Thoughts..

Hey all! I am done finals- Hooray!!- and I will be back in the USA in 2 days!! I cannot believe this chapter in my life is coming to an end, it has been such a fun, crazy ride, and I am going to miss it so much. Here is the list I started about what I will miss when I leave....I'm going to continue to add to it, perhaps even when I get back home....

Things I will miss:
-going to school in a castle
-taking the train to school every morning (I really like this relaxing/socializing/homework doing time each day)
-blogging about all my life experiences and having a written account of what is going on in my life
-Gerard bakery- which is located right across from the chateau and has incredibly delicious chocolates, cappuchinos, and pastries
-walks and runs throughout the gorgeous Lux countryside, especially the bike trail right near my house that I am in love with
-making new friends who have become awesome parts of my life
-meeting up with old friends for fun weekend trips to places like Dublin, Lyon, Nice, and Amsterdam
-putting up facebook albums on time (because we all know I will go back to my old ways when I return)
-going on school field trips in college to begin with, and the fact that these trips are to amazing places like France, Germany, Poland, and the Czech Republic
-having European professors who have lived through what they are teaching you about
-my two American professors- Dr. Thurston and Peggy- who have been so amazing and helpful and who very likely are responsible for my scholarship. I hope to keep in touch with both of them and they both volunteered to serve as unofficial advisors on my thesis next year
-Zara and Mango- my favorite Euro stores, as well as H&M, which is way better over here
-going away to awesome places everyone weekend!! I can’t even begin to describe how sad I am to stop this awesome traveling adventures that have been the best times of my life.
-bonding with people on trains, planes, automobiles, and buses…basically anything that gets you from here to there. It is true that more fun can be had on the journey than the destination.
-the MUDEC family, which has become SO WONDERFUL I can’t even describe. It is amazing how close everyone has gotten! When my parents came, I told them I had met a lot of great people, but no one who truly compared to my BEST BEST friends back at school and home. I want to take this back now...I have become SO close with some awesome people, and I am so sad to say goodbye!! I hope we can visit each other next year!
-Italian gelato. No explanation needed.
-Das Boot and Bofferding beer. Again, no words needed to describe.
-have so many days off from school its hard to count
-not being anxious about schoolwork.
-abundant and cheap Nutella and Speculous- too of the most delicious spreads ever created


So much more, I just cant write it now...


Ok, another thing I want to mention. As most of you have probably heard, a girl one year older than me, from Cockeysville and who goes to UVA, was brutually killed Monday morning. She, and the suspected murder, are star lax players at UVA, and the story has gained national media attention. I didn't know Yeardley very personally (I think we met one or two times) but we had many mutual friends, and a girl I grew up playing soccer with for many, many years, was her best friend. I am so saddened by this news, and have not been able to stop thinking about it and following the stories since Monday night when I heard. I feel connected to her somehow- we were from the same place, chose the same college, and knew many of the same people. I am so sad for her family and friends and am just praying for them and hoping they can somehow get through this. I read this article online, and thought it shared a lot of my feelings right now. Thought I would share the link
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/andrew-katz/dealing-with-a-tragedy-th_b_562946.html

Love you all!

Care

Good Old USA

Things I have missed/am looking forward to in the USA:

-HOT shower and a bathtub!!

-when smiling at people as you pass by is not somehow suggestive

-Mexican food-ah guac I want you so bad!

-SMOKE Free restaurants and bars

-bagels, especially from Bodos in cville

-having my own kitchen so I can cook anything I want and more importantly, BAKE

-when water is never sparkling and always free and I am able to break free from this perpetual state of dehydration I have been in since January

-warm chocolate chip cookies and raw cookie dough

-soup, sandwiches, bagels, and coffee from Panera Bread

-Grauls chicken salad and turkey sandwiches from Take It Away in cville

-grilled chicken and vegetables on the grill that my parents make

-weekends at Sunset Island and finally being able to go to Jamaica, USA (i.e. SEACRETS)

-Starbucks and just the idea of a LARGE cup of coffee

-libraries where I can study, there are lots of English books, and you can buy unlimited coffee (weird, but I have really missed having this type of study space)

-having a top sheet on my bed (for some reason I only have a flat sheet and then a comforter at my host families)

-not having to worry about where my passport is at all times, which hostel I am staying in that weekend, if my bag will fit Ryan Air standards, if flights will be cancelled because of volcanic ash, unpacking and repacking every few days, if I will get pickpocketed etc - and all the other anxieties/worries that come from traveling all the time!

