My Trip to Hawaii 2016: Maui

Hey everyone! Since I never showed you all photos from Maui back in August, I decided on the last day of the year to do a post about it. Over the Summer, I was in Maui, Hawaii for four days.

One day, my family and I went to the top of a mountain at around four in the morning to watch the sunrise. When we first got to the top of the mountain it was dark out and you could see a ton of stars. We stayed on top of the mountain for about three hours.

The mountains looked like they were from another planet, and I thought that was pretty cool. There was a pit below I from where I was standing and it's known as the world's quietest place.

After seeing the sunrise, we went on a bike tour down a mountain. It was such a cool experience to be able to see Maui from so high up. 

My family and I posed on top of the mountain with one of the bikes.

After our bike ride, we got a breakfast/lunch at a truck that sold burritos, and such.

The next day we went on a 110 mile round trip on the Road to Hana. This excursion is by car, and there are many fruit stands, small shops with banana bread, and incredible views on the way. Hana isn't super special, but the journey there is more amazing than the destination.

The blue bracelet is made with a type of seed that is in Hawaii and can be used as beads.

At one of the overlooks tree was a small shrine to a few surfers that most likely died around there. I thought the shrine was very pretty, but it was hard to get any closer to it.

On our way to Hana, we passed a catholic church in a small neighborhood.

One of the small places we passed on the road was a store that sold jewelry and tie-dye shirts.

Here is a picture of me in front of a Black Sand Beach. I used this photo for my Christmas card.

One of the stops on the road was a smoothie shack, and they had advertised all of their super fresh fruits.

After our trip to Hana, my family and I stopped in a small town called Paia. We ate in a Mexican restaurant, and I had one of the best fajitas ever in this restaurant. I also had a virgin piña colada, which was also very good.

Paia is a beach town, and it has many bathing suit stores, restaurants, tattoo pallor, and cute boutiques.

My family and I stayed at the Grand Wailea, which is a very beautiful hotel. The resort contains so many pools, and had a beautiful view of the water.

Question: Where did you travel this year?


                                                                          xx
                                                            Christina Madeleine

Pearl Harbor + Honolulu 2016

Hey everyone! Today is the 75th anniversary of the bombing of Pearl Harbor in Honolulu, Hawaii and I wanted to share some pictures from when I visited it. In August, I went to Honolulu and Maui. While I was in Honolulu, my family and I visited the Pearl Harbor memorial. At Pearl Harbor, there are memorials for the USS Arizona, USS Oklahoma, and the USS Utah, which were destroyed beyond repair during the attacks of December 7, 1941.

The USS Arizona lies in Pearl Harbor where it had sunk. The memorial is built over the ship, and visitors have to take a minute long trip on a boat to the memorial. The USS Arizona and the USS Utah are able to be seen by visitors because the remains of the ship lay on two different sides of the harbor. The USS Oklahoma had huge hole, and sunk a few miles from its brother ships. The memorial for the USS Arizona is the only one I saw, but it was such a nice experience because the memorial is a truly beautiful. If you closely into the harbor, you can see the oil that has continuously leaked from the ship for 75 years, and there is no way of knowing when it will ever stop.

The memorial is seen as a sacred site in honor of all the people who died on December 7, 1941. For survivors of the USS Arizona, when they die they have the option to have scuba divers put their ashes into the sunken ship. Currently, there are only six veterans from this ship alive.  On this sign, it talks about how when the divers put the ashes into the ship, it's like the soldiers are returning home to their fellow soldiers.

At the memorial, there is a list of all the people who died on the day of the attack from all the ships. The whole wall is filled, and it has the first initial and last name of the soldiers.

Pearl Harbor also has two museums about World War II, and the involvement of the United States during the war. Also, the museums had artifacts from the ships, letters from soldiers, old uniforms, stories, and so much more. It's like walking into a time capsule of this event, and it's so interesting. I loved reading about the people who gave their lives to their country. Also, going to the memorial and the museum made me more connected to the bombing of Pearl Harbor, and it made everything more real. There's a difference between reading about an event, and actually seeing the faces of the fallen, and the place where it happened.


Other Pictures from Honolulu ( Oahu):

Honolulu is so far away from New York, but once I go to the Island I was so happy. It seems like everyone is just so happy and friendly. Oahu is the most populated island of Hawaii, and is filled with tourists from the mainland and Japan.

 I lived for all the fruit that was accessible to me in Hawaii. All the fruit is so fresh, and almost everywhere has at least one smoothie option. For breakfast one morning I had a pitaya (dragon fruit) smoothie bowl with strawberries, bananas, mangoes, coconut shavings, and blueberries.

