Since the age of five, I have had this wildest thought revolving around my head. The thought scared me, made me shiver. It is an idea many have dreamed of, yet few have actually pursued.

The thought of traveling, walking across globe, taking on the world.

What are nine reasons to explore the Earth?

1. The universe outside the world you are used to.

European explorers were so lucky. Back then, they never knew where they were heading, or what awaited them on the other side. That gave them a sense of pure curiosity and an overload of excitement.
That is the thing about the term "wanderlust". It's a desire to travel, because travelling brings you to a different dimension, to a realm you never thought existed. Seeing things you never see in your daily life, inhaling a different kind of breeze, feeling an unfamiliar ambiance. It just feels right, perfect.

2. The chance of falling in love.

Michelle Phan, Youtube's greatest make up guru has the hottest boyfriend on the face of the Earth. Do you know where she met him? In Paris.
They say there are so many fishes in the sea. What if your fish is from another ocean? The Atlantic Ocean, perhaps? Travelling gives you the chance to open your book to many kinds of people, the chance to open your heart and fall in the crazy but magical hands of love.

3. The adventure that awaits you.

Adventure. That is the very tempting word that lurks behind every traveller's heart. Going to the jungles of Australia? Clubbing in Las Vegas? It's all about the different adventures you get yourself into.

4. The language for your tongue. The knowledge for your mind

The most multilingual people are travellers. Why? Wait. Do you really need to ask why? Of course it's because of the different countries they've gone to visit. Well, that is something you won't learn in any of your language classes. Because real education is in the field. And the world is your field.

5. The FOOD, duh!

From the most sophisticated French and Italian cuisines to the street foods in Macau, you can't miss anything out. The exotic foods you taste on your travels will be some of your best memories.

6. The freedom you want to experience.

Being out in the world is like being a little fish swimming the depths of the open ocean. You know it is dangerous, but at least, you are free. As the wind paces towards your face, you can raise your hands up and move with the beat of life. You are free.

7. The break you deserve.

It doesn't matter how your boss held you behind for so long, it doesn't matter how long you worked so hard in class. You can finally leave all your work for a moment, forget all your problems and pain as you walk across the globe. Why? Because the skies are your deadlines right now, that's why.

8. The inspiration that you will meet,

Travelling the world means opening your eyes to a whole new set up. It gives you a different perspective. But what's more important is the inspiration your heart will create as soon as you've stepped out of your comfort zone. Inspiration is everywhere, you just have to find it.

9. The memories that will stay forever.

Happy memories. The visions that we never get tired of playing over and over again. Looking back, reminiscing,  gives you this absolutely beautiful feeling because memories are spells bound to stay in your heart forever.
Also, do not forget to take pictures and videos. Lots of 'em. As Nicholas Sparks said in Safe Haven, "You'll take a lot of pictures and only regret the ones that you didn't take."


-Guest Barista Czarina-

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The quickening arrival of Valentine's Day is likely to either fill you with excitement or... well, the opposite. Some people very much enjoy being single, I mean, you get to be fairly independent and of course, you don't feel guilty every time you notice an insanely attractive boy or girl (and it doesn't matter if you take an obvious glance). However, sometimes, on this day in particular, you just can't help but notice the lovey-dovey couples and feel a slight surge of what might be envy or desire. Don't worry though- you don't have to spend this Valentine's Day moping, or even alone for that matter!

If you have some single friends who are also free on February 14th, why not spend it together? Friends are important, arguably just as much or even more than a boyfriend or girlfriend. So have a party, a sleepover, a night out... Maybe watch some soppy films or extremely non-soppy films (if you intend on avoiding the romantic theme altogether). Show your friends just how important they are to you, because after all- this is a day of love.

Speaking of expressing feelings of love, show your parents (or any other family members for that matter) just how much you appreciate them! Whether you decide to cook them something delicious for dinner or buy a well-thought-out gift, whatever you do will go very much appreciated. Remember, February 14th is a day to celebrate love, whether it be platonic, romantic or just love between family members.

You could also make this day a You-Day. By this I mean seriously pampering yourself. Buy (or even send) yourself chocolates and make sure you have stocked up on ice-cream. Treat yourself to something, and don't feel guilty, because after all, this day is all about you. Do everything you enjoy, and be sincere about it! It is important to love oneself, just as much as it is important to love others.

So don't fret as Valentine's Day looms ever closer. Instead- celebrate it!

-Barista Ria-

Image: Selena N. B. H.

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For some of you, studying in groups might be the greatest thing in the whole world but for others (like me) it’s the worst thing ever. Why? I really need to study for something but most of the people I end up studying with makes it pretty hard.

These are five types of people you will find in (almost) every study group:

Person Number 1: Most of you.

Ok, this person is the one who wants to study but really is afraid that the others want to talk instead of actually studying so, he or she makes an effort to keep everybody from opening books.
I must admit this is totally me. I feel like, when I’m studying with friends, they are all judging me for studying so, to look cool and normal and stuff, I try to keep everybody happy by talking for hours when the exam is like... the next day.

Person Number 2: Your soul mate

This kind of person divides into two groups: the actually boyfriend of girlfriend or the one that wants to be your girlfriend or boyfriend.
If it is your other half, then you really won't to be able to study at all. Not even a bit. Their beauty will distract you so, please, try not to study with them.
If it is someone who wants to be more than friends and you don’t, then may God have mercy on your soul! I bet you didn’t want to study with him but he just can’t get away from you! It’s like you’re glued together.
If it is someone who wants to be more than friends AND you want to. Oh, that is lovely. But, just like I said: concentration=zero!

