Back to when I started blogging in Boston at the age of 17, the world of online social relationships was not as consolidated as it is today, and there were still very few people (if not almost anyone) who made money with a blog. Not talking about making money by publishing content on social networks, which was something directly unthinkable.

Today, almost 8 years after that, Something Fashion is a reflection of the changes that have been happening in diverse aspects: my own personal growth, the change of fashion trends, the way of communicating online and offline or even the world that surrounds us with reference to almost any aspect of daily life. Therefore, when I say today that in addition to my career in architecture, I've been running long-distance race with a blog about fashion and style for quite some time and still, many people still think that maintaining a blog like this is simple, I can not do more than put all my efforts trying to explain what titanic efforts are behind the so-simple-task as keeping a fashion blog. This article is dedicated to these people, and also to all of you curious or insecure people who are thinking about starting your own blog shortly and want to delve deeper into the subject; here I offer you my perspective.

#1 Time & planning

Besides studying a career that consumes a lot of time and mental effort, thinking about new content for the blog requires an extra push that my neurons are not always willing to perform. For planning, making several drafts, writing and correcting an article like this I need an average of 1 to 2 hours, without taking into account those posts that require shooting pictures and their subsequent editing.

Having a fashion blog is time-consuming, especially if you want to keep it up to date and for your regular readers to not abandon you for lack of updating.

#2 Frustration

This point is closely related to the previous one and will also be closely related to the next one of this article on what it really means to maintain a fashion blog; that is, frustration when you do not achieve all of your goals regarding quality, or even when you do not have enough time (or ideas, or energy) to carry out all the projects you had planned in the blog or social media channels for that week, or plan all the entries you wanted to publish in a determined time.

Keeping a fashion blog is complicated because bloggers are not only dedicated to taking pictures and eating macarons at fun events. In fact, many of us do not even do the latter. A fashion blogger is a creator of both graphic and written content that also, with its physical and digital presence, is capable of influence other people (even if it does not intend to sell anything from the beginning).

#3 Lack of ideas

Many times I find myself in situations where I can not think of what else I can tell you so I do not sound boring. What can I contribute with afresh, with my 1,000th outfit if, again, I have put on the same dress with the same shoes? In what way can I reach more people without losing my essence and, at the same time, be innovative?

Because of that, I get very angry every time someone thinks that "I only write a silly fashion blog and I take photos where I can look pretty". For me, Something Fashion is my creative outlet but also, a place where I come to reflect and to which I come even when I have no ideas for other projects because here I can express freely through fashion how I feel at that moment.

#4 Going to places when you're not in the mood

Yes, this also happens to bloggers. Especially to those who do not dedicate ourselves professionally to blogging. Sometimes you end up so tired from college, or you've had a week so complicated that the last thing you want to do on a Friday afternoon is to go to an event on the other side of the city where you're going to have to socialize with other people that you may barely know. Not even for all the colorful macarons in the world!

Here I have to confess that most of the time, my unwillingness to attend an event goes away quite fast, especially if I bring some of my friends, who do not usually show interest in the world of fashion or anything related but, when we go together, I feel that they always end up very involved at it and many times they end up saying to me: "Why haven't you invited me to one of these fun things before? Can we come back together to the next event of this kind?" So, it's usually fun (like when we attended last year's Barreira school emerging designers catwalk at the Veles e Vents building in Valencia)

#5 Dealing with those who don't value your work

Unfortunately, this happens a lot to those of us who blog. I have a fashion blog because I love to communicate, I love sharing and I deeply love fashion and design. It's a hobby that, from time to time, even gives me some pocket-money (what less, with the insane amount of hours I put on it!). But anyway, it would not allow me to leave a job to devote myself full-time to just blog like, at all.

#6 Money

Going back to the previous point, sort of. No matter how budget-friendly you want to keep your fashion blog to be, if you want to take it a bit to the "next level" and anyone taking you seriously, you'll have to make a small investment, although it being quite small (and super optional), what do you expect me to say about it? You'll obviously have to pay the expenses with money that will come out of your personal savings. 