My family and I went on a bus tour around Honolulu, and the views were spectacular. I also got to see the veterans cemetery that is filled war heroes, celebrities, known and unknown soldiers. Hawaii is a place with such a rich history, and I was so glad to be able to experience it.

Right when I took this photo, the tour guide pointed out that Obama grew up in Honolulu. Since I have never been to Washington D.C, this is the closest I have been to something that is connected to the president. Although there are tons of beaches and palm trees in Hawaii, Honolulu is a metropolitan city.

If you have ever seen Hawaii 5-0, you might recognize this building... :) In reality, this is a government building, and there is an older, identical building right across from it that was also in Hawaii 5-0.

I obviously had to post some picture of me from Honolulu, so here is a picture of me when I learned how to paddle board  in the lagoon at my hotel. Coincidentally, people were filming for Hawaii 5-0, when I got out of the lagoon.

On my last day in Honolulu, before I went to Maui, I went on a walk to try to get to a mountain. After walking about 1.5 miles and then realized  that the mountain was very far away. The walk was very nice because of the view of the clear water and all, but since it was August, the sun was blazing hot.

 I hope you liked my post about Pearl Harbor and Honolulu. This month, I will be posting about my Maui experience, but I felt it was appropriate to post about Pearl Harbor today. 

                                                                            xx
                                                              Christina Madeleine

Guest Post: The Vienese Cure

 Hey everyone! My friend Nina went to Central Europe for nine days and wrote a post on it. She wanted to write for This Fashion Girl, but you can also check her post out at http://rainyday-writer.blogspot.com/. Her blog is starting off, and she is a very good writer and I think you should follow her for future posts.

                                                                 

The Viennese Cure

    I often hear the phrase, “that changed my life,” get thrown around in conversation as 

 

much as like or literally,but tend to ignore its inappropriately casual use. 

 

After this summer break, however, that phrase carries much more weight - my family’s 

 

whirlwind excursion to Central Europe genuinely changed my life. This may sound a bit 

 

cliché but, over a period of 9 days, I discovered my passion, found my ground, and learned 

 

the secret to happiness.

 

    In July, my family and I went with Adventures By Disney to the Czech Republic, Germany, and Austria. In Prague, we visited famous sites like the Astronomical Clock and the Charles Bridge. Surrounded by the Alps in Berchtesgaden, we hiked up the mountains and saw the old towns and majestic castles below. Finally, in Vienna, we walked along the Ringstraße and marveled at the beautiful city brimming with rich history and culture. Although these awe-inspiring sights alone are enough to spark change in a person, it was my observations and experiences that made my vacation transformative.

    Over the years, I’ve changed my dream job more times than I can count. I’ve wanted to be a fashion designer, a chef, a screenwriter, and, for about three days, a lawyer. Despite this rotation of varying professions, a few things have always remained true: a love of travel and exploring unknown places, a passion for getting to know and making friends with all types of people, and a steadfast motivation to learn new things. After telling my parents on the first night of the trip that our tour guides, Giselle and Andy, have the most amazing jobs in the world, my life goals took a sudden and major turn. I left behind all other notions of future profession and decided that I want to be an Adventures By Disney tour guide when I am older. Imagining I was in a cartoon, I pictured the clouds over my head rolling away and the sun shining down on me. Thinking about who I am and the things I have always loved and desired, this career path seemed to make the most sense. In that moment, my future seemed clearer than it ever has, which is the greatest possible breath of fresh air for an anxious teenager like me.

    Growing up as an only child with parents who have full-time jobs, I’ve learned how to entertain myself. This independence mixed with a very active imagination has, in the past few years, turned out to be a disquieting combination. Instead of living in the here-and-now, my mind is often off in a daydream. However, after my sudden change of ambition, I became much more focused and snapped out of my fantasy world. Rather than dreaming about how great my life could be, I started taking steps to better myself, like learning German online and going on college tours. I’ve moved from wishing good things would come my way, to working to make my dreams a reality. Armed with my newfound motivation, I feel ready for all that life throws at me.

