Madelynn Hop & Co.

Sophomore Year of College.

As finals are completed and I am packing up all my summer clothes to embark on my journey back to the Pacific North West, I reminisce about my first year living on the East Coast. Here are some of my favorite memories from this year!

Fall.

New start. New school. New friends.

Starting the Interior Design program, learning the logistics about what I love and I am passionate about. Starting this program has made me grow and become more of the person I have always wanted to be. Also I have so much fun everyday!! 

Meeting some of the greatest friends! And from so many different places. Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and more!

Adventures in the NYC! My love for the city exponentially grew. The first adventure of the year was with my friend Kerri. WE WALKED EVERYWHERE. (I soon learned the subway system haha) 

The "hikes". To any Oregonian these hikes would be considered a walk. Not a lot of mountains in Southern CT, but the views where amazing. A hike in the fall in New England PERFECT. With new amazing friends it was definitely a highlight of the fall.

Winter.

My favorite thing from the winter season was spending two different days with my amazing boyfriend in two of our favorite cities Boston and New York City. In Boston we went and wandered around the farmers market trying crazy fruits we have never seen before and definitely aren't grown in Boston and then made our way over to Quincy Market and saw the huge Christmas tree. We accidentally/ we're really lucky we went on the tree lighting weekend. So we went and we're super New England and got clam chowder and a lobster roll. It was perfect. 

Then came NYC. We did everything Christmas. Macy's window displays, Bergdorf Goodmans window displays, and the grandaddy of them all Rockefeller Center. It was utterly amazing. 

Winter also brought the snow. It definitely wasn't as bad as I thought. I was terrified of the East Coast winter, but I survived and it wasn't that bad! February came and brought Valentines Day. My incredible boyfriend took me to the city and we wandered around The Met all day. The perfect date if you ask me.

Spring.

It was still cold but there was spring break. I explored every nook and cranny of the tiniest state Rhode Island! I'm so glad I had an amazing tour guide to show me everything in that precious little state. Shout out to Kerri!! 

Next came the opportunity of a lifetime. I saw JIMMY FALLON LIVE! It was unbelievable. Definitely one of my favorite memories! I was front row laughing the entire time to Jimmy and his guest Melissa McCarthy. Shout out to Katy for making it all happen!!

Next came one of my favorite visitors! My friend Ali from Oregon. We adventured what seemed like the entire East Coast. I blogged about her visit. Reference 48hrs in Boston and New York to read more about Ali, tips and tricks, and our journey.

One of my final trips on the East Coast was going to Six Flags NJ with my boyfriend and our friends. It was a great trip to end the year. Churros, popcorn, screaming my head off, and a million rollercoasters!! Oh and if you were wondering there is always traffic in New York yes we drove back at 10pm and sat in traffic till midnight. TRAFFIC SUCKS!! But it was still the perfect, crazy fun day. Also I dodged riding King Da Ka the 3rd fastest roller coaster in the ENTIRE world hitting speeds of 127mph and that made the day so much better! (Yes I get freaked out on rollercoasters). 

The end of another school year they seem to go by so fast. I can not tell you how thankful I am for my experience, the knowledge I have gained, the friends I have found, the quality time I got with my boyfriend adventuring the East Coast, my amazing Professors and classes, and everything in between. I can't wait to see what Junior year has in store for me!