A LITTLE BIT OF WANDERLUST

I'd thought I'd start off the week with some good thoughts since last week was pretty devastating in more ways than one...... I've had the itch to travel again probably every single day since I got back from New York in 2012, and it looks like it's going nowhere fast. I will say that I've been so insanely lucky to have been able to travel outside of the country, twice, in my lifetime. The first time was when I was in my Sophomore year of high school, I was in band and we were given the opportunity to travel to Ireland for a week! I believe I was 15 years old at the time and the only places I'd been to outside of Minnesota were other states in the U.S. My biggest anxiety about this trip was that I was about to go on an airplane for the first time, and I wasn't with my family. Eventually I got over that hurdle and I grew up day by day while I was there. The best part was being in such a beautiful country and getting the opportunity to see so much of it in a short amount of time. I'd say this trip was the first time I learned how to be independent.

Fast forward to my first, literally my first, quarter of college and there just so happens to be the perfect chance to travel to my favorite city in the world! Not only would I be abroad for two weeks, but I'd be able to spend it in London and in Paris. At this time I'm 20 years old, a little older and a little wiser and able to embrace everything this trip had to offer. We were given more freedom during it, which included the ability to venture off on our own, drink if we wanted to and go to clubs late at night. This trip was centered around fashion history, and what perfect cities to learn more about the subject?! We went to Bath, Versailles, the London Eye, the Eiffel Tower and so much more. I enjoyed London exponentially more than Paris, not just because in the latter I caught a nasty cold, but because the London was so incredibly inviting and friendly while we were there. I've been dreaming of London ever since, someone go with me?!

While my last 'big' trip wasn't abroad, it was something that completely changed my life. It was an inside and outside revaluation of everything I believed about myself.  At this point of my college career I wasn't really happy with how I was motivating myself to actually graduate, because I wasn't inspired enough to push myself in the direction I needed to go. One night something clicked and I took charge and started looking for my dream internship, which included me having inner dialogue about what I was exactly looking for and where I wanted the internship to be. All roads led to New York City, where I found the perfect internship company to help set up everything I couldn't. This gave me the ability to set sail to spend two months in the most magical city in the world. I landed an internship with a lovely fashion public relations firm, and spent my summer wandering the biggest fashion capital in the country. I have three words to sum up that summer: hard work, majestic and spectacular. It gave me the boost to find self-confidence and to learn to trust myself when left to my own devices. I grew up, very fast and it showed me that you gotta do you. Now I just hope that I will be living there when I get older.... Maybe if I win the lottery.

This brings me to today, where I'm dying to go back to the places I've been and to go to places I've only dreamed of. My list is big, but I don't think it's too crazy to put on my bucket list. These are just a few places on my list, hope you enjoy!

Who wouldn't love bathing in that water, and staying in that hotel?!

A wee bit of Scottish heritage makes me want to visit Edinburgh in a heartbeat!

Someday I will see you again!

Alas, I would not mind waking up to that view while I spent some time in Canada.

Always,

Mostly Lisa