I've been in Budapest for the past four days and it has been a very relaxing trip. Normally when I visit a new place I have a list of places to see, restaurants to check out, and bars to go to. This time I didn't have any of that done since I made my decision to go to Budapest at the train station. When I arrived here I went straight to an Internet Cafe to find a place to stay. I found a very cute hostel right in the center of Budapest.
A lot of people have asked me what these hostels are like....it's a good question because I had no idea until I started this trip. Most of the hostels that I have stayed in are like college dorms. They are mid-rise buildings with a bunch of rooms that you share with another traveler, sometimes you may have 4 or 6 people to a room. It all depends. All the good hostels have big bars on the bottom floor with a fun lounge area for the people staying in the hostel. In the beginning I had 2 bad experiences of staying in a hostel...the rooms were dirty and I really thought Justin was going to win his bet about me checking into a 5 Star hotel in the first week of my trip. I eventually figured out how to weed out the good hostels from the bad ones so now I haven't had any problems in the last 3 weeks! The great thing about hostels is that everyone is in the same boat. Most people are all traveling by themselves so it's a very easy way to meet people.
SO, back to my hostel in Budapest....this place was very small and quaint. There were only 8 people staying there but it was the cutest place that I've stayed in. There was a kitchen where everyone would hang out, eat together, and watch movies. The funny thing about this place was that all of us were on the same page. We were all really tired and exhausted from traveling from place to place. Obviously tired and exhausted in a good way but we just needed a place to chill and this place was perfect for that. During the time that I was in Budapest I did not go on any formal tours or go inside any museums. I needed a break! Budapest is a beautiful city so I walked and ran the whole area everyday. I started feeling guilty for not doing the traditional sight seeing tours but I felt better once I stopped into a tourist shop and saw all the postcards with the major landmarks. I was proud to say that I had seen all these places during my walks/jogs. I don't know the significance of every building like I did in the earlier countries but I will read up on it later.
Outside of walking and jogging, I've been eating tons of bread and taking many baths. Hungarian food has been okay. It's not as great as all the other food that I've been eating but the bread here is fantastic. I love going to the bakery and filling my backpack with bread and eating it all day. I need to stock up on my supply before I get on the train tonight for Vienna.
As for the baths......OH HOW I LOVE TURKISH BATHS. I had no idea what this was but I heard from the others in my hostel that this was a must do activity in Budapest. A Turkish Bath has several steps...First step is a spa treatment (I did the full body mud wrap), Second step varies by person but generally you sit in a pool of hot water (hot spring) for as long as you want. Then you sit in a sauna as long as you want. Finish it off by taking a cool swim in a swimming pool. These baths are great places for people to hang out and it is a big part of the social scene. You can also opt out of the spa treatment and just do the hot springs, sauna, and swimming pool. I took a bath all four days here. It was so relaxing!
A major PLUS of Budapest is that all the services are cheap. Clothes, shoes, accessories are all the same as the U.S. but going out to eat and anything service related is very affordable. Two perfect illustrations...Ladies, I got my legs and underarms waxed for $15. That included the tip. It was actually $10 but I gave her a $5 tip. Guys, it's actually cheaper to get a bottle of beer than it is to get a bottle of water. SO, if you want to save money you should just drink beer. BTW... The full on bath experience was $35 (including tip) so it is common for most people here to do this at least once a week.
One last observation I want to bring up before I finish this entry...I have mentioned in earlier blogs that I really enjoy meeting the other backpackers. It's so interesting to see all walks of like in these hostels. There is a 62 year old backpacker from Australia staying my hostel and he has been traveling since August. I don't really know his whole story. We only talk about our traveling experiences. Then there is also a married couple staying in our hostel too. This is actually not the first time I've seen a married couple in a hostel with me. In fact I shared a room with a couple in Munich and we are all sleeping in our own separate bunk bed. Prior to this trip I always thought that college kids or hippies stayed in hostels. I was completely wrong. It seems like everyone outside of the U.S. stays in hostels when they travel. For me and my friends back home we would never think of a hostel as an option. We always stay in hotels but now, I see a totally different side to traveling. I guess it all comes down to what you hope to gain from your traveling experience. When I talk to these other travelers about staying in hostels they all have the same response, "Why would we want to spend the money on a hotel when we could use that money to see more countries?" It all makes sense now because these people have been to so many more places than me. Hostel life has been good to me but I'm very excited to stay in a hotel in Croatia with Talin...750 thread count sheets are waiting for me in four days!!!!
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Monday, October 27, 2008
Merci Paris!
The best word to describe Paris is PRETTY. The architecture is pretty, the art work is pretty, the language sounds pretty, and the pastries look pretty. I enjoyed Paris with my friends from DC -- Risa and Rob. The three of us hit all the major tourist sites....the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, Notre Dame, Arc de Triumph, and Versailles. My favorite thing about Paris were the Gardens of Versailles. These gardens were incredible and it just shows you that Louis XIV was the King of Bling when it came to his home and his outdoor surroundings. These gardens stretched out so far and each path would lead you down another incredible landscape masterpiece. Beautiful!
It's hard to believe that I have been gone for almost a month. I'm enjoying this experience SO MUCH more than I thought I would. I figured I would like it but I never thought I would LOVE it this much. Honestly, I was freaking out the last few days before I left. EVERYONE was always asking me about my trip and telling me how great this experience is going to be. I started getting major anxiety. I did not want to talk about it so I would respond to their questions and change the subject as fast as I could. People would say, "This is going to be the best thing ever!" and I started to freak out and thought, "Whoa, what if I go and I can't hack it so I come home after a week? I will let everyone down." Well, here is how I mustered up the strength and changed my anxiety and fear into passion for this trip....
1. GIFTS --- I have the best friends in the world! I received so many wonderful gifts and kind wishes before I left. I brought every single email and card with me and I looked at them when I had doubts in the beginning. I also loved all my bon voyage gifts and thought, "damn, if i go home early I would have to give these back." I definitely didn't want to do that :)
2. SMALL VICTORIES --- This trip has taught me so much about appreciating the little things. You have no idea how happy I am when I find my hostel on the first try or when I successfully transfer train lines. I seriously want to start dancing and screaming for joy! These little things fire me up and tell me, "Yeah, you're so awesome and no one can do this like you." I am a bit dillusional but it makes me feel good.
3. LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT --- My favorite part of the trip is walking out of the train station in every new city and seeing it for the first time. It leaves me speechless. I walk out and I see new buildings, signs in a new language, hear a different language, see differnet people, smell a new scent, and take in new scenery. This makes me want to see more!
4. GAME TIME DECISION --- I knew I wanted to stay in Europe for 6 weeks before I went to Asia. The only European countries I knew I was going to were Greece, Italy, France, and Croatia. Everything else has been a spur of the moment decision. There have been times when I go to bed knowing where I am going the next day but then during breakfast I will completely change my mind and go elsewhere. This is how I ended up at Budapest...I was going to go to Spain and then I changed my mind at the train station. I love making these last minute decisions because this is so NOT like me. This trip has bought my uptight level down to a 6.75 out of a 10 point scale. It was originally at an 11.
5. INSPIRATION. This trip inspires me everyday. It has taught me so much about history, culture, and life. It makes me want to read and learn more about world history. I am ashamed when I meet people here and they want to discuss American history and I really don't have much to say. I'm a college graduate and I can't give you the cause and effect of every historical event in U.S. history. It's embarrassing! Then people start asking me about Korean history and I'm again clueless...It makes me want to cringe. One guy from Switzerland asked me what my last name meant and I said, "UH, I don't know." I have a long list of things I want to read up on when I get back. If I have time to watch Gossip Girls and the Hills, I definitely can make time to read for an hour each day. I love learning and this trip has taught me so much...I'm craving to learn more!
I just got to Budapest this morning and so far it's been great. I just had lunch so you know I'm a happy camper after every meal. I look forward to writing about my Budapest experience later this week!
It's hard to believe that I have been gone for almost a month. I'm enjoying this experience SO MUCH more than I thought I would. I figured I would like it but I never thought I would LOVE it this much. Honestly, I was freaking out the last few days before I left. EVERYONE was always asking me about my trip and telling me how great this experience is going to be. I started getting major anxiety. I did not want to talk about it so I would respond to their questions and change the subject as fast as I could. People would say, "This is going to be the best thing ever!" and I started to freak out and thought, "Whoa, what if I go and I can't hack it so I come home after a week? I will let everyone down." Well, here is how I mustered up the strength and changed my anxiety and fear into passion for this trip....
1. GIFTS --- I have the best friends in the world! I received so many wonderful gifts and kind wishes before I left. I brought every single email and card with me and I looked at them when I had doubts in the beginning. I also loved all my bon voyage gifts and thought, "damn, if i go home early I would have to give these back." I definitely didn't want to do that :)
2. SMALL VICTORIES --- This trip has taught me so much about appreciating the little things. You have no idea how happy I am when I find my hostel on the first try or when I successfully transfer train lines. I seriously want to start dancing and screaming for joy! These little things fire me up and tell me, "Yeah, you're so awesome and no one can do this like you." I am a bit dillusional but it makes me feel good.
3. LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT --- My favorite part of the trip is walking out of the train station in every new city and seeing it for the first time. It leaves me speechless. I walk out and I see new buildings, signs in a new language, hear a different language, see differnet people, smell a new scent, and take in new scenery. This makes me want to see more!
4. GAME TIME DECISION --- I knew I wanted to stay in Europe for 6 weeks before I went to Asia. The only European countries I knew I was going to were Greece, Italy, France, and Croatia. Everything else has been a spur of the moment decision. There have been times when I go to bed knowing where I am going the next day but then during breakfast I will completely change my mind and go elsewhere. This is how I ended up at Budapest...I was going to go to Spain and then I changed my mind at the train station. I love making these last minute decisions because this is so NOT like me. This trip has bought my uptight level down to a 6.75 out of a 10 point scale. It was originally at an 11.
5. INSPIRATION. This trip inspires me everyday. It has taught me so much about history, culture, and life. It makes me want to read and learn more about world history. I am ashamed when I meet people here and they want to discuss American history and I really don't have much to say. I'm a college graduate and I can't give you the cause and effect of every historical event in U.S. history. It's embarrassing! Then people start asking me about Korean history and I'm again clueless...It makes me want to cringe. One guy from Switzerland asked me what my last name meant and I said, "UH, I don't know." I have a long list of things I want to read up on when I get back. If I have time to watch Gossip Girls and the Hills, I definitely can make time to read for an hour each day. I love learning and this trip has taught me so much...I'm craving to learn more!
