Paris

My visit to Paris was so quiet, but so full of life.  I spent 9 nights in the city, completely and utterly alone.  I don't think I would have done anything differently.

I spoke mainly in French while I was there, trying as best as I could to remember the correct vocabulary and tenses.  I wanted to fit in among the crowds of Parisians as easily as I was mushed into them on the Metro.  Could they smell my foreign tongue?  I stayed very quiet for the first few days.  Observing every turn and holler, every breath and step, every tune and argument. 

It seemed to me, that these people kept to themselves more than any sort I had ever seen before.  As if it were discomforting to be urged to make contact with an unknown.  Everyone was on their own mission.  So focused.  I wouldn't necessarily call it unfriendly.  I never found the people I met and encountered there unfriendly.  It was like their minds were racing on their own discoveries.  Deep in thought, tout le temps.  This was of course, from an outsider's opinion.  I'm sure my perspective would change if I had stayed longer.  And yes there were exceptions, but from a whole, this is the impression I was left with.

The organization of the city had me in awe with every Metro stop.  Every building, every park. every palace felt placed with purpose.  The entire city appealed to me as the floorplan of an art museum.  This is where you want to sit to observe this view.  Climbing a few hundred steps here would make a great look-out over the city.  Of course you would want to walk along the river buying old books from these fold out cupboards.  Unlike any city I had ever been to, this city above all felt like it was designed for those who wish to enjoy life, leisurely, yet focused. 

The beauty of it is unrivaled.  Khaki and pastel-colored and sparkling by night.  Accordion players thumbing the keys to old songs.  The click-clack of the well-to-do in their fancy shoes.  The echos of prayers in the cathedrals.  The scratch of pencils on sketchbooks in the museums.

The air felt so fresh to the lungs.  If you could bottle the feeling of walking the streets of Paris...

A woman without love wilts like a flower without sun.

We pass the time of day to forget how time passes.

Hurricane Irene: No Need to Panic

WHY YES, I am somewhat behind the headlines, but since my last post was doom and gloom about Irene, I thought I would post the photos of what actually ended up happening (read: I slept through the hurricane completely after hours and hours of Sex and the City, and woke up only to find a down tree, rain and water everywhere, and New Yorkers anxious to get the city moving and grooving again...no hurricane shall slow us down). Oh, and on my walk around town to view the lack of destruction I took photos of some nifty artwork. ;]

Fashionista's Guide to Packing for Italy

One of the biggest problems for me before I left the States for Italy, was what on earth to pack for a 2 month excursion studying fashion in a city I've never been to.  Every fashion student knows that one must have the feel of the city to understand what to pack for it, so I was going into this journey completely blind.  After my lovely stay in Florence, I have a few words of wisdom for future fashionista's on their way to Europe, and more specifically Italy in the summer.

1.) A large, light-weight scarf.  This came in handy every time I wanted to visit an old cathedral, friar, or Duomo.  The Italians (and some places in France I found as well) are very serious about maintaining proper dress, so shoulders must always be covered.  Instead of wearing long sleeves while you are hiking through different cities, wear what you'd like and cover your shoulders with a scarf when entering sacred places.  When you aren't using your scarf, tie it around your bag as a colorful accessory.  Just remember, that often times (particularly St. Peter's Basilica) your shorts and dresses need to be at least knee length -- guys, too!

2.) One maxi-dress.  They were quite the rage when I was in Italy, plus they are nice if it happens to be a chilly night.

3.) One good pair of sunglasses. Seriously, you won't regret them.  It rained only twice the entire time I lived in Florence.

4.) A pair of wedges.  The Italian women, and actually most European women I found, frequently wear heels.  I hail from Indiana, where this is very much the opposite of the norm.  Now, remind yourself that many of the roads in Italy and Europe are cobblestone, so if you have not been wearing heels since you were 5 years old, you most likely will roll your ankle attempting to navigate the alleyways, and in the very least you will find you are staring at the road rather than taking in the beautiful sites.  So here is a great compromise: wear wedges! The footing is more stable than a thin heel, but will give you the same stylish feel.

5.) One trusty black dress for going out at night.  The Italians are all about night life, as much as they are about getting dressed up.  Looks are very important to their culture, but instead of bringing 10 different dresses, bring a few trusty ones, and bring (or buy at the markets!) jewelry to switch up your looks instead.

 For any of you lucky enough to be heading abroad I hope this helps.  Maybe a post on what NOT to pack is in the works... because you are going to need all the suitcase you can spare to bring home your treasures from your travels.

Hibernation is for Bloggers, Too

No, New York didn't quite kill me yet; just took a small break from blogging as life got somewhat out of hand.  More posts are scheduled and on their way...I still have to tell you about Paris...

September 11th

In the words of Adventurous Kate:

To everyone who lost a loved one ten years ago today -- you're in my thoughts, and I hope you are able to find peace.

 

I Left My Heart In Florence

Even now that I'm living in New York City, home of fashion & night life, I still think back to my weeks in Italy as the best time of my life. Firenze is a city with so much personality, beauty, and history. I miss the guitarist at Piazza Republica & Ponte Vecchio, the gelato across the Arno, Marco -- my charismatic professor, the market with the smell of Italian leather, and all the red roof tops.  New York will grow on me, but Florence stole my heart.

