All posts by Kelly Danver

Brainfood

Camera Tech

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As the media is apt to tell us, we are living in a digital age where information is reduced to tiny pixels to be uploaded to a computer or social media site. That might be an overly detached way to put it, as the digital sharing we do every day truly can connect us to people we would never expect. We take pictures and video with our phones, and since technology has gotten so advanced, these are usually perfectly adequate for our social media needs. But for those who want to take their digital sharing to the next step (filming or taking high-quality photos and videos), there are a multitude of options available.

The Casual Photo Journalist

Smartphones these days take quality photos and can be a good replacement for a digital camera, but pictures take up a lot of memory—if you want to take a lot of pictures as well as short videos, investing in a point-and-shoot camera is the way to go. A point-and-shoot camera is exactly what its name implies: a camera where you can point it at something and take a decent photo with no adjustments needed. This kind of camera is perfect for those who don’t know or don’t care about the anatomy of a picture and just want to capture memories. These cameras can store up to 500 pictures at a time—sometimes more—and can record videos as long as 20 minutes. They are also getting smaller with better battery life and more memory space, making them the perfect travel companions. They are also great for kids who are just starting to use more sophisticated technology.

Some of the more highly rated point-and-shoot cameras out there include:

  • Canon PowerShot A-Series – This is a series of point-and-shoot cameras that range in price and power but provide an easy experience.
  • Nikon Coolpix Series – This series has a number of cameras under $100 with a variety of zoom ranges and different settings for taking pictures.

What you’ll find with a lot of these smaller cameras is that they are super easy to use. They have a lot of options for how to take your pictures or video without sacrificing too much quality, but the camera will always control how much light or focus the picture has. If you want to get more creative, you might want to invest in some of these bad boys below!

The Not-So-Amateur Photographer

For those who really want to dig into photography and experiment with light, zoom, focus, and a whole bunch of other variables, then investing in a DSLR is the way to go. A Digital Single-Lens Reflex (DSLR) camera is a fancy way of saying a powerful digital camera. These cameras pack a lot of punch.

First, their memory storage is phenomenal. Most of these cameras can have memory cards that hold at least 1500 pictures. You also get to control the operating parts of the camera, such as the shutter (which controls how much light goes in) and the shutter speed (which controls how long the shutter stays open to let light in). You can do some fun things with the focus of your pictures, as well as with the light. Now, if none of this makes sense to you but you want to use these more advanced cameras, doing some research or taking a short photography course (from an online learning site like Lynda.com or at a local community center) will definitely help you get the most out of your equipment.

There is some rivalry between the Canon and Nikon camps, but honestly, they are both super good at making cameras and it’s really a personal preference. This author is partial to Nikon, but that was after months of research and examination of my personal needs (as I write this, my Canon-adoring editor overlords are plotting their revenge!).

  • Nikon D Series – Nikon’s DSLR cameras range from the monster D4s, which have the ability to use 16 million pixels in one picture, to the modest D3000, a model that is perfect if you are just starting out using a DSLR.
  • Canon EOS series – These cameras, much like the Nikons mentioned above, have a wide range between each camera. The Canon 1D X has 18.1 megapixels and have a few less advanced models that is good for those who don’t need such a powerful camera.

With each DSLR, you need a few lenses to get the best quality photos. Unless you want to get crazy, a standard zoom and a telephoto lens work just fine. There are a few others that specialize in zoom or have a fish-eye, but those have a very specific purpose and may not worth the money unless you are seriously making a career out of taking pictures or you want to take those kinds of photos all the time.

The power of these cameras is unreal. In fact, they are so powerful that some people in Hollywood are using DSLR cameras to film small budget films and music videos—that’s the kind of quality we are talking about. So if you want to make photography a serious priority or hobby, I would look into DSLRs. I got my Nikon D5000 for my high school graduation and have used it on multiple trips, including my year abroad in Europe, and it was a fantastic experience. That said, my friends with regular point-and-shoot cameras also got some quality photos.

Overall, I would assess your needs, consider the amount of upkeep and effort you want to exert, do some research, and ask questions! Cameras are a great investment and can help preserve some of the best times. So make sure you’re using quality technology!

Photo by Rob Adams

Photo by Rob Adams

Career

Our Mixtapes: Soundtracks for Getting Through the Work Day

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Whether you make money selling or buying, doing or saying, some days at the office (whatever shape that office is) are better than others. One day you might feel like the most productive employee ever and the next day the least competent. Though we don’t all have the same jobs, we all work day to day, pounding the pavement for better or for worse.

But that doesn’t mean that our time in the office has to be without inspiration. Some days we need a little help getting into the swing of work and to honor that, here are some of my favorite tunes to listen to at work:

Productivity Train

Let’s face it, there are some days when BuzzFeed is particularly entertaining and we don’t get as much work done as we should. When that happens I put on my blinders, plug in my headphones and turn on these tunes.

1)     “Elevate” – St. Lucia, When The Night

2)     “Arizona” – Kings of Leon, Because of the Times

3)     “Hollywood [Felix de Housecat Remix]” – RAC (feat. Penguin Prison)

4)     “Macchu Picchu” – The Strokes. Angles

5)     “Gotta Get Away” – The Black Keys, Turn Blue

Calm the Mind

There are just some days where work makes us want to pull our hair out in frustration, no matter how much we love it. For those days, I turn these songs on and take deep breaths before hunkering down again.

