Reasonably Certain

Miami Swim Week and Celebrating my 30th Birthday!! (+ Miista Sample Sale & TEN Hinge MATCHES?!)

• Ellen Larson • Episode 44

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EP #44: Ellen returns after a brief hiatus and shares her exciting experiences from her recent trip to Miami, where she celebrated her 30th birthday and went to Miami Swim Week. Ellen also reflects on her growth in confidence and social skills, offering insights into starting conversations with strangers. 


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>> Ellen:

Hey, guys. Welcome back to Reasonably Certain. My name is Ellen. This is episode 44, and I took a little bit of a break. Ah. I'm sorry. I'm sorry if you noticed, but, the past. I don't know if it's been quite a month, but pretty close. but I just was, like, really swamped, and I'm like, all right, Something on my to do list has to get cut, and guess what? It's the podcast. I'm sorry, I'm sorry. It's just. It's not something that I'm, like, legally or contractually obligated to do. It's just something that I kind of decided to do. So when other things are more important, like work, taxes, prepping for a trip, my birthday. Yeah, it was just, like, one too many things, and my cup was overflowing, and I had to stop the podcast for a minute because I was like, oh, my God, I'm gonna rip my hair out. It's too much. But anyways, I'm back, and we should be back to regular weekly uploads. And, yeah, I was like, I can't give up, but I just need a break. And I felt like I failed, but I was like, girl, no one's holding a gun to your head and being like, you have to film this or else. And there's not that many listeners yet yet. So thanks, guys. but anyways, we're back, episode 44, and I thought that I would tell you about my birthday and Miami trip. I don't want to give away too much because I will also be uploading regular vlogs. I have a vlog that is in DaVinci resolve being edited right now. That is my Miami trip prepash. My 30th birthday in Barcelona, and then the second one that's ready to go after that is all the footage from my Miami trip, which is Miami swim week. And then I also celebrated my 30th birthday in Miami. So that was super fun. It was my first time there. I thought I would tell you guys a little bit about Miami and then about what I've been up to since I've been back. Since it's been almost a week since I've been back already. And, yeah, let's just get into it. So Miami was fun. Super expensive. Like, shockingly expensive. Not doable on a European salary at all. Not doable on a European salary. I, like, I just spent the money and I was like, girl, I'm gonna figure it out later. I'm just going toa Figure it out later. This trip will bring me prosperity. It will bring me opportunities. I just have to do it. And it really did pay off, I hope. I mean, either way, I had a lot of fun, so I think it was worth it in that aspect. But I'm hoping that it will pay off in, like, experience and opportunities as well. So hopefully the money will come back around. But right now my banking account is looking a little drained. anyways, so I had a lot of fun. I was there for 10 days. I met my friend Khadija there that I know from Minnesota. And I was hoping to meet some of my other Minnesotan friends, but one of them, Kaylee, just moved, and my friend Vanessa was not there when I was there. So I got to hang out with Khadija, which was amazing. And we got dinner, and that dinner was amazing at Delilah. And then we went to a strip club, and that was crazy. I met a stripper from Valencia, Spain. So we were like, oh, my God, how do you like Spain? I love Spain, blah, blah, blah. And just chatting it, up and then like, as much as you can at a strip club without it being weird. You know what I mean? But anyways, so she was nice. And then, I went to the design district. I went perfume shopping. I posted a tik tok about all the perfumes that I brought back from Miami. Some of them are, like, travel size, and some of them are just little samples. And I did smell a lot of perfumes while I was there. Like, I probably smelled like 200 perfumes in one day. It was actually kind of insane. u. And then I spent time going to all the events of Miami swim week during the week. So I went to the kickoff party. That was the first event of the week on the Monday of swim week. And I was so scared to go, but I was like, okay, I'm here. I'm justnna see how it goes. At that point, I wasn't really sure if I was even invited to any events yet because they kind of send. Unless you're like, really someone, they kind of send out the event invite, event invites last minute. So I did. I was, like, hoping that my outreach emails, like, a month ago would fall into somebody's inbox or guest list somewhere. And they did. They did. Thank God they did. So that was really, really exciting that it actually paid off that I. All my, like, 300 emails that I sent over the past month paid off. And I got invited to some really cool events, which is, like, the coolest part about it. All but the kickoff party was at Fabel Miami. Beautiful, rooftop, beautiful venue. Really liked the venue. There was like three kind of impromptu. Well, not impromptu, but like three kind of like unofficial shows at that event. and honestly all I remember is that I just had to wait so long in line for drinks. But I'm actually not that mad about it because it kind of made as a good forced close quarters situation for making conversation because the longer you just kind of awkwardly stand next to somebody, the higher chance there