Europe: Switzerland

January 20, 2015
        Time to switch to a new country! We left Paris early morning and drove to Geneva. On our way out of Paris we traveled along the Seine River which was gorgeously lit up by the city lights. Thankfully, we did not hit much traffic. About 3 hours into the journey, Dad and I switched drivers. I got to experience an autobahn! Super fast speeds and limited access to other roads. We were traveling around 150 km/hr which is close to 95 mph. Sweet! We eventually crossed the border into Switzerland and the only requirement was paying €47. No car check or anything.

Evidently the Swiss don't care if you're trying to smuggle items, they just want your money. About 2 hours outside of Geneva we started seeing snow everywhere. It was a nice change of scenery. We arrived at our new place around 2PM and met our very kind hosts, Fabrezio and Caterine. We found this nice, cozy place through airbnb. Fabrezio, who is from Kosovo, stated that he loves Americans because of Bill Clinton. That was a little strange haha. But then we remembered that Kosovo was liberated when the US military helped out during the Kosovo War (against Yugoslavia). This occurred under Bill Clinton's direction. Fabrezio even said Kosovo erected a statue of Clinton, his wife, and his daughter. They treat him like a god. Very...interesting? During this conversation they served us the most heavenly chocolate black forest cake. I've had black forest cake before and wasn't impressed but this "takes the cake"! We then explored the city and came across the

iconic 145 meter (~475ft) high fountain. It was incredible! How they supply enough pressure to thrust the water that high is astounding. The water in the lake (Lake Geneva) was so pristine and clear. Absolutely beautiful. We took a long walk along the lake until we reached the United Nations building. Seeing all the flags lined up was really neat. As we wandered the streets we noticed that the stoplights would flash yellow for 1 second before changing from red to green.

As a transportation engineer I thoroughly enjoyed this design. It's absolutely brilliant! It decreases the 'lost time' significantly. America needs to implement this. Geneva is an interesting city with a mix of upscale modern buildings and old historic ones. We stopped in a small shop for souvenirs and the owner immediately came up to us and gave us free chocolate. I LOVE GENEVA. It was obvious that chocolate is Switzerland's trademark because it was everywhere. So. Much. Temptation. Must. Resist....Nope, can't do it. I had a dessert after dinner that consisted of 3 scoops of different chocolate ice cream. It was called Cha Cha Cha. And man, was it good good good. We walked back to our abode after watching a futbol match in a small Spanish bar and got ready for bed. Tomorrow we head to Morschach with 3 stops along the way!

January 21, 2015
        Today was driving day! We had a delicious meat croissant breakfast with our hosts in Geneva and then headed toward Chateau du Chillon which was located on the opposite end of Lake Geneva near Montreaux. We stopped in Montreaux to take photos and visit a statue of Freddy Mercury. Rock on! We then continued to Chateau du Chillon which looked exactly like a postcard - a gorgeous castle sitting on a lake with massive snow-capped mountains in the

 

background. Wow. After a long photo op, we hit the road again and aimed for Zermatt. Once we hit a certain point all you could see were majestic jagged mountains. It was surreal. At one point, we were driving on the side of a mountain and we could see a river flowing alongside us in the gully below. It was the clearest, bluest water I have ever seen. It looked like someone dumped a bunch of blue dye into it. We also raced a bullet train and won. Mom and I were screaming because Dad was so thrilled to drive next to the train. We almost got sick from the curves but I must admit it was pretty sweet. We drove through so many tunnels!

And above gullies over tiny bridges. There were no guardrails in most places and we were on edges of cliffs. Yikes! Most roundabouts (Europeans love their roundabouts. My kind of people) that we came across were basically straight roadway. Efficient! We hit Zermatt around 1PM and took the bullet train to the top. The ride was awesome! We passed through crazy high mountains. We walked around Zermatt for a bit and it was very much a ski resort scene - wooden lodges and skiers/snowboarders wandering around. Eventually we boarded the train back to our car and

continued our journey to Morschach. On our way there we drove from one town nestled in a valley to another. Each had classic wooden buildings with a church for the whole town. The churches always had tall steeples that you could see from afar. We then took the Auto Train through Furka Pass. It was pounding snow at this point! Definitely blizzard status. We drove onto the train car in a single file line with other vehicles and then sat and watched the world go by. Most of the time we were in a tunnel but I felt like we were in one of those tiny train sets maneuvering through the snowy mountains. After unloading from the Auto Train, we hit some hairpin turns (which Dad tackled with ease - what a pro) and we somehow made a wrong turn which put us into the Gothard Tunnel. This takes you all the way to Italy. Oh nooooo. Dad was concerned about the time so Mom and I suggested he simply turn around in the tunnel. Yeah "simply" is not the right term for this situation. At the next little pull-off Dad stopped super quickly, whipped into the other lane, didn’t perform a sharp enough turn so he reversed, tried again, and started straightening as a car was quickly approaching from the opposite direction! I gripped the door handle for dear life as my hair stood on end. We finally aligned straight and continued through the tunnel. How we pulled it off I'll never know. Not we, Dad. All the credit goes to him. He said he made a mental prayer throughout the process.

