The past few weeks have been filled with such a mix of emotions. At the end of April, I was supposed to be graduated from flight attendant school and off to a new city. Instead, I find myself like the rest of the country (and world for that matter) constrained to the four walls of my house uncertain what will come next. Even though things have not panned out the way I imagined they would, I still feel incredibly blessed for my health and the strong community around me. This time has been difficult for everyone, and it has definitely had me appreciating the little things much more. I have always been a person of faith and optimism so I thought I would share a list of activites that have given me comfort since the lockdown started. I hope everyone is well & can use this time to find peace. 

There is no other time of the year that I read more then during the winter. With many days spent inside fighting the arctic chill of the Northeast it is the best way to fight the winter blues. If reading books isn't your thing I highly recommend downloading the Audible or Audiobooks app. They give you two free books just for signing up. 

I could not put this book down. In Bad Blood, John Carreyrou tells the story of a charismatic young entrepreneur named Elizabeth Holmes. Her startup Theranos was created to help revolutionize the health industry by getting people's vitals using a single drop of the blood. The only problem was that the device only worked a small percent of the time. This novel describes the hostile work environment at Theranos and how Elizabeth was willing to do anything but tell the truth. 

Robert Greene is a literary genius. He is the author of five international bestsellers: The 48 Laws of Power, The Art of Seduction, The 33 Strategies of War, The 50th Law and Mastery. This book showcases how to understand people's drives and motivations. I highly suggest reading any of his books to gain insight on important historical figures and how they used psychology to their advantage. 

Based on three years of interviews with Holocaust survivor Ludwig (Lale) Sokolov this book showcases the severe brutality of the concentration camps and the mental strength needed to stay alive. It was through Lale's kindness to other prisoners and optimistic deposition that he overcame any mistreatment thrown his way. It always showcases the deep love he has for a girl named Gita that he meets at the camp and how selfless he is to keep her safe. 

This book is a great coffee table read composed of 2-3 page short stories per chapter. Written by B.J. Novak also known as 'Ryan' from The Office. He is such a clever storyteller and this book with literally make you laugh out loud. 

Stephen King is my FAVORITE creative writer. His memoir On Writing is also incredibly good too. This book is a captivating thriller and mystery case based in the small town of Flint City. A baseball coach named Terry Maitland gets accused of killing an eleven year old from the team. All DNA evidence points to Terry but, he was with a group of people during the accident so he has the perfect alibi. Who could have committed such as horrendous crime? 

Now twenty-five year old, Ishmael Beth retells the story of his time as a young solider in Sierra Leone, West Africa. Only thirteen years when he was thrown into this bloody war, he discusses his innocence being stripped away and the brainwashing of the children. Ishmael Beth is an incredible person that speaks about human rights and is an ambassador for UNICEF to protect other children of war.   

Cal Newport is an associate professor at Georgetown University and is the author of six other popular books. Technology is so beneficial in communication, business, and our everyday lives. But Newport makes some excellent points about taking breaks from your phone and how addictive the need to check Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram can be. 

This book was recommended to me by a friend, and at first I was skeptical. I usually do not read books about dating / relationships. I LOVEDDD this book so much though. Pastor Ben Stuart explains the importance of going through each season of relationships and creates a strong parallel to scripture in the Bible. This book is incredibly helpful, comforting, and insightful. 10/10

Although this memoir came out in 2014, I recently re-read it because it is so incredible. This book moved me to tears several times. I HIGHLY recommend you check it out. Amanda Lindhout was a young traveler. She was confident, savvy, and thought she was invincible. That is until she is captured in Somalia and tortured in the most inhumane ways for fifteen months. Her story teaches empathy and forgiveness even after reflecting on this difficult tradegy. 

This book tells the story of Jho Low, a businessman from Malaysia who used his social connections to the country’s former Prime Minister Najib Razak to transform himself into an international financier. Low persuaded Razak to create an investment fund, 1MDB, financed with government money, which Low managed behind the scenes. Then mysteriously five BILLION dollars goes missing. Low has recently been arrested on charges of corruption, but the impact to Malaysian government is still greatly effected. 

After a few days in Almafi we decided to travel about a half hour north to another coastal town called Positano. Notorious for pastel colored buildings and beautiful cliff views- this is the most iconic part of southern Italy. We checked into an adorable family owned B&B and headed straight to the beach (it only took 500 steps LOL). When we finally got there it was the golden hour & the views of the town were absolutely STUNNING! 

We stayed a family owned property in Positano called II Gabbiano. Each one of their twenty rooms has a sea view & a free breakfast included. Just beware of hidden fees like getting cappuccinos or snacks from the hotel staff (they are not free - yikes!). Another quirk of the hotel was that each time you left you had to give them the metal key to your room so that you wouldn't loose it. One major perk of the property is that it is only about a ten minute walk to the heart of downtown and a lot of popular restaurants.

1. Go to Capri
My Dad likes to joke that we never stay in one place for long... While this may be true - you cannot miss the opportunity to go to Capri. From the docks of Positano it is a 20 minute ferry ride to the island, and will only set you back 30 euros roundtrip. Initially, I felt like the island was VERY VERY touristy. But once we took a bus to upper part of the Island (also referred to as Capri) I fell in love with the traditional Italian shops & stunning views. While we were there we took a chair lift to the top of the highest point of the island. Although, the single seater chair lift up the steep cliffs was incredibly scary I would definitely recommend doing it. 

