Studying Abroad in Italy: Week 3

Ciao, y’all!

Welp, week 3 of studying abroad here in Florence is officially history and now the final week is around the corner! I can’t believe it! It feels like just yesterday I flew in from Ohio (with two layovers in Boston and Amsterdam) and am still learning my way around the European city. Thankfully, it didn’t take me that long to navigate around and memorize specific locations, and I hardly feel homesick now! I’ve just been absolutely grateful for the opportunities God has given me during this trip and the experiences I’ve been having, both with myself and my friends.

Thursday was super intriguing because I went to my first ever fashion trade show! It’s called Pitti Uomo, and it takes place in Florence annually during this time of year. Like any fashion trade show, it showcases all different kinds of apparel, both menswear and womenswear, from different unique companies that are predicted to be big trends for the next year. I went with my European Fashion Study Tour class to get an better perspective of how these kinds of fashion trade shows run. I was definitely very impressed and mesmerized, along with all my fellow fashion classmates. There were countless amazing trends that are for sure going to kill the 2020 runway next year, and I’m so grateful I was one of the first ones to preview it!

One of the sessions at the trade show, specifically for shoes.

On Friday, we took a train and traveled to the one and only Rome during our day off of classes. I’ve been to Rome before during my trip with my family and neighbors when I was 17, but I was more than happy to go back and see it all again in person. Looking back now, I don’t regret it one bit. Rome is a amazing city with so many things to do. We did all the important staple locations while touring: the Colosseum, Trevi Fountain, Vatican City, and just walked around a little bit. No joke, we got in over 20,000 steps from the whole day! That meant we could treat ourselves to some good ol’ gelato. Speaking of which, we went to the famous Giolitti and had amazing gelato. It was so creamy and cold, perfect since we were exhausted and sweating our asses off! It was so good that two of my roommates literally went back for second cones 😂🙌🏻

Gelato at Giolitti!

The following weekend, my roommates and I did two trips to San Gimignano and Cinque Terre, both through a student travel program called Bus2Alps. It was absolutely one of the best wine tastings I’ve ever been on! Drinking wine in Tuscany … not many people can say they did that! The first winery we stopped at was Fattoria Poggio Alloro, located about ten minutes outside of San Gimignano. They had great wine, STUNNING sceneries of the countryside, and adorable white cows!

Shortly after, we drove over to explore San Gimignano before the next wine tasting. It was such a beautiful medieval town. I could honestly see myself living there near the Tuscany countryside, I would never get sick of it! Unless the WiFi is terrible ... but it would still cool! After getting some gelato and shopping at the outdoor market, we headed back down into the countryside for the second and final wine tasting at Tenuta Torciano, an absolutely gorgeous winery. They shared at least eight different types of wine with all of us and gave us food to different wine, including the owner’s grandma’s special lasagna recipe which tasted AMAZING! It’s safe to say we were a little exhausted (and tipsy) by the end of the day, but I don’t regret anything!

This view of the Tuscany countryside is absolutely breathtaking!

From left to right: me, Jackie, Haylee, and Marj

San Gimignano

My roommates and I spent the last day of the third weekend by spending our Sunday in Cinque Terre with Bus2Alps. Y’all, it was absolutely unreal. It was even better than I anticipated it to be. It looked even cooler in person than on Pinterest! 😂 My favorite part of the whole day trip was hiking up the Monterosso mountains over the the beach. It was extremely high up and I felt a bit nervous at some parts of the hike, but the gorgeous scenery made the sweat and nervousness all worth it.

And you wanna know what made even more worth it? Getting to layout on the beach and drink a frozen strawberry Corona margarita bucket! They legit put a Corona bottle in the bucket. I’m not a big fan of beer, but I enjoyed drinking it during my beach time! Safe to say, me and my friends got a little too tipsy two days in a row 😂 But we still made wise decisions and still had fun, that’s all that matters!

Margarita (and Corona) time! 🍹

This week for our European Fashion Study Tour class, we took two field trips. The first one was on Tuesday in Prato, where we explored the textile district. On Wednesday and Thursday was a big one for us fashion majors ... Milan! It’s the trip all of the fashion students, including myself, have been looking forward to all this month! I mean, it’s basically one of the top fashion capitals of the world, so who wouldn’t be excited?!

We stayed there for one night in a hostel and spent the two days with fashion museum tours for our class and exploring during our free time. Honestly, it didn’t feel like we had enough time to explore the city because we had to be back at certain times to meet with our two professors for the next tours. But there were two major staple locations I wanted to see, and that were the Milan Cathedral and the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II. Thankfully, there was plenty of time to see those places and they were so beautiful to see in person, so I’m very grateful! It was definitely an awesome getaway with my fellow fashion major friends. Not bad for a class field trip!

Milan Cathedral

Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II

For the last week here in Italia (sigh), I’ll be spending the weekend with my friends at the Amalfi Coast and the following week in Florence exploring and living it up (and trying not to procrastinate on my final projects) before I head back to good ol’ America!

While I’m definitely excited to go back home and see my family/friends, cuddle with my dogs and not have to pay for water at every restaurant, I do feel very bittersweet about leaving Italy. Even though I think one month is a long time to be in another country, it has started to become more like home. I’ve met so many great people, learned a lot about the culture, ate whatever I wanted and not feel guilty about it (thanks to the amount of walking involved every day!), and of course, I’ve learned a lot about myself. I know that sounds cliche, but it’s true. I am more independent, confident, wise, and strong than before!

Any last recommendations you have for me before I head into my final week of studying abroad in Florence? Don’t be shy, comment down below and tell me so! 

