to the one going abroad...

you are about to embark on what can be the most thrilling moments of your life. it never quite hit me that I was going abroad for 4 months, and yet it never did. it was always like a dream that I was living in. you may have the same feeling, or maybe you’re terrified of what’s ahead. whatever feeling you have, appreciate all the emotions that surround you. because the world around us is beautiful, and exciting, and unique. yes, it can be dangerous, but life itself is dangerous. so, do not be afraid. when you put that dangerous thought of fear in your head, you will only see things as bad, even if they are not. 

other countries and cultures have different social cues than your own, so don’t always assume something as strange, because chances are it’s normal for them. but this does not mean to forget your instinct. open up to new ways of life, and something will grow inside of you, that you never thought of before. trust that life has brought you to that very moment for some odd reason, and you must be willing to accept whatever fate it may be. be courageous in your own mind.

live life free, because you are in the perfect moment to live spontaneously. spend that extra dollar on something that makes you smile. adventure on your own. meet new people. gain an extra pound and try new delicious food. send gifts back to your loved ones to show how much you appreciate the gift they gave you. smile.

take care of yourself. you do not need to do something amazing every day. rest when you need. but do not let all of these moments go to waste because of fear. because fear itself can be scary. I saw a quote that said “sometimes fear won’t go away. so, you’ll have to do it afraid.”

don’t be overdramatic, be overenthusiastic of where you are. spread love. change views. appreciate. because that is what you signed up for, whether you knew it or not.

and for the love of god. live as if you fly home tomorrow and never get to return. because sooner than you know, it will be the night before your flight home, and you’ll be sitting there asking where all the time has gone.

and then you’ll be the one telling someone to enjoy the chance to go abroad.

good luck and remember to live.

day dreamin

---

hey, I'm alive! was not kidnapped in Europe and didn't "accidentally" miss my flight home, all good news. but I have obviously been absent from my blog for a VERY long time. 

3 reasons why: 

1. I am a procrastinator- I always say I'm gonna do something and I either put it off, or do half of it and say, "I'll do it later." but I eventually do it!

2. going off of procrastinating, I'm sometimes a POS and just am too lazy to do things, no matter how passionate I am about it. 

3. most importantly, I have been so busy!! yeah, my classes in italy weren't too hard, but I became so exhausted traveling so much and trying to fit in all my lasts (tough I know, right?) that I started to prioritize, and my blog got the short stick. 

but here I am now, sitting in a little cafe, thinking about the things I have done and all my dreams that have come true (so cheesy but whatever) and finally updating my blog! and boy I've got something on my mind about life I wanna share. 

they always say, "dream big" and all that bullshit, but when our dreams come true we're so quick to jump to our next big dream that we forget we're living in it right then. I've been thinking about this concept a lot, especially my last month in europe. i told myself to stop thinking about the future and to live in the exact moment that I was in, and by doing that it really allowed me to appreciate where I was. of course, it is hard to not think of new dreams and ideas for the future because it’s exciting, but you can't let that overpower your present mind set. I think by doing this it really can change your perspective on life and have a better attitude. another thing that’s helped me have a positive attitude is looking back on all I've accomplished. I could be upset that there was a lot I didn't do while studying abroad, but instead I think of all the amazing things I did do instead. I was living under the tuscan sun!! (side note under the tuscan sun is my all time fav movie) but seriously how can I be sad about missing out when I was busy doing so much.

we destroy our dreams when we look at the ones we didn't accomplish and I think that's so sad and not a good way of living. two years ago, I said I wanted to live in new york city and intern for LoveShackFancy but never thought it was possible. but look where I am!! in freakin NYC and interning for a company I love. I am so happy I could honestly cry because I took that dream and made it reality because I wanted it so bad. 

moral of this post, the life you're living right now is too cool to constantly live in the future. 

hope everyone has a lovely week -E

be inspired.

i've been wanting to start a blog for a while now. however, every time i came close to sharing what had become my baby, i always second guessed myself. i never realized till now how terrifying it is to share your thoughts with others, maybe even strangers. i contemplated for months if it was worth the fear of putting myself out there and being judged or to have this dream of creating a blog, continue to just be a dream.

at the beginning of 2018, i told myself that this year was the year for self-improvement and encouraged everyone else to try to look at the world differently. thinking back now, i wouldn't have been fixated on this new mindset if i hadn't been so inspired by bloggers and social media influencers. so i weighed this fear of being vulnerable to the chance that i could possibly impact someone else’s life, and here we are now!

i know not everyone will like what I have to say, and that’s okay because we’re all different! but i am so excited to share my thoughts and ideas, and as long as i’m happy i don’t care what others think. this blog is meant to be a healthy place where people can read about my adventures and be as eager as i am to see the world of food, fashion, and life. most importantly, i hope i can inspire someone the way other bloggers had inspired me.

wandering always, 
E