"Woah guys look at that!", Ricardo pointed to a poster hanging on the wall. "Miami huh?", said Guillermo, "I know of some great food places that I want to try." "Forget all that! The night life is popping!!" exclaimed Felesia. "You know what? We should all take a trip there!" suggested Violet. "I'll drink to that!" exclaimed Felesia as the rest of the group raised their drinks in agreement to the suggestion. This is the story of our trip.

Ricardo "The Intellectual"

Ever since I can remember I’ve always had a book in my hand. I would read in the morning, read during recess, and usually when kids would get in trouble for staying up and playing games, I would get in trouble for reading. My love for knowledge has carried on into my college years as well. My friends and I are supposed to be going to Miami and I could not be more excited.

           When most people think of Miami, they automatically think of the night life or the food, but most people don’t realize that Miami is also home to a rich history of art and other significant historical events.

There were a few places that my friend Violet and I agreed we both wanted to see. One of these was on my top priority list and that was the St. Bernard de Clairvaux Church (It’s a mouthful I know).

This church is THE oldest in the Western Hemisphere. It was built in Spain in 1141. The church was brought over brick by brick by a man names William Randolph Hearst. It was supposed to be reassembled in California, but due to some complications the building was stored in New York and later sold and was rebuilt in Miami where it stays to this day.

           The fact that I can stand inside something so old that has seen countless years go by sends shivers down my spine. Thinking about laying my eyes on the classic architecture and touching the 1000 year old bricks gets my heart racing and makes me antsy. There are a few other places I would love to go to like the Art Deco Historic District.

The Art Deco District is home to the largest collection in the world of Art Deco architecture. That’s the place that you see in old movies of Miami where the building are pastel colored, have neon signs and lights, and everything looks s aesthetically pleasing. I’m sure that no one would argue about going there either since I’m sure there’s bound to be plenty of other attractions there as well since it’s such a popular place. To be honest I would be perfectly content if we could visit those two sites and everyone else would have some more time to check out other places the others wanted to see.

Guillermo "The Foodie"

Food is my life. When we booked our trip to Miami, the first thing that popped into my head was, “where are the best places to eat?” I have never been to Miami before, but I knew three things for sure. We had to eat at a cute breakfast place, have an authentic Miami dinner, and find a delicious ice cream place to make the weekend perfect. Luckily, a couple of my friends from college are from Miami, so I received some stellar recommendations. We would be making three stops for sure. Everyone told me Saturday was my day to shine with the food recommendations. I got all of my ideas together and made the itinerary of our dreams.

For breakfast, we will be going downtown to a place called The Daily Creative Food Company. Their menu includes breakfast pastries, sandwiches, and some of the best coffee in the area. Personally, I’m very excited to order café con leche. I’ve heard it’s amazing! Since this will serve as more of a brunch meal, the next place we will go is for dinner. There is a Peruvian restaurant called CVI.CHE 105 that has the best Peruvian food in all of Miami. Since we are looking for an authentic Miami dinner, this place will be an amazing cultural experience. I’m most excited to try the Ceviche Camarones, which is a delicious shrimp dish. I’d love to find a recipe to take this kind of dish home with us to Gainesville. To finish the night off, we are going to make a stop in Little Havana. I’ve heard that there is an ice cream place called Azúcar and their desserts are to DIE for. Their most famous flavor is called Abuela Maria. I don’t know what to expect in regards to taste, but I can’t wait to find out.

I’m hoping my friends will enjoy the taste of Miami I have planned. I’ve heard nothing but amazing things about the food in Miami, and since it is my first time visiting, I figured we should try as many authentic places as possible. I’m sure we’ll wing it a little bit as we go and find a good place to find seafood. Violet, Ricardo, and Elio love seafood, so we’ll have to find a market and try Miami’s freshest catches of the day. I am way too excited to eat our way through Miami. This is going to be a wild trip.

Today has been awesome. Ricardo had compiled a list of awesome places to visit, and we have been on the go for hours. After seeing the intricacy of the Art Deco district, I was craving more. We hopped back in the car, and finally, we made it to the Fredric Snitzer Gallery. I was in my element. As we entered the large, minimalistic building, I felt a rush of cold air; a magnificent escape from the blazing heat outside.

My palms were sweating, while simultaneously my body became engulfed in goosebumps. I was overwhelmed by excitement, and wandered away into the crowd. I lost the others, but not by accident. Hours in the cramped car afforded my mind a level of claustrophobia, and time to myself was crucial.

Violet "The Free Spirit"

I have a tendency to get lost in every sense of the word, and amidst my daydream I found myself in a room filled with paintings by Hernan Bas. “Reading from a Blank Book” was the piece that caught my eye. I realized that the complexity of the patterns within this piece embodied the culture we had immersed ourselves in on this spontaneous trip. Miami has such a depth. Every corner we turned had a story of its’ own.

As I studied the painting I was reminded of the movie “Alice in Wonderland,” when Alice’s sister was reading to her underneath the tree. I visualized the scene when she falls down the rabbit hole, completely lost. I was uncertain how much time had passed. I decided I should go find the others.

Hernan Bos

Reading from a blank book

2016

Acrylic and enamel on linen

72 x 60

The David Castillo Gallery hosted an exhibit called "Sundown," featuring artist Xaviera Simmons' at the gallery at 420 Lincoln Road, Miami Beach. This exhibition explores the complex legacies of systemic prejudices. The title was inspired by the "sundown towns" of the United States; communities that remain dangerous for Black Americans, who are not welcome after dark. The exhibit will show from September 20th through November 17th, 2018.

After grabbing a bite to eat at CVI.CHE 105, we decided to go watch the sunset on the beach. A local recommended South Pointe beach to us. Parking was an ordeal, but once on the beach, all the chaos of the day dwindle away as we stepped on to the glistening sand. Guillermo grabbed a blanket from the car, and the four of us sat together as the sun began to meet the water. Ricardo was immersed in a good book, and Guillermo had started surfing the web to find the recipe for Ceviche de Camarón. Felesia was so fixated on the sunset, I didn’t want to disturb her moment. I decided I wanted to go for a swim. Despite being in a new city, the ocean made me feel quite at home.

Escaping into

the Ocean

By: Violet

I can see it from the distance

Glistening under the sun

It moves so gracefully

My feet are prepared to run

I kick off my sandals

And scurry down the stairs

There is passion in my eyes

And sand in my tangled hair

1-2-3 I race to the edge

all cares left behind

Don’t think twice, just dive in

Before you change your mind

Suddenly, I am myself again

Completely, utterly, undeniably free

Even if only for this moment

No one or thing can stop me

I take a deep breath

Hold it in, and dive down deep

Complete silence – so serene

No wind, no voices, no peep

Suddenly, I am myself again

Completely, utterly, undeniably free

Even if only for this moment

No one or thing can stop me

This feeling I have seldom known elsewhere

The simultaneous eruption of total security and ultimate liberation.

Ingredients:

2 pounds, about 1 kilo, of cooked shrimp (if you buy it raw, I suggest you cook it in beer or coconut milk for amazing flavor)

2 red onions sliced very thinly

4 tomatoes sliced very thinly or diced

1 bell pepper (red or green), diced - optional

The juice of 10-15 limes

The juice of 1 orange

½ cup of ketchup or ½ cup of freshly blended tomato juice (for a fresher style ceviche)

1 bunch of cilantro chopped very finely

Salt, pepper and oil (sunflower or light olive oil

Ceviche de Camarón

Instructions:

Soak onion in salt water (10 min.)

Chop all ingredients

Mix them in large bowl

Let sit in fridge for 1-2 hours

Serve with plantain chips

Enjoy!!