is that you two will eventually break into conversation just out of boredom and frustration. So that was one way I met people. I met a few models. I met a designer, mcle of House of mcle. So I recommend checking out her, brand and especially if you're into like festivals and raves. Hers is like swimwear, but also kind of geared towards like festival wear. And I might go to Abbeeza swim week. I don't know. I don't know. Might, might. That could be fun though. And then, that was the kickoff party. Again, beautiful venue. I got a really good first impression and I was really scared because I'm going by myself. Like, I was like, I don't know how this works. Like, I'm just really nervous that people are going to be mean. I don't know what to expect. But people were really nice. And I think I always underestimate myself. I know that. I know I always underestimate myself. But when I got there, I like immediately felt more confident. And then it was reminding me, like, even though it's not the same thing, it kind of is in a way. Because like going to a speed dating event here in Barcelona, like, I went to one back in like, was that back in March already? I don't know. It was a couple months ago. And I wasn't really speed dating at that event because I did not see literally not even one single man that I was interested in. So then I just turned it into a night of like practicing talking to strangers. And I was like, at the very least I can get some like exposure therapy out of this and like practice, you know, drumming up a conversation with a complete stranger. And I think even though like that one night wasn't like me being really good at it, I think I'm pretty social and like, pretty. I have like pretty tough skin. Like, I don't get super nervous anymore. I used to when I was younger. I think genuinely Lexapro has helped a lot in just giving me like a shield of armor. So to say that I don't really give a fuck what people think. So when I'm in public. And it also helps that I feel confident in myself. Like, I'm dressed up nice, my makeup is done well, my hair is done well. I'm like, damn bit. I. I look good. And also I'm funny and confident on top of that. Yeah, nobody can stop me. So that was kind of the vibes all week because I was like, oh, I look good and I feel confident. Oh, yeah. I'm fine. I'm fine. Because you notice that people usually, they go with their friends, but even still, they're always, like, a little bit nervous kind of looking around, like, not sure who to talk to. And I don't wait for people to come up and talk to me, because then I feel way more awkward just standing around watching people than I do sparking up a conversation. So I found out really quickly that, like, the basic formula, if you don't know how to start a conversation and you're just feeling really awkward, literally, you can just walk by someone and, like, as you're walking by, be like, oh, my God, by the way, I really like X, Y, and Z about you. Don't make it fake. Don't make it forced. Don't just give, out compliments if you don't genuinely mean them. It only works if you genuinely mean the compliment. So just if you see someone and you genuinely like something about their appearance or maybe like, something that they did at the event, I don't know if you compl. Complimet them. Maybe they gave a speech or something. Compliment them on their speech if you liked it. But, like, if I saw someone's makeup from across the bar, because I don't know about you guys, but if you're a makeup girly, I feel like when you go out in public, like, you just know, makeup girlies see makeup girlies. So I would, like, see a makeup girly across the bar and be like, clock it. We both know, like, you see me, you, I see you, we see each other, that kind of thing. So that's my first one off the bat is I can just scan a room and be likeky, makeup girl, makeup girl, makeup girl, makeup girl. And I will know that those are my first people that I would be most interested talking to, because we can always discuss makeup because you can just tell that it's something they're into. So that's my first way of trying to find people that I might vibe with is like, where's the makeup, girlies in the room? I can easily find someone that I enjoy their makeup or think that they slayed their makeup and be like, I just had to tell you, your makeup looks fucking amazing. I just had to literally come over here across the room and tell you that. Hope you enjoy my compliment. Like, you don't say that, obviously, but you just say your compliment, take it or leave it. They might strike up a conversation with you, which is, like, the best case scenario, or they might just say, thank you, oh, my God, and then continue on their way with whatever they were doing. They owe you nothing. You paying a compliment is not expecting something in return. It's just giving something out. If they take it and kind of swat the tennis ball back at you and you start a conversation, great. Now you have started a conversation. Yay. Like, gold star. Like, you just started a conversation with a stranger. That's amazing. So I find. Well, I don't really like starting conversations with men in the first place. I can, But I prefer starting conversations with women because it's just more fun. And, like, I would prefer to speak to a random woman than a random man. So, yeah, I usually look for the makeup girlies firstuse. Like, I think that's, like, an instant connection, usually. So it's usually pretty easy to start a conversation that way. Then the next one would be if I like something specific about their