Oh my god America is so annoying now!

For one thing, I forgot how many overweight people live in the south. (I do have some sympathy for them, considering there’s a burger king on every street corner, and you can’t get anywhere without driving so you’re automatically lazier).

Another thing I’ve noticed: everyone is so judgemental and ignorant! I don’t mean to hate on the south, but honestly, these are my first impressions.

So, sorry America, but I am planning on going back to Europe (specifically Salzburg) as soon as possible!

And sorry, family/relatives if you disapprove: you’ll get over it eventually if you really love me… :)

Well hellooo there. I have been away for so long, I hope you still remember me?

It has been quite busy for me the past few weeks (and yes, I know I say that about every week – but they’re all busy!) and I have so much to tell you.

Let me try to recap everything that happened. Well, I went to Vienna last weekend (actually 2 weekends ago), and WOW! It was so beautiful! I absolutely loved it there. We did so much : went to an Opera, saw the city, visited 2 museums, went to a club, etc etc etc

Here we are at the Opera!

This past weekend we traveled to Croatia. The sunset there was amazing. And cousin Mary, we went to a CAVE! I took a little video for you – will tag you in it later! :)

I’ve also been skiing in the Alps since I last wrote to you! Ahh, it was so amazing. I am glad to say that skiing really is like riding a bike – time can pass and you just get right back into it! I’m hoping that I can do it again soon.

Here’s a pic of me skiing in the Alps!

And here’s the sunset in Croatia!

On a side note, let me show you what excessive dancing can lead to…

Sorry, old shoes from the 80’s. Your former owners had a great time with you. (Sorry, mom, for breaking your boots).  I am not discouraging excessive dancing, just recommending that you wear shoes that are no more than 5-10 years old.

Well, I just got back from Munich this weekend. I had the worst time.

Just kidding, I loved it. It was so amazing! What a great city.

Friday, we left to take the 2-hour bus ride to Munich, and had an awesome tour of the city. A bunch of us decided to go to the Jewish Museum (we had the afternoon free), and that was well worth it. There was just so much history there! Not to mention going to Dachau on Sunday – more about that later.

I stayed in a hotel called – get this – “Easy Palace” for the weekend. It was not exactly a palace, but hey, all I really need is a bed and bathroom and I’m good to go. I roomed with 5 other students who were exchange students going to college somewhere in Germany (forgive me for not remembering the name of the College!) and they were really nice. Basically, I think it was worth the 40 or so euro that I paid for that weekend (it was about 18 a night, I believe…?)

Saturday, we left super early to go to the Neuschwanstein castle. We got there, and they said we could either ride a sled up to the mountain or walk – so we walked. We walked and walked for what seemed like hours. And then finally we made it to the top! I can honestly say that I wasn’t sure it would be worth it at times – walking up hill for an hour is not exactly my idea of a good time! – but it was definitely worth it. We got to go on a tour of the inside of the castle and it was so amazing. To think that King Ludwig II only lived there for less than a year is beyond me!

Here is a picture of the 3 of us at the Castle. It reminds me of a Disney princess castle! (and this was not photo-edited either, it actually looked like this!!)

After we got back around 6ish Saturday night, we went to the Hofbrauhaus – the biggest brewery in Munich (and maybe even in all of Germany?) That was quite an experience :)  Besides great beer, they had this amazing pasta dish that I ordered – it was basically their version of mac and cheese. Delicious! Oh, and get excited Nicole Jund, because you are getting a Hofbrauhaus t-shirt!

Sunday, we went to Dachau Concentration Camp. All I can really say about it is wow. It was just very surreal and well worth the trip – probably life changing; I think that everyone should go if they get the chance. After that, we basically came home on the train and that was it!

Oh, and did you know that you can use a map as a temporary eye mask? I found this out as I was traveling home from Munich – you simply lick the corners of the map and stick it to your face. It works people. And no, it was perfectly safe licking that map. (I couldn’t read it anyway, so why not make it of use?) Here is proof that it really does work:

See?

Here is our AIFS tour-guide, Andreas. Photo courtesy of Wynne Anderson, my fellow AIFS student.  Isn’t he just adorable? And check out that shirt!

Oh, and I bought a dirndl last week! It makes me want to run through the hills of Salzburg singing “the hills are alive!” while wearing it….and I intend to do this soon. Be prepared, my friends, because this will most likely be my Halloween costume for the next 5 years.

Here’s some advice: If you use the subway, I recommend you buy a subway ticket! I ran into a little bad luck Sunday when I almost got deported back to America….well not exactly deported but that makes it sound a little more exciting. Here’s what went down: I got into the habit of not buying a subway ticket all weekend (because they don’t require you to scan your ticket to ride the subways in Munich) so, when Sunday morning rolled around, my roommate and I didn’t buy a ticket. We didn’t think much of it, as we had been using the subway all weekend and had never gotten checked. I think this is when we hit a little bit of bad luck. We got approached by some really scary ladies (mind you, they were not kind ladies) and when they asked for our subway ticket, we both played dumb (My roommate pretending to not understand what they were asking even though they were speaking in English; me pretending to not know you had to buy a ticket to ride the subway)…I am usually really good at playing dumb and getting away with it, but I suppose it’s not common for a person to not know that you have to purchase a subway ticket. So whatever. We got fined 40 euro each, sadly. But hey, at least we weren’t deported! (If my parents ask about this, I think that will probably be my response).

