Day 46: Happy.

After school I went straight to my Spanish family' house to pick up my delivery note. My madre drove me to the post office where I picked up my camera (YAY!!!) and then we went to the mall on an impromptu shopping trip. ;) I was trying a jacket on at the mall and looking in the mirror when I saw a flash of who I'm becoming. And and I'm still smiling because of it.

See, when I was younger, all I wanted to be was a Ralph Lauren model. Okay, first I wanted to be a Guess? model, but I realized I wasn't really that contrast/vintage looking, so I decided Ralph Lauren had that equestrian class that my lightish brown hair could pull off a lot better. :) I would look at ads and cut them out and just gaze at those young women on the pages. They looked confident, but not in a harsh way. They looked happy and comfortable, like they weren't trying to impress anyone with grandiose poses or makeup. They looked classy and educated and tenacious.

The classic Ralph Lauren look I've always held in my mind is a pair of riding boots, tight black pants or jeans and a blazer/jacket that is browns, creams and greens with a pattern the combo of houndstooth meets plaid. I'd never thought I could wear a jacket like that and pull it off. It never occurred to me to even try one on. So when I saw one hanging in Sfera, it took me a good few minutes to realize I could try something like that on now that I was 23, living abroad in Europe and wearing an adorable pair of leather riding boots. I took a deep breath and put the jacket on. It didn't fit perfectly, but when I turned around and saw what I looked like in it from the back, with my hair pulled back into a ponytail, the dark blonde peaking out of the dark brown, matching the jacket's colors perfectly, I was in shock. I looked exactly like the girl I'd always dreamed of becoming - that classic, equestrian chic look. That quietly confident and educated look. That young and successful European look.

It may be a slow process, but I'm getting there, and I'm so excited about it! :)