Check In

This summer has been stressful and relaxing at the same time. It started out a little chaotic because I immediately had to tell the principal of my school in South Carolina that I would not be staying another year. I was very nervous about this, but had to go through with it in order to make the best decision for my life. That's all taken care of now, thank goodness. Since I didn't need to be in South Carolina for any reason, I decided to then move out of my apartment and back into my best friend's house in Georgia. I like the area he lives in way more than the area in S.C. where I was living. Also, I'd be living with my friends again, and it was going to save me money, so there was really no reason not to move. I wanted to sit down and tell the lady I was renting from this, but she happened to be in Ireland for weeks. It didn't make sense to pay July rent to both her and to my friend, so I just decided to pack up all of my stuff and move out, which also kind of made me anxious. I would have preferred to explain this in person to the woman I rented from, but ended up having to message her on Facebook her about it. I didn't have to sign a lease or anything and my rent was on a month-to-month basis, so it's not like I was trying to get out of an agreement, but I just felt kind of weird packing up everything while she was not there! In the end, she was super understanding and wished me good luck.  Another weight off of my shoulders...

Moving itself is also not the most fun. Last June I moved from Ohio to Georgia, then from Georgia to South Carolina, then from South Carolina back to Georgia, and now I have to move all my stuff back to Ohio so that I can move to China. Needless to say, I'm OVER moving so much!!! Luckily, Everett helped me clean out my place in South Carolina and all my stuff is now at his place. 

As soon as I got moved into Ev's place, I drove to North Carolina to visit my sister for 5 days. Just a few days after that, I spent some time in Savannah with my parents showing them around. It has been wonderful, but I have been busy!

As far as China is concerned, I had been interested in going all year long, but then started experiencing a health problem so I ended up thinking that I wouldn't be able to go and told my contact for the program that. After some conversations with my doctor, he gave me the go-ahead to go to China, so then I had to hope and pray that there was still an available position for me. Thankfully there was! I really lucked out in that respect.  Then I had to work on filling out the paperwork and get a doctor's note saying I was fit to work, so it was a good thing that I was on summer break in order to have the time to get this taken care of right away.  Everything is pretty much set for China, and I actually bought my flight yesterday! When I taught in Korea, they paid for my flight, but the way it works in China is that I pay for it and then receive a stipend for it at the end of my contract. Another source of worry for me is that I do have a lot of expenses for China upfront and I'm going to Iceland, so it's not exactly comforting to see my savings account dwindle, BUT I keep telling myself to not freak out because I know that I'll make it back as soon as I get to China.  It will be just fine and all worth it, but I do need to keep reminding myself about that. At least I'm still receiving paychecks from the school I worked at last year through the first half of August.

This Sunday, I have to pack up my little compact car with as much stuff as will fit into it and make a 12 hour trip from Georgia to Ohio. I'm going to try to get it done in one day, but gosh...I don't know if I'll be able to make it. I might get a hotel room on the way depending on how I feel. Also, the kind of crappy thing is that I won't be able to fit all my stuff in one trip, at least I don't think so.  That means after I get back from our trip in August, I'll have to drive all the way back down to Georgia and make another trip back up to Ohio for the 2nd part of my stuff. 

I've also been busy preparing for my trip to NYC, Iceland, and Boston with Rachael. Rachael can attest to the fact that we have been using WeChat almost daily to get everything in order for our adventure. I think at this point we both just want to relax and enjoy the trip we spent so much time planning. This summer, I've been running around trying to make sure that I have what I need for the trip. Blog business cards for BlogHer? Check. Hiking boots, a converter, a waterproof jacket, and Lonely Planet Iceland? Quadruple check. Yesterday I worked on making a packing list of everything I will need for Iceland, and I have to start packing here in the next few days so that I can take it back to Ohio with everything already prepared. Today I also need to print a bazillion things: flight schedules, AirBnB accommodation receipts, bus tickets, receipts from all of our tours we pre-paid, etc. 

Another thing that I have to do is sell my car. I was kind of hoping that my parents would let me keep it at their place for a year, but my dad does not want that. He says that I might agree to stay another year in China and then it will just be sitting there for years with no one using it, which is a valid point.  I feel like I won't really have much time to sell my car because I'll need it up to a certain point, so I figure that I'm probably going to take a loss on it financially since I'll need to sell it fast. Also, I've never sold a car before, so I feel kind of clueless.

