4 wheels + 3 friends + 2 many drinks + 1 destination = a killer weekend you’ll never forget. It’s that point in the summer when you’re starting to get fed up with your hometown, but aren’t quite ready to get back into the grind of fall semester.  The best compromise is to escape for a little while and hop on the road.  Allow me to play trip adviser and direct you on how to make the best of your summer vacay:

Pick the Right Crew:

Ideally, your car should be a few friends of both sexes. Take it from an all-girls school alum- too much estrogen in a tight space can end in bitch-outs, tears and way too many bathroom breaks. That being said, be careful not to pick people you think might turn the trip sour. Vacation hookups turn especially awkward if you have to drive six hours home with the dude. Read More »

Remember Freshman year when every upper-classman you knew s aid “ treasure the next four years, they go by so fast . “  Well not to sound li ke a broken record…but they kind of do.

I’m barreling through my last semester of college and this huge list of things I had planned on doing before graduating has kind of, well, not been tackled at all. Instead it’s been sitting in my documents, staring me down every time I go to write an essay.

It might seem a little too late to tackle this long list, but after a night of some Franzia and mounds of Oreos (the classy best friends on a night in) I’ve decided why wait any longer! Plus could I really get away with doing any of these after college? Read More »

If you’ve got today off from class, then good for you.  I’m glad you’re taking this opportunity to watch reality TV marathons and binge eat 100 Calorie Packs.  There’s no shame in that.  But next time you’ve got an extended weekend, perhaps you should round up your besties and hit the road.

Austin is oh-so trendy (in a good way) and boasts delicious culinary treats.  How can you say no to a making s’mores right in a restaurant?  Hit up Boston if you’re in the Northeast.  From potential celeb sightings to swank clubs, Beantown’s got it all.  If you’re feeling stuck in the Midwest, head to Minneapolis to take in some cosmopolitan activities.  And Savannah is great for all you Southern students.  Steeped in history and boasting the most attractive locals this side of the Mississippi, it is not to be missed.

Or maybe you want to take your long weekend in another country?  Toronto could be the city for you.  Oh, and the legal drinking age is 19…bonus!

Fall semester is in full swing and it’s starting to feel like you’re doing the same thing every week. Class. Study. Drink. Hangover. Poor Theme Party Costume Choice. Homework. Switch things up by taking advantage of a long weekend or your fall break (if you’re that lucky) by checking out our Weekend Getaway guides. First up is America’s college town, Boston. Keep on the lookout for the other 4 must-visit cities.

Beantown. The Walking City. The Cradle of Liberty. Boston is not only one of the oldest cities in America, but it’s also one of the most memorable. Looking for a getaway unlike any other? Come spend a few days trying to see everything this city has to offer. We say trying, because seeing this amazing city in one weekend is close to impossible — but here are my recommendations on all the things you gotta see. And the best part, all of these attractions are accessible by Boston’s super affordable subway system, the T.

Must-Sees

The best way to absorb all of the history of Boston in a few brief hours is to take a promenade down the Freedom Trail. See Paul Revere’s house and the site of the Boston Massacre among many other attractions. Tours start in the Boston Common. You can get a guide for a few dollars, or just follow the red line throughout the city and improvise.

Don’t feel like walking? Take a Duck Tour and cruise the city in style. You’ll even drive into the Charles River. There is no more perfect afternoon than driving around Beantown and screaming “Quack!” to pedestrians. Trust me.

If you’re over history and just want to do something really cool (and cute), the New England Aquarium is perfect. The whole first floor is nothing but a huge penguin exhibit, with 80 different little cuties just tottering around. It will make your heart melt. Continue spiraling through the levels of the aquarium though, and you’ll eventually find a man-eating shark or two. Just to even things out. Read More »

I’m a die-hard fan of summer.  I mean, come on.  Shirtless guys, gorgeous weather, no school…what’s not to love?  But as we find the best season of all coming to a close – mega sadface – I can’t help but feel there are a few quintessential summer activities left to squeeze in.

Put down that back-to-school shopping list; don’t even think about buying textbooks just yet.  I’ve got your final pre-fall moments all planned out in this ultimate bucket list:

Snag Some Pool Time
Preferably all weekend long.  Pretty soon the temperatures will drop and your bikini will just look out of place amongst all those North Face fleeces.  Worship the sun while you still can, and while it’s still appropriate.

Indulge in the Fashions
White.  Linen.  Sundresses.  Seersucker.  Flip flops.  Okay, maybe not flip flops, but there are definitely a few items in your closet that have an expiration date.  As much as I’d love to see snowsuits made of madras, it’s probably never going to happen (and would also probably fit into that “too much of a good thing” category).  Throw ‘em all on now before the fashion police beat down your door and force you into cashmere.

Chow Down and Drink Up
While no one says you can’t enjoy a frozen beverage or a good hot dog after the summer season, for some reason it’s just not as fun.  Go to the grocery store with your friends and insist on last barbecue – kabobs, margaritas, corn on the cob, watermelon…go all out!

