travel – Mackenzie Billington

Agra Fort

December 27, 2016 by Mackenzie

On Alexandra: white midi dress (on sale!) | brown sandals (linked similar)

Happy Monday! I hope that you had a wonderful Christmas. It’s been so nice to be home with my family (and to have some warm weather here in Texas).

After three nights in Delhi, we headed to Agra, home of the Taj Mahal. Though the Taj Mahal is definitely the most noted destination in Agra, the Agra Fort is definitely something not to be missed! We enjoyed walking around the grounds of the gorgeous fort. I was really glad that we had a guide for this little day trip as there were a ton of things to learn about the Agra Fort (also known as the Agra Red Fort). If you are in Agra and want to visit something cool along with the Taj Mahal, the Agra Fort is a must-see.

canon camera | lens

white crop top | floral skirt (linked in another pattern + on sale!!) | coin necklace | lace up sandal

Thank you so much for checking out my blog!

xoxo,

Mackenzie

Dubai

December 18, 2016 by Mackenzie

Dubai has been my dream destination for as long as I can remember. My family has traveled to Dubai a few times before me, so I was beyond excited to finally get to visit for my very first time this past week. We only spent ten hours in Dubai, so unfortunately we didn’t have enough time to do all the things on our Dubai bucket lists (like sky diving and indoor skiing). With the few hours we had to spare, we decided to venture to the gorgeous Dubai Miracle Garden, the ‘World’s Largest Vertical Garden’.

dubai

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dubai

After visiting the Miracle Garden, we went to the Dubai Butterfly Garden. It was so cool to see so many butterflies and snap some awesome photos. The Dubai Butterfly Garden is right next to the Miracle Garden, so it was a very convenient, spur-of-the-moment adventure.

dubai

Dubai was everything I imagined it would be! Though we didn’t get to spend a whole lot of time in Dubai, it was still an amazing day trip. I hope that I will get to go back in the future! We are currently in Delhi, but next stop- Agra!

xoxo,

Mackenzie

48 Hours in Paris: Day Two

July 29, 2015 by Mackenzie

For the last day of our Paris getaway, we decided not to let the bad weather stop us from seeing the Eiffel Tower. Luckily, the rain did not hit before we got there, so we were able to enjoy an hour or so checking out this magnificent tourist favorite. When we went to Paris a few years ago we climbed to the top, so we decided not to climb it again this time. After snapping a few pictures, we headed to a local cafe for lunch. Our friend that recommend Angelina to us also recommend to check out Amorino, where we could get beautiful, flower-shaped gelato. We just couldn’t pass that up! Our gelato was not only gorgeous, but it tasted so great as well! Allie tried a combination of coffee, chocolate, and raspberry. Shortly after eating our gelato, the intense rain hit (which probably explains our lack of photos after the gelato trip). We took a cab to the Catacombs, something we both had been dying to see. Allie read that the lines are always very, very long, so we had our fingers crossed that they wouldn’t be as long with the rain. However, when we arrived, we noticed hundreds and hundreds of people in line- all with umbrella in hand. We spent a second or two contemplating if we wanted to wait in line, but we decided we wouldn’t have enough time because we needed to head to the train station in just a few hours. Next time I go to Paris, I will definitely wait in line to see the Catacombs. Though it sounds a little creepy- ‘The World’s Largest Grave’- it definitely seems really cool and interesting. Allie and I decided to hit the Musee d’Orsay instead! We have actually never been to this specific museum before, so we decided it would be the perfect activity on this rainy day. After waiting in line for 30-40 minutes in the rain, it was finally time to enter this incredible museum. The Musee d’Orsay is actually housed in a former railroad station, which is something so unique. I really enjoyed this museum because I love Impressionist paintings (almost as much as I love Surrealism). Last year in college, I studied Degas a lot and did several master copies of his work. I really enjoyed all of the Degas pieces that the Musee d’Orsay had to offer! We also got to see tons of beautiful Van Gough pieces including the famous ‘Starry Night Over the Rhone’, ‘Self Portrait’, and ‘The Bedroom’. With an hour left before our train, we stopped by a chaotic Starbucks to hide from the rain. People were sitting on the floor in the Starbucks- willing to do anything to get out of the storm and have some warm coffee. We made a friend in the Starbucks, and we shared stories of our favorite things that Paris and London had to offer. Allie and I ran back to our hotel through the pouring rain to collect our bags and catch a cab to the train station (the tubes near us were shut down due to the Tour de France). I was really wishing I hadn’t worn a maxi dress because it was completely doused. I was so ready to get back to my dorm so I could shower and put on some warm pajamas. We sat near my two LSE friends on the train ride back, and I took a great nap. After we got back to my dorm, Allie ran to Chipotle in the rain and brought us back some tacos to eat in bed. Does it get any better than that? I can’t imagine a more perfect weekend in Paris!

48 Hours in Paris: Day One

July 28, 2015 by Mackenzie

Hot chocolate at Angelina

The Louvre

Oh so candid

‘Is my finger on the pointy part?’

