THOSE TWO YEARS

If you have ever read my blog, or looked on any of my social media accounts at all, you would probably know that I waited for my boyfriend for two years, while he served his mission for the lds church.

We dated for three years before he left.

He served two years in Mexico City.

During that time, I moved to California to further my education at Chapman University, joined a business fraternity and a sorority, spent a semester studying abroad in London, landed my first internship, and spent the holidays and summers back in my beautiful hometown of Seattle.

During that time, I also missed my boyfriend like crazy. I wrote him weekly emails, letters, made him holiday packages and fantasized about the day he would finally return to me.

That being said, despite the sometimes inevitable fantasies of his return, I tried my best to never dwell too much on that day.

It was really really hard not to because all I wanted was to see my bestfriend and be reunited. But I knew and he knew that if we spent too much time focusing on the future, we would eventually regret that we did not live in the present - that he did not soak up every moment of his mission, and that I did not embrace my first two years of college.

So, I patiently waited, but I also lived my life, and so did he.

Instead of our relationship diminishing because of the distance and lack of communication, our relationship strengthened more than I could have ever imagined. We grew as individuals, we gave advice to each other, helped each other endure challenges, kept each other motivated, cried through the hard times, and smiled during the happy times. 

Even though those two years apart were hard, I will always remember them as two amazing years that taught me so much.

PS - Alex is back. He surprised me. I was told he would be arriving home August 19th, but he actually came home on the 18th. I was out with a friend and when we got home, Alex was at my house. It was a moment I will absolutely never forget. I don't think there is really quite anyway to  describe the feeling of seeing your bestfriend for the first time in two years.

Here's to the moments we will never forget.

<3Bren

My Three P's to Interacting With Strangers!!

Some of the most frequent interactions we have with people are conversations with complete strangers. I mean think about it - the grocery store checker, the restaurant host, the Starbucks cashier, the sales associate - we are CONSTANTLY talking with different people we don't know.

One of my biggest pet peeves in the world is when people are completely rude to strangers. It drives me nuts!!! And I can say this is something I witness all the time as I stand in line at my local Starbucks. And this is also something I endure all the time through my current experience working as a restaurant hostess and my past experience working in retail.

People can be so blatantly mean, impatient, and disrespectful to strangers for almost no reason! I think the reason people justify this kind of behavior is through the thought process that they won't have to see this stranger or face them again, so it doesn't really matter what they say. Along with this, people often have expectations of perfection.

We all have bad days, I get it. And sometimes we just don't feel like talking with others - believe me, I also get that. But being in a bad mood does not warrant rude behavior towards strangers who would have virtually no idea you are in a bad mood.

Patience. Politeness. Pleasantness.

I can truly say it genuinely makes my day better when I am ringing up a to-go order at the restaurant I work at and the person I am talking to actually gives me the time of day or thanks me after I give them the bag of the food. I appreciate the person who understands that we are not perfect, and sometimes mistakes are made in the process. I appreciate people who are patient when my hands are full and I need just a moment before I can help them.

We are all human, and life is a lot cooler when we treat each other that way.

Be nice to the strangers you meet and don't snap at the smallest mistakes. When we serve others and are kind, even to those we do not know, we are ultimately not only making them happier, but we are also increasing our own happiness.

Mikaela came to SEA us!

Last week was one of the most fun weeks I have had in a while! Since I have been home from abroad, my life has not been too exciting. I have been juggling two different jobs to try to make money back and other than that, I have really just been hanging out!!

But, my roommate of the past two years from Chapman came to visit and Morgan and I (both being from Seattle) had such a blast hanging out with her! There is nothing I love more than showing off Seattle because it is an awesome place to live and there is so much exploring to be done! Mikaela had never been to Washington and she was completely blown away by the beautiful scenery and lush greenness.

I live on the water, so we went canoeing in the clouds on her first day here.

We spent a rainy Monday adventuring in Snoqualmie Falls before grabbing lunch at PCC Market.

We went to the city to meet my mom for lunch, explore Pike Place Market (to get some flowers and doughnuts), walk through Pacific Place, and finally make our way to the infamous Kerry Park. We also got blueberry honey sticks and sampled everything in sight.

On Mikaela's last day, we hiked Rattlesnake Ledge. While doing so, I realized just how out of shape I am (it's a pretty easy hike, and I was tired). But the good news, we met a golden retriever puppy at the top, who I instantly befriended (I really miss having dogs). Desperate to hang out with more animals, I also attempted to befriend the chipmunks and squirrels at the top, but they didn't really seem to care. Anyways, the hike was super fun!!

It was such a wonderful trip and so fun to see Mikaela before she heads off to France next semester! It was fun having her around because she made me participate in all sorts of athletic activities like hiking twice, going on trail walks, canoeing and going to workout classes!! You should stay around Mikaela and maybe I'll get in shape! Haha, but in all seriousness, I am so glad this Midwestern girl made the trek to the fabulous PNW!!