1)     “Welcome Home” – Radical Face, Ghost

2)     “Tumblin’ Dice” – Rolling Stones, Forty Licks

3)     “Momentary Thing” – Something Happens, Planet Fabulous

4)     “Take A Walk” – Passion Pit, Gossamer

5)     “We Are The Tide” – Blind Pilot, We Are The Tide

Kicking Ass

A power suit can get you into the zone when you need to kick ass at work, but why stop there? When I need to roundhouse-kick a project into fruition or a jerk coworker who keeps stealing my ideas, I turn to these songs to pump me up.

1)     “Fancy” – Iggy Azalea feat. Charli XCX, Fancy

2)     “She’s Electric” – Oasis, What’s the Story (Morning Glory)

3)     “Troublemaker” – Weezer, Weezer (Red Album)

4)     “Body Work” – Morgan Page feat. Tegan and Sara, Body Work

5)     “Movin’ Out” – Billy Joel, The Stranger

Hangover Cure

As any employed person will tell you, one of the benefits to having a salary and no homework is that you can go out on a Tuesday night. But we always have to pay dearly for it when Wednesday morning rolls around. For that, I listen to these songs and drink lots of water.

1)     “Tennis Court” – Lorde, Pure Heroine

2)     “Back to Black” – Amy Winehouse, Back to Black

3)     “See The Sun” – The Kooks, Konk

4)     “Fool to Cry” – Tegan and Sara, Girls, Vol. 1

5)     “Time Go” – Caught A Ghost

Photo by Rob Adams

Photo by Rob Adams

Brainfood

I’m a Spiritual Person, Not a Religious Person

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When I was in fourth grade, my mom decided to start taking my older sister and me to church. My dad is a firm atheist and opted out of church from the very beginning, but my mom wanted us to experience religion.

When I was younger, we had gone to a few other churches but mostly just because we knew some of the priests who were employed there. I grew up in an area that has an Episcopal Seminary, where people are educated and trained to be priests, so a lot of my neighbors were men and women who had moved their families to our town in order to attend this school.  Two of our closest family friends are from this movement; so, church and religion were concepts with which I’d been familiar for many years.  Still, we never went to church with any frequency until I was eight years old.

Christ Church in Old Town, Alexandria, is a beautiful building that was built before the American Revolution. It is steeped in history and has a lot of funding, which allows the church to take an active part in the philanthropic community. When we first arrived, we sat in the second floor pews and that’s when I saw the church choir come out. Throughout the service, this small but powerful choir led the hymns and then sang a beautiful song during communion. I was mesmerized. That very afternoon, I had my mom sign me up to be in the Christ Church choir. For the next ten years, I went to choir practice every Wednesday and Thursday night. I’m not sure my mom, my sister, and I would have continued to go to Christ Church for as long as we did if I hadn’t been involved, but my commitment meant that from ages 8 to 18, I was actively going to church every week.

Attending church every week and discussing religion in general became a regular practice. But, outside of church, I lived a fairly unreligious life. My parents didn’t discuss religion very much, and I knew that my dad didn’t believe in any of it, but they were very conscious about letting me decide for myself what role religion would play in my life. They knew it was, and is, a very personal decision to make, and I am lucky I lived in an environment where I could ask questions but wasn’t expected to believe in any one thing.

All that time spent going to church made me think a lot about higher powers and what, if anything, is out there watching over us. Each Sunday, I would hear a sermon about the religious readings and then I would talk them over with my peers in Sunday school. This increased my knowledge about religious history and practice, but, honestly, none of it really stuck. I couldn’t find, or make, a real connection with the Scripture. Even though each week different people who had found inspiration and companionship with Christ surrounded me, I couldn’t fully empathize with them or understand how they were able to make such a bond.

Despite this, there was something I really loved about going to church every week. I liked singing in the choir and I liked hearing the interpretations of the different priests on the Scripture. The routine was nice, as was the community. By the time I was 15, I was pretty well known in the Christ Church community and many of the priests I came to know took the time to give me volunteer opportunities and made themselves available if I had any questions or concerns about life in general. Because of their generosity and guidance, I decided to get confirmed in the Episcopal Church, as I believed it would help solidify my feelings towards religion in general.

Now, at the age of 22, I still can’t say if I have any solid feelings towards religion. Growing up in a religious environment made me very aware of organized religion and the politics surrounding it. But it also gave me a new way of thinking about religion and spirituality that I would not have gotten otherwise. In all my time at church, I have come to realize that I am certainly a spiritual person, but not a particularly religious one. What I mean is that I firmly believe that there is something keeping all of us balanced and that miracles and divinity are possible, but I can’t fully believe what the Scripture says happened so long ago.

