Switzerland switzerland

I've been here for 4 months now, and I'm glad to say I feel at home!

It's fairly easy to navigate the city- and I think I might love it.

Especially now, at Christmas time. The streets are eerily quiet, and the city's submerged in fog. In fact (my family might get tired of hearing me say this) but when I'm outside I feel like I'm walking in a dream. Did I mention all the christmas lights? Whimsical.

My gorgeous friend from Lyon visited me for this first (extended) weekend of Christmas break, which was a great opportunity to spend time with the camera while exploring. 

Boréal Café

Lac Léman

Record Shop

Place bel-air 

We mostly spent time traipsing in the streets, but also went thrift shopping, record shopping, and to explore cafés and restaurants (yes, it was slightly expensive- but the mochaccino I'm drinking is worth it). 

Christmas is in two days, and as much as I love foggy weather, I am longing for snow. The snow is playing hooky. Where has it gone? It is not even in the nearby mountains, which is alarming given that my family going skiing in one week (actually, if I'm to be honest I'll admit I am sort of relieved- this means we can take walks instead (more photo opportunities!) and sit around in Chalets while I read my book).

xx

Goodbye Lyon

If you don't know me in person then you are not aware that just a few days ago, my family moved from Lyon, France to Geneva, Switzerland. The moving process overall was OK, but mentally I am still in a state of shift. I'm excited about starting at a new school, and living in this amazing city, but obviously leaving your home is destabilizing... I feel like I'm neither here nor there. All day I've been having pangs of sadness thinking of the distance between my friends and I. I miss looking out my old window and seeing the beautiful Saône river. But rather than going into details, here are some photos of my neighborhood that I took during my last days in Lyon... They'll probably be going on Instagram soon. :p

Been gone

Hi guys,
I know I've been gone. I apologize.
I've had many, bigger things than my blog on my mind this year, but I am not going to use that as an excuse for not posting.
My excuse is... I was not motivated. And that is so, so unlike me. I definitely did not enjoy reflecting on the fact that I was not motivated, so I started to neglect thoughts about my blog altogether.
For a long time I felt guilty about the neglect. But now I realize that feeling that way is stupid. Projects start, projects end. And it's OK!
However, lately I've started to miss the blogging, and connecting with other bloggers. So I am going to start writing again occasionally- that is, only when I feel like it.
And I'm not going to write for an audience; I am going to write for myself.
I will no longer count followers, and I will rarely advertise my posts on social media.
This blog will be a trace I leave... a collection of thoughts. I think I have many interesting things to put out there.

xo, Carmen

Forever by Judy Blume~ Book Review

Like last year, my family took two weeks of vacation for Halloween and traveled to the States. It was super fun to see my family and to re-connect with my American side.
Sadly, I think it was my last year trick-or-treating, because quite a few adults looked at me funny when I stood at the open door with my nine-year-old brother and tween cousins.
Anyway. One thing I always look forward to when going to the States is book shopping... There is no anglophone library or bookshop here in Lyon, which means I never get to browse around for new releases in the YA world.

I bought and read several books during those two weeks, and brought even more back home.

Today was a good day for reading. I got my wisdom teeth pulled out yesterday (yes, it was very painful, and the anesthesia made me feel quite foggy for a while there, but so far I seem to be surviving), and I read Forever by Judy Blume in less than 24 hours.

I heard wonderful reviews of that book, and I must say, it was not exactly what I expected.
It was definitely a great read. I was pulled into the story, and was definitely heartbroken when young Katherine and Micheal's relationship falls apart... I think it's a story that most people can relate to.

The only thing I did not adore was the pace and tone of Blume's writing. Am I the only one who feels that way? I don't remember her other books, such as Tiger Eyes or Are you there, God? it's me, Margaret containing so many ellipses.

Forever is a story about instant first-love, and first sexual encounters... and what happens when "true love", isn't, in fact, true love. It's a story about love, but also about moving on.  Even though the story is set in the 1970's, it feels as though it could have been set in the 2000's. I think the story is timeless.

It might not be a story for everyone out there, but if you're into teen romance, you should give it a try.

I give it 3.5/5 stars.

:)

To wear shorts or NOT to wear shorts?