As you can see, I've had some more time to blog lately and have been getting back in the swing of things with posting regularly again. I just don't know how much that is going to be able to continue since I'll be gone for the next three weeks. With everything else that is going on in my life, I have been able to keep up with blogging, but not get ahead. I feel like we are supposed to have up good content during BlogHer since we will be meeting so many other bloggers and businesses might be visiting our blogs, but at this point, if I can just pre-write about three-four posts, I'll be happy with that.

Something else that has been weighing on my mind is that I have to do is figure out where I'm going to store all of my stuff once I get it back to Ohio. Right now, a large portion of it is in my parents' basement in boxes. I don't know if they're okay with me keeping it there, so I might have to look into getting storage unit. 

Also, for China, I'm supposed to send in my actual passport next week, but since I'm going to Iceland, I cannot do that. That means as soon as I get back to the U.S., I have to immediately go to the post office and mail out my passport and forms so that everything gets done before my departure on August 19th.  I might have to pay extra since it will need to be rushed, which is fine.

On top of everything else, I've had to squeeze in doctors appointments for that health problem that I mentioned earlier. Since I started seeing the doctor in South Carolina, that is who I go through, so it has been kind of annoying to drive over an hour each way every time I need to go, but I don't want to switch doctors just for a month.  Also, my insurance with the school I formerly worked at expires on August 1st and I don't start working in China until August 19th, so I have to look into getting coverage for that one month. 

Finally, I've been exercising daily with Everett to try to get in better shape and more prepared for my Iceland trip. Hopefully I have time to keep this up!! 

WHEW! I know I'll get everything done that I need to work on, but I'll just feel a whole lot better once I get some more things crossed off of my list, you know what I mean? I just have to stop, take a deep breath, and try not to get overwhelmed because everything that I'm doing is for something awesome!!

I have had some relaxing moments like just chatting with my sister in NC, trying out new Savannah restaurants with my parents, and this past week my friends and I caught up on our favorite Netflix show of the moment, Gran Hotel. Mostly, it has just been really nice to be on a vacation from working.

How has your summer been going?

Destination: Shanghai, China

My new home for the next ten plus months is going to be Shanghai, China, and luckily I visited the city already over a long weekend when I was working in Seoul. Because of my past visit, I have a basic idea of what living in Shanghai will be like, but of course, this is based on my limited time there. Here are some of the highlights of what I remember doing:

* Walked along the Bund- This section of the city is what many consider to be the "heart" of Shanghai.  It's full of  the iconic skyscrapers that form Shanghai's beautiful skyline, but there are also Gothic and Renaissance style buildings. Always a bustling area, there is plenty to do and see here, and it remains a popular attraction for tourists.

* Visited the Old French Concession- This area was really nice to stroll through and had many cafes, restaurants, and shops. The streets were lined with trees, and it's where the beautiful Fuxing Park is located. There are also tours available that detail the lives of gangsters that used to control the area. 

* Took a trip up the Oriental Pearl Tower- Oriental Pearl Tower was a t.v. tower completed in 1994 and has several observation decks that offer great views of the city. It also has a revolving restaurant and is colorfully lit up at night.

* Admired the Yu Garden- Completed in 1577, Yu garden has pavilions, ponds, and of course plants. Meandering through this garden with my friends made for an enjoyable morning.

* Listened to Jazz music at The Peace Hotel- This hotel was quite popular back in the day (1920's and 30's) and was recommended to us by a couple that worked at our school. It's a relaxing place to enjoy some music played by some 80 year old professionals.

My friends and I also went out on the town and did a ton of shopping, but as this trip was about eight years ago, I don't remember the specifics. I'm not too worried about that part because I'm sure that Rachael, who has already been living in Shanghai for a year, will have plenty of wonderful recommendations and help show me the best parts of this dynamic city! 

Another thing I'm going to have to keep in mind is that Shanghai is going to be packed with people, which is not what I experienced when I was there. It was because I went during their Chinese New Year festival, a time when many people living in the city return to their hometowns to be with their families. I'm sure it will be quite different when I arrive in August, so I just need to prepare myself for living in one of the most populated cities in the whole world. I really cannot wait!

Have you ever been to Shanghai? If you have any suggestions about what to do in the city, I'd love to hear them!

A Look Back on Blogging and How It Changed My Life

Flashback to 2012 when I really wanted to start a blog, but was scared to do so.  I was worried for a number of (dumb) reasons, but the main ones were: 1) Blogging + working in public education do not  always mix 2) Would people judge me? What if I wasn't good enough? 3) I don't know how to do it. One of my friends, Courtney, had recently started a blog in order to document her life in Seville, Spain when she studied abroad for a semester.  I really enjoyed reading about her experiences, and when she came back the two of us started talking about blogging.  She wanted to start a new, lifestyle blog and I wanted to start a blog of my own. Courtney promised that it was super easy to start a blog by using Blogger, and if it wasn't for her encouragement, I'm not entirely positive that I would have ever gone for it. 