Religion is so personal, and how one interprets or embodies religion is unique to each individual. I’m happy that I’ve had such a broad education in world religions and Christianity because I feel like I can make an informed decision about what role religion plays in my life. But I also feel as though I am not tied to any one belief, which allows me to grow and change with my spirituality. Religion and spirituality, like so may other things, are fluid. I may not have one particular belief now, but allowing myself to be open to spirituality and, in turn, open to new experiences, makes me feel as though I am a part of something greater than myself. And that, more than anything, gives me hope about what’s to come.

Photo by Andy Sutterfield

Photo by Andy Sutterfield

Travel

Our Mixtapes: Soundtracks For a Sane Commute

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When I was in middle school and high school, I was the queen of mix CDs. I made mixes for my friends and family, for car rides, and just for myself. It was, and is, one of my favorite pastimes. Choosing my favorite songs to find what tracks went well together was fun and challenging. Now, after years of practice, I think I’ve gotten pretty good at it (or at least my mom thinks so).

I find the process of creating mixes cathartic and important because, in my humble opinion, music makes everything better. Workouts, walks, studying, traveling, or just lounging about, music can bring you up or bring you down depending on your mood and what kind of day you’ve had. Because of this, I have several go to playlists and songs that I use when I am commuting to and from work or other places to either get me going or calm me down after a rough day.

To honor this, and hopefully give you lovely readers some cool and maybe new music, I have put together some of my favorite songs for a sane commute.

Like a Boss

These songs I feel are for a day when work didn’t crush your soul but instead made you feel like you were actually contributing something to the world. Go figure. They are upbeat but slightly melancholy in their own individual way. (Hey, you had a great day, but you still have to get up tomorrow…)

1) “Don’t You Evah” – Spoon, Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga

2) “Sister” – The Black Keys, El Camino (Ohhhh, this is a fancy live version!)

3) “Lies” – CHVRCHES, The Bones of What You Believe

4) “Jackie, Dressed in Cobras” – The New Pornographers, Twin Cinema

5) “Forever” – HAIM, Days Are Gone

Adventure Awaits

These songs are for a great day that also happens to be a Friday or the start of a vacation. They have great beats, are pretty positive overall and are fantastic for singing along. Who cares if they see you mouthing lyrics? You get to sleep in tomorrow!

1) “Drove Me Wild” – Tegan and Sara, Heartthrob

2) “In Your Light” – Gotye, Making Mirrors

3) “All of the Lights” – Kayne West, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy

4) “Santa Fe” – Beirut, The Rip Tide

5) “Forever Yours” – Alex Day, Forever Yours

6) “Fearless” – Taylor Swift, Fearless

Down for the Count

These next few songs are for the defeated. That might sound a bit melodramatic, but sometimes that’s the only way I feel after a long and arduous and probably really stupid day. They are sad but beautiful, and hopefully they can serve as a reminder that you just have to keep doing you. So plug in your head phones, and let the world fall away.

1) “Orange Sky” – Alexi Murdoch, Away We Go Soundtrack

2) “No Cars Go” – Arcade Fire, Neon Bible

3) “Bella Donna” – The Avett Brothers, The Second Gleam

4) “Perth” – Bon Iver. Bon Iver

5) “The Story I Heard” – Blind Pilot, 3 Rounds and a Sound

6) “The Gambler” – fun., Aim and Ignite

7) “I Know What I Know” – Paul Simon, Graceland

8) “Right as Rain” – Adele, 19

Photo by Remi Coin

Photo by Remi Coin

Geekery

Finding my Fandom

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I like to think of myself as a professional Internet user. Though I’ve never seen a dime for all the hours I’ve put in online, I reap the riches of the content I read, watch, and listen to. By seeking out cool new things on the internet, I not only get to appreciate the creative content, but also a community of fans all over the world—which, I would argue, is half the experience.

Most people have a “thing” that they find joy in participating in and talking about, such as exercising, movies, gardening, bagpipe-playing or One Direction. There are some who believe that if fewer people know about their “thing,” whether it’s a show, a band, or a super new and awesome gardening technique, the “thing” is inevitably cooler. We all know these people: “Do you have their concert shirt from their 1998 secret show in Chicago? ‘Cause if not, we can’t be friends.”

Though I do agree that a smaller number of super devoted fans is better than a larger number of casual fans, in general, if more people know about the “thing,” more knowledge, and art, and community can be shared across the internet. And more people who are interested in the “thing” will be able to find one another.

My “thing” is Doctor Who. I was just finishing up middle school when Russell T. Davies rebooted the classic British sci-fi dramedy, and it wasn’t until much later that I discovered the show and immersed myself in its fandom. I had heard about Doctor Who from a number of the Internet personalities I followed, and in my first year of college, I began actively seeking out the show, its surrounding culture, and its fandom. Back then, these episodes weren’t easy to find for free but I had a lot of gift card money to spend, so I splurged and guaranteed myself a high-def experience by buying all the seasons on iTunes.

I zipped through those episodes—meaning I watched five seasons of television in about two months. Doctor Who was, and is, a show about how big the universe is and yet, despite its vastness, there are shared experiences to which we can all relate. The big giant blockbuster storylines usually have smaller messages about what love and hope can do, and the supernatural aspects of the show help to highlight real-world experiences. As Ben Wyatt from Parks and Rec would say, “They’re telling human stories in a fantasy world!”

