Hiking in the Alps

I have never before seen such beautiful sights as when we were climbing a mountain in the Alps yesterday. There were many times in the 2.5 hours going up where you thought it couldn't get any steeper, or that there must be an area that flattens off for a quick moment. That was not the case, and rather it was a straight uphill hike for the entire time. The photos from the walk are stunning and can not truly reflect the stunning views and gratification I felt upon reaching the top where you could see over both sides.

Vertigo was an interesting sensation I have not previous experienced. When standing on a mountain with very steep slopes on either side of you, wearing nothing but tennis shoes, I couldn't help my legs from visible shaking. It was as though I were a two year old trying to stand up for the first time with legs of jello. It was okay though because the sites were incredible.

I found the cows on the tops of these mountains to be extremely facinating for they each had a bell around their neck for the farmer to more easily locate them. It was hysterical the music they created at the top of the mountain where you were above the clouds and above where airplanes flew.

I loved every minute of it and am consequently paying for it today with an extremely sore body... ah well!

Today we head to Wil, Switzerland where we will be staying with another SERVAS family. I am so excited to have yet another incredible time. On Thursday we head back to Paris, Saturday to England, and Monday to Ohio.... wow, what a ride.

I will be sure to upload photos to my facebook page as soon as I return.

Internet, Nuns, Rome, and Venice

Our travels have gone extremely smoothly. Nothing has been stolen, we havent gone in the wrong direction on a train, and we have met so many wonderful people on the road. One thing that created a little troble was sorting out getting money, but we believe we should be good. Internet also has been scarce-- whoever said that internet cafes are everywhere is lying, because they are not anywhere we have gone.... sorry for the infrequent posts.

I never knew what a town full of nuns would look like until I went to Rome. It was absolutely hysterical how many nuns I saw. Yesterday I even sat next to one on our journey up to Venice--- she was extremely sweet in her old Italian ways... nonetheless, Emma and I were both still cracking up.

Rome was great until I almost fainted in the ancient ruiens. The heat was just about unbearable. I reccommend those of you who are interested in visiting Rome to go in April or in the spring. We saw the Collesium and Vatican which were both incredible and massive. We also wandered about all the streets in Rome and fell upon the Pantheon and many other beautiful churches.

Today was our first day in Venice and it was gorgeous. The canals are stunning and the brightly colored houses are tiny with brightly colored flowers flowing from the balconies. The one thing I didnt expect to see was so much grafitti. That was shocking to say the least.

We have one and a half weeks left and I feel like we are now getting the handel of it. On Saturday we head to Schwanden, Switzerland for a beautiful hike on Sunday.... I am excited to temporarily leave the heat behind me.

Until then... the young and wandering world traveler.

Cinque Terra

Catching the 1.5 Euro bus down ot Riomaggiore, Emma and I decided to chill out... it seems like so many people run from one thing to another but never get to experience it- only see it and run on to see the next thing and snap a lot of photos. That is something we have determined on this trip- simply, to let it go and ensure we are experiencing our adventure. We talked with the locals, caught crabs with Angelica (5 year old Italian who doesn't speak English), swam on the beautiful rocks that protected the harbor full of fishing boats. The towns were stunning with their red, orange, cream, peach, and brown colored houses climbing up the stunning hills and cliffs. It was absolutely beathtaking.

We layed on the beach the entire first day (I was in the shade as several points in my attempt to not be fried by the Italian sun). For dinner Emma and I decided to relax on the rocks after buying a half loaf of bread, 2 Euro wine, grapes, and jam. We relaxed so much to the point where I fell asleep listening to the water crash into the rocks I was laying on. It was an absolutely perfect day that ended with our playing the "Wolf and Fruit" game with the family sitting next to us with Angelica and sharing a bottle of wine with the older brother and his friend, two Italian locals, and our friends, Niccolo and Alesandro. Much to our relief we knew they were good guys who simply expected nothing but good conversation and laughter. It was a wonderful day.

