blogger | haley on the daily blog

When in Rome

Posted on July 13, 2017 by haleyonthedailyblog

For my first leg of spring break my friend Katie and I headed to Rome. We decided to skip a day of classes and start our spring break a little early 😉 In all honesty I wasn’t planning on heading to Italy at all. I had decided that I wanted to do Italy right and a weekend here or there wasn’t going to do the beautiful country justice. I was just going to save Italy for another time. However, after looking at the cheapest flights to get to our final destination, Greece, we found that the cheapest way to do it would be to stop in Rome! I was excited that I would get a little taste of Italy in the two short days I was there.

(Check out my recap video here!! In the comments below tell me if you know what movie the songs I used for the video are from!)

Our trip got off to a rocky start when my friend almost missed our flight out of Madrid! I was freaking out a little (typical) but she made it!! And our luck than began to look up when we were randomly given the exit aisle seats on a Ryanair plane (if any of you know Ryanair you will understand my excitement!!) Yay extra leg room! We landed in Rome late Wednesday night and headed to our hotel. We actually stayed at the Generator Hostel group. They are a super trendy really chic hostel and my friend and I ended up booking a private room so it felt like we were in a hotel!

We decided to sleep in a little the next day, getting up at 9 am. We then quickly got ready and headed out the door. We wanted to walk to Vatican City so we just sort of began heading in that direction. We stumbled upon a little street market set up and bought some delicious fresh fruit for breakfast. It was a bit of a walk from our hotel to Vatican City so when we finally made it we were pretty hungry. We made the rookie mistake and ate at what was probably a touristy restaurant but you live and you learn haha. We then waited in line for a little so we could explore Saint Peter’s Basilica. This church was truly stunning. After spending some time there we made our way out and actually ran into people from our University in madrid! They were with a friend who was studying abroad in Rome so he gave us some restaurant recommendations.

My friend and I spent the rest of the day wandering around Rome hitting some of the sights and eating a few gelatos while doing it (I mean when in Rome 😉 you can never have too much gelato!)

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We headed to one of the restaurants that our friend had recommended. As soon as we made it the skies opened up and it began to pour. We lucked out and grabbed one of the last tables inside. One sort of awkward thing was that in these little restaurants they place you at the same table as another party of people. So we were seated next to this couple. We said hello and both kind of agreed how odd it was that they did this but it ended up being such a lovely dinner. The husband and wife were so friendly and gave us so much great wisdom and life advice and my friend and I really enjoyed their company (and the delicious Italian food too 😉 When the rain finally let up we started to head back to our hotel. It was a bit of a walk but we decided to save money on cabs and wander the streets. I mean that is how you truly experience a city!

Oh I can’t forget!! On the same street as the restaurant I stumbled upon this adorable shop called Antica Sartoria. Lets just say this place is a boho mermaid loving girl’s heaven. There was just so much eye candy in this store and it was closing in 15 minutes that I couldnt focus! I ended up purchasing a scarf (for 10 euro!) and a really fun necklace for (8 euro!) The scarf is actually pictured in a bunch of these photos because I just couldn’t resist wearing it the next day 😉 Amy from I Believe in Pink and Rhiana from Wear Bows and Smile have talked about discovering this brand on their travels to Italy recently too! I looked into it and there is actually a store in Palm Beach! Sorry I digress 😉

Our second and last day in Rome we decided to hit a bunch of the must dos in Rome. We went to these ancient Roman bath ruins which was really cool to walk through. We then made our way to the Colosseum. My friend and I ended up paying to go in and I have to say I was a little unimpressed. I guess I had just hyped it up in my head so much. It was still cool to see but I would say that if you are short on time than you can skip this. After exploring the Roman Forum a little it was 2 pm and we hadn’t eaten anything all day. I was hangry to say the least but I was also on antibiotics so I had to eat something before I took my medicine. We ended up stumbling upon this outdoor cafe where my friend and I split a caprese salad and each ordered our own pizzas. We then headed to the the Pantheon and the trevi fountain to get that Lizzie McGuire shot 😉 and finally to the Spanish steps to have some gelato.

