Washington D.C.

Why can't spring break last for at least two weeks? It goes by so fast, especially when it's only for one week! But thanks to my amazing parents, my spring break vacation was very well spent and planned out. The answer ... Washington D.C. obviously! As you probably guessed from the title. 

I spent six days at home to relax, get some homework done (even though it's called break for a reason!), hung out with Natalie and my pooches, and did other stuff before leaving late on Wednesday night. We didn't get to our hotel in Arlington until one o'clock in the morning, so my parents and I went to bed right away so we could be ready to freshen up in the morning and go out to explore the USA capital! 

After brunch, our first stop was to look at the White House. Ironically, President Donald Trump was leaving at the time we stopped by and we got to see him ride away in his car! He gave everyone watching outside a thumbs up. Typical. 

The White House.

After witnessing a protest (which I guess is now a common thing to occur in the city), our next stop was at National Mall, one of the best areas to explore in the city for many reasons. We got to take a glimpse of the Washington Monument, walk around the World War II Memorial (and take a picture next to the Ohio pillar of course!) and finally the Lincoln Memorial, my personal favorite place in all of D.C. 

"Home is wherever I'm with you!"

We then spent the rest of the afternoon touring more memorials such as the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial, the Jefferson Memorial, the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial, the National Postal Museum, Ford Museum, and finally we saw the house where Abraham Lincoln died. We ended the night by shopping for some cute new clothes at Zara and had dinner at Shelly's Back Room before heading back to our hotel. 

View of the Washington Monument from the Jefferson Memorial.

Martin Luther King Jr.'s sculpture at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial.

Eleanor Roosevelt's statue at the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial.

The statue of Roosevelt's dog at the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial.

One out of the five water areas at the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial.

The next day was entirely based on exploring the Smithsonian, the biggest museum in the world. In the morning, after a quick trip to Starbucks, our first stop was at the Holocaust Memorial Museum. I can't really say that I "liked" or "enjoyed", but I found it extremely moving and amazing. It was more quiet compared to other museums I have visited, mainly because everyone was letting the history seek in and just found every exhibit very descriptive and devastating. 

I literally felt like I was in Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian while walking through the Smithsonian with my parents. Our next stops included the Smithsonian Castle, the Air and Space Museum, the Hirshhorn Musem, and the National Museum of American History. Then, we concluded the day with a good steak dinner at Martin's Tavern, the same place where John F. Kennedy proposed to Jackie!  

The Smithsonian Institution Building (The Castle).

The Air and Space Museum.

Amelia Earhart's Lockheed Vega.

Our last day we decided to spend by touring the National Archives and shopping around Georgetown. Before going to those places, we first stopped at D.C. City Center to take some pictures because it's one of the best places to take cool pictures for Instagram posts. Pink lanterns definitely work perfect for any Instagram picture, true fact! 

D.C. City Center

After D.C. City Center, we stopped at the legendary Ben's Chili Bowl for lunch. We got super yummy chili dogs with french fries. Plus, we looked at the Wall of Fame and saw all of the celebrities that have visited the restaurant, Jimmy Fallon being one of them! 

We learned a lot about the Bill of Rights, the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and much more at the National Archives. We then took a mini trip to Washington D.C. and shopped at two consignment shops. My mom bought a nice tan winter coat and I got a pair of black heeled loafers and a Tory Burch off the shoulder white dress. I promise to write some blog posts about them soon!  

The National Archives.

After resting from a long day of walking all over the city, we got dolled up for a fancy dinner at the Trump International Hotel. It was extremely fancy, it most definitely looked like what you would expect. Chandeliers, a huge bar, fancy bathrooms (perfect for mirror selfies), awards, and girls wearing Christian Louboutin shoes that probably cost over eight-hundred dollars. Of course, the best part was a delicious steak with french fries and feeling like Julia Roberts after her makeover in Pretty Woman. 

The next morning, we drove all the way back to Ohio. I wish the trip and spring break overall didn't have to end so soon, but I'm so thankful for it and I will never forget about it. Now at least I have summer break to look forward to! 

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

College is super exhausting at this point of the semester, so why not take a break and get out of town for the weekend? I'm always down for a new adventure as long as I have enough cash and an excuse to write another blog post! 

This past weekend, I had the wonderful opportunity to travel with my friends and other Malone University students to Pittsburgh for the Jubilee Conference, a gathering of college students not only coming to praise God but also learn how to worship Him. One can assume that being a Christian means to work in the ministry and never sin, but that is not always true. One of the speakers, Anthony Bradley, gave an inspiring speech on how you can be a Christian and pursue any dream possible, not just in the ministry. Not only did the conference open my eyes to diversity in the church but also allowed me to  understand more that I can do all things through Christ and I don't have to be a perfect Christian to do so. 

Besides the conference, the best part about the weekend trip was getting to hang out with my friends and explore the city. I have never been to Pittsburgh before, so this was a great new experience for me! I honestly believe that the main reason why Jubilee is so amazing is that it's God's opportunity for you to spend time with people you love and redefine friendship in many ways. 

We stayed in a very fancy hotel called the Westin, which is not a far walk from Market Square and one of the bridges. There was a pizza place a few blocks down the road, so we got some on late at night on Friday. A great way to celebrate the weekend! 

