If you have been following my Instagram (if you aren't go follow now-@ theprincessfusion). you might have noticed that I have been continuing my photography here in Chicago. Many people are asking how I have been shooting so much, in such a  small span of time, and the answer is pretty simple: Meet-ups. 

The hustle and bustle of moving into a new city is slowly but surely coming to a close.

 In the past month, I have seemingly done the impossible; I started my new job, found an apartment, and even got a new car. I would like to consider myself a vet of some sorts when it comes to moving. In the past five years, this has been my third time leaving the nest (aka the Twin Cities) for the great unknown.

Maybe I was naive, but somehow moving from one state to another has been more complicated than leaving the country (which perplexes me). When you leave the country, you essentially get up and go; crossing your fingers that good fortune will come your way. Like any move-in process, there are hiccups along the way, but I just shrugged it off and blamed the French bureaucracy for any minor inconveniences and reminded myself that Monoprix had 1 euro wine.

In America, one dollar wine is unheard of and so are the hiccups along the way.  Hiccups have become hurdles and the list of things to do doesn't seem to stop.I'll admit that there are days where I get overwhelmed with everything that is going on. For the first time ever, I am living alone. I don't have a roommate to laugh with during dinner time or a host mother counseling me on what areas of town to avoid at night. It's just, me.

The great thing about time is that there is always something new and unexpected around the corner. Every day, I am meeting someone new; whether its the group of moms in my  Tuesday core-circuit class or creatives in the photographer-model meet-ups downtown. Weekends feel like vacations and sometimes, just sometimes, you might be able to catch a tiny tear falling down my eye because I am in disbelief that this is happening.

Until next time,

Sabrina Kennelly

Before the beginning of the New Year, many people (including myself) ponder on what resolutions they would like to set out for the year to come. Everyone has a different method to their madness; some create vision boards while others sit down and write out their aspirations out on a sheet of paper.

For myself, creating and writing goals is something that I do year-round.My goals are by no means special or different than the average human being. Just like others, I too write down goals about traveling to new places, working out more and meeting a cute (and hopefully well off) boy.

One of my goals last summer was to find a job in the Twin Cities that was in my field of interest. If you have been keeping up with my blog posts, you know that this has proved to be a challenge. After countless job applications, interviews and networking I found myself expanding my search outwards from the land of 10,000 lakes.

I would be lying if I didn't say that I was losing motivation when it came to my job search. There were moments where I could just feel that I was getting close to an opportunity and then BAM! fate would push me back to square one. As the end of the year approached, I decided that enough was enough and that if I didn't hear back by my 24th birthday, I would have to come up with another plan.

If I were doing a Cosmopolitan quiz and my friends had to describe me in a word they would probably say "dramatic". So it will probably come to no surprise that I am announcing a major life decision on my blog: I moved to Chicago.

A lot of people are probably right now scratching their heads wondering the following
1) What are you doing down there?
2) Why didn't you tell me you where moving?
3) Will I ever see you again?

Here's the story: It was December 18th, aka my 24th birthday and I was lounging in my sweatpants looking my messages on Facebook when I got a call. My heart stopped and I was prepared to hear the worse. I had become so conditioned to hearing no's from potential employers that when I heard that I had received a job offer I was in shock. That night, right before I blew out the candles on my birthday cake, I told my parents about the offer and that I would be moving down to Chicago. Suddenly, I found myself packing my life back again into suitcases.

And here we are to present day Sabrina learning day-by-day about life as an adult. I understand that many people will probably wonder why I didn't tell them in person and the answer is this: I'm honestly still in shock and I physically didn't have the time.


There are many things that I love about the Twin Cities and I have valued the last couple months and the connections that I have made because of it. My moving to Chicago does not mean that we cannot still implement creative projects, gossip or anything else in between. I don't' know when I will be in the Twin Cities again, but I can tell you that I won't be gone forever. My family is there (and that includes my friends) and I will do anything in the world for them if needed.

Moving, yet again, to another city isn't easy, no matter how many times you have done it before. I'm excited about the adventures to come to Chicago and cannot wait to see where my photographer, writing, and connections will take me in the year to come.

*Insert the beginning of Frank Sinatra singing 'My Kind of Town'*

Until next time,

With the new year around the corner, my travel bug is definitely itching to go somewhere (or in my case, multiple places because why not). Here are a few locations that I am dreaming of doing that are on my 2018 bucket list. Make sure to tell me what your dream locations are in the comments below.

