Another Year, Another Lilly Agenda

Kaixo everyone,

Y'all, it's that time of the year again. It's time to choose my agenda for next year, and lo and behold, I cannot choose which to buy. No news. I have had a Lilly Pulitzer agenda since 2014. My first Lilly agenda was probably my favorite grad school purchase. Grad school can be gloomy with all the challenges, work and long hours, and having a splash of color in your backpack is definitely a little lifeline. In fact, whenever I was bored in class (oops!), I used to organize my planner (guilty as charged). I crowded it with stickers mainly, lol.

My agenda is definitely an important part of grad school, and choosing which one to use for the entire school year is essential. While I think Kate Spade agendas are really professional and have beautiful covers, they are a little gloomy for me. Maybe it's a sign I'm not ready to grow up yet? Possibly.

In spite of my current relationship with Lilly Pulitzer, I still consider myself loyal to Lilly planners. I've had the Peelin' Out for 2014-2015, Wild Confetti for 2015-2016 and Southern Charm for 2016-2017, and I've loved these planners with all my heart.

As you can see, they are all quite different, but they have some things in common: All three have busy prints, flowers (and they are not Tusk in the Sun because for heaven's sake Lilly, not everyone likes that print!). They are all large agendas, and I feel this size is the most practical for me. It fits my backpack nicely and gives me enough space for everything I write in it, which is quite a handful.

For this year's prints, I loved the Beach and Bae print. It has sailboats and it reminds me of my Ali dress in Out to Sea. Unfortunately, this print is only found in the Jumbo version, and it's too much for me, considering that aside from French and Catalan, I'm not taking classes this year. Thus, my favorite options are the following:

Gypsea, 30$

Sparkling Sands, 30$

They are both busy prints, no elephants, but only Gypsea has flowers. However, Sparkling Sands has more colors. I am SO TORN. I found Kate's review of the large agendas at Lonestar Southern really funny and helpful, but I felt I could relate to almost all the aspects she outlined for each agenda! I am definitely going to need to see some IRL pictures of these two to make my final decision. Your help is also appreciated! Which one do you like best? If you have chosen one, which did you choose?

Love,

- Ane

Like it, like it, love it, love it, PHI MU till I die!

Kaixo everyone,

Today's post is something I have been wanting to write about for a long time, and I am so excited to share it with you now! A little bit of background on myself. I went to college at the University of the Basque Country in Vitoria, Spain, where I majored in English Philology. I also did my junior year abroad in Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colorado. For grad school, I moved to Illinois, and I've been at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign for four years now.

My experience in Vitoria was alright, I made great friends and really liked my program, but I did not enjoy the city and went back home every weekend. Colorado was absolutely amazing. I enjoyed the place, the school, and the whole "American college" atmosphere. When I moved to Illinois, I expected something similar. Going to a Big 10 school is the "American college" idea on steroids. However, it is not the same to go to an American college to study abroad as going for grad school. As an international exchange student, you are the focus, professors consider your differences and you are traveling and enjoying life. As a grad student, you are no different than others, you need to work, and work HARD.

Both in Vitoria and Colorado, my social life was booming. I don't just mean I went to the bars constantly. I knew multiple people from different backgrounds and I got to hang out with different people all the time. Being in such a small graduate program in Illinois, my social circle is very reduced, and I am always with the same people. I have made lifelong friends here, but I often long for hanging out with different people and having friends outside of school.

So... I joined Phi Mu.

Wait... what? At 25? 3 years after graduating? How? Why? Let's start with Phi Mu itself. Phi Mu Fraternity (the full real name) was founded on March 4th, 1852 at Wesleyan College in Macon, GA, by the badass trio: Mary, Mary and Martha. It is the second oldest fraternal organization for women after ADPi, which was founded at Wesleyan just a few months before Phi Mu.

