Beach Stop

Hi readers!
I was itching for some sun and waves and went to this gorgeous all-natural beach stretching along the central East coast of Florida called Playalinda, which translates to "pretty beach" in Spanish. I visited this beautiful land over this past weekend with family and friends for some fun and relaxation.

This beach has a considerably short shore due to not being altered by man. Yay for less walking! The large, emerald waves are strong and crash onto the rugged sea floor; so I recommend that you have strong swimming skills before entering these waters. Since the sand isn't too shelly, you don't have to worry too much about getting those nasty cuts on your feet. It's a private property, so you do have to pay a small entrance fee to get into the park. The good news about that means it's not a super crowded place compared to the popular Cocoa Beach. If you like seeing smaller crowds of people, then I highly recommend this beach!

So if you're ever in the central Florida area and are looking for a beautiful experience at the beach, give Playalinda a visit. I thought it was definitely well worth my time!

From yours truly, DancingMermaid1920s

Blog Post #3

SMaRS Adventure 1: Orlando Sea Life Aquarium

Hey guys! Happy Summer!

So I've finally had the chance to go on a site-seeing adventure during my off time this summer. And what better place to go than the deep blue where the fish are?! Today, I went to the Orlando Sea Life Aquarium located at Idrive360 where the world's newest (and  5th tallest, as told by Orlando Sentinel) giant ferris wheel stands proudly in the heart of Orlando, Florida. In case you are unaware, Orlando, FL has been one of the top vacation destinations in the world, especially for its renowned home to none other than the Walt Disney World theme parks. And this beautiful city is only getting better!

Let's start with how cool this thing is! There is a handful of other places in the world where a giant ferris wheel overlooks the city such as in London, Singapore, and Dubai! I did not get to explore this magnificent attraction today, but that's definitely on the list of things to do very soon!

Now, if you've read my first blog post, you must know that I have an obsession with mermaids. And with that comes the whole sea, of course! You might have also noticed that I have a phobia of Orca whales, which sounds like a contradiction. I know. But aside from that, I have always had such a fascination for marine life for as long as I can remember.

So what's this Sea Life Aquarium all about?? Well, it's a rather small section of the general attraction complex if you ask me, but the contents of this place surely make up for it's perimeter! The sea life is divided up by different seas such as the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, the Caribbean Sea, and more. Their tanks are filled with thousands of colorful and active creatures just doing their sea life thing.

If you're wondering, it's a great family-friendly place to be, so bring along the kids if you wish (or not)! There are so many things you can do as a kid or adult. I certainly felt like a kid again! Just check out how interactive you can be with the fish!

There's a world full of pointy fins and razor-sharp teeth in this tank!

There were so many different kinds of fish. I couldn't keep track! I especially loved seeing stingrays. They look like pancakes. Mmm... now I want pancakes!

And this beautiful sea turtle. One of the staff said that she's a rescue and that her back fins were damaged in some kind of accident, but she still has full mobility in her front fins and continues to swim freely and happily. She's in good hands!

Btw, I didn't really get a chance to figure out the types of species each animal was. I was having too much fun just looking at them! Reef fish are so vibrant and stunning!

Here are some pretty jellyfish under a pink light!

And if you're into getting up close and personal with some of the creatures, there's a special exhibit where you're allowed to stick your hands in the water to actually PET them! That's right! This open tank is filled with gorgeous mollusks, anemones, crabs, sea urchins, and sea stars just chillin' and waitin' to surprise you with their amazing textures and colors. But prepare yourself for some chilly hands.. They keep the water at a brisk 50 degrees Fahrenheit to mimic the original deep sea environment where the creatures thrive in very cold conditions. I was having so much fun, I couldn't keep my hands out of the water! But I thought they were seriously going to fall off after a while. 

My favorite part was touching the anemones and watching them close up. They were very soft and kinda slimy. The staff member in this exhibit told us that if you feel sort of a sticky feeling around the middle, that it means it's them trying to sting you. Also, she said that humans don't feel the stinging sensation because our skin is so thick. Super cool!

And for those of you who might be concerned about the safety and health of these creatures, the staff members encouraged us to touch anything in this tank only and asked us to just not move or pick them up. 

So if you're ever in town and are looking to have a good time with some of our underwater friends, go to the Orlando Sea Life Aquarium and go nuts over these crazy beautiful animals! You will not regret it!

From yours truly, DancingMermaid1920s

Blog Post #2

Intro

Greetings readers, bloggers, artists, enthusiasts, parents, sons, daughters and all who inhabit the internet.

My name is Alexa, but I will refer to myself as DancingMermaid1920s. This is my first time ever creating a blog and I was inspired to begin writing the share-able things about my life by the many influential vloggers on Youtube and several other sources. I don't often (if ever) read blogs, but this late evening, I decided I wanted to try something new. I like to imagine a lot of things I'd like to do with my life, but I haven't made much of them happen or even attempted to.

Honest confession: Before I even thought of opening up a blog, I was thinking of how I could start beefing up my Youtube channel with charmingly witty videos to try to gain a community of viewers. But then I thought about the ways I would probably feel uncomfortable and totally out of place in front of a watching audience. I choose not to receive that attention at this moment so that I can have the freedom to write about things without having to be so on the spot. Therefore, I can think out all the details I wish to share with you and get them all onto the post.

So I'd like to start off with a little ice breaker to introduce myself. These are 10 things about me:

1. I'm a Christian. "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding." - Proverbs 3:5 ESV

2. I'm a Filipino-American. (Filipino desserts are the bomb diggity.)

3. I love dancing. (All kinds)

4. I would love to travel to many places around the world. (The Philippines, Thailand, Japan, Spain, France, UK, Bora Bora, Italy, Greece, Fiji, The Maldives, Australia, etc.)

5. I dream to be married and have children some day.

6. I have an irrational fear of orca whales. (They just look menacing to me.)

7. I wish I was a mermaid.

8. If I could choose to spend a year living in a different era other than this one, I'd choose the 1920s. (The culture really intrigues me. The flappers, dance parties, attire, attitude, shows, music)

9. My current fields of study are Health and Education.

10. If I had a million dollars right now, I would spend it on my dream wedding, a new house, a new wardrobe, and save the rest for my future children's college funds.

So if somehow my intro caught your attention and you would like to follow me and/or suggest ideas to post about, thank you for choosing Soy Milk and Raw Sugar as your prospective place to read about a random stranger's life. And for those who may have read up to this point and have decided SMaRS is not going to be a part of your routine reads, thank you for your visit and enjoy your other endeavors.

Magandang gabi. ("Good night." in Tagalog/Filipino),

DancingMermaid1920s

Blog Post #1