*I've been inspired by my friend Katina at Lost & Found in the City to start writing quick photo-diary style posts recapping whatever recent photos I find on my camera roll while I'm out and about. This is my first time posting something a little less structured, but I hope you enjoy these little peeks into whatever catches my eye*

If you've grown up outside of a city that can be considered a tourism or vacation destination, you've likely experienced the phenomenon of never seeming to visit more popular locations that are really only a quick trip away. Really- when was the last time I visited the Washington Monument, the Inner Harbor, or some of the Smithsonian museums?? So when my friend Roxy mentioned she was visiting her friend in DC, I jumped at the chance to make the trip into the city and spend the day in Georgetown.

It's easy to see why Georgetown is such a frequently instagram-ed neighborhood- the historic buildings,well-known townhouses, busy shopping areas, and quaint side streets are enough to make anyone, tourist or local, pull out their phone and start snapping! Not to mention my panic excitement over the close proximity to my dream grad school- but that's another post!

Someday, I would love to live in this beautiful corner of Washington DC, something that hopefully, isn't too far from reach! But for now, I was happy to spend a breezy day exploring with friends, doing a bit of shopping, and enjoying iced coffee outside on the patio.

If you're in the DC area, and it isn't too hot, take the time to walk beyond the Metro line and check out Georgetown- more than just instagrammable ;)









If you liked this little photo diary style post, leave me a comment, and follow me on Instagram, Twitter, and Tumblr :)

Long time no see, and happy Spring! As it turns out blogging while also working full time and figuring out life in the city is a lot to fit in- who would've thought? ;)

Nevertheless, I have lots to share. Enjoy a little summary of the past month or so...

Life Lately:

My aunt and cousins came up for a very busy, but of course very fun weekend. We enjoyed the view of the city from the 102nd floor of the Empire State Building, as well as visiting The Met and Central Park Zoo... and enjoying Shake Shack, lots of coffee, and Levain's cookies... thank you for feeding me enough for a week, Jennifer!

Noelle calls me Sleeping Beauty and Alice in Wonderland and honestly I'm okay with that 😂❤️🎀👑🌺 #SleepingBeauty #AliceInWonderland #CentralPark #NYCIntern #nycinternlife #UpperEastSide #CestLaVieEmily

A post shared by Emily Love (@elove428) on Mar 25, 2017 at 11:38am PDT

I also loved playing tour guide at the UN and showing my family some of the places I have the privilege of working and learning from. Also confirmed on this tour? The fact that I'm on my way to being the short cousin- That's my nearly 18-year-old cousin next to me, and I'm over 5'9", and wearing boots!

🎉🎂🍰❤️️🎀🎁 A big thank you to everyone who spoiled me yesterday! A busy (and diplomatic 😊😂)birthday in #NYC with great friends ❤️ #birthday #NewYork #nycinternlife #NYCIntern #DiplomatInTraining #PreppyStyle #CestLaVieEmily

A post shared by Emily Love (@elove428) on Apr 29, 2017 at 11:14am PDT

 Work Lately:
I'm still so thankful for the opportunity to work in both a diplomatic Mission and the UN. Every day I learn something new from my colleagues, and I still get a thrill out of walking through the delegate's entrance at the UN, and swiping my ID to enter the staff-only floor. But as of late, I've also been dealing with self-doubt.

I call this #OOTD "I love this dress, but I need to do laundry, I'm tired of winter, and I'm exhausted." 😂❤️🎀 #InternStyle #DiplomatInTraining #NYCIntern #UpperEastSide #Preppy #Fashion #PreppyStyle #CestLaVieEmily

A post shared by Emily Love (@elove428) on Apr 7, 2017 at 6:15pm PDT

• Work dresses! My Mom tells me that eventually, I'll appreciate a nice pair of office-appropriate pants. I tell her that I love dresses, and they're just too easy to pass up. My blazers are at work if needed. Dress. Tights. Shoes. Cardigan. Done :) This simple shift dress I picked this one up on a whim at H&M, and also bought this dress and this skirt while home for Easter. Perfect for Spring- and easily within the budget of a recent graduate living in New York- ack!
• Skincare upgrade- I've tried several different moisturizers, but recently tried out this one by Lancome, and so far I love it. My skin is dry in some areas, but also sensitive, and this particular moisturizer handles both of these, and isn't greasy in the slightest.
• Sandal season! As much as I love my sweater tights and boots, I'm excited to break out some Spring shoes- I may or may not be trying to figure out a way to wear my new Jack Rogers (similar to these) and still look professional enough for a diplomatic environment... might not happen ;)
• Bingeworthy TV- Continuing my habit of starting popular shows after they've already aired, I'm finally giving This Is Us a try, and I might be hooked- I've seen some spoilers, but so far I've loved every episode.
• Book recommendations! When I was younger, I used to read constantly, and I miss that! Comment below what you're reading, or just longtime favorites!

XOXO,
Emily

If you read my last post, you may have noticed that I was being (deliberately) vague on what I was actually doing in New York. Since I had to get a security clearance before starting my internship, I wasn't sure how much I was allowed to talk about, or publish, about where I'm working or what I typically find myself doing day-to-day- especially since I'm *technically* not a full employee ;) But then this past week our digital director stopped by my office and asked me when I was going to blog about my experiences thus far- turns out the (awesome!) communications team actively encourages us to use social media and blogging outlets if we want.

So I'm excited to write a little about my experiences so far interning at.....

