Open Minds Open Hearts

Monday Munchies!

2014-09-15T13:02:00.000-07:00

UPDATE since last month:

Since starting my new diet/workout regiment, I have lost 8 pounds. Even though it's only a few pounds, I already feel healthier and happier. I have a lot more energy and I am actually able to fall asleep at night, as well as waking up well rested.

I haven't been working out as much as I would like to due to schoolwork and getting back in the swing of things, but I have made a more concerted effort to take those few extra steps, take the stairs and walk to more places instead of drive.

I have tried to be more conscientious of the foods that I'm putting in my body and reduce the amount of preservatives and processed food in my diet.

I'm excited to be starting a new posting series called Monday Munchies, where the second and fourth Monday of each month I will be sharing health conscious recipes or healthy alternatives to otherwise heavier dishes.

This one has been one of my favorites on a consistent basis:

For lunch I made a sandwich on wheat bread from Weight Watchers. I used low sodium and 97% fat free turkey lunch meat, with one slice of low fat cheese and replaced mayo with avocado, add lettuce and tomato and you've already got a great portion of your produce requirements covered for the day.

As a side I had a salad with blueberries. I also usually include strawberries, with low fat yogurt dressing. Not only is it healthy, but it's actually SUPER tasty.

Sticking to a diet of mostly produce, at least at lunch time, will help you keep

New Stage, New Me..So Healthy

2014-08-03T23:40:00.001-07:00

Prior to coming to college, I had a pretty healthy diet and a really strict exercise regiment. Perhaps being in high school allowed for extra activities like varsity sports and extra time throughout the day to exercise. However, being undergraduate changed all that for me. From the school meal plan, to a more sedentary life style filled with studying, I was making choices that made me more unhealthy. I'm not only unhappy with the actual weight gain, but with the lack of energy I have.

Since I'm starting law school, I've made the decision with the new stage in my life I'm going to start evoking some healthier habits. With the workload increasing, I'm not going to try to create unrealistic goals or expectations. A lifestyle change will take time and dedication, but I'm ready to make that change.

I've set the goal of:

Working out at least 3 times during the week days, and once a weekend for at least 30 minutes; my goal is to increase it as time progresses,
Cut out sugary drinks and other snack foods
Restrict going out to eat to once a week
Lastly, to try to incorporate at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables into my daily diet.

I've started to cut out junk food and sugars a few weeks ago and already lost a few pounds. As I'm going through the diet change and dining in more, I will be posting new recipes weekly that I'm trying that are low in fat and sugar, and filled with more produce. In addition, I will be posting progress on my goals and how it is going. I will be honest when I cheat, because owning up to errors will make it easier to overcome them.

I want to take control of my life and my health while I'm still young and can make meaningful change.

Here's to a better, healthier and happier life!

Get The Look for Less

2014-04-23T16:45:00.003-07:00

As most college students can attest to, spending tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of dollars can be impossible with many students taking that same amount into student debt to finance their education. Being broke and surviving on Ramen Noodles does not mean your sense of style has to suffer.

This post is to point out a few of the ways you can finance your wardrobe for less:

1. Rent the Runway...I'm in LOVE with this website. I will never way the same dress more than once, and now I don't have to pay full price for each dress, in addition to the fact that the dresses you can rent can be worth thousands of dollars.

For example, this Herve Leger dress was seen on 90210's character Naomi:

Herve Leger Sunset Ombre Dress

Retail Price: $1,500, RTR Price: $150

When I went on their website, this particular style was sold out, but a one shoulder version is still available here

2. SALES, SALES, SALES

Huge holiday sales (Easter, Mother's Day, Christmas, etc.) Retailers are all looking for their cut of the pie so they'll lower their prices to get people at least in the door and hope they'll make it out positive. Keep an eye out around these times for better than usual deals. Also check places like Nordstrom Rack, TJ Maxx, etc. for designer clothes at rock bottom prices. These websites often have sales to try to get rid of a lot of their excess inventory.

