I'm out of control. This morning when I was getting on the plane to go to Georgia I saw a little American flag on our delta airplane and I teared up. It was ridiculous. But seriously, I love America. And home.
There have been some great phrases I've heard everyday:
"When in Rome..."
"Cancel it"
"Let's get 'em"
"It's cause we're fat kids"
"I'm over it"
"Is this real life?"
"It's a hike"
"Hope I didn't oversell that one"
There are plenty more but those are the best.
I can't wait to get home and hug my mom and dad, eat waffles with crunchy peanut butter, hang out with the SSS, drink lemonade, and have Mexican food.
I've learned so much from this trip: what traveling too long can do to your sanity, that skipping through the town with a 6 year old screaming like a pterodactyl is acceptable, that being the last person out of the room means carrying Tyler's luggage around Greece, that if you get too close to the door on the bus it will come back and smack you out of the way, that Americans don't deserve verbal responses because we're apparently too retarded, gelatto really is at the bottom of the food group with at least 2 servings a day, fat kids on drugs can accomplish Rome in one day, that petting a Greek cat will give you cat fever, that every weird, hickish, or unnatural thing that happens is a direct result of me being from Elko, business visits after 15 hour flights turn into nap time, Sozur is slang for shiz in Turkey, anything orange in Turkey should be avoided at all costs(aka Sozure and Easy Jet), bus and train rides lasting longer than 2 hours turn into an psych ward, 40 single college students with a no dating policy makes for very apparent and intense sexual tension, 40 Americans dragging their luggage around Europe has become the new popular reality tv show to Asians, wi-fi makes for a good lobby party, and so much more.
More importantly I've learned that it's impossible not to love 40 people you spend 24/7 with for a month, not to judge anyone because you don't know anything and people will surprise you, how blessed I am to live in the United States of America, no matter what beautiful place you go home is where your heart is, and in the long run everything will be ok-maybe even better.
This experience has been the time of my life. I'm so grateful for it and I'll never forget any of this. We really are so blessed to live in this country and I'll never take it for granted again.
Thank you all for caring about me and reading about my life for the past month. I can't wait to see you all and tell you about it in person!
To fat kids: see you at Cafe Rio.
To Morghen: we'll always have Santorini. And Delphi. And Florence. And Bern. And Elko!! :)
To mom: please stop worrying now. I love you and I'll see you soon. :)
To study abroad: Love you all and thank you for everything.
God be with you 'til we meet again.
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland to Zurich, Switzerland
Waking up this morning in paradise made it hard for me to realize that in another day I will be waking up in my bed at home.
I was super sore from yesterday's hike which I love but I couldn't decide whether or not to go kayaking. I eventually sucked it up and went with Mike, Ryan, yulee, and 2 fat kids (Kelly and Morghen). We took a train to Interlaken and from there went on a walk along the river to the kayaking place.
Morghen and I decided to kayak together. Not so successful. Our kayak really wanted us to go in the direction opposite that we wanted to go.
It ended up being such a fun time. We paddled hard for a while and then decided we really had no where to go. So we layer in our giant life jackets in our kayak in the middle of the lake and chilled. And sang Dirt Road Anthem(song of the trip). Sitting there in the sun in the middle of the lake in the Alps at the end of the best trip was one of the most peaceful moments I've ever had. It was so beautiful all around me.
We kayaked/didn't for 2 hours and then we walked back to Interlaken and shopped at coop. Then we took the train back to Lauterbrunnen.
We were pretty tired so we chilled in our lobby for a while until our bus arrived. Then we all got on and drove to Zurich. We had a devotional by the directors and then we wrote down 3 things. 1: the first thing we're going to do when we get back to the states. I said flush a normal toilet. Paper and all. 2: one thing we'll never take for granted again. I said people speaking the same language as you and being able to understand what you're saying. We read those on the bus and number 3 is being saved for the reunion in september. But we had to write the funniest moment on the trip.
So apparently the hotel we were supposed to be in forgot that we were coming an couldn't just make room for 40 people so they had to put us in a different hotel. And by different I mean a Hilton 5 star hotel. Yeah no big deal. It was pretty sweet. But I'm pretty sure the 5 star hotels in America are held at a much higher standard. It was pretty sweet though.
A whole bunch of us crowded in Kelly and melanie's room and talked like the entire night. Then Morghen and I decided to have an herbal tea party at like 12:30. I got to room with Jessica Leavitt my last night which was great because I love her. We talked until like 1:30 and now I should be heading to bed because tomorrow it's back home. It's going to be the longest day of my life. Literally. I'll wake up at 6:30 Switzerland time get on the plane at 10, have a 10 hour flight to Georgia where it will only be 2 in the afternoon and then get on a flight at 5 to salt lake where I'll arrive at 6:39. Then it's a 4ish hour drive to Elko which means I get in at about 9 if my mom drives(a little later if my dad does). Then I'm gunna go visit my best friend, Lauren, cause I miss her which means my day ends at about 1 am. So I'm gaining 9 hours in my day tomorrow and looking at about a 33 hour day. Yeah buddy I'm gunna be tired. But it'll be SO worth it!
