I am so sorry I have been MIA for the last few weeks!  I knew it would be difficult to keep up with posting while I was abroad but who knew how busy I would be.  Now that classes have started up I have gotten into a routine (kind of...) so I feel totally prepared to get back into the swing of blogging.  So far the abroad experience has been amazing, scary, and adventurous all wrapped up in a pretty package.  I can't wait to share so much more with you all but for now I thought I do a quick Instagram round up of some of the photos of my trip so far!

After one crazy day of travel, losing my luggage, getting my luggage returned but soaking wet, I can officially say I am in Edinburgh! Please be prepared for lots of photos of pretty doors, Harry Potter references, and overall gorgeous scenery!

Caption is pretty self explanatory!  Its actually crazy how long ago this day feels though.  Luckily I have fully recovered and am now on the other side - with clean and dry clothes!

the world is too big to leave unexplored

Arthur's seat is an inactive volcano right on the outskirts of the city.  It isn't a very difficult hike from the top but the views are breathtaking.  On the left side of the photo you can see the Edinburgh Castle!

fairy pools

One weekend my friends and I decided to take a last minute trip up to the Isle of Skye.  I have honestly never seen views as spectacular as I have on this little island.  Everything was so green, and lush, yet still mountainous with gorgeous water views.  It was also the first time I had ever seen mountains and the furtherest North I had ever been which was so exciting!  This photo was taken at the "Fair Pools" which was basically just these amazing waterfalls that created small little pools.  There were so many of them along the hike and up until the mountains you see in the photo.  I plan on doing a full Isle of Skye recap with my must see places soon!

No. 6

As stated in the first photo, I like pretty doors.  And while this door may be nothing special, I absolutely loved the beautiful bright flowers on either side and the white walls. 

Stay tuned for more study abroad posts and more photos of my adventures!

I told you this Instragram shot was going to see its way into a future post! I don't know if I have mentioned this on the blog yet, but I am going abroad for a semester this fall (so soon its kind of crazy)!  I plan on doing quite a few posts in the upcoming month about my planning and packing so if you have any ideas please let me know!  But all I have been really focusing on so far is all the places I want to travel to while I'm there.  I will be studying in Scotland so its not too difficult for me to get to other European countries making my options pretty endless.  But that being said, I don't want to just go to the typical abroad hot spots (London, Paris, etc.).  I want to go to other cities that would be more difficult to return to any time soon.  Here are the top six places I want to travel to while I am studying abroad!

Barcelona // Spain

Ever since I did a school report on Barcelona in 8th grade I have wanted to travel to this beautiful city.  One of my good friends is studying abroad in Spain so I hope to be able to meet up with her and visit this amazing city.  This is definitely the number one on my list to visit.

Santorini // Greece

The blue and white views get me every time I see a photo of Greece.  Did anyone else follow along as Julia (from Gal Meets Glam) and her husband traveled throughout Greece?  Oh man did my wanderlust skyrocket.  The island looks stunning and unlike anywhere I have ever been.  Please mom can I go? haha  Also, I just really want to be Lena from Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants and meet a amazing Greek man and explore the city together and swim in the ocean and fall in love... is that really too much to ask for? 

Nice // France

I've been to Paris and loved it.  And while I would honestly go back there in a heartbeat, I want to go somewhere else in France.  And I mean, who doesn't want to travel to the French Riviera?  This seems like the perfect getaway from the chilly Scotland fall I predict I am going to have.  Beach please?

Budapest // Hungary

From all of my friends who have gone abroad, they say Budapest is stunning.  I've never really considered a trip to Hungary in my future but I love that fact.  Its somewhere I would never really think of going to but could be totally amazing.  It seems more authentically European and it would be a major step outside my comfort zone.

Venice // Italy

I have always loved the idea of a city built on water with canals as the roadways.  It just seems so magical and fairytale desk does it not?  While I feel like Rome is the go-to for the abroad traveler, I think Venice is way more my style and my dad and sister who have both been, say that Venice is the best Italian city!  Also, can you tell I want to travel anywhere where there is beautiful water views?

Oslo // Norway

Being part Norwegian, I want to go to Norway to visit my people.  I don't have any relatives there but I just want to see where I come from - and reconnect myself with my fellow blonde hair, blue eyed kind!  haha.  No but in all seriousness, whenever people ask me about my ethnicity I always say "I'm part Norwegian" but don't know too much about the country.  I want to be able to say that statement with pride and with knowledge of the country itself.

If you have ever studied abroad or been overseas, where were some of your favorite cities?  Also, if you have any study abroad tips for me please share because right now I am a blank canvas!

Images via here and here

The color mint and I have always been inseparable.  My preschool teacher told my mom it was "my color" and ever since then it has been one of my favorite colors of all time.  It might be because my mom would always dress me in mint after that but still its just so dang pretty.  Thats the one part about summertime that I love - mint is a color that can officially be worn proudly and almost every day.  This sweater from Gap has been on repeat like no ones business.  I love the way mint looks with white and I actually loved the way this minty green looked with the light blue specs on the Madewell skirt (#mintisthenewblack).

This paper bag style is one of my new favorites because it is honestly so comfortable and it has pockets (a.k.a. the best thing in the entire world!).  The skirt and top are both old but its the color combo that I love so much!  Plus the pink flowers in the background are just too perfect!

Nothing is worse than taking a week off for vacation for it to rain every day.  And while I have yet to take a trip to the lake or the pool, I have gotten some amazing reading done cuddled up with a cup of green tea.  I just finished an amazing series that my brother recommended to me and now I want to share it all with you.

The first book in the trilogy, The Magicians, came out in 2010, the second, The Magician King, in 2012, and the third and final, The Magician's Land, in 2014.  I hadn't heard anything about the series until my brother started reading it and he lent the books to me after he had finished.  It is one of those things though where you have never heard of the word but then start hearing it everywhere.  Because now when I walk around I see this book in every window and shelf.

If I could give the briefest summary of the series I would say it is the perfect combination of Harry Potter meets Narnia.  Basically, just imagine if Harry Potter went to college and then on to Narnia.  It definitely refers to these two series, poking some fun and making jokes, but it never felt uninventive.  Unlike the other two, this series is definitely meant for adults as there are quite a few graphic scenes and intense subject areas.  I thought it would be hard to create something new because when it comes this genre it feels almost "been there, done that" but this series brought a new fresh feel.

Unlike many series (ahem Hunger Games I am looking at you!) this series only got better with each addition.  I would have to say that the first book is probably my least favorite.  That by no means makes it bad because it is still amazing, but it is a necessary means.  You have to make your way through the first book, get the gritty details and learn the basics before you can dive head first into the mysteries and magic that intertwine in the second and third books.  And don't let the character's "jerk-ish" tendencies deter you from reading the next one!  I would recommend reading the series straight through if you can.

I will leave you with the best summary I could find off Amazon for the first book only as I don't want to give anything away: Quentin Coldwater is brilliant but miserable. A high school math genius, he’s secretly fascinated with a series of children’s fantasy novels set in a magical land called Fillory, and real life is disappointing by comparison. When Quentin is unexpectedly admitted to an elite, secret college of magic, it looks like his wildest dreams may have come true. But his newfound powers lead him down a rabbit hole of hedonism and disillusionment, and ultimately to the dark secret behind the story of Fillory. The land of his childhood fantasies turns out to be much darker and more dangerous than he ever could have imagined . . .

When I finished the book everything I had questions about perfectly fell into line and it was totally resolved but I still wanted a fourth book.  I didn't want the story to be over because I had fallen so in love with the characters - the sign of a perfect series!