Senioritis

In high school, I thought my senior year was rough ... I thought that was the time of "senioritis." I was wrong. College takes it to a whole other level, my senioritis affliction is currently pretty darn serious but in a different way. In high school, I just wanted to be done and go off to college and live on my own. I was facing exciting changes, and I was dying to feel like an adult. Now, I have been an adult for four years, lived on my own, paid my own bills and realized being an adult isn't quite as glamorous as it seems. Facing some huge life changes and even more "adulting" is making me want to stay in undergrad forever. I think it is the fact that I am facing such major life changes after graduation (marriage, home ownership, moving to a new city, law school) that is making me want this semester to never end. The fall semester of my senior year seemed to drag on forever, and now this spring is flying by. I have so much homework and so many things to do and graduation is creeping up on me so fast, and I am not ready.

My wish to stay in undergrad is not making me any more productive ... I have so many papers and so many presentations and final exams to study for ... yet all I want to do is cuddle with my puppy and binge watch "The Office." I have so much work just looming over my head and absolutely no motivation to do it. I may be over the schoolwork of undergrad, but I still am not quite ready to leave.

I have also started to realize that college is one of the most fun times of your life. Never again will I get to live with my girlfriends and eat cookie dough while avoiding studying. Never again will I have a part-time job that is fun and easy and not terribly serious. Never again will I think it is OK to skip class and watch Netflix until noon. Never again will I have summers off to travel the world or go home to my parents and have them do my laundry and cook me dinner. Never again will I have free access to a really nice gym.

I went to undergrad in the same town I have lived in since I was 10 years old. I have called this adorable little town "home" for a huge portion of my life, and I love it. My undergraduate institution is also both of my parents alma mater. It had always been a huge part of my life even before I was a student. Though I lived on my own through college, my parents were only 10 minutes away, and I could go home for a home cooked meal or to have my mom wash my dress pants. I am comfortable and safe here, and now I am moving away and leaving all that behind ... I am moving to a new city that I do not know much of anything about. I have to start at a new college that I have no attachment or affiliation to. Though it is exciting and a new adventure, it is a little bit scary to leave somewhere I have called home for not only my four years of college but also my pre-teen and teenage years.

Senioritis for college is turning out to be rather strange ... I am so ready to be done yet at the same time I am scared to death to leave the comfort of my calm, small town and liberal arts college. My four years here have been a rollercoaster of emotions; they have been hard, stressful, emotionally trying and there have been days I wanted to quit. They have also been fun, mind opening, empowering, full of lasting friendships and memories I will cherish for a lifetime. I would not change my college years for anything and I am cherishing my last few weeks here. I may have "senioritis" but I am happily afflicted and enjoying every second.

Making the Most of Study Abroad

Study abroad..... a life changing experience to any who have done it. My 3 weeks in London were some of the hardest and most empowering days of my life. I cherish the experience so much and I am so thankful that I had the opportunity. Studying abroad can be a bit daunting and scary.... especially if you have never been out of the country (that was me). All I can say is try to limit your worries and just let the experience happen and shape you. I can honestly say that study abroad changed me as a person and I could not be happier because of it. Here are some of my tips for enjoying the whole experience and making the most of studying abroad. 

     1. Do it ALL. Join in on you friends adventures even if they aren’t typically your thing. It will probably still end up being a fun and learning experience. When it doubt, don’t worry and just do it and make the best of it.

   2. Do as much as you can: 3 weeks goes by SO fast. Make all the memories you can. Take all the pictures you can. Live it up. My motto while there was “I am not in London to sleep, I am here to explore”. I averaged 2-5 hours of sleep a night and was so exhausted and yet happy as a clam because I was jam-packing my time with memories and experiences.

  3. Start walking before you go because 13 miles a day, up and down stairs to the Tube stations and living on a 5^th floor flat with stairs only access can make for some sore muscles. This is also why good, comfortable shoes and insoles become your best investment and best friend.

