Captivated by Captiva

This year, I have become someone who travels more for work than I do for pleasure. I never thought I'd use that sentence to describe myself, but here we are. I won't lie, my day-to-day life is pretty hectic, and the hustle and bustle of New York does nothing to help my zen. As a New Yorker, I am in love with my city and would never live anywhere else, but sometimes you just need to drop everything and head to a tropical island, so that's exactly what I did.

If you find yourself in the same situation as me, I highly recommend fleeing to Captiva. This island has beautiful beaches, delicious restaurants, and wonderful hotels. Here's how I spent my week:

After a sleep deprived travel day, we arrived at Tween Waters Resort. We immediately threw our bags down, sprayed on some SPF 5,000 (New York has deprived me of any vitamin D), and headed out to find the pool. Armed with my aviators, Lily Collins' new book (which honestly, I wouldn't recommend), and a pina colada, I got to work on my tan.

The next few days were a blur of laying in my cabana on the beach, snacking on nachos by the pool, catching up on my favorite podcast (The Lady Gang), and reading everything from Vogue to The Circle (recommended reading!).

Thanks to all of my time on the island, I am basically a certified Captiva travel guide, so let me tell you some of the things I feature about this vacation spot.

If all of the lounging is making you stressed, I highly recommend the Spa at Tween Waters for a well deserved massage, facial, or mani/pedi.

After your spa day, hit the water for a dolphin viewing or a sunset cruise with Captiva Cruises where you will find full bar service, knowledgeable tour guides, and probably a dolphin or twenty.

Everyone knows that calories don't exist during vacation, so obviously finding good restaurants is a must. Some of the best places to get some amazing food include The Captiva House (design your own sushi), Doc Ford's (the most historic Captiva restaurant), and The Mad Hatter (fancy and fun). Although eating in a restaurant can be great, I have to admit my favorite dinner was a pizza picnic on the beach at sunset (bring a blanket and play some Jimmy Buffet!).

So grab your bathing suit and sunnies, and tell your boss you're taking a few days off. The beach (and the pizza) is waiting!