Now for how it happened. If you do not know, the University of Illinois, with 91 fraternities and sororities, has one of the largest greek schools in the nation. The demand is very high, and after leaving campus on 2011, Phi Mu was back in Fall 2016 to U of I. As per usual, the fraternities and sororities colonizing have a tent where they hand out fliers, goodies, and most importantly, inform potential new members about joining the organization. When I saw the bright pink tent of Phi Mu, I was like... what in tarnation? As a curious yet incredibly awkward girl that I am, I walked past many times and didn't stop to say hi. I know, I'm SUPER AWK. However, one day I saw they had donuts, and on my way back from Starbucks to my office, I asked what it was about.

The ladies that were by the tent, Keke and Alex, were super nice and helpful. They explained the process, how they were looking for a strong new member class to re-establish the chapter, etc. I let them know that I was a graduate student, yet they still invited me to get the goodies they were gonna have in the following days, and gave me information, including the e-mail of the Director of Extension.

So when I got back to my office, I thought about it, and I e-mailed her. I was aware that some sororities carry out the Alumnae Initiation process, whereby women that are not in college become alumnae sisters of the sorority, and I asked her about it. She put me in contact with Coley, who was in charge of extension on campus, and after meeting with her and discussing how it would work, the process started. After getting a recommendation and an invitation for membership, I was initiated November 12th, 2017, two days after my birthday. And let me tell you, it was the best birthday gift of all. You can see from the pics below that I was happy as a clam (dress from Rent The Runway)!

Dress from Lilly Pulitzer (old)

With Phi Mu, I've gotten to meet incredible women. It seems like such a cliché to say it, but it really is true. As an alumna, I do not get to hang out with sisters as much as collegiate members, but whenever the Chapter Consultants have invited me to chapter, or I have gone to philanthropic events or initiation, I have left with a sense of pride, determination and happiness.

As the Delta Beta chapter (the UIUC chapter) has just been re-established, there is a lot of work to do. Each chapter has a chapter adviser, but this one, apart from her, has different advisers for different areas. I am currently the Academic Excellence Adviser, and I work with the Academic Excellence Chair (shout out to Katie!) to help members reach their goals academically and professionally. Headquarters also placed two different chapter consultants for the fall and spring semesters. I started as an adviser in the spring semester, so I got to know the spring semester CCs, Maura and Allie, better.

With Katie (Dress: Lilly Pulitzer (old) // Earrings: Kendra Scott // Wedges: Steve Madden

With Maura and Allie

Working with the three of them, and the rest of advisers and chapter members has absolutely rocked my world. People still ask me if I'm in a sorority doing all the partying and all that. While sororities do have that social aspect, I do not do that. I probably would have if there were sororities at home or in Colorado, but joining as an alumna has been one of the greatest decisions. Some people think alumnae initiation is rare and sometimes they confuse it with collegiate membership. It is rare, but it is different, and it definitely does happen!

Some people have also asked me if I party with the girls (who are some years younger than me), or if I will live at the house. The answer is no. I provide guidance, help, or anything they may need that they think I can help with. I have gotten to know individuals and all their potential, and I have been able to see them succeed academically, professionally and as a chapter altogether. In exchange, I get a sisterhood of over 185,000 sisters in the US and beyond. Living by the same values and the same creed really do create this unexplainable bond, and I sure as hell will smile at anyone wearing my letters, strike a conversation with them or give them a hug. With so many women and so many differences, it is still amazing that Phi Mu bonds us.

If you are a college-aged girl or a grad student, I really, really encourage you to find your niche. Be it a sorority, club or volunteering organization, find a group of people who will empower you, help you thrive, lead you to find your passions, and also important, who will help you unwind and create new relationships with people. Phi Mu has helped me with all this, and I cannot wait to see how the following years will go.

Love,

- Ane

How to defeat the "leaving home" blues

Kaixo everyone!

So, on Saturday, I am flying back to Illinois to start my second semester of my first PhD year. As usual, I am a bit nervous, since crossing an ocean is a tedious, burdening experience which usually results in my stomach acting weird or my fever rising. Something that I've talked about here is how hard it is for me to go back every semester. I am not sure of my future or where I will end up, if I will finish the PhD, if I will move there permanently or move back, etc. And all these questions usually start making an appearance right when I've had a relaxing, lovely time back home with my family and friends. I didn't do anything special for Christmas, and that made it the most special. Being around family and friends is the biggest blessing for me. Being back to "normal" life. So when those questions come to my head and the time to leave my loved ones comes, I usually get anxious, depressed, and cry more often than usual (and I mean, I cry when I see a random street in my town because I won't see it till summer).

