My Favorite Coffee Table Books

Kaixo everyone,

Once again, my 5-minute determination to blog consistently faded into oblivion. Life got in the middle for the umpteenth time. As a 27-year-old grad student, it is nothing new. However, as I get closer to the end of my PhD program (say what??), I start thinking about my future more and more (and more and oh my goodness Jesus take the wheel I'm hyperventilating). As much as I wanted to when I got to the US for the first time, I have come to terms with the fact that there is no place like home, and I want to move back to the Basque Country as soon as possible.

One of my future projects is to buy an apartment in my hometown, and start a life. It has been low-key terrifying to see how I have gone from exclusively browsing fashion stores to *gasp* decor shops...!? Exactly. Now, I know that there are more important things to an apartment than decor (like, erm, a bed? A toilet?), but right now, in a moment of my life where I have 0 capital to buy an apartment and I'm still paying rent in the US, all I can think of is how to spruce up my temporary home.

One of my favorite things to make myself at home is books. Lots of them. Most books serve the purpose of well, entertaining me to no end, but are not considered "decor" per se. Enter coffee table books. I had never paid attention to these books until my mom got me a coffee table book about Barbie's history (if I ever post consistently, I will talk about my love of Barbie), and I got hooked. Ever since, I have slowly started collecting coffee table books that I hope to take to the apartment of my dreams. Here are my favorites:

- All in Good Taste: Kate Spade's darling coffee table book was an impulse buy because a) it was pink and b) it was the least expensive thing in store. It is the perfect book to be the hostess with the mostest, and while I kind of forgot about it (I bought it in the US, brought it to Spain and left it there), now that I live alone and have entertained guests I would say, successfully, this book is a great reference. Bonus: It has recipes and literary references. This former English literature major approves.

All in Good Taste by kate spade new york (25-30$)

- Style: Raise your hand if Lauren Conrad was (or still is) your first fashion crush. I read all her L.A. Candy books (I still have them!), loved how she was the normal one in Laguna Beach, the fact that she interned at Teen Vogue, and of course, all her cute outfits! I gotta admit that when I got this book I was a little disappointed. What was with all the text and few images? Why is she talking about make-up? Mind you, I was 18 and had virtually 0.5% of the idea about make-up that I have now, and it's not a lot, believe me. However, revisiting it throughout the years has proved me wrong. It is honestly one of the most useful books when I'm thinking of my own style and what fits and suits me.

Style by Lauren Conrad (4-15$)

- Tory Burch In Color: It is no secret that Tory Burch is one of my favorite brands. I love my Millers, I have a beautiful bright orange camera bag that I couldn't live without, and I swear by their fragrances. Apart from that, the decoration in their stores is probably my favorite. Touches of orange, dark green, gold... It evokes LUXE. I like to go to the store by the Magnificent Mile in Chicago and have an explosion of style and decoration ideas in my mind. However, when I leave, I always forget, and I go back to Pinterest like everyone else. Well, this book is the fixed continuation of that explosion that never goes away. The pictures that inspire her, the brand's history, and how each chapter is organized by color is A+ worthy.

Tory Burch In Color by Tory Burch (50$, 100$ for the special edition)

- Whiskey in a Teacup: Boy, did this book deliver. Elle Woods, Melanie Smoother, Madeline Martha Mackenzie are some names that she has taken as an actress, but let's not forget fashion designer, and my favorite, executive producer of movies for women with women and about women. Reese Witherspoon is the GOAT. So when she published this book, I ordered without blinking. As an avid reader, I loved the stories about her family. As a hungry person, I loved her recipes. As a LINGUIST, I loooooved the chapter on Southern pronunciation. I don't have much time for recipes, but I definitely wanna try making biscuits with her recipe!

