Determinedly Single: Not Your Average Valentine's Post

Happy Valentine’s Day! Have you seen enough pink and red yet? Eaten your fill of chocolates from a heart-shaped box? Smelled your share of gorgeous red roses? Can anyone ever have too much of any of those things? I don’t think so.

For most, tonight is a night to go out (or stay in) with that special someone in their life. For romantics, it’s all about showing their significant other how much they mean to them; for the slightly more jaded, Valentine’s Day is nothing but an overblown Hallmark holiday. For me? It’s neither, although you’ll never catch me turning down a box of chocolates or a bouquet of roses! But I’m happily single which makes a holiday like today a bit of a moot point. This isn’t your typical Valentine’s Day post--you’ve been warned!

A friend of mine classifies me (if I really must have a classification) as “determinedly single.” I’m neither in a relationship nor looking for one at this point in my life. When I tell people that, I tend to get two reactions a) “but why not?” and b) the harsher “you must be damaged from something.” I’m accustomed to having to defend my decision and why a “young and attractive girl” isn’t in a relationship or, at the very least, looking for one. Admittedly, I used to get a bit annoyed by the fact that everyone felt I owed them an explanation for my choice and that feminist part of me became more than a little indignant. If I was a twenty-something year old man would I have to explain why I like being single? Would I feel pressure to settle down and start a family, yesterday? I highly doubt it.

First off, I’m not opposed to relationships. I think that love is a beautiful thing. Finding that person who fits, who accepts you at your best and your worst, and who wants to plan a life with you is a real life fairytale. And I hope to experience that one day, but not right now.

I want to focus on figuring out who I am on my own before trying to figure out who I am with someone. For the first 21 years of my life, I was more or less defined by my parentage—I’m Mr. and Mrs. L’s daughter. I’ve only just begun to be me, just Brittany. I’m not ready to be someone’s girlfriend, fiancée, or wife. I see this as a time for me to explore and be a little selfish with my time. If I want to move across the country or across the globe, I want to be able to do it without worrying about the fate of a relationship. If I decide to go to graduate school or to change careers, I want my decision to be solely about me and my wants/needs. I want to focus on “me,” not an “us,” and figure out what makes me happy and gives me purpose. I’m not saying that you can’t do those things while being in a relationship; you can travel, build a career or business, and finish your schooling while in a relationship, and I know that plenty of people do. But for me, right now, being single is what feels right, even if I do get a lot of comments from the peanut gallery in the meantime. The fact of the matter is that we all want different things out of life and what works for you might not work for me and vice versa. We all just have to do what makes us happiest, whether that’s being with someone or not—I can’t stress that enough.

One day I hope to find Mr. Right, and I hope that we’ll be the sort of couple that makes a big deal of Valentine’s Day, as cheesy as it may be. Romantic dinner, flowers, cards, candy, the whole nine yards. But I would want us to show each other how much we mean to each other 365 days of the year too. In the meantime though, I want to get a better handle on who I am and not be going through some sort of identity crisis when I meet him.

So this Valentine’s Day, I will buy my own roses and eat my lovely Godiva Truffle Bars (you must try them) and be very happy about it. Valentine’s Day can be about loving yourself too, right?

Now that I’ve gotten all existential on you and rambled on...what are your plans for Valentine’s Day? Are you going to be spending it with a loved one? Alone? With friends?

#TBT: Venetian Magic

My final two days in Italy were spent in Venice. It's an old, majestic city where using a map is futile (as I learned the hard way), and it’s best to just wander the canals and streets with no destination in mind. I personally think the city is enchanted because the moment I stopped looking for a specific shop, it miraculously appeared in front of me. Repeatedly. I kid you not. 

Despite temperatures 20 degrees lower than Rome and Florence, gray skies, and drizzle, I still had an incredible time. While I enjoyed the touristy sites like Basilica San Marco, Rialto Bridge, and the Doge’s Palace, it was the many different artisans of the city that truly impressed me. The Venetian masks, the Burano lace, and the Murano glass were so skillfully and beautifully designed. 

GENERAL TIPS

If you want a real Venetian mask, be warned that a lot of the ones sold in the tourist shops are actually made in China, not Venice or even Italy.  I’d highly recommend visiting La Bottega dei Mascareri for the real deal. It’s a closet-sized shop, but don’t let that fool you. 

For booklovers like me, Libreria Acqua Alta is a must-see. It’s this cramped bookstore with gondolas, rowboats, and bathtubs filled with books inside, a stairway of books outside, and a picturesque reading area where you can look out onto one of Venice’s canals.

Gondola rides are another must when you’re in Venice but expensive. It costs €80 for a 30 minute ride. Fun fact though: no two gondolas are alike. They are personalized to reflect the gondolier’s style.

I found it easiest to navigate Venice by scraping the map and paying attention to the posted signs for landmarks like Rialto, San Marco, and San Giovanni. You can easily follow the signs to get to the landmarks themselves and they helped to keep my bearings as I explored.