We all cheered and congratulated him for cheating death. I could breathe again! We were probably the first people to complete a U-turn in the Gothard Tunnel. We eventually made it to our place which was unbelievably fancy. Remotes (or as our host Paul would say, "sticks") were used to control basically everything. We ate leftovers for dinner and went out for dessert and beer. This is when I found my true love: Erdinger. I could talk about this beer for ages. Gotta find it in the States. Possible snowboarding tomorrow if the weather is nice! Bed at 1AM.

January 22, 2015
        Dad made the decision to make this our Lucerne day since weather was looky iffy for snowboarding. Lucerne is just a stone's toss away from Morschach with a travel time under one hour. When we arrived, we visited the iconic Lion Monument which commemorates Swiss Guard mercenaries who were killed during the French revolution.

The emotion depicted on the lion's face was very detailed and vivid. After this we drove around Lucerne searching for a parking spot. This proved to be a tougher task than imagined. We found a very nice one along the water and close to the Musegg Wall (remains of medieval city ramparts). We then strolled around the cobblestone streets and crossed many old wooden bridges. It was a somewhat gloomy day but the city was still very nice to explore. All the buildings had a signature German-like style. We eventually made our way to a little cafe (we thoroughly enjoy small, quaint places) and to our delight, it was situated right on the Reuss River. Our waitress spoke little English and we indulged in coffee and "chocolate cake." This chocolate cake was like a brownie with nuts and salt. I actually really liked the addition of the salt. Otherwise the taste of the chocolate would have been overpowering. And they played Iron & Wine on the speaker system while we ate! I didn't know the Swiss liked that band. We walked back to the car to put more money in the meter and then walked/hiked the hill that ran alongside the Musegg Wall.

This was a very enjoyable walk and there was a track right next to the wall. How nice that the school kids could race the wall (and win). From the top was a great view of the city.

Unfortunately, we couldn't see the gigantic mountains surrounding the city due to the fog. I decided that I would have to return to Lucerne in the summer sometime. We returned to our vehicle and moseyed the streets some more - driving into one-way sections and dead ends quite frequently. Thank goodness for the GPS in our car or else we would never find our way! Dad then drove us to Hotel Chateau-guetsch which sat on top of a mountain we could see from the city below. This view was outstanding! You could see EVERYTHING. I can't even begin to imagine what it looks like with the mountains as a back drop. Definitely have to come back to

Lucerne. We stayed at the top until nightfall and watched the city light up. It was beautiful. I tested my limits and stood on the stone wall's edge while holding Dad's hand. That was pretty terrifying. We left around 6PM and ate dinner in the small town of Brunnen. We first tried to eat at a Mexican place but the food was ridiculously expensive! 30 Francs for a silly burrito! Did they have Mexico in their kitchen or something? We eventually discovered a Turkish place called Babylon which ended up being a true treasure. And they had a TV to watch futbol on! Mom ordered pizza (delicious), Dad ordered some Turkish dish (large), and I got a dürüm. I loved my meal! They shave meat off a spit that stands tall against heat from an oven. Very cool. Tomorrow is snowboarding day - should be exciting!

January 23, 2015
        Well, today was exhausting to say the least! My oh my, my whole body aches and I'm completely drained as I write this from a lodge at the top of the ski lift. I'm lying completely flat on a bench while drinking a beer. Just what the doctor prescribed. Today Dad and I

snowboarded/skiied the Swiss Alps! It was a crazy experience due to the weather conditions. Most of the day the mountain was completely covered in fog. We literally could not see 30 yards in front of us at times. I'd follow Dad through the blanket of white and see his silhouette disappear if I wasn't going fast enough. The light was also very flat today so the entire slope looked the same in dimension. There was no way to tell where the ruts or dips were which provided many surprises when my board started rising all of a sudden. The very first run I almost rode off a cliff. I vividly remember thinking "Fuck, I'm going to die today." Surprisingly, I only fell once in the very beginning because I was getting used to the rental board and boots. This made me appreciate my beautiful, wonderful board back home. Mine is so much lighter and easier to maneuver. Plus I miss my Flow bindings!! Though the straps do make me feel legit when I release the clamps to remove my boot. We stayed on the lower half of Stoos for a while and then progressed to the higher portion hoping the clouds would thin out. As we rode the lift, it didn't look promising. But once we reached the top we actually saw BLUE sky! Say whatt. And we could also see huge, jagged mountain peaks in the distance above the layer of clouds. Incredible. We could only imagine what this would look like on a clear day.