The next day was warm and sixty degrees, which felt like summer! We got to wear shorts, which was good since we were going to be walking a lot. A few of my friends and I first stopped at Market District where we stopped at Nicholas Coffee Co. and got some iced coffee. Then we walked around, took some fun pictures and selfies like normal tourists. 

Market Square

The various flavors of coffee beans inside of Nicholas Coffee Co.

Watching people ice-skating!

One of my favorite parts about touring Pittsburgh was over at one of the river sidelines. It was a perfect sunny day, which made it totally acceptable to sit on the edge of the river. It felt really surreal and it was just a delightful and beautiful experience. Thankfully, none of us fell in the river! 

Later that Saturday, before another conference, me and some girlfriends went out to get milkshakes for dinner. Rebellious AND delicious, you know what I mean? 

We went to this cute ice cream shop blocks away from the convention center/hotel called the Milkshake Factory where you can get milkshakes, sundaes, smoothies, and little chocolate goodies. I got a cookie dough milkshake and it was so freaking delicious! 

We actually ended up getting lost on the way back to go to the conference, which kind of made it more adventurous yet frustrating when traveling in an unfamiliar city. But thankfully, we had Google Maps to lead us the right way. Plus, our milkshakes made it less frustrating! 

The next morning we attended one more conference before our trip back to North Canton. The last worship was the best one yet, a great way to celebrate an amazing weekend. Jubilee really has made a big impact on my faith. Not that I wasn't as faithful before, but I definitely believe it boosted my confidence within myself, I enjoyed the bittersweet moments with my friends, I had a great adventure in a new city, and I learned more about the troubles of our world and how we can use faith in Jesus as a way to make it a kinder and better place. I'm so blessed and filled with joy that I was able to attend such a weekend getaway, and I already can't wait for Jubilee 2018! 

Chicago, Illinois

My parents and I's second summer adventure took place in the Windy City! For the Fourth of July weekend, she arranged plans to visit my sister Lauren who is working in Chicago for a summer internship at Leo Burnett. It was a very lovely weekend, especially because Chicago is one of my favorite cities in the world. I was not very thrilled about leaving California, but Independence Day Weekend made me not regret one bit!

We left early from San Diego on Friday and arrived in Chicago in mid-afternoon. The flight was a bit long due to the three hour time difference, but watching The Breakfast Club (which ironically took place in Chicago!) made it go by faster. Once we met my sister at her apartment, we got freshened up and went to Millennium Park for our first stop. I have never seen the Chicago Bean in person before, so I was very excited to finally check it out for the first time (and take reflective selfies). We also saw the Crown Fountain which is a video sculpture that spits out water into a kiddie pool. My, how technology has progressed!

We met up with one of my sister's friends and took an Uber to Wicker Park which our favorite restaurant in the city, Café Bavaria, was located. If you live or are going to Chicago sometime ever, my family and I highly recommend this restaurant. It's your usual order one meal only and pay, it's more of a pick a variety of appetizers and try them out and pay. It may not sound very filling, but I promise you it is. My favorite food plates are the prosciutto and calamari, so damn good.

The next day was pretty much a tourist kind of day. We stopped first at our favorite breakfast meal at Yolk, the best brunch you will ever experience! 

After Lauren showed us her office in Leo Burnett, we drove to the city's local zoo in Lincoln Park. We saw a Siberian tiger, seals, monkeys, zebras, kangaroos, gorillas, and many more. Of course, being in Chicago, we had to pick up some amazing cheddar and caramel popcorn from Garret's.

After a long day of touring, we topped off the night with a delicious dinner at Parlor Pizza Bar, including an amazing dessert dish of a chocolate chip cookie with a topping of soft serve vanilla ice cream! Unfortunately, the only dish picture I have is of a margherita pizza ... 

Our third day we took the Architectural Boat Tour for the first time. It's the number one attraction in the city and one of the most popular tours in the country. It was really cool to see and learn the history of the buildings and areas of Chicago, and I also find big boat rides very relaxing! 

For the most patriotic day of the year, we got four tickets to a super awesome Cubs vs. Cincinnati Reds game in Wrigley Field. Despite being from Ohio, we wanted the Cubs to win! If they were playing against the Cleveland Indians, however, that would be a bit of a complicated decision. 

The temperature was not very balmy to sit in for two hours, but we managed to luck out with some great seats behind home plate! Hopefully we brought luck to the team, because they WON! 

The coolest part about the game was my dad pointed out famous comedian Jeff Garlin sitting two rows in front of us! My mom, sister, and I at first had no idea who he was. My dad recognized him from sitcoms like Curb Your Enthusiasm, The Golbergs, and even as the voice of some characters from Pixar movies. Unfortunately, we didn't get to take a picture with him. But it was cool to exist two rows behind him!

After the game, we took a subway back to downtown and got freshened up for our Fourth of July and last night meal. Lauren and I got to wear our new outfits that we recently bought from Anthropologie and had a very nice steak dinner at Harry Caray's Italian Steakhouse. We topped off the night by watching the Navy Pier fireworks from our hotel room, and even from afar it was still magical. 