Before it gets too cold, I want to share my opinion on a topic which, I believe, most girls/women can relate to in this modern day.
The topic is, to what extent should shorts be banned in school? Do they deserve to be looked down upon?

What stirred up these questions for me is the fact that one very, very hot day, I was stopped by a counselor at the entrance of my school, to discuss the length of my shorts.
"Your shorts are much too short", she said. "You will have to stop wearing them to school".

Although I did not argue with her, my immediate thoughts were "why ME of all people?! Half the girls are wearing shorts today! Why did she have to embarrass ME?"
And then I started wondering, why should I even be embarrassed? Indeed, it WAS a very hot day, and half the girls really WERE wearing shorts.

For the record, I wasn't wearing those types of shorts that reveal your butt. Yes, they were short shorts, but paired with the appropriate shirt and shoes. It was clear that my intention wasn't to be provocative.  I DO agree that teens, at school, shouldn't dress provocatively. But I think that the rules should be revisited.
      According to the rules, girls shouldn't wear short shorts, in the simple measure of avoiding harassment. Well, I think something is very wrong with that rule. If it's a hot day, and short shorts are more comfortable than long shorts, AS LONG AS IT'S NOT PROVOCATIVE, a girl should be allowed to wear her shorts without having to worry about being harassed. That is something that needs to be changed in GUYS, not girls! Guys have to learn to control themselves!
Girls shouldn't be discriminated against for showing some skin! Skin is human. The guys who will supposedly "harass" somebody wearing shorts NEED TO LEARN that YES, women have bodies and YES, they are allowed to do what they want with them and YES, they demand to be respected.

Don't you agree?

Switzerland ☾part 1☽

I've been in Switzerland for 10 days now and have come to this conclusion: Switzerland is NOT boring! Whoever came up with THAT idea! The food is amazing, the lake is beautiful, there are many sporting opportunities, and the Swiss are so friendly. 

I've been spending a lot of time in Geneva with my mom, exploring the different neighborhoods, interesting museums, and, um, FABULOUS restaurants and cafés. Hehehe. 

But we've also done some more outdoorsy things, like kayaking on the Lac Léman, hiking near St-Cergue, or taking a ferry to the French town across the lake, Yvoire. 

There will be a part 2 to this post, because I don't want to make THIS one very photo-heavy.

See for yourself :)

      •Rainbow over Nyon, Switzerland•

      •A small-town art gallery in Nyon•

     •Lunch at the Red-Cross Museum•

                          (Geneva)

          •Flags of the UN, Geneva•

  •A peacock walking through the parc•

                        •Geneva•

   •Iced coffee and vegan sandwiches at the Boréal Coffee Shop, Geneva•

Hello!

Just wanted to assure you guys that I AM still alive. I am currently on vacation, in Switzerland, in the cutest little town by the Lac Léman. This summer has been awesome and I can't believe school starts again in less than a month! During the last week of July I was at camp with my best friend and my camp friend from LAST year who lives in Canada (I am feeling extremely lucky for getting to see her again!). I am in great spirits these days. Even the summer books assigned by my school have been enjoyable! As I read somewhere, every summer has a story. So that's it. I will definitely be posting on a regular schedule again from now on. How has your summer been? I won't bombard you with pictures JUST YET because this post will get way too long. But here's a sneak peek of the pictures to come! 

                           ↠Nyon, Switzerland↞  

Sunflower blogger award!

Hello everyone. It has been a long time!

I am on summer vacation right now, and for a brief moment I started feeling bad about not posting more on this little corner of the earth. But then I realized how very lucky I am to have so much going on in my life. So I'm not going to apologize. NEVER APOLOGIZE for living your life to the fullest! The best part of living is being out in the world, with the people you love, DOING what you love. 

Anyway. A long, long time ago, Natasha from Savouring Each Moment nominated me for the Sunflower Blogger Award. She is a great blogger so you should definitely check her out! Thanks Natasha :)

The rules:

1) Share 11 facts about yourself.

2) Answer the questions asked by your nominated blogger.

3) Nominate your bloggers 

4) Set 7 questions for your nominated bloggers.

