I spent my 4th of July in LA for the second time and it was as big of a fail as the last. But at least the rest of the week wasn’t.
I happened to have an even longer ‘weekend’ this week so naturally I flew to a place that I would actually need that much more time: my second home. My friend Cynthia picked me up on the morning of the 4th and we spent most of the day at my friend Alex’s house. Initially, we planned to go down the street to the Queen Mary to watch fireworks, but those plans changed last minute when most of the group decided on Redondo Beach.After a 30-minute drive and an endless search for parking, we walked another 10 minutes only to find out that the firework show was about 20 minutes and the finale was all of 10 seconds…meaning we missed it while we were walking… When I saw fireworks there in 2015, I don’t remember the duration because we were so far away we could barely tell the show was even going on (a.k.a. The First Fail). But when I asked people if that was really it, everyone seemed confused why I would think it was longer. I was pretty over it and ultimately decided that I wouldn’t try 4th of July in The City of Traffic again. The true highlight was the cute pictures we got at Alex’s house earlier that day! Continue reading “4th of July Fail”→
Disclaimer: The purpose of this post is not, in any way, to boast about or show off my travel experiences over the past couple of years. I know that traveling is not feasible for everyone for various reasons, but I want to share how it can be possible even on a budget.
Is it just me or does it seem like in the last year or so, traveling has become sort of a trend? With all the different discount websites/apps and opportunities through college and internships, it makes sense. But why? Why, all of a sudden, is everyone rushing to travel the world? Well, for me, taking that plunge to travel to a different country was life-changing. I know, it’s cliché to say your study abroad experience was ‘the experience of your life,’ but it truly was for me. If you have been following my blog since the beginning, you already know this.
Before I studied abroad, some of my friends claimed that, besides the financial component, they did not have the desire to travel, that they feared missing out on a semester on campus. At that point in my college career, which was midway through junior year, I definitely understood; classes were not beating me down, I made some amazing (and life-long) friends, and I finally had someone to drive me around and explore L.A. (thanks, Cynthia!). But I had been dreaming of studying abroad since I went on a spring break art trip to France and Spain in 2009 and my senior trip to Italy in 2012. By 2015, I felt it was my last chance to see what was out there without any obligations in life.
Château de Versailles
I know some people have been bitten by this travel bug recently, especially with apps like Instagram where people can consistently show off their amazing travel shots. But some people, even with the financial means, see it as something that will be a luxury to them later in life after they have worked a few years. Here is my suggestion to all of you: if you can, TRAVEL NOW. I say ‘now’ because if it is something that has crossed your mind that you have consciously decided to put off for a few years, your experience will be totally different than what you are imagining at this stage in your life.
Pont des Arts bridge
Like my friends, my family had to suffer through my endless talks about London and other countries I visited. My parents are completely content at this stage in life in not having seen the world, but even my brother never thought much about traveling since having his senior trip in 2010 to Costa Rica. He explored the idea of studying abroad in Japan during college, but ultimately didn’t. Like most people, it was mainly a financial thing, but after I persuaded [re: forced] him to go to London with me last summer before I started my internship abroad, he said it was the best trip of his life. Still, this trip would not have been as great as it was had we not planned as much as we could.
If you recognize that loose play-on-words, we can be friends.
Disclaimer: This is a long one.
I have been back and forth in my head about whether or not I should post about this, but in many ways I feel like I have to. Why was I so MIA this summer? Why did I only publish a couple of blog posts while I was abroad for eight weeks? Why didn’t I share any of my writing from my internship? Well, I’ll try to sum it up as succinctly as I can.
This intern abroad program was not what I expected and, in many ways, was falsely advertised. From the housing to my initial internship experience, I was extremely disappointed and unhappy. I absolutely hated my first internship from day one. Two and half weeks in, there was a misunderstanding between me and my employer about my role at the company and ultimately it was decided that I would work remotely twice a week. This actually left me without work for two whole weeks while this company dragged their feet in coming to this conclusion. I am leaving out the bulk of the story for a reason, but just know that the “remote work” didn’t come and my involvement with that company was the most adverse experience I ever had in my entire life that genuinely took a toll on my psyche. Continue reading “The Miscommunication of Alexa Edwards”→
After a 30-minute drive and an endless search for parking, we walked another 10 minutes only to find out that the firework show was about 20 minutes and the finale was all of 10 seconds…meaning we missed it while we were walking… When I saw fireworks there in 2015, I don’t remember the duration because we were so far away we could barely tell the show was even going on (a.k.a. The First Fail). But when I asked people if that was really it, everyone seemed confused why I would think it was longer. I was pretty over it and ultimately decided that I wouldn’t try 4th of July in The City of Traffic again. The true highlight was the cute pictures we got at Alex’s house earlier that day! Continue reading “4th of July Fail” 
Lex in the City 