Here, 5 favorite things on the journey: some carried from home and others brand new, discovered along the way.

Celestial, symbolic hoops by Satya (c/o). Sun: vitality, leadership and life. Moon: nourishment and protection. With sundresses and mini skirts, a pretty and hopeful pairing.

Hammocks: the best place to take a nap…ever. These were waiting for us at our hotel, La Cascada, in the hippie beach town of Montezuma. Take me back now.

Bumble and bumble hair products: travel-sized versions of my frizz-free essentials, straight blowdry balm (apply a quarter-sized dollop pre-blowout) and Bb. texture hair (un)dressing creme (for just air drying).  Without these, all I have to do is step off the plane and my hair goes wild!

Morning smoothies from The Greenhouse (aka: my “Shake Shack”).  The embodiment of Costa Rican living: daily concoctions of fresh fruit, veggies and ginger blended beachside by a laid-back, luscious guy who never stops smiling.  Pura vida!

And, these guys. From Korea to Canada, Finland to the Flatiron. Here’s to international love.

Meet Kari Nicolle (pronounced “Kah-ree”). She’s an actress on the rise, an in-demand Flywheel instructor and the ultimate optimist.  I recently rocked a bike in Kari’s Flatiron class then sat down with her to talk about fitness, favorite products and her forecast for the notoriously tough-to-break-through town of New York City.

Her story: Kari hails from the San Francisco Bay Area and moved cross-country to study theater at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. For her, it was “New York, all the way.” Forever an athlete, having played soccer, softball and ridden horses competitively since grade school, she had never actually worked out inside a gym before moving east.

Now, she’s an actress with an agent and few Broadway and TV gigs under her skinny belt, out to score her first national commercial in 2014. “The talent level in this city is so beyond incredible, it makes me speechless.”

Why she’s different: She’s intensely positive–in and out of the studio. “Being a performer helps, it’s so in our bones to share ourselves with a crowd.”

Kari has mastered the art of teaching (she just celebrated her first “Flyversary” this month) and it may sound strange, but, I felt that she made amazing eye contact, despite the studio’s darkness during class. “I try to connect with every person in the room. People are only there because they really love it, from the staff to our clients…there are so many options,” she says.

What’s inside her beauty bag:
Clarins Gentle Care Day Cream: It’s the only thing that works for her super sensitive skin.

Paul Mitchell Super Clean Sculpting Gel: Great for girls with tight, stubborn curls.

MAC Lipglass in Prrr: “I don’t leave the house without it,” she says, and quickly whipped it out of her handbag to show me.

Fitness (and life) motto: “Don’t get in your own way–and, just keep showing up.”

Want to book a class with Kari?  Click here.

Who needs a manicure?!  I’m giving away a fashion size duo of butter LONDON nail polish, one of the U.K.’s most popular beauty exports.

Colors are “Slapper,” a bold teal, and “Knackered,” a kaleidoscope of pearly shimmer.

Enter in one of these EASY ways:
Here, on my site: Leave a comment on this post, so that I know where to find you.
On Twitter: Follow @FitGirlRachel and RE-TWEET my @butterLONDON post with tags #manicure #giveaway.
On Instagram: Follow RachelBeckerNYC, “like” & comment on my butter LONDON photo and I’ll see that you entered there.

Winner will be notified by December 18.

Fingers crossed!

I’ve passed by a million times on my way toward Union Square – for the Saturday greenmarket, Lululemon, Refine Method, Soul Cycle – and, I’ve always thought that it looked chic, but, not cold.

An hour later, we had chopped off 4 inches.

Too many layers, too many highlights over the years…it just seemed like the right thing to do.

In my 30s, I’m trying to embrace the fact that we go around only once, so, I may as well have a little (or a lot of) fun. And, really: don’t we all want to feel a little lighter?

Meet my Brush dream team!
Genyii & Yuli