MURANO & BURANO

I was fortunate to have booked a tour of some of the neighboring islands in the lagoon on my second day in Venice.  Honestly, I wasn’t a huge fan of the tour itself (the one guide gave the tour in English, Italian, Spanish, and German but rushed through the four languages so that I hardly recognized English over the awful speakers), but the destinations were extraordinary.

Murano is renowned for its glass, which is crafted into works of art ranging from traditional glassware to chandeliers and decorative sculptures. We watched a glass-blowing demonstration and were left to wander around and shop afterwards. Unfortunately, we weren’t allowed to take pictures of the glasswork, but the level of detail and the rich colors of the glass blew my mind.

Of the islands that we visited on the tour, Burano was by far my favorite. The island is known for its lace and for its vibrantly colored houses. The legend is that fishermen painted their homes in bright colors so that they could spot the shore at night, and now it’s illegal to change the colors. The village is so cheerful, especially on a gray day.

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After that, it was arrivederci to Italy the next morning. It was, as lame as it sounds, a trip of a lifetime, and I do hope to visit Italy again one day. There’s so much of the country that I still haven't seen! Plus, I’d love to spend more time in both Florence and Venice, unearthing some of their hidden gems and eating more of their delicious food. I really didn’t eat enough pasta while I was there--rookie mistake. I’ll do better next time!

4 Helpful Apps for Learning French

I’ve been so lazy when it comes to my French. Between working full-time and living life, French hasn’t been a priority since I studied the language in college. And even then, despite my love of the language, I wasn’t able to fit the classes into my schedule after my sophomore year. So, for more or less the last five years, I haven’t had much of a reason to practice speaking French, and I learned that the cliché “if you don’t use it, you’ll lose it” is more than a little true.

When I decided that I was going to France this year, it gave me the kick in the seat that I needed in order to pick up French again. This past fall, I resumed my studies with the hope that maybe I’d be able to get by in Paris without asking everyone to speak to me in English (even though many French people speak English too). Since I don’t have the funds to take classes or pay for fancy software, I had to find a way to immerse myself in the language again--reading, speaking, and listening to French whenever possible at little cost--and I think I’ve been managing thanks to my iPhone and some great apps. So without further ado, here are my go-to apps for learning French!

Duolingo is my godsend and a popular free app to boot. It makes learning a language (French, Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese currently) an interactive game instead of a memorization chore like some courses. Not only is the Duolingo owl super adorable, the app is fun (not kidding!). You complete units at your own pace and learn to read, write, and speak as you go along, and the app sends you email reminders to practice daily. I just hit my 100 day streak which was an exciting moment for me. Duolingo really has helped me to review the skills I learned in college while expanding my vocabulary and teaching me new grammar rules. If you want review a language or take a stab at a new one, this app should be on your phone.

News in Slow French is just that—news spoken in slow French. Each episode is like a radio show focusing on current events and also grammar. The cool thing about the app is that you can adjust the speed of the announcers, and the app provides a French transcript if you decide to read along. There is a paid version, but I’ve stuck with the free content and have been quite pleased.
La Dépêche is a regional daily newspaper from Toulouse, and the app lets you read their articles for free on your phone. I found the language to be the most accessible of the French newspapers that I tried to read, and the fact that I could read the articles easily on my iPhone was a huge plus. I’m a bit of a news junkie, so I like the fact that there are articles on a variety of topics at my fingertips.

VidaLingua French-English Dictionary has been a user-friendly resource for those moments when I’m struggling to understand something I’ve read or heard. There are free and paid versions available (the paid one comes with more words), but in both you’re given definitions, conjugations, and audio clips for pronunciation. The app also comes with phrases and vocabulary quizzes. I’ve stuck with the free version because I’m being a cheapskate, but I probably should upgrade. There’s been more than one occasion where the definition I need is only available if I download the paid version, which can be more than a teensy bit frustrating.

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I’d love to be bilingual one day, but I know that, realistically, I’m a long way off, but I’m going to keep at it. I hope that you’ve maybe discovered a new app to download, especially if you’re studying French like me (or trying to anyway). I’d love to know what language(s) you’re studying and if you’re using any apps to help you! xx

3 Tasty Fruit Smoothies to Die For

2015 has been all about eating healthier for me.  As I’ve already mentioned (a few times), I’ve been trying to eat more fresh fruits and veggies, and I’ve been succeeding thanks to my Nutribullet.  It was a birthday present from my parents, and it’s made fruits and vegetables really exciting for me.  Instead of buying the same old produce week after week, my family is now keeping a wide variety of fruits and vegetables in the house.  We were pretty much an apple and banana family, but now we have papayas, mangoes, pineapples, and all sorts of berries, just to name a few.  And I’ve really been having fun experimenting with the fruit combinations! 

