Final Blog, from the Red White and Blue

To all of my dear readers:


As most of you are well aware, I have been home for almost a month now. My final days in Copenhagen were jammed packed. I tried to experience all the little things that I failed to get to during my earlier days in the marvelous country, I still consider home. I spent times with my close friends, walked around the beautiful city after class, and tried to spend as much time as possible with the Klausens. However, one thing I learned through my experience is that---time comes and goes. I felt like just yesterday I was dropped off in this foreign country where everyone is considered to be happy (which is so true), and now I feel as if I am a stranger to my own home country.


Saying goodbye to the Klausens was very challenging to me. Although I did not shed a tear when saying goodbye, which I am very proud of, the minute I handed my ticket and boarded the plane, the tears began to flow. I was so confused as to how the time went so quickly and how much I feared that my experiences would all be just a blurred memory years from now.


I can’t tell you how wonderful it was to see my family. I forgot the comfort of my bathroom, how beautiful Lake Charlevoix is, how I missed the Bistro, and the love from my friends. I had trouble adjusting the first couple of weeks. I didn’t talk very much at dinner, which you all know is very unlike me. I wasn’t use to the English chatter and the fast meals. I talked to my friends from Denmark all the time and had conversations for hours about “remember when…” It wasn’t until I received a brochure from Dickinson that I realized I was experiencing “reverse culture shock”. The brochure explained the reasons for why I was having trouble speaking about my time in Denmark, the fast-pace of America, the longing for a foreign culture, and the indepedence of a student studying aborad. Within my experience of reverse culture shock, I found it to be the most challenging when talking about Denmark. I had such a life changing experience that talking about it, and currently writing about it, does not present the justice it should. However, I do understand now that my experience is just for me. My time and personal growth in Denmark is something that I will hold very close to my heart forever. I may not be able to explain to you exactly what I mean or how I felt, but I will be able to get this point across-- Denmark is truly sensational and has opened my eyes to people, food, challenges, emotions, and maturity.


Denmark has helped me understand how important it is to be open-minded. I have learned the beauty of laughter and the essence of happiness. I have learned to conquer heart break and challenges that post obstacles in front of my ambitions. I have also learned the brilliance of unfamiliar and foreign.

But most importantly, I have learned who I am.


I will be forever grateful for this opportunity from my parents. Thank you Mom and Dad for this wonderful gift and the faith you have had in me to spend a semester away. I want to thank all of my wonderful friends and family members who have helped me along this journey. Thank you to all of my readers for sharing this journey alongside me.


Thanks for your love and time.

Love you dearly,

Me

Spring Break 2010: Part 2: Diamonds of the Aegean

Spring Break II: Diamonds of the Aegean

Hi everyone! In this blog I will discuss the last week of my Spring Break travels in which I went on a cruise around the Greek and Turkish Islands as well as spent a weekend in Athens with a friend of mine from Dickinson. I hope you enjoy the pictures and the stories:
Second week: (9 girlfriends from DIS)
-Cruise around the Turkish and Greek Islands which included:
-Mykonos
-Rhodes
-Patmos
-Kusadasi
-Crete
-Santorini
-Spent the weekend with a friend from Dickinson in Athens, Greece


First weekend before cruise:
My friend Jamie and I took the train from Vienna to Athens and arrived excitedly for the adventure ahead. We had no idea how to speak in Greek or how figure out the bus transportation so we decided to take a taxi to our hotel. I have to admit, it was really nice to stay in a hotel this time. I missed hot water and the service of a cleaning staff. I must say, I was spoiled while staying in the hotel for the weekend. You might be thinking a hotel? Why not a hostel? Well, the cruise agency made arrangements for all of the cruise members to stay there before the cruise ship took off. It was awesome. The first thing Jamie and I did was put down our bags and head to the outdoor pool to soak up some sun. It felt so great to walk outside in shorts rather than layers of clothing and furry boots. I have to admit at that point I didn’t miss Denmark! After soaking up the sun we decided to shower and get ready for a dinner in Athens. However, we didn’t realize that even though Easter was the following day, the whole city was shut down. Therefore, we ate dinner in the hotel restaurant. It was yummy and nice to eat and head back up to the room to relax. It was a great first night in Athens and couldn’t wait for the following day!

