Tuesday Thoughts

Quite the crazy day today, weather wise that is. Sun, rain, sun, rain...this is England. I was catching up on my blog roll when I came across this fab 'check in' from Ashely over at Sed Bona (if you haven't read her blog, you have NO idea the level of classy lady you are missing) and I thought it'd be fun, so I gave it a go. Check back later in the week for my Christmas and New Year's posts!

Enjoying: My break from school
Listening: To 'God and Satan' by Biffy Clyro
Wearing: Top by Mint Velvet and Jeans from Violeta by Mango
Making: Travel plans for Paris!
Cooking: Pizza!
Drinking: Does putting granola into my glass count?
Feeling: Nervous but excited for the new year
Reading: ReWork-Change the Way you Work Forever
Looking: For comedy inspiration
Wishing: To be braver
Liking: The British 'winter'
Waiting: To hear back from a photographer about my head shots
Snacking: Polish coffee and said granola
Coveting: This Ted Baker creation
Hearing: Suitcases rolling as students come back from break
Learning: How to have patience when everything seems to go wrong
Loving: My night walks through Oxford
Watching: Documentaries on Lucille Ball and Carol Burnett 
Admiring: My roses bought from Oxford's Covered Market
Getting: To know myself again after a rather lengthy absence
Wondering: When my good luck will kick in
Playing: Terrible and hilarious indie games
Noticing: How badly my eyebrows are growing in
Giggling: At youtubers….pole dancing… yes REALLY 
Bookmarking: Organisational tools
Deciding: To make the leap to……(still a secret :)
Hoping: To survive the coming semester 
Contemplating: My next move (literally and figuratively)
Wanting: To take more chances in all aspects of my life
Thinking: About my plan of action for tomorrow
Knowing: This is the year when I finally start doing what I love
Opening: My tea
Feeling: Driven. Finally. After 28 years.
Marveling: At how your dreams can drastically change in just one year

Oh The Places I Have Seen-Frankfurt

A 6am wake up call is never ideal for anyone but that is how my long weekend in Frankfurt, Germany began. As I was determined not to check a bag, I managed to pack what I needed (which I would find later was sans an umbrella) into two handbags and arrived on campus on time only to find that the coach was going to be late. Late turned into very late…..very VERY late. Nearly and hour and a half and lots of very British panicking later (think pacing back and forth with a slightly annoyed look on your face) the coach finally picked us up. We had nothing to worry about really, because our flight also turned out to be an hour late.

Frankfurt upon arrival was rainy and rather grim looking. Our hostel was right in the middle of the red light district, which made for some rather interesting window shopping. We made our way to the old quarter for some proper beer (so good even I, who doesn't like beer at all drank it) then back to the hostel for an early night, we had to be at the book fair by 9 the next morning. This would be where my lack of umbrella comes into play because it was raining the whole way back. The next morning I sounded like Brando yelling "Stellaaa" in the rain.

The outside of the Book Fair
All images Copyright Mastering Oxford Do not use without permission

The fair was massive. 8 buildings that require a shuttle to get from one to the other. English companies made up one building, as did international, German, art, etc. We decided to start in the Art building where each stall in itself was a work of art. They even had a working replica of the Gutenberg Press giving demos. We managed to make our way through most of the building, stopping to admire some truly artistic feats along the way. The rest of the afternoon consisted of hopping around buildings, chatting to local and international publishers, (it was lovely to see some Minnesota publishers there!) and getting insight into the industry from our individual appointments we had.

My colleague Mark in front of a Gutenberg Replica

The next day we had free to explore before we had to hop on a flight back to London. Frankfurt is a gorgeous city. We stumbled upon monuments and opera houses, ate Nutella crepes and bratwursts in the local city market and had a beer in the old city centre. It was a fabulously relaxing end to a fantastic weekend. I do hope to get back to Frankfurt in the future. 

Christmas and a Catch Up

It's odd to look out my window and see no snow. By now in Minnesota, there might be a few inches of snow on the ground and temps below freezing. Currently I have my window open. Being someone who doesn't like the winter anyways, its a lovely change.

