That One Girl

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Italia, mi manchi.

My walk to school on a peaceful morning in Florence

Ponte Vecchio, Florence

Il Duomo, Florence

Santa Croce, Florence

One weekend my friends and I enjoyed a beach day in little San Vincenzo!

The ruins in Fiesole

San Miniato al Monte, Florence

Il Duomo, Siena

Enjoying the views and sunset over Sorrento

Capri, Italy

Capri, Italy

Manarola

Monterosso

Cinque Terre is as beautiful as they say

Lerici, Italy

Portovenere, Italy

Saint Cirq Lapopie, France

French farmers market in Cahors

I do miss being able to order cocktails without being IDed.

I should have posted this long ago, but I’ve been horribly preoccupied as of late and time has really gotten away from me. I mean, it’s already September! Can somebody please tell me where the time has gone?? I would really like to know.

We are two weeks into the Fall semester and I can already feel the weight of my responsibilities crashing down on me. I have to do hours upon hours of reading each night, I have several essays approaching, and now one of my professors expects me to know how to use Excel by Friday! Don’t get me wrong, I love my classes (no math!!), but all this hardcore study – along with work, club meetings, LSAT study sessions – can be stressful at times.

The stress of day-to-day life makes me yearn for this past summer – for my adventures in Italy and France – when I felt so carefree and alive. Living and studying in Florence, if only for the month of June, made me feel like a completely different person. I wasn’t tied down to anything or anyone; I could go wherever I wanted and do what I pleased, and I was never bored. It was amazing to have that freedom.

There’s a quote I love that says “To travel is to live,” and it’s so true. My life is generally pretty boring, but this summer I truly lived. I went on a few crazy adventures, met some cool people, and gained a lot of hilarious stories. I ate some of the best food of my life, hiked up a mountain to hear the San Miniato monks sing, made my own pasta, explored the Amalfi Coast in a weekend and [just barely] made it back in time for class on Monday morning, danced on a table in a discoteca that overlooked my beautiful Florence, ate like a king in Bologna, tasted Chianti wines in the Tuscan countryside, saw the Ligurian coastline from a rubber boat, explored the Cinque Terre in one day, slept in a train station with Syrian refugees, walked through little villages in the south of France that looked like they were straight out of Beauty and the Beast, and experienced how beautiful Paris is in the rain. I could go on and on about how awesome and crazy my trip was, but I will end here. I have an early class tomorrow so I must go to sleep and return to the real world, but tonight, I will dream of Italia.

Until next time,

That One Girl

Journey through the Wizarding World

I used to imagine that on my eleventh birthday, Hagrid would knock down my door, say “Yer a witch, Mackenzie,” and whisk me off to a secret world full of magic and wonder. But, when that day finally came, owls were not there to deliver my acceptance letter to Hogwarts. The ministry must have lost my records.

While I was not fortunate enough to attend the famous School of Witchcraft and Wizardry like Harry and the gang, I did recently get to spend one magical day in their world.

The last time I visited the Wizarding World in Universal Orlando was in 2011 (when it was just Hogsmeade and Hogwarts), but the park has since expanded to include London, Diagon Alley, Knockturn Alley, and the Hogwarts Express. These additions really enhance the wizarding experience and make your journey through the magical world feel much more complete.

The first thing you see when you enter is 12 Grimmauld Place (Sirius Black’s childhood home and the Order of the Phoenix headquarters) in London. Of course, it is invisible to the muggle eye, so some may miss it!

Any good Pott-Head knows that you can’t go to Hogwarts without the proper supplies, so the first thing you need to do is hit Diagon Alley. I suggest visiting the vaults of Gringotts Bank first…

Be sure to visit The Three Broomsticks for fish and chips, Florean Fortescue’s Ice Cream Parlour for Stawberry and Peanut Butter ice cream, and The Hopping Pot for delicious butterbeer!

Afterwards, visit the shops for all your school supply needs. You can find everything from school robes to quidditch gear to pygmy puffs, but the place I couldn’t wait to get into was the famous Ollivander’s Wand Shop (Makers of Fine Wands Since 382 B.C.). I was lucky enough to have my wand choose me – Birch, Unicorn Hair Core, 15″ – so I couldn’t resist paying seven galleons to take it home.

Here I am performing some charms with a few young wizards (I may be a tad bit more excited than them). One of the most unique aspects of The Wizarding World is the various spots in Diagon Alley, Knockturn Alley, and Hogsmeade where one is able to conduct magical spells with the help of their interactive wand. When you purchase a wand, you receive a map of the parks showing where spells are located, but be on the lookout for secret spell locations…there are at least two hidden in Diagon Alley shop windows.

Once you have everything you need from Diagon Alley, it is time to head to Platform 9¾ in King’s Cross Station. From there, you board the Hogwart’s Express and begin your journey to Hogsmeade Station. Pro tip: Be sure to ride it in both directions, as the experience is different.