I noticed something interesting the other day. It probably isn’t that interesting because things like this tend to happen to me frequently – and interesting things are happening to me EVERY day because I’m in Europe – but whatever it makes for an okay story. Apparently, I have a hole in my purse that is sucking everything into it. I noticed that things kept going missing from my purse (my keys, cell phone, wallet you name it), so I thought I’d investigate a little. I then noticed that my little cute bag from Forever 21 (which was a whopping $12 !) had a hole in the stitching, and everything was getting sucked into it. Of course, I could dig things out of it, but the hole was not that big, so it was a little like going on a treasure hunt (except the treasure hunt did not involve any gold, sadly).

Metaphorically, I guess you could say that it is like having a “black hole” in your handbag – according to Wikipedia, it is “the point of no return”. What a good description!

I love train rides! Can you see the excitement on my face?

For those of you in America, I would like to request that you eat some Mexican food in my honor. Preferably some queso - and I would enjoy some photos with descriptions of the delicious food. I miss it! (But of course, not as much as I miss you….although it’s a pretty close call)

I’m smiling for you right now! :) And here is a goofy picture of me and my gals for your viewing pleasure.

Well hello there! It’s been a while. Boy, I am exhausted! I have had such a great past few weeks but geez! There is so much to do and I feel like my time is limited! I have been trying to plan some trips to other countries and that has been a challenge…I wish I had my own personal concierge. Spring break is going to be two weeks long over here – which is wonderful! – but I still don’t feel like it is long enough for me to get everywhere! I am planning on buying a Eurorail pass, which can take me to about 5 countries on train, so that should be helpful. But we’ll see – I’ll keep you posted on my future plans!

Anywho, what’s new with me? Well, I officially started my classes today! I am somewhat excited – just because it will get me into a routine – but I don’t exactly mind just traveling all the time and not having to study… I am in Europe, after all, and quite tempted! My classes seem pretty interesting, which is good. I am taking a WWII class, Austrian Folk Art, Music in the Age of Mozart, and an Austrian Culture class. So far, it doesn’t seem like we will have any homework, but I’m sure the exams won’t be that easy. Here’s the perk: I only have class Monday thru Wednesday, so my Thursdays and Fridays are free! That’s something I’m definitely looking forward to. I am hoping I might get to travel a little some weekends, but I don’t know yet, we’ll see.

It is snowing outside! It’s so beautiful. Not 3 feet of snow like Oklahoma just had, but it’s enough for my enjoyment! Even on days like this, lots of people are out walking around. And people are so dog-friendly here! They bring their dogs with them everywhere – to the grocery store, restaurants, and my professor even brought his to class – and I love that! It makes me miss volunteering at the Animal Shelter back home and seeing all the dogs. They also have horses everywhere taking people on carriage rides – it is so lovely, and I am probably going to take a weekend-long horseback riding class just to get a little taste of it!

Here I am with one of the horses right before our sleigh ride in the Alps!

Aren’t they just lovely?

This weekend, I just stayed in Salzburg and walked around town a lot. We were on the hunt for dirndls, but weren’t so lucky – they’re so expensive here! The cheapest dirndl I have found so far costs 100 euro. We did find a second-hand shop that looked like it would sell dirndls, but of course, it was closed – on a Saturday at 3:00! The stores here are basically open at very minimal hours – never on Sundays – and can close for weeks at a time for “vacation”! It is definitely different. But it’s a small price to pay considering how beautiful this town is!

I have been trying to meet some locals, and so far, I’ve had some pretty good luck. I met some German guys on my first week here (already mentioned that before), met a guy who lives down the hall and is from Austria (can’t remember his name…), and I met a really nice couple from America! They moved here this winter and are very nice – we met in a local bar. Bars and pubs are great places to meet people here! They also have karaoke night at O’Malley’s, so naturally, I cannot resist that. You can see my first experience with karaoke on my facebook video…it’s embarrassing but whatev. :)

And this weekend, we are going to Munich! So, you will probably here from me next week (if not sooner). Also have a pastry seminar to go to tomorrow – hopefully I can work off all those calories!

Schuss!

It is Thursday, February 10^th, and my goodness! It has been a long week. Monday and Tuesday morning, we had our Orientation meetings, and received a TON of information about our semester here. I should probably try and read the packet they gave us… So far, I know how to walk from my dorm to the grocery store down the street, but that is only because it involves one left-turn and is probably a 5-minute walk. If you know me at all, you must know how bad my lack of direction is. I have found that following other Americans around is my best bet when it comes to getting places! It doesn’t really help me that all of the streets here curve, and turn, and look alike, and distract me with all of the pretty window displays…how do they expect me to get around, honestly, when I couldn’t even find my own sorority house for the first few months of college?