For me, keeping blogging-related expenses to a minimum means paying a small amount for the domain per year and, from time to time, paying something a little extra to buy a new template to update the design. I've been thinking about getting my own hosting since a couple of years ago and abandoning the free platform where Something Fashion has been hosted for almost 7 years, but that would make the blog even more professional, and it's a step too serious that I do not dare give.

I do not even dare counting the huge amount of money I spend on clothes, although lately, I'm trying to waste less money and get the best of clothes that I already have in my closet (although, if I did not have the blog, surely I would also keep spending a lot of money on clothes anyway ¯\_(ツ)_/¯).

#7 Emotional drain

Keeping a fashion blog is a constant roller coaster. It's as if you had a scale in your head where, on one side, there's university or your full-time job, and on the other, you're writing and creating new content for the blog. The first does not always give you joy, and it takes a lot of time and effort. The second thing is not too economically profitable, but you like it and it brings you fun moments. It also makes you dedicate many hours in front of the screen.

This sometimes makes you rethink many things in your life and ultimately, you end up mentally tired. Maintaining a blog means many things: there are people behind all those computer screens that are reading you, who think and always have something to say about what you share. Others, genuinely care about your work and ask you things that lead to super-stimulating conversations. For all this, keeping a fashion blog or any other type of blog or online presence of all sorts can be mentally exhausting at times. But, I think that nonetheless, it's worth it!

Sometimes I feel like I came to Italy with very few prejudices about the daily life here, mainly because I visited the country a couple of times before settling for a year abroad, maybe because they say Spain and Italy are almost the same thing. Now, I feel like I'm coming back home to Valencia  for Holiday Season; sadly loaded not only with more prejudices and things I didn't expect at all weren't true (but they've been anyway for my astonishment), but also, to realize that there are almost 10 things I really miss back home and never expected to miss when I first came with the idea of taking the Erasmus+ Programme. Here we go with the list, and my reasons why I miss these things so much (apart from friends and family, which, of course I miss being here too).

I can't even believe I haven't been registered at the University's online system YET, when almost one third of the academic year has passed by, or that I still arrive every morning to my lessons without being sure if the lesson will be delayed or cancelled for any reason. There are no boards or places for you to know it, and you don't have any clue this is happening until you realize THERE'S NO ONE IN CLASS (for some reason, all the Italians seem to know...)

Still, I can't figure out why I don't have any classes on Friday when I registered for a class which is supposed to be taken in Thursdays+Fridays, or why I've been assigned to do a consignment in the next three days while our project hasn't been developed enough to achieve such detail level (nor anyone in the classroom has achieved such detailed floor plans anyway, but still, they seem OK with that consignment...).

I miss having lunch at my regular Spanish time, which is around 3p.m. in the afternoon. I am aware that closing shops at 9 or 10 p.m. is not very normal, and threatens any kind of work-family balance but still, I can't get used to shops or anything closing by seven in the evening! That's the time I usually go out of home to have the evening snack filled with coffee or hot chocolate while doing some shopping. Not nice!

This might be happening because I live in a flat at the very center of Firenze which is like, the most touristy spot on one of the most touristy places in all the planet. I'm used to my regular, neighbourhoodish grocery stores in Valencia, and being almost 20 minutes far from the furthest big supermarket (plus, having a car for doing big grocery shopping, which helps). Although finding stationery stores, places to print our plans, pharmacys and other regular stuff here in Firenze is way easier than I expected, I still can't figure out how to deal with the crowds of tourists and guides walking around people whenever I'm heading to class.

#4 5L water carafes

This might sound a bit silly, but I don't find any sense in buying 10 bottles of water for our flat which take up a lot of space (and mean an absolute hell when buying them and heading home) instead of two carafes of 5L of water! When at home, my dad usually is the one who buys these huge water carafes which last almost all the week and which we use to refill a jug. It's easier for me this way but I never found huge water carafes here in Italy!

#5 Affordable and quality clothing stores

OK. Zara and Mango may not be the best example for quality clothing, and although I've been trying lately to buy less fast-fashion items, they come in really handy when you need a basic top, or pants, or shirt. But here in Firenze those stores are about 10€ to 20€ over the price in Spain, and the options remaining to do shopping are costly as well. My only hope here is buying at the Internet, and isn't comfortable at all because you have to wait home until the postman arrives with your package (which happens at the most unexpected times, as when you're having lunch, or having your afternoon rest, or early in the morning and you have to literally jump off bed...).

