When In Rome

The month of June has been entirely a whirlwind. Between interviews, moving, and traveling to Europe, I feel as if I've been going one hundred and one miles an hour. This perception, along with a very enticing invitation, is what brings me here to Rome, Georgia, where I have been enjoying a welcome hiatus from the every day demands of life.

I spent the day mostly by myself, apart from the company I enjoyed in the form of Darius Rucker's new CD, which for me is appropriately titled "Learn To Live." I'd say that for the most part, I have living down pat. In the last couple of weeks I have been to some of the most famous destinations worldwide, and have spent precious time with some of my favorite people on Earth. But somehow today there was an element of "living" that I haven't experienced in some time. I spent the day cruising around in an SUV, radio up, windows down, camera out, heart open to the excitement of discovery, all the while savoring the satisfaction of how much I was genuinely enjoying such a beautiful day.

When I was applying for colleges, I had my heart set on the University of Virginia. Short of a couple of hours spent on two other college campuses merely going through the motions of keeping my options open, I didn't actually consider going anywhere else. I loved Virginia, and am 100 percent blessed to have had such an amazing life experience. I couldn't help, however, daydreaming today about how my life would be different had I gone somewhere else. These thoughts were entertained as I explored Berry College, which is, for the record, one of the most beautiful campuses I have ever seen. While it lacks the Jeffersonian appeal and architectural mastery I was spoiled with at Virginia, it is arguably more beautiful, as nature is its secret weapon. The stone buildings, small chapels, and charming log cabins are set to the background of open fields, wild life, bales of hay, and endless stretches of soft green grass, the kind that feels amazing as you walk barefoot and carefree.

Somewhere in the mix of a beautiful campus, the lyrics of the music, and the time to just explore and live, I felt the presence of the Lord. I love those moments when God just catches you off guard and reminds you of what it is you're living for. The feeling I get when He's in my heart... I am just so grateful to have His love. He knew I needed this day, time to myself to get away, get lost in m thoughts, and enjoy the beauty of His creation.

So, when in Rome (Georgia), you slow down, savor the beauty of nature, take lots of pictures, pray to the Lord, and then pack your bags and head to Atlanta to watch the Braves play the Red Sox!

Stay tuned for more Atlanta adventures :)

I love Monet!

Our last day in Paris began at L’Orangerie, a beautiful art museum that features Monet’s famous “Water Lilies.” It’s interesting that this art was not accepted in its day. Now these masterpieces are displayed in a completely rennovated museum custom deisgned to show them off at their best. After leaving the museaum full of inspiration, we walked through le Jardin du Tuilleries to the Louvre, where we entered at the famous glass pyramid. My favorite thing to see was the Appartements de Napolean, which reminded me a lot of Versailles. It was also fun to see the Mona Lisa and the Wedding at Canaan.

An afternoon of shopping resulted in the perfect Paris souvenir, a Longchamps purse! A craving for coffee landed us in the most beautiful Starbucks I have ever seen. The building seemed like it would have been part of the Opera itself, with ornate ceilings and tall columns. It was probably the most elegant latte I will ever have. We savored one last Parisean dinner, recounting all of our wonderful adventures and newly formed memories. I’m so blessed that I got to share this experience with my mother and best friend. I truly love London and Paris and can not wait to return!!

Les Adventures

Quelle journee! Our Sunday morning began at Sainte Chapelle, a cathedral known for its ornate stained glass windows that depict stories in the Bible. The tolling of the bells of Notre Dame lured us inside for a chance to go to mass. The acoustics were incredible, like a little slice of heaven. It was definitely not the ordinary Sunday morning.





A couple of hours in the Musee D’Orsay allowed us to see original Monet, Degas, Van Gogh, and Renoir, just to rattle off a few. It’s becoming quite fascinating to see various depictions of the same scene in different museums. No trip to Paris would be complete without spending time at the Eiffel Tower, posing for pictures and finding entertainment in the street performers, which today came in the form of dancers impersonating Britney Spears.

With two sets of pieds fatigues, a cruise along the Seine River was made complete by a cool breeze and a unique perspective of Paris’s greatest sites. A crepe with Nutella was the perfect afternoon snack and sugar boost needed to get us to our next destination, l’Arc de Triomphe. We tackled the 284 stairs to get us to the top, where we saw the panoramic view of the city.




We dined on the Champs d’Elysees, and enjoyed people watching while savoring our Croques-Messieurs. Our favorite thing to spot was the trendy “man-purse” (see below). Our evening entertainment was strolling through the Latin Quarter in the Left Bank. There was a definite youthful ambience, with brasseries, creperies, and patisseries all around. We visited La Sorbonne, which made me nostalgic of my days spent at l’Academie Francaise. An evening walk in le Jardin du Luxemborg was a peaceful finale to an adventurous day.

J’adore Paris!! We left London this morning and took the train to France, captivated by the beautiful countryside along the way. We arrived in Paris and checked into a rather sophisticated hotel, the Golden Tulip at Opera de Noailles. We were excited to discover that our room opens to a private patio, where I can imagine myself sipping on a café au lait in the morning. After settling in to our new modern maison, we stopped at Galleries de Lafayette, the famous Paris department store. The top floor offered the most incredible view of Paris, and as we caught our first glimpse of the Eiffel Tower, I felt goose bumps all over and a certain sort of excitement that I can’t begin to explain.