11 facts about myself:

1) I'm learning how to surf this summer (YAYY!)
2) I just came back from a trip to Paris with my best friend a few days ago.
3) Cats. Cats. Cats. KITTEHS. ♥
4) I am 15 years old.
5) When I was little I imagined that at age 15 I'd be living the life of Gabriella Montez from High School Musical.
6) Indeed, when I was little I was OBSESSED with High School Musical.
7) My obsession has now moved on to the movie How I Live Now (GO CHECK IT OUT).
8) I overthink. I'm not going to say "way too much" because I personally think that it's great to THINK.  I'm not even sure if I agree with the term overthinking. 
9) I am vegetarian.
10) Sometimes I'm slow. I tend to enjoy the process instead of getting right to the point.
11) I made a pact with myself that I will NEVER, EVER be a smoker. 

Natasha's questions:

1.      What’s your favorite ice cream flavor?(lame, I know… ><)

This is not a lame question, Natasha, NOT LAME!!! But there are sooo many flavors!!! I have to say that I absolutely love Ben&Jerry's Peanut Butter Cup (I think it might actually be heaven under the form of ice cream) but I also love a good mint-chocolate-chip. Hmm.

2.      What’s your favorite kind/brand of chocolate?

I don't think I can answer this question. There are too many brands of chocolate. And so many of them are exquisite! But am I allowed to say Reese's? I know it's not really a chocolate brand but it's still my favorite.

3.      If you could change your name, what would you change it to?

I never really thought this through... I'm actually quite happy with my name! I don't know many Carmens. :) 

But I have thought about what I would name my daughter: India, Olivia...

4.      What’s your favorite sport?

I'm not sure I have a favorite sport! I love dancing, yoga, swimming... Even running!

5.      What was something you believed to be real (when it actually wasn’t) when you were younger?(sorry… I just can’t phrase it right :[)

Ummm... :] probably many things :]

6.      What was the weirdest food you’ve eaten? 
It might not sound "weird" at first, but... Cheese. Cheese is a very, very peculiar food. Cheese is rotten milk. 

7. What is one thing you wanna do but know you can never (or most probably not be able to)accomplish?
Never say never! Unless you have unrealistic dreams like "living forever", with enough determination, ANYTHING is possible. It's true!

The bloggers I'm nominating:

Amy-Anne Williams @ The Blog Hermit

Emily @ According To Em

Kyra @ Blog of a Bookaholic

Ayesha @ Defining Me

+ anyone else! If you want this award comment below and I'll add you to the list :)

My questions:

1) What's your astrological sign? Does your personality actually correspond to what it says about you?
2) What is your favorite social media?
3) If your home burst into flames, and you could only save three things, what would you grab?
4) What book did you last read?
5) If you had to stay the same age your whole life, what age would you pick?
6) What is your favorite snack?
7) Why did you start blogging?

Looking For Alaska ♥

You know those lazy, summer days where you tell yourself you're going to do many, many things but then you just kind of lie around in your pj's until one o'clock in the afternoon reading?

Well, I never regret those days. I feel creative, inspired, and all I want to do is LIE on this cloud of comfort and happiness.  Do you know what I'm talking about?

A few days ago I finished Looking For Alaska by John Green. Before I start talking about it, I must say that I'm sort of annoyed with how The Fault In Our Stars just recently became even MORE popular than it already was, all because of the movie. I know everyone should benefit from the greatness of that book, but I feel like now it has become more of a fashion accessory than a book of great philosophical content. You do not know how many people have posted a picture of that book to Instagram! 

Anyway.

You should definitely read Looking For Alaska. John Green just has that magical touch ; he has that way of pulling you into a book and capturing you so that you can't quite get out  before he turns your world upside down and makes you question a lot more about life than you used to. 

"How will I ever get out of this labyrinth!" is the main question he explores through a series of events that Miles Halter and his friends go through.

You cannot help falling in love with the story, the story of Miles Halter, a brilliant, funny, and nonetheless social-outcasted teen who starts a "new" life at a boarding school in Alabama. When he gets there, he makes a bunch of friends who change his way of viewing the world, and most importantly, he falls in love with Alaska, a crazy, emotional girl. Miles's feelings for Alaska are so poetic. And here comes my favorite quote of all times:

"so I walked back to my room and collapsed on the bottom bunk, thinking that if people were rain, I was a drizzle and she was a hurricane."

Need I say more? :')


Read that book. Just read it. The ending will leave you speechless (And you might cry. You've been warned).

