Ciao a tutti!

Another weekend spent traveling, but this time, it occurs outside the borders of Italy. Wherever could I have gone next? The title probably gave it away, but I went to Germany! Munich to be exact, to attend the ever famous, ever raved about, Oktoberfest. All I got all week from everyone was, “You’re going to Oktoberfest? OMG you are going to have so much fun. It was the best weekend of my life.” Safe to say, expectations were high. And I am happy to say that these expectations were met and then some. But let’s start from the beginning.

Munich is probably one of the most beautiful cities I have ever been to. I feel like I’ve said that about everywhere I’ve gone so far, but in all honestly, I’m ranking this place at number one. Upon arrival, I instantly knew I was going to enjoy this weekend. Everyone was so kind, from the lady who helped us at the train station to the man making our coffee in Starbucks (Yes, you heard me correctly. STARBUCKS PEOPLE. I never ran so fast in my life to order that peach green tea lemonade.) On top of all of that, the city was so cute and homey feeling. Flowers in radiant colors of red and purple hung from the side of the buildings, which were carved with intricate designs that provided an ancient yet modern feel. I felt like I entered a Disney movie. I kept saying, “Does it not feel like we are in Tangled right now?,” which, by the way, is my favorite Disney movie, so you could say I was in heaven.

Every turn led to another breathtaking view, and I knew in that moment that I never wanted to leave. I was and am plotting my return because I want to spend the entirety of my life there. I know absolutely no German, but I think I can manage.

We went to the Hofbräuhaus for dinner, which was a very unique experience. We walk in and basically everyone is screaming chants, pounding on tables, and standing on their chairs. I thought maybe we had entered the wrong building, but nope, this was it and I was a bit scared. We eventually found a table in the far back, away from all the noise, which was kind of a relief. I’d normally be down for dinner and a show, but after being on a bus for 10 hours, I kind of just wanted to enjoy my food and the conversation with my friends without developing a massive headache. Yet, the headache came anyways when we ordered a beer, and it appeared in front of me in a stein (glass) bigger than my head. It was called the Radler, which is lemonade and beer, and it was gross. I hate beer, so you may be asking yourself, why even bother going to Oktoberfest? Because it about so much more than drinking!

We went to Oktoberfest on Saturday, wearing our dirndls (shown in the picture below). I felt absolutely ridiculous, but mostly everyone was wearing one, so I didn’t feel too out of place. We walk in, and my friend turns to me and says, “Did we just enter Six Flags?” I had to think for a second because it truly felt like I was about to go ride Superman (I haven’t been to Six Flags in 6 years, please tell me that’s still a ride there- it was the best!) But the entire area was filled with rides, such as rollercoasters and carousels, booths with games and food. It was like a little kid (and my) heaven.

We walked around and ended up in a “tent,” which aren’t tents at all. I might be the only person on the planet who didn’t know this, but when I pictured Oktoberfest, I imagined literal tents that everyone stood underneath and drank. Nope! They are actual buildings, full of tables and music. I was a bit overwhelmed because everyone was standing on the tables, and it was SO loud. German music was blasting, and I knew I wasn’t in Rome anymore. It was such a weird experience, but a lot of fun. Everyone was so kind, dancing and singing with us. A little advice, make sure to find a table because you won’t be served beer or food if aren’t sitting down.

The whole day consisted of hopping between tents, singing with others (we met people from Austria, Germany, Russia, everywhere!), eating lots of food (I don’t recommend the brats because I got food poisoning (: ), and having lots of fun. Also, don’t think you need to drink to have fun. I didn’t buy a drink the entire day because 10 euro on a stein of beer just didn’t seem worth my money. What did I buy? An apple strudel, duh. The best apple strudel on this planet at the dessert tent. You can have fun if you allow yourself to. I didn’t want to leave Germany because it was one of the best weekends of my life!

Tents I Recommend for Future Oktoberfest Goers: 

1. Schottenhamel- This was the first tent we went to, and it was definitely the most German in my opinion. Even though they played some ABBA, which was the highlight of my day, it was 99% German music, but so fun! We were able to easily find a table, and the waitress was always nearby in case you wanted to buy a beer. We met a lot of nice people at this tent, even a few older Italian men who weren’t shy to dance on the tables with us.

2. Café Kaiserschmarrn- Not a beer tent, but it is truly God’s gift to humanity. It’s the dessert tent! They play live music and have the most delicious and beautiful looking treats I have ever seen in my life. You can order outside, but I recommend going inside because the line is always shorter. We went in there twice that day because we couldn’t get enough. I got the apple strudel, and as I said before, it was incredible. I think it was 4 euro, so not terrible when compared to all the other expensive food at Oktoberfest.

3. Hofbräu Festzelt- This is the counterpart to the infamous Hofbräuhaus. Go here early because by the time we went, they claimed it was full and weren’t letting anyone in. We went and hung in the beer garden in the back, but from friends, I heard it was such a fun tent. So, unfortunately I don’t have an opinion to give, but considering it’s one of the most famous tents, it must be worth checking out!

4. Löwenbräu-Festhalle- It’s considered the favorite “meeting place” of Oktoberfest, which seems fitting, since that’s where we met up with most of our friends. This tent was the most fun in my opinion because they played a bit more “American” music, such as Sweet Caroline (which was an awesome moment, may I add).  We sat at a table with a few guys from Holland, and they were the funniest people I have ever met. They were dancing with us, as was everyone behind us. I thought it was the most social tent, although the waitresses were a bit more mean here. It’s rather hard to find a table here, so come early!