Since getting my Nutribullet, smoothies have become my go-to breakfast and snack food on the weekend.  I’ve noticed that I don’t snack as much after I’ve had a smoothie, and I’m usually the snack-queen.  They’ve turned out to be a tasty, low-calorie, and proteinaceous alternative to the junk food I usually eat while lounging around the house. 

I figured that since smoothies have been such a hit with me (and my parents) that maybe some of you would be fans too, if you aren’t already.  So, here are a few of my favorite smoothie recipes so far…

PINEAPPLE GINGER SMOOTHIE

Simply blend 1 ½ cups of frozen pineapple, 1 fresh banana, ½ cup of non-fat vanilla Greek yogurt, a pinch of ground ginger (to taste), and ½ cup of water.  This low-calorie smoothie (about 250 calories) has a bit of a kick to it but was a huge hit with my family.  It’s colorful and zesty with a bit of sweetness to it and made me momentarily forget it was bitter cold outside.  Oh, the mysterious powers of tropical fruits!  If you use fresh pineapple, then I’d suggest adding 6-8 cubes of ice to give your smoothie a refreshing chill.

CHOCOLATE STRAWBERRY SMOOTHIE

Blend 1 cup of fat free milk, ¾ cup of non-fat vanilla Greek yogurt, 1 cup of frozen strawberries, ¼ cup of chocolate chips.  This smoothie tastes like dessert, which probably explains why it’s my favorite so far.  At about 510 calories, it is a bit indulgent for someone on a diet but totally worth it.  I felt like I was drinking a cake--yum!  

VERY BERRY SMOOTHIE

Blend ½ cup of non-fat vanilla Greek yogurt, 1 cup of frozen strawberries, 1 cup of frozen blueberries, 1 cup of frozen black cherries, 1 banana, and water.  The color of this smoothie was basically the most Instagram-worthy thing ever, and the smoothie was rich, creamy, and sweet.  At about 360 calories, you get a pretty large smoothie if you try to drink it in one go.

#TBT: Florence, I Love You

Florence. Firenze. No matter what you call it, it is a beautiful city out of the Renaissance, unceremoniously dropped in the twenty first century. The Florentines seem to take pride in their compact city and their rich heritage, and I can’t say that I blame them.

After being in a sprawling metropolis like Rome, Florence was a refreshing change. There was no real need to use public transportation because I could walk just about anywhere (and there was no cobblestone!).  I was also struck by the fact that Florence smelled of leather. Everywhere I went, there was a subtle musk in the air.

GENERAL TIPS

Don’t be afraid to barter in the markets. My favorite market while I was in Florence was Mercato Nuovo, home to Porcellino (the statue). I made several trips to that particular market during my time in the city and purchased most of my souvenirs there. The vendors expect you to barter, so do it. You’ll be surprised how much you might end up saving at the end of the day.

Reserve your ticket to the Accademia online and try to go first thing in the morning. You’ll avoid the lines and get a chance to be up-close and personal with David. Trust me—he’s worth it.

Buy gold from a shop on the Ponte Vecchio (if you have the funds). I saved up for this particular purchase and considered it a splurge, but I know that I’ll have my 18 carat gold necklace for lifetime. If you don’t feel like spending that sort of money, you’ll still get some impressive shots of the Arno from the bridge.

LIFE IS ART

In Florence, life and art are one in the same. The Uffizi and the Accademia are two galleries that you can’t miss! The Uffizi is home to the statues of Perseus and The Rape of the Sabine Women as well as Botticelli’s Birth of Venus and La Primavera. The walls and corridors are packed with artwork so it can be a bit of a sensory overload—I never knew where to look next! The Accademia is not as impressive in size but where else can you see Michelangelo’s David or the Unfinished Slaves?

Even when you’re not in the galleries though, artists set up shop all over the piazzas to sell their watercolors, sketches, and paintings.

ANOTHER DOME

The major basilica in Florence is Il Duomo, which you can see from just about anywhere in the city. It’s another 500 step hike to the top and perhaps even more claustrophobic than St. Peter’s Basilica, but it’s a fantastic photo-op for the fearless! All my warnings for St. Peter’s Basilica apply here too!

FOOD GLORIOUS FOOD

Being from the US, I’m not accustomed to food markets or the quality of food that I think Europeans take for granted. Sure, there are farmer’s markets here that you can go to but, on the whole, grocery shopping is done at a supermarket chain and your meats come from Styrofoam containers wrapped in plastic.

I woke up extra early one morning just to see how the other half lived and visit Mercato Centrale. Unfortunately, I got there before many for the stalls were open, but I still found myself incredibly jealous of the freshness of the Florentine’s food. The fish looked like they’d been swimming around only moments before and the produce was as God intended it with all its natural imperfections and juiciness. Did I mention the hand-cut pasta? It’s making me hungry just thinking about it...