I just got to Budapest this morning and so far it's been great. I just had lunch so you know I'm a happy camper after every meal. I look forward to writing about my Budapest experience later this week!
Thursday, October 23, 2008
AMSTERDAM
I have always heard interesting things about Amsterdam so it was nice to finally see what everyone was talking about! I arrived early in the morning at 7:45 am. I was exhausted because I didn't really sleep on the overnight train and I hardly slept in Munich so I was looking forward to dropping off my things at the hostel and wandering around the city by myself. I needed alone time because I had not been alone since I started this trip. As soon as I got to the hostel, I saw four guys hanging out in the lobby and they asked me if I wanted to go to a cafe with them. I was not in the mood to socialize but I said to myself, 'Just go!' so I followed them to a cafe where we picked up crossiants and orange juice. I thought we were hanging out there but they said we were taking our treats elsewhere. We ended up at another cafe as these guys start rolling a joint after joint. I didn't smoke.
Here's my background on drugs...I don't do drugs. I have a few friends that do drugs. I don't care if you do drugs. I'm not passing judgement. I've tried pot 2x back in college and it did nothing for me. I don't even know the typical drug lingo so I'm pretty clueless. Do people even say joint anymore? I knew pot was legal in Amsterdam so this was not a surprise to me. The only thing that I found humourous about this whole situation was seeing these 4 European guys smoking pot and eating chocolate filled croissants and sipping on OJ at 9am.
Three of the guys were from Italy and one guy was from Spain so we talked about our traveling experiences. I really wish I could tape record the conversations that I have with people...It is so interesting to hear different opinions and cultural views! After hanging out with them for a few hours I left to go to Anne Frank's house and the Van Gogh exhibit. Both were great sites! I ended up grabbing a sandwich at a cafe when I came across this Smart Zone. There are a lot of Smart Zones throughout Amsterdam so I was curious to see what they sold inside. I walked in and saw a few souvenirs but they mainly sold drugs...Marijuana and Mushrooms. I had no idea mushrooms were legal here too. Of course the curious person that I am started to ask the owner questions about the drugs and the affects. I sounded like a reporter jotting notes in my head. I walked away from the store with more awareness of these drugs and the purpose that it served in Amsterdam. It seems like these Smart Zones are really targeted for tourists. One question I forgot to ask the owner was this...Why are these placed called Smart Zones? Isn't this a misleading name for what they sell?
Next Stop...RED LIGHT DISTRICT. I'm not going to lie. I was really excited to see the Red Light District.....Prostitutes in the window displays....Very interesting. As I was walking through the area I couldn't help but check out all the girls. In fact I started thinking, "Man, I wish I could talk to one of these girls because I have so many questions." SUDDENLY, I see a sign for a Red Light District tour with a former prostitute that will answer any questions. YES! COUNT ME IN! The tour started at 8pm and we all met at a Prostitute Agency and this former prostitute greeted us. She was very attractive and friendly. She stopped being a prostitute because she is married with 3 kids now. I was the youngest person in the group. There were eight older married couples. Seriously, they were at least 3o years older than me. When it came down to the Q and A part no one was asking questions so I started to fire away....
How many people would you see in a day? 10 on a slow day, 40 on busy day
How long do you meet with each client? 15 minutes for anywhere around $50 to $70
Do you have to get tested for diseases? It's voluntary
What are the rules? The men cannot touch the girls
Are you going to tell your kids? Yes, when they are older
Afterwards we started to walk around the district to view the windows. The older couples in my group thanked me for asking the questions because they were curious too. As we were walking around I discovered something that no one else has ever mentioned about Amsterdam...Live Sex Shows. I thought we had everything in America. I asked my guide if this was indeed a live sex show and she said yes. She kind of gave me the look like, "can't you read the sign?" Unbelievable. It was about $75 dollars. BTW, I did not check it out.
Amsterdam definitely lived up to everything I heard before coming here but there is so much more. It is beautiful and reminds me of Venice with all the canals running throughout the city. The Dutch are incredibly friendly. Any time I would ask for directions, they would either print up the directions from google maps or walk me to the destination.
Amsterdam is also known for their many bicyclists.....Thank God Jaclyn told me to watch out for the bikers because they are everywhere. You have a better chance of getting hit by a bicyclist than a car. Ahhh...it makes me miss my bike! Prior to starting my trip, I said that I was drawing a blank right now about my future but I'm eager to embrace whatever comes my way. I finally had an image come to me...I saw this older woman who had to be at least 75 years old. She was riding a bike and she was wearing a turquoise blue wool hat, with a matching turquoise blue sweater, black pleated skirt that hit below her knees, black tights, and black shoes.....she looked so happy riding her bike. I have no idea where she was going...I'm going to say that she was meeting her girlfriends at lunch. Anyways, that image locked into my head and I said, "I want to be her when I'm 75." So this is all I know so far about my future....
Here's my background on drugs...I don't do drugs. I have a few friends that do drugs. I don't care if you do drugs. I'm not passing judgement. I've tried pot 2x back in college and it did nothing for me. I don't even know the typical drug lingo so I'm pretty clueless. Do people even say joint anymore? I knew pot was legal in Amsterdam so this was not a surprise to me. The only thing that I found humourous about this whole situation was seeing these 4 European guys smoking pot and eating chocolate filled croissants and sipping on OJ at 9am.
Three of the guys were from Italy and one guy was from Spain so we talked about our traveling experiences. I really wish I could tape record the conversations that I have with people...It is so interesting to hear different opinions and cultural views! After hanging out with them for a few hours I left to go to Anne Frank's house and the Van Gogh exhibit. Both were great sites! I ended up grabbing a sandwich at a cafe when I came across this Smart Zone. There are a lot of Smart Zones throughout Amsterdam so I was curious to see what they sold inside. I walked in and saw a few souvenirs but they mainly sold drugs...Marijuana and Mushrooms. I had no idea mushrooms were legal here too. Of course the curious person that I am started to ask the owner questions about the drugs and the affects. I sounded like a reporter jotting notes in my head. I walked away from the store with more awareness of these drugs and the purpose that it served in Amsterdam. It seems like these Smart Zones are really targeted for tourists. One question I forgot to ask the owner was this...Why are these placed called Smart Zones? Isn't this a misleading name for what they sell?
Next Stop...RED LIGHT DISTRICT. I'm not going to lie. I was really excited to see the Red Light District.....Prostitutes in the window displays....Very interesting. As I was walking through the area I couldn't help but check out all the girls. In fact I started thinking, "Man, I wish I could talk to one of these girls because I have so many questions." SUDDENLY, I see a sign for a Red Light District tour with a former prostitute that will answer any questions. YES! COUNT ME IN! The tour started at 8pm and we all met at a Prostitute Agency and this former prostitute greeted us. She was very attractive and friendly. She stopped being a prostitute because she is married with 3 kids now. I was the youngest person in the group. There were eight older married couples. Seriously, they were at least 3o years older than me. When it came down to the Q and A part no one was asking questions so I started to fire away....
How many people would you see in a day? 10 on a slow day, 40 on busy day
How long do you meet with each client? 15 minutes for anywhere around $50 to $70
Do you have to get tested for diseases? It's voluntary
What are the rules? The men cannot touch the girls
Are you going to tell your kids? Yes, when they are older
Afterwards we started to walk around the district to view the windows. The older couples in my group thanked me for asking the questions because they were curious too. As we were walking around I discovered something that no one else has ever mentioned about Amsterdam...Live Sex Shows. I thought we had everything in America. I asked my guide if this was indeed a live sex show and she said yes. She kind of gave me the look like, "can't you read the sign?" Unbelievable. It was about $75 dollars. BTW, I did not check it out.
Amsterdam definitely lived up to everything I heard before coming here but there is so much more. It is beautiful and reminds me of Venice with all the canals running throughout the city. The Dutch are incredibly friendly. Any time I would ask for directions, they would either print up the directions from google maps or walk me to the destination.
Amsterdam is also known for their many bicyclists.....Thank God Jaclyn told me to watch out for the bikers because they are everywhere. You have a better chance of getting hit by a bicyclist than a car. Ahhh...it makes me miss my bike! Prior to starting my trip, I said that I was drawing a blank right now about my future but I'm eager to embrace whatever comes my way. I finally had an image come to me...I saw this older woman who had to be at least 75 years old. She was riding a bike and she was wearing a turquoise blue wool hat, with a matching turquoise blue sweater, black pleated skirt that hit below her knees, black tights, and black shoes.....she looked so happy riding her bike. I have no idea where she was going...I'm going to say that she was meeting her girlfriends at lunch. Anyways, that image locked into my head and I said, "I want to be her when I'm 75." So this is all I know so far about my future....
Monday, October 20, 2008
German Beer and Australians
Here is a brief conclusion of my trip to Italia.....
Eight days and 32 scoops of gelato later, it was time to say goodbye to Italia. I spent the last 3.5 days in Florence and Venice and enjoyed every minute of it. Florence is beauitful and it has the warmth of a small town combined with the great offerings of a big city. Venice is breathtaking and intriguing....the mere fact that it is a city in water makes you wonder how they have managed to function this way for so long! I kept thinking of the Italian Job while I was there.
As I mentioned before, I definitely like to reflect on my experiences in each country and think about my biggest takeaways. Italy taught me to indulge and enjoy every minute of life. Here are a few examples..
I bought a pair of yoga pants while I was in Venice. They were a bit long so I took them to a tailor shop a few blocks away from the store. I told the seamstress that I hated to rush her but I needed the pants in 4 hrs because I had a train to catch. I wasn´t too worried about asking her to hurry because I offered to pay double what she charged AND she wasn´t busy when I walked in. She said she couldn´t do it in time because it was time for her to have lunch and relax for the next 3 hours. I knew Spain had siesta but it turned out certain places in Italy did too. I offered her 30 Euros to do it for me. This was 3x times more than her rate but I didn´t care because I really needed the pants. I figured this offer would be a no brainer. She turned me down and said this was now HER time to enjoy life and that money can´t buy time. She wasn´t going to budge. End Result: I asked her for a pair of scissors and I cut the extra length off and we were both happy. She then told me to take the 30 Euros and use it to enjoy my life.