#6 My closet

I never considered myself as a materialistic one but gosh do I miss heading to the closet every morning and having more than 2 different options to choose... Or having some margin when picking the "pullover for freezing temperatures" which, being abroad means only having one specific for that purpose. Or the shoes. God bless cardboard boxes and cheap mail fees between Spain and Italy which allowed to send some extra flat shoes, but now I would put onto that box an extra pair of sneakers...

#7 Not being treated as a child/foreigner/stupid

This might be one of the things that pisses me off the most being abroad. Being foreign doesn't mean I'm automatically stupid. Just because I don't speak fluently Italian, it doesn't mean I must be the target of all kinds of overpriced stuff vendors and scams when going to the market to buy a sack of potatoes and onions; nor I should be treated like I don't know what I'm doing in my lessons just because I draw and show my floor plans different than they do here.

I've 5 years of technical studies on my back, thank you very much; and just because I didn't want to paint my floor plans with that horrible, striking green color like you do here, it doesn't mean my architecture is not as valid (and good quality) as yours.

#8 The neighbourhood I live in

I must say this is a kind of hate-love relationship for me. On one side, I don't miss the fact that every time I stepped out home I felt thousands of eyes on me, be it because my family has always lived in the same neighbourhood, be it because my parents also have a strong relationship with the community and all I know is being known as "the granddaughter of" or "the child of". But, on the other side, I feel like I really miss the sense of security and familiarity this gives to me. Being abroad means no one asks you how your grades are or how was your week at the shops where you usually go; or going to the pharmacy and never having to explain what kind of cream for atopic skin you're looking for because they already have it for you.

#9 Knowing every place to go beforehand

On one hand, I love discovering new places to eat or have a cup of coffee but, on the other side, I hate not knowing if I will be charged extra for sitting outside, or if the place will close soon after we arrived there. When in Spain, I'm quite familiar with the places I should go to when I want to have a drink in the afternoon, or were it will be less crowded for lunch, or were not to go to do some shopping in Friday evening because it will be full of people. Maybe it's because I haven't met any locals yet who can advise me the best places to do things (all the people I've met here come from other Italian cities or areas) or because whenever I discover any place I'm pleased with, I just settle in and stick to it in every occasion. I don't know.

#10 The university's Campus

When at home before the Erasmus programme, the university campus at the Polytechnic University of Valencia was one of the things I underappreciated the most and now that there's nothing like it where I'm studying, I really miss sitting in the grass, having a huge amount of services almost next door to the classroom (where's the sense of having the Architecture Library almost 2km away from the School of Architecture?) and having the possibility to have lunch with my friends at other Faculties because they're literally in the building right in front of the Architecture School.

Don't get me wrong: I like being here. I've finally got the freedom and independence I was looking for, and although not many, I've actually met some Italian people who are amazing and have helped me a lot. I've visited places I never thought I could be even close to in the map, and despite all, I'm learning a new language with little but steady steps. Piano, piano. That's how it's said around here.

It's not secret that every influencer or fashion blogger in this world has to edit their pictures somehow to achieve great quality content and impact visuals both in their sites and social media platforms. I'm tired of seeing SO MANY fashion blogs that absolutely lack in quality pictures, where their bloggers post the exact same picture in the same spot repeated almost 9-15 times per post, and where lighting and angles are far from being great. That doesn't appeal nor even invite me to keep reading a fashion blog. And I say this because I'm a geeky, insupportable perfectionist girl versed in visuals and architecture, who loves caring for detail and whose fashion blog pictures aren't taken by professionals in any way, but instead, shot by friends and family who are always kind enough to do me a huge favour into this.

In today's post, I want to show you that if you have a fashion blog (or blog of any sort) or at the contrary, you are planning on becoming an influencer or just planning on boosting your social media accounts, you don't need to splurge all your savings in a professional equipment or photographer. You just have to be a bit more thoughtful when it comes to the content you share, and pay a bit of attention to these little tricks I'm going to share with you today to achieve a PRO fashion blog. I've even shoot the pictures for the blog by myself sometimes, with a tripod and a remote.

