The Open Road

 

Afoot and light-hearted I take to the open road,

Healthy, free, the world before me,

The long brown path before me leading wherever I choose.

-Walt Whitman

Sweet Summertime

  Top+Shorts: Free People // Shoes: Vans

For some reason when I think of summertime, the first things that seem to come to my mind are popsicles, watermelon, sunshine and theme parks. Recently, I was able to steal a day off from my internship and head over to Orlando to visit one of my best friends Laura (honorable mention goes to Devin as well, even though I didn't get to see you boo, love you!). We just so happened to have enough free time to check out Universal and Islands of Adventure + Harry Potter World for the day. I'm currently in the process of reading the Harry Potter series (p.s. don't judge me for just now starting it... it was hard for my hipster heart to give in to the HP hype lol), so it was really cool to experience the "magic" at IOA. Although life seems to be consuming me at the moment, I'm really trying to adventure as much as I can on my free time. H.A.G.S. (my failed attempt at bringing back middle school yearbook lingo.. LOL). xoxo Kendall 

Post-Italy Depression

Jeans+Shirt+Shoes: Urban Outfitters // Kimono: Free People

It has officially been 22 days since I have left Italy, and I couldn’t be more sad about it. I can honestly say it is the weirdest feeling being back in America. Everything feels so different! It’s really hard to explain, but basically my body longs for Italian air (super cheesy, but so true). I have to catch myself from daydreaming about what I would be doing in Italy if I were still there… who I would be with, what I would be eating and what beautiful buildings I would be walking by. Although I wish I could have stayed forever (not even joking), I had to come back for my best friend’s wedding, my internship with Macy’s and classes (unfortunately).  In my hopes to keep living the Italian lifestyle, on my day off I decided to explore the Tampa/St. Pete area and check out Oxford Exchange and the Dali Museum. Finding cool coffee shops, bookstores, museums and hipster restaurants is probably one of my favorite things to do. Here are a few pictures I took from my adventures! Thanks for stopping by my blog and supporting me through my post-Italy depression (I’m dyinggg). Xoxo Kendall

Firenze, Italy

My last week in Italy was probably the most relaxing part of my trip. I was able to visit, and re-visit, some of the museums, restaurants and shops that I hadn’t gotten to see yet. It was very refreshing to explore Firenze on my own and reflect on the past month I spent here. My goal was to see as much as I could of Italy in my last week, and I think I definitely succeeded. Here are a few pictures from some of the shops that I couldn't get enough of during my time in Firenze. Xoxo Kendall

Addio, Miei Amici.

My last night in Rome was spent with some of the most amazing people I know. We had our farewell dinner, our last night out and we stayed up all night drinking champagne and reminiscing on our time spent in this beautiful country. 

We all went on this trip for different reasons. Whether it was to try something new, step out of our comfort zones or simply explore a new place. We all had different ideas of what we might experience, how we might feel or who we would meet. But I think I can speak on behalf of everyone when I say, what we found was better than we could have ever imagined. Not only did we find this beautiful country, that we can now call home, but more importantly we found each other. We experienced highs and lows, and have created memories and bonds that nobody else will quite understand. If it wasn't for this month in Italy, I probably would have never known you all, and my life would have been forever different without all of you in it. I am so thankful that I was able to spend the best month of my life with some of the best people I know. I wouldn't have had it any other way. This trip will forever be a part of me. I love you guys.

If you guys are reading this, I couldn't be more thankful to get to know (and now love) each and every one of you. Special shout-outs to Michelle, Macarena and Kristen for being the absolute best (and favorite) roommates on the planet, to Robert for making pillow talk my favorite part of every day, to Kate for being the literal best, to Sydney for putting up with my saltiness and to Mak and James for keeping me laughing at all times. 

Rome, Italy

Rome, Rome, Rome. What can I say? You are a beautiful city! For our last weekend together we traveled to Rome for a last hoorah. To be honest, Rome was much bigger, and intimidating, than I expected. We were able to see the Colosseum, the Roman Forum, the Spanish Steps, the Pantheon, the Trevi Fountain and the Vatican! Although I loved Rome, and had a blast spending my last few nights with everyone, my heart belongs in Firenze. Xoxo Kendall 

Chianti Wine Tour

Dress+Shoes: Free People // Sweater: Forever 21

Going into this trip my goal was to experiment with different wines, because 1. It’s Italy, and 2. Why wouldn’t I? So when I found out my program included a free wine tour, I got pretty excited (a little too excited) about it. So our day started off with a bus ride through Tuscany to get to the vineyards. I was a little worried about the weather, but it turned out to be the perfect day filled with wine, rain showers and beautiful Tuscan views. Note to self, Chianti wine makes me feel some type of way (tipsy!). I hope you’re having a great week, and if not, have a bottle of wine on me. Xoxo Kendall