wilkommen.

After listening to this comedic yet very informative mini opera about Germany and France's political relationship with each other a few days ago on Morning Edition, I was reminded of all of France's influence in Berlin's architecture. Naturally, I was reminded of how shocked I was of the French-style architecture when I was walking around Berlin a few months back....

Also, how cool are those jarred sausages? I'm easily amazed when it comes to other culture's groceries, especially after reading this article in Travel and Leisure about the World's Strangest Supermarket items. 

Anyway, hope these were as inspirational and motivating for you as they were to me to browse through Continental.com today. Have a great weekend! It's already snowing hard here! :)

Dublin.

Top of the morning.

Have I ever mentioned that I want to see the world but can't afford to see all of it right now? I never studied abroad and I never ventured on that obligatory post-grad Eurotrip; but when Continental Airlines alerts me of low-priced European travel destinations during non-peak season, I get my chance. I base my travel destination on the lowest fare. This year the least expensive European city to travel to was Dublin.

Dublin leaves me aching for delicious Leo Burdocks fish and chips; but the city left me feeling like a tourist. When I look back at these photos of Howth, this small fishing village outside of Dublin, I just think, "That was Ireland."

Real-life observation: It gets harder and harder to find a buddy to travel with now that everyone has working, family, and financial obligations. Thank God for one of my best friends, Leah, who, I have come to find out, will always be reliable for an impromptu trip out of the country. :)

spanish meats.

right after college, i immediately started working for Guru New York; and completely forgot to mark that obligatory, post-college eurotrip off my "things to do before i die" list. so last february i decided to search kayak.com for the cheapest ticket into europe and go from there. well, lucky me. it was BCN. everyone, from mario batali to my sister, raves about the food there. and everyone, from mario batali to my sister, raves about their cured meats. i even tried to sneak some serrano ham back for my sister but the gosh darn tsa took it away. GOSH NEWARK AIRPORT !

anyway, click through saveur's slideshow of meats to learn a bit about spanish pigs..and to get your mouth watering.

now what.

now what. that’s basically my question for everything---
i graduated college; now what? 
i got a full time job with benefits; now what? 
i have a Twitter account; now what? 
i started a blog; now what?


i really can't answer any of those questions but i suppose since this is the first post in mandingSays i should provide some reasoning behind it...  

well, i can't really give you a straight one. as of right now, this blog can pose as somewhat of a casual research project on how finding life's day-to-day pleasures can help avoid a quarter-life crisis. :)

how did my generation, who graduated high school watching my super sweet sixteen end up being thrown into the real world during the longest running recession since the great depression. 

every generation has to go through this "graduating college" and "being poor " thing, you say? well i'd like to think we're special. and we are ! our situation sucks hard ! google the great recession people !

so now what. during an age that generationXers claim to be the "best time our lives", i'm stuck inside reading articles about retirement.

in all seriousness though, my twenties have been... charming. sure, spent my whole childhood on aol; but it's time for new habits. new discoveries.

i am young (am i??!) and curious. and i live off of an entry level salary. i want to do, see, eat, and buy as much as i can. although i have dreams and wishlists of the faraway and expensive, there are plenty of things that are perfect for where i am today and what i can budget in right now. maybe the things i find along my way will help you get through your quarter-life crisis...if not, at least i have blogspot to organize my scatter-brain. for free.


ps, this will probably be the longest post. ever. and maybe the last self-loathing post. maybe.