Studying Abroad in Italy: Week 2

Another week in Italy gone, and now it’s halfway through the month! Only two weeks left in this beautiful country, which is bizarre to even think about!

Last Friday, every Kent student in the program, no matter what major, had to take a mandatory field trip to Siena, an hour and a half outside of Florence. To be honest, I’m not sure exactly why it was considered “mandatory”, especially because they waited to tell us till we got to the orientation the previous weekend. Despite that though, I’m really glad I went and experienced it in person. Siena is BEAUTIFUL! We didn’t have all day but we still made the best out of it. We went to the Siena Cathedral, walked around the Museo dell’Opera del Duomo, climbed the Facciatone to a get a view of the whole city and Tuscan countryside (ABSOLUTELY worth it, despite the amount of steps!), explored the Palazzo Pubblico, and, of course, ate some gelato. I highly recommend visiting Siena if you have never been. It’s such a charming, vintage European town with so much history and wonder. It kind of reminded me of a village you would see in an old-fashioned movie or also the opening scene of Beauty and the Beast!

View of Siena from Facciatone

Palazzo Pubblico

The following day, me and my friends Megan and Chelsey decided to spend the day exploring Pisa. It took less than an hour to get there by train (we didn’t take the faster train, we just took the normal one), and it was only around $8 euros per person. In my personal opinion, while the city is beautiful and iconic, it’s only worth a day to visit rather than a whole weekend. The only thing that most tourists really do there is take pictures with the Leaning Tower of Pisa 😂 But I still recommend going for a day and exploring. It’s totally worth it and you’'ll learn so much more about the city than you did before!

Baby got back!

From right to left: Chelsea, me, and Megan

On Sunday, to end the weekend, me and two of my roommates, Marj and Haylee, took a day trip to Viareggio to hang out at the beach. It was 90 FREAKING DEGREES in Florence, and we felt that we would probably die if we decided to stay there for the day. So that’s when we looked up some train tickets and booked them for a beach day! We left in the morning to take a train there and we arrived there within an hour and a half. By the time we were on the train and at Viareggio, it was PACKED. There were a lot of students who, just like us, were on their weekend break going to the beach for some fun in the sun. We met two really nice Italian girls, Francesca and Demet, who were heading to the beach as well and they spoke clear English, so they let us hang out with them! We chatted with them on the train and went to a grocery store to get some snacks and drinks, then we headed towards the beach. Thank goodness that we met them because Francesca spoke Italian to all the employees there and helped us get chairs by the water to layout on! It was such a nice day. We went for a few dips in the ocean, ate, drank, took some fun pics, and just chilled in the sun. Not a bad way to spend a Sunday afternoon!

From right to left: Marj, me, and Haylee

Selfie at the beach with our new friends Francesca (top right) and Demet (bottom right)!

Week 2 of classes started off with another field trip to the Palazzo Vecchio for my Italian Fashion & Culture course. I’ve only seen the outside of the museum, so I was definitely excited to see the inside of it. It was absolutely stunning, just so purely authentic and historical! Later that day, I went to a food tasting with a bunch of other students hosted by Pozzo Divino. The owner was so sweet and intelligent, he gave us so many insightful information as he served us cheese, bread (with no salt!), olive oil, balsamic vinegar, prosciutto, and salami. He also said that the restaurant hosts special wine tasting events every week, and that Kent State students get a 20% discount on wine bottles … I’m certainly going to one those for sure for good wine with good discounts!

On Tuesday, my first class met for our next field trip at the Pitti Palace, home of the famous Boboli Gardens. It was so beautiful and majestic! Except I didn’t have time to use the bathroom beforehand, so I had to hold it in for at least over an hour which was a little uncomfortable, especially in a big ass museum 🙃 Afterwards, me and a few friends in my fashion classes decided to get lunch at La Milkeria (of course after I was finally able to pee). Y’all, I HIGHLY recommend going there if you ever come to Florence! It’s soooo good. They serve Nutella crepes, pancakes, and waffles that are unreal. They also have delicious iced vanilla lattes. It’s now officially one of my new favorite restaurants in Firenze that I’m definitely going back to at least ten more times this month! Later that night, me, my roommates and a few of our gal pals decided to hit up a sports bar called Reserve, which a lot of Kent State students go to for Tuesday night discounts on drinks. Despite not being a big partner, that was one of the best nights of my life! We drank, we danced, we drank, we danced … thankfully, I drank plenty of water afterwards to avoid having a hangover. Still, I enjoyed that night with my friends and all the other students (at least the ones I know). It was much needed break for all of us!

On Wednesday, for our European Fashion Study Tour class, we went to the Salvatore Ferragamo to learn about how sustainability plays a major role in the fashion industry. They showed off a bunch of displays featuring outfits made out of reused material that are environmental friendly and help decrease pollution (the fashion industry actually ranks in the top of most polluted industries). It was seriously one of the most intriguing museums I’ve ever visited. I love that sustainability is becoming more of an awareness in the fashion world, we need it now more than ever! And the sustainable outfits that were on display at the museum were CHIC AF. I’d definitely wear them!

Another successful and amazing week in Italia, if I do say so myself. This weekend I will be spending Friday in Rome, Saturday in Chianti and San Gimignano for a wine tasting tour as well as spending Sunday in Cinque Terre. I also have field trips to Prato and Milan for my European Fashion Study Tour class, so stay tuned to hear about them all in next week’s post! 

I’m here in Florence for another two weeks and I’m still open for any recommendations, so comment below if you have any for me!

