bonjour mon petit baguette

except for the last one, all shot with a fujifilm x-t10

Here is the thing about Paris in the rain: 
In the movies, you can just skip around a puddle and jump in a taxi, and your baguettes and outfit stay nice and crisp. It's all very romantic and French and seems easily achievable with the right kind of hat. In reality, you get a bit damp and a bit frizzy and your outfit looks a bit limp. (But your baguette still tastes incredible. all three of them.)

 Paris was lovely. It looks exactly like you've always wanted to, and is filled with beautiful, silent, intimidatingly chic people who have made wearing monochromatic outfits and bread an art form. They walk impossibly fast, and drive like absolute crazy people (and I'm from California). The museums are huge, the coffee is strong, and the line of people trying to sell you souveniers are seemingly endless. We were there for three days over our anniversary last week, and it wasn't even close to enough time. Much like LA and London, Paris is the kind of city I'd need to go back to at least two or three more times to even wrap my brain around. With that said, there are certainly some things we did on this trip I never need to do again (*cough* Louvre *cough, sideways glance* Versailles). 

If you trust me on this, skip the Louvre and go to the Orangerie (tickets: $8.50 pp for students) instead. Honestly, the Mona Lisa is not that impressive, and having seen it printed on every other surface known to man, seeing it in the canvas was not that much different. Monet's Water Lilies exhibit in the Orangerie is a completely different experience. You literally have to sit down, then stand up, walk in a circle, walk back, get closer, and then go clear to the other side of the room and sit down again to take it all in. It's absolutely stunning, and no photo or recreation can do it any kind of justice.

Regarding food: TAKE EVERY SINGLE OPPORTUNITY PRESENTED TO BUY BREAD. I cannot over-state how good the baguettes are, and you can buy them for around one euro in any bakery you see. They're crunchy and soft and mmmmmm. For more "authentic" French food, get as far away from any restaurant with English subtitles as you can. After getting thoroughly lost on our anniversary (we walked nearly 10 miles around the city) Jordan and I settled on this little hole-in the wall in an alley because "it had character" (translation: we were starving) and I FINALLY got to try proper raclette. It's a dish involving melted cheese, which is all you really need to know. That, and you need to always take the grill pan out of the grill when it has little bits of cheese on it because it will set on fire. Not that I did that. Not at all.

The trip ended with us literally RUNNING across the city attempting to make our train back to Germany after the Metro stranded us somewhere deep underground. I nearly lost a lung and we missed our train, but hey, it was a good story.

I'm going to write a longer post with general sort of tips for traveling in Europe (Rick Steves, watch your job) but for Paris in particular, I would recommend this: if you're traveling just to see the city, and not for work or anything, forget about trying to out-dress everyone and just wear shoes you can walk in.* Taking a taxi or uber will spare your feet but not your wallet, and you'll miss out on a lot of the everyday stuff that makes this city so beautiful. I saw many a stylish American woman falling over themselves on the cobblestones this whole city is paved with, and a rolled ankle is not the sort of accessory you want to take home. 

x Justina


*Note: this is not an endorsement for ugly "walking shoes". Just wear your normal shoes. You're not climbing Everest.

pps. this wifi is suspicious af so pardon the incredible posting delays,
 this has taken nearly four hours to upload.






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parked on a freeway | LA Photo Diary

You've never stood still until you've sat in your car on the 101 at rush hour in LA because a semi truck has flipped off an overpass onto the freeway in front of you. That may seem very specific, but if you've been to LA, you know it's not.

Every year I go to LA this time of year, and every year it pours rain for the first day. Then the sun comes out, the crowds resume at observatory, and the almond macademia milk lattes start flowing. (Let me spare you the $6.25. They're gross.) Sallie + I always try to find new things to squeeze inbetween our tried-and-true favorites, and this week was no different. 

We hit up The Last Bookstore for some literary enlightenment (and solid photo opportunities, if we're being honest). Let me disclaim that while this is most definitely a bookstore, it is primarily a hipster tourist trap, and is filled to the brim with vageuly 20-something year old people discussing ~philosophy~. There are also people everywhere with cameras who will probably take your picture without asking, and a couple of decent books. 

The Grand Central Market is a short walk from the bookstore, and is peak LA. Filled with every kind of food you could possibly want to try (and some you might not), each stand is topped with a massive neon sign. There's vegan japanese ramen, authentic german currywurst, and the aforementioned almond macademia latte's. There's also outdoor seating that's perfect for enjoying the food, petting dogs, and eaves dropping on people who work in ~the industry~. 

Right across the street is the Angels Flight funicular - for $1, you can ride the shortest possible railway in the US. Going 300-ish feet up the side of a hill, it's more of an experience than a necessity (you can just take the stairs) but it is fun, and you're rewarded with a great view of Downtown LA. Plus, you get to use the word "funicular", and when are you going to have that opportunity again?