Another example...When people give directions in Italy, they are very vague because they don´t offer exact distance (miles, feet, zards, blocks, etc.) Instead they say something like, "Walk down for 4 minutes, turn right, then walk for another 6 minutes and turn left." I´m a fast walker so how do I know what pace these times are based on? I wanted to go to the Duermo in Florence and I knew it was somewhere near my hostel because I read it online. I asked the owner of my hostel for directions and he gave me the Minute by Minute directions so I followed them. He said 5 minutes down the street, turn left, and walk for 2 minutes and it will be on my left. I timed everything and I was nowhere near the Duermo. I walked back to the hostel and told the owner I was lost. He gently grabbed my hand and he started to take me to the Duermo himself. We walked out of the hostel and he pointed to his watch....It was 8:25am. We started walking, we stopped for an esspresso, he pointed to a few things in different stores that he liked, etc. We got to a corner and he pointed to his watch. 5 mins had passed so we then turned left like he had instructed me to. We started walking again and he is talking to me about his wife, his kids, etc and then we stop. He points to his watch. 2 mins had passed and we are now at the Duermo. He told me that I walk too fast and I need to slow down and see everzthing around me and take it all in. BTW, the Duermo was actually on the other side of my block. I had walked 12 blocks away during the first 5 mins which explains why I couldn´t find it. It only took me 43 seconds to walk back to my hostel after I finished up at the Duermo.
Grazie Italia for the great life lessons and all the delicious food!
GERMANY....I´ve been in Munich for the past 4 days and I can´t say enough great things about it. I´m sure everyone is really sick of hearing me say this because I say it so often but I really feel this way about everything I see. The funny thing is that I had no intention of coming to Germany because I didn´t know if I would have enough time. I planned to do Germany another time. Enter Paula and John Hunsche. They invited me over and showed me all their great pics of Munich and said that I had to go to. They were so enthusiastic about their past trip that I made it a MUST DO in Europe. Good thing I listened to them! I was suppossed to leave on the 5am train this morning to go to Amsterdam but I decided to take the overnight train tonight instead so that I can spend another day in Munich because I liked it so much. Thank you Hunsches!
I have mixed emotions when I talk about Munich because there are two different sides to this city. There is the dark side of Munich that served as the capital of the Nazis during WWII. I went to the Dachaus Cencentration Camp to learn about the grim and horrifying details. I walked away from the tour feeling sad, angry, and disturbed. It was such an eye opener for me to see what human beings are capable of doing. This tour was on my mind all day, and the next day, and even now. There were a few of us in the tour group that went out that night and we were still disucssing it and how it affects our lives today. I know I have 3.5 months left of my trip but I can already say that the Dachaus tour will be the most significant thing that I do.
The other side of Munich: Beer Capital of the World and the home of OctoberFest. I had no idea Munich owned the Beer Capital title because I always assumed it would be Ireland. I stand corrected now. I went to a beer hall/beer garden tour to learn about the significance of beer to the Bavarians and it is clearly evident that beer is the heart and soul of Munich. I enjoyed my German beer at the famous Hofbrauhaus and learned what a beer hall was. Please bear with me....I´m sure most people know what a beer hall is but this was my first time. I LOVE beer halls now. We need to introduce these to the U.S. Brad, let´s start working on this project for Chicago. After all, I will need a job so why don´t you open one up and hire me!
The main reason why I love beer halls is because it is a great way to meet people. You walk into a bar and all you see are rows and rows of wooden tables and wooden benches all around the room. These tables are long so many groups can sit at one table. You and your friends just have to find some open space and sit in between others. Everyone at the table is so friendly and so much fun and you basically spend the whole time talking, laughing, and of course drinking. Fun times!
When I was planning for this trip, my advanced backpackers and frequent traveling friends told me, "you are going to meet SOOOOO many people." I figured I would meet people but they kept on saying, "SOOOO many people." so I figured I would wait and see. They were right. When you have environments like beer halls and hostels, it´s almost impossible to not meet SOOOO many people. The people that I have met have been incredible. They are what makes this trip amazing. I´m the rookie everywhere I go so I love learning from these other travelers who are experienced. They are resourceful, quick on their feet, and always have a good answer for all of my questions.
Example...I lost my jacket at one of the bars in Munich. The weather in Munich has been perfect fall weather so I wasn´t too worried about not having it in Munich. I really needed it for Amsterdam because it´s in the 50s and low 60s. Unfortunately all the stores close on Sunday in Munich so I couldn´t get a jacket in time. Also, timing was a bit off too because my friend Risa was going to meet me in 5 days in Paris and she was planning on bringing me a jacket. A few Aussies heard of my situation and gave me a good resolution. They said, "Don´t stress and don´t go to Amsterdam just yet. Go to Sevilla or anywhere warm in Spain so that you won´t need a jacket. Then meet your friend Risa and get your jacket from her before you go to Amsterdam." Sounds like a plan to me! Fortunately, I found the jacket the next day so now I´m go to Amsterdam after Munich, just as I had planned.
AUSSIES...I love Australians. Australian guys are so cute and I love their accents. This guy Drew who I met a few nights ago is adorable. He is 25 years old...a little puppy. Nothing will happen between us. He is so sweet, funny, and adventurous. He has been in Munich for the same time as me and he tells me yesterday that he is going to the Consulate office to apply for a work Visa. He just made up his mind out of the blue and now wants to stick around here. He said if that didn´t work out he was going to apply to work as a bartender on the cruise ships so he can travel to more places. Again, so different from what I´m used to but I love hearing about these different paths that people take. Last night Drew and I were hanging out at the bar downstairs and I was just staring at him and suddenly I said, "I´m sorry but I keep on staring at you because you remind me of someone. That´s why I keep on studying your face." I´m such a loser. I´M STUDYING YOUR FACE??? What? Why would I say that I´m studying his face? I´m not some artist who needs to study a face before I start drawing. I´m a loser. He kindly responded with, "Okay, just let me know who I resemble!". I love him. Okay, time to eat my last Brat in Munich and enjoy my last 8 hours here. I´ll write from Amsterdam soon!
Eight days and 32 scoops of gelato later, it was time to say goodbye to Italia. I spent the last 3.5 days in Florence and Venice and enjoyed every minute of it. Florence is beauitful and it has the warmth of a small town combined with the great offerings of a big city. Venice is breathtaking and intriguing....the mere fact that it is a city in water makes you wonder how they have managed to function this way for so long! I kept thinking of the Italian Job while I was there.
As I mentioned before, I definitely like to reflect on my experiences in each country and think about my biggest takeaways. Italy taught me to indulge and enjoy every minute of life. Here are a few examples..
I bought a pair of yoga pants while I was in Venice. They were a bit long so I took them to a tailor shop a few blocks away from the store. I told the seamstress that I hated to rush her but I needed the pants in 4 hrs because I had a train to catch. I wasn´t too worried about asking her to hurry because I offered to pay double what she charged AND she wasn´t busy when I walked in. She said she couldn´t do it in time because it was time for her to have lunch and relax for the next 3 hours. I knew Spain had siesta but it turned out certain places in Italy did too. I offered her 30 Euros to do it for me. This was 3x times more than her rate but I didn´t care because I really needed the pants. I figured this offer would be a no brainer. She turned me down and said this was now HER time to enjoy life and that money can´t buy time. She wasn´t going to budge. End Result: I asked her for a pair of scissors and I cut the extra length off and we were both happy. She then told me to take the 30 Euros and use it to enjoy my life.
Another example...When people give directions in Italy, they are very vague because they don´t offer exact distance (miles, feet, zards, blocks, etc.) Instead they say something like, "Walk down for 4 minutes, turn right, then walk for another 6 minutes and turn left." I´m a fast walker so how do I know what pace these times are based on? I wanted to go to the Duermo in Florence and I knew it was somewhere near my hostel because I read it online. I asked the owner of my hostel for directions and he gave me the Minute by Minute directions so I followed them. He said 5 minutes down the street, turn left, and walk for 2 minutes and it will be on my left. I timed everything and I was nowhere near the Duermo. I walked back to the hostel and told the owner I was lost. He gently grabbed my hand and he started to take me to the Duermo himself. We walked out of the hostel and he pointed to his watch....It was 8:25am. We started walking, we stopped for an esspresso, he pointed to a few things in different stores that he liked, etc. We got to a corner and he pointed to his watch. 5 mins had passed so we then turned left like he had instructed me to. We started walking again and he is talking to me about his wife, his kids, etc and then we stop. He points to his watch. 2 mins had passed and we are now at the Duermo. He told me that I walk too fast and I need to slow down and see everzthing around me and take it all in. BTW, the Duermo was actually on the other side of my block. I had walked 12 blocks away during the first 5 mins which explains why I couldn´t find it. It only took me 43 seconds to walk back to my hostel after I finished up at the Duermo.
Grazie Italia for the great life lessons and all the delicious food!
GERMANY....I´ve been in Munich for the past 4 days and I can´t say enough great things about it. I´m sure everyone is really sick of hearing me say this because I say it so often but I really feel this way about everything I see. The funny thing is that I had no intention of coming to Germany because I didn´t know if I would have enough time. I planned to do Germany another time. Enter Paula and John Hunsche. They invited me over and showed me all their great pics of Munich and said that I had to go to. They were so enthusiastic about their past trip that I made it a MUST DO in Europe. Good thing I listened to them! I was suppossed to leave on the 5am train this morning to go to Amsterdam but I decided to take the overnight train tonight instead so that I can spend another day in Munich because I liked it so much. Thank you Hunsches!
I have mixed emotions when I talk about Munich because there are two different sides to this city. There is the dark side of Munich that served as the capital of the Nazis during WWII. I went to the Dachaus Cencentration Camp to learn about the grim and horrifying details. I walked away from the tour feeling sad, angry, and disturbed. It was such an eye opener for me to see what human beings are capable of doing. This tour was on my mind all day, and the next day, and even now. There were a few of us in the tour group that went out that night and we were still disucssing it and how it affects our lives today. I know I have 3.5 months left of my trip but I can already say that the Dachaus tour will be the most significant thing that I do.
