What I Learned Traveling Abroad

What I Learned Traveling Abroad

Monday, January 21, 2019

Sweater: Thrifted | Trousers: Target (WhoWhatWhere) | Shoes: Target 

 Jacket: Thrifted | Beret: Amazon | Purse: Gamiss

So I did a thing....I booked a trip to Scotland, I hopped on a plane, changed to another plane, flew over the Atlantic Ocean, then hopped on another plane, then arrived in a new country (actually 2)! 18 hours of travel later and 12 hours in a plane I was half way across the world(ish) in Scotland (then in Paris) ! 

I didn't realize it until I was at a family gathering and was filling in everyone on the details of my trip that I suddenly heard "Man, you are brave, I don't think I could have done it", and suddenly realized OH MY GOSH WAS I CRAZY?!?!? 

I think I just wanted to go on a grand adventure and visit Scotland and Paris sooooo badly that I didn't even think about HOW CRAZY it really was! I just booked the tickets, hopped on a plane and suddenly I was in another country. When I take a step back to look at the big picture I realize how crazy my trip was.....and how crazy it sounded  to most people when I told them that by the end of my trip I had taken 7 planes, 4 buses, 5 (or more) subways, 4 trains, and at least 6 Ubers. 

5 Years ago I would have probably passed up the chance at a trip like this all because it involved taking an airplane (an airplane over the ocean no less) and meant being very far away from the comforts of home. However, my perspective on travel and new places has changed through the last couple of years (especially after visiting New York) and I realized that if you don't do the things that scare you then you will always wonder "what if" and you will never learn the valuable lessons that come with those crazy plans (or risks) and you most definitely will loose out on learning who you are and what you are capable of. 

Maybe it was because I wanted to see other parts of the world and experience different cultures, or maybe it was because I wanted to prove to myself that I could travel internationally alone, but whatever my reason traveling abroad taught me that there is so much more that I am capable of if I am determined enough to want it! 

Sure, I still plan every detail down to the minute and make hour accurate itineraries, but I still did something crazy and it taught me that the crazy things are not as hard if it is something you love and are passionate about! 

So take that risk! Book that trip! Hop on that plane! It might seem crazy, but it will be worth it! 

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When I found out that I would be visiting Paris on my trip in addition to Scotland I started brainstorming outfits. I knew that I wanted to look very "Parisian chic" and definitely used that image to create my two looks for the City of Lights! My staples were definitely plaid pants, simple sweaters, berets, boots, and a classy wool jacket. For our main day in Paris I opted for these classy high waisted plaid trousers from the Target WhoWhatWhere line, paired with a tan turtleneck sweater, black ankle boots, a caramel beret hat and cozy and classy wool jacket. Dressing like a Parisian definitely made visiting Paris even more fun. 

Of course on our first full day there I had to visit one of the most popular pictures spots in the city. It was so surreal visiting Place Du Trocadero where all of my favorite bloggers take pictures when they visit the city. It is definitely the perfect place to capture the spirit and magic of the Eiffel tower and Paris. 

I definitely went with a more native Parisian vision for my trip, but next time I visit I definitely want to go more classy glam with dresses and skirts. Paris is probably one of the funnest places I have dressed for in awhile :)

Scotland & Paris Travel Style Inspiration

Scotland & Paris Travel Style Inspiration

Wednesday, December 19, 2018

If you don't follow me on social media you might not know that this December (in exactly 7 days) I will be headed to the UK! I have a friend who is studying abroad in Glasgow Scotland and thought this was the perfect excuse to fulfill my dream of traveling to Scotland as well as taking a quick trip to Paris while there also. 

This will be my first time out of the country and only my second trip by plane (see my New York Flight post HERE) you can imagine how equally excited and nervous I am :) 

If you have been around for awhile you might also know that I LOVE to dress for the occasion or location....it might seem "extra" but as a blogger I always think in advance and plan my outfits around where I am going or the location I am visiting, so you can imagine how in depth I have thought about what I will pack for my trip to Scotland and Paris! 

I thought I would share some of my style inspiration for the trip so that you can see my planning process and get inspired yourself....

