Monday, August 3, 2009
One week left.
I really can't believe there's only one week left of my Europe adventure. I've been living like this for the past two months. Everyday being a new adventure and always on the go. It will just be so odd to go back to not living in a backpack and sleeping in a room by myself with air conditioning..It's been great and I've still got one week and I'm going to end it with a bang!
Monday, July 27, 2009
Update
It's been a little while but I've been lazy..Italy is beautiful. I had high expectations for it and it didn't meet up all the way but it made it pretty high. Venice looks just like it does in the movies..
I must say I am a little homesick..It's hard traveling on your own, even though hostels make it impossible to actually be alone. People are just always coming in and out of your life..It's hard getting close to someone and then saying goodbye and wondering if you'll ever see them again..BUt it's been a great adventure!
I signed my lease and faxed it. So I'll be in the house when I get back. :)))
PARTY AT MY HOUSE WHEN I GET BACK! Lol.
I'm off to Naples tonight and Greece tomorrow!
I must say I am a little homesick..It's hard traveling on your own, even though hostels make it impossible to actually be alone. People are just always coming in and out of your life..It's hard getting close to someone and then saying goodbye and wondering if you'll ever see them again..BUt it's been a great adventure!
I signed my lease and faxed it. So I'll be in the house when I get back. :)))
PARTY AT MY HOUSE WHEN I GET BACK! Lol.
I'm off to Naples tonight and Greece tomorrow!
Monday, July 13, 2009
I often forget that everyone I care about is 6 hours behind me.
Read the whole thing, it's worth reading!
My Geneva story:
So I took the train from Barcelona to Geneva, it only took 10 hours. I was so tired though that I just got on the train, ate, watched the sunset go into the mountains, and fell right asleep. I woke up at two though and had to go to the bathroom. So I walked back to the bathroom and at this time the train is going super fast! Do you know how hard it is to go to the bathroom at that speed!?! So it took me a little while. Then when I went to get out, I couldn't open the lock, and that took me at least 3 minutes to open. Then I stumble back to my room and it's locked. So I waited a couple of minutes for the girl inside to open it.
I climbed back into bed wanting to fall asleep but couldn't. So I stared outside the window, thinking about what my new house is going to look like since my roomie and mom are getting while I'm gone..Then I actually started to doze off but was awaken to the guy pounding on my door to get me off at my stop. It was 5:45 in the morning.
So I get off the train only to be greeted my french speaking Geneva people. I think "Oh no, not again!" Then I go and try to find an atm because they use francs here. The american dollar is actually worth more than it!! But everything is sooooo expensive here that it doesn't matter..So I guess they don't want people getting money out because there are no atm's to be found!!
I walk outside and I am greeted by beauty! So I start to head to the hostel and there I find out I have to wait till 7:30. So I walk back to the train station and sit there and wait. Then at 7:30 walk back to the hostel and put my bag in a locker because I can't check in yet. I like the hostel though. Then they give me a map with places to go and where it's at. Also they give me a pass that lets me get on free to trams, buses, and boats! Awesome! So I do what I do in every place when I get there, EXPLORE!
I just start walking towards the mountains. (If you know me, you know I'm not good with maps) The city here is pretty crazy but I cross this bridge and end up in the old town. It is so chill and beautiful. I sit there for a while.
It gets about lunch time and I realize that I'm hungry. So I go to the supermarket and everything is ridiculously expensive! I go to the grocery store to get food every where I've gone because it's cheap and easy. I mean sometimes I get a meal to try the culture's food. Maybe I just got used to how cheap Spain was..So I get a sandwich, bread, bananas, and some swiss chocolate to try. It ends up being 10 francs! In any other place it would not have been that much! But whatever it's going to last me for the next couple days.
I eat my sandwich, it was decent. Then I decide I want to go to the beach because it's a beautiful day and I need to work on my tan. Haha. I ended up sitting on a bench right in front of the lake. It was a beautiful sight. It's so great because I have no worries, nothing is occupying my mind except that moment, and I have no where to be. The great part of this trip is I really don't have a schedule or anywhere I need to be..It's nice and breezy. So I lay down and doze off.
I wake up and hour later still tired but hot. I get up to find out my bread's getting soggy and I'm sweating. I get up and start walking to the center. This city isn't that hard to get around..
