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

French Fries with Mayo Make It All Better

June 1, 2010

      Isabel met us in Amsterdam to show us proper Dutch living. We started with a phenomenal breakfast of poffertjes (mini pancakes) with walnut ice cream, syrup and confectioners sugar. The juices are all homemade and wonderful as well. Then we strolled through the entirety of the city, looking at the architecture and the canals. Much nicer city during the day. We quickly ran through the Red Light District to see it in all of its scary glory and took the afternoon to nap because we are all so exhausted from travels. For a quick lunch pre-nap, Isabel introduced us to Dutch fries with mayo. WHAT a combination. The man literally makes the fries in front of you and allows the mayo to coat them. Heart attack in a cone! When we woke up, we had a lovely dinner and "hot chocomel" for dessert. Then we saw Sex and the City 2, which was absolutely terrible. I don't know how it was received in the states, but it was just a horrible movie. The cinema here is too cool though. They still have intermissions! One more day in Holland tomorrow!

Love you, miss you xx

Amsterdam is...not what we expected

May 31, 2010

    Robby and I spent the early afternoon in the Gatwick airport, ready to board our train to Amsterdam. We arrived in Amsterdam near 7pm after a day of trains, shuttles and planes and were happy to be settled. Little did we know, we'd end up walking right through the Red Light District. Now to some, this may sound appealing. Robby and I were horrified. Women stand in the windows like mannequins and beckon to onlookers. The smell of marijuana hangs like a heavy cloud around what one would think was an innocent "coffee shop". We quickly learned to differentiate. We tucked into an Irish Bar looking for some comfort food but were remiss at the lack of authenticity. Then we hurried home to the cheapest hotel we could find. We were greeted with the smallest room possible, one bed and a shower with half of a curtain. The lap of luxury.

    

River Boat Cruisin'

May 30, 2010

    Took the train back to London early in the morning and arrived mid-afternoon. From here, Lily and I quickly go dressed to meet the study abroad group at the River Thames. Here, we boarded a ship and had a big farewell celebration to commemorate the end of our trip and time together. The DJ was fantastic and we spent the entirety of the night abusing the cash bar, making the teachers dance with us and loving on each other. We serenaded a passing ship with "Don't Stop Believin'" and performed readily for people on the London Bridge. We went to an Australian Bar after our night out and took over the stage with our Latin dancing. Then we had to say our goodbyes, which was just terrible. We've all gotten so close over the trip, it was like saying good bye to family. This was a phenomenal study abroad experience, I could not have been more fortunate.

Love you, miss you xx

Scotland, Here I Come!

May 29, 2010

    As my train was leaving at 6:15am, I got up at 3:30am. From there I had the whole morning to a t, from the bus ride to the tube to the train station. It fell to pieces when the bus arrived an hour later than I expected. While I waited for it, I proceeded to try to find the station myself, get lost and have a mild panic attack. After I regained my footing, I ran home and called a taxi, who promised a pick-up in 2 minutes but failed to do so. It is nearing 5:45am at this point and I'm reviewing in my head what I'm going to say to the conductor to allow me on the fully-boarded train. Miraculously, a bus arrives 15 minutes earlier than scheduled, I get on the first tube and arrive at the train at 6:13. I was literally stepping onto the train as the doors were closing. Once my heart slowed down, I slept for the entire ride.