3. Coupons and deal sites

Your mom's coupons are NOT outdated and can save you a ton of money. Some stores will offer you better coupons if you have their credit cards (Macy's, Victoria's Secret, etc.) Just be weary of taking on too much debt, so if you decide to open a store card, make sure you choose wisely.

Also check out places like retailmenot.com for coupon codes when ordering online. Living Social even has sales going on for Neiman Marcus Last Call where you get $50 credit for $25 bucks. Use the code EXTRA 10 to bring it down to $22.

4. When shopping in-store ask for student/AAA discounts

You'd be surprised the number of stores that will give you discounts when showing a student ID or triple A card. Designer shops like Guess, J.Crew, Ann Taylor, Asos, Juicy Couture, Ralph Lauren Rugby, other websites sponsored by UniDays, etc.

If you pay for a Triple A subscription check what deals are available online and in your area here

Fall into Fashion

2012-10-13T08:58:00.003-07:00

Hi everyone,
I know it's been a while. Been a busy transition back to school after moving back from Germany. I also was without a computer for a while which made it a little difficult to blog. SO after a long time away get ready for some quality stuff on fashion, internship search and interview tips.

I know here at MU we're on midterm week and the last thing you want to think about is trying to polish up that resume (again). So on a lighter note some CUTE fashion finds.

As mentioned in my previous post, one of the IN colors for this summer is Oxblood, or as most people call it burgundy. It's not too late to wear dresses on the warmer days. One of this week's picks come from etsy user SophiaClothing. I definitely recommend you check out ALL of her products. They're all beautifully handmade!

Accentuate your waste with a belt like shown in the picture, although I would choose more of a neutral or pale belt to highlight the depth and richness of the red. This belt set from Style & Co (available at Macy's) includes both the pewter and crocodile belt for under $25! Although I would definitely save the crocodile one for a different day.

Moving into your more wintery weather, it's time to snuggle up with sweaters, leggings and boots! I must admit though that there aren't too many stores out with their GREAT sweaters yet. One of my favorite mall stores, NY & Co, is one having a great sale and two is always looking classy.

To the right is their Chiffon Trim Open Cardigan, which is currently on sale. Just because it's after labor day does not mean the stark white sweaters need to go out. Pair it with the stone bib electric
coral necklace from ShopGlobalThreads.Com. For just under $40 you can be ready to take on the winter season with some warmth and versatile pieces.

Anyways, I hope you all have a had a great start to fall and keep reading as I ACTUALLY post more.

HAPPY SHOPPING!

Gruss Gott! - Hiking in the Alps and the Rest of My German Trip

2012-08-13T14:22:00.002-07:00

So a few weekends ago we drove down to Southern Bavaria -- near the Swiss border to a popular vacation spot, similar to many East Coast ski villages, called Oberstdorf. The traditional Bavarian village had all the essentials: ski and hiking shops, restaurants, cafes and of course some local bars.

Settled at the base of one of Gemany's tallest mountains, hiking was not about to be a walk in the park. This meant I had to do the unthinkable: buy ugly hiking shoes (I know I'm sorry, please forgive me). My hike on the Saturday before the Fourth of July was in the ball park range of 27 km or 17 miles.

I also was able to ride the Gondola to the top of Germany's second tallest mountain.

Also, I did a quick trip to Hamburg and Papenburg (a ship building town near the North Sea).

The rivers that run throughout the city, remind me a bit of Venice. Off to the right you can see a floating restaurant that was still full despite the rainy weather.

Below: The Hamburg Town Hall

The shopping in Hamburg is very much like Beverly Hills, with the exclusive shops such as Versace and Gucci. Most laughable is that Abercrombie and Fitch found a home in the same neighborhood (the punchline is that they have people believing their clothing is worth money).

The following day, we went to Papenburg, which is where they build a number of cruiseships, like the most recent Celebrity Cruiseline boats, and NCL, such as the Gem, Jewel and Jade. Crazily enough, they build the cruise ship room by room and then put it together on top of steel frames.