The other side of Munich: Beer Capital of the World and the home of OctoberFest. I had no idea Munich owned the Beer Capital title because I always assumed it would be Ireland. I stand corrected now. I went to a beer hall/beer garden tour to learn about the significance of beer to the Bavarians and it is clearly evident that beer is the heart and soul of Munich. I enjoyed my German beer at the famous Hofbrauhaus and learned what a beer hall was. Please bear with me....I´m sure most people know what a beer hall is but this was my first time. I LOVE beer halls now. We need to introduce these to the U.S. Brad, let´s start working on this project for Chicago. After all, I will need a job so why don´t you open one up and hire me!
The main reason why I love beer halls is because it is a great way to meet people. You walk into a bar and all you see are rows and rows of wooden tables and wooden benches all around the room. These tables are long so many groups can sit at one table. You and your friends just have to find some open space and sit in between others. Everyone at the table is so friendly and so much fun and you basically spend the whole time talking, laughing, and of course drinking. Fun times!
When I was planning for this trip, my advanced backpackers and frequent traveling friends told me, "you are going to meet SOOOOO many people." I figured I would meet people but they kept on saying, "SOOOO many people." so I figured I would wait and see. They were right. When you have environments like beer halls and hostels, it´s almost impossible to not meet SOOOO many people. The people that I have met have been incredible. They are what makes this trip amazing. I´m the rookie everywhere I go so I love learning from these other travelers who are experienced. They are resourceful, quick on their feet, and always have a good answer for all of my questions.
Example...I lost my jacket at one of the bars in Munich. The weather in Munich has been perfect fall weather so I wasn´t too worried about not having it in Munich. I really needed it for Amsterdam because it´s in the 50s and low 60s. Unfortunately all the stores close on Sunday in Munich so I couldn´t get a jacket in time. Also, timing was a bit off too because my friend Risa was going to meet me in 5 days in Paris and she was planning on bringing me a jacket. A few Aussies heard of my situation and gave me a good resolution. They said, "Don´t stress and don´t go to Amsterdam just yet. Go to Sevilla or anywhere warm in Spain so that you won´t need a jacket. Then meet your friend Risa and get your jacket from her before you go to Amsterdam." Sounds like a plan to me! Fortunately, I found the jacket the next day so now I´m go to Amsterdam after Munich, just as I had planned.
AUSSIES...I love Australians. Australian guys are so cute and I love their accents. This guy Drew who I met a few nights ago is adorable. He is 25 years old...a little puppy. Nothing will happen between us. He is so sweet, funny, and adventurous. He has been in Munich for the same time as me and he tells me yesterday that he is going to the Consulate office to apply for a work Visa. He just made up his mind out of the blue and now wants to stick around here. He said if that didn´t work out he was going to apply to work as a bartender on the cruise ships so he can travel to more places. Again, so different from what I´m used to but I love hearing about these different paths that people take. Last night Drew and I were hanging out at the bar downstairs and I was just staring at him and suddenly I said, "I´m sorry but I keep on staring at you because you remind me of someone. That´s why I keep on studying your face." I´m such a loser. I´M STUDYING YOUR FACE??? What? Why would I say that I´m studying his face? I´m not some artist who needs to study a face before I start drawing. I´m a loser. He kindly responded with, "Okay, just let me know who I resemble!". I love him. Okay, time to eat my last Brat in Munich and enjoy my last 8 hours here. I´ll write from Amsterdam soon!
Friday, October 17, 2008
Michael Jordan vs. Michelangelo
A common question people ask me and all other travelers is, "Where are you from?". In the beginning I was true to my roots and told people that I was from the DC area. My response would get interesting and negative reactions about Bush, the U.S., the economy, etc. At first it was very interesting to hear the different perceptions that other countries have of us. It would spark up great conversations and debates that were eye opening for me. After awhile, it got a little exhausting so I changed my "Where are you from?" response to, "I´m from Chicago." People began to respond with joy and excitement because of Michael Jordan. "Do you see Michael Jordan?" or "Michael Jordan is incredible!" and some have even asked "Are you friends with Michael Jordan." Yeah, he is one of my boys and I hang out with MJ at Hangge Uppes on the weekends. I always knew MJ was a superstar but it is still neat to see his star power continue so far across the world.
Obviously people are famous for good things and bad things. Everyone knows who Bin Laden is but not for good reasons. Hearing these positive responses about MJ made me think about other influential people in our lifetime and I have to put Míchelangelo on that list. NOW, I wouldn´t have put him on this list had I not been spending this time learning about him. When I toured the Vatican, the Sistine Chapel, and saw his David sculpture in Florence I was blown away by his many talents. This guy was the MJ of painting, sculpting, and architecture. Seriously, anyone that is clueless and indifferent to Art would walk away amazed.
I took a few Art History classes in high school and college but I didn´t really pay too much attention. I just memorized what I had to in order to get a good grade. Now at 30 yrs old, I´m the nerd that is following the tour guide around asking him to elaborate more and begging him to discuss further insights that he has about art history. Michelangelo completed a lot of his famous pieces including the Sistine Chapel in his 20s and earlz 30s. As we all know, the cieling of the Sistine Chapel is one of the most recognized art frescoes in the world. The line to get in to the chapel wrapped around the Vatican twice! Fortunately I didn´t have to wait because I signed up for a guide. It was incredible to see the many different faces from all over the world standing in line to see his work. This is when I realized that Michelangelo blows away MJ in star power. Both were the greatest in their respective fields. The major differences would be the length of the star power along with the people that they have influenced and continue to influence.
Michelangelo´s influence has been going on since the late 1400s....over 600 zears! MJ´s presence has been around since the mid 80s...so about 25 zears (still very impressive). Michelangelo continues to influence and inspire all nationalities, ages, and personalities. MJ does too but in a lesser scale compared to Michelangelo. Ex. My parents would be into Michelangelo over MJ. Prior to coming to Italy I would have said MJ would be more inspiring to me. After seeing what Michelangelo has done it´s no contest. Michelangelo dominated the art world and reshaped European history and culture. He put his "A" game towards everything he attempted in his career, even if he didn´t want to. I learned that he never wanted to paint the Sistine Chapel but the Pope made him so he reluctantly did. He could have half assed it but he didn´t. A masterpiece was the end result. He designed the dome of St.Peter´s Basilica when he was 71 years old. At 71 years old I thought he would lose his edge and not be in his prime...not the case for Michelangelo. The dome of the Basilica is now a defining feature of the Vatican thanks to his design. Clearly Michelangelo has left an incredible legacy that will continue for many years.
Seeing his many incredible works made me think about my life and I started to ask myself, "What will I accomplish in my lifetime? What do I want to be remembered for?" I would love to be the Michelangelo of so many things. I want to live a purpseful life that has a positive impact on me and others. I feel like these past 8 months haven´t been my best "A" game because I´ve let my job dissatisfaction get the best of me. It´s a shame because everything else in my life is wonderful. I look forward to these next few months of constantly learning new things and learning about myself. I can´t wait to come home and start the next chapter of my life. Until then, I will continue to enjoy my time abroad and start putting that "A" game on NOW.
PREVIEW...my next blog will be about the interesting people that I´ve been meeting.
Obviously people are famous for good things and bad things. Everyone knows who Bin Laden is but not for good reasons. Hearing these positive responses about MJ made me think about other influential people in our lifetime and I have to put Míchelangelo on that list. NOW, I wouldn´t have put him on this list had I not been spending this time learning about him. When I toured the Vatican, the Sistine Chapel, and saw his David sculpture in Florence I was blown away by his many talents. This guy was the MJ of painting, sculpting, and architecture. Seriously, anyone that is clueless and indifferent to Art would walk away amazed.
I took a few Art History classes in high school and college but I didn´t really pay too much attention. I just memorized what I had to in order to get a good grade. Now at 30 yrs old, I´m the nerd that is following the tour guide around asking him to elaborate more and begging him to discuss further insights that he has about art history. Michelangelo completed a lot of his famous pieces including the Sistine Chapel in his 20s and earlz 30s. As we all know, the cieling of the Sistine Chapel is one of the most recognized art frescoes in the world. The line to get in to the chapel wrapped around the Vatican twice! Fortunately I didn´t have to wait because I signed up for a guide. It was incredible to see the many different faces from all over the world standing in line to see his work. This is when I realized that Michelangelo blows away MJ in star power. Both were the greatest in their respective fields. The major differences would be the length of the star power along with the people that they have influenced and continue to influence.
Michelangelo´s influence has been going on since the late 1400s....over 600 zears! MJ´s presence has been around since the mid 80s...so about 25 zears (still very impressive). Michelangelo continues to influence and inspire all nationalities, ages, and personalities. MJ does too but in a lesser scale compared to Michelangelo. Ex. My parents would be into Michelangelo over MJ. Prior to coming to Italy I would have said MJ would be more inspiring to me. After seeing what Michelangelo has done it´s no contest. Michelangelo dominated the art world and reshaped European history and culture. He put his "A" game towards everything he attempted in his career, even if he didn´t want to. I learned that he never wanted to paint the Sistine Chapel but the Pope made him so he reluctantly did. He could have half assed it but he didn´t. A masterpiece was the end result. He designed the dome of St.Peter´s Basilica when he was 71 years old. At 71 years old I thought he would lose his edge and not be in his prime...not the case for Michelangelo. The dome of the Basilica is now a defining feature of the Vatican thanks to his design. Clearly Michelangelo has left an incredible legacy that will continue for many years.
Seeing his many incredible works made me think about my life and I started to ask myself, "What will I accomplish in my lifetime? What do I want to be remembered for?" I would love to be the Michelangelo of so many things. I want to live a purpseful life that has a positive impact on me and others. I feel like these past 8 months haven´t been my best "A" game because I´ve let my job dissatisfaction get the best of me. It´s a shame because everything else in my life is wonderful. I look forward to these next few months of constantly learning new things and learning about myself. I can´t wait to come home and start the next chapter of my life. Until then, I will continue to enjoy my time abroad and start putting that "A" game on NOW.
PREVIEW...my next blog will be about the interesting people that I´ve been meeting.
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Ciao! Greetings from Rome!
This message is not starting off on a good note....I just checked ESPN for a few scores --- The Dolphins' and the Redskins' losses are very disappointing! My dream of a Skins-Fins Super Bowl may only happen in my mind.