   I awoke to the luxurious countryside of Scotland. What a place. Sheer cliffs of the most potent green lined with stunning, gothic castles too big to imagine. The entire city is lined with purple flowers and the greenest hills and mountains, just too picturesque for words. Wandered around a bit, taking in the magnitude of the space, then met Ellie in our super cool hostel. It was all painted in neons and cartoon characters and had a huge bar and television space. Not to mention an internet cafe! We headed to the highest point in the city and saw everything from the monument, "Scotland's Biggest Mistake" to the school that inspired Harry Potter to Tom Riddle's grave. We wandered into town and found a proper pub to try "haggis", a Scottish meat and potatoes dish. We chatted with the locals and even some visitors, as stag parties were dispersed throughout the city, and then continued our wandering. We roamed through the antiquated graveyards, walked to the castle then let our journeys take us to "The Elephant Cafe" where J.K Rowling used to write. The perfect hot chocolate-- made with pink marshmallows and sprinkled in cocoa and whipped cream. Perfect for cold Scotland weather. We hiked up the hills and took on the shopping district then retired to a lovely cafe for dinner. We ended up chatting with the waitresses and staying nearly three hours. Afterwards, we met our first men in kilts, saw a full Rugby team and hit the town for a girl's night out. After dancing, we went to McDonalds in Scotland! We sat with these funny Irish boys who commented on my American accent and laughed out loud when I said my name was Brittany. He claimed it was the most American name he could ever dream of. After our snack, we finally returned home, soaking wet from the pouring rain. What a great night!

Love love xx

Want to Take a Bath with the Romans?

May 28, 2010

    I spent the morning at Stonehenge. AT Stonehenge. How surreal is that? Standing there is so powerful, trying to grasp the magnitude of the sight is nearly impossible. We have been so fortunate. After this amazing encounter, we bused into Bath. Bath was created by the Romans, so the entire city (which is stunning) has Roman architecture and decor. An entire Roman bathhouse still stands, which is an impressively intact monument and one that is breath-taking in its splendor. Amazing that it is still there and the hot springs still surge through it. Just remarkable. We, once again, has tremendous weather and chose a cafe that allowed us to sun and eat simultaneously. Afterwards, we stumbled upon an amazing chocolatier and did some major damage in sweet consumption.

    We braved the long bus ride home (nearly 4 hours) and we're vying for dinner the second we got in. We took the tube into Notting Hill where we visited the Churchill Arms. The Churchill Arms has a pub in the front and an adjoining Thai Restaurant in the back. AMAZING thai food and great, great company at the pub. The bartender was hysterical, bringing us empty cups and lots of sass, and we happily sipped our cider while we waited for our phenomenal dinner. Such a great find, as it was bursting with people and obviously a trendy place. We've been so lucky with that!

Love you, Miss you xx

John Mayer in London? Really?

May 27, 2010

    WHAT a day. The second I emerged from class, I was greeted by a frantic Leah. She told me that there were only a few John Mayer tickets left for tonight's show and we were GOING! We ran across the street to the internet cafe and bought four tickets...in the 12th row! We strolled through the British Museum and could not control our excitement. People must have thought we really loved ancient history. It was fascinating though. Staring at the Rosetta Stone was a nearly out-of-body experience. I've read about that since elementary school. To see it up close was just too much. After seeing much of the massive museum, we headed to Covent Gardens for an outdoor lunch because of the sunniness of the day. Lounged at the cafe and discussed what was sure to be the greatest nights of our lives.

    We broke to get ready for our evenings and Lily and I set out for miles looking for an ATM, after a police officer and storekeeper misdirected us. The girls finally met up with us and we decided on the familiar for pre-John dinner and drinks...Fridays! We had great cocktails (a girl's night, if you will) and appetizers to enhance our experience all the more. Headed to Wembley Stadium and settled into our Row 12 seats!! We, of course, were surrounded by the weirdest lot of people. Photo-crazy lesbians, a strange Indian man who closely resembled Scar from Lion King and the lot who were unprepared for our singing along. Regardless, John was amazing in London and spoke candidly, jammed for long stretches and overall, showed just how talented he is. We deemed it one of our favorite nights and the perfect concert.

Love you, miss you xx

Harry Potter, Les Mis, What More Could a Theatre Nerd Ask for?