In spite of this, the world is not stopping, and I am catching that flight on Saturday. And many others are too, no matter if it is going to school two hours away, 8 hours away or 2 countries away. It is a common experience to feel sad when leaving home, family, friends and what is normal to you. Since I have had to do this for 5 semesters now, I have learnt to cope with the following strategies:

- Cry it out: This sounds like a childish solution, but crying is cathartic and if you express your sadness and even tell someone about it while sobbing, let me tell you, it feels SO GOOD after it. Do not bottle up your worries and your sadness, it'll be worse if you do so.

- Pack early: I'm leaving on Saturday, so I started packing on Tuesday and plan to finish today. You don't want to be stressed out the last minute before leaving, and my golden rule is to keep my last day to myself, my friends and my closest family (my parents and sister).

- Say your goodbyes early: Not as early as packing, but avoid having to cram all your grandparents, uncles, aunts and cousins the day before you leave. You will feel less emotional and will not start crying and make them feel terrible after. They are worried and sad they will not see you for months, so make the last time they see you a happy experience, or at least try to (no judgment if you cry, we're all humans after all).

- Treat yo self to things from home that make you happy: AKA food and drinks, for me. That delicious baguette from the bakery? Check. Real-deal chorizo? Check. Custards? Check. A nice, inexpensive, vodka orange Fanta cocktail? Double check. No time to think about dieting, you are sad, about to leave your home and you won't see those delicacies (or at least some of them) in months. TREAT. YO. SELF.

- Tell your loved ones how much they mean to you: Hug your family and friends, tell them you love them and you will miss them. Because you will, and they will too.

- Get excited about at least one thing for when you go back: I'm visiting a Lilly Pulitzer store right when I get to Chicago and taking the bus from the mall later to go back to Champaign. No long wait in the airport and cute clothes? I'll take it.

- Be happy that being away from home means you value it more than you ever could: There's no place like home.

Do you all have any strategies to deal with parting from home. Let me know!
Love,

- Ane

I'm back HOME

Kaixo dear friends,

Sorry for the long hiatus, but finals have been KILLER this semester. In any case, I'm back in track because a) I'm on holidays and b) I'M HOME! Yes, I'm back in the Basque Country for Christmas! And that means tons of time for sleeping, leisure and this blog! I will soon write about my awesome thanksgiving trip to Oregon and my SUPER SUCCESSFUL Black Friday+Cyber Monday experience. Seriously, it was crazy awesome. Meanwhile, here some pics with my people before and after flying home:

My roommate and I!

My friend Almike and I!

After the departmental reception

A blogger milestone: Ladurée macarons! And let me tell you, they were DELICIOUS!

Back with my friend Alejandra!

I will soon start posting now that I have the time. I have so many ideas!
Love,

- Ane

Fall College/Grad School Essentials

Hello everybody!

Fall is one of my favorite seasons (not that there are too many, but it's definitely top 2), mainly because my birthday falls in the fall (lol so punny #jkno) and because I can be fashionable without being relatively covered in as many layers as an onion. It's cold but not that cold, it's toasty but not that toasty. The colors change, basic white girls like myself show off our awesome riding boots and vests are in full swing. FALL >>>> everything.

As a somewhat "experienced" grad schooler, I have been in college/university for 7 years (Jesus Christ WHY), and I notice that every season asks for certain necessities. Here are mine:

Clockwise from top left:

- Lilly Pulitzer Agenda: Remember back in the day when figuring out which print to choose for my Lilly Pulitzer planner was the biggest of my problems? Yeah, fun times. But really, my agenda is like my inanimate (and way less expensive) personal assistant, and as a grad school student, I need to be on top of my assignments and my teaching, and a bright, cheerful planner helps me do all that without getting depressed. Plus, there is no better satisfaction than ticking off the assignments you've completed.