Read More »

It’s August, which means it’s almost that time of year: back to school. But unlike when we were younger and dreaded the first day, going back to college is exciting, enough to provoke countdowns on Facebook statuses (“Only 236 hours more days until I’m back at school!”), and overall giddiness. You can’t wait to pack up your rooms and your closets and get right back into the college atmosphere – crazy bar nights and frat parties, Wine-Down Wednesdays and Tequila Tuesdays, dorm room gossip sesh’s with your roommates, attempting to wake up for class, and making even more memories with your friends.

However, amidst all that excitement, there’s one gray cloud looming: you’ll be leaving your best friends from home behind.

No matter how much fun we have with our school best friends, it always sucks to leave behind your home BFFs – the girls and guys you grew up with, who know all about the times you made a fool of yourself in 9^th grade homeroom, and whom you can still go out with and have a good time. It especially sucks after a summer spent with them, when you’ve gotten used to seeing them on a daily basis, and you know that when school starts things will be different. Because let’s be honest: despite all of our best intentions to stay in touch with our BFFs during the academic year, it’s usually pretty tough. Between the parties and the actual work, it’s easy to start speaking only once a week or learning about one another’s lives through Newsfeed.

For those of you who are bummed about leaving behind your best girlfriends, don’t worry – you still have a few more weeks of summertime fun left, which means plenty of time to stock up on some serious BFF bonding sessions. So here is a list of things you should make time to do with your girls before you’re all back in school, back in the grind, and back to intermittent IMs. Read More »

Every year, by the time the second week in June rolls around, two things happen to me. 1) I start obsessively checking my calendar to make sure that Father’s Day isn’t this Sunday and 2) I start freaking out about what to get David for his birthday.

I don’t know about you guys, but I feel like the longer our relationship goes on, the greater the pressure there is to give him a seriously kick ass gift. Don’t get me wrong, I know it’s “the thought that counts” and yes, David would be equally happy with an iPod or a 3 day cruise (speaking from experience…unless he was just faking his excitement to make me feel better). I just love the process of finding the perfect gift for my perfect boyfriend. (I feel the same way about gift giving in general. It takes me a solid 2 months to Christmas shop.) And after 2 and a half years, I’ve built a pretty impressive record for gift giving.

Of course there are the times when I get it totally wrong (I thought getting him a sex toy for graduation was both hilarious and practical- he did not agree), and those are the gifts that haunt my memory while I try to find his 23^rd birthday present.

It can be hard shopping for your boyfriend. You know him so well, you should be able to spot from a mile away the thing or experience he’d love most. But, unfortunately it’s not always that easy. So whether you’ve got a boyfriend with a summer birthday, your anniversary is coming up, or you just want to surprise him with a little something, I’ve compiled a go-to boyfriend gift guide. Happy shopping! Read More »

[We're following one post-grad as she grabs that diploma, packs up her college life and heads on out to the big, bad world. There's a lot of change comin' her way and with a cross-country drive, she's got a lot of time to think about it....]

If you told me three months ago that I would drive across the United States to California, I would have never believed you – especially if you told me I would do it alone. Yes, I am making the journey from Georgia to Southern California alone, just me and my packed up Toyota Camry.  As I write this, I’m on day 2 of my four day trek – currently camped out in a hotel room in the middle of Texas.

“You can’t drive alone!”, “It’s not safe to drive across the country by yourself!”, and “Why would you want to drive two thousand miles alone?” were the usual responses upon telling anyone my plans.  My parents were even freaked out about me doing it. Even my dad offered to fly out to Atlanta and drive with me – and he does just about everything to avoid getting on an airplane. But to me it’s not such a big deal. This is really no different than living in New York City for the summer by myself as an intern or traveling around Europe last summer.

I’m 22, why can’t I do it by myself? Is it because I’m a woman that people are freaked out about this? Or is it because of the distance, which seems like nothing when it’s split up into nine or ten hours in a car per day? I don’t know what it is, but I’m glad to be proving everyone wrong. I’m doing it – and so far, I’m doing just fine (this is where I knock on wood). Read More »

I like traveling.  It’s pretty sweet.  Not only do you get the experience of having been in another country and surrounded by customs and traditions completely different (sometimes) from your own, but you also get bragging rights (ex: Oh last summer? I was in Malaysia. No big deal.).  Traveling also means you get to “cut loose” as it were.

When else can you justify a massive shopping trip (I can’t find those clothes at home!) followed by a 14-hour bender at the local watering hole?  I mean, I’ve tried it at home before (“staycation” my foot), but my mom ends up getting pretty peeved.

Possibly the most exciting part of traveling is the foreign men…or, at least, men who aren’t from your home state and didn’t live across campus from you sophomore year.  Flirting, tippling some drinks, getting introduced to a new bar scene (oh, the wonders of a bar that I haven’t vommed in yet) are all reasons to gas up and head out.

But sex while traveling? Now that’s a whole other adventure. Read More »

The weather is getting warmer, and I don’t know about you, but my feet are itching to get into some flip flops.  Is it summer yet?

Personally, I just survived one of the harshest winters in years (if you live in a warm climate, I hate you), combined with a crapload of work and stress.  Once summer hits, I’m going to call Benjamin Linus and ask him to freeze time so I can stay in July forever (pardon the Lost reference- I’m kind of obsessed).  I am currently making a To-Do list to make sure I enjoy every possible moment during the upcoming summer months. Read More »