You might have noticed that grad school has kept me extraordinarily busy. I underestimated the workload for sure, but now I'm staring down nearly a two month break devoted to travel and my creative pursuits,  and that means you! In the next few weeks I'll be updating the blog with my adventures so far, and hopefully you'll see some new ones pop up before school resumes. I hope to achieve more of a work life balance this coming semester so you won't be faced with 2 months of blog silence. You can expect blogs about Germany, Christmas, more British observations I've made, lots more of my photography and what I hope to achieve in the coming year! So sit tight loves, your next blog is coming to you shortly. Thanks for the wait xx

It's What You Make It

"In our heads, living out dreams is easy, but it actually takes a hell of a lot of work to live them and not just achieve them." 

The lovely Sarah (follow her insights here) told me this earlier today when I was having yet another one of my moments. I felt stressed out by school, lonely because I hadn't really found good friends (and those people I had met in my cohort were extremely cliquey), silly because I was still apprehensive about public transport, and pissed at myself because I felt I had accomplished nothing. To which I felt the look I was getting going right through the computer screen. "What do you mean NOTHING?! You've sold everything you own, said goodbye to everyone, uprooted yourself and moved 4,000 miles away to a new country. People talk about doing that all the time but do you know how FEW people actually DO what you've done?!"

Fair point. And that's the trick that no one tells you. Logistically, achieving your dreams is fairly easy if you have the resources. But once you're there you actually have to LIVE those dreams and that's the hard part. There are new things, places, people, situations and a lot of those will scare the shit out of you. You'll second guess yourself more times than you know. There will be awful times and amazing times. Life doesn't stop just because you've achieved what you've always wanted.  So it's really up to you to morph it into what you want it to be. I'm still working on this with some difficulty. I also have to learn to give myself a break! I can be really hard on myself and that gets me nowhere but stressed. I've been here for just under 3 weeks and I need to stop expecting everything to be perfect. So I'll make a cup of tea (until my coffee gets here from America, yay again for Sarah!) and learn to RELAX. (Maybe then people will stop thinking I'm always angry/sad/intimidated all the time)

Second Week Thoughts

Rolling hills of the Cotswolds (image may not be used without permission Copyright Mastering Oxford)

So its been 2 whole weeks since I landed in England. Apologies for not writing sooner, its been a whirlwind. Let's just say the minute I landed I had problems. I found my way around fine, but since I didn't have a sim in my phone, it wasn't getting Internet. Which is where my e ticket for the bus to Oxford was.  You could see I had purchased a ticket, but the check in logo wasn't there. And I couldn't get another one because my debit cards weren't working in Heathrow. I nearly had a meltdown in the airport! Poor planning on my part, but it was all a learning experience. Fortunately for me, the driver let me on and I made it to Oxford around 10am. What I've found most interesting is that all the lovely feelings that I had about Britain before I got here have not re emerged. Don't get me wrong, I don't hate it here! I think I expected to land on my feet and start running head first into this new life but I ended up  landing on one foot, stumbling and nearly face planting.  So much I didn't account for. Like walking. Everywhere. My feet after the first week were raw. And needing cloth bags to swing over your shoulder so you don't cut your hands in two lugging groceries home. The fact that doors here are pushed open and not pulled. That because of all the moisture in the air I may never had straight hair in England. (It's the small things). Having nothing upon arrival. I knew this but to look in the loo and not even have loo paper there is enough to make you go mad after an 8 hour flight and some wicked jet lag.

But there are some things that I've come to love. Like grocery delivery. The smell of the English air (and the men). The fact that there are no bugs here. The sheer amount of history around me. The fact that I've only been asked about Obama once. My flatmates. Here is where I really lucked out. I've been placed with the weirdest, most wonderful bunch. There are 6 of us, I am the only American. 4 guys and 2 girls. Latvia, Romania, Croatia, Japan, France. 48 hours after meeting we were unbelievably bonded. ( I guess when your Romanian flatmate appears in his underwear 24 hours after you've met in the kitchen needing his brownie that's bound to happen) It hasn't been perfect, and we've already had some drama. And if it had been with anyone else, it could have ended a lot worse. The last thing you want is to not go home because your flatmates are being asses. But we are all committed to this being home, and after conversations and sleep it's on it way to being fixed. Like I said, I could not have asked for a better bunch of weirdoes.

Everything prior to 12 Sept seems like a lifetime ago and in truth it really is. When you uproot yourself, even if its to a place you love, don't expect everything (or anything for that matter) to go smooth. It's a shock to the system and you will need time to adjust (not to mention at least a week to get over the jet lag) Don't become discouraged if after a week you haven't made a solid friend or are still apprehensive about getting groceries on your own. Take a walk, make a date with you and your new surroundings. If you take it slow, you're bound to last.

