Travel Bucket List

I've always loved to travel, anywhere and everywhere. I love exploring new places and meeting new people and seeing new sights. While I definitely want to check out many different places in general, there's a few very specific sights I want to see during my 20s. This list will definitely be expanded (and hopefully things will get crossed off!)

Disclaimer: as much as I wish they were, none of these are my own pictures.

1. Cranberry Bogs
Where: random places in New England
This is perhaps the easiest one to get to, given that there are a few of these in Massachusetts and other states near me. The most difficult part of this is to find someone who wants to go with me.

2. Salt Flats
Where: Uyuni, Bolivia
Partly for the forced-perspective pictures, partly because holy shit.

3. Chengdu Panda Base
Where: Chengdu, China
Pandas are my favorite animal, and you can actually hold one at the Chengdu Panda Base. Life-long dream.

4. Camping de la Baie-de-Perce
Where: Perce, Canada
Stemming from a long-standing love affair with French Canada (did I mention I'm going to Quebec City Winter Carnival - again?), and with a new love affair with French-Canadian National Parks thanks to the incredible Parc National des Hautes-Gorges-de-la-Riviere-Malbaie, this park caught my attention because it's camping on cliffs next to the ocean, things don't get much better than that.

Moving to New York

I officially moved to New York City on Saturday, July 12. I had a sinking feeling in my stomach because I was leaving my family, because I was going to somewhere that wasn't Dartmouth, and because I was nervous about the things that lay ahead - but no matter how nervous I was, I did not expect things to be nearly as difficult and emotional as they were.

Everyone has a horrible "when I first moved to New York story". Here's mine.

I was picked up by my roommate Amanda at LaGuardia and dropped off in Flushing, Queens, where I was staying with an older woman, a friend of my dad's friend from high school (very far removed from my family - this explains what happens later). She wasn't charging me too much money, so I decided to agree. From the beginning, I realized this wasn't a happy living situation. I realized I would be staying on a leather couch with one blanket, and that the walk to the train stop was almost half an hour. On the phone, she said she had wi-fi and air conditioning that she would turn on if the weather got too hot. She avoided all questions regarding the wi-fi, claiming she didn't know the password, forcing me to apartment hunt on my phone and during my lunch break at work. She didn't turn on the air conditioning once, not even during the worst heat wave New York had seen in 10 years. I desperately tried to turn it on once - it wasn't plugged in. I had to sleep on a bare leather couch in 97 degree weather. My commute to work required three trains: the (unairconditioned) 7, the G, and the C. The 7 caught on fire once and stopped running, another time I was delayed for over an hour because a door was broken.

Apartment hunting was no better. Amanda and I knew nothing about Brooklyn and so we started our apartment search blindly, walking into some of the most horrible neighborhoods I have ever been to. The first apartment we saw was on a corner where a prostitute was demanding money from her pimp, and the radiators in the place were broken. We saw broken doors, broken windows, gross toilets, horrible walks from the subway. I was getting home every day at 1:00 AM to attempt to fall asleep on the leather couch. Amanda and I finally broke down on Friday, and we both departed from New York City and spent our weekend getting ourselves back together and not being on the subway. I spent the weekend in Morristown with Damaris, so grateful to be there I nearly cried.

We came back and finally found an apartment, and although it's been a bit of a hassle to get everything set up, I was glad I no longer had to spend my time on Craigslist. Meanwhile, things in Queens got worse, as my landlady started treating me worse and worse until things culminated last Sunday after spending the weekend away with Jing. After a gross bathroom issue, I texted Amanda, who found out her friend Sarah had an extra room where I could stay until her future roommate moved in - a/c, a bed, and wi-fi. I left Sunday night, much to the dismay of my landlady, and things have been looking up ever since.

Amanda and I are moving into our apartment tomorrow, and we're going to Ikea on Saturday to pick out awesome new furniture. In other big news, meet the newest member of the Agredo family, Wall-E:

All in all, the tears and pain were worth it for our new apartment and for all the friends I've made while I've been here. The one thing I haven't mentioned, my job, has been so incredible that I almost feel too lucky to have it. Everything else has been worth it so that I can work with the incredible group of people I'm working with. Uncommon Schools is truly a great organization. This whole thing has taught me that I'm thankful for my friends, the unrelenting support of my parents, and my job. I'm not thankful for the housing market in New York City. 

