Ideas.

Dear father and mother:

Just in case you don't have any ideas for my birthday, I thought I could help you out with some.

*All 3 season of Modern Family and both seasons of Pretty Little Liars.

*2 Disc Movie set of both Sherlock Holmes movies.

* A print of this picture by Ansel Adams framed in a nice plain black or red frame wouldn't be too shabby.

*Or this one by the great Monet in an antique frame (obviously my 2nd favorite of his since I already have my favorite)....

*And maybe this dress....

*And lastly, because I have to stay within reason....THIS.

This trip to Australia would make my life. Seriously.
Sincerely,
Your soon to be 20 year old in 10 days,
Michelle.

Minnesota.

Ever been to Minnesota?
Neither had I.
And my desire to go there was not very pressing.
Until my mother called.
She told me that the biggest mall in the world is located right outside of Minneapolis and St. Paul,
Asked if I would like to go.
And I said yes.
Cause, YOLO, right?

Let me tell you about this mall.
The Mall of America.
It's located in the city of Bloomington, MN.
The mall itself is 78 FOOTBALL FIELDS LONG.
And 5 floors of shopping across the 78 football fields.
On the top floors, they have business meetings there.
The mall is so big, they have duplicate stores on opposite sides of the mall.
Like they have a Forever 21 on the North and South side.
And.
In the middle of the mall,
There is an amusement park.
Nickelodean Universe.
There are like 15 roller coasters and a little kid area.
It is AMAZING.
Needless to say, the 30 hours I spent in Minnesota were well spent.
I highly recommend it for anyone.

Best ride of the day. Obviously it was Spongebob themed. 

Nick lived in the Lego World. He spent like 2 hours there. 

So many clothes....

Summer = halfway over.
..chelle..

2,000.

From the NYC with ma ladiezzzzz....

 (We so lucked out. The day we went into the city was 75 degrees, sunny, and there was a Prada fashion exhibit going on in the MET. Holla.)

4 dollar glasses courtesy of Canal Street.

To the STeeG is 2,000 miles.

But it's worth the mileage to take a break from the real world (working) and to go visit the fam.
And watch the brother graduate (Congrats Brad!)
And see some friends you haven't seen for two years (Welcome home Elder Polatis!)

Summer just keeps rollin' along....
..chelle..

Snapshots.

One month ago, 
I left the greatest city,
The greatest semester,
The greatest experience,
The greatest 4 months of my life. Ever.
And now,
More than anything,
I wish I could be back there.
With ma peeps.
And seeing all these places that my little iPhone has provided me snapshots of.

27 Palace Court is my second home. And always will be.

COME BACK TO ME, LONDON 2012.

Connecticut.

Hiiiiii.

I've been MIA for a while.
Sorry.
I really can't even blame it on being busy.
Because I'm not.
But I will blame it on the need to catch up on some good TV (Glee, Psych, New Girl) after not watching any of it for 4 months.

Anyways,
I live in New Canaan, Connecticut now.
Population: 20,000
35 minutes outside of NYC.
And my new housemates are my grandparents.
Ask how this switch was after living with 39 college students.
I have two friends back here. Literally. I love them so much.
If they can't do anything, I stay home and watch TV.
But I love my grandparents house. It's so great. I'll post a picture below.
And ask me if I like that there have been more rainy days here than my entire 4 months in London.
SERIOUSLY.

I work at Spruce Investments.
Haven't heard of them?
Neither had I.
Think like private funds management and risk management.
Bingo.
You've got it.
They're based in Stamford, Connecticut
Which is 20 minutes outside NYC. 
Yayyyyy.
I get paid to make people's coffee, order them food, and answer the phone.
Oh.
And open mail. 
Which takes an hour.
I'm being so serious right now.

I love it here though.
I love the East Coast.
And being so close to my favorite city on Earth.

Now, excuse me while I YouTube how to make a pot of coffee for work tomorrow.