I see a RailEurope and I go in to make a reservation for a train to Florence, Italy on Wednesday! Like everytime you have to make a reservation, you get a number, and then wait till it's called. I sit down and wait for 30 minutes to and hour. I don't mind to much, I have no where to be. But poor people in that small office becaus I smelled really bad. I haven't showered in 3-4 days and I'm in the same clothes I was wearing yesterday. You stop caring about what people think of you on this kind of trip because you figure none of them will ever see you again. Then I got my reservation, I have three connections and it's going to be an all day event. The lady was really nice, which is always a good thing.
I walked back to the hostel because I can now officially check in. Also I thought it would be a good idea to bring the Spanish siesta here. A siesta is a nap in the afternoon or after your meal. In Spain they close down stores for it, and then re-open after. I'm really thinking about bringing it to the states. I'll have to suggest this one to my boss. ;))
Then I got on here and NOW I'm going to go take a siesta. But maybe I should take a shower first!
Avoir!
My Geneva story:
So I took the train from Barcelona to Geneva, it only took 10 hours. I was so tired though that I just got on the train, ate, watched the sunset go into the mountains, and fell right asleep. I woke up at two though and had to go to the bathroom. So I walked back to the bathroom and at this time the train is going super fast! Do you know how hard it is to go to the bathroom at that speed!?! So it took me a little while. Then when I went to get out, I couldn't open the lock, and that took me at least 3 minutes to open. Then I stumble back to my room and it's locked. So I waited a couple of minutes for the girl inside to open it.
I climbed back into bed wanting to fall asleep but couldn't. So I stared outside the window, thinking about what my new house is going to look like since my roomie and mom are getting while I'm gone..Then I actually started to doze off but was awaken to the guy pounding on my door to get me off at my stop. It was 5:45 in the morning.
So I get off the train only to be greeted my french speaking Geneva people. I think "Oh no, not again!" Then I go and try to find an atm because they use francs here. The american dollar is actually worth more than it!! But everything is sooooo expensive here that it doesn't matter..So I guess they don't want people getting money out because there are no atm's to be found!!
I walk outside and I am greeted by beauty! So I start to head to the hostel and there I find out I have to wait till 7:30. So I walk back to the train station and sit there and wait. Then at 7:30 walk back to the hostel and put my bag in a locker because I can't check in yet. I like the hostel though. Then they give me a map with places to go and where it's at. Also they give me a pass that lets me get on free to trams, buses, and boats! Awesome! So I do what I do in every place when I get there, EXPLORE!
I just start walking towards the mountains. (If you know me, you know I'm not good with maps) The city here is pretty crazy but I cross this bridge and end up in the old town. It is so chill and beautiful. I sit there for a while.
It gets about lunch time and I realize that I'm hungry. So I go to the supermarket and everything is ridiculously expensive! I go to the grocery store to get food every where I've gone because it's cheap and easy. I mean sometimes I get a meal to try the culture's food. Maybe I just got used to how cheap Spain was..So I get a sandwich, bread, bananas, and some swiss chocolate to try. It ends up being 10 francs! In any other place it would not have been that much! But whatever it's going to last me for the next couple days.
I eat my sandwich, it was decent. Then I decide I want to go to the beach because it's a beautiful day and I need to work on my tan. Haha. I ended up sitting on a bench right in front of the lake. It was a beautiful sight. It's so great because I have no worries, nothing is occupying my mind except that moment, and I have no where to be. The great part of this trip is I really don't have a schedule or anywhere I need to be..It's nice and breezy. So I lay down and doze off.
I wake up and hour later still tired but hot. I get up to find out my bread's getting soggy and I'm sweating. I get up and start walking to the center. This city isn't that hard to get around..
I see a RailEurope and I go in to make a reservation for a train to Florence, Italy on Wednesday! Like everytime you have to make a reservation, you get a number, and then wait till it's called. I sit down and wait for 30 minutes to and hour. I don't mind to much, I have no where to be. But poor people in that small office becaus I smelled really bad. I haven't showered in 3-4 days and I'm in the same clothes I was wearing yesterday. You stop caring about what people think of you on this kind of trip because you figure none of them will ever see you again. Then I got my reservation, I have three connections and it's going to be an all day event. The lady was really nice, which is always a good thing.