Tl;dr: Subletting sucks, apartment hunting sucks, my job is awesome, my friends are awesome, my parents are awesome, and I'm adopting a maltese. 

Here's to many new adventures in New York!

xoxoxo

My Love Affair with Clinique Lip Products

Clinique is by far my favorite makeup brand. While I definitely tend to stay within drugstore brands because of the price, but sometimes I'll save up some money and buy Clinique instead. Their products are great for your skin and they make you look great - nothing not to love.

Last year the Dartmouth Bookstore got a Clinique stand (tip for all you ladies going to Dartmouth next year) and I went a bit crazy. The wonderful woman working the stand knew me by name by the end. 

This is a review of my lip stuff alone, because I'm particularly obsessed with their lip products. 

Chubby Stick Intense in Curviest Caramel

I am completely obsessed with Chubby Sticks (including the eye ones -  that'll come on a different post), and my goal is to collect all of them (and I probably will). They are moisturizing while still having a great color payoff and in my opinion they are one of the best This color is my absolute favorite out of all of them, and I wear it more than every other lipstick I own. It's a gorgeous nude color, and the best way to explain it is that this is like your lips - but better. 

Chubby Stick Intense in Mightiest Maraschino

This is the most gorgeous pinkish/red color, and it's soft while colorful. I don't usually like pink lips but this one is incredible. 

Chubby Stick in Oversized Orange

This is a color I would have never picked out for myself, but the lady at the Clinique counter recommended it for my coral-colored dress. It comes out so gorgeous on the lips, and it's a great way to jump on the coral trend without going overboard. Definitely one of my favorites.

Chubby Stick in Chunky Cherry

One of my favorite red lip colors of all time, tied with the Revlon Lip Butter in Cherry Tart. This is a gorgeous red color that looks good on most people (I've given this as a present to both my mom, who is Hispanic, and one of my really good friends, who is Asian, and this color looks great on both of them).

Almost Lipstick in Black Honey

This is Clinique's best selling lip product of all time - and for good reason. The only way to describe this color is "sultry". It looks great on everyone - it almost adapts to your lips in a way that looks both natural and glamorous at the same time.

Different Lipstick in Spiced Apple

This is a great nude, every day color. This is the color that I use when I want to look professional (interviews, work, meeting the parents, etc), since it looks good and still adds a little something. 

That's my collection (for now - it'll definitely grow!). 

xoxo. 

Favorite Red and Blue Nail Polishes

In honor of the fourth of July, of course! I'm obsessed with nail polish and I hope this inspire you for some amazing nail polish looks. Note: I used the official "stock" photos of these, but they really don't do the colors justice. Look up swatches online and you'll see how gorgeous these colors actually are. 

Red

Essie Fishnet Stockings

This is my absolute favorite red nail polish (and up there in my all time favorite nail polishes of all colors). It's a gorgeous deep red that flatters every skin tone and gets compliments every time it is used. If you're looking for a good red polish, look no further than this. It is incredible. 

OPI Tasmanian Devil Made Me Do It

This is a gorgeous orangey-red that I have owned and repurchased for a couple of years now. It's one of the first nail polishes that I bought, and every time I wear it I receive compliments on it. The formula is great and stays on your nails forever. 

OPI I'm Not Really A Waitress

This looks really pink but it's actually a very shiny deep red with very subtle fuchsia undertones. Another gorgeous flattering color. 

Revlon Brilliant Strength Seduce

This is a gorgeous candy apple red with a bit of shimmer. Fishnet Stockings (above) has very dark undertones, while this one is brighter and more playful. 

Blue 

Sally Hansen Salon Manicure Blue My Mind

This is a very playful, multi-dimensional blue that would be perfect for the fourth of July. This color does not flatter all skin tones though, and it can be pretty overwhelming. I love to wear it for occasions that call for it (like a day party or a holiday) but it's not an everyday nail polish. 

Revlon ColorStay Blue Slate 

A very muted, gorgeous, work-appropriate blue color that I have worn to death. I love it so much, and now that I'm going to start my big girl job I'll definitely be wearing it more often. I'll be doing another post on work-appropriate nail polish soon.  