 4. Don’t be afraid to go outside of your comfort zone…. That’s kind of the point of study abroad. Explore, inquire, and immerse yourself completely in London. Go off by yourself, get lost, try new food…. Do it all. You're only there for 3 weeks and fill them with experiences upon experiences; even the ones you think you will hate may surprise you and turn out to be some of your favorite memories.

5.  Talk to Londoners when you get the chance. It is so cool to just hear from someone of another culture and learn from them…. And those accents!!! 

6.  I am all about budgeting and saving money but there comes a time to put the budget aside and just do the things that may be once in a lifetime. Take those experiences and pay it off later; I promise the memories are worth it.Don’t neglect your research project or classes; after all, that is the reason you get to do this experience. Find a way to weave the project into other activities you want to do and try to keep everything balanced. For example, if you want to do a day trip for a whole day, find a project relation within that trip and expand upon it. The most obscure things can be the most interesting sometimes.

7. Get to know your fellow classmates- you may be surprised by how close you get after even just a few weeks in another country. Of the 7 girls I went with, I became BEST friends with 3 of them and we literally did everything together from the moment we woke up until we fell asleep in a heap of exhaustion on the couch at night. We had the same focus for the trip of wanting to experience everything and we did. It was so fun to experience everything as a group and help each other through the experience. Having someone else to rely on can be the difference between being scared and just doing things while you are there.  When my uncle died while I was abroad and I could not attend his funeral, these girls held me while I cried and helped me make a tribute to him at Abbey Road. Without them, I don’t know how I would have gotten through that heartbreaking time. I also got to join in on some of their experiences that I otherwise would not have done and it was a blast. Also, you then have photo takers, map readers, someone to sit next to on the tube and someone to share your worries and excitement with. I still talk to my London girls almost daily and I am so thankful to have shared this experience with them.

8. If you are not best friends with your fellow classmates, it’s okay. The other 3 girls in my group had a totally different focus for the trip and we did not see eye to eye and it was fine. We went our separate ways, did our things and got along fine. You can’t make everyone see the trip in the same way as you and sometimes you just have to go with it. It can be frustrating but do not let it ruin your trip. They don’t have that kind of power. This is your experience and make it great no matter what everyone else is doing. It is a great time to exercise your independence and to do what makes you happy.

It’s is not going to be easy or perfect. If you think everything will work out perfectly and 100% according to your plan, change your thinking ASAP. Problems will arise, you will miss your family, you will get discouraged, you will not get to do everything you planned, you will get lost on the tube or buses, you will spend too much money on something by accident (in my case it was 10 pounds worth of water at Pizza Express), you will feel awkward and out of place but don’t get down. Embrace it all and take it in stride. It will be a perfectly imperfect experience that may just change you as a person forever. I know it did for me and I am forever thankful for this opportunity and experience. 

Always remember, "Not all who wander are lost" - J.R.R. Tolkien. 

Wander, get lost and enjoy every. single. minute. 

Ch-ch-changes

Ahhh David Bowie (RIP Father of Glitter Rock)... Classic song. Fits my life pretty well at the moment. I'm in a time of extreme transition. I am 22 years old; I am graduating undergrad, buying a house, getting married and starting law school all within a 4-month span. Needless to say, I am extremely excited and slightly terrified about my upcoming life changes and transitions.

Graduating undergrad Magna Cum Laude with a double major in Pre-Law and History is a light at the end of a long, difficult tunnel. College is hard and I worked my butt off in tough classes, extracurriculars, part-time jobs, leading clubs on campus, maintaining a high GPA and working to into Law School. I have loved my college years but I am ready to move on. I will be sad to say goodbye to my beloved undergraduate university, teachers and hometown but I am ready to spread my wings and explore somewhere new and transition into professional graduate school.

My fiance and I are moving to a new city where he begins his full-time job and I will attend Law School. Instead of renting, we decided to jump right in and buy a house. As exciting as it is to be budding homeowners and have our own space it is a daunting task. Loans and yards and furniture and budgets and possibly having a fixer upper..... Oh my. I am watching HGTV in every spare moment I have to try to prepare myself and I feel like I email my realtor every 5 minutes. Thankfully she is patient. I truly feel like I am #adulting hard core and it's quite scary. It is also exciting to look forward to decorating my own space and nesting. My fur-babies will love having a yard to run in finally! We are all over the roommate/sharing space/college lifestyle.