We spent the rest of our last day just wandering the streets of Rome (okay and shopping for Italian leather purses too 😉 I also had to stop into my new favorite store from the night before one more time just to be sure I didn’t need anything else haha. I almost bought a cute purse and another scarf but my suitcase was already busting at the seams so I resisted ( I know I have extreme self control 😉

For dinner that night we ate at the same restaurant as the night before ( I know we were so adventurous but hey it must have meant it was good!) My friend and I split a dish since we had a big lunch and decided to get Cannolis and gelato to enjoy back in the hotel room. Lets just say that Rome isn’t known for their cannolis (not the best I have ever had) butttt the chocolate gelato I had was as if I died and went to heaven. Maybe one of the best things to have ever touched my mouth ( I am not exaggerating!) I have decided that when you are in Italy it is socially acceptable to have gelato at least twice a day…I think it actually should be a rule!

We then headed back to our room, packed and hit the hay because we had a 3 am wake up call to catch our flight to GREECE!!! It was a great two days full of great food and great memories and now that I have a taste of Italy (no pun intended) I have a itch to go back and explore even more of the country!

If you made it through this post and are still reading props to you. That was a long recap. Anyways if you have any questions feel free to shoot me an email or dm me on instagram (@haleyonthedailyblog)

Ciao for now!

xo,
H

Greek Sunsets

Posted on July 6, 2017 by haleyonthedailyblog

For my spring break, while I was studying abroad, my friends and I planned a trip to Greece. It was quite the undertaking seeing as there were 5 of us and it is somewhat complicated and expensive to get to the islands but we pulled it off and had a fabulous time!

Our first stop was the island of Corfu. We stayed at the Pink Palace. Which you guessed right, is a hotel where everything is pink!! Right up my alley. One night before dinner my friends and I threw on some cute outfits to head down to the beach to snap some photos. We all sported easy sundresses, freshly washed un-styled hair, and minimal makeup…but isn’t that the way vacations are supposed to be?!

So of course before heading down to take pictures at sunset I roped in one of my friends (hi Izzy!) to take some photos. I have the best friends who put up with me and my need to document everything haha.

Greece is known for some of the most stunning sunsets and Corfu did not disappoint. I wore this really cute and breezy maxi dress. It was perfect because during the day it was warmer but once the sun set it got a little chilly. It was also nice to have a dress that was not too clingy seeing as I didn’t realize the strength of the greek sun and lets just say I may have looked like a tomato. These photos don’t do the redness I am sporting justice (you can kind of see it in my strap lines) I learned my lesson because I had to cover up my burned legs for the next few days and basically bathed myself in aloe each night after showering (you live and you learn I guess 😉 Anyways, I forgot to share these photos so I hope you enjoy!

xo,
H

Stripes for the 4th

Posted on July 3, 2017 by haleyonthedailyblog

Okay so there is a little story behind this skirt. I spotted it this spring in my favorite store in Madrid. I tried it on and really liked it but I told myself I didn’t need it, that I should be saving my money for adventures and not things while abroad. (I also was starting to get a little worried about how I was going to fit everything I bought into my suitcase to bring back to the states 😉

I had taken a few dressing room selfies with it on to show to my mom and friends. As I was showing my friends it hit me, I knew why I loved the skirt so much. It was similar to a skirt my style idol, Julia Engel, had worn a while ago that was from MDS stripes, however this one was a fraction of the price. I kicked myself for not picking it up. Fast forward a few weeks, I went back to browse through the store and found THE skirt, in MY size, and ON SALE, for…wait for it…under $10!!! Can you believe it?!? How can this adorable skirt that looks so luxe be under $10?!? I knew at that point that it was meant to be (and I mean, how can you pass up such a good bargain?!?)
(PS unfortunately I couldnt find this skirt online…)

I knew immediately that it would be the outfit I wore for the 4th of July (is that sad…that I was planning my outfit months in advance?! What can I say?! It is one of my favorite holidays…and I must have been missing America just a little haha) I knew I wanted to style it with a white top but didn’t know how I would add in a pop of red. I had a potential necklace but then an idea hit me. I could add a pair of tassel earrings as my something red. However, I was not willing to spend a fortune on a pair so I thought, I have embroidery floss, I can make myself a pair!