I was super sore from yesterday's hike which I love but I couldn't decide whether or not to go kayaking. I eventually sucked it up and went with Mike, Ryan, yulee, and 2 fat kids (Kelly and Morghen). We took a train to Interlaken and from there went on a walk along the river to the kayaking place.
Morghen and I decided to kayak together. Not so successful. Our kayak really wanted us to go in the direction opposite that we wanted to go.
It ended up being such a fun time. We paddled hard for a while and then decided we really had no where to go. So we layer in our giant life jackets in our kayak in the middle of the lake and chilled. And sang Dirt Road Anthem(song of the trip). Sitting there in the sun in the middle of the lake in the Alps at the end of the best trip was one of the most peaceful moments I've ever had. It was so beautiful all around me.
We kayaked/didn't for 2 hours and then we walked back to Interlaken and shopped at coop. Then we took the train back to Lauterbrunnen.
We were pretty tired so we chilled in our lobby for a while until our bus arrived. Then we all got on and drove to Zurich. We had a devotional by the directors and then we wrote down 3 things. 1: the first thing we're going to do when we get back to the states. I said flush a normal toilet. Paper and all. 2: one thing we'll never take for granted again. I said people speaking the same language as you and being able to understand what you're saying. We read those on the bus and number 3 is being saved for the reunion in september. But we had to write the funniest moment on the trip.
So apparently the hotel we were supposed to be in forgot that we were coming an couldn't just make room for 40 people so they had to put us in a different hotel. And by different I mean a Hilton 5 star hotel. Yeah no big deal. It was pretty sweet. But I'm pretty sure the 5 star hotels in America are held at a much higher standard. It was pretty sweet though.
A whole bunch of us crowded in Kelly and melanie's room and talked like the entire night. Then Morghen and I decided to have an herbal tea party at like 12:30. I got to room with Jessica Leavitt my last night which was great because I love her. We talked until like 1:30 and now I should be heading to bed because tomorrow it's back home. It's going to be the longest day of my life. Literally. I'll wake up at 6:30 Switzerland time get on the plane at 10, have a 10 hour flight to Georgia where it will only be 2 in the afternoon and then get on a flight at 5 to salt lake where I'll arrive at 6:39. Then it's a 4ish hour drive to Elko which means I get in at about 9 if my mom drives(a little later if my dad does). Then I'm gunna go visit my best friend, Lauren, cause I miss her which means my day ends at about 1 am. So I'm gaining 9 hours in my day tomorrow and looking at about a 33 hour day. Yeah buddy I'm gunna be tired. But it'll be SO worth it!
Saturday, August 13, 2011
Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland
K so remember how I said that our hotel was supposed to be the "rustic" one? Well this morning at breakfast we had bacon and eggs!! Europe doesn't believe in warm breakfast foods!! It was a Christmas miracle. Even if I hate bacon. It was so nice to see it.
After breakfast I went with my roommate Kristin to the grocery store and then at 12 we set off on our hike.
We (Mike, kristin, yulee, Ryan, the bryants, Chelsea, harmony and I) started with a prayer and then straight up the mountain side.
This was brutal. It was crazy switchbacks. Super steep and we started with a crazy pace. That combined with the super high altitude and asthma was a death sentence for me. There were so many times when I really thought I couldn't go any further but we made it to the first town in an hour. Supposed to take us an hour and a half. And I have this thing where I push myself really hard to do things I don't think I can. So obviously I didn't give up :) it got a little easier but then it got super steep again. My legs and back and butt were burning. But all of the beautiful sights along the way were worth it. It was so my element. I love the outdoors and I love exploring.
It was brutal but I made it. We stopped at the top and opposite side of the mountain next to our hotel. It was an incredible view of "The Top of Europe" as it's called. Thats the 3 tallest peaks in Europe: the Monch, Jungfrau, and Eiger. The view was incredible. We were sitting eight in front of them and could easily and in great detail see the 3 peaks. It was incredible. All of the pain and sweat and lack of air was worth it.
We made it up in about 3 and a half hours. We took a 40ish minute break at the top and then went back down. It was so steep that there were many parts where we had to run. It was insane. And just as we were finishing, it started to drizzle. It was absolutely perfect. I'm so glad I did it though. I was so proud of myself. And who can say that they hiked one of the craziest places in the Swiss alps? This girl. :)
I was exhausted afterwards. Running down a mountain side is crazy on your knees and feet. We got back a little baby bit before 7 and just as I was taking my shoes off Morghen came in and we walked to the grocery store. I had some delicious carrots. Yumm.