In July, I get to marry my best friend, my soul mate and the person who has put up with me for 6.5 years since we were little baby 15 year olds with acne. This is one transition I am not the least bit scared of. I cannot wait to be married to the man of my dreams and have the best support system I could ever ask for through all these other changes. Wedding planning is stressful and expensive and a pain but it will all be worth it when I can call this amazing man my husband and wake up next to him everyday.

My final and scariest transition is starting Law School in August. Everyone else says I am ready and will do great and the Law School obviously agrees as they awarded me a full tuition scholarship. Though I have prepared extensively and read everything I can, I still feel terrified. Law School is HARD. They set it up to weed out those who are not up to the challenge. I am just mentally preparing myself as much as I can to give my life away to case books, outlines and highlighters as of August 22nd and I hope I am up to the challenge and can live up to the standards I have set for myself. Tune in later this year to see how much of a stressball I am.... should be entertaining....

So yeah.... it is a time of transitions; some are exciting, some are scary and all are a part of growing up. Currently I am listening to Disney songs on Pandora to try to pretend I am not a real adult and remind myself of those carefree days where I had no responsibilities beyond entertaining myself and playing with my cat. I think it is safe to say that I am #adulting hard core. As much as I am nervous and scared, I am so ready for all these changes and moving into more of an adult life. I think I am ready.... we shall see. It will certainly be one big adventure and as Albus Dumbledore wisely said, "Let us step into the night and pursue that flighty temptress, adventure".

I am ready to pursue the flighty temptress and if Harry Potter can defeat Voldemort at 17, I should be able to survive home ownership, marriage and Law School at 22.

P.S. You can now follow my adventures or misadventures throughout my transitions on Instagram @TheLegalDuchess and on Tumblr @the-legal-duchess. Follows would be appreciated :) 

Making the Most of Ireland in a Short Trip

It is no secret to anyone who knows me that I had a life changing experience in my study abroad trip to London last May. I cannot stress enough how much Studying Abroad impacted me as a person and expanded my worldview. I fell deeply in love with London and left a small piece of my heart in that beautiful city. We had a lot of freedom while we were there and we were able to take a short trip to Ireland during our time in Europe.

As a person of Irish descent, stepping foot on the Emerald Isle felt like coming home. Never have I seen a place so naturally beautiful, ruggedly wild and so beyond green. The people were as nice as everyone says they are, the food is incredible and I will never drink Guinness again after having a "cup of frothy cream" in its home city of Dublin.

I can go on and on about Ireland and how amazing it was. In truth, I was only there for 3.5 days. For a place to leave such an impact on me in such a short time shows just how incredible Ireland is. Below I have outlined my tips on making the most of Ireland even if you only have a short time there.

1. Walk
Something I realized very quickly in Europe is that walking is the mode of exploring. When we arrived in Dublin, Ireland, we took a taxi to the Hostel, dropped our bags and took off in search of food and entertainment. Just wandering around the city with no real direction helped us to run into all kinds of interesting things. We happened upon the Temple Bar area, found some adorable shops, walked by Trinity College, ate bangers & mash at a legit Irish pub and saw a bar fight or two. I cannot stress enough how much more you see when walking around cities in Europe. Get lost and see what you can experience. Some of my best memories came from unexpectedly happening across something. My feet ached at the end of every day but the memories and experiences are priceless. Compared to London, Dublin is a small city and we got to see so much of it on foot. (side note- comfy shoes with good support are a lifesaver)

One of the many beautiful things we saw while lost and aimlessly wandering around Dublin

2. Hostels 
We stayed in Hostels all 3 nights in Ireland. I was skeptical but I knew it was the only way I could afford to go to Ireland and I figured it was all part of the experience. Hostels were a pleasant surprise for me. Our first night we were in an 8 bed co-ed room with 2 German girls, a French boy and us 4 Americans. We literally stayed up until 3am talking, laughing and comparing cultures. It was such a cool and unforgettable experience. Our second night we ended up in a room by ourselves but ventured out to the common areas and met some more great people. The hostels were relatively clean, comfortable, safe and provided a decent breakfast. Overall, it was a cheap and memorable way to spend my nights in Ireland and I do not regret it one bit. Hostels are not nearly as bad as people make them out to be.