I've been in Rome for 4 days now and I'll have one more day tomorrow. Tomorrow I will do the tour of the Vatican, the Colosseum, the Pantheon, and I will see the many fountains in Rome. I will be leaving for Florence tomorrow night. You may be wondering, "What has she been doing in Rome this whole time if she hasn't done any sightseeing?" The answer is very simple...I'VE BEEN EATING. The main reason why I wanted to come to Italy is for the food. Now let me clarify something... I have walked by all these main historical sites but I haven't done any tours yet because I've been too focused on eating. Here's my routine...
7:00 am Go for an hour run
8:00 am Shower
8:45 am Breakfast
9:30 am Gelato
9:45 am - 12:00 pm Walk Around
12:15 pm Lunch
1:00 pm Gelato
1:15 pm - 4:00 pm Walk Around/Shopping
4:15 pm Pastry Snack or Gelato or Both
4:30 - 7:00 pm Walk Around or go to Cafe to write in journal or to eat
7:30 Dinner
8:30 Cafe, Bar, Nightlife...Late Night Snack is highly likely
Clearly you can see how eating consumes my day and how it has kept me away from doing the tours. Actually, I was debating on even going on the tours tomorrow. I'd rather just eat and walk by the sites again. Seriously, now that I have seen the buildings in Athens I totally get it. These ancient buildings can stand up for a very long time! It's not a big shocker to me anymore! My parents would probably think I was out of my mind if I came all the way over here and didn't check out the main sites. They already think I have gone off the deep end for quitting my job and doing this trip. Don't worry mom and dad, I'm going on the tours!
Let me report on the food status of Italy....I'm madly in love with the food. Every time I take a bite out of anything, I just close my eyes and savor that moment. The homemade pasta is incredible. It just melts in your mouth. All the sauces are delicious and very rich --- just how I like it.
The gelato....Don't get me started on the gelato. Prior to coming here, people would tell me that the gelato in Italy is so different from the gelato in the U.S. I always thought those people were annoying because they just love to point out that they've been to Italy. Who cares where it's from? Ice Cream is always good. This is how my mind works, a mind of a true ice cream lover. Well, I'm now jumping on board with those annoying people...this gelato is unbelieavable! It has the perfect blend of sweetness and it's also rich and velvety. You know how I mentioned that I go to gelato at least 2x a day? Well, I failed to mention that I have 2 scoops each time I go so I've been able to try a different flavor each time. This is why I have to run in the morning and walk around all day. BTW...Christy Garvey, that detail was for you since you always like to know my exact food intake for the day.
Now let me get to the best part...THE PIZZA. Pizza and sushi are tied for #1 on my favorite foods list. The pizza here is A M A Z I N G. The sauce is perfect. The crust is perfect. The mozzarella is perfect. The portion size is perfect . I took a day trip to Naples today just for the pizza alone. There are plenty of pizza places in Rome but Naples is known to be the Pizza Mecca so of course I didn't hesitate to take a 2 hour train ride to try the pizza. This pizza did not disappoint me. It was even better than I thought it would be. I'm a die hard pizza lover so I consider myself to be a good pizza critic. Here is a mini timeline of how pizza has affected my life...
1978 - I was born this year and wasn't able to eat solids. No pizza during this time.
1983 - Around 5 yrs old I remember eating a Celeste pizza and thought it was good
1990 - 2004 Grew up eating Papa John's, Dominos, Pizza Hut and I loved it. Papa John's was my favorite but I didn't hesitate eating Dominos or Pizza Hut. Also, I would enjoy going to NYC and eating NY style pizza
2005 - I moved to Chicago and finally had true Chicago-style pizza and fell in LOVE with it. I love the deep dish style of Lou Malnatis and Eduardos. I haven't touched Papa John's, Dominos, and Pizza Hut since I moved to Chicago.
2008 - I met the Pizza of a Lifetime: Pizza Da Michele of Napolia
As I had my last bite of my Margarita Pizza in Naples I started to get sad. This pizza only exists here and I knew at that moment that I will not be able to eat it again for a very long time. I'm not a religious person so this pizza encounter was like me meeting the Dalia Lama. I felt like I had traveled so far to find this pizza and it was definitely a fulfilling journey. Just like the Dalia Lama, the Margarita Pizza offered me a few words of wisdom..
"Don't be sad Nancy. You traveled far to find me and now that you have, you have been able to enjoy this opportunity. You will always remember this taste even long after you leave here. Don't feel bad about going to back to Chicago and eating your favorite pizzas there. All of the pizzas in this world serve its purpose. I have now served my purpose to you. Any time you want to have a piece of me, just close your eyes and remember this moment."
Now that I feel better about my last bite of this incredible pizza, I need to drown my football sorrows with some gelato.
I've been in Rome for 4 days now and I'll have one more day tomorrow. Tomorrow I will do the tour of the Vatican, the Colosseum, the Pantheon, and I will see the many fountains in Rome. I will be leaving for Florence tomorrow night. You may be wondering, "What has she been doing in Rome this whole time if she hasn't done any sightseeing?" The answer is very simple...I'VE BEEN EATING. The main reason why I wanted to come to Italy is for the food. Now let me clarify something... I have walked by all these main historical sites but I haven't done any tours yet because I've been too focused on eating. Here's my routine...
7:00 am Go for an hour run
8:00 am Shower
8:45 am Breakfast
9:30 am Gelato
9:45 am - 12:00 pm Walk Around
12:15 pm Lunch
1:00 pm Gelato
1:15 pm - 4:00 pm Walk Around/Shopping
4:15 pm Pastry Snack or Gelato or Both
4:30 - 7:00 pm Walk Around or go to Cafe to write in journal or to eat
7:30 Dinner
8:30 Cafe, Bar, Nightlife...Late Night Snack is highly likely
Clearly you can see how eating consumes my day and how it has kept me away from doing the tours. Actually, I was debating on even going on the tours tomorrow. I'd rather just eat and walk by the sites again. Seriously, now that I have seen the buildings in Athens I totally get it. These ancient buildings can stand up for a very long time! It's not a big shocker to me anymore! My parents would probably think I was out of my mind if I came all the way over here and didn't check out the main sites. They already think I have gone off the deep end for quitting my job and doing this trip. Don't worry mom and dad, I'm going on the tours!
Let me report on the food status of Italy....I'm madly in love with the food. Every time I take a bite out of anything, I just close my eyes and savor that moment. The homemade pasta is incredible. It just melts in your mouth. All the sauces are delicious and very rich --- just how I like it.
The gelato....Don't get me started on the gelato. Prior to coming here, people would tell me that the gelato in Italy is so different from the gelato in the U.S. I always thought those people were annoying because they just love to point out that they've been to Italy. Who cares where it's from? Ice Cream is always good. This is how my mind works, a mind of a true ice cream lover. Well, I'm now jumping on board with those annoying people...this gelato is unbelieavable! It has the perfect blend of sweetness and it's also rich and velvety. You know how I mentioned that I go to gelato at least 2x a day? Well, I failed to mention that I have 2 scoops each time I go so I've been able to try a different flavor each time. This is why I have to run in the morning and walk around all day. BTW...Christy Garvey, that detail was for you since you always like to know my exact food intake for the day.
Now let me get to the best part...THE PIZZA. Pizza and sushi are tied for #1 on my favorite foods list. The pizza here is A M A Z I N G. The sauce is perfect. The crust is perfect. The mozzarella is perfect. The portion size is perfect . I took a day trip to Naples today just for the pizza alone. There are plenty of pizza places in Rome but Naples is known to be the Pizza Mecca so of course I didn't hesitate to take a 2 hour train ride to try the pizza. This pizza did not disappoint me. It was even better than I thought it would be. I'm a die hard pizza lover so I consider myself to be a good pizza critic. Here is a mini timeline of how pizza has affected my life...
1978 - I was born this year and wasn't able to eat solids. No pizza during this time.
1983 - Around 5 yrs old I remember eating a Celeste pizza and thought it was good
1990 - 2004 Grew up eating Papa John's, Dominos, Pizza Hut and I loved it. Papa John's was my favorite but I didn't hesitate eating Dominos or Pizza Hut. Also, I would enjoy going to NYC and eating NY style pizza
2005 - I moved to Chicago and finally had true Chicago-style pizza and fell in LOVE with it. I love the deep dish style of Lou Malnatis and Eduardos. I haven't touched Papa John's, Dominos, and Pizza Hut since I moved to Chicago.
2008 - I met the Pizza of a Lifetime: Pizza Da Michele of Napolia
As I had my last bite of my Margarita Pizza in Naples I started to get sad. This pizza only exists here and I knew at that moment that I will not be able to eat it again for a very long time. I'm not a religious person so this pizza encounter was like me meeting the Dalia Lama. I felt like I had traveled so far to find this pizza and it was definitely a fulfilling journey. Just like the Dalia Lama, the Margarita Pizza offered me a few words of wisdom..
"Don't be sad Nancy. You traveled far to find me and now that you have, you have been able to enjoy this opportunity. You will always remember this taste even long after you leave here. Don't feel bad about going to back to Chicago and eating your favorite pizzas there. All of the pizzas in this world serve its purpose. I have now served my purpose to you. Any time you want to have a piece of me, just close your eyes and remember this moment."
Now that I feel better about my last bite of this incredible pizza, I need to drown my football sorrows with some gelato.
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Goodbye Greece!
OKAY, here's my little routine when I come to an Internet cafe.....I log on to all my email accts (yahoo, gmail, hotmail), open up facebook, open up perez hilton, open up espn, and finally open up abc to find out the latest on DWTS. Today, I was shocked to find out that Hef and Holly Madison broke up! This relationship was always weird to me BUT I really believed they were in love. Now, they broke up because Hef couldn't get her pregnant. Big Shocker. Oh well, it will be interesting to see who Hef's #1 GF will be now....
Here are a few other things I want to mention before I write about my time in Mykonos....First, I'm sorry I haven't uploaded any photos. Each time I try, I always end up having problems because the computers are really slow. The minute I find a fast computer I will be sure to post pics. I want you to know that I'm REALLY on this trip and not just hiding out in my parents' basement and writing about my experiences from stuff that I've read on the Internet.
