- Baltic rappers try to be good. They really do. They act all tough and intense with their tats and Iowa State jerseys and covers of Jay-Z songs.
- And then you look closer. And see that the sleeves/body of the tats are, in fact, a flesh-colored t-shirt and that you would bet elevendybillion dollars that #7 has never actually been to the state of Iowa.
- And then the back up dancers? Just...no.
- Baltics = brrrrr. This unexpected frigidity will result in epic hat purchases. Contain your jealousy.
- Meeting the Estonian Prime Minister is pretty epic. Especially when he
shows you his "Don't Cry for Me Argentina" balcony after letting you
pose in his press room.
- Politicians like to talk about themselves. Luckily, the Lithuanian Speaker of the House had political cartoons to back up his stories. Downside: they were all in Lithuanian. Upside: it seems forced laughter is a universal language.
- It's much easier to stay inside to study when it's cold and snowy.
- The first days of sunshine after a dark and gloomy winter are an incomparable temptation. Worse than Facebook. True story.
- Having a sunny lunch in Lincoln's Inn Fields with a group of friends to celebrate the last official lecture of the term is potentially the best thing ever.
- Even if the grass is still a little damp...
- Adult proms are a perfect excuse to buy a new dress, get all gussied up, and take an obscene number of posed pictures.
- There is nothing quite like a handsome man in a good suit.
- Apparently the cool new hipster thing is to call the DJ a "deeszay," pronounced like the soft 'g' sound in DiGiorno. I have secretly embraced the amazingness of this as I did with "Tarjay" for Target. Things are just cooler with foreign pronunciations.
- At some point I am going to have to acknowledge defeat and recognize that my feet were simply not made for wearing heels. Despite the relative 'comfort' experienced while still at Top Shop, my appearance today as though I had just run a marathon has been painfully enlightening.
- Alas, outfit compliments make up for the pain. Almost.
- Florence and the Machine is amazing. The end.
- When a performer is playing a huge show back in her hometown it's pretty precious to see her get excited to give a shout-out to her family and to mention how she had been in the same venue to see another band play a few years ago. Never dreamed she'd be back to play there herself.
- At a standing room only venue, one must be fully prepared to throw some elbows to secure a quality vantage point. You might think Brits are 'too polite' to get mean back. FYI, they aren't.
- There's nothing quite like listening to an album on repeat for years and then hearing it sung even better live. Perfection.
- Parties in which you ask poor graduate students to bring Italian-style dishes bring out a certain level of creativity that can actually be deliciously surprising.
- Especially when a main dish consists of strawberries and whipped cream. Everyone's classy side was on full display as whipped cream towers grew to gravity-defying heights.
- Putting aside two essays and a presentation in favor of enjoying homemade tiramisu and cheap red wine with friends leads to an insanely stressful Sunday night. Worth it.
- Everything is simply prettier in Paris: flower, sidewalks, storefronts, even old newspapers on the ground. Gloomy days turn into delightful strolls along the Seine. Eiffel Tower in the background. You know, because it's a casual afternoon in PARIS.
- Wine is also tastier in Paris. Even the cheap, student/teacher-budget ones. And especially when your chairs are facing out onto the street so you can gawk at all the passersby without looking like you're staring. Forget the Louvre, this was Emily's favorite attraction. Obviously.
- I cannot EVEN handle the baby stuff. If I knew whether Sarah's little eggplant (is that what the size is now?!) was a boy or a girl, oh man. Cashmere booties, little pink capelets and ruffled babykinis almost put me over the edge. The store pictured above however, DONE. Game over. Sarah and Mike: This will be your Parisian destination #1.
- Despite incessant school stress, having a 'romantic' Parisian getaway with Emirry was exactly what I needed. Such a breath of stinky French cheese air :)