I wouldn't have wished to spent one of my favorite holidays in a different place! Not only happy that I got to explore one of my favorite cities, but I got to explore it with the three most important people in my life. Thank you to my familia for an amazing weekend, and I can't wait for our next adventure! 

Southern California

Hey, y'all! 

I apologize for the long delay, I just came back from my summer traveling adventure in Southern California and Chicago. I'm bummed while writing this because it makes me wish I was back in either one of those places! On the bright side, there is still half a summer vacation left with much more adventure and blissful moments to come. And now first, I can share with you my Californian adventure!

Our first stop in the Golden State was Los Angeles. We left from Cleveland at about seven in the morning and landed at about noon, which was nine in the morning in Cali. My mom and I picked up our rental car and drove right to In-N-Out Burger in Culver City because we were starving as heck! It was worth the wait to eat, nothing satisfies my stomach like a juicy double-double. 

After lunch, we drove to Venice Beach and walked to the Santa Monica Pier. We walked into a few shops, took some pictures, and watched the surfers at the beach below catch some big waves. It was really cool not only to embrace the Californian atmosphere but to see the famous pier for the first time! 

After the pier, my mom and I drove to my favorite spot in LA, the Grove. I absolutely love visiting there, it has the majority of my favorite stores (Anthropologie, J. Crew, Zara, Madewell, Barnes & Noble, etc.), it has many cool Hollywood events throughout the year, and it's the great place to spot celebrities! Unfortunately, there was no sight of Ellen DeGeneres or Jennifer Aniston. Though on the bright side, we got to stroll through the original Farmer's Market!

My family and I love all Farmer's Market, especially this one because it's more wide-open and has more options for purchases to buy. Plus, they have much more food options, such as bakeries, juice bars, sandwich shops, pizza parlors, because a various amount of fresh foods that make an enjoyable lunch. 

After a successful hour in the Grove, we drove for an hour and a half to Mission Viejo to stay two nights with our good friends. We had a pleasant dinner at a Mexican restaurant near the lake, and then we treated ourselves with ice cream at Creamistry. What's so cool was that it was made freshly just by using liquid nitrogen and cream, how cool is that?! And the ice cream was so creamy and delicious, I wish there was a Creamistry located in Northeast Ohio!

The next morning we took a trip to Laguna Beach and ate a wonderful breakfast at the Rooftop, which was literally a rooftop restaurant! Nothing makes a morning better with a view of the beach and warm cup of a warm coffee with lots of vanilla. 

After breakfast, we could not resist a walk on the beach shore and a stroll throughout the small town nearby. 

We drove back to our friends' house and decided to have a small pool party with dinner included. I was super excited because I finally got to use my new donut float! It was so fun and relaxing to float around in the nice pool, I still DONUT wish that paradise had to end! 

The next morning, we joined one of our friends for a sweaty workout at a boot camp called Mission Viejo. It was a very tough workout, but it was so worth it. If you're looking for a good gym to find your motivation, WrightWay Fitness is the place to go! 

If you want to learn more about WrightWay Fitness, go check it out at http://www.wrightwayfit.com, I guarantee you won't regret it! 

We packed up our belongings and drove straight to our next destination, San Diego. My dad had a business conference to attend for the week, so we made reservations at the Loews Coronado Bay Resort.  

That night we spent walking around downtown Coronado and checking out some of the area's coolest sights, including the famous Hotel Del Coronado. The resort is full of super sweet restaurants and shops, it's like a hotel and mall combined! It kind of felt like walking around the Titanic.

Fun fact, it's the same place where Marlyin Monroe's Some Like It Hot was filmed!

My mom and I's original plan on our first full day in San Diego was to visit SeaWorld, but instead we were inspired to take a trolley tour around the city. We toured downtown, Little Italy, Balboa Park, and stopped in Old Town. We walked around the historic area and admired the old-fashioned architecture and buildings. And lucky for us, it was Taco Tuesday!  

The next day, we took our inner daredevils to a whole new level ... paragliding. As much as it was terrifying, it was such a surreal and amazing experience. The thought of jumping off a cliff and soaring through the sky, no boat or car attached, never came across me. Once I got into the air, however, I felt like I was flying like Peter Pan! 

Even though one of my worst fears is heights, I can guarantee that it is an experience that you will never forget for the rest of your life. If you're like my dad and get motion sickness, however, it may not be a super good choice. 

One of my favorite beaches in California is La Jolla. The love the way the rocks are formed along the shoreline with grottos in between. The color of the ocean was a sapphire blue, and the best part was watching sea lions swim near the beach! 

The dock pier was the perfect place to catch a better glimpse of the seals and beautiful ocean, despite getting hit by a few big cold waves. 

Our final day was a more history-based day. My parents and I drove to USS Midway Aircraft Carrier. Not only is it a Navy Pier museum consisting of many aircrafts used during big wars, most of which were built in Southern California.

We got to take a tour throughout the never-ending corridors of the ship, including some of the biggest control rooms I have ever seen. It was mostly the history behind everything that fascinated me. To think of all the men and women who fought, both in air and on land, is incredible. Walking through the each room and up every stair made me feel like I was a part of all those historical events.  