2. Go Restaurant Hopping 
I decided to embrace the high carb Italian diet by trying different pastas, pizza, and local favorites like gelato. The best part is you won't gain any weight because it will be a cardio workout up all the stairs to get back to your hotel afterwards.

After an almost 9 hour plane ride, 6 hour time change, and 2 hour drive up the treacherous cliffs of the Almafi Coast sits atop a picturesque mountainside. My parents were brave enough to rent a BMW despite the many warnings of narrow roads, spotty navigation, and lack of signage. I sat in the back seat biting my nails directing them on our GPS. Amidst our jet lag & exhaustion we arrived at our little bed & breakfast just before sunset. Since this was my first time traveling abroad I thought I would share about how wonderful it all was, but also my tips if we were to do the trip again. 

The hotels in the Almafi Coast & Ravello are all very small, family owned, and can be super expensive... It is best to travel towards the beginning of October when it is considered the slower period to find cheaper rates. We stayed at an adorable B&B just outside of the downtown Almafi called Hotel Villa Felice Relais. There was a bus you could take for only 2 euros to go around the area & was fairly easy to use. If you want to be right in the action I would recommend staying in downtown. The prettiest hotels I have ever seen in my entire life were called Santa Caterina in Almafi and Belmond Hotel Caruso in Ravello.  

1. TAKE THE BUS TO RAVELLO!
This place is absolutely magical. It is located about 15 minutes north of Almafi. Taking the bus up the sides of the steep mountain were absolutely terrifying, but if you can get over a fear of heights it is so worth it. Downtown Almafi can be packed with tourists but this is a much quieter and relaxing town. There is amazing shopping, cafes, and many photo ops. 

3. Hang on the Beach 
The beach here may be a bit rocky, but the beautiful landscape is hard to pass up. We hung by the coast at a little beach club & restaurant and had some aperol spritz. The weather stays beautiful until November 1'st and plenty of people were still swimming. *Tip* The stairs to get down to the beach can be daunting. It was at least 400 stairs from our hotel to get to the water... Be prepared for a workout! 

4. Head to a Winery
You cannot go to Italy without visiting a winery! My brother found us a lunch & tasting on Airbnb about 45 minutes from Amalfi. It is all family owned & the staff was extremely knowledgeable about the winery. We sampled five different wines, had a spaghetti lunch, and ate delicious cake for dessert. You can find the tour here. 

Lunch
Right on the waterfront is one of the top restaurants in Almafi called Marina Grande. The staff here is so nice & I had the absolute best pasta I have EVER eaten. The food is very reasonably priced and you cannot beat the waterfront views. 10/10 would recommend.

With sweat dripping down my face from the Florida heat and hundreds of students trying to fit into one lecture hall, the first day at UCF hit me like a ton of bricks. The classroom had over 900 students in it which was twice the size of my entire high school back home...  The girl next to me leaned over and asked where I was from. I replied "New Hampshire", and I got a blank stare back. My heart sank, and the expectation I had set for college began to diminish. 

The bell rang, and I was thrown into a whirlwind of 65,000 students moving quicker than the streets of Times Square. What was I doing here? I struggled to find things in common with people who had been born and raised down south. I did not know a single soul in Orlando, and it became apparent I would have to work hard to branch out. 

I came to UCF with the intent of getting the "college experience", but over the years I have gotten so much more than that. Once I dropped my expectations and cookie cutter image of what school "should" be like I began to enjoy myself. I tried new things, made friends, and am forever grateful for the experience of being a campus ambassador for KIND. The people I have met here have had such a positive impact on me, and truly helped me grow as a person (I promise I'll stop getting sappy now)... These are the ten things that make our school unique, awesome, and why I am proud to be a Knight! 

4. Universal Knights 
What other school closes down a theme park for a night for their students? UCF used to have students wait in line for hours on campus to be one of the lucky few to get a free ticket. 

If you're trying to step up your Instagram game or even just want to become a better photographer, knowing the basics are crucial. Fortunately, there are no exact rules you have to follow. Photography like any art is completely subjective, but there is a science behind it. Luckily many photography apps out there such as VSCO, Adobe Lightroom CC, or Snapseed can help take your pictures from wow to... OH MY GOSH THAT'S AMAZING. Here are the ten tips I try to follow when I do a shoot or want to post content on social media.

3. Sharp Contrast 
When taking a photograph contrast comes in two forms - tonal contrast which is the difference between blacks and whites or color contrast. In the above photograph the contrast between the blues and orange work well together since they are opposing colors. Cold colors and warm colors almost always contrast and light colors offset dark - easy enough. 

6. Create Depth 
This picture was taken on the mountains closest to my house in NH. Although, I appear to be the focal point the background is more interesting to viewers. Having a strong depth of field makes your picture appear three dimensional.  ​

It is hard to believe that December is right around the corner! Fall semester flew by in the blink of an eye. Since there is not much of a season change living in Florida, the holidays tend to creep up on me. After finals finish up I am home free to spend time with family, and drink PLENTY of hot chocolate fireside. To help get into the spirit I put together a list of my favorite holiday traditions. What does your family do for the holidays? 

Since starting "Maple Leaves to Palm Trees" it has been such a learning experience! I love getting feedback from others about my writing, post ideas, and photography suggestions. I have received many of the same questions from readers so I thought I would do my best answering some of them! 

I don't know about you guys, but this time of year leads to tremendous amounts of baking, overindulging, and countless excuses not to go to the gym! Between Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas I just cannot say no to sweets. Making an effort to stay healthy during the holidays can be a challenge, but here are my best tips to keep up. Do you guys have any suggestions for me? Please comment below.