The move has been spurred by Anthony getting a promotion! We are so so so excited to start our engaged life and soon-to-be-married life out here in the Midwest. Michigan already feels so much like home.

The state is so beautiful. We are about a 30-minute drive from Lake Michigan and the city is surrounded by nature. Oh, it's also called "Beer City" home of Founders Brewery and so many great microbreweries. The food scene is fantastic and if you know us, you know that Anthony and I are foodies through and through!

The apartment we are in is absolutely stunning. We are located in the downtown part of the city and right on the Grand River with floor-to-ceiling views of the River. We cannot wait to make this place our home and welcome our family and friends into this space.

Hygge: the Scandinavian philosophy of living comfortably or with warmth and coziness. Hello!! I feel like this word completely defines me and my life. I aspire to live my day-to-day life being comfy, warm, and cozy and assuring that those around me feel the same way.

I spent this weekend with my mom on Cape Cod for a (soon to be annual tradition.. mom???) Girls Weekend. Without knowing it, we really embodied this philosophy with all that we did. We spent our afternoons meandering little shops and markets, in the small New England towns off of 6A, trying to find the most delicate trinkets to go home with. Some of these shops were filled with Christmas decorations and if you know me, you know that I'm not mad about that. We wondered through bakeries and specialty stores in search of the best cappuccino and almond croissant while purchasing loaves of artisanal bread that would soon be smeared with humboldt fog and Irish butter. Before bundling up for the tour of the organic cranberry bog, my mom and I baked these holiday-appropriate ginger molasses cookies (pictured above). Finally, we would end our days with the sun. All of the moments we weren't sleeping were spent watching Hallmark Christmas movies on repeat and sipping mulled cider as the fire burned through every last piece of firewood we had.

It was an incredible weekend full of warmth and coziness. I'm pretty sure I spent a full 24 hours (maybe even more!!!!) of the weekend in my flannel PJs!

I hope all you lovelies had cozy and relaxing weekends as well!!

xoxo, B

Hi loves!!!

I know it has been a while but I've been so busy! I just finished my first year at my first job and am now on "summer break". I am very excited to share some news with you! So, I have about two and a half weeks off this summer and I knew I wanted to take advantage of it. So this Sunday, June 25th, I will be traveling to California and road-tripping the California coast with my amazing boyfriend, Anthony! We are so excited and cannot wait to enjoy our first long vacation together! We first had the idea last summer and have been planning the trip for months and months and cannot believe it is finally here. I'll share the details of the trip below so you can follow along as we go!!

Trip:
Day 1, June 25th: Fly into San Francisco
Day 2, June 26th: San Francisco
Day 3, June 27th: San Francisco
Day 4, June 28th: Leave San Francisco and head to Los Altos (my birthplace) and then to Monterey/Carmel by the Sea
Day 5, June 29th: Leave Monterey and head to Santa Barbara
Day 6, June 30th: Leave Santa Barbara and head to Venice beach then Encinitas
Day 7, July 1st: Laguna/Encinitas/San Diego
Day 8, July 2nd: Encinitas/San Diego
Day 9, July 3rd: Encinitas
Day 10, July 4th: Fly back to the east coast


We're so excited and cannot wait to share the adventure with y'all through pictures!

xoxo,
B

Yesterday morning, my mother, sister, and I hopped into our car and drove down to my Aunt's house in Arlington, VA. As soon as we got there, we grabbed our lunches and hopped in the car again. This time, we were headed to the Arlington National Cemetery. We were dropped there and started walking. Our destination? The Women's March. 

The Women's March was one of the most empowering and inspiring movements I have ever been a part of. The best part about it? How inclusive it was. We were all there supporting each other and each other's motives. There were people there protesting for: Women's Rights (obvi), Black Lives Matter, Trans Rights, NoDAPL, Pro-Choice, Anti-Trump, Pro-Hillary, LGBTQ Equality, Climate Change, Reproductive Rights, Pro-Peace, Mother Earth, Muslim Equality, Native Rights, and so much more.

It was a beyond amazing moment that I will keep with me forever. I was so happy to stand there with my mother, sister, and aunt. I was there to represent my future daughters, nieces, and granddaughters; also, as a representer of the silenced and the people who could not be there.

It was peaceful, it was impactful, and it was momentous. When women and allied men come together to support one another, and support a cause, it is an amazing thing. After all, we do make up over 50% of the population. Over 600 cities worldwide came together to support such an amazing cause. I couldn't be more proud to be a woman.

My favorite chant:
An echo chant between men and women:
            Women: My body, my choice
            Men: Her body, her choice.

My favorite sign/poster:
            "Thou shalt not touch my reproductive rights" - Fallopians 4:10

My favorite moment:
             Everything.

Summer is an extremely popular time to travel abroad in Europe. One thing you have to note when you are in Europe is that seasons in Europe are very literal. When it is Spring, you will experience Spring weather which means: rain, rain, rain. Now, obviously this can vary given your destination in Europe seeing how Europe is huge but, these are some things I noted as important when I spent my time abroad last summer!

1. Rain resistant shoes: Okay, this doesn't necessarily mean rain boots (though I do love mine). Rain boots are big and bulky and tough to travel with. Unless you want to wear your rain boots while you travel, I wouldn't suggest bringing them. What I would suggest however, is these boots. They're cute and functional and small in size which will make them easy to travel with.

2. Rain resistant jacket: This is a must. You do not want to be traveling around in the rain and unprepared for it. It is the worst. Being wet and uncomfortable makes for a bad experience. I suggest bringing a light weight rain jacket that is cute but doesn't take up a lot of space in your bag. It shouldn't be bulky- just one that you can put on top of layers.