I walked back to the hostel because I can now officially check in. Also I thought it would be a good idea to bring the Spanish siesta here. A siesta is a nap in the afternoon or after your meal. In Spain they close down stores for it, and then re-open after. I'm really thinking about bringing it to the states. I'll have to suggest this one to my boss. ;))
Then I got on here and NOW I'm going to go take a siesta. But maybe I should take a shower first!
Avoir!
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Off to another country.
It´s crazy how you can travel to other countries so easily here. But I´m sadly saying goodbye to Spain, it´s done me well, but now it´s time to say hello to Switzerland. Another long train ride. I don´t leave till 19:50 and get in at 5:30 am! Luckily I´m in a sleeper so I´ll get some sleep. It seems though that I can never get enough sleep. I´m not used to always being on the go like I am here. It´s also crazy to think that I´ve been traveling for a month. I have met so many people and had so many great experiences so far! I´m learning a lot about myself and how much I actually need people and who are the ones that mean the most to me.
Barcelona is beautiful! It took 14 hours to get here! I also stumbled across the Tour De France the other day on accident with these 4 other Americans. So I got to see Lance Armstrong, they were going fast! I couldn´t really see so I had to get on Travis´s shoulders, so I could get some sweet video! We were just trying to look for a movie theater because it was rainy and we came across it. It was crazy but awesome! How many people can say they saw the Tour De France?
I´ve also decided that I´m going to learn Spanish for real. I need to learn it, I hate the language barrier and being here I´ve picked up some stuff. I´m kind of glad to go to Switzerland because they speak more english though..
I´ll probably go see stuff for the last time before leaving. I always get this excited feeling when I´m leaving! Everyday is a new adventure. New people, new experieces, and new places. It´s amazing, nothing is ever a routine here. Back home you get in a routine way of doing things but here there is no way you can have a routine. I love it! It´s also crazy how the countries aren´t that far away but the cultures are so different. Someone asked me what my favorite place was and I couldn´t tell them. Every place is different and every place has it´s different highlights. I´m really glad I went alone on this trip though, I´m growing so much, and it´s so much easier to meet other people. People ask me if I´m lonely and no because I´m always with someone in hostels and all that..I still have not met anyone that is my age and doing what I´m doing though. Most people here think I´m older. They´re amazed when they found out how old I am and tell me I´m really mature for my age. Most people seem to think I´m in my 20´s. I think I´ve just grown a lot more mature on this trip as well. I´ve been journaling everything though! Every little detail because I never want to forget this experience!
Sometimes I miss home and having my own space though. But I would never change anything about this trip.
Love you all, miss you.
Barcelona is beautiful! It took 14 hours to get here! I also stumbled across the Tour De France the other day on accident with these 4 other Americans. So I got to see Lance Armstrong, they were going fast! I couldn´t really see so I had to get on Travis´s shoulders, so I could get some sweet video! We were just trying to look for a movie theater because it was rainy and we came across it. It was crazy but awesome! How many people can say they saw the Tour De France?
I´ve also decided that I´m going to learn Spanish for real. I need to learn it, I hate the language barrier and being here I´ve picked up some stuff. I´m kind of glad to go to Switzerland because they speak more english though..
I´ll probably go see stuff for the last time before leaving. I always get this excited feeling when I´m leaving! Everyday is a new adventure. New people, new experieces, and new places. It´s amazing, nothing is ever a routine here. Back home you get in a routine way of doing things but here there is no way you can have a routine. I love it! It´s also crazy how the countries aren´t that far away but the cultures are so different. Someone asked me what my favorite place was and I couldn´t tell them. Every place is different and every place has it´s different highlights. I´m really glad I went alone on this trip though, I´m growing so much, and it´s so much easier to meet other people. People ask me if I´m lonely and no because I´m always with someone in hostels and all that..I still have not met anyone that is my age and doing what I´m doing though. Most people here think I´m older. They´re amazed when they found out how old I am and tell me I´m really mature for my age. Most people seem to think I´m in my 20´s. I think I´ve just grown a lot more mature on this trip as well. I´ve been journaling everything though! Every little detail because I never want to forget this experience!
Sometimes I miss home and having my own space though. But I would never change anything about this trip.
Love you all, miss you.