Before our last Californian dinner, we walked around the beautiful Balboa Park and checked out the landscape and stunning art collections. The lush gardens were the coolest attractions of the park. The bushes and trees were very-well trimmed, and flowers blossomed practically everywhere. Walking through a lovely garden resort is a great way to sum up the final adventures in the beautiful state.  

I was sad to leave, and I am still sad that I left. But I know I'll be back again many more times in the future. Hopefully one day I will be able to attend the Oscars and get the opportunity to explore new areas in the Southern state as well as visit old favorites. 

Next stop, Chicago! 

Cleveland Cavaliers Championship Parade

Normally Disney World is considered the happiest place in the world. As of Sunday, it is Cleveland! 

On June 22, my family and I were lucky enough to watch the super huge parade in honor of the Cleveland Cavaliers becoming NBA Champs. It not only was the most crowded event I have ever attended, but also the biggest crowds in downtown Cleveland for a long time. There was about 1.3 million people, some even camped out the night before to get a good view of the parade! It was just as big as the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, maybe even bigger! 

This was just a wonderful opportunity to be of something so historical. Watching the Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Golden State Warriors and ending the 52-year drought in Cleveland is a moment I will never forget for the rest of my life. It was so amazing to watch my favorite team become champions and bring a championship to my city. It was so surreal, and to listen to their inspirational speeches, like LeBron James and J.R. Smith, brought happy tears to my eyes. And now I'm lucky enough to say that I witnessed the most historical Cleveland sports event following the win! 

My mom and I woke up at about 5:30, freshened up, and left at 7:15 with my aunt, uncle, cousin, and her friend. My other cousin works for the Cavaliers in the ticket sales, Traffic, obviously, was backed up entirely. However, we managed to take the side streets through Valley View Road and Canal Road, which easily took us to downtown without being stuck in traffic for five hours.  By the time we parked, we walked with the crowds to the streets of East 9th and Euclid to watch the parade. Unfortunately, we had to stand and wait two hours before the parade finally came to our street. It was very hot outside and we were surrounded by so many people, it was so crowded that some people even scaled on top of buildings and portable toilets to gain a better view. Talk about a crazy commitment! 

Finally, police officers cleared the streets to make way for the parade. The Ohio State Marching Band marched down and performed some of their hit songs. It was so cool to finally see them live! Then, cars came by and sprayed confetti out of machines into the audience, both rectangle and star shaped. I've never seen so much confetti in my life, it was totally picture worthy! 

A few big trucks and trollies drove by, which my cousin Jenna was in one of them! It was so cool to see her be a part of something so special, especially something that she, me, our family, and the whole part of Northeast Ohio love! One of the big trucks had Cleveland-born rapper Machine Gun Kelly performing "Till I Die". There also was Jim Brown, former Browns legend, Tyronn Lue, Cavaliers coach, and of course, the beautiful NBA Finals trophy!

The NBA Finals gold trophy.

The best part, of course, was finally getting to see the players drive in. J.R. Smith was the first big player to come in, and he received the greeting that he deserved. He was also kind enough to sign autographs for anyone who asked. There is still one question out in the open that everyone is trying to figure out: where did his shirt go? 

A shirtless J.R. Smith.

But of course, J.R. was not the only player to appear shirtless. Soon enough, Kyrie Irving came down the street without top or coverup on as well. Like J.R., he signed a few autographs and even gave someone a free shoe of his! It was so cool to see him up close, I think he even made binoculars out of his hands to look at me while taking his picture! Of course, there could have been several people he was looking at, but I'll still say that we made eye contact and interaction!

Kyrie Irving looking at me!

I was a little caught off-guard after Kyrie drove away because that's when the King himself drove in! He worse a yellow baseball cat, a Nike shirt, and sunglasses and showed much pride and love like a true monarch. I was a little disappointed, however, because he somehow was in a smaller car rather than a big van which he could stand up and reveal himself. It made it hard to see him fully, but I at least managed to catch a quick glimpse and snap one good picture!

LeBron James in the yellow hat in the lefthand corner.

Other players such as Iman Shumpert, Mo Williams, Matthew Dellavedova,  Richard Jefferson, Timofey Mozgov, Tristan Thompson, and a few more passed along after LeBron. One of the last big players that I got to see - and was totally worth the wait to see - was my super handsome future husband Kevin Love!

I've had a big crush on him ever since I found out the Cavaliers drafted him. He just has such a pretty face, and he's such a great basketball player! I enjoy watching him play with the team, I think he has been a great help to allow the team to win the Championship. Kevin was so sweet as he came by. Like the other players, he gave high fives and wanted to sign autographs, but unfortunately did not have a pen. But his sweetness was so flattering, I wish I could have pushed my way through the crowds just to say hi and get a handshake! 

The incredibly handsome Kevin Love.

By the time the parade was over, we were exhausted from the overwhelming heat and claustrophobia from the confined crowd. He finally made our way to an open space as the streets cleared up, where confetti and trash lay everywhere. I finally got to eat some Subway sandwiches and Dunkin Donuts pastries which was very fulfilling and delicious, my favorite combination of food. We then made our way back to the car and drove home after a long day full of exhaustion but excitement. 

