Madrid – Seville – Granada – Barcelona
After Budapest, my sister and I met my parents in Madrid, Spain. Madrid was my sweet intro to the country, with its history and walkable pedestrian-friendly streets. I loved seeing dog walkers out and about all day, even late into the evening. Continue reading
Lana del Rey’s new album has been in my life for over two weeks now. And even though the song is old news by now, Lust for Life expands the concept of “summertime sadness” into explosion — into narrative. And, for a moody teen living on her own for the first summer ever, the lyrics from this album reflect my emotions this season — and save me a little.
Summer’s meant for loving and leaving,
but I was such a fool for believing that you
could change all the ways you’ve been living — but you just couldn’t stop.
This month I felt productive: in work and in fun and in growth. July started with a trip to New York City, to visit my sister during the Fourth. I had the fortune to see the holiday in both of my cities: fireworks over the Delaware river, fireworks nearly blocked by skyscrapers. New York is an amazing city — but I love Philadelphia more, and it loves me back. Continue reading
After the first time I had kissed a stranger — in the blushing light of a music festival — I was reeling by how easily it had happened. He had seen me, chatted a little, put his arm around me…the only reason why we didn’t kiss sooner was because I was too naive to realize what he wanted.
In high school, finding someone to kiss would have been much more difficult, to say the least. Not because I wasn’t interested in anyone — but my shy and awkward demeanor didn’t attract boys at my school. The option of hooking up — being physically intimate with someone without the emotional aspect — was never really on the table, mostly because I was idealistic and unpopular, partly because high schoolers are actually more romantic than society portrays them as. Continue reading
You know how when you travel, a place can be nice, but only in a superficial and touristy way? Like, you enjoy it of course, but you don’t feel like there’s enough substance left to visit again anytime soon? I feel that way frequently when I travel — but not for Budapest.
As my sister and I flew from the Netherlands to Hungary, I realized how little I knew about the country. I didn’t know anything about Hungary aside from brief mentions during history class. I hazily imagined a quaint, sleepy city, but really had no idea what to expect. Continue reading
I did not expect, in the heart of a city, to foster some greenery of my own, yet I visit the rooftop deck of my house nearly daily to tend to six lil plants.
I have basil, lavender, chives, oregano, and a mini sunflower. More practical than flora I used to take care of back in suburbia. Purchased as teenage seedlings from the farmers market. I’m not much of a chef myself, but my housemates have used my basil for dishes like lasagna. It delights me to be useful. Continue reading
Amsterdam, Netherlands
The door’s bell tinkled as I entered the red-painted restaurant, and the waitress caught my wide-eyed look. “You can have the corner if you’d like,” she said, directing me to far right.
Feeling special, I walked over and sat at an embroidered stool. The tiny counter was attached to a wide window overlooking a castle-like building, some boutiques, and a wheelbarrow full of flowers. There were salt and pepper shakers and a bowl of rock salt on the counter. But I am not special; I’m just traveling alone. Continue reading
June, a landmark month in many ways: it was my first time I was responsible for my own rent, food, and employment. Adulting is hard! I spent most of the month merely adjusting to the new independence. I’ve enjoyed myself immensely, but I’ve also already learned a lot within these few weeks.
Hello! Welcome to my first blog post about my May trip to Amsterdam/Budapest/Spain.
In this incredible vacation, I collected mementos very lightly, but mostly because I was so concentrated on living in the moment. In many ways, this was my first travel experience as an independent adult, so there was a lot to relish at the time.
Still, I picked up a few things to remember this special trip by.
So far, summer has consisted of me learning how to live like an adult and adjusting to working life. But I also want to make sure I carve out time to fulfill more personal and frivolous goals. Continue reading
