What’s in my Backpack: College Junior

I haven’t done a “What’s in my Bag?” blog post since almost five years ago, right when I first started my blog.

But I have decided to do this blog post to show you all the necessary items I keep in my backpack at all times, so whenever there is a fashion, school or girl emergency you can be prepared.

My backpack is from The North Face.

It has two large pockets, the biggest with a laptop sleeve, a smaller front pocket and two mesh pockets on the side.

In the largest pocket I keep my laptop, my planner and whatever books I use throughout the day.

I also carry around my Vera Bradley cosmetics case that I turned into a pencil case.

On the outside mesh pockets, I always keep an umbrella, you never know when the sky is going to start spitting (Winston Salem Spit).

I also keep my Camelback Chute water bottle. I am like a camel and drink about five liters of water a day. My hair, skin and metabolism all benefit. I also feel so awake and alive, no coffee necessary.

In the middle pocket, I keep my Tory Burch pink Robinson wallet.

I have two cosmetics pouches.

One with lady products in them, and the other with various headphones and a portable charger.

The smallest pocket keeps my phone when I’m in class, and my Louis Vuitton ID holder with Smathers & Branson Wake Forest key chain.

Also, in that pocket is my sunglasses, they change based on the day, hand sanitizer, band aids, Burts Bees chap-stick and a hair-clip.

Everything you could ever need all in one place!

White Shoes in Winter

I have always been the last one to hop on the band wagon for shoe trends. 

I think it is because I rather spend money on cute new blouses and dresses and wear my classic Tory Burch flats because I've have had them for years and they go with everything.

I appeared to be the last one in the world to buy cute walking sneakers last spring and now I am last again to follow the trend for slip-on shoes, in specific white ones.

For sorority recruitment this year (click HERE to read about it) I had to wear white closed toed shoes for day one.

I don’t own any white closed toed shoes, so over winter break, I was on the hunt for a pair of white shoes that I could wear again after Rush.

I found this adorable pair of Keds X Kate Spade New York white flat-form slip-ons online and I fell in love. (They're ON SALE!)

These shoes are not plain and ordinary, because I am neither of those two things, and have some girly details with the flowers.

These shoes are not the most comfortable around the heel, and gave me some blisters, but they are dang cute.

Go get your hands on some and wear them all throughout North Carolina winter with me and into the spring and summer time!

Pimkie light gray turtleneck | American Eagle x4 high-waisted jeggings | J Crew Factory orange and blue tassel necklace | J Crew Factory blue and tortoise shell sunglasses (similar) | Keds X Kate Spade white slip-on flat-forms

A Season of Love and Hate

Every day has its ups and downs.

Highs and lows.

Loves and hates.

I am in LOVE with my classes this semester.

I am taking 14.5 hours, two and a half of those hours being social dance, aka the new love of my life, and chorus. The other three classes are dedicated to Shakespeare, the English Renaissance and journalism.

My favorite class by far has to be social dance!
Three times a week I learn how to dance.

Right now, we are focusing on the waltz, probably one of the most romantic dances out there.

Something about partner dances makes me swoon.

A guy that can dance well gets brownie points from me.

I love dancing, I always have. I did ballet for seven years, and then continued to dance on stage in theatrical productions all of middle and high school.

I have come to learn that dancing, like any other sport or activity is all about confidence.

Confidence in your partner, confidence in yourself that you remember the steps and confidence in your body to dance!

When I was in ballet class, I was not confident.

I hated my body and hated the way I looked in a leotard. 

I hated that I was being judged by my looks and my ability to do a certain dance move.

Being back in a dance class has brought back those memories of being self-conscious, because I am forced in a room surrounded by mirrors.

I notice that I get to see and judge my body from all angles in class. 

I hate that I do that, but I can’t help to see my imperfections.

This semester it is alarming how many friends are struggling with feeling less confident in their bodies and are turning to binge eating or excessive exercise.

It has never been so evident to me before the number of friends and classmates that are troubled with eating disorders.

The news is very upsetting to me.

But I understand how hard it is to be a college girl and feel that everyone is always looking at you and judging you, and that the world feels like a mirror, everyone always looking at your imperfections, like the mirrors in dance class.

I have a healthy relationship with food but there have been times I have not treated my body properly and treated myself poorly by telling myself I was fat or that I didn’t like this part of my legs or that part of my butt.

Every day is not the same, some days I am more confident than others, but every day I try to remind myself that I am beautiful and that I am thankful that my body can dance in dance class without any physical impairments.

It is not easy to love ourselves. I find that I am very hard on myself, both physically at the gym but also mentally and emotionally.

Since the season of Valentine’s Day is coming up, I want to make a vow to love each and every part of myself, each and everyday.

Let’s make it our mission to love others the same.

Ignore the “imperfections” and just be happy and thankful for your health and your life.

J Crew white Oxford button down | J Crew navy blue puffer vest | American Eagle high waisted x4 jeggings | J Crew Paris neck scarf | Tiffany pearl studs | Michael Kors gold Ritz watch | Hunter pink tall glossy boots

Culture Shock After Studying Abroad

I am back at Wake Forest after the most amazing semester in Europe.

(Click HERE to read my summary of my study abroad adventure).

However, coming back to Wake was not as easy as I thought it was going to be.

One of the points I make in my abroad summary blog post is that I was pleasantly surprised that I adjusted very well to France and Europe quickly after arriving.

I didn’t have much of a culture shock.

I found France very comfortable and similar to home.