So, let's get started! How do I edit my pictures and what is my advice for achieving a great quality fashion blog?

#1 Shooting at dark as less as possible
Dark is your worst enemy E-V-E-R. Specially when shooting fashion, as you'll have some serious issues when moving around and getting some dynamism in your pictures, as they'll get all blurry and confusing. Not nice. In fact, if you ever get close to nice quality pictures, you'll have to spend endless hours editing them, as I did in one of the last collaborations I shot for Lightinthebox.

Instead, try shooting while in the Golden Hour (just a bit before the sun sets) or early in the morning, so you won't be under direct sun but still get awesome fashion blogger pictures with nice and soft hues and no harsh angles at all.

#2 Always correcting green, orange and red hues
Greens are the worst tones whenever I try to print anything related to urban planning or architecture floor plans. It's super difficult to balance and smooth them out, and they always seem to look wrong. The same applies to fashion pictures: greens, oranges and reds always seem to stand out A LOT. It's not bad to give them the main character spot if they're under control anyway, but let's say that desaturating them a bit with your photography software will balance the whole picture and keep everything coherent.

#3 Low saturation
This is actually quite personal but, I prefer low saturated pictures where the colors doesn't draw much attention. Not to the point of getting rid of the pictures' hues at all, but I prefer going for subtler, softer colors than striking ones when it comes to the pictures in this blog. I always try to find that balance between luminosity, great exposition and great colors but still trying to achieve that soft look of colors that doesn't stand out much. Kind of tricky!

#4 Careful with too much exposition or burning pictures
Coming back to the point above, exposition and luminosity are great, but be careful with overexposing your pictures! When you take pictures under direct sunlight you better master the technique or have mind blowing retouching skills, or you'll end up without corners in your pics (which will be replaced with a lovely white stain), white parts where there shouldn't be any, too much reflections... That sort of things.

Instead, when shooting in direct sunlight or noon, try taking your pictures under a shadow (as, under a tree or a high building which projects some sort of filtered light) or instead, find a great porch or lobby litten up enough but without sun rays entering directly.

#5 Trimming, fugue points and vanishing lines
Pictures whose backgrounds are unclear, full of diagonal lines or uncentered subjects are a big NO-NO.

Kind of a mania as well, but I always look for refined lines and proportion so, besides correcting skin flaws which appear sometimes, looking for real horizontality at the horizon line (no matter if it's a wall behind you, or the actual horizon!) and verticality in façades and props surrounding me, with Photoshop's tool "skew" its super easy to achieve those, which will add not only quality but also professionality to your fashion blog!

Also, sometimes trimming the picture helps not only on focusing both in the subject or the fashion item you are trying to highlight, but is also helpful when getting rid of unexpected aspects appearing at the background like, people staring weirdly, cars or vans, trashcans and other urban mobiliary. Not the best solution anyway, but sometimes it's helpful when finding the true purpose behind the picture as well.

Before applying any color effects and corrections:

After correcting the horizon line (in this case is the wall behind me) and applying some trimming to the picture:

#6 Angles and poses
Tell whoever is taking your pictures to play with different angles, or take advantage of the background or place you're in to be part of the photoshoot! Why not climbing up those stairs to take the picture from below? What if you put your tripod a little bit higher or you sit on the floor to take a detail pic of your shoes?

As well as in the angles, try learning a couple of poses so you can vary and not only change your facial expressions, but also showing how the fabric or the shape of the dress/pants/whatever you are wearing act when walking, jumping of sitting on a bench. I personally have searched before for videos like this starring professional models as Coco Rocha, and where they show up some interesting or fun poses to try. And I said TRY, because you don't want to end up cracking your leg or anything when posing for pictures to be shown at your fashion blog!