Honestly, while this is temporary, I'm still pretty surprised, and more than a bit nervous, about working and living in a new city. I love New York- it's hardly my first time here, having visited through the years for ballet, Model UN, and just with family- but I hadn't anticipated living here, unless you count the very much idealized New York dream life that so many 20-something girls have! Needless to say, this is an amazing opportunity to help start my career, which I'm very grateful to have, no matter how nerve wracking it may be!

(Side note- I can't get over the fact that I just used the word "career" without speaking of my dream job farther down the line. When did I become adult enough for this? Who let this happen? Help!?!?)

This has been my second week at my new internship, which has been going well so far, knock on wood. Of course, I'm looking for new ideas to fill up my free time and weekends, and to write about here, so if you have any New York must-do items aside from anything very touristy, I'd love to hear your suggestions!


Follow my (short-term) foray into NYC on:


 Instagram Tumblr Twitter

XOXO,
Emily

Long time no see- I hope that everyone who's stuck with this tiny little blog of mine had an amazing holiday season and a happy new year! The past few weeks have been more than a little hectic with final papers, nerve-wracking exams, and of course, keeping up with Christmas shopping and decorating.

Finally, my fog of comparative foreign policy and human rights law cleared, and.....


I graduated with my Bachelor of Arts in International Affairs and a minor in French!

After we crossed the stage, our departmental director, who is also my academic advisor, hugged all of us as we walked back to our row in the auditorium. You know that professor who you might have every semester, whose classes cause you major stress, you're a little scared of, but who really teaches you so much? That's definitely Dr. S! I'm grateful for her classes, and all of the faculty that pushed my classmates and I every day to prepare us for grad school and our future careers.


All of those classes, papers, Model UN conferences, and a semester abroad. Undergrad? Check!

And the best way to celebrate graduating? Finally taking some time to catch up on my favorite shows (Poldark, anyone? I'm hooked!) and reading actual books (remember those?) before I'm completely immersed in internship and job applications and the possibility of....

*gulp*

...grad school!
(More on that later!)

So long, 2016!

(Apparently, you have to actually put words onto the page to keep updating a blog, who knew? But I'm back!)

A few days ago, I posted this picture on Instagram:

#ImWithHer Someday when I have my own little girl, I hope she'll be able to read about this day and smile 😊❤️🇺🇸🎀 #election2016 #internationalaffairsmajor #vote

A photo posted by Emily Love (@elove428) on Nov 8, 2016 at 12:16pm PST

My second time voting in a presidential election, for a candidate whom I honestly thought represented the United States well, and had the experience and ability to be president- as well as becoming the first woman to do so.

We all know how the election turned out, and I don't really like dragging too much politics into my blog-world. However, these past few days have made me think about a lot of things- my country, my career, and yes, my possible future daughter.

Over the past year, I've had the privilege of living abroad, traveling, and meeting people from all over the world. Getting to talk to people from different countries and cultures was one of my favorite parts of studying abroad, and it remains one of my favorite aspects of studying international affairs. Of course, everyone joked about whatever crazy event was happening in the American election, and I don't blame them- regardless of your political views, it's been a long ride.

But through any jokes about typical American stereotypes or discussion of whatever happened to be going on in the US at the time, no one ever asked me if I agreed with the things being said by one particular candidate. No one assumed I hated immigrants, or Muslims, or people of different backgrounds than me. That just wasn't their immediate impression of Americans.

And I don't want it to be.

With this recent turn of events, my biggest fear is that my country will quickly become associated with the comments and actions of the person recently elected to become president, and his supporters.  As I enter a career that will (hopefully!) allow me to visit many more new places and meet new people, I don't want them to think of intolerance and threats as soon as I mention I'm American. I want to represent a country that has been a symbol of hope for generations, a melting pot of cultures and new ideas, not a country ruled by fear. Yes, our country has its problems, as does most of the world- but I want those problems to continue to get better, not worse.

Frankly, the title of this post is misleading. I'm mature enough to recognize my privilege. Yes, I'm a woman, but I'm also white, Catholic, straight, and have a college education. My family is solidly upper-middle class, and I've grown up in suburban Maryland. I don't get to say that everything will be fine. I cannot imagine what is being felt by those who have been in the run up to this election, and I won't face the same obstacles as many other Americans.

I don't know what the next four years will hold, and yes, I will freely admit that I'm scared, particularly after what has already been witnessed across the country since Tuesday. However, I do believe there is still plenty of good in the world, and for right now, I'm going to try to do my part, however small, to spread that good.

Be kind, be helpful, and if you choose your right to protest, please be peaceful, and please be safe.

And of course: Good Things That Have Happened in 2016

XOXO, Emily

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A very belated happy 4th to any other Americans reading this! I hope you enjoyed cookouts, time with friends and family, and fireworks... because it was 70 degrees and raining here!

This certainly isn't the first time we've had a rainy 4th of July. It always seems like every year, it's either very hot, too humid, or rainy... or a combination of any of those options. So this year's fireworks were viewed through my TV, rather than heading off to see any- makes me miss the days of spending 4th of July working at camp, where we could watch fireworks right on the lake!

Summer 2016 has been pretty quiet recently, I can't believe it's already mid-July. My first two Summer courses are finished, so I've been doing some babysitting in addition to work, and just enjoying having a more relaxed schedule, before beginning what is (hopefully!!) my final undergraduate course today- cross your fingers and say a prayer that all my requirements and study abroad credits line up correctly!

Since I've had more time for writing and some "normal", non-academic or work related hobbies, I thought I'd share some of my current favorites and recent obsessions.

Currently Reading....