Person Number 3: The best friend

I don’t even need to say anything, do you?
In the beginning, you will be all focus on the books then, five seconds later, it’s time to talk about your teacher’s son.

Person Number 4: The best student in your class

If you want to get good grades, this is the best person to study with.

Person Number 5: The one that is always talking about how he or she doesn’t need study...

...because he is so smart and blah, blah, blah...
(but he actually studies more than everyone else. Figures.)


-Barista Alexandra-

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I love to shop. It's a wonderful sport that (almost) everyone enjoys. Now there are a lot of different types of shopping, but I'm going to talk about a specific type: clothes shopping. My favorite. So what are the joys of shopping for clothes?

Joy #1: Getting ready to go shopping

I rush over to my closet early in the morning of my shopping day and wear something other than the usual sweatshirts I wear. I wear a nice pair of jeans, a nice blouse, and maybe a pair of heels if I'm not afraid of hurting my feet after hours of walking around looking for things to buy. I actually bother to dress up and it makes me feel all good when I'm done.

Joy #2: Hanging out with friends

Going shopping by myself is okay, but nothing ever beats going shopping with a couple of my best friends. I can chat, gossip, and exchange opinions on those boots my friend is thinking of buying. Most things become a hundred times more fun when it's shared and shopping is no exception.

Joy #3: Trying things on and taking funny pictures

Sometimes, even when I am completely sure that I am not going to buy that butt-ugly shirt, I take it into the dressing room to have some fun dressing up in the wackiest outfits with my friends. We dress up weirdly, take the stupidest pictures, and laugh like crazy as we go through the racks again. This is also really fun to do with expensive things that you'll never be able to afford. You can try on that Prada bag, snap a picture, and get chased out ofthe store for not buying anything. Ah. Memories.

Joy #4: Actually buying something

I don't know what it is about whipping out your cash that makes buying things so satisfactory. When I finally buy something after wondering whether I should buy this skirt as opposed to that skirt, I get this warm, fuzzy feeling in my heart as the cash register goes DING.

Joy #5: Wearing the stuff you bought

This is my favorite part of shopping. Suddenly, my closet looks so much fuller than before, making me happy whenever I open my closet every morning to scavenge for something to wear. I don't have to worry about, "I've already worn that a billion times. People will think I only have one top." I can just grab one of my new outfits and strut in them, feeling like a model...

Well, at least until I get tired of those new clothes and have to go shopping again *insert sheepish grin*


-Barista Mia-

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Internet Explorer

In my honest opinion, Internet Explorer is the best browser... for downloading other browsers. Okay, okay. That was a little mean. Internet Explorer is a classic. A favorite for those who aren’t willing to download better browsers. IE is a little slow and lags quite a bit. I guess if it’s one good thing about IE is that it is basically the best browser for forms and stuff. For some reason, the other browsers don’t work that well for that. If your usual browser doesn’t seem to load a page really well, IE usually works as a substitute.

Google Chrome

I love the layout of Chrome. It’s really cute and very easy to customize. This one was my favorite for a while, but then I just gave up on it because it brought in waaaaaay to many viruses into my computer (my computer’s system completely broke down in the end. Sigh.) As pretty as Chrome is and as fast as it is (the fastest of the three browsers, I might add), it isn’t very safe and I wouldn’t recommend it if you want your computer to have a long life. If you’re okay with viruses invading your computer, though, go for it!

Mozilla Firefox

Firefox is my favorite browser by far. It’s fast, unlike IE, and it’s safe, unlike Chrome. Best of all, Firefox doesn’t seem to mind so much when a lot of tabs are open. And as a student, we all know how many tabs we need to keep online. One for YouTube, one for research, one for an online class, one for Facebook, one for Google Docs... Ooh! And as a plus, the fox on Firefox’s logo is so pretty. I lurve foxes.

So in the end, Firefox is my go-to browser for everything unless, for some weird reason, a page doesn’t load in which case, I use the classic Internet Explorer. Which browser is your favorite?

-Barista Mia-

Image: CollegeDegrees360

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There are many places I want to go to: Rome, Paris, New York... The usual. But on my list of go-to places before I die are some more, uh, unusual places. They're entirely fictional. Oh, only if they weren't. It would be AMAZING to visit or even live in these made up lands... Sigh. Why couldn't I just literally transport into a book or movie?

Anyway, here is my list of the top four fictional places I want to be.

Narnia

The Chronicles of Narnia is the first fantasy series that I ever read. I was completely immersed into the books as they were so magical. The best part is, in Narnia, I can talk to animals! Gasp. This is something I've wanted to do for the longest time.


Neverland

I'm probably one of the few teens out there who doesn't ever want to grow up. Being 18 now, I've had a little taste of the convoluted adult world and I'm telling you, it's not pretty. In Neverland, I wouldn't EVER have to grow up. I can have fun, have adventures, and have some more fun. Also, I've always wanted to meet Peter Pan and Hook.

Camp Half-Blood

Please, please, please let me be a demigod. It would be beyond awesome to be told that I am the lost daughter of one of the Greek gods. Imagine the powers I would have, the fun adventures I would have with my friends, and the battles I would get into. Oh, the life of an adrenaline rush.


Hogwarts

Okay. Um. Can I be both a demigod and a witch? For most of the year, I could stay at Hogwarts, the bestest place on Earth ever, and in the summer holidays, when I am unceremoniously kicked out of the beautiful castle for vacation, I could head off to Camp Half-Blood. Whoop!
Hogwarts would be my number one place to visit. All those hidden passages, the magic, the dueling, the adventures, taking fun classes, meeting Harry Potter... Wow. Just thinking about all of this gives me the chills.

Of all the fictional places in the world, where do you most want to visit?


-Barista Mia-

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