Danke (“thank you” in German) Germany, back to Rome I go!

Arrivederci i miei amici! <3

A brief apology for being so absent and sporadic and random with my unsystematic posting but…due to an eventful, active, and on-the-go life here in Chile, I don’t allow myself to sit down, gather my thoughts, and put my words down on paper as much as I should. That being said, I made time to write about my past weekend of hiking and camping, as I believe it to be one of my most prized experiences yet.

To be on the road means life holds some essence of destination, that life expects there to be movement from within you, a shift of time and matter from present to future. A travel, a journey, an experience, are all products of time; Time as a composition of earthly and cosmic turns, as an unattainable concept that we strive to perfect. So, if time is created by man, is socially constructed, and is as abstract as abstract seems to get, how does it seem to dictate and shape every aspect of living. Time is thrown away, laughed off, ostracized, and shoved into the corner. Simply taken advantage of. Yet, time is an obsession, a daily regiment, the global dictator whose reign is adamant and always demanding. It relays and regulates every millisecond of our every single day, yet we seem to be both over-aware and ignorant of its concept and its ever-lurking presence. It’s the elephant in the room that many do not seem to accept with full awareness and recognition. We have a sense of living time, of human time, of constant earthly time, beating in seconds, minutes, hours, turning into days, months, years. Yet every single one of these is limited. Each one is both a miniscule and a grandiose representation of our tread upon earth, of the effective sinking of our footprints into the soil, whether it be in forward or backward motion.We expectantly project into the future and hesitantly reach deeply back into our past, believing both will help us in our current situation. Yet we don’t seem to allow ourselves to focus on the beating time occurring at the fleeting moment of our current situation. If the Now is disregarded, neglected, simply overlooked, are we then solely living for the future, or simply living in our past? What happens, then, when the Now is all we live for, is all we believe to be relevant?

In reverence to this, September 24^th, 25^th, and 26^th were impeccable paradigms of moving simply and willingly with the ebb and flow of life’s unpredictability and passage of time. It was three of us dropped on the side of a dirt road—one with trickling traffic, mind you—with hiking packs in tact and thumbs greeting passing cars in hopes of meeting a willing soul. After 22 minutes, 57 seconds, and 15 cars, a cloud of dust shrouded us as a truck pulled off the road and aided the first leg of our trek up the mountain. We met willing souls for three days straight, riding in the beds of numerous pick-ups, and hitchhiking our way up, down, in, and out of the national park. We waded through glacier water, stumbled upon a rock beach island forward-facing a cascading waterfall, napping in the beating rays with the cataract exploding at our toes. We camped directly next to the rushing river, the sun setting low on the rapids, the sound of tires on gravel road, the beam of intermittent headlights, and the stars opening up the sky through the tree line profiles—like perforations in black paint—once nightfall hit. We used discarded aluminum cans to boil water for dinner over our campfire flames, we snuggled up with hot stones in our sleeping bags and tent, and we continuously paused in awe over the idyllic spread of landscape that was panned out before our very eyes.

No plan, just a leap of faith into the arms of time.

To truly make the most of the time that is given unto us, do we simply find a balance between over-awareness and ignorance? How is it that we can simply master an art of timely equilibrium?

 

 

“Hey, just so you guys know, I was reading some of the guidebooks, and apparently, this place is kind of dangerous. So watch out.”

My friend Joy did not reveal this fun fact until we were in the cab, well on our way to a hostel…IN NAPLES.

With an audible gulp, I cleared my nervous throat and peered outside the rain-streaked window. The coastal city seemed harmless enough, with its plethora of pastel colored buildings and its sidewalks lined with palm trees. The only offensive thing so far was the faint smell of fish market. Little did I know, these fish markets would produce some of the best seafood I’ve ever tasted in my entire life…and I grew up in Maryland!

Our hostel was located off Piazza Dante, a town square of sorts that was adorned with a statue of none other than (you guessed it!) Dante.

What if Naples inspired the seven rings of hell described in Dante’s masterpiece Inferno? I shuddered at the thought as we strolled through the neighborhood.

Almost immediately, my fear melted away into fascination. Naples exhibited a handsome hodgepodge of handmade crafts and historical artifacts!

The most impressive Medieval monument we saw in the city was Castel Nuovo (which translates to New Castle). Situated on the Port of Naples, with the backdrop of mountains and the Mediterranean, this castle was home to many noblemen and women, most famously Charles I of Anjou. It amazed me that this castle was still standing after all this time, considering that it was first built in 1282! The inside of this humongous structure contained beautiful artwork, precious crown jewels…and even skeletons!

In order to spend our Saturday in Sorrento, a beach town on the Amalfi Coast, we took a 40-minute ferry ride across the Bay of Naples. After eating a seafood lunch of pasta with squid and clams (it tastes way better than it sounds), we climbed a fortress to the top of the mountain and peered out at serene Sorrento. Colorful striped umbrellas dotted the shore, and speedy Vespa motorcycles streaked the cobblestone streets.

How could someone experience this much beauty, I thought, and not believe there is a God?

 

Finally, it was time to dive into the perfect Mediterranean Sea. I am not exaggerating when I say it was perfect! I felt like a mermaid submerging myself underneath the cool salty waves. Peering with squinted eyes, I examined shells and barnacles through the clear abyss.

I wish we could have stayed longer (forever, actually), but we had to catch our ferry back to Naples before sundown. You can probably guess that the seafood we had eaten, combined with the violent rocking of the boat, reaped some interesting results. I’ll leave it at that.