One Short Day in NYC

Hey, y’all! I hope everybody is having a fabulous week so far! I’m now back to my regular schedule and attending classes after a much needed fall break. It’s not even close to Friday yet and I already miss having time off! This year was actually Kent State’s first fall break ever. You would think it would have one like the other big schools like Ohio State University and Miami University. But they’re now finally allowing students to enjoy a four day long break from studying! Although there are still plenty of deadlines due once we all come back ....

For fall break, I got the chance to go to Sparta, New Jersey to visit my aunt, uncle, and two cousins. It was such a fun weekend spent with them since I don’t get to see them that often. One of the best parts about the visit was spending one whole day in New York City with my aunt and uncle! Although I’m more of a Chicago girl, NYC is definitely one of my favorite places to visit. There’s just so much to do and see, so you can never be bored. What also love is that it’s a very diverse city, which makes it great for people watching! Although we didn’t spend more than one day in the Big Apple, we still got the best out of it and managed to find the city’s best treasures.

We left New Jersey around 9:30ish and it took us about an hour to get to NYC. It was windy and chilly outside since we parked closer to the river. But then we walked over to Times Square, one of my favorite places to explore and snap pics, and the buildings blocked out the wind. After observing Times Square, we made our way to explore Bryant Park. There’s not much to do there, but it’s a great place to hang out during your work break and chat with some friends. It was very sunny and mild outside, so we decided to take Chipotle to go and ate at the park near the gorgeous fountain. It was the perfect day to eat outside. Not too hot or too cold, not overly crowded (although we had to sit near the steps because all the tables were taken), and a delicious steak burrito bowl makes it even better!

One of my favorite things that we did during our time was visiting the Rosé Mansion, which runs from July to October (so go now before it leaves!!!) My aunt was telling me all about it beforehand and how it’s so perfect to get cute pictures for Instagram, and she was totally right! The two of us went (my uncle decided to go to a bar and let us have some “girl time”) and spent about a little over an hour trying different kinds of rosé and taking fun, silly pictures. It was basically like going to a wine tasting event, but with more rooms based for quirky photoshoots. We took so many cute pictures and boomerangs, it was hard to choose what to post!

Rosé all day!

We met up with my uncle at an Irish pub before going out again to explore and shop a bit. We stopped by Pasta Lovers for dinner before going to see Pretty Woman on Broadway. It was so fun and a surprise for me, because my aunt and uncle didn’t tell me that we were going until the night before. It was such an outstanding show and so worth seeing! If you are a fan of the original movie with Julia Roberts, you would absolutely enjoy the musical performance!

To end the perfect day, we stopped by Dunkin Donuts to pick up a few donuts - my aunt and uncle’s special post-Broadway show tradition - for the ride home and we were back on the road to New Jersey right after. The busy Manhattan traffic held us back for almost an hour, but it wasn’t that bad when we got a view of the beautiful city skyline on our way out.

I want to send a HUGE thank you to Aunt Mindy and Uncle Mark for taking the time out of their busy schedules to spend time with me in NYC, as well as the rest of the weekend in New Jersey! I love you guys so much and I’m so grateful for this past weekend. Thank you for a wonderful fall break!

Me and Aunt Mindy at Bryant Park!

Have you visited NYC? What are your favorite spots and treasures to check out? Let me know in the comments for some future recommendations for my next visit!

Delight Takes On Nashville

Hey, y'all! 

I know I say "y'all" quite often, but I'm really starting to think that I'm developing a Southern accent. Why? Because I recently came back from my first ever trip to Nashville! Why? Because me and my Delight Ministries group at Akron attended the national leadership conference and it was AMAZING! I'm going to be a social media coordinator and leader for Akron's Delight chapter this fall semester, so this conference was the perfect opportunity for me to get some leadership advice and connect with other Delight chapters around the nation. It was all so worth it and I wish I could relive those past two days! 

We left for the conference in two separate cars (four people per car) almost about a week ago. After a long but fun eight hour drive that consisted of both worship and Disney music, we finally made it to Music City. We were starving, so our first stop was at Hattie B’s Hot Chicken which is a hot spot among natives and tourists. Their mild jumbo chicken tenders with fries, mac n cheese, and ranch dressing is sooooo divine! 

After dinner, we went on a mini night adventure and explored Broadway. It was full of honky Tonks and Western boot shops, basically every country loving girl's dream! After a night out on the town, we went to Brentwood where we were staying at a host's home. The residents living there weren't there because they were out of town for the summer, but they and their friends who hooked us up with the house were so kind enough to let us say. It was a beautiful home and we were so grateful to stay there!

The following day, we woke up bright and early to attend the first day of the conference, which took place at Marathon Music Works. We got there sometime between 8-8:30 and spent that time getting our swag bags, meeting girls from other chapters, taking pictures, drinking coffee, eating donuts (Krispy Kreme to be more specific), and buying some cute merchandise! 

Donut mind if I do!

The conference started around 9, which was introduced by Delight co-founders Mac and Kenz, who are basically celebrities. They both started the ministry as a small Bible study at Belmont University, which then turned into a national college organization for women. They were so cute and so friendly, they are literally the perfect role models for women. They opened up with an adorable and hilarious dance number with all the regional directors, dancing to the song "The Middle" by Maren Morris and making all of us in the audience dance along with them! 

The rest of the morning consisted of worship, an inspiring speech by Hannah Brencher, and journaling before heading into lunch. During the meal, I got to sit at a table with different women from other chapters and learn more about each of them. They were all so down to earth and I plan on staying in touch with them always. Overall, it was so amazing to be in the same room as so many other women in different chapters around the United States! 