I had made a bunch of tassel bracelets last summer so I just replicated the tiny tassels I had made last summer on a larger scale. I thought they turned out super cute and I made them for less than $1.50!! I mean come on? I think I need to make myself a pair in every color!! (If you are interested in a tutorial post comment down below!!)

I really love this entire look and know that it will be one of my go to skirts this summer. It is just so easy to style and wear and makes me feel so put together.

I hope that you all have some fun plans to ring in the 4th of July! Thanks for reading.

xo,
H

Paris Weekend Recap: Day 2

Posted on June 29, 2017 by haleyonthedailyblog

Our second full day in Paris half of the group got up early to go to Versaille. The rest of us slept in a little (8 am) then headed out to see Sainte Chapelle Cathedral. However not before stopping for crepes for breakfast 😉

We waited in line for 15 minutes at Sainte Chapelle before one of the workers made an announcement that EU (european union) citizens were allowed to cut the line and that it was free entry. Like I said before, because we had visas we were temporary citizens of Spain so we were able to get in for free! Wahoo! We entered the cathedral and just stood in awe at the breathtaking stained glass that surrounded the entire room. In my art history class the year before we had learned about Sainte Chapelle so it was so cool seeing it in person. Little did I know as I sat in class looking at images of it for hours that I would be getting to see it in real life while I was abroad.

After taking in Sainte Chapelle we made our way to the Royal Palace. We had some mapping issues (does anyone else struggle with mapping or is just me?!) and there were some minor communication problems due to the fact that no one had working data but we finally were able to see the Royal palace and take in the gardens. It was a quick stop because we had to meet our friends who had done other things in the morning, at the Eiffel tower for a little picnic.

We ended up just ordering food from the truck vendors near Eiffel tower park before we headed to sit on some benches while we ate so we could people watch. There was this scam game going on in front of us that tried to get people to guess which cup the ball was under. They had a whole group of people working together to try and attract people to make it look like it was easy. We almost wanted to scream out each time a passerby stopped to leave immediately because it was a scam but we decided to keep our mouths shut.

After lunch we head to a spot to snap a bunch of photos with the Eiffel tower in the background. After taking a ton of photos we decided to head over to Montemare and Sacre Coure for the rest of the afternoon before our boat tour that was scheduled for 7 pm. We stopped again for crepes and ice cream (when in Paris am I right?!) before we headed up to the Sacre Coure to people watch. We sat on the lawn and then we all kind of laid down, and I ended up passing out for 15 minutes. My friend captured the most hysterical photo of me asleep on the hill. After the little cat nap we sort of just wandered around Montemare, went into a chocolate and macaroon shop to pick up some sweets before heading back down to Notre Dame where we would meet the boat. We got there a little early so we ate our macaroons along the Seine river.

At 7 pm we got on our boat, we made our way up to the top deck and then cruised along for a tour of Paris along the Seine. It was very interesting to learn a little more about the history of the city and also seeing that city from that perspective. The coolest thing was because it was a beautiful spring night the banks of the river were lined with people snacking and drinking wine, unwinding after a long day of work. If we had had more time in Paris I would have loved to partake but it got chillier as the night went on. After the tour we ate dinner in the cute little area, stopped to have some gelato then headed back to our airbnb for the night to pack for our early wake up call to catch a flight back to Madrid.

It was a fabulous weekend, with great weather, and even better people to spend it with! My first time to Paris could not have gone any better. I saw and did so much and now I want to go back and have some more time to just explore.

Also here is my go pro video of our weekend in Paris! It was so fun to make, so I hope you enjoy it! Also can you guess what song I chose for the footage to go along with?!

Day 1 Recap
Paris Outfit Guide

If you have made it this far congrats! Sorry that was a long one but I wanted to be thorough! As always, if you have any questions don’t hesitate to shoot me an email, I would love to answer your questions, especially if you are a studying abroad (jealous) and want some insight!

Thanks for reading!

xo,
H

Paris Weekend Recap: Day 1

Posted on June 28, 2017 by haleyonthedailyblog

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One of my weekends while I was abroad this past spring a few friends and I jetted off to Paris for the weekend. I knew from the getgo that I wanted to visit Paris during my time abroad however many people were very apprehensive after all the terrorist activity that had occurred there just a few months before. However, I shared my philosophy with them, that being, you can’t live your life in fear because that is what they want. Obviously you can’t be stupid and you have to be on your guard at all times but I didn’t want these terrible events to prevent me from visiting such an iconic and beautiful city!

