the final countdown

I leave for Europe in less than 2 months...finally. All I have left to do is tie up some loose ends on the financial side of things, get extra prescriptions from my doctor and research a few more things to do while I'm over there. I will be in Germany for 5.5 weeks (still debating what to do during my free weekend), and then my sister will meet me in Rome on my last day. My sister and I have finally decided what we are going to do for the two weeks that she's over there. Italy and Ireland are official. She will meet me in Rome (not sure if I will fly or ride, but I'll figure something out), and then we're going to make our way around Italy, hopefully spending plenty of time at the beaches. I'm really excited about seeing the landscape and architecture of Italy, not to mention the food and charming people. Next, a two day stop in Paris is up in the air. I feel like it would be unforgivable to go to Europe and not visit Paris, but we'll see if it fits in. After that, it's Ireland. I'm anxious to see the cliffs and the countryside. I hear it's unlike anything you'll ever see. I wouldn't mind taking a bike ride through the country. It would make sense for us to leave from Ireland back to the states, but things are always more complicated than I would like. I'm probably taking two bags to Europe, and there is no way I'm backpacking with two bags, so I'm leaving one in Germany for the last two weeks. I guess it will be nice to to bid one last farewell before I go home. I wish I was leaving tomorrow!

cash

I'm paying for my whole trip. My plan is to travel cheaply and stay within my budget. I don't want to travel to Europe and feel limited, so I'm not going to be a cheap American tourist, but I definitely won't be going on extravagant shopping sprees. I ran across a blog from the NY Times that lists helpful tips for getting by on a budget. I know the basics of researching the local budget airlines, but what I didn't think about was how much money you could save by refusing taxis. Although taxis may be more convenient at certain times, they're not very cost efficient, and traffic can often be an issue in large cities. Another recommendation is to use the city-wide bike rentals. You walk up to a pay station, pay a deposit of $3.50 and ride off. When you're finished with the bike, you take it to the nearest station to get your change back. Very financially/eco-friendly. One other suggestion was to splurge at lunch, but save at dinner. Most places in Europe with offer cheaper lunch specials allowing you to sample the finer foods at a lower price. Not a bad idea!

foodie

One of my concerns in life is food. Healthy food. It annoys me that you can get a fatty cheeseburger for $.99, but if you want a salad, $6.00. We wonder why we have an obesity epidemic in our midst. When we go to Germany, I don't want to eat crappy food. I hear that everything is a little more expensive over there and food is no exception. I was reading this blog the other day, and it was talking about how different places will try to trick tourists into buying overpriced "meal deals". I don't want to be the uneducated tourist that falls into the trap. I've been hearing about these little stands where you can buy gyros. You walk up, pick your meat (beef, chicken and lamb), and they start slicing it off this rotating stick. I hear it's good, but it sounds questionable in my opinion. I'm very particular about my meat, so eating something that has been sitting out all day makes me nervous. I want cheap, healthy options. I'm not sure if I will find them, but I will definitely be looking into it.

my birthday

Yesterday was my birthday. I am now 22 and in a state of mourning. Last year was exciting because I was 21, but this year it's just like, ok...I'm older, my friends are married or graduated or relocated...yay. 21 was memorable. My mom planned a surprise trip to Cancun for my b-day. We stayed at a really nice hotel with a really nice beach, and I got a really nice tan. It was perfect. I wasn't interested in doing the crazy nightlife Cancun scene, but I was down for snorkeling. Every time we plan to go snorkeling, my sister has a mental breakdown the night before. She has to talk herself out of calling the whole trip off. I don't really think it's a fear of sharks, but rather a fear of being out of her element. Your swimming on top of hundreds of creatures with the possibility that at least one of them has a couple rows of sharp teeth. Her fear is reasonable. One time, we were snorkeling in Playa del Carmen, and a storm blew in. The rain felt like needles pouring down, the tide picked up and started taking my mom out to sea. It was frightening to say the least. Although this birthday wasn't as eventful, it still ended up being a pretty good day.