I now wish I could got back in time to re-live the incredible event, a terrible and wonderful experience all at once. If I could go back, I would try to get closer to the full on action and get better pictures and interactions with the players, but I think the amount we received was awesome no matter what. I had the best time of my life, especially since I got to spend it with my family. Let's now pray for another awesome season this fall and for our team to win it all again next year, that way we can have another historical parade to experience once more! Who knows, maybe even the Indians will win the Championship and have their parade earlier in November! 

Thank you to the Cleveland Cavaliers for striving for greatness and achieving more than that. As the King would say, "Nothing is given, it's earned." 

Carrie Underwood: The Storyteller Tour - Cleveland, OH

This week has been super hectic, in very good ways! I started work on Monday, so I've been a bit busy but I love it! My 20th birthday is tomorrow, so that is something that I am very looking forward to! But even more better, I got to attend the Carrie Underwood concert in Cleveland with some of my favorite people! 

It's been almost three or four years since the singer had a big tour. We had bought four tickets a few months ago, so I asked Lauren, Natalie, and my cousin Brittany to come. The date was perfect because it was at the beginning of summer and two days before my birthday! The weather was not that bad, which is a bonus because May has been kind of chilly so far. The fact that we were going to see one of the best country singers ever was absolutely awesome, and we couldn't wait for it! 

I love dressing up for country shows. It's always about the boots, jeans, shorts, cardigans, tank-tops, sandals, everything that brings back summer! Since the weather was a little warm, I wore my sister's old romper from Forever 21, my light nude knit cardigan from Urban Outfitters, sparkly sandals from Dillards, and a black purse from Matt & Nat. The other girls very stylish summer clothes as well, they looked like adorable country girls! 

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Natalie (far left), Me, Lauren (center right), and Brittany (far right)

For dinner, we ate Barrio, one of Cleveland's best restaurants. It is a Mexican bar and grill, the name "barrio" means neighborhood in Spanish. They have the yummiest tacos, and it's a make-your-own menu! My favorite is the spicy marinated chicken soft tacos with rice, white cheese, lettuce, and guacamole. My stomach growls whenever I think about them! 

Unfortunately, the wait was about fifty minutes. But once we sat down and ate, we were ready to get to the concert on time! Plus, waiting gave us some time to take some fun pictures together! 

Also a little surprise happened, I found out my friend from Malone University, Jordan, was at the concert, too! We messaged each other and decided to meet up somewhere quickly before the show started. We talked for a few quick seconds and got some pictures together. It was so awesome to see her! I know it's only been about two weeks since spring semester ended, but I have missed all of my friends so badly! 

Me and Jordan

The show opened with the Swon Brothers and Easton Corbin as the first acts. I have never heard of either one of them before, so it was kind of hard to sing along to their songs. They did a very good job though, any song that's country is a great song! 

The actual show finally came on at about 8:40. Carrie came onto the show opening with "Renegade Runaway", one of my favorite songs that she sings. Her voice was absolutely incredible, she has such a powerful tone! We also loved all of her various wardrobe changes. From dresses to one pieces, she looked outstanding in every outfit. My favorite was the gray dress she wore for "Blown Away", "Two Black Cadillacs", "Dirty Laundry", and "Choctaw County Affair". She's a super classy woman, one of the main reasons why she is my favorite singer! 

Some of my favorite songs that she performed were "Renegade Runaway", "Church Bells", "Jesus Take The Wheel", "Blown Away", "Clock Don't Stop", "Little Toy Guns", "Before He Cheats," and my all-time favorite, "Something in the Water". I remember that was the song I listened to a lot at the beginning of my first semester of college to help me get through rough times and to have hope for what's about to come. Two semesters later, I came back home satisfied with my first year and I got the opportunity to hear this song live. It was such a beautiful moment, to listen to the song a while back with hope and to hear it in concert with satisfaction. I could not be more thankful to God for blessing me with wonderful people and amazing opportunities in my life. 

I'm so glad we bought tickets for this, it was totally worth it! One of the best concerts I have ever attended for sure, and the perfect way to celebrate my birthday being two days away! It was even better to have my sister, my best friend, and my cousin with me to dance and sing along! Thank you Carrie for your incredible performances, never stop being amazing! 

Keep Calm and "Carrie" On! :) 

New York City

Hey, guys! I just got back from my spring break trip to NYC with my mom, and it was amazing!!!! This was my second trip to the big city, my first time took place when I was seven-years old during Christmas. Back then, I was not a big fan of large cities and crowds, so New York at that time was really overwhelming. But now that I am more mature and adventurous, going back to the Big Apple was a must! I finally got to explore the city more and see everything I have always dreamed about seeing in person! NYC is just a great city with a large atmosphere, and it could never get boring. There's so much to love about the culture: fashion, food, lifestyle, business, etc. It's like entering a whole new world! 

My mom and I left Ohio at about five in morning to catch our flight to Newark. I am no morning person, but I had the motivation to wake up and get ready to visit the biggest city in the world! We arrived at about 7 to 7:30 am and dropped off our stuff in the Marriott. It was a very nice hotel, our room had a great view and had one king-sized bed which was big enough to fit both me and my mom. We dropped off our stuff and went straight to Rockefeller Plaza, but of course we had to make a quick stop to Starbucks first. Rockefeller is the filming location for many NBC shows such as The Today Show, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Saturday Night Live, Late Night With Seth Meyers, and so much more. I bought a Friends beanie hat and a Jimmy Fallon T-shirt which I am very happy about! We then went to the Top of the Rock and checked out the amazing view of the city. It was so cool, I could have never imagined so many buildings! We also saw an incredible view of Central Park in the middle of the city. Everything just looked so cool from such a big height! My dad would not be too happy with being that high up ...  