It took my friends and I a while to actually pull the trigger and book this trip due to the costly plane tickets and wanted to find a decent airbnb. But we finally were heading to Paris!! I was so excited and I knew that we had such little time that I wanted to plan out the weekend. I researched the heck out of what things were must sees. Pinterest is always my go to place to start and I found so many good posts on what to do and what to skip.

While we usually flew out thursday nights for trips, we ended up finding a cheap super early 6:30 am flight (which meant we would be getting up at 3:30 in the morning…) and this way we would save money on not having to pay for an extra night in Paris. Plus this still gave us basically an entire first day to explore. I was also very excited because one of my best friends who was studying in the south of Spain would be joining me on this trip! We flew into Charles DeGual airport where we met our other roommate who was flying in from Barcelona. We figured out the train system, bought tickets and headed to our airbnb. We couldn’t check in right away so we decided to grab brunch. We ate at this adorable little cafe. We then headed to the Airbnb to drop off our luggage and freshen up a bit before we headed out for the day.

Our first stop was Notre Dame. We hopped on the metro when we got off it was so surreal walking up the steps and emerging into the heart of Paris. I couldn’t believe I was actually there. We walked around exploring Notre Dame for a little before deciding to climb up to the tower of the cathedral. The line was long but manageable. After 35 minutes of waiting we made our way to the front. Normally you have to pay to get up to the top of one of the towers but we decided that we would try to see if our student visas would get us in for free. Sure enough because we were technically considered European Union residents we were able to get free entry! Score!! We climbed the more than 300 steps up a narrow spiral staircase to the top. The views were stunning and you could see the Eiffel Tower in the distance. It was actually a little overcast while we were up there but it made taking photos easier without the blaring sun.

After that we of course had to stop for crepes and then we made our way over to Sainte Chapelle Cathedral, where we found out that it was closed for a concert but would be open the next day. We then just sort of wandered through Paris with our end destination being the Arc de Triumph. We walked and walked and walked, stopping here and there to marvel at the beauty of Paris. We walked down the Champs-Elysee, which is like the time square of NYC with all the name brand shops and restaurants, until we reached the Arc.

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We were able to go up to the top of the arc for free with our student visas so definitely bring your passport and visa along if you are a student studying abroad! We got up there right as the sun was beginning to sink and the views were truly breathtaking! We climbed another 300 or so steps up a winding narrow spiral staircase to the top. After barely making it to the top (being dramatic here 😉 we were very winded but boy was it so worth it! We also couldn’t get over how far we had walked from the start of our day over by Notre Dame! After spending quite a while waiting our turn for the great photo op locations and snapping tons of photos we headed back down just as the sun was sinking into the horizon.

We found a mediocre restaurant for dinner but we were just so hungry from such a long day of exploring we didn’t have the energy in us to hunt for a good spot. Food is food right?! We made it in to the restaurant just in time because the skies opened up and it began to pour. When we finished dinner it was just drizzling out so we decided to head over towards the Eiffel Tower. When you are in Paris you have to watch it sparkle! We hadn’t researched it before had so we asked a worker who said that it began to twinkle every hour beginning at 11 pm. We had about 40 minutes to kill so we just hung out along the river across from the tower chatting and waiting for the magic to happen. And when it did let me tell you, it was magical. I looked ridiculous with my phone and go pro ready but I made sure to get some footage and then turn everything off so I could take in the beauty without any distractions.

After the light show ended we headed back to get some much needed rest.

Paris Style Guide

Posted on June 27, 2017 by haleyonthedailyblog

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Heading into my trip to Paris you could only imagine the excitement. I mean I would finally be visiting PARIS!! I knew I had to have two killer outfits for my weekend trip. I started brainstorming and researching on pinterest for inspiration. But because it was spring in Europe the weather was so up and down I didn’t know what to wear. My roommates thought I was so extra because the day before we left I came into their room (I unfortunately didn’t have a mirror in mine…I know it was a pain) so I could try on some possibilities. Lets just say that there were several mass snaps sent out of my extra-ness #bloggerprobs

Okay so little side story. One Christmas when I was probably 6 all I wanted was a beret. I remember opening it up Christmas morning and insisting on wearing it all day haha. I actually ended up bringing the beret to Spain with me knowing I wanted to wear it if I ever went to Paris. so I knew I had to incorporate my beret into one of my outfits one of the days! All of my friends thought it was hysterical. They made me pose with a baguette in front of the Eiffel Tower as a joke. It was too funny.