Whiskey in a Teacup by Reese Witherspoon (20-30$)

- Lilly Pulitzer x ASSOULINE: When Lilly announced they were releasing a 60th anniversary coffee table book, I gasped. Some fans in Lilly Facebook groups were like "not worth it", and I was like "wha...?". Considering they shill thousands on clothes with super similar prints with decreasing quality, they would not get it? Their loss. Assouline is a fantastic brand for art and design books amongst others, and when I got my Lilly book, I stopped everything and went through all the pages. While this book is more picture-heavy, I loved seeing pics throughout the years of the brand! While I go through times when I love Lilly and times when I hate it, this book is fabulous.

Lilly Pulitzer x ASSOULINE by Lilly Pulitzer (85$,  195$ for the special edition)

- Louis Vuitton City Guides: Last but not least, I have been loving Louis Vuitton City Guides! When I travel, I usually go low-key and budget-friendly, but whenever I feel boujee, I wanna know where to head to! This is where these books come into play. There are tons of city guides in English, French and Chinese of different cities around the world, and each of them is written or edited by a local figure/celebrity/it girl. So far, I've got the Chicago, London, Madrid and Sydney ones. I'm going to Australia in August, so I can't wait to get there and go to all the cool spots! :)

Louis Vuitton City Guide by Louis Vuitton (37$)

So there you have it! I'm a coffee table book hoarder and I need help and I'm proud of it! In fact, I've also recently gotten Classic Style by Kate Schelter, so I will give it a read and let you all know. Which are your favorite coffee table books? Sound off in the barren land known as the comments section!
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

*Artsy* or how I recreated a Pinterest project

Kaixo everyone!

I have been wanting to share my first craft from Pinterest *cue the excitement* that I completed during the weekend after Valentine's Day. All my friends left for Chicago so I had the apartment all for myself. I took that weekend off to watch movies and be creative, so I took up this Pinterest project and made it mine!

DIY SPRING MASON JARS

You will need the following materials:
- Mason Jars
- Acrylic paint tubes of the color of your choice
- A painting brush
- Flowers

I got all of this at Hobby Lobby except for the brush, which I got in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The instructions were pretty simple in the original blog I read it, but I gotta say, it was not as easy as I would have thought!

The tube colors I chose were pink, yellow and green, which go perfectly well with the new wall decorations we have in our living room. The first thing I did was to squirt a third of the tubes into the mason jars. Once this was done, I put back the lids and shook the jars like shake weights. This way, instead of painting the outside, the paint goes inside for a nicer, glossier finish.

I thought that a third would be more than enough, but it turned out not to. There were many spots unpainted, so I decided to get the brush and start applying more paint.

With the brush and squeezing a little more paint inside the jars, I got to cover all the surface of the glass from the inside. The next step then, was to put the mason jars upside down to dry without the lids. I put many layers of paper that came with the mason jars for the excess paint to fall on them.

The original craft mentioned that the paint inside would be dry overnight, but alas! It took one week to dry, which I think is because I basically ended up using the entire tube for perfect coverage of the jars. So lastly, I bend the long stem of the flowers (which are fake) and put them inside the jars, and ta-da!

The project turned out to be very cute and inexpensive, and now graces our poor grad student living room! I chose not to get real flowers because that would mean getting a setting spray for the paint not to dissolve with water, and that could happen regardless of the use of the spray!

I am honestly very proud of this small craft. I decided to take some time for myself and doing it, and it was an awesome experience. I may take up crafting in the future! ;)

Now you tell me! Do you like arts and crafts? Have you done any particular crafts that you are proud of? Let me know!
Love,

- Ane

Surfing the Web VIII

In my Lilly Pulitzer Elsa! I'm in love with it! :)

Kaixo everyone!

I'm back after almost a week and a half long hiatus. I have had a jam-packed week with my students' exams, homework and grading, my own papers and the Super Bowl! (BRONCO NATION!!!!!!) It has been a while since I've written another installment of Surfing the Web, and even though I have only linked *gasp* four articles/posts, I believe each one of them has been very relevant for me, and I think about these topics almost in the daily:

She Divorced Me Because I Left Dishes by the Sink: Truly powerful piece on relationships and respect. Relationships are no fairy tale and many of us have found out the hard way, but it is paying attention to these things that can make a relationship prosper.