The first full day in Athens was quite unexpected because we again forgot it was Easter. We decided we would go around town and see the major attractions, thinking it would be open to the public; however, it was not. So we decided we should—soak in more sun! We went to the beach and had lunch by the coast. It was so relaxing and I can’t tell you how blue the water was. It was such a beautiful place, different shades of blue with the sun shining; I told myself I could get use to it. Since everything was closed we had dinner again at the restaurant and packed up our stuff for our early departure.

The next morning we met all the girls in the lounge of the hotel and met with the representative of the agency—Gate 1 travel. We loaded up our bags and headed to the port to board our ship. As we expected there were tons of high school spring breakers on board the ship. It was weird to think just a few years ago we were like them--anxious for spring break memories and a time with friends. Once we dropped off out stuff in the rooms, we explored the ship! There was a casino, four restaurants, a club, three bars, a workout facility, pools, spas, and more! We were so excited but even more excited to see sunshine for once! So we put on our suits and laid out for the rest of the day before making it to Mykenos! We arrived in Mykenos for our very first night stop and Gate 1 gave us a free walking tour around the island. The island was small so it was a short tour but Mykenos was so beautiful. As I was walking on the tour, I was attacked by two of my sorority sisters, Katie and Bailey! I had NO idea they were even in Greece. I almost fell over from their attack but we were so excited to see each other. We probably sounded like obnoxious girls screaming/ jumping up and down with excitement; but we were shocked at the bump in! I explained that I was only in Mykenos for the night and they were bummed but I forgot I was still on the walking tour and had to run/ catch up to my group. :) It was a great surprise to see them. After the walking tour ended, a few girlfriends and I walked/shopped through the narrow streets filled with white painted and blue shuttered houses around the island. We enjoyed our first of many sunsets together and couldn’t believe we were actually on one of the most beautiful Greek Islands. I can’t explain the beauty of Mykenos but I hope some of my photos show a little bit of this wonderful place. After spending a few hours on the island we returned to the ship and had a late dinner. We ate at the dinner buffet that night and were so excited for the beginning of our trip! We headed to bed rather early that night because we had a full day tomorrow visiting Kusadasi, Turkey and Patmos, Greece.

Kusadasi and Patmos: We arrived bright and early in Kusadasi, Turkey around 6:45 a.m. (the night before the cruise line gave us recommended tours/ excursions for the passengers, so my girlfriends and I signed up for a few). In Kusadasi we signed up for an Ancient Ephesus shore excursion during our time on the island. It was strange that we saw the sunset in Greece and we also experienced the sun rise in Turkey. We truly were traveling the right way- sunset to sunrise on a cruise ship! :) On our shore excursion we were taken by charter bus to the historic site of Ancient Ephesus (which is actually located in what they call, Asia minor, we were on a whole different continent!). We learned all about the ancient city and the way of life of the individuals during the classical Greek era. Located inside the area was the Temple of Artemis which is one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. It was very fascinating to see the markings in the buildings, on the street, and historic pieces that represented the way of life for the civilians. For example, the ground (or their street during that time) had pieces of stone with holes in it. The individuals carved holes in the stone so individuals wouldn’t slip when it rained. Another example included a marking with a heart, a woman, and arrows. This pointed to the direction of the prostitutes’ location for specific buyers. It was amazing to see. After we finished our tour we were able to go to a traditional Turkish bazaar (I rode a camal at the Bazaar). I am proud to announce that I earned the title of the “princess of bargaining” because I made some great negotiations with my fellow Turkish sellers. For example, I loved this LV purse (of course fake) and the seller was trying for 200 Euro (for one purse), which is almost 300 US dollars. Yeah right! So I told him that my friend and I wanted the same purse and he upped the price. I told him no way, we can buy a real LV purse in the States (which I am sure you cannot) for less than that price. So I walked away and he chased after us and said: “Come, I give you great deal, you get great deal”. So he then said he would give us the purse for 165 Euro each, so I walked away again. Anyways, long story short, I bargained many times, walked away even more times, and eventually talked to the boss! I received both purses for 65 Euro along with a pin, free hot tea, and a LV scarf! It was quite the steal and I was so excited. I thought, my Daddy would be proud! After the wonderful purchase we headed back to the ship to get some lunch and soak up the Turkish sun!