After more discussions during the conference, we were all let out around four o'clock for a two hour break. That gave me and my friends enough to explore Downtown Nashville. We managed to find the famous and artsy #WhatLiftsYou wings mural located on 302 11th Avenue S, along with a few other mini murals. I was so happy, that definitely checks off one goal on my bucket list!

 Afterward, we stopped by Milk and Honey Nashville for some iced coffee before heading back to the conference. I highly recommend it, one of the best of many Nashville coffee shops! 

My iced almond vanilla latte from Milk and Honey Nashville

For dinner, they served delicious tacos either choices of either steak or grilled chicken. It was like we were catered by a mini version of Chipotle! I ate with the same group I ate lunch with, and we got to get to know each other by sharing testimonies with one another. It was a very special breakout session, I even teared up a bit sharing my testimony and listening to others tell theirs. That first day of the conference, I made some new amazing friendships as well as spent quality time with my Akron friends. The eight of us stayed up till two in the morning that night at our host's home. We were just laughing and having a good time with one another! 

Day Two - the second and final day of the conference - we woke up bright and early once again to take more pictures (thank you to the kind woman who took our pictures and let us hold her adorable dog!). This time, we all wore our Delight merchandise in honor of merchandise day. From sweaters to hats, every girl was all decked out and full of pride for the ministry! 

The first half of the second day was pretty similar to the other day, consisting of worship, speeches from other leaders/directors and lunch. However, we also played a super fun trivia game that involved groups selecting a runner to run over, chug a can of La Croix and answer the trivia question. Then at the end, the two groups with the most points had a tug-of-war battle. It was a blast, so much feisty action and laughs! Unfortunately my team didn't make it to the final "battle", but we still had a fantastic time!

After more speeches and group chats, we had another break period from four to seven before the conference worship finale. We met one of the photographs at the event named Jayda and she went to explore 12th South with us. Y'all, she is one of THE most kind-hearted, pure, creative, optimistic and beautiful women I have ever met! Her photography skills are amazing, and we had so much fun with her. We got coffee with her and talked about Jesus and other good things. She also took the time out of her break to do aesthetic photoshoots with us! 

The University of Akron chapter with Mac (far right) and Kenz (bottom right)!!!

The University of Akron chapter with Jayda (center to the left)!!!

After shopping and dinner, we went back to Marathon Music Works for the final worship. The band played a few songs before Mac came out to give the most inspiring speech ever. She talked about John 21:17 in which God asked Peter, "Do you love me?" to which Peter responded "Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you" and the Lord replied, "Feed my sheep." 

That verse is so powerful in so many ways. Despite when we're confused as to why God puts us through challenges, what matters most is that we must love Him and feed His sheep. This was an important message for me after a long, busy summer with happy moments yet also disappointing moments. Mac preached about how important it is to feed Jesus's sheep no matter what, whether during positive or negative situations. And during the worship, I kept telling God that I wanted to keep feeding His sheep for the rest of my life. That night, I felt so much weight and anxiety lifted off my shoulders. I prayed with friends and other girls, teared up with joy, sang my heart out, and praised His name. I've never felt so blessed in my whole life. That night, I was changed and I left the conference feeling that exact same way. I'm so grateful for everything that God put in front of me during those two days. The leadership conference will in fact be one of the most memorable, raw, and weightlifting memories of my lifetime. I am now even more eager to be a leader for the University of Akron Delight chapter this fall semester! 

S/O to Jenna Clare for capturing this beautiful of me praying for my friend Abby!

If you want to learn more about Delight, how to join and possibly how to start a chapter on your campus, check out their website and follow them on Instagram!

Have you ever been to Nashville? Comment about your experience down below and also like this post! 

But for real though, LIKE this post ⬆️😉

Picklesburgh

Happy Monday, y'all! I hope you all had a pleasant weekend full of relaxation and fun. I certainly did! It was kind of a big DILL, let me tell you that. 

This weekend instead of lounging on the couch, I went to Pittsburgh with my closest group of friends from CHAARG for an iconic annual festival: Picklesburgh. It's basically a two-day summer festival that is themed all around pickles. The name of it is so perfect and creative, right?! They served all kinds of pickle flavored foods, including fried pickles, pickle ice cream, pickle soda, pickle hot dogs, pickle funnel cakes (which honestly look gross) and so on. The best part about the whole weekend; however, was getting to spend time with my friends after having not seen them since last semester!

I'm not gonna lie to y'all, but this summer has been a bit rough. Obviously it's been amazing with our family vacation to Cali and taking a break from college and so on, but it's been mentally exhausting. First off, I've been busy with working from 8:30 am to 5 pm every day. Second off, my anxiety has been increasing for some reason. It's weird because it was getting better this past school year, but this summer it's been like a roller coaster with my emotions/mentality and I don't know why. I've just been constantly overwhelmed and stressed out. But thankfully, this weekend was very rejunivating for both my mind and my heart. I needed some downtime with my girl gang full of positive and confident women! 

My friend Danielle lives in Pittsburgh, so we all stayed at her house for the weekend. Me and my two friends, Delaney and Marj, drove together to Pennsylvania on Friday after work. It took us about two hours, but it did not feel like that long of a ride because we were so focused on catching up with one another. And the highway was clear for the most part, so that was a bonus! We arrived to Danielle’s house in the early evening, just in time to set up a bonfire and eat snacks. We met Danielle’s super outgoing family and their two cats. They recently got a orange tabby kitten named Julius and he is the cutest (and most mischievous) little feline I’ve ever met, and now I’m begging my parents to let me get a kitten!

