Spring Break Bliss

Hey everyone! This week, I traded study sessions for sleeping in and textbooks for tan lines. This can only mean one thing: it's spring break for Stanford University students! Since Stanford is a quarter system school, spring break falls in-between winter quarter and spring quarter. And no quarter is complete without its share of final exams. Last week, I was basically living in the library preparing for my final exams. But now, finals and winter quarter have passed and I have time to relax on my week-long break before spring quarter begins. Schools on the semester system have spring break in the middle of their semester, normally after midterms. However, an advantage to the quarter system is having no work to do and no classes to worry about while on break!

College students on spring break normally travel somewhere coastal and warm. For southern schools, Florida is a popular destination while Mexico, especially Cabo San Lucas, is the hot spots for west coast students. Most freshman, myself included, take this time to travel home and visit family and friends. While I may be at home this break, I am still enjoying sunny southern California! I really wanted to spend the week relaxing and rejuvenating after my stressful finals, and there isn't any better place to take time off then at home. Even though the weather has been cloudy, it hasn't stopped me from visiting my favorite restaurants or hanging out with my hometown friends!

Best friend dessert run to celebrate being home for break

Reading on the beach even though its chilly!

Beach trip with the family

What do you like to do on your breaks from school? How do you relax after big exams? Let me know in the comments!

xoxo

Summer Break Bliss-Graduation Trips

Hey everyone! Students celebrate the long-awaited graduation from high school in many ways. Many students go on a graduation trip with their family or friends! This could be a vacation to a foreign country or a weekend trip to a local lake. There are so many ways to have fun and relax during summer break and on a graduation vacation.
For my graduation vacation, I went to Punta Cana with my family! Punta Cana is in the Dominican Republic, and we stayed in a resort right on the beach! It was the perfect graduation vacation for me, I got to relax on the beach and swim in the ocean! There were fun water activities to do like water skiing, sailing, and windsurfing! Luckily the water was warm in case you face-planted off the boat! I even got to play tennis there-a vacation must for me. Overall, I had a great trip to celebrate my graduation from high school and starting of college! Now that I am back in California, I will be enjoying the last few weeks of summer before college begins!

About to get on the boat

Poolside drinks

Beachside dining

Where do you like to go on vacation? Where is your dream vacation? Let me know in the comments!

xoxo

Even the Sun Sets in Paradise

Hey everyone! This will be my last post in my summer series here on American Amanda! Next, I will begin to write all about school and the college application process.

Since summer is coming to a close, last weekend my friends and I all traveled to a nearby vacation spot for a fun girls weekend! We traveled to Palm Springs, which is a few hours inland from where I live. Since it is in the desert, the temperature was around 105 degrees Fahrenheit, or 40.5 degrees Celsius. Talk about your heat wave! Since it was so hot, we spent most of the time near the pool. Don't forget your lemonade smoothies to keep cool! It was fun to be able to have a mini-vacation without being far from home.

Lots of people are going on vacations now before summer ends. Some are traveling far places, like sea cruises to Canada or trips to Europe. Most people, though, are staying close to home and traveling to places like Palm Springs, Lake Havasu in Arizona, or Lake Tahoe in Nevada. Since the weather is so hot, its important to be near water! Happy tripping!

How are you spending your last few weeks of summer? And if you are already in school, what was your favorite summer memory? Let me know in the comments!


xoxo

On an Island in the Sun

Hey everyone! This summer is a great time to travel to different places. These locations can be far away, but you can have just as much fun close to home as well! When I want a fun weekend vacation, I travel to the island only 27 miles off the coast of Los Angeles: Catalina Island! I took a boat trip to get there and it only took one hour. Talk about a paradise close to home! There are many fun places like Catalina Island that have great activities to keep you busy. You can go to the beach, eat at nice restaurants, kayak and fish, and even zip line! I went on a zip lining eco-tour through the mountains of the island and it was amazing! I got to see many plants and animals that only live on the island. Plus, I got to zip through the trees with nothing but a harness holding me up!

For people who have a busy summer like mine, its great to go on a mini vacation to get away for a few days. Although Catalina Island may not be close to you, with a little research you can find your own local paradise!

What do you like to do for mini vacations in your hometown? Let me know in the comments! 

xoxo

Spring into Action

Hey everyone! These past few weeks schools around the United States have been having spring break! Spring break is a week long vacation all school levels give out around April and Easter time. It's a good break before the hard end of the year exams given in May and June.
People use this week long vacation to do different things. Most use it to travel, near or far. People go to the beach to get their tan on or mountains to shred the snow. Both climates are in California hours away. Some people use this time to travel far away. Families travel to other states in California or even other countries. Countries in Europe and North America are always prime spots for California tourists.
Most older teenagers who are getting ready to apply to colleges use this time to tour colleges around the United States. When applying for college, it is important to see the school and make sure it is a good fit. This is why this break is a great time to fly around the country touring different schools you want to see. Most people choose a specific state and tour different colleges in that area. Since there are hundreds of colleges in the U.S., not all can be toured. Yet, if you are considering attending a college it is important to at least know what environment you will be living in.

Do you have a "spring break" at your school? Let me know in the comments!

xoxo

Its the most wonderful time of the year

Hey everyone! Happy holidays! Today was Christmas eve and my family got together to exchange presents, make treats, and eat a gourmet dinner. It is always so fun to see your family, which is one thing that makes this holiday season so enjoyable. My grandmother who immigrated from Norway to America and we celebrate Christmas every year with many Norwegian traditions. We always make a Kransekake, which is a Norwegian almond cake, and decorate it with many beautiful colors. Don't forget the Norwegian flags!
We also open one small Christmas present in anticipation for tomorrow. We have to wait for Santa to come during the night, a great American tradition, before we can open all our presents on Christmas morning. Although we have many traditions, we make new memories each year that last a lifetime.

What traditions do you have during the holidays? Let me know in the comments!




xoxo