3. Sightseeing
We did our sightseeing on a bus tour around the countryside. This was the perfect way to fit a lot into our short trip. We had hilarious and super knowledgeable guides and got to see many things out our bus window as well as spending time at some of the biggest sights. We went to: Blarney Castle, the port of Cobh, the city of Cork, the Cliffs of Moher, Bunratty Castle, the village of Doolin and Dublin. It was unbelievable and unforgettable. I may have kissed the Blarney Stone and acquired the gift of gab but I will stop here and let you go read my overview blog post on my Irish adventures if you so choose. http://oneblondeacrossthepond.blogspot.com/2015/05/day-8-11-on-top-of-world.html

The adorable Port of Cobh

I kissed the Blarney Stone!

4. Eat the Food and Drink the Beer
Irish food = heaven. Bangers & Mash was my personal favorite. It is wholesome, filling and soooo good. Eat your heart out. As for drinking, I am not much of an alcohol drinker but I must say, Guinness tastes incredible in Dublin and I will never drink it anywhere else. It could not compare. It was described to me but an Irishman as a "cup of frothy cream" and it was pretty darn accurate. Try it even if you're not a beer drinker; you may be pleasantly surprised or you can just brag that you drank Guinness in Dublin. I did find a great Irish ale called Magners (Bulmers in Ireland) that is available in the US and every time I drink it I get all nostalgic.

It tasted as good as it looked

5. Enjoy the Scenery and the People
Ireland is truly the most beautiful place I have ever seen. The natural beauty of the fields of green is just something I cannot describe. I urge anyone who visits to soak it in because you will never see something like it anywhere else. As for the people, Irish people are friendly and kind. I was told before going that Irish are the friendliest people and it was proven true. The atmosphere is one of a warm, inviting homeland filled with people who wish to be your friend. Take advantage of that and talk to the locals. They always have a funny story to tell in the jaunty, lilting accent of theirs. Irish people could not have been more different than the people of London and it was a refreshing change.

Feeling like I was on top of the world at the Cliffs of Moher

No matter if you are in Ireland for a few hours or a few weeks, I hope you get to experience some of the wonder I did. The Emerald Isle is a place like no other and I am counting the days anxiously until I can go back. Enjoy your time there and make the most of it and as many pictures and memories as you can because it is over before you know it and you will be back home yearning for some good Irish food and to have your breath taken away by the Cliffs of Moher one more time. I left a small piece of my heart in Ireland and someday I have to go back and get it. Ireland seems to have a way of making you feel so welcome that you just want to go back again and again.

Happy Irish vacations to all! Make a load of "craic" (the Celtic word for fun and crazy great times!) and memories!

Rustic Wedding DIYing

I did some shopping today while it was raining. I wasn't really looking for wedding things but I always keep my eyes open. I happened to come across this adorable blue box, with bird wire on top and a little chalkboard on the front. I thought it would be the PERFECT card box for my wedding. I have not decided if I want to paint it or "rough" it up at all. For now I like it and I will decide later exactly how to DIY it.

I also found these large shutter/doors to be used as a back drop or decorations piece. I am thinking of painting it in my wedding colors or "roughing" it up a bit so it seems more rustic. 

My plan is to use them as a photo display station as well in this style found on Pinterest: 

I also found a smaller set of shutters that I want to use behind the cake or on the head table or something. Similar style to the previous Pinterest idea. For $5, I I couldn't pass it up!!! 

Overall, I am super excited to have stumbled upon these awesome rustic decorations that I can DIY into fabulous country rustic wedding decor. Now I just need to find more! 

Happy DIYing :)