 

I may have to come back here as well...the lodge I'm in now has a panorama view of the mountain and typically you can see Lake Lucerne and the surrounding mountains. Thankfully, we got to see blue sky in the morning because the rest of the day was very cloudy.

We took 3 much needed breaks throughout the day. I had to unbuckle sooo many times and hike up the trails. This is not a snowboard- friendly ski resort. Thankfully, Dad was skiing so he could pull me with his poles sometimes. The thick fog was so bad at times that we didn't even know if we were within the boundaries of the trail...it was pretty scary. My head was on a constant swivel to spot the bright orange sticks telling us where to go. They were about 10m apart and if we could see two in a row it was a good run! Most times we could only see one. I stuck like glue to one side and silently cheered each time I saw the next one. A good thing about today is that we had basically the whole place to ourselves. No lift lines and rode the trails with no one else around. Another fun experience was the T-lift. I had never used one of these but I had seen them before. I hobbled up to the lift looking very confused and tried to explain to the lift attendant that I had never done this before. He only spoke German...he motioned between my legs so I assumed I place the bar between my legs and sit. Well...that didn't turn out well. I fell on my back and the guy stopped the lift. We tried again and he somewhat explained that I stay standing. Ohh ok. We finally worked it out and I was on my way! The bar goes between my legs and I ride up the incline as it tugs me along. Neat! Near the end (which I didnt know was the end) there was a very big ramp with wooden walls on the side. Sweet a funneling device! Nope.

This is where people are supposed to release the bar from their legs and travel to the left or right. Ahhhh! Thank goodness the lift attendants were paying attention and stopped the lift when they saw the lost American traveling to the tip of the ramp. I let go of the bar and rode down where it pulled me up to. As I rounded the bend, I saw that it dropped off about 20m. YIKES! I woulda been in the hospital for sure. Dad and I then explored the left side of the mountain and the snow was so fresh and fabulous. Cutting through the powder was amazing. The first run took us about 45min because we could see nothing. The fog blended in with the slope and I could not distinguish between the two. It was like I was flying off the edge of the world. Seeing dirt clots has never been so satisfying. That at least let me know I was on the ground. The second run was MUCH clearer and we booked it down in 15min. I feel more exhausted than I have in a very, very long time. We did more sightseeing than we did snowboarding haha. After our adventurous day of snowboarding/skiing we went to a nearby town called Schwyz for dinner. I had an amazing dessert - ice cream coated with a hardened chocolate shell. And once you spooned into it, a lava flow of caramel came out ohhhhh so good. We went to bed after doing laundry and prepared to leave for Zurich in the morning. Mom and I are flying to Ireland tomorrow!!

 

January 24, 2015
        We left our place around 9AM after getting our last fills of the gorgeous view overlooking the lake and reached Zurich at 10AM. It took less than an hour to reach our destination and

View from our balcony

then our search for parking began. We ended up in a tiny little parking garage where we were required to hand over our keys before leaving. They’re gonna take it for a joy ride while we’re gone I just know it. We walked the streets of Zurich and noticed many church steeples and clock towers. At one point, they were all ringing simultaneously and we were surrounded by the sounds. That was pretty neat. I bought some Swiss chocolate on Bahnhof-Strauss which is the famous shopping street of Zurich. In the chocolate store, the owner allowed us to taste a good amount of the chocolate. I didn’t want to leave! We continued to walk around and some areas were like plazas while others were just typical streets. The cobblestone plazas were surrounded by very rectangular buildings with colored shutters. We ended up in a small, quaint deli for snacks and coffee. It had a really nice vibe.

It was pretty colorful inside and all their food was practically glowing. Good thing I wasn’t too hungry otherwise I would break the bank. We walked back to the car and observed that many cafes had animal fur blankets sitting outside at the tables. We even saw some in use.

Mom and I with our precious chocolate

 

This really intrigued me. It just goes to show how much Europeans like being outside in the open air. Americans would never even think of using blankets outside. They’d rather be in a well-heated room. Zurich seemed busy with people. It was an interesting contrast to the cities near Morschach. We retrieved our car, completed crazy maneuvers to exit, and headed toward the airport so Mom and I could head to Ireland! Except, we had no idea where the airport was…we tried plugging “airport” and even “aeroport” into the GPS but no results. It was ok though because we had plenty of time. At one point, we entered a roundabout and Dad missed the exit so we continued around the circle. This circle was more complicated though because it had heaps of pedestrian walkways and tram tracks. Dad was slowing down for a vehicle outside the roundabout and so I reminded him that he had the right-of-way. This is when craziness ensued. At this point, Dad rolled forward, stalled, started reversing into the car behind us, started then going forward where a pedestrian was crossing and during all this, a tram was coming straight at us! Ahhhh! Talk about flustering. Dad handled it like a pro and got us out of the sticky situation. As we kept driving we saw a plane icon with the word “Flughafen.”