Okay, I tried.

Rebecca Minkoff purse (c/o)

Picked up Crepes on our way to Champs-Elysees

Heaven on Earth

We wanted to try the Laduree ice-cream, but it was a little too chilly

Raspberry, Chocolate, Coffee, Rose Petal, Marie-Antoinette Tea, and Vanilla

Arc de Triomphe

Just a little excited about my Laduree macaroons

Half up-half down + bun

Sacre-Coeur

48 hours in Paris. In an incredible city like Paris, it can truly be hard to narrow down your exploration ‘wish list’ to 48 hours. Is two night really enough? My sister, Allie, and I headed off to France for the weekend to find out.

After running through London in the rain, we finally made it to our train just in time. About two hours later, we arrived in Paris. Even though our hotel was less than a five minute walk from the tube station, we managed to spend hours aimlessly wondering around the city at night to find it. Our hotel was called the Hotel du Louvre, a Hyatt Hotel. It was in a perfect location and was very nice. When we got to our hotel room, we spent a few hours digging on Pinterest and the internet to plan out our two full days in the city. We started by making a list of everything we wanted to see during our time in Paris, and then narrowed it down. Luckily for us, this wasn’t out first time in Paris. We have seen mostly everything, but we spent time deciding what we still had left to see and what we wanted to see again. I took a nice bubble bath, and then it was time to sleep.

The first morning we woke up pretty early to get a good start on our day. My friend, who recently studied abroad in Paris, told us to go to a restaurant called Angelina to try their hot chocolate. It was very chilly that morning, so we decided to head to the small restaurant to pick up some hot chocolate and a pastry before heading to the Louvre. The hot chocolate was very good, but very sweet/intense. We really enjoyed our pastry through! When we arrived at the Louvre, we waited in line for 20-30 minutes, which was a much shorter queue than we expected. Allie and I have been to the Louvre before, so we didn’t feel the need to spend hours exploring the huge museum. There were incredible artifacts and paintings, but we found it to be a little overwhelming. It is so hard to see the entire Louvre in just a few hours! We of course saw the Mona Lisa though, which is always fun. After we left the Louvre, we headed to the Champs-Elysees for some lunch and macaroons. We couldn’t resist picking up some crepes on the way though for a ‘pre-lunch snack’. We had a great time people watching at the Champs-Elysees while we enjoyed our lunch. However, the whole time we couldn’t stop talking about our excitement for our macaroon dessert! The line for Laduree macaroons was possibly longer than the line for the Louvre. I have to say it was definitely worth the wait though. We tried six different macaroon flavors, which were all incredibly delicious. My favorite was definitely the vanilla. Next was the Arc de Triomphe. We snapped a few pictures in front of the large arch, and then headed off to our next two destinations- the Espace Dali museum and the Sacre-Coeur. It was not the shortest walk to Espace Dali museum as it is located up on a hill. However, it was definitely number #1 on my Paris list because Salvador Dali is my very favorite artist. I really enjoyed seeing all of his beautiful watercolors, sculptures, and sketches. I couldn’t resist buying another Dali book from the gift store on my way out. He’s such an interesting and incredible man, and I always enjoy learning more about him! I would highly, highly recommend the Espace Dali museum for any Dali fans! It’s worth the trip! We decided to check out the Sacred Heart Basilica of Montemarte (Sacre-Coeur) because it was less than five minutes away from Espace Dali. The Sacre-Coeur was so gorgeous! We decided not to go inside though for the sake of time. At this point we had already walked eleven miles, and my feet were killing me. We took a cab back to our hotel and found dinner near by. Allie has spaghetti, and I had some great risotto. After dinner we got some ice-cream and headed back to our hotel to get some rest after our long- but exciting- day!

I will be posting about our ‘last 24 hours in Paris’ tomorrow! (P.S. A lot of y’all asked on instagram about my outfit, and my top is from Topshop and my shorts are from Show Me Your Mumu!)

Thank you for checking out my blog!

Welcome to Tanzania

June 28, 2015 by Mackenzie

Our ‘Christmas Card Picture’ ft. a Land Rover Defender

Thomson Safaris campsite

Impala horns

Relaxing at the camp before a traditional African dinner

Wearing our matching VV shirts before an afternoon Safari

Shirt: Vineyard Vines (c/o) • Shorts: Patagonia • Sandals: Hari Mari (c/o)

Welcome to Tanzania.

I have spent about eleven days in Tanzania, and it’s been a wild, but amazing ride so far. When you travel to a new country, sometimes you have absolutely no idea what to expect. I’ve been to the continent of Africa before to visit Cairo, but Egypt and Tanzania are not even comparable. Our journey to this incredibly unique place began with a 24 hour day of travel. Running to your terminal to barely catch your next flight and having your luggage lost are just some of the struggles travelers face. When we finally arrived to Arusha, a city not far from our campsite, my mom and I realized our luggage was not at the baggage claim. Our four bags were ‘missing in action’. Never in my many years of travel have I ever experienced the challenge of losing all of my suitcases. It is an unpleasant experience I hope to never go through again. Luckily, my bags were eventually found later during the week. My mom’s suitcases are still not here yet, but that hasn’t prevented us from having an amazing trip.

