Coming home...

In the last hours before I head to the airport I am ready to go home. Never have I been more ready. This trip has been fantastic and if I wanted to grow and learn, I have. I have lived the reverse of my life back home. Was it good? For the most part yes. Never again will I have the freedom that I have had here, but I don't want it again. I need structure. I need balance. I need home. I have missed my family and friends constantly and I am so glad that I have made friends out here whom I would have never encountered had I not gone on this trip. I have proven that I can live and travel on my own and a level of patience I did not know I possessed. Sure I won't be able to jet off to Spain or France for the weekend, but I realized something thinking back tonight. Other than a few rare moments never was I so completely swept off my feet that I did not remember Chicago. I did not know I could love a city so much. I've dreamt of it and am ready for my return. Let's hope it's a safe flight and I get to see all my loved ones soon.

Ocho Dias!!!!

So it's been a month since I last posted and yah I promised something on Italy and you know what I never finished it. I don't even really feel like finishing it. Maybe I'll get around to it. Hell, I went to  Spain, don't really feel like writing about that either. Not that it was unmemorable, there's just a lot to say and I don't really feel like writing about it in a blog. I wrote about it and Italy on paper because like I said before, I write best when my emotions run high and if I wrote here what I wrote on paper there are sure to be lots of expletives, things people don't want hear, things that I find embarrassing, and on paper I'm far too honest for the internet. If you really want to know about it all ask me about it sometime. I'll be glad to tell you face to face, maybe even grab some coffee, in Chicago. Beloved beloved Chicago.

EIGHT DAYS!!!

Today, tomorrow, Sunday = Studying, studying, and more studying
Monday = History of Civilizations Final and some more studying
Tuesday = History of Modern Europe Final and possibly Hungarian Final
Wednesday = Hungarian Final if I don't take it Tuesday and one last gigantic night out
Thursday = Studying
Friday = HUMONGOUS Tourism Management Midterm and Final combined (gross...)
Saturday = HOME!!!!!

I. can. not. wait. Despite being sick, I am having a delightful day and the positive energy is just oozing out of me. So I couldn't find the lighter to boil water this morning? I made ramen using my water heater for tea and coffee. So I spilled and burned my hand? I danced it off listening to "Valerie" by Amy Winehouse. So the lid I put on top of the hot water and ramen to cook stuck when I picked it and spilled on the floor? I danced in that puddle too and then I cleaned it up! Nothing, absolutely nothing, is going to get me down (other maybe a major accident or shocking news, but other than that...nada). You know why I'm in such a good mood? Cause in precisely 8 little days I will once again be hugging my family and raining kisses all over my dogs face, laughing til I cry with my best friends while making up ridiculous dance moves that should not be done in public, and eating all the food I've missed these past 3 1/2 months.

Other than my ridiculous overflow of excitement that I mean to last me all throughout finals, topic of the day that ties into my whole positive energy thing: Why can't some people go with the freakin flow?? In my time here I have noticed more and more that there are people in this world that cannot, absolutely cannot, just deal with what life gives them. They just seem to steep themselves in negativity, pessimism, and wallow in their own misery. Sure things happen that are hard to deal with and it takes some time to get over it, but there's always a rational amount of time for things. I also understand that sometimes we're all not rational, but for the most part I like to think people are. Maybe we need a push from a sister or a friend, but that's what family and friends are for. Usually you fall, pick yourself up, brush yourself off, and move forward. Here I've seen people fall, drag themselves around in the dirt for awhile, hobble up, and limp off. It's not a pleasant sight. Actually it's incredibly depressing and half the time I want to slap a DEBBIE DOWNER sticker on their foreheads and make them walk around with it for the day like an embarrassing dunce cap so they can see how foolish they are being.