Of course! Why didn’t we think of that? We finally arrived at the airport but saw no signs for Aer Lingus. We even asked the workers and they had looks of confusion on their faces. Eventually, we figured it out, Dad parked the car, and we checked in. We sat at a table for a bit at Bye Bye Bar (appropriately named), drank beer, and polished off the chocolate cake Fabrezio (from Geneva) sent with us. We said our farewells to Dad and are in the air now! The security process was extremely quick and simple. I was very impressed. I was also impressed by their parking garage system. It states on a marquee how many spaces are available and in which direction. We even saw one change from 001 to 000 as we were driving through. Once you go in a particular direction there are lights above each spot. Green indicates empty and red indicates taken. Amazing! This way you could even see all the way down the row to find a spot. America needs to do this. It’s ingenious! The Swiss are at it again! I will continue the rest of this day in the subsequent Ireland blog post!

Europe: Paris

The Paris section of our trip has concluded and I have time to write about it! We are currently on the Auto Train traveling through the Furka Pass in the Swiss Alps. It's pretty dark right now in this tunnel....

January 17, 2015
       I met my parents at the train stop at Paris Noord around 1PM. We then walked a short 15min to our flat. This day was sooo much warmer than my entire stay in Amsterdam. I couldn't stop raving about the nice sunshine and warmth. We walked into the elevator and it was the tiniest little shaft box I have ever seen. We all squeezed into it (I’m pretty sure it was only meant for 2 people) and Mom suggested we take a selfie. Brilliant. I followed Dad through our apartment door and I was blown away by the size and WARMTH. I guess you really appreciate things when you have been in a worse situation! I was so happy. We then decided to walk to the Eiffel Tower since it was so nice outside. We figured this would take 45min but it ended up taking close to two hours with all the photo ops and navigating the complex streets of Paris.

 

We could always see the Tower but we never seemed to be getting any closer! We definitely walked over 8 miles this day. As we walked it was obvious that Paris had tons of history behind it and all the buildings had gorgeous architecture. They all looked like museums. And of course, cafes on every possible corner! We eventually reached the Eiffel Tower and it was beautiful!

A truly amazing structure. We walked beneath the base and looking up from below was something special. After getting our fill, we found a lovely cafe for dinner where you could literally see the top of the Eiffel Tower. Unbelievable. Dad ordered the most amazing quiche I have ever tasted, I ordered a steak and crème brulee (duh), and Mom was a typical American and ordered a cheeseburger haha. We all had a delicious glass of wine as well. This crème brulee though, oh my gosh! Let me tell you about it. The top was perfectly caramelized so that when you tapped it with your spoon it cracked ever so slightly. And when it was consumed....mmmmmmm. The sugar stuck in the crevasses of my teeth and the custard was so creamy. Ok I need to get off this subject, I'm starting to drool. Mom and I went to use the ladies room. We got to the doors and the handles weren’t moving….locked? We went up to a worker and asked if we could have a key and all he said was, “Push. Strong.” Meanwhile, the men’s room next door had an open faced toilet and a dude was peeing as we walked by. Awkward… Mom and I returned to the bathroom doors and “pushed strong” and both of us almost fell into the toilet…that gave us a good laugh. We left the café around 5:30PM as the sky grew darker. The Eiffel Tower started lighting up and I knew it would sparkle at any moment. At 6PM exactly, the structure sparkled with marvelous beauty and

everyone ooo’ed and ahh’ed. It dazzled me to the point where I was speechless, breathless, and mindless. Incredible. Words really cannot capture this moment. We took many pictures (by we I mean me taking Nikon photos and Dad taking selfies haha) and basked in the wonder of the structure. After this we walked along Champs-Elysees to get back to our place and we passed the Arc de Triumph along the way. We arrived back around midnight and passed out. First day in Paris was very successful! The Trumpoldts are in Paris baby!

January 18, 2015
       We slept in until 10AM which felt amazing and then we cooked our own breakfast. We then walked to Notre Dame since it was another nice day. I had been to Notre Dame before in 2007 for a high school trip but this time around I could fully appreciate the magnitude of the structure.

It was a whole new experience. We were lucky enough to walk in right as a service was concluding. People were singing hymns and prayers which echoed throughout the entire building. The ceiling was extremely high and the architecture was impeccable.

