The Big Summary

The last time we spoke, I was sitting on the rocks of a stunning Italian beach. The next morning we went on a 12 kilometer hike through stunning flowers, evergreen vineyards and nerve-tingling cliff drops over a perfectly blue ocean. We headed back to London after hours and hours of traveling through Italy and stayed comfortably with my family until we headed back to Ireland. We arrived in the night and slept, once again, in the airport to make sure we were timely for our flight and avoid the cost of a hostel. Finally, after 7 hours, we landed back in the states (lets hear it for New York!) then back to Orlando. My car battery was out but Robby's good soul jumped it for my journey back to my family...finally!

  Wanted to end with a few thoughts. I can't help but feel non-stalgic. The trip was a blur, London feels like ages ago and Ireland, another life. I've grown up so much, I don't think I can quite grasp the magnitude yet. Or if I really ever will. But I've traveled in every way: plane, train, boat, bus, subway, car. I've had every food, seen every landscape and lived in every type of accommodation. And weather? Rain, sun, snow, all of it. I've lived fro a backpack for the last week and a suitcase for the last five.

    I've learned to enjoy silence. To sit and think. And to really feel. I cry at the size of mountains and revel in the taste of a good coffee. I've learned to show immense gratitude. It shocks the Brits and gets you a free breakfast in Italy. I've learned to say yes. Yes to running off a mountain. Yes to an Irish jig with a stranger. Yes to a sidetrip to Italy. Yes opens up your world. Don't hesitate, don't think on it. Just live.

   I've learned the value of a good conversation. How quick are we to settle into the basic discussion of weather, jobs and public transport? It is amazing to talk about people's livelihoods, their travels, their music. What makes them think, feel, live. People are so much the same. Traveling shows you how connected we are at our cores: we all want to laugh, have a good jaunt and feel love. How can we be scared of each other knowing we all long for the same things?

   I've learned how great it is to not have a plan. My favorite days had no agenda, consisted of wandering and celebrating finds when we stumbled upon them. How much does this apply to life? It is okay that I don't know what I want to do. It is okay to feel unsure. Life is unsure. What is sure is that it is beautiful, we are resilient and there is opportunity. I could paraglide for the rest of my life, if I wanted to. There is no "right" way of doing things. How exciting. And I'm not afraid of aging anymore. I spent the last week talking to a 33-year old teacher who travels every holiday, has friends around the world and looks 25. She told me, "Aging is a mentality". She is proof of that.

   Life is so good, the world is so beautiful, people are so exciting and every day demands every emotion. 

What a beautiful mess this is.

Thank you for following, love you guys xx

Cinque Terre, The Most Stunning Italian City

June 5, 2010

   We trained from Milan to Cinque Terre today. Nothing can prepare you for the beauty of this journey. We are in the most stunning ocean town, with villas towering everywhere and people hanging their laundry on lines from their rooftop terraces. The streets smell like fresh flowers and the air is cool with the ocean breeze. Not to mention, the backdrop of mountains and the coloring of the homes gives the town a splendor you have to see to believe. We laid on the rocks and took in the scenery upon arriving and found our hostel to be  lovely villa with a room that opens to the entire town. The air is perfect, couldn't imagine a better sleep than one with sea air. We had an incredible dinner of freshly caught seafood pasta and then had gelato while watching the sunset. Then we had gelato again because it is really that amazing!

   Our hostel villa has another room adjoined and we made friends with the guys, chatting and galavanting around the city after some lovely white and red wine. The night is so perfect here. We found the beach and made friends with the others sitting and doing the same thing. Wish we could stay here forever, it is just so stunning.

Love you, see you soon xxx

Into Milan We Go

June 5, 2010

    Our last day in Interlachen was lovely. After a good old paraglide, we walked into town and explored. Then we found a stunning lake, went for a swim and lounged until it was time to train into Italy. So so fortunate to find a great spot like we did. Switzerland is very costly, so we invested in McDonalds and the cheapest apple strudel we could find to hold us over for the long train ride and then bid our favorite city adieu.

