Cultural Museums at The National mall

Above: Pictures from The Smithsonian Museum of Natural History & the

National Museum of the American Indian.

This weekend one of my best friends from college came for a visit to get a taste of the D.C. experience. As small as the District is there's A LOT to see, and so much I wanted to show her. I figure I would give her a tour of the city...but there was so much of the city that I haven't even seen yet. I decided that we should start the day with something familiar that I knew quite well - a.k.a. Georgetown and all its guilty shopping pleasures.

Georgetown is a beautiful part of D.C, recognized for its quaint yet plush culture. It's so quaint and "untouched" that there is no metro stop that goes to the downtown area...making it a very exclusive location. Sure it's in the city, but not everyone in the city can get to it. That's possibly something that they want to keep for some odd reason...but as the city continues to expand I'm sure that rules on public transportation will naturally change in that area.

We started by walking around my graduate school - Georgetown University and I have my friend a tour of the historic, architecturally brilliant campus. Quick history lesson: Georgetown was first established in 1789, making it the oldest Jesuit and Catholic university in the United States. Today Georgetown is well known for it D-1 Basketball Team with it's mascot "Jack the Bulldog." While attending a basketball game, you may see fans with shirts saying "Bleed Hoya Blue!." Now what exactly is a "hoya?" Most people are puzzled by this, but a long time ago the sports teams at Georgetown were nicknamed the "Stone walls." Students were required to study Latin at that time, and one clever student made up the chant "Hoya Saxa" meaning "What rocks!" I guess that referred to their "stone-like" defense which rocked? Well there's history...

After we enriched our minds with stoic Georgetown, we poked around M Street in downtown Georgetown. In that strip there are TONS of elite shops - from Michael Kors to Anthropologie Georgetown has it all. It's VERY difficult to not spend too much there...so of course we let go of our restraints and headed to Lou Lou. This store is quite possibly the best kept secret in Georgetown. It has tons of exquisite, quality jewelry that compliments any outfit perfectly - for a really good price. I'd say the store is comparable to one of those small boutique stops you find while vacationing on some remote island in the Caribbean or Martha's Vineyard. Lou Lou was established only 10 years ago but still hasn't received a national market. To be honest, I'll probably head to Lou Lou in my Georgetown backyard as much as possible ;-)

After we were distracted by that irresistible store, we headed to Cafe Bonaparte - this amazing Creperie right in the middle of Georgetown. There we indulged in caramel chocolate lattes and had delicious yet filling crepes. I have to say that Cafe Bonaparte is another little secret in the District that everyone MUST visit once they come down here. The more I'm in Washington...the more I discover how low-key all their amazing restaurants and stores are. Guess that just adds to the mystique of the nation's capital.

Once we were finished with the Creperie we took a trip to the National Mall to visit the Smithsonian Museum of National History and the National Museum of the American Indian. The museum of National History felt like a science trip, but the nerd in me really enjoyed the majority of the exhibits. Most of the shows featured information on mammal development and extinct creatures. So naturally I went straight to the lions and other big cats and several snapshots of them. The National History Museum also houses the Hope Diamond - better known to most as the "Heart of the Ocean" that was featured in the film "Titanic." I think "Heart of the Ocean" is a much more appropriate title than the Hope Diamond, as it is 10x more majestic in person than it seems. This piece of jewelry is quite possibly the most famous diamond in the world and is the second-most-visited art exhibit after the Mona Lisa (Which I guess I saw earlier in France a few posts below...;-) The stone itself is over 1 billion years old, weighing 9.10 grams...and ladies its not for sale. Due to its history and rumored "cursed" past, it will reside at the Smithsonian Museum of National History for quite a while.

We then decided to make our way the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian - one of the most unique museums I have every visited. I have never been to a Native American history museum, and it was truly refreshing to really absorb this distinct culture that was lost throughout time. One of the most profound parts of the museum was the "Our Universes" exhibit, located on the top floor. The museum creates small models of the lifestyle of each Native American tribe documented throughout history. Within these models they depict the story of each tribe's beliefs, traditions and aspirations. While walking through these models, you feel as if you are in a time capsule - gaining a glimpse of the intricately perfect natural world that was lost before us. This was definitely a moving exhibit that I hope to show others in the future.

Once we were done poking around the Smithsonian we headed back for R&R and a night out to town with the fly Washingtonians. It was definitely a full and culturally rich weekend. SO far I can successfully check off two places on my list of Smithsonian museums (and tourist sites): 1. The Museum of Natural History and 2. The National Museum of the American Indian. Stay tuned for more explorations of The Nation's Capital...