Initially, I was way too paranoid to really write too much about my life. In education, they kind of instill (justified) fear in you that teachers are seen as role models and to really censor what you post on the internet. It's not like I'd be posting anything "bad," but teachers who are bloggers do have to be more careful.  Do I want a picture of myself in a bathing suit on a trip to be potentially viewed by my students' parents?  What about the fact that I love to drink wine?  My sister's former co-worker posted a picture of herself drinking wine on Facebook (on one of her days off), and she got reprimanded by admin and was told to take it down.  Of course, I would never add members of administration to my personal Facebook and kept quiet about this here blog at school, but there's no denying that some crazy things have happened to teachers because of seemingly harmless content they post about themselves on the internet.  That's why at first I just decided that I would have a review/beauty blog. However, over time I started becoming more interested in reading lifestyle blogs and grew tired of mainly posting reviews of subscription boxes and makeup. I decided to write more about myself, but toned it down and left out things that could potentially get me into trouble such as swearing, for example. Once I had transitioned my blog into a lifestyle one, I started making more genuine connections with other bloggers and found out about a Cleveland Blogger Meet Up organized by Rachael and Jess. Courtney already "knew" Rachael because they were paired as each other's partners though the Bigs & Littles Blogging Network, so Courtney and I decided to drive up together and meet other bloggers in the area. and that's when I met Rachael.  The two of us decided to stay in touch and became great friends over the past few years. 

Meanwhile, in real life, I had graduated from OSU with my Masters in Education and was looking for a full-time teaching job.  I decided to move down South to get one since there seemed to be more openings down here and I didn't have to have the reading endorsement.  I thought briefly about going overseas to teach again, but wanted to find a job in the U.S. first and see how that went. Last September, I ended up snagging a job that I thought was going to be a dream job...If by dream I meant a terrible nightmare, then yes, I guess I got my dream job.  Maybe some day I will open up about my trials and tribulations, but for now just know that I did not have the best experience.  I considered quitting many times through out the year, but decided to tough it out til the end and managed to do so. (For the record, yes, I got my contract renewed by the school and yes, I passed South Carolina's induction course for first year teachers.) On the bright side of things, some of my students were seriously the most wonderful students I could have ever asked for and I'll never forget them...They are the ones that made it worth it and I tried to think about them when I was having an especially bad day. After a few months in, I started looking at other positions because I did not think that I wanted to stay another year. I knew that I wanted to work overseas again because teaching ESL in Korea was where I fell in love with the profession. Like I said, I kept in contact with Rachael and you'll know if you read her blog that she is teaching in Shanghai. She told me that her school is always looking for new teachers each year and she has told me multiple times that she loves teaching there. From what she has described to me, it sounds similar to what it was like when I taught in Korea. Of course there will be some differences, but I did some research on the school and it is well-established which is a good sign. Plus, you know, Rachael is amazing considering that she is part unicorn and all, and I trust her opinion! I ended up applying and I got the job, so I'll be starting in August! 

So, in a nutshell, if Courtney hadn't convinced me to start blogging, then I never would have gone to the Cleveland Bloggers Meet Up, I wouldn't have met Rachael, and I would not be teaching in Shanghai next year--isn't that crazy how I'm making a huge change in my life and it can all be linked back to blogging? I'm so glad that I didn't let some silly fears stop me from starting a blog in the first place because though blogging I was able to meet so many other awesome people. 

On the subject of Shanghai, I am so very excited! Living in Shanghai this year will actually be my 6th year living abroad, which I haven't done since 2008 and boy do I miss it! On top of that, I told my  good friend Scott (he calls me his 4th best friend, ha ha) about working in Shanghai next year and he decided to apply and now is also going to be working there. I feel really good about this decision and know that it is the right one for me. 

How has blogging changed your life?

Dessert and Sweet Related Must-do List

It's no secret that I'm dessert-obsessed. My friends all know it and think it is funny.  They say things to me like, "I love going out to eat with you because you always order dessert and then let me have some." When I lived in France, my friends knew that I was likely to have a stash of Toblerone bars on hand.  Other friends tag me in pictures of their dessert on Facebook telling me that I have to try what they had. This year I became friends with a cool lady who worked at my school who also had a sweet-tooth. When we would go out to eat, many times we would look at the dessert menu first or ask the waitress about desserts, and then determine our entrees afterwards.  As you can see, I take desserts seriously, so I thought it might be fun to come up with a dessert-related must-do list.