To be part of a magical experiment

You might get the impression from this post that I'm INSANE, but bear with me. I need your help.
These past few weeks have been CRAZY busy and right now I am currently in the middle of studying for exams which will start on Thursday. I feel pretty prepared for these exams, but I'd like to do an experiment.
A MAGIC experiment! Which is why I need your help.
So here's what you can do for me: I want you to take a minute and think of how hard you want me to succeed and do well on these exams. I want you to think positive thoughts of/for me, and try to send them to me under the form of telepathic waves.
I truly believe this could work. I think mental power sometimes works wonders, and we often end up surprised. So please don't bail out!

Thank you so much for doing this. I will be waiting...

"may Carmen do well on her exams, may Carmen do well on her exams, may Carmen do well on her exams..."


I hope you all have a good week. :)

Who are we trying to please?

I've always been one of the tallest, if not THE tallest girl in my group, so I have never actually known how it feels to have friends that are taller than me. I got a taste of that feeling this weekend, when I hung out with a friend who is significantly taller than me. I told my parents how different it felt, to look UP at someone, instead of looking DOWN, and then I said I hoped to gain several more inches or centimeters before I stop growing! Their response surprised me, because instead of saying "Oh yes, that would be great, let's hope it happens," they told me that being taller than I already am could be difficult in dating situations with men. They said that men most often look for women who are shorter than they are, because otherwise they don't feel tall, manly and protective enough!
What I'm about to say might sound paradoxical, given the fact that I am a tall person, but I've always wanted to be VERY tall. I'm not unhappy with the way I am, but there's just something about very, very tall people that I find extremely attractive. And all day I've been thinking about how unfortunate it is that a man would disregard a woman just because she is taller than him. And it brought me to this conclusion: Why try so hard to please a man? I think tall women are attractive, and if men have a complex, why should that change how I feel? Why should men's hang ups change MY tastes? Who knows, I might not even ever find the right guy for me! We should all focus on what we TRULY admire, not on what we "should" admire. Do you agree?

Hahaha. x)

Is this a prison?

   
       I might sound like a rebellious little girl who has never tasted a TRULY hard life given the privileged, lucky circumstances I live in compared to many people in the world, but no matter how good my day is, I always have the pending feeling that I'm trapped. Wherever I go. Like our society is a prison.
Do you know what I mean?

       This feeling comes from many different aspects of our society, but I especially get it from school. I go to a big school, surrounded by even bigger green spaces, and every single day, as I look out the window, I wonder, why is it that I am trapped in here, when I could be out there? And as time goes on, and school gets more and more stressful, I have the increasing sense that something is just not right. Don't get me wrong, I know school is important (and I'm lucky to be attending it), but I feel like it has became a much bigger deal than it should be. I don't know if this everywhere in the world, or if it's just in France or more particularly just in my school, but I think I can safely say that it has made many students, myself included, feel bad about themselves. It almost seems to me that school doesn't have as a goal to teach us stuff anymore, but to assign us a grade which ultimately rates us as a person. I have several teachers who have completely lost the joy in teaching, and prefer to yell at us instead.

       I know I am an overthinker, but I can't help but notice these things. It looks to me like school is just a test to see how apt we will be later on in life to obey the rules of society. I go to school five days a week, from 8:45 to 4:30, and have (excuse my language) a shitload of homework  to complete when I get home (... I am talking HOURS). I probably have, on average, an hour of free time per day, if I don't go to bed after 11 p.m. And I'm getting seriously sick of it.

Now tell me: is this how you've lived/live school? Is it just MY situation that's oppressing? I know that many, if not most, countries around the world,only  have a half day of school. To me that sounds like a much better system. And sometimes I imagine all the things I would do differently to reform the school system to make it customizable, a system where each student can study itheir domains of interest and therefore make the whole experience more enjoyable.

All of this to say... I CAN'T WAIT FOR THIS SUMMER. I am more than ready for vacation, sun, and fun to start. :)
    Happy first day of June!

Just another fan-girly post about Divergent

     I might possibly be the last teen alive who has not yet finished reading the Divergent series.

I must admit that I avoided it because I didn't like it's cover.

I know I am defying one of the most important bookworm rules here; don't judge a book by it's cover.

Sorry about that. I am truly sorry... Because I also defied another very important bookworm rule: read the book before watching the movie.

