Interview with a girl from Romania

 Andreea! 

It's interesting how others live. What type of music they listen to, types of food that are popular in their city, normal things they do throughout their day that might seem out of the norm to us or might be very similar to our own lives. I'm taking you on a journey over to Romania today to hear from a smart, talented, beautiful, tall, young lady and someone I get to call my cousin. (through marriage) 

She graciously let me ask her questions about herself, her country, and what a typical day of an 18 year old girl in Romania is like for her.  

1. Where do you live now and where did you grow up? Currently, I live in Constanța. It's a city by the sea, which becomes quite a busy tourist resort in the summer. I moved here when I was 16 because I started studying at Ovidius High School with a Mathematics & Informatics profile. I grew up in Jurilovca, a small village which is a great place to live with beautiful landscapes. And of course, most of my family and relatives live there too. 

2. Tell me what a typical day of high school in Romania is like? We start classes at 8am and we finish around 3 or 4pm. We study a lot of Math, Computer Programming, Biology, Economics, English and other hard subjects. The teachers are serious, but in our short breaks we have fun and laugh together. 

3. What are your hobbies, things you like to do outside of school? Even if I don't have much time to do everything I want, I find a few free days in which I can work on PhotoShop or learn a new language. I like to hang out with my friends, listen to music, go for a walk or jog and maybe read a book. I love reading. I like to write as well. (articles, reports, short stories)

4. What's your favorite food?  I can't say I have a favorite food because I love everything! Mostly what is cooked at home. I even like fast food. But my favorite is probably meat skewers with some vegetables and salads. 

5. Do you have places you want to travel to? Mostly Asia, especially South Korea. I think Korean culture is fascinating. The people seem to be very open minded and friendly. I think South Korea is one of the most spirited and colorful countries in the world. 

6. What do you want to be when you grow up? I want to become a civil engineer.

7. Something you want people to know about you? I can speak and understand Russian fairly well.

8. What are some misconceptions about Romania that you'd like to share? Oh my! There are so many misconceptions about my country. The first one is that Romania is full of vampires. This is funny to me. One of the most well-known Romanian figures in popular culture is Dracula, the subject of Bram Stoker’s 1897 novel bearing the same title. Bram Stoker, who some assume was a Romanian author due to the setting of the book, was actually Irish! And much to the dismay of teenage girls everywhere, Dracula, like all vampires, was only a work of fiction and never actually existed. The second myth is that Romanians speak Russian. This is totally false! The Romanian language is the closest living language to Latin, which is the basis for today’s romance languages (French, Spanish, Portuguese, and Italian). Actually, there is a small population of Russians here (about 0.5 %), but this has nothing to do with the official language.

9. What is your favorite type of music? Pop, k-pop, rap, hip-hop and electronic music.

10. How do you feel about social media? Each person views social media differently. While some people love it, others believe it may be a breach of privacy. Personally, I use it to my advantage, but I also don't post everything on it. I feel social media is an overhyped form of diversion and entertainment and should be taken in smaller doses.

11. If you could have dinner with 2 people in the world who would they be and why? I've never thought of that. The first person I would like to have dinner with is Cassandra Clare, my favorite author, because I could ask her to give me all her books! The second person would be Kit Harington. He's my favorite actor.

12. Role model?  I don't have a role model because I take inspiration from every person who has something good to teach me, for example my parents. 

XOXO​

Thank you Andreea for opening your heart and your world to us! You go girl! 

Fun fact about Andreea, she loves 4D movies. 

Best Places To Live

 Should I stay or should I go? 

Sick of the city? Ready to live in the burbs? 
Is it time for a M-O-V-E!?

 If you're itching for a new city or town to shake things up a bit, do read on. 
U.S. News has a pretty good list of the top places to live. 

#1 being in my home state- yee haw! 

2017 U.S. News Best Places to Live Rankings 

10. Salt Lake City, UT 

191,000 people live nestled within a valley surrounded by the Great Salt Lake and mountains. This place seems to have it all, by golly. 

If you want to check it out for 36 hours, follow this itinerary. 

Fun Fact: The Sandlot movie was filmed here. 

9. Des Moines, IA
Formerly named Fort Racoon, living here you can pay the median home price of $140K.
Property Listings. 

8. Boston, MA

One of the most historically abundant cities where happy hours are against the law and the fig newton was named after the suburb Newton, MA. 
If you're thinking of moving here, make sure you know how to talk the talk. 

7. Raleigh & Durham, NC

Where to stay, play and eat. It's all here. 

6. Seattle, WA

Where you can get a cup of joe from the ORIGINAL Starbucks in the most literate city in the country. 

Guide to the best coffeehouses in town. 

Need a job before moving, Amazon is hiring! 

Fun Fact: Seattle was the first city in the US to play a Beatles song on the radio.

5. Fayetteville, AR

A university town with lots to do and where the pace of life sloooows doooown. 

Possum Pie may become a household favorite if you move here. Popular both in Arkansas restaurants and homes, this is a confection made with a flour and pecan or butter crust, with a soured cream cheese bottom, a whipped cream top and a layer of chocolate custard in-between.

3. San Jose, CA

Buy some totes, because if you move here it's illegal to use plastic bags in grocery stores. 

A 5 hour drive to LA and 1 hour to San Francisco.  

2. Denver, CO

You've got the Rocky Mountains, over 300 days of sun and 7 professional sports teams. 
No wonder so many people are flocking here! 

A food guide to Denver. 

1. Austin, TX

With tacos every half a mile in town, a laid back vibe and affordable living, Austin "keeps it weird" and makes it the #1 spot to live in 2017. (Did I mention no state taxes!) 