That night, to calm our uneasy stomachs, we ate dinner at a pizzeria that was over 100 years old!

We woke up bright and early Sunday morning to go to Mass at the local church. Although it was relatively small compared to some of the churches I’ve visited in Rome (especially the Vatican!), this little church still possessed the ornate flourish characteristic of European Catholic churches. One thing I really admire about Catholicism is how the Mass is the same all over the world. So even though the priest spoke in Italian, we whispered the corresponding responses and said the same prayers under our breaths in English. It was truly a spiritually transcendent experience.

However, my spiritual bubble burst shortly after leaving the church.

As our small group explored the older section of the city, we were coaxed in by a passing parade. These Naples natives looked like they just left the Renaissance fair, dressed in historical garb. Beating drums, waving flags, and blowing horns, they seemed to be celebrating some cultural event. As the parade people climbed the steps of a nearby church, we noticed other spectators plugging their ears, so we tentatively plugged ours as well. This was a smart choice because, all of a sudden…

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

Men dressed as soldiers shot antique rifles that sounded like cannons! After about ten shots, the crowd applauded and the parade marched on.

Joy had to rub my shoulder in order for me to return to consciousness. They burst my spiritual bubble, after all!

But I think that event really sums up this place. Through all the gorgeous castles, coastlines, and cuisine, there lies a gritty undertone that makes Naples notorious!

Growing up I watched Dorothy navigate through Oz, making friends and enemies along the way.  Dorothy eventually realized she was the only one who could find way home and she had it in herself all along.

One of the hardest parts I have found of being abroad is not knowing anyone.  My roommates and everyone I have met have been very friendly.  Even though I have all these connections here, there is not really anyone who knows me well. I think this has made me more aware of how I come across to other people.  It can be hard not having anyone to vent to about my frustrations and I certainly do not want to be constantly complaining to my new friends.  Nobody wants to be around negative people.  I sometimes have to stop myself from only talking about my frustrations.

Last week I discovered Regents Park.  On my morning jog I discovered I live very close.  It is such a beautiful place and a great stress reliever.  Each time I’ve run since I’ve gone to that park.  If I spend a little time alone exercising or relaxing I think I become less negative.  I enjoy having that time to myself.

Unlike Dorothy, I’m not homesick yet.  I’m still enjoying my time here and not missing too much at home.  Hopefully I make a few good friends during my time here, just like Dorothy did in Oz.

After taking a cooking class in Bangkok back in August, I was hooked. It’s one thing to chow down on some local food, and quite another to learn about the ingredients and prepare it yourself. The experience provides such a unique insight into the cuisine and culture.

Two weeks ago, I had the opportunity to visit Japan for a long weekend and take another cooking class. Being one of the top destinations for foodies, Osaka proved to be a perfect place to explore my taste buds. Although the class cost almost twice as much as my class in Bangkok, it was worth every second of it.

We had the option to choose between a home style food course or a street food course and while both sounded intriguing – and challenging – we ultimately decided on the street food course which gave us the opportunity to cook chopstick okonomiyaki, udon noodles from scratch and chicken yakitori. All of which were delicious and not too overly complicated to make.

To make chopstick okonomiyaki (my favorite snack from our class), which is typically served and eaten at festivals in Osaka, takes a lot of skill. Our instructor told us that some of the vendors you’ll find at festivals have been practicing for over a decade. I can’t imagine spending decades preparing the same dish multiple times a day, every day, unless it was my Mom’s pasta salad or mashed potatoes.

The recipe itself starts off pretty simple with a batter of egg, rice flour, dashi and water before adding in finely chopped carrots, spring onions and cabbage. After mixing well, you pour the batter on the griddle evenly over a Shiso leaf. You can then add bean sprouts, tempura and pickled ginger to taste (the pickled ginger was by far my favorite part of the entire dish and probably the flavor that sticks out most in the finished product).

Then comes the difficult, I mean fun, part. Once the pancake is mostly cooked, a pair of chopsticks need to be pinched around one end of the pancake and used to help roll the pancake as tightly as possible. If done correctly, the recipient should be able to walk around and eat this delicious treat off the chopsticks. Of course, none of us were quite that good yet and made a bit of a mess when it came time to chow down.

To top it off, you can add chili powder, Bonito flakes, mayonnaise and okonomiyaki sauce. So. Many. Ingredients. My first bite was an explosion of flavors I would have never thought to put together, but extremely rewarding all the same. My next few days in Osaka I looked for a place to buy some chopstick okonomiyaki to compare, and to get one more taste before leaving, but with no luck.

Although some of the ingredients we used may be hard to find in the States, I am excited to try some of the things I’ve learned again… as soon as I have access to a kitchen.

The Chinese National Holiday (October 1-7) is perhaps the craziest time in China because everyone is on vacation so everywhere around China especially in the cities is crowded … what is the best way to avoid this? Leave the country!! We got lucky this year because the first started on a Saturday and the 8th and 9th were also weeken d days, so we got an extra long vacation and chose to spend it in Thailand.

For having no idea what I was getting myself into (besides the fact that Thai Grill besides Loyola is where I go for my weekly Pad Thai fix), it was an (almost) perfect vacation, and was nice because we planned the whole thing by ourselves – I feel so adult now.