What is the point in taking everything so seriously? What is the point in dwelling on things you can't change instead of the things that you can? It just doesn't make sense to me. If there's one lesson that my grandmother taught me well is that positive energy is key. Put it out in the universe and it'll come back to you. Sounds like bull to some people, well you know I say to you, check your forehead for a Debbie Downer sticker. Being positive sometimes can be a struggle but it's better than being sad or mad or frustrated. It helps you move forward. It helps you be happy. SMILE.

I could go on about this for days. Basically, shit happens. Whatever you're dealing with, someone out there is dealing with something ten times worse. So please, pretty please, try to pick yourself up again.

Suggestion: Dance to "Valerie" by yourself. It's fun!

Case of the Reds

So before I tell you all about Italy, which yes yes I'm getting around to and I've already started writing, I would like to write about how this day is crap. It's crap not cause I lost my cell phone, broke my computer or something significant, it's crap because I have zero motivation and  cause I'm dwelling on depressing ideas.

I called off all my meetings with friends this morning, I decided not to go to class, opted to do a presentation alone, and my apartment is failing. Called off the meetings cause I stayed up until 5am, and I do realize this is not a smart decision. I decided not to go to class cause I didn't want to deal with the anxiety that comes with public speaking which is required every class. I opted to do the presentation alone cause I didn't speak to the students that I would do it with since they also give me massive anxiety. My apartment has no working washing machine, so clothes are getting dirty, it smells all over the place cause they dried while soaked and dirty, and I woke up this morning and there is no running water anywhere. Lovely. I'm not too happy with my landlord.

In retrospect yes it's one bad decision after one bad decision, but you know what I'm having a mood. I'm allowed to have moods. I stayed up until 5am because I wanted to talk to my family, the family I won't see for Thanksgiving, who I might not see next Thanksgiving, and who might be absent this Easter. Not to mention my favorite commercial holiday, Black Friday is slowly dying without the dynamic duo of my sister and I. As I like to call it (and Audrey Hepburn does too) I've got a bad case of the reds. I'm sad and I have no reason why. Well I know why, but I don't see them as legitimate reasons to be sad or put myself in a rut like I am.

The thing is, for the first time in a long time I felt creative again yesterday. I channeled thoughts and emotions. I dwelled on ideas. Maybe not happy ideas because honestly I write the best on emotions of frustration, pain, and fear, but yesterday I made poetry. I wrote again. Not just poetry but I did a paper for a class that's due two weeks from now and I think the introduction is fantastic. My mind opened up again. Which in this case probably wasn't the best idea since all my ideas and thoughts from the experiences of the day reverted me back to questions about life, success, and happiness, but just being able to think made me overjoyed.

This idea or question was, at what point do we become complacent and turn into the people we swore we would never be? I've noticed a trend. As we start to get older, we start to settle more. Our imaginations die and our creativity becomes stalled (hence my surprise at the burst that I had yesterday). Life becomes day after day blending in and brightened up by only those we find most dear. We find comfort and laughter in the everyday because the everyday starts to be all there is. We get up. Go to work. Pick up the kids. Come home and make dinner. Sleep. Do it all over again. Don't tell me I'm wrong. Don't tell me you don't see the monotony that comes from a normal stable life. Yet, it's what we all strive for. It's the illusive American dream. Why do you think companies look for younger more innovative professionals? Cause they haven't died inside yet. (I know I'm being dramatic.) Why do you think everyone reminisces about their pasts? Cause we all are looking for something we don't have now.

So yes, this day is crap. It's crap cause I have a case of the reds and it's incredibly depressing and non motivating. I'll most like sit on this couch that is my bed until class at 4:30pm. Maybe I'll even eat. If the apartment gods shine on me maybe they'll give me some water to wash my face. Today, I just don't care.

Paris Holds the Key to Your Heart! (Name that movie!)

Arc de Triomphe at night

Bonjour! So this past weekend I went to Paris and it was amazing. Ran into a few bumps but overall the trip was great. Getting there was a bit of an issue due to the striking and rioting in Paris, but hey, I made it there and I made it back to Budapest. All is well.