Once in Hogsmeade, stop by Honeyduke’s Sweet Shop or grab another cup of butterbeer before making your way to Hogwarts – the line could be long, but it’s well worth it.

Based on my experience, the quality of your visit is largely influenced by the time of year you go. It was right around Christmas the first time I went, and it was a nightmare. The lines for everything were four hours long and we eventually got kicked out of the park because it was filled to max capacity. It really put a damper on the whole day. This time, however, I visited on a weekday right before the busy summer season (before most schools are let out) and it was amazing. I never had to wait more than 30 minutes for anything.

It was a truly fantastic day, and I cannot wait to return if and when they expand it further (I’m crossing my fingers for a Forbidden Forest).

More soon,

That One Girl

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Goodbye, Sophomore Year!

Final exams have been completed, textbooks have been sold, and old class notes have been ~~burned~~ recycled. Sophomore year is finally over!

Do you know that feeling you get when you are so stressed out that it feels like you’re drowning? That has been my life for the past two months, but now that I’m free I can finally breathe (at least for a little while)! It feels incredible, yet strange, to be halfway through my years as a college undergrad. Where did the time go? I’m so not ready for my time at university to be over – there’s still so much I haven’t done – but I know that the next two years are going to fly by. I just have to make the most of them.

To celebrate the start of summer break, I got some much-needed sleep, caught lunch with my mom, began the second season of Master of None (highly recommend), and cleaned my entire house. There is no better way to start off the summer (or any season, for that matter) than by getting rid of all the clutter in your life. All-in-all, it was pretty wonderful day.

The next few months are going to be pretty crazy…I have some amazing adventures in store. This week, my mom and I are going to pop down to Florida for a few days to visit my aunt and see the newest additions to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter! It will be my first time back since the park was originally built, and I am insanely excited…have I mentioned that I’m a nerd?

Once I return home, I will have about two weeks to work as much as I can (dollar dollar bills, y’all), pack, and say goodbye to my friends before I leave to study abroad in Florence, Italy! I can’t believe how lucky I am to be able to have these experiences, and I can’t wait to share it all with you.

Until next time,

That One Girl

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Hey internet, it’s me.

I’ve been wanting to do this for so long, but getting started has proven to be quite the challenge.

I remember where I was when I first got the idea to start a blog. It was my junior year of high school, and I was daydreaming in geometry class, as per usual. I don’t know exactly what inspired me that day, but I just remember feeling this wave of excitement come over me as I thought about what it might be like to have my own blog. The very idea of creating something – even something as insignificant as a silly little personal blog – and putting it out there for the world to see thrilled me to my very core. Of course, thinking about doing something and actually doing it are two extremely different things.

I’ve never been great at following through with plans. I guess that might be why it’s been three years since I found myself daydreaming in my high school math class, but you know how it goes…stuff gets in the way. I eventually became preoccupied with other things (ACT exams, scholarship apps…the works) and soon I completely forgot all about the blog.

Fast-forward three years, to my sophomore year in college.

Just the other day, I found myself counting down the minutes in my statistics class (clearly mathematics are not my forte) when it hit me again. I thought about my unborn blog, and the idea was just as exciting as it was three years ago. This time though, I’m actually going to follow through. So, here I am. Allow me to introduce myself:

My name is Mackenzie. I’m a twenty year old Environmental Studies/Public Policy major from the Midwest, and probably one of the most socially-awkward people you will ever come across. I am a mess, and my life is a mess, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. A large part of this blog will be dedicated to sharing my innermost thoughts, epiphanies, and occasional existential crises.

I am an old soul. I love old music, old clothes, and old stories. I probably shouldn’t have been born into this attention-seeking, technologically-savvy, and social media-driven generation (yes, I do see the irony in my decision to create a blog).

I am an aspiring environmental activist. One of my many goals in life is to change the world. I believe Climate Change and the destruction of the Earth are major global issues not being addressed, so I am making it my life’s work to fight for sustainability, efficiency, and justice for future generations.

I am a lover of music, art, nature, Netflix, good food, good books and so much more. Every once in a while, I may post about these things because I enjoy sharing what I love with other people. You can look forward to some pescetarian/vegetarian recipes, great entertainment recommendations, and awesome [alternative, indie, or whatever I’m currently feelin’] playlists.

I am an explorer. My biggest dream in life is to see the world. I want to go everywhere, and experience everything. I have a long list of places to go, and most of them have yet to be checked off. However, that is all about to change. My life is just getting started, and I cannot wait to share my travels and adventures with you.

I am so incredibly excited to be doing this. While this blog is first and foremost meant for me, if anyone out there happens to read my words and relate, that would be beyond cool! Stay tuned for more, because shit’s about to get crazy.

Let’s do this.