The next day, we got in the car and drove 4 hours to a mountain in the desert by the Mexican Border,

but that's another story. 

x Justina




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andiamo a roma

all photos taken with fujifilm x30

I acknowledge that my Vienna post was a little photo heavy, so I'm just going to split Rome up. 
Like a gladiator. (I need to stop watching Scandal. I. Need. To. Stop. (I can't))

The first thing I noticed about Rome, as we were landing (this morning), was the massive Roman aqueduct leftover that was sitting in someones  field. It had a chicken on it. I thought I was hallucinating due to having woken up at 2am in order to catch a taxi. (To get to a bus, to get to a plane, to make it to another bus.) But no, this is just how things are in a city that is literally as old as dirt. 

Since arriving, I have forced my second semester Italian on nearly every person I've spoken to. Mainly to order food. I've been here less than 24 hours and already eaten two kinds of pasta, two kinds of coffee, two kinds of gelato, and a very interesting presentation of chestnuts. I have also had what Rick Steves would refer to as "a spot of bother". I call it "universal balance". The price I paid for getting an entire row of seats to myself on the plane. The Trevi Fountain was not only drained, but half of it was gone, off for "archival reconstruction", and the Spanish Steps were closed for some mysterious reason. To top it all off, my gelato dripped down my arm and into my sweater.

Here is the secret to not being bothered by any of it at all: coffee. I used to make fun of the Warwick Bros. for their coffee obsession, but mine is spinning away. Latest discovery is a Viennese Cappuchino, otherwise known as "Leslie Knope Makes Coffee". It's basically just whipped cream with a little bit of espresso and chocolate at the bottom. Heavenly.

I am learning a lot of things on this trip, like how to not get upcharged on your coffee (drink it at the bar, do not sit down) and how to pack a weeks worth of outfits into a suitcase and have it weigh under 20lbs. (this was hard) But another thing I am learning, (ironically, while being 6k miles away from them), is what majestical people I am surrounded by at home. My friends are all incredibly talented and interesting individuals, and our group chats are legendary. Today, however, three gold star stickers are owed to Sallie. She's on the front lines of my entire life and handles it like an expert (she's one of the very few). She would also like it stated that she sincerely enjoys stalking your guys' instagrams, so please keep commenting on mine so she can do it.

Also, I need it to be noted that I am staying in a hotel that involves taking a 19th century elevator to the sixth floor. I am pretty sure it is haunted, but because this is not a Goosebumps novel, I will not investigate. I will just enjoy its endless mirrors and faint smell of spaghetti.

x J



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carrying the game

shirt / H+M
backpack / c.o fjallraven
sunnies / zerouv
mophie / c.o mophie
earbuds / happy plugs
book / WATCH THE VIDEO

Yes, that is a baby bottle of sriracha behind me.

So you know when you go into  REI and you immediately feel slightly poorer and less fit than you were before you walked through the door? Same. But lets be honest, I'm not out here trying to climb the Andes. The cultivated streets of Western Europe aren't exactly a place where you need protein bars or foldable mountain bikes. (That's a thing.) So in my further efforts to YouTube, I made a video about my travel gear.  After watching, I've decided it's less "travel gear" and more "life gear". Just add wi-fi and you're set for school. 

It's been nearly a month since I left home, and I still feel like it just happened. I think when you do something sort of drastic like this, there's always the part of you that's like "what?! what?! what's happening right now?". But then it's also like "OH GOD I GO HOME IN 60 DAYS?!" You're in this weird time limbo where everything is starting and ending all at once.  With that said, something else is about to end: my childhood.

I'VE ALWAYS WANTED TO GET TO SAY SOMETHING LIKE THAT IN A VOICEOVER. Jokes though, I'm just turning 18. In exactly one week, I'll be in Vienna pretending to have suddenly gained infinite amounts of wisdom and the ability to understand taxes.

So I guess I'll be a real adult after all? 

(click this)

x J

PS. if you don't watch the video you won't see me getting hit with a book.









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what a big house you have

photographed with a fujifilm x30

Next week I'm finally getting a tripod. Finally, you will be given a break from my insistent postings of what are basically glorified vacation photos, and get to look at what few outfits I managed to fit in my suitcase! But until then...

I HAVE BEEN HERE FOR 21 DAYS. Isn't that crazy? 21 days already, and I didn't have french fries until last Friday at the zoo. It was worth the wait though because those are the best french fries I have ever had. (PRO TIP: Don't ask for ketchup in Europe as it will mark you as a tourist off the bat. If they offer, you can take it, if not, take the mayonnaise. Before you say "ew"... trust me.) There were also some sassy flamingos and Nemo (because all clownfish ever are Nemo, obviously).

On Saturday,  for the first time since I got here (My new walking average, according to my iPhone, is 16k steps a day.), we got in a car and drove to Wiesbaden to "have a day out and see a castle". 

