Excitement!!

Hi guys!!
Just wanted to do a quick post before I depart for 2 full weeks of traveling, 16 days actually! I don't think I have ever been on a trip for this long and I am super excited. Most of all, I am excited, thrilled, ecstatic to see my parents. Obviously, they are really cool people and although I don't see them much when I am at school for a semester, I have missed them more when I am abroad than ever! I also am just so glad they get this chance to come to Europe and see the most wonderful city ever- Paris! I hope they fall in love with it like I did! After they leave, the fun doesn't end....I go to the south of France to meet my sister Jackie's bff and roommate- Jill, who is doing a grad school fellowship in Geneva. We are going to spend Easter weekend together soaking up the sun in Nice and taking day trips to Monaco and other fabulous little cities. Then I head to my base course study trip for my Hitler class- we will be going to Prague, Auschwitz, and Crakow! Should be super informative and amazing. I can't really believe these next two weeks- is my life real?!
My train departs for Paris in about 2 hours- ahh! I think I am all packed and ready- hopefully I didn't forget anything!

This week has mainly been devoted to tying up lose ends and getting everything together. It has been beautiful in Differdange, so I have taken several nice walks and runs which has been great. Yesterday, I discovered a glorious bike trail- I literally ran through the Lux countryside passing by villages, farms, and sheep on the way, it was so cool. I was quite stressed mid week about some passport/laundry issues- basically Wed morning I thought I wouldn't have my passport back (from the Lux gov who is doing visa stuff) or my laundry clean by Friday and I was freaking out. In the end though, Crici, our housing director worked miracles and I got both in time, hooray!

One sad thing, it is rainy today in Lux and the forecast for Paris does not look so good- basically calling for light rain every day!! I really hope light rain just means some drizzle and that we at least get a day or two of sunshine! Either way though, I know Paris will be great and we just have to look on the bright side and tough it out.

I'm going to try to keep up with the blog to some extent while away, so look for posts. I may even try to convince my Pops to write a guest post, which I am sure would be quite amusing for all. Have a fantastic two weeks everyone, I miss you!!

Care

Tres Francais in Lyon!

Hi! Wow! I cant believe another weekend of traveling has come and gone. What a great weekend it was. I was in Lyon, where I stayed with my friend from UVA Clare, and also met up with my second cousin Meredith. I had such a nice time! Clare was a great tour guide and hostess, and I feel like I had my most authentic weekend abroad so far, I really got to see what it was like to live, rather than just be a tourist, in a city I was visiting. Lyon is a really beautiful, lively city that I think a lot of travelers overlook, and I am so glad I got to enjoy it from an insiders perspective. Here goes the recap…

I was traveling alone again this weekend, but my train did not leave Luxembourg until about 4pm. It was nice being able to go running, shower, and pack before my departure and not feel rushed. When I did arrive in Lux City to catch the first train of my journey (I thought I would be taking a train from Lux to Metz, then getting a connection from Metz to Lyon), I was surprised to find half of MUDEC (for those who don’t know MUDEC is the abbreviation for where I study- Miami University Dolbois’ European Center) would be on the first leg of my journey as well. A huge group- like over 40 kids no joke (too big for my taste)- was going to Interlaken and riding my first train for a few hours to get to Basel. I was happy to be able to go with other people I knew, and I sat with some friends for what was supposed to be the quick forty-minute train to Metz. This is when trouble struck however, and the beginning of my train fiasco- an experience I am not likely to soon forget- began!

I was supposed to have 25 minutes to transfer between trains in Metz, which I had thought would be plenty of time. Since I was using my Eurorail pass, and the trains I was going on didn’t require seat reservations, I didn’t actually have a ticket for them, rather just my Eurorail and the printout with the times the ticket office had suggested for me. Anyway, 25 minutes is apparently not enough time and the train that had been suggested for me is apparently notoriously late. It took its sweet time getting to Metz, and it seriously stopped in one station for 20 minutes. I began to freak out at about 4:45, I was supposed to arrive in Metz at 4:50 and board a train to Lyon at 5:13, but at 4:45 we were no where close. I started sweating, and my friends I were with tried to convince me it would be ok. As the minutes ticked, and our train moved very slowly along, I knew I was in trouble. Finally, an older man near us who could clearly understand English and my panic said there was no way I was going to make it and since trains didn’t leave from Metz to Lyon more than once or twice a day, I better find the conductor quick. At this point, I was in a panic and all kinds of things were rushing through my head. I started quickly walking through compartments looking for a man in a blue suit. At this point, it was 5:13 and although we were close to the station, I knew I wasn’t going to make it (trains take awhile to slow down, park, open doors etc). I couldn’t find a conductor anywhere, until finally the very last compartment there he stood. I quickly said “”parlez vous Anglais?” (I knew I couldn’t explain my conundrum in rapid French) and he said “Non.” I almost cried right then (I seriously considered staying on the train and just going to Switzerland with the big group even though I had no place to stay) but then the conductor pointed to the young girl next to him, who was probably a few years older than me, and said she spoke English. I cried out, I am trying to go to Lyon and I am going to miss my connection, and she said I was supposed to be on that train too, I am going to Dijon. Then she said the words that changed my life (ok I am exaggerating, but its true also- it was scary because I was really alone on this trip and possibly stranded in Metz) “Don’t worry, come with me.” In the end, the girl, whose name was Chloe, was my savoir. Those who think French people are mean and rude obviously haven’t met her. She took me with me as we tried to figure out the best way to get to Lyon and jumped through many hurdles along the way. We stopped in two ticket offices in Metz (they were giving us the run around I think according to my French translation) before one guy finally stamped her ticket and wrote on Eurorail that we could take the TGV (the fastest trains, pronounced tay-jay-vay) that was delayed and therefore coming soon and going to Paris, and then another TGV from Paris to Lyon. We found the platform, and eventually boarded the first one to Paris, but then had to find another conductor, who could give us info on our connection. He was unavailable for quite some time, and we stood in a crammed, very sweat compartment with other frustrated travelers for quite a while. Eventually, he talked to us and told us since we didn’t have reservations, we may not get a seat on the train. He was quite nice though and told us which times and from which station trains were running from Paris to Lyon and Dijon. The funniest part came in the middle of him and Chloe’s French conversation when his cell phone rang and the ringtone was the Police’s “Losing My Religion.” It was so random I almost burst out laughing! At this point since I had Chloe with me, I was calming down, and could see the humor in this strange situation. In the end, we luckily found free seats and made our way to Paris which was a quick ride- less than 90 minutes. On the way I found out Chloe was going to her belated graduation ceremony from business school and she was missing an important dinner because of the train confusion! She had finished classes last year and was now working from KPMG in Lux, she is originally from near Nancy, France. She was so nice and I really enjoyed talking with her. Anyway, we got to Paris so quickly that it was possible for me to maybe make the 7:54 train to Lyon instead of the 8:54 that the conductor had said was a safe bet. It was close though, because we had to use the Paris Metro to get to a totally different train station. Luckily, Chloe was thinking and we bought tickets for the metro on the train (weird how you can do that- in gratitude, I paid the 2 Euros for hers- it was the least I could do). We ran through the metro, and after lots of sprinting and 2 changes, we made it to Gare Lyon, where Chloe walked me to the departing train for Lyon before even finding hers. We said goodbye, and I said many, many thanks to her! I seriously don’t know what I would have done if she was not there! My last step was asking the conductor if I could ride with a Eurorail, this time he was very nice and jokingly told me I could not only ride, but even sit first class if I wanted! I made it on, and breathed a sigh of relief- at last I was on a train headed directly to Lyon. Turns out, because I was riding TGVS and had caught the 7:54, I would be arriving in Lyon half hour earlier than expected! Funny how some things can just work out for the best, even when you think all hope is lost. I arrived in Lyon before 10, where Clare was waiting for me! It was so good to see her and I recounted all my adventures to her as we walked to her apartment! She was impressed by Chloe’s kindness too, and so glad I had figured it out! Our lovely Lyon weekend could begin!

Clare is doing a UVA program in Lyon, and she lives in an apartment with two roommates- one from a school in California and one from UVA. Their place is in a great location right on the Rhone River, one of the two rivers that runs through Lyon (the other is the Saone). Her apartment is smallish, but very cute and in an excellent location! She has her own room, and they have a fold out couch in the main room that I slept on. On Friday night, some girls in her program were using her kitchen to make dinner, and when we got back we snacked on some of the left overs, had some wine, and caught up on our trips home from Dublin and our weeks. I was able to meet some of the girls in her program, as well as her two closest friends, although just for a sec- they were going to a techno concert. After hanging out for awhile, we decided to go out for a bit, even though we were tired Clare want to show me vieux Lyon (old Lyon), an area on the other side of the Saone with cute cobblestone streets and lots of bars. We ended up reliving our Dublin weekend in an Irish pub called the James Joyce that was a lot of fun. We met some American guys who were there watching the NCAA tournament, it turned out they were on the Lyon basketball team and had played in the US in college- one played for UConn (I think this is maybe a big deal) so they must have been semi-decent. They were characters and gave us some laughs. It was a fun, relaxed night and a good introduction to Lyon!

