A lot changed for me in 2014!
I definitely traveled a lot less and created my first home base in Medellin, Colombia.
I was a bit burnt out by travel to be honest and the traders we train at the Day Trading Academy were becoming more and more profitable.
It was time to semi settle down?
Every year I visit the United States to do fun things like file my taxes (get your billions back America!), visit my mother, aka Madame WanderingTrader, and buy super cheap things at Wal-Mart.
I haven’t been back to the United States outside of once a year for the past six years.
I decided to change that and take a fun trip to Miami (to eat Cuban sandwiches of course).
Miami Beach
This was the first time visiting Miami for pleasure instead of business. One of the things to love about Miami is that it is the capital of South America. Every single country from the Caribbean to South America seems to have it’s own neighborhood name in Miami.
Everything from Weston (Westonzuela – lots of Venezuelans) to little Cuba, Haiti, and Brazil. They have even trademarked “El Barrio Chino” which means “the Chinese neighborhood” in Spanish.
Most times I visit Miami I hear more Spanish than English. Even though I look like a gringo people still respond to me in Spanish when spoken to them in English.
We stayed in Miami for roughly three days.
I didn’t do much exploring thanks to the incredible apartment we found thanks to Flipkey.com. The views were absolutely incredible.
In the morning it was witnessing the sunrise followed by a short drive to a hotel across the bay to eat sushi while watching this:
Sunset in Miami
The sushi was great.
This wasn’t the view from the apartment but a phenomenal view none the less.
Up until that moment I had never heard of Flipkey. Upon investigation they are an apartment rental site (part of Tripadvisor) very similar to Airbnb. As a user and host of Airbnb I was very intrigued.
We scored an amazing apartment in the heart of what is called the “Manhattan of the South” otherwise known as Brickell.
Picture of Brickell by Flipkey user from apt I rented
Miami has changed quite a bit since I last visited. This was the first time I was able to explore the city a bit. From the high rises in Brickell to the first time on South Beach, I can see why everyone loves it.
I didn’t do any shopping in Miami because the next stop was Orlando.
The outlet shopping capital of the world!
I didn’t drive much and enjoyed the breathtaking views from the apt. We stayed at the gorgeous Icon Brickell center which was well located and quite easy to get around. I rented a car but we could easily have gotten around with Uber or a similar private car service.
That is probably one of the best tips I can give you about Miami, use Uber! Parking is an absolute nightmare.
View from the Viceroy Hotel in Miami as well as our hotel
I do like how the city is making it very easy for tourists to get around. In Miami Beach, all of the parking was almost automated with an app. All I had to do was install the app and then copy and paste the parking space number and……
Voilah! Parking charged to my credit card automatically.
There is something for everyone in Miami. One of the major things I miss about Medellin, Colombia is the diversity and convenience that is offered by most cities in the US. Miami is a complete melting pot of cultures and finding food from around the world is quite simple. Anything from world class sushi to Peruvian Ceviche and even jerk chicken if you are in a Jamaican kind of mood.
Don’t forget the classic Cubano sandwich which can be found in every corner in Miami it seems.
One of my favs for breakfast was the Cuban inspired coffee with NY style begals and cream cheese.
Sometimes I think about how most of us travel around the world to get away and explore something new. The United States is one of those unique countries in the world that offers everything a person could ask for.
Just exploring a city like Miami reminds me how the country has an endless amount of culture, inspiration, and inspiration.
Definitely look forward to heading back and spending a bit more time in the gateway to the Americas. From now on I will definitely be looking for apartments on Flipkey as well. Check them out, I’ve found their renting process to be simple and easy to use.
Helpful links:
Please can you correct the link for Miami Virtual Tour……at the moment it takes me to the apartment you rented.
I’d love to read the correct version.
Love your blog!
Updated Hazel.. thanks for the comments 😀
Lovely Miami. There’s always that incredible feeling of being alive there. It’s so vibrant. Also incredibly sunny. A weekend in Miami = an uber tan.
I was watching your video on youtube and you were showing your penthouse. Thank you for the inspiration and I wish you more abundance in your life Marcello! I’ll see you at the top!!
Miami looks amazing, definitely a city on my to do list.
Miami <3 I have lived there the past two years and now currently residing in the UK temporary. Miami is the place to visit! You must, so much to see and do and the vibe there is amazing and the vibe will always have a place in your heart 🙂
The pictures you have are really cool. I have been to Miami before and we only stayed there for a few days but the views there were beautiful. When I went there we stayed more towards the coast and the beach area. What area did you visit?