outfit. So if I'm like, oh, my God, I just love your dress, or I love your pants, or I love your jewelry, something, then if I run out of that, maybe circumstantially, you're standing next to each other at the bar. Like, one girl was behind me, and the bar line was they just did not have enough bartenders for the amount of people trying to order drinks. It was like, three bartenders for, like, 200 people. Like, it just was super slow. I think I waited for 30 minutes. So the girl behind me tapped me on the shoulder, and she was like, hey, did you order yet? And I'm like, no, I think I'm next, but I'm trying to, like, politely get in line, you know, with the imaginary list of people that the bartender has in his head. So she's like, okay, when you order, can you order mine to so we don't have to keep waiting? And I was like, oh, my God, yes, of course. Like, I got you. So then we drummed up a conversation because we were just standing next to each other at the bar, and, yeah, then you learn a little bit more about each other. Maybe they introduce you to someone else that they recently met at the same event, so it can snowball pretty easily. But I will say, like, the scariest part is just, like, going alone and then being like, oh, God, who do I talk to? Like, who do I talk to? Weirdly, it was, like, making me feel more confident that I noticed other people were also feeling a bit nervous and that there was also other people there alone. So I was like, oh. Oh. Like, I thought I was going to be the only weirdo there alone. And I was like, oh, man, everyone's gonna think I'm a weirdo. But honestly, a lot of people were there by themselves. So then all of a sudden, I was like, oh, I'm not scared anymore. Never mind. So that was a really good introduction to swim week for me. And then the next day, I went to the industry soiree, which was honestly kind of just like the same as the kickoff party. So I'm glad I went to the kickoff party. I preferred the kickoff party. I preferred Fabelle Miami as the venue more than I preferred Sea Spice. Even though I really like Sea Spice. I would definitely go back to Sea Spice for a different type of event, but for the amount of people they were trying to put in one space, I think, like, it just wasn't quite big enough. And I don't know, it was a lot of the same people that I saw the night before. So I was kind of just like, I don't know if I need to stay here that long. And then I met some really nice girls that I was like, oh, you guys need some photos? Don't worry, I have my Canon G7X. That's another good way to break the ice. Like, I love taking photos for people, and then I love seeing the reaction on their face when they see the photos from the Canon and they're like, I look like that? And I'm like, yes, girl, you look that good. You look that good. Because there's never, like, a negative reaction. There's never a negative reaction. Every single time I take a photo of someone with my Canon G7X, they're always like, that's how I look. And I'm like, yes, yes. And you should be proud of yourself. So anyways, I met this group of girls, and I met the owner of Serotone Swim and her mom, and they were really sweet. So me and these girls and then Serotone Swim and her mom, we all went down to the deck at Sea Spice and took some photos overlooking the river. It was gorgeous. And they were all like, oh, my God. Like, you can just Take these on your camera and then you can just zip them over, like, Bluetooth them to your phone in like five seconds. And I was like, yes, hello. So I sent them all their photos. They were all super happy. And then one of them offered to give me a ride back to my Airbnb because I was complaining about Ubering everywhere and it was getting really expensive. so that was really sweet of her. She gave me a ride back to my Airbnb, which was. I was like a complete stranger. I'm like, are you sure? Like, you really don't have to. And she's like, I'm literally driving right by your house on the way home. Like, let me just drop you off. And I was like, thank you so much, because these are getting expensive, these Ubers and Lyfts. so that was Tuesday, and then Wednesday, I got kind of like a last minute invite to this. Well, I think I got the info on Tuesday, but I didn't read it till Wednesday morning. And it was for the Esppasio Vogue show. And I was like, what is this? Like, what the heck? And it's for Vogue Latin America. And so they were featuring, I think, like, Latin American designers. And it was at the paraiiso show. So if you don't know about Miami Swim Week, there's actually like maybe three or four event organizations that host events during Miami Swim Week. So you can kind of think of Miami Swim Week as just like this overarching event. but nobody really owns the name Miami Swim Week. I heard that the girlies are fighting that DC Swim Week, like, technically claims ownership of the name Miami Swim Week, although I'm not sure that they officially do. But anything that you see named Miami Swim Week is most likely associated with D.C. swim Week. And then there's the other one, Paraiiso Swim Week, which is not really officially associated with the name, quote, unquote, Miami Swim Week. But they both happen at the same time and both events happen at the same time. So I was going back and forth to the locations, but I was smart and I got my Airbnb smack dab in the middle of both locations. So I was about a 15 minute walk between each one, which was perfect. But was I walking that much? Not really, because even a 15 minute walk was making me sweaty, first of