The next morning, we arose pretty early and made it out of Clare’s apartment before 10 am. We went to a really cute café near her house, it was all decorated in purple and green and had the nicest embroidered chairs, and had a petite dejeuner classique (classic breakfast) that consisted of a pastry, bread with jam and butter, and coffee. It was tres francais (this was a theme of our weekend I think, everything just felt so authentic) and delicious. Then we headed to presqu’ile (this literally means almost island, it is a peninsula with rivers on both sides), the center part of Lyon. The two rivers really make Lyon a unique place, and this center part is the focal point of town and just a gorgeous area. The two rivers also made (and still make) Lyon a major trading center, the city was actually a former Roman capital, as well as one of the leading producers of silk in early Europe. Today, it is the 5th biggest city in France, and the major commerce center in the Rhone-Alps region. But anyway, in the morning we headed to Presque Ile, and for the next several hours Clare played the role of tour guide and did an excellent job. We saw several of Lyon’s major squares including the Place Bellecour and Place de Terraux. We also went into the courtyard of the Musee des Beaux Arts, where blooming flowers hinted at the beginning of spring! Clare had a guidebook, as well as a head bursting with knowledge about the place she has lived for the past three months- and at all the sights she would read to me about what we were looking at and fill in with her own tidbits. It was tres bien! We also just wandered and took in the streets, being sure to window shop in the many, many tempting chocolate shops and bakeries, as well as some cute boutiques. After presqu’ile, we headed over to vieux Lyon again (where we had been the night before) and explored.

Next, we climbed one of the two major hills in Lyon- the fourviere. This is where the Roman ruins - including a really neat amphitheatre that was slightly more impressive than UVAs- are, so we explored that area. At the top of the hill is the Basilica de Notre Damn (do you know the difference between a Basilica and a Cathedral??- my brilliant guide Clare told me- turns out a Basilica is blessed by the pope and therefore more important). It is very beautiful on the outside, and the inside honestly took my breathe away. I have seen a lot of churches since being in Europe, and this one was probably my favorite (ok, maybe second but only to St. Peters). The inside ceilings were decorated with incredible detail, and the main color scheme was gold and a tealish blue green that is my favorite color in the world. The décor was so unusual and ornate that it just had a beautiful effect. Clare, who is quite well traveled, is very good at picking up on details, and she pointed out a lot of beautiful decorations that I probably would not have noticed. We also went down below the main room to the crypt, which had a very different feel but was nonetheless beautiful.

Outside the Basilica was a really nice viewpoint of the city- we were quite high up- the climb, which sloped along the hill and took us a decent amount of time- was really challenging- we def got out work out of the day in on that! It was really neat to see the city from this bird’s eye view, it was a little cloudy that day but we were still able to see a lot. Clare pointed out her apartment, her school, and many of the sights we had visited before. If I was just a regular tourist I don’t think I would have been able to locate all of these things, but with Clare pointing it out I really felt like I was able to get my bearings and get a pretty good understanding of the city even though I was there for a short time. Lyon is a big city, but not huge like Paris or Berlin, and it was a nice change to be in a place that felt manageable to see in a weekend. Everything was in walking distance, and we saw most main parts of the city on foot.

After that, we headed back down the hill and had lunch at a nice place in vieux Lyon, I had a crepe with ratatouille and it was yummy! Then we headed to a gourmet food market on Clare’s side of the river called Les Halles (you don’t pronounce the h) that was super cool! Clare and I both share a love for food, and Lyon is very well known for its many gourmet options. This market really showed that off! There were tons of little shops selling all kinds of delicious specialties and we just enjoyed walking through and drooling over all the delicacies. I picked up some unusual tea in one shop and we also just had to try a macaroon from the most impressive patisserie/chocolaterie there. My macaroon was actually pink metallic, it was so cool! Macaroons are all the rage in France right now, and I promise to bring some back for you guys. I actually just made reservations for Sunday brunch with my parents in Paris at the mecca of all macaroon shops Laduree in Paris, and I cant wait! The one I had in Lyon was delicious though, I don’t know how Laduree can top it! Anyway, Les Halles was great, and another one of those things I do not think I would have seen if I wasn’t with a Lyon insider.

From Les Halles, we headed to Clare’s favorite coffee shop, a really funky, almost underground place that had a cozy and warm vibe. I had a latte with nutella that was to die for, and it was nice to just relax for a little after walking around so much! We didn’t stay too long though, and then headed out for another walk- this time with one of Clare’s best friends to the major parc in Lyon Parc Tete Or (literally means head of gold). It was beautiful and nice to get to know one of Clare’s friends. Clare and her 2 closest friends are very assimilated in French culture, their accents are marvelous and they often speak French amongst themselves. They are also just chic and have many French friends. While I love Lux, being in a big American program does not make this level of immersion possible, so it was neat to see another study abroad program’s experience. Again, tres francais.

After freshening up at Clare’s apartment, we headed to meet my second (or maybe third it is confusing) cousin Meredith for dinner on one of the main streets of presqu’il. We ate at a restaurant called the Winch, and I had a tres francais meal of a salade with egg and meat (I think it was duck actually), frites (French fries) and a chocolate gateau (cake) for dessert! We also shared some lovely white wine. Meredith is a bit older than me, and we had not seen much of each other in the past except perhaps when I was little. It was really nice to get to know her better over dinner, and I am so glad we met up. She is studying contemporary dance in an intense ten-month program in Lyon, and she has such an interesting story. I really admire her passion for dance and the way she is dedicated to doing what she loves no matter where it takes her! We talked a lot about her life in Lyon (her and Clare exchanged notes), as well as my experience abroad, and our loving and sometimes crazy family! It was so nice to chat, and I hope we can catch up! Also, it was the first time I saw any family since being here, so that was a nice feeling.

That night after dinner, Clare, some of her friends and I went bar hopping a bit. We started on the other hill in Lyon Croix Russe at a small place called Atmosphere and then went back to pubs in vieux Lyon. It was so fun to be with Clare, and meet her friends (I practiced my French a bit), and as always we had a blast.

The next morning we woke up early again and headed out to meet another one of Clare’s friends at a market by the river. We shopped and got a ton of delicious tres francais food- including 2 types of cheeses (random fact I learned in Politics, France produces 375 types of cheeses, the most in the world), bread, fruit, and eggs! The market was so fresh and yummy- totally beats the Towson or Cville farmers market I must say. We took the stuff back to Clare’s apartment and made a delicious brunch complete with scrambled eggs and fizzy peach mimosas. It was such a fun and relaxing way to end my trip. The food was great and we all just stuffed our faces and chatted until I had to go to the train station at 2pm. I did buy some cheese and fruit to take back to Lux, and I can’t wait to enjoy it this week. My train ride back was far less eventful than my one there, I had no problems and was able to catch up on some reading. In a funny twist, I saw Chloe on the train back, she sat like 2 seats ahead of me! I thanked her again and we both exchanged stories about the weekend! Crazy how that all worked out!!

Overall, my trip was one of my favorites of all my travels. It was relaxed, but I saw a ton and got to really immerse myself in a cool part of France. I feel like Lyon is definitely overlooked by most tourists (I think I am the only person from my program to visit) and I really recommend it to any traveler! Thanks to Clare and Meredith for making my weekend awesome!!

This week is a pretty busy one at the Chateua, but I hope to write one more post before Friday when…..MY PARENTS COME!! I don’t think caps, bolds, or italics can express how excited I am to see them and spend time together in the coolest place every- Paris!! I want Friday to hurry up and get here soon. Have a good week all!

Care

A Pensive Post

Hello all. I am currently on the train headed home from school, its Friday afternoon and my train to Lyon isn’t until four, so I have a couple of hours before boarding. I am going to go home and pack but I thought I would just write a little bit of a reflection before heading off on another weekend away. I have been so busy that most of my posts really have been recaps of everything going on and sometimes I think I should be reflecting more- its just hard to take a minute and do it. But I just went for a run and it was gorgeous, I have been discovering areas around Differdange that are so pretty and green, today the sky is a cloudless blue, and it just got me in a thinking, pensive type of mood. So here are some thoughts on what I have learned so far in Lux…

-I can do a lot more than I knew I was capable of. I can travel alone, read a map, speak French in foreign cities, make friends when I know no one, and live with people – both roommates and a family- who are completely different then me. When I thought about all the changes I was going to go through before I came and all the challenges I would face, it was overwhelming, and I freaked out my far share of times anticipating it. Now that I am here, however, I realize you really can learn to adjust to anything. You just have to be a little brave…

-Don’t worry! Before I came here, I was seriously a stress ball. Especially last semester, I would get sick before tests and freak out when small things went wrong. Sure, I am still sometimes anxious or worried over here, but it is remarkable how much my stress levels have gone down. Part of it is that my classes are easier and more laid back, but part of it I think just has come from an eternal recognition that there is more in the world than tests and papers, and in the end losing something or being late just is not that important. I have come to realize what I value and truly care about in this world, and to put those things first. I love this feeling and I feel like it is the best thing I have gotten from my experience so far. Of course, I am still working on not stressing out about some things and I am by no stretch of the imagination am I a laid back, hippy, surfer girl with no cares (my name is Care after all). One area I am still struggling with a little bit is eating/exercising/weight. Traveling a ton and not having time to work out, eating cafeteria lunches, and indulging in delicious foreign food has made me somewhat concerned about gaining weight over here, but I am trying so hard to not stress. In the end, I do not want to obsess if I gain a few pounds over here, but for someone who has been quite health conscious for the past few years, it can be hard. I’m trying my best to not worry, I promise!

