38 Days to Go !!

Dear Reader, 

Did you have to re-read the title ? Because I could not believe it myself. Only 38 DAYS TO GO !! Time has literally flew by, and now I am in the last stretch of preparing everything for the big move. I can't believe it. There is still so much to do, in so little time, but everything is possible !! I know this is a short blog post, but I wanted to take a little time away from the bubble wrap to let you know what is going on in my life. Question of the day; What would you do if you only had 38 days left ? I'll go back to packing my boxes, and I'll talk to you next time (:

Bookishly Yours, 

New Orleans Part 2

Dear Reader, 

If you missed the last blog post click here, to read what happened in Part 1 !! However if you are caught up and ready to see what happened in Part 2 I would suggest to grab a cup of coffee/tea/hot chocolate (whatever floats your cup) because this is going to be a long one, ENJOY !

Day 3 we decided to venture out from New Orleans and explore the Capital, Baton Rouge (which was about an hour and a half drive.) Once there we went to explore old cemeteries (pictures will be posted on my tumblr), and furthermore went to Baton Rouge's National Cemetery. The National Cemetery was the first Army base cemetery I have ever been to and to see the rows upon rows of headstones all identical, apart from the writing was a very moving moment. After that we did get lost in more cemeteries before finding our way to St. John Cathedral, which from the outside looked like any other Cathedral until you step inside and see the glorious organ. I had never seen an organ this big, the only thing to make this better was if a person was there playing (unfortunately not.) After that we did find ourselves a little place to have lunch before going back out to explore the Old State Capitol and whatever else we could find on our way. Overall Baton Rouge was interesting to visit, seeing the old and new buildings mixing together, however Baton Rouge was very empty. We were the only people walking down the streets, which felt odd. But for a more relaxed day it was perfect for us, as we headed back to New Orleans to rest a little before the night. That night we went to the Gumbo Shop to have traditional Creole dishes, Gumbo and Jamabalaya. And with our bellies full we lined up for a show at the Preservation Hall, which is known for its very popular Jazz bands. To which we ended our night and headed back to the hotel.

St. John's Cathedral Organ :O :O

Day 4 was our official last day in New Orleans, so we wasted no time to get out of our hotel room. We first went to Saint Louis Cemetery, which was paradise for a cemetery freak like me. The tombs were so close together and so old it had that constant eerie effect. It was also interesting to see that some tombs had special markings or paintings as well as offerings, something I had never seen before. And while I could spend days at a time in cemeteries, we left the dead to go on the Creole Queen Cruise. The Cruise took us to explore a part of the Mississippi River, as well as have an incredible view of the French Quarter and the Port of New Orleans. Part of the cruise was also to visit the Chalmette Battlefield. Being given approximately half an hour, we listened to a tour guide before venturing ourselves, most importantly in "THE TOWER." Now just moments after filming this tower, I asked my mom if people could climb to the top, to which we went to see. DISCLAIMER; I am terrified of heights, but for some reason thought I was brave enough to make it to the top…so I tried. I headed towards the stairs with my mom behind me and the further we got up the slower I started to climb. My mom clearly knowing my relationship with heights, asked if I wanted to go back down, to which I said yes. It was such a fail on my behalf, but I really thought it wasn't that high…AT FIRST (lol.) Still laughing away from the Tower moment, we reembarked the Creole Queen and headed back to the French Quarter and of course went straight to the Cafe du Monde (once again), because you can never eat too many beignets. After our little beignet feast we watched a series of street shows, and walked along Bourbon Street. Now this happened beginning of February which was still a little too early for Mardi Gras, however there were still guys up in the balconies perfecting their throwing skills for the real thing. From which I learned to keep my head down at all times or I would get bombarded with shouts to show off my goods (kind of scary and funny at the same time.) Bourbon street is a lot of fun to just walk down and see what is happening that night, you can walk this street hundreds of times and I think it'll still look new to you. To also conclude the night, we had the great opportunity to see a wedding parade (I do not know officially what it is called) but cops block off the road for the bride and groom to walk along the road with a marching band playing behind them and their guests waving white cloths. A truly unique thing that we were lucky to catch before heading back to the hotel.

Can I have a life time supply of beignets ?!? :D

Me on the Mississippi River 

Day 5 the following morning was very rough. With the previous days well spent in NOLA, we woke up at 5 am and headed back one last time to Cafe du Monde (which is open 24/7) to have a very early breakfast and take some beignets to go. We then set off into a whole day driving back home and collapsing in our cozy beds. Overall New Orleans was such a beautiful city to visit. It is very original, historical, and sometimes X-rated, but it gave it all its charm. It truly is a city I would love to come back to, for its beauty and beignets (;

If you still have any drink left in that cup, click below to watch the small video which cannot give New Orleans any justice and I'll talk to you next time (:

Bookishly Yours, 

New Orleans Part 1

Dear Reader, 

Last month a trip that had been planned for months finally came true. Ever since I was big enough to dream about traveling, New Orleans had always been in my top 10. And with a limited time left in the U.S before the big move, it now was a necessary trip I had to experience before going back to Europe. So we packed once again our bags and drove all the way to New Orleans. Yes, I did say DRIVE all the way to New Orleans. We left extremely early and took turns my mother and I in the driving of 864 miles. It was quite a stretch and we arrived in New Orleans late afternoon. We went straight to the hotel, had dinner and called it a night.