New Celebrity Ship that is set to be complete at the end of this month! The first tour should be later this fall! Behind the end of new Celebrity ship, crews have already begun working on a new NCL ship.

On an unrelated note: I just joined ZipCar at my college's campus and they're offering a special now for $25.00 of free driving credit when you sign up. Just click the photo below and enjoy!

Whirlwhind Past Few Weeks

2012-07-10T14:56:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone!
Sorry I've been REALLY bad at keeping up with my blog! It's been super busy working 40+ hour work weeks and all the travelling I've been doing. A few weekends ago, I went to Cologne, one of Germany's oldest cities and Europe's busiest shopping city.
I stopped by some of my favorites: Gina Tricot....Tommy Hilfiger.... Swavorski.....Lacoste....and Louis Vuitton :D Along with some German shops....Vero Moda and Jack and Jones.

Koln Dom (Cologne Cathedral)

Another one of Cologne's beautiful sights and one of the oldest, the Dom is beautiful. To climb to the top of the bell tower on the right side is more than 500 steps. The church was built over the ruins from the Roman era (I'm talking BC people) and parts of it are still visible when visiting the catacombs of the church. I've added some photos of the beautiful stained glass windows, some of which were around Pre-WWII and others which had to be replaced following the war. Interestingly enough, the Allies used the bell towers as aerial markers during their

We finished off this shopping spree at Wapianos. A delicious Italian Restaurant. One of the really cool watches that was available at the Lacoste store....If only they had one in upstate New York.

Anyways I'll be posting about the past few weeks in multi series posts. Give me your feedback below!

Euro Fashion Commentary #1

2012-06-07T15:29:00.001-07:00

In America, we love our JEANS. Yes we have wrangler's and levis. We probably could argue that we invented them. But aside from the US, Europeans have also taken a special liking to this material we call denim. The denim is always tight and fades on the front and back of the thighs are very important and essential to style. We may think that we splurge on a pair of jeans here, but some of the price tickets here for jeans are pushing towards outrageous.

I will NOT be posting such blasphemy on my blog. We will be going with some middle of the line prices :).

The first store I'd like to take a look at is Gina Tricot. The store is mostly in Northern Europe, although it does have some locations here in Germany.

The fading on the back of the jeans is a true indicator of Euro style.

Now leggings have been a staple in European fashion. This next pair are in fact jeans but still resemble the dear safety net of leggings. These are just 60 Euro and are offered in black and white. I picked the white, since white pants are IN this summer.

Neutrals are also very important to the fashion here. You won't see too many people walking around in retro 80's Gaper jackets that were purchased at goodwill in an attempt to be non-conformist. ANYWAYS, these colored jeans I believe reflect that aspect of their fashion. They have color but aren't too over the top.

The next store i would like to pay tribute to is Vero Moda. Vero Moda is a sister brand to other Euro favorites like Jack and Jones, Only and pieces. While these jeans are pastels, they also show another popular trend that I've noticed here....ankle zip jeans. Granted not revolutionary, but cute none the less!

I tried to find a picture that highlights the zipper more, but unfortunately this was the best that I could come up with. You can see the one for the left leg if you look carefully! What I also liked about these jeans was that they were a little more high waisted. It also reflects how the fashion in general here is more on the conservative side.

More fashion commentaries coming soon!

XOXO

P.S. I would appreciate it if you all stopped by my friend Gianni Blu's Music page! His brand new EP single just dropped last week on iTunes. https://www.facebook.com/GianniBluMusic

Sorry It's Overdue

2012-06-02T18:19:00.000-07:00

I owe you all a fantastic blog post about my first few days in Germany. They've been amazing so far, but I have done a lot of sleeping trying to get adjusted to the time zone change. The first day we relaxed at home, and some of my friend Kim's family came to say hello. It is always great to see them :) I took a quick trip to the super market earlier in the week too, which is always interesting. The brand/food choices are always VERY different. Most foods come from Ja! and there aren't too many other brands that sell similar products. The produce is also grown much closer to where it's sold, which in addition to being great for the environment, is also good for the freshness of the food. One minor/cool difference is the asparagus here is white! Seriously didn't know that until a couple days ago.

