Kisses & Beach Hair

Summer temperatures seem to finally be here to stay! There’s not much better than putting on something simple for a beach day. It’s the best feeling to only grab your swimming suit and a solid cover up. Pair it with an eye-catching necklace and you’re good to go! Some sunglasses and a sand-proof bag easily complete the look. Longchamp pulls through again with their easy-to-clean, brightly colored Le Pliage totes. Bring on the sun!

Destinations: Two-Day Paris Itinerary

Day One: I have started every trip to Paris the exact same way: at the Louvre. It’s the quintessential Parisian experience and it easily gets you in the mood for all things Paris! A walk through the Tuileries Garden is essential. A public park following the French Revolution, this immaculate promenade is always populated with various birds, squirrels and the obvious tourist. It’s the perfect photo backdrop and it’s so unbelievably peaceful. I highly recommend pulling up a chair next to the centrally located pond and people watch for several minutes! 
Halfway through the gardens, take Allée de Castiglione toward Rue de Rivoli. Resist the dozens of tourist shops filled with “I heart Paris” tees & Chinese-made Eiffel Tower statues and follow Rue de Castiglione to Place Vendôme. I absolutely love this spot. Maybe it has something to do with the Chanel boutique? 
Continue in the same direction along Rue de la Paix until you reach the next big intersection. A quick glance to the right spots the impressive and historic Opera House. Take the tour. Really. Hopefully, there isn’t a rehearsal going in because the theater is obviously the most impressive portion. 
Following the tour, a cab ride up Champs-Élysées is extremely fun. A fun idea? Go around the Arc de Triomphe roundabout before getting dropped off for some fun shopping!
Tip: Find a Lenôtre (there’s one down Avenue Victor Hugo)–you won’t regret it.
Day Two: If it’s your first trip to Paris, this may not be the day you’d pick, but it was highly enjoyable! Paris Disney. Awesome. Best invention. 
We took the RER A directly to the park (Get on the RER A , heading towards Marne-la-Vallée Chessy, and get off at Marne-la-Vallée Chessy) and it was extremely quick! 
After our fun-filled Mickey day, we spent the evening under the Eiffel. After it got dark, we snapped a few photos then made our way (on the Metro) to the Arc de Triomphe. Thanks to the concessions price, we paid only a few euros to take the stairs to the top. The view is well worth the price and you’ll get to see just how expansive the City of Light truly is.

Destinations: Prague – Day 2

 Our walk to the castle was visually inspiring! Every building, home and alley contributed to the overall beauty of the city.
The castle could have been an all-day excursion–there were so many different areas to visit. The tickets were particularly useful because they included a checklist of the various museums, rooms and buildings. By the time we arrived we only had a few hours, so we quickly visited each attraction on the list. One of the best things about the castle was the ample availability of informational plaques and signs. Generally, if you don’t buy the audio tour it seems you’re missing an enormous amount of information, but that wasn’t the case. We were able to learn a great deal!
After we had every square of our ticket punched, we walked along the side of the castle in order to photograph the incredible view of the city. It was the warmest part of the day and the burnt orange rooftops were a sight to behold!

Destinations: Prague – Day 1

This trip was unparalleled by any place I’ve yet to visit! Sure Prague is beautiful, breathtaking, historical and inspiring, but at the beginning of February, it’s simply…frigid.
My roommate and I traveled from London to Prague on discount airline (grad school budget), WizzAir, which was surprisingly adequate. Tip: We saved quite a bit by flying in the late evening!
Upon arrival, we took a cab to our hotel and were able to see the gorgeous city lights. Did I mention it was already five degrees below zero at this point? Fahrenheit.
The next morning we set out to explore the city. We had both packed our cutest, winter outfits in preparation for the single digit temps, but once we experienced what 5 degrees actually felt like, fashion objectives went out the frozen window. Therefore, we wore every single item of clothing we brought. Literally. At any given moment I was wearing thermals, jeans, four pairs of socks, leggings, three shirts and my coat.
We walked out of the hotel to start our day and three minutes later, my makeup was gone. My eyes started watering uncontrollably due to the freezing temperatures! We found a Sephora, fixed the problem and were off! Or so we thought. Thirty minutes later we were inside H & M buying sweaters and more socks.
We took the funicular to the top of Petrin Hill and on our way to the Observation Tower, we made a pit stop at the perfectly manicured playground. It was full of modernly-designed equipment–most of which we had no idea how to enjoy, but it was a fun-filled ten minutes!
After the 299-step journey up the Observation Tower (also worth the effort!), we sprinted toward the Mirror Labyrinth. This was absolutely worth the small entrance fee ($2.50) and though it is advertised as a kids’ attraction, we loved the experience. Who doesn’t love a good maze that encourages one’s vanity?
We  finished the day by wandering to Old Town Square to see the beautiful Astronomical Clock. Once we entered the square, it was as if the cold disappeared. The colors and architecture were exquisite and captivating enough to take our minds off the cold. Definitely spend the few dollars to go up the tower–the views are well worth it. The warm colors of Prague complemented the sunset magically!