The view of Central Park from the Top of the Rock.

After Top of the Rock and an organic lunch, we shopped at Anthropologie where I bought a super cute Saraid dress for spring which I bought for an awesome deal (I promise to share it on my fashion blog soon!). Afterwards, we went to Times Square to look around and check out some stores. There were so many big stores and advertisements for practically anything. It was so big, almost bigger than I imagined it would be! It was so cool to see the place where everyone watches the sparkly ball drop every single New Year in person, too. It felt like I was actually stepping into the New Years party, except less crowded and crazy!

Times Square.

After Times Square, my mom took me to the large Macy's store, where they hold the Thanksgiving Day Parade every year, and Urban Outfitters right before we went back to our hotel to freshen up. We took on our Saturday night by going out to a fancy & cute Italian restaurant and then, one of our biggest highlights of the trip, Aladdin on Broadway!!!!!

Aladdin was incredibly spectacular, it was one of the best musicals I have ever seen! The music was amazing, the choreogrophy was perfectly done right,  and the colors & scenery looked so beautiful. My favorite part about the show was the cast. James Monroe Iglehart, who played the Genie, was absolutely talented and hilarious, I couldn't stop laughing!  Adam Jacobs and Courtney Reed were both perfect as Aladdin and Jasmine. What was so exciting was that the guy who played Jafar, Jonathan Freeman, had played the original Jafar in the 1992 animated movie. How crazy is that?! Something that only Disney fans can truly appreciate .... 

Day Two, my mom and I had a healthy breakfast at the hotel, grabbed some coffee from Starbucks, and headed over to Battery Park to get on the boat to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. Both islands were very intriguing and historical. Ellis Island was interesting because that was the place my great grandmother had to stay right after coming to America from Italy. It was the same place where she met my deceased great grandfather, who was also an Italian immigrant. It was a little weird stepping into the same place where my great grandmother once stood when she was my age, but at the same time was so meaningful! She and my great grandfather had went through so much to bring my family to where we are now, and we are very thankful and blessed for them!

The Statue of Liberty.

Once our boat took us back to Battery Park, we walked past Wall Street and headed for the 9/11 Memorial. This was one of the attractions I just had to see. Even though I was quite young at the time the devastating event happened, I think we would all agree that it has an impact on all of our lives. It will always be an event, whether we remember it or not, that we will never forget at heart. 

The Freedom Tower (One World Trade Center).

We saw the Freedom Tower, which was built after the tragic events and is now the only World Trade Center building. We got to look at the two fountains that marked where the original Twin Towers once stood and toured the National September 11 Memorial & Museum. As I looked around at all the exhibits, all I could think about how unimaginable it was to believe that such a tragic event could ever exist, just like the Holocaust or all of the historical wars and revolutions to ever exist. I just could not imagine what it would be like to be in a situation as a witness or a victim. I continue to pray for the lost lives and for the people who lost their loved ones. 

One of the large fountains marking where one of the Twin Towers once stood.

A white rose dedicated to the lost lives of 9/11.

We went back to our hotel at about three or four to freshen up for another night out. This time, we went to Greenwich Village for dinner and to walk around. The district was so cute, I loved all the old-fashioned apartments and little urban shops. Greenwich is also a village where some celebrities reside, but unfortunately we didn't see any ... 

We ate at a little restaurant called Little Owl which was so good! My mom loved her meal, which in my guess was a lamb mixed with lasagna, or something similar. I had an egg risotto, which was basically creamy rice mixed with egg yolk. I love both eggs and rice, so it was perfect! 

A flower stand in Greenwich Village.

Our biggest highlight of that night was, of course, climbing the Empire State Building and checking our the amazing skyline view of the Big Apple at night. It looked so beautiful, just as I dreamed it would be! I love city skylines, especially when every building is lit up like stars. Everything from that point of view looked fantastic, NYC is truly the city that never sleeps! 

The city skyline from the Empire State Building.

Tree lights lit up in Rockefeller Center. So magical!

On our third and last day (sigh), we went out for a quick breakfast right after taking a little peak at The Morning Show (I think we got to see Matt Lauer and Savannah Guthrie from behind!). We also saw a funeral going on at St. Patrick's Cathedral for a police officer who was killed while on duty. There were over a hundred police officers who were there to honor him. It was so sad, I continue to keep his family, friends, and co-workers in my prayers. 

Afterwards, we grabbed some Starbucks and headed to Midtown West, where Central Park, the Love Sculpture, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art were located. 

Central Park was one of my favorite highlights from the entire trip. I have always wanted to see Central Park in person. It was so beautiful and full of nature, and what made it better was the warm and sunny weather! I loved climbing the enormous rocks, walking on bridges over the shiny lake waters, and watching people walk around with their friends or dogs. Every detail about the park and landscape was enchanting, one of the best hikes/walks I have ever went on!  