Also during my short time here, I already went to Stuttgart and Bad Kissingen. In Stuttgart I went to the Mercedes Benz factory which was really cool. The outside is sort of misleading to what is on the inside.

I also thought it was interesting that you could buy and lease your car directly through the company and not have to go through a dealership, although they do have them here. The dealerships are not nearly close to the size of some of the larger ones in the US, but luckily for everyone here it means they come without the tacky commercials.

The factory had great food that you could enjoy for free and for visiting the factory (nice touch I think).

Maybe you can buy yourself a similar model to the car I got while I was there :) By got, I mean I only got to sit in it :( I wish that pretty baby was coming back with me to the United States. On our way back from the factory we stopped in Bad Kissinger. It's a small town, but absolutely gorgeous as you can tell from the pictures below.

During my time in Bad Kissinger we stopped at an eiscaffe with probably the hugest ice cream sundaes I've ever seen (UGH not good for losing weight!)

Also on Wednesday, Tom had his soccer match against Korbach which would eventually lead to his team's championship season. I attached some of the photos from his game.

I also started my first day of work on Friday which was fun. Everyone has been really friendly and welcoming especially in such a tense industry.

Anyways it's sleepy time for me here! Sweet dreams everyone!

Day to Night

2012-05-26T11:34:00.001-07:00

Yesterday was my last day at home before I left for Germany (Note: This means my blog posts will start including some more international style/get more interesting/I'm in the airport now). Yesterday was a special mass day at my former high school, so of course that means dressing up and no air conditioning. My day continued on with meeting up with friends and eventually a miniature going away party.

I picked up on a few of the season's hottest trends: 1. Lace 2. White/cream

I bought my dress from Forever 21 and it resembled this one....The main differences are the sleeves, and the dress is a little more white than cream. Also the belt was white instead of brown (I will post a pic as soon as some are published). I paired the dress with a pair of peach colored heels (which I will also post a picture of at a later date!). These can also be found at Forever 21 --- WARNING: These heels are NOT for the weary! Since I had less attention to the body, it brought out the beauty of the heels. I complimented the outfit with my Tiffany Keys beaded heart key pendant and my silver charm bracelet. As a higher quality dress/different cut, I'd recommend this adorable dress from Kohl's!

Anyways, that's all for now. Thanks everyone for reading and I will catch you all on the Eastern Hemisphere.

XOXO

Job/Interview Tips

2012-05-23T20:13:00.000-07:00

Yes, it's that season. High schoolers and college students alike are searching for jobs. it can be really competitive, especially if you've waited until this late in the game. So I thought I'd throw out a few places to look for jobs/internships if you haven't considered them before:

1. Your local congress person - Let's face it, as much as we hate seeing the mudslinging ads on TV, it is an election year, which means that they need people who are going to work for them. If you're charismatic and outgoing, or even interested in politics, this is a GREAT place to look. Not to mention that it would look great on a resume.

2. Restaurants with patios and outdoor seating - Their normal staff won't be able to man all the extra seating, so why couldn't you benefit from the extra customers! This could also include ice cream shops. Another bonus is tips. This can greatly improve the minimum wages you could be receiving somewhere else.

3. House/Pet/Baby sitting - Summer means that people are going away and are going to need someone to maintain things they normally would do for themselves. Especially if the person is going to their destination via airplane, most likely the pets are not going to be with them -- perfect opportunity for you to swoop in and pick up the cash they would normally give to a stranger.

4. Landscaping - Sunshine means plants and grass are growing. Elderly people often cannot do a lot of back breaking work. Not only are you making some money, but you're also helping someone who couldn't do the task on their own.

Now if you're into the job interview stage there's a few things that you should definitely do and a few things to avoid.

