Student Lifestyle

I've been working full time since January, and honestly it's been exhausting (but still great, can't wait to share an update on that soon) but aside from working on the weekdays, I've spent my free time working out, catching up with friends, and exploring Boston. Having free time while being in my favorite city has been the best because I finally have a chance to do fun things without the stress from pending assignments due the next week. If you know me, you know I live for a good Saturday morning brunch, and my best friend With Valentines' Day rolling up in February, my sorority had our usual Valentines' Day dance and it was such a great night.

My go to breakfast has been oatmeal for months now, but with co-op, I haven't been waking up with enough time to eat a warm bowl of it every morning. This morning, I went back to my old ways and made my favorite oatmeal that I've been eating since school started in September. I love oatmeal because it's so easy to customize to whatever I'm craving in the morning, and it's also so filling that I'm not hungry until way later in the day. This oatmeal is the perfect blend of whole grains, healthy fats, and protein to keep you filled all morning, and give me energy to get started on my day, especially when all I want to do is curl up in bed.

Today marks my first full day back in Boston for the new year, and my first day of co-op ahhh! Even though I moved back in last night, I drove up to Boston a few days ago with my best friends for a quick day trip to show them where I live. I opted for a light sweater under a flannel because I wanted to stay warm, and with my big coat, I wasn't cold at all. I wore jeans and my bean boots to keep my legs warm, and they definitely did the trick.

It's already five days into the New Year, and I'm feeling strong about the start. I always try to do something the Friday before Christmas because it's right when all my friends come home, and it's always fun to bring everyone together before we get busy with the holidays. After a few hours, I drove over to my best friend's house for her New Year's celebration to wait for it to be midnight. I'm sure I'll be talking about some key things I learned throughout the co-op and other fun topics such as co-op outfits (I'm so excited to dress up! ! )

So, I'm all for making smoothies at home, but I don't usually have the time to unless it's a weekend, nor do I always have the toppings necessary to perfect a smoothie bowl. I've heard about Boost Bowls through my sister, friends, and their beyond aesthetic insta, but I would never go out of my way to drive to Southbury for a smoothie bowl. The bowls were reasonably priced, not more than $10 for the smoothie, three toppings, and granola. I wish they would have a few more smoothie bowl options compared to Jugos, but overall I still love it and go all the time.

By the time you're reading this, I'll probably be asleep, but nevertheless already had an amazing start to the new year by making even more memories with my best friends. From eating healthy and exercising, I've gained confidence in myself, feel better internally and externally, and have found myself loving healthy options over unhealthy ones (although, I'll still never say no to some sweets) This semester, I also want to spend time blogging, reading and doing more PR things. I'm hoping that even though I'll be tired after work, I'll still make time to workout four or five times a week.

Maybe it was the city atmosphere, or watching everyone's face light up when we finally reached the big tree all lit up at night, but going back makes me love NYC all over again. Once we got to Grand Central, we walked over to Rockefeller Center to take a few pictures by the tree, but we were planning to stop by once the sun set to see all the lights in full force. My parents ordered chicken soup and cappuccinos, while my sister ordered a Belgian hot chocolate and I ordered a matcha latte. After dinner, we made our way over to Times Square for our touristy pictures, and then back to Rockefeller Center to see the tree lit up.

I thought I would share my favorite picture from each month, and then a little recap on things that happened throughout the month. ~ New Year's with my best friends from home grabbing Tapas and watching the ball drop ~ Moved back in for my second semester of sophomore year Took a weekend trip to New Hampshire for my friend's 20th birthday Officially signed a lease for my first apartment! ~ Valentine's Day Social with my two future roomies at the time ~ friends and family Went home for St. Patrick's Day to see family/work Relay for Life with Kappa, we raised the most money! ~ Tea Party Started my first official co-op at Yale ~ Exposed brick really helping the photo aesthetic of our girl's night in West Hartford ~ Visited Boston because I missed my friends after 10 days Spent most of my days at work, already hit that halfway point ~ Had to get a paper signed and turned it into a day trip to Boston to visit my bff ~ ~ A rare pic of my sister and I not fighting in Portland ~ Sent all my friends off to school :( ~ Made it through the first month of pharmacy school that they decided to give us white coats #professional ~ Retreat, recruitment, bid day, apple picking, literally this month was all things Kappa ~ Absolutely killed the outfit game for our Halloween social ~ My best friend from home visited for Halloweekend! ~ We made it through semi ~ Got a co-op (gonna tell where soon! ) Went home for Thanksgiving and got to spend time with the family while also shopping for every imaginable thing ~ I decided to host a wholesome, fun, pastry filled holiday potluck with my best friends from home ~ Finished PCOL (this was literally the highlight of my semester) and my other finals

And that means that one of my favorite foods is about to be incorporated into any meal at any chance I get: peppermint! From candles to soap to hot chocolate to any possible dessert, I'm all about peppermint. I've found so many recipes online the past few days, and just had to share some of my favorites because you can never have too much peppermint during the holidays! ! What is your favorite food during the holidays?

Most days, I'll leave for my class in the morning, and won't come back home until four or five, so I'll try to pack enough food for me to eat. I'll almost always be dressed in workout clothes because I'll hit the gym right after class. Instead of going home, where I know I'll probably just sit in my bed and eat, I'll walk over to the gym and do a quick workout. Sometimes I'll study with my friends, but if I have a lot to do, I'll usually grab a table somewhere and do my work alone.