#7 Locations

#8 Different zooms at details and aspects of the outfit. Don't be repetitive
I'm so, so tired of fashion blogs featuring outfit pictures of their bloggers in the exact same poses and backgrounds. They get to share almost 10 to 15 head to toe pictures of them which I must say, doesn't have anything cool at all. I don't know about you, but I want to see not only how well that dress fits the model but also tiny details as the buttons, or maybe a zoom into the fabric or pattern, or how tall that shoe actually is... I don't know, but I want some variation!

My advice here for killer fashion blog pictures is always look for the unexpected in your outfits, like, how flowy the skirt actually is when you walk away, or the tiny necklace or earring you are wearing and which at first view might be unnoticeable... Not only the whole package counts when shooting pictures for a fashion blog, but attention to detail is key as well.

#1 A huge, warm envolvent scarf. Or maybe a couple of them

#2 Walking shoes that don't do any harm to your feet

#3 That perfect coat that goes with everything

#4 Huge bag to carry whatever no matter where you are

#5 Jeans. Lots of jeans, actually
Jeans are always a great idea! Although they aren't made of the coziest fabric, you can always pair them up with lots of upper layers to stay warm while traveling and living abroad. Scarves, longer coats, furry boots... Jeans are super versatile and useful to stroll around comfortably in a low-maintenance key outfit, because jeans are super easy-peasy to wash, quick drying and they don't usually need ironing! Put at least a couple of them in your carry-on for your next trip. You can't be wrong.

#7 The white shirt
If I'd had to pack again for my year in Italy, I would pick at least a couple of white shirts again. Over, and over again: it's a basic piece that my closet abroad couldn't miss. Be it an interview (I'm having my first job interview abroad next week on a studio, and this white shirt will come in quite handy for sure!) or for a more formal event which doesn't require dressing too much (as a presentation, any kind of congress, meet-up, party... Whatever!) a white shirt is always a nice piece to take with you.

"You might be a tourist, but you don’t have to look like one"

First of all, I must confess that I'm not your regular Erasmus student (not even your regular 23-year-old girl). I prefer visiting museums and taking pictures instead of getting drunk every single day of the week. I prefer having a beer on a terrace chatting, that standing binge drinking in the middle of the night freezing outside. I'm living for a year far away from home being very grateful of my parents and family, who are helping me a lot economically and making such a huge effort for me to stay living in Italy; and with my own effort and the little savings I made this Summer as an intern on an architecture studio. Not that anyone who's not doing that is weird, or a worse person, or anything like that. But first I wanted to make everything clear about the situation.

That said, I wanted to clear out some misconceptions about social life when you're on an Erasmus, and share with you my experience so far living in a country where I barely speak the language (I'm slow but steady in my Italian lessons), but which culture I love and appreciate every single day I spend here, always trying to fit in and get to know something about the Italian way of life while dealing with countless people who are here on an exchange program as well. Not that the time I've spent living in Firenze has been bad, nothing but that. It's only that I don't think I'm living what we'd call a "regular" abroad year, or at least, nothing like the ones my friends lived. In this post, I'll explain why.

#1 The locals

What I've noticed so far is that, even if you try speaking Italian and you manage to say a few phrases even going further than just a "Ciao, buona sera, come stai?", they are friendly but not very interested in you. I'm talking specifically about people at Uni, where of course we exchange students are a daily constant but, I don't know, it feels like when at my home University back in Spain, we would always be very interested about the exchange student sitting at the very end of the class. We would always go speak to them, or try to include them into work groups for assignments or just talk to them if they're a bit isolated.

But here is like, NOTHING. If you ever talk to them, they answer nicely and politely, but that's it. The conversation is finished. If you are isolated at the corner of the corridor having your lunch doing nothing, no one comes even to ask you how you are doing. I don't know if it's because I'm from Spain and that automatically makes extra-socialization to be on my genes (and I'm not the most talkative and smiley kind of girl, I must say). I just don't know what's wrong with them... Or me.

#2 The other Erasmus/international students

As I said at the beginning of this post, I don't usually enjoy doing the things people my age in Spain usually do. Although sometimes I have my party-animal side when I'm at the comfort zone around friends, I prefer calmer activities and I'm very concerned about how many of the family savings my parents are sending me to live a year full of experiences. Every single penny counts, and although I don't starve and I still grab a couple of meals outside every week or even go out for a drink once in a while, if I can put aside a tiny amount of money every month, I do.