1. Be yourself - employers can sense when you're trying be someone else. It is extremely obvious. Besides you will make yourself more nervous if you are trying to act. Just take a deep breath go in and smile.

2. Practice, Practice, Practice - If you want to be able to have a good interview have someone practice with you common interview questions. These can be extremely helpful with things like: Why do you think you will be good for this position? What kind of worker are you? What special qualifications do you have?

3. Never, ever, EVER lie - Never lie or overexaggerate about your experience. It will always come back to bite you. Before they have the chance to cross check it with someone else, you may get caught up in your own lies.

4. Avoid saying UM - This is my biggest pet peeve! It is very distracting if you say it so many times. It becomes a game to count how many or guess when you will say the word again.

Simple tips but extremely useful. I will continue to add more. Comment below for more ideas/tips

Surprise Weekend

2012-05-21T22:46:00.000-07:00

So I was at home, being creative, working on my wooden letters to hang on my wall next year in my cozy dorm room, when I got a phone call...... Within a few minutes I went from having a night of chilling in my sweats to going to prom. Prom started within 2 hours of the phone call, leaving only an hour to get ready.... Now most girls, including myself, spend the whole day getting ready. Appointments are scheduled months ahead of time, shopping for the dress begins anywhere from November to December or so, in search of THE perfect dress. Luckily for me, I found that dress more than a year ago for my own senior ball.

As you can tell the dress follows into the ombre style that has been popular for the last year or so. Maybe I was ahead of the fashion curve when I chose this dress because it is also the teal color that is popular for the summer. The dress's ornate beading added to the class of the dress. The reason why I am so enamored by this dress is because of not only its style but also its simplicity. Nothing too GAUDY (Public Enemy #1).

As for my nails, I wore OPI's color Blue My Mind. If you wanted to keep the ombre style going on the nails you could try Greece Just Blue Me Away as the contrasting coat. It does go on a little light, so I would recommend maybe trying a different color from OPI like the What's with the Cattitude? or Fly from the Nicki Minaj collection (Tutorial Here).

I wore a pair of white shoes which I bought while I was in Germany this past summer. Similar to these:

They were Graceland's (I don't think they have them here), but they are white with about a 2.5 inch heel.

As for my hair, I used a rat tail comb to separate my hair in a side part. I used the comb to tease my hair in the area in front of the crown. I pulled it back slightly to the side and pinned it down allowing for a little poof. I then put all my hair into my pony. I took a piece of the hair and wrapped it around the pony and pinned it in order to cover the hair tie. After, I curled my hair with a curling iron with an inch barrel. I varied the curl between ones that curled inward and outward to allow for a somewhat natural look. I finished it of with some hair spray and John Freida finishing creme for extra shine. (Total time for hair, and I have a lot of hair, 25 minutes!). If I would've had some extra time, I would've straightened some of the pieces that laid flat onto my head to reduce frizz.

For make up, I wanted to continue with the blues and greens family. I used a seafoam green colored eye liner to start with. I then used a medium blue shadow across my lid, and a light blue shadow in the corners to highlight my eye shape. For my lashes I use Maybelline's Volum' Express Mascara Turbo Boost which claims to boost your lashes by seven times. I'm not sure if it's quite seven times the lashes but it is my favorite mascara that I've used so far! They make my lashes look so long and thick. It also does a great job of separating my lashes. As for my foundation, I used warmth from Bare Essentials and then the fair foundation. I used the vintage peach blush which is just the right because it gives color without looking overdone.

Hopefully I'll have pictures of the dress/makeup soon :) If you have your prom pictures message them to me or comment below.

All for now (I promise I will have less clothing/make up posts as soon as I get to Deutschland at the end of this week).
XOXO

H&M Shopping Adventure

2012-05-15T20:44:00.000-07:00

Normally I do not shop at H&M, but on my recent trip to Syracuse, I thought I would give it a try. H&M is a Swedish based company (fun fact: H&M stands for Hennes and Mauritz.) What surprised me the most is that it is the second largest clothing retailer in the world!!