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Spain
I´m loving Spain, it´s as hot as Florida but with a breeze and nice beaches! I´ve been spending as much time as I can outside and on the beach! I´m also in love with Malaga and a little sad that I had to leave. Everything was just awesome there! I should have stayed longer but there´s so much I want to see. The train to Barcelona took 14 hours! That´s a lot of sitting and sleeping was not possible. My ipod also died and I need to get new batteries for the charger. It was kind of crappy out as well so I didn´t miss out on a good day at least. But when I got to the hostel from the train I just fell right asleep! I´m going to go see what Barcelona´s all about and meet up with some people I met in Malaga. I´ll update later!
Monday, July 6, 2009
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Stop freaking out Mom, I´m alright.
So Paris was fun. I didn´t like the hostel that much but I liked the people that were staying there. We had a lot of fun. I got to see Jim Morrison´s grave, that was pretty neat! My favorite had to be when we hung out on the grass at the eiffel tower at night. There were about 10 of us and it was a good time.
I took a night train to Madrid, that took 13 hours. But I met a really cool girl from Mexico. I didn´t get much sleep on the train so yesterday I was in a daze but I walked around a bit. I really like this hostel though. Not only was I put in the Janis Joplin room but the number is 8, my favorite number. Today I´m going exploring and going to figure out my train plans for Malaga tomorrow.
I have to get going though, I can only use the computer for 15 minutes.
I took a night train to Madrid, that took 13 hours. But I met a really cool girl from Mexico. I didn´t get much sleep on the train so yesterday I was in a daze but I walked around a bit. I really like this hostel though. Not only was I put in the Janis Joplin room but the number is 8, my favorite number. Today I´m going exploring and going to figure out my train plans for Malaga tomorrow.
I have to get going though, I can only use the computer for 15 minutes.
Monday, June 29, 2009
Eh?
This is going to be a quick update because I'm exhausted and need to sleep because I have to be up at 4 for my flight to Paris.
I stayed in the best hostel so far on the Aran Islands. It felt homey and the Italian manager all made us food for dinner. This was a great idea because then you get to meet and see everyone. I started hanging out with some Canadians because there were a lot! I was the only American and they kept poking fun at me but it was all in good fun. It was a pretty crappy day though but it ended up being a great experience.
Connemara was beautiful, I did a lot of walking! I have some great stories but ask me in person because they're better that way. The hostel was in such a remote place but beautiful. It was 6 km to the town! So the swiss kid and I walked a long distance just to get some pasta noodles for dinner! I got some great pictures and video!
So the nickname everyone gives me at hostels is either America or Florida. I thought they were pretty funny, not very creative though. I've actually started to respond to it. I've counted how many roomies I've had in the past week and I've had 29 so far! Tonight, I'm at my brother's house and he's in Spain. So it feels weird to be alone especially when you sleep in a room with 8 people..
It's so great to be meeting so many different people frome so many different places. I think backpacking Europe was the best decision I've ever made. I can already feel myself just growing and learning so much! I haven't been stressed out at all as well! I don't have to go on a schedule and I can do whatever I want. I got lost the other day and I didn't even worry about because I knew eventually I'd find my way. This is such an amazing experience and this is only the beginning!
I stayed in the best hostel so far on the Aran Islands. It felt homey and the Italian manager all made us food for dinner. This was a great idea because then you get to meet and see everyone. I started hanging out with some Canadians because there were a lot! I was the only American and they kept poking fun at me but it was all in good fun. It was a pretty crappy day though but it ended up being a great experience.
Connemara was beautiful, I did a lot of walking! I have some great stories but ask me in person because they're better that way. The hostel was in such a remote place but beautiful. It was 6 km to the town! So the swiss kid and I walked a long distance just to get some pasta noodles for dinner! I got some great pictures and video!
So the nickname everyone gives me at hostels is either America or Florida. I thought they were pretty funny, not very creative though. I've actually started to respond to it. I've counted how many roomies I've had in the past week and I've had 29 so far! Tonight, I'm at my brother's house and he's in Spain. So it feels weird to be alone especially when you sleep in a room with 8 people..
It's so great to be meeting so many different people frome so many different places. I think backpacking Europe was the best decision I've ever made. I can already feel myself just growing and learning so much! I haven't been stressed out at all as well! I don't have to go on a schedule and I can do whatever I want. I got lost the other day and I didn't even worry about because I knew eventually I'd find my way. This is such an amazing experience and this is only the beginning!
