Thinking in the long-term.

Going to school 3,000 miles away from home changes your perspective on a lot of things. You begin to think about things that are months, even years away. 

To tell you the truth, I hate thinking far into the future. I have always believed in focusing on the present, and completely immersing yourself in whatever you are working on or needs your attention at this moment. And generally, that has led me to success in the future without specifically planning on that success. 

If you work hard and you are kind, you will go far. 

Yet there are some things about the future that you just can't avoid thinking about or having to plan. Despite the fact that I am only in my third week of school, I am already stressed about trying to switch around my scheduled final exam periods to book a flight home. I'm worried about losing out on deals, or losing the opportunity to fly out at an earlier time because they're sold out. 

These are the things that keep me up at night. 

I think about exactly how many days I will have to spend with my family, my friends and Kyle. I think about when I will have to fly back for spring semester, which is not for another five months. I think about if I will go home for spring break, if I will go on a mission trip, or if someone from home will visit me. 

Just last night, my roommates and I were talking about where we might end up living after college. And that's still two years away. 

I hate thinking in terms of the far-off future, but as the years become shorter, that future doesn't seem as far-off as it once did when I was younger. I'm learning that thinking about what is to come is something that comes with growing older. I may try to fight it, but it's just another experience that I have to face in this weird time in life. 

I may be considered a legal adult, but I still feel like I should be relegated to the elementary school playground. I have matured, but I still have a long way to go. I have to step up and accept the responsibility of thinking about and planning for my future--after all, who else will? 

It's moments like these when I really feel like a twenty-something.  

//image via Lara Casey Media

Kate Spade Spring 2014

Every year during New York Fashion Week, I look forward to the Kate Spade presentation. The Kate Spade woman has always been one that I have admired and aspire to be. Even though the photos of the collection that are posted on Style.com are not from the physical presentation, I love seeing photos that bloggers and fashion journalists post on Instagram and other outlets. 

Kate Spade never fails to disappoint. Every piece, including how it's styled, is on point.I always fall in love with the stories that the collections tell--chief creative officer Deborah Lloyd is a never-ending source of inspiration. For this collection, she was inspired by her travels to the gardens of Giverny. The presentation thus proceeded as though one was on a tour of Europe, with stops at Parisian cafes and garden parties. 

View the entire collection and how Deborah Lloyd was inspired to it on Kate Spade's blog, Behind the Curtain. Here are some looks I love:

//images via The College Prepster and Style.com

Skype.

I've grown to be grateful for the simplest of things. Going away to college has certainly humbled me and made me realize what matters most. And after moving into an apartment, I've certainly learned how much I have to be thankful for at home. 

I'm sure that this will only continue as I grow older and experience all of the changes that are to come. 

Perhaps what I am most thankful for, however, is Skype. Modern technology has given us the ability to traverse great distances through a computer screen, or even from the convenience of our smart phones. 

I honestly don't think that I could have stayed in New York without Skype. Of course, I couldn't have stayed in New York for countless reasons--I couldn't have stayed if I didn't meet the friends that I have made, if I didn't feel so comfortable at my campus... the list goes on. 

Of course, Skype isn't the same as seeing someone face-to-face. And I don't think any technology, no matter how sophisticated, will ever replace that kind of contact. Yet Skype is the next best thing. One of my favorite feelings is the one that rushes over me when I see a loved one's face pop up on my screen as my computer starts ringing, begging to be answered. 

It is so comforting to be able to talk to someone from home, and to be reminded of that connection that you hold so dearly. It's easy to get caught up in the stresses of day-to-day life, and forget about what you have that may be far away physically, but is so close in your heart. 

Skype is like a little window to a world that you have left behind, but will one day return to again. It makes life that much more bearable. It's easy to wish away life, to become excited as you get another day closer to going home (or whatever you're looking forward to). 

Yet I hate wishing away these days. I will never be this young again, or in this exact situation again. After all, what other time in life will I be able to live in an apartment just outside New York City with some of my closest friends as my roommates? When will I have the opportunity to work for virtually any media outlet that I want merely because I live within 30 minutes of the media capital of the world? 

I am so blessed, and yet I still find myself wishing away the days. While what I have waiting for me back in California may be worth counting down these days, I also desperately wish to enjoy the present. 

So in the meantime, I am grateful for Skype. I look forward to the future, but I also cling to the present. Thank goodness for technology. 

I adore...