-Traveling is totally different experience than most other things in life, and it can take awhile to get used to it. Traveling with people- especially for over a week- is totally different than just being friends with them. Sometimes traveling can bring out the best in people, other times the worst. It is so important to have a positive attitude while traveling, and be open to having new, sometimes crazy experiences. This sounds super cliché, but it is true. Not to bash on Miami, but lots of people here are negative Nancies, and I hate it! I realize my favorite people to travel with are optimists like me, who realize we are on this great adventure and want to take advantage of everything that comes our way. Yesterday, I decided sort of last minute to spend the day in Trier, Germany with one of my best friends here- Allie. We had lunch in Lux City, boarded a forty minute train, and then shopped around Trier for the afternoon. The shopping wasn’t as great as we expected (more aimed at people older or younger than us), we sort of got lost, and we could of complained. But we just enjoyed it and took in the city and the beautiful weather, it is such a nice place to just enjoy and people watch, what got off to a rough start turned out to be one of my favorite days here! I love how Allie is positive too and just up for anything, I think it is why we click so well. Also, traveling in a huge group can have advantages, but overall is not ideal. 3 or 4 people is best I think. Even 2 is nice. And though it can be lonely, I think being alone- even for a few hours- can be good for you. You really learn what you like when it is just you alone, and it teaches you to trust yourself and go with my instincts. In a way, it makes you have more confidence when you make a decision- like when I went to the Writer’s Museum in Dublin alone- and it turns out well. You feel proud of yourself and just more capable in some way.

-You can’t control other people and you just have to let them make their own choices. I don’t want to go into too much detail, but this has to do a bit with my roommates here, who have struggled with relations with my host family and just don’t seem to be enjoying their stay in Lux. For a few weeks I was quite worried about them, and tried really hard to encourage them to have fun, take advantage of their time here, communicate with our family etc. In the end though, I am realizing it just isn’t my responsibility. All I can do it be a good friend and roommate, and they have to figure out the rest. I shouldn’t spend all my time worrying about others who control their own fate.

Hope this post is not too boring, just wanted to get these thoughts out!

Have a good weekend guys!!

Care

Hi friends! I know I have been MIA for a bit, what a crazy past week it has been! I seriously feel like the past few weeks I have completely gotten in the groove of being over here and I just want to say that I love it! I feel like time is flying so quickly and I cant believe I will be home in less than two months. I am just trying to soak in everything and take advantage of all the opportunities before me . I am using a piece of advice someone once told me before- “JUST GO” whenever anyone asks you to go somewhere, attend an event, do whatever (within legal and moral bounds of course) and I’ll tell you it works! I just went bowling-ok its different its called Jus de Quai over here- in Differdange using this motto, and it was so fun, I am so glad I went. But anyway, let me recap my last weekend trip, which was absolutely fabulous.

My weekend began on Thursday because I decided to be a rebel and skip Friday classes. After a lot of debates and scheduling out different possible routes, I decided to leave on Thursday evening for my very early Friday morning flight to the land of the green. I had plans to go to the cooking class that was being offered in Lux City, so I did that for the 2 hours before I had to catch my bus. It was a wonderful experience, let me tell you! A former teacher at Miami in Luxembourg and her husband, both who are retired and the nicest people you will ever meet, opened there home to a group of 8 of us and taught us the secrets of French cooking. We had a glass of wine and appetizers when we first arrived, and over quiche, brie, roasted duck, and veggies, we learned a little about French dining traditions and one another. I also volunteered to learn how to properly open a champagne bottle- so watch out, now I have the skills! Then we moved to the kitchen, where we prepared our first course- a smoked salmon salad. We used a cookie cutter circle type thing to stack seasoned fresh tomatoes, raw and smoked salmon, and rice mixture together, and placed the tower on a bed of greens. I was a little hesitant about the raw salmon, but when we got to enjoy the fruits of our labor, I was pleasantly surprised! Yum, I will have to make this salad for you all when I get home. Next, we began to prepare the main course- potatoes au gratin and veal with mushrooms, but since I had to leave, I actually got served first. Our instructor’s husband, Felix, an adorable Italian guy, was super kind to me and helped me prepare my veal on my own and then served me my own plate. He also gave me a cup of chocolate mousse with all of the fixings that the girls would be preparing later on for my bus ride, and it was so good! The night was such a treat, and even though I had to leave early, they were so accommodating it didn’t feel like I missed out! One of the coolest parts was hearing about our teacher’s life in Luxembourg. Her first experience with Americans was when she was 5 years old and the American soldiers liberated Lux City (it was 1945) from the Nazi invasion. She still remembers the sweet American named Jamie who rented a room from her parents and gave her an orange as a gift, a sweet treat she will never forget.

Extremely full and content from the cooking class, I then had to switch into independent travel girl mode and head back to the central train station. I made it and caught my bus to the airport without a problem. It had only a few other passengers, so after eating my chocolate mousse, I easily laid out and got a few zzzs. I didn’t sleep great (I was so full of wine and food!) but it was ok. When I arrived at Frankfurt Hahn airport, a shuttle was supposed to take me to my hotel, but I couldn’t find it and the number I was supposed to call just kept ringing (thanks a lot to Kyle who got online for me and tried to help) so I ended up getting a cab which was just a few Euro. I checked in the hotel and slept for a few hours, before rising quite early to head back to the airport and catch my flight. Finally, by 9 am, I was in Dublin! I know this sounds extremely intense, but it actually was totally fine! I was proud for navigating the plans on my own, and really had only a few minor problems. I am getting a lot better at not sweating the small stuff, and I really just went with the flow and it all worked out!

At the Dublin airport I had to wait an hour or so for my friend Clare, who is studying in Lyon, to arrive. I grabbed a scone (I love scones, so good) and coffee at a restaurant (actually it was more of a bar I guess) and enjoyed getting a quick glimpse at what awaited me in Dublin- everywhere I looked very friendly people were downing Guinesses, and it was 9am! They know how to have drink, that is for sure! After awhile, Clare arrived and it was so exciting to see her walk through the arrival gate! We hugged and squealed like the sorority girls we are, and headed to catch a bus to the city center. On the ride, we chatted our heads off and caught up on oru lives for the past few months and exchanged notes about our different programs. It is so interesting to hear about Clare’s experience abroad, and I really want to write about that at some point but it will have to wait a little bit I think. When we got off of the bus, we made our way to O’Connell Bridge, where our hotel was. We had been walking for about 5 minutes however, when Clare suddenly covered her face with her hands and said “AH, MY BAG!” She had left her duffle bag underneath the bus in the luggage compartment! She still had her purse with all her valuables, but all her clothes were gone! This was the one major downer of the trip, even though Clare called the company right then and many times after, her bag was never found! It was sad and I felt really bad, it was my fault as well, we were both so caught up in talking and just so excited to see each other that we completely forgot. Luckily, Clare is one of the most down to earth and laid back people ever, and she really did not let the lost bag ruin our trip. She was obviously a little bummed, but she really took it in stride and just focused on enjoying the weekend! Yay Clare for being awesome.

But anyway, after a few moments of stress, we made it to the hotel, which was lovely! Clare’s Dad had heard we were thinking of going to Dublin and were struggling to find a hostel, and he surprised Clare by booking us a room in a super nice hotel in a great location right near the city center!! I am so thankful to him, it was awesome! The hotel was extremely accommodating to us, and the room was like a palace compared to some hostels I have been in! We were able to check in upon our arrival, and put our stuff down and freshened up a bit. We then headed out to explore the city!

We first walked down O’Connell Street to another main road, Grafton Street, which runs right by Trinity College. We took in the lively atmosphere, the streets were bustling already in anticipation of the weekends activities- it was both the beginning of St. Patricks Day celebrations and a huge rugby match- Wales v. Ireland- and Dublin was packed! We window shopped and people watched and continued our chatting session. We made our way to St. Stephen’s Green, an enormous and beautiful park and walked around a little. One of the things I loved about Dublin was just walking through it and exploring. Unlike other cities with tons of tourist sites that you feel compelled to visit, Dublin is more about just taking in the atmosphere and vibe of the city and people. It was really refreshing to visit a place like that, especially with a close friend, and I felt a lot more relaxed on this trip than I have on others! It was great.

After walking for awhile, we realized we were hungry and thirsty. We started walking towards the Guiness Factory- I know I just said Dublin doesn’t have a ton of super touristy attractions and its true but this was one- where we had heard the tour was great. We stopped for lunch detour on the way at a really cute place in a red building called Queen of Tarts that had been recommended by both our guidebooks. We got a leisurely lunch of sandwiches and coffee and split two lovely baked goods for dessert- a cupcake and carrot cake, both treats that reminded us of home! After lunch, we were full but still thirsty and continued our quest for refreshement in the form of beer at The Guiness Factory at St. James Gate! The tour was mostly self guided, but really neat and interactive! Although it was mostly one big advertisement- or perhaps more of a temple that literally worships Guiness- it was fun to see and experience. The building is shaped like an enormous pint of beer, and you slowly make your way to the top of the beverage as you go. Our least favorite part was the section on transportation and keg building, which dragged a bit. Our favorite part was at the Gravity Bar at the very top and end of the tour when you are treated to a pint of the gold itself! I have to say, I thought I hated Guiness, but it is not too bad, really it reminds me of coffee. I can’t drink a lot of it, but the taste can be nice at times. The lady who poured our pints did so using the double pour which is standard in Dublin and supposedly gives you the best possible glass of the stuff. She even made a shamrock in the foam which took a great deal of skill! The Gravity Bar is a glass circular room that offers great views of the city and had a really fun atmosphere. I especially liked how quotes from classic Dublin literature was written on the glass and helped point out the sites in the distance. Nice touch, Guiness, you really know how to reward visitors after a tour!