So first of all, went out the night before my extremely long train ride and it was a terrible idea. I was extremely slow the next day and my head hurt, my stomach hurt, and my whole body basically hurt. It blew. It really really blew. At one point I was so upset I just wanted to sit down and cry. Luckily, being the trooper that I am (and after a phone call to my best friend back in the states who was gracious enough to answer the phone at 5am), I got to the station and got onto my train. It was different than I thought it was going to be. I was expecting a train like all my others and this one was a Rail Jet. The seats were really comfy and it was modern and pretty. The facilities were nice and there was a food cart that came around every so often. I was being spoiled, cause the train from Munich to Paris not as nice. I hardly slept and that's when I ran into some problems. Apparently they couldn't get us into the station because of rioters and we had to stop in Mannheim, Germany at 3am to take buses that were going to take us in "the direction" of Paris. The bus driver also warned us that people might try to stop the bus, but not to panic. It was slightly frightening. Turns out we got dropped off at Disney Paris and although it's supposed to be the happiest place on earth it was covered in armed guards that were in full military dress, berets, and big guns. I also got lost after I figured out the metro and had to call a cab to take me to the hotel and later I found out he totally jipped me. But why dwell on that when I was in Paris?!

Armed Guards at the Louvre just like the ones at Disney

Over the next three days I saw the Eiffel Tower (at all times of the day and in several types of weather), the Louvre, the Notre Dame, the Pompidou, Concorde, Opera House (where I saw Kiera Knightly, details to come), the Bastille, and the Arc de Triomphe. It was breathtaking. Paris is beautiful, but unfortunately also covered in tourists and vendors. The Eiffel Tower was my favorite at night and I absolutely loved seeing it sparkle. I felt like a complete kid again. It made me giggle I was so excited. The Louvre was filled with so many famous pieces and of course I saw the Monalisa, the big glass pyramid (which totally reminded me of the book Angels and Demons), and all the famous statues. Which I still don't understand how someone can make something so delicate and pretty out of stone. It amazes me. I lit candles for my family in the Notre Dame and thought of the Disney movie the entire time I was in there. Most exciting though was spotting Kiera Knightly and although she rejected taking a picture with me I spoke five words to her and tapped her on the shoulder. Plus Misia and I stole some pictures. It was such an adrenaline rush.

Unfortunately, Paris is also very expensive. It definitely made me a little bit more broke and it didn't help that I wanted to buy something for everyone. I did get a lot of Christmas shopping done though. Although, an elaborate meal was too expensive I still had my cheese plate (which I was most excited for), real french onion soup, fresh pastries in the morning, and delicious nutella and banana crepes.

Next stop is Rome and Venice. Let's hope I don't buy up a storm there too.

Midterms!

So it's almost 11pm and I have my first midterm at 8am tomorrow morning. As usual I'm cramming some more the night before and that's fine cause I think I'm overstudying for this history midterm. None the less it's stressful and I'm using midterms as an excuse to eat anything and everything to get me through. Is it ridiculous that I cooked myself a steak for breakfast? Maybe, but I did it. I also made myself some steak and mushrooms for lunch and had a grilled cheese with dried mangoes and flaming hot cheetos for dinner. Not to mention I've been eating Kinder bars in between it all. I'm almost positive that I'm just a giant optical illusion.

Other than studying for the past couple days I've pretty much been a big bum. I've watched more T.V. here than I do at home in the States. I'm fully caught up with Dexter, Weeds, and Glee. Not only that but I'm also on season 2 of Entourage and have 5 more to go which I plan to finish in the next week or two. I've also completely changed my sleeping cycle. Except for Mondays I usually sleep until 11am and go to bed around 4 or 5am. So I basically live at night. Which is fine with me.

