Hello Hayley

In travel on

June 21, 2014

le tour eiffel & l’arc de triomphe

i don’t know about you but the first thing that comes to mind of when i think of paris is the eiffel tower. it is so beautiful and iconic that walking around the corner and seeing it standing there almost gave me a heart attack. really, its spectacular! emily and i decided to picnic at golden hour in the park under the eiffel tower and it was glorious. we had a quintessentially french meal of baguettes and goat cheese and fruit with rosé and stared at the eiffel tower and laughed and talked and had such a memorable time. but how couldn’t we with that kind of view?

a few nights later, we trudged (darn stairs) up to the top of the arc de triumph to watch the eiffel tower light up. a few people from emily’s class told us it wasn’t to be missed and they were so right. first of all, paris is gorgeous at night. the view from every angle was stunning! but the pièce de résistance was the sparkling light show from the eiffel tower off in the distance. there was a huge crowd but we got a pretty good spot and settled in to watch the five minute show. afterwards, we walked around the arc de triumph and along the champs elysees and admired the beauty of the city of light at night.

hayley

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In travel on

June 19, 2014

my week in paris

after my semester in york, i spent a week in paris with my beloved roommate from ohio, emily. she was doing a may term in france and invited me to crash with her in paris. such a dream! it was a spectacular adventure despite random bouts of torrential rain and at times faulty directions (i blame google). some highlights include following in the steps of my favorite movie before sunset (more on that soon), church at hill song paris, amazing evening meals and catching each other up to speed on our lives, copious amounts of french bonbons and pastries and day trips to versailles and monet’s garden. everything was absolutely magical. here are a few random, quintessentially parisian pictures but get ready for a downpour of posts coming at you soon.

{this bakery got the award for the best bread in paris – first gluten i had in months!}

{a scene from before sunset was filmed here! ahhh!}

{coolest shop in Paris}

hayley

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In travel on

May 28, 2014

goodbye to england

i just got back from Paris (pictures soon) and have had a little time to rest and reflect on this past semester. these three and a half months have been by far my favorite season of my entire life so far. its completely indescribable. i’ve loved every place and season God has put me in but there is something so different about york. its such a sweet, happy place with some of the best people i have ever met. i don’t think there are enough positive adjectives to describe it here but i’ll try. from the second i arrived, it felt like home. despite the cold and the new environment, there was something so familiar about it. york is a beautiful city, full of so much history and some of my best memories were taking off after class and aimlessly wandering. i found countless cute cafe and places to hang out, through which, i met some of the sweetest locals and baristas. my classes were outstanding and i learnt so much both through the teaching and the way the teachers live their lives and invested in us. most of the staff lives on campus or near campus and cliche as is sounds, we were all like a family. the students i met were also a highlight. they were some of the kindest, most loving people i’ve ever met and i’m praying we all keep in touch. no matter what though, they will always be in my heart. looking back, i don’t miss york like i thought i would. i thought there would be a stabbing longing whenever i thought of all the fun and memories i encountered there. no. instead, i look back and smile. i know it was just for a season but i’ve accepted that and am looking forward to the future while still treasuring the friends and memories i made in york. it was a huge part of my becoming and for that, i am blessed.

//york wall around the corner from my flat//

hayley

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In life on

May 28, 2014

york graduation

at the end of every semester in bible college, there is a graduation ceremony. when i was in new zealand, we would dress up and go to mongolian bbq (my second semester graduation seen here). but in york, they throw a huge party and graduation ceremony complete with an epic semester video (watch it here), lots of food, awards and an all around great time. i absolutely adore these people so this was the perfect last hoorah to such an amazing semester. a few of my close friends graduated including andie, who i went to iraq with and justin, who was my street witnessing buddy. two of my closest friends, christine and allie, had to leave before the ceremony which was a real bummer but they both live in california so i’ll hopefully be seeing lots more of them this summer. here are a few pictures i managed to catch of this wonderful night and a few of the people that made this semester so memorable.

{ingliv! i love this girl more than words can express. i need to visit norway asap}

{the graduates… thanks danielle for looking at my camera}

{Anniina, my finish roommate! stupor stoked that we got an extra large glass of the world’s best punch}

{boston! probably one of the most fun and funniest girls i met this semester}

{10A! minus allie but she’s there in spirit}

{Chelsay! so blessed and encouraged by her friendship and leadership}

{these guys are hilarious!}

{i’ve known josh since elementary school! he’s working at the church this summer so he randomly showed up at graduation, complete with awesome mustache}

{two of my favorite guys! gonna miss studying at starbucks and 1&2 samuel class with them}

{Justin! so proud of him for graduating then being offered an teaching internship}

{Amy, our dean of women who is moving to LA soon! she is so precious and excited to be seeing more of her this summer}

{the tattoo crew}

{Mari! Ingliv’s sister and my favorite person to talk theology with}

hayley

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In eateries, food, travel on

May 26, 2014

coffee culture

coffee culture is probably my favorite place in york to hang out. the lack of internet and space make it a difficult place to do homework and the big windows and interesting customers make it impossible to attempt any kind of productivity at all but it is the perfect place to take friends, grab a coffee and chat. and one of my favorite friends to go on long coffee dates with is ingliv. she is one of my dearest friends this semester and we can chat for hours about everything from music to the bible to my fascination with norway (her homeland) and our mutual obsession with tattoos. we got to know each other because we were both placed on baking and hospitality at the church as our service this semester and the friendship has grown from there. rarely a day goes by that we don’t spend some sort of time together and i know she will be the person i miss most when i leave this place. love you, ingliv!

hayley

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In eateries, food, travel on

May 24, 2014

me and mrs fisher

me and mrs fisher is a cafe i’ve been dying to try my whole time in york. i kept reading its rave reviews online and i knew i just had to go there with my friends. after attempting a few times while they were closed (who closes sunday and monday?), we finally caught them while they were open and we’re so glad we did. it is honestly one of the cutest cafes in york, which says a lot because york is chock full of quirky coffee shops and eateries. the first floor is a tea room and cafe and the second is a craft shop and classroom. the food was simple and sweet, the coffee was good but the ambiance made it exceptional. maybe it was the great company or the torrential rain but i dont think i’ve ever felt so cozy in my life. it not only lived up to but exceeded my expectations and my only regret is not finding it sooner in my semester so i could go back again and again.

hayley

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