Happy Wednesday! It feels so good to be back in the USA, I went on a very necessary trip to London/Paris accompanied with my childhood girlfriends that made the trip all but of AMAZING. With only 5 days to soak up London and Paris in it's entirety, I'm so happy to say that we checked a few places/things off our bucketlist, ate all the calories we wanted (no diets on vacay! lol), sipped on champagne and enjoyed all the beauty that can be found in these historical cities day in and night. I've visited London and Paris a few years ago but it was during the time my Grandma was very ill so I didn't get the chance to fully enjoy my whole experience because so much of my mind was focused on what was happening back home. This time was completely different and although my grandma wasn't on my mind, I was dealing with a personal situation that occupied a lot of my mental space (If it's not one thing, it's another..right? I guess that is life) so planning a impromptu trip with only 2 months in between was just what I needed and prayed for.
(Throughout the trip I took video of a few moments that I didn't get to share on social media)
From moving to DC a month ago and removing myself from friendships/relationships that were not for good me on top of me figuring out where I want to take my career...I felt the need to go on this trip with a positive mind and focus on gaining a new perspective and outlook on my life. This included limiting my communication with the outside world and focus on totally immersing myself in the European culture (glad to say---it was a success). The week right before my trip I spent some time with my bestfriend and we drank wine and watched EAT PRAY LOVE starring my favorite actress Julia Roberts for the very first time (I LOVED IT) and then I read about Adrienne Bailon's #eatpraylove trip which inspired me so much, I decided to call this trip that for so many reasons. Although I didn't have an extreme amount of time to pray like I wanted to (or like Julia Roberts did in the movie) I found myself praying quietly and talking to God when I was in shower; laying in bed after a long day of sight seeing and on the train ride to London/Paris. I think sometimes we get so caught up our day to day activities/duties that we forget to thank God for our many blessings and life's infinite lessons that has molded us into the people we are today. So here's a very exclusive look into my EAT PRAY LOVE trip with my girlfriends.
Taxi cab line up at Victoria Station!
How did they know that champagne was my middle name?! Lol #BestWelcomeEver
My first meal at my hotel in London! After a long day of travel this was so necessary.
First day out in London!
Victoria Memorial :)
Before our hike to Harrods lol!
All gold everything!
Had to go to Harrods...it's a girls dream mall!
Somebody say Couture?
Oh heyyy Big Ben!
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| WHAT I WORE: Jean shirt by H&M/ Reversible jeans (old) from Target/ Metallic loafers (old) by ZARA/ Coat (gifted)/ |
Ended our day/night of sight seeing at the beautiful London Eye!
Had to get my sushi fix!
Peruvian chicken and fries!
Spare ribs were bommmmb :-D
Three's company takes London..Part Deux!
In the beautiful Trafalgar Square :)
Café Nero was so clutch! Definitely a place to stop while in London.
If you are ever in London, stay at the Plaza on the River (it's super beautiful). It's super close to the London Eye, Big Ben and major tourist attractions.
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| WHAT I WORE: Striped turtleneck by H&M/ Cigarette denim jeans from TopShop/ Nike 'Air Pegasus 83' from Nordstrom/ Wool coat (old) from H&M/ black clutch (gifted)/ |
I know when that hotline bling............
Missed the changing of the guards at Buckingham Palace so I stopped by the House of Guards to hang out with this guy. I was so scared! Lol #MILES
It was our first time riding the Eurostar and boy was it an experience (a good one to say the least). Very organized and the trains were fairly new and clean.
The trickiest escalator ever lol....but we made it!
After a wardrobe malfunction, I remembered I packed this little sequins dress (very Balmain, don't you think?). Ladies, always remember to pack multiple outfits!
Our first night out in PARIS! Seriously, one of the best nights of the trip!
On our way to dinner and there it was....the EIFFEL TOWER!!! We flipped out when we saw it, doesn't matter how many times you see it...it's truly a beautiful sight to see.