In a random twist that again shows what a small world we live in, Clare ran into a friend from high school (she is from Houston, TX) at the beginning of our tour!! He is studying abroad in Spain and was visiting Dublin for the weekend as well. We actually met up with him and some friends later that evening for a pub crawl which turned out quite fun. Before that though, we took brief naps at the hotel- both of us had begun to feel the effects of traveling all night- and showered and freshened up. Then we headed to the Temple Bar Area, basically the place where all the pubs are concentrated and there are major ragers in the street- and grabbed dinner at an Irish style restaurant. Both of us had cravings for meat and had juicy burgers and chips which really hit the spot! Then we joined up with the pub crawl Clare’s friend was on and visited 3 more pubs and one nightclub in the Temple Bar region. All were a blast and so full of energy and people! We especially had fun dancing at the club where they played a ton of American music that we jammed too! Twas a lovely night out with a good friend.

The next morning, we rose and enjoyed a hot breakfast at our hotel before venturing out for the day. The big rugby match that was being held at the large stadium Corke Park was starting in a few hours and literally everyone in the streets was wearing Green (Irish) or Red (Welsh). They were clearly pumped for the game, and even though we didn’t have tickets (they were sold out and super expensive), so were we! We spent the morning walking around- we explored Marrion Square a bit where a carnival was being set up- and shopping, I was surprised by the great quality of stores in Dublin! Clare picked up some items to get her through the weekend, and I know this may be shocking to some, but I did not buy much. I guess I just didn’t find anything I loved and also knew I literally could not fit anything more into my one bag on the plane haha. I did buy an Ireland rugby shirt however so I could fit in with the crowd and support the home team! Clare and I had been told if we wanted to watch the match in a pub we would need to get there a few hours before kickoff, and after debating a few other options like taking a tour, we decided to have a really authentic experience and just go for it. It took a few tries to find a good pub, one we walked in was full of drunk Welshe men and just too intense, but we ended up getting bar stools with a great view of the tv at one. We sat for several hours, sipped beers, and watched the game with a packed bar of fans. It was so fuN! I don’t know much about the rules of rugby, but we picked up some stuff and it was easy enough to follow! It is so rough and makes American football players with all their pads look like sissies. Favorite parts of the afternoon included the older lady next to me who kept whispering to me about the “dishy” quality of Ireland’s players and the barmen, as well as the one time when a player’s shorts got pulled down and we saw a full moon (the lady told me then that was definitely her favorite part of the games haha).

After the match was over, we grabbed a snack at Dublin’s major chocolate shop and walked around and browsed some more. We hit up a souvenir shop where I got a funny gift for my niece, and explored the streets on our side of the bridge.

We were pretty exhausted after our day (the few pints in the afternoon probably didn’t help) but we still managed to have a nice night together! After showers and a little downtime we went out to dinner in a nice area nearby our hotel that we had found on a previous walk. We chose an Italian restaurant that had great food even though our waiter was slightly strange. We had a long, leisurely kind of meal that included an appetizer, wine, and pasta, and it was nice to just unwind and catch up more. We then headed back to Temple Bar to join in the celebrations that were taking place- I forgot to write that Ireland won the match! We went to several bars, in one of my favorites we got Irish Coffees and watched tons of funny drunk people dance, at another we had some serious talks with a few Welshmen. An older Welsh farmer bought us Guinesses- sounds creepy but it wasn’t like that, people in Ireland are just super friendly and love to talk- and we talked all about the UK’s role in the EU. I had just been tested on this info in my politics class and was able to really have an educated conversation which him about the advantages of the Euro and Britain’s governances of its provinces that was quite fascinating! We talked to another Welsh guy who was unfortunately far less friendly- he was some type of extreme nationalist and basically believed everyone in Whales should speak Welsh or leave and Americans had no culture because there is diversity! Kind of a whack job and not exactly pleasant, but we exited the conversation with ease and made our way to the next bar. I guess in a way it is also interesting and eye opening to meet these types of people- they exist! When we got back to the hotel we were exhausted and I fell right asleep!

The next morning, we sort of had an alarm mishap. I had forgotten that Ireland was an hour behind Lux and still set my phone for 8am like we planned. Clare’s blackberry automatically did daylight savings time, so both our alarms went off at the same time and we slowly got out of bed. Only after I had showered, we had gotten ready, and eaten breakfast downstairs did we realize it was 8am and we had woken up at 7 on accident!! Ooops! It was pretty fun how both of our alarms were mixed up. Anyway, we decided to just take advantage of our early rise and walk around a bit. We headed to Marrion Square- we had walked on one side before but wanted to go around the whole thing. It is a really cute area- all the homes have bright colored doors- and it was a nice walk. We saw they were setting up for a market/festival that was starting at noon and I made a mental note to head back later. Clare had to leave at 10:30 or so because her flight was at 12. I, courtesy of Ryan Air’s weird flight times, wasn’t leaving til 7pm so I had time on my own in the afternoon. After the walk in Marrion Square and a stop in the uber nice and pretty Marrion Hotel, we headed back down Grafton street and Clare caught a bus to the airport. It was sad to say goodbye, for a sec I thought I might cry! But it was ok because I get to see Clare again this weekend- I am going to Lyon to visit her!

I was bummed to see Clare go, but I thought the day could be interesting. I never have really traveled- like besides getting somewhere- completely alone so I was trying to think of it as an adventure. I decided to keep myself busy and right after Clare left I went on an 11am tour given by the company that I have done tours with in other cities. I was in a relatively small group with a guy named Richard who was from Dublin and was in school studying law. He was really knowledgable and it was nice to learn some of the history of Ireland, which I was a little hazy on. We started at the Dublin Castle, where the 1916 rebellion took place and which isn’t really much of a castle anymore. Ireland’s history is marked by a pattern of invasion, foreign rule, and rebellion, which is sad but also interesting. We also saw the birthplace of Jonathon Switft- who wrote A Modest Proposal- the satire which suggests to eat babies in order to solve the problem of Irish poverty. Then we walked through the Trinity Bar area, which was still raging even at noon on a Sunday, and saw the place U2 had one of their first successful gigs. They wanted to celebrate after and get a drink at the hotel across the street but were unfortunately denied entrace. They vowed to buy the place when they were rich and famous, and that is exactly what they did! Now they have lots of events there and our guide said you can see Bono walking in and out. He also said most Irish think Bono is the most egotistical man on the planet, but they still love him and U2 concerts sell out in minutes. Kind of like America’s relationship with Oprah or Tom Cruise perhaps?

From there, we walked to Trinity College, which Clare and I had somehow missed, and it was really beautiful! What a cool and historic place to study that would be. I learned a bit about the admissions process from our guide and found out admission is based on a point system and college in Ireland is free (I’m jealous). We ended our tour by St. Stephen’s green and the Irish Parliament, where we heard more about the 1916 rebellion which eventually lead to independence in 1922. We also saw the house where the writer of Dracula, Bram Stoker, lived and wrote. Most people don’t’ know that lots of the ideas about the famous vampire are of Irish origin! A trivia fact for you- Dracula comes from the old Irish words for bad blood.

After the tour, I decided to head to the festival at Marrion Square that was being set up earlier. It was so cute! It was geared towards kids, and I saw a ton of adorable little ones dressed up for St. Patricks day and with their faces painted. I wandered around for awhile and just people watched. I grabbed lunch- a delicious baked potatoe and later a cupcake with green frosting and just took it in. I realized at this point that traveling alone can be quite lonely, especially at a thing like that which was full of families and couples. I decided to do something that would keep me more preoccupied and went in a few shops in the area that Clare and I had missed. I checked out some bookstores and browsed, and then decided to spend my last couple hours at a museum- I looked on the map and saw the Dublin Writer’s Museum was nearby – and made a spur of the minute decision to go in. I am really glad I did! It was really cool and interesting- Dublin has produced a ton of famous writers included Joyce, Yeats, Shaw, and Wilde- and it was nice to learn more about them. The free audio guide gave you an informative synopsis of their lives and works and also read you an excerpt from one of their pieces in an in character voice. The museum was housed in a gorgeous old town house that really complimented the contents well. The time flew by in there, and before I knew it, it was time to go. Being alone had its advantages when I caught the bus to the airport, there was only one space left and I grabbed it since I was solo. Flying home and getting the bus and taxi to my house all worked out with only one glitch. I had a reservation for a 10:15 bus to Lux and our flight was supposed to land at 9:45 but was late. I had 15 minutes to depart the plane, go through passport control, and run (and I mean sprint) to the bus terminal after there was a problem with my passport (we don’t really have visas so the guy was giving me a hard time), and it was close! I made it right at 10:15, and was breathing very heavily! After about 10 minutes of calming down and getting my heart to stop racing, I fell asleep for the 1.5 hour trip. I was home and in bed by midnight!!

Overall it was just a very nice weekend and I am so thankful I could go!

Now to finish the St. Patricks celebration I am headed to the local bar- Dass Boot. Yes it is 8am, but Miami has this tradition of celebrating Green Beer Day back in Ohio, and they are taking the tradition here. They are extremely serious about it (almost as serious as the Irish are about Guiness and sports) and everyone will be getting there early. Call me crazy, but its part of my “just go” policy!

Happy St. Patricks Day to you!

Care

PS- that test I was studying for last week on the way home from Berlin- I got an A+! Woohoo!