We spent the first 3 days hanging around Bangkok. We went to visit the Grand Palace, went to see a floating market via river boat, and went rooftop bar hoping – fun fact: the hangover 2 features Sky Bar which we obviously had to go see. My favorite thing are the little Tuk Tuk’s that drive around. They’re basically a little car, but kind of outside and they drive and weave in and out of traffic. There is about 33 baht to 1 USD, and you can get some fantastic street food, whether it be Pad Thai, Noodles, Pancakes, or fruit for about 30-80 kuai. We also liked to splurge for nice meals which were around 12o baht which is still only like $4 USD. Also, I tried a Scorpion if you want to add that to the weird foods list! Don’t think I’d eat that again.

We then hopped on a short 1.5 hour flight to Phuket. We decided to splurge and book ourselves 2 nights in a resort – which was the nicest present I could give to myself. The room itself had such a comfy bed, and came with an hour Thai massage. If you ever get massages, or want to get a massage, nothing can ever compare to massage Thai style where they literally sit on top of you and make your body pop in places you didn’t even know could be popped. While in Phuket we had some fun exploring the night life and the beach, but the highlight was riding the elephants.

After 2 days in Phuket, we decided to travel to Phi Phi Island, about 2 hours off the coast. No words to describe probably one of my favorite places I’ve visited yet. While it is an island targeted for tourists, it is completely isolated from the outside world and is absolutely gorgeous. There are no cars allowed on the island, and the main road is a little yellow brick path. We stayed at a hostel that was located on a mountain, and while we had to climb almost 200 steps to get to our room, we could see the beach and parts of the island from our room. The water was the nice green blue, not the murky brown you get almost everywhere else. The weather was a perfect 90 degrees. About a 20 minute ferry ride from the main island is a smaller one, that the government does not let anyone live on expect for native cave dwellers and park rangers. The movie “Beach” starring Leo DiCaprio (I’d never heard of it) was filmed on the island. We spent 6 hours on a boat exploring the different coves of this island via kayak and by jumping into the water and snorkeling and visiting the part where monkey’s inhabit.

We treated ourselves to a spa day by getting a fish pedicure and all you can eat BBQ. Fish pedicures are indescribable – all I can say is that it is not a pleasant feeling – you can feel the fish nibbling at your feet, and if you concentrate hard enough, you can narrow in on each bite. However, my feet are so smooth and not gross – so I’d say it’s worth it.

The reason why I say this trip was ALMOST perfect was that, on our last leg of our flight (after 30 hours of traveling), our plane got delayed. Somehow, after taking a ferry and 2 planes, our last plane decided it wanted to have mechanical failures – so after sitting at the gate for 2.5 hours we unboarded and did not get on the plane until 9 hours after the intended takeoff. 40 hour day with no sleep. As miserable as the experience was at the time – it taught me how to utilize my Chinese to communicate with staff, and how to be flexible when traveling without my family and the guidance of my all-knowing parents.

I learned a lot about myself and study abroad on this trip – It’s such a nice experience to be able to travel with some of your new (and old friends) and you learn a lot more about who they are as people. As much as I love China, it’s nice to be able to experience new cultures (get some fresh air) and to explore places I don’t think I will get the opportunity to travel to in a long time. Planning the trip and booking the hotels made me feel more and more like an adult with responsibility.

Now I’m back in Beijing missing my Pad Thai (which we *surprise surprise* ate at least once a day) and the fresh mangoes and juice and pancake crepes and fried ice cream and thai omelets and coconut water in a coconut but all in all, super refreshed and happy and ready to survive and enjoy the next 2 months I have left here.

 

Where are you from? – Chicago What are you studying? – International Business

I was asked these questions about 200 times my first day of exchange and by the end of the day I knew where all the international students are from and what they study. My first day as an exchange student at Loyola Universidad Andalucia was pretty great. I met students from the U.S., Sweden, Greece, Germany, Argentina, Poland, Belgium, France, Italy, Cyprus, Mexico and of course the Netherlands which makes up half the exchange student population. Although we all speak different languages and have completely different cultures we all have one thing in common. We are all foreigners in Spain. We spent the first couple days together exploring the streets of Seville, drinking tintos and cervezas, eating tapas, and trying to figure out which bus goes where. The best part about being on exchange, other than living in beautiful Sevilla, is meeting other exchange students that understand the difficulty of being foreigners. The best way to broaden your international relations is to go on exchange. From what I’ve witnessed, Erasmus students are a little wild but pretty great. Go travel. Go study. Come to Sevilla!

 

This past Sunday we returned from a 10-day long trip around Vietnam’s north and central regions. It was the first major trip in the program and will be followed in another week by a short excursion to Cambodia. Instead of giving you a comprehensive rundown of the entire trip, I’m imparting short snapshots of each city to you:

Hue: After a long day of touring Hue, a city in central Vietnam that was once home to the legendary Nguyen dynasty, a group of us tracked down a Mexican restaurant on TripAdvisor called Jalapeno.  To our surprise upon entering the restaurant we found a different group of Loyola students half-way through their meal – in the spirit of group travels we combined tables and took over half the restaurant.  Happy hour at Jalapeno meant BOGO margaritas and free beer with any main entrée – an offer none of us could refuse. After receiving our chilled margaritas, we toasted to a happy day and to Emily’s last night as a 21-year-old. Pha, our waiter, overheard the birthday wishes and quickly rushed to the side of our table for more details: whose birthday was it, how old were they and how did you spell their name. Emily did the honors and for the next 30 minutes, as plates of enchiladas and nachos came and went, all of the staff snickered, giggled and whispered. Finally, the moment of truth came. The lights dimmed, the doors shut and a cake with numbered 22 candles and ‘Emily 29.9’ written in red frosting was delivered to the table (not one of us had the heart to tell Pha that Emily’s birthday was actually September 30th). What followed was Emily’s worse nightmare: 4 different renditions of happy birthday and an impromptu dance party in which Pha and her coworkers made us dance to, among other songs, Gangnam Style.