all, because of the heat. And also, like, in the shoes I was wearing, whether it was flats or my heels, just like a 15 minute walk was not really working for me. Because then once you get to the venue, it's not like you just get to sit down right away. It's standing for hours. So, you're on your feet a lot. So I just was like, I can't really sacrifice like the health of my feet for just like saving a few bucks on an Uber. But it still worked out because my Ubers were really cheap, really fast, whatever. So I was popping back and forth between D.C. swim Week and Paraiiso, Miami beach. And the other one that I've heard of is Art Heart's Fashion. And I don't know anyone that really went to that one, so I'm just not going to talk about it. But it does exist and I think there may be one more. But the only ones on my radar were DC and Paro. Okay, we understand there's two venues, two organizations, a lot of things happening at the same time. The difference was you see a lot of the iconic pool Runway walks. That's D.C. swim Week. D.C. swim Week is held, I don't know if it's every year at the Mondrian U. but this year it was at the Mondrian South Beach. Beautiful hotel, beautiful venue, beautiful Runway. However, it hosts many shows all back to back in the sun. And it's very weather dependent. We got really lucky with the weather this time. The weather was beautiful. so the only issue is I'm in heels because honestly, I felt like underdressed if I wasn't wearing heels. So I wore heels except for one day when I absolutely could not stand it and I had to wear flats because my feet were like throbbing and I could barely walk. But I was in heels the rest of the week. So standing for hours and heels in the heat outside, trying to get a good spot to get photos. Like some days when I registered to go to the D.C. swim Week shows, some days I was registered as like an industry professional or press and media or just a general pass. I don't know how they decided to rank me or I don't know. I don't know how they decided what I was each day. Because I signed up the same way I signed up with my Instagram link and my, brand name, which is Louise the label, because I did just start a brand. So I am technically a designer as well. Even though I'm not showing in this week's shows, I am technically a swimwear designer and I am technically going with my brand. And I am also technically press and media because I am discussing it online and I will be writing it about it on my blog. So I don't know how they Decided maybe just each day they had whatever was left open and just threw me in a slot just to give me something. So I have like a bunch of different riskands. Like one is industry, one is media, one is press. So anyways, at the D.C. swim Week, I would say the Runway is more beautiful and more iconic to what you would consider swim week. However, it is a bit more difficult to manage because unless you get seated, which I did not have a seat for any of them, but I did have access to view them. so I was not officially invited by any of the brands, but I was invited to come in and view the shows as like a guest of Miami Swim Week, but not like an official seated guest of the brands. So that's why I was standing. I will say I was not mad about standing because I was able to stand by the press and then get really, really good views and shots with my phone of each show. Whereas if you're sitting, you actually don't get that good of a view of the Runway. Especially, like, maybe you could if you were in the very front row. But at, ah, the DC Swim Week, it goes like six rows deep. So if you were even in the third row or further back, you would actually have like kind of a terrible view of the Runway, but you would be seated so your feet wouldn't hurt so bad. But for the purpose that I was there, which was to document Swim Week, I actually wasn't that mad about not being seated because I could pick wherever I wanted to get footage from and move around and talk to people and like, it was very chill. So I did enjoy that. However, like I said, there's just so many shows back to back that I was like, I don't know how many shows I can handle because standing is a bitch and they don't have that much seating for like the random guests to sit on. So I could only handle so many shows at a time. But the venue is gorgeous, the Runway is gorgeous, and it was really cool to see the shows there. Like the Ms. Of All show, the Mars the Label show. Like those were the two shows at DC that I really wanted to see and I got to see them. So I was like, yes, mission accomplished at dc. Okay, done. And then I wasn't sure exactly how the paraiiso Miami beach organization and events were gonna work, because at least with D.C. swim Week, you could sign up through Luma to be like either a designer or press and they would let you in that way. But at paraiiso, they didn't make their events known to the public. So it was much harder to know, like, what brands would even be showing there. I had genuinely no idea what brands would be showing at paraiiso. So it's a bit more secretive, a bit more high end. You have, like, higher end PR agencies and press at, paraiiso generally, And I will say, even though the venue at the Mondrian is, like, much more lux and much more like quintessential Miami swim week with like, the pool Runway and everything, it is weather dependent. It is kind of miserable because you're in the sun and it's hot and you don't have a lot of seating. Whereas at paraiiso, it's in a tent. At first I was like, girl, a tent. But I understand why they do it that way