I became obsessed, very fast. But no one I knew watched Doctor Who and I am not one to seek out other people to talk to online, simply because a lot of my experiences with books or TV shows become very personal and I find it hard to express my feelings to other people. I started following blogs and found the website Tumblr, which helped me find other projects the actors and creators were working on. I found people online who loved it just as much as I did and they introduced me to other awesome things like fan art and fanfics, neither of which I had ever really encountered in such massive quantities before. I had, of course, encountered both of these things with Harry Potter, but I thought that was the only fandom where people were as passionate about something as I was.

By discovering that other fandoms also expressed their love for a show or a book through art and writing, I discovered a whole new world (Aladdin reference for you, there). It is a world where enthusiastic people come together to express their love for their passion, and a place where I can openly indulge in my enthusiasm as well. I was a much quieter, much more timid person before I found my tribe, but afterwards I found the confidence to become much more dynamic, both on the Internet and in real life.

Getting into Doctor Who started a chain reaction that eventually led me to the nerd life that I embrace today. I encouraged many of my friends to watch Doctor Who and I found other shows like Merlin, Supernatural, and others—all of which have been fantastic new experiences and new fandoms. The small network of Who fans (known as “Whovians”) whom I followed eventually expanded and led me to binge-watching a whole host of other shows, as well as discovering all sorts of new bands, books, and podcasts.

I became immersed for the first time in something solely because of the recommendations of Internet personalities, not because I had found it and loved it first. It was a whole new and wonderful experience that spoke to the power of online sharing. It might be nice to be an “original” or early fan of something, but I’m so glad other people spread the word about Doctor Who and recommended it to me. If they hadn’t, I may never have experienced it or the various other new works that it introduced me to. Doctor Who opened up an entirely new network to me that I had only really experienced once before, and because of that it will always hold a special place in my heart.

My favorite quote is when the Doctor tells Amy Pond about why companions come with him on the TARDIS. He says, “You make all of time and space your backyard, and what do you have? A backyard! But you, you can see it. And when you see it, I see it.” By showing your passion for something, it can make other people see that same passion and appreciate it all the more.

Photo by Rob Adams

Photo by Rob Adams

Relationships

My Thanksgiving

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When I think of Thanksgiving and the holidays, many wonderful things pop into my head. Even though Christmas music is not allowed in my presence until exactly one day after Thanksgiving, once it’s on I definitely crank up the radio. December 1st is also the start of the “25 days till Christmas” on ABC Family (which usually includes a Harry Potter weekend). But, in my life, the holidays mean more than just these commercialized pastimes, they mean time with my family, delicious food, and (hopefully!) a reprieve from homework. It’s also a time when our family breaks out certain traditions to get us into the spirit of the holiday, and Thanksgiving is where it all starts.

For some, this holiday time could be all about the food or the people or some odd tradition that involves paintball and a bagpipe player. But, for me, Thanksgiving had always been about the specificity: a certain way that the holiday was destined to go. There always had to be this kind of stuffing, and that kind of turkey and this kind of pie (for my family it’s a brined and roasted turkey with a wild mushroom and rice stuffing with apple pie…I am getting hungry just writing this). We had to play this music and drink that wine, or else, how would we know it’s Thanksgiving?! In part, this was because the one thing that always did change was where we would spend the holiday. This changed almost every year: when I was five, we spent Thanksgiving with our grandparents, when I was twelve, we went to the Outer Banks with some family friends, and for the past couple of years, our family has gathered with some cousins who live close to us. All of our ever-changing lives always turned the question of where we would go into a last-minute juggle.  Eventually, because we never had a set plan, our Thanksgiving became rooted in traditions surrounding food and family. It became a time for sharing, for catching up with people we hadn’t heard from in a while, and for spending time with people we love. The host would cook the turkey and the rest of us would bring dishes. We laughed and drank and everyone helped each other when it came to cooking and eating. It was great, if a little exhausting.

However, when my sister and I were both studying abroad, we didn’t get that big fancy dinner or the time with our friends and family. Instead, that holiday became more about who was around us at that time. My sister and I spent one Thanksgiving while she was in Scotland at a pizza restaurant, having a wonderful chat about college and traveling. When I was living in England, I spent my holiday in the library before cooking with some friends in our dorms. It was the first time I realized that the holidays and Thanksgiving could be something different than what I had always experienced.

This year, most of our other family members have branched out, so we decided that this Thanksgiving would just be about us as a nuclear family. Instead of gathering with extended family and friends, we have decided to focus on us as a family. Though this will be very different from the hectic holidays of the past, it will be a nice break from having hoards of people all gathered in a tiny space.

Not only was it a good idea to try something different this year for practical reasons, but it’s also my last year at university and I have no idea where my life is going to take me in the next year and whether I will be able to spend this time with my family again. The same goes for my sister, who just moved to Boston. Before her life becomes too settled, she wanted to come home and spend one last year at home with the four of us. Neither of us really knows how to feel about this or how to approach future holidays. But if this year has taught us anything, it’s that one should do whatever they want for the holidays, regardless of what they feel that they “should” do.