Second, thanks to Brandy Cohen and Lisa Kelly! Everyone: I really, really, really appreciate all the great emails, facebook messages, etc that you have sent me while I'm away. It's so nice of you to check in with me to ask what's going on with me. Brandy and Lisa always ask about me too but they also give me the scoop on them and I love it!!!! I don't care if it's something simple as what you made for dinner. Just let me know because I miss the everday stuff with you guys.
Here's my scoop on Mykonos.....Kelley and I have been very fortunate to have the best beach weather since we've been in Greece. The temperatures have been in the high 70s and not a cloud in the sky. When we arrived in Mykonos we noticed a few similarites from Santorini. Both are obviously islands but they also have the white buildings, hilly streets, and gorgeous beaches. The big difference between Mykonos and Santorini is the atmosphere. Santorini is definitely romantic and picturesque. It would be a great honeymoon setting. Mykonos is more of the party island. There are tons of clubs and lounges on this small island and everyone is always out and about looking to have a good time. You really can't go wrong with going to both islands. In fact, the ideal thing would be to spend 4 nights in Santorini and 2 or 3 nights in Mykonos.
Kelley and I went to two different beaches while we were in Mykonos. We went to Paradise Beach and Elia Beach. Both had your typical golden sand that we see back home. Paradise Beach is known for it's paryting scene. They have the loud music playing all day and it is both a normal beach and nude beach. The normal sunbathers occupy 80% of the beach while the nude part is at the far left and far right side of the beach. I didn't know the nude beach was part of it until I decided to go for a walk and I came across these naked guys coming out of the water. I must say that laying out in the nude has its advantages. I saw that these people had the most incredible tans. No tan lines! Tracy Hobbs, you need to try this since you worry about tan lines!
FYI...I didn't lay out naked.
Elia Beach is the "5-Star" beach of the island and it attracts all the celebrities and the elite. It's definitely a more relaxed setting because you don't have the loud party music playing in the background. Even though it was a "5-Star" beach, we didn't really notice the difference in the quality of the beach. Both were beautiful and the only thing that was "5-Star" about this beach were the jacked up prices on EVERYTHING. Everything was basically 3x more expensive than all the beaches that we had been to. It was still a fun experience and we're glad we spent a day there.
After spending 3 nights in Mykonos, Kelley and I headed back to Athens today because our time in Greece has come to an end. I'm leaving tomorrow to go to Italy. I'm so glad that I got to spend the first 10 days of my trip in Greece because it allowed me to relax and collect myself before this crazy trip ahead of me. The rest of Europe will go by fast as I will try to see as much as I can in the next 6 weeks. As I leave each country, I want to share the things that I learned from each country....
1. I'm still blown away by the historical buildings that are still standing today in Athens. How is this possible when these were built back in B.C. times? They had limited resources and tools back then but they managed to build strong structures that still stand today. Why can't they build things like that now?
2. Seeing is definitely believing. The minute I saw Santorini, I was reassured and not disappointed in the images that I had seen before. I have so many incredible images in my mind of other places that I want to see. I now know that I need to go out and see these other things because I want to relive the feeling that I had when I saw Santorini --- Speechless and Inspired. Do you guys have images in your mind of something you want to see? Do share your ideas with me and others. Also, You definitely must go out and see your vision! P.S. I'd like to go to the Grand Canyon some day....anyone interested?
3. Seeing all these incredible things everyday makes me miss everyone even more. As you know, I'm a passionate person and I love sharing things that I love with people that I love. That's why most of you have tried a Mandy B cupcake. I love Mandy B cupcakes + I love you ....Equals: We all eat Mandy B cucpakes together. I wish I could bring Greece to you on a plate topped with frosting.
Thank you Greece for everything! Thank you for the warm weather, the best crepes, the yummy tzatziki sauce, and a great traveling companion Kelley!!! I will be here again soon...next time with my friends! Kelley Morrissey---thanks for everything! I couldn't have asked for a better way to start my trip. Thank you for taking me under your wing and guiding me along through your journey. Your suggestions and ideas will definitely help me these next few months. Have a wonderful time these next two months and I will definitely see you when you visit Chi-town! I will be thinking of you each time I eat a yummy dessert :-)
Here are a few other things I want to mention before I write about my time in Mykonos....First, I'm sorry I haven't uploaded any photos. Each time I try, I always end up having problems because the computers are really slow. The minute I find a fast computer I will be sure to post pics. I want you to know that I'm REALLY on this trip and not just hiding out in my parents' basement and writing about my experiences from stuff that I've read on the Internet.
Second, thanks to Brandy Cohen and Lisa Kelly! Everyone: I really, really, really appreciate all the great emails, facebook messages, etc that you have sent me while I'm away. It's so nice of you to check in with me to ask what's going on with me. Brandy and Lisa always ask about me too but they also give me the scoop on them and I love it!!!! I don't care if it's something simple as what you made for dinner. Just let me know because I miss the everday stuff with you guys.
Here's my scoop on Mykonos.....Kelley and I have been very fortunate to have the best beach weather since we've been in Greece. The temperatures have been in the high 70s and not a cloud in the sky. When we arrived in Mykonos we noticed a few similarites from Santorini. Both are obviously islands but they also have the white buildings, hilly streets, and gorgeous beaches. The big difference between Mykonos and Santorini is the atmosphere. Santorini is definitely romantic and picturesque. It would be a great honeymoon setting. Mykonos is more of the party island. There are tons of clubs and lounges on this small island and everyone is always out and about looking to have a good time. You really can't go wrong with going to both islands. In fact, the ideal thing would be to spend 4 nights in Santorini and 2 or 3 nights in Mykonos.
Kelley and I went to two different beaches while we were in Mykonos. We went to Paradise Beach and Elia Beach. Both had your typical golden sand that we see back home. Paradise Beach is known for it's paryting scene. They have the loud music playing all day and it is both a normal beach and nude beach. The normal sunbathers occupy 80% of the beach while the nude part is at the far left and far right side of the beach. I didn't know the nude beach was part of it until I decided to go for a walk and I came across these naked guys coming out of the water. I must say that laying out in the nude has its advantages. I saw that these people had the most incredible tans. No tan lines! Tracy Hobbs, you need to try this since you worry about tan lines!
FYI...I didn't lay out naked.
Elia Beach is the "5-Star" beach of the island and it attracts all the celebrities and the elite. It's definitely a more relaxed setting because you don't have the loud party music playing in the background. Even though it was a "5-Star" beach, we didn't really notice the difference in the quality of the beach. Both were beautiful and the only thing that was "5-Star" about this beach were the jacked up prices on EVERYTHING. Everything was basically 3x more expensive than all the beaches that we had been to. It was still a fun experience and we're glad we spent a day there.
After spending 3 nights in Mykonos, Kelley and I headed back to Athens today because our time in Greece has come to an end. I'm leaving tomorrow to go to Italy. I'm so glad that I got to spend the first 10 days of my trip in Greece because it allowed me to relax and collect myself before this crazy trip ahead of me. The rest of Europe will go by fast as I will try to see as much as I can in the next 6 weeks. As I leave each country, I want to share the things that I learned from each country....
1. I'm still blown away by the historical buildings that are still standing today in Athens. How is this possible when these were built back in B.C. times? They had limited resources and tools back then but they managed to build strong structures that still stand today. Why can't they build things like that now?
2. Seeing is definitely believing. The minute I saw Santorini, I was reassured and not disappointed in the images that I had seen before. I have so many incredible images in my mind of other places that I want to see. I now know that I need to go out and see these other things because I want to relive the feeling that I had when I saw Santorini --- Speechless and Inspired. Do you guys have images in your mind of something you want to see? Do share your ideas with me and others. Also, You definitely must go out and see your vision! P.S. I'd like to go to the Grand Canyon some day....anyone interested?
3. Seeing all these incredible things everyday makes me miss everyone even more. As you know, I'm a passionate person and I love sharing things that I love with people that I love. That's why most of you have tried a Mandy B cupcake. I love Mandy B cupcakes + I love you ....Equals: We all eat Mandy B cucpakes together. I wish I could bring Greece to you on a plate topped with frosting.
Thank you Greece for everything! Thank you for the warm weather, the best crepes, the yummy tzatziki sauce, and a great traveling companion Kelley!!! I will be here again soon...next time with my friends! Kelley Morrissey---thanks for everything! I couldn't have asked for a better way to start my trip. Thank you for taking me under your wing and guiding me along through your journey. Your suggestions and ideas will definitely help me these next few months. Have a wonderful time these next two months and I will definitely see you when you visit Chi-town! I will be thinking of you each time I eat a yummy dessert :-)
Sunday, October 5, 2008
Days 3 - 6 Santorini
I guess my initial fear of missing out on the World Series in Chicago can now be erased :-( How is everyone in Chicago handling this disappointment? I'm sorry guys! What a bummer! AMY GAURI...did you go to either Game 1 or 2? This could explain why they lost the first two.
I've been in Santorini for the past 4 days and it's been incredible! Santorini is everything I imagined it would be. Prior to coming here, I had seen so many pictures and several movies that have taken place in Santorini (Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, Mamma Mia). Each image was so picturesque that I figured everything was digitally enhanced. Now that I'm here I can honestly say that nothing is digitally enhanced. The images in the pictures and in the movies that we see are 100% real. I was speechless when I walked to the edge of the mountain to see the amazing cliff of bright white buildings with bright blue features on one side and then the midnight blue Mediterranean Sea on the other side. You could stand there for hours and just admire the landscape in front of you.
I've been spending my time in the Greek Islands with Kelley, the Canadian backpacker that I met in Athens. We are getting along great and we found a few interesting similarities:
1. Kelley and I are both backpacking for 4 months. (she just started 2 months before me).
2. Kelley and I are both going to Europe, Southeast Asia, and Australia.
3. Kelley and I both have awful driving records. (Although she is not Asian, she looks like Katherine Heigel).
4. Kelley and I both love desserts. We could be extremely full for dinner but we still find the local bakery and buy ourselves a yummy treat.
5. Kelley and I both hate peanuts and love sushi.
6. Kelley and I always end up with the girly straight guys. I've given her previous stories of my past and she was able to top some of my interesting ones by saying that she and her ex had a custody battle over the hair straightener.
SO, you can see that we've gotten to know each other pretty well and we've been having a lot of fun!