- Essie Nail Polish in Marshmallow: Do you believe in the "Treat Yo Self" philosophy? I bet 99.9% of you do, and the rest, well... standard error? I like to treat myself to Essie nail polish every once in a while, particularly after getting paid. I used to have a very opaque white nail polish that looked like white out (not the prettiest), and I was missing that white color in my nails. Enter Marshmallow, a sheer white nail polish. It is not super bright (which I love, fall is not for neons. Although if you like neon in the fall, you do you, I'm not gonna stop you) and it looks my MEGAPALE hands look less dead. A+

- J. Crew Factory Navy Vest: I like navy. JK I'M OBSESSED. A navy vest makes EVERY SINGLE OUTFIT look a little more polished and you still have your arms as free as America!

- Luscious Lemon Poppyseed Vegan Cookie: I study a lot. And I need sugar or some pick me up to keep me going. Enter this giant cookie from the Alternative Baking Company. I'm not vegan or vegetarian or anything (#bacon), but I saw this cookie, bought it, and holy molly isn't it amazing! I really recommend these!

- Blanket Scarf: I finally gave in and got the ultimate basic b fall staple. Well actually, my lovely friends gave me this for my birthday, and oh gosh I'm SO HAPPY about it. Illinois is cold, but I fight it like a pink diva!

- Louise et Cie Riding Boots: Goodness gracious, look at the color of these. They scream fall. Enough said.

There are many things I use during fall, but these are the main ones. Which are your fall staples?

Love,

- Ane

Missing In Action

Kaixo my dear friends,

It's been... too long. And a shame. I honestly have no other excuse than being swarmed with work. At least, I gotta say, this semester feels better than the last. I have recently started a certificate in translation at the university that makes me feel very confident about jobs outside academia! Not that I don't love teaching, I do (my students are still absolutely HILARIOUS), but I get tired of doing work ALL day EVERY day. So let me recap what has happened in the last month in my life.

Halloween:
Whenever Halloween is coming, I get very worried about my costume. Is it gonna be good enough? Will I have an original idea? This year I had SO MANY ideas that would be great for Halloween back home, like culturally relevant stuff, but I know for a fact that no one would get it in Champaign if I dressed up in those. These last two years I think I've done a killer good job with my choices:

Regina George: 2013 Halloween was one for the (burn) books. My dear friend A, who works for a major engineering company, was sent to Milwaukee for some training for 3 weeks, so she drove all the way to Champaign to visit me! It was 4 days of debauchery fun, showing her around the U of I campus and shopping. My costume was SO EASY to make. I had the black tube skirt and shoes from a long while ago, so all I did was to go to Forever 21, get a cheap tank top and a simple JC Penney cardigan, a purple bra, and I was golden. If I had a dollar for every time someone in the street shouted "MEAN GIRLS!" at me that weekend, I wouldn't be in grad school. And I got plenty of secrets signatures in my Burn Book.

French Kiss: 2014 was "punny." And VERY COLD too. Thank goodness I came up with this awesome idea. I bought the beret and handkerchief at Ragstock, and spent some money in makeup. And that was it. Because honestly, what girl on earth doesn't own a bateau shirt? My biggest fear was how to take off all that make up after the night, considering I had worn make up from 9am (taught in disguise y'all) till the early AM of the next day... But I was very lucky and I enjoyed it SO MUCH!

So this year, I had to make sure my costume was as awesome or even better than the previous two. Honestly though, they were hard to beat. But suddenly, I had an epiphany. I had thought of this costume many times but I always ended up choosing something else. In any case, this year was the year. I become my childhood idol, BRITNEY SPEARS in "Baby One More Time":

Needless to say, they played the song at every place I went to, and I got multiple compliments. I really did feel on top of the world wearing this, so I think my mission was accomplished. I am planning on a post on how to make this costume, which honestly, was the easiest thing ever! Hopefully it doesn't take me another full month...