-when things are open late and on Sundays and not closed for a looooong lunch break midday

-the convenience of just getting in the car and driving where I need to go

-Pizza from Christians in Cville and Italian Gardens at home

-Salad bars and salad in general

-access to lots of movies and tv- I have barely watched tv or movies at all while I’m here and I don’t actually miss it that much but I am really excited to just veg and have a movie date night with Kyle when I get home J

-RUNNING on the NCR trail, going to classes at the gym, and just generally getting back into a work out routine and better shape

-reliable wifi

-Archs frozen yogurt and peanut butter sauce (ah cant wait) and TCBY

-the dollar and not having to convert my currency using a very depressing exchange rate!

-being clean and doing laundry more than once a month

-grocery shopping in a store I know that has a huge selection!

-being able to read every

-and of course, what I miss most of all…all the wonderful PEOPLE who make my life great and who I appreciate so much more now that I have been without them for SO LONG particularly: Kyle (so excited to be reunited at the airport in 5 days), my sisters, brother in laws (or soon to be), and adorable niece Gabby, my Mom and Dad, my grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins (fake and actual), all my lovely Wedge friends who lived on Page 1^st Right in our first year, all my Tri Sig sisters and friends, and my friends from HS (especially the newly engaged DANA POIST)

AH- I am working on doing the reverse of this, things I will miss when I leave LUX, but I cant write it all down now (it is too long and making me too sad) so I will post when I can. Gotta go study!

Love you,

Care

Wonderful Week in Review

Ah! So I have been slacking on blogging this week, but I have just been busy having so much to do, I just haven't sat down to write!! But I wanted to give a day-by-day recap of what has been happening in my life! So here goes:

Monday: I had my Politics 321 final this day, so most of the morning and afternoon were spent in class and studying. The test went well, and I think I clinched a good grade for the course! Later that night I went to the Bible Study that Kelly leads. I actually am not so religiously inclined that I feel this was really for me, but I mostly wanted to go to show support for my friend Kelly. It turned out to be really laid back and relaxed and I enjoyed just chatting with several girls from the program. After the study, I made an appearance at Das Boot, that turned out to be hanging out with Cody and his friends for quite some time. A group of them all came here together and I have become pretty close with them!

Tuesday: I had class in the morning and that afternoon I went for a walk with my friend Allie (confession: our several times a week walks often include stops at the 1 euro/1 scoop gelato place in Differdange) after lunch. I had really been wanting to go into Lux city for an afternoon, but sadly I was the only one of my friends who didnt have class, and I couldnt find anyone to go with me. I decided to just be brave, however, and go by myself. It turned out to be so fun! The weather was perfect, like high 60s/low 70s, and I first headed to the city center. I walked all around and browsed in a ton of cute boutiques I had never known existed. I went to my favorite European store, Zara, and bought a great pair of blue strappy shoes that would match both my prom dress and dress for Mike's wedding that I just couldn't resist. I also found a large carnival/fair thing going on near the city center in honor of the upcoming holiday (May 1st- National Worker's Day- is a big deal here) and I walked around and took in all the sites and sounds. On my way back to the train station, I found a little trail that lead down to this park and the Grund, the area of Lux City in the valley that is down below most of the city. I walked on the trail for awhile, and found a bench in a gorgeous setting, where I just sat and took it all in. It was a great afternoon, and I found myself appreciating Lux City so much more. Seeing it in the spring in nice weather when everything is in bloom is so different than the brutally cold winter, and I find myself falling more and more in love with it each time. I have been wanting to explore the city more, and I am so glad I took Tuesday to do it and hope I can visit a few more times before I leave. That night, I gave myself a pedicure and manicure in anticipation for the next days prom and watched a movie with my roommates. Fun times.