<3Bren

Healthy(er) Nights

There are some nightly routines that I have that I cannot go without and that are healthy habits.

I can't sleep unless I have brushed my teeth, flossed, washed my face, and taken out my contacts. I  love having these habits because I think it is an excellent way to prepare myself before going to sleep for the evening. 

However, I also have some not so good before bed habits.

I ALWAYS sit on my phone at night once I have turned lights out. And I am always mad at myself afterwards. I usually plan to just scroll through my instagram feed really quickly and then put my phone down, but somehow it always escalates into watching dog videos on facebook, scrolling through pinterest, googling a million things, and all of a sudden over an hour has passed!! Why is it so dang hard to put down my phone at night.

My other bad night habit is....

I definitely do not keep the 'don't eat 3 hours before you go to bed rule'.  And sometimes, I eat less than an hour before bed!! I know it's not healthy, bur I always seem to be craving sweets at night!

So I am channeling my own personal checklist for myself of having healthier nights and thus, a healthier life.

*set a time limit for time on the phone and once the time limit is reached, phone goes down! 

*put the phone on the other side of the room so it is less of a temptation to pick it up again

*try not to make a screen the last thing I look at before bed, but instead, a book!

*stretch before sleeping!

*drink a glass of water or sleepy time tea before bed, don't go for cookies.

*limit food intake in evenings after it is three hours before sleeping!

There are PLENTY of other things I need to work on in order to be a healthier individual. Though I am not looking to change my appearance or lose weight, I just want to be a healthier person with better lifestyle choices. And lately, I have been really mad at myself for my unproductive nightly routines, so this is where it begins.

Here's to being the healthiest version of yourself!!!

<3Bren

Italian Adventures!!

Italy is amazing!! Morgan and I traveled primarily through train. We took a plane ride from Paris to Pisa, but then we went to Cinque Terre, Florence, and Rome on train!

-Pisa-

Pisa is so very underrated in my opinion! Everyone told me that Pisa is boring and there is virtually nothing to do there, aside from seeing the tower! Because of this, I went in with very low expectations. However, I was so pleasantly surprised by how much I loved Pisa! The little town is totally walkable, has a less touristy vibe, great food, stellar farmers markets, beautiful views, and lots of great shopping! I had the most delicious cannoli I have ever eaten there from a cute farmers market and I also got really awesome Italian shoes from a little shop!! Also, if you ever go to Pisa, I highly suggest checking out the sandwich shop, Gusto Giusto! Amazing and really inexpensive sandwiches!! I was seriously impressed by this place. 

Completely failing on the hand placement.

Gusto Giusto!!

-Cinque Terre (Manarola)-

When Morgan and I first started planning Cinque Terre, I was utterly confused. I guess it didn't occur to me that I would have to be choosing one of five towns to stay in. We were so lost as to which town to go to - we read loads of reviews from people, blog posts, activities, you name it! We found a great deal on the best site ever, Airbnb, for a seaview room in Manarola! Manarola was one of our top choices, so went for it!! It was amazing! Yes, I am now biased, but if Cinque Terre is in your travel plans and you are struggling big time on which town to choose, I strongly suggest Manarola. Even though it is small, Manarola is perfect. The views are breathtaking and they are from every which direction you look and it is not nearly as touristy as the bigger towns!

If you go to Manarola, you have to go to Nessun Dorma! It is the most amazing snack-bar/restaurant! You walk up this big hill and the restaurant is completely outside and faces the water! The food is great and it is the coolest vibe and probably one of my favorite restaurants I went to in my entire time abroad.

On our second day in Cinque Terre, Morgan and I did take the quick train ride to Vernazza to check out that town (side note - all the towns are within ten minutes of each other on train and it only costs like 2 euros for train tickets, so super easy if you want to see all of them). Vernazza was beautiful too! We got lunch there and enjoyed sitting near the water and doing some small hikes to viewpoints! It is definitely bigger and has more shops than Manarola, but it also is a lot more crowded! Because of this, we preferred Manarola, but truly you can't go wrong with either! Cinque Terre is amazing!!

On our last evening, we sat on a bench at the top of a hill in Manarola and watched the sunset over the water! It would have been a great date spot (too bad it was just Morgan and I lol). JK love you Morgan!!

-Florence-

We only had a day in Florence, but loved seeing the David and the duomo!! Florence is beautiful and has such a rich history and intricate architecture. We also had the yummiest paninis there from Al Antico Vinaio (thanks for the recommendation, Christy)! The line was insane, but they were so worth it!

-Rome-

Our Italian adventure concluded in Rome! We stayed in the San Giovanni neighborhood, which was awesome! It had the best tiramisu shop in town, called Bar Pompi! I got banana nutella tiramisu (didn't even know there was such a thing) and it was amazing!

Though these pictures might indicate otherwise, the Trevi Fountain was insanely crowded! Totally worth it, but so many people!