New York Fashion Week. Yesterday marked the first day of New York Fashion Week for Spring 2014. I haven't kept up with fashion week in recent seasons, but for some reason I am really excited about this season's shows. Follow along at Style.com with me! (Image via Lilly Pulitzer)

Jennifer Lawrence for Miss Dior. Jennifer Lawrence's latest campaign for Miss Dior is truly gorgeous. The effortless nature of this bare-faced beauty is stunning, and very refreshing. Sometimes less really is more. 

Audrey Hepburn by Steven Meisel. Audrey Hepburn has been one of my greatest role models for as long as I remember, and these images of her from 1991 inspired me even more. She was truly a remarkable woman, embracing age with grace and ease.

Baseball caps and J. Crew. It's no secret that I am a major fan of J. Crew. I instantly fall in love with their styling, and lately I've been following their blog obsessively. I never used to wear baseball caps before, but I received one as a gift this summer and this post makes me want more. They're just so effortlessly cool. 

Happy Friday!

Favorite Find: Moda Operandi's Office

I love looking to the offices of my favorite brands and the people that I admire most to find inspiration. I strongly believe that while someone's bedroom can say so much about their personality, an office can say even more. 

An office is where someone goes to be creative--to create things. When you step away for two seconds, that is amazing. One of the greatest things that human beings can do with their lives is to create, whether it is a piece of art or an idea that could solve world hunger. 

Recently, Refinery29 featured Moda Operandi's office on their site. The e-commerce site is still new to the online world--but it's draw is that it is the only site where you can pre-order designer looks months before they hit the stores.

While I may not be able to purchase anything from M'O for many years with the state my wallet is in, I love seeing the space that they draw inspiration from to build and expand an already impressive start-up brand. The staffers are also inspiring with how forward-thinking that they are required to be, and this feature reveals just a bit of how they put themselves in that state of mind. 

Check out the feature here, and view more inspiring images below:

Sleep (or lack thereof).

For the past few nights, I haven't been able to sleep. I've found myself lying in bed for hours on end, not thinking of anything particularly, but thinking nonetheless. My mind hasn't been able to stop. 

It's interesting, because usually when you go to sleep, you either dream or you have nightmares (or if you're lucky enough, you're so tired you simply pass out). Yet I find myself stuck in some sort of an in-between, a purgatory if you will. Instead of being fully asleep or awake, I am stuck in a haze as the late night turns into morning. 

I'd like to read into it and say that it is because I have become obsessed with turning my dreams into a reality, but I think that's a little too cliche (even for me). My mind has always wandered, over thinking what a conversation could possibly mean or torturing myself over an email response I hope to receive. 

In this haze, my mind doesn't focus on any one particular thought (or also known as: torture device) but it jumps from one to the next, often overlapping. Everything seems interconnected, or seems like it should be. 

It's like finding your Christmas lights in a incomprehensible giant, knotted ball instead of neatly organized in their cardboard container. 

Nothing particularly makes sense, and the only way that it will is to painstakingly sort through it all. Unfortunately, my brain seems to have decided lately that the time to do this is at 3 a.m. But perhaps I simply need to set aside more time to reflect--to reflect and breathe. 

It seems like now is the time to figure it all out, or start to. Life seems to consist of untangling the knots that get in the way, even if that only lasts for a short period of time. Nothing will ever be perfect forever, but hopefully things will start to make a little more sense. 

And hopefully, I'll be able to rest a little easier. 

Alone time.

One thing that I am constantly working on is being alone. In college, it can be easy to fall prey to the worry that if you're not with friends at all times, there's something wrong with you. I've heard stories from my friends (and I must admit, I have done it too) that they would rather stay in their room starving instead of picking up dinner alone. 

At home, it's so much easier for me to feel okay with curling up with a good book and a blanket for the entirety of an afternoon. Yet in college, spending a few hours alone leads to worries that you're missing out. It leads to feelings of uncertainty, and painful pangs of homesickness. 

I fell prey to these feelings all too frequently my freshman year. At my college, students typically live close by, which means that they go home often. I found myself many a weekend with only one or two roommates instead of the usual nine that I had my first year. 

Yet it was this alone time that led me to step outside my comfort zone my freshman year. I got involved with new organizations, and made many more friends. Essentially, finding myself alone led me to find myself surrounded by friends at all times. 

As I've grown older, however, I've also grown to appreciate my alone time. I appreciate having the time and space to simply sit and think. I appreciate stumbling across new places on my past commutes home from New York City--they're like my own secret treasures. 

Being alone doesn't bother me as much as it used to. And I know that it's only going to feel more natural with time. 

Sometimes, all you need is to sit back, take a deep breath and enjoy your own company.

//image via Lara Casey