On the other side, most of the international students I've met during my almost two months here (which happen to be 90% Spanish, duh) only meet after midnight EVERY-SINGLE-DAY on the same two spots of the city (really? Isn't there a city full of marvelous places and squares to meet out there?) to binge drinking and just do nothing during daylight because they've a hangover. If I'd wanted to party every single day this year, I would have stayed in Spain. I assure you I've never seen a party like an Spanish one in no other part of the world. And way cheaper!

#3 Daily duties

Now I'm able to understand a little better my mum when she's all day complaining about dust and fluff forming in my room. I still can't figure out how it's possible to sweep and mop the floor twice a week and still, deal with fluff big as bunnies the minute after cleaning everything up. I manage quite worthily with laundry and meal prep, I must say. But grocery shopping is something I never thought could be so painful. How is it possible to get through the week when you just have three apples and 1kg pasta pack on the fridge?

#4 REAL University duties

Nothing comes for free in life, so, I knew before coming here that those four horrible subjects from my University I wanted to validate here wouldn't be easy as pie. I must confess it feels a bit easier than at home, doing almost the same assignment I would do by my own in Spain while here we work in pairs or team but still, there's a lot of work to do.

In fact, when I'm not sweeping (cruel, true daily life of the student living on her own) or strolling around (which is almost 50% of my time) I'm working with my colleague on the massive assignment we'll be delivering in January, always sketching and drawing and cleaning floor plans and rendering. Because let's face it: I wouldn't want to come home without those subjects in particular passed!

#5 Day trips and international students associations

And finally, after this poor and boring monologue about the struggles of the average Erasmus student who doesn't like dust bunnies in her room, you'd be wondering... OK. What about associations where you can meet other students and people willing to make international friends, and be happy altogether and so on?

Well. Nothing of that exists, or at least, not at the association where I enrolled, in which by destiny enrolled the 99% of all the Spanish Erasmus students that I can't stand. Yes, day trips to places like this one we took to Perugia are quite nice but I just feel like I prefer going on my own, or with a bunch of nice people and not belonging to a huge group of other hundred students which, let's face, it's quite the task to organize and move around at the same time.

... And this is all the thinking I did during our bus trip to the Eurochocolate fair in Perugia and which I felt I needed to share with you guys. So...

Have you ever felt as I do when traveling abroad? Is it me turning nuts about the whole situation? Do you also have weekly battles with dust balls big as bunnies? Do tell me in the comment box!

#1 Get inspired

Come on guys, we live in the digital era, where access to information is not only easy but also quick! Nowadays there're plenty of sources of inspiration full of imagery, graphics, professional artworks and albums in just a click! Before your next photo shoot for fashion blogging, I recommend you to look for some inspiration, may it be in others' blogs or on Pinterest! Pinterest boards are a great source to look for street style and outfit inspiration, poses, lighting, background, edition tools... All that in a very organized place due to this social network's structure. There are even bloggers who post about their personal tips to get the perfect fashion picture and explode your blog content, as Kotryna Bass.

#2 Use props

Valencia-Pisa flight. Check. Cute and spacious student home away from home, with a couple of architecture students to share. Check. Italian lessons online and a slight idea on how to communicate abroad. Check. Seriously guys, I can't believe it's almost time to leave and start pursuing a year full of experiences, a new language in my CV and a life away from home, family and friends. I'm so excited!

One of the things that is really, really worrying me is how the heck I'm going to pack a year of clothes and stuff to live in a country that I barely know, with a weather I'm not familiar with and with a daily routine still unknown. Yes, I'm that kind of girl who likes to have anything under control, and I can't help tossing around this thoughts when it comes to the Erasmus year abroad! I'm leaving in mid september hopefully, so, I'll have to figure out how to pack a whole suitcase and no carry-on (as I can't cope with the fact that we'll be taking a couple of trains and public transport to get to our new home at Firenze. All that, dealing with cobblestone streets while pulling a couple of suitcases, in an unknown place? No thanks) which will be substituted for a huge backpack.