The first night we stayed in a tent in the backyard, and thankfully it didn’t rain even though it was supposed to! The next morning, our friend Melissa showed up around the time we started making breakfast. After relaxing for an hour or so, we did our hair and makeup to look nice for all the cute pictures we were gonna take. Then around noon, our friend Alyssa arrived after driving from Cincinnati just in time for us to head to Downtown Pittsburgh for the festival. It was quite the reunion, we were all so excited to be back together again!

Me (top far left) and my beautiful friends: Alyssa (next to me), Melissa (next to Alyssa), Marj (top far right), Delaney (bottom right), and Danielle (bottom left)

Picklesburgh overall a success! We were worried about how the weather would turn out because the Weather Channel said it was going to start raining between 3-5, but thankfully it stayed warm and sunny for the entire day! Despite all the people who photobombed our pictures (not because it was crowded but some annoying people were trying to be funny and rude), we had an unforgettable time. We ate tons of pickle foods, obviously.  My favorite snacks were the fried pickle chips with ranch on the side. Oh my LANTA, they were so good! Deep fried pickles are much better than regular pickles! I did take a picture of them down below and I honestly I do wish the picture turned out a little better. I think the camera lens on my phone was fogged up a bit. OR, the fried pickles were so heavenly that they literally started glowing. One or the other, you tell me!

Even after a buttload of pickles, we still weren't satisfied. After two hours, we made a pit spot at Rock'n'Joe for some coffee before making our way to Point State Park. I had a coca mocha and it was SWEET! Literally sweet, like, it's dangerous if you have a passionate love for coffee and chocolate ...

After getting some caffeine into our systems, we walked to Pointe State Park to take pictures near the fountain. It was a fun photoshoot, and even the cold mist was a nice addition! The scenery and photoshoot also reminded us of the intro to Friends in a way. From there, we decided which characters we would all be (me as Rachel, Melissa as Monica, Marj as Phoebe, Danielle as Joey, Alyssa as Chandler, and Delaney as Ross). We are all different individuals, but what we all have in common is that we value friendships more than anything, even careers or coffee. Sound familiar?

Throwing up the CHAARG bolt! ⚡️

After a long exhausting but wonderful day, we got a much needed dinner at Red Robin before calling it a night. We spent one more night in the tent and playing with Julius before me, Delaney, and Marj made our way back to Ohio early in the morning.

I’m so blessed to have amazing friends in my life. I don’t know what I would do without these girls, and my summer certainly wouldn’t be complete without this weekend. Even though I don't want to rush the rest of summer that's left, I'm extremely ecstatic about going back to Kent State this fall to make more memories with my friends. Thank you to Danielle for inviting us and letting us stay with you and your wonderful family!

If you're a pickle lover, you have to check out Picklesburgh. Even if you don't like pickles but still want something fun for you and your friends to do, go on a quick getaway to explore the festival. It's definitely one of the most interesting and unique annual events you'll ever experience on the East Coast!

SHOP MY LOOK

Dress: Z SUPPLY

Sunglasses: Vibe LA

Shoes: BIRKENSTOCK

Another Cali Adventure

You probably know where this is going with the title ... I went on another vacation to California for the fifth time! You’d think at this point I’d be sick of it, but truly I am not. Cali is one of my favorite places in the world to visit. Of course, I’m determined to travel around the world and discover as many countries and cities as possible before I kick the bucket, but I’m still always down for another adventure in the Golden State!

My dad had to go over to Newport Beach for Shamrock, a company that he works with, to do some business. My mom and I were invited to go with him once again. My sister also managed to take a week off from work and the four of us flew over to have our family vacation. It was extra special because Lauren is getting married next summer, so it was our last vacation with just the four of us! We spent four days in Newport, one day in Anaheim, and the last two days in Santa Barbara after my dad was done with work.

It’s been almost a week since we came back from California. Now that I’m back and busy with my internship and blogging part-time, I could really use a margarita and an influential book sitting the poolside in noncloudy sunshine! But I’d be more than happy to reflect our amazing trip with y’all.

We stayed at the Newport Beach Marriott Hotel & Spa for the first few nights while in Newport. It was perfect because it was right next to Fashion Island, a beautiful outlet mall where we mostly walked around, got coffee and shopped. We spent our time in Newport by doing that, walking around Balboa Island, and relaxing at the Marriott’s pool. That gave me the opportunity to wind down after a so far super busy summer and drink an uptown margarita, sit in the hot tub (if the wind got too breezy), and read Ainsley Earhardt’s "The Light Within Me".

Unfortunately, my chest became roasted red. So bad that it was painful to take showers afterward, it felt like I was bathing in lava. But I don’t regret relaxing in sunny paradise!

Two of my favorite things to do in Newport Beach: walk around/shop at Fashion Island and get frozen bananas at Balboa Island!

Y’all, these banana treats are THE BOMB. I was honestly not expecting to like them that much, but I was so pleasantly surprised. The chocolate covered ones with all the toppings on the menu on it were a hit. Definitely worth blogging about it! 

Dont be too fooled though, it may sound more healthy with the banana 😂 My family and I kept joking about that. But hey, it’s still a perfect splurge to treat yo self! 

What’s great about Newport is that it’s only a ten minute drive to Laguna Beach, one of my favorite places to go in Southern Cali. We spent an afternoon and evening there, mostly just dining, exploring the beach and checking out the (overly expensive) shops. The beach is obviously the best and most iconic part. A perfect place to relax and have fun photoshoots!

Laguna Beach

The beach is my happy place!

On Day 4, my dad had to work all day so the three of us ladies got to spend a girls’ day at the happiest place on earth: Disneyland!! 