My Plane Ride Playlist

You can't travel without music. At least you can't travel well. I've always been a play list girl. It's a yearly thing for me, whatever songs have meaning at certain times or events go into a play list, thus I have a memory of the whole year in music. And nothing deserves a play list more than a big trip. The biggest I've experienced. Some songs are cliched (Yes, London Calling), some remind me of the first time I went abroad (The Ataris was on non stop in Spain in '03), some to calm me (Everything London Grammar has put out) and some are brand new findings (Wandering=Amazing). What are some of your favourite travel songs? Let me know in the comments below!

One Week Thoughts

I'm sitting on the couch listening to the crickets outside while The Red Green Show is on in the background (the most Minnesotan show, even if it is from Canada). This time next week, I will be writing this to you in England. Most things are taken care of (still need to find that damned diploma), packing is looming (I'm a last minute girl) and the drama of leaving has finally died down. In saying goodbye, I've realized its really been 3 years of goodbyes, both to various aspects of myself that no longer serve me and to people, places and things. Saying goodbye to the place I considered home, saying goodbye to parents marriage, goodbye to the friends I've had since I was 5 because I no longer had anything in common with them, goodbye to childhood as things were sent to Goodwill and the house I grew up in was sold. Even goodbye to my bed and car! As depressing as it can be, I've looked at it as more of a spiritual cleanse. You can hang onto a lot of deep down stuff through the years, clearing things out clears out the negative.

This has been 5 years in the making. I could pinpoint exactly when this passion started. Sometime in 2010, maybe late 2009. I remember wanting to go, and wanting a sign from the universe. I put my iPod on shuffle and out of 2000 songs, this is the one that came on.

To say that I had a mild heart attack would be putting it lightly. But it was all the confirmation I needed. And my passion for all things British increased at a steady pace over the next 5 years. I look at what's to come and to be honest, I haven't allowed myself to think about it much. I'm owning that to the fact I didn't realize how much drama comes with saying goodbye to certain people! Things come out of the woodwork that you didn't plan on. But I have an long haul plane rid to think on it. It is life changing. An opportunity that many either don't or can't take. This will change me in ways I cannot even being to fathom right now. Will I love England as much as I do in my head? What if I somehow don't? I have no plans to come back to America, I will tell you that right now. Maybe I'll end up a permeant resident of the UK (I cannot tell you how hard that task is) or maybe I'll decide a Ph.D in Geneva is a good idea. Who knows. It's an adventure.

Off the Beaten Path

Sometimes when we travel, we can get caught up in the seemingly never ending list of sights to see in the usual cities on most everyone's list.  These attractions are crowded, expensive and have long waits. I'm not saying some of these aren't worth it,  but in an age where there are several documentaries on the Crown Jewels, is it really worth it to spend £15 and 2 hours of your time to see them in person for 10 minutes? In an age of "seen it, done it" more people are opting for adventures off the beaten path, away from the crowds, cameras and madness. This can enable you to "breathe in" your surroundings, and throw yourself into the moment without worrying about missing your allocated time to see this or that. 

Allow yourself to toss the itinerary and map, even for just a day and go find your paradise. It may be in a place you least expect. 

PS-Speaking of off the beaten path, check out this amazing video about some of the UK's most beautiful and least visited places.

Travel Itinerary-Frankfurt

As the take off day approaches, more and more little things have fallen into place. I managed to sift through all the student loan paper work and submit it without any errors the first time around! A major accomplishment since international students must submit loan paperwork the old fashioned way (think spreadsheets and very little electronic help). My visa is my last BIG hurdle, which should hopefully be taken care of by the end of the month. Although I still have a lot of little things staring me in the face (banking, cell phone, plane ticket, selling possessions) I've managed to make some fun plans for the first few months I'm there. The biggest of which is flying out to Frankfurt for a long weekend to the Frankfurter Buchmesse or the Frankfurt Book Fair. It's the largest book fair in the world and from what I could judge based off of the pictures, looks to be the next incarnation of Comic Con. People cosplay at these events! But it's also a fantastic opportunity to meet well established people who work in the industry and network your ass off. Which is exactly what I plan to do. Literary agent anyone? Have your been to Frankfurt? What are some things to do and see while I'm there?