Then we came back and went to this cute little folklore thing across from our hotel. I loved it. It's those little things that make me love a town. I love Elko because of the small things it does like the rodeo and fair and art in the park. This folklore thing sealed the deal for me. I love Switzerland. I legit wouldn't mind living here. It's my fav.
We came back to my room and pigged out and watched J shore and chilled. It felt so nice. Unbelievably nice.
My roommates: Alexis and Kristin. I talked about Alexis cause we were supposed to be rookies previously but Kristin is a junior I do believe. She's super sweet. I really like her. She's so athletic too. She didn't train at all for a marathon and ran 22 miles straight, took a break and finished it. Who does that? She's awesome.
Switzerland is heaven.
After breakfast I went with my roommate Kristin to the grocery store and then at 12 we set off on our hike.
We (Mike, kristin, yulee, Ryan, the bryants, Chelsea, harmony and I) started with a prayer and then straight up the mountain side.
This was brutal. It was crazy switchbacks. Super steep and we started with a crazy pace. That combined with the super high altitude and asthma was a death sentence for me. There were so many times when I really thought I couldn't go any further but we made it to the first town in an hour. Supposed to take us an hour and a half. And I have this thing where I push myself really hard to do things I don't think I can. So obviously I didn't give up :) it got a little easier but then it got super steep again. My legs and back and butt were burning. But all of the beautiful sights along the way were worth it. It was so my element. I love the outdoors and I love exploring.
It was brutal but I made it. We stopped at the top and opposite side of the mountain next to our hotel. It was an incredible view of "The Top of Europe" as it's called. Thats the 3 tallest peaks in Europe: the Monch, Jungfrau, and Eiger. The view was incredible. We were sitting eight in front of them and could easily and in great detail see the 3 peaks. It was incredible. All of the pain and sweat and lack of air was worth it.
We made it up in about 3 and a half hours. We took a 40ish minute break at the top and then went back down. It was so steep that there were many parts where we had to run. It was insane. And just as we were finishing, it started to drizzle. It was absolutely perfect. I'm so glad I did it though. I was so proud of myself. And who can say that they hiked one of the craziest places in the Swiss alps? This girl. :)
I was exhausted afterwards. Running down a mountain side is crazy on your knees and feet. We got back a little baby bit before 7 and just as I was taking my shoes off Morghen came in and we walked to the grocery store. I had some delicious carrots. Yumm.
Then we came back and went to this cute little folklore thing across from our hotel. I loved it. It's those little things that make me love a town. I love Elko because of the small things it does like the rodeo and fair and art in the park. This folklore thing sealed the deal for me. I love Switzerland. I legit wouldn't mind living here. It's my fav.
We came back to my room and pigged out and watched J shore and chilled. It felt so nice. Unbelievably nice.
My roommates: Alexis and Kristin. I talked about Alexis cause we were supposed to be rookies previously but Kristin is a junior I do believe. She's super sweet. I really like her. She's so athletic too. She didn't train at all for a marathon and ran 22 miles straight, took a break and finished it. Who does that? She's awesome.
Switzerland is heaven.
Bern, Switzerland to Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland
This Morning we woke up and went to the temple near Bern. It was super pretty. Some of the older groupies went earlier and did a session but us others just took pictures outside. It was really pretty.
After everyone was done we went into this pretty little grove and had devotional. Tyler gave it and even though it had nothing to do with missionary work, it made me appreciate missionaries so much. They really do learn to love the people they serve. It's pretty incredible to see.
I walked around in the grove for a little while and took in everything. Thought about the whole trip and everything that I had experienced. It was definitely a moment.
We got back on the bus and drove to the grocery store. Which we all love. I'll totes miss coop.
Then we drove to Interlaken and went to the train station. It had the prettiest grassy area with flowers and the bluest sky with the most awesome mountains in the background. I can't wait to post the pictures!! I slept and right outside my window was a little stream that was running. I loved it.
After we ate we went to Lauterbrunnen and checked in. We had to be in 2 separate hotels because one couldn't fit us all so all the boys and 7 "lucky" girls got to stay in the "rustic" (as doctor money said) hotel. Guess who got chosen as one of the seven. This girl. Of course.
However, when we got there, our hotel was really nice. We actually ended up getting the better hotel. It's so cool because it's like a giant log cabin in the middle of the forest.
Lauterbrunnen is my favorite. It's my kinda place. Green Everywhere, goats, water running through the town, tractors driving on the road. Just so cute. I love it!!!
Speaking of love. It's my daddy's birthday today!! I love him lots and I wish I was there today. Have a great day dad. Love you and happy birthday!!!