Central Park Lake.

The Bow Bridge.

One of my mom and I's favorite parts of Central Park was getting to see the fountain where the characters danced around in the intro song of Friends. The water wasn't running, so we actually got to stand and sit in it! If only Rachel, Phoebe, Joey, Chandler, Ross, and Monica were there to join in on the fun with us ... 

The Friends fountain.

After walking around Central Park, my mom really wanted to check out the Metropolitan Museum of Art, which is one of New York's most popular museums. Even though I am not a fan of world history, I do like to tour museums and look at old architecture from centuries ago. This museum had really cool exhibits from the Italian Renaissance, the Middle Ages, and ancient Egypt. Hopefully learning about these historical events will help me pass my history final!

A stained glass window in the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

A model of Jesus on the cross, a symbol of the Italian Renaissance.

To sum up our trip, we stopped at Times Square one last time and then checked out St. Patrick's Cathedral, once the funeral was over. It was  such a beautiful and holy church, it felt like I was at a church in Italy! After lighting some candles and saying a few prayers, we picked up all of our stuff from our hotel and left for the airport to catch a flight back to Ohio! 

I really wish we could have stayed in the city for the rest of spring break, but I am glad I got to see everything I wanted to see. Just the fact that I finally got to explore the city I have always wanted to see with my awesome mother is a dream come true, and I will cherish this memory forever more. And of course this will not be my last trip to NYC. Who knows, maybe someday I'll become a professional blogger and published author and will have a nice Soho apartment with a great view of the city! :) 

So much thanks to my beautiful and wonderful mother (aka Melissa) for planning this awesome trip for just the two of us and showing me around the big city. New York City really is like a whole different world, and I can't wait to go back someday soon! :) 

Marco Island, Florida

Hey, guys! I hope you all had a wonderful and relaxing winter break! My family and I just came back from Marco Island down in Florida, and it was amazing! Most vacations I love to explore, but this one was very nice because we relaxed in the sun most of the time. After a very hard first semester and an upcoming second semester in less than a week, a relaxing vacation was most certainly needed. 

Florida has always been one of my most favorite places in the world to visit for many reasons. It's always sunny and warm, some of the best amusement parks such as Disney World or Universal Studios exist in Orlando, you can find a beach almost anywhere, there's a lot of wildlife, and just the fact that it's a very happy place. It was a nice feeling to come back to the state to visit, especially seeing Marco Island for the first time. I highly recommend this destination spot if your planning for your next vacation to be relaxing and warm. 

We arrived to the hotel late at night, and we stayed at the Marriott Beach Resort, Golf Club, & Spa. It apparently was rated as the best resort on the island, so we picked a very good destination! 

The resort was absolutely beautiful. There was a giant fountain outside in the front, and it literally was the coolest fountain in the world. Part of it even changed colors at night! 

The inside of the hotel was still decorated in Christmas interior, and it was very fresh and nice inside. There were a few restaurants, including a Menchie's! I think we ate more frozen yogurt than we should have, but it was worth it. 

My favorite part of the hotel was the pool and the beach. It was super nice to sit on a bunch in the warm sun wearing a bikini. I read some really good books and everything was just relaxing. 

My mom, sister and I would walk the beach every day to collect seashells. I think we collected over a 100! Or at least it seemed like a hundred, there were more than a million scattered on the shore. 

My sister's boyfriend Jordan came down on the third day to spend New Years and Lauren's birthday with us. We celebrated her 21st at midnight on December 31st with her first legal drink. Then we went to bed to rest up for the next day, which we rested more at the pool. Then later we went to get sushi and more alcohol before the countdown to 2016. 

Happy 21st Birthday, Lauren!!!

On New Years Day, we decided to take a break from the pool and beach. We heard this place called the Everglades where you could take a tour of an unparalleled landscape with rare and endangered species such as manatees, panthers, and alligators. Yikes! 

The beautiful Everglades.

It was very cool as well as terrifying. While unfortunately we saw no manatees or panthers, we saw a lot of alligators. There was one that came too close to our boat and stared us down. I was so worried that it was going to jump up and bite our legs off! Luckily it didn't, thanks to the act of prayer. 

When some random creep trying to photobomb before he eats you alive ...

We also had the opportunity to meet some baby alligators before the boat ride! I was too scared to hold one, so I just held it's tail. It's ironic because if it were a baby panther, I probably would've held that! 

Afterwards, we had to drop off Jordan at the airport to get back home. We wish he didn't have to leave early, but were glad he came and he had fun! 

We next stopped in Fort Myers to meet my dad's friend, a CEO from Bunzl, and his family at a Miromar Lakes Resort & Club where they own a condo. My dad's friend and his family are the nicest people we have ever met. And their condo resort was absolutely stunning, it was almost like an area in Beverly Hills! 

We decided to spend our two final days both relaxing and shopping. We hung out at the pool and beach one last time, then we took a short trip for dinner to Naples. If you haven't been there, I recommend going there. It's like a little Italy! 

We made the right choice to not go to the pool and beach on the last day because it started raining, so we lucked out. But it was still annoying to walk around the Fort Myers Mall with the rain beating down on us. Eventually, we got a quick dinner and made a flight back home to Cleveland! 

