abbycolburn

As college approaches, I have started to think about one of the unforgettable opportunities college offers; studying abroad. Although I enjoy tropical beaches and Caribbean Islands, hence why I loved going on the cruise, I think I would like to study abroad in Europe.

I want to spend 3-4 months in a country that is filled with amazing culture and architecture. Two years ago, my family spent two weeks traveling through Europe and it was absolutely unforgettable. If I studied abroad in Europe, I would be able to easily travel throughout the continent. Europe is filled with amazing people and amazing destinations. I could go to the beach, the mountains, or explore fascinating cities.

Writing about this is making me very excited for what the future holds. When I went to Europe for the first time, it opened my eyes to how massive the planet we live on is. There are so many people and so many amazing places to explore.

I thought I would share some photos from my trip a few years ago with you:)

I downloaded a new iOS app, Moments, that tracks how much time you spend on your iPhone a day. The app records the amount of time that your iPhone is unlocked behind the scenes. It allows you to set hourly time limits to attempt to limit your screen use.

I have only had the app for two days now, but it’s findings are eye opening. Yesterday, for example, I used my phone for 2 hours and 33 minutes. Over two hours of my day yesterday were spent on my phone. What a waste of time! It makes you recognize how much time of your day is spent starring at a screen.

I will seriously try to use my phone less now.

I have a love/hate relationship with winter. Winter is so moody. The season itself makes me question why anyone in their right mind would ever voluntarily choose to live in a climate like that of New England.

I categorize winter into three phases:

Phase 1: The beginning stage of winter, many are excited for the holidays and seem to forget the pure misery that is to come. Cold temperatures start to set in and winter lovers become excited about skiing, snowboarding and ice skating. Many are excited for the first snowfall.

Phase 2: In late January or early February, is when the big snowstorms generally start. After there are two feet, people are over the whole snow thing. Everyone just wants it to be over. Occasionally road bans are placed and everyone is forced to stay at home for a few hours, so the plows can do their job.

Phase 3: This occurs when I think everyone has just about reached their breaking point. People have been hibernating for a few months now and long for any bit of sunshine. Disgusting piles of brown, dirty and slushy snow cover everyone’s front yards and the sides of the street. Most people look ghostly pale because their skin has not seen sunlight in far too long.

 

I thought I would take a moment to enlighten you with a list of some allergies of mine. I honestly hate having allergies, but I mean who doesn’t. It stinks not being able to eat or be around certain things. It makes me feel like I am missing out. Despite this, I am personally amused by the long list of allergies I have.

I am allergic to tree nuts which includes every type of nut except peanuts. Since I was 12, I had refused to eat nuts until my mom had me tested because both my sisters had nut allergies. Sure enough, I too am allergic to nuts.

There tends to be a pattern with my fruit allergies. I become allergic to fruits that I eat nonstop. I am now allergic to apples, cantaloupe, honeydew melon, peaches and pineapple. My allergist refers to them as raw fruit allergies.

Animals. I am highly allergic to cats, which kind of works out because I have always hated cats. They are gross. Unless they are a cute kitten or something. When I was 3, I had a borderline asthma attack from being in a house with 2 cats for a few hours. Learned my lesson, and I now take allergy medicine before I go into any cat infested home.

I am also HIGHLY allergic to horses. A few years ago, my family was in Utah on vacation and we were staying on a ranch. We went on a “sunset” horse ride (keep in mind we are literally in the middle of nowhere) and my sister and I started feeling lousy. Less than 10 minutes in, neither of us could breathe and our bodies were covered in hives. Due to the circumstances (nearest hospital was 3 hours away) it’s safe to say we did not receive proper medical treatment. I am pretty sure we took triple the recommended dosage of allergy medicine and double the recommended intake of our inhalers.

Fun fact: According to my blood test, I am also allergic to bunnies…. can’t say I have spent much time with bunnies to confirm it this allergy is legitimate though.

 

23 days. This is how long I have to mentally prepare myself before I get my 4 wisdom teeth yanked from my mouth. I am absolutely terrified. It will be my first surgical procedure and I am dreading it.

If I hadn’t had to watch my sister go through it 2 years ago, I don’t think I would be so scared. However, the truth is that I witnessed her have the most painful and disgusting week of her life in August 2014. The day she got them out, wasn’t bad… she mostly slept. The rest of the week, she literally cried for hours a day in agony. She would hold a bowl under her mouth because she would just drool uncontrollably, but the drool would be bloody and disgusting. So, I have that to look forward to.

Now I just have to wait 23 days until I get to have the same joyous experience.

 

This past summer, my family spent a week on a Norwegian Cruise Ship in the Caribbean. The Cruise left from the port in Miami and travelled to 3 islands in 7 days. We stopped in St. Thomas, Tortolla and Nassau, Bahamas.

My mom has always been critical of cruise ships and as a result, the rest of my family has taken a similar attitude towards them. The cruise ship crowd is not always filled with the classiest of people. It’s a stereotype that those that go on cruise ships are obese and spend their most of their day in the all you can eat buffets. Despite this, my family still enjoys going on cruise ships. This was our second time going on a cruise and the vacation did not disappoint.

The first day on the cruise ship was so overwhelming. Since the ship we were on, The Norwegian Getaway, was brand new, it had some pretty cool features.First, it held just short of 4,000 passengers and had a whopping 1,600 person crew.  It had a theater where my family played Deal or No Deal, a spin-off of the TV hit. The ship also featured over 20 restaurants, mini golf, 4 pools, waterslides, spas, and shops.

There was an overwhelming amount of things to do while on board. The wifi-less vacation was so relaxing. I was never on my phone, because there was nothing I could do on my phone, since we were in the middle of international waters without service. Everyone on the ship was truly in vacation mode. People were so carefree and relaxed. It felt like a real, stress-free vacation.

I would like to use my own life experiences and my personal interests in my writing. I would love to talk about my travel experiences and my vacations. I think discussing the places I’ve been and the people I have met has much potential. I would also love to talk about trends in society, specifically those I find myself following. I find it very hard to keep my opinion out of my writing, so my blog will definitely be opinionated. I want my blog to reflect my life and my personality.

I spent my winter break vacationing in Naples, Florida. We spent almost everyday at the beach, swimming, burning and eating. I am proud to say that I returned home without a severe sunburn. Last year, when I got back from Florida I was very burned, so it was a huge accomplishment to go home without having to use aloe. I also explored a part of Miami for the first time. I had been through Miami a few times but never had been to South Beach. It was like a whole different world compared to the part of Florida that my family stays in; Naples. Naples, Florida is truly a place to go to relax because there is not much to do their besides shopping, eating and going to the beach. South beach was such a cool place to visit. The people watching alone was fascinating. Men would walk down Ocean Drive with pythons around their neck as if they were just accessories. The music was so loud you could barely think straight. The ocean in Miami was absolutely beautiful. I hope to visit again soon!