So, I've been already wondering around for a couple of months what should I bring to Firenze, and what my packing list for Italy should be like, and this is what I've concluded:

// Sportswear

• 2 sports bra
• 2 sports leggings (or 1 legging + workout shorts)
• 2-3 pair white socks
• Sneakers (?)
• Cozy jacket
• Wireless earplugs

// Clothing

• 2 casual dresses
• 2 pair boots (rain boots + daily boots)
• 3-5 going out outfit
• 14 underwear
• 1 pair flip flops
• 1 pair home shoes
• Winter wool coat
• 2-3 wool skirts
• 2-3 pair jeans (boyfriend, black, straight)
• 2-3 jackets (black blazer, wool jacket)
• 3-4 basic T-shirts (black, grey, white) long sleeve + short sleeve each
• 3-4 pairs shoes (couple of comfy flats, pair of medium heels)
• 2 pajamas
• 2-3 sweaters
• 1-2 bathing suits

// Accessories

• 2-3 statement necklaces
• 2-3 minimal necklaces
• 10 pair earrings
• School backpack
• LV Noe bag
• Fedora hat
• 2 winter shawls/scarf + 1 light scarf
• 1 pair gloves
• 1 little purse for going out

// Tech

• DSLR camera + lenses + battery charger
• Tablet + charger
• Laptop + charger
• Earplugs
• Cell phone
• Flash Drive
• Wires and USB adapters

// Makeup-bag

• NARS Sheer Glow foundation (lighter) + Elizabeth Arden Flawless Finish (darker)
• NARS powder blush
• Makeup brushes
• Lip liners
• 3-4 lipstick bars (nude, pink, red, maroon)
• Liquid eye liner
• 2-3 color eye liners
• Green concealer + Regular concealer
• A couple of eye shadow mini palettes
• Mascara (?)
• Tweezers

// Toiletries

• Hairpins and hairpins
• Hair bands
• Mini deodorant
• Toothbrush and mini toothpaste
• Hairbrush
• Skincare products
• Band-aids
• Eye drops (?)
• Wet wipes

// Others

• Portable umbrella
• Paperwork, IDs and Erasmus stuff
• School supplies (1 notebook + couple pens and pencils + markers) (?)
• Playing cards
• Maps (?)
• Journal (?)

I entered the Valencia Technical School of Architecture five years ago, aiming to change the world, design spectacular buildings and without any specific route to follow, both in my career or my personal life. I just wanted everything to flow. To everything get into place at the right time and moment. But, what I didn't know is that nothing flows and nothing comes to you out of nothing. I didn't know I would have to work my ass out so, so hard to pass exams, obtain enough grades to apply for grants and academic programs and that this Grade, at the very end would change my life and my point of view about life in general so slowly but steadily. Life's a challenge we must overcome. Five years later into this, there are some useful things I've learned thanks to studying Architecture, and that I think will be very useful for you although you aren't even interested on technical or design stuff. There we go!

1. Differentiate yourself. Don't be a number
Distinguish yourself from the crowd. You are the best in being you, with your own opinions and point of view in things. Talk and expose what you think, give ideas, don't be ashamed! If anything, I've learned that being different and not a sheep in the flock is the key to be a high value in anything you are into. For example, this blog is one of the very few Spanish fashion blogs written in English, which might be different, but is an added value as it's something that makes it unique.

2. Always carry your notebook with you
It doesn't have to be a huge 42 x 30 notebook with expensive 120gr watercolor paper. Or even a Moleskine. I have two random spiral notebooks which are no bigger than a DIN-A5 and where I write everything when I'm on the go.

One has a thicker paper on which I can draw or paint with markers, and which I mostly use for class projects and work revisions. The other one has a thinner paper and it's where I write everything I come up with talking about the blog: interview ideas or candidates, outfit combinations, posting times... Once you get used to writing down everything, you'll live happier, I promise. You won't lose track of your ideas anymore. You might even find yourself having an inspiration boost!


3. Get moving. Do things. Get involved in everything
I didn't know the importance of being literally everywhere when I started studying Architecture. But it is. Get yourself out of the box and get to know the people surrounding you and what they're up to. Get involved in your community, your neighborhood, your school or class committee. Be willing to know new things and help others as best as you can.