Back on track...after we got settled in we walked through this beautiful part of town to this waterfall. We took the tram to the top which was super cool and we walked down. It was so cold but so pretty.
We walked back and sung. I miss being able to sing at the top of my lungs and music in general.
Switzerland is so expensive. Even when you convert the francs to dollars, everything here is really expensive. The cost of living is crazy but when the Swiss go on vacation I bet they go crazy because everything is comparatively cheap! But Switzerland is the safest place (next to Elko) I've ever been.
We went to the store and then came back and a whole bunch of us girls pigged out and talked. I love those nights. I'm gunna miss this :(
After everyone was done we went into this pretty little grove and had devotional. Tyler gave it and even though it had nothing to do with missionary work, it made me appreciate missionaries so much. They really do learn to love the people they serve. It's pretty incredible to see.
I walked around in the grove for a little while and took in everything. Thought about the whole trip and everything that I had experienced. It was definitely a moment.
We got back on the bus and drove to the grocery store. Which we all love. I'll totes miss coop.
Then we drove to Interlaken and went to the train station. It had the prettiest grassy area with flowers and the bluest sky with the most awesome mountains in the background. I can't wait to post the pictures!! I slept and right outside my window was a little stream that was running. I loved it.
After we ate we went to Lauterbrunnen and checked in. We had to be in 2 separate hotels because one couldn't fit us all so all the boys and 7 "lucky" girls got to stay in the "rustic" (as doctor money said) hotel. Guess who got chosen as one of the seven. This girl. Of course.
However, when we got there, our hotel was really nice. We actually ended up getting the better hotel. It's so cool because it's like a giant log cabin in the middle of the forest.
Lauterbrunnen is my favorite. It's my kinda place. Green Everywhere, goats, water running through the town, tractors driving on the road. Just so cute. I love it!!!
Speaking of love. It's my daddy's birthday today!! I love him lots and I wish I was there today. Have a great day dad. Love you and happy birthday!!!
Back on track...after we got settled in we walked through this beautiful part of town to this waterfall. We took the tram to the top which was super cool and we walked down. It was so cold but so pretty.
We walked back and sung. I miss being able to sing at the top of my lungs and music in general.
Switzerland is so expensive. Even when you convert the francs to dollars, everything here is really expensive. The cost of living is crazy but when the Swiss go on vacation I bet they go crazy because everything is comparatively cheap! But Switzerland is the safest place (next to Elko) I've ever been.
We went to the store and then came back and a whole bunch of us girls pigged out and talked. I love those nights. I'm gunna miss this :(
Thursday, August 11, 2011
From Geneva, Switzerland to Bern, Switzerland
I'm in love. With Switzerland. It's the most beautiful place I've ever seen! And it takes a lot to beat Santorini and Hawaii. But this tops it.
Sometimes when I see all of these beautiful places and I don't even take a picture. Purposefully though. It just makes me sad to look at them because the pictures do them no justice.
It's so green here with water as clear as the water in Turkey and Greece. It's the best of both worlds.
We woke up this morning and hopped on the bus to go to the reformers wall. It was super cool. Giant statues of the reformers in a beautiful park. Also in the park were giant chess and checker sets. They were really fun. And there was a playground. With a merry go round, swings, and a teeter totter. Of course this girl jumped on. It was the coolest park of my lifee!
We got back on the bus and went back to the place where we were last night, the downtown part. There is a 500 foot fountain there. It's super cool. It was originally developed to relieve water pressure but it's so cool that they kept it. Its so tall. That's like almost 3 leaning towers of Pisa. Craaaazzy. It was off last night cause the wind was blowing and when it blows the fountain soaks the world but it was great today.
Back to the bus to the United Nations! We got a tour of it and it was awesome. We sat in the big conference rooms and watched some of the people around the world discuss important stuff. Interestingly enough there was a woman representing Iran. As well as the United States :)
The prominent language in switzerland is French. Followed probably by English but it's so cool. Finally high school is being put into real life. I guess I wasn't lied to when they told me going regularly would come in handy.
After our lovely tour we went to Coop, the grocery store. Yay!! Got some food and then headed to Nestle for our last business visit! Nestle headquarters is right off the shore of Lake Geneva and surrounded by green grass. Huge beautiful building. I don't know how people get anything done there. I would just stare out the window all day.
They gave us a tour and nestle is crazy. It gives acquisition a whole new meaning. Everything is nestle. Look at what you're eating or what your pet is eating. I bet it has a nestle brand or some sort of affiliation with nestle. They do water, catfood, foreign foods, hot pockets, lean cuisine, digornios, everything. Even kit kat!! I bet you thought that was Hershey's. Wrong. Hershey's is the distributor in the US. Crazy huh?
