"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.