Our second day in Cinque Terra was fun as well. We decided to see all the 5 islands, as the locals call them. Although we ultimately decided Riomaggiore was our favorite, I could honestly see myself living in any of the beautiful villages. All I know is that it is a life far different from any one I know- a place that is incredible because of its natural landscape and the people who live there. We woke up and went to the second town and went swimming immediately. The little cove was incredible and the water was incredibly clear to the point where you could see the bottom over 15 feet down. We were swimming with our roommate, Minta (26), who now teaches English in Barcelona, Spain. There we jumped off a cliff and considered ourselves badasses for doing it local style. The rest of the day we spent with our friends, Nico and Alesandro, swimming in the Med and laughing all day long. For dinner we thought of going out to a restaurant, but instead they wanted to make us spaghetti the real way (note: both had girlfriends and were only friends). Despite the spaghetti taking forever to cook, the food was awesome, the shooting stars were out, the music was fun, we learned how to say "the pen is on the table" and "the cat is on the window," and also how to moon walk... We had so much fun just hanging out and overcoming our language barrier- it was hysterical and we were sad to leave our friends.

Today we arrived in Rome, and have already seen the Collesium!!! IT IS HUGE! Unbelievable, truly unbelievable. Tomorrow we hope to see the Vatican (or Tuesday) and other parts of the city... tonight we had a glass of wine with our new friend, Jessie from California who lives to love and loves to live... I find that important to me. I can't wait to see what else Italy has to offer...

Italy is incredible

The train ride from Paris to Cinque Terra was unbelievable. Being the only train going to Italy that week from Paris, we had to purchase 35 Euros worth of train reservation tickets to ensure we would have the trip we planned on. Consequently, we ended up taking 4 trains to La Spezia (near Cinque Terra) which took approximately 16 hours... needless to say, we were exhausted.

Our first night in Italy Emma and I met an amazing Swedish couple who were extremely sweet and offered us a glass of wine- something we were thankful for following our journey. We laughed all night and eventually collapsed only to wake up to the most beautiful place I have ever seen. We were finally in Italy.

An experience for sure

We haven't had email for a while, so consequencely I haven't been able to get on. After leaving Leichester, England we headed up North to Lincoln where we stayed with Aunty Steph and saw my cousin Lisa and her two adorable children, Lauren and Reece. The first day, Emma, the kids, and I all played cards and hung out. I find there is nothing better than for me to spend time like that, with a glass of wine, with the family I feel I am constantly wanting to get to know. It isn't easy living millions of miles away from you family, especially when they are fun with British accents, but hey- it's an excuse to travel.

On Tuesday we caught the train from Lincoln to Newark where we had to run over a mile between train stations in half an hour with our huge bags on our back. It was so funny we were bursting with laughter. In Newark we were shocked by the speed of the trains as they fly by-- it's somewhat surreal but extremely funny-- Harry Potter remix. We We ate outside London Kings Cross Station at an adorable pizza place where we ate dough balls. The train to Paris was nice although a bit squished.

Although we only had 36 hours in Paris here are several things I learned:
Upon meeting someone in Paris, kiss them on the cheek 3 times.
Both wine and Ed's grocery store is cheap.
You have to be rich to buy a 200 square foot apartment.
Not as many people spak English as I expected.
My French is terrible.
Never ride the metro during rush hour (hot and smelly).
The French seem to be really generous.
Americans wear bright, weird clothes.
Art is alive in Paris.
Baguettes enver tasted better than in Paris.
Tap water can burn you.
The RER lines and the Metro are different.
People eat less and dress smarter than in the U.S.
The Eiffel Tower will forever amaze me.

I will write again in Italy...

Friday and Saturday

A bit uncertain of where I was upon waking up yesterday morning, it always takes me a little while to come to my senses and realize I'm a pop across the pond. I love it here in England, and I especially love being able to take a shower while looking out across the many beautiful fields with horses roaming.

Yesterday, on Friday, we went to a 12th century little church in a nearby village. It was incredibly amazing and extremely well kept. Soon there after we went on a long walk near the Rutland waters where there was a beautiful church on a small peninsula. Following our walk, we went to Stamford, a stunning old city where several clips were shot for the original BBC version of Pride & Prejudice. Last night we went to the Foxton locks for a brief walk with a brief drink at the local pub.