One day I get this call from my friend Lindsey, "hey Britt! So, do you want to go to New Orleans this weekend?" Me, "yeah I guess I could skip a day of school"...we were off. She has a friend there (guy in picture) that does relief work around town, so we thought that we could go for a leisurely weekend to visit. Well I'm pretty sure that we were wrong. When we get there everything seems cool. We go to Cafe Du Monde, take a stroll around the french quarter, and then Kevin says "oh hey do yall want to go camping?" I am always down for camping, but my clothing selection wasn't very promising--i agreed anyways. Well he proceeds to tell us that we're going camping in Florida! I left College Station on Friday, we drove to New Orleans and got there late Friday night. We woke up the next morning and hit the road to Florida. When we got to beach we're camping at, we realize that our little friend Kevin brought a two person tent for him and his other friend. Where is the tent for me and Lindsey you ask? WE DON'T HAVE ONE, nor do we have any sleeping bags/blankets/pillows, but hey, we can roll with the punches. So we're all sitting around the fire on the beach, I was a little annoyed that the majority of our weekend was spent on the road, but we were finally here and everything was going to be ok. Wrong. So we decide to go to sleep. Lindsey and I had to sleep in car. I've tried to sleep in the car many times, it's never a good night's sleep, but it works--most of the time. This particular time made me want to pull my hair out. The weather dropped down to the 50s, we didn't have blankets and there were 4 mosquitoes trapped in the car with us. We spent hours trying to catch them, but they would retreat to the back of the suv. We gave up. We ignored the buzzing and instead talked about how we were going to kill Kevin when we woke up. He has good intentions, but he's just a little absent minded. So the next morning we were ready to get the heck out of there, so we get in the car and head back to New Orleans. We stop at Whole Foods to get lunch, and Kevin locks the keys in the car. Are you freakin kidding me?? All I wanted was a shower and a nap, and now we were stuck sitting on the curb waiting for pop-a-lock. Once they popped that lock, we were gone. FINALLY.

Recap: Drove to NOrleans...went to sleep...drove to Florida...fought mosquitoes...drove to NOrleans...help prisoner by locked up keys...dropped off the worst event planner ever...drove home.

my future

I'm one of those people that will visit a place for three days and then say that I want to move there. It's not that I hate Texas, I actually like Texas. People are usually friendly, it's relaxed and 100% of my family members live here. However, I find it a bit ridiculous that I start sweating the minute I step outside. This humidity is unbearable and makes for miserable camping trips. I am not a huge fan of freezing cold weather, but I have decided that I would rather shovel snow than break a sweat while walking from my house to my car. My family has taken many trips to Colorado, and that's where I want to be. My mom maintains the opinion that I will last a year before I decide that it's too cold, but I'm on a mission to prove her wrong. When I go to Colorado, especially in the summer, I am happy. The weather is perfect for the activities I enjoy, and I just feel relaxed. I love skiing in the winter, so it's a win win situation. I believe that my previous complaints towards the bitter cold, are all centered around the fact that I don't know how to dress in cold weather. My winter wardrobe consists of long sleeve t-shirts and thin jackets. Once I pick up a few sets of long-underwear, I'm sure I will be content.

I cannot wait to escape this humidity.

Picture: Durango, Colorado. The ideal location for my future house.

one of my top 5

Chiapas, Mexico--one of my favorite places to go. I've been there twice, both on mission trips. Instead of locals that are of Latin decent, they are Mayan Indians. They have hospitality like you wouldn't believe. Our purpose for traveling to Chiapas was to help build churches for different indigenous groups, but we were able to do a few touristy things while we were down there. Chiapas is a state that is at the southern most tip of Mexico. It shares a border with Guatemala. When a Texan thinks of Mexico, they think of dirt, crime and pesos. Chiapas is different. It's mountainous, few people speak Spanish and each tribe wears a different customary ensemble. One problem that I encountered while I was there was the language barrier. I had to translate my thoughts from English to Spanish, and they had to translate theirs from Quetzal to Spanish. Lost in translation is an understatement. I became very good at charades. They would always ask what my name was and when I would tell them, they looked at me like I had just uttered a series of meaningless sounds...until I made a discovery. Everyone on this stinkin planet knows who Britney Spears is, and they are no exception. So I would ask them if they knew who she was, and when they said yes, I told them it was the same. Success!

Picture- The men wear dresses...all. the. time. Even when they're working, they're wearing a dress, and it's a short dress too. These men in the picture are above average height, so you can imagine what they thought when they saw a girl that measures 5'9. I was a freak show.

mickey mouse in germany

For the study abroad trip, we are required to take 6hrs of the 9hrs that are offered in the program. Due to the fact that I have already completed one of the offered courses, I am required to participate in the PSYC 485 Independent Research Course. As part of this course, I am responsible for preparing an informative presentation for the other students on the trip. My topic is the Bavarian Alps. These particular Alps house a world famous castle: the Neuschwanstein Castle. This castle is the exact castle that Walt Disney replicated the Sleeping Beauty castle after. 1.3 million people visit this castle a year. It is one of the most popular destinations while visiting Germany. The building was erected in 1868 by King Ludwig ll. He built it with the intentions of living in it after it was completed; however, the Kind died before it was finished, so it became the property of Germany.