Italy was an unforgettable experience! I am so grateful I had to the opportunity to travel to so many parts of it! I am also grateful that there was so many delicious desserts I got to try!!!

Thanks for reading!

<3Bren

PARIS!

It has been forever since I posted an update documenting my life abroad!!! Around late March and early April-ish, school actually started to kick in and finals week, as well as a boatload of projects hit! So for the first time since being abroad, I had to buckle down and spend my time studying for exams.  The morning after I finished my exams, Morgan and I took a Chunnel ride from London to Paris. We spent two days there before embarking on our Italian adventure through Pisa, Cinque Terre, Florence,  and Rome! It was amazing. I am home now and am adjusting to life back in the states. I am also completely broke, so that's cool. It's okay, I'm trying my hand at hostessing for a local restaurant starting tomorrow, so hopefully I'll make back some of the insane amount of money I spent! 

Anyways, I wanted to begin by sharing pictures and memories from my time spent in France!

Chunnel from London King's Cross St. Pancras to Paris Gare du Nord was a great way to go! I highly recommend doing it - only takes about two hours and you are right in the center of Paris.

Documented via my health app, Morgan and I walked north of 26 miles during our time in Paris. But that's exactly how we wanted it, I loved being able to just walk around and find different fun places to stop. Even though we were only there two days, I felt like I really got to know the city by seeing it on foot. 

Being typical tourists, upon arriving in Paris we started off on the 1.5 hour walk to the Eiffel Tower! However, along the way we came across the Arc de Triomphe and Champs-Elysees. This was the perfect detour. I loved stopping at the different stores as we made our way to the Arc. The giant Louis Vuitton is amazing and we had to go for the macaroons at Laudree. Eventually, we made it the Eiffel Tower. We stopped for baguettes and ate them sort of on the side of the Eiffel Tower. Even though the side was not as picturesque of a viewpoint, it was super nice because there were no people there!! I hate crowds, so if I ever come back to the Eiffel Tower, this is where I'll be hanging again! 

On our second day in Paris, we ventured to the Louvre and Musee d'Orsay! Note to all my study abroad students - present and future! If you present a valid ID from your host institution, you can get into these museums for free!!! Huge savings of like probably $50, so that was a plus! Personally being a fan of more impressionist art, I loved Musee d'Orsay!! However, the Louvre and Mona Lisa were cool too. Both are def worth checking out. I love shopping, so Morgan and I boutiqued at awesome places for the rest of the time in Paris before being chased back to our hostel by the rain!

Thanks for a great two days, Paris! I'll definitely be back!

<3Bren

The Guide to Colorful Houses!!

Something I have come to discover about Europe thus far is that there are lots of small, quaint towns with super colorful houses! I LOVE it. The rows of homes in pastel colors add such character to towns, and plus, they are the perfect opportunity for pictures, especially on a sunny day.

So, here are my favorite places that I have seen colorful homes so far. PS - there might be more to come because we are going to Cinque Terre in a few weeks and rumor has it, it is very colorful there. But this is what I have for now.:)

*The Infamous Homes of Nottinghill (LONDON)*

Morgan and I knew from the get go that hitting Nottinghill was a must. However, we wanted to make sure we saved it for a perfect, sunny day! So, we waited until that day came. SO worth the wait. We walked around the Kensington area and Nottinghill for probably four-ish hours, soaking in the sun, admiring the cherry blossoms, walking through every street with a hint of color, and hitting the boutique shops. I was discouraged at first when we arrived at the Nottinghill Gate tube station because I did not immediately know where we were supposed to go to find these pretty houses. I had seen them in countless pictures from others, but it's always that struggle of actually figuring out where the heck we are supposed to go. So we just wandered, and trust me, you will end up coming across a ton of beautiful houses!

*Chelsea/King's Road Area (LONDON)*

One day, Morgan and I were shopping in one of our favorite areas, King's Road, when we came across this random street with beautiful houses. It was honestly completely unexpected, we weren't seeking anything other than the Free People and Anthropologie at the end of the street, but this was such a fun find! Also King's Road is the bomb and Kate Middleton casually shops at the Lululemon there(v angry we missed her there a few weeks ago), so I suggest going there and taking a pit stop to see these lovely homes.

*Sneem Village (IRELAND)*

On the Ring of Kerry Tour in Ireland, one of the stops was at a small village called Sneem filled with ice cream shops, restaurants, and local boutiques. I think it would have been WAYY cooler in the summer, because we were there in the middle of February and it was freezing and everything was closed. Nevertheless, it was still quite pretty.:')

*Aberystwyth (WALES)*

Walking along the seafront of Aberystwyth, I couldn't not snap a pic of these pretty homes!! And the fact they were on the water made it even more beautiful!

So, if you're ever in London, Wales, or Ireland, or possibly Cinque Terre too (I'll keep ya posted on that in a few weeks) and are on the hunt for colorful houses, I gotchu covered.:')

<3Bren