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.

It's been a while! You can't even imagine how much I miss writing on a daily basis and sharing with you fashion ideas and theories running through my mind. Days off for shooting are not an option, and since I'm looking forward to the (huge) English exam on the 3rd December, and I've been seriously thinking about returning to the fencing piste this coming Spring, everything requires some planning and schedule-knitting for everything to work out. It's exciting, though it requires a lot of energy and long days to handle everything.

Being always on-the-go, running up and down has meant changing my daily style and outfits without even realising it. Since I entered College, since I'm constantly up to what's new regarding design and materials I've subtly built a simple, minimal style which has evolved through the years. Feeling comfortable on what you wear and it allowing you to do your job or daily activities successfully is something I really appreciate. Layering, neat shapes and monochromatic are things currently on my wardrobe for this season. And I can tell you they're here to stay. That, paired up with the right makeup and hairstyle makes everything easier (although I'm thinking about chopping my messy curls off again). I think this Bimba & Lola blue dress with heart-shaped neck is one of those perfect options when you're running late.

(OK. I just realized I'm touching my hair on every picture of this post. Not made on purpose. I promise. It looks so weird).

Now that Summer seems to be officially over (warm weather and daylight usually stays for a while in Valencia), I hope I can keep those simple outfit vibes through cold mornings stepping out of home for classes and even applying them to one-step-at-a-time jogging evenings, which I recently enrolled. I'm currently looking for comfortable but chic sporty clothing ideas I can layer up or down depending on the routine or weather. Still figuring it all out and still getting used to the sporty routine twice a week, but hopefully I'll be fit enough for the Spring fencing tournament right on the time!

#AirMomentUPV. Some say it's the journey and not the destination what matters the most. Well, when it comes to architecture and design of anything I would absolutely say that! Last Saturday we had the chance to have the girls from Conjuntos Empáticos (which is an investigation group about architecture, art and pedagogy which gathers up some cool people mostly from Madrid) as guests at Valencia Architecture School to teach us about inflatable and pneumatic architecture, which we could make ourselves with their priceless help.

We spent the whole day at the School, a group of nearly 30 Architecture students working non-stop patterning in huge plastic rolls, cutting edges, "sewing" pieces with our flat irons and basically, invading the whole School's hall to build a huge inflatable, plastic "mushroom" in which we can get inside!

It feels amazing to see the process, from the first excitement and don't-know-exactly-what-I'm-doing moments to the peak of the day when you see it all black and you're sure you won't achieve the goal, to the final countdown in which you realize you're part of the the team, everyone's working super hard to get the work done and you'll achieve it. It makes me remember last year's ETSA·TOPIA festival, which was all about team-work with people you might not even know at all, but whom you end bonding and sharing those crazy, race-against-time moments. I find these kind of experiences super important for anyone in any professional field: it develops teamwork, empathy, social and crisis-solving skills which are essential in any job, but specially in architecture. You are supposed to be against this kind of experiences every single day in your future, so better be prepared!

So, that's the main reason why I'm bringing you these pictures today: mostly to see the process behind that very cool thing we built. Those are the pictures which hide our conversations while "sewing" plastic, our desperation moments because we couldn't find any sense to the patterns and seams (but we figured it all by the end of the afternoon) and the final result. At the end, fashion is a series of processes and creative solutions to some needs and problems which are supposed to be solved, too. And which are supposed to be of good use: in this case, we will use the #AirMomentUPV pavilion to meet and have a cozy place to relax between classes and seminaries at the Architecture School. How cool is that?

Haven't you ever felt like you'd need a 72-hours day to accomplish everything you should be doing in just one regular, working day? That's me, currently. I must say that I've been like this since I started University, but in the last two years I just feel like I can't handle everything I'm up to. First, I was just looking for the feeling of belonging to something. Helping others. Joining and participating in exciting projects, activities and groups. And still manage to practise fencing, go out, keep up with the blog and of course, accomplish all the due dates with projects and homework. Impossible.

I feel like I've just got to the point when I'm absolutely overwhelmed and I'm not able just to accomplish everything I'm supposed to do, but not even half of the tasks I've planned for the day. My mind has just said "STOP IT", and my body is about to, soon. I still try to manage everything, and be consequent to the decisions I made in the past, to accomplish some promises I made to friends and work groups, but I'm just trying to take it as easy as I can or I'll turn nuts.

If you've been reading and knowing me for some time, you must know I'm a travel lover. Since I started studying Architecture I knew I didn't want to go outside Spain to finish the degree, but now things have changed a little, and the need of fresh air and taking a much needed time for myself has led me to the decision of leaving for an Erasmus scholarship next year. That adds a little bit of stress about the overwhelming routine I'm currently living in, as I enrolled an intensive course to get an advanced English degree by the start of December. If everything goes as planned, I'll be asking for a place at TU Delft, Netherlands (no need of Dutch by the moment, but I find very interesting to learn it too... Maybe if I get accepted there!) so I can finish my 5th year there and breathe some fresh air. Meet new people. Keep up with fencing, which I had to leave behind because of time lack. Learn new ways to approach architecture, design and fashion.

Although I'm already exhausted because of the times and routines I'm currently taking (and it's hardly mid October!), I'm super excited of having something to fight for and focus on this new course, as I feel like it was a very long time ago the last time I had the will of doing something as huge as this. Everyone who has taken an Erasmus always end up telling me how great and life changing the experience was, and I want to feel that as well.

OPEN HOUSE 2016 was all about learning and care to detail. I find incredible how my perception about architecture and detail has changed and evolved since the very first time I took part in a trip with my architect mates at the School. I can't believe already five years have passed since that first trip to Ticino and Milan area!

The more years I spent watching, learning and receiving classes about structures, design theory and history, the more I'm able to pay that attention to detail and be aware of everything surrounding me, specially when I go on a trip to places I've never been before. Besides, visiting buildings and places with a group of architect friends forces you to discuss, to watch carefully and see everything.
On this trip to the capital I had the chance to take it easily, making super punctual scapes out of the group to the Old Book Fair placed at Paseo de Recoletos; or to enjoy a tour visit to the Royal Tapestry Factory, which was amazing. This was a visit to Madrid in which I had so much time for myself, to stroll around the city and really feel the independence I'm looking for on a near future. There's so much to think about once you cross the subway entry and start walking downstairs to take the train which will lead you to the outside neighbourhoods of the city, to look up an specific building you've wanted to visit for a long time.

Open House festival in Madrid also let me plot and start the thinking process on some new ideas and coming posts for the blog, as well as discovering new guest for the "Behind the design" series which I'll be sending emails to and getting in touch as soon as possible. It's all about learning!