Now that I’m in my last year of college, I’ve begun thinking about my life outside of my hometown and outside of my family. I always knew at some point I would have to but I’ve never really thought about defining myself outside of my parents and our traditions before. And though I am very happy to be spending the time with my parents and sister this year, it is not because I feel like I need to for tradition’s sake. It’s simply because I want to. And I realized, for me, that’s what the holidays need to be about: spending time with the people I love because I want to. So, whether that means time spent with your own family, the family of your significant other, your newfound friends, or all by yourself with six hours of Netflix, spend the time that you have on this earth with those you care about (or those you will grow to care about!) and make the most of the time you have together. Traditions only make up the surface of a holiday. What matters is the core: the love you share with those around you.

Photo by Rob Adams

Photo by Rob Adams

Uncategorized

How one person experienced loss and death

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Photo by Rob Adams

I can’t recall the first time I realized that everyone was going to die. In a way, I still don’t believe it.  It’s not something I dwell on—but on the loneliest days or the slowest weeks, I come to the realization that there is a clock ticking somewhere just for us. But just as quickly, I push it out, burying it somewhere in the recesses of my mind. And yet, despite this, I do think there was one moment in my life that defined death, and for me that happened when I was 17, when my grandmother died.

This was the first time that someone very close to me had passed away. Death had been around me before; I grew up with a 24-hour news cycle, after all. People die all the time: it’s a natural and inevitable part of life. But, until that day in January, I had not personally experienced the finality of it. My grandmother was in my life at one moment and then in the next, she was gone. It is such a weird and relative concept that it’s hard to put into words. My mom, dad and I were all in church, when we found out. I was rehearsing with the choir, when suddenly my dad appeared behind me. He told me she was gone and I just kind of stared at him. Then I remembered my mom and what she must be going through and I leaped into action—I had to keep moving so I wasn’t overwhelmed with shock.

My experience with my grandmother’s death was, I think, pretty average. Not to make it sound like it wasn’t a big deal, but my grandmother, at 88, was living in a nursing home and was getting ready to move to hospice care when she died. My family was “prepared” for it and we had been making arrangements for a while. But there was still a big part of me that couldn’t imagine a day when my grandmother wouldn’t be around. She had been a constant presence in my life since I was born. Her life was so interesting, and she was so interesting, and seeing that taken away from the world was heartbreaking. She lived through some of the more tumultuous decades of the past century and, growing up, she would alway s tell me stories about traveling through, and living in, Europe. We’d play cribbage and she would teach me how to throw classy dinner parties. She was my grandmother.

For me, the hardest part was seeing how difficult my grandmother’s death was for my mom. She was so sad. Even though I was still in shock, I focused on keeping myself together so I could make her mother’s death easier to bear. That day was a blur of documents and plans for the funeral, which was the easiest part of the whole experience, in my opinion. But then we went home, where there was nothing to distract us anymore. Nothing I had ever experienced could prepare me for the sheer emptiness I felt during that downtime. To cope with this, I did what I usually do whenever I feel sad: I retreated. The next day, I made a CD of depressing music, got in my car, and drove around for a while—stopping when I wanted to, but mostly just thinking. There were a lot of things that I wished I had asked my grandmother, wished I had told her. I wanted to know what she thought about growing old? Did time eventually slow down? What was her favorite memory? And I wanted to tell her I loved her. But mostly, I just wished I had spent so much more time with her.

Her death made me think about how I treat the people in my life and I’ve since realized that I approach my relationships selfishly. I seek out people who make me feel good, who make me want to be better, who inspire me to do good things. But I forget most of the time the effect I have on them and how our relationship is bigger than both of us. If you only pay attention to your friends when they are physically right beside you, you run the risk of missing important connections with them. By thinking and observing people outside of your relationship, you could potentially discover more about them and yourself as well. Taking time to listen and to cultivate my relationships has helped me connect on multiple levels. There are some people I would have never thought I could be friends with until I gave them the time to give them a chance and realize that everyone has something to give if you listen long enough. I truly believe we will have fewer regrets in life if we listen, interact, and forgive those we spend time with.

When someone you love has died, you miss everything—and I mean everything—about him or her. Playing, laughing, disagreeing, even fighting with them. It’s an ache that sits right on your heart. I do not say this to make it harder for those who are missing someone, but I do want you know that missing someone doesn’t go away. Missing that person who died will always hurt some part of you. But it doesn’t have to make you miserable, or make you retreat, or make life harder for you. By missing them, you can remember that the person you love, even in death, is making you a better person, simply by reminding you that life is short, and that we all want to leave this Earth, and our friends, a little better than how we found them.

Style

Establishing a Face Care Routine

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“Maybe she’s born with it, maybe its Maybelline.” I don’t know about you, but I have grown up hearing these words spoken in commercials, seeing them written on advertisements, and watching them parodied in many improv shows. Maybelline wants us to believe their products are so natural, no one can tell you are wearing any makeup at all.

Photo by Sara Slattery

Though the sentiment is okay, I never really liked wearing that much makeup and don’t particularly like companies telling me I have to wear it in order to look the way I want to. So, I established my own face care routine early on to try and find what makes my skin feel the best—that way, on days when I am the laziest person in the world, I can still venture out into the real world as confident as if I had been airbrushed by professionals that morning.