We left Turkey around noon and headed for Patmos. Patmos was a very tiny island and unfortunately our shortest stopping time. So the girls and I decided that we would go to a local beach and enjoy the rest of the day! It was so great to play cards on the beach and be able to say, it is hot rather than my toes are going to fall off. It was beautiful and we were close to the ship so the view of the bay was amazing! We boarded the ship around 7 p.m. and headed for “Greek night” in the main restaurant. It was a very lovely, five course dinner with a table for just us girls. The waiters did a special dance and greeted us all on board the Aquamarine cruise. It was the first “fine” dinning night in the cruise so it was special. In addition, it was one of the girls’ 21st birthday so we ordered beverages and toasted to our first night of fun on the cruise. After dinner the girls and I headed to the bar/club called the Moonlight bar and spent the night celebrating our friends’ 21st. We had a blast dancing and getting to know one another. It was a great evening.

Rhodes: Wednesday was our first and only full day in one location during our time on the cruise. The girls and I decided that we would explore the city on our own and then hit up the beach. It was great to step off the cruise and have the freedom to roam around this beautiful island with a map in hand. Rhodes was so gorgeous and full of tourists. You could tell this was a “hotspot” for visitors. We walked up the cobblestone roads at visited castles, museums, restaurants, the main square, and more. It was a blast. We decided to get back on the ship to have lunch since it was included (oh yeah sorry, the ship is an all inclusive trip, minus alcohol). We went to the buffet by the pool and showed each other all of the pictures we took! After lunch we put on our suits and headed to the beach. This was my first encounter with creepy Greek men. We had some creepy Greek men along our trip. It wasn’t just cat-calling but these men would “try way too hard”. For example, I had a guy come up to me with a painting of a flower and stated: “you are more beautiful than this rose”…haha :) It was quite funny but then just got creepy! Anywho, the beaches were gorgeous. The beach seemed like it stretched for miles along the coast of the sea filled with all different shades of blue. It was truly a beautiful sight. That night on board the ship it was formal night. It was so great to dress up with the girls and head to dinner. Before dinner our photo was taken in front of the restaurant, it was such a cute photo (however, so expensive to buy). The restaurant was decorated differently and the meal was delicious. After dinner we headed out on the deck and watched the ship sail under the moon. It was hard to believe our last night was already tomorrow. For the time being we agreed to not talk about it and sit along the poolside discussing our favorite parts about Rhodes.

Crete and Santorini: My last full day on the cruise was by far my favorite. We were to visit Crete and Santorini which are two islands that I have wanted to visit since I was young. We first arrived to Crete around 7 a.m. (just in time for the sunrise) and I signed up for another shore excursion called “A taste of Crete”. It was my favorite excursion. We hopped on a charter bus and went around the largest island of Greece. We first topped at a wine distillery and tasted the fine wine of Crete. I have to admit, tasting wine around 8 a.m. wasn’t the best thing to wake up too but it was delicious. We tried three different types and I enjoyed one in particular that was a white wine/ dark wine mix. We also learned where and how the wine is produced on the island. In addition, we got to taste brochette which is very popular amongst the Greek cuisine. We then headed to a small part of town and got a “real feel” for the city. While in Crete, I recognized how many dogs roam around freely in the city. After walking around the small town, we headed to a lunch spot where we were greeted by Greek dancers. They put on a show for us while we had more tastes of Crete. It was so fun seeing their costumes and watching their traditional cultural dance. I even got the chance to dance with them. It was a blast and I enjoyed this part of the excursion very much. Once the excursion was over we headed back to the ship and set sail for Santorini, my favorite island!