L'Oreal After Hours

I'm obsessed with navy. It's my favorite color in the world and I own more navy clothes than I own in any other color, and I'm planning on decorating my room in my new apartment in mostly navy and white (there'll be a ton of posts about that coming up). Coming from a navy lover, I can tell you that this is the perfect navy color. It's deep, rich, flattering, opaque, everything you could want in a color. I wear this far too often, as I do many other navy things. 

Essie Borrowed and Blue 

This is such a beautiful soft pastel blue, perfect for spring and summer days. 

Happy 4th of July!

xoxo. 

Mascara Review

I absolutely love trying out new mascaras. Mascara is probably one of my favorite makeup items, and I love trying out different ones and seeing what works - this post will be dedicated to different mascaras and how much I love them (or don't). 

Disclosure about my lashes: I have naturally really long curly lashes. While you may think that this makes me worse at reviewing mascaras, I actually think it makes it harder for a mascara to impress me, because it's really hard to lengthen my lashes and because I smudge really easily. So when I like a mascara, it means it's withstood the test of length, time, weather, and anything else that may cause trouble when it comes to lashes.

So let's get to it! This is a compiled list of the mascaras I currently have or have tried in the very recent past. Again, all opinions are my own.

Physician's Formula Organic Wear ($9.99)

Rating: ★☆☆☆☆

I absolutely hated this mascara. The brush clumps up your lashes, and the formula is so bad that it smudged within an hour.

Maybelline Great Lash ($5.19)

Rating: ★★☆☆☆

This was the first mascara I ever used when I was 16, and I used it for many years before I tried other things. I know this mascara sells fairly well, partly to do with the price. This is nothing special - it doesn't lengthen very much and it smudges fairly easily. Definitely not worth the hype. 

Side note: the clear version is incredible for setting eyebrows, and it really holds them in place throughout the day. 

CoverGirl LashBlast ($7.79)
Rating: ★★☆☆☆

Another bestseller I don't really like. The formula isn't very good and smudges very easily, and I actually think the Great Lash mentioned above is a much better deal than this one. 

L'Oreal Double Extend ($10.95)
Rating: ★★★☆☆

This mascara lengthens your lashes so much that it makes you look like you have false lashes on. This is the favorite mascara of many people I know who have short lashes. I'm really not a fan of the formula, however, because it smudges, but the deal breaker for me really was the fact that it's so hard to take off, you take a few eyelashes off in the process. Even after that, you're likely to wake up the next day with raccoon eyes. 

Maybelline The Falsies ($7.99)
Rating: ★★★★☆

This mascara is such good bang for your buck. The formula is excellent and even the non-waterproof formula hardly smudges. The only thing I don't like about this mascara is the brush, because it can be a bit clumpy, but if you wiggle it a bit as you put it on then it works wonders. Definitely the best drugstore mascara I've tried by far.

Benefit They're Real! ($23.00)
Rating: ★★★★★

The single best mascara I've ever tried, and it breaks my heart that it doesn't come in a waterproof formula otherwise I would use it every day. While the formula is certainly good, what really makes this mascara the best is the brush. That brush will get into every single one of your lashes and will extend them endlessly, and the tip will get even your hardest to reach corner lashes. If you're wondering whether it's worth the investment, there's a $10.00 mini version (at the same link above) that you can try to see if you like it (hint: you will).

Clinique High Impact Waterproof ($16.00)
Rating: ★★★★★

My current favorite mascara and the one I use every single day (except for special night-out occasions when I'll use my Benefit one). The brush is great, the formula's great, and I have a long-standing obsession with Clinique. Nothing not to love here.

And that's all! I hope some of this stuff is useful next time you're buying a mascara - leave your favorites in the comments!

xoxo.

Top Things To Do/Avoid at Dartmouth College

I recently graduated from Dartmouth College, a fact that makes me so sad that I'm compensating for it by talking endlessly about it. I had an amazing time and met the most amazing people and I would not trade the past four years for anything in the world. The following is a question I answered on my Tumblr sometime my senior year to an incoming member of the class of 2017. 