SCOTLAND

Scotland is near and dear to my heart, not simply because it is a beautiful country filled with such mystical wonder, history, and breathtaking sights, but also because it is part of my heritage. I am part Scottish, so that in itself makes me EXTRA excited to visit the country my ancestors were from. 

I have always had a vision of Scottish fashion, while plaids are an understood staple of the country, I have always envisioned dark/neutral tones mixed with a bit of menswear, wool, boots, and scarves. 

My style inspiration for this trip is definitely anything that remotely reminds me of the country, highlands or Scottish university students.....and if we focus on how extra I tend to be I also went RED in November so I don't just dress like a Scot, I now look like one too:) 

While I haven't completely narrowed down what pieces from my wardrobe will be coming with me, I do know I will be bringing a couple of wool skirts, a couple of plaid prints, plenty of sweaters in dark neutral or burgundy colors, a beanie hat, beret, boots, and patterned socks.....needless to say the inspo above definitely captures what I am going for style wise! 

PARIS

Ah Paris.....probably one of the most "Chic" countries in the world in regards to style. Anyone who travels to Paris is usually aware of their style and anyone familiar with the city knows that style and fashion are a huge part of it.....not to mention there are definitely signature pieces and accessories that we all know and love. 

Paris fashion can be described as chic, effortless, classic, polished, and at times uniquely simple. It is full of light neutral colors, stripes, sparse plaids or trendy prints, feminine details, classic pants/skirts, ankle boots, trench coats, and beret hats (or really any type of hat). 

My Paris fashion definitely differs from my Scotland style, but still incorporates key pieces. My Paris style focuses more on black, tan, and red with an overall simple and put together look. Berets are definitely a signature style for Paris and rest assured that I am taking plenty of them. We will only be in Paris for 2 days (New Years eve being one of them) so I don't have to pack a ton for this short trip, but considering it is Paris I am definitely planning around the style of the city. 

The above inspiration definitely captures the looks I am going for! 

Stay tuned for more travel posts and details on my trip! 

Have you ever been to Scotland of Paris?

-Madison 

Top Of The Rock

Top Of The Rock

Saturday, February 3, 2018

Sweater: Faded Glory | Skirt: Vintage | Tights: Amazon (fleece lined) | Shoes: Target

Socks: Forever 21 | Belt: Thrifted | Beret: Amazon  | Purse: Vintage Coach 

One of the most well known stops in New York is Rockefeller Center. While we didn’t actually get to spend time exploring Rockafeller center itself, we did go to Top of The Rock and it was one of my favorite things that we did while in New York. Not only is Top of The Rock one of the most frequented tourist stops for pictures, as well as a place that many bloggers frequent, but it gives you the most breathtaking view of the city! There is nothing quite like being 87 stories in the air to viewing the city from above…..so beautiful! Unfortunately, the day we visited Top Of the rock it was a dreary day which slightly clouded our view, but even with the clouds covering the city view it did manage to snow while we were there which we were very excited about!

On this day (Monday) I decided to dress up a bit more (which also meant I made the horrible decision of wearing heels) so I went with a very classy ensemble. The whole look ended up looking like I should be in Paris, but even with its French flair it was still the perfect look for a day in the city. I had seen so many bloggers wearing box pleat skirts and totally forgot I had this vintage suede inspired skirt in my closet. (not featured is the vintage crimson London Fog jacket). I pulled the whole look together with my "matchy matchy" black turtle neck sweater, beret, and belt. 

I will say though, I quite regret wearing heels…..never again! I might have looked cute, but my feet were killing me. Our day started out with plans to take a boat taxi ride to see the city from the water, but through trying to get to our boat dock we walked six blocks only to turn around and head back to the subway because we missed our boats departure and had to get back to the city for our ticket reservation at The Downton Abbey Museum. We arrived back in the heart of the city early enough to stop off at a French bakery (fitting right) for a quick bite to eat (and much needed coffee for me). After our stop to the bakery we headed to the Downton Abbey Museum which was such a dream! We felt like we were in Downton Abbey itself surrounded by the characters, music, prop, and costumes and it was AMAZING! After the museum we made sure to visit Top of The Rock because we knew we wouldn’t have time for it the next day and took in the splendor of New York from above....definitely a memorable day!