Find Your Truth, Get Brave

Summer is in full swing here and I took a few weeks off to enjoy it! I just realized the other day that England doesn't really go above 75F very often, so my days of hot and sunny summer days are numbered! I am now only 2 months away from leaving!! Really, where does the time go?

I was conversing with Sarah from A Nonsensical Education the other day about bravery. What is bravery exactly and why do some of us seem to have loads of it while others none at all? TV and movies have told us that bravery is standing up to the bad guys, taking them down and in many instances saving the world. Or maybe it's standing up to a friend or fighting for what you DO want. The hero. Looked up to by many, imitated by even more. Lately though our focus seems to have shifted to the antihero, the everyday guy or girl who just happens to be in the right place at the wrong time. We tend to gravitate to people we can most identify with so that's no surprise there. They don't want or feel like they know how to be brave, they have to figure it all out as they go. As much as I love a good antihero movie, I stop and wonder about those acts of bravery that no one talks about or that is taboo. The act of finding out what is best for you and going for it.

This often involves stress, the struggle to figure out who you are, and lots of objections and what ifs. You could drive a person mad with what if scenarios. Inevitably you'll encounter a split audience. Brick walls will abound and your plans may morph a few hundred times. Fear will creep in, and that is the defining emotion that decides whether we will take the leap or not. Think of it like a universal game of truth or dare, only instead of picking one or the other, your choose both, first to find and speak your truth, then to be dared to face that truth head on. And just like the game you played as kids, there are always a few that would rather sit it out and just watch. They know they COULD participate, but what if the question is embarrassing? Or they're too scared to do the dare? No, no chances for these folks, and they will be sitting on the proverbial sidelines for much of their life. Others will take the truth, hoping to God it isn't too personal, answer (truthfully or not, who knows) and slowly slink back into the circle. They're in with the crowd, but don't yet have enough self awareness to jump in 100%. The vast majority of people end up right here, a condition of the play it safe dogma that seems to run rampant now a days.

Then there are the ones who yell DARE before the question is even asked because they are ready. They know all their truths are out there for the world to see and they are so ready to take on the challenges that the world has given them, even if that dare is to streak through the neighbors yard wearing only a giant cheese head (I live next to Wisconsin, I've seen it happen). Seek out your truths and get ready to 'streak' through life showing off all that is you. The universe will thank you for it.

PS-New signature!! Do you like?

Keep it Real

When I move to England in the Autumn, I'm not expecting Prince Harry to fall madly in love with me thus facilitating our move into Kensington Palace where I will become besties with Catherine. (Lovely thought though!) I'm fulfilling my dreams, but I have to continually practice keeping my feet on the ground while my head is in the clouds of what could be.

Don't get me wrong, dreaming is what got me here in the first place. I closed my eyes and jumped. I believe more people should do this. But even if you make it to where you want to be, don't expect every experience to be all roses and butterflies. Always plan and keep in the back of your mind that perhaps plans will change or get altered completely. You could start in England and end up in India. Or maybe what you have built up in your mind to be the end all be all of dreams turns out to be not what you imagined. That's OK. It's an experience that you were meant to have.

So what do you do when the rug gets pulled out from under you on your carefully laid plans? Breathe. Take a moment to acknowledge that things have changed. You've been rolling with the unexpected thus far, you will be able to keep the momentum going. PLAN--well, as best you can. You've been thrown a curve ball, no reason you can't at least mildly prepare for it. You'll feel better for it. Keep your sense of humor intact. It will keep you stress levels down and learning to laugh at the unexpected will help to put things in perspective for you.

Life puts you on certain paths for a reason, if plans change, don't assume the worst. You've either completed a phase in your life or learned all you need from where you are now. Smile and wave hello to the next adventure.


tea drops,

samantha

5 To Know-Cheylene-Girl in London

I am thrilled to bring you my very first interview with Cheylene from the blog Girl in London. Cheylene moved to London several years ago in search of a new adventure, and since then has made travel and adventure her main priority. In 2011 she wrote an article 'Musings: Why I Left the USA' and it really struck a chord with me. Someone who saw the faults in the system, who wasn't blinded by the promise of the ever deteriorating "American Dream".  She was someone who knew she could find a better life for herself in a different country and proceeded to do just that. So I was thrilled when she agreed to answer my 5 to Know. 5 to Know is a new series where I ask travelers and ex-pats 5 questions about their travels, thoughts on their new country, why they left, how are they different now and so on. Check out what Cheylene has to say! 