D.C Livin'

It's been a while since I last posted in this blog, since last time I was literally across the pond! I absolutely look back on my incredible journey abroad and think of all the wonderful times I had - AND how I would love to experience it again. I think everyone should try to get some time in a foreign country during his/her college experience. It not only gives one a wider perspective, but also makes the whole college thing A LOT more interesting ;-)

SO in the past couple...years (wow I'll pretend I didn't take THAT long to catch up to my post) I have successfully graduated from Wesleyan, writing a thesis and getting into grad school for journalism in Georgetown. After interning in New York for the summer I immediately moved to Washington D.C. to begin the next chapter of "the real world" a.k.a the I-pay-my-bills-now lifestyle. Luckily, I think choosing grad school has been a much easier transition than my peers as I kind of get extra time to hone in on my desired skills so I can be exceptionally prepared for my professional career.

Washington, D.C...the U.S capital. Definitely a prominent, powerful city with a bunch of incredible sites and people. I think I subconsciously chose D.C because I wanted a kind of "study abroad" experience again before I settled into a city that I know pretty well (cough..cough NYC). I wanted a challenge, to put myself in a situation where I didn't know anyone and could pretty much create a new experience. And I got it. At first it was quite intimidating - having a month to find: 1. A job, 2. Roommates, 3. A place to live. With focus and determination I double checked off every aspect of that list and had a wonderful first semester getting settled into the area.

Now after a few months I have gone out in D.C to the normal hot spots - DuPont Circle, Adams Morgan and U-Street...BUT I have not successfully been a tourist. I've been outside the White House and in the Capitol for work. I even attended the State of the Union. All amazing experiences...YET I think its time that I take that cheesy picture in front of the Lincoln Memorial, walk around the fancy Botanical Gardens and check out at least one of D.C's famous museums. It's absolutely crazy how once you live in a place you automatically lose your tourist hat.

SO in the next few months I plan to be a tourist as much as possible (when I have time off from work and school). Here's a list of the places I plan to visit while in this prominent city. After all, my program at Georgetown is only 2 years long and I'm already almost halfway through! I'm not sure if I'll stay in D.C. or move earlier than I think...so I mine as well get my American tourist groove on now ;-)

THE WASHINGTON TOURIST

(Things to do while in the Nation’s Capital.)

1. MONUMENTS

1. Lincoln Memorial

2. Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial

3. Washington Monument

4. Jefferson Memorial

5. Korean War Veterans Memorial

6. Arlington National Cemetery

2. TOURS

1. The U.S. Capitol Building

2. U.S. Botanic Garden

3. Tours of the White House


MUSEUMS - CULTURE:

1. African American Civil War Memorial and Museum

2. U. S. Holocaust Memorial Museum

3. Smithsonian Natural History Museum

4. National Gallery of Art

OH...AND FOR FUN ;-)

1. Spy Museum

2. Crime Museum

3. Screen on the Green

4. Eastern Market

A Fabulous Journey!

So now I am in the 2nd week of December and I am COMPLETELY SHOCKED by how fast this trip has gone! I've seen the sights of England, shopped in London, visited the cathedrals of Barcelona and climbed the Eiffel Tower. It is incredible how much of the world you can see within' such a small amount of time. I've truly had an amazing time here...three months definitely wasn't enough! I hope to come visit and discover more of Europe in the future :-)

Lately I've been organizing my packing (which will take days to accomplish) as well as finishing some school work. I leave THIS Saturday; which again is shocking!!! Once I get back I plan to tell everyone of my adventures during these glorious months abroad.

Well now I must pack, this is short and sweet as my last entry! Thanks to all who followed my journey, please let me know through my e-mail if you have a friend or if you yourself plan to go abroad to Europe; it truly is an incredible experience.

<3 Ari

Discovering the streets of Paris!

A french Beret!

Notre Dame.

Views from the Eiffel Tower!

The streets of Paris.

Gorgeous architecture.

Le Louvre!

The river Seine.

The Eiffel Tower!

Last weekend I went to one of the mostamazing cities of the world: Paris. Now before I took this trip I must admit that I had SO many expectations! After visiting I have come to this conclusion...Paris is one of the most fantastic cities I have ever seen!

I arrived in Paris through the Eurostar which is an EXTREMELY fast train that rides from London to Paris at literally the speed of light. While on the train I was looking outside my windows watching trees pass by in a blur. As soon as I left the train I felt as if I was stepping off a spaceship (in a good way!). I think the difference between a train and a plane is that once you get off a plane you take about 30 minutes to get out of the airport...a train is like instant arrival into a new world!

After taking the metro and practicing my french (which wasn't too bad after 6 months of dormancy) I met up with my friends and we toured the city. We walked around the River Seine while gazing at the beautiful french architecture. I have to say that the french construct their buildings as if they are pieces of artwork! I must have looked a bit silly taking pictures of every building (whether it was a store or apartment) yet I was genuinely amazed. Paris as a whole has the unique ability to maintain it's history while adding a modern flair to the city streets.

