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Aggregated Advice: August

~ Hannah Kate ~ Leave a comment

If you Google “quotes about life” about 191 million results will come up. And while it’s hard to boil down This Thing We Call Life into a nice bitesize quote, these are a few of my favorites that I have encountered over the past month. Everyone has a different approach to life: “Don’t look back”, “Have a five year plan”, “YOLO” etc. I think the most important thing to remember is there is no right way to live your life because at the end of the day it’s yours.

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Source: http://claireelizabethbavis.tumblr.com
I suddenly realize it’s no coincidence the two middle letters of life are if.

– Michael Faudet

A year from now what will you wish you had done today?

– Liam Linisong

Source: quotablecards magnet

The big secret in life is that there is no big secret. Whatever your goal, you can get there if you’re willing to work.

– Oprah Winfrey

Source: Daily inspiration desk calendar

img_4626For weekday motivation I have been loving Shine, which texts (or Facebook messages)  you inspirational messages in the morning. It’s the perfect way to start the day and it’s not just a static piece of advice, oh no, it includes links to more relevant information and “why” and “how” you can accomplish their suggestions.

 

 

Aggregated Advice: July

~ Hannah Kate ~ 1 Comment

I can’t believe July is over, the year is more than halfway through.. I have a lot exciting changes coming up as I’m heading to college in August (!), so I have been thinking a lot about preparing for transitions and ch-ch-ch-changes. Also, taking some time to reflect back on what I have done so far this year.  Continue reading →

Urban Survival Kit (aka What’s in My Bag?)

~ Hannah Kate ~ Leave a comment

I always like to be prepared for any situation that arises, but this can be problematic as it’s hard to fit everything “for any situation” into a bag that doesn’t weigh 20 pounds. Living in a city for the past few months has caused me to whittle down to the absolute essentials, but still be ready for the unexpected. Below I’m going to share what I carry in my bag every day for my everyday life (i.e. school, days out, day trips, etc.).

Continue reading →

Aggregated Advice: February

~ Hannah Kate ~ 1 Comment

A bit delayed I know, but better late than never, right? February had this fantastic energy and it really felt like society was making strides towards improving issues with equality. Hopefully, this positive tone continues for the rest of the year! Plus, some advice about love because Valentine’s Day happened. To me, February shouldn’t just be a month about celebrating your love for others, but your love for yourself, so there’s some words to encourage you to be who you are.

“We have permission to be anything.” – Gwyneth Paltrow 

Seen in her interview with Glamour. 

“If you hang out with chickens, you’re going to cluck and if you hang out with eagles, you’re going to fly.” – Steve Maraboli
“People say I love you all the time – when they say, ‘take an umbrella, it’s raining,’ or ‘hurry back,’ or even ‘watch out, you’ll break your neck.’ There are hundreds of ways of wording it – you just have to listen for it, my dear.” – John Patrick

Seen on Soul Pancake’s tumblr.

Don’t you dare
Shrink yourself
For someone else’s comfort
Do not become small
For people who refuse to grow.

Seen on my tumblr dashboard, it reminded me of something Amandla Stenberg said in her interview with Solange for her Teen Vogue cover. 

“The truth is this: No one stays the same forever. Girls grow up, and sometimes we do it with a bang.”

Seen on Crushing the Teen Dream on rookiemag.com.

3 Unconventional Views of the Eiffel Tower

~ Hannah Kate ~ Leave a comment

Oh La Tour Eiffel, an instant reminder that you are in Paris. It’s probably one of the most photographed monuments in the world, and anyone who has been to Paris has a picture of it on their Instagram to prove it. And while there is nothing like a picture of the Tower from a distance either from the Champ de Mars or Trocadero side, some of my favorite views of the Tower create views and pictures from a different angle.

Continue reading →

Aggregated Advice: January

~ Hannah Kate ~ Leave a comment

I read and hear a lot of things and think, I should probably write those things down. This will help me in the future. Then I thought, I should collect all of this information and put it on my blog to help other people. So here is the first “Aggregated Advice” post, which will be posted at the end of the month. Be sure to check out the links, as they might be the source of the content or something else that ties in nicely with the piece of advice.

“You are the average of the 5 people you spend the most time with.” – Jim Rohn 

Taken from this Lifehack article on finding your passion.