-Madison

Upper East Side

Upper East Side

Monday, January 22, 2018

| Sweater: Thrifted (GAP) | Skirt: Thrifted | Scarf: Target | Beret: Target |

| Boots: Joules | Purse: Thrifted (Coach) | 

Visiting New York was seriously a dream......and getting to experience the life of the city and what it felt like to be a "newyorker" was so fun. New York truly has so much to offer and taking part in that IRL rather than through movies and TV shows was so amazing. One of my favorite parts every day was walking along the sidewalk in all the different neighborhoods, especially ours.
Our Air bnb was in the Upper East side and each street had something special about it. The avenues had markets and bagel places, coffee shops and restaurants, while the streets themselves were lined with tall historic apartment buildings, all different in their own way.
I have always admired the architecture of New York, especially the neighborhoods themselves, and getting to walk four blocks each day to the subway was the perfect time to admire the doors, iron fences, windows, and stone work. Just think "gossip girl" and that is what our daily walk looked like, not to mention we were a 15 minute walk from the steps of the MET:)
On our Sunday (our second day) we went to brunch with one of my Instagram/blogger friends who recently moved to NY, which was so much fun! Since Sunday was still a frigid 15-20 degrees I layered it up with this look (not pictured, my parka and gloves). I picked a navy wool sweater for the day and paired it with this gray wool skirt I thrifted and altered from Goodwill. Since the look itself was simple I paired my plaid blanket scarf with it to match my red boots. I finished the look off with my cream slouch beret hat (because if you don't wear a hat in NY you will be very cold). As I mentioned my style inspiration for this trip in my last post, this look definitely went more along the lines of preppy with a nod to classic and it was perfect for a low key Sunday excursion.

- Madison 

A Day At The Met

A Day At The Met

Monday, January 15, 2018

Sweater: Faded Glory

Skirt: Thrifted

Tights: Amazon (fleece lined leggings)

Boots: Joules (Amazon)

Boot Liners: Amazon

Beret: Amazon 

Purse: Vintage Coach 

The first major post of my New York trip....hooray!!! New York was seriously AMAZING! Not sure if I will even be able to capture the vibrance and bustle of the great city in all of these coming posts or in my vlog, but it is definitely all I thought it would be and more.
One of our first stops on our trip was The Metropolitan Museum of Art. I have always loved going to art museums, seeing history captured in art, admiring the talent of artists from the past, and seeing the many forms of art that exist. The MET was definitely the most impressive art museum I have yet to visit and is broken into so many different sections and time periods of exhibits you can't help feeling as though you are walking through history. I loved that each time period exhibit was in a room (or rooms) that actually resembled the architecture of the time. On one side you were walking through an elaborate and elegant American house filled with furnishings from the late 1700's. In another section of the museum you visit the Renaissance time period and feel as though you are in a dark paneled wood abbey, it was so cool.....I would highly recommend visiting if you are ever in New York.
As for my ensemble for the day, the weather in New York the first day was quite cold (15 degrees and colder to be exact) so I was definitely focused on dressing for the weather. Looking at my outfit you might be wondering how that was even dressing for the winter, but what you can't see are the two long sleeve shirts + tank top under my sweater, the 3 pairs of fleece leggings, and the two pairs of socks + boot liners. With all of those layers and my parka coat I was perfectly cozy in the nippy city air. I would definitely have to say my style inspiration for New York was classy prepster meets Parisian chic (and as all the NY outfit posts come to the blog you will start to see that trend).
This look in particular I really LOVE now after wearing it in NY. I have recently become obsessed with beret hats again, so this black number is a classic staple. I also love how classic turtle neck sweaters are, so pairing this plain black one with this wool wrap skirt was the epitome of classic prep with a hint of french. As for my footwear, I practically lived in my red Joules rain wellies because New York was covered in a blanket of snow, plus they are comfortable and warm:)

Have you ever been to New York?
Have you visited the Met?
Do you like art museums?

-Madison