Hello, readers! Boy, am I tired. These past weeks have been filled with travel, travel, travel! I must admit that sometimes it's hard to step out that door, to pack one small bag and leave the confines of my ($%&*#@) apartment to enter a world of unknowns. Most of you know that I can be a bit of a control freak, and the idea of being in a new city can make me feel stressed and anxious -- will I get lost? Will the train not show up to get me to the airport? Will I get on the right plane?! But ultimately, the moment I breathe and exit the train, plane, or bus, entering a new environment full of never-before-experienced sights and smells, I feel at peace and know the whole trip is worth it. I am the luckiest person in the world to be able to travel every weekend -- to have the world at my fingertips -- and I am excited to share some of my adventures with you!
My first weekend of travel took me to Frankfurt. I had all day Saturday to explore the city, and I made the most of it by walking everywhere: to the opera house, the old Jewish Quarter, the Jewish Museum, the Museumsufer (the part along the Main river where all of the museums are), and the Städel Museum. I loved the modernity of Frankfurt -- it felt like a real city with skyscrapers, museums galore, and beautiful and historical sights. And the best part was seeing Goran and his family again. I had a wonderful time playing with the girls, though I hope Mila has forgiven me for leaving ;).
The next weekend marked an exciting adventure to a new country with my roommate, Gemma. We went to Lucerne and Zurich, Switzerland for a very beautiful but very long two-night, one-day trip. We started Friday night on a bus (and you guessed it, I did not sleep!) and arrived on Saturday morning in Lucerne. The city is classic Europe, with medieval bridges, gorgeous churches, and breathtaking river-views. After Lucerne, we got on a bus again, this time traveling to Zurich. A larger city, I was impressed by the many churches, the stunning opera house, an incredible music store I discovered, and of course, the chocolate! I even managed to find a personal pizza and a glass of wine for only €14.50 in the third most expensive city in the world! Not bad I'd say ;)!
One week later and I was out the door again! As David Bowie put it, "Berlin, the greatest cultural extravaganza that one could imagine." He was right. The history and diversity of the city is evident: the West is filled with classic European architecture and elegant buildings and parks, while the East remains a bit more run-down with remnants of Soviet architecture and poverty. But there is beauty in this dichotomy; there is something inspiring in experiencing the history firsthand while watching the East continue to rebuild and become, too, a thriving and cultured part of the city. I had two filled days taking in this history, walking along the wall, to the Bundestag (no, I did not see Angela Merkel!) and Brandenburg Gate, the Museum Quarter, and the Holocaust Memorial and Museum. I guess I can now officially say, "Ich bin ein Berliner," I mean, you are what you eat! ;)
Some other great adventures included celebrating the Superbowl with my international group of friends until 5:00am. They had never watched football before, so it was fun sharing an American past time with them, even if the Pats lost :(. Also unforgettable was Karneval, except I do forget some of it.......... ;) ;) ;)
Less than a week remains in Cologne, and then I begin my biggest adventure of the year: a trip to Madrid, Lisbon, and England (where I will be visiting my family)! I am taking full advantage of my European year and seeing as much of the continent as I possibly can financially and physically. But for now, I am TIRED and need to SLEEP! See you soon, America! :)