H&M not only gives the authentic European feel for it's clothing, but the prices are never bad either (lower prices = more clothes!!! :) and my favorite, more shoes!)

Anyways from my shopping haul from this store this time:

Peach crop pants.... I couldn't find the exact pants that I bought so I will post pictures soon...watch for the update. I decided I would pair it with the navy blue blazer. It will look just darling with my white buttonless polo from Tommy Hilfiger. What makes the outfit more perfect is the blue and white pin stripe lining of the jacket that can be seen when rolling the sleeves of the blazer. To accessorize I bought a scarf from H&M. It picks up both the blue and the coral colors. I'm not a matching freak but......I really like to coordinate.

If you're a little self-conscious of the bright colors on bottom (remember bright colors draw attention to that region of the body), using H&M's online dressing room, I was able to create this outfit! The belt will really help to highlight your waistline. The outfit (not including shoes) came to $88!!!!

The last piece I chose was a black and white houndstooth dress, very similar if not the same as the one pictured here. It will look perfect with black tights and a black blazer. For occasions that are not as formal, a color pop such as the coral colored blazer above can add a bit of fun to what could be a serious outfit.

Back home

2012-05-14T21:36:00.001-07:00

I can't believe I'm home from school already! :( I'm so sad. I've already been working hard on my German....I wish it was going better than it already is. I guess I will need to keep doing that all day, every day....for the next 2 weeks. One perk about being home is my car and my ability to shop, which wasn't needed for my first set of purchases, I was checking out all of the flyers that were sent out in the past week and stumbled across one from New York & Company.

The few new pieces I added to my wardrobe were meant to add to my professional and versatile.

The first one which I'm really excited about is the Pleated Sheath Dress with Grosgrain Belt. The belt highlights a smaller waist. I love the colors for spring time. It can be dressed up with a white spring blazer or dressed down with a cardigan. If you're more of a skirt kind of girl click here! Especially if you don't have the tiniest waistline....it's all about finding clothes that fit your body shape.

The next item I bought from New York & Co is the Short Sleeve City Stretch Button-Front Shirt in Optic White. You can never really have to many white button downs! This is a great piece that can be a great transition piece into winter time (who says you can't wear white after Labor Day!)

I paired the last shirt with this skirt. It's the Metallic Linen Skirt. The fabric is also perfect for summer and also adds a bit of fashion to the work place. This is a New Arrival and already on limited quantity. So if you want this one for your summer internship, MOVE FAST! I also think this skirt would look adorable with one of the season's hottest colors: CORAL!

These pants are beyond cute. The length highlights the summery feel of these The 7th Avenue Straight Leg Crop Pants. These can be paired with a cute pair of colored flats or neutral colored sandals (cheaper alternative here).

I would definitely try to match those pants with a white cami and this adorable Lilly Pulitzer piece. It's part of her pattern collection named Cascading Coral.

One of the pieces I wish I bought was the interlocking dress. It's on sale and extremely cute! Great for spring time :) My personal favorite is the aqua one!

Feliz Cinco de Mayo

2012-05-05T12:07:00.001-07:00

Hola! Happy Cinco de Mayo, the "unofficial Mexican" American holiday. While it's finals week here at Marquette, and almost everyone will be studying tonight (including myself). However, this doesn't mean we need to be miserable on this most festive holiday. So I've decided to link you to modern Spanish sounding music to keep your spirits up while studying!

Shake Senora (Remix)

Rabiosa

Danza Kuduro

La Tortura

On the Floor

Mr. Saxobeat - I honestly didn't know the name of this song for ETERNITY

Vamos a La Playa

Ai Se Eu Te Pego

Adios Le Pido

Thanks to the Shakira Pandora station for inspiring me with some songs to throw on this list.

If you have any more songs to add to the list, comment them below and I will be adding songs throughout the day.

Impossible!

2012-05-04T18:42:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe that my first year of college is almost over! It seems like it was just last week that it was move in day. I've made so many great friends. I can easily say that the community here at Marquette is definitely the best part about attending here.