A Magical Week for a "Nice Girl"

Hello all! I am headed out to begin quite a busy day, and I just wanted to blog a bit before I go! Today I have one class, then I am going to a museum in Lux City for another class. Right after that I am going to a cooking class that Miami is sponsoring, the first 8 people to sign up get to go, and I am one of them! We will be cooking a French meal with a Luxembourgish lady who used to teach at MUDEC. It should be really cool, I love cooking and baking so it is right up my ally! I have to leave an hour or so early, though, to catch a bus and head to Frankfurt Hahn airport. I’ll arrive at the airport around 1130 or 12, and stay in a hotel nearby for a few hours so I can get some rest. Then, I’ll fly to Dublin at 7 am and meet my friend and sorority sister Clare! Crazy day huh?! I cant wait though, I think today and this weekend will be awesome.

Just a little recap of the week, which I have to say, was probably my favorite week so far in Luxembourg! Monday wasn’t too eventual, I had my midterm and that evening blogged a bit and caught up on sleep. On Tuesday, I went for a walk in the afternoon in Differdange with my friend Allie, and while we just planned on grabbing coffee at a nearby café, we ended up chatting and walking for like an hour and a half! When we finally did get coffee, we also split a chocolate praline filled easter bunny, which was one of the most delicious things I have eaten in Lux. Yum. Later that afternoon, I rode the train home with a few girls I am friendly with but don’t know too well, and they invited me to go see a movie with them that night at a theatre in the city. I was planning on just doing work and resting, but I decided a movie sounded like too much fun! I met up with them a few hours later and we took a bus to this really cool mall/theatre complex I had never seen before called Utopolis. It was huge and really nice, I definitely want to go back sometime to shop. It was Ladies' Night at the theatre, and for 7 euro we got admission to see “Dear John” (which was in English with French and German subtitles) plus a free mini bottle of champagne and a goody bag! It was so cute, the theatre was filled with girls and had a great atmosphere. The movie was very good as well, I read the book about a year ago and remembered the plot line, but I actually think I like the movie better (the ending is really good). It did make me a little sad though (ok, I am a sap and cried through the whole thing), but I think that was mostly because it is all about a long distance relationship, something I myself am quite familiar with.

Wednesday at the chateau confirmed for me that this program must have been created for me, it was Harry Potter Day!! Since we take classes in a castle, there are obvious comparisons to Hogwarts, and the day was fabulous. On Tuesday, we were sorted into houses (I magically was picked for Gryffindor, by far the best house) and everyone wore their house colors on Wednesday. Kyle, who knows me too well, had sent me about 20 HP Valentines in a package, and they came with these sweet hologram badges that said Gryffindor. I gave them all my house and everyone was quite impressed. (I know I am huge nerd!) The HP movies played all afternoon in the cafeteria, and that night we had a huge feast in the great hall! Our chef, Stephan, really went all out and made an amazing meal. There was chicken, roast beef, shepard’s pie, kippers, potatoes, sausage, crepes, porridge, blood pudding, and onion soup! For dessert, there were donuts, my favorite! It was seriously one of the best meals we have had at the chateau. Before dinner, each house had to fill out a trivia quiz, and of course I was one of the lead thinkers for our team. Unfortunately, we came in second, poor Hufflepuff won which is nice for them because they are normally so lame. We got tripped up on questions about the wood that makes up the firebolt (its ash) and the dragon Fleur takes on in the Triwizard Tourney (it’s the Welsh Green). After the feast, I concentrated on a different type of witches that aren’t so cool and worked on my final witch hunts paper for a few hours (it is due on Tuesday). After writing a few pages, I went to Das Boot for a glass of wine. It was nice because I chatted with some girls I don’t know too well and learned more about them. When I returned home, I began packing, and finished up this morning. I am flying Ryan Air, and not checking a bag, so I can only bring 1 item (meaning I have to stuff my purse and computer in my backpack when I go through security and they check it). It can weigh 10 kg, and I was proud to see that when I weighed it this morning it is only 9! This means I have one kg to work with for Irish souvenirs! Hahaha.

Ok, one more funny thing that happened this week. My friend in my witch hunts class forwarded me an email from our professor and told me to click on the link he has in his email signature for his blog. She told me to scroll down to an entry called “Great Moments in Teaching" and I would get a laugh. I did this in the beginning of class and just about fell out of my chair. I will give you the link in a sec, but before I just want to preface this by saying that the witch hunts are a very bizarre topic, and a huge part of the accusations was the idea that witches were seduced by a very sexualized and erotic devil. I am not trying to make my blog triple XXX but we have talked about some pretty kinky things in class, and while we all giggled in the beginning, eventually we just kind of got immune to it. Witches supposedly ate babies, danced naked, and had sex with the devil and goats at the Sabbath, a sort of ritual gathering in the woods that they attended! I am not making this up, we have read a bunch of scholarly articles about it! Anyway, so when we acted out the witch hunts in class, we had to discuss these types of accusations. Read about it yourself from my teacher’s perspective- http://eurotravhist.wordpress.com/ Can you guess who yours truly is? Hahaha.

Have a good weekend all!
Care

The Berlin Experience!

Hi everyone! I am writing to you from somewhere in the middle of Germany! I am currently on a train headed back to Lux from Berlin. It is about a 7-8 hour train ride, so I figured I would be productive and start working on this (I could also study for my test that is tomorrow, but blogging sounds far more fun…)

I just want to start by saying that Berlin is very hard to characterize or compare to other cities. I can honestly say it is unlike anyplace I have ever been. It is not romantic like Paris, or beautiful like Rome, or charming like Luxembourg city. It is actually really ugly and a little dirty. But it is also incredibly interesting, and very very alive. I know that is a kind of stange word to describe a city, but that is the vibe I got. Berlin felt like it was emerging, and just full of people and craziness. Although it wasn’t my favorite city that I have seen yet (Paris and Rome are pretty darn hard to top), I am so glad I went and experienced it. It was just so different, and refreshing really. It wasn’t my favorite city, but it was one of my favorite weekends of traveling if that makes sense.

But to start off the story, we begin on Friday. After classes we ate a quick lunch at the Chateau and caught the 1 o’clock train to Lux City. I just want to mention that we rode the train with Peggy, my museums teacher who is awesome, and she complimented my packing skills- she couldn’t believe all my weekend stuff was in my one small backpack. When I told her I used it for an entire week at carnival, she was even more impressed. I can’t believe I have become so efficient! I swear, it is the backpack, which has earned the well deserved name “the magic backpack” from my friends (kind of like the magic school bus). Anyway, we arrived in the city and caught the 2:24 train to Berlin. We only had to transfer once (in Cologne) and it was really easy. I spent the train ride talking to my friends, doing some studying, listening to music, and watching part of a movie (The Prince and Me, a really random movie that happened to be in my computer on accident- I watched it on Tuesday when I was sick). Overall, the ride really wasn’t bad. I was with Kelly, Margaret, and Allie- the three girls I went to Italy with and have been traveling with- as well as my roommate Ali, who we had invited along. There was actually a whole group of other Miami students going to Berlin this weekend, so we hung out with them some too. Towards the end of our train ride, we had some wine, in anticipation of going out and joining Berlin’s supposedly crazy nightlife when we arrived. In the end though, by the time we found and checked into our hostel, it was close to 11:30 and the wine and long day of travel had made us exhausted. We decided to go to bed so we could wake up early and have a full day and be able to go out the next night! Before bed we had some funny talks about old PBS shows (I think because the magic backpack got us thinking) and I told my friends a funny bedtime story about a porcupine named Bertha. I promise I had not drank too much, I was just in a loopy, tired, silly mood.

The next morning, we stuck to our word and woke up EARLY! No joke, we got up at 6! We really wanted to visit the top of Reichstag building, and we had heard the line was really long all day, so we wanted to arrive right when it opened at 8am. We were a little tired still, but thankfully we had decided to rest up the night before. We made our goal though, and after a quick breakfast stop at Dunkin Donuts (Germans really like American stuff and there are tons of DD’s, Starbucks, McDonalds and Burger Kings all over Berlin), we made it to the Reichstag at about 8:15. We only had to wait in a 10 minute or so line and go through security, and then we went up in an elevator to the glass dome structure at the top. Just some history for you, the Reichstag building houses the German Parliament or the Bundenstag. The outside of the building looks as it did during the Weimar Republic (the democratic state in Germany after WWI until Jan 1933 when Hitler came to power), but has recently been recreated inside and with this really cool glass dome thing but the architect Norman Foster. The original Reichstag burnt down (there is suspicion that it was done by Nazis) right after Hilter came to power and he blamed it on a Communist conspiracy that he then manipulated to gain unlimited dictatorial powers from the aging President Hindenburg. Hitler hated the Reichstag’s liberal and democratic spirit, and actually never set foot in the building. After WWII when Germany was divided, the building was not used because the Western Republic had their capital city in Bonn and parliament operated from there. With unification, the capital was moved back to Berlin and in 1999 the Reichstag, with the help of Norman Foster’s amazing architecture, was reopened for business. It really is a neat building and the architecture is symbolic of this long and difficult history as well as a bright, hopeful future. There is a walkway in the dome that curves around up several levels and we walked along that with the free audio guides. The man on the recorder guided your tour, and told you where to stop in order to get the best views of the city. He pointed out what a ton of buildings were, and it was really useful to help understand and get oriented in the city. At the top, you could see all the city, and even though it was freezing, we stayed up and enjoyed the view for a few minutes before heading back down. We were so glad we got up early and were able to visit the Reichstag, it was a really cool building and I loved learning all the history. I feel like I am doing a bad job explaining the architecture, so google a picture so you can know what I am talking about!