It was indeed a very magical day. It could not have been any better. Unfortunately, we didn’t have enough time to park hop to Disney’s California Adventure, but it was still a full day well spent at the Magic Kingdom! The whole day at the park cost around $500; $381 for our three tickets to the park, $100 on food and $30 on parking. Not too shabby, especially for how expensive Disney is!

Being a roller coaster/adrenaline junkie myself, we got to go on plenty of thrilling rides that I love including Big Thunder Mountain Railroad (my favorite), Space Mountain (my second favorite), Splash Mountain, Matterhorn Bobsleds, Indiana Jones Adventure, Jungle Cruise, Haunted Mansion, Pirates of the Caribbean, and Snow White’s Scary Adventures. You can't go wrong with any of those rides, they're worth it even when the lines are almost two hours long!

(P.S. I highly recommend downloading the Disneyland app to check wait times for rides or shows, and don’t forget to buy some FASTPASS tickets!) 

Matterhorn Bobsleds

Other than either riding rides or waiting in line for rides, we got to watch some fun shows in honor of the Pixar Festival including  the Pixar Play Parade and Together Forever - A Pixar Nighttime Sepctacular, which is still going on until September. 

I love Pixar movies, both old and new. So the fest definitely brought back both old and recent memories!

The Toy Story float during the Pixar Play Parade on Main Street USA

We also ate some super delicious food, obviously! From churros to Mickey Mouse shaped ice cream sandwiches, we were living the experience up to the fullest potential. Popular opinion: all kinds of food taste way better at Disneyland!

It’s impossible to not smile while at Disneyland, whether you’re a Disney fan or not. I was in all smiles throughout the entire day. I felt like a college blogger turned princess! 

After one last full day arm Newport Beach spent with two of our college friends (who live and work in LA), we drove three hours through LA and made it to our next destination: Santa Barbara. It was such a beautiful city full of missions churches and cute small town shopping areas. One of the highlights was going wine tasting at SAARLOOS AND SONS in Los Olivos. It was so relaxing and perfect for a sunny day outdoors. And for a bonus, we got to eat cupcakes with the wine!  

On our last full day in Cali (sigh), one of my dad’s Santa Barbara native friends took us out on his boat into the Pacific Ocean. The areas we drove around were supposed to be areas invested with great white sharks, but we didn’t see any – which was unfortunate but also relieving. We did see a few harbor seals pop their little heads out of the water, and they looked so adorable I wanted to pet them! Our friend also showed us all the houses along the beach shore owned by either celebrities or successful business workers, including Oprah, Ellen DeGeneres, and Steven Spielberg. They all had to be at least over $30 million (not too expensive, right?). The best part about the boat ride; however, was driving back when the wind picked up big time and the waves coming toward us were super choppy. Our friend increased the speed of the boat and we went flying over a ton of waves. Sometimes me and my sister were in midair! It was so fun, like being on a roller coaster. My sister, my mom, our friend, and I loved every second of it! My dad, on the other hand, not so much.

To top off the night, we explored the tangerine and lemon gardens of Montecito before having dinner at our friend and his wife’s house. It was indeed a beautiful and adventurous day, the perfect way to end an amazing vacation! Now I realize it's time for me to go to bed as I type this.

Have you ever vacationed in California? Comment and share your experience down below, I’d love to read about it!

Favorite Spots in Chicago

Hello, babes!

I recently had the pleasure to visit my sister Lauren and her fiancé Jordan in Chicago to celebrate my 22nd birthday. It was so much fun and amazing, definitely one of the best birthdays yet. I can't wait to see what this year brings! I also now have an excuse to sing the song by Taylor Swift! Although I'm not a huge fan of hers, but I'm still gonna sing it whenever I'm in the mood to.

Chicago is hands down one of my favorite cities to visit. It's better than New York City in my personal opinion. It's not as crazy, it's more clean, the people are more nice, and it's a very unique place. There's so many different things to do and go to, the list is wide open with several opportunities! I got to do and see a lot of cool places during my birthday vacation, and of course I still have some favorites from previous trips. So I thought with summer coming, it would be great to make a list of some of my favorite spots in Chicago that you should check out for your next trip! 

Chicago Tourism

At the Art Institute of Chicago!

• Chicago Architecture Foundation River Cruise

  • I didn't think I was going to enjoy this at first, but then I loved it. Not only was it a boat ride on a warm sunny day relaxing but it was so fun to learn about Chicago's unique architecture!

• Millennium Park

  • Where else are you going to find a ginormous silver bean or crown fountains that spit out water?

• Lincoln Park Zoo

  • It's one of the coolest zoos I've ever visited. Plus, admission is free!

• Art Institute of Chicago

  • I'm a sucker for art museums. This one is definitely a must-go on your museum bucket list! Chagall's America Windows display is so beautiful and there is even a statue of LeBron James! Well, it's actually a statue of a goat, but you know what I mean ...

• Shedd Aquarium

  • It's a little expensive, but seeing all the amazing aquatic creatures from beluga whales to seals is totally worth it.

Chicago Entertainment

• Howl at the Moon

  • This is definitely one of the best bars I've ever been to. Not only do they provide every kind of alcoholic drink you can imagine but all music is performed live by pianists. And if you request any song, they'll perform it right off the bat without practice!

• Chicago Theatre

  • A landmark feature and theater in the Windy City. Just to see the sign and snap a picture of it is well worth it!

Chicago Shopping

• Water Tower Place

  • I LOVE this building. Even if I'm not visiting to shop (which rarely happens), I have to stop by here just for the feel of it. This place has almost every retailer and food rest stop you can think of. They have Chicago's famous Garrett Popcorn store which has the most amazing Garrett Mix (gourmet cheddar and caramel popcorn). They also have Foodlife, a self-serve food hall with every kind of food you can imagine. Italian, Chinese, desserts, burgers, Mexican, Chicago style, they have it all!

