For me, September has always felt like the start of something new (*cue Troy and Gabriella’s karaoke song*)—a new beginning. For 22 years of my life, it signaled the start of a new school year—we started in August, but I always felt like the real work kicked in the week after Labor Day—and a new school year meant the potential for knowledge and discovery. September meant new books to buy, new people to meet in my socially awkward…
Easy Ways to Keep Up with a Foreign Language
6 September 2017
When you’re not in school, living abroad or working in another language, foreign language maintenance can be hard. It’s amazing how fast my French skills dwindle when I practice. But it’s also amazing how fast they come back when I put in a little effort. If you’re struggling to maintain a second (or third) language, or curious as to things you can do to be exposed to your language, here are some tips to keep up with a foreign language.…
Weekend Reads 09
1 September 2017
Can you guys believe it’s already September?! I feel like just yesterday I was starting my new job and playing in the snow and it’s crazy to think that that is almost here again (kinda). I also walked outside today and was pleasantly surprised about how cool it was—57 degrees the first of September?! I’ll take it! The Blind Traveler: How James Holman Felt His Way Around the World to Become History’s Most Prolific Explorer I always try to include…
This time three (!!!) years ago, I was returning from my study abroad experience in France and preparing for a whole new journey in London. Time really flies—it feels like just yesterday I was freaking out about moving to a country I had never visited before, anxiously awaiting the day of my departure. I still think about my study abroad experiences almost daily. I communicate with friends I made abroad; my career path and goals changed after I went abroad; my…
Weekend Reads 08
25 August 2017
Hello, everyone! I hope you had a lovely week. Work has kept me super busy, which is exhausting but nice. I even got on a roll and drafted a 2,000-word blog post one night. Lots of interesting stuff to read this week so let’s just dive right in. If you missed last week’s reads, check them out here. Former Surgeon General: I’m Worried About America’s Stress I love that more people with influence are talking about mental health more and…
Travelling Back in Time at the Cooper Hewitt Museum in NYC
20 August 2017
Lured by the relative proximity to my apartment and my desire to do something cultural without being overwhelmed by loud, sweaty tourists on a beautiful summer day, I embarked on a leisurely Sunday afternoon stroll to 5th Avenue and 91st Street, otherwise known as the address of the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum. About Cooper Hewitt Reopened in 2014 after extensive renovations, Cooper Hewitt is housed in the 5th Avenue Andrew Carnegie Mansion and is the only museum in the…
Weekend Reads 07
18 August 2017
I hope everyone had a lovely week! I’ve been super busy with work and can’t believe how fast time flies in the real world. It’s already back to school time and it’s weird not going back… Anyways, even if I’m not at school, I’m still keeping my mind fresh, both with online articles, physical books and typing blog posts and writing for myself. Here are the most interesting articles to add to your weekend reading list: On the Road with ‘Dark Knight’ Composer…
Inside the Weekend of a Highly Introverted Person
13 August 2017
Weekends are my sanctuary. In my former life, I was definitely an old English grandma (or so I’ve been told, by numerous people on many different occasions), so naturally, my weekends are spent recharging my old soul and relaxing whenever possible. Weekends are also my chance for much-needed alone time. I recently took a personality quiz with my coworkers (read: I made them take the personality quiz) and my introverted percent was 97%, only proving that I need this alone time to…
Weekend Reads 06
11 August 2017
Well hello again! It’s been awhile since I’ve done one of these. I haven’t been very good about planning ahead with this blog (something I’m working on!) so when I went to DC for the weekend, I didn’t have one of these planned. The weekend after, I was SO exhausted and last weekend, I just wasn’t feeling it. So, here we are. In August. Can you believe it?! I hope you find this weekend reading interesting. +At The New Yorker,…
What Adventure Means to Me
1 August 2017
I was reading an issue of Travel & Leisure over the weekend and something the Editor-in-Chief Nathan Lump said about adventure stuck with me: “Adventure isn’t about climbing Mount Everest—or it doesn’t have to be. It’s about doing something that feels different and embracing the calibration between discomfort and excitement that comes from that.” I’ve always found it so hard to put into words what adventure means to me and Nathan did it beautifully. Adventure is why I decided to…
