I’m wearing APL sneakers, Lands’ End jeans, and a J.Crew top with Ceri Hoover sunglasses

10 years ago, I would’ve thought that an expensive hotel room or a nice outfit was like the epitome of a nice life. As a kid with an extremely frugal mom, I grew up with thrift stores and my sisters’ clothing. Because of my pretty normal upbringing, I’m lucky to have moments where I step back and think wow, I really made this life for myself. Some moments I pay for, and others I get for free. Like this weekend in Washington D.C., I stayed at The Mandarin Oriental and had a phenomenal time. At the beginning of my journey, I was captivated by these experiences. I probably let them consume me, because what 16-year-old wouldn’t freak out over fashion week or a nice hotel room!? Now, it’s all a part of my life and I don’t care as much. That doesn’t mean I don’t totally freak out when I stay or do something REALLY cool.

I arrived in Washington and went straight to grab a salad and go to my room at the Mandarin Oriental. They’re a chain that’s on the same level as the Four Seasons and Ritz Carlton, but even nicer. If you’ve never had the chance to stay at a Ritz or a Four Seasons property, it’s a once in a lifetime experience. I’ve stayed at both before, and the MO exceeded my expectations. Upon check-in, I was only called by my last name. I’m not exactly an adult yea (uhhh) so I am not used to being spoken to so properly. However, I kind of liked it. When I walked into my room, I was greeted with delicious macarons and cookies that the staff had sent me. I jumped onto the bed (we had a suite) and started working before heading to the gym. The entire apartment is incredibly homey, unlike some hotels where you feel like you’re at a hotel. Making a hotel room feel like a home is a difficult task, yet the Mandarin managed to succeed at that task.

On Saturday after the conference, we met the head of public relations for dinner and feasted on beef tartare, cheesecakes and mussels. I was also given the opportunity to have a massage which changed my life because I’m pretty stressed out all of the time. Every part of our stay was unique, and that’s why it’s a property that I’ll never forget staying at. The hotel was almost so nice that I wouldn’t want to stay at any other Mandarin besides the D.C. one!

So much love to the entire team there and to everyone who made that incredible stay possible! Enjoy the video we put together below!