BEDA #14 - Travel

Even the word makes me all giddy with happiness inside. I love traveling, it's most definitely one of my top favorite things to do and I grab a chance to do it whenever I find one. I think it's so important to get to know the planet you live in, the people who live on it and see and explore what you had no idea existed.

It's a beautiful thing to do. First of all, packing! Ah, it's fantastic. If you're like me, you make lists in order to keep track of everything you want to bring with you (essentials: a camera and lots of memory sticks with big capacity and never forget to pack your charger; a book and/or an mp3 for the journey if you're going by plane; so much more stuff, but these are my basic ones) and place them all neatly inside your luggage.

Next: airports! If I'm going by plane I get all excited, I love airports and airplanes and everything that goes with it. The little boutiques, the ridiculously overpriced food, the bargains you can find if you have a good eye, watching flight attendants make their way to the gates... it's a wonderful thing. I would definitely go to airports just to watch, I'm so fascinated by them. I would be the female Viktor Navorski, only without a civil war back home (yet) or a denied visa. I actually wouldn't mind being a flight attendant even though most of the time you can't really explore the city you're landing in. Speaking so many languages, wearing a nice uniform, flight discounts! What isn't exciting about that?!

Next: road trips! Ah, I love them. Luckily, I've been on quite a few in my life. I've always gone with my parents and we've been as far as... I'd say Germany, by car. The great thing about road trips is that you can just stop whenever you want, take pictures, have a picnic, stay where you want to stay. RVs are even better. I remember my trip to Canada back in July 2006, it was the best trip of my life so far. We went out there by plane after stopping in Heathrow and we stayed with my aunt and uncle, who live there in Calgary, for two days and then we rented an RV and in the following two weeks we explored Alberta and British Columbia (and Vancouver Island!) as much as we could. Those moments are priceless.

Next: hotels! If you're staying in one, it's amazing. I love hotels. I wanted to become a hotel manager a few years ago, but yes, Maths ruined that dream for me. I always take stuff with me, especially little notebooks, sweets, sometimes shampoos, pens, pencils, it's all so awesome!

I'm so passionate about traveling. I've been to most European countries and, like I said, to Canada.  I love Paris and New York (one of my biggest dreams is to go to NY). The following countries are the top 10 I want to visit really badly: USA, England (the UK in general, really), Italy (going there this summer!), Greece, Kenya, India, China, Australia, The Bahamas, Cuba. And Turkey.

One of my other big passions are meeting new people, especially people from around the world. I have lots  of amazing friends on the Internet scattered around the world. I would love to have a typical american road trip through every single state (t-shirts from every state would be obligatory) with the lovely people I've met, especially Kim and Ashley because I'm always talking about traveling with them and because I love them so much. Hopefully I'll make it to Florida in 2011!

I could go on and on about traveling and I wouldn't stop. A part of me wishes that I could travel all my life. Just go, just travel, just go places, just travel the world, explore the wonderful place I live in, turn my life into a never-ending spiritual trip so I could find myself. Buying only food and Moleskine notebooks and a few stationary (and maybe a GPS would help?) so I could document everything. The least I can wish for is to earn enough money to travel. If I don't, I'm sure I'll become a very, very sad person, because traveling is a part of me. Getting to know this world is a part of me.

Until tomorrow!

Bisou, bisou *
* Photos 1 and 2.

BEDA #13 - Unique Skills (or not)

(Photo found here)

Remember the blog post "Teach us"? Yeah. Kind of like this one. I honestly don't know what skills I have, what talents and I'm not bothered to think about it right now, so let's get on with it.

I... don't know what to write about today. It's not sunny anymore, it's pouring rain outside and it's going to be that way for a few days. I really needed sunny weather to cheer me up. Not that I'm sad, I'm just really bored and being back in school is not really helping.

Anyway. I'm going to a cupcake store on Friday! It's the first cupcake store in the country. Yeah, I know, we're very late in everything we do, but I'm used to it. And you know the sad part? I've never tried one. I've tried muffins, but as far as I know cupcakes are very different because of the frosting. Can't wait!

Until tomorrow!

Tomorrow's theme: Travel

Bisou, bisou *

BEDA #12 - Daily Routines

(Photo found here)

As you can imagine, my daily routine while I'm at school is very different from the one I have during holidays. What I love most about being on holidays (I really need one more week, I can't take the whole school thing just yet, but anyway) is that I never know what day it is. I know the month, but I have no idea what day it is or what day of the week it is, and that's a wonderful feeling. It's like we don't have any commitment, like we're free and we can get on with our lives without having to think about paperwork or homework or tests or exams or grade averages or University or any of the stuff that makes the regular daily routine very stressful.