Santorini was the most gorgeous island or place I have ever seen/ visited. Earlier I mentioned that Edinburgh, Scotland and Prague, Czech Republic were my top favorites; however Santorini, Greece takes the cake. I wish I could describe to you in words how spectacular the views were as well as how fun the island was but I hope my pictures can help out with the fact that words can’t express it all. The cruise ship could not come up to the island so we had to take smaller boats to and from the island. Once we arrived on the island there were two ways to go up to the main portion of the island; by cable car or donkey ride! The cruise didn’t recommend the donkey rides because it can be dangerous/ scary, but seriously cruise line, we are in Santorini. So, I took my chances and rode the donkey up the funicular. It was scary, yes, but it was amazing! The donkeys go up and down alone…No one was walking them or anything; they knew the way. That made me a bit uncomfortable but it was the best way to experience it all. The view was amazing. I took in every step the donkey climbed and loved every minute of the ride. I thanked my donkey for making it up alive and joined the Kassandra and Jamie at the top! We couldn’t believe the sight. It was gorgeous. We shopped, made ice-cream stops, and searched for the most famous picture of Santorini. I am sure you can picture it now, the white painted church with the blue top overlooking the washed out white houses…We couldn’t find it anywhere. We asked around but everyone gave us directions to this small church that resembled it but wasn’t the one we were searching for. I literally searched high and low. I ended up climbing on roofs because I NEEDED to see this infamous church. I finally went to the taxi driver and said take me here (pointing to a postcard) and little did we know that we were on a different part of the islands. We had to go to Oia but the ship came into Thira. We only had 30 minutes left before the cruise took off but we were determined to make it. The taxi driver drove like a mad man through the cliffs, which also made me nervous, but we finally made it to the church. It was breathtaking. Absolutely everything I dreamed it would be. I took what seemed like twenty pictures and we sprinted back the taxi so happy we made it. Even though we were only there for ten minutes and the time in the taxi was about twenty, it was worth it. We took the cable car down to the port this time and boarded the ship. It was a great end to the cruise. We ate dinner at the dinner buffet and headed back to our rooms to pack up for the night. The cruise was shorter than most cruises so we knew the time would fly by; however, it always seems to go by more quickly than imagined.

The next morning we said goodbye to the cruise staff members and stepped back onto solid ground. Jamie, Kassandra, and I headed towards the taxi station to go to Erik’s house for the weekend. Erik is my friend from Dickinson who is studying abroad in Athens, Greece. I contacted him before my cruise to see if we could meet up and grab lunch but he suggested I stay for the weekend. So Kassandra and I planned on crashing at his place for the weekend and explore the spectacular historical sights of Athens (Jamie left that night). We finally made it to Erik’s apartment and I was so excited to see him! It was so wonderful to have a familiar face and be able to talk about classes, professors, and friends back at Dickinson. We were exhausted from the cruise and we did wake Erik up before 10, so we decided to take a power nap. After we slept for a few hours we woke up and Erik took us to this market right outside his apartment. It was so great to see fresh fruit and people negotiating prices. We picked up some food and headed to the Acropolis. Since Erik is an archeology major, he took us behind the scenes, if you will, of the Acropolis that was roped off. It was so amazing to see everything. We felt very special being able to go to places that the normal tourist couldn’t. He showed us tools he used and where he does his work around the Acropolis. It was such a gorgeous and well preserved site. After exploring the Acropolis, Parthenon, and other monuments around the area, we headed to a local museum that had many historical artifacts and information on the history of Athens and Greek mythology. After that we headed to the Olympic Stadium arena where the first Olympics in Greece were held (1896). It was well preserved and amazing to stand in front of the extremely large site. We then headed back to Erik’s and got ready for the night. We decided we would go and see “Alice in Wonderland” before heading out to dinner. It was different to go to another country and see a movie. Instead of the commercials being in Danish this time, they were in Greek. It was very surreal. The movie was odd… (did anyone else think so). It was great to hear the story again but it was just too “out there” for my liking. We headed to a traditional Greek restaurant literally in the middle of nowhere. I thought Erik was joking when I saw the building but it was so delicious. The restaurant was extremely traditional with music, lots of wine, and tons of people. It was fantastic. After our stomachs were full we headed back to Erik’s house and talked before going to bed. It was a great full day in Athens.