Wednesday: This day was largely devoted to one of the best activities of the year: MUDEC prom! So. much. fun. I went home right after class, and got ready with my one roommate. I wore this dress I bought in the fall from Anthropologie that is quite spring and fun and looked quite lovely if I do say so myself with my new Zara heels. I had a lovely date in my dear friend Cody who is adorable and asked me via a facebook event entitled "will you go to mudec prom with Cody?" Sadly, I didn't actually see the event (this is why you should not ignore facebook events) but Cody told me about it right when we arrived and we immediately decided to be dates! We had a blast together and I am going to miss him dearly next year! Prom began by taking a few pics at the chateau, then we headed to a river boat cruise on the Moselle River. It was amazing and just the perfect beginning to the night. The weather was gorgeous, everyone looked great all spifed up, and the wine was flowing. I just mingled and had so much fun talking to all these people I have come to know so well! People joke about how MUDEC is very high school all the time, and while it can be a bad thing, it is also so cool how close everyone has become. I am going to miss them so much! But anyway, from the boat cruise, we then went to a fancy restaurant outside Differdange for dinner and an awards banquet. They awarded about 6 scholarships, and I was so happy when they announced the first one and Cody was the winner! I was shocked when they gave away the other one in that category (for academic achievement and admirable Luxembourg citizenship) and I won! I really had not been expecting it and was just thrilled! Its kind of a blur when I went up to receive the award, I just remembering smiling a ton, shaking the deans hands, and laughing when the whole room burst into the chorus of "Sweet Caroline." For some reason, everyone loves that song here, and I get serenaded at least once a week- even more when I go out to the boot at night haha! Anyway, it was a pretty special moment and I am so thankful for the committee for choosing me! After the awards, we ate a delicious dinner, chatted with everyone, and I thanked my two professors who I had a strong suspicion nominated me for the awards. Then, we headed downstairs where there was a bar and huge dance floor! The rest of the night was pretty wild, and may have rivaled my actual prom in how fun it was (only thing missing was the famous Kyle). We danced up a storm and had so much fun!! Ill always remember that night as a great ending to my wonderful semester!!

Thursday: Luckily I did not have class this day, and I think most people were happy about this. I did come into the chateau for lunch and then stayed most of the afternoon to work on my museum box that I wrote about earlier. I am happy with the way it turned out and will have to show it to you guys when I get home! Last night, I went out to dinner with Margaret, Ali (my roommate), and Kelly to the Italian place in Differdange that is really nice! We had a fun time laughing about and recapping all the craziness from Prom the night before. I did some homework when I got home and relaxed.

Friday- That is today! I had class this morning and now am just hanging out in the cave writing this blog. I am thinking about going out in the city tonight, but I have not made a decision- I need to be rested up in store for Beer Olympics which is taking place tomorrow. Yes, MUDEC is having beer olympics in a Luxembourg park, and yes, I will be representing and honoring my Virginia heritage as a member of the Confederacy team wearing all the Southern clothes I own.

Wish me luck.....

Care

Last Weekend Traveling Post!!

We started off by splitting up and each visiting a museum we had not seen before on our previous Parisian adventures- Kel went to Musee D’Orsay and I went to L’Orangerie, a museum that had been recommended to me by many Paris experts including my friend Bridget. The Orangerie is a small, lesser known museum near the Tuliers Gardens that permanently houses Claude Monet’s famous water lilies, some of the most famous paintings on earth. Monet’s waterlilies are a huge favorite of my grandmother’s, and I have always associated them with her. In my travels through Europe, I have realized that I really love and connect most with impressionist and postimpressionist art, and Monet’s paintings are right up my alley. I was extremely lucky because I got there right when the museum opened (Kel and I got up literally at 4:30 am to make our 6am train to Paris so we got there by 8:30 and to the museums by 9) and had time to take in the waterlilies without huge crowds! I was even able to sit in one of the rooms (8 huge works line 2 oval shaped rooms) and just stare at the incredible colors and details of one of the works for quite sometime with only one other person. It is amazing how big the paintings are, their size alone makes them masterpieces. I think Monet was a genius and his paintings are so powerful. I spent most of my time in the Orangerie just sitting in front of the waterlilies (I decided the one with the willow tree is my favorite), but I also went downstairs and saw their temporary exhibition, which housed the works of abstract modern artist Paul Klee. Although Klee’s art wasn’t really up my alley, it was an interesting exhibit. Klee was one of the German intellectuals who was fired from his academic position and exiled from the Third Reich under the Nazi regime, and I enjoyed reading about his struggle. Overall, I highly recommend the L’Orangerie (especially if you can get there when it is not crowded) and am thankful I had the chance to go back to Paris to visit.

After my visit, I had a little bit of time before Kel and I were supposed to meet back up, so I strolled through the Tuliers Gardens, up to the Place de la Concorde, and up the Champs D’Elysee. I got a coffee and a crossaint- because I was in Paris and why the heck not- and just took it all in. It is amazing what a few warm weeks will do, this was Paris in full spring bloom and it was fantastic. There were flowers and greenery everywhere, and I am so so glad I got to see the love of my life at this time of year, which I have heard is one of the best.