Yes, I watched the movie first. But it made me realize that I was missing out big-time on something amazing.

All of this to say, I started reading the book. 

YES it's amazing, and YES I'm totally in love with Tobias. The minute I started reading Divergent, I could not put it down. I just started book two.

     I'm sure there are already a billion other blog posts out there about this series, but I think it has some philosophical content which should definitely still be shared HERE. I quote:

   "A brave man acknowledges the strength of others."

...

"I have a theory that selflessness and bravery aren't all that different."

...

"Becoming fearless isn't the point. That's impossible. It's learning how to control your fear and how to be free from it."

These statements bring tears to my eyes. Especially the last one; it is so, so important to remember we cannot be fearless, that knowing our flaws is what brings us strength and what helps us surpass them.

I made these to illustrate this quote. Which do you like better?

April in Pictures

How was your April? My April was pretty crazy (good crazy!). It consisted primarily of major studying, the visit of my cousins, and catching up on all the books and blogs I wanted to read and didn't have time to before.



Here's what I posted on Instagram for April:

This is my cousin Alex and me chillin' in the parc near my house. This was one of the first nights my cousins were visiting. They stayed with us for a week and we had so much fun!

We took a long bike ride one morning. Although the air was brisk it was nice to see all the blooming flowers.

On the last night of their visit, instead of sitting around like the screen-obsessed modern kids we are, my cousins and I practiced our mad drawing skills. What do you think?

Last Saturday, my friends came over and we made Caramel-Pecan milkshakes. This may possibly be the best milkshake recipe on earth. You have to try it ----> Caramel-Pecan Milkshakes

This is me trying out my new tee-shirt from Urban Outfitters. Did you know I'm obsessed with that store? I swear I could live in there. I had to order this tee-shirt because tragically, there is no UO in Lyon.



P.S:   Did you notice the change in my blog design? The wonderful Rose C. has been re-designing it for me, and she's doing a great job! Thank you, Rose! ♥

And miles to go before I sleep ~♥

These days I've been reading a lot of poetry. 

I love how a few beautiful words, arranged in a rhythmical, fluid manner, can change your state of mind and give you something to reflect on for the rest of the day. This is what I hope to do in my life with writing.

As the days go on, I am more and more certain that there will be no return to the cold, harsh weather, and that the spring sun is finally here to stay.

So I wanted to share this sweet and "wintery" poem with you as a way to officially embrace spring.

Whose woods these are I think I know.   

His house is in the village though;   

He will not see me stopping here   

To watch his woods fill up with snow.   

My little horse must think it queer   

To stop without a farmhouse near   

Between the woods and frozen lake   

The darkest evening of the year.   

He gives his harness bells a shake   

To ask if there is some mistake.   

The only other sound’s the sweep   

Of easy wind and downy flake.   

The woods are lovely, dark and deep,   

But I have promises to keep,   

And miles to go before I sleep,   

And miles to go before I sleep.

----Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening by Robert Frost

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OR.GA.NIZE! #2 Wall art

Hey everyone! Is it as sunny where you live as it is here? The sun has finally shown itself and I LOVE it!

     Today I present you with the second post of my series OR.GA.NIZE! which I started a few weeks ago.
This project is a simple one. It's not particularly organizational; it's more decorative. This post is meant to encourage you to decorate your walls, by giving you a cute example of what I did!

     I recently purchased this poster from an Etsy shop owned by the lovely Ella Moe in Stockholm, Sweden.

It arrived in the cutest package and with a nice little note inside.

And because I had no frame to put it in, my dad and I ventured out to Ikea this weekend. We bought a very nice frame for JUST nine euros! Almost everybody I know has something from Ikea in their house, and I know that some people tend to avoid it because "it's not unique" or "too simple". But I have to say, you can buy some really great stuff there! Don't you agree?

     As I said earlier, this isn't the most complicated or unheard-of of projects but it really dressed up my bedroom wall so I wanted to share it with you.
And I only just noticed that Ella Moe's Etsy shop AND Ikea are both Swedish! Funny right?

To recap:

• Buy a poster (I recommend browsing on Etsy)
• Buy a frame at Ikea (it really does look nice!)

I hope this is inspiring to you! For so long  my bedroom wall was bare and it made me feel so frustrated! This poster has already made a huge difference.