Day 2 we decided to head to the French Quarter and explore. However it was EXTREMELY cold (37 Degrees Fahrenheit) which is too cold to function for Floridians. Not only was it cold but also raining and windy so not even 30 minutes in this weather and we stopped in a little cafe to get some hot chocolate. Having warmed up a little we headed to St. Louis Cathedral, which was so beautiful! The architecture, glass windows and murals were magnificent ! And lucky for us, just when we were about to leave it starts pouring rain. So we ran for refuge before going to see the Mississippi River which wasn't looking at its best with its browny water and a gloomy sky. We continued to explore the French Quarter more but with the constant rain I could not film and when I would take out my camera my hands would freeze in just seconds. After hours of walking and exploring we became walking ice cubes, so we headed to get the famous beignets from Cafe du Monde, which were so delicious I could live off them for the rest of my life. But even with our bellies full of beignets and hot chocolate we were still freezing and headed back to the hotel. Which we left only to have dinner and ran back to our warm room after.

I really fell in love with New Orleans that day. It has so much history, everyone was extremely nice (southern hospitality is not a myth), the food was to die for and most importantly New Orleans is so unique it makes it that much more charming. Even with the cold and rainy weather it was a fun day which I wish I could of filmed more. However the following days were quite warmer and the sun made its appearance, so keep an eye out for New Orleans Part 2. And I'll talk to you next time.

Bookishly Yours, 

Sarah Dessen Book Club; Along For The Ride

Dear Reader, 

Last month I joined the Sarah Dessen Book Club, created by Heather (www.youtube.com/bookables)  were I read that month's book and get to share my opinions and thoughts of the novel along with the other members of the club. If you want to see my blog post about it, you can click here. So with a new month, comes a new book, and this January's pick was "Along for the Ride." 

The 3 things Auden needed in her life; Coffee (to keep her up at night), a Book (preferably some boring College Textbook) and a Bike (to her surprise) !

Along for the ride is about Auden who has just finished her senior year and looks forward to spending the summer like she usually does; staying home and studying, while occasionally attending the parties hosted by her mom for her grad students. However, instead of following routine like she usually does, Auden decides to spend the summer at the attractive beach town where her dad and his new family reside. There, she meets her half-sister, Thisbe, as well as her first group of real friends. But the most alluring thing about the town is Eli: an ambiguous, secretive young man who is an insomniac, just like Auden. Late at night, they explore the childhood Auden never had - they get to know each other, and open up from what has restricted them in the past.

"What defines you isn't how many times you crash but the number of times you get back." 

The second Sarah Dessen book I read and I am not yet disappointed !!! Along for the Ride is a beautiful story in which you get to see Auden blossom into the young woman she truly is, and see her make mistakes and venture out of her comfort zone. Not only does she learn how to ride a bike, she learns about herself, her family and how to open up to other people (something you do not learn from reading books) . A superb story that not only hit home in my case, but shows that you can make mistakes along the way, as long as you get back on the bike. A must read for any age as no matter how old you are, you can always make up for lost time.  

If you want to see Heather's original video you can click here. Also if you want to see what I am currently reading, you can go to my Goodreads page here. And I'll talk to you next time (:

Bookishly Yours, 

Amy & Roger's Epic Detour

Dear Reader,

When I was getting ready for the road trip weekend I was looking for the perfect book to bring with me on the road, and boy was I not disappointed in Amy & Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson.

When you're on a road trip life is all about the detours

Amy Curry is not looking forward to her summer. Her mother has decided to move across the country and now it is Amy's responsibility to get their car from California to Connecticut. There's just one small problem: since her dad died this past spring, Amy hasn't been able to get behind the wheel. Enter Roger; the nineteen-year-old son of an old family friend, who also needs to make a cross-country trip and has plenty of baggage of his own. Traveling the Loneliest Road in America, seeing the Colorado mountains, crossing the Kansas plains, and visiting diners, dingy motels, and Graceland were definitely not on the itinerary. But together Amy and Roger will figure out how to map their way home.