We had planned on going on a free tour of the city that was offered at 11 after the Reichstag and we were so on top of things that we were early! We had about an hour to kill and spent it walking down the main road that runs through the Brandenburg Gate and is modeled after the Champs D’Elysee in Paris (it is nice but nothing can top Champs D’Elysee for me J). We did a little bit of shopping, which included a visit to my new favorite store Zara and also a souvenir shop where I bought an extra pair of socks because my feet were frozen and I knew they wouldn’t last on the 3+ hour walking tour haha! At eleven, we met the tour which was run by New Europe, the same company who had run our tours in Paris, and was really great. We got in a group led by an Irishman named Brian who was very knowledgeable about the city and also funny. In a random twist, while we were waiting to be sorted into groups I saw a guy wearing a UVA beenie hat, and I decided to ask him if he went to Virginia! Turns out he- and his friend do- and are in my grade! They ended up being in our same group and so I talked to them a little bit about good old Charlottesville! What a small world! They were a little awk so didn’t become best pals, but it was cool to talk to someone from UVA nonetheless! But anyway, the walking tour was really informative and we were able to see all the main sites in the city. We started with the Brandenburg Gate, the main symbol of Berlin and one of the only buildings not destroyed in WWII- 90% of the city has been rebuilt since 1945, how crazy is that?! The gate was built in 1791 before German unification as a symbol of Prussia, the militarily strong state that Berlin was the capital of for hundreds of years. We stopped by the Reichstag’s exterior- which at this point had a huge line outside- and heard Brian’s take of the history. Then we saw the Memorial to the Victims of Holocaust which is right near by. It is very modernist and open to interpretation, essentially it is just a huge maze of concrete columns of varying heights. You can walk in between, and you almost get lost wandering through. We had some time to go off by ourselves, and it was pretty emotional. I really like this kind of monument that is thought provoking and engaging rather than just a traditional statue or something that tells you exactly what and how to remember. The museum we went to later was a lot like this as well, but more on that later. Then we walked over what used to be the Bunker where Hitler hid out for the last months of the war and committed suicide in. It is just a regular parking lot now, but it felt so strange to be in a place where Hitler lived and died. Then we saw the only remaining Nazi building in Berlin, which housed the flight department. The architecture was very intimidating, and tried to present a strong, threatening image. There was a communist mural on the building that had been put up in the 1960s which was also interesting (we were in East Berlin). It portrayed communisim in the best possible light, celebrating equality and hard work in a very simple way. I don’t think communism was really like this obviously, but it was cool to see.

Ok- running out of battery on this train, but Ill finish tomorrow!

Hi! I am back. To resume…. From the Nazi building, we walked more throughout East Berlin. We saw another segment of the wall and our tour guide told us stories about people who tried to cross the wall and escape to the West. My favorite one was about a pair of lovers, the man had an very clever plan to sneak his girlfriend back and it worked temporarily, but in the end he got caught and had to spend 2 years in jail. Most of the stories ended with people being caught, it was very, very hard to get away with trespassing to the other side. I cannot imagine living in a city that was so split in half, and it is so amazing to me that it was in my lifetime (or just before it). Berlin is full of such interesting and recent history, it is mind boggling. After a pit stop for a really good lunch in what we described as a German panera (a salad with tuna and olives may have made an apperance), we walked on to the biggest square in East Berlin which had two enormous churches- one Catholic, one Protestant- and then ended our tour on museum island- which houses 5 very well known art and history galleries. Overall, the tour was great and I feel like I learned a ton. The only downside was that it was freezing, Kelly called Berlin “Brrrlin” and man was she right! By the end we all needed to go inside, so we warmed up with some hot tea in a little café. Then we headed to another neighborhood to go the Jewish History Museum.

Ever since last semester I had been wanting to go to this place. I wrote a paper last semester for my DMP class comparing different historical treatments of Holocaust Memory, and one focused on modern and postmodern monuments and museums devoted to the topic. I read a whole chapter about the Jewish museum in Berlin to which an additional wing was added on in 2005 by architect Daniel Libeskin. It was quite controversial when first built and really challenges visitors. None of the walls in the building, except for one outdoor room- the garden of exile- has straight or parallel walls. I was quite intrigued when I read about it, and when I planned to go to Berlin I knew I wanted to head there. Luckily, my friends were great sports and said they would come along to so we spent a few hours there in the afternoon. It is hard to describe what it was like, part of it was a pretty “regular” museum (although it was quite interactive and very well done) while the new portion was very odd and thought provoking. I really liked the way it presented the information though, the section on the Holocaust left you feeling both overwhelmed and extremely sad, but also made you question a lot of things and really wonder what it was like to be there. One part, the Holocaust tower, was just a huge outdoor space with enormous concrete walls and only a tiny slit for narrow light. It was quiet and made you reflect and think. The combination of my museums class, my history class, and my paper last semester made the museum especially relevant for me, and I really enjoyed going.

I know above sounds depressing, but after the museum we did something that was really fun and cheered us up a great deal! My friend Allie had a friend who lives in Berlin and we met her for dinner! She suggested her favorite Mexican restaurant that was in the center of the city and we had a ton of fun talking to her and enjoying delicious food. She was an exchange student at Allie’s high school for a year back in the day, and they hadn’t seen each other for 4 years! I know Allie loved seeing her, and it was really fun to talk to a local. She is actually studying to be a vet in Munich, but had a little break and was home in Berlin. I know Mexican in Berlin sounds random, but the food was great and the atmosphere as well- it was packed with locals.

After dinner and a margarita, we headed back to the hostel to get ready for the night out. At this point, we met our 6^th roommate in the hostel, a guy named Mark, who funnily enough was from Ohio (where all my friends go to school). He kind of walked in at an awkward moment, I had literally just begun changing and had said I really hope our random roommate does not walk in when the door handle began to turn! I bolted to the bathroom just in time, and he was greeted with a room of 4 girls laughing hysterically. He was really nice and had just graduated from Ohio State and was doing some traveling. After quick naps and getting ready (Mark left so the room was clear), we headed up to the Hostel Bar to get our free drink that we received for staying there. We had heard that Berlin had wild and crazy nightlife, and we were not disappointed! That night was a blast. We met some boys at the bar who went to Virginia Tech (crazy how many people we met from our homes that weekend), and went to a club with them later on. It was a huge place called Club Soda (get it?) that was in an old converted factory and had about 6 dance floors, each with a different type of music! We literally danced all night and had so much fun. We stayed out very, very late, but it was worth it. My guidebook said “Berlin is bigger than Paris, up later than New York, and wilder than Amsterdamn” and I would have to agree with that statement! Berliners know how to party!

The next morning, we slept in a little later and enjoyed breakfast at the hotel after we slooowly getting our selves moving and packed. Our train was at 1:48 so we didn’t have a ton of time, but decided to hit up a flea market that had gotten rave reviews in a few of our guidebooks. It was really cool and a great way to spend the couple of hours we had. There were booths selling everything from handmade jewelry to vintage clothes, to random knickknacks, and we just browsed. I picked up a really unique scarf for only a few euro and also bought a thing of hummus (woo hoo!!) from a homemade food stand (sidenote- I just ate a hummus and cheese and veggie sandwich for dinner and it was awesome!) I also got a piece of apple steuseul from a vendor that was delicious. We got to see the bohemian, alternative side of Berlin which makes it really edgy so that was cool. The market actually reminded me of a similar thing I went to in Portland, Oregon a few years ago with my friend- Portland is the only place I have been with a vibe sort of like Berlins!

We caught our train back at 1:48 and after many, many hours we made it back to Lux around 11. There were some problems and we had to switch more than expected, but it was ok. It was most definitely a long train ride and I would not recommend such a far distance every weekend, but it was doable once and I am so glad I got to visit Berlin. On the train, I studied some for my midterm that was today and got a few more hours of sleep. Today, (Monday) was a pretty good day and my test went well I think. I am trying to figure out some travel plans which is a little stressful- turns out all the Parisians go to the South of France for Easter and train tickets are booked and pricey, but otherwise I am doing good. I got to skype the BF Kyle for a good amount of time today, and it was nice to see his face since we hadn’t in awhile. Upcoming events for this week include a Harry Potter night at the chateau (so excited), a cooking class Thursday night in Lux City, and flying to Dublin on Friday! I am so excited, I am meeting my friend Clare from UVA there and it will be great to see her! I am slightly nervous to travel alone to get there, but I know it will be fine. I will keep you all updated!! Hope everyone is having a good week.
Thanks for reading!

Care

Travel Plans!

Ah! So I have been here for almost 2 months, which is crazy and means I only have 2 more months left to go!! It is wild, but I pretty much have all my travel plans made for the rest of my adventures, and I thought I would share them so you guys had an idea where I will be going! (If you have been any of these places, feel free to share advice)! Not everything is completely booked and set in stone, but here is what I think it looks like now...

This weekend (March 5-7)- Berlin. Going with the same girls I have been traveling with plus my roommate! She is a lot of fun and I think will bring a breathe of fresh air to our group! Looking forward to seeing the wall, Holocaust museum, and Berlin's nightlife!

March 11-14- meeting my friend Clare from UVA in Dublin! Beyond excited to see her and celebrate St. Patty's day!!

March 19-21- Going to Lyon to visit Clare and my cousin Meredith! Again, so excited to see these girls!

March 26-April 2- WEEK WITH MOM AND DAD IN PARIS! AH!

April 2-6- I have these awkward few days off after my parents leave and before I have to meet in Prague I was not sure what to do, but I just made plans to go to the south of France- Nice and Marseilles, with my sisters roommate Jill who is in Geneva for the semester! It will be so great and hopefully warm enough to beach it a bit!