On Day 2, Kelley and I both rented ATVs to get around the entire island. This was my first time driving an ATV so I was a bit scared because I've never been on one before. I didn't want to chicken out because Kelley seemed so comfortable driving one so I didn't want to be the buzz kill. She taught me how to work the gas and the brakes and then we were off to explore the island. I got used to the ATV really quickly and ended up loving it. We hit the different beaches on the island: Perrisa, Akrotiri, and Kamari. All of the beaches have their unique characteristics. Perrisa is also known as the Black Sand Beach. This was the first time for the both of us to see black sand. Akrotiri is the Red Beach because of the red boulders/mountains that surround the beach. Kamari is definitely the most resort like beach with all the restaurants and outdoor lounges/cafes lined up along the sand. When we were in the water at Perrisa and Akrotiri we noticed that the surface was not sandy. Instead it is filled with rocks and pebbles. It was definitely different from what we are used to but we were glad we got to experience it.
After beach hopping, we ended up taking our ATVs up to the northern part of the island called Oia. Santorini is known for some of the world's famous sunsets and Oia is the reason why. Remember when I mentioned the pictures that I had seen before I came here? All of those pics are from Oia. This area draws a HUGE crowd so we were glad we got there early and found a table for dinner that overlooked the sea. The food was fantastic and the sun started to set as we were finishing up dinner. We seriously had the best seat in Oia! Kelley and I were joking about all the tourists that came with their tripods to take pictures. Who actually packs a tripod for vacation? Of course these tripod tourists were all Asians.
On Day 3, Kelley and I decided to go on the donkey ride tour. I heard about this tour from Caroline when she traveled to Greece a few years ago and she said it was a MUST DO in Santorini. The donkey took us from the bottom of the island to the way top. The path was very curvy and the weather was extremely windy. These donkeys had a mind of their own so you don't really know what to expect. Fortunately, we made it up safely and had a few laughs up the way. It was another fun experience and we were glad to check out the island from a donkey's back.
Today we are leaving for a different Greek Island: Mykonos. I've heard great things about Mykonos so I can't wait to check it out. I'm having problems posting pics on Facebook and on this blog. Hopefully I will get everything straightened out by the end of the week. I miss everyone! Happy Birthday to Kate Siemsen and Mary Holmsely!
I've been in Santorini for the past 4 days and it's been incredible! Santorini is everything I imagined it would be. Prior to coming here, I had seen so many pictures and several movies that have taken place in Santorini (Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, Mamma Mia). Each image was so picturesque that I figured everything was digitally enhanced. Now that I'm here I can honestly say that nothing is digitally enhanced. The images in the pictures and in the movies that we see are 100% real. I was speechless when I walked to the edge of the mountain to see the amazing cliff of bright white buildings with bright blue features on one side and then the midnight blue Mediterranean Sea on the other side. You could stand there for hours and just admire the landscape in front of you.
I've been spending my time in the Greek Islands with Kelley, the Canadian backpacker that I met in Athens. We are getting along great and we found a few interesting similarities:
1. Kelley and I are both backpacking for 4 months. (she just started 2 months before me).
2. Kelley and I are both going to Europe, Southeast Asia, and Australia.
3. Kelley and I both have awful driving records. (Although she is not Asian, she looks like Katherine Heigel).
4. Kelley and I both love desserts. We could be extremely full for dinner but we still find the local bakery and buy ourselves a yummy treat.
5. Kelley and I both hate peanuts and love sushi.
6. Kelley and I always end up with the girly straight guys. I've given her previous stories of my past and she was able to top some of my interesting ones by saying that she and her ex had a custody battle over the hair straightener.
SO, you can see that we've gotten to know each other pretty well and we've been having a lot of fun!
On Day 2, Kelley and I both rented ATVs to get around the entire island. This was my first time driving an ATV so I was a bit scared because I've never been on one before. I didn't want to chicken out because Kelley seemed so comfortable driving one so I didn't want to be the buzz kill. She taught me how to work the gas and the brakes and then we were off to explore the island. I got used to the ATV really quickly and ended up loving it. We hit the different beaches on the island: Perrisa, Akrotiri, and Kamari. All of the beaches have their unique characteristics. Perrisa is also known as the Black Sand Beach. This was the first time for the both of us to see black sand. Akrotiri is the Red Beach because of the red boulders/mountains that surround the beach. Kamari is definitely the most resort like beach with all the restaurants and outdoor lounges/cafes lined up along the sand. When we were in the water at Perrisa and Akrotiri we noticed that the surface was not sandy. Instead it is filled with rocks and pebbles. It was definitely different from what we are used to but we were glad we got to experience it.
After beach hopping, we ended up taking our ATVs up to the northern part of the island called Oia. Santorini is known for some of the world's famous sunsets and Oia is the reason why. Remember when I mentioned the pictures that I had seen before I came here? All of those pics are from Oia. This area draws a HUGE crowd so we were glad we got there early and found a table for dinner that overlooked the sea. The food was fantastic and the sun started to set as we were finishing up dinner. We seriously had the best seat in Oia! Kelley and I were joking about all the tourists that came with their tripods to take pictures. Who actually packs a tripod for vacation? Of course these tripod tourists were all Asians.
On Day 3, Kelley and I decided to go on the donkey ride tour. I heard about this tour from Caroline when she traveled to Greece a few years ago and she said it was a MUST DO in Santorini. The donkey took us from the bottom of the island to the way top. The path was very curvy and the weather was extremely windy. These donkeys had a mind of their own so you don't really know what to expect. Fortunately, we made it up safely and had a few laughs up the way. It was another fun experience and we were glad to check out the island from a donkey's back.
Today we are leaving for a different Greek Island: Mykonos. I've heard great things about Mykonos so I can't wait to check it out. I'm having problems posting pics on Facebook and on this blog. Hopefully I will get everything straightened out by the end of the week. I miss everyone! Happy Birthday to Kate Siemsen and Mary Holmsely!
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Day 2: Carpe Diem
FYI...some of you have asked me about the time change. It is an 8 hour difference from Chicago to Athens and a 7 hour difference from Washington DC to Athens.
Today I signed up for an all day walking tour of Athens. It was 6 hours long and it covered the significant historical parts of the city. I will post all my pics on Facebook with details on what I learned from each site. I don't know how to post pics on this blog but I know it's possible. I will have to ask the Hunsches because they always have great pics on their family blog.
I soaked up a lot of incredible info today. I'm really blown away by Athens' ancient history. It dates back as far as 1500 B.C. It's unbeliveable how long these buildings have been around for. I used to think a 100 year old building was considered old but not anymore. These buildings go back to mid 5th century B.C. and they are still standing! Obviously not in the same condition as before but a good chunk of it is still around. Seeing all these buildings have made me want to read about Anceint Greek history because it is really fascinating. I'm craving more info and stories from this period.
Again, the pics with details will be posted on Facebook.
Aside from learning about the history of Athens, I really enjoyed the people in our walking tour group. Our group consisted of only 6 travelers like myself and we were led by a high school teacher who conducts these tours 5 days a week. Anyways, the neatest thing about this group was learning about everyone's backgrounds. There were 2 Candadiens, 3 Australians, and me. All of these people were also traveling by themselves. We all got to know each other throughout the day and I was blown away by their traveling experiences. These guys were pros. These Aussies told me that they've done several backpacking excursions throughout their lives. This trip to Europe was one of many different trips they had taken around the world. Jerrod, one of the guys from Australia, told me that a big part of the Australian culture is to travel and explore the world. They have the mindset that once you graduate from college, you are going to start traveling. He said it's so common for Australians to just work anywhere to save money for their next trip. Once they have their money saved, off to more travels. So a typical cycle for them is...work, travel, work, travel. Then they said that they often obtain work visas in different countries so after they're done traveling for a couple of months, they start working in a different country to save up money for their NEXT trip.
For example this guy Jerrod, an Aussie from my tour group, is in Europe for 2 months, then he's going to L.A. and Vegas (both of which he has been to before), and finish up in Canada. He has a work visa in Canada so he plans to just work at a ski resort for the next 5 months before going back to Australia. Anyways, this type of lifestyle was very common in my tour group. I told Jerrod that I admired the fact they could pick up and go like that. He said that there is a downside because they don't own homes, or have much saved for retirement. Instead they are living for the moment and they don't really worry about their future or a traditional career path. They're all about seizing the day!
It was so great for me to hear about their experiences because it really opened my eyes to my lifestyle and how different it is. I am in Greece and enjoying every minute of it BUT in the back of my head I'm stressing and wondering, "When is the U.S. economy going to turn around? I'm too scared to look at my 401k to see what it's worth now. How soon am I going to find a job? What are employers going to think of my 4 month break when I'm going through interviews. I better start saving for a condo. Jerrod, you're going to work at a ski resort? How is this going to fit into your life long career path?" These are the type of questions that I'm programmed to think, whether I want to or not. HELLO!?!??! I dreamed of working in corporate America! I'm sure the Aussies would love to be in my shoes. YEAH RIGHT. Anyways, it's great that I'm being exposed to different lifestyles because I can learn a lot from them. Ideally you should have a balance of both worlds but that's easier said than done. I hope I can walk away from this trip DETERMINED to make major efforts to balance my life.
Tonight is my last night in Athens. Tomorrow morning I'm leaving for the Greek Islands, starting off with Santorini! I'm going with Kelly, a Canadian that I met in my tour group,and we are looking forward to seeing the beautiful islands and enjoying this warm weather! The only downside about going to the islands.....The damn heavy backpack is coming with me.
Today I signed up for an all day walking tour of Athens. It was 6 hours long and it covered the significant historical parts of the city. I will post all my pics on Facebook with details on what I learned from each site. I don't know how to post pics on this blog but I know it's possible. I will have to ask the Hunsches because they always have great pics on their family blog.
I soaked up a lot of incredible info today. I'm really blown away by Athens' ancient history. It dates back as far as 1500 B.C. It's unbeliveable how long these buildings have been around for. I used to think a 100 year old building was considered old but not anymore. These buildings go back to mid 5th century B.C. and they are still standing! Obviously not in the same condition as before but a good chunk of it is still around. Seeing all these buildings have made me want to read about Anceint Greek history because it is really fascinating. I'm craving more info and stories from this period.
Again, the pics with details will be posted on Facebook.