However, when I did return home I was overwhelmed by culture shock.

I didn’t feel like myself.

I felt very disconnected from my family and friends.

I brushed it off and figured it was just jet lag that was causing these feelings, but it continued all the way until I moved back to school, three weeks later.

I later talked to my friends who were abroad with me and we all said the same thing, that we were all affected by reverse culture shock. 

Normally, students face culture shock when studying abroad, because the culture in a foreign country is completely different than their homes. For me, and some of my friends, as I later found out, it was the reverse; only after I returned home, was I in shock.

Moving back on to campus, was so overwhelming. I felt so out of it.

I felt weird for a day or two, but now that I am starting to get into a routine and remember what it is like to be a student at Wake Forest, I am moving out of my shock.

From what I gather, my reverse culture shock is from all the changes that happened over the course of a very short time.

I lived in a new country and spoke a different language for four months, became well adjusted, and left my home, friends, family, language and culture behind. 

And then once I returned to the states, I had to readjust to my family, friends, house, culture and language.

It sounds crazy because I have lived on Long Island in the same house my whole life, but seriously, being abroad changed me.

It was so weird coming home.

I was so happy to, don’t get me wrong, but it felt strange and different.

I had spent four months alone in another country and felt disconnected from my home and my family.

I have always been very close to my family, but during my time abroad, I became a bit disconnected from them because of the time difference.

Sad as I am that that happened, I feel I became more independent.

  

With that being said, I am still adjusting to being back in the states.

It is amazing that I can now call my mom again every day on her drive home from work, like I have for the past six years and call my dad whenever because we are in the same time zone.

I am adjusting to living in North Carolina again after nine months apart.

I am also trying to balance spending time with my friends from before abroad and my new ones.

The adjustment has been weird, and I am glad that I have friends that feel the same way that I do, and that I am not alone.

If you have any recommendations on how to readjust back after being abroad or any similar experiences, please let me know!

J Crew cream knit sweater | American Eagle x4 Jeggings | Vince Camuto brown riding boots | J Crew gold tassel earrings | Michael Kors gold Blair watch 

First Day of Class and my Junior Year Dorm Room

Happy 2019!

I am back in North Carolina after a semester abroad to finish out my junior year.

I moved in on the 6^thand have been on campus for a week participating in sorority recruitment.

Sunday was Bid Day (you can read more about Rush and Bid Day HERE), and yesterday was the first day of class!

I was so excited to move back on to campus and see all of my sorority sisters and friends after months and months apart.

But if I’m being honest, I was extremely overwhelmed my first day back during sorority rush.

I was still trying to set up my new room and also see all my friends and catch up on our lives!

It was a lot.

It took me a day to get situated from my culture shock and back to normal.
A week later, and I feel like I never left!

My room this year is another single on the quad.
I snagged the last single available and I am SO happy!

It is not as big as my single from last year, and nothing can compare to that beautiful room, (click HERE to see it) but this one is perfect for me!

I kept my décor and my room layout the same as last year, as best as I could, except that the only two outlets I have are both on the same wall, talk about annoying!

I love my new little room and I am so excited to be back!

I have a very exciting semester ahead and I cannot wait to share it all with you!

Rush KAPPA DELTA: Formal Sorority Recruitment and Bid Day

A fun yet exhausting week, but 56 new members later, I am a happy lady!

Sorority recruitment this year started off a bit rough for me.

I had to move in into my new dorm and return to Wake Forest campus after 9 months apart.

I was so excited to be back on campus, until I actually got to campus and was hit with serious culture shock, you can read more about that in my blog post tomorrow.

I was immediately overwhelmed when I moved back in a week early for formal recruitment.

I had to set up my new room and reunite and catch up with all my friends.

It was a lot, but a day later, I was back to my normal self, and felt like I had never left my amazing friends and my beautiful campus.

First day of recruitment was SPIRIT DAY!

Our chapter sang, hung out and bonded with our sisters.

Day 2: first day of meeting potential new members

The longest day but probably the most fun, because I got to meet so many girls and I got to hang out with my friends all day long!

Day 3: Philanthropy Day

We got to watch the KD national video, talk about Girl Scouts and my love for the organization, as well as my appearance on the Thanks a Lot cookie box!

During one of the parties, a potential new member even came up to me and told me she follows my blog! Hi again!

I felt like a celebrity!

Day 4: Sisterhood day

We got to watch the super fun sisterhood video that our chapter made! (Click HERE to watch it) I loved the music and how silly our chapter is! I even made the cut with Erin in Times Square!

Day 5: Pref Night

I talked to the sweetest girls that are in love with KD as much as I am.

We got to hear some beautiful testimonials from our friends and sisters and shed lots of tears that night.

Day 6: Bid DAY

We stood outside our lounge and danced for an hour in the freezing cold, as we awaited our new members!
Our theme was BIRTHDAY PARTY! I got all dressed up in a ridiculous outfit, totally not T&P approved and danced like a crazy person outside on the Quad!

My mom says that I am the only college student she has ever known to have a costume box... but yes, I do have a costume box, and I LOVE it!

As fun as Bid Day is, it is also a hard day for some freshmen, because not all the girls that we loved got a bid from us.

But the girls that we did give bids to, were so excited and we were so excited to have them as part of our Kappa Delta family!

To celebrate, we went to a trampoline park before heading to bed after a very long and exciting week and before our first day of class!

Bid Day was the best way to start the semester.

I am so excited for the new pledge class and I CANNOT wait to get a grand-little!