“The standards by which you live must be your own standards, your own values, your own convictions in regard is right and wrong, what is true and false, what is important and what is trivial. When you adopt the standards and values of someone else or a community or a pressure group, you surrender your own integrity. You become, to the extent of your surrender, less of a human being.” – Eleanor Roosevelt 

Taken from the February 2015 Rookie Editor Letter.

“To make living itself an art, that is the goal.” – Henry Miller 
“If you don’t imagine, nothing will ever happen at all.” -John Green 

Seen on Upworthy’s Facebook.

“Goals are dreams with deadlines.”

My mom sent me and my sister an e-mail to encourage us to go after our dreams and make them come true by turning them into goals. (Thanks, Mom!) I encourage you to do the same and make 2016 your most successful year.

Extra! Extra! Read All About It!

~ Hannah Kate ~ Leave a comment

Along with this blog, I am also chronicling my adventures in Paris on the official blog of my study abroad program.

For my first post I discussed some ways to save money as a student in Paris and also a few of the places I visited, here’s the opening paragraph:

One of the great things you always hear about Europe is that if you are a student you can receive discounts almost anywhere. In my experience so far, I can confirm that this is fairly accurate as many places offer significant deductions in price. I would recommend checking with your host university to see if they have agreements with any local businesses about discounts.

Intrigued? You can read the entire post by clicking here.

Pre-Paris Preparation: Packing

~ Hannah Kate ~ Leave a comment

It seems like eons ago that I first applied to my study abroad program, but really it was only in March that this process all started. Now with less than 48 hours to go before I’m heading off for Paris I thought I would share some of the things I learned along the way about preparing for a study abroad experience.

Packing

Oh, the perils of packing– am I going to need this green cashmere pullover? Do all my pants look the same? Where are those amazing pair of tights I bought?

I was slightly overwhelmed when I first began this process, but here are some things I did to minimize my stress level.

First thing first is research: take into account weather, seasons, events, dress codes, etc. I am starting during the Fall semester, which means layers, boots, and coats (items that take up more space in a suitcase). I started by just pulling out everything that could be layered and I would actually wear (if you’re hesitating about something don’t bring it because that’s less space for potential souvenirs). I grouped items into their various categories (tops, pants, jackets, etc.) and double checked that “Yes, I would actually wear that.” I found some great packing tips through my program’s blog. I made my own spreadsheet of all the clothing items I packed to make sure I wasn’t forgetting anything essential and will make the re-packing process easier (hopefully).

There’s a million hacks and tips n’ tricks online about packing, one of my favorites is Ingrid Nilsen’s video about how to not overpack. I bought a few sets of packing cubes and they are amazing! They allow you to keep things separate and organized. I spent a few days in London before heading to Paris, so I dedicated one of my larger cubes to everything for that mini-trip.

The great thing about going on a longer trip is that you have a limited wardrobe and have to get creative with your outfits. An app that I’m using to help me organize my outfits is ClosetSpace. It allows you to create a virtual closet of your clothes and make outfits. It even takes into account weather, temperature, and occasion.

A factor to consider when you’re choosing items is a color palette. I naturally gravitate towards a more neutral, muted color palette: greys, blacks, denim, whites, navy, which makes it really easy to pair items together.

A factor to consider when you’re choosing items is a color palette. I naturally gravitate towards a more neutral, muted color palette: greys, blacks, denim, whites, navy, which makes it really easy to pair items together. However, I don’t want to be boring!

Some ways to add interest to your wardrobe:

Cut and shape: Even though most of my clothes are neutral, I like to keep things interesting with shape. A structured, boxy jacket or grey/black paneled top adds drama without being over the top.

Pattern: Whether it be stripes or polka dots, patterns break up a muted color palette. I have a few casual long sleeve tops in brighter color combinations (orange/navy, red/white) to keep things fun.

Texture: Mixing textures is another great way to add interest to your outfit: consider a sheer, white blouse paired with a dark jean and a leather jacket.

Statement piece: A great statement piece should be the central focal point  without detracting from the rest of your outfit. One of the statement pieces I brought along with me was pale pink raincoat with black details.

I hope you are able to apply these packing tips for your next adventure. Stay tuned to the Adventure section of the blog for more updates from my study abroad adventure in Paris! Bon voyage!