   The train ride was a riot. The couple in front of us really struggled with keeping their bedroom eyes and actions in the bedroom. Instead, they used the train ride to consummate their relationship and instruct the general public as to how to use proper technique. So kind of them. Got into Milan and finally found the hostel but found they only took cash. The owner of the hostel took Robby, myself and the other American on a jaunt around the city to find the nearest ATM and after this trek, we finally settled in for the night. The other American turned out to be a fascinating woman, ex-Peace Corp volunteer, current teacher and so knowledgeable. Such stories!

So close to being home!! xxxx

I Just Ran Off of a Mountain!

I just went paragliding! Literally, you hook into a parachute and run off the side of the mountain until your feet no longer touch the ground. My guide was great, throwing us for loops and circles and putting us so close to the mountain, we could nearly run on the treetops. From the sky, you can see every detail and contour of the city, just unbelievable. Best way I've ever started my day: flying!

Rogue Hiking

June 4, 2010

     Today we took a rickety train to the highest point in Europe, Jungfraujoch. What a stunning trip up: waterfalls, snow-capped mountains, cavernous green drops. We had a great lunch with "the world's best fries" and $5 tap water. After this, we strolled through the mountains on the lovely path carved out but then decided to be adventurous. We hiked the entirety of the way, stumbling upon sight after sight, and found ourselves at a glacial lake and waterfall. We drank from a glacier! We explored the Alps, picking flowers, puttered around caves and even trekked through snow! It was phenomenal weather, perfectly blue skies and crisp air. We hiked and climbed for four hours and just made the final train home, in perfect time to book our big adventure for tomorrow. Spent the night on the lake with all of the other people from the hostel, listening to music and sharing life stories. So many interesting people: Hungarians, Aussies, New Yorkers and Minnesotans. So many accents and so many amazing travel tips and tales. 

Wow THIS is Switzerland?

June 3rd, 2010

      We finally made it out of the airport and onto a short flight into Switzerland. Flying over the Alps was breathtaking and we had a perfect landing. Spent some time wandering around Lake Geneva and had a lovely afternoon having tea by the lakeside. Then we caught the train into Interlachen. Interlachen is, by far, the most beautiful place I've ever seen. The mountains are perfectly green and tower over the landscape, blending effortlessly with the bright blue sky. The mountains are so high that the clouds surround them and they nearly melt into the shining blue lakes. Our hostel is stunning, designed like the rest of the gorgeous Swiss homes, and our room has a patio overlooking the unbelievable scenery. We had one roommate, who was very kind, and ate dinner with the other Americans we bumped into on the ride into our small town. Dinner was fantastic: the macaroni here is made with potatoes and ham and the absolute freshest cheese. Everything here, from the bread to the jam, is homemade, as we are in the quaintest little offshoot of Interlachen. Big day tomorrow!

Miss you all so much, love love xx

Any Train that Takes Us Out of Here

June 2, 2010

   This morning, Robby and I woke up to take our things to the train station and train out of Amsterdam.  We had no real plans of where to go but we knew we didn't want another day in Amsterdam. So, we took the first train to Utrecht and didn't regret it for a second. It is a stunning city with beautiful buildings and an even better cafe life. People are sprawled everywhere, enjoying the sun and each other. We sat at the cafe for lunch and exercised our Dutch lingo then wandered around the city until we found the old church. It is the highest point in the Netherlands and we hiked all the way up to the top! What a sight and quite the journey, as we were stuck behind the creator of body odor and in front of a very heavy woman who was in constant threat of heart failure. The view from the top was worth the work, as it overlooked the sprawling city from every possible angle. We saw the bell ringing, got to hear the pipe organ play and watched the tour guide maneuver from Dutch to English with admirable grace. We strolled through the rest of the city, along the canals for some of it, and soaked in as much of the culture as we could without being run over by bikes. Everyone bikes here, by the way, it is very green.

   We grabbed a quick dinner and ate it along the canal then trained back to the airport where we've been since. We are overnighting it here and prepared with a tub of Dutch peanut butter, a loaf of French bread and a bag of fresh apples from the market. We're quite the travelers these days! We're heading into Geneva at 6:15 in the morning for a day of hang-gliding and adventures in the land of the Swiss!

Love you, miss you xxx