Last night Misia and I went and explored the city since it was remembrance day of the the Hungarian revolution. We really only saw a band performing at Parliament and some stalls selling food. We probably went too late, but the views of Buda and  the Danube were pretty. Every time I look at it though in the back of my head I still think "It's not as pretty as the Chicago skyline." Many of my classmates disagree with me.  I just love Chicago too much.


I'll be in Paris this weekend and I leave on Halloween to come back to Budapest. It's kind of a bummer having to leave on Halloween, but I can't miss my Monday 8am. France is also on strike and there are riots everywhere. I'm a bit nervous about this weekend. I hope it's still a lot of fun and it's safe. I'm sure that no matter what "Paris Holds the Key" from Anastasia is still going to be stuck in my head the entire trip. I'm weird like that.

Well wish me luck on midterms and pray that I stay safe in Paris!

Being Sick Blows

Soo I've been sick for over a week now and it absolutely 100% sucks. I was getting sick before Munich and now I'm still sick before Poland. Granted I probably shouldn't have gone out for my friend Tom's birthday this past weekend, but I thought I was better. Dancing til dawn was fun and I don't regret it one bit, but boy did I screw myself over. I went from having a slight cough to a deep cough, excessive saliva, and my glands swelled up so it hurt to swallow. Wanna know how bad it was? (WARNING: THIS IS GONNA GET GROSS) It was so bad that I had to spit every couple minutes. So I couldn't sleep cause it hurt to much to swallow and spitting would keep me up. My solution? I had to hang my head off my couch (Did I forget to mention I sleep on a couch every night? It's a long story.) over a bucket and just let it overflow and drip. By far one of the most disgusting moments of my life. The next day the swelling went down and I was like "I don't need to go to the doctor." Fail. I have this thing where I think that I can take of myself all the time and as a result I didn't go to the doctor's office until today, where apparently they hand out antibiotics like candy. HURRAY! So hopefully I'll be better in a couple days and I won't be miserable in Poland this weekend.

Luckily, Misia's grandmother lives just a bus ride away from Krakow so I'll have free lodging and delicious homemade Polish food. Sadly, I hear her grandmother does not make gnocchi, my new favorite food since I've come to Budapest. I mean it's a noodle and it's potato. Two of my favorite foods combined. Not to mention it's often accompanied by a creamy cheesy based sauce. Incredibly fattening, but sooo worth it. But back to this weekend. Misia will be mostly be running around getting errands done so most of the time I'll be relaxing and I'll take a day to see Auschwitz and Krakow. Should be nice. I get to meet Misia's family and friends too. They probably won't understand me, but I hear they are very friendly.

After Poland, Misia and I would like to do Amsterdam, Brussels, then Paris on Halloween weekend. I mean if I can't be at home for my best friend's favorite holiday at least I can be in Paris. Planning is a lot more stressful than it should be. First of all we still have to think about school so our travel plans have to be based on how many classes we want to miss or who we want to travel with. Not to mention the day we want to leave for our Halloween extravaganza I have two midterms. I want to move them up, but I'm running into some issues. Then we have to work out our budgets which after some careful planning it looks like I'll be fine. Next on the list of frustrations is the fact that I bought a Eurail pass at home that I CANNOT waste. Everyone wants to take flights or buses cause they are faster and cheaper sometimes. Sure I don't have to stress about paying to get to places but it looks like some trips I'll be traveling alone. Which is not ok with my parents. Honestly, it's a little uncomfortable for me too, but I'll just have to man up and figure out how to navigate around Europe. I'm a smart girl with her mother's paranoia. I'll be cautious and I may sweat a lot from nerves, but I'll get there if it's the last thing I do. It's a $700 pass, there's no way I'm not getting my money's worth. Hopefully everything works out and if I can't do Amsterdam and Brussels at least I can do Paris. Then there's Spain and Italy to worry about. Italy is falling into place. At least I got that going for me.

