I'm not really sure how to start out this post. So sit back, grab a cup of your favorite warm beverage, (I'll have a chai tea) your favorite snack, relax because it's time for a little story. I promise it won't be too long. 

9 years ago in 2007 (yikes that's a lot.) students in the 6th grade were asked to write a letter to their future selves in 8th grade and they would be given that letter when they were off to high school. The list we were given was a simple outline of favorite questions from "Who is your best friend?" "What is your favorite color?" "Where do you live?" "What is your dream job?" and on and on. One of the questions (always my favorite) was "What are the top 3 places you would like to visit?" I can tell you the answer to this question, for me was Italy, Hawaii and London. (I can tell you that because I found my letter last summer how cute.) 

Anyway, little Kenzie, in her world of travel would get the chance to visit the beautiful islands of Maui and Oahu in Hawaii in 2010. And she would get to experience real Italian pizza in Rome, see the remains of Pompeii, and swim in the sea off an island in Greece, and taste wine from Turkey in 2012. 

In 2011, when I was almost done with high school, I started to really think about wanting to study abroad. I always knew, for some reason that I really wanted to go to England. I can't explain it in any other words, other than it's like not giving a kid a piece of chocolate cake but they really want to experience the cake and taste it and it's agonizing. There were a few times when I thought I would never get to go to England. 

In September 2015, I could look at programs. picking one of two was the hardest part. In October, I started to plan classes around potentially studying abroad. but I couldn't apply until January 2016. In February I started my application, and continued daydreaming (and google mapping) places to visit. In April (yea just months ago). I finally got the response. 

Congratulations. It said. You've been accepted. 

That's right. I'm finally writing a blog post I have been waiting so long to write. Cover your ears because i'm going to scream now. IM GOING TO ENGLAND!!!!!! 

I cannot wait to (work all summer and raise money) to travel all over. I do have a few places and people I want to visit. It's crazy to think, a year from now I'll be in Europe. It's also terrifying but exciting at the same time, as I haven't been away from my family for an entire four months before, let alone an entirely different continent. 

So cheers mate. 

See you in January England. 

x 

Have you guys travelled abroad by yourselves before? Any tips? If you live in the UK do you have any places I have to visit? I kept this secret for so long, I really wanted everything to be 100% before posting it and I'm so happy I can finally tell you! 

There are many reasons why I love to blog, one of those reasons, if you read my 2 year blogging anniversary post a few weeks back, is that I get to read other people's blogs. There's just something really nice about relaxing with a cup of tea on a weekend morning that I don't have to be rushing off somewhere and reading about someone else's life. It's the little community I log into on my laptop and visit other people's corners of the internet. 

While I have never written a post like this, I thought since I didn't do a traditional "things I liked in 2015 post" last month, it would be nice to do a "blogs i've liked in the last year" but that title is too long. So without further ado...here are some of the blogs that I've been reading and hope you do too!

There are just some trips that you remember for ages. Whether it be the first time going out of state, the first time going somewhere with just your friends, or the first time you've seen the ocean. 3 years ago I had the lucky chance to go on my first trip overseas. Italy, Greece and Turkey. 

It was the 10th of July 2012. 

My mothers side of the family had been planning this trip for over a year, there were originally 10 people in our group, unfortunately my Grandpa hurt his foot and was unable to join us, making our party a group of 9. 

Our first stop was in Rome Italy. 

I can still remember the dark green stair case we had to take to our apartment-style hotel room. I could tell you the exact place we had our first meal, after a 9 hour flight, we were quite delirious with lack of sleep and that could be why the pizza tasted like bites of heaven. The gelato was incredibly smooth, and tasty and I'm pretty sure I could probably survive on gallons of the stuff.