I hope that we get a chance to visit this castle, but I suspect disappointment. You must drive up the mountain to reach the castle, and I highly doubt that our program has arranged for transportation of 25 people to see a Disney castle.

when swine fly

My parents recently caught on to this whole texting phenomenon--about 5 years late, but I'm still proud. Their messages started out as one long word, "callmewhenyougetoutofclass", but now they're pros, they use spaces and even punctuation! Well today I received a text from my dad, "It was once said that a black man would be president 'when pigs fly'; indeed 100 days into Obama's presidency...Swine Flu." Now I'm pretty sure someone forwarded that to him because that message included capitalization and numbers, two things that are out of his texting capabilities. I don't care if you're a right or left wing supporter--that message is amusing. We had Bird Flu a few years ago, and now it's Swine Flu. Who knew that each animal had its own epidemic? Texas A&M has cancelled all programs traveling to Mexico until this issue is resolved. The local cases (U.S.) haven't been life threatening, but I'm told that the Mexico cases are a little more severe. Symptoms are similar to your seasonal flu symptoms: fever, chills, fatigue, etc.

Wash your hands, don't cough on people, don't frolic in a field with pigs.

my drugs

I'm trying to figure out a way to fly internationally while stowing my drugs in my backpack--my prescription drugs that is. I've been traveling with pills as long as I can remember, but now I have to figure out how to travel with syringes. Not only are they considered a sharp object, they also have to be refrigerated at all times. My flight is 15hrs long. I've been researching, and I have found these little packs that are filled with gel. You submerge them in water and they stay cool for 48hrs. This sounds like the solution to my problem right? Wrong. What if the airport says no because it is technically over 3oz of liquid? Or what if they veto it because they're sharp objects? I wouldn't be concerned if I was just flying in the US, but the whole idea of international flights and customs makes me think of a million potential problems. I take one shot every other week, so I need to bring 4 syringes with me--another problem. My insurance won't let me refill in advance. Sure I could do it on my own, but the medication without insurance is 1 syringe for $1400. Yeah...I don't think so. So, now I have to get my Dr. to petition the insurance company. I have Crohn's Disease, and if I don't have my medication, it will be a very painful 8 weeks.

DODO

I stumbled across this helpful little website; it tells you want you want to know. It tells you about parking, clubs, food...everything. It's from other travelers that have experienced the city first hand. Some are great reviews, other are just ridiculous--like the guy that suggests that we tear down the Colosseum and move on. Apparently there are a few castles in the Bonn area that are a "must see", and gardens also seem to be common theme. A boat trip down the Rhine River is something that is also highly recommended. There are few hotels that have been described as "sketch", but because I will be staying in a dorm--I won't have to deal with that. My professor says that Bonn is a very clean, respectable city with a small red light district. It will be interesting to see how close it is to our dorm. With my luck, I would be centrally located in the only neighborhood with criminals.

scandal

I just had to take the online orientation for study abroad students; about 1/3 of the orientation was talking about "sexual promiscuity". "Participating in sexual activity while abroad can increase the transmission of the HIV/AIDS virus", should be obvious right? Well I made this comment to my professor and his response was, "you'd be surprised". He started telling me a story about a student he had two years ago that told him that she was on a mission to complete her "sexual passport". Her goal was to "have relations" with one guy from every country she had ever been to.

OK #1- why the heck would you ever tell your professor that?

#2-where's your self-respect?

#3-ew.

Apparently when US students travel abroad, they leave their morals and common sense at home. Maybe they want to fully experience the culture; however, they will return home with an unexpected souvenir if you know what I'm saying.

Good job Texas A&M for trying to educate the campus wide hoochies.

sticky situation

We have bi-monthly meetings for our Germany program on Wednesday nights. The professor leading the trip strongly recommends that you attend, especially on administration nights (all the paperwork must be turned in, etc.). Well I missed the last meeting because I was sick for three days, but I didn't feel too bad about it because it was just about the history of Germany. The meeting would have been informative, but if there is something that I'm dying to know, I can look it up. Well this next meeting is the biggest meeting of them all, so it's obviously the most practical day for my new boss to schedule my training. I would have requested off, but my employer has already had to reschedule things at my expense, so I wasn't about to pose another problem. But now I have an issue with my professor. I will be applying to dental hygiene school for next fall, and I need a letter of recommendation; he's my letter of recommendation. Now I wouldn't be too worried about this situation if he hadn't stressed a million times how crucial this meeting is. Hopefully he will be understanding of my predicament, but I think I just bit the hand that feeds me.