Kel and I met back up at 11:30 and headed over to the Marais district for some shopping and a lovely lunch date. The Marais district, which is near the George Pompidou center and used to be the Old Jewish Quarter, is an up and coming Paris district that reminds me a bit of Soho in New York, and was supposed to have great shopping. I was looking for a dress for my cousin Mike’s wedding (which I am going to literally the day after I land in the US next week) and Kel and I spent a considerable amount of time browsing the cute boutiques for the perfect outfit. Unfortuantely, I never found anything that was quite right (or within my budget) but it was a ton of fun browsing, and I picked up one more cute souvenirs for my lovely sisters at home. We had an excellent lunch at an outdoor café- a crepe for Kel, a “ceasar” salad that was definitely not a real ceasar but nonetheless delicious for me- and just chatted about all of our times together. Kelly has for sure become one of my closest friends here at MUDEC, and I am going to miss her dearly when I depart! A digression, but it is really sad for me because I am one of the only non-Miami people in my program, and when they all leave they at least know they will see each other next semester, while I will be quite isolated down in good old Virginia. I am just realizing how close I have gotten with some people- Kelly being a primary figure in this group- and I will be really sad to say goodbye next week! But anyway, after a few hours in the Marais, we took the metro to Champs D’Elysee for one last stroll and shopping attempt, and although no clothes were purchased, I did manage to find a Paris Christmas Ornament, something I have looked for on all three of my trips and had yet to find. The one I got is extraordinarily cheesy, but I love it! At this time, I would like to briefly mention three of the very strange things Kel and I witnessed on our Parisian day just so I don’t forget, and you can ask them about me later. In our travels we saw a strange model photoshoot with a model in haute couture pretending to give directions to touristy American men, a crazed looking lady selling a Brazilian t-shirt and we also think herself, and a very realistic bird caller. These sights all made this trip to Paris quite unique, and provided a great deal of comic relief!

At 4, Kel and I had to take the train back to Lux, and we arrived at our homes by 7. Both my roommates were going out that night in Lux city, and despite their best attempts to talk me into it, the two nights of partying and 4:30 am wake up had finally caught up with me, and I just had to say no. I ended up watching Marley and Me on my roommates computer (shed many tears of course) and falling asleep really early! I was glad to finally catch up on rest!

The next morning, I woke up semi-early with plans to pack, get my roommates together (I am unofficially the Mom figure of our “home”), and meet Kel at the train station by 9 to head on our overnight trip to the Belgian coast. Right when I arose, however, my roommate Ali burst into my room to give me the news that she was talking to Kel on Skype and we did not have a hotel or hostel booked for that very night. Kel was going to book it when we got home from Paris, but her planned 20 minute power nap, turned into an all night of sleep, and when she woke up at 5am, the hostel we had planned on booking was full. It took some serious googling and skype chatting, as well as quick consultation with my roommates who with their hangovers and tired selves were voting to just go back to bed, to find a place and figure it out, but we did it! We booked a hotel and met at the train station only an hour later than planned despite the hiccup.

The overnight trip turned out to be great fun, and I think my roommates were glad I convinced them to come along. I had never traveled with both of them, and it was a nice sort of final bonding activity before we will leave each other and most likely never live together again! It was also cool because my first weekend trip had been to Belgium (it seems like only a second ago but also so long ago at the same time) and it was nice to come full circle with my traveling. This time, we visited Oostend, Belgium, a coastal town on the North Sea that the mean Esch man (the guy that sells you train tickets at one of the stations in Lux, had recommended that is about 20 miles away from Bruges, the famous medieval town I had visited way back when. Oostend was about a 4 hour train ride away from Lux, so we arrived there in mid-afternoon and checked into our hotel after getting strange directions in a mix of Flemish/French outside the train station from an elderly couple. Our hotel was really nice, and only about 50 meters from the beach and the main shopping drag. We spent that afternoon browsing the Belgian stores, eating chocolate gelato, and attempting to sit on the beach but it was somewhat windy and cold. The stores closed pretty early, but we still had a lovely afternoon. We headed back to the hotel after closure, and enjoyed some cheap wine and champagne. Then we went out to a really nice dinner at a restaurant on the water. On the way, we stopped and took some gorgeous pictures of the sunset, which was fantastic. Our dinner was quite lively, and we had some really interesting talks as well as delicious food- I got a salad with seared ahi tuna and thought of my brother in law- Co Temp! Kelly is a really devout Christian, and although we have briefly talked about religion, we have never had an in-depth conversation like we did that night, and it was really interesting to hear her perspective on something so personal. After dinner, upon recommendation from our young waiter, we went out to some bars along the main drag of Oostend. It was not the craziest city I have ever been too, but it was a lot of fun and just a good night with people who have become close friends!