I was bummed leaving Marco Island, but I'm glad I had a whole week to enjoy relaxing in sunshine and having no worries. I definitely can't wait to go back to Florida, no matter what city we choose next time. Maybe someday we can even buy a condo and go down there for New Years, spring break, or whenever Ohio gets too boring! 

Thank you Mom & Dad for taking us on this fabulous trip. Happy 21st Birthday to my beautiful sister Lauren, have fun buying drinks legally at Miami University or wherever! Thank you to my our friends, the Larmon family, for letting us come visit you at your beautiful resort! And finally, thank you Jordan for tagging along with us for three days! 

If you have any questions about Marco Island, comment down below and let me know! :) 

Los Angeles, California

In honor of Throwback Thursday, I am posting my last spring break trip during my senior year in high school, and it was one of the best places I have ever traveled to! I just absolutely love California, and everything about it. The atmosphere, touring, food, everything. This was my second trip to California, but it felt like my first time. Los Angeles is one of the coolest cities I’ve ever seen, all I want now is to go back!

Rodeo Drive

I remember at the beginning of my senior year all I could think about was going to LA for spring break, it was like chasing after a dream. The anticipation was great, everyday I would just visualize what each day was going to be like, the tours, the shopping, everything. And when I finally got there, it was everything I expected, absolutely fantastic! 

When we first arrived, we immediately went to an In-N-Out Burger right around the Santa Monica area. I think it's a sin to live in the West Coast and not have In-N-Out, just like living in Akron/Cleveland and never having Swenson's.

It was super delicious, like cheeseburger heaven! Although Swenson's will still always be my favorite ... 

One of my favorite parts about this trip was exploring Hollywood, I've also been curious of what entertainment industry looks like in person. So we took a really popular bus tour of West Hollywood and Beverly Hills to look at celebrity houses such as Katy Perry, Ben Stiller, Jack Nicholson, Will Ferrell, Ellen Degeneres, and so much more!  

The Jimmy Kimmel Live studio across from Dolby Theater.

My absolute favorite tour; however, was definitely Warner Bros. It had all of the sets/collections from famous movies and TV shows such as Friends, Harry Potter, Big Bang Theory, Batman, The Ellen Degeneres Show, etc. We saw three celebs, both Kaley Cuoco and Mayim Bialik from Big Bang and Allison Janney from The West Wing and Mom. I almost freaked out seeing two stars from one of my favorite sitcoms, but I managed to keep my cool. 

Our tour guide let us go into museums where they showed off costumes from iconic movies like Batman and my absolute favorite, Harry Potter. It was just so cool to see everything used in those movies in reality! 

Costumes worn by Daniel Radcliffe (left), Emma Watson (center), and Rupert Grint (right) from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2.

A "petrified" Hermione wax figure and spider figure from Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.

Acceptance Hogwarts letters from the first Harry Potter movie.

Batman costume

The Batmobile

The best part of the studio lot had to be sitting on the one and only couch from my absolute favorite TV show Friends! After more than five years of watching the show, I finally got to feel like I was actually in the presence of Central Perk! As I sat down on the soft couch, one of the first things I said was, "I'm sitting on the same couch where Jennifer Aniston's butt sat once!" 

Central Perk from the Friends set.

After the tour, we stopped by The Grove for lunch and Farmer's Market shopping. It's a really popular place for celebs to be seen hanging out when not working, but unfortunately everyone there was pretty normal like us.  

The Grove

The following day we decided to drive down to Anaheim and visit the happiest place on earth, Disneyland! 

It was perfect because this year they were getting ready for the park's 60th anniversary, so they decorated the castle with sparkly diamonds. It looked so beautiful, just like a fairy tale come true! 

Sleeping Beauty's Castle

I'm such a Disney fanatic, anything that's related to Disney makes my heart glow with happiness. I just loved walking around Main Street USA and checking out all the fun stores. There's also lots of fun rides like Space Mountain, Matterhorn Bobsleds, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Indiana Jones, Haunted Mansion, Pirates of the Caribbean, etc. 

The food was delicious, no doubt. My parents and I had some chili hot dogs from Casey's Corner as well as some ice cream afterwards. 

Everything takes better when it's shaped like Mickey Mouse.

We also managed to snap some pics with some favorite characters like Mickey Mouse (also known as "The Boss"), Minnie Mouse, and Ariel. 

To end the day, we stayed till midnight to watch the fireworks over the castle and Fantasmic! at Rivers of America. It was such a magical day, perfectly satisfying for a Disney lover! 

Our fourth day in California was a well-needed relaxation day. It was time to take a break from exploring and head out to Laguna Beach. There we tanned, ate some French fries, walked on the rocks of the ocean, and dipped our toes in the extremely cold Pacific Ocean! 

Unfortunately, we had only one more day to spend in beautiful and sunny California before going back home to cold, crappy Ohio. So my parents and I decided to walk around Hollywood, eat In-N-Out Burger for lunch, and hung out in Malibu for the evening. 

Judy Garland's star on the Walk of Fame.

The Dolby Theater, where the Academy Awards are held.

The City of Angels

To this day, Los Angeles has been one of my favorite places to ever have visited! I can't wait to go back there again someday, hopefully for study abroad! :)