We then took to the streets in search of my favorite Paris treat, a crepe!! The crepes here are literally the size of a pizza, and come with various fillers such as Nutella, lemon and sugar, or today’s choice of jambon et fromage! Without wasting any time, we made our way to the Louvre, and walked through the Jardin des Tuilleries to l’Arc de Triomphe. My favorite part of the walk was strolling down the Champs d’Elysees and window shopping in Louis Vuitton. The lyrics of one of my favorite French songs could not have been more true- “Je me balladais sur l’avenue, le coeur ouvert a l’inconnue, j’avais envie de dire bonjour a n’importe qui.”

We ended the day dining in an open-air restaurant overlooking l’Opera. It felt risky to order from a French menu. No matter how hard I try to speak in French, my American accent always sells me out, and fortunately that translated into an English menu. Perhaps that saved me from ending up with some kind of weird snail on my plate. I’m actually finding Parisians to be rather polite, contrary to stigmas that suggest otherwise. I guess tomorrow I’ll exagerate my accent and try to speak more “nasal-y.” As the sun set at around 11, we strolled back to our hotel, pinching ourselves and feeling like the luckiest two people in the world!

Last day in the UK

Our last day in London featured the Natural History Museum, Victoria and Albert Museum, and the famous National Gallery. It was so surreal to see some of my favorite Impressionist paintings, including "Snow Scene at Argenteuil" (Claude Monet, 1875), and Boulevard de Clichy Under Snow" (Norbert Goenuette, 1875-6).

The afternoon was beautiful, the type of weather that was made for running, which is exactly what I did! I jogged all over Kensington Gardens and Hyde Park, enjoying a hiatus from the busy city life.

I met back up with my mom for dinner and a movie in Leicester Square. We saw "The Hangover" out of the excitement from the London premiere a few days earlier. The movie was quite ridiculous, but hilarious nevertheless. We even partook in an impromptu photo montage poking fun at the movie, and even more at ourselves.

Overall, London gets an A+ in my book!! I've learned so much about the culture, history, and everyday way of life. I've even come up with this list of trivial London tendencies:

You know you're in London when:

10. You know that you should "Mind the Gap."

9. You walk, drive, and do everything on the "wrong" side of the road.

8. Splenda is a rarity, and artificial sweeteners come in tablet form.

7. Pigeons are everywhere, and are outfitted in various shade of gray, black, white, and brown.

6. The weather fluctuates from hot to cold, rainy to sunny- all in a day.

5. If you fall down and get hurt, you'll need a plaster (bandaid).

4. Free refills? Ya right.

3. There's still a Starbucks on every corner, accompanied by a Cafe Nero, Paul's, Pizza Express, and Pret a Manger.

2. You've got the lingo down- pay at the till (cash register), queue up (line up), and take the tube (subway).

1. The sun sets at 10 :)

It's been an amazing trip, and the only good part about it coming to an end is that we go to PARIS in the morning!!! Je ne pourrais pas etre encore plus excitee!!

A touch of London history

Our day began at the Tower of London, an architectural wonder that houses the Crown Jewels and collection of armor. As we proceeded on through the financial district, it was entertaining to catch a glimpse of men's fashion at its best, in the form of tailored suits and sophisticated footwear. We stopped at St. Paul's cathedral, designed by the brilliant Christopher Wren. It was fun to imagine Mary Poppins singing "Feed the Birds," especially when we passed a sign that read "Please do not feed the birds."

Ater enjoying a ham and swiss baguette, we were off to Shakespeare's Globe, a reconstruction of the original Elizabethan theatre. We have come across many school field trips throughout our stay in London, and snicker at the children with their thick British accents and formal wool uniforms. Poor little darlings. We spent the remainder of the afternoon at the British museum, where we were fascinated with seeing the Rosetta stone.

An authentic mediterranean dinner was the perfect transition to a wonderful evening of strolling through Kensington Park to Notting Hill. We even stopped in a small bookshop, attempting to capture the ambience of the Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant blockbuster. The perfect ending to our perfect day was walking through the Kensington Palace Gardens, where we saw the most beautiful strip of mansions, London's finest. I'm still trying to decide whether or not I'll be returning to the States :)

Starstruck

It’s not every day that a girl gets to wake up and head to Harrods, a shopper’s paradise featuring 300 departments and a staff of 5,000. With everything from the latest Louis Vuitton bag to the skillfully wrapped chocolates, the aesthetic appeal truly had us in awe. After a morning of shopping, we walked along the beautiful Hyde Park to the Admiralty Arch, where the famous Buckingham Palace stood behind soldiers clad in red attire and stern expressions. It was so neat to imagine that only a mere distance away stood England’s royaly, carrying about their day as usual.

We stopped at an open air café to enjoy sandwiches and cappucinos, all the while entertained at the sights of Londoners and tourists bustling about. With cameras out and tourist face on, we then set out to discover Big Ben, Parliament, Westminster Abbey, and the famous London Eye.

We were completely captivated by New Row and the Piazza, a market place with vendors and street performers that were rather entertaining. As we made our way back to Leicester Square, luck would have it that we somehow ended up with a front row spot on the “yellow carpet” to theLondon premiere of “The Hangover.” I was completely starstruck at seeing Heather Graham, Bradley Cooper, and Ed Helms (who I personally adore as Andy from “The Office”). I honestly could not peel my eyes off the handsome Bradley Cooper and fell completely in love. Our short conversation of “Will you take a picture with me” and “Ya, absolutely” keeps playing over and over in my head.

Check out this cool video!

As if the night could get any better, we then went to see the musical”Jersey Boys,” a story of the original Four Seasons and their rise to fame. Hearing the old songs “Big Girls Don’t Cry” and “ Sherri Baby,” took me back to my days of working at Water Country USA, where the oldies played on end. The finale to the fun packed day was enjoying bruschetta and pizza at a window seat overlooking the London night life. In the words of the Jersy Boys themselves “Oh What A Night!”