Hoi An: Hoi An, another city in Central Vietnam, is known for its quaint architecture and old style. It’s vaguely reminiscent of a small, peaceful Italian town which left Emily and I feeling very at home. After visiting My Son Cham ruins, Emily, Kelsey, Binu, Vien and I rented bicycles to visit a nearby beach. I have no words to explain how wonderful those few hours were. The weather was perfect, the water warm and the waves just enough to inspire the greatness of the ocean in you right before the water set you back down gently on the sandy ocean floor. At one point Emily instructed us to take a good long mental picture of the moment in our heads – it was something we would want to remember the next time we were dozing off in class.

Da Nang: Surprise! Da Nang is another city in central Vietnam. For most, Da Nang is known for modernity and cleanliness (apparently, it’s one of the best places to live in Vietnam).  For me, Da Nang is known for the worst mango smoothie. By mango smoothie, I mean to say sugary milk, chunks of mango and a few ice cubes garnished with a random piece of mint. To be fair we only spent about an hour and a half in Da Nang and so please know that I am judging a book by its cover. So please do me a favor and return to Da Nang in order to write your own snapshot that does the city justice.

Hanoi: In Hanoi, Vietnam’s capital city, we were greeted by delicious northern delicacies such as bun cha and not so friendly Vietnamese northerners who lived up their reputation of being more closed off than their southern counterparts. We found a sweet little place called the Polite Pub where the majority of us Loyola students shared a few glasses of half price wine before a traditional water puppet show. I adore Hanoi for its small streets, large trees and old feel. I sincerely wish we had spent more time there.

Sa Pa: Sa Pa is a glorious small town up near Vietnam’s border with China. We spent only one full day here but it was a wonderful place to relax and its magnificent mountain views do make it worth visiting. The only catch is that to get there you must take a 6-hour bus ride in a sleeper bus. For those of you who haven’t yet encountered the world of sleeper buses, this means that the seats are essentially like beds. For those of you who have encountered the world of sleeper buses, you can probably relate to me when I say this is wonderful except when your seat is broken which leaves you lying flat for 6 hours. The ride up to Sa Pa was fine but it was the ride down that left me a little shaken. After loading up the bus in Sa Pa our driver proceeded to pick up hitchhikers along the highway, stopping (and I mean slamming on the breaks) every 20 minutes to pick up new folks or drop others off. He drove at the speed of light so we get could to Hanoi and drop off the other illegal passengers but still get us to our drop-off location early. This entire experience was made even more complete by the odor of urine and the stench of cigarettes that left my hair smelling as though I had spent the past 6 hours in some shady European discotheque. This was a wonderful experience and although I may not ever repeat it and I am sure I will cherish it for years to come.

At the end of all of this, I was so happy to return home to Ho Chi Minh City. It’s a curious and beautiful thing to feel that you are returning home after only having known a place for 7 weeks.

 

Ciao a tutti!

Or should I say, kaliméra (good morning in Greek). I had to say goodbye to Rome for a little bit because the next 10 days of my life will be spent in Greece through a program run through JFRC. To be completely honest, I was very skeptical because it cost 1300 Euro to attend this trip, which was basically more than half my budget. However, all my friends were going and as much as I love Rome, I didn’t want to be alone for 10 days. So, with special help from my amazing father, I was able to go and experience this once in a lifetime trip.

*Disclaimer: By the end of this trip, I cried. And for those of you who know me, I NEVER cry. Like ever. I didn’t even cry saying bye to my mom at the airport. Crying isn’t a part of my vocabulary. So, me crying shows how amazing this trip was.*

I am going to share with you my top 3 days while in Greece. Andiamo!

FRIDAY (10/7/16): 5 AM I am forced to wake up at because our flight is at 8 AM. I am NOT a morning person in the slightest, so I was miserable. But I took the hour and a half plane ride as an opportunity to nap, and I awoke refreshed and ready to take on our first day in Greece. We flew into Athens, grabbed our checked bags, and headed for the seaside in Sounion, which is on the outskirts of Athens. Here we grab lunch, and can I just say that this set the mood for the entire trip? The view was outstanding, with the temple of Zeus on the mountaintop just across the water. It was like we stepped into a painting. The water was so blue, the sky so clear. I couldn’t believe this was my life. We sat down and were given scary looking fish for lunch, such as mussels, octapus, and calamari. Again, for the people who know me, I hate fish. Living and dead. They gross me out, and I never want them near me. But I promised myself I was going to try everything, so I did. And they weren’t bad at all! I was actually sort of obsessed with the mussels, which took me about 5 minutes to figure out how to eat. I ain’t no foodie expert, I can’t even boil water correctly, but it all tasted so fresh, and I actually felt healthy after scarfing down entire plates full of food.

Afterwards, we visited the Temple of Poseidon (that itty bitty monument on top of the hill in the picture above). We had a 360 view of the entire Aegean Sea (which I kept calling an ocean, my b). We learned about the history while walking around, enjoying the beauty around us before heading to our hotel in Athens. We were exploring Athens and it’s active nightlife, when it started to downpour on us, forcing us back to our hotel. I thought this day was overall amazing, but I was soon to find out the greatness that Greece still had to offer.