3. Warm weather clothing: Just like in America, Spring can go either way- it can be warm or it can be cold. Be prepared either way. I suggest bringing light clothing like dresses and skirts.  I also brought a pair of shorts with me, along with some tanks and tees.

4. Cold weather clothing: Just like you should be prepared for warm weather, you should be prepared for cold weather. Now, this doesn't mean bring your winter coat or snow boots. I suggest you bring 1 thick, heavy sweater. You can wear it when you travel and use it as a blanket or pillow! It is important to bring things you can layer. Sweaters, long sleeves, light jackets, etc.

5. Sunnies: This one is a given. Next.

6. Umbrella: Okay, this one is a necessity but also a toss up. I packed one to bring with me but you can also buy them there. So, it's totally your call if you wanna bring it in your suitcase or carry on or wait to purchase it when you reach your destination.

7. Pillowcase: This is something that I thought was of importance. I'm really not a germ freak at all. But, I thought that bringing my own pillowcase would be a cleanly thing to do. Not that I didn't trust where I was staying but it's important especially when you're considering where you're traveling to. I also liked having my own pillowcase to sleep on because it reminded me of home.

8. Water bottle: Yes! But not just any water bottle, I 110% suggest and recommend you invest in a HydroFlask. The HydroFlask keeps liquids hot for up to 6 hours and cold for 24 hours. This product is revolutionary. When in Europe, you'll quickly learn that water costs more than alcohol. Yes, you read that right. So, to save money while in Europe, bring a water bottle. Fill it up when you're at your hotel or hostel. Take advantage of your resources and be prepared!

9. Fitbit: This isn't a must unless you're a FitBitter. I know that I don't leave to go anywhere without my FitBit. It is also a great way to see how many steps you've walked along with how many miles! You can share that with your family and brag about it with your FitBit friends. This was a very important thing to have with me everyday when I was in Europe.

10. Travel bag: This is imperative to note. Bring a bag that won't be heavy and won't be annoying to carry. I made the mistake of not being prepared bag wise. DO NOT BRING A BACKPACK. It is super American. Please don't embarrass the people around you with a big backpack. Now a bag like this, this, and this is a different story. But if you're thinking of carrying around your JanSport or LL Bean backpack forget about it. For guys, I suggest this backpack. Also, bring a bag you can fit things in like a notebook, your water bottle, a camera, your wallet, etc. PLEASE NOTE: only bring a bag that zips. Do not bring a bag that is open because that makes you susceptible to unfortunate events...

11. Small notebook and pen: If there is one thing you do every day, be it that you write down what you do, where you go, what you see. Write down everything. You will thank yourself later.

12. Camera: I suggest you bring a camera that isn't on your phone. I brought my Nikon to take pictures and definitely did not regret it. You don't want to have your phone to rely on to take your pictures. Be in the moment and do not be distracted by a phone- you may miss something that you will never experience again.

illy whole bean coffee

The hospitality there was amazing. The Italian stereotypes are completely and utterly true when it comes to wanting to welcome you into their home and feed you tons of food. There were many a morning where my mom and I rolled out of breakfast. Giorgio was the name of the man who made that all possible.

Not only was the food amazing, which I talked about in an earlier blog post, but so was the coffee or shall I say the cafe Americano. Cafe Americano was typically served black in a beautiful hotel silver coffee dispenser. The cafe Americano, when served black, was so tasty but the part that made Italian coffee stand out in my eyes was the dispenser right next to the cafe Americano one, the latte caldo. Latte caldo means hot milk in Italian. So I would grab a glass, pour some cafe Americano into it and then some of the latte caldo. It was so simple and so amazing.

I loved the coffee so much that I asked our friend Giorgio what kind they used in their restaurant and they told me they used the Illy brand of coffee. So, as soon as we got home, my mom bought 7 cans of Illy coffee. It's sold in most high end grocery stores and also online! So, every morning, we start our day with a little Italy.

Welp, as most of you can guess, I miss the food the most. But, particularly, I miss the breakfasts. Each hotel I stayed in came with an amazing European breakfast spread. In most countries, this meant lots of cheese, meat, and bread. I didn't see a pancake once. Hey, I'm definitely not complaining.

We would have a set time to meet downstairs for breakfasts and that was great on most mornings. However, it was definitely something to look forward to!

One of my favorite things to do was make my English breakfast tea and grab a mini loaf of bread- typically one with lots of little nuts and seeds, a piece of brie cheese, and a jam/preserve of some kind of fruit. The combo was unbelievable!!!

Another thing I absolutely adored was the coffee. The coffee in Italy especially was to die for. Everything in Europe, especially food is so craftily done. They take their time and use only the best and freshest ingredients to make their meals special. I really appreciated this. It's one of those things that America should really catch up on...

Credit: Aglet

So, as most of you all know, I am going to Europe for a month on May 11th (5 days, AH!!). I have so much to do I can't even think about it. I am super excited about this experience and intend on taking full advantage of it. I felt the best way to do this was to make a bucket list. I'll be going to Salzburg, Vienna, and Innsbruck Austria; Munich and Prien Germany; and Venice, Italy. If you have any suggestions, please let me know!!

My European bucket list:

• Go to every cafe and order a random drink
• Sit outside of cafes and people watch
• Eat the very best food
• Be open minded about local food
• Eat the schnitzel
• Smile a lot
• Buy a unique article of clothing from each place
• Take pictures of EVERYTHING
• Take a few minutes to be by myself and just breath- take in life and my surroundings
• Speak the native languages as much as I possibly can- Sprechen sie deutsch??
• Converse with the locals
• Grow as an independent traveler
• Go on a gondola
• Feed the pigeons
• Drink the vino in Italy
• Drink the beer in Austria and Germany
• Take the beaten path in every city