 

It was amazing because everywhere you looked the walls and windows were so intricate. The lighting inside was also impressive - low light with many candles throughout. I thoroughly enjoyed this portion of our trip. More so than I thought I would. Afterwards, we placed a lock on the bridge of Love Locks. This is where people will attach a padlock to the fence and then throw the key into the water to signify an everlasting bond. I'm against polluting the river so we just kept the key ;) The public memorial for Je Suis Charlie was next on the list and this was a very moving experience. It was just 2 weeks ago that 6 reporters were shot and killed at Charlie Hebdo – a newspaper company. We found the memorial just a block away from the crime scene. This was very emotional. Thousands upon thousands of flowers, candles, scrapbooks, photos, you name it, were piled on this street. It was very powerful. Items were left on the street from

all countries giving their condolences. Police officers blocked off and guarded the actual building which was about 20m from the memorial. You could feel the emotions running through the air. Such a tragedy. In the midst of all this despair it was nice to see that people from all over the world were supporting the residents of Paris. Flowers, candles, and signs labeled from countries all over the world were present in the pile. It’s a true shame that this kind of evil exists in the world. But it is also nice to see that it can bring people together in a common emotion and form connections worldwide. Next on the agenda was salsa dancing!! We went at 5:30PM and the place was so fancy! It had a wide staircase that led up to a balcony floor that overlooked the dance floor. Most of the seats were made of red velvet and chandeliers hung from the ceiling.

I danced with numerous guys who were all EXTREMELY talented. Even better than Amsterdam which I didn't think was possible. My parents said when they watched they thought everyone on the floor was a professional dancer. I danced with a very nice French guy named Tuan and we became great friends. He offered to show me the city by motorbike to which I declined because I was with my parents. We exchanged contact information and I told my parents about him. They urged me to hang out with him as long as they could meet him first. So, I contacted him later that night during dinner/dessert/wine. Tuan met up with us around 10PM and then he drove me around on his motorbike! It was a breathtaking way to tour the city.

All the lights whizzing by were unbelievably beautiful. I felt like I was dropped into a movie. He

asked if I wanted to see Eiffel Tower to which I responded, "OMG PLEASE I LOVE THE EIFFEL TOWER AT NIGHT. IT'S SO PRETTY" He laughed and said "I'll take that as a yes. To the Eiffel Tower we go!" We got there right when it started sparkling. Perfect timing. I'm addicted to this view. After we soaked it in for a bit, he drove me back home and I filled my parents in on the trip. What an amazing day! Thank goodness for salsa and for meeting locals!











January 19, 2015
       Our last day in Paris! We had an early start so we could spend some solid time in the Louvre. I'm not so much into museums and art but I must say this place is pretty awesome.

 You could literally spend days within it. 3 floors that are filled with famous paintings/sculptures/jewels/pottery. The best part was taking a selfie with the Mona Lisa. Once it hit lunch time, we wandered to a cafe that had paninis listed on the menu - this was a must do for us. And boy they didn't let us down! That panini was the best I have ever had. To this day (2 days later) I still bring it up in conversation. We then took the metro to Sacre Coeur Basillica. This provided an incredible view of Paris. You could see all the major landmarks except for the Eiffel Tower. The building itself was very cool as well. It looked like the Taj Mahal from the outside and a watered down version of Notre Dame inside.  We then took the metro to the Eiffel Tower so we could go up and see the city! I was a little scared but I tried not to think about it. I made it to the 1st floor in 2007 so it’s time to raise the bar and reach the 2nd! We reached the ET at 4:30PM and waited in many lines and elevator queues. We finally got on the elevator at 5:30PM and I was still blocking my mind from what was about to happen. My plan was to make it to the 1st floor and then buy a glass of wine to urge me to the 2nd. Well…this plan didn’t execute. We stopped on the first floor and the doors didn’t open!! Ah! Freak out! It then continued up and I was terrified. The doors opened and I immediately ran to the nearest stable pole, making sure not to look out at the view. Mom was very amused by my reaction and video recorded me. After a while, I left my pole friend and we all took pictures on the edge.

 

It was an astounding view. The city lights were magical. Conquering my fear slowly but surely! Still can’t believe we went straight to floor 2. We then went into the café they had inside the center of the ET. We all ordered wine (drinking wine inside the Eiffel Tower – no big deal). We eventually headed back out into the cold to get another dose of the view. At this moment, the ET started sparkling! 6PM! It was breathtaking. We walked around for a good while, took lots of selfies, and rode the elevator back down. We again timed it perfectly because the ET started to sparkle! 7PM! Ahhh! I’m gonna miss seeing this every night…We headed toward Moulin Rouge next and then ate Raclette for dinner per Tuan's suggestion. This is like fondue but you melt cheese on your own little griddle and mix it with meat and potato. The French waitress had to teach us how to do it at first. We were getting the hang of it but then I dropped meat into the hot coils and a little stream of smoke formed...whoops. The waitress watched us with amusement the entire time as did a guy at a table near us. Everyone watch the troubled Americans! It was a super delicious experience thanks to Tuan. We took the metro back home and I met up with Tuan again for an hour or so at a nearby cafe. I ordered crème brûlée for the third night straight! Never gets old. Finally called it a night around midnight. Ready to wake up early and depart for Geneva, Switzerland!!