During this five years, I've got the chance to know how the School I study at works, and thanks to getting involved and being interested I've got the chance on participating on amazing things there, whether they're related to festivals and other students initiatives, to being an active member of the University Student's council. Every chance is a nice way to get out of your comfort zone or meet new people, to learn even the slightest skill as being diplomatic as hell with people I don't get on with, or deal with paperwork I didn't even know existed.

During this five years of university, I've met all sorts of people. Nice people. Nasty people. Inspiring people. People I've got the luck to cherish not only as friends but also as amazing professionals with outstanding ideas. Amazing teachers and professors, and not as great ones.

But, if there's something I've learned from all these people surrounding me is that every one of them is different, and if I've had the chance on working on amazing projects or having crazy ideas which eventually turned real is thanks to those who think differently than me. Who has a completely 180-degree view on things and are not afraid to share it. People who thank that different view helped me be more open-minded, and not to take anything for granted. And that's something I really think you should embrace!

Whenever I'm meeting my friends, I feel like at the lottery of life I got gifted with the most Viking ones of them all, as they love to spend whole evenings chatting around a table of emptied beer bottles and a bowl with snacks. And sometimes, I have the feeling like that best ideas are the ones which came out of those informal meetings grabbing a couple of beers at the nearest pub (okay, I'm not a beer drinker but I like sweet mead. Looks like I'm the most Viking one after all). Unexpected ideas. Crazy ideas. But all of them as great as the one before that.

It's as if everything flowed on those moments. Hours pass and you get to talk about so many things! Time to go back to #2 and grab your notebook, isn't it?

Back to 2011. It's been a long way since that night in Boston when I decided to take up and give a chance to this whole universe of blogging and ultimately, give fashion blogging a go. I can't believe it's been more than 5 years since that blurry selfie from my old, tiny laptop and those clumsy words written in such amateur, poor English. I don't want to get too emotional, though. Today's post is about how stepping out of your comfort zone and starting something you have little, or even no idea of can change your life and help you think out of the box. This post is also about self-confidence and how trusting your gut can help you deal with anything you make up in your mind. In my case, I started a fashion blog and fixed "keeping it no matter what" as a goal.

10 ways of how fashion blogging can change someone's' life can be a little too brief, but in my case, and for those of you who are thinking about starting your own blog or taking the big step into entrepreneurship are enough as a start. Let's get down to business, then!

#1 Obvious improvement in writing and fluency on the use of a foreign language (English)

As you might know, my motherly language is Spanish. I was born and raised in Spain and didn't start learning English until the age of 8-9 years old (or more than that). English seemed like the first and obvious communication vehicle for me when starting this blog, as it was the language I was trying to improve and in which I thought I could reach the most people possible. So, something that has absolutely changed since I started blogging is the way I communicate in this language which I think I've made my own little by little.

#3 Self-confidence improvement

Thanks to fashion blogging, I've learned some little hints of the industry of fashion, and become aware of things like textile waste, fashion poverty, and production chains, among others. Being a fashion blogger does not only mean posing in front of a camera for me. Being a fashion blogger for me means knowing every step of the process of the things you wear and which ultimately, will help you assemble the outfits for you to look the way you want. Thanks to fashion blogging, words like recycling, design and manufacturing process, or fashion consciousness among others have been burnt into my brain forever.

Architecture is a tough, competitive field on which nowadays is very difficult to get your foot in. Thanks to fashion and the blogging world, I've discovered a new passion with so many different paths (some of them even related to architecture) that I can make research on and dedicate my life to in case architecture doesn't work. Not only I have a PLAN B, but fashion blogging has allowed me to discover fashion journalism, copywriting, marketing or even visual merchandising for me to have more chances in the nearer future.

Last, but not least, I've been able to test my abilities to collaborate in every way I've been capable of. My journey through fashion blogging has lead me to discover amazing projects related to design, collaborative fashion, startups and fashion entrepreneurs which eventually have lead me to boost my ideas in a way you couldn't ever imagine. Fashion is collaboration, and so means blogging as well.