Top Things To Do/Avoid at Dartmouth College by a ‘13

1. Don’t have a plan set in stone from the very beginning

I was a Biomedical Engineering major when I started. I had my D-plan planned out for all four years with my Thayer advisor before the first day of class freshman fall. That morphed into just pre-med (everyone starts out being pre-med), and I spent my first two years at Dartmouth struggling through bio and chem classes until one day everything crumbled and I thought my life was over (I really did. You can ask my roommate.) I found what I was passionate about afterwards, and while junior and senior year were academically very happy, all that suffering would have been avoided if I had just allowed myself to explore at the beginning. You have to take pre-reqs anyway, so take some weird-ass classes freshman year and discover what you love before you choose a path. 

2. Go on an FSP/LSA

Seriously, this is my number one regret from Darmouth. Take a language, take a random religion class, philosophy class, anthropology, whatever it is that interests you and go abroad. Going back to my first point, I didn’t do a study abroad because I was too busy being pre-med. Seriously, work that shit into your D-plan somehow. Find a way. 

3. Don’t think that everyone at Dartmouth has their shit together and that you must be a failure because you don’t

I have seen this affect many great people, and it’s affected me as well. We all come from being applauded as the best of the best in high school, but you’re not always going to be the best at everything here. You’re still an incredible, intelligent human being, and it’s not always easy to remember that. 

We all put on this great act of knowing what we’re doing and being chair of every organization and taking the hardest classes while still managing to smile and sleep 10 hours a night. The truth is, we are all just scrambling to find our place at Dartmouth and in society and many of us, no matter how put-together, really feel the pressure of it sometimes. It can get lonely to think that you’re the only one struggling - but know that everyone is facing their own battles. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. And know that you WILL get rejected from things sometimes.

4. Dartmouth isn’t Hogwarts + Disney World

During orientation, trip leaders and croos are excited and everyone seems happy and Orientation Team is AWESOME (self-calling ‘cause I was on it for two years wazzup) and it’s the end of summer so it’s still semi-sunny outside and you sincerely can’t believe that you’ve arrived at this magical place. Things get really hard really fast, however, and you have to realize that things aren’t always going to be perfect, and you have to learn how to be okay with it. 

5. If you want a single as a freshman, ask for a single

My freshman year, we didn’t have enough people requesting singles so even some people that requested roommates had to get singles. That’s how many singles we have for freshmen. If you want one, request it in your housing application. 

6. Volunteer with other parts of the Upper Valley 

Hanover is a bubble. A rich, gorgeous bubble where houses sell for millions and the building codes are unbearably strict for the sole purpose of keeping the town looking like a postcard. There’s many struggling communities around Hanover, however, and nothing will be quite as effective in bringing you down to earth as realizing that Hanover is an alternate reality and that you can really make a difference in the community at large.

7. Do non-drinking things

It’s very tempting to spend the largest part of your non-academic life at Dartmouth trying to get on table at a frat or standing by the wall of a frat awkwardly sipping Keystone or getting so drunk off of Zenka shots that your floormates have to carry you to your room. While that’s all well and good and part of the college experience, I have to tell you that some of my most memorable experiences from Dartmouth have been outside of a frat basement. Go to hop concerts, go to events like taco fiesta or tie-dye over orientation, go to performances and culture nights and enjoy the time you have with your friends, even if it’s just watching a movie on your laptop. Life at Dartmouth CAN be happy even if you don’t go out every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, I promise. 

8. Not getting into the frat/sorority you always dreamt of your Sophomore year will not ruin your life, getting into it does not guarantee happiness

I’ve seen this with a lot of my friends and people I know since we pledged our sophomore year. People who didn’t get a bid were crushed, but they found their place at Dartmouth somewhere else. Some people who did get a bid ended up not fitting into their house. Regardless, your affiliation does not define who you are. After Sophomore year, no one cares at all what house you’re in, and the only person really affected by the friendships you’ve made and the bridges you’ve burnt is you. Reputations are stupid, go where you feel comfortable. 

9. Dedicate time to things you care about

Extracurricular time at Dartmouth is too limited to spend it doing something that makes you unhappy. Find organizations that you love working with and stick to them, because nothing sucks more than finding yourself slaving away working for something you don’t care about. 

10. Go on Programming Board weekend trips

Quebec City and New York winter term, Montreal spring term. Some of my favorite Dartmouth memories. 

