2017 was a great year, but cheers to 2018 and more adventures to come!
Happy Holidays and Happy New Year! 🙂
Some Favorites from 2017
friendship
California Dreaming
I seriously need to post more!! But it’s better late than never I guess!
Last Thursday – yesterday, I traveled from Detroit, MI to San Jose, CA. I visited two friends who I met while volunteering abroad, and another friend who I met in Sweden last year through study abroad.
To start, my friend Kaila picked me up from the airport with her roommate, Anthony. We got drinks for happy hour on the water, and I ran into the freezing Pacific Ocean (I only had one drink mind you)!
Visiting San Francisco and exploring by myself on Friday afternoon was full of fun, hipster vibes, and amazing Mexican food!
The following day Kaila drove us to Felton, where we hiked in a redwood park, met some hippies, and snuck into a music festival with them! It was an interesting day to say the very least…
I was able to grab dinner with another friend who I met in Thailand, Wendy. We reminisced about our time abroad with some Thai cuisine in Mountain View.
Lastly, I spent the day with my friend who just moved to SF, Ali. She’s originally from Montana, so we had fun wine tasting in Napa for the first time!
I had a wonderful time with friends in Cali, and I can’t wait to go back someday!
An Old City with a New Friend
As I grow older, my friend circle dwindles down and becomes more tight-knit. This may sound like a bad thing, and at first I thought it was, but I get it now.
I am blessed to have great, close friends in my life who I would do anything for and vice versa.
One of those friends is someone who I met in Sweden. Bethany and I visited each other in Chicago two months ago – I will always cherish our weekend together, full of exchanging study abroad memories, sore feet from walking everywhere, and acknowledging newfound inside jokes!
It was also special because I have been to Chicago several times (many of my favorite childhood memories are from Chi-town) and Bethany had never been there prior to this summer. I was able to show her my favorite places, as well as experience new bars and clubs together!
Bethany, I’m not sure if you’ll see this anytime soon, but thanks for being a gem of a friend! I’m beyond thankful to have met you in Sweden!
Cheers to more adventures together!
A Quick Visit to D.C.
When I studied in France two years ago, I knew many great things would come from that experience. I knew I would improve my French-speaking abilities, learn about a new culture, and grow as an individual. Never did I expect to have a long-lasting friendship with my roommate, Carolyn!
We have been in touch and have visited each other in the U.S. twice now! Carolyn just moved to Washington D.C. and I spent the weekend with her, catching up and sharing old stories about our time abroad.
Visiting with Carolyn is always a good time! I’m looking forward to where our next reunion will take place!
Adventures in Edinburgh, Scotland
Once Johanna and I parted ways with our friend Taylor in Dublin, we ventured off to Edinburgh!
The above photo is our view from the hostel we stayed at! Who else could say that they slept across the street from something as beautiful as this?!
Johanna and I are both of Scottish heritage, so being in an area of such rich history and culture meant the world to us.
Being able to casually and conveniently stroll within the castle walls was one of my favorite parts of the trip; this is something that is extra special as an American! Our country is so new that castles are alien to us, thus why it is on many of our bucket lists to visit them in Europe. The Edinburgh Castle is one of my personal favorites not only because of its size, but because of its deep-rooted history with England and so on.
Mary Queen of Scots is one of my ancestors; being in the location where she and her family lived years ago is something I will never take for granted. I am truly proud of my Scottish and French heritage on my mom’s side!
The following day, the two of us went on a free walking tour recommended by our hostel staff. I wasn’t surprised to see two stereotypical things about Scotland on our tour: whisky and scotch signs, as well as cashmere scarves! I had to try some and buy some…
Although I saw what I imagined in Edinburgh, it was refreshing to see things that I didn’t anticipate, such as colorful, bright buildings.
Our tour guide was so knowledgeable (Sheldon Cooper status) and was extremely passionate about J.K. Rowling’s influence on Edinburgh, and vice versa. He showed our group the places in which Rowling received her inspiration(s) while creating her infamous Harry Potter characters; she took character names from this here cemetery!
Of course we had to visit where Rowling sent her sons to school (aka: Hogwarts’ inspiration)!
This little puppy statue is lucky, only if you rub his nose though!
The above photo was taken as Johanna and I had tea in the cafe in which Rowling penned her ideas for Harry Potter: Elephant and Castle. The bathroom was filled with what I’ll call “Potter Postings” from fans; her brother-in-law who owns the cafe tried covering them up at first, but fans are “too” passionate for Potter!
The two of us also climbed (part of, a VERY small part of) Arthur’s Seat. We were ratchet and didn’t feel like climbing the entire thing; all the rich and sweet food we ate must have had us out of shape! From what we did see, it was as incredible as expected!
Simply wandering around Edinburgh was enough to make Johanna and me happy; the contrast between the day and night in the city is parallel to Edinburgh’s light and dark sides (of history, culture, etc.).
And obviously, the food was solid in Scotland. If only this macaron place was in my hometown…
Växjö, Sweden in a Day
As an American student studying in Kalmar, Sweden, I need a residence permit for my five-month adventure. Unfortunately, Kalmar doesn’t have a migration board office; fortunately, the six Americans had to travel elsewhere.
Vaxjo, Sweden is a small town, but much larger than Kalmar. We definitely packed a lot into one day!
The vibrant colors of the cathedral and the unique architecture cannot be beat; however, the Swedish slides are very confusing, even for twenty-something year-olds!
Umami Monkey was perhaps one of the best burger joints I’ve ever been to…and I’ve been to some good ones in Germany and Ann Arbor, Michigan! To think we were mad that the Mexican place was closed…
The glass museum in Vaxjo really brought out how modern the town is, as well as how innovative they are with their creations! As an American who really knows little about Sweden (excluding Ikea and the famous ice hotel of course), these unique creations were exactly what I imagined Sweden to have!
The Vaxjo town model and Ice Man replicas were neat to see in order to put all I’ve learned from National Geographic in perspective!
The Loranga part of the museum was interesting at first, but then it really brought out our inner child-like behavior!
All in all, we had a great day at the museums, bookstores, cafes, and restaurants in Vaxjo! A day of chores seemed to turn into a day of fun instantly!