My schedule is pretty different from the one you might have (or might have had). Public schools over here (especially high schools) have a very unbalanced schedule, which isn't necessarily bad. At least not for me, especially this year. Senior year is the best year I'm having so far regarding my timetable. I go home at 1:30PM three days out of the week and at 4:50PM on the remaining two. My classes always start at 8:30AM, except for Thursdays when they start at 13:30PM and when I only have two classes (but mostly just one because my psychology teacher never shows up on Thursdays). It's pretty amazing. Except the waking up early part.

Once I do my business in school, I usually go back home. I immediately turn on my Mac and check Gmail, Blogger, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. Then I watch new episodes of my favorite TV shows and sometimes I read. Later, I check Tumblr and log on to Skype. I used to check Dailybooth but I'm loathing it right now, I already turned off the alert for whenever someone snaps a picture. And I used to be on MSN every. single. day. at every. single. hour. I loathe it even more than Dailybooth now, can't stand the freaking thing.

I usually have homework to do but, honestly, I never do it. Only when it's, like, really important or really quick to do (like my English homework) and when I know that the teacher's going to check it. I do ace my presentations, I love making and preparing those and I always get good grades. I fail at studying. I literally cannot be stuck in a room, sitting on a chair, leaning on a desk surrounded by a textbook and a notebook and study. It's literally impossible for me, I go crazy. Which usually means that I end up cheating on 90% of my tests. Which I don't necessarily care about, but I know it's wrong and I know I should study. But honestly? School's a bore. I remember reading something on Ashley's blog, where she said she loved learning, but she hated school. I completely understood her and I feel exactly the same way.

So yeah, that's pretty much it. Wake up > school > home > internet > bed. On Friday afternoons I usually meet up with my best friends and we go shopping or for a walk. And nowadays I've been hanging out in my back yard, the weather has been amazing! Mix it up with a smoothie and it almost seems like it's still Spring Break.

That's my amazing and exciting life! Ew.

Until tomorrow!

Tomorrow's theme: Unique Skills (Oh, boy!)

PS: Happy Birthday to my friend Ari! :D

Bisou, bisou *

BEDA #11 - Weekly Wrap-Up

(Photo found here)

This week was pretty much unproductive. Like all my weeks are, really, especially when I'm on holidays. Alas, my two weeks of Spring Break are officially over. I need some holidays now, please. I'm just really scared to put my feet in school tomorrow and begin a new term. The last term in high school. The last two months I'll be with all these people in the same room every day, sharing my laughs, secrets, worries and gossip.

I'm really scared of going back and expecting the final tests, the three exams I'm going to do in June, my final average grade and all the stress University paperwork must be and the anxiety and stress of not knowing if I got in or not. I just want these two months to go by as fast as possible so I can enjoy my summer holidays. Although inbetween I'm going to have marvelous days, such as John Mayer and Miley Cyrus' concerts and a trip with my friends down south. I just don't want the responsibility all over again.

Other than that, my week was good. I didn't do everything I wanted to do, but oh well.

How was your week? :)

Until tomorrow!

Tomorrow's theme: Daily Routines

Bisou, bisou *

BEDA #10 - Shopping Kryptonite

(Photo found here)

Shopping? What's that? I don't think I've ever heard that word in my life.

Juuuuuust kiddiiiiiiing. Of course I have. It's music to my ears. Ahh, shopping, such a lovely experience and pastime. Yesterday I had that wonderful fresh air that is shopping. Unfortunately, it isn't much fresh air for my bank account. I love buying all sorts of stuff, especially books, DVDs, makeup, clothes and accessories.

Mango, Zara, Bershka, Pull&Bear, Cortefiel, Roxy, H&M, Friday's Project, Stradivarius, Accessorize, Claire's, Oysho, Women's Secret are some of the clothes stores and brands I really, really love (which I think are all European. Speaking of European stores, when is TopShop going to open here?!). And the expensive ones which I can't really have (except for those really special, incredibly lucky days) are Tommy Hilfiger, Chanel, Ralph Lauren, See by Chloé, Burberry, Marc Jacobs, etc, etc, etc.

My favorite store is Fnac. A french store which has books, DVDs, CDs, hardware, software, everything. I could spend hours there, I'd always have something to read, watch or listen. Kind of like Virgin Records, but with a bit more stock and products.

I love, love, love, love Ikea. And Starbucks - it can be considered a store, especially with my love for their mugs. And The Body Shop and Sephora.

I'm seriously worried about my bank account in the future. I admit I'm very materialistic, but things do make me happy. Since when doesn't a little strappy dress or a good book put a smile on your face? Money shouldn't exist. Things should just be given to us for free, I'd be much happier.

Portugal has huuuuge shopping malls. Seriously, huge. Whenever I go to those really enormous ones I get so excited! I'd love to go to 5th Avenue in New York, to the Champs-Élysées in Paris (went there last year), to Milan and London and actually buy stuff. Lots of stuff. And not be looking at the price tags with that little pain in my heart. I bought this dress yesterday and I love it, it's from H&M's Garden Collection. I bought another one but I can't seem to find it online. What are your recent buys?

Until tomorrow!

Bisou, bisou *