May 26, 2010

      As always, started the day off with proper schooling. Then, we explored the Kings Cross area as we heard word of Harry Potter filming. Turns out, the myth was truth! We caught them filming on Platform 9 3/4 and saw all of the extras and the good ol' Hogwarts Express. We, of course, were too excited for words. Had a lovely lunch at a "gastro-pub", which is a pub with a nice restaurant counter-part. Very trendy here. Then I met up with my cousin Cara to stroll around Hamstead Heath. Such a stunning view of the entirety of London from a perfectly green spot. We then went to her favorite cafe and had a delectable pecan pie. Sweet tooths run in the family apparently. I met up with everyone in Chelsea at the coolest Italian restaurant. The tables are literally stacked on top of one another. The waitress climbs ladders to take your order. Then we headed to the theatre district to see Les Miserables. What an amazing, amazing show. It absolutely took my breath away. The cast, their performances, the set, the music, it all was absolutely perfect. We haven't stopped singing "On My Own" since. I was literally crying out loud from beginning until end. The poor people around me didn't know they were sitting next to such a theatre nerd.

Good Ol' Queeny

May 25, 2010

 WHAT a day. Woke up to seeing the Queen! She opened Parliament today so there is a huge procession through the streets that pedestrians can see. We stood in line on the street and watched the entirety of Royal Guard and the cavalry pass by in all of their grandeur. Just amazing. Then she was there in her royal carriage, followed by her crown that has its own separate carriage! Saw her up close! After we all regained from such a sight, we headed to lunch and ate in the middle of Trafalgar Square. Such powerful monuments-- enormous in size and just stunning. Afterwards we headed to the London Eye and experienced London from all angles-- breathtaking in the least. We laid in the surrounding park for a bit after Cadburys and ice cream then headed to...Abbey Road! Took the infamous Beatles pic in one shot, so we counted ourselves pretty lucky. Then we headed to the Beefeaters and made one almost crack a smile with our commentary during photo taking. Should have left our number, now that I think about it, as he was very cute. Headed to our favorite burger joint afterwards (they know us at this point) and discussed how we've covered nearly every inch of London!

CNN and Bicycles

May 24, 2010

Today was yet another sunny day in London, We've been too lucky here with the sun and heat. We took advantage of the heat in Kensington Park, looking at the Princess Diana memorials and the gorgeous fountains. Then we had an interview with Richard Quest, the Wallstreet correspondent for CNN International. Fascinating man, spoke very candidly on journalism and the type of field we are getting ourselves into. He spoke on ethical issues, needing to eat, sleep and breathe news and how journalists are merely gossipers. CNN International was a very cool institution, got to see some filming and walk around the newsroom. Then we headed to Portabello Road which was full of all kinds of sights. Antique jewelry and furniture, gorgeous fruit stands and super cute boutiques line the famous street. Such a sight, you find things you've never even entertained in thought! We headed back home for some amazing Indian Cuisine at Bombay Bicycle, something we've been committed to since we arrived. I couldn't recommend this cuisine more, such interesting tastes and combinations. Really amazing.

    Hit the town after some lovely white wine with dessert and hung out with the entirety of the study abroad group. Everyone danced and sang and reveled in our last week here. I don't think I could find one person prepared to leave.

Family Time

May 23, 2010

   I spent today with my family! My cousins live just down the street from my homestay, so it was too easy to get in touch. I spent the morning with my cousin, Cara, and her husband and children. We had a breakfast with a traditional Israeli spread and amazing lox and bagels. Then, her little girls and I perfected the art of card-making and present-wrapping to prepare for our cousin's birthday. After all of this, we headed down the street to my baby cousin's 2nd birthday party. The party was lovely, we sat in the sunshine in the garden and chatted all day long. The scene was perfect: the kids running in the sprinklers and the adults sipping drinks in the chairs alongside them. They compared the weather to South Africa, perfectly sunny and dry, and we had a gorgeous time comparing travel stories over pastries. Afterwards, my cousins and I headed to a nearby park for iced coffee (coffee with a dollop of vanilla ice cream) and more Israeli dishes. Such amazing food! We met up with some more South Africans who live in their community and had a great time chatting over hummus and pitas. Big day with CNN tomorrow!