 

SUNDAY (10/9/16): Today, we headed for Delphi, a town situated on the side of Mount Parnassus, which in the ancient times was sacred to Apollo and the Muses. It had a temple dedicated to Apollo, an amphitheater, and a stadium that used to hold running tournaments.

After all of this, we headed back to our hotel and got ready for dinner. We had to hike up 300 stairs in order to get there, so I was dying, but my appetite was ready for some good food! Also, the wine was probably some of the best I’ve had thus far. After a bit of wine, we all decided to get up and dance, and it was the most fun I’ve had in my life. We learned how to Greek dance and just enjoyed each other’s company. I talked to people I’ve never talked to before, and we all really connected that night. We left and then went to another bar, and all 50 of us took it over. We were dancing on the tables, talking to the locals. We stayed here until the wee hours of the night, and I never wanted to leave. However, at about 2:30 in the morning, we decided to call it quits and headed back to the hotel. There, our dean of students and our tour guide, Ioanna, invited my friends and I to have drinks at the bar with them. We talked and laughed and finished off the night the right way, with Night Caps, which are dessert shots. They were so good! It had Bailey’s, whipped cream, and some other stuff, and it was so delicious. It was definitely a night to remember.

SATURDAY (10/15/16): Last night in Greece! 🙁 The best, yet the saddest day of my life. I have grown to love everything about it, and although I love Rome, I developed such a deep bond with the Greek people and its culture. I think I miss the food the most, to be honest. It consisted of some of the best meals I’ve ever had. Anyways, on this day, we spent our morning in Mykonos and walked amongst the cute little shops.

We then got on the bus around 10:45 and left for the boat, which was going to take us back to Athens. Four hours later, we docked and went to our hotel, which was AMAZING. It was called Mare Nostrum, and it was a resort spa. Yes, you read that right. They even gave us free passes to use the spa. We got ready for dinner and left for this restaurant that was about 15 minutes away. There, they had live Greek music and a DJ that was playing whatever songs we requested. Also, the dinner was beyond words. I really can’t get this saganaki covered in sesame with sweet jam out of my mind. Like I said before, I am going to miss the food so much. We spent the remainder of the night dancing, singing, and laughing. This was definitely my favorite night of the entire trip. We invited Greeks who were eating in the restaurant to dance with us, and they were so kind and having just as much fun as we were. The entire night felt like a dream, and I wish I could relive it over and over again. I made everlasting memories and friendships.

 

Thank you Greece for changing my life and for being so welcoming. Se agapó! (I LOVE YOU.)

I began writing this a few of weeks ago however, with the university shutdown I have just been able to finish it. So FINALLY here is how I spent my Spring Break here in South Africa (or rather outside of it).

---

As Summer ends and Fall begins in the States, Spring has just started showing itself after a wet winter in Cape Town. Just like the American universities, the University of Cape Town gives their students a well-deserved mid-term break. One week of no school, no classes, no papers, no tests. A time to relax and enjoy what South Africa has to offer………or get out as fast as you can to go see other sites in the southern part of the African continent. When deciding on whether to stay in Cape Town or experience other countries, I knew that the only option I would be happy with was to leave. So on the first Saturday of break I woke up at 3:30AM and hoped on a bus with 20 other study abroad students and started what was going to be the best Spring Break I have ever had.

 

Day 1: Livingstone, Zambia

Early mornings seem to be a common occurrence whenever I travel anywhere. Though, to admit 3:30 in the morning was just a little too early for my liking. But not too soon after departing the residence hall my adrenaline kicked in. I kept glancing at my friend Meg who was on the trip with me, as well as two other boys from the IES Program (Aditya and Logan), and we both could not stop smiling. In about 6 hours we were going to land in Zambia and start what was sure to be an amazing experience. Landing around 1:30 PM in Zambia we headed to our accommodation for the night, Livingstone Backpackers (highly recommended for anyone travelling around the area!) It was so quaint and cozy with travelers from around the world all gathered together. No one wanted to stand around to do nothing so we ventured out into town to check out the local market. Masters at sales and negotiation the salesmen and women promoted their goods, statues, bowls, bracelets, shirts, and paintings. After an hour of perusing the stalls we headed back to the backpackers to lounge by the pool. Understandably, it was an early night for everyone after an exhausting day of travelling and the next day was going to be more adventures and exploring.

Day 2: Livingstone, Zambia and Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe

Out of all the days on this trip, my favorite by far is still this very first day. After a day of travelling getting to sleep in until 9:00AM was quite refreshing. The four of us, Aditya, Logan, Meg, and I, had an absolutely delicious breakfast (probably the best one on the whole trip) at the backpackers. At 11 we were picked up and driven to a very nice resort where we would be relaxing by the pool until our activity of the day began. Right on the edge of the Zambezi the hotel is the launching point for the Devil’s Pool experience. Before our scheduled appointment we had about 4 hours to kill. We were able to relax by the pool, swim, and go for walks around the compound. Our walks were just to explore the area and stretch our legs but we were surprised, and delighted, to find zebras and impala along our way. It was amazing to be so close to wild animals and to just get to watch them do what they do. After the walks and a dip in the pool it was time to set off for the edge. Literally. Devil’s Pool is a small “pool” on the very edge of Victoria Falls. A boat took us from the hotel to a small island known as Livingstone Island. From this location we swam thru the Zambezi to get to the pool. After very slowly and cautiously climbing into the pool, we were able to sit on the edge of one of the 7 Natural Wonders of the World. My heart was pounding, my palms were sweating, and the words “oh my god” left my mouth about a hundred times. It was an incredibly surreal moment and one that will forever be imprinted in my memory. I could have stayed in the pool for hours but unfortunately, all too quickly we were ushered out and made our way back to Livingstone Island. After a late lunch on the island it was time to go back to the hotel and make our way to Zimbabwe. And what better way to do this but to walk? As the Zim/Zambia border is Victoria Falls it was not far from the hotel. So, the five of us (the IES 4 and our tour guide, Angelica) made our way down the highway towards the border. We crossed just as the sun was setting and made our way thru the national part in the dark with only one headlight guiding our way. We were warned that there were buffalo, elephants, and hippos that we had to be careful about by an overly concerned taxi driver offering us a ride. We decided to venture into the “wilderness” anyway and made it safely to our Rest Camp without being mauled or eaten by anything. This day was not just my favorite because of the activities. What really made this day was the people I was with. Though the activities were amazing and walking across the border was a unique experience the little moments of laughter, joking, lounging, and talking with the four other people I was with made everything so much better. And though, none of the following days topped this one, they definitely came very close.