Arriving in Switzerland

At the end of my program in Florence, I headed out on a solo adventure to explore beyond Italy.  I took an evening train into Lucerne, Switzerland, with a connecting train in Milan.  Turns out I should have left slightly earlier for a little more sunlight, because the views were absolutely stunning throughout northern Italy. There are these small cities built up the sides of the mountains, all of them with lakes at the bottom.  The train sped by for hours, passing these cities, and as the sun went down and lights were turned on, they seemed to sparkle, everything reflecting on the lakes.

I arrived in Lucerne dressed in denim shorts and a red, breezy one-shouldered blouse, and I was clearly out of place.  I really should have checked the weather forecast because the weather was rain, rain, rain, and the dress was sweaters, boots, and scarves.  I chuckled at my luck and decided to search for an ATM to get some Swiss Francs.  When I finally found one, the minimum I could take out was 50... which I ended up needing all of anyway, because if you are unaware and thinking about heading to Switzerland, just know that the Swiss have a way of emptying your wallet faster than you can say Guten tag!

When you exit the train station in Lucerne, you are greeted by a giant arch, similar to those all over the world like the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, or the Washington Square Arch in New York City, or the Arch of Constantine in Rome.  I'm beginning to think a city can't be a city without an arch of its own.  I had a great photo of this, but somehow in all of the madness of Paris, it got erased.  That, or it's lost in my laptop in cyberspace.

Anyway, so I finally grab a cab after standing in the rain with my colossal suitcase, and am whisked away through the city with tired eyes, sore feet, and very much in need of a rain coat and/or sweater. I arrive at my hostel just past midnight, and shuffle into a 20-person room to claim the last bed available... which obviously was a bit of a mess trying to be quiet and also drag a 50 lb. suitcase into dark room and proceed to dig though it for something to sleep in.

More on my Switzerland visit & photos to come :]

Come On Irene

Come on Irene; please spare New York City.

I'm witnessing the first time in history when the most densely populated city in the country is being shut down.  All airports are closing, subways are being shutdown tomorrow, and there is the first mandatory evacuation in the entire history of New York City. After what was called a once-in-a-lifetime earthquake for this area that we experienced earlier this week, we are all wondering what will happen for New York City after this weekend.

We've been keeping our eyes on this storm all week, knowing it could get ugly.  Many universities have chosen to evacuate their students, but FIT remains confident we will be okay to stay here.  As the only students on campus currently are freshman, transfers and visiting students who are unfamiliar with the area and its normalcy, we already feel slightly more concerned with the situation.  We just received notification via e-mail as what we should prepare to do this weekend, but there have been no faculty or administrators of any kind assuring us personally that we will be kept safe.  Events continued as normal today.  Some of our friends who have a place to go with family in safer areas have left already, but for a majority of us, we are at the mercy of the storm.

We remain hopeful that Irene will die down slowly and spare the coastline.  Today a friend and I went down to the seaport area and out to Governor's  Island, both areas which should be completely evacuated by tomorrow afternoon.  Grocery stores were full of people and empty shelves.  Water bottles were going for 6 for $18 at Trader Joe's.  This is my first hurricane so I don't really know what to expect.  But most people I have talked to do agree on one thing:  they lived here all their life and heard the media hype over and over...but this time, something is different.

I'm sitting on my bed looking out over Chelsea neighborhood from 8 stories up.  Listening to the sounds of the city and comforted by the glow of lights from buildings across the street, I wonder how different things could get if Irene does hit with a fury of a storm of the century. Fingers crossed and prayers going out to all along the east coast through the weekend.

Photos from today below.

Hello; Excuse Me

Day One in the Big Apple was uneventful for the most part, yet I still got goosebumps crossing the George Washington Bridge into Manhattan. Luckily, I've been to New York twice before, including an unplanned visit to the Fashion Institute (before I ever knew I would end up attending here), so navigating was a breeze.  As this is my third year heading to college, the process is quite familiar to me now: pack for hours, drive for hours, unpack for hours, SLEEP.  This time though, the driving part was considerably longer (try about 650 miles versus about 120 miles).  Fortunately, no surprises through moving in, and I'm thanking God that it did not rain today because I had to leave all of my things on the sidewalk outside of my dorm while I checked-in.

The best part of the day by far was heading to McDonalds for a bit of a quick, cheap din din and running into the most entertaining, eccentric elderly ladies in Manhattan.  I was standing in line waiting to order my cheeseburger, and I hear a demanding sounding older lady's voice shout, "HELLO! EXCUSE ME"!  I turn around to see two ladies pushing their walkers yet dressed to the nines strolling in behind me.  The loud one murmurs a "thank you" as she continues in front of me.  They go on to say hi to another friend in the McDonald's and go about their business, knowing that they own this place. Only in this city would I find these characters.  I spose that is how you have to act if you want to be noticed here...a little "hello;excuse me" is necessary in the city that never sleeps.  Hello New York. :]