My Birthday!!
That's right, I turned 24 ten days ago! I think it's a hideous number myself, but there's nothing I can do about it so #suckitup Ane. Birthdays have always been a huge thing in my family. My parents used to wake me up that day and hug me with a warm "Zorionak!" (happy birthday in Basque), and I loved starting the day like that. Every year my mom would say "OMG you were so tiny when you were born, and look at you now!" I've been celebrating my birthdays abroad for the last 3 years (funny that my 21st was in Spain while all the rest birthdays in my 20s have been in the US... Shitty destiny I know), which make me a little gloomy the days before. However, as usual, my friends here make me feel very special.

I started my day off at the gym at 7:30 (#fitnessgoals, although it's still a struggle for my night owl self), and when I got home, my roommate had a huge teddy bear and breakfast for me in my bed with the sweetest note. I LOVE HER SO MUCH! <3 After that, I stayed home talking to family and friends back home on Skype and went to class, where my 3 classmates and professor (#gradschool) wished me a happy birthday. After that, I went out to dinner with some friends, and honestly, the turn out was fantastic, I felt very special. :)

Since my birthday was on a Tuesday, I couldn't do much partying, so we celebrated that Saturday with another November friend at my apartment. It was PACKED. And I had SO MUCH FUN!! I wish I could express my overall satisfaction and delight about the party, but alcohol ran like rivers, so my memory is basically a turmoil of party songs, selfies, twerking and gossip. In any case, I am proud to say my roommate and I are the best party hosts in da worlddddd #bragging #wakeupflawless.

Ma people!

I love these girls!

Meet my awesome roommie <3

After that, my days have consisted of library hours, sugar and caffeine, but I am extremely excited because a) it's finally THANKSGIVING BREAK, and b) I'm going somewhere on holidays... It's green, with mountains, and one of my BFFs lives there. It's also a very hipster place. Any ideas os where I'm going? ;)
Love,

- Ane

Recent Buys

Kaixo everyone,

For some odd reason, I've been buying a lot of stuff lately. I just can't stop, won't stop. It's not the best because I still haven't gotten paid, but at the same time I've become the mother of all bargain deals and scored awesome stuff at awesome prices. Let me share what's come (or is coming) my way so far:

Tory Burch Flip Flops:

So weather appropriate. Jk. But I got a 10% off for signing up to their e-mail list and I love wearing flip flops on lazy days, and these pretties will make them extra cute. While it's true they are still expensive for a pair of flip flops, everyone who owns them has told me about how great they are, and in my defense, I only own 1 pair of flip flops. ONE PAIR. Let that sink in.

Lululemon Fly-Away Tamer Headband:
Y'all, can Lululemon stop being torturous and bring the wide fly-away tamer back? It's my gym staple, and when I thought I had lost my grey one I almost had a melt-down and bought this one on eBay (FOUND IT YAY). I have the thickest hair ever and those skinny headbands don't do... However, Lululemon has a great feedback page where angry North Shore moms have raved about how much they miss them over a glass of pinot grigio. Meanwhile, have you guys found an adequate replacement for it?

Tory Burch Cosmetic Case:
This has probably been my favorite eBay purchase up to date. Pink, small, pretty, Tory and CHEAP. 25$, holleeeeeeerrr! I use it to keep my make-up basics in my backpack for when I need touch ups in school (when grad school makes you cry, you need make up to cover it up and THE SHOW MUST GO ONNNNN), and so far it's been great not losing my mascara in the depths of my gigantic North Face backpack. If you are wondering how you can get such awesome steals, eBay is a great source for preppy brands for less! While it's true that this case was slightly used, it was in a great condition and it reminds me that I don't need to (and I shouldn't) spend a fortune on stuff. But bargains are bae.

Lilly Pulitzer journal, key fob and koozie:
Brought to you by Basic®, Ane aims to over decorate her life with the Wild Confetti print by Lilly Pulitzer. After a painful internal struggle with which Lilly Pulitzer planner print to choose, Ane came back to her senses and chose her first pick, making her wonder why the female brain acts in such pathologically impractical ways. Ane now aims to show her unbreakable love for the print by implanting a piece of it in every aspect of her boring grad school life. Ane should stop checking the Lilly Pulitzer webpage and drinking beer while writing posts.