* Go to Sprinkles on Rodeo Drive after-hours and order a cupcake from the cupcake ATM.  A cupcake (that's hopefully fresh) available at any time of the day?  I'm sold. Also, I love this quirky concept. I have a friend in L.A. that swears they are delicious, too. 

* Try sweets at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. I'm thinking of Honeydukes because as a Harry Potter fan who loves sugary stuff, this is up my alley. I was always curious about what Chocolate Frogs or exploding bon bons might taste like, not to mention Bertie Bott's Every-Flavour beans. Of course, I can't forget the sweet drinks and have to say that a tall glass of Butterbeer is also a must-do for me!

* Test out fried concoctions at some local fairs.  Like most people, I've had funnel cake, elephant ears, and churros, but I'm talking about the less traditional types of desserts like deep-fried Oreos and fried mini-Mars bars. What are some other tasty ones to try?

* Visit Kermit's Key West Key Lime Shop in Florida to indulge in some Key Lime Pie. Key Lime Pie has always been pretty delicious each time I've had it, but apparently the Food Network considers the key lime pie in this shop to be the best there is. I'm all about trying regional specialties and hope to make it to Key West some day, so this seemed like a natural pick for this list.

* Go to Spice Market Buffet's cupcake bar in Las Vegas. When my dessert-loving pal Autumn told me about this, I made note right away! According to this blog post, there are 26 different kinds of cupcakes to choose from including Boston Cream, strawberry shortcake, and cannoli. (I tried to call to verify that there were still 26 different kinds, but the chef didn't pick up the phone when I was transferred over to him.)

* Take a truffle making class at Christophe Artisan Chocolatier-Patissier. This Charleston shop has exquisite hand-painted truffles for sale that look like a work of art! Sometimes the owner hosts special events which include classes on how to make truffles, French macarons, or pastries. Leaving with the dessert you made and with a skill sounds like a win, does it not? 

* Go wedding-cake tasting.  No, there are no wedding bells in my future, but if there are one day, I plan to take full advantage of this! Is it bad that I want to do this so much that I'm tempted to pose as a couple with my gay bff and sample cakes with him?  Ha ha...Just kidding.

* Re-visit B.A. Sweetie Candy Company in Cleveland. It is the largest candy store in America and I was amazed at the selection. They have imported candy from other countries and there were tons of chocolate bars and candies that I hadn't seen in years. I went there a few years ago and meant to leave with just one or two items but left with a whole bag of stuff.

* Take a dessert tour. Columbus Food Adventures in Ohio has an all-dessert tour. My friend and I paid and took the taco truck tour, but once we saw there was a dessert tour, we figured out the stops on the tour and went by ourselves. I discovered my favorite place for macarons that way. I'm sure that if Columbus, Ohio has an all-dessert tour that other cities probably do as well. 

* Sample desserts galore at Disney World. Epcot Theme Park has so many options because of the international element. While searching for the best kinds of dessert to try, I came across this blog post titled 16 Insanely Delicious Disney World Desserts You Never Knew You Needed.  You will probably be drooling by the time you're finished reading the post. 

* Have a cronut at Dominique Ansel's bakery in New York City where they were first created. I still haven't had a single cronut, but maybe I can snag one on my upcoming NYC trip.

* Enjoy a personalized cake.  You know all the cakes you see that are designed with the personality of the person who is to receive the cake in mind? I've seen leopard print cakes, Eiffel Tower themed cakes, ones with high-heels on them, or cakes with Hello Kitty plastered all over the top. Well, maybe one day someone will get me a custom order cake--hint, hint to family members who may now be reading this post. :)

* Buy some dessert-only cookbooks. Then I can whip up some of my favorite desserts at home when I'm having a craving!

* Subscribe to a dessert subscription box such as Orange Glad. The box consists of five items from many different regions and sells for $15 plus the cost of shipping. Some of the items that have been featured in past boxes include: caramel sea salt and raspberry truffles, Russian tea cakes, and almond toffee, to name a few.  Take a look at other past boxes and you might just be as tempted as I am to sign up for a subscription! 

If my suggestions aren't extravagant enough for you, take a peek at this $1,000 sundae available from Serendipity 3 in Las Vegas that you must book 48 hours in advance. I would never pay that much but am still intrigued by the sundae's ingredients which include edible gold leaves, Grand Passion Caviar, and Tahitian vanilla bean ice cream!

Seriously one of my fave pastimes--trying new dessert places!

What's your favorite dessert?  What was one of your ultimate dessert experiences?