because, they can control the venue and make it look exactly how they want it to look. And they can have a much more structured format of each event. So they have two sections of the tent. The front section is like an open event space where they check people in. It's kind of like a waiting corral for all the people to just like, check in. You get your card with your seat number, and then you just, like, mingle with people until they let the doors into the next tent open so that you can go find your seat and sit down for the actual Runway show. And so the paraiiso shows are the clips that you'll see in my blogs, my vlogs, well, and my blog that are more like a quintessential Runway show that you would see at, like, Paris Fashion Week. It's with, like, the dark room and like, the just low two rows of seating and like, just the one Runway and that's it. So I actually preferred paraiiso because even though I wasn't guaranteed a seat for every show that I was invited to, the shows were very high end. The way that it was run was very structured and very organized. And it wasn't weather dependent because it was indoors. So you could have had rain, you could have had sun, but you weren't like, being beaten down by the sun the whole time you were waiting because you were inside. And there was, like, little, lounge chairs and couches to sit on if you really wanted to rest your feet while you were waiting. There were also, like, pop up events or pop up brand activations in the waiting room. So like, each day there was a different set of brands, like showing off their little brand activation so you could mingle, get some free stuff, talk with the brands, While you're waiting for the Runway show to be held. And then I would say, like, it was always. I mean, Runway shows always run a little late, but it would always run a little bit late. They finally let people in to start finding their seats, and I was like, standing room only, I think, for, like, the Esppasio vogue show, for example. And then when I went in, they were like, we were. We found a good spot to stand. Ca becausee I was with my friend, I met Sami, and she's a model. So we were standing, and then as people were filling in. This is what typically happens with most Runway shows is, like, some people don't show up, so then if you're standing, they will have you fill in. Cause they always fill in the seats no matter what. Like, whoever's standing will be the first to fill in the seats if somebody didn't show up. So if somebody didn't show up in the front row, they pull the second row up to the front row, and then whoever's standing gets to sit in the second row. So it's kind of nice. So I actually got to sit, and I got a really, really good spot in the second row where there was, like, a path or, like, a break in between the seats. So I got, like, a really good view to the Runway for the, Esppasio vogue show. And then same with the Monday swimwear show. I was just standing only. But I got invited to the freaking Monday swimwear show, which was so cool. I was so excited for that. Like, that was probably the highlight of the whole week, was just getting invited to the Monday swimwear show. Again, I was standing room only, but I got to sit down because there wasn't, you know, the whole second row wasn't filled, so I got to sit down. Honestly, standing is not so bad, though, because if you want footage, you either have to be front row or standing, because the second role, you're just, like, filming through people's heads and stuff, and it's kind of ridiculous. So even though I was sitting, I was like, maybe I should have just stayed standing, because then my footage would have probably been better. But it was also a cool feeling to sit, and also rest my feet. So that was really cool. And then the same night, I actually had another show that they invited me to, like, the morning of. And I was a little confused at what it was at first, because I knew Megan the stallion was at swim week because she was at, like, the designers'dinner the night before Ca because I saw them post her on instagram but then I was like, wait, since when does Megan the Stallion have a swimwear line? Like, I'm so confused, because they sent me an invite for, like, the Megan the Stallion Hot Girl summer event. And I was like, okay, is that a Runway show? Is that just an event? Is Megan gonna be there? Are they just playing her music? Like, I didn't really know what to expect, but I was like, well, I'm not gonna say no. Like, obviously, I'm gonna go to that. So I went to the Megan Thee Stallion show after the Monday swimwear show, and it was a, Megan Thee Stallion swimwear line. She was also promoting her tequila in the waiting room, so that was cool. I got to try her tequila, which was really good. And then I wasn't sure if Megan Thee Stallion was actually going to appear in the Runway show, but nonetheless, it was really cool. But she did. She did. But of course, like, she didn't stay for long. I'm sure they whisked her away very quickly, but she came out for, like, the final round. She kind of did a little mini performance for the press and sang her song, and she came around, and I got to see her, and I doubt she stayed for long again. She was probably just there, did her little whoop, and she was probably gone very quickly, but she was there. She was there. and then Friday, I saw the Mars the Label show, the house of McCle's show, and I met a model's mom, and so we were chatting for. I think I saw her on Friday, and then I also saw her on Saturday. so she was super sweet. I got to get to know her