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
"Chicago without the R"
So all my roomies left me and went their seperate ways, while I have one more night here. Tomorrow I leave for Connemara, I expect to do a lot of hiking there because I hear it's just gorgeous. The new roomies are nice but it's for sure a diverse group, not as fun as the others though. There's two middle age chinese people, two Australian girls, and three french girls..
A drunk guy said I looked like Katie Holmes, how does that happen? Haha! I have a lot of stories but it's late and I'm tired. Just checking in and telling you I'm alive, don't freak out! Haha!
Night!
A drunk guy said I looked like Katie Holmes, how does that happen? Haha! I have a lot of stories but it's late and I'm tired. Just checking in and telling you I'm alive, don't freak out! Haha!
Night!
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Hostel 1
I stayed my first night in a hostel and it was amazing! I like Galway and I've met so many amazing people!
The people in my room:
Hunter & Alyssa-North Carolina
Hannah-Australia
Mike, Dave, & Jordan-Canada
All these people our hilarious and loads of fun. It's great hearing the stories they have. I've been hanging out with them.
I've already had two of the strangest encounters:
1. I walk into the room and Hunter is half asleep and in his boxers. He thinks I'm someone else, figures out I'm not, and then can not stop laughing. So then we had an akward conversation. That is how I first met him.
2. This random, drunk irish guy. He just came up to us and started treating us like his best friends. He was funny but a little crazy..He also punched our door. Haha..
So last night the canadians got a whole bunch of beer and made the kitchen into a bar. Then everyone in our room and two others joined them. (No, I did not drink if that's what you're wondering) Then we had to move it to the dining hall. But it was a lot of fun. Everyone's really funny. Dave told us the story about how he got chased by a horse! I have it on video, I'll youtube it someday.. It's hilarious! Then the drunk Irish guy crashed our party and we went into the city about 1:30 am. We wanted to go to Bar 903 because of the name but they wouldn't let the canadians in because they were wearing shorts. So we went to this club called Cuba. It was really weird, there were pictures of Fidel Castro up! Also, there were either a bunch of young kids or old people. Then we kind of just crazy danced and Alyssa showed the german kid what grinding was because he didn't know! Shortly after the club closed and we went back to the hostels. We sat in the dining hall again. Then the Irish guy came again, so we went to our room. Some went to sleep. Hunter and I couldn't sleep and a certain two people needed some privacy. So we went to the couches in the main room and talked. It was a great night. I was the youngest though. Everyone is like 22-25.. It's so easy to meet new people! I like hostels though, you meet a bunch of different people, that have different stories.
I'm going exploring!
The people in my room:
Hunter & Alyssa-North Carolina
Hannah-Australia
Mike, Dave, & Jordan-Canada
All these people our hilarious and loads of fun. It's great hearing the stories they have. I've been hanging out with them.
I've already had two of the strangest encounters:
1. I walk into the room and Hunter is half asleep and in his boxers. He thinks I'm someone else, figures out I'm not, and then can not stop laughing. So then we had an akward conversation. That is how I first met him.
2. This random, drunk irish guy. He just came up to us and started treating us like his best friends. He was funny but a little crazy..He also punched our door. Haha..
So last night the canadians got a whole bunch of beer and made the kitchen into a bar. Then everyone in our room and two others joined them. (No, I did not drink if that's what you're wondering) Then we had to move it to the dining hall. But it was a lot of fun. Everyone's really funny. Dave told us the story about how he got chased by a horse! I have it on video, I'll youtube it someday.. It's hilarious! Then the drunk Irish guy crashed our party and we went into the city about 1:30 am. We wanted to go to Bar 903 because of the name but they wouldn't let the canadians in because they were wearing shorts. So we went to this club called Cuba. It was really weird, there were pictures of Fidel Castro up! Also, there were either a bunch of young kids or old people. Then we kind of just crazy danced and Alyssa showed the german kid what grinding was because he didn't know! Shortly after the club closed and we went back to the hostels. We sat in the dining hall again. Then the Irish guy came again, so we went to our room. Some went to sleep. Hunter and I couldn't sleep and a certain two people needed some privacy. So we went to the couches in the main room and talked. It was a great night. I was the youngest though. Everyone is like 22-25.. It's so easy to meet new people! I like hostels though, you meet a bunch of different people, that have different stories.
I'm going exploring!
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