Anyways onto my two outfits. The weather forecast for the weekend was rain, rain and more rain. Just perfect. I packed a bunch of options in case by some miracle the weather changed and by some stroke of magic we lucked out with the weather. It only rained in the beginning of the day right when we landed.

Outfit Day One:

Outfit 1:
The first day I wanted to wear my graphic tee that listed a bunch of famous cities and of course Paris was on there. I scored it at Forever 21 for under $10 and I searched high and low for it on the web but for some reason it wasn’t available online. To dress up the t-shirt I added a little neck scarf. I borrowed a black skater skirt from my roommate and then wore it with sheer tights and riding boots. I also wore my long Eddie Baeur black coat over it that i could take on and off in case it rained or got cold.

Outfit Day Two:

Outfit 2:
This was my all out, Parisian get up haha. I wore a stripped shirt with a big bow neck scarf, a chambray skirt, riding boots and of course, the beret! I mean when in Paris am I right?! My friends made such fun of me but I just had to wear it.

I was and still am obsessed with both of the looks I put together and wore for my weekend in Paris. They were both so comfortable but also chic and fit right into the Parisian style, so you can’t ask for much more than that 😉

Also here is the link to my Gopro video from my Paris trip! I would love for you to check it out and see what I was up to!

Also here is my Paris Recaps (Day 1) and (Day 2) if you are interested in what we covered during our weekend in Paris!

Thanks for reading! Let me know if you like this type of post! It was a lot of fun to put together!

xo,
H

Poppy fields

Posted on June 22, 2017 by haleyonthedailyblog

The other day my mom and I decided to go for a morning bike ride around town. My parents recently purchased two new schwinn bikes for our beach house and I was itching to take them for a cruise. It was a beautiful warm sunny morning and my mom and I had the best time exploring little side streets and looking at all the pretty houses in town. There is one neighborhood in town that is my absolute favorite. On a whim we decided to pull off and cruise through and that was when we stumbled upon two beautiful fields of wild flowers; one poppies, and the other a mix of wild flowers.

Of course we had to pull over and snap a few photos. I wasn’t exactly in a cute outfit to snap photos, so we decided to come back later in the afternoon to shoot. The fields were so breathtaking and you could even see the ocean in the background. It was so funny because while my mom and I were snapping photos several people had stopped to take some pics too!

Because it was a hot day I decided to keep my outfit light, breezy and fuss free. I threw on one of my favorite easy summer dresses and a hat to block the scorching sun. I then threw on a pair of white sunnies to give the look a vintage feel. I couldn’t help but feel like I was channeling my inner Julia Engel during this shoot 😉 Her recent photos in all of the beautiful flower fields in France have me swooning.

Anyways, so glad I stumbled upon these beautiful wild flower patches. I am hopping to hit some sunflower fields in August sometime. Isn’t Summer just the best?!

xo,
H

Doors of Morocco

Posted on June 15, 2017 by haleyonthedailyblog

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Let me start this off by saying that I have a thing for pretty doors. I don’t know what it is about them, but pretty doors are just so aesthetically pleasing. If you scroll through my instagram you may find a door or two (or three 😉 But Morocco was the mecca of pretty doors. Around every corner was a unique blue door, the shades and embellishments endless. So here is a little roundup of just a few of the many photos I snapped during my weekend trip to Morocco while I was studying abroad this spring (read the recap post here and watch my gopro video here!)

Doors also have a symbolic meaning. There are countless saying about doors. For example when one door shuts another door opens. Opening new doors is a metaphor for new adventure and opportunity. This trip was definitely about opening new doors and experiencing life and all it has to offer. Just another reason that I am drawn to them I guess 😉

I am actually redoing my bedroom at home right now and hope to incorporate one of these photos in a gallery wall I am planning to do.