a little bit. we saw her daughter walk in a couple shows. And then Saturday, I came back to the Mandrian to watch my friend Sammy that I met on Wednesday. I came back to watch her walk in a couple shows on Saturday, and I got to see her after those shows, and it was really cool. She walked foreverlast and Flavia Palmiero, and then she actually walked for Oceanus on Sunday, but I couldn't go because it was my last day and I wanted to go to dinner with my friend Kadija. So, it was cool, though. I got to see the footage of her afterwards. Like, I never really heard of the brand Oceanus before, but it's gorgeous and it's crazy. Like, I got a little hint into the world of modeling, and Sammy was explaining it to me, like, she casted for Oceanus. Oceanus. I'm sorry, I don't know how to Say it. But she went, you know, casted for them on like Saturday morning and they didn't tell her that she was casted until Sunday morning. So she had to be prepared for like that same evening to go model for them. So it's just very fast paced, it's very unpredictable. Like she flew I believe all the way from Germany to Florida and didn't know if she was for sure going to be in any shows or not. And then I think she ended up walking in like five or six shows. Like that's crazy. I mean she should be so proud of herself. But that's like how unpredictable it is that you can fly and be like, well maybe I'll show in 10, maybe I'll show in zero. And you just kind of hope for the best and try as hard as you can. And that's kind of what I did too I guess. Like when I flew there I didn't actually know that I was goingna be going to any shows at all. I thought I was just going to the two parties in the beginning of the week because I bought tickets to those. Like yeah, that was a scam. Never buy tickets to that. But I wasn't sure and I didn't want to go with literally no plans on the calendar. U and then I did get invited to like a couple long like pop up brand activations. But to be completely honest, I'm not going to go to a brand activation event unless it's a gifting suite. because why? Like I went to the Australian Gold one. Okay, love Australian Gold. I use their sunscreens. But the brand activation event, okay, to be fair, to be fair, I didn't get there till the end of the time. It

was like 11am M to 4pm And I got there at 3:

30. So to be fair, maybe they did give stuff out in the beginning at like 11am and they just ran out. But by the time I got there it was just like a bunch of stands in like one of the suites at the Mondrian with like a bunch of promotional stuff which like duh, that's what a brand activation event basically is. But I was like, so I'm just taking photos of your stuff and posting it for free with no compensation at all just to like say that I was here. And then I was like, why am I doing this? So then I didn't go to the other brand activation event that I signed up for because I was like, unless I'm getting invited as like an influencer because it's A gifting suite. I don't find much incentive to go because I'm like. Or I'm just, I'm just posting like an ad for free with nothing in return. So why would I do that? I. I'm guessing they had some gifts that they probably handed out early on. But I'm. I'm sure it was a limited quantity and I didn't really think of that. So. Yeah, that was the only like brand activation event that I went to and that was really it. But I got lucky with the weather. I got lucky with the invites and oh my God, you guys. Like, it was just so, magical. Except Miami is expensive, so you can easily, easily blow 150 per person on dinner. Dinner and a drink. Like the equivalent to going to Tragalus here in Barcelona where I would say like, whoa, we're being in Barcelona, it's like, whoa, we're being really fancy. If an entree is like over €23 and if a drink is over like €15, it's like, whoa, we're, we're, we're like high rollers tonight. If I'm spending like €45 on dinner, maybe 50. I'm like, whoew. I'm rich tonight. I just blew a lot of money on dinner. And u. yeah. In Miami, your entree is gonna be minimum $45. Minimum $45. Easily 60. 70. Easily 60. 70. Your sides like some fries. 15 bucks. Yeah. Your appetizers. 15 bucks. So actually 25 bucks. So if you want like an appetizer and an entree. Hundred bucks if you want a drink. 23 bucks if you want just like an appetizer and a entree and a drink. That's yeah, like 150 bucks. Ad tip. Could be more. Could be more. And I forget that I had to tip. I'm like, what is up with this fucking tipping culture in span everything. It just is the price. So I was actually getting really fed up with tipping when I went back and I was like, damn, this reverse culture shock of tipping for every little thing that you buy. My iced coffee was $. So besides Miami being like disgustingly expensive, also the chauffeur that I had on the last day. Cause I got a free ride through para swim week, with this company called Black Lane. Had never heard of them before. Guys, genuinely, this is not a promotion. Genuinely, please check them out. Like bougie. As if you want to show up in a nice ass blacked out suv. Yeah, you need Black Lane. Like way nicer than uber black. Way More official and safer than Uber black because these are like trained, professional background checked chauffeurs that are driving you around. And just the experience is way more elevated than like an Uber black for around the same price. So I was with the chauffeur on the last dayuse I used my little free ride from paraiiso to end off my week. And the chauffeur was telling me how Miami has basically tripled in