Here are a few tips for establishing the right face care routine for you. Whether you be male, female, or an alien from outer space, taking care of your skin is important!

First things first: Wash your face!

First and foremost, to ensure your skin is looking radiant, find a cleanser that works best for your skin. There are a lot of different products out there, so do your research and (if possible) talk to a dermatologist about your skin and what would work best.

Feel really oily all the time? Try products that help balance your pores, such as Cetaphil Cleansers. Or if your skin is really dry and needs extra moisturizer, try products that have lotion in their cleansers such as CeraVe. Or if you are like me and get stress acne, Neutrogena Stress Control acne cleanser works very well for exfoliating my skin. Regular soap and water works… but not that well, and it can dry out your skin. What’s great about cleansers is they are specifically made for the skin on your face.

The right cleanser for you all depends on what your skin reacts to the best. But be realistic! A lot of cleansers contain chemicals or ingredients that help some people’s skin but create problems for others’, so you will need to try a few before settling down. Commercials and beauty ads will always try to sell you on The Next Big Thing but these cleansers are usually just trends that come and go like any other product. Take a long look in the mirror before you browse the cleanser aisle and think about what works best for you. Your skin reacts to the world around you, be it stress, weather, or hormones, so finding a cleanser that works great in all areas will be one that lasts.

How often should I wash my face?

This is also something that will depend on your skin and how it reacts to products. Overall, the best skin routines include washing your face once or twice a day. I know a lot of people who keep their products in the shower and wash their face when they wash their hair. However, depending on what your day, week, or month has been like—whether it’s been super stressful or you are spending all your time outside in the dirt—you might need to change up this routine.

If you wear a lot of makeup, washing your face is paramount because of the extra products on your skin. Wash your face before you apply and after you take it off to make sure all the extra products are gone. You also shouldn’t scrub your face too much. The skin on your face doesn’t go through the same wear and tear that your hands or your feet do, so extra scrubbing or cleaning will eventually strip your skin of its natural nutrients and could dry it out, creating more problems in the long run.

After you wash your face, apply a gentle non-scented moisturizer such as Vaseline or Neutrogena face creams to ensure your skin won’t dry out. If you have oily skin, there are moisturizers that help to prevent extra oil while still moisturizing your skin, such as Cetaphil Oil Control Moisturizer.

What about facials or face-wipes?

I won’t advertise for super expensive and fashionable beauty products, but some of them are really fun to use and make your skin feel great afterwards! You’ll find the fun facial products such as charcoal masks, salt scrubs, and sparkly soaps in a number of stores like Lush or Sephora. Though a daily skin routine doesn’t need these to be successful, they are fun to have and to use. If you are interested in buying some mask products or facial creams, do some research and ask question of the sales representatives about what would work best for your skin and won’t undo all the hard work you’ve put in your daily routine! Use these products at most once a week to give your face a shiny new start.

For those who are on-the-go or just lazy like me, there are some face-wipe products that allow you to clean your face of dirt, sweat, and makeup in a flash, keeping your pores clean and clear. Neutrogena Face Wipes and Oxy Daily Cleansing pads are a good shortcut for those who don’t want to go through the whole process every day. These face wipes can be used as a substitution for most of your facial cleaning, but their powers only go so far. Nothing can replace a cleanser and hot water when it comes to getting dirt out of your pores.

Can I still wear makeup?

For those who wear make-up, the best way to help your skin is to use as little pore-covering makeup as possible. Heavy foundations, if applied too often and not cleaned off properly, can cause some major issues for you
r skin. The best way to help your face stay as clean and clear as possible is to find foundations that are light and let your skin breathe throughout the day—such as a mousse or a light cream. If you can, only apply foundation to problem areas, such as old acne scars or under your eyes. That way, the rest of your skin can enjoy its natural state.

Powder foundations are also a good substitute. After you apply your moisturizer, use a fluffy brush to apply the foundation power on your face, creating a light and even tone. At the end of the day, make sure to wipe all of your makeup off and wash your face so it can breathe overnight!

Popular beauty and skin care brands will offer a wide range of products that cover every problem that your skin could have. Morning puffiness, blackheads, whiteheads, oily, dry, spotted—you name it, there is a cream or a scrub that claims to take care of it. Even though a lot of these products sound really great, a lot of them are just like any other scrubs and cost twice as much. So, when it comes to super cool facial creams that promise to fix everything under your skin, think twice before you purchase and first find out if it’s something you really need or want.

It also takes a while for your skin to react to this new cleaning routine, so don’t be surprised if there are no results within the first couple days of your new regimen. Sometimes cleansers react badly to skin, so if you see angry red blotches on your skin or it gets exponentially oily or dry, find some new products. But, if by the end of one to two weeks you are starting to see a cleaner brighter self in the mirror, then go forth with confidence!

Travel

Traveling Abroad

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There is no single road map to studying and traveling abroad. It is an experience that you make all your own, that you can shape into anything you want. Some people leave their home with just a backpack and three months to see the world. And some plan everything perfectly, scheduling every minute. No one way is right.