Europe: Amsterdam

I finally have time to write a blog post! Man, the past few days have been a whirlwind to say the least. I am currently on a train to Paris to meet my parents and I'm typing this on my iPhone so I hope it's readable! I will organize it later if not. The train ride is about 3hrs from Amsterdam to Paris. I'm sitting next to a nice French lady who speaks very little English. Ok, on to Amsterdam:

January 12/13, 2015
       I left late from the States January 12 and arrived in Amsterdam at 4:30PM January 13. I then took the train to Centraal Station where Elmer (the guy I stayed with who is a friend of a friend) picked me up at 6:30. Elmer WhatsApp messaged me saying to meet him on the ferry platform because he was on the boat. When he said he would pick me up, I just assumed he was driving a car. Wronggg. He rides up next to me on his bike, throws my luggage on the front, and says "hop on!" Now we're talking! This is my kind of guy. I knew we would be great friends from this point on. We biked to his place along the canals and under the city lights. It was magical. Two of his friends came over for dinner (Menno and Luz) and I went with them to the Red Light District. And boy, was this an experience! It was kinda sad and disturbing in my opinion. The women all look like they are animals in a zoo or something. Guys crowding around each window as the girl, in her super skimpy clothing, tries to lure him in. How degrading…. I also learned something very important: if a window has red AND blue neon lights, then the “woman” is actually a man…0_0 Menno said some guys don’t know that and get screwed over. Bahaha. We continued to walk the streets and eventually landed in a Jazz Club which was really neat. Menno and Luz left around midnight and Elmer came and picked me up on his bicycle. Lots of activity in just the first night!

January 14, 2015
       Slept in until 9AM and then biked the city with Elmer. I throw my right leg over the back seat and we’re off! The thing I like best about Amsterdam is how literally everyone uses a bike for transport. Elmer said there are probably more bikes in Amsterdam than there are people. And cyclists always have the right of way, even over pedestrians. It was kinda rainy this day which made it a little miserable but eventually the sun came out and the water in the canals shined in the sunlight. Elmer had work from 1PM-6PM so at this point I explored the city on my own and bought souvenirs. I came across a Flower Market, which if you know me at all you know I was in 7th heaven. Flowers everywhere!! Tulips are the trademark flower of Holland and are exported all over the world, which I didn't know. Neat, right? One guy at the counter asked where I was from and I said America. “Oh yeah I could tell.” “How?” “From your accent.” I have an accent? Huh. Interesting. I returned to the apartment around 5PM and waited for Elmer. We made dinner and then I headed out for salsa dancing!! Elmer is a very hands-off host which I actually really enjoyed. He told me to take his bike and find the place. He gave me a map, the keys to lock the bike, and sent me on my way. Hell yeah, adventure! I was playing it cool but I was actually freaking out inside. I was very worried/nervous I would get lost or hurt from riding the bike. I mean, the Dutch have been riding bikes all their lives up and down these streets. What if I make a wrong turn, or crash, or something? Elmer had to reassure me several times that Amsterdam is super safe. So…off I went. Oh boy. This would be the true test. If I could manage to ride Elmer’s bike AND not get lost, I was going to consider myself the most accomplished person in the world. Well, what happens in the first 5 minutes? ….I almost collide with another biker. Come on, Julie get your head in the game! I gave myself a pep talk, convinced myself I was a local, and acted with confidence. It really worked. The only other time I “messed up” was when I cycled past the main street, had to turn around, got off then on the bike, and my flats flew off. The bike seat was super high! I managed to get back on track and riding a bike is awesome because as I mentioned before, everyone yields to you. It was a scary but extremely thrilling experience! I arrived at the venue around 10:30PM, a little later than anticipated, and as soon as I heard the salsa music blasting, I felt at home. It's crazy that it can make me feel this way - that no matter which country I'm in I can feel at ease. The dancers here were outstanding! So much talent on the dance floor. I walked in, put my stuff down, and immediately a guy came and asked me to dance. Fantastic. Let's get this party started. I had the time of my life. I wanted to end the night with a bachata dance so I went up to a guy and asked him to dance. “Since when does the girl ask the guy to dance?” “…I always ask guys. Especially if no one asks me within 10 seconds. When I wanna dance, I wanna dance.” He laughs and he asks, “Where are you from?” “America.” “I could tell.” “Why?” “Because you are so direct. I love it.” #truth. I returned to the apartment with a feeling of accomplishment and told Elmer that I may as well be a local now. Navigating the city streets of Amsterdam by bike, check!