price since before COVID He's like this. It was not nearly this expensive until Covid hit. So I don't really know what happened there. But, yeah, I guess I missed the wave on going to Miami when it wasn't$1 and $50 per person for dinner. But, like, okay, anyways. So, yeah, you can pretty much triple whatever you would spend in Barcelona on a nice dinner. Just triple that when you go to Miami. Anyways. yeah, but the tipping culture was just like, getting out of control. It was getting really annoying. And then having to Uber everywhere. I was like, before I went there, I was like, I'm gonna be a public transportation queen. And then when I got there, I was like, no, I'm not. Because, no, I'm not. Because, no, I'm not. I'm way too scared. Because maybe if I spent a few months there, I would eventually get around to trying it. But I just was like, you know what? I'm not trying to have something mess up my day majorly by me putting myself in danger, which I'm not saying public transport there would put me in danger, but me not knowing where I am and maybe just having a bit too many unfamiliar circumstances from it being my literal first time in Miami. I think it was just not the time to try it out. maybe if I was there for a longer period of time, I would like. I really kind of wanted to try the Metro Mover and the Miami M Beach Trolley, which I would still be open to trying, but just with my schedule and, like, still feeling a bit unfamiliar, I was like, it's just, you know, it's not the time. It's not the trip or the time to, like, figure it out. Also, really fun fact. Miami has feral cat groups or feral cat, like, clans. What do you call, like, a group of feral cats, whatever that you're. Obviously, don't feed the cats, don't pet the cats, don't touch the cats. They're just like any other wild animal. Basically, they are maintained by the, like, Humane Society of Miami or something. Like, so they are, like, trapped and released to be like, spayed and neutered. And I think they are fed by someone. but basically they are like the equivalent of like a squirrel or a fox. Like, you're just not supposed to touch them. But one night when I was walking home by Miami Beach City hall, I walked past and, oh, my God, there was like, 10 cats. No, probably 15 cats. And I was like, they're all just lounging around. There's just like 15 cats. That was amazing. Also, the city is very clean. Like, if for a big city. I was actually very happily, surprised with how clean it was. Although I did spend most of my time in Miami Beach. So I can't say for sure about, like, downtown or Brickle or. Or Winwood or any of those other places. U. but Miami Beach, I felt very safe. It was very clean. And I know we're not always, like, the biggest fan of cops, but I won't lie, like, it did make me feel a little safer walking around at night that I knew that there was a cop on, like, no joke, every corner. You couldn't walk a block without seeing a cop either circling the block or just parked on a random street somewhere, just like, kind of chilling and waiting in case a call comes in. So I will say I fe. I wouldn't. If there wasn't that many cops around, I probably wouldn't have felt that safe walking around. But I. It'felt, a bit like surveillance state. Ish. But on the other hand, I did feel a little bit safer because if I genuinely did need help, I knew that they were only like a block away instead of like 10 minutes away or something like that. So that made me feel a little bit safer. And just generally, like, there's people out all night, so it's not like you're ever walking on a street completely alone, like, looking over your shoulder like, oh, my God, what if somebody grabs me right now? Like, there's kind of people everywhere all the time, and there's a lot of streetl lights and there's a lot of traffic. So it's just a very, like, nightlife city. I'm sure, you know, that's not a shocker. so, yeah, that was my time in Miami. I love it. I was actually. I don't know why, for a while I was, like, kind of nervous to go there, because, of course, the stereotypes of Miami are just like, a party city. A lot of coke, a lot of drinking, a lot of clubbing. And I was like, whoa. Like, I don't know if I'm trying to do that and then Khadija reminded me that it's like actually has a very big health and wellness community. I went on a really nice walk all the way down the boardwalk to the South Point Pier and then kind of through the middle of South Beach, Miami beach, up to my Airbnb. But for a while on the boardwalk I just stopped and there was a ton of beach volleyball courts and they were having like a tournament and I was just watching for like a good 20 minutes just like watching beach volleyball. And I was like, I love this. So I really like it. I probably would move there, but not on my salary girl. But genuinely loved it. So I hope to go back soon. But yeah, 10 out of 10 love Miami. Well, I have to dock a couple points because of the price, so maybe 8 out of 10 if it wasn't so expensive. 