Fun Fact: Austin has the biggest urban bat population in the US. This is only cool if you really like bats. 

happy trails to you from nyc who made #80 on the list,

kendra

Spring cleaning feels good

You know that's right. 

You've heard about that thing people do when the weather turns warm, closets are looking a little too stuffed and disorganized and the hardwood floors need a good pledge cleaning...that thing called spring cleaning. It feels really really good. 

Step 1: 
Take down the Christmas decorations. It's time ya'll. Just another 9 months before it's appropriate to put them back up. You can do it. 

Step 2: 

Make sure you're in the right mindset. Starting this at 3pm on a Saturday when you have plans to be somewhere at 6pm, not good. Make sure you've got the time and isolation from others to make that house sparkle. 

*Time may vary depending on the size of your home. 

Step 3: 

Do you have what you need? Cleaning supplies, trash bags, wine, coffee, etc....

Step 4: 

Put on some good music that you're almost embarrassed to listen to around others. This helps and you can occasionally stop in between scrubs to shake your booty.  

Some springy things just because: 

Why spring is the perfect time for a perfect date.

Speaking of light jackets for spring, this one is a cutey.

Skip the marathon, did you know you can burn almost 4,000 calories spring cleaning?

High heels are out, glitter leopard sneakers are in!  

Looking for a fresh do this spring, here are the top haircuts for Spring 2017.

Spring cleaning checklist according to Martha Stewart. 

Meg Ryan running out the door (after she has done her spring cleaning) to meet Tom Hanks.

Good luck to you and your clean home,

kendra

hospitality

Hospitality

the friendly and generous reception and entertainment of guests, visitors, or strangers. 

Hospitality refers to the relationship between a guest and a host, wherein the host receives the guest with goodwill, including the reception and entertainment of guests, visitors, or strangers.
Louis, chevalier de Jaucourt describes hospitality in the Encyclopédie as the virtue of a great soul that cares for the whole universe through the ties of humanity.

1. How to have a hospitable evening: 1. Invite family & friends over.   2. Have a smorgasburg of food or potluck to make it easier on yourself.  3. Create ambience with candles. 4. Have background music. (My favorite Pandora stations, Johnnyswim and Stevie Wonder)  5. As the host, you set the tone. So make sure to let loose and have fun. Your guests will follow your lead.  from my house to yours, kendra

positive vibes

Winter blues anyone?

I get them every year around this time. Going on 4 months of wearing the ugly puffer coat is starting to wear on me. Although I'm more than excited for Spring, I'm going to wait patiently, because this day, today, can be the best day ever! Not that day in a few months when it will be Spring and 75 degrees and we can skip through the park like we're in La La Land, it can't wait till then. 

It has to start right....now! 

A positive attitude, the right mindset, a joyful heart and kind words. 

The heart of life is good. 

This woman is so cute, so amazing, and so inspiring!  

This coffee mug might be a good way to start the day. 

If you are battling the cold weather and shopping for a cute puffer coat, here are a few good options.

Have a positive start to the week, smile, and love yourself a little more, 

kendra 

new york talk...

Hey there! 

When you're in cafes, restaurants, or out and about, do you listen in on others' conversations? Ok, it sounded creepy just writing that sentence, but I often find myself doing it. I'm very intrigued by people and the chatter at the tables beside me. I laughed when I opened my journal last night...I was flipping through the pages, reading what I've written in the past, trying to get some inspiration from past entries, when I came across a page where I had jotted down a few scenes that I witnessed in a coffee shop a few years ago. 

It made me giggle. 

Journal Entry: November 26, 2014

I'm listening to a well-dressed woman (I'll call her Victoria) interviewing another woman (maybe Mary?) for a nanny/housekeeping position. It's not going well...Victoria just told Mary that she is not a good fit and that her English is not very good; Mary is from Tibet. She looks very disappointed at how this conversation is going...

Now there's an interesting couple I am watching... They have eyes only for each other, probably just started dating, and this may well be their second or third date. He is very attentive to her needs; he just got up to get sugar to put in her coffee. Good move dude!

This is why I love journaling. You can look back at the silly, meaningful, wise words you've written or heard over the years and be encouraged. What are people talking about around you? I bet it's interesting. Be discreet though - don't stare, you have to make it look normal. 

Have a good day! I'm off to find out what weird/sad/happy things are happening in the coffee shop around the corner. 

xo,

kendra

Boo!

Happy Halloween everyone! 

Today is a day to dress up out of the ordinary, have some fun with it, eat a little bit extra sugar, go around your neighborhood swapping candy and laughing at everyones ridiculous costumes. 

I hope your Halloween is not scary (unless you like that stuff) safe, and just a good ol' time! 

A few fun sort of Halloween'y things...

Cute t-shirts if you don't want to dress up, but still look festive. 

We went to the art exhibit this weekend on top of the Metropolitan Rooftop. They installed a replica of the barn off of Alfred Hitchcock's movie, Pyscho. It started raining as soon as we got up there- which made it a little more creepy! :/

A list of non spooky movies to watch.  

I made turkey pumpkin chili the other night and it was delicccccccious. (the pumpkin is subtle) 

Pumpkin pecan cobbler recipe. Enough said. 

Largest pumpkin grown to date! 

If I went trick or treating to this house, I think I would stay there the rest of the night sitting in that rocking chair! I love how inviting and warm the front porch looks. 

A little Halloween throwback to 1995! Over 20 years ago! I was Dolly Parton (on the right) Tara, I think you were a 50's sock hop girl?! Thank goodness this was documented. 

happy boogity boogity boo day and smile to everyone instead of scaring them,

kendra