What fears, if any, did you have before you left the US?

I didn’t have time to be afraid! I went from turning in my visa application to hopping on a plane in a matter of months. There was so much going on in that time frame that I honestly had no time to reflect and think about my fears. I do remember, however, sitting on the plane as it took off and thinking this better work because there’s no going back now!

What are the top 3 things you wish you had known before you went abroad?

1.       US/UK Taxes – US expats still have to file taxes in the US and navigating how to file taxes in two different countries that have different tax years was mind boggling at first. It would have helped to study up on that a bit more before actually moving and earning a foreign paycheck.

2.        Where to buy stuff – It sounds trivial, but knowing where to go to buy household goods, clothes, etc. is so important. Not knowing this made life really difficult for the first few months.

3.       Neighborhood info (i.e. best places to live) – I did some research on this before moving, but not enough to avoid getting stuck in a less-than-optimal rental. Part of the reason why I wrote a whole series of neighborhood guides on my site was to help give future expats an idea of what to expect from different areas of London. 

Is there anything in particular you miss about the US or do you find yourself missing very little? Are you surprised at your response?

I didn’t really miss anything about the US for the first year or two, apart from the food. As time goes on – I’ve been here nearly four years now – I find myself watching US television shows and getting almost teary eyed when I see shots of California, the Southwest, and other places I used to live. That comes as a big surprise because I’ve moved around my whole life and never considered myself to be attached to any one location. I guess I’m not as tough as I thought I was!

In what way has living in other countries changed you? Mentally? Emotionally? Do you think you are better off now?

The reason I moved abroad was because I wanted to grow mentally, emotionally, and professionally. Living in a different country changes the way you think about the world and yourself. I see myself more as a citizen of the world than I did in the US. The great part about living in London is having the opportunity to meet so many people from all kinds of different backgrounds and countries, and I think all that exposure has really helped me to grow up and take charge of my life. 

Do you ever regret your decision to leave the US or find yourself asking, ‘what if I had stayed?’? If not, and besides the obvious (work, family) what is it about the UK that makes you stay?

As much as I sometimes miss parts of the US, I have no regrets about leaving. I have a pretty good idea of where I would have ended up had I stayed, and I think I’ve done much better for myself on the other side of the pond. The professional opportunities are what keep me in the UK, and in London in particular. I am also currently on course to gain UK citizenship in the next 2-3 years, which is beneficial for a number of different reasons.

Watch for more 5 to Know in the future!

tea drops,

samantha

Be Yourself...Just like Everyone Else

It's the end of my first month of blogging!! What a fantastic ride it has been. At the end of every month, I'll be doing a feature highlighting what I've learned over the past month of introspectiveness and planning. This month it's all about what I've found to be true about being yourself amongst a sea of people trying to do just that.


Ever heard that? Be yourself, just like everyone else? We are all encouraged to be individuals, to seek out our own truth, to make an idea our own, but what is truly original? The other day I was watching a video made by a friend of a friend when I noticed a few similarities to a fellow blogger. I watched another and noticed even more things, the subject of her video, even the way she waved was taken directly from this other, more established person. The subject of the video was how to be you most authentic self. Ironic, considering she was applying what someone else was doing to her own life. That wasn't original, I though, that's just mashing the best bits of others into what you think you want to be. But a lot of people do that, don't they say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery? It may be in all respects sincere, but that's not fair to who YOU are.

Ever stop to think how many masks we wear in a day? At work, home, with friends, even in trying to convince ourselves of something? We've taken what we see and think is comfortable to others and slap that on for the day. Some of us know how to take those masks off, to remove them for a time when we feel we can, when we are finally at peace with those around us. But what about those who's masks have melded to them, the mask has essentially become a part of them, of their personality, however insincere it is, however much it may not really fit.

Looking up the word 'original' in the dictionary gives me this response "Present or existing from the beginning, first or earliest. Created directly and personally by a particular artist; not a copy or imitation." Not a copy or imitation. So does that mean that everyone who's ever imitated a person they admire is a fraud? Does that mean that after reading Jerramy Fine's book about moving across the Atlantic and wanting to do so myself makes ME a fraud, a unoriginal person?