10, out of 10. And what have I happen been up to this week? Well, I am on my Tik took journey, guys. So like I don't self promote very much on this podcast because I don't like to sound spammy. But please, this is my time. This is my time. I feel it in my bones. If you don't follow me on Tik Tock, it's at Larson Ellen. It's the same as my Instagram handle. I have finally found a content strategy that works for me and it took me so long to figure it out, but I have a content strategy. This is my number one goal this month in the month of June is to consistently upload took to Tik Totk and finally grow my Tik Tok. Like I've been saying I want to do for four years. I'm finally m doing it. So if I could ask you one thing, it would be to follow my tick Tok and also support my me on my videos. because I just really want to make it work. Okay, I do. anyways, this week, oh, I did also go to the Meista sale. Like literally. I got home on Tuesday, slept all day Wednesday morning, bright and early at like 9 in the morning. I went to Soho House with Marley and then we went to the Mista sample sale. I did not need to be spending more money right after Miami, guys. I did not. But like Mista does not have sales because they're like a designer brand. So it's the same as like, I don't know what's a similar brand. Like not like Louis Vuitton. It's not really the same vibe as that, but it's the same as like acne studio having a 50% off sale. Can you imagine Acne Studio having a 50% off sale? Yeah. Yeah. So I was like, oh, I love Mista. I love their vibe. I have to look, I have to go. I love their shoes. I didn't really know much about their clothing, but, yeah, we got the hookup. We knew the security guard. We didn't have to wait in the obnoxiously long line. That was, like, insane. So it just felt like the stars aligned. It was meant to be. I'm like, girl, I can't waste this opportunity. We didn't even have to wait in line. I have to buy something now. And so I got this beautiful pair of, like, distressed denim boots, and then I got this beautiful brown mesh dress that you could probably wear a million ways, like, with a slip underneath it, with a shirt and pants underneath it, with a skirt underneath it. Like, there's a lot of different ways that you could style that dress, and it's also very unique. Like, I was like, okay, I'm spending a lot of money on these, but they were basically 50% off. And I was like, this just never happens. So I kind of just gotta make it work. And I'm gonna use these to my advantage and make them, you know, work for me. Like, as in, like, make. If you're going toa spend money on something, how is it going to make you money back? Like, how are you going toa use whatever you spent money on to help propel you to make more money? That's kind of like the justification I use when I buy things like this. But also the fact that it's. They're both such unique items that you could not just go to any other brand or any other store and buy something similar. they are, like, pretty unique to Meau. So I want it to be something that if I'mnna spend that much money on it, that it's, like, unique to that brand that I couldn't easily find somewhere else. Because if I could easily find it at, like, El Corang Ang Glace or Zara or H and M, I'm probably just gonna go by it there. You know what I mean? But you can't. So that's why I was like, hey, if I'm gonna buy something today, it's gonna be something iconic that I'm obsessed with that, like, you couldn't just get anywhere else. And, so I did. I was gonna buy another pair of shoes too, but then I was like, girl, these are not quite unique enough to Just get from Meista. Like, I could probably go to El Corang Glai and find a similar pair for less money or maybe the same money, but that they fit me better. Because that was the other problem is I was trying to make them work when they didn't fit me like perfectly. And I was likekay, I'm not spending 250 bucks on a pair of shoes that don't perfectly fit me because then I'm goingna regret it. So I did just leave with the denim boots and the brown dress, but that was more than a way, way more money than I should have spent. But I was like, I'm gonna make this work. It's worth the opportunity. Because this kind of thing like, never happens. So I did go to the Meista sale and then I have been on my hinge game, guys. Like, I don't know, do I just need to leave the country and come back? And then all of a sudden, hinge shows me hot guys again. Is it because it's summer? I think it's kind of both things. Like, I think my hinge algorithm got reset a little bit because I was out of the country for 10 days. And also there are new guys here for summer. So not mad about that. I've matched with like 10 guys this week and they're all very hot. Like what I would consider like, okay, damn. Okay, damn. I would go on a date with him. Sh. Okay, this never happens. This has never happened. In the history of the two years that I have lived here, this has never happened. So I don't know what's going on, but I might be going on a date this week. Guys, this is crazy. It's been almost six years. So, you know, it's about time. It's about time. It's about time. And I don't want. I'm kind of trying to wrap up the podcast here, but maybe I'll save this topic for next week. the Wizard Liz situation. If you guys have not read up on that. Whoa. So that is a good reminder that, like, I can go on dates. I can still have fun. I can still like, practice talking to guys in a romantic way. But this is my life. This is my life. I'm not letting no man spin some sappy love story and get me all spun in a web and then get me pregnant after four months and cheat on me. M M. No. So if I on a date, it will be because I feel like doing a social experiment and nothing more. So update on that, you guys. I'LL update you on that, later. But anyways, I hope you enjoyed. I'm glad to be back in my little podcast routine. You know how I can just talk and talk and talk. So, I'm just go going toa end it here. But, yeah, if I could ask one thing of you, it would be to support me on Tik Tok. And I'll see you next week. All right, bye.