Day 1 I had a mission: to see the Christian Dior Couturier du Rêve exhibit at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris. A couple days after finals ended at Sciences Po I took off. Advance tickets for the exhibit were not available, so I expected the line when I arrived that morning. I just didn’t expect the four-hour wait. At first I thought the line would take about 90 minutes. But as the cold and rainy afternoon progressed, I…
One year ago today was my last full day in France. Thinking about it right now makes me smile, but it also makes me nostalgic and sad, because my four months in Europe were so beautiful. When I close my eyes I can still trace the 27-minute walk from my studio to school: The wide shiny boulevard of Place d’Erlon, the narrow side streets with crumbly stone buildings and bright shutters, the hot sugary scent of baking treats unfurling from…
I just turned 21 last week, and what better way to celebrate being legal than to write an article on breweries?! Check out my latest Our State article, a guide to drinking craft beers in the gorgeous Appalachians. Ale Trails: Western https://www.ourstate.com/ale-trails-western/ Thanks to BEER NC, a complete roundup of North Carolina’s breweries is just a few taps away on your mobile device. This fall, we’re making the experience even easier with our regional ale trail series. Designed to help you…
This semester, I’m an editorial intern for Our State magazine. I’ve always loved Our State‘s sweet, evocative style and insider travel tips, so I’m thrilled to be working there. I’m learning so much about the industry, and also about the different people and places I write about, from hydroponic lettuce farms to artisanal spice shops. Our State, classes, extracurriculars and work have definitely kept me busy, which is why I haven’t updated my travel blog in a while! However, if…
It might not seem that way from my illustrious travels, but I actually was in school during my time in France. I spent the rest of November and beginning of December studying, which could be difficult considering my my mild distaste of various aspects of Sciences Po University. But by virtue of living in the champagne region, this time was interrupted here and there by glasses of chilled bubbly. Sciences Po threw a James-Bond themed “Sky Ball” at a champagne…
Our last stop on our 5-city tour was Hallstatt, known as the most beautiful town in Austria. It’s a little jewel of a town tucked into the Alps, waterfront to a deep blue lake. It’s so pretty, in fact, that the Chinese replicated the town in China. Anyway, Hallstatt: gorgeous, but a real odyssey to get to. We took a standing-room only bus from Salzburg to a station high in the Alps. Although we were basically leaning against the driver…
I know, I know. It’s been 3 months since I’ve written last. But good things are worth waiting for, right?;) Although it’s no excuse, my post-France semester was filled with the harsh realities of normal, non-globe-trotting life. School and work and extracurriculars and finding housing for senior year (secured!) and an internship for the summer (nailed it!). But now it’s summer, and besides my 3 days a week interning at a cool PR firm in Greensboro, I’ll have plenty of…
Austria was the next stop on our 12 day trip! We took a sleepy afternoon bus from Budapest to Vienna, and then made our way to a sweet Viennese neighborhood where our Air BnB was located. The area was filled with old apartment buildings, independent grocers, and the occasional towering church. That night we made Indian food and chilled, happy with a homemade meal and Netflix after traveling for six days. We only had one full day in Vienna, so…
Budapest might be my favorite city I visited during my whole semester. It’s beautiful, but it’s also a little quirky and gritty. It’s called the “Paris of the East,” an understandable nickname what with it’s Parisian-style buildings and pretty boulevards. But Budapest feels more exotic; it is instilled with a fun youthful energy and cool vibes. After we checked in to Avenue Hostel (would also highly recommend! Free breakfast, free Monday night dinners, and very easy to make new friends)…
I know it’s been forever since I’ve written, but I’ve been so busy having my own adventures I haven’t had any time to write about them… A week after Strasbourg was fall break, and I embarked on a 12 day trip around Central/Eastern Europe with two of my friends. The first city we visited was Prague, the City of a Hundred Spires. Prague is a beautiful city straight out of a storybook, with gothic churches and winding side streets and…