But whether you like to plan everything or you love to just let the wind take you, everything changes once you step off that plane, train, or automobile and you’re in an entirely new place! And to make sure you aren’t stuck spending exorbitant amounts of money to save yourself, here are a few tips from a seasoned frugal traveler.

Cheap Travel

Buy in advance: By planning your country and city hops in advance, you will save money and gain convenience. Tickets for most transportation companies (especially in America and Europe) are much cheaper if you buy them in advance, and can sometimes save you hundreds of dollars. Spontaneity is awesome, if you can afford it, but if you are on a tight money-made leash, a solid travel plan will be your best friend. If you are a student, you qualify for Student Universe, which is a website that helps students find the best plane ticket prices and has some awesome deals for accommodation, too. As for places to sleep, hostels are almost always going to be cheaper than hotels, and you can find some great and safe places to stay on websites like hostelworld.com. A lot of hostels offer deals, such as extra nights for half price, but you have to check with the hostel before you book.

Travel light: If you are traveling by car or bus, this is less relevant, but if you are traveling by train or plane, using just a carry-on bag will save you boat-loads. A lot of cheap airlines like EasyJet or Ryanair (European budget airlines) will charge you an extra 50 to 75 dollars to check a bag. Investing in a small backpack was the best thing I ever did while traveling in Europe, because I could take it on any airline. And if you are worried about your clothes fitting into a small pack, rolling them up makes them infinitely smaller and you can fit a lot more things. But this also gave me a lesson in importance. Did I really need to bring three pairs of shoes for a four-day trip? Do I need six different tank tops? It takes some practice, but eventually you’ll figure out what you can and cannot live without while traveling.

Getting Around

The Benefits of Walking: Public transportation may seem cheap on the surface, but it’s one of those charges that eventually stacks up. Before you know it, you’ve spent 50 bucks on bus tickets that you didn’t need! This is where the benefits of walking come in. Not only do you save money, but you get a great workout too. You also get to see and explore a lot more of the city if you walk, because your legs can take you places that buses or trams cannot fit. Make sure you bring super comfy walking shoes! If you are traveling to a country that doesn’t speak English, you might also want to either invest in a phrase book or learn a few choice phrases. In many major cities, a lot of people speak English, but it’s polite to at least say please and thank you in the native tongue. You could also find yourself in situation where you need to ask for help, so learning how to ask for an English speaker is a good idea, too. The further away from urban cities you go, the harder it will be to find an English speaker, so be prepared!

Maps, Maps, Maps: For those who are directionally challenged like myself, walking seems much more frightening when your smart phone only works in WiFi zones. But you know what never runs out of battery or range? Paper maps! Almost all hostels and hotels carry city maps. Just ask the front desk to circle where your hostel location is on the map so you always remember where to go if you do get lost. The hostel staff knows the city best, so if you want help in finding cool things to do or see that might be off the beaten path, just ask! They’ll know where the cooler parts of the city are and what places to stay away from. Once you’re out and about, find big landmarks and orient yourself from their locations and then just keep track of street signs. It’s easier than you realize and after a couple of cities, you’ll have a great new skill!

Food, Souvenirs, and General Merriment

Champagne on a Beer Budget: For me, one of the most important factors of a new city or country is the food. Every country is famous for a national dish or cuisine, so do some research and take advantage of it! But food can also be one of the more expensive parts of the trip, especially if all you can find are tourist traps. To get the best experience, try to get away from the center of the city. Some of the best (and cheapest) restaurants are going to be away from the crowded touristy areas. If you are not sure what these tourist traps are, you can follow this golden rule: any place that has pictures of food outside their establishment is not going to be that great and is usually overpriced. If you are traveling on the cheap, consider using your hostel kitchen to cook at least one meal a day, such as pasta or salad (almost all hostels have a kitchen, but not many hotels so choose according to your needs). That way you can try some of the pricier eateries without emptying your wallet.

Keepsakes and Memories: I am not a particularly sentimental person, but I know a lot of people who are, and buying keepsakes or knickknacks from a new city can help to preserve the memories of a truly excellent trip. If you want something that reflects the city or country you are in, try to find a flea market or a town shop that sells items that have historical or cultural value. These things will usually be more expensive, but will have much more sentimental value. If knickknacks aren’t really your thing, just bring a camera or buy a bunch of postcards. They are easy to travel with and can make for some excellent scrapbooking materials (along with those beat up city maps you’ve been using!).

General Merriment: Walking around and seeing a city is great, but there are also a lot of historical or cultural places to see as well! However, these can sometimes cost quite a bit of money to enter. Some of the most magnificent things to see are old churches or government buildings or museums. To get the best deals, do some research and see when places open and their prices. A lot of churches and museums, in Europe especially, are free on Sundays at certain times. If you have a student card, use it to get great discounts. If there is a church you would really like to see but it’s super expensive, try to go to an Evensong, which is a short evening worship service with no Eucharist. This way you get in for free! Your hostel might also offer some great options for tours, such as free walking tours or bike tours, which will help you get used to the city before venturing out on your own.