Aside from learning about the history of Athens, I really enjoyed the people in our walking tour group. Our group consisted of only 6 travelers like myself and we were led by a high school teacher who conducts these tours 5 days a week. Anyways, the neatest thing about this group was learning about everyone's backgrounds. There were 2 Candadiens, 3 Australians, and me. All of these people were also traveling by themselves. We all got to know each other throughout the day and I was blown away by their traveling experiences. These guys were pros. These Aussies told me that they've done several backpacking excursions throughout their lives. This trip to Europe was one of many different trips they had taken around the world. Jerrod, one of the guys from Australia, told me that a big part of the Australian culture is to travel and explore the world. They have the mindset that once you graduate from college, you are going to start traveling. He said it's so common for Australians to just work anywhere to save money for their next trip. Once they have their money saved, off to more travels. So a typical cycle for them is...work, travel, work, travel. Then they said that they often obtain work visas in different countries so after they're done traveling for a couple of months, they start working in a different country to save up money for their NEXT trip.
For example this guy Jerrod, an Aussie from my tour group, is in Europe for 2 months, then he's going to L.A. and Vegas (both of which he has been to before), and finish up in Canada. He has a work visa in Canada so he plans to just work at a ski resort for the next 5 months before going back to Australia. Anyways, this type of lifestyle was very common in my tour group. I told Jerrod that I admired the fact they could pick up and go like that. He said that there is a downside because they don't own homes, or have much saved for retirement. Instead they are living for the moment and they don't really worry about their future or a traditional career path. They're all about seizing the day!
It was so great for me to hear about their experiences because it really opened my eyes to my lifestyle and how different it is. I am in Greece and enjoying every minute of it BUT in the back of my head I'm stressing and wondering, "When is the U.S. economy going to turn around? I'm too scared to look at my 401k to see what it's worth now. How soon am I going to find a job? What are employers going to think of my 4 month break when I'm going through interviews. I better start saving for a condo. Jerrod, you're going to work at a ski resort? How is this going to fit into your life long career path?" These are the type of questions that I'm programmed to think, whether I want to or not. HELLO!?!??! I dreamed of working in corporate America! I'm sure the Aussies would love to be in my shoes. YEAH RIGHT. Anyways, it's great that I'm being exposed to different lifestyles because I can learn a lot from them. Ideally you should have a balance of both worlds but that's easier said than done. I hope I can walk away from this trip DETERMINED to make major efforts to balance my life.
Tonight is my last night in Athens. Tomorrow morning I'm leaving for the Greek Islands, starting off with Santorini! I'm going with Kelly, a Canadian that I met in my tour group,and we are looking forward to seeing the beautiful islands and enjoying this warm weather! The only downside about going to the islands.....The damn heavy backpack is coming with me.
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Day 1 - Athens, Greece
Before I tell you about my first day, I have to say this first....Eric Sullivan, Nick Tsinoukas, and Mark Siemsen, you guys would be proud of me. As soon as I got off the plane, I went to one of those computer kiosks at the airport just to see if the Sox won and they did! Congrats to Sox fans!
OK, I just spent my first day in Athens! It was definitely an interesting 12 hours of learning and having one of those good ol' "aha" moments.....
-My backpack is way TOO heavy. My dear friends Jill Grove, Amy Ford, and Caroline Forster are probably thinking, "I told you so." I am a very heavy packer in general so when I knew I had to pack 4 months of clothes into 0ne large backpack, I crammed as much as I could, even though Jill, Amy, and Caroline advised me not to. Since Brad Cohen and Steve Popp took me to the airport, they saw my backpack and they didn't think it was heavy. At that time, I didn't think it was heavy either. WELL, it becomes really heavy when you have to walk around the city for over 2 miles because you can't find your hotel. SURE, I could've taken a cab when I got off the train but the directions said it was only one block from the train stop. Well, I went 1 block in the opposite direction. I figured the directions were a bit off so I continued to walk a little further thinking that I would run into it. Nope. Stubborn me was determined to find it on my own so I eventually found it...2 miles later in the other direction! Fortunately, I only have to drag the backpack around when I move to different countries.
-The Euro...It's been 10 years since I've been in Europe so it's nice to see the same currency in every country. This will definitely be convenient for me. I observed the exchange rate before I came so I was very familiar with doing the conversions in my head. Today I noticed that my wallet was getting really heavy because I had a bunch of Euro coins that I got in change after I went shopping. I looked through the coins and I threw out all the coins with the 2 on it thinking that they were the equivalent of 3 cents. I probably had 15 of them so I threw them all out. Afterwards, my wallet was noticibally lighter so I was happy. I went to another store and after I gave them cash, they gave me change in the coin format again. I realized THEN that the 2 coin is really 2 euros, equivalent to $3. So basically I threw out about $45 dollars earlier. Leave it to me to throw out coins to make my load lighter versus throwing out a few extra outfits and shoes that could really lighten up my luggage.
I don't mind sharing my mistakes with you guys because I don't want you to make the same mistakes as me. However, these two mistakes are probably something I would only do. Hopefully I'll share something in the future that is more valuable to you.
Aside from my mishaps, Athens is amazing! It's so neat to see a bustling city nestled in between ancient architecture. The Acropolis is incredible. I'm going on a formal tour tomorrow morning but I had to go see it tonight because Caroline insisted that it was worth seeing at night. She was right. As I walked up the hill, I saw this massive structure glowing in the dark. As I got closer to it, I was fascinated by the details and the history of the building since it traces back to mid 5th Century BC. This is just a sliver of the info that I gathered from the postings around the monument. I am excited to learn more about the history tomorrow.
After I took pics of the Acropolis, I started walking towards the Rock of Aeropagos which is a bunch of old rocks all mashed together. I started climbing up the rocks and when I reached the top I was speechless. To my right was the Acropolis and to my left was the entire city of Athens. It was the most amazing view and I just sat there for 45 mins and took it all in. I would look back at the Acropolis and then look back at the city over and over again. I was sitting in between Athens' past and Athens' present which made me start thinking about the next 4 months of my life. These next 4 months of traveling is the middle stage between my past and my future. I'm looking forward to learning more about the world and more about myself. I want to reevaluate my past and find valuable things about myself that I could apply to my future. I also want to look back on my mistakes and find valuable lessons that I learned from them. I want to look towards my future with passion and eagerness. So many people have been asking me what my plans are when I get back. I wish I had an answer for you and for myself. The only thing I know right now is that I'm definitely moving back to Chicago. As for my next career....I'm going to leave it open. The only thing you and I can expect from my future is that I will be applying an even greater level of passion, energy, and heart towards life, my family and friends, and my career. I can't wait! BTW...I had the best chicken souvlaki for dinner tonight!
OK, I just spent my first day in Athens! It was definitely an interesting 12 hours of learning and having one of those good ol' "aha" moments.....
-My backpack is way TOO heavy. My dear friends Jill Grove, Amy Ford, and Caroline Forster are probably thinking, "I told you so." I am a very heavy packer in general so when I knew I had to pack 4 months of clothes into 0ne large backpack, I crammed as much as I could, even though Jill, Amy, and Caroline advised me not to. Since Brad Cohen and Steve Popp took me to the airport, they saw my backpack and they didn't think it was heavy. At that time, I didn't think it was heavy either. WELL, it becomes really heavy when you have to walk around the city for over 2 miles because you can't find your hotel. SURE, I could've taken a cab when I got off the train but the directions said it was only one block from the train stop. Well, I went 1 block in the opposite direction. I figured the directions were a bit off so I continued to walk a little further thinking that I would run into it. Nope. Stubborn me was determined to find it on my own so I eventually found it...2 miles later in the other direction! Fortunately, I only have to drag the backpack around when I move to different countries.
-The Euro...It's been 10 years since I've been in Europe so it's nice to see the same currency in every country. This will definitely be convenient for me. I observed the exchange rate before I came so I was very familiar with doing the conversions in my head. Today I noticed that my wallet was getting really heavy because I had a bunch of Euro coins that I got in change after I went shopping. I looked through the coins and I threw out all the coins with the 2 on it thinking that they were the equivalent of 3 cents. I probably had 15 of them so I threw them all out. Afterwards, my wallet was noticibally lighter so I was happy. I went to another store and after I gave them cash, they gave me change in the coin format again. I realized THEN that the 2 coin is really 2 euros, equivalent to $3. So basically I threw out about $45 dollars earlier. Leave it to me to throw out coins to make my load lighter versus throwing out a few extra outfits and shoes that could really lighten up my luggage.
I don't mind sharing my mistakes with you guys because I don't want you to make the same mistakes as me. However, these two mistakes are probably something I would only do. Hopefully I'll share something in the future that is more valuable to you.
Aside from my mishaps, Athens is amazing! It's so neat to see a bustling city nestled in between ancient architecture. The Acropolis is incredible. I'm going on a formal tour tomorrow morning but I had to go see it tonight because Caroline insisted that it was worth seeing at night. She was right. As I walked up the hill, I saw this massive structure glowing in the dark. As I got closer to it, I was fascinated by the details and the history of the building since it traces back to mid 5th Century BC. This is just a sliver of the info that I gathered from the postings around the monument. I am excited to learn more about the history tomorrow.
After I took pics of the Acropolis, I started walking towards the Rock of Aeropagos which is a bunch of old rocks all mashed together. I started climbing up the rocks and when I reached the top I was speechless. To my right was the Acropolis and to my left was the entire city of Athens. It was the most amazing view and I just sat there for 45 mins and took it all in. I would look back at the Acropolis and then look back at the city over and over again. I was sitting in between Athens' past and Athens' present which made me start thinking about the next 4 months of my life. These next 4 months of traveling is the middle stage between my past and my future. I'm looking forward to learning more about the world and more about myself. I want to reevaluate my past and find valuable things about myself that I could apply to my future. I also want to look back on my mistakes and find valuable lessons that I learned from them. I want to look towards my future with passion and eagerness. So many people have been asking me what my plans are when I get back. I wish I had an answer for you and for myself. The only thing I know right now is that I'm definitely moving back to Chicago. As for my next career....I'm going to leave it open. The only thing you and I can expect from my future is that I will be applying an even greater level of passion, energy, and heart towards life, my family and friends, and my career. I can't wait! BTW...I had the best chicken souvlaki for dinner tonight!
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