09 January 2013

Wanderlust

Anyone who knows me well enough is probably aware of the fact that I have an irrational fear of flying and airplanes. It is mostly due to the occasional turbulence one encounters on a plane ride (I have a habit of staring at the sky while at the airport, glaring at the clouds as if it'd make them go away), and the fact that there were over thirty thousand feet of empty space between the ground and myself. I used to hate traveling to different countries because of that same reason - which sucked because my parents love it. I find flying to be very unsettling, so why am I suddenly itching to get on one and lose myself in an entirely new environment (specifically Australia and/or California)?



I think I only have tumblr and all the wonderful photos in it to blame. Besides all the corny text posts, all I've been reblogging are just photos that somehow remind me of the kind of lifestyle I want to have. I'm kind of torn between wanting to live in New York (preferably in a flat with a beautiful view of the city, all white interior, racks of clothing next to my bed, and slight hints of dry wood here and there) and Southern California/Melbourne (somehow similar to New York, except with a view of the beach, and shelves upon shelves of books I've yet to read).

Another factor playing a role in my sudden urge to travel is my newest obsession - Brandy Melville. Now I've known this store for the longest time, but due to the fact that I lived in the Philippines and that my mom rarely lets me shop for clothes online, all I've ever really done is stare at all the pretty clothes they had to offer on Instagram. Lord knows how many times I've checked their feed whenever I had no clue on what to wear.

The entire store has this bohemian feel to it, with their generous use of floral prints on skirts and dresses, plain loose knit sweaters, crop tops, and simple graphic tees. Some might call it faux hipster, but whatever. This store pretty much has my name all over it. As cheesy and teenybopper as this sounds - this store is 'so me.'

And yes... I did cringe while writing that down.

I tend to envision myself in their clothes, lazing around at the beach or going to road trips/amusement parks with my friends and just taking a lot of pictures. I know this makes me sound like a loser who does nothing but sit in bed all day, fantasizing about what I would rather be doing instead of actually doing it (it's true, anyway), but due to my parents' hectic schedules, I very rarely get to get out of my city.

Not that I'm complaining, of course. I love my hometown more than any other place I've visited, but it does get boring to see and visit the same things and/or places all the time. Of course, we could always just go to Subic, which is about forty-five minutes to an hour's drive away from my town. But like I said - my parents' hectic schedules always get in the way. I highly doubt they'd allow me to go with only my friends, so I really have nothing else to do but stay at home all day (pros and cons of having taken a year off of school while all your friends are busy studying?).
But if you're from the Philippines and lucky enough to be visiting soon, I just want you to know that the drive to Subic offers the most amazing view ever. Try not to sleep on the way there; you really don't want to miss out on the beauty! Sometimes, I get the urge to ask if we could stop the car just so I can take photos that didn't blur along with the speed of the car's movement. I never do it, though, because I'm pretty sure the answer will be no. :-(

Anyway, going back to Brandy Melville, just about an hour ago, my mom and dad finally let me shop off their website. I'm not going to tell you guys what I purchased; maybe in a different post when it finally arrives. :-)

I was honestly so afraid to order, due to the numerous negative reviews that can be found online. I read a lot of complaints regarding other people's experiences with Brandy Melville, which pretty much scared me away for a little bit. Some say their orders have been shipped to an entirely different location, or BM sent missing/wrong items, or their orders weren't shipped at all. I even asked ate Mika about her online shopping experience, because I was reluctant to throw caution to the wind and take the risk before I was sure about what I was about to do. I wouldn't really throwing 'caution' to the wind, though, if we were being honest. More like my parents' money... and I'd get in so much trouble for wasting it.

Thankfully, however, I caught their live support operator online. The one I spoke to (Hi Melissa!) went out of her way to help me out, and assisted me all throughout my ordering process. She was even nice enough to help me pick out items! She gave me her e-mail, saying that if I encountered any more problems or had any questions, I was more than welcome to contact her there. That's personalized service, so if anyone from Brandy Melville gets a chance to read this - please give Melissa a hug for me for being the sweetest and most helpful girl ever! She is the complete opposite of other people's description of the BM service staff.

I do recommend checking the store out and maybe buying a few things for yourself. Be sure to check the description though, as the store's motto is "one size fits most." There's a big chance that you might end up purchasing something that does not even properly fit! I found their live support operator to be very helpful. I suggest asking them all the questions you have on your mind regarding the items, ordering, and whatnot before anything else just so you don't end up wasting your money. :-)

Our U.S. visas have been approved, so I'm really looking forward to a probable visit to the States this year. I've already made a mental note to drop by one of Brandy Melville's locations in California (and maybe buy the entire store if I could)... *hint* Hi mom. *hint*

Hopefully my rambling gave you an idea as to why I titled this post as such. I may have drifted off from my point somewhere along the lines, so just in case you didn't catch my drift: I want to travel. For the Love of God! I want to meet new people, try new things, go on a road trip with my friends and family, and immerse myself in a completely new culture different from the one I was used to - that kind of stuff. I was going to say I wouldn't mind going through an hour's worth of turbulence to get there, but that's stretching the limit because I do mind... Stinkin' clouds.

Special thanks to the beautiful Helen Steiro for the lovely hat that goes along perfectly with my sister's (hey, I never said it was mine! Plus she never wears it, so I'm breaking it in for her) red docs. I promise to wear it at the beach the next time I get a chance to (hopefully in April, while I'm at Melbourne!!!!!!!). And then maybe it'll feel like you're traveling with me in spirit, eh? :-)

And if you guys haven't noticed yet, high socks + docs are my new favorite thing.


Dress from Cotton on, Denim vest from Forever 21, Boots from Dr. Martens, Hat from Uniqlo

10 comments:

  1. I love travelling! I also one to live in New York someday or maybe Paris (haha a girl can dream, right?). ♥ Anyway, I love your outfit and I can't wait to see what you got from Brandy Melville! I'm also gonna go ahead and check their website. I've heard of them before but never even bothered to look at their items haha ._.

    thedamselinadress.blogspot.com

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    1. LET'S LIVE NEAR EACH OTHER IN NEW YORK!!!! Hahaha. Thanks Jeline! Don't hate me if you fall in love with the store :D

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  2. You're so pretty :) Love your style :D




    http://misscielofernando.blogspot.com/

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  3. I love to travel, but I hate the plane part as well. The germs, food, and the fact that you're up in the SKY freaks me out but, I deal because I get to explore a new place. yay. You're so blessed to have your parents allow you to online shop!! I WANT TO GO TO BRANDY SO BAD TOO :( I can't wait to see what items you got! :D

    http://nadine-felice.blogspot.com/

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    1. Let's go to Brandy together! <3 It's nice to know I'm not alone with the whole anti-flying thinggy! Hahaha :)

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  4. Good luck with your travelling! I hope to do the same some day. (Oh and great outfit!) :) x

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  5. floral and denim do look good together.
    great outfit dear.
    :)

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    brushesandpens

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