The next day, we slept in a little, ate a hostel breakfast, and then shopped for a few more hours. Ali, my roommate who is vehemently opposed to all things girly, actually caved under my constant peer pressure, and bought a gorgeous little black dress for MUDEC prom- I couldn't of been prouder! I bought lots of Belgian chocolate to bring home to family and friends, ate one last Belgian waffle, and also found the PERFECT dress for Mike and Caroline’s wedding at long last. It is blue and white flower pattern and just fits really well- I love! We headed back to Luxembourg in late afternoon, just as it was starting to rain. We thought about stopping in Bruges, but the fact that we had already visited, and the rainy sky, prevented us. I had an exam the next day, and I took some time on the train ride to study (but lets be honest, I really just talked and laughed with my friends 85% of the time, and studied the other 15%).

A fun last weekend, and in the end made me think- "who needs Barcelona when Belgium and Paris are so nearby?"

Love you,

Care

PROM NIGHT!!

Hi! Ah I am sorry I have not posted anything on the weekend yet, I have been trying to write my recap but I have been so busy and just having so much fun with everything that has been going on I just haven't had time!! I wanted to post what I had written so far though and say a few things too.....

1. Today is MUDEC PROM!! I am so excited, I am about to start getting ready now. We are going on a boat cruise on the Moselle River, then dinner and an awards ceremony at a fancy restaurant, then dancing until the wee hours of the morning! Its going to be pretty awesome and I am excited to see everyone all spiffed up. I am also excited to wear my super cute dress and new heels!

2. CONGRATULATIONS TO MY BEST FRIEND EVER- DANA- who got engaged Monday!! I am so excited for her and Scott, they are going to have a great life together! Cant wait to see them when I get home and say congrats in person!!

Ok, here is what I have recapped so far...


Despite volcanic ash thwarting my original plan to go to Barcelona, I still managed to have a fun last traveling weekend of my semester! It was a disappointment to not see Spain, but I realized I had no control over the situation and stressing or worrying about it would not do anything. Instead, I just saw it as a chance to enjoy some places close by to Luxembourg and spend time with as many MUDEC people as possible. I have mentioned this before, but I think the greatest way I have changed over here is a serious decline in my stressed out level, I have learned how to go with the flow and not be so high strung! I saw that in myself this past week when I was able to cancel my trip, plan some new ones, and just go on with life, rather than getting totally upset and stressed out about a freak weather accident. Hooray!


I was supposed to leave for Barcelona on Wednesday, so I will start recapping there. I had class in the morning, went running, showered, and then went back to the chateau in the early evening. Our last Wednesday orientation activity was a concert with Tom Garcia, a music professor here who has performance degrees from Duke and Juilliard. He specializes in Latin American music and played a concert for us of traditional and popular Brazilian music. It was a little random, but I enjoyed it. From there, I headed to the Differedange park with my two roommates and a few friends for a picnic dinner. The park is in the main square of our little town of Diff, and now that it is FINALLY spring here, the park is gorgeous. There are tons of flowers, trees, grass, and fountains, and it is just a nice place to sit in and relax. It has become a bit of a tradition in the past few weeks for MUDECers to go to the park after class in the evenings and drink wine and hang out before a night at bars. Its quite fun really, and that night we joined in the tradition and added food. We ate a very French meal of bread, cheese, chocolate, and grapes, and drank a sufficient quantity of wine! It was a lot of fun, and that night at Das Boot turned out to be as crazy as ever. We even had a beer pong table set up in the bar somehow, and I played and learned that I am quite rusty after 3 months of inactivity…haha


The next morning, I was struggling (read:hungover) somewhat, but managed to make it to the Chateau for lunch. That day, our Student Activities Coordinator organized a group trip to Luxembourg’s own Bofferding Brewery, and after Barcelona was cancelled, I decided to sign up. Although I was in no shape to drink beer, it was a ton of fun. A huge group of us went and had our own private tour of their factory. Bofferding is I think the only beer brewed in Lux, and its slogan is that it is the “Secret of Luxembourg.” It is pretty decent and quite cheap so we MUDEC students have discovered the secret and drink our fare share of it, the boot must go through so many cans every Wednesday night! I have been on a few beer tours in Europe, and while this one wasn’t as high tech and intense as the Heineken or Gunniess ones, it was a lot more intimate, and we walked through the actual factory where beer was being brewed, rather than just a massive museum/advertisment like the other places. At the end of the tour, we had about an hour or so in the bar to enjoy UNLIMITED beer (people were pretty excited about this) and shop for souvenirs! I picked up a couple of shirts (one for myself and some for the special men in my life) and was glad to own a souvenir from Luxembourg, the place I live!