Well, yesterday was a very exciting day. I was walking around the dorm when I met 2 German men, both of whom were here for a week doing some kind of volunteer program with their school. They are from Hanover, and are amazing (not to mention amazingly cute!). We talked for about an hour or so, and after the rest of their German friends arrived, I invited them to go with me and some other American students to a bar, and we had a fantastic time. They came back to my room afterwards, and we hung out (my roommate and I, the Germans, and a few other Americans) until about 3 in the morning. We had a jolly good time.

I must apologize for the wait! It has taken me this long to find even a little free time to type this blog up. I hope you enjoy it!

I woke up Thursday morning at 8:30 (US time), and then headed to the airport. My flight from Dallas FW to Chicago was pretty simple, and I met a few of my other AIFS students, so that was nice! A few hours later, we got on the plane to London. In the next seat was a lady from Bulgaria, and she was wonderful to talk to! She lived in Chicago for the last 5 or so years, and was going to visit friends in London. We talked a little about her Bulgarian heritage, and how interesting it was for her to live in Chicago. Once on the way there, her mother called, and as they were speaking in Bulgarian, I was so jealous! Why was I not raised to learn other languages in America?! I would love to be bilingual! (Although, I would actually have to study the language a lot, and I’m not sure I can see that happening…)

 Immediately after the flight, we arrived at the Hotel in London (it was a Holiday Inn, America!) and met some more students. Four of us girls from DFW decided to immediately go and visit the Tower of London, which was fantastic! I pretty much video-taped the entire thing, so if you want to see a “virtual” tour of the Fortress, I’m your girl!

Later on that evening, after lugging around my heavy backpack all day, walking up probably thousands of stairs, and getting lost (which is normal for me!), I finally got to sleep at 5:30 (US time), which was 12:30 in London. I was surprised how well I could function after being awake for 33 hours straight!

Thursday and Friday’s observations:

     1.  English men like to run in short shorts.

     2. Losing something every day and then finding it is going to become a fun new daily routine for me, apparently! Don’t I sound excited? On the airplane I lost my glasses (and then found them), and on Thursday I left my wallet (and then found it). So far, I have misplaced my keys in Austria, lost my wallet 3 times or so, and I think now I am losing my mind. J

     3. Do not go to a play if you haven’t slept in 33 hours. It was supposedly a very funny British play, but I honestly couldn’t tell you, as I was half-asleep through the entire thing. I think all I remember is dozing off, until after some loud laughing from the crowd I would jolt up and be confused. If you ever find yourself in this situation, just keep clapping as I did. And don’t bother trying to follow the plot, either. But hey, I would recommend the play to anyone!

Saturday was quite a “dashing” day, as they say in Britain (or as I believe they should say in Britain- who doesn’t like the word “dashing”?). We got a nice guided tour of the city, and afterwards, had free time to travel. I am a huge Beatles fan, and those of you who are fans as well I expect might be a little jealous. Get ready for it, and hold on to your hats….

I went on Abbey Road. That’s right, the actual Abbey Road from the Beatle’s album cover. Not only did I get a picture on Abbey Road, but I didn’t even get hit by a car while doing it! There is no stop sign there, you see, so this is pretty impressive.

And for those of you Harry Potter fans, you may be a little jealous as well, if you see my photo at Platform 9 and ¾. Yep, it was at King’s Cross, but a little tricky to find, I must warn you. Too bad the brick wall was not real, and the Platform was hidden in between a construction site. But hey, I still saw it! I also was lucky enough to see the bridge from the 6^th movie.

Saturday’s observations:

    1.  London is expensive. And nothing is free. Now I know why everyone comes to live in America! 

    2.  I was prepared that most of this would happen, but still….misplacing my tube ticket, as well as locking myself out of my hotel room, was not as fun as it should be. 

    3.  Men in London like to jump in front of your camera. I don’t quite understand why, maybe it is because we are tourists and they are amused, or they are just egotistical and like to be in pictures. Either way, I have quite a few lovely shots of British men jumping in front of my original intended photograph.

    4. Oh yeah, and just because British people speak English does not mean that you will understand them!

Sunday’s 5 am wake-up call was not too pleasant, let me just say. And being at the airport waiting on your plane for 3 hours was not too pleasant either! But, if all else fails, just play trivial pursuit to pass the time. We arrived in Salzburg that evening, and it was well worth the long journey there. I don’t think that I have ever been anywhere else as beautiful as Austria, and I’m not sure I ever will!

Less than a week until I leave for Europe! First stop: London, England, for a nice littlle weekend trip. Next stop: Salzburg, Austria, where I will be living for the next 5-6 months!

I should probably start preparing mentally for the reaction that these Europeans foods will have on me. After all, I do have food neophobia (which is a real disease, people).

Just thinking about packing 6 months of my life into one bag is giving me anxiety. So, I find that it is best not to think about it. Instead, I will concentrate on doing something mindless, like scrap-booking or making ringtones for my iPhone.

Let’s hope that tomorrow brings a more motivated and optimistic Lizzy!

Oh boy, the smoke alarm is going off in the kitchen right now! Better get to it.

Happy trails to you, until we meet again.