Moral of this rant: time at Dartmouth is too short to be unhappy. I am so jealous you get to start next fall, I would sincerely re-play Dartmouth on a loop for the rest of my life if I could. Embrace it, enjoy it, accept it, meet some awesome people and do as much of it as you can because it’ll be over before you know it. 

Bonus Dartmouth picture from my Instagram during my favorite season (fall), because I miss this school more than I can put into words. 

Exploring French Canada

I recently went on a post-graduation trip with my family where we drove through the province of Quebec. I absolutely love Quebec, and if you love sightseeing, speaking French, and naturally stunning places, I highly recommend checking out this area of Canada. 

Montreal

I have been to Montreal twice, once in the spring of 2012 and once this past summer. 

(Spring 2012, Old Port of Montreal)

(Summer 2013, Museum of Fine Arts)

Montreal is a city in every sense of the word. Tall buildings, harsh traffic, a bustling downtown area - Montreal is a great metropolitan center. If you like big, bustling cities (yet less bustling than places like New York), Montreal is the place for you. 

Must-Sees in Montreal

1. Biodome

The Biodome de Montreal is the place where you can let your inner child be fascinated by the different climates and animals represented here. From the tropical forest (that actually feels warm) to the ice caps and the penguins, it's fascinating to see how the different climates have been created here. 

2. Old Montreal

Beautiful old buildings, tons of restaurants, perfect to stroll down and take tons of pictures. 

3. Musee de Beaux-Arts

Incredible (free!) museum, connected underground to other areas of the museum. 

4. Olympic Tower

I'm a sucker for views and this provides a panorama view of the whole city - and the ride up is pretty cool too. 

Things I Wish I Had Seen 

Because of rain and time constraints, I was unable to visit the Parc du Mont-Royal and the Notre Dame  Basilica - but I drove by them and they looked absolutely gorgeous! Every travel website also recommended them as must-sees in the city. 

Quebec City

I have also been to Quebec City twice, once during the winter of 2012 and once this past summer. 

(Vieux Quebec, Winter 2012)

(Vieux Quebec, Summer 2013)

Quebec City was once described as to me as the most European place in North America, and it is currently tied with Edinburgh for my favorite place in the entire world, and I have very solid plans to go back in February and in October of 2014. I have visited both when it was cold and when it was warm, and in both climates the city was absolutely breathtaking. In the summer, the colors are bright and beautiful, and if you visit during the right time in the winter you get to experience Quebec City Winter Carnival. 

I'm not going to make a list of must-sees as much as tell you to put on your walking shoes (or boots) and explore the streets of Old Quebec and see where the day takes you. Last time I was there, my family and I randomly came across the Musee de Bon Pasteur (too obscure to even be on Trip Advisor - the receptionist only spoke French), and it turned out to be a really interesting museum tour. 

While you wander around Old Quebec, make sure to walk all the way down to the Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac and take in the views, both of the chateau and the port below, which are breathtaking both in the summer and in the winter.

Parc National des Hautes-Gorges-de-la-Riviere Malbaie
The last time I went, my family and I wanted one more place to explore before we went back home. I actually found this national park by looking on google maps and randomly clicking on it - and it turned out to be an incredible place.

(Pictures from our boat tour, Summer 2013)

The pictures of this place looked beautiful, so we decided to go ahead and take the leap and go. It's about 2.5 hours north of Quebec City, and from what I understand it's harder to access during the winter as roads may be closed, but it's beautiful over the summer. The park offers a boat tour, hiking trails, river swimming, and even a restaurant. 

My family and I are not very outdoorsy, so we wanted the outdoor experience with a lot of the amenities of hotels. This park offers a really cool option called a Huttopia tent, only used in a few parks in France and Canada. These tents offer a camping experience with full beds, tables, a small kitchenette, heating and shared bathrooms and showers. It's camping without the discomfort of camping - a perfect compromise for my family. 

Warning: even though we went in June, nights in the park were very chilly. Make sure you bring at least a few sweaters and warm bedding, as the tent can really heat up during the day but freeze up at night. 

French Canada is incredible and I'm sure I haven't even scratched the surface of what there is to explore. I hope I've provided some good tips! Leave in the comments anything else you would recommend exploring in this beautiful area. 

xoxo.