After the tour, I returned to the Chateau, where I, despite my partying ways in recent days, managed to write a paper that was due the following day. It was a pretty quick assignment for my museums class and did not take long at all. Later that night there was a concert organized for MUDECers at this local Portugese bar we sometimes go for Kareoke. Some guys in my program had met this guitar player on one of their first weekends traveling in Switzerland, and had convinced our student activities coordinator to book him for a concert in Differdange! I was on the fence about going, but decided to use my “JUST GO” policy and headed over there right before it started. It turned out to be great! The singer was an American guy who had apparently dropped out of the army and just travels around Europe now playing gigs. He played a bunch of really fun covers of American music, and it was nice to just sit back, relax and chat with friends while listening to his songs. I had every intention of going back to my house pretty early that night in anticipation of an early morning the next day but somewhere I got caught up in the music, drinks, and dancing, and before I knew it, my roommate and I were deciding to take the 11:30 train home- meaning we get home at midnight. (Sidenote: For all my UVA friends who go out at that time, and are laughing that I say 11:30 is late, remember this is Luxembourg, where I must rely on public transportation, and going out at 8 pm is late! Haha) Despite the fatigue I knew I would endure the next day, I had a really fun night and was so glad I had just gone with it.

Friday, was the last day of a wonderful, rich affair that I have been carrying on throughout my time abroad, not with a man, but with my favorite city ever, PARIS. I think I explained this before, but I had one day on my Eurorail left and sicne I had already prepared to skip class, I decided to just go for it and visit Paris for the day. When else in my life am I going to be able to just go to Paris FOR THE DAY!?! Sadly, probably never, so I decided to take advantage with my friend Kelly! It turned out to be a perfect day! We started off by visiting…..

Going to have to leave you hanging! Ill try to finish tomorrow!

Love you,
Care

I need your help!

Hey guys! I am going to write and update you about my weekend soon, but I just wanted to write this quick post and ask for your help on something. For my museums class, our final project is to make an exhibit about some aspect of our experience abroad in a post office box which we can ultimately send home to ourselves. I have chosen to do mine about the power of what words can convey, what they can describe, and what they can't. Obviously, I have been inspired by my blog, which I started on a whim and has become a hugely influential part of my trip. I am wondering, for those who read what I write, for which of my experiences did my blog really work? What read like it was easy to describe and really took you to the place? What came off as more challenging for me to convey? What could words just not describe, and pictures were better?

If you have any thoughts send me an facebook message or a comment on here! I just want to get some readers experiences of how my own words read.

Thanks and hope everyone is well!

Care

Seizing the Day in Lux!

Just wanted to write a quick post so I can remember today. Today started out like any regular day. I woke up, got ready, ate breakfast, and went to French class. I ate some of the icky school lunch they provide us. Then, since I had the whole day free and it is gorgeous out, I decided to go back to Bettembourg to run. I have a bit of a cold, so I wanted to take it easy, and when I started my run, I just wasn’t in to it. I made it to the absolutely lovely trail I found a few weeks ago, and thought “why not just take a walk so I can really take in this nice scenery that sadly I won’t be able to see in a few weeks?” I started power walking and found it quite agreeable. My ipod was playing a great mix, and before I knew it, I was doing a strange combination of walking, dancing, and singing all at once. I was the only one for miles on this huge trail that runs through the Lux countryside (although there were a few goats and cows) and I had a great time singing at the top of my lungs and busting out my hot dance moves (they are almost as good as my Dads ☺) while alternatively running, walking, and skipping. It was a perfect way to spend a sunny afternoon in Luxembourg. Sometimes running is just too intense. On those days, why not do as Lady Gaga says and “just dance?”

Hahah I can just imagine my friends- for some reason Noelle comes to mind- laughing their heads off at this. Probably won’t ever be able to live it down but oh well.

Gotta go get pretty and buy stuff for my park picnic!

Have a good day!

Care