Let me get this straight with you right now: they use the term "castle" very loosely around Europe. Houses that wouldn't even turn heads in Beverly Hills are suddenly "Schloss So-And-So".  So I have decided to create a very clear distinction with my grandmother:

1. Schloss: INCREDIBLY MISLEADING GERMAN CATCH-ALL

2. Castle: IF THEY WOULDN'T PUT IT IN A DISNEY MOVIE OR BBC SPECIAL IT'S NOT A CASTLE

3. Palace: MASSIVE HOUSE THAT HAD ROYALS IN IT

4. House/Abbey/Estate/Etc: THINGS THAT ARE ONLY RELEVANT IN THE UK

I just needed to express that, because while what we saw was a really cool PALACE (Schloss Biebrich, if you wanna have a look), it was not a CASTLE. Despite this, it had four weddings happening at the same time, and so was slightly more cheerful than the absolutely beautiful Russian Orthodox church we visited. I couldn't take photos inside, but it was stunning. So is my handmade little matroshka keychain, whom I have named Anya. She now dangles next to Herr Ygritte (if you don't know, you know nothing), my tiny tiger from the zoo.  This is what I've been doing in Europe. Naming keychains.

Wiesbaden was a good day trip though because outside of the city, it checks off all the "quaint european town" boxes, with medival age houses, narrow little streets,
overflowing flower boxes, and - most importantly -

2.5 bakeries per person.


x J






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day at the museum

You what Germany has a lot of? Other than stairs? (Never getting off it.) MUSEUMS.

None where things come to life at night, but you know, you can't have it all. 

They have museums for everything. Even things that don't really need museums. Like telephones. I mean, maybe a gallery, but a whole place to themselves seems like overkill. Just a bit.  We went to visit one of the oldest, the Liebeghaus, yesterday. I wish I could nail down the theme but it's just very...museum-y. There's a lot of statues, and some Egyptian artifacts, and some paintings, and Buddha heads. It feels very much like the living room of your distant relative who is an archeologist. One thing I did very much enjoy was the Ancient Greek collection - I've never seen that many representations of Athena (my namesake) that close together. I, of course, proceeded to put every security guard in the building on edge by leaning in thiiiiiiis close with my camera to catch the light right. #BloggerProbs, amiright?

One thing I have noticed is that, even in Europe, there are never young people in museums. WHY NOT FAM? They're GREAT. They've got mummies and stuff. If it's an art museum, they probably have really comfortable couches in front of amazing works of art that you can just sit and contemplate. Or pose for really good artistic Instagram photos. Your choice. Just think about it like this: museums are the only place in the world where the past exists in the present.

With that nifty little segue - my current present is 6k miles away from home, and YOU GUYS HAVE QUESTIONS. Understandable. I made my first proper sit-down vlog in...well, a while. I had to film it from a house plant, and there's a train in the background, but it happened. I appreciate if you'd subscribe so me editing hours of my face at that weird angle isn't in vain.

I have just realized that this was going to be an outfit post and I got completely off the point. Here is the point: this is the perfect museum-going outfit. I was tall enough to look into the eyes of the sarcophagus. I was not, how ever, grown up enough for that to not utterly terrify me.

x J


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willkommen zum deutschland

video filmed with fujifilm x30 

Look who made it across the planet in one piece. Ish. One suitcase, one carry on, one backpack, two MOPHIE recharges, a ten hour flight and nine hour time difference later, I am in the land of the pretzels. Because I do not believe in reasonable things like "resting up" and "adapting naturally",  I decided that I would not allow jet lag to touch me, and promptly began adventuring.

Here are some things I have learned in my first few days in Germany:

1. Everyone parks wherever they want, including on the actual sidewalk.

2. There is no such thing as an orderly city layout and you will get lost.

3. PEOPLE WILL BE HAPPY TO LET YOU CUDDLE THEIR DOGS IF YOU ASK

4. Aldi is what happens when target and Trader Joes have a baby and I've gone every single day

5. There are forests everywhere. Even in the middle of the city. #StadtWald

6. There are opportunities to eat everywhere, and you should accept them all.

7. You put change in shopping carts to make them go and it's genius.

8. Germans are obsessed with stairs, so no, there isn't an elevator.

9. It is not all dirndls and lederhosen - everyone dresses like they're in LA and I love it.

10. The only logical reason for Ueberraschungsei being banned in the US is that they're just too good and the government doesn't think the public can handle it.

The next three months are going to be crazy and great and I'm so excited that it's finally happening and YOU KNOW NOW. Seriously, not telling you guys was so stressful, a whole streak of my hair went *lowers voice*...straight.

x J 

PS. Do you live in Europe/did you visit somewhere cool/IS THERE SOMETHING IS SHOULD GO EAT?! Use the hashtag #JustinaInEurope on any social media so I can see - I'll be checking it regularly!

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