Does anyone else have an obsession with unique and fancy doors or am I the only one?!

xo,
H

Peek into my Week

Posted on June 13, 2017 by haleyonthedailyblog

Sorry this post is getting up a day late! It was just such a beautiful day yesterday that I had to spend it outside!

Monday:
With the weather being pretty miserable my mom and I ran a bunch of errands. We have a couple of crafty projects we are working on so we headed to Hobby Lobby. Since we were over in that neck of the woods I couldnt resist stopping at Christmas Tree shops. I found a few great deals including super cute wine classes that say “instant mermaid, just add wine”, I mean can it get any more perfect?! I also found some affordable frames for a gallery wall I am working on for my room down at the shore. You can always count on Christmas Tree shops haha

Tuesday:
Because it rained all day, I spent the whole day making photo books with pictures from my semester abroad. Lets just say I had some technical difficulties and just the whole process of selecting the photos, laying them out, adjusting them and adding text can take a while (then I became a bit obsessive and had to force myself to stop adjusting everything haha) I made one for myself and one for my parents as a gift. I ended up making them on Walgreens. I have made them on CVS in the past, but one of my friends made a really cute using Walgreens so I decided to give it a try. Guys! They came out so cute! I am obsessed and I know that I will find myself flipping through this book for years to come.

Wednesday:
The sun finally reappeared!! Praise the lord! I was finally able to work out in the sunshine, repot some plants and make these really cool stepping stones the garden down at the beach. Because my dad and brother were gone for the night, my mom and I then decided to have a girls night and walked down to my favorite Mexican restaurant in town called Sayulita. Oh how I missed that place while I was abroad. I ordered the Sangria (because I was missing Spain a little) and a lobster truffle taco and shared the delicious guac and chips with my mom. To say I was stuffed was an understatement. But of course your girl couldn’t leave without a doggie bag of churros con chocolate for later 😉

Thursday:
My mom and I headed down to the beach to get our house ready for my girls weekend! We cleaned, did laundry and tidied up the house so it would be in tip top shape for when my fairf friends arrived! I also clipped these beautiful peonies from our garden! How stunning!?

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Friday:
I finished up prepping for my girls weekend and then headed down to the shore. I made this adorable cake for to celebrate two of my girl friends’ 21st birthday. Does anyone else love decorating cakes as much as I do. When my friends saw the cake they joked that my kids are going to have the best birthday cakes some day haha

Saturday:
My friends arrived Saturday afternoon. They were coming from Mass, Long Island, Connecticut and Jersey. It was so good to see all of them after a long 6 months apart. But the nicest thing is we picked up right where we left off as if no time had passed. We spent the day laying in the sun at the beach just chatting and then had a cute little photo shoot at the beach after dinner when the sun was setting. It was a fun day full of lots of food, beach and laughs.

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Sunday:
We woke up had breakfast and then most of my friends hit the road by noon so that they wouldn’t hit the weekend traffic. I then went on a nice bike ride around town and relaxed the rest of the day. The weekend was a blast but boy was I wiped by the end of it!

I hope everyone had a fantastic weekend and is off to a good start of the week!

Random Wanderings

Posted on June 8, 2017 by haleyonthedailyblog

My friends and I had a bunch of time to kill before our tour began so we decided to just wander around the nearby white washed city. Nerja actually really reminded me of Greece. Most of the buildings were white with blue accents. While we were exploring we found a dirt road that we assumed led to the ocean. We figured what the heck, lets check it out. And OMG it was quite the adventure that brought us to the most beautiful cliff ledge. You could not access the beach without scaling down a steep path and considering the clothing we were wearing we decided against that. However the views from the cliff overlooking the ocean were stunning. There were also these gorgeous wildflowers blooming everywhere. So my friends and I proceeded to do what any other group of girls would do; have a little photoshoot 😉

I decided to set the mood with a little music from my phone. Because I was in such a good mood I proceeded to sing along (very badly) until my roommate threatened to push me off the cliff if I didn’t stop haha. We were laughing so hard. It was one of my favorite memories of the trip and it just goes to show you that sometimes you just have to let yourself get lost. You don’t always have to have plans, because just seeing what a place has to offer allows you to really experience it. And you never know what you will stumble upon!

Thanks for reading!

xo,
H