January 15, 2015
       We slept in until 11AM which felt amazing. It was another cold and rainy day as we biked to the Farmers Market. Lots of great, fresh produce here! We parked the bike and Elmer gave me a little walking tour of this area. He then left me to buy shoes because I wanted to do the Heineken Experience and he wasn't interested. Again, urging me to do my own thing which I appreciated. The tour of the Heineken brewery was really neat and very informative. Two glasses of beer, a souvenir glass, and a boat ride were included in addition to the self-guided walking tour. Well worth the money! After this, I returned to the apartment where Elmer and I cooked dinner. It was lecka! (Dutch word for delicious) We relaxed for a bit and then ventured out for our night kayak ride! This was an incredible experience. There were times when I was so cold and wet that I became miserable, but I kept reminding myself how lucky I was to even be in this situation. I was kayaking the canals of Amsterdam for goodness sake! We sang, we raced swans, we waved to tour boats, and we laughed. The lights of the city were beautiful. I tried to take as many pictures as I could but my camera was getting too wet. Elmer was a rockstar paddler! I barely helped at all and he was booking it around this place. I really enjoyed paddling beneath the bridges. The arches on each bridge were lined with tiny little lights and as we passed through you could see bikers riding across the bridge. Amazing. We arrived back home around 9PM with soaking wet bodies and sore arms (that last portion only applies to me). We relaxed, watched Iron Man, and then went to bed. So exhausted and excited to get a full night’s rest!

January 16, 2015
       Slept in until 10:30 (I'm diggin this trend). Today was gorgeous in comparison to the last two rainy days. A great day for a bike ride despite it being very windy. I hopped on the back of Elmer’s bike and we were off. I’m getting used to this lifestyle and I must say it’s pretty great. We passed through a quaint little town that reminded me of historic Yorktown – brick houses, cobblestone pathways, and quiet. When we biked through “Yorktown” Elmer showed me the water leveling system (similar to Panama) and insisted it began in the Netherlands. He said he once came to this place with his brother and they almost flooded the houses on the lower level. A classic Elmer move if you ask me. We then biked "the countryside" of Amsterdam. This was a quiet area with some marshes nearby. It was very serene and Elmer filled me in on some history along the way. The landscape was beautiful and it was just outside the bustling city. At one point during our journey we had to jump on a platform and pull ourselves across the creek with a wire. That was cool. Then we had to cross a series of ports by waiting for the control tower to operate the pedestrian bridges. I was intrigued by this. Around 3PM we left “the countryside” and rode back toward the city. Elmer made a surprise stop at a brewery which was just what I needed because I was FREEZING. It was warm and cozy inside the brewery and the place was hoppin! And the beer is super cheap in Amsterdam! Only €2.50 for a glass of basically anything. We rode back to the apartment after this and cooked dinner for our final night together. I went salsa dancing again at a different venue and met some very nice guys from England and Holland. Again, amazing salsa dancers at this event. I really liked dancing with a guy who reminded me very much of Dave – tall, skinny, fabulous dancer, good frame, and a great connection. Can I just reiterate that I LOVE SALSA? Thank you Dave Duckett for introducing me to it. I retired for the night ready to head to Paris in the morning!! So long Amsterdam! You were wonderful. And thanks to Elmer for being a great host!

Post Graduate Europe Countdown!!

Now that I am finished with grad school, it's time to take a break/celebrate by traveling to Europe! In just 4 days I will be flying to Amsterdam to meet up with a friend and 4 days after that, I will take the train and meet my parents in Paris. After spending some time in the City of Light, we will continue our journey by renting a car and driving through Switzerland, staying in Geneva and then in a city just outside of Zurich called Morschach which sits on a moraine just above the famous Lake of Lucerne. To wrap up the trip, my mom and I will be flying to Ireland to create an adventure of our own. We plan to rent a car and drive through the country's beautiful rolling green hills. Our route will take us to Dublin, Galway, Limerick, Killarney, and finally Shannon where we will depart for the States.

The Ireland portion of this Europe trip is the one I'm most looking forward to. I have spent days upon days researching and creating a route that will be best for us - making sure to hit all the major landmarks and scenic drives. The map below shows our planned route.



Time to start packing!!