Today was quite an adventure. We visited the most stunning house in the entire country- Chatsworth. It was where several recent films have been shot including The Dutchess and Pride and Prejudice (recent one). It was absolutely incredible as where the gardens. The rock garden was unbelievable and the size of the property truly reflected the immense wealth. It was the most fascinating stately home.

I'll be getting more photos up soon... for now you'll have to wait.

London

Havn't written in a while but we have indeed arrived. The first night I was so thoroughly exhausted I collapsed at Moira's house following a 36 hour day. Yesterday we went to Crowthorne to see Jeremy and Tess with all the kids- Orla, Holly, Dom, and Max. Meeting the kids later for a ride on the ferris wheel, we enjoyed walking about Windsor and seeing Windsor Castle (where the Queen lives on the weekend). While in Windsor we visited my cousin Jeremy's seafood restaurant which is ideally located not only next to the castle, but also next to Queen Charlotte's Street (shortest street in Windsor) and the crooked house. Later in the night we went to the pub for dinner- The Golden Retreiver (which by the way, everyone in my family thinks Emma is an alcoholic).

After having left my cousin Jeremy's house this morning filled with loads of british children with the most adorable voices in the world, we headed to London. We had a lovely day as Aunty Lynn zoomed about the city of history on two wheels, sliding by the parked cars and pedestrians as we fly by the monuments and palaces.

We were able to see Buckingham Palace (where the Queen lives in the week), Big Ben, the Houses of Parliament, Tate Art Museum, Shakespeare's Globe Theater, St. Paul's Cathedral, Tower Bridge, the Tower of London, the Millenium Bridge, in addition to taking a boat ride on the Thames River.

All in all, it was a wonderful day. For now, we are chilling in the midlands...

24 hours to go

I am getting even more excited as our time is running low and our flight is near.

We are currently awaiting responses from several SERVAS members to see if we can stay with them while travelling around. Emma and I are both excited about meeting locals and getting a taste of their culture and food.

SERVAS is a program where you stay with families abroad for free. You must be interviewed and have several letters of reccomendation, but then you are in the program for a year and get to meet some incredible locals in the countries you are travelling. We haven't done it yet, so I'm not entirely sold, but I think it will be incredible and I can't wait. Of course, the families have all be prescreened... no "Taken" situation is going to shake down here..

Reality is hitting in

Despite the fact I haven't written anything on here for the past six months, the trip has almost arrived. The packing is almost done. The insurance is purchased incase I die. The families we are staying with have been somewhat confirmed. And the headache is in full swing.

Thrilled that I will be in England in five days, I am increasingly anxious about our journey beyond England. Currently we are in the process of discovering exactly where we are staying and with whom, and how to get there in a country where you can't speak the language. I love languages, which is why I studied Spanish. Ironically, however, we aren't going to Spain so my education will be less than helpful.

Upon stuffing my pack last weekend and determining I am bringing far to many things, I purchased Space Bags which thankfully minimized my pack a bit but will still be quite a squeeze.

I can't wait. I will miss John, the man I love, more than anything. I will miss my family without a doubt. But I'm so excited that we are almost there. After months of planning and learning, the true adventure will soon begin... August 3- here we come.

Dreaming of Disaster...

So last night I had a dream... which could qualify as a nightmare, for as we prepare to enter England I see that I am missing my passport, and have to fly all the way home here to the US to get it again. Making 1.) my trip shorter, and 2.) my trip twice as expensive.

... I wasn't really thinking this trip would be affecting my subconscious. At least not now, 6.5 months before we leave...

Note to self: don't forget passport.

A Fun Plan

So last night I met up with Emma while at my roommate's birthday party. Although we were in an extremely loud area, there seemed to be endless time to talk about Europe. There seems to be endless excitement steming from both of us, anxious about what may happen and the questions still left without an answer.

One of our newest conclusions is that we want to go to Switzerland. It seems to be an absolutely stunning country, and one that we are sure to love.

In addition, I have talked with one of my fellow PRSSA (Public Relations Student Society of America) officers, and I am extatic to say that she recent went to Rome for four months. Although I'm nervous about traveling in a country entirely unknown to me, I am extremely excited to know some insider secrets to places like Chinqua Terra!