Day 3: Hiking Victoria Falls and the Village

After an exciting adventure the day before, today was scheduled to be a little more relaxed. After breakfast at the rest camp our entire group went on a hike of Victoria Falls. The hike takes you to 16 different viewpoints of the amazing falls. Each vantage point was just as beautiful and amazing as the next one. At half of the spots water rained down and turned the scenery into a beautiful amazing forest. The rest of the spots were surrounded by brown foliage. The contrast from forest to desert was quite astonishing to see. After an hour of hiking, pictures, snacks, and more pictures we headed back to the rest camp for a relaxing afternoon by the pool. A couple hours later, our group left to spend the night with an amazing group of children at a local orphanage. We had dinner with the children (where I ate a caterpillar, a Zimbabwean specialty) and then a massive dance party ensued. We were fortunate enough to be there for one of the girl’s birthday; this was the first birthday party this little girl had ever had. It was such an honor to experience it with her and to see the joy on her face when we surprised her. After a few hours of playing and dancing it was time to say goodbye. Hugs went all around and by the end of the night none of us really wanted to leave. Thirty minutes of goodbyes later and our night had finally come to an end. We all needed our rest, for the next day things were going to get crazy!

 

Day 4: Rafting the Zambezi

At the end of this particular day my only thought was, “I SURVIVED!” I do not think I have ever been so close to death as I was today. And yet, it was AWESOME!!!!! I wouldn’t consider myself an adrenaline junkie but it was a lot of fun. Today, I went white water rafting on the Zambezi River, the border of Zimbabwe and Zambia. There is not much more I can say besides it was thrilling, scary, fantastic, and again, amazing. The pictures bellow pretty much say it all. There are 6 grades of rapids; each grade is more dangerous than the next. Grade 1, you can swim in, Grade 3- be prepared for a bumpy ride, Grade 5- anywhere from a 50-99% chance of flipping, Grade 6- you die (a little dramatic but they are very, very dangerous even professionals do not ride these rapids). In many places in America a person must be certified in order to go on Grade 4 and up rapids. Well, not in Africa! We went all the way up to Grade 5 and we all survived. We got a quick lesson on what to do if the boat flips, hiked down a gorge to get to the river, and after 4 non-stop hours of rafting, hiked back up the gorge. We were lucky that this was the only activity for it was exhausting. The day ended with a nice dinner and relaxing by the pool. It was the perfect ending to such a tiring yet exhilarating day.

Day 5: Markets and Gorge Swings

Our last day in Zimbabwe was our own. No planned activities, no early morning wake up, and no death defying activities……wait scratch that last one. Since nothing was scheduled we were able to pick and choose different activities that we wanted to partake in. I decided that I wanted to explore the village more and other non-profit organizations like the orphanage. A tour guide took a group of us around the village, showing us different markets, going back to the orphanage, and an old-person care home. The markets were not touristy markets or places to buy souvenirs. These markets were the places where the people living in the area would go to buy clothes, shoes, hair products, etc. They weren’t indoor markets or what one would normally think of. Once the tour was over, our group headed back to the rest camp.  The group I came with (Logan, Meg, Aditya, and I) decided that we were not satisfied with having a lazy day around Victoria Falls. So, what better way to spice things up then by jumping off the gorge and swinging side-to-side? Our last adventure in Zimbabwe was the gorge swing across the Zambezi. If I thought white water rafting was scary, this was terrifying. It was all fine until that moment when you are standing on a wooden platform looking down at the bottom of the gorge. Luckily, Meg and I were doing a tandem jump so I was not alone in my moment of fear. The hardest part is always right before the jump. Fortunately for us the man in charge of the jump didn’t give us much of a choice; after counting down from 5, he pushed us off. I don’t think I have ever been so grateful to someone for pushing me off a cliff. The initial free-fall lasted about 3 seconds and then the swing set in and we were soaring over the gorge. It was so much fun and so beautiful going across the river. After the jump and the climb back up, we headed back to the camp for our last Zimbabwean night.