This is a MUST read if you are going on a road trip or not ! Like any road trips it is not the destination but the journey, and this book shows exactly that. With fun and unexpected stops to looking at the photos, receipts, doodles and playlists you feel like you are the third passenger of the story. Sitting in the backseat listening to music, munching on Life Savers and reflecting back on moments of your life. This book was perfect for me to read on my road trip but most importantly at this time in my life where I do not know exactly where I am heading but I know where to start. As Roger would put it "We can't know what's going to happen. We can just try to figure it out as we go along." 

If you have any book recommendations, feel free to leave them in the comment down below. Also if you want to see what I am currently reading, check out my Goodreads page here and I'll talk to you next time (:

Bookishly Yours, 

Road Trip !!

Dear Reader, 

A car, packed bags, snacks and a playlist can only mean one thing…ROAD TRIP ! My friends and I decided to hit the road last weekend and leave Miami behind us to go to Tallahassee. Now this was a major step for us, being our first trip without parents or school. Giving us a taste of freedom and of the road. 

Last Friday morning we jammed packed the car and set off towards Gainsville to pick up a friend along the way. With high sugar snacks and singing songs on the top of our lungs we survived the first 5 hour drive. We had lunch in Gainsville before heading back on the road, and while eating I saw the most appropriate sign inside the restaurant that I could not resist from taking a picture of.

What are the odds to find this sign during a road trip ?

Getting back on the road from Gainsville to Tallahassee was a creepy drive, with no stops and a suspicious fog covering the forest surrounding us. But after a 2 and a half hour drive we finally arrived to destination, Florida State University. Where we met up with our friend and went up to her dorm and meet her dorm mates. For the rest of the weekend I got to meet so many nice and awesome people, got to go to university parties and experienced the dorm life (aka a huge sleepover.) 

Traveling has always been the best way to learn about the world and other cultures. But never have I known until now that road tripping is the best way to learn about yourself. There is just something magical to pack the bare necessities and hit the road. Because even if you do come back to where you started, you are never the same as when you began. Comment down below where you will like to road trip to as well as check out my little video of our drive up to Tallahassee…and I will talk to you next time.

Bookishly Yours, 

The Liebster Award

Dear Reader, 

Recently I have been nominated by Hansel Castro (also known as The Pageaholic) for the Liebster Award !!! Needless to say I was jumping up and down from excitement for my first blog award. Thank you so much Hansel for nominating me, it made my start of 2014 amazing !!

About the Award: The Liebster Award is a "favorite blog award" (Liesbter being the German word for favorite, beloved, or dearest.) It was meant for smaller blogs to help them gain exposure, as well as link them to other new and upcoming bloggers.

Rules for Nominees 

• Thank the person who nominated you
• When you receive the award, answer the 10 questions asked by the person who nominated you
• Pass the award onto other blogs (while making sure you notify the blogger that you nominated them)
• Write 10 NEW questions directed towards YOUR nominees
• You are not allowed to nominate the blog who nominated your blog

The Pageaholic's Interview Questions:

1. What is your favorite passage in a book? 

EVERYTHING !!! How dare you ask such a hard question lol

2. What do you think was the best movie of 2013?

Definitely, Catching Fire (duhhh who isn't in love with Jennifer Lawrence?!?!) 

3. Why is grape soda so horrible?

Because grape should only be made into wine !!! Am I right? 

4. What is the biggest wound/cut/broken bone/accident you ever had?

I am a clumsy person. I get cuts and bruises all the time I cannot remember which one was the biggest. However the funniest wound was when I feel many times while ice skating and had a bruise covering my entire behind ! 

5. Who is your favorite character from any TV Show?

Michael Scofield from Prison Break.

6. If you had to lose any one body part, which would it be? (MORBID!)

Definitely my little pinky toe, so it will never have to suffer banging against furniture ! 

7. What is the worst book you have ever read?

It may not be the worst book but I personally could never get through it, The Screwtape Letters by C. S. Lewis. 

8. What do you think would entice people to read more?

Maybe if a book had a pop up screen that will show them the story instead of reading the story ?

9. Name one celebrity you would love to play Twister with?

Bill Skarsgard :D 

10. Name one celebrity whose head you'll love to twist off.

I may die by saying this but…Tom Cruise 

My Nominee (you should check her out):

Alexx (www.capturethestorm.co)

Interview Questions For Nominee:

1. Tea or Coffee?

2. Name one thing on your bucket list.

3. Which book are you currently reading?

4. How did you pick your blog's name?

5. If the sky is the limit, what would you like to do next?

6. What book from childhood did you read again and again?

7. What is the most adventurous thing you have done?

8. How do you stay creative?

9. Who is your favorite sports team?

10. What is your favorite quote?

I would like to thank again Hansel for nominating me and am excited to see Alexx's answers to my questions. Please feel free to leave me your blog links down in the comments so I can start discovering more blogs. And I'll talk to you next time (:

Bookishly Yours,