Shop Impressions Tunic:
I-L-L! I-N-I! Thanks to the lovely Morgan from Mostly Morgan, I saw this tunic and fell in love. While I haven't been able to go to a game yet (homecoming is coming up though... I should save up for that game against Wisco), I have been able to show my true colors and my support for the Fighting Illini! No matter how bad we are at football, I still bleed orange and blue! And even for those gloomy fall days, this tunic actually makes me feel like a princess. Plus I got it 50% off. Can't stop won't stop.

Urban Outfitters Necklace:
Funny story, I was in Urban Outfitters looking for a bra (that I never got, RIP my dreams), when I saw this beauty at the entrance of the shop. I looked at it and thought, aw so pretty! But I said hey you shouldn't spend on things you don't need. So I left the store and headed home. I was halfway on my way when my heart made me turn around and go back to the store, take the last necklace and leave. It was a total impulse buy, I will admit. But I have already worn it 3 times since I bought it last week, I feel like a total bad ass while wearing it, and I do not regret it for a second.

While I am aware that I should be saving up for food and all that stuff, I think that treating yourself once (or twice or three times) in a while is good for your happiness. Fashion brings me happiness, so yep I'm pretty happy at the moment.

What recent purchases have you done?
Love,

- Ane

Current happenings

Kaixo!

Ok guys, I know I have not written much about my life lately (or the articles I lose time with), but I briefly wanted to tell you about two things that have happened to me last week:

1) I met Nev Schulman!
Guys, grad school is not eventful. Nothing out of the ordinary happens. EXCEPT IT HAPPENED. Last Thursday, Nev Schulman, the host of Catfish (you've all seen it, don't lie), came to U of I for a talk. At first I was not gonna go because I was nervous about thing 2 below, but Michaela from The Monogrammed Midwesterner convinced me to go. Also, we finally met in person, and I'm so glad! Shout out to you lady! :)

We need more pictures

When Nev came in the room, we all lost our shit minds. He started the talk by posing for us so that we could make our friends jealous, and then introducing us to Bonnie, the lady who was interpreting him in American Sign Language. So sweet. The way he talked was impressive, I wish I had that charisma and that savoir faire, seriously. His talk was not about the show, but about his road to starting it, his life path. It definitely clicked. I always struggled with the idea of getting attention from people, being the most likable person, and with being myself. I always thought that who I was inside was not enough. Through his story, he reminded me that being myself was the best choice, and if somebody doesn't like me... Well haters gonna hate. You don't need that kind of negativity in your life.

After the talk was over, Nev had a meet and greet with some people who were chosen at random (not us, ugh) in another hall, but Michaela and I, and 30 other crazy psycho fans, followed him. They would not let us in , but Nev came out and said he would meet us after. We waited, and waited and waited. I was losing faith, but eventually, HE DID MEET US AFTER! In fact, he took selfies with everyone there!

And also, this gem for my students (and for everyone in general, I'm cool you guys!):

He said my name, and he pronounced it right! My nerves for thing 2 below were gone, and I went to bed ecstatic. Although I didn't sleep much because...

2) I presented in a conference!
This summer, my MA thesis was accepted to a huge conference in my field, the Hispanic Linguistics Symposium, which turns out, was held at U of I! That meant not spending any money for traveling (seriously, I walked from my apartment to the venue) and having a lot of my friends show up! I woke up at 6am all nervous last Friday, and got there at around 8am for breakfast. Many of my friends were there, and many were presenting. But I was the first one to present at 10am. If I think about it, it's the best to be done with it soon, but at the same time it was terrifying. Luckily, many of my friends, my roommate, and many professors from my MA degree showed up. I felt so loved and supported, seriously. If these people take 30 minutes of their time to come see me present about a topic that's totally foreign to them but so dear to me, they are definitely keepers. Thank you guys, LOVE YOU!

#Profesh

I felt like a rockstar after it. I was wearing an outfit that I picked out right when I was accepted, I taught in it (the amount of confidence heels give you while teaching is astounding), went to other presentations and had Chipotle because I deserved it. After that, I basically died and went to sleep for the entire weekend (#worthit).

It was a great weekend and I hope it gets repeated soon. Now you tell me! Have you ever met anyone famous? Have you ever presented in a conference?
Love,

- Ane

My trip to NYC

Kaixo!