1.  Alaska
2. Thailand
3. Germany
4. Portugal 
5. Brazil

Ever have the desire to move away and teach in a different country? Being an assistant in France was a rewarding experience to utilize my newfound skills from college in a new and challenging environment. If you want to learn more about my experiences you can click on this link. There are many post-grad teaching programs to choose from. Make sure you check out the guidelines for each program before applying. The majority of programs will require a minimum level of a college degree along with experience in a foreign language. Below, I have a couple of programs that have been recommended for traveling abroad.

• TAPIF (Teaching Assitant Program in France) -https://www.tapif.org/
• Cultural Ambassadors: North America Cultural Ambassador Spain: https://www.mecd.gob.es/eeuu/convocatorias-programas/convocatorias-eeuu/auxiliares-conversacion-eeuu.html
• Disney English (Teach in China) https://jobs.disneycareers.com/teach-english-in-china
• Teach in Thailand https://www.ciee.org/go-abroad/work/teach-english-abroad/programs/teach-thailand
• Teach in South Korea https://www.ciee.org/go-abroad/work/teach-english-abroad/programs/teach-south-korea
• Jet Program (Japan) https://jetprogramusa.org/

Let me know in the comments below if you have taught abroad and if you have any recommendations!

Until next time,

ThePrincessFusion

I like to consider myself to be a social media addict. Last year during my travels I relied heavily on social media in order to contact friends and family abroad. I'll admit, I love sharing my travels on social media, but sometimes I find myself needing to rant about certain predicaments. So when my friend suggested that I join the Facebook group, Girls Love to Travel, I didn't  hesitate to join.

I bit about the group. "Girls LOVE Travel is a global community of active and aspiring female travelers providing resources and empowerment to one another through safety, socializing and support". That's right folks, this is an ALL GIRLS group to ask about travel tips, be a support system, and connect with fellow travelers.

It sounds cheesy, but this is more than your average Facebook group. It is an international sisterhood that encourages users to connect over events. Founded in 2015, Girls Love to Travel has expanded into more than just a typical Facebook group. You could debate and say that it has become a type of corporation with its sponsored trips, merchandise, and admin team.

I would be lying if I said that the group hasn't helped me significantly in the past years, and I'm sure that many users would agree. I have used this site for international job advice, information on required documents while traveling, and moral support for those days of being homesick while abroad.

If you are interested in being a member of the group (you have to be a girl, sorry boys), check on the link.  Are you already apart of the group? If so comment below and let me know what you think of it!

Until next time,

Photo by Cnn.com

The attacks in Las Vegas have brought up several crucial debates in our nation. The second amendment, mental health, and white privilege are just some of the major topics of conversation due to Sunday night's tragic events.

Let's talk about terrorism. As a travel blogger, this has become an unfortunate and frequent topic of conversation in my daily life as well as on the blog (you can read my latest post here).  There's a big debate about what terrorism is and isn't. In order to make this as clear and concise as possible let's look at some of our favorite dictionaries for help. According to Merriam-Webster 'terrorism' is "the systematic use of terror especially as a means of coercion". Dictonairy.com defines terrorism as "the state of fear and submission produced by terrorism or terrorization".  While the Oxford dictionary defines it as "the unlawful use of violence and intimidation, especially against civilians, in the pursuit of political aims."





You might be shaking your head in confusion from these definitions and that's okay. Typically (as seen from the definitions above), terrorism is linked with politics. As Americans, we automatically link terrorism to the Middle East. Images of the Twin Towers falling down and Saddam Hussein play in our minds when we hear the words "terrorist" or "terrorism".  Type the word 'terrorist' in Google and you'll find these images in your head pop up.

The unfortunate reality is this: acts of terrorism are happening in our own backyard by our own neighbors. Terrorists aren't (always) guys from lands far far away seeking vengeance for political or religious reasons. A terrorist could be the person eating fries at McDonald's, a high school student, or someone buying a ticket at the movie theater. 



There is a reason why you panic on a plane when you see someone that fits the stereotype of a terrorist walk down the aisle. It's because the media portrays white people as the victims when they, in fact, *typically*  are the ones inflicting pain. Throughout the last eight months, Vox.com  reports that more Americans have been killed in attacks by white American men with no connection to Islam than by Muslim terrorists or foreigners (https://www.vox.com/world/2017/10/2/16396612/las-vegas-mass-shooting-terrorism-islam). Whiteness has somehow protected men, such as  Stephen Paddock, to be considered a terrorist. Instead, the media labels him as a "lone wolf", "gambler", or even as a grandfather

The term "lone wolf" has been used to describe previous white male attackers including James Homes during the Aurora Colorado shooting and Dylann Roof who shot and killed a pastor and eight other parishioners in Charleston, South Carolina. "For people of color, and especially for Muslims, the treatment is often different. Muslims often get labeled as a terrorist before all the facts have come out." states the Intercept.com (https://theintercept.com/2017/10/02/lone-wolf-white-privlege-las-vegas-stephen-paddock/).