Other than travel plan frustrations, there's a lot of drama out here. Somebody is annoyed with somebody or someone is trying to get on someone. It's all very frustrating. It's nothing unexpected. I mean we all knew what we were getting into going to a brand new school with brand new people. We're all adapting and while we're all try to figure out the puzzle that is life here in Budapest we're finding out that sometimes things just don't fit. There are days we don't feel like going to class, we've spent too much money, or people we thought we knew who aren't they seem to be. Just like life back at home, but when you're away from the comforts of friends and family it just hits you harder.

So whether it's physically being sick or being sick at heart it all kind of blows...for now. Hell, at least it keeps life interesting. If we were happy all the time, the little things wouldn't count. Like finding scarves for less than $5 or a surprise package in the mail. Both those things made me smile and cause I can smile at the little things I'll keep on truckin. I'll keep on keepin on with 5 liters of water, vitamin c tablets, Emergen-C, and antibiotics. If that doesn't do the trick I don't know what will.

Prague AND Munich!

Prague was gorgeous and by far the prettiest city I have ever seen. The streets were all cobblestone and the architecture was breathtaking. It reminded me a lot of Beauty and the Beast for some reason. Maybe because a lot of the churches and palaces were a more gothic style. Luckily we toured the palace gardens on a sunny day because the rest of the time we were there it rained. Still, Misia and I saw the Loreta, St. Vitus Cathedral, Church of Our Lady Before Tyn, Charles Bridge, the Old Town Bridge Tower, parts of the Jewish quarter, and Wenceslas Square.

Roomie love in the Prague Castle Gardens

View from the Watch Tower

We also went into a museum that I forgot the name of, but we saw books from the 14th century, a library being restored, and a "hall of wonders." And at night we hit up the clubs. We went to Karlovy Lazne, one of the biggest night clubs in Eastern Europe. It was five floors and each floor was a different genre. It also included a very politically incorrect floor called the "black music" floor. Yet, they were playing Lady Gaga. I don't know if the Czech know what "black music" is. The next night we went on a club crawl and met travelers from all over the world. It was interesting to hang out with such an international crowd.

Prague Team at Karlovy Lazne

                                                                             Overall it was a fantastic trip and right now Prague is my favorite city. Interestingly, after I told my sister about my trip it turns out that 7 years ago she too was in the same clubs and attractions that I was. We are one in the same.

After a pretty uneventful week in Budapest. Class. Dinner. Resting. Class. More resting. This past weekend we went to Munich for Oktoberfest. I knew it was going to be crazy, but it was also delightfully pleasant. I didn't know that Oktoberfest is an actual festival. There is plenty of food carts, games, and even carnival rides. But of course the main attractions were the beer tents. When one thinks of a tent you might think of a white tent or maybe even a large circus tent. These tents were like houses, gigantic houses with elaborate decoration to match each beer company. Even though it was raining outside the inside 

One of the Beer Tents

was made to look like a sunny day in a town square. We learned lots of German drinking songs and got to see everyone in traditional lederhosen and dirndls. We looked very touristy in our regular clothing. I was getting sick before we even went to Munich and on the second day there I almost stayed in the hotel, but I thought to myself "This is probably the only time I will ever be here in my youth." So I sucked it up and I went. I'm paying for it now. I now have a sore throat, runny nose, cough, and I won't be surprised if I have a fever by nightfall. That being said I also figured that if I got up to go to Oktoberfest I can get up for my classes. O well I'm only young once and who knows when I'll be back in Europe. Since we did only have time for the festival our group plans on going back to Germany to do some serious sightseeing. I did however get to see the world's biggest cuckoo clock, which I thought was pretty exciting.

Next stop is Poland. I would be going this weekend, but residency permits are a pain in the butt and I have to go back to the Hungarian Immigration office for the third time. Here's hoping all goes well and I'll be able to travel again soon without the fear of deportation! 

P.S. I know I don't blog that frequently, but I just hate to bore everyone with the mundane everyday. I'll try lead a more exciting life and blog more often. 