Then some guy talked to us and we left with bags of chocolate. Yumm.
Next was our "group activity". You know what that means! Surprise!! So we pull up to this beautiful castle in the shore called Chateou de Chillon. We explored for an hour or so. It was actually really awesome. So many places to go and hide. It was such a nice day too. Probably 75 degrees. Few clouds inthe sky. So pretty!
Then we were back on the object I have dedicated my life to: the bus. We drove for an hourish to Bern and it was new roommate time!!
My original roommate was supposed to be Alexis. She's 20 somethin. She actually goes to the U of U but I guess the study abroads are really sketchy there so she applied and now she's with us! She majored in exercise science and graduated this last April I do believe. She's really sweet. However, Kira and Alexis are besties and Morghen and I are really close and Alexis and I were supposed to be roommates And Kira and Morghen were supposed to be roommates but we switched. So Morghen was my roommate for the 4th time :)
After we got there we decided we wanted to go explore so we walked around and saw what was around. There's not a lot in Bern. It's pretty modern. So we went back to the room and changed and went back out to do a photo shoot. Just me and Morghen. In the metro station. Late at night. Taking pictures. It was so much fun though. I meditated in my genie pants on top of the newspaper stand. Crazy stuff like that. It was great. We also got in this passport photo booth thing and took pictures. The first one got frozen and took a picture of us looking like 12 year olds with a Christmas card background. But we did some cooler ones.
We couldn't just let that go to waste though. So we went back to our hotel, made a fort and turned the lights out and wrote with our left hands "Meery Chrismus. Love Morghen and Hilary" then we went and delivered it to Tyler because we thought he'd appreciate it. We knocked on the door and left the card on the ground and hid. Mike answered the door and started laughing. So we did too and then we went in and gave it to Tyler and chilled in there for a bit. I'm not sure he appreciated it like he should have but they liked it.
We went back and chased Kelly around our rooms with a creepy voice because they were connected and talked. Now we're heading to bed!
You guys. I'm so trunky. I'm not a missionary but I hope I can still say that. I miss home. This craziness has been the time of my life. But I need stability. And my family and friends!! I can't wait to see all of you!!
Sometimes when I see all of these beautiful places and I don't even take a picture. Purposefully though. It just makes me sad to look at them because the pictures do them no justice.
It's so green here with water as clear as the water in Turkey and Greece. It's the best of both worlds.
We woke up this morning and hopped on the bus to go to the reformers wall. It was super cool. Giant statues of the reformers in a beautiful park. Also in the park were giant chess and checker sets. They were really fun. And there was a playground. With a merry go round, swings, and a teeter totter. Of course this girl jumped on. It was the coolest park of my lifee!
We got back on the bus and went back to the place where we were last night, the downtown part. There is a 500 foot fountain there. It's super cool. It was originally developed to relieve water pressure but it's so cool that they kept it. Its so tall. That's like almost 3 leaning towers of Pisa. Craaaazzy. It was off last night cause the wind was blowing and when it blows the fountain soaks the world but it was great today.
Back to the bus to the United Nations! We got a tour of it and it was awesome. We sat in the big conference rooms and watched some of the people around the world discuss important stuff. Interestingly enough there was a woman representing Iran. As well as the United States :)
The prominent language in switzerland is French. Followed probably by English but it's so cool. Finally high school is being put into real life. I guess I wasn't lied to when they told me going regularly would come in handy.
After our lovely tour we went to Coop, the grocery store. Yay!! Got some food and then headed to Nestle for our last business visit! Nestle headquarters is right off the shore of Lake Geneva and surrounded by green grass. Huge beautiful building. I don't know how people get anything done there. I would just stare out the window all day.
They gave us a tour and nestle is crazy. It gives acquisition a whole new meaning. Everything is nestle. Look at what you're eating or what your pet is eating. I bet it has a nestle brand or some sort of affiliation with nestle. They do water, catfood, foreign foods, hot pockets, lean cuisine, digornios, everything. Even kit kat!! I bet you thought that was Hershey's. Wrong. Hershey's is the distributor in the US. Crazy huh?
Then some guy talked to us and we left with bags of chocolate. Yumm.
Next was our "group activity". You know what that means! Surprise!! So we pull up to this beautiful castle in the shore called Chateou de Chillon. We explored for an hour or so. It was actually really awesome. So many places to go and hide. It was such a nice day too. Probably 75 degrees. Few clouds inthe sky. So pretty!
Then we were back on the object I have dedicated my life to: the bus. We drove for an hourish to Bern and it was new roommate time!!
