21 Before 21: Getting on a Plane Alone

Hi! Remember me? I genuinely don't know how I got so out of hand in posting but I certainly am still alive. Alright, let us jump right into this. 

I once posted my a series of things I hoped to accomplish before turning twenty-one , essentially a series of things I intend to do whilst in Europe. One of the first things I both thought of and achieved was getting on a plane alone. So, about a month ago sans mummy and daddy, I took my first flight alone for my first ever trip to continental Europe. I travelled to meet my dear friends  Luana and Angela in Milan. 

The actual act of travelling wasn't difficult, Ryanair has a simple online check in system so grabbing your boarding pass takes only a few seconds. Plus I travelled with only hand luggage which takes away the stress of gathering your things at baggage claims. Also, most of the airports I encountered had a designated queue for "Non-EU Citizen," and they tend to have significantly shorter queues. It's like getting an international queue jump.   

None of us travellers were too keen on staying at a hostel so we opted for renting an apartment for the weekend which I'd strongly recommend. It wasn't significantly more expensive than a hostel and had a great location and view. 

 

By far the best thing about Milan was the food. I can not describe how amazing everything I had to eat that weekend was. If I could move to Italy and eat pizza's and pasta's and drink glorious glasses of Pinot Grigio everyday for the rest of my life I surely would. I also would surely weight 300 pounds. 

 Unfortunately, aside from shopping and eating Milan really doesn't have much to offer. Alright, not entirely true I will say the nightlife in Milan was amazing and there are bits of exciting architecture, with the major attraction being the Duomo

In fairness, this is one of the most beautiful Cathedrals I have ever seen and I've seen many Cathedrals. 

Unfortunately I wasn't able to get into the Cathedral as my skirt was deemed "too short," So if you are going to go to Milan and intend on seeing the Duomo, I'd recommend pants or an overcoat. 

 If the best part of Milan is the food, then the worst part has to be the people. Yes, I recognize that this is a huge statement and is likely an inaccurate representation (no all Milanese) I did encounter some creepy men and had my phone stolen, so that kind of sucked. Still, I have to admit I really did enjoy my trip but that may have more to do with the company than with the location. 

Ultimately, my final verdict would be: 

If travelling for any reason other than Fashion week, let Milan be a short stop where you do some shopping and take a picture with the cathedral (hopefully you'll even get to see the inside) then venture onto better parts of Italy. Also, keep your phone hidden at all times.

xoxo

Saying Yes to the Dress

Love finds you when you least expect it. 

A cliché as old as the English itself, or so I would assume I literally haven't a clue how old that cliche is. Regardless, it is something a friend said to me a few days ago when we were discussing my looming exchange. I indicated that I intend to fall in love with a nice British or Scottish boy while abroad and that lovely cliché was her response. She told me I couldn't go looking for love and actually expect to find it.I let her know that I am always looking for love. In her lovely and honest (but also quite brute and heartbreaking)manner she told me that is why I haven't found love. Or even really like, or even just like. Oh well, c'est la vie.

Now, although I do not subscribe to this love finds you when you least expect it school of thought, I have had unintentional encounters with it. Second hand of course. You see my darling older cousin started dating a boy a while back. And fast forward six months and... Well

Here we are wedding dress shopping. 

Let me just say, was it ever an interesting experience. I didn't think a nineteen year old is meant to be prepared to be a bridesmaid, but I don't think my cousin thought at twenty-one she'd be getting married. It's absolute madness. 

Nevertheless I love shopping. And shopping for a wedding dress is absolutely amazing. We were at a cute boutique in Toronto, and although I don't think I was supposed to I had to snap some pictures. 

They had a lot of "example," decor, so I imagine this is an example of a bouquet? Maybe a centre piece? I don't know I just know it's pretty 

This is definetly a centre piece. I think. Again, it's pretty so does it matter what it is? 

I'm almost certain this is a bouquet. 

The entire boutique  was adorable

Even the fitting rooms look like something out of a fairytale! 

Again, I do apologize because I wasn't entirely sure if I was allowed to take pictures because there were couture dresses laying around and taking unauthorized pictures of those would be an issue, so forgive the shitty angles on some of these. 

Also, if you were wondering she said yes to the dress. It was a joyous occasion, while sipping our expresso she announced and they offered champagne. It's official. Sadly, dear reader, you won't get to see that for a another few months. Also, if you were wondering she hasn't selected a bridesmaid dress yet, she's planning on going coral which doesn't bother me, I mean coral seems to have become generic but I do look relatively good in that colour. Besides, it's not my day so I really have little say. 

xox

ps. Preparing for this wedding just reminds me of my sad and lonely life.