The Everyday

My mornings here have started in basically two ways: 

1) Wake up. Shower or bubble bath. Tea. Check email and facebook. Get ready for the day.

2) Wake up. Crawl to the fridge for water. Chug for about 5 minutes. Go back to sleep. Wake up at noon.

                                                            Productive Day Vs. Slow Day

These days have become my everyday, and right now I don't know if that's a good thing. Nothing that exciting has happened here just drama. School started and it's like freshman year all over again here and it's starting to wear on me. Everyone is trying to find their "place" here and I'm no exception. I'm grappling for my nook, that group that will ground me. I want to establish a routine soon. Routine is comfortable. Routine is nice. Routine cuts down on drama. Back at home I had my safety net of friends and the ability to zip off for the weekend to the burbs if I wanted a break. Here, I have the comfort of my journal, skype, and facebook. All excellent resources, but nothing like being in the same room with someone. I'm in a funk. But like all funks I'll snap out of it. Right now I just have to remind myself to be optimistic.

Being the optimist, I have Munich to look forward to. We're going to Oktoberfest! Problem is we haven't found a place yet to stay. Everything is super packed and the prices are ridiculous. O well, we'll find something eventually...hopefully. We might go to Croatia this weekend, no plans have been made yet, but I'm sure we'll think of something.

Here's to the everyday. May from here on out, every day be a good day.

Sorry for the hiatus!

Yes, I suck at blogging, but it's not just me being lazy. Let's just say my first night in Budapest was a little wild. A little too wild. Wild enough to put me in a funk that lasted a couple days that turned into about 10 days. Believe me these 10 days weren't bad, in fact they were an adventure.

And nothing would be an adventure without the friends I've made here. So first things first, the people. Mish is my roommate, my travel guide, and my pseudo-mother. She makes sure I do what needs to be done before I think of doing it and I know she will kick my butt this quarter. In fact I wouldn't be surprised if I get better grades this quarter than I did last quarter. Then there's Kate, her roommates, Jose and the boys, Mish's friend Joel, people from all across the country that we randomly meet in class, restaurants, and in bars that have made the beginning of this trip very memorable. Some of them were temporary roommates that I was sad to see leave, others I was happy to see go. They are new found friends that I never thought I would get along with. They are what's going to make this trip and I cannot wait to experience everything with them.

So after that first horrendous night, which we won't go into details about, we went to the Gellert Baths. The baths in Budapest are traditional Turkish baths that the people here visit for their medicinal waters. The Gellert Baths, which are the most expensive, are also said to be the most beautiful. Mosaic tiles, murals on the walls, lion head fountains. It's the equivalent of bathing in a gorgeous church or cathedral. Not to mention they were the most relaxing experience I had ever had. The steamroom was especially intense, but the ice bath afterward just wakes up your skin. Apparently the Finnish do the rotation of the thermal baths, steamroom, then the ice bath three times or more. We only had time for two rounds but I plan on going back around finals time for a destresser and I plan on doing all three rounds. Perhaps I'll even do them completely naked like most of Hungarians do. I think it's amazing that they are so completely comfortable with their bodies or at least that its so engraved in tradition that it's just normal. I'll think about it. It would be incredibly freeing to say the least.

A few days in Budapest and we were off to Vienna. We made the mistake of not packing the night before and having a really early bus ride so I packed terribly and Kate forgot her passport so we ended up running the streets of Budapest trying to hail a cab after running back. Looking back it was hilarious. The cab driver was insane, but it was an adrenaline rush. Vienna was more beautiful that Budapest. I know it's a tiny bit of blasphemy since I'm living here, but it was cleaner and everyone was dressed better. It was like watching a constant stream of models. On the way back we almost died. The back tire of our bus blew out and if the semi next to us hadn't been smart enough to slow down we would've smashed into it. I just remember hearing a loud pop, a drop, and holding onto my armrest for dear life. We survived though and after about 40 minutes a new bus arrived and drove us back. Overall a good side trip.  Mish and I plan on going back again perhaps to Salzburg or to another place her mother suggested.