• Macy's on State Street (Marshall Fields)

  • Fun fact: My mom worked here while she and my dad lived in Chicago in the 80s before they changed it to Macy's!

• The Magnificent Mile

  • Located on North Michigan Avenue, it is a busy and vital premier commercial district flooded with so many amazing famous shops, fashion outlets and restaurants that you can only find in big cities such as NYC, LA and of course, Chicago. From the Disney Store to Burberry, there's no great store that you cannot find. I feel cool just walking around the district and taking pictures!

Chicago Dining   

• Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba

  • My family and I have been dining here for as long as I can remember. The service and atmosphere is very delicate. Their sangria, prosciuttio, goat cheese marinara with garlic bread, buttermilk-fried chicken thighs, and fried calamari are even better!

• Labriola

  • A very delicate Italian restaurant with great pizza, spaghetti, wine, and much more. My mom and I went last fall and we had the nicest and funniest bartenders!

• Barcocina

  • Awesome Mexican restaurant in Lincoln Park with great margaritas and cheeseburger tacos, as well as a pink Instagrammable sign saying "Feed me tacos and tell me I'm pretty."

• Homeslice

  • My sister, her fiance and I went here for my 22nd birthday dinner. The thin crust pizza is so good. The interior design is all wooden, even the menus are wooden plates!

• Hampton Social

  • This is where we went to brunch for my 22nd birthday. It's a little expensive, but it's still worth the experience. It's very Instagrammable (it's where the famous sign "Rose All Day" exists that bloggers love) and cute. And it's hard to turn down a mimosa and breakfast sandwich with avocado, scrambled eggs, American cheese, bacon and arugula!

• Foodlife

  • I pretty much covered this above when talking about Water Tower, so you get the gist of it already.

• Yolk

  • You're typical breakfast restaurant with everything you can imagine. It's perfect if you're hungry for something specific, it's right on menu. They have delicious cinnamon french toast with strawberries!

• BomboBar

  • I had a "Bombolato", a donut with vanilla gelato, salted caramel icing, and fruity pebbles. It sounds like a heart attack, but the calories are "cerealisly" worth it!

• Stan's Donuts & Coffee

  • As a donut lover, this is a must-do on my Chicago list. The doughnuts are hot and fresh out of the oven, and there's so many different unique flavors to choose from. They also have great coffee that makes stopping there convenient. Coffee and donuts no doubt always make a great combination!

Chicago Instagram Hot Spots

• Hampton Social

  • Like I said above while mentioning it it in my favorite restaurants, it’s very Insta worthy for bloggers like me!

• Skydeck Chicago

  • This is a definite photograph hot spot! I haven't gone yet, but I so badly want to and get a picture standing over the glass room! This is perfect if you're a daredevil or not but looking for ways to step outside your comfort zone! The only downfall is that you do have to book tickets ahead of time or else you have to wait in line for three hours (meh).

• The Bean at Millennium Park

  • This place is a legendary icon, how could you not post a selfie reflection of yourself?

• Navy Pier

  • Get a vivid shot of the iconic ferris wheel lit up at nighttime and you're good to go!

• North Avenue Beach

  • Not only will you enjoy a pleasant walk along the shore during the summer, but you can snap some great shots of the city skyline. Thanks to Tom Haverford and Andy Dwyer taking a piggyback ride picture here in a Parks and Recreation episode, it's well worth it!

• Chicago Riverwalk

  • There's so many different angles and poses you can do on the bridge or sideline near the river. It's definitely a great place to take pictures, even in the winter. The river also turns green for the famous Chicago St. Patrick's Day celebration which you don't want to miss out on for a cool picture. It looks slimy yet super cool!

• Chicago O'Hare International Airport

  • The third biggest airport in the USA, big enough to take some really cool pictures. This is perfect especially if you're a travel blogger, you can share some pictures of you on an adventure as you go through and explore the airport. Share your journey!

• Lincoln Park murals

  • That picture of me above? Yeah, Lincoln Park has some pretty dope graffiti walls that are worth the picture.

What's your favorite place to go in Chicago? Comment down below and share!

San Francisco, California

If you are adventurous and creative like me, San Francisco may be the perfect vacation destination for you. Apart from giant red bridges and haunting old prisons, the city is a wondrous beauty full of many sites to see and things to do. What's also cool is that there are so many different personalities all over, no one is exactly the same at all. I can also tell those personalities apart just by looking at everyone's fashion sense, it really says a lot! Of course, I am not one to judge right away. 

Despite the loss of the Cleveland Cavaliers against Golden State a few weeks ago, I was still willing to visit SF and have a much-needed vacation. Also my dad had to go for a fundraiser which his business was supporting, so we really didn't have a choice. I love California and I was ready to explore a new city. Plus, the Full House series takes place in SF which is another reason to want to visit!

My dad got two tickets upgraded to first class, so he let my mom and I have those seats while he sat in the section behind ours to watch a few movies and do work. It wasn't my first time experiencing first class, but it definitely has so far been the best one. Now that I'm 21, I got to order some white wine while watching The LEGO Batman Movie and Beauty and the Beast, as well as reading Enchantment: The Life of Audrey Hepburn by Donald Spotto.  

What's funny is that there are times when people think I'm older and don't ID me at all or there's people who ID because they think I'm fifteen-years old. During this trip, especially getting onto airplanes, many people thought I was still a teen. Well, the Neutrogena must be working very well!