My original roommate was supposed to be Alexis. She's 20 somethin. She actually goes to the U of U but I guess the study abroads are really sketchy there so she applied and now she's with us! She majored in exercise science and graduated this last April I do believe. She's really sweet. However, Kira and Alexis are besties and Morghen and I are really close and Alexis and I were supposed to be roommates And Kira and Morghen were supposed to be roommates but we switched. So Morghen was my roommate for the 4th time :)
After we got there we decided we wanted to go explore so we walked around and saw what was around. There's not a lot in Bern. It's pretty modern. So we went back to the room and changed and went back out to do a photo shoot. Just me and Morghen. In the metro station. Late at night. Taking pictures. It was so much fun though. I meditated in my genie pants on top of the newspaper stand. Crazy stuff like that. It was great. We also got in this passport photo booth thing and took pictures. The first one got frozen and took a picture of us looking like 12 year olds with a Christmas card background. But we did some cooler ones.
We couldn't just let that go to waste though. So we went back to our hotel, made a fort and turned the lights out and wrote with our left hands "Meery Chrismus. Love Morghen and Hilary" then we went and delivered it to Tyler because we thought he'd appreciate it. We knocked on the door and left the card on the ground and hid. Mike answered the door and started laughing. So we did too and then we went in and gave it to Tyler and chilled in there for a bit. I'm not sure he appreciated it like he should have but they liked it.
We went back and chased Kelly around our rooms with a creepy voice because they were connected and talked. Now we're heading to bed!
You guys. I'm so trunky. I'm not a missionary but I hope I can still say that. I miss home. This craziness has been the time of my life. But I need stability. And my family and friends!! I can't wait to see all of you!!
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Venice and Milan, Italy to Geneva, Switzerland
Hey. Remember how I said that I had a 4:45 wake up call? My little angel Morghen came a knocking at 5:28. That was a problem considering the bus was leaving at 5:30. Perfect. Not. But my room was packed and I had clothes on at 5:32. That's impressive is it not? We pulled a roller backpack girl move and ran to the bus station over bridges and such and made it there before the bus got there. Thanks hotel Al Sole for calling everyone but our room this morning. I really appreciated it. Not. Whatevs. I impressed myself.
We had to get on the bus for another "group activity" Aka surprise!! So we drive to Milan and find out that we were going to a museum. Not just any sort of museum though. Our surprise was that we were going to see the original painting of Leonardo DaVinci's Last Supper!!!!
And we did. They're super crazy about security there. They put you in one room and close you in it and then open another door for you to get out of the room. It's crazy. I promise.
We got in the room and we had this foreign lady with a really thick accent. The room with the painting also echoed a lot so it was difficult to hear and understand what she was saying. But I loved the explanation of the symbolism. It was all really cool. That was such a huge deal. It's like impossible to get tickets and it costs a ton but we did it. It was incredible.
Then we got on a bus and went to the duomo in Milan. I loved that duomo. It was my favorite so far. You aren't supposed to get pictures but I did so you'll get to enjoy he duomo as well.
Then we got McDonalds. Ok it is so freaking expensive. No dollar cheeseburgers there. But they have caramel sundaes. And they are the most delicious things in the world. 1. Gelatto 2. Those.
Then we hopped on the bus and headed to Geneva! It was crazy because we got off the bus for a potty break and it was cold. By cold I mean low 70's but I don't know what it's like to get off the bus and not start sweating to death so it was weird but refreshing.
We actually drove through France and through the 8 mile tunnel under Mt. Blanc which is on the border of France and Switzerland. That's was really pretty. From Milan to Geneva we followed the Alps and watched The Sound of Music. That was a fun experience. Who gets to do that? This girl.
It was perfect because as the Von Trapps crossed the Swiss border, so did we. For real though. Haha.
It was the most beautiful sight. I loved every second of it!
We got to Geneva and went to their festival thing. It was so cute. Fair food and rides all over. It was precious. It makes me excited for the Elko county fair!!!
Then we came back to our hotel and got checked in. I'm roommates with Jessica leavitt and right now I'm sitting on my bed talking with Morghen, Andrew, and her. They're all great.
I love Switzerland. It's blowing my imagination and it's like 6 hours into the country. Tomorrow is Bern.
It's late. Can't wait to see you all!!! :)
P.s. Sorry if this doesn't make complete sense. I'm really scatter brained at this point in the trip.
We had to get on the bus for another "group activity" Aka surprise!! So we drive to Milan and find out that we were going to a museum. Not just any sort of museum though. Our surprise was that we were going to see the original painting of Leonardo DaVinci's Last Supper!!!!
And we did. They're super crazy about security there. They put you in one room and close you in it and then open another door for you to get out of the room. It's crazy. I promise.
We got in the room and we had this foreign lady with a really thick accent. The room with the painting also echoed a lot so it was difficult to hear and understand what she was saying. But I loved the explanation of the symbolism. It was all really cool. That was such a huge deal. It's like impossible to get tickets and it costs a ton but we did it. It was incredible.