Day 6: Chobe National Park, Botswana

Our adventure this morning was to say goodbye to Zimbabwe and hello to Botswana. A couple hours’ drive had us at the border where we switched cars and headed straight into the first activity of the day. The big Jeeps would talk us into Chobe National Park and on a 2-hour Game Drive to see the wildlife. My first safari of in Africa! It was hot and bright out as we made our way through the park to the edge of the Chobe River. Hundreds of elephants grazed around the river and bathed on its banks. Water buffalo stood right beside the elephants minding their own business. The elephants in Chobe are known to be the largest in the world, and that is no lie; they are huge. As we continued on we spotted giraffes, kudu, impala, and other antelope species. Unfortunately, no lions were around for it was too hot for them to come out. To continue our animal adventure, we drove to the bank of the river and hopped onto a boat for a sunset cruise on the river. This was my favorite out of the two. We were able to see crocodiles and more elephants up close. But my favorite animal to see were the hippos swimming in the water and eating on land. Hippos and giraffes are probably my favorite animals so getting to see them in their natural habitat was quite amazing. As the sun began to set, we headed back towards the shore where we would be able to get a better view of the setting sun. I was having a lovely conversation with the boat driver when I jokingly mentioned that he should let me drive the boat back. To my surprise, he let me! I was able to steer the boat to where we were going to watch the sunset. It was such a unique experience and only enhanced how great the day had been so far. Watching the sun set over the Chobe River was breathtaking. The sky lit up in different colors and the sun became a deep orange. Too soon it was over and we were off the boat and back into the Jeeps. Our rest camp was not too far and we were able to have a very comfortable night on extremely comfy beds, before our next adventure was to take place.

Day 7: Maun, Botswana

This day was nothing but driving. The drive from Chobe to Maun took 8 hours. By the time we reached the rest camp we were exhausted and nobody was in the mood for any activities. Which was perfect because there was none planned. Our accommodation for the night consisted of tents with a padded mattress inside. This was in preparation for our night on the Okavango Delta. A short walk, dinner, a little conversation and then it was off to bed for us all.

 

Day 8: Mokoro Tour, Okavango Delta

Today was probably the longest day of the entire trip, or at least it felt like it. Most of our day was spent on a boat. First, a speed boat and then a skinny, canoe-looking boat called a mokoro. These boats are the only types of boats that are permitted thru the Okavango Delta. They are small enough where they can fit off the big canals and into the tall grass areas. For 8-hours we paired up and were driven around the Delta by a mokoro driver. Aditya and I shared a mokoro and our driver was a 21-year old women named Michelle. We had a wonderful time talking to her about her life and enjoying the scenery. Our trip allowed us to see hippos, crocodiles, one lone elephant, a herd of zebra, and lots and lots of bugs. We made it to our campsite, where we would be sleeping under the stars on the Okavango, and got a short break. A group of decided to take advantage of our amazing location and go for a swim in the Delta not far from our campsite. I still cannot believe that I can say that I swam in the Okavango Delta in Botswana; it is a little surreal. Once our dip in the Delta was over we dried off. No rest in between, for we hopped back in our mokoros and set off for another island not too far away. On our way we passed a place called Hippo Pool where hippos come and relax, hang out, and sleep. We took a walking tour of the island in search of some animals. We did not find any live animals but we came across an elephant skeleton. It had died a while ago and all that was left were the bones. Its skull was still intact and the femur was massive and so heavy. As we walked back to the mokoros the sun set off in the distance and cast a glow over the island. We continued on our journey back to the mokoros; we made it back to campsite just as the sky turned black. Our last dinner was a happy but solemn one. None of us wanted to leave and yet we were all exhausted and ready to be back. Plans for reunions were already being discussed as our dinner progressed. Our night ended with us gazing at the amazing starts in the sky and discovering constellations. One last “tent talk” between us four IES students and it was off to bed for a good night’s sleep…

Day 9: Flying home???

After only a few hours of sleep I was up at 5AM and hanging with the cooks and mokoro drivers. They had built a fire since it was still dark out and we talked around the fire for about an hour before the sun started to arise. The rest of the group started emerging to watch the sunrise over the delta. It was the perfect end to an amazing trip. After breakfast and packing, it was back onto the mokoros and back to the rest camp. Logan and I were on a direct flight back to Cape Town while the rest of the group was on an earlier flight thru Jo-burg. Logan and I stayed behind to relax at the rest camp while the other group went ahead to the airport. We said our quick goodbyes and promised to get together that night for dinner back in Cape Town……………or so was the plan……… With comfy couches and two hammocks swaying in the warm breeze, I could not resist the temptation to take a nap. We were being picked up at 1:30pm for our 3:00 flight. Waking up just before 1, Logan and I just sat around the couches waiting for the car to come. Logan decided to look up our flight online to get the details about when we would be landing in Cape Town…. And that was the last calm moment before things hit the fan. Our flight, which we were told was leaving at 3, was actually scheduled to depart at 1:35pm, in 30 minutes. Logan ran to the reception and told them we needed a taxi right away. I called Angelica and told her that we were probably going to miss our flight. She hung up to call the owner of the travel company. The owner messaged Logan and informed us that we had indeed missed our flight and that there were no more flights out of Maun to Cape Town until the next day. We were stuck in Botswana for an extra day. Our tents were pitched again and dinner (and a well- deserved drink) and breakfast were provided for us. It was definitely not how we planned to end the day but overall, an extra day in the Botswana is not the worst thing that could happen to a girl.

Unintentional Day 10: Finally Flying Home

With very little sleep the night before and the unexpected flight mishap, I was in bed and asleep by 9:30pm. A great night sleep was exactly what I needed to endure the flight during the day. I counted every step. Step 1: We got in the taxi. Step 2: We made it to the airport. Step 3: Got our tickets. Step 4: Made it thru security. Step 5: Made it on the plane. And finally, Step 6: The plane took off and we were on it! As much as I loved the trip and it was everything and so much more, I could not wait to be home!