Hop on board

I've been researching cheap travel options in Europe for a while now; today I came across Mitfahrzentrale. Don't ask me how to say it--my guess is as good as yours. It's like a carpool across Germany, but it's with complete strangers. You go online, register and pick your destination. The service provides a list of various drivers that includes languages spoken and whether they are a smoking/nonsmoking vehicle. Several safety precautions are taken such as exchanging photo ids via fax, providing phone numbers to family/friends, and the website also provides a rating system for previous occupants to rate the drivers. The passenger splits gas and tolls with the driver. There are no additional fees since the driver is already heading in the same direction. It benefits everyone, and is easy on the wallet! A traveler is able get tips from a local with more insight than a guidebook. Safety concerns are understandable, but going out on a limb could lead to an unforgettable vacation.

Photo Op

I would like to meet one person that goes to Europe to travel and doesn't bring a camera. I hear that when you go, you take thousands of pictures--literally thousands. I currently have a digital camera that I got when I graduated from High School. That camera is now 4 yrs old and has the quality to prove it. I've started noticing an orange glow around people's faces, random spots in the sky and the color quality is pathetic. When I go on my trip, I want GREAT pictures. I wanted a SLR for the longest time, but 800 bucks and a bulky frame have put that idea on the back burner. I've been researching, and I have decided on another Canon--the Powershot. It is small, about 200 bucks, creative features and has a great reputation in the professional community. My birthday is right before I go on my trip, so my parents said they'll hook me up. Thanks mom and dad!

Weather

Weather...it can make or break your vacation. I just stopped by my professor's office with the intentions of discussing my travel plans for our four day weekend. I have been throwing the idea of Interlaken around for some time now, and I wanted his professional opinion on my destination. He went on and on about how wonderful it is, how much I would personally enjoy it and how great it would be to see the Alps. After I was sold on the whole trip, he finished his story with, "but it was cloudy and rainy the whole time we were there, so we didn't get to do anything outdoors, but I hear it's great..." If it rains the whole time I'm there--I'm going to be ticked! My only weekend out of the six weeks to do whatever I want. It better not rain.

Destination X

We're going traveling the two weeks after my program ends, but where to go is the current issue. I appreciate the art thing, not much of a shopper, love people watching, and I'm obsessed with scenery. The typical places seem to be:

France: Paris
Italy: Rome, Venice, Milan
Spain: Barcelona, Madrid, Seville

I'm not intrigued by any of these places. I would like to go somewhere that isn't touristy, and I'm afraid that the former fall perfectly into that category. I would love to go to Barcelona for the beach, but I'm confident I can find a great beach that isn't overpopulated.

I'm picking two countries to go to. I've been exploring Switzerland, Ireland, Croatia, but still considering France or Spain. Switzerland has the mountainous scenery that I love, Croatia has noteworthy kayaking trips and Ireland is the country that people can't stop talking about. As for France and Spain, I'm keeping them in the mix because I just feel wrong not visiting a popular destination...like I'll be missing something.

"have you seen Taken?"

So my Germany trip has come up in several conversations with friends and family. Everyone is really excited for me until I inform them of my plan to travel solo after the program ends; this is the response I get 80% of the time, "really? have you seen Taken?". I hadn't seen it until a few days ago, and after seeing the movie, I can't help but feel insulted by my friends. If you haven't seen the film, it's about two young, naive tourists that get abducted and sold into sex trafficking. Now I know that traveling can be dangerous even if you take every precaution imaginable, but the way these girls were abducted is just ridiculous. Upon arriving to the airport, they agree to share a cab with a stranger, not the best idea, but not too risky. Well not only do they lead him to the place they're staying, they give him the room number. I am not that stupid; that has been my campaign for my parents ever since they saw the movie. If I had known the contents of this movie, I would have advised my parents against seeing it. Now they are petitioning me to allow my sister to go as a travel companion. I was really excited about being a "Lone Ranger", but I must say the idea of having someone to share the experience with is starting to be appealing. I am very independent, but I do enjoy social interaction with a good friend.