Then we got on a bus and went to the duomo in Milan. I loved that duomo. It was my favorite so far. You aren't supposed to get pictures but I did so you'll get to enjoy he duomo as well.
Then we got McDonalds. Ok it is so freaking expensive. No dollar cheeseburgers there. But they have caramel sundaes. And they are the most delicious things in the world. 1. Gelatto 2. Those.
Then we hopped on the bus and headed to Geneva! It was crazy because we got off the bus for a potty break and it was cold. By cold I mean low 70's but I don't know what it's like to get off the bus and not start sweating to death so it was weird but refreshing.
We actually drove through France and through the 8 mile tunnel under Mt. Blanc which is on the border of France and Switzerland. That's was really pretty. From Milan to Geneva we followed the Alps and watched The Sound of Music. That was a fun experience. Who gets to do that? This girl.
It was perfect because as the Von Trapps crossed the Swiss border, so did we. For real though. Haha.
It was the most beautiful sight. I loved every second of it!
We got to Geneva and went to their festival thing. It was so cute. Fair food and rides all over. It was precious. It makes me excited for the Elko county fair!!!
Then we came back to our hotel and got checked in. I'm roommates with Jessica leavitt and right now I'm sitting on my bed talking with Morghen, Andrew, and her. They're all great.
I love Switzerland. It's blowing my imagination and it's like 6 hours into the country. Tomorrow is Bern.
It's late. Can't wait to see you all!!! :)
P.s. Sorry if this doesn't make complete sense. I'm really scatter brained at this point in the trip.
Once more: Venice, Italy
What a great day! I woke up and hopped on a water taxi with 15 other BYUers.
We got off by this really pretty church. There are churches everywhere with beautiful stained glass, super high ceilings, and amazing sculptures and paintings. It never gets old. The majority of them/ all of them are Catholic churches. So I went in there and went in this prayer room and I definitely felt the spirit. It was really nice.
We sat outside the church on the steps for a really long time just enjoying the view and the nice weather. It's funny because all of us are all so comfortable with each other. I can have an easy conversation with anyone in the group and we're all about back scratching and massages etc. Any still moment and we've got a line started. So we all sat outside scratching each others backs and talking for a long time. And of course, like everywhere else we go people were filming the weird things us Americans do. It amazes me how fascinating we are. I don't get it.
Finally we got up and took a water taxi to the bridge of sighs. Supposedly if you kiss underneath it, you'll have a life full of romance. It's stuck right between the prison and a beautiful palace.
All of the girls got matching gondolier sweatshirts that I'm in love with. I can't wait for it to be coldish :)
We then went on a hunt for food which some of the girls found and we went to sit outside of the basilica. So I mentioned how there are a lot of pigeons. Oh my gosh. My worst nightmare became a reality. Pigeons. Everywhere. To the left: pigeons flying over Morghen, Jessica, and Emily's food creating feather residue. To the right: pigeons covering a small boy's body from head to toe. From behind: pigeons flailing and flapping around trying to get around me. It was terrible. There were a million and they were ON people. Eww eww eww. I couldn't handle it.
Another thing this girl isn't a big fan of: cheese. Id like to inform you all that I am a changed human. I hate to admit it but I kinda like it now. Mozzarella balls and cut tomatoes is like one of the most delicious things ever. I love mozzarella balls!! Moral of the story: I had mozzarella and tomato pizza for lunch and it was the best pizza in Italy.
After all the excitement Morghen, Maren, and I went on a shopping adventure to Coop. I can't tell you how excited supermarkets make me these days. It's a rare and royal occasion to find one. It's such a special treat :) we bought us some fruit and went back to the hotel.
I threw on a skirt and went to Catholic mass with Danielle and Todd. Danielle was raised catholic and has only been a member since 17 so he wanted to experience mass in Italy. And what kind of crazy person would miss mass in Italy? I looked forward to it all day! We walked to this church and sat down and the two guys walked in and did their thing. We stood up and knelt and tried to follow along. Everything was in Italian though so it was hard to say and impossible to understand but we got the jist of it. Like the Fathers prayer( I think that's what it's called) was understandable. It was really cool. I seriously really enjoyed it. I'm so glad I got to do it. When I get back to the states I want peanut butter and another go round at mass to understand it this time. It was a little different and only like 25 minutes but I loved it!! So glad I went.
We walked back to the hotel and went gondola hunting. They're really expensive but it's one of those things you have to do. When in Rome...
Anyways, we found this place and hands down, bar none, the most attractive man I have seen this far. He was a gondolier. What a beautiful man. So we obviously got on his gondolier and explored the canals. It wasn't anything incredible. But I enjoyed myself for sure. I'd love to do it again with the love of my life. Can't wait for Italy take 2 haha.