April 6-11- Prague, Auschwitz, Crackow for field study tour

These two are not definite, but very, very likely

April 9-11- Amsterdamn. Tulips are my favorite flowers so I hope they will be in bloom! Also will be great to see Anne Frank's house.

April 21-25- As our last hoorah, my friends and I are going to skip one day of class and go to Barcelona for an extended weekend! My lovely sis Jay will be ever to give us a great guide of everything to do and hopefully it will be warm enough for the beach! Very excited!

May 7th- Home!!

Can you believe this because I cant really. Ah. Its a lot to make all these plans, but so fun to see it all come together.

Hope everyone is doing well and I hope my wahoo friends enjoy spring break!! I am thinking of you guys!

Care

Classes Update!

Hey guys! So despite what it may seem like if you have been reading my blog, my life is not all travel and adventure. 5 days a week I take classes in the lovely Chateua du Differdange, and I thought it was about time I give you a brief update on how they are going. Overall, classes are far easier than at UVa, but I still have to do work during the week, it is not a complete joke. It has been wonderful to not be so stressed out about school and really focus on other things that just seem more important right now. All my friends at UVA, and Kyle and my Mom, can attest to how hard and stressful last semester was for me, so this has been a fantastic break and just relaxing time. I feel like I am still learning a ton, both in and outside the classroom, but I am focusing less on my grades and more on understanding the content of my classes to benefit me, not to please a teacher. This i quite refreshing, and I am going to try to take this lesson- that I should not obsess so much about grades- back with me to school. I have been finding that I am still doing just as well when I obsess less, so I realize what a waste insane stressing can be. Anyway, sorry this is so philosophical, just a few things I have been meaning to write for awhile but keep forgetting! But here is a brief recap of my classes:

-History of Witch Hunts- this is the class I went on my travel tour with, and I love it! The professor is a really cool guy with a lot of diverse interests, and I feel like I have gotten to know him pretty well. Sometimes class can get a little boring, but overall it is engaging and fun. A highlight was when we acted out different types of witch hunts, I played the role of the accused witch in the most severe type of hunt! It was pretty hilarious, and I was sadly burned at the stake in the end!

-Rise and Fall of Hitler- This is a great class and I have learned a ton about the Third Reich from it already. My professor is a well known European historian, and he lectures each class and gives you a ton of information. It is structured a lot like the other history courses I have had at UVA, so I feel pretty comfortable with his style. In a few weeks we will be going to Prague, Auschwitz, and Crackow together for what I think will be an incredible experience. I am so interested in trying to understand the Holocaust (I know I will be writing my thesis on something relating to it), and I really think this experience will be life changing. Our professor graded our first exams pretty hard, but I got an A-, which I was ok with. There were only a few As in the class, but he was tough! I think he just wants to encourage us to read more!

-Museums- This class is taught by an American lady who is here with her husband who is also a professor and teaches architecture. She is pretty young and really cool. Like I said below, this class has made me rethink a lot of my understanding of museums and every time Kelly and I visit one, we end up relating it back to our class somehow. I am even considering writing my thesis on museum representations of the Holocaust, I am going to the Holocaust Museum in Berlin this weekend and I am hoping this will inspire me somewhat...

-French- I really like this class as well. My teacher is a very chic French women and she is so nice. We have learned about all the different regions of France (which is helpful for travel plans), French politics, and French families- this was funny because we were comparing French and American weddings and I was an expert on the later from my maid of honor experiences with my sisters! This class isn't a ton of work, and very small, so I have gotten to know most of the girls in it which is nice. We are going to go to Metz together one Thursday afternoon with my teacher which will be neat.

-Politics- Ok, so all these rave reviews means there must be one dud. This is it. Although my

professor is interesting, he is not so great at teaching. He drones on and on, and it is quite hard to pay attention. Everyone is on their computers in class, and he doesn't really give useful information that can't be found in the book. It doesn't help that we have it for 4 hours on Monday with only a lunch break in between. I have my midterm on Monday for this class, so I hope it goes ok...wish me luck!

Ok hope you enjoyed this scholarly update!

Care

Oh Paris (Par-ee)

Hi guys!!
Sorry this blog post is long overdue, to be honest since returning from Paris I have not had the best week. I was exhausted when I returned on Monday, and I think something I ate gave me food poisoning, I ended up getting sick Monday night and it was not exactly fun. But on Tuesday I rested a lot after classes and today (Wednesday), I feel a ton better! There has also been a little drama with my host family that I might as well fill you in on. Basically, I am the favorite. This may sound like I am bragging, but its true and, like my illness, its not exactly fun. On Tuesday, when I was still not feeling well and was at home resting my host mom came to tell me that my two roommates would not be receiving their portion of bread for breakfast for the rest of the week because they were disrespectful and rude. I, on the other hand, had been nice and followed the rules, so I would be allowed bread. She talked to me about my roommates for a good 15 minutes, and it was so awkward- I didn’t know what to say! Then I told her I was sick, and about 10 minutes later she came down with a tray with a plate of rice and tea to settle my stomach. It is so weird how nice they are to me, but how mean they are to my roommates! I know my roommates have broken a few rules, but taking away food is extreme. We talked to the housing director soon and she was going to talk to them (they really aren’t allowed to do this), so hopefully it will get sorted out. It just did not make for a pleasant experience to have to tell my roommates they would not be getting bread in the AM. But anyway, I need to stop complaining!! I had a wonderful weekend and am headed to another fabulous destination in two days (more on that later) but here goes the Paris Recap…..

We took the 1 o’clock TGV train from Lux City and arrived in Paris a little after 3pm (it was a short ride)! We set out to find out hostel, but unfortunately the directions we had were terrible and we were quickly lost. We arrived in Gare de L’est, but had to walk from Gare du Nord, so we first found Gare du Nord. We asked the tourist center for better directions and they gave them to us so we set out. Unfortunately, our first impression of the streets of Paris was not so great. We were in this strange neighborhood that was sort of a mix of a fabric district/ a kind of China town but Indian/and the Ghetto. There were tons of strange African and Indian men staring us down as we walked, and I am not going to lie, it was slightly scary. But, I was so gung hoe about Paris that I so badly didn’t want to be disappointed, so at the time I just kept telling myself, this is fine, its just like NYC Chinatown, its kind of quaint. Looking back though, I realize I was secretly thinking “what the heck?!” When we arrived at our hostel, which was in a much nicer neighborhood (it sort of miraculously and quickly changed from ghetto to nice) and the check in man gave us a map, the first thing he did was draw a huge X through the area we just walked through. He said “this is not safe. There is no reason to go there. Don’t go there at night, actually don’t go during the day either!” We realized we had been in this exact area, and understood that we had just walked through one of Paris’ worst neighborhoods! We laughed about it and I know I was thrilled to discover that hopefully the rest of Paris would be better than the part I had just seen (or else all of my childhood dreams would have been shattered haha).

After putting down our stuff and freshening up, we headed out to explore our neighborhood a bit. We were in the bohemian artist district of Paris known as Monte Mare, right near the Sacre Coeur church. We walked around a little and saw it was a lot nicer than the area we had walked through before! We also picked up some crepes for a “snack” which were being sold at little street stands everywhere. Since coming back from Italy, I have been on a weird tuna and olive kick (nat, I know you would be proud I randomly love olives now), and I got a tuna, egg, and cheese crepe. It sounds weird, but it was amazing! I couldn’t even eat it all and I was so stuffed. The crepes ended up holding us over all night and we never even got hungry for dinner! But now it was time to brave the metro. The map is intense, and looks quite overwhelming, so we were a little scared at first. But it was actually really easy to figure out! We were staying in the Montemarte area of Paris, so we really had to take the metro to the center area and a lot of other districts, and we did it all weekend! We were experts by the end. It is so easy to use and very quick as well. I am glad I sort of figured it out before my parents came so I will be able to show them how to use it as well! But on Friday, we took the metro to L’Arc de Triomphe/Champs D’Elysee Stop. Our hostel man had recommended getting off there and walking the hour or so to the Louvre. He said it was about an hour walk, but very nice and scenic. When we got off the metro, walked up the stairs and saw the Arc in front of us, just as the sun was about to go down, I fell in love with Paris right then. After our walking through the ghetto experience, I was so relieved to see Paris I had always imagined- gorgeous, bright, full of life. It was so pretty and just exhilarating! We took a ton of pictures and began our stroll. Champs D’Elysee, one of the most famous streets in the world, is lined with world class shops, restaurants, and hotels, and has huge wide sidewalks that our perfect for strolls such as ours. We just took it all in. Walking down that road was one of my favorite parts of the trip, it was just all so Parisian. At the end of the street, we reached the famous Egyptian Obelisk, and walked around the Tuliers Gardens (they were closed at the time since it was after dark) on Rue du Rivioli. We saw the Eiffel Tour in the distance, and even saw it sparkle and flash, it does this every hour on the hour and night! It was so cool and surreal to see something in person that you have seen photographed so many times!