Brazil: Ponta Negra

       For this part of our adventure we got a rental car so that we could drive the 2 hours out from Rio with ease. Ok, so maybe the word ease wasn’t the right choice. Driving in Brazil is crazy! Drivers do what they want when they want to do it, lane markings mean nothing, and people walk down the middle of the streets trying to sell snacks. It was a sad sight to see. Once we escaped from the hustle and bustle of Rio it was pretty much smooth(er) sailing from there. We reached our destination of Ponta Negra around 8pm. We told our host we would be there at 7pm…Woops. When we arrived there, the door and gate were locked. Fffff. We wandered around a bit hoping that someone would come by soon to let us in. Dad made a few phone

calls, but with no luck. Eventually, JT and I discovered that the front lawn could be accessed by using parkour. I immediately volunteered to do it. I climbed the concrete wall and jumped into the yard. I walked around to see if anyone was nearby and I heard voices coming from inside! I initially wanted to knock on the window to say we were there but then figured that may not be the best thing to do in Brazil. I didn’t want to lose my life that night because someone thought I was a burglar or something. I ran back to the car and relayed the news to the guys. We again went up to the gate and started shouting and pounding extra hard. The inhabitants finally came out and asked "Oh, did you honk?? We didn't hear a horn." How were we supposed to know that's what they wanted us to do? Anyway, they seemed really sorry that they made us wait and ushered us inside. They were a family of 3 and the husband was actually the groundskeeper for the house, not the owner. They were all very nice and friendly. We settled in and man oh man did we have heaps of space! We each had our own room, bathroom, a common living room with a TV that had shows in ENGLISH, a big kitchen, a patio with a brick stove, and a POOL!! But even better than that was the view from the pool deck. Oh my goodness I could not get enough. We had the beach on the left and the mountains on the right. Best of both worlds and we could see for miles and miles! Absolutely stunning. We then

went to the grocery store to stock up on food. When we found a store, no one spoke English...not again! We wanted some meat and cheese to make sandwiches and the lady behind the counter called over someone else who worked there. She was really really sweet and wanted to help us so badly but her English was very poor. She only knew a few words. We asked which meat was her favorite or which were good and she goes "Ah this one, very good. Oh this one, very good. Very good. Very good. Oh I like this very good." Well evidently they were ALL "very good" haha. We just chose one at random, bought a few other items, and headed home. We went to bed shortly after this, completely exhausted.

       On Tuesday we went to the beach the whole day. It was a 5 minute drive and you could see our place, Casa Azul, from the shore. It stuck out like a sour thumb due to its color. After a

relaxing time on the beach, which included watching a bunch of surfers, we went back home to prepare for the USA vs Belgium game. We watched it on the TV in our living room instead of going to a local bar because 1. There didn't seem to be many places to go in the village and 2. We would be screaming our heads off and disrupting the entire place. Well the screaming our heads off was definitely accurate. Especially in the last 10 minutes of extra time. Man, that game gave me a heart attack. Unfortunately we didn't come out with the win....anddd now America goes back to caring about baseball/football/basketball and throwing soccer under the rug. Hopefully everyone will get excited again when the women play in the World Cup in Canada next summer! We went to bed with sore hearts and sad faces. At least we were in this gorgeous place with an incredible overlook :)

Wednesday was our last day in Brazil. Dad and I had a flight leaving from Rio at 10:30pm and JT's flight was at 6pm. Dad and I took to the beach for the day while JT relaxed poolside. I don't have the beach in Blacksburg so I needed to take full advantage of it! After the beach, Dad and I explored the cute village for a little bit. We were trying to find the grocery store again but were failing miserably; which was confusing considering how small the village was! It was so obvious that we didn't come from the area and were just wandering around hopelessly. Confused Americans coming through! We eventually bumped into our friend from the store by happenstance and she showed us the way. Our savior! After collecting the needed items, we drove back to Casa Azul to pack and then drive back to Rio. I miss this place! It was so tranquil and relaxing! It was nice to get away from the craziness of Rio and have our own little slice of heaven. It was the perfect way to wrap up the trip. We dropped JT off and then Dad and I drove

to the Maracana Stadium - the biggest stadium in the world at one point in time. It was ginormous! We then ate dinner at this cute "restaurant". I put it in quotes because it was about the size of a large living room but the one waiter was dressed to the nines. After this, we headed to the airport for the 9 hour flight to Miami. The trip came to a close and I must say it's nice to be back in America. Brazil is so impoverished and being able to speak English again was a breath of fresh air! I do want to return to Rio one day for a week or so but other than that I love America more! I can't say the same for when I arrived back from Australia. That country will always hold a special place in my heart. One day I will return there as well.

Well, that's all folks! 4 continents down and a World Cup under my belt! I’m truly blessed to have these opportunities :)