New Barbie: My childhood idol and role model has outdone herself in a way that I never imagined possible. Barbie has received SO MUCH criticism for the unattainable beauty standards that her tiny impossible figure encouraged in the young girls who played with her. While I avoided criticizing Barbie due to my eternal love for the doll, I did feel a little disappointed at the societal pressures she pushed on us women. So when I turned on my laptop and the first thing that popped up was that Barbie was getting a makeover, I smiled like I hadn't in days. Props to you Barbie, I'll be there to finally buy that Barbie who looks exactly like me! :)

The Honest Reason Why You've Never Stopped Loving Him: Another piece on relationships. You can see Valentine's Day is coming. However, this one has given me actual peace of mind, and I'm forever grateful. Whenever I thought about the happy times of my past relationships, I feared I was falling back for the person, but it really is me reminiscing a time when I felt happy and loved, and it is me longing for that sensation, not the person.

How to {Properly} Network With Bloggers: While I usually post articles I've found in different online newspapers, magazines and websites, this is the first time that I link a post by one of the bloggers I read. While I've read many useful posts on monetizing your blog and yada yada yada, for a semi-dedicated blogger like me (if I had more time I'd definitely pay more attention to it and work with it, but it's my hobby, not a job) this is not the most important aspect. My purpose when starting Basque Prep was to meet fellow bloggers and to form friendships based on common interests like fashion, pop culture and shenanigans.

When I came by this post by one of my favorite ladies, Olivia from Miss Olivia Says, I felt like I found the holy grail of blog posts about blogging. Olivia stresses that communication (good communication) is key when meeting fellow bloggers and wanting to collaborate with them: Getting to know them better, commenting (actually commenting, not just writing "I love this. Blog link" to promote yourself) and keeping in touch with those who were there when you started are the kind of advice I would truly recommend to anyone blogging. Bloggers are people like you and me, and they all appreciate support from other bloggers. When someone comments on my posts my face brightens because somebody has taken the time to read my musings. When the opposite happens, when a blogger you have been following for a long time totally ignores your comments or does not seem interested at all in your feedback, I do feel sad and unappreciated. We are all human after all.
Props to Olivia for writing such a necessary post, you rock love! :)
_________________________________________________________________________________

So this are my latest findings in the world wide web! Any article/news piece/cat video that I should check out? Let me know!

Love,

- Ane

Opportunities and experiences

Kaixo everyone,

Today I'm feeling sappy. Not bad sappy, but happy sappy (lol puns). As I was going to leave the classroom at 5pm, our translation class instructor told us that Bob Woodward, one of the journalists who uncovered the whole Watergate scandal in the 1970s was giving a talk at 7pm this afternoon, sponsored by the College of Law here at U of I. I decided that heck, I was gonna go hear this guy who has witnessed and has been history. I gotta say, the talk was terrific. He talked about 8 presidents (the talk is the first of a series on Abraham Lincoln and his influence) and it was truly interesting. After I left the auditorium, I started thinking to myself about how lucky I am to go to such a great school, and the opportunities and experiences that this university has given me:

- I got a Master's from a top school in the field.
- My advisor is the king of his field.
- Had my very own, movie-like American graduation.

- I presented in two different conferences and got published in the first's proceedings (fingers crossed for the second one!).

- I have now almost 3 years of teaching experience and 5 different courses under my belt, ranging from 100 to 400 level.

- I never had prom in Spain, so I got fraternity formals and semiformals. And one of them was at the Sears Tower in Chicago.

(I am NOT wearing flats)

- I have been to the place North Shore High (Mean Girls' high school) was based on. And the Walker Brothers Pancake House. And Old Orchard Mall. Mean Girls is my favorite movie ever.