The following day Erik had a paper to write so Kassandra and I headed to the beach for the day. We wanted to soak in as much sun as possible before leaving for wintery cold Denmark the next morning. It was so relaxing laying on the beach and getting some much needed Vitamin D :) We then headed back to Erik’s house before dinner and decided to cook him a meal to thank him for having us this weekend. We made him spaghetti and garlic bread while we watched movies. It was a short but great weekend in Athens. The next morning I said by to Erik and told him I would be seeing him next fall for our Senior year! I boarded the plane and said goodbye to the sunshine and the best spring break in 2010.

-Chels

Spring Break 2010: Part 1: Exploring Europe

Spring Break 2010 was a perfect 10. This two and a half week vacation was a great break and such a wonderful experience. During my Spring Break I was able to visit 6 different countries and travel around Europe by train, cruise ship, and airplanes. Here was my agenda as well as my wonderful memories exploring Europe.

First week: (spent with 5 girlfriends from DIS, who actually attend Gettysburg College— my rival school that is located 20 minutes from Dickinson!)

-Prague, Czech Republic
-Budapest, Hungary
-Vienna, Austria

*I traveled by train throughout the first week of Spring Break. I was able to do this by purchasing a EuroRail Pass that allowed me to travel 6 countries in two months!

Second week: (9 girlfriends from DIS)

-Cruise around the Turkish and Greek Islands which included:
-Mykonos
-Rhodes
-Patmos
-Kusadasi
-Crete
-Santorini
-Spent the weekend with a friend from Dickinson in Athens, Greece

However, in this blog I will only be talking about my first week. I figured you would be asleep if I kept continuing on with my epic vacation. So make sure you read the next blog-- you won’t want to miss the details of my cruise to beautiful Greece and Turkey.

The beginning of the unforgettable spring break:

My first destination was to Prague, Czech Republic. Five of my girlfriends and I wanted to truly experience the whole “traveling throughout Europe” idea so we put our lives in one large backpack and headed towards the train station---haha gotchya, they did the backpack thing, I brought along my bright luggage full of shoes and clothes! Hey, give me some credit; I was going on a cruise! Anyways, our first train experience was what I originally thought trains would be like. We sat on the edge of the steps in the train because we were poor college students who didn’t want to pay for a seat. However, what could have been better--five girlfriends, tons of food, and Europe ahead of us? We were perfectly content sitting on uncomfortable steps thinking of what we wanted to accomplish in Prague. That first train to Berlin, Germany was a long one, but then we switched trains after arriving in Berlin and headed towards the Czech with a seat! We got into Prague very late and walked outside of the train station because the station was closing. It was that late, I believe somewhere around 3 a.m. Therefore, we decided to walk throughout town and find our way to the hostel on our own. I suggested getting a taxi because we had no idea where we were going; however, I am glad the majority voted no. I saw a lot of things on the way to the hostel and we had fun asking drunk-people where the hostel was located. I truly felt like I was getting the “traveling around Europe experience”. We were walking through an unfamiliar place, luggage in hand, in sweatpants, five friends, but excited for the journey ahead of us. While walking to our hostel, I passed a group of boys that looked so familiar. After passing them, I looked back and they looked at me. One said, “Chelsea?” I immediately recognized the voice and realized it was my friend Mikey from DICKINSON! He and a group of track boys were visiting Prague for their spring break during their time abroad. I about tackled him when I realized it was him! It was so wonderful to have such a familiar face and a friend from school. We exchanged hostel information and promised we would meet up tomorrow.