The campus is absolutely gorgeous. It will be beautiful once fall hits again. I'm only moving a couple blocks from where I live now, so it will also be exciting to get a change of pace.

As stressed as I am about my exam schedule, I'm heartbroken to leave next Saturday (although I'm not going to lie, having a home cooked meal is going to be an awesome PLUS).

When I'm not trying to cram as much information into my head as possible, I love to cook. One of my favorite things to do is cook. One of my favorite things to make is chicken with tarragon cream sauce. While the cream can be a little on the fatty side, white meat can compensate for the gain in a few extra calories. Tarragon sauce is truly a unique taste. While I haven't made it in a while, I did find a great recipe on myrecipes.com. What is best about the website is that a lot of the content is provided by other users, eliminating the awkward recipes often found in cookbooks. When I get home I will definitely have to post pictures and recipe info of my chicken milanese recipe.

More interesting recipes and exciting events to come!

Get Psyched

2012-04-24T23:49:00.001-07:00

I'm one day closer to being a sophomore! :( I am excited to start my internship, but I am getting sadder and sadder each day to leave. Today the business school had a great presentation on the economic and political implications of the Eurozone Crisis. An esteemed economist from BNP Parabais Fortis. He definitely gave a lot of insight into the financial implications as a result of political decisions made within the last 100 years or so. He also discussed the power shift from Europe to the United States after World War I and now from the United States to China, although there hasn't been a decisve war to say so.

Tomorrow is going to be a fun day with my sorority because tomorrow is Pie a Pi Phi day (which you all should attend). I am willing to accept a pie in the face in the name of literacy tomorrow in front of the AMU from 3:15 to 4:00 ($1 per pie).

Another fun day is coming up on Saturday! I am playing in the Kappa Sigma Powderpuff Football Game on Saturday versus Sigma Kappa. First practice is Friday and I'm really looking forward to it since I missed out during Greek Week, which we got 4th. That's not too bad, I'll take it!!

The Good News!

2012-04-23T19:18:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe my freshman year is already winding down. I am going to miss everyone at school so much. I have made so many great friends, and have accomplished so much already. This summer I will be working for the oil conglomerate, BASF's child company Wintershall in Germany. It will require a lot of focus and patience but it will be a great experience! I have already had my work visa approved and I'll be off to Kassel for all of June and July.

Kassel is about a 2 hour drive outside Frankfurt, and is in the same state as Frankfurt, Hessen (Hesse).
Image retrieved from: http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQn9-pE9TdoznJc0hS80HXqgPOVp-TUPjbPk-31zvAnYS5GsTJtDHi10FLs

Downtown Kassel - View from the office
I'm working in this summer!

I am so lucky that I have such great family friends to stay with during my visit. I missed them a lot in the long period that I didn't see them, but I have been very lucky to do so a lot in the past few years. Germany is such an exciting country with many historical landmarks and its natural beauty. I've included some photos from my trip last summer.

Aerial View of Wolfhagen (EDIT) (a smaller town outside of Kassel)

Last year I was introduced to a friend of a friend who was cool enough to give me a ride in his plane glider, which was where I got all these gorgeous Aerial pictures. Still convinced he is going to be a great pilot one day!

My friend Kim and I at the Herkules

Last year's trip involved a lot of sight seeing! I'm really looking forward to blending in as a normal German this year...which includes learning the language beyond asking for my for my Apple Strussel! In all fairness, I did pick up the German pretty quick, but I am definitely excited to learn more this year, and be more conversational. Hopefully by the end Joachim (Kim's Dad) and I can have a conversation without having to have Kim translate basically my every word (Kim if you're reading you are off the hook!)

A beautiful palace in Kassel.

Waterfall again near the Herkules

View of the Alps from Neutschwanstein - In Bavaria (Bayern). Not too close but still so pretty!!

I can't believe it is just over a month until I go back. That's unbelievable in my mind. I will keep you updated with what's happening.