Back at home, Mish, Joel, and I made a few family dinners which were adorable, chilled in the cafes to get internet (Which we still don't have. Grrr!), and just had a good time. We all went on a bus tour that showed us all the tourist spots and since it was an excellent weather day it was very nice that we rode on the top level of the open bus. The Danube is the prettiest to me. It separates the flat Pest side and the hilly Buda side and with all its bridges at night the city lights up and it is breathtaking. I promise to show you soon. We take most of our pics on Mish's really nice SLR camera so she's setting up a photobucket so I can share it.

Things are finally settling down and we have started classes. It was a little overwhelming for me since it's an international school and I went in alone. I walked in and not only is it crowded, but five different languages are coming at me and none of them are English. Looking at the bright side though I like all my professors and I'm meeting a lot of new kids. So far so good and I think it's going to be an easy quarter. I mean out of four of my classes two don't have midterms. Plus one of the classes I signed up for was supposedly too easy for DePaul students to take, but I got permission to take it anyway. I'm pumped.

So anyway that's the past 10 days in a nutshell and I'll make sure to blog more often. Hopefully we head to Bratislava and Germany soon. Ttyl! Enjoy!

Budapest (Sorta) Entry #1

I’ve reached Duesseldorf! Flying in was fantastic. My ass hurts from sitting, but walking with all this shit makes me sweaty so I’ll save walking around the airport for when I get really bored. I have about a five hour layover here before I head to Budapest. I’m so excited! It was really cloudy landing, but what little I did see made me smile from ear to ear. I definitely plan on coming back and visiting. Getting through security with all my stuff and this dumb cast was surprisingly easier than I thought. They felt up ma boot but luckily I’m not hiding any weapons of mass destruction in it.

I met a lovely Bulgarian woman on the plane over. She was middle aged and going to see her family. She was sweet. We talked a little and laughed a little even though there was a language barrier. She wished me success as I got off the plane. I hope I sit next to someone nice again on my way back home. Cause she definitely made the 8 hours more bearable. The food wasn’t bad either. The salad was superb and I just wanted to drink the Caesar dressing. They gave out chunks of cheddar cheese too. J Sadly, the chicken was terrible but I forced myself. Really terrible. They gave out free wine. I wasn’t sure what the age rules were on the plane so I didn’t try, but I wanted to. I should look that up.

The entertainment was really good too. I watched Modern Family and they had Glee. They also had a variety of movies. I tried watching Letters to Juliet, but the screen was too close to my face that I decided to sleep instead. I woke up around 4.00 and watched a good portion of Young Victoria. I wanna watch the rest of it. Hopefully I can on my way to Budapest. It portrays Victoria and Albert more as a young love affair than it did in the BBC series I watched. I feel like BBC stuck more to the truth. That they learned to love each other. I find it hard to believe that they just fell in love with each other being as secluded as they were. God I love romantic period pieces. 

Next stop Budapest! 

Goodbye loves!

So in about an hour and a half I'll be heading to the airport, and in another three hours I'll be boarding my plane. It's gloomy and rainy here and I wanna wear my galoshes, but if I wear them to Europe I'm afraid they won't be European enough. :) Yes, I always have the trivial on my mind.
I'm excited, nervous, a little scared, but mostly excited. This is going to be my European adventure! I'm going to see all the things I've always wanted to see and hopefully have enough money to do it. I just spoke to my roomie in Budapest and our place looks great, we have fellow students already there, and apparently my street is a strip of adorable cafes. The little scared and a little nervous is because honestly I've never had to go this long without my friends and family. I didn't go out of state for school and I come home at least once a month. It's all just going to be very new for me.
Now is the reason I created this blog. Now it's time to go places. I'll see you all soon! Love ya!

