Well everyone. I wanted to share this post during the Olympics, but I didn't want to be compared to Julia Mancuso and Mikalea Shiffrin. Because I'm about to share the story of the one and only time I have ever been skiing. And by skiing I mean getting kicked off the bunny hill because I didn't pay for lessons and then deciding that it was best for myself and everyone else on the mountain if I walked back to the restaurant and enjoyed the view.

I spent my entire life living in South Georgia before relocating to Arkansas to go to college. So it's safe to say that I had never been around large quantities of snow or real mountains. (side fact, I hadn't been farther west than Dallas, or north of Tennessee until two years ago.) So when I read on my group's itinerary that we would be spending a weekend in Interlaken skiing, I was equal parts excited and terrified. 

My balance and coordination has always been less than ideal and I'm firmly convinced that being on a different latitude and altitude only made it worse. Combine that with the fact that I was too cheap to pay for ski lessons and you get an adult never making it off the trial hill before you advance to the easy slopes. But, who cares, I can still say that I have skied in the Alps. And whenever I make it to Colorado to ski, I'll make sure to stay long enough to take lessons. And then maybe I won't be passed by six-year-olds.

The positives from this trip: 

1. The view from the top of the mountain is breath-taking. It was worth every penny for the ride up there. 

2. The Swiss know how to put great restaurants for their skiers. So great that you forget why you decided to wear five layers of clothes and strap two pieces of metal to your feet. 

3. And if skiing is not your strong suit, Switzerland has beautiful lakes and hiking trails. Pack a picnic (because you won't be able to afford a restaurant meal) and enjoy the outdoors.

_______________________________________

Abby of Becoming

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This blog will share my story. I'll share life events, musings, creations, photography, life in New York, taking a year of service, and whatever else might cross my mind. Random might be a good term for this blog, but I promise to keep it interesting!

Who would you most love to have dinner with?

I would love to have dinner with Audrey Hepburn. She was stunning, classy, and an amazing performer. Her style was iconic and she did some great things on earth. I have no doubt we could eat in the fanciest restaurant in New York City if I had dinner with her. :)

What you should be reading: 

Juice Cleanse | A Day in the Life | Scenes from the Weekend

Jess of Foreign Room

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I'm a CA girl with a passion for adventure, photography, and iced coffee, preferably all together. I blog about personal style, my latest travels, my favorite spots to explore in the SF Bay Area, and finding beauty in every day life.

Who would you most love to have dinner with?

I would have dinner with Mindy Kaling because I think she would be so entertaining and fun to hang out with. Like, can't we already be best friends?

What you should be reading: 

Red lipstick is always a good idea | Why I love my nutribullet | My favorite photo apps 

If money and time were of no consequence, where in the world would you travel? While I may be landlocked in the US for the near (and far) foreseeable future, my traveling alter ego would be a globe trotter. You better believe that she would easily fill up her passport before it is time to renew and have to ask for another one. (Side note: How does that work? Not like I will ever be in the predicament. But just curious.) This alter ego of mine would also have the art of packing down to a science. No more experimenting with the zip-lock bag method, or the roll-and-stuff method. No, she would know exactly how to pack for three weeks in a carry on like everyone says you can do. She would also have a sixth sense about where the hidden gem restaurants in a new town are. 

My travel alter ego would have stamps from: 

1// Russia: After watching Anna Karenina I fell completely head over heels in love. And throw in the Winter Olympics in Sochi in January, I'd say Russia is looking pretty good right now. I am an extreme Olympics fan. During the London games, I would watch three simultaneous events on my tv, computer and phone Minus the fact that they are hiding an American seller-of-intelligence-secrets in their airports. Russia might not like America, but I still want to visit. Don't worry, I'll practice my accent, call everyone Vlad and they won't know where I'm from.

2// Highclere Castle: Home of Downton Abbey and the home of the Earl and Countess of Carnarvon. Interesting fact: the 5th Earl of Carnarvon sponsored Howard Carter who discovered King Tut's tomb. Currently, there is an Egypt exhibit in the cellars of Highclere. Count me in. 

3 // Greece: I have gotten it into my mind that the best way and only way I want to see the Mediterranean is by cruise, you can read about Casey's Mediterranean cruise here. Think  about it, the boat is like a floating hotel that you don't have to arrange. There are no train tickets to purchase. Your excursions can be planned if you want, or you can explore on your own. Granted, I will not be cruising on a Carnival ship no matter how much of a discount they offer. After all of those disasters, I understand that cruising has a bad reputation, but I have been on two Disney cruises to the Bahamas and they were wonderful.

4 // Bali: I watch a lot of House Hunters International. There I admit it and I'm not ashamed. Sam and I even will have whole text conversations about families and how obnoxious they can be, especially when they are looking at flats in Paris. Secretly we are jealous of them. But back to Bali...It is EXTREMELY affordable to travel there once you fork over the price of the plane ticket. You can live like a king for pennies a day and many of the people buying vacation homes were able to afford maids. Add in lush jungles, pristine beaches an a unique local culture and I am a happy camper.

5 // American road trip:West coast I'm coming for you. My cousin is graduating from college in Malibu in May, which sounds like the perfect excuse to load up a rental car and cruise down the 101. Actually this sounds like a brilliant plan for non-alter-ego-traveler Jess so I'm going to get the ball rolling on this plan.

6 // Finland: I read in the Wall Street Journal about these igloos that you can stay in that have an open ceiling so you can watch the Northern Lights. How amazing would that be? Don't worry, they have thermal panels to make sure you stay nice and toasty while watching the show. For more places to view the Northern Lights, read the article here. I'm kind of obsessed with the Nordic countries in general. I would finally have an excuse to wear all of my fair isle patterned sweaters, scarves and socks. Trust me, there are a lot of them in my closet.