Watching The LEGO Batman Movie while drinking a delightful glass of white wine in first class.

We arrived in SF around 10 PM (West Coast time), and we took an Uber to our the Fairmount we were staying at. It was kind of weird to be the city with the basketball team that beat us during the NBA Finals, but thankfully no one recognized us and booed us for being from Cleveland.

Skyline of San Francisco from the airplane!

I was amazed at how fancy and big the Fairmount was, by far the fanciest and prettiest hotel I ever stayed at! It kind of looks extra, don't you think? 

What also fascinated me about the hotel, besides a huge breakfast buffet and a relaxing bath tub for nighttime baths, was the amount of history that was held inside. There were so many portraits of famous people, both dead and alive, who have paid a visit. It also showed a picture from 1906 after the huge earthquake, which was one of the few buildings of San Francisco that survived. How incredible is that! As a history lover, my mom was so obsessed with the hotel's beauty and treasures, as I'm sure many guests are. 

To my surprise, San Francisco is actually very chilly for most of the year, even during the summer. I could only pack one pair of shorts, and then I had to pack jeans and leggings. I wish it wasn't so cold, but I was more excited to explore the city than to worry about the weather.

After breakfast at the Buena Vista, most famous for their Irish coffee (which I probably would have enjoyed if it weren't for the whiskey, but I guess it's a traditional thing), we took a walk around Pier 39 and Fisherman's Wharf. I was really hoping to see all the sea lions resting on the docks, but there were only a few because most of the them were out north in the Pacific Ocean for breeding season. On the bright note, we got to see a few! 

We also walked the plaza of the pier which greatly resembled Santa Monica Pier in LA, but more clean and less sketchy. The food stands and flowers add a very pleasurable touch. 

If I had to choose what my absolute part of my trip was, I would definitely have to say it was touring the Walt Disney Family Museum. My family and I have always been Disney fans and I've always thought of Walt Disney himself as one of my role models, so visiting his museum was a must on our to-do list. 

I still curious though, why is Walt Disney's museum located in SF and not in LA or even Orlando? Did Walt Disney and his family enjoy visiting the Bay Area or was it just a random spot that his succeeders decided to use? I'm currently trying to figure out the true answer, and you can comment if you happen to know it! 

Each floor was very educational and brought back many fun memories from my childhood. I loved learning more about Walt's life, from when he grew up in Missouri with a passion for drawing to when he made Disneyland a reality in 1955 (which you can see an amazing model of down in the picture below). Not only did he bring happiness and imagination to the world, but he was also a family man who put his loved ones first. I truly admire him for everything that he worked hard for. 

I want to say thank you to Mr. Disney for the legacy he left. I hope he's smiling while looking down and from heaven at what has become of his company! 

One of the most popular exhibits at the moment was "Awakening Beauty", a special tribute to Eyvind Earle who was the art director for Sleeping Beauty. It showed all of his beautiful and colorful paintings, prior to working with Walt Disney Studios. My favorite thing about Sleeping Beauty is the scenery and colors, so I was so happy to see the original artwork in person. 

And of course, it's impossible to go to San Francisco without riding a cable car! To clarify, the car was not actually moving in the picture below. This specific one is always parked on a street near Buena Vista so that tourists can hop on it and snap some pictures, which is what I exactly did. And of course, we eventually had to ride a moving one to get the true experience.

Another favorite site of mine to see in the Bay City, obviously, is the Golden Gate Bridge aka one of the most iconic architectures in the world. Thankfully, we got to go on a perfectly sunny day which is very rare in SF, no fog in the sky! I wasn't even nervous at all walking over the bridge, except for when my mom took pictures with her phone and I was worried about her dropping it. Oh, the things millennials stress about ... 

One of the best things about traveling is the feeling of sensation and gratitude. I felt those exact two feelings when seeing the Golden Gate Bridge up close in person. It was so beautiful and breathtaking, I couldn't even believe it with my own eyes. It just reminded me of how truly blessed I am to have amazing opportunities like this, and how I should be thankful for the ones I have had as well as the ones that are to come. 

Unfortunately, we didn't have time to take a tour at Alcatraz, which my mom and I really wanted to do. On a bright note, we at least got to see it from a far which was enough. Besides, I'm not very fond of the tours that involve a headpiece and listening to an old guy go on about every historical fact in detail ... 

We also got to look around Chinatown, which apparently is one of the biggest ones in the country. Things got a little exhausting; however, when my mom and some of her friends deciding to walk from the pier back to the hotel, which meant we had to walk up and down the extremely steep street hills of the city. I didn't choose very good shoes to walk in, so I blame myself for that (but hey, style triumphs pain, am I right?) So to distract myself from exhaustion and my weary feet, I took some time to take some cool pictures of cool street signs which I am a sucker for. 

View of Alcatraz from a dock.

Did I even mention that we visited Saucilito for a few hours? It was a very nice city, it kind of reminded me of Laguna Beach. We actually walked along the highway just to get there. Talk about rebellious! It was totally worth it when we got a bite to eat, refreshing drinks, and an incredible view of the bay.  

For our last night in SF, my dad and his company had a special dinner party at a country club hosted by the City of Hope, an organization for cancer treatment. My dad, mom, our friends, and I all went to the ceremony together at the beautiful country club for a lovely dinner, friendly conversations, inspiring speeches from hard-working employees, and an auction that raised a ton of money! 

San Francisco did not disappoint me one bit, and I already can't wait to go back there again someday. Hopefully the next time we return will be after Cleveland wins another championship and beats the Warriors in another round of the NBA Finals ... 

Next stop, Napa!