Things I learned from the movie:
-don't give out your room number (other travelers take this as far as advising you to request that the front desk not even say your room number out loud)
-even if the stranger is an attractive Parisian, don't trust them (common sense, but looks can be deceiving)
-always helps to have someone in the family with "global intelligence" connections (I'm afraid I'm missing this key component)

no post in over 7 days because i've been traveling ;)

Spring Break '09.

South Padre, Girls Gone Wild. I was all over it....

Yeah Right.

That's not my style. I love the beach, but I'm not a huge fan of keg stands or half (some full) naked people hanging all over each other. I went camping, I would feel like a fake calling myself "granola", but I might consider "trail mix" or maybe "dried fruit". You know, something healthy with a mix of civilization. I like being outside, so when I get to take a break from school, that's where I want to be. We went to Garner State Park. It's on the Frio River, and let me tell you, Frio (cold in spanish) is the biggest understatement of the century. My soul was freezing when I emerged from that pool of death. So stinkin cold! However, it was 80 deg outside, and we did about 4 hours of hiking each day, so sticking your feet in the ice bath to cool off was the perfect relief.

I went with my conversation partner from China, and we met up with one of her friends and all of her friend's friends. 15 people, all freshman, except me...the senior. Now I'm not one to turn up my nose to the underclassmen, but a select few of these new friends pushed me to the edge of insanity. They were all from the same town and these few people attended community college with all of their high school friends. They had a small town mindset that was closed off to any new ideas and this was made evident through the mocking of nearby campers. I tolerate a lot, but this was just annoying. I've learned to remove myself from situations, and that is just what I did to make for a successful, relaxing camping trip.

Spring Break is a tease.

drunken americans

Psychology Study Abroad, Germany, 2009. I'm excited. We will be in Bonn, Germany for 6 weeks with one of my favorite professors. I will be taking Psychology of Adjustment and Psychology of Sport for grades no less than an A...thank you. We've been having meetings every other week in preparation for our trip. We plan flights, talk about what to pack, talk about where to go, and most importantly, get lectured for a hour on how we should avoid being "that" American student. I've been aware of the global stigma that Americans have, but for our program director to tell stories of why this is so...it's just embarrassing. I've decided that some people should probably just stay in the US. There were a few stories about previous students:

So Germany is a culture that includes drinking...a lot. However, Germans manage to do so in a responsible and classy manner (most of the time...we all have our gems). Anyways, this kid goes into one of the bars the first night he gets to Bonn. He gets a little tipsy, ok maybe a lot tipsy, and finds his way to the local park. He ends up in the park sitting in the middle of a field crying like a little girl...more like sobbing I'm told. (His mom was his psychotherapist...I want to go there, but I won't). Another former student is the sole reason we have a lecture on foreign promiscuity. Girl informed a fellow classmate that her goal was to sleep with as many guys (each from a different country) as she could.

Stay classy College Station.

starting at an early age

My parents were never the type to sit at home because they had kids. They would pack the car, find a place between the luggage, and that's where I would sit. We've taken numerous road trips covering California to Georgia and everywhere in between. Our car started out as a suburban with a bench seat (you know the kind that is fully connected from side to side), but my parents quickly learned that one finger over the imaginary line could turn into World War III...we upgraded to individual bucket seats. I've been able to stand in four states at once, visit the Grand Canyon and ski a handful of mountains, all before I turned 10. Now am I saying I remember every aspect of every trip we went on? No. However, I have a million memories of "family bonding time" that I will never forget:

-My sister prefers to ski straight down the mountain rather than following the advice of wise ski instructors.

-My mom has an unbelievable talent for making reservations in a state that was never part of our itinerary, leaving us to spend a night in the car.

-My dad will never defeat Montezuma :)

-1 hr into the trip I assume my traditional sleeping position. ipod in...pillow in my lap...head back...mouth open...sister taking a few pics on her phone. gotta love it.

quick to listen, slow to speak

The basis of this blog comes from something Mark Twain once said, "Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness." We are quick to turn up our noses, roll our eyes and shake our heads at the unknown. Travel has broken down my barriers of self-proclaimed superiority, and it has opened my eyes to a new appreciation of the world around me. I don't have to accept other people's belief systems, but I can at least take the time to understand where they're coming from. How can you have a truly negative view of someone until you have walked a mile in their shoes? I have discovered an underlying theme. No matter the race, religion or culture, we were all created to live in peace. Maybe if more people traveled, our world wouldn't suck so much.