Introducing: Laura Hayden

Laura. I first recognized Laura Haydens blog ( www.horaconfessions.com ) in 2009, when she started up a blog about working as a model in Japan, where she was living for a few months back then. The blog somehow evolved to what i would like to call a "fashion and lifestyle" magazine, yes, I'd call it magazine. Because it never gets boring, you can't wait for another post by her and as time went by I just couldn't deny how much i admire this girl for what she achieved in her life. Being quite young she made it from a "common model" to a model who works together with companies like Harpers Bazaar, Vogue or Glamour. She even worked for MTV Spain and was one of the presenters at the European Music Awards 2011. Ever since i read the blog, she is one of my greatest idols and role models. Just today i have realized how much she actually affected my own lifestyle. It is incredible how i turned from being quite pessimistic and sort of shy to one of the most cheerful and freest persons ever. I work on achieving my dreams, i fulfill most of them and i do not have fear anymore. Besides, I found my own fashion style and i just enjoy life to the fullest now. I think it was also highly Lauras contribution - and she doesn't even know it (yet..) Thank you, Laura Hayden. ;)

This is the Life! - Meet Amy MacDonald

I first heard "This is the life" by Amy MacDonald in 2007, i found the single on youtube and instantly send a message to my friend Peter which said: LISTEN TO THIS GIRL...she will be famous! ... i was right. From the first moment i heard the song i knew i'd become a big fan of hers. I bought all her albums and i know like 90% of her lyrics by heart. So when seeing she would come to Fulda i knew i just had to go there. Fulda is close to where i live, 1 1/2 hours by car. The concert was just BRILLIANT, i loved every song of hers and she is the one of the most kindhearted people i ever met, as you could recognize just from the way she talked about why she wrote her songs, explaining some backgrounds. Did you know that she wrote the song "Across The Nile" after seeing the change that has been happening in Egypt on the TV? She said she was in tears to see people daring to go for that kind of revolution and grabbed her guitar and wrote the song. Do i need to say anything more...?

All roads lead to Rome...so did mine

So...it has been a while since I have been to my favourite city in the world - Rome. But i took the opportunity this year and went there again - with my mother as company. It has been fantastic! Except for the weather. We had 39°C and burning hot sun...everyday. Even at night it was still about 32°C.... On our first day after the arrival day, we decided to meet a good old friend, Mario, again. My mother and her friend have met him everytime they have been in Rome. He is the caretaker of an extremely old and ancient church - Santa Pudenziana. He took us on a guided tour through the church: the whole church. That includes a part that tourists are not allowed to see: the excavation site underneath the church. We got some helmets and a flashlight and he was explaining all the old, well-preserved rooms 9 feet underground. The mosaics and walls are dated to about 160 before Christ. For history junkies just like me this is pure heaven...

Afterwards we went to see the Colloseum, at least from the outside and Circo Massimo - the place i was most curious about! It was great to see it and imagine how they had such big chariot races in there.

We spend all of our evenings on Piazza di Spagna, on the spanish steps ... THE meeting place for tourists in Rome. You seriously cannot go there without getting to know anyone. We met two ladies from Canada who were really lovely. Also, we always brought our bottle of wine and just enjoyed the athmosphere :-)

The Vatican is something you just can't miss when in Rome. It was my second time there but the architecture of the place amazes me again and again. And suprisingly, after a funny chat with the swiss guard (YES THEY CAN BE FUNNY!) i was even at an audiance with the pope. There were about 1000 people and he held a speech. That was quite unexpected...

Very close to the Vatican you can find a place that every Illuminati fan will instantly recognize: Castel Sant'Angelo..you get a very great view from the top of it by the way...

Next step on the Illuminati tour would be PANTHEON, one of the oldest and possibly the best preserved building in Rome.

On our last day in Rome (as for the hot weather and also my feet stop fulfilling their job in making me my body walk) we went to Lido, a seaside town 30 minutes from Rome. We took the train, which was filled by a kindergarten group singing Italian "The Lion King" songs, i even sang along sometimes. One of the moments where all you think is : weeeeeird.

And on the last evening... well..the last evening...what shall i say. I was at the biggest fan party in Italy to watch the Germany: Italy Eurocup match. So far so good. But i was wearing a Germany shirt. In a group of about 10-15 Germans we were amongst THOUSANDS of Italy and guess what..they had 2 reasons to celebrate...2 goals...we had none. And it's not like they were friendly towards us, nope...they made fun of us. I swear this was just one of the worst moments ever. Never again will i see a football match in Italy. NEVER. ;)

But except for that thursday night in Rome...it was an epic holiday again...