A Day in Washington D.C.

Hey everyone! This week has been so busy for me. I started the week off in Boston, Massachusetts for three days and two nights. Then on Thursday I headed to Washington D.C for two days and one  night. What's the reason for all of my traveling this week? College Tours! It's cool that I get to visit all of these new places, but it's just so tiring. So, today and yesterday I visited two colleges and did some wandering of my country's capital.

This is mostly a photo post...but oh well! I need to go back to Washington D.C. because I really want to see the Smithsonian Museum.

 Here are some of the monuments and places I saw in this city.

 There was some official business going on in The White House when I was there, so unfortunately this is as close I could get to the building. For some reason I pictured The White House with more privacy to roam. It was cool nonetheless to see where the presidents of the United States have lived.

 This is the Eisenhower Executive Office Building which is the biggest building I've ever seen. It's huge! The whole building is filled with different details, but the architecture is identical no matter where you look on the building.  This building has a long history and many presidents have handled official business in it. 

This is the Washington Monument. It commemorates the first President of the United States... George Washington (who also appears on our one dollar bills).

Later on...

My family and I ate at a restaurant called "Founding Farmers", it's a pun on the term "founding fathers." The restaurant was so good! We originally weren't going to go in, but it was worth it. I had fish and chips.

 Later on, we stopped at an ice cream store called "Captain Cookie and The Milkman". Basically you have a choice of eight different cookies, and ten different ice cream flavors and you order an ice cream sandwich. I ordered Cookies N' Cream between chocolate chip cookies. The cookies were warm and it was delicious. It's a big ice cream sandwich, but it was a nice way to end a week of college touring.

I hope you liked this post! 
Have you ever been to Washington D.C? 

                                                                                 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: Excursions

Hey everyone! I am back for part two of my six part series about my trip to Barcelona. This post is about some of the excursions I went on while in Spain. Since I was at a school for two weeks of my exchange, I got to go to on some trips with Spanish and American teenagers. On weekends, I would go to places with my host sister and her friends.


Montserrat - March 18

On March 18, About 58 students (both spanish and american) took a 40 mile bus ride to a mountain called Montserrat. In my previous post, I have some more pictures of this mountain here. We spent the day sitting on a plateau in the mountain. Located on this plateau was a market (my friend and I bought a chocolate pastry with out lunch), a church (one of the holiest places in Barcelona), stores, and benches to enjoy the view.

 Since the school I was at is Catholic, there was an arranged mass at Montserrat which I thought was very nice. The only downside was that I could not understand any of it due to the fact the priest was talking in Catalan, and I was there to learn Spanish. The churches in Spain are beautiful and are so detailed.

  A thing I found funny was the different ideas about temperature in weather. I was bundled in my host sister's jacket because it was supposed to be very cold. In America, for the most part 50-60 degrees is Spring weather, but in Spain everyone told me it was freezing out. In this picture I was wearing long sleeves because I was told to dress warm for being on the top of a mountain, but it was surprisingly warm. I know that story was very random....

 

My friend, Cathy, and I at Montserrat.

     I took so many photos because I thought it was amazing that I was higher than the clouds.

 PortAventura - March 21

On March 21, I went to an adventure park near Valencia, Spain called PortAventura. I went on an hour long train ride from Barcelona to Valencia that had the most beautiful seaside view.  PortAventura is divided into four parts based on different places in the world i.e Far-West America, China, Mexico, and Polynesia. In 2017, there is going to be new part of this amusement park called Ferrari Land.

The entrance to PortAventura reminded me of Disneyland because it was so cheerful and when you walk in there are fake balloons on the ceiling.

I was at this amusement park for 8 hours, but at one point my friend and I laid on a hill and took a nap out in the sun because we wanted to take a break.

This amusement park also contains Europe's highest rollercoaster which I went on three times.

                                 The entrance to the China section of the park.

Eventually, I bought ice cream with strawberries and nutella (i.e one of the foods I had almost every day while I was in Spain).

Some pictures of my host girl, Ana, and some new friends (Duna and Silvia).

 La Sagrada Familia & La Pedrera - March 30

On this day, all the American exchange students went to visit La Sagrada Familia (The Sacred Family) which has been under-construction since 1882 due to the replacement of the main architect, Gaudi, and financial problems. This cathedral is planned to be finished in 2026.

Since there was a change in architects over the years, each side of the cathedral looks a bit different because of the influences from different cultures and ideas.

This side of the cathedral was designed more recent and depicts the new testament of the Bible.

 Gaudi designed the inside of the cathedral, but he did not live to see it be complete. The pillars are supposed to resemble trees and reach high to hold up the ceiling, while keeping a nature-y feel.

The stained glass windows are absolutely stunning, and since the inside of the cathedral is white there are colorful shadows everywhere.

There is a section of La Sagrada Familia designated to artists to make models of ideas for the completion of the cathedral. There are models upon models showing different designs of what the future construction should look like.

La Pedrera, also known as Casa Milà is a house that was designed by Gaudi and is the last known building designed by him. The house use to be sold to the most wealthy people in Barcelona, but over time the first, fifth, and roof became a museum. There are still people who live there, but they don't usually stay in the building while people are walking through it.

The roof of the building is covered with creations done by Gaudi. At the time he was designing it he claimed to have seen demons and in doing so showed them into his art. The roof has a beautiful view of Barcelona.

The building makes the shape of a circle and opens up in the middle. It was one of the coolest building I saw because the exterior and interior differentiate so much. 

The fifth floor museum recreates rooms from the 20th century where families would live in the huge apartments that this building contains.

I hope you guys enjoyed this post. There is definitely more parts to my trip coming!

Have you ever been to Barcelona or Spain? If so, leave a comment telling me about it. 

                                                                      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