If we look back at the definitions of "terrorism" we'll see that the incident that took place on Sunday night in Las Vegas was an act of terrorism. Stephen Paddock inflicted pain on an innocent group of people for his own personal gain. He was the only known person behind this operation, but that doesn't make him a lone wolf. It would be too kind to describe someone that killed 59 people solely as a "lone wolf". Stephen Paddock was a white man. Stephen Paddock was a gambler. Stephen Paddock killed innocent people. Stephen Paddock was a terrorist. 

Opening up a bank account can be a pretty hard thing to do whether you are doing it in your native language or not. As I mentioned in my previous posts, I had the opportunity to learn a lot (including how to open a bank account) while living in France. I've heard mixed reviews when it comes to opening up a French bank account from former assistants. A lot of assistants will have their referent teacher help them with the process have an appointment set up with their local bank who is aware of your situation. Unfortunately, this was not the case for myself and I had the chance to learn how to open a bank account for the first time in a foreign country (yay!). For those of you who are currently in the same situation as I was, here is a guide on what you'll need to do for opening a bank account.

You will need the following documents:

(1) Your contract (bring multiple copies)
(2) Passport
(3) A signature from a reference
(4) Filled out application form from the bank
(5) Permanent address

I should let you know that depending on which bank (and branch) that you select, you might have to bring additional documents.

As an American, I had a harder time opening up a bank account in Montpellier because they realized based off my contract that I could only legally live in Europe for less than a year's time. Hence having a person that can guarantee that if something happens, they are able to back you up. Don't worry, you won't have to ask an old grandma off the street for money or that random family connection that you have in Grenoble, your principal or school teacher can sign the form for you saying that they will back you up.

When opening a bank account make sure you know what kind you are setting up. You have two options of the type of bank accounts to open up: either a savings or checking account. It's honestly up to you on what kind you prefer to have. Personally, I preferred having a checking account. When opening up a checking account, you will receive a code (similar to SSN) called a 'RIB'. THis number is used when completing an order that requires a subscription- such as a gym or SNCF's 'Happy Card'.

Lastly, it's time to answer the question of which bank to choose. This is a great question to ask your teachers about what the previous assistant did. Typically, there is one bank that they work with (even if the teacher doesn't hold your hand for the entire process). If you don't have any suggestions, I recommend looking at which one not only works best for your area in France but also around Europe. Having been a member of Banque Postale (don't recommend), limited my options when I was outside of France I was forced to use my American debit card. My personal favorite is BNP (Paris Bas) because they are located not only in France but also around the world. BNP even has an office located in New York City (right off of Times Square) and is (supposedly) connected with US Bank.

Here's a short video to help explain the process (dont' worry, it's not THAT bad).



Have you opened a French bank account? How was the process for you? Comment below!

With today's day and age it seems like everyone is freelance blogging. Go on Facebook and you most likely will see a video of a digital nomad advertising how they are traveling the world off of their social media ventures. I'll admit that I'm kind of envious of them and I'm sure i'm not the only one.

Just look at online job boards and you'll see just how in-demand blogging has become. What started off as simply a way to vent about day-to-day activities or style advice, has now become a form of marketing for companies . There are niches to be filled and bloggers are more than willing to create content for a pretty penny.

For myself, blogging has been a way to share my travel adventures, photography portfolio, and put my writing to use. With the job market becoming more and more competitive (especially for recent college graduates), having a blog has become one of the many necessities in order to showcase your personal style.

Photo from fast company of digital nomad class

One of the great joys of having so many different bloggers out in the internet world is creating online content that people are interested in. There's only so many stories and pictures of the Eiffel tower that people can take or fashion photo shoots. Finding and creating innovative content has become competitive in the social media world and though I'm not ready to throw in my gloves just yet, I have found myself struggling.

Photo from GirlTalkHQ

Finding the happy balance of content- from fashion, to beauty, and traveling is a daunting task. My blog has become a representation of myself and my marketing techniques. In a sense, it is a business. I am the editor-in-chief, head of the fashion department, and public relations team. Though this isn't (and I don't foresee it) becoming a lucrative business venture, I find it to be a rewarding one.  It is a platform for me to express my political points of views in the appropriate place compared to a child's birthday party. There is no judgment and I am my own boss (which certainly has its own pros and cons in itself). So while blogging might be hard at times I find it to be a rewarding yet daunting task that I will continue to take, even if that means that I might only have five to ten viewers.

Until next time,