Eventually, we reached the Louvre. It is free for students after 6 on Fridays, so we took advantage of that sweet deal and went our first night! Since Kelly and I would be coming back to Paris with our families, we told our friend Margaret, whose birthday it was on Saturday, that she could decide how we wanted to spend our time. She wanted to hit the Louvre, but was not too interested in spending hours upon hours there and was mainly just wanting to see the Mona Lisa and other really famous stuff. We walked through this basic route and it was really interesting to see. In my museums class (which is awesome and has really changed the way I think about visiting museums and other tourist experiences) we have talked a great deal about the Louvre and how was the first and probably best example of the universal survey museums, which grew out of the Enlightenment ideas in the 19 ^th century. Museums like this tell the story of art history, and in doing so, celebrate national pride. It was really neat to be able to understand this as I walked through the story which starts with the Greek and Roman classics (we saw Nike of course), then moves to church/pre renaissance art, then the Italian Renaissance, and finally culminates in French painting. We walked through all of these rooms and I really did love the Louvre. The building itself, and the display tactics, are beautiful and it really does a great job of showing off the art. It was quite exciting to see the Mona Lisa as well! I know a lot of people are disappointed when they see her, I have been told by a ton of people that she is much smaller than imagined. Knowing this, I was expecting her to be tiny and was actually surprised how BIG she was. We looked at her from a variety of different angels, and it was cool how her eyes always followed you. I swear, she even winked at me!

After our Louvre experience, we grabbed the metro and made our way back to Montemarte. It was pretty late at this point, so after a quick detour at the hotel to change, we headed out into the Parisian night. We decided to stay close to our hostel (don’t worry, in the nice area) and we found several really fun bars that had a very local vibe. Almost everyone in them was Parisian and speaking French, so I got to practice my language skills a ton! I was actually complimented on my French, although some people had trouble with my funny American accent. We stayed at a cute place with 4 euro mojitos (a steal in pricey Paris) for awhile, and then visited one other bar. We didn’t have too crazy of a night, we knew we had a full day ahead of us the next day and wanted to be functioning in the morning! Still, it was a blast (we found out the next day from our tour guide that the bars we hit were very happening and local, so we were proud of our discover), and we got one whole bar to sing Happy Birthday to Margaret in French, so it was a success!

The next morning, we woke up and had breakfast. We showered and left the hostel by a little after 10, our hostel had some brochures advertising a company called New Europe that offered completely free tours of the centre of Paris for free everyday at 11 and 1. Being the thrifty budget travelers we were, we decided to check it out. We thought it would be a good way to get our bearings in the city and learn a little bit more about the famous things we were looking at! It turned out to be a great idea! The tour was really informative, but had a very young vibe- our tour guide was a hilarious 20 something Australian named Jacqueline (or Jacq for short- of course reminding me of my sister), and our tour was mostly full of young American or Australian students. Jacq told us a lot of funny stories about Paris along the way, and did not bombard us with too many intense facts and figures. The tour started in the Latin Quarter, and then went to Notre Dame, then along the Seine to the famous bridge Pont Neuf (where I learned Carrie and Big got together on Sex and the City), then to the Louvre, through the Tulier Gardens (which I loved), up towards the Egyptian Obelisk, and ended near the Arc De Triomphe. Jacq pointed out what a lot of the buildings were, and I am really looking forward to being able to go back and actually go inside a lot of them. The tour was close to 4 hours, but it did not feel that long! I won’t tell you all the stories and history I learned, but I’ll try and remember it to fill Hondo and Linda in. One of the funniest things we learned was about the faces that are built into the side of the wall along the Seine near the famous Pont Neuf bridge. Turns out one of the Kings, I think Henry IV, had them created to represent his friends after a long and crazy night of partying at the palace. When you really look at them, it is clear they are drunk! I would like to take a perhaps more historical tour of the city at some point, but this one was great for the weekend! We had a lunch break, and grabbed great sandwiches at a cute place near the Louvre. We also (I know this is lame but don’t hate) got Starbucks, which was quite exciting! Luxembourg is not known for its coffee (my witch hunts teacher is actually now writing a book on the cultural history of coffee, and he agrees) and you cannot get a big cup of coffee to go ANYWHERE. It is all very tiny (think Dixie Cup) and just sometimes not satisfying. It was great to get a great big Starbucks while in Paris, I am happy to admit it tastes just like home.

After the tour finished, we headed to do the most quintessential tourist thing in Paris that is absolutely necessary, climbing the Eiffel Tower! There was a very long line that we had to wait in, but the one we chose (taking the stairs most of the way until the very end when you have to take an elevator) was significantly shorter than taking the lift all the way, so that was a break. When we made it to the front and began climbing, the stairs were quite steep and it was a little scary to be on the outside. I realized most of the things we have climbed so far (it seems like we do at least one trek per trip) have been inside, so this was different! But it was really cool and as we got higher and higher, we were able to see more and more of the city! When we made it to the end of the stairs, on the second platform, we had to wait in yet another long line to take the lift to the top. Honestly, I think the view from the second platform was even better than at the top, so if I did it again, I may have just stayed there. The top was really cool though, we had learned from Jacq that on average there are several proposals a day at the top- don’t forget, this is where Tom Cruise proposed to Katie Holmes- how cheesy Tom! We were sad to not witness one, perhaps it was because the weather was deteriorating and it was getting drizzly and windy. We didn’t mind though, we were supposed to have bad weather all weekend, and all day Saturday until then had been absolutely gorgeous! It was sunny, and it was great to see Paris on such a beautiful day! I had been able to just wear a light jacket and sweater, which was perfect! Sadly, this beauty had ended by the time we were at the top of the Eiffel though it was quite windy, notice the crazy hair in all my pics! I think when I come back with my parents I would like to climb something else, perhaps the Arc De Triomphe or this office building thing that Jacq recommended, because honestly although being at the top was cool, what is a view of the Parisian skyline without the Eiffel Tower in it!?

After descending the tower, we headed back to the hostel and freshened up and then went out for Margaret’s bday dinner! We went to this place in the Montemarte area that our student activities coordinator and Jacq had recommended called Relais Gascons. I am not sure exactly what that means in French, but the food was excellent!! They had huge salads that came in big wooden bowls and were top with thinly sliced fried, seasoned potatoes! My salad had my two new favorites- olives and tuna (don’t worry no signs of mercury poisoning yet)- and a bunch of other stuff. It was so big I couldn’t finish it all, but I loved it! After dinner, we headed to pub crawl sponsored by the same company who ran the free tour. It was Marg’s 21^st, so we knew we had to do something really fun! The pub crawl did not disappoint, and included entry and drink specials at 4 bars in Montemarte, and entrance to one sweet disco right off Champs L’Elysee. It was really funny and we hung out with a lot of Americans and Germans. The only strange part was when I was randomly not allowed in the disco from the huge line- and held aside for an arbitrary 5 minutes by the intense bouncers- I guess my outfit wasn’t cool enough? Eventually though, I was let in, and we danced with Parisians until the early morning hours…

The next morning we all woke up pretty tired, but excited to sightsee for a second day nonetheless. Unfortunately, our morning plans sort of fell through. We debated between shopping and a museum, and when we picked shopping and headed towards the famously huge malls Galleries de Lafayette and Printemps, they were closed. By then it was too late to see a museum, so we went to a place called Angelina’s by the Tuliers gardens for hot chocolate. My friend Diana, who is studying in Paris now, recommended it and said the hot chocolate would change your life. She was not kidding, it was FABULOUS!! We each got a little cup and some macarrons and it was lovely. I cannot wait to take my Dad, the kind of all chocoholics, to this place when he comes!

Next, we took a tour of the Montemarte area with the same company who had sponsored the pub crawl and the free walking tour- we obviously really liked them! It was neat to explore the area around our hostel and learn a lot about its history. We saw the last windmill in Paris, the restaurant Picasso used to eat in (he was so poor he had to draw pictures of the waitresses in exchange for a meal), and the house Van Goh lived in. We also went in Sacre Couer and got a great view of the city from its front steps. Our tour guide, Tyler, had been on the pub crawl and remembered us. He was young and did a good job enlightening us about Montemarte’s unique past- it was and still is the bohemian and artistic center of the city . We also met an independent traveler named Jay- he was from Orange County. At the end of the tour, we got a complimentary glass of wine at a cute bar in Montemarte, and it was fun to talk to Jay and Tyler about their adventures in Europe. It is crazy, they both just picked up and left the states and are basically just trying to get by in Europe completely on their own. I used to think this sort of backpacking, bohemian life may be for me, but being abroad has made me rethink that. I love Europe, but I also love my friends and family and I don’t think I could stand to be away from them for an indefinitely long period of time. Its just too much and I have too many roots back home in MD and VA. Also, I enjoy showers, proper hygiene, and cute clothing too much!

But anyway, after the tour and wine, we were going to visit the inside of Notre Dame, but Tyler told us it would be closed this time on Sunday which was a bummer, but we decided to make the best of it and go with plan B. A bunch of people, including Diana, my friend Bridget who spent last semester in Paris, and our student activities corner, and our guidebooks, had recommended visited this place L’As du Falafel in the Marais area- the Jewish quarter of the city. I love falafel but Kelly and Marg had never had it, but with so many recommendations (it was also listed in 2 guidebooks, and Lenny Kravitz has proclaimed it the best falafel ever- I think he is an expert?) we decided to head to the area and check it out for a few hours before our train! We were so glad we did. It ended up being one of my favorite neighborhoods, and I can’t wait to go back and explore it more. It was very lively and had tons of neat restaurants and cute boutiques. Also the falafel, which came in a delicious pita with yummy sauce and vegetables, was great! I converted Kelly and Marg and now they are fans of the treat. I hope I can talk my parents into trying it! After eating, we browsed some of the shops and I found adorable, old fashioned romance postcards that will go great in my Parisian style room. We headed back to the train station in time to catch our 8:30 train back to Lux, and I was at home by 11. Overall, it was a great trip, I loved Paris! It surprised me how metropolitan and diverse it was. There are so many neighborhoods and museums I want to explore, again I will mention how excited I am to return with my parents! Basically I am freaking out and cannot wait for them to come!! We are going to have so much fun!