Ich Bin Eine Hamburger who also ventured to Dublin

For the month of April I went to two countries-- Germany and Ireland.

First I was off to Dublin for the weekend of the 10th to the 12th of April. It was a group of fifteen of us, but that young Chicagoan (see my mention of him here) was amongst the group.
Dublin is known for two things in the world of imbibing: Guinness and whiskey-- both of which I partook in.

It's basically like VitaMalt sans sugar-- a blasphemous statement,
but they are indeed my tastebuds.

Nothing like whiskey at 3pm

We also ventured to the Kilmainham Gaol where I had high tea and learned about the years leading up to Irish Independence. I knew it was a bloody fight, but I head no idea the extent. Antigua just signed a treaty for pete's sake. We had it easy.

On the night of the 11th, Ryan the Chicagoan and I made it our duty to venture to a "local" pub... one that wasn't overpriced and touristy. We found one called "The Tap Bar" where a pint of good beer was a measly €3 and the crowd was nonexistent. We were, however accosted by a friendly Dublin man with an accent as thick as over-floured cake batter who asked if we were on a date. When we failed to answer, he took us on a world wind ride-- buying is both pints, asking us about America, the details of our relationship, proceeded to try to chat me up and get us to dance with him. Safe to say he wasn't the most sober person in the quite empty pub. Despite it being quite harrowing at first, once we established his harmless nature it became quite fun. He did get a selfie with me-- but I didn't have the heart to ask him to send it to me.

That's the place!

 The following weekend, I was off to Germany-- Hamburg to be exact.
 I met up with an old Family friend and one of my mother's business contacts, Johannes. My mother has worked with his company for years, so it was my diplomatic duty to get a group photo with the staff.

That's Johannes to my left there!

Soon after he, his significant other, and I ventured around Hamburg. They were great tour guides and introduced me to the wonder of currywurst. I now want ketchup and curry powder on EVERYTHING and mayonnaise on all my chips (as if heart disease doesn't exist, right?).

My nomadic life for the past two weekends have come to an end as I am now at the mercy of final exams and have to come to terms with the fact that my six months in Europe is soon over-- sad but true. Ah well-- my passport is valid so I can return sometime.

My view of Hamburg from the hotel

Ann
xx

New Year, New Me.. and all that jazz

I know. I've been missing for a while.... Miss me? If you don't I do not blame you.



Since I last posted I've been through the wringer with finals (I've only gotten three of my grades so far (I'm dying to receive the rest), had a lovely bubbly Christmas with my family and returned to good ol' Antiguan sun, seas, and sand.

Last year I am happy to say I completed my New Year's Resolution to be more confident and outgoing. The people I've met over the past year, I'm sure, wouldn't see the difference but family and friends have. I've ventured out of my makeup comfort zone to add new shades and styles (next, I shall make a resolution to declutter and spend less time browsing Sephora's website), I've found a "fashion" I'm comfortable with and I've made new friends along the way.

I've had a great experience on Tremr.com (hyperlinked image in the sidebar) and met great writers who inspire me to really explore the discipline. 

If a year ago I had told myself that I was going to be doing a writing internship I would've laughed at myself and returned to my miserable internships at banks and businesses. 

In 2014, I believe I finally found myself. I found my style, defined my likes and dislikes, and dare to say, found the adult I want to be (when I finally grow up of course).

Instead of controlling my life with an iron fist and trying to predict the world, I've finally calmed down and started to just take the opportunities thrown at me and go a long with whatever life throws my way.

2015 is going to be a great year. I'll travel a lot more ( more on that to come), be reunited with old friends, and be sure to make some new ones. I'll document it all here.

Happy New Year!

xx

-Anna

Photoshoot #WinterPhile

I love winter. I like the cold, the coats, wearing hats (i.e. not having to deal with my hair) and Starbucks seasonal drinks (Chestnut Praline Lattes for Life!).

My friend Amelia needed a model for a shoot she's doing, but she could not get one and settled for me (badum tss).
After a day or two in H&M and Sephora, I got dolled up and met my Amelia and my friend Arizé for the Central Park Shoot.

It was incredibly fun and I even brought my Nikon D6100  to get photos for myself. Safe to say that there were some awesome edits.

Here are some of my favourites!

I'm short. I know. I was in the process of falling backward too!

This is Arizé, forever the professional.

This is him again, pondering life...pondering death.

Obviously when you have long legs you need a to use them to support trees.

Blue days.

My favourite edit of the skyline from Central Park. Safe to say it's my new desktop wallpaper.

Me sans glasses. The edit makes it so much more epic than it actually was.

I learned out to colour splash. I got way to excited.

My favourite picture of me.

Wry smile and spectacles.

Laugh!

 There you see it! Thanks once more to Amelia for the fun day out and for teaching me (finally) how to contour. I'm now considerably less sucky at make-up.

For a brief moment in my life, I had John Green in it.

See this line, yeah its long.


If I got to time travel as myself as a 45 year old and ask myself in the future "18 year old Me: "What is the best weekend in your life so far?" I would first say, "Today, because I met myself and she is fine!" 

Jokes aside, it would have to be this weekend. I met Russell Howard, then spend a collosall six hours in line to see a free fan screening of The Fault in Our Starts. For those living under a rock or over the age of 30, The Fault In Our Stars (or TFIOS) is a Young Adult Novel written by the masterful John Green. Green is the writer of many other YA novels such as Looking For Alaska and Paper Towns. I've read them all, and I have to say that TFIOS is one of his best works yet and I am proud of his newfound mainstream success. John and his brother, Hank run a YouTube Channel called "vlog brothers" where they gave up calling and texting in exchange for weekly video blogs telling each other about life changes or serious news stuff. Needless to say, as "the teen whisperers" John and Hank together have amassed a following of mostly young people who call them self "nerdfighters". I'm proud to subscribe to this group along with many friends.

He signed my poster and took my iPhone to snap me and Nat Wolf (thanks!)

On Saturday 3rd May, there was a screening of the TFIOS movie at the SVA theatre in Chelsea, New York at 6:30. I got there at 4 and there were already people in the line excess of 200. The theatre could only hold 495. The first group went in, and the organisers, taking pity on the rest of us, organised a second screening. We received green tickets and went to Starbucks. In the line I met a girl called Sarah who came with her mum. As fellow nerdfighters we damn well hit it off and she became a great friend in the 6 hours I spend with her. We Karaoke sang to the song track on the train and talked about books, politics and whined about the screaming 14 year old girls who wouldn't shut their mouths or ovaries. 

I won't spoil the movie  for the cretins that didn't read the book, but I will say of was very true to the book, my inner hipster had nearly every song on the soundtrack on her iPod already and was eager to get the ones she didn't and I haven't cried so much since I was an infant. 

The director, Josh Boone and the actors brought the book to life well and lead me to resent the Mortal Instruments adaption of 2013 even more by comparison.