- I have traveled to NYC and Oregon, and been back to Colorado.

- I have rediscovered Chicago and have fallen in love each time.

- I've seen plenty of famous people like Bob Woodward...

Major Lazer

Jeff Dunham

MCLOVIN (and okay, Dave Franco)

Piper Kerman (OITNB, anyone?) 

JOE BIDEN (and he held my hand) 

Nev Schulman (aka my future husband)

- Got into an honors society.

Phi Kappa Phi

- I am currently the president of the graduate student RSO from my department.

- I am part of a retail industry based RSO that no matter how little it has to do with my studies, I love.

- I am about to start leading conversation groups in Spanish.

- I have been able to start translating and being certified by it, and I have been offered really cool translation jobs.

- I have fallen in love and also fallen out of it (sappy alert).

- I have made lifelong friendships.

- I have had an experience I would never have imagined.

Man, I love this place.

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

Please and thank you...: Spring Wishlist

Kaito everybody,

So, Christmas is gone... But ugh, I wish it weren't. This year I did not spend much money in gifts, and I personally didn't look for anything in particular, but I wish I had come across this great webpage before... Enter Spring, a NYC based store that caters young-adult professionals like my jolly self (basically I like to pretend like I have my shit together, which could be easily done if I had everything from this store) and carries those super hip NYC brands that street style bloggers sport and make me cry about my current closet.

So let's pretend this is a week before Christmas, I'm arriving home and I'm excited for cute awesome stuff that Olentzero (the bigger, better and "Basquer" Santa) thinks I deserve (I mean, 2015 was definitely terrible), or, that my inner Tom Haverford and Donna Meagle have come out in full swing. TREAT YO SELF! So here is my wishlist!

Clockwise from top left: Sweatshirt: Bow & Drape // Earrings: French Connection // Pink Watch: Lexon // Yellow Watch: Lexon // Cord Strip Manager: This Is Ground // Bookmarks: Mrs. John L. Strong // Stationery: Coral & Tusk

A sweatshirt with a fun print (I mean, my life all day every day), some stylish earrings that go with everything, cute stationery to survive grad school with, a practical cord strip manager and a watch (or two? No judgment I really CAN'T choose between those to-die-for colors!). A New Yorker born and bred you (and every Soho native) would think!

If you liked this pieces, definitely check out Spring, they even have an app for you tech-savvy millennial to check out their adorable pieces on your electronic devices! I specially liked the accessories page, check it out as well! Let me know if you find anything you like (which I'm sure you will!).

Love,

- Ane

This post is not sponsored. All opinions on the products are honest and my own. The webpage was provided to me by Spring to review their products. Thank you for supporting Spring and the brands that support Basque Prep!

Lilly Pulitzer After Party Sale - January 2016

Kaixo everybody,

I am sorry to inform that this will not be an inner monologue post like last time, which you can read here. No matter how much I enjoyed it, this time around the sale frenzy did not hit me as hard. I had perused old Pinterest boards to see possible pieces I might want to get, like an Elsa top, or a shift dress, but I could honestly see nothing that stole my heart. Maybe some pieces from seasons way past the possible ones for this sale, but nothing very recent. Ugh.

In fact, when I got in the sale (at 2:40pm GMT+1, 8:40 ET), after having 8000 people ahead of me at first, I only got the Agenda Bonus Pack and some earbuds for when I work out. 21 dollars, which was pretty damn awesome considering my lack of self-control.

