and we're all under the upper hand.

Wake Me Up (When September Ends)

Gifted N.A.S.A.

The Darkest Knight.

NYC

SO
my friend Kaori & I are in NEW YORK CITY at the moment. We're staying with my aunt, who lives here with her partner & their son - and their apartment is amazing! I've been to New York City a few times before, but this is the first time I'm here alone. The freedom to explore whatever we like, whenever we like is really liberating. Yesterday we strolled around town, explored the Upper West side and walked down 5th Ave for a while.

 Fao Schwartz - yaaay

Sushi in Central Park

Us with Socrates the Policeman

Since we're here for 10 days, we're taking each day as it comes. Today we went for a walk in Central Park, where a film crew were shooting scenes for a new movie, The Avengers, set to come out in 2012 - it's got some pretty well-known people in the cast, but we didn't manage to see any waaaihn. After our stroll, we worked our way towards the Upper East Side and then walked aaaaaaaaaaalllll the way down Lexington Ave until we reached Grand Central Station. After that, we headed to the New York Public Library and then to Forever 21 in Times Square (I got sooo much - post coming soon) before collapsing into a cab from exhaustion and coming home.

Tomorrow I reckon we'll head down to Tribeca, Soho, Chinatown & Little Italy - I've never been before, I'm so excited, I can't waiiiittt!

The Only Living Girl In New York

Boots & Hat - H&M; Denim Legging Second Skin Jeans - Pacsun; Lace slouch shirt - Urban Outfitters.

OUTFIT POST - Grand Canyon, AZ

Shorts & Necklace - H&M; Cardigan & Ballerinas - Urban Outfitters; Bag - Zara.

West Coast, U.S. & A

2 days after Graduation, I left to the USA with my family (Mom & Dad, and two younger brothers). I've been to the US a few times before, and I love it. I know it's a little hard to generalize about such a huge country, but every time I go there, whether it be East or West (I've yet to discover Central, give me time!) I always find something new to love.

Over the past few years, we've taken family vacations to the East coast. New York, Maine, Massachusetts, Florida, Baltimore.. Highlights from those trips were staying in Cape Cod, Boston & New York City!

This time, though, we decided to head over and explore the West coast.. We landed in Phoenix, AZ after a 10-hour long flight, before heading out to see the Grand Canyon. :) I've got to say, it is one of the most impressive things I've ever seen in my entire life - if ever you get the opportunity to go, I suggest you take it! You won't regret it. We were lucky enough to do a helicopter ride over it, early in the morning - completely breathtaking, I swear.

After that, we headed to Utah, to see Bryce Canyon & Monument Valley - also, completely breathtaking, yet extremely different from the Grand Canyon. All you see is desert for miles and miles and miles, and then all of a sudden these massive great rocks spring up out of nowhere! It's quite something.

After that, we headed to Las Vegas for a couple of nights - it's like a giant, corrupt version of Disneyland! You'll be walking down the street with thousands of other people in the sweltering heat, staring at the lights and the fountains and the music and the buildings - but you can't go anywhere without being handed a 'Girls to you in less than 20 minutes' flyer. It's terrifying how behind all the glitz and the glam there is a whole subtext of crime & violence. Hm, not sure what I thought, really..

After LV, we went to San Diego for a couple of days. Pretty chilled, and nice weather :) Then, on to LA - it's so huge! I loved Venice. After LA, San Francisco, which is also pretty cool. And after that, our final stop was SEATTLE. I LOVE THIS CITY. It's so pretty, but it's known throughout the US for being really indie & alternative - perfect! :) I had a great time.
All in all, it was a great trip - definitely one to remember. Where have you been on vacation recently?

About..

Me in Paris last year, photo taken by my other half. <3

Well, at the moment (but not for much longer!) I live in Luxembourg. Although I was born in Italy (I'm half Italian, half British), we moved to Luxembourg when I was 2 years old.. it has been my home for the past 16 years of my life - all I've ever known, really. Can't wait to leave, though - it's waaaaay overdue.

Anyways, I'll be moving to the UK to study Business Management, which I'm really looking forward to. When I was applying to Uni, I had some pretty tough choices to make about where to go. 4 of 5 of the Universities I applied to gave me an offer, so I had alot of choice - but I managed to whittle it down to 2.

Option 'A' was one of the best universities in the UK (++), located in CENTRAL LONDON (+++) who had given me an easily achievable offer (+), (which they actually lowered again twice in attempt to get me to pick them! I was so happy.) BUT the course wasn't really what I was hoping for ( - - - ) .. lots of history, literature, politics which - as someone looking to study Business Management, was NOT what I was looking for.

Option 'B' was a pretty good - but not very well known - university (since then it had risen in the League Tables, yay! :) ) ( - - ), located just outside London ( - - ), who gave me an extremely achievable offer ( + ) for an AWESOME course ( + + + ) = wihuuu!

Needless to say, in the end I went for Option B ;) what would you have done in my situation?

Get this - of the 4 years which my degree will last, the first is spent in the UK, the second on Exchange/Erasmus (I'm hoping for a uni in Australia, Canada or Singapore!), the 3rd working in a company & earning a salary ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD :D (no studying, other than writing a report of what you learnt), and the 4th back in the UK :) In all this - I also have the opportunity to learn a language of choice (provided they teach it, of course ;) ) as part of my degree - I'm thinking Japanese, Russian, Danish or Mandarin Chinese. I might just be able to end up doing a year of each, but then maybe I wouldn't speak then very well.. What do you think? Are you a student at the moment too? :)

 

PS. This is my view as I'm writing this - but more on that later.

GRADUATION !

FINALLY, it's all over!
Done with the subjects I wish I could have dropped a looong time ago. Done with the schoolbooks, the bitchy teachers, the homeworks.. Done with detentions, early mornings and the headmistress who doesn't have a clue.

Leaving old friends (some of whom were never really 'friends' at all, so that won't be a problem ;) ), making new ones, living alone for the first time ever at university.. COOKING FOR JUST ONE PERSON (which, coming from a family of 5, is a little unusual for me!)

This may sound corny, but it feels like a new chapter of my life is about to begin. Makes sense, really - one door closes, another opens. My Dad had been telling me since I was little that my years as a University student are going to be the best years of my life - what do you think?