We spent a night near the airport and then headed off to catch a small prop plane that would take us to the campsite. I am not much of an ‘outdoor girl’ myself, but this camp was quite gorgeous. On the drive from the landing strip to the camp, we saw so many animals. It is such an incredible experience to just see wild zebras, giraffes, elephants, impalas, and wildebeests casually strolling by your car. We decided to use the Thomson Safaris for our trip, and everything they have done so far has been perfect. Thomson has campsites all over the country of Tanzania, and they are each so, so different. We decided to stay at camps for the first two places, and then stay in lodges for the next two. Though I probably prefer the lodges more, it’s definitely been nice to experience the campsite life. Our daily schedule in Tanzania has been pretty routine. We wake up early and pile into the Land Rover Defender that has a safari pop up roof for excellent animal viewing and picture taking moments in search of animals in their natural settings. During the day, we eat a boxed lunch before continuing back to our safari endeavors. Around three. we head back to the campsite to nap. Dinner is usually around seven and typically consists of fresh vegetables, fruits, and meat.

In Tanzania, they speak the language of Swahili. Here are two phrases we have learned:

Hujambo = hello

Asante = thank you

Later this week I will be posting pictures of the Masai people, our hot air balloon adventure, the lodges, and all of our animal pictures! Thank you so much for checking out my blog- hope you all are having a fantastic weekend!

xoxo,

Mackenzie Kendall

Going off the Grid

June 18, 2015 by Mackenzie

Hello friends! Today is the day! I am leaving this morning to fly to Tanzania with my family! We will spend the next two weeks traveling all around the country on a safari. My mom and I are going to also spend a few days at an elephant park while my dad and sister climb Mt. Kilimanjaro. I decided to wear my elephant dress this week out of excitement for my safari getaway! I picked up this dress a few weeks ago from ShopRiffRaff, but sadly it is not available anymore. I linked some similar animal-themed dresses below!

So I will be ‘off the grid’ for the next two weeks, but I will have internet/service again when I move to London for the rest of summer during the month of July! I will be back really soon!! Thank you so much for y’all’s constant love & support!

Have a wild & awesome week! BRB!

Packing for London

June 14, 2015 by Mackenzie

I only have a few more days before I head off for my summer abroad adventures, and I couldn’t be more excited. Packing for two weeks in Tanzania wasn’t too difficult, but seven weeks in London was no easy task. As a chronic over-packer, it’s hard not to try to shove my entire wardrobe into one suitcase. Here are some packing tips I have learned over the years:

Check out the weather for the trip. Look at the monthly averages for the country, and then pack accordingly. London weather can be all over the place, so I packed things I could layer. I packed a fleece, a sweater, a kimono, and a denim jacket that can all be easily worn over any outfit I packed if it gets chilly.
Type a list. Before I begin packing, I always type a list of exactly what I want to pack. I put things in categories like clothes, toiletries, etc. This really helps me know exactly what I need for the trip and ensures I won’t forget anything important.
Pick outfits that you can mix and match. Dresses are always easy to put in your suitcase and make for an easy outfit. I also pack shorts/skirts first, and then I select two tops for each bottom. Before packing a certain piece, think about what it would actually go with and how you could stye it.
Roll things! I always roll my clothes in my suitcase because it does actually save more room than folding!
Don’t overpack when it comes to shoes- they really add lots of weight to your bag and take up tons of space. Be realistic and pick comfortable shoes that you will actually end up wearing during the trip. Always wear your heaviest shoes on the plane to save space in your bag. When I study abroad in Europe, I always wear my rain boots on the flights because they are quite large.
For packing, I always bring a large suitcase and a duffle bag for my carry on. Always go for a suitcase with wheels. The duffle bag is awesome because if I decide to take a weekend trip to another country, I can bring that big instead of my huge suitcase. I always bring a crossbody purse to Europe for everyday use as well!
Really think about what you actually need. I am a huge overpacker, but I try to think realistically. “When am I really going to wear these heels? Where would I actually wear this maxi dress”. If you really think about each piece you are packing and being realistic, you will not overpack as much!
It’s always good to make sure you leave a little extra room in your suitcase in case you decide to shop there or bring gifts home!

I posted some pictures of the clothes I packed. I will probably add a few more things (like socks, a rain jacket, etc.), but this is a general basis for the outfits I am bringing with me for the London School of Economics.

In summary, here is what I packed (clothes-related)-

4 rompers
5 dresses
4 shorts
2 skirts
1 pants (going to pack another white pair soon)
12 tops
denim jacket
sweater
kimono
fleece
sandals
wedges
converse
rain boots
crossbody purse

Thank you all so much for checking out my packing post! I head off to Tanzania later this week, and then I go straight to London two weeks later! I can’t wait to share my adventures with y’all!

Safe Travels!