4.0.

Cross another thing off my college bucket list.

YES.
..chelle..

DONE.

I wrote this the day I left London.
I don't know why I didn't publish it.
Except for the fact that I was probably waiting for all the pictures to upload with the shizzy internet.
And now,
Here they are.
Enjoy.

I have 12 hours left in London.
We're all sitting in the classroom, ready to pull an all-nighter
Full of movies, chats, and tears.
While I'm waiting for everyone to pack,
I knew I had to reflect on London.
Because, as cheesy as this sounds,
I can honestly say this has been the best 3 and a half months of my life.
There's nothing I would have done differently.
I'm so grateful for all the friends that I have made.
For all the places I've traveled.
And for all the things that I have done.

I can honestly say that I am a new person from this study abroad.
I have grown up so much.
And I've learned so much about myself that I didn't know before.
The friendships I've made on this study abroad are so real.
We lived through our bests and our worsts.
I'm so grateful for all the people on this study abroad.
They truly are 38 of the coolest people on Earth.
I love my London Ladiez...and the 3 London Gents with all my heart.

So.
I could make this sappy.
I could recount everything that had happened to me these past 15 weeks.
Or.
I could make this last post from London light and happy.
I could just give you some hints and tips.
For all you world travelers out there...
This one's for you.

TOP FIVE PLACES TO GO IN LONDON:
#1. Camden Market- I'm serious. It may seem creepy and sketchy at times, because it kind of is. BUT. I can seriously say it's had some of the best food I've ever eaten in my life (DONUTS. ORANGE JUICE.) It also has some of the coolest trinkets I've ever seen. I got some pretty sweet bracelets there and some cool little souvenirs. They have tons of vintage clothing and cool shirts and pants. It's definitely a must do. You can spend a whole afternoon there. You won't regret it. I promise.

DONUTS.

#2. Embankment walk to Westminster- Get used to walking in London. It seriously has the prettiest views and the most unique feel to the city. I hated walking until I went to London. Now, I just love it. It is great to just clear your head and think. Anyways, if you get off at the Southwark tube stop, you can walk over the Millenial Bridge (for all you HP fans out there, it's the bridge in the 6th one that the dementors snap) and walk along the Thames until you hit Parliament Square (home of houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey, and Big Ben). When I want to go by myself in London, this is where I go. Seriously. And on a glorious day, the views of the London Eye and the National Theatre can't be beat.

#3. St. Paul's Cathedral- As touristy as this may be, I LOVE St. Paul's! It seriously is so beautiful. And so great. When you walk around the center of London, you can see it from so many angles. And at night it's beautiful. Unfortunately, you can't take pictures of the inside, except for down in the spiral staircase (they filmed scenes from Sherlock Holmes and HP 7 here). But. It's gorgeous. And the grounds are so pretty. It's definitely worth going to see. Take the tour. You can learn so much from those tour guides. And they're super awesome people too. And don't be afraid to climb up to the Whispering Wall and the top of the dome, either. It's so worth it.

#4. Sommerset House- seriously! This is one of London's hidden gems. I love this place! It used to be a member of the London aristocracy's house, but it's since been transformed into a museum. And it's so cool! All of the old furniture and household items are still in place. And they've made an art gallery out of half of it too! It's cheap (free on Mondays before 2:00 pm) and the artwork is amazing. It was one of my favorite afternoons in London. I was glad we went. So cool! Do it!

#5. Parliament Square- Too many memories were made here to count. I love this place about London because of the stories I can tell about what happened here. Seriously. Tour everything in the square: Houses of Parliament, Big Ben, Westminster Abbey. You won't regret it. Walk it both day and night...the views are beautiful at both times of day. And don't be afraid to have fun. People will think you're crazy, but you'll remember the moments for the rest of your life. Trust me.

And now.
I'm done.
Cheers to you London.
Thank you for changing my life.

Next up, this girl is New York bound.
..chelle..