Ek lief vou (Afrikaans for "I love you"!) xx

Football, Pubs and the Prime Meridian

May 22, 2010

    The weather has been stunning. Just gorgeous. We decided to take the tube as far as we could today. That is, to Greenwich. If I can recommend anywhere, it would be here. There is an amazing market with foods from literally every country. Congolese, Portuguese, you name it, they had it. After we wandered through the amazing vintage stores and jewerly kiosks, we found the park where nearly every Londoner was laying out. People were all around us, napping, sunning, playing football and genuinely enjoying the perfect sunshine. We hiked up the massive hill to see the Prime Meridian and took photos at "the center of the world". The view from the top of the hill nearly stopped your heart-- you could see everything. The sky was so clear that every monument was nearly shimmering in the sunlight. After we pulled ourselves away, we found a pub to watch the Champion's League Final. What an experience! A pub full of football fans is phenomenal: people of all shapes and sizes, all walks of life, unified in the love of football. And they really do love it! It is a football-obsessed culture here, nearly every person in the park totes a soccer ball around. The locals loved our American accents and even more, our understanding of their favorite game. We watched it with heaps of Englishmen and our Dutch friends who loved the game just as much. Another amazing day in England...

Love you, miss you all xx

Break Dancing in London

Friday, May 21st

Today, Steph and I strolled around Hyde Park, taking in all of the sights and even more so, soaking up the stunning weather. Nearly 80 degrees here-- can you imagine? After an amazing lunch at the Serpentine, which is built right on the river with the most gorgeous view, we laid in the park watching the culture around us. This really cool group of break dancers were in the center of the park, dancing and goofing around to awesome music. We enjoyed the free show as we relaxed and took in how gorgeous the flowers, trees and fountains were. Then we met up with Isa and wandered for hours, taking turns at whims and browsing shops all along the way. We danced around in Marc Jacobs, strutted around Oxford Street and finally found a Manchester United jersey after much searching. We were decidedly starving after this and returned to a favorite, "YoSushi"-- the sushi restaurant with the conveyor belt. It just gets better every time!

     Since it is Isa's birthday, we decided it would be a big night out. A huge group of us wandered into the city and ran into a group of guys dismayed at the club situation. We befriended them and ended up spending the night at this gorgeous club called Cafe de Paris. Looked straight out of a movie, lit up with fairy lights and just the most romantic setting. Such a great night of dancing and chatting with the boys from Holland! It is so fascinating to meet people here and hear of all of their travels and experiences. What an amazing thing to make connections around the world!

Thursday, May 20th

Woke up in disbelief that the night before had occurred. The girls and I went for breakfast at this amazing Dutch Pancake House where the pancakes were the size of pizzas and filled with fruit and ice cream. Then we met with reporters from the BBC! How unreal is that? The facility is overwhelming, full of marble floors and winding staircases. So beautiful and ornate, unlike any newsroom I've ever seen. The reporters were phenomenal, they are spearheading BBC Persia. They cover all of the goings on in war-torn areas in the Middle East, specifically Iran. They showed us footage from over there that has not been seen by anyone: police running over protesting civilians, raids of colleges, brutal beatings. We have no idea about how much suffering is going on in that country. Even more striking was the fact that these reporters are unable to return to Iran because of their involvement with the news. Such a commitment.

We found a great pub and watched a cricket match while eating bangers and mash. How English is that? We stayed at the pub for hours, soaking in the culture, and even met a fellow Gator who graduated in 2002! The Gator Nation is everywhere! We then had amazing Tiramisu to celebrate Isabel's birthday at Stockpot, this amazing fusion restaurant with great food and even better prices. We're nearly locals!

Love you all! xx