First of all, let me start with a fact about me. I've traveled a lot throughout the US. Almost all of the West. The Midwest. Florida. DC. I've been to California 3 times. But no matter what, I had never been to NYC. Until this month. And it's funny because I've been infatuated with the idea of NYC singe age 10. Now, it seems rather twisted, since that was when 9/11 happened, but after that September and months going on, my wish to visit it grew and grew. I'd ask my parents to go and they'd remind me we are not the Royal Family, that we're a middle class Basque family. I asked them to let me do an exchange course in an American high school, but they told me I'd go when I turned 18. I found the perfect summer program in LA the summer before turning 18, and after much convincing, I finally visited the US. And then I studied abroad in Colorado. And then I came here. And I finished my MA. And still, no NYC.

BUT FINALLY, my lovely roommate was like, do you wanna go for Memorial Weekend? AND IT HAPPENED. Now, let me warn you, a lot of weird stuff happened. Like an explicit homeless homo scene in a bus stop at 4am before going to O'Hare. I get it, they don't have somewhere nice to go to love and be loved, but there were 5 of us there RIGHT THEN. But let me tell you, more weird stuff happened.

DAY 1:
So after taking the train to Chicago on Thursday night and staying at my roommate's boyfriend's apartment in Downtown Chicago (3 hours of sleep, much needed though), we ventured to O'Hare early in the morning. What was our surprise, our flight had been CANCELLED. With Spirit. Seriously guys, I do not recommend it. Their solution was flying on Saturday. We were flying back on Monday morning, let me tell you. After trying to keep our shit together, we decided to try to be rebooked for a flight somewhere close to NYC, and thankfully, we got a flight to Baltimore at 8:00am, and were told to basically do our own thing to get to the Big Apple. Eventually (and after 110$ per person for the Amtrak, although the guy from the station helped us big time, thank you!!) WE MADE IT. We walked from the station to our apartment in Midtown, got dressed up and went out to discover NYC. We were supposed to have had the entire day, but we decided not to be discouraged and we visited Madison Square, the Rockefeller Center, Times Square, and the Grand Central Terminal!

The O'Hare Homeless Ladies League

Baltimore

Flat Iron Building in the back!

Rockefeller Center

Grand Central Terminal

Times Square

DAY 2:

If you can count it as day 2, after a sleepless Day 1, at 2am, the manager of the bar downstairs started banging on our windows because there was a water leak. He also treated us as if we were stupid because we were speaking in Spanish with each other. I shut him up and pretended I was gonna do something about it and back to sleep. On Day 2, we woke up early and hit the Empire State Building, had lunch al fresco at Bryant Park, and went museum hopping! The Natural History Museum, the Met, and Central Park of course! I pretended I was Blair Waldorf for most of the time, by the way (Buzzfeed said I was her in their "Which character of Gossip Girl are you?"). 

Empire State Building

Central Park

DAY 3:

On day 3, we ventured outside of Manhattan and got to see the Brooklyn Bridge (probably my favorite spot), Wall Street, the Statue of Liberty and the 9/11 Memorial, although we were late for the museum :(.  Also, I bought a Statue of Liberty Barbie, because #childhoodmemories. At night, we hit Times Square again, did some shopping (minimal for me, I'm so proud) and then headed home.

Brooklyn Bridge

Wall Street bull

Statue of Liberty

Barbie goals

9/11 memorial

M&M store

 Next morning we left early in the morning, I hailed two cabs myself, and I felt very proud, but they got into a spit fight between each other so we had to run away (and hail two more cabs). After that, we flew into Chicago, took a bus and napped. All in all, it was a great experience. I'm kind of a control freak when I travel so I had some tense moments with my friends, but by the end I was in the "everything's gonna be alright" mode. I really enjoyed the place, the food (we had delicious food, not pictured because it was gone by the time I remembered), and the crowds, but if I have to choose between NYC and Chicago... Chicago takes the crown lol. I'm planning on going back soon to visit less touristy spots, so any recommendations are STILL welcome.

Thank you! :)

- Ane