We had some airline points that were going to expire, so late last year we looked at the map of Southwest Airlines hubs and picked something.

"What about Florida?"

When we made the reservation I didn't know that my mom would have to have two more surgeries--one scheduled and one unexpected--that week before. I knew I'd be in Salt Lake City for a conference, but had no idea how tired and overwhelmed I'd be, or that by that time, the thought of leaving Ender once again and getting on another plane to spend four more nights away from home would sound like more trouble than it was worth.

But on Saturday we flew to Ft. Lauderdale and rented a car, drove to Miami, and spent four nights in the guest room of a penthouse apartment downtown. The sun was shining and it was really warm that first evening, and as soon as I took off my sweater and stepped onto the sidewalk in a backless tank top, I knew I needed this vacation more than I had realized (or maybe even felt like I deserved). 

We walked around and ate ceviche and drank too many pisco sours (along with everything else in sight) and on Monday, we got back in the car for three and a half hours to make what ended up being a Hemingway pilgrimage to Key West.

Ernest Hemingway's house was even more beautiful and moving than I dreamed it would be, and back in Miami the next night, over bistec argentino and cafés cubanos I asked Rob, "Do you feel like he's with you now?" because I really felt him down there in Key West and that hasn't left me yet. I don't know if it will.

I put on dark and vampy red lipstick and wore a too-short dress with my highest heels to a party that we didn't even get to until 10:30 on our last night in town, and the city lights at 1AM twinkled across the bridge from South Beach back to our Airbnb downtown.

On Wednesday we woke up, packed our things, and had one more breakfast outside in the sunshine while we marveled at this, the best vacation we've had in a long time--the one that almost didn't even happen.

With all that's been going on in my life lately, it's been a long time since I spent an entire afternoon in the kitchen. But on Thursday afternoon of last week, after a rapid-fire trip to the grocery store, I spent three or four hours on my feet, making a big meal from scratch. There's something about making food that is just so good for the soul.

I've lived in the South for most of my life, but it hasn't been until much more recently that I really connected with my southern roots. I suppose Mardi Gras is as good a time as any to figure it out--mostly because there's gumbo. I love gumbo. So I made some gumbo, with rice. And cornbread. And potato salad.

I scooped piping-hot spoonfuls of spicy sausage and shrimp gumbo over rice for my husband that evening when I had a bit of a revelation--it doesn't matter where you're from, or where you live. You can be down south or up north or somewhere in between, but love is the thing. Love, and food. (And maybe a cute dog in a silly hat.)

Get all three Mardi Gras recipes today on the La Crema blog.

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of La Crema. The opinions and text are all mine.

Photos by Rémy Thurston for Freckled Italian.

If you follow me on Instagram, you might know that I had to drive back to Roanoke Monday night when my mom found herself in the operating room once again, this time without an appointment. Surgery recovery and complications are no joke, my friends. Luckily she's finally back on the mend and I got home Wednesday night.

I feel like I've been traveling non-stop since January, but we still have a vacation coming up this weekend that we planned a little while ago--we're going to Miami on Saturday morning! We're also planning to take a trip to Key West while we're in Florida, so if you have any recommendations for either the Keys or Miami, let me know--neither of us have been there before. I hate to leave our cozy apartment again, but I'm looking forward to some sunshine and relaxation, more than likely with a daiquiri in hand.

Before we go, I wanted to leave you with a short list of links for your weekend:

• This looks like the perfect black bag.
• Why I tell everyone to leave Minneapolis. This piece made me weep. "Minneapolis will always be here...You can always come back."
• How lovely are these fold-over clutches from Ooh Baby Designs?
• Good news--You Can Be a Serious Reader AND Color-Code Your Books. I may need to finally do some rearranging.
• I'd love to throw this jacket over all of my sundresses this spring.
• Really into the top of this jumpsuit.
• "Wondering if you took that thing I said two weeks ago the wrong way." Do we all do this?
• Your Life is Tetris. Stop Playing It Like Chess. Brilliant.