There's a difference between being 'inspired"  by another's work and taking what is theirs and making that your own. Most people know that. But what about the subtleties of life? Lifestyles, general ideas, those melded masks? Is it all a grey area of life? We have to remember that the more we experience in life, the more new ideas and inspirations we will come across. We will be tempted to take some of those and make them a part of who we are. But we first must look inwards and figure out who exactly it is that we want to BE. This often takes a lifetime of questions and answers, like moving pieces of a puzzle around, trying to make things fit. Looking at yourself in the mirror and saying,  "I want to be Jackie O" won't make you Jackie O. Wearing what she wore, talking as she did, these will bring you new insights, but do they fit into the puzzle of your life?Of who you want to be? Or is it another mask to hide behind because you just don't have any clue as to WHO you are?

So how do you find yourself in a sea of half-hearted originality? Be quiet. No really, take 15 minutes when you can, shut out all distraction and sit with yourself. See what pops into your mind or ask yourself questions. You may be surprised at what you find. Take stock of what you love. I mean really love.What you love will hold the key to what you are passionate about. There will be situations where you will feel the need to put on a mask, even I do on some occasions. You might feel the need to start waving like your favorite blogger does, dressing in the same designer duds as your friend, adopting the mindset of a certain group of people you admire. Stop yourself and ask if these things fit with who you are or who you want to become. Then, instead of just adopting them as your own, mold them to YOU. In taking inspiration, we mold those ideas to best fit our true core selves, instead of letting those ideas change the core of who we are because we don't really know what that core is all about.


So go travel the world, dress, read, or quote your most admired influences, bu where they went right, you go left. Follow the path but make the journey your own.

tea drops,

samantha

A Dreamer's Inspiration

There are so many factors that influence us; different situations, people, and events. These things shape who and what we will become, what path we will take in life and if we chose to take a detour into something else. Whether I am shaping my dreams, doubting them or changing them, there are key individuals I always keep in mind. I’d like to share with you my biggest inspirations so far.  

Jerramy Fine

I first heard of Ms. Fine a few years ago when her book, “The Regal Rules for Girls” came out.  Finally someone who had dreamt of moving across the Atlantic as much as I did! She was unashamedly honest as she described her love for all things British, including the dashing Peter Phillips, and her quest to achieve her heart’s desire was nothing short of inspiring. She has her critics, those who claim she is setting feminism back, that her dreams are just childish, and those that just plain disagree with everything she stands for. Through all the naysayers, the hardships, and the triumphs, she’s persevered and shared her story with other like-minded girls who just want to jump the pond in search of home. I believe Ms. Fine to be of a new breed of woman, the ones that have open minds while adhering to the traditions of old, maintaining a clear path and plan but still throwing caution to the wind when called for to achieve their dreams. A 21^st century mind coupled with the tried and true ideas of old. She is and always will be the compass pointing me towards my dreams.

Her site-www.jerramyfine.com/ 

Amy

I have mentioned Amy before in a previous blog post, but she’s inspiring enough to warrant another mention! I first met Amy back in 2005, when I was still at university, and my dreams were just beginning to form. She was this juggernaut of positive energy and from day one has always told me to go for it. As I’ve said earlier, she has recently packed up her family and moved to the sunny coast of Costa Rica. Sun, sand and fresh food galore! The move hasn’t always gone as smooth as she would like (read her post about her boarder run!) she has had her fair share of ups and downs and she’s persevered through them all, always with a positive outlook and always, ALWAYS, listening to my constant ramblings of can I? Should I? I can...I can’t. What if?? I can firmly say that I would not be on this path today if it weren’t for her. 

Her blog-http://amkusamhan.blogspot.com/

My Friends!

Of course I couldn’t end this without thanking everyone who’s given me advice over the last year. I am blessed to have a wonderful group of friends that have helped me decide, hash out details, tell me when I’m being ridiculous or encouraging every dream I have. We’ve stared for two days straight at a door (royal baby), had a bit too much to drink whilst watching the Academy Awards, pretended to be, as she puts it “white girl ghetto fabulous”,  and some of us even received birthday cards with a certain Benedict on them. I could not have asked for a better, more inspirational group of friends. So many of them are chasing down their own dreams this year, interning with local government, running their websites, a few are even crossing the pond with me, ending up in London and Paris! It’s not always easy, but it’s always worth it. Who are your inspirations? How have they shaped your dreams?

tea drops,

samantha