So now I will ask you, what is on you travel bucket list? Any ideas on how to turn them into a reality?

One thing you should know and accept about me 

is that I love "reality" television. 

Nine times out of 10 my tv is turned to Bravo.

During school, I would catch up on reruns of Laguna Beach 

and The Hills while drinking my coffee before chapel.

I don't know what draws me to semi-real shows like those

or the Housewives. And don't even get me started on my 

love of The Rachel Zoe Project. {I DIE.}

Perhaps it is all of the cool shots of LA or New York? 

Maybe it's all of the brunches? {which is my favorite meal}

Or maybe it's the thrill of trying to decipher when the producers intervened 

or when moments are just pure reality gold. 

If you thought The Hills was scripted 

{which it was. case in point: Stacy the Bartender. helloooo}

then wait until you watch Made in Chelsea, the London equivalent. 

What I love most about MIC is when two cast members 

happen to "casually" bump into each other 

while walking their dogs or window shopping. 

Really? I know Chelsea is a fairly small neighborhood, but come on.

Although I know all of the situations are in limbo between true and fake, 

I would like to think that the cast are all somewhat friends in real life 

and that there are no "Stacy the Bartender" characters 

who keep popping up in random story lines.  

{The fact that I refer to characters and story lines should concern me}

No matter, I cannot wait for Tuesdays when MIC is streamed online.

And if, like me, reality television holds a special place in your heart, 

if you have fond memories growing up watching LC, Lo, Kristen, Audrina, and Spiedy

then perhaps you might want to take the summer to immerse yourself in the lives

of similar people across the pond.

Here are two videos to pique your interest even more: 

#1 {Promo Video #IMREADY} Hilarious parody of the show but spot on.

#2 {L'Americano - music video featuring several of the boys and filmed at a party on MIC.}

Hope you are enjoying your Thursday! And maybe I've talked you into adding yet another show to your queue this summer :)

-Jess

Here is an excerpt from my blog from March: 

I just got back from an amazingly fast five days in London. There is no way to condense everything down into one post but I’ll give you the highlights. Right after we dropped our bags off we started a walking tour around the city. First stop: Rosetta stone at the British museum (no big deal.) We continued on to the likes of Trafalgar Square, Big Ben, and a brief glimpse at Buckingham. 

My favorite part of the trip would actually have to be the excursion to Oxford and Stratford-Upon-Avon. Oxford is dripping with heritage and traditions. The Ivy League has nothing on this university. And what better way to commemorate my time in Oxford than with a crew sweatshirt? 

We also did the whole Shakespeare thing since he was kind of a big deal. We toured the Globe, but since it’s not quite summer were unable to see a show there and instead saw The Tempest in Stratford. It may not be quite the same, but it was still an amazing production. 

Sunday was spent at church at Westminster followed by lunch at a pub, outside of which they were filming part of the new James Bond film, followed by an afternoon stroll through Kensigton Gardens, the Victoria & Albert Museum and afternoon tea and scones. 

We had a free day on Monday before we headed back to Paris. Sam, Emily and I decided to brave the crowds and tourists and watch the changing of the guard at Buckingham. While I probably won’t ever do it again (it’s kind of a seen it one and done kind of deal) it was still one of those British rights of passage activities that you just have to do when given the opportunity.

We also went to Chipotle afterwards. You may be wondering why Chipotle when I could have it any day back home? Well, sometimes you just get a hankering for America and the familiar. Trust me, it did not disappoint. 

And what would any travel blog be without a quick discussion on food? Well it was more like a culinary trip around the world instead of just strict Brit fare that included Chinese, Thai, Mexican and of course several helpings of fish & chips. 

It amazed me how similar British and American culture is. Also, seeing signs in English made traveling that much more comfortable and relaxing. There is definitely a strong American presence in London, especially in the stores and restaurants  More so than in Paris. Driving down the highway almost made me forget that I was in England…until I remembered that we were driving on the left hand side of the road.

-Jess

When we first arrived in Paris, 

the metro map looked more like gibberish than something useful. 

To get aquainted with our new home away from home, 

Lauren sent us on a scavenger hunt around the city. 

For a recent multimedia storytelling project, 

I interviewed Samantha about the experience. 

{laduree}

 {moulin rouge}

{louvre}

{notre dame}

{the winning team}

{the second place team}

don't worry, after too long i ditched that blue bag.

-Jess

*p.s. Yes I know it's not actually Tuesday, but there are no fun travel words that rhyme with Monday.

I remember when I returned home after living in Paris, people would always ask me what it was like. And it was always the toughest question I had to answer. How can you sum up an entire life-changing experience in one sentence? 

The answer: you can't. 

Shakespeare's Globe Theatre in London

Before I left for Paris, I saw my life turning out like most; graduate college, get a job, get married, have babies, be BORING. Paris showed me that there is more to this world. That you don't have to live life conventionally to have a good life. That travel is one of the most important things that happens. That trying new things and getting out of your comfort zone can be the most exciting part of life. 

The Three Amigos in Ireland

I realized after I came back just how much more I wanted out of life. And I realized I didn't have a single idea how to change it. Before I left, I was just floating along in life, trying desperately to find something or someone to grasp to. And as it turns out, I found Paris.

Monet's Garden in Giverny 

 As graduation looms ever nearer, I have never been more unsure or more confident of the direction that I am headed in because I know that I have experienced some truly amazing things in this short life. 

The first of many times hanging out at the Eiffel Tower

No matter how my life turns out, I know that the months I spent in Paris will forever be considered some of the most special. Thank you, Paris for changing my life. 

-Samantha