Studying and traveling abroad was a much harder and much more rewarding experience than I ever thought it would be. You keep expecting everything to settle down and to be normal, but it never does. You are always moving and you are always on your toes, which can get exhausting fast. So if you can, create rituals for yourself. Find a coffee shop to sit in everyday to create a routine. Bring a book with you wherever you go, or people watch while you sit on the side of the street. Traveling and being abroad is an experience that happens to you, and you can make it whatever you want it to be. So read as much as you can and prepare as much as you can, but don’t be afraid to change your mind and to try something completely different—sometimes those can be the greatest experiences of them all!

Photo by Michelle White

Photo by Michelle White

Transportation

What to do if you are hit by a car

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Traffic accidents are zero fun. Whether yourself or another driver caused them, it inevitably leaves you feeling shaken and vulnerable. But fear not, because it is not the end of the world! Here are a few tips if your car is hit by another vehicle.

Photo by Sara Slattery

Traffic accidents can range from fender benders (which are minor and can sometimes be worked out between the drivers without insurance or police) to full-on impacts that leave cars totaled. Though, hopefully, this piece will help you with your situation, it is important to remember that every accident is different and some situations might differ significantly from what is stated here.

Keep Calm and Pull Over

First things first—when a car hits you, do not panic. This may seem like a hard thing to do, especially if airbags have been deployed, but it is important to remember that staying calm helps other passengers or drivers remain calm as well. Check and see if your passengers are okay. Then, if you can, pull over to the side of the road and put your hazards on. In some cases, it may not be wise to move your car, in case of further damage. Depending on where on the road you were hit, you can determine if it’s safe to pull over or not. (Never leave the scene of an accident without first consulting the other driver or people involved in the accident. If you do, and someone or something is damaged, you could face charges for a hit-and-run, which is much, much worse than any traffic accident).

If this is your first time in an accident, it may feel like the end of the world!  But believe this from someone who has been on the road for a while: as long as your car isn’t totaled, it will be fine (and might look even better than before!) after the insurance pays for it to be fixed up.

Check Out Your Car

The next step is to assess the damage to you and your car. If you don’t have any injuries, you can check your car next. Are there scratches that weren’t there before? What about a dent on the door? Are the mirrors still fully functioning? By running your eyes up and down your car and feeling the area of impact, you will be able to tell what kind of damage you are dealing with and how it affects your car overall. Many times, cars can fully function if it’s not a significant impact, but unless you are an automotive expert, it is better to be safe than sorry.

If you have a camera phone, it’s common to whip it out at this point and document the damage to both cars.

Get Their Digits

Next, exchange information with the other driver: name, phone number, email, address, license plate number, make and model of the car, and their insurance (if they have it). You will need all this information when you contact your insurance company to file a claim. You need to give your information to the other driver, so if you don’t know it off the top of your head it is wise to keep all this info in the passenger glove compartment. If you don’t carry a pen and a pad of paper in your glove compartment, use a camera to photograph their information, or type it into your phone. (And then throw a pen and a writing pad in your car for next time!)

You should also be aware of your state’s requirements: in California, even the victim of a fender bender can get a ticket if they are found without their insurance and registration in their car. To find out if it is required for you, just look on your state’s DMV website: they will give you an outline of requirements for owning your car.

Call the Police

After getting all the information, it’s time to call the police. It might feel weird actually dialing 9-1-1, but the police will be able to act as a mediator between you and the other driver. A police report will be filed with your information, too, which is always helpful when filing insurance claims. Officers are usually very nice when it comes to traffic accidents and will only ask one or two questions depending on the damage done. If your story is different from the other driver’s, don’t panic and stick to your story.

It is important to note here that it is wise to never admit fault to the other driver or the police until you talk to your insurance company or, if necessary, legal counsel. This might sound untruthful or wrong, but sometimes traffic accidents can be chaotic and it might not be evident whose fault the accident was. Just keep your cool, tell your story, and you’ll be fine.

Examine Your Witnesses

If you talk to any witnesses, get their information as well. If it is a significant accident, police will often do this job for you, but you might need the witnesses’ help if you have to proceed legally. Ask them what they saw and if they have witnessed other accidents in the same area before. Usually you won’t need witnesses unless there is significant damage done to you or your car, so it’s up to you whether you want their help or not.

File a Claim

Finally, it’s time to contact your insurance company. Call them and tell them exactly what happened, or go online and file a claim from their website. If you lie, you could be denied coverage in the future. This phone call is very easy, though tedious, but insurance workers are usually very helpful and specific about what they need from you. As long as you have all the necessary information for your car and from the other driver, it will be as simple and quick as possible.

If your accident is minor, then your insurance company should have the matter worked out within a couple of weeks. However, the more significant the damage to you or your car, the longer the matter can take to settle, so keep track of what’s happening! Keep any pictures of any injuries and damage to your car safe and organized. Get estimates of property damage, and cooperate with your insurance company. And be patient! Sometimes it takes a while for claims to be reported or settled. Your insurance company will be in contact with you when they need you.

Being hit by a car can be exhausting, tedious, and heartbreaking, depending on the damage. But as long as you and everyone else at the incident is okay, you will be able to get through it. And never buy a car unless you can also afford insurance: it could be what saves your life!