I'm ageing?!

So for those of you that don't know, I have a phobia of growing old. White hairs freak me out and wrinkles don't belong on my face. The other day I even got anti-aging chapstick. So it's a little messed up, but I'm still holding out for the fountain of youth. It's gotta be out there somewhere. Maybe not the actual fountain, but I'm sure there's some super-amazing-blow-your-mind bacteria growing out there in some pond covered by incredibly dense forestation that no man has discovered. I'm sure they'll find it by the time I really need it. They better. It's tough being fully aware every day of my life that I am getting a little older and will eventually shrivel up and sit on benches with other shriveled up old people, other shriveled up Asian people.

I can't decide which woman I am. The blue lady and the one on the end just look upset and the one in purple looks a little crazy. I'll probably be the one in purple. Come on those glasses are hot.

I know you're probably thinking, "Jesus Allison, you will not look like that. Why would you be wearing any of that?" Well you know what old people wear things all the time that don't make sense. Eventually clothing will stop making sense to me and I will be thinking "All those crazy young people in their leotards and their tights!" O wait. I already think that and I'm still sane. (Note to world. That's my stance on leotards and tights used for anything but gymnastics and dancing.) 

But I'm completely off topic.

Basically I went to an event today where I realized I was older than almost all the students there. I'm officially an upperclassman in college. WHAT?! Since when did "Oh you have plenty of time." turn into "You're almost done." SINCE WHEN?! Time is passing faster than ever and I'm getting older and older without noticing it. Some would say that's a good thing considering my paranoia, but those times when I do stop and think about it (such as now) then completely freak me out. I know I'm still young, but how long until I pretend I don't have a birthday anymore? How long until I start saying stupid things like "Age is all in the brain."? 

It's very upsetting. The only thing I can take solace in is the fact that hopefully I won't just be an old woman but an old wise woman. For some reason when I think of that I picture myself as Grandmother Willow from Pocahontas. You know what? I'm ok with that. I will settle for being Grandmother Willow minus being the tree. 

Enough of my craziness though. My young person craziness. Cause old person craziness is just scary. Come on fountain of youth! (and Botox!)

I'm blogging?!

             Blogging...little bits of my brain I'm laying out for anyone to see. It's strange and incredibly uncomfortable to think about, but hey, it might be fun.  I decided to blog for three reasons: the first being Oprah, the second being I'm leaving the country soon and it's an easy way for friends and family to know what's going on with me, and the third being it will look good if I ever get into social media marketing. Gotta think ahead! It might even have an added bonus if this counts as my journal requirement for the study abroad program. Let's hope it does.
            Now let's get Oprah out of the way cause I'm sure you're thinking, "Of course it has to do with Oprah. Everything has to do with Oprah." Maybe not, maybe I'm just thinking that, but there's a 75% chance you at least rolled your eyes when you read that. Anyway...so I stumbled upon an episode of Oprah around 11 at night and it was all about people who are doing the things they love to do and making money doing it. People who are basically living the American dream. They smiled, laughed, cried over being on Oprah, the usual - but they also all gave one bit of advice, "Find your passion and go for it." We've heard it all before, the people who escape the  dreaded cubicle just because they had a dream and never stopped going for it. But what if you have no dream? What if you don't know what your passion is? What do you do then?
           Being one of those unfortunate lost souls, I decided to do the practical thing, as I always do, and go for something I'm good at. Study something that I found at least interesting. I went into marketing. I like seeing the strategy behind a sale. I like seeing how one sucks in the consumer. Do I love it? I don't know yet.
           So this blog is my leap, my brainstorm session, and my public journal. It's my journey for success in the little things and the grand scheme that is my life. Cause one thing's for sure. I'm goin' places, whether it be New York next week, Budapest two weeks after that, or an amazing-soul-sucking-gratifying-(insert adjective) career years from now. I'm goin' places...I just don't know where. Let the wandering begin!