Once I had finished admiring the Parisian architecture I casually strolled into Le Louvre and gazed at the Mona Lisa. After seeing this famous painting for years in my textbook it was truly surreal to be standing less than 15 feet from a masterpiece! The next day I woke up early and headed straight for one of the most famous landmarks of all time...The Eiffel Tower! The line to get in the elevators was about 30 minutes long...yet it was SO worth the wait! The elevator to the top of the Eiffel Tower was really fast as it escalated into the clouds. Once I reached the top I had a birds eye view of Paris.

Later that day (after having a delicious banana and nutella crepe) I headed to Notre Dame, one of the most famous Gothic churches of all time. The dramatic exterior of the church had such detail; carved with beautiful angels and innovative gargoyles! Once I entered the church I gazed at the breathtaking architecture. There is something about the inside of a Gothic church that is so beautiful!

My friends and I then bought some french berets and toured the city streets. We decided to head into Les Invalides and see the resting place of the great Napoleon! The building was incredible; a large, beautifully crafted dome shaped building filled with intricate gold designs. Napoleon really had an incredible influence on the history of France! I later headed to a sculpture museum where I saw some of Van Gogh's work, which was gorgeous!

At night I headed to a kebab shop and then strolled around one of the most expensive areas of Paris at the Galaries Lafayette. There I contemplated purchasing a "Longchamp" bag; a french designer label sold for slimmer prices in Paris :-) After my shopping experience I once again walked the streets of Paris and gazed into the local boutiques!

Paris was WONDERFUL! I think I will definitely plan to visit once again and practice my french :-) I keep repeating the song "April in Paris" in my head...willing it to come true!

Until next time,
Ari <3

Taking a trip to Barcelona!

Barcelona City Streets

Breathtaking Fountain de Montjuic

Plush surroundings

La Sagrada Familia

On top of the Castell de Montjuic

So last weekend I took a weekend trip to Barcelona, Spain and ABSOLUTELY loved it! Spain is indeed a beautiful country and the city of Barcelona is fantastic. Picture this: Nice weather (For late fall about 60's isn't too bad!), beautiful buildings and great shopping! Barcelona has a very artsy vibe as it is where several artists such as Pablo Picasso, Joan Miró and Antoni Gaudi really flourished with their work.

Once I arrived in Spain I checked into a hostal with my friends from Wesleyan and the immediately woke up and started my day! I visited the Gaudi houses and saw amazing architecture. Gaudi created his innovative designs through inspiration from nature! (You can see one of his designs above!) One of his most famous works, also one of the most famous landmarks in Barcelona, is the Sagrada Familia which is a Roman Catholic Church. The Sagrada Familia is STILL being built and is not expected to be completed until 2026 which is WILD, yet beautiful!

Later I visited the museum of one of my favorite artists of all time: Joan Miró! He is noted for his modern designs and creative incorporations of interesting colors. It felt almost surreal to be less than an inch from some of the most famous pieces in the world! Visiting the Miró museum also got me inspired to create a few pieces of artwork myself :-) I actually first came across Miró in 6th grade Spanish class when I needed to do a presentation...I've loved his work ever since!

In the middle of the day I headed to the Montijuic castle which overlooks Barcelona (as it is on a hill) and is surrounded by the sea. It was BEAUTFUL! The views were amazing, I felt like I was on the edge of the world! After seeing the water, I was inspired to visit the Beach where I had dinner with friends and enjoyed some Spanish cuisine as the sun set :-)

After walking around the city (and taking the incredibly clean metro!) I headed to "El Barrio" or the old area of Barcelona. I've come to the conclusion that European cities are breathtaking! In the middle of the old town is Catedral de Barcelona surrounded by countless alleyways and winding streets with cute shops and cafes. By the end of the night I headed to the Magic Fountain of Montjuic. I have NEVER seen a fountain so awesome! The fountain itself was huge; complete with flashing lights, intricate combinations of water shows and music. I honestly felt as if I was watching the opening for the Olympics!

In between all of this sightseeing I visited various cafes and restaurants where I had traditional "Spanish" food. Personally, I wouldn't say the main courses are my favorite...but the "tapas" or small Spanish snacks were excellent! It was kind of funny because I feel as if my Mom is ahead of her time, making tapas whenever she can! Also, churros con chocolate, or sweet sugar bread dipped in chocolate are SO delicious! Overall, I would say that Spanish snacks and deserts are great!

While visiting Barcelona I also got to practice my Spanish properly (which I haven't done in SO long!) and I actually surprised myself! From walking around and speaking with locals, I've found that I not only still understand Spanish but can speak enough with others to get by. That was quite a positive element to my trip knowing that once you learn a language it tends to stay ingrained in your system!