We had a bit of a spiral finding a restaurant that was open after 10pm but we found this gorgeous restaurant that served this amazing thai dish. It was delicious!!
Then, there was club Duplex which was a lot of fun. We met a lot of Parisians (Definitely need to work on my French) and got the chance to listen to our favorite music in a different city. Of course we gravitated to the hip-hop floor where we sung Rihanna's "BBHMM" at the top of our lungs. Good times with great people indeed!
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| WHAT I WORE: Multi-color sequin and mesh dress (old) from ASOS/ Jimmy Choo |
When your night ends up at the Arc de Triomphe it was a good night!
Day TWO in Paris began with bunny ears and a red lip! #BrunchBound
....walking the streets of Paris!
My friend went to Paris over the summer and told me about a cool brunch spot that served REAL breakfast food, so you knowww I had to try it out!
For only 23 Euros we ate pretty good...this was called the "American breakfast", I think they got us Americans figured out lol!
After a great breakfast all we could do was smile :)
There are so many beautiful doors in Paris...
Right before we discovered the Love Lock Bridge!
Lock & key :)
.....the lock is secured to the bridge of LOVE!!
....tossed the key in the river of HOPE :)
Definitely a place I checked off my bucket list! #SchuntelAlexis
Our hearts are filled with some much love. Thank you God for this beautiful moment with my girlfriends! Keep our love locked down :)
Can you guess where?!
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| WHAT I WORE: White blouse by ZARA/ Leather moto jacket (old) by H&M/ Gold sequin pants 9old) from DASH Boutique/ Black & gold sneakers from ALDO/ Gold bunny ears (old) by BCBG/ |
We took our talents to the beautiful and popular Lourve Museum! Paris is just so beautiful, the pictures don't do this place justice.
Back to the place we were super obsessed with!! #EiffelTower
Get in my selfie Eiffel Tower :)
Selfies x 2
Last day in Paris and it deserved a ussie in front of the beautiful Eiffel. We were obsessed!! I think this picture was taken before we devoured the strawberry & nutella crepes!! Oui Oui, so good!
Dinner by the Eiffel Tower....how could I say no? :)
Had dinner at the amazing Les Ombres, the view was spectacular. Although the food wasn't so amazing, we had the best view so there was very little to complain about.
Dinner for three :)
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| WHAT I WORE: Sleeve-less turtleneck by H&M/ White skirt from MissGuided/ |
Girrrrl it's a photo-shoot ; )
Before we left Paris we stopped by my favorite place ( NO SERIOUSLY--if you know me, you know how much I loveeee McDonalds lol, it's a habit I'm trying to break).
Mc Café was poppin! Macaroons were yummy :)
Breakfast for champions!
After a train ride back to London I got the chance to see my family. First up on the menu was the classic English breakfast (baked beans, mushrooms, eggs, sausages, bacon, tomatoes, fried bread & mimosas complete with muffins and English tea).
After breakfast, we needed something sweet before we did more sight seeing so the local ice cream truck was in the perfect place at the perfect time :)
2 cones also known as "2 Flakes"
The entrance to Hampton Court! So exciting!
Following the sun with my beautiful cousin in the middle of the rose garden!
Such a beautiful palace :)
The royal wave...
Sitting by River Thame...so beautiful and serene!
My cousins :)
Lucky 17 :)
My last night in London required more sushi but this time I tried Sashimi salmon and it was AMAZING. I also enjoyed this beautiful duck salad among other great dishes!!
Always so hard to say good-bye to my family, they are truly beautiful people inside-out. Can't wait to spend more time with them!
In the words of Drake, "What an amazing time it is to be alive", I found myself saying "Thank you God" a lot during this trip during the most random times (for some reason I feel his presence more when I travel)! I wouldn't trade my life for nothing, all of the good/bad has got to me to this beautiful place of understanding and peace. Every time I travel I gain a new perspective and experience that I can't really describe. I'm truly blessed to have parents that instilled in me the importance of traveling and living a life that you love. I can't wait for my next adventure, in the mean time between time Happy Fall everybody!! xo