You can still find it here

Find them here

However, no Elsas, no dresses, rien de rien. I honestly was disappointed. BUT! my decision was not because the clothes were that bad or unattractive to me (although it had to do with it). In fact, I didn't go empty-handed today... Two hours before the sale, 12pm Spanish time, I was browsing some Lilly Pulitzer Facebook groups and somebody had commented that the Deal of the Day had started in Amazon. I went to check out what they had there without any intention of getting anything, but suddenly, one of those dresses from last year or the year before last there at half price! It was not cheap at all (89$ + tax), but I was looking for a nice Lilly shift for my roommate's graduation, since she made it very clear I had to buy a dress for hers because she bought one for mine lol! And here is the beautiful piece:

(Pictures via Instagram, The Sugared Lemon)

That's right, I got the Janice sheath shift dress! I cannot wait to wear this beautiful dress, it looks so elegant and sophisticated, and IT'S PINK! AND LILLY! I will probably have to hem it a little, but I honestly do not care, it will be PERFECT! :)

Did you purchase anything from the After Party Sale or any other places where they had discount Lilly? Let me know!

Love,

- Ane

Out with the old, in with the new: 2015 Happenings and 2016 Goals

Almost Happy New Year everyone!

2015 is almost done, and let me be straight, I'm so thankful for it because I'm DONE with this year. It is no secret it has been one of the worst, if not the worst years I remember. I truly believe 2016 will be SO MUCH BETTER.

In any case, I would like to recap the most meaningful things I did this last year:

2015

- Got my Masters: I never thought I would, but eventually, I passed my MA paper and got my Masters! It was definitely a hell of a ride, both with pitfalls and joyful moments, but I am so glad I was done with it.

- Started a PhD: Writing this feels a little weird because it does not feel like an accomplishment, but looking into it with more perspective, it definitely is a huge accomplishment, and no matter if I finish it or not, getting in and starting it has been a huge feat in my life.

- Had a "life cleanse": I was brave enough to let go of those people who more than friends, were very toxic entities in my life. It sometimes feels bad that I did, but I think I deserve better, after all, I am my top priority (and you yourself should be yours too).

- Moved to a new place with the best roommate: I live closer to campus and I love her, she's my rock. Shoutout to Eider for our Bachelor in Paradise and beer Tuesday nights.

- Traveled!: I didn't get to travel much in my MA, and going to New York and Oregon was great.

2016

2016 hasn't even started, but I do have some resolutions goals to reach:

- Feel happy with what I have: I am lucky to be alive, to have the most wonderful family, awesome friends, money to lead a comfortable life and a fulfilling job. No need for anything else.

- Feel enough without a relationship: Going with feeling happy with what I have, I need to get better at this. Honestly, I sometimes struggle when I miss having somebody by my side to tell my problems to, to cuddle with, etc. But singleness is a blessing, no need to worry about anybody else and no ca$h dollar$ to spend on anyone. Plus, I'm a 100% human that rocks.

- Start running: I'm very jealous of people who run: 5k, 10k, half marathon... I would like to take up running and eventually (not this year good lord) run a marathon. It would be fantastic. But for that, I have to start running like pretty much everyone at U of I!

- Cook more, eat out less: Becoming a better cook and baker and not eating out as much would be ideal. Good for the wallet, better for my body. Also, only eat Chipotle after a workout. No excuses. And buy a water boiler for tea.

- Control my soda and alcohol intake: Disclaimer: I'm no alcoholic. I like my beer and cocktails when out, but nothing else. However, my soda addiction is the worst. I need to cut on that, and I think alcohol as well, as it will do a difference, and I don't need it much. (This does not mean I will quit though, craft beer is an art and Coca Cola is bae).

- Avoid drama and be direct: I tend to be elusive or passive when drama is going on, and the best you can do is to talk things out, forgive and forget PRONTO.

- Um, this: You guys, bow down to this list. 

- Not mortify myself if I fail to do any of the things above: I'm not perfect, and if I wanna cry for being single, and watch Netflix while I eat take out, I will not feel like a terrible person.

I hope everyone has a wonderful 2016, I know mine will be (or at least better than 2015, but that is not difficult lol). And as we say in Basque, URTE BERRI ON! :)

- 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