Morghen and I needed a moment so we took a pizza gelato take 2 and went back by the church. We ate our pizza in front if the fire station. Perfect. And then gelatto in front of the church while music played in the background. It was so peaceful and calming. It was a perfect way to end Italy.
We went back and I hung out in my Aladdin pants and just chilled. No internet so we created our own fun. It was a great last night.
My roommate! Fat kid Kelly. Ha! Her name is Kelly Carrasco. Best middle name ever. She's 22 and is majoring in advertising. She's super loud and outgoing but is freaking hilarious. Reminds me of a combo of Katie an Payt. (Who I miss the crap out of :( ) love her. Out hotel key said "Mr and Mrs Carrasco" the first night so we pretended we were honey mooning. It was quite fun/funny.
I have a wake up call at 4:45 so goodnight friends and family :)
We got off by this really pretty church. There are churches everywhere with beautiful stained glass, super high ceilings, and amazing sculptures and paintings. It never gets old. The majority of them/ all of them are Catholic churches. So I went in there and went in this prayer room and I definitely felt the spirit. It was really nice.
We sat outside the church on the steps for a really long time just enjoying the view and the nice weather. It's funny because all of us are all so comfortable with each other. I can have an easy conversation with anyone in the group and we're all about back scratching and massages etc. Any still moment and we've got a line started. So we all sat outside scratching each others backs and talking for a long time. And of course, like everywhere else we go people were filming the weird things us Americans do. It amazes me how fascinating we are. I don't get it.
Finally we got up and took a water taxi to the bridge of sighs. Supposedly if you kiss underneath it, you'll have a life full of romance. It's stuck right between the prison and a beautiful palace.
All of the girls got matching gondolier sweatshirts that I'm in love with. I can't wait for it to be coldish :)
We then went on a hunt for food which some of the girls found and we went to sit outside of the basilica. So I mentioned how there are a lot of pigeons. Oh my gosh. My worst nightmare became a reality. Pigeons. Everywhere. To the left: pigeons flying over Morghen, Jessica, and Emily's food creating feather residue. To the right: pigeons covering a small boy's body from head to toe. From behind: pigeons flailing and flapping around trying to get around me. It was terrible. There were a million and they were ON people. Eww eww eww. I couldn't handle it.
Another thing this girl isn't a big fan of: cheese. Id like to inform you all that I am a changed human. I hate to admit it but I kinda like it now. Mozzarella balls and cut tomatoes is like one of the most delicious things ever. I love mozzarella balls!! Moral of the story: I had mozzarella and tomato pizza for lunch and it was the best pizza in Italy.
After all the excitement Morghen, Maren, and I went on a shopping adventure to Coop. I can't tell you how excited supermarkets make me these days. It's a rare and royal occasion to find one. It's such a special treat :) we bought us some fruit and went back to the hotel.
I threw on a skirt and went to Catholic mass with Danielle and Todd. Danielle was raised catholic and has only been a member since 17 so he wanted to experience mass in Italy. And what kind of crazy person would miss mass in Italy? I looked forward to it all day! We walked to this church and sat down and the two guys walked in and did their thing. We stood up and knelt and tried to follow along. Everything was in Italian though so it was hard to say and impossible to understand but we got the jist of it. Like the Fathers prayer( I think that's what it's called) was understandable. It was really cool. I seriously really enjoyed it. I'm so glad I got to do it. When I get back to the states I want peanut butter and another go round at mass to understand it this time. It was a little different and only like 25 minutes but I loved it!! So glad I went.
We walked back to the hotel and went gondola hunting. They're really expensive but it's one of those things you have to do. When in Rome...
Anyways, we found this place and hands down, bar none, the most attractive man I have seen this far. He was a gondolier. What a beautiful man. So we obviously got on his gondolier and explored the canals. It wasn't anything incredible. But I enjoyed myself for sure. I'd love to do it again with the love of my life. Can't wait for Italy take 2 haha.
Morghen and I needed a moment so we took a pizza gelato take 2 and went back by the church. We ate our pizza in front if the fire station. Perfect. And then gelatto in front of the church while music played in the background. It was so peaceful and calming. It was a perfect way to end Italy.
We went back and I hung out in my Aladdin pants and just chilled. No internet so we created our own fun. It was a great last night.
My roommate! Fat kid Kelly. Ha! Her name is Kelly Carrasco. Best middle name ever. She's 22 and is majoring in advertising. She's super loud and outgoing but is freaking hilarious. Reminds me of a combo of Katie an Payt. (Who I miss the crap out of :( ) love her. Out hotel key said "Mr and Mrs Carrasco" the first night so we pretended we were honey mooning. It was quite fun/funny.
I have a wake up call at 4:45 so goodnight friends and family :)
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