    Many have written books, articles, movies, etc. on man’s never-ending search for happiness. Although some will disagree, I believe the Viennese have uncovered the secret to happiness in the proverbial feeling of gemütlichkeit. A German word with no direct English translation, it is often compared to our feelings of coziness and contentedness. Gemütlichkeit describes the atmosphere of the famed Viennese coffee shops, a social spot where one could meet and chat with friends or just sit quietly alone for hours on end. However, gemütlichkeit can be felt on the streets of Vienna as well. Coming from New York City, I feel the need to always be rushing somewhere or be stressed about something. It is the opposite in Vienna - everyone strolls through the small streets and alleyways, window shopping and admiring the old buildings. I could tell that even the locals had the time to stop and smell the roses. Because of this laid-back lifestyle, there exists a high quality of life in Vienna. Although I bought souvenirs on my trip, the most valuable thing that I’ve taken back is the gemütlichkeit mindset, something that I think will be especially helpful during stressful times in the school year. It’s important to remember that, despite how many things you have on your to-do list, you always have time to relax for a minute and adjust your mood so you never lose that gemütlichkeit feeling of contentedness - that’s the Viennese cure for an unhappy life of chaos and stress.

    Although I may change my dream profession some years down the line or one day snap back into my habit of daydreaming, my Central European vacation has helped to focus my thoughts, motivate me for my future tasks, and teach me how to go about my life in the most productive and fulfilling way possible. In addition, I’ve learned about fascinating histories and cultures, and saw some of the world’s most beautiful sights. Above all, this trip has instilled in me a beckoning sense of adventure and a curiosity for what life has waiting for me just around the corner. 

 Nina's Instagram: @n.curran (you can see more pictures like the ones above + other things because she lives in New York like me)

Have you ever been on a trip like Nina's? Comment below 

                                                                          xx
                                                           Christina Madeleine

My Trip to Barcelona: Views and the City

Hey everyone! Some of you may be wondering where I have been. From March 12 to April 2, I was living in Barcelona, Spain with a wonderful host family. I went to school there for two weeks, and traveled around Costa Brava and Spain for a week. My next few posts will be talking about the trip because it was the best experience I have ever had.

This post will show some pictures from the sights I visited in Barcelona.

On my first day, March 13, I arrived in Barcelona around 10 in the morning. My host family picked me up from the airport after a seven hour flight. Myself and five other girls from my school went on this exchange program to Spain, and we stayed with the six girls who came to my school last fall. After a quick trip to drop off my things at the house, my host family took me to a path to a mountain that overlooked the whole entire city of Barcelona. The path is called the Carretera de les Aigües and people jog, walk, and ride motorcycles and cars up this path to see the city.

On my first day, Ana (my host sister) and I also went to a market in Barcelona, but I have no pictures of it. I saw so many markets in Barcelona, so there will surely be more pictures of them. After taking a two hour "siesta" or nap (I only slept for 2.5 hours on the plane), Ana's friends came over and all of them took me around to see Barcelona at night. We walked past La Pedrera, Plaza Catalunya, and so many other places. I can't think of anything that would have been better because I got to meet many people the night before my first day of classes at their school. I came to Spain to improve my Spanish, but many people there speak English so talking and communicating wasn't a problem at all.

Ana, Duna, and I in front of a founta in Plaza Catalunya on my first night.

La Pedrera at night.

My first day of school in Barcelona wasn't as scary as I thought it would be. I didn't have to do any work in the classes except for listening. The school has about 3,000 students and it's co-ed, which is probably the exact opposite of my school which is 700 students, but all girls. My first day I had castellano (spanish class), empressa (business class- I had this class twice a day), economica (economics), and audio visual class. After school, Ana and I went to a senior citizen home for community service.

The third day at the school, the Spanish teacher took all six girls from my school around Sarria, which is a neighborhood in Barcelona where the school is located. We walked around the area, and would stop at buildings to talk about the importance, and we went into markets and offices.

In my first week, all of the exchange students from America (almost thirty people, but different schools) went on a excursion to a mountain called Montserrat. This mountain is about forty miles away from Barcelona. Since this will be a series about my trip to Barcelona, I have another post to talk about the day there. But the plateau where I went was above the clouds.

Park Güell is a park that contains the art of the architect Guadi. The park that contains his work is free after six o'clock, but since I went in the day I went to the part that was free all day long. This park also has an amazing view of Barcelona.

Later on that day, March 23, all of us went to the beach of Barcelona, called La Barceloneta, which is on the opposite side of the city from the park I was previously at.

I think I am going to post about six posts about my trip to Barcelona. This was the best way to make a comeback post from not blogging in about a month. I tried to live in the moment while in Spain, so I stayed off my blog for a bit. Now I am back, and oh how I missed writing!  Stay tuned this month for the rest of the posts about my trip. 

                                                                           xx
                                                               Christina Madeleine