IT was GREAT to visit Barcelona! I think Europeans don't know how good they have it; they could travel to another country close by by plane within' two hours. Some parts of the states takes 5 hours to get to! From this experience, I have seen that I need to take advantage of the proximity of other countries. This weekend I am heading off to PARIS! I am so excited, yet still in shock that I just casually visited another country last weekend...this experience is AMAZING!

Until next time,
Ari <3

Traveling the World!

So a couple weeks ago I was in an AWESOME fashion show for the Afro Caribbean Society at Royal Holloway. There were really some interesting designs there that the students created (they really do have style over here in the U.K!) They had classic African clothing and then modern clubbing outfits. It felt awesome to wear some authentic African clothing :-) You can see the outfits above!

On Halloween I headed to London to hang with some Weslyan friends. London is pretty cool during Halloween, yet they aren't as original as the U.S.A. PLUS they are REALLY scary! I can't tell you how many zombies I saw. At one point I forgot it was Halloween and was riding home on a double decker bus when a zombie came up the stairs. It took about a minute for it to register that he was "dressing up" as a zombie. I'm telling you for about five seconds I was thinking: Ahhhhh!!! Overall though, Halloween was a cool experience.

Last weekend I had an EXCELLENT visit from my parents, we went to the Tate Modern, cruised by the Globe (where Shakespeare performed his works!) and had dinner in the most incredible restaurants. One of the restaurants, called "Amalfi," we discovered by chance! It was probably some of the best Italian food I have ever had! One night we went to the famous Ronnie Scotts, a famous jazz club in London. The music was excellent! It was great to hear the art of jazz. We also met up with a family from back home in Chatham and had DELICIOUS Lebanese cuisine. People say that the food in England is bad...you see the key to this is to only eat international food; then you're perfect!

This weekend I'm heading off to Barcelona to see the beautiful sights of Spain! I'm so excited, I hear theres amazing architecture with tons of history, breathtaking views and famous museums. One of my favorite artists of all time, Joan Miró, was born in Barcelona; so I will definitely be heading there to see his artwork! Barcelona is also surrounded by lush beaches (and I hear it will be high 60's while I'm there!) so I may have to take a stroll on the beach on my downtime.

I can't believe it's already November 12th! In exactly a month I'll be back home in New Jersey, which is crazy! I already think London is incredible!!! There's so much to see, I think it may take 5 years to see ALL of London.

Until next time,
Ari<3

Checking out landmarks!

The weekend before last my study abroad group and I traveled north to the "Lake District". The Lake District is so far north that it's actually incredibly close to Scotland (maybe about an hour). From London this is about an 8 hour bus ride through the English countryside...which is UNBELIEVABLY gorgeous! I thought that living in the East Coast would expose me to the nicest scenery...yet I was wrong! The British really know how to keep their natural areas scenic, clean...and STUNNING. The countryside is full of wide open trimmed grasslands (Think the Sound of Music) with breathtaking hills and beautiful trees. To top that off, the area is full of farm animals; there are cows, horses, pigs and MANY sheep. Now I think I know where the concept of counting sheep to go to bed comes from...

While in the Lake District I participated in Adventure Weekend where I did some really cool activities. On Saturday morning I went horseback riding throughout the beautiful English hills! In the afternoon...I went abseiling. "Abseiling" involves suspending yourself backwards over a large cliff and then repelling downwards until you can climb to the ground. It was SUCH a rush, but really fun!

On Sunday the group and I ventured into the neighboring town and sat in a small cafe. In this cafe I had a cup of hot chocolate and the most amazing Scottish scone ever! It seriously looked like on of those biscuit commercials you see on the T.V! I think I was really excited about the English experience of sitting in a cafe!!!

LAST weekend I headed off to one of the most famous landmarks...STONEHENGE! In case you didn't know, Stonehenge is a prehistoric landmark created before 2000 B.C!!! It was truly incredible to actually see a famous location that I've read about in history books throughout elementary school! Later I visited Lacock with it's beautiful Abbey.

In other news...last Wednesday I started my radio show on Insanity! In the show I play my favorite American Pop tunes while speaking about current pop news!!! It was SO much fun; I got to control all the equipment, speak with the many listeners and really learn how to create my own flow on the radio! I now have an official time for my radio show:

INSANITY RADIO SHOW-
TIME: Wednesday's from 11:00-1:00pm; TO LISTEN: Go to-http://www.insanityradio.com/ and press listen! If you have ANY requests or want a shout out, text: 011-44-07807-340-535
(Yes, that's a long number!)

This week I'll be in a fashion show for the ACS (Afro-Caribbean Society) where I will be wearing traditional and then modern African outfits, should be pretty cool! I then have a radio show on Wednesday and for the weekend I shall hang out in London!

Other than fun social activities...classes are great!!! They are really interesting, especially my Hitchcock and Point of View class. I've learned so much about film and I've discovered that the mechanisms of creating a film has ALOT to do with psychology; quite a coincidence :-)

Until next time,
Ari <3