We finally found our hostel and luckily for me we had to climb three sets of stairs. Needless to say, I was struggling up those stairs with my heavy luggage while my friends had an easy time with their backpacks! Yep again with my luggage, I was teased throughout the whole trip. My first hostel experience wasn’t all that bad. I guess my expectations for a hostel were very low, therefore I didn’t think it was unbearable! When you read this blog, try to separate your image from the stereotypical hostel you may be thinking of because they truly aren’t terrible. Trust me, I have been to many throughout this travel break and kinda enjoy them (Mom I still would like to stay in hotels when we travel, don’t get any “cheap” ideas:). In the hostel, we shared a fifteen person room with many different individuals. I think that’s what I liked best about being in a hostel. I was able to meet a bunch of individuals from different countries. Needless to say, some of them needed some body-spray but overall we weren’t there to sleep, we were there to enjoy one of the most gorgeous cities I have been able to visit.

The first full day in Prague was amazing and early…We got up before 6 a.m. and headed to—Starbucks! There was a Starbucks in Prague and I decided I would try coffee because I truly needed it. I wouldn’t say it was coffee more like a yummy, chocolatey, waker-upper. Yes I got a frappuccino. Loved the 500 million calories! We then headed to meet some of our friends because her mother was in Prague for the weekend and arranged a private walking tour for just us girls. It was fabulous to have a guide all to ourselves. We walked around the Old Town Square (where our hostel was located) and visited the clock tower. Everyone in the town (mostly tourists) crowds around the tower around noon. This is because the clock’s bells ring, figures move (which are on the tower), and a man sounds his trumpet. It was very cute to see and many people were there to see the noon ringing. We then headed to one of the bridges located in Prague! It was such a beautiful sight to see and we could see an International Marathon on the other side of the bridge so we headed that way to watch it. There were so many athletes from all different countries and it was truly exciting. We then visited many churches along with different castles. We finished the tour at the Jewish Quarters! After finishing the tour we headed to the Market in the middle of Old Town and ate sausages, crepes, sugar coated bread, and chocolate covered strawberries! This was a special market set up for the Easter Holiday so eggs were hung in trees, musicians were putting on shows, people were selling jewelry, and so much more. We spent a lot of time in this square not only because of the good food but because it was so festive and cute. After lunch we headed back to the hostel to get ready for our fun evening.

All five girls went out to dinner that night at a really cool pub. The pub was your ordinary restaurant; however, you drank from a beer dispenser on the table! It was the coolest thing to see. I want to bring the idea to the US because it was so fun. Everyone had a glass and then you pressed your glass on this round circular thing and it would wash your glass for you. Then you would type in a number and you would hold your glass up. The machine would then fill it with beer. Why a number? Well the machine kept track of how many beers you had been drinking. Not to mention there was a table to table competition. Therefore, each table had a number and you would be drinking against all of the other tables within the pub. It was so much fun and we American girls were quite competitive! After the pub we went to a “pub crawl”. A “pub crawl” is where you go to about 5-10 different clubs and or pubs and you are given a certain amount of drinks per club as well as you stay at each for a certain amount of time. For this pub crawl, ladies received a free shirt and we started at a location where there was free (all you can drink) beer, absinthe shots, and liquor shots for an hour (it cost 35 US dollars to be involved in the pub crawl). After the first hour, we headed to our first stop and received one free drink of choice and so on and so forth. It was SO much fun. We met boys from England, met awesome Aussie women, Russians, and also US soldiers who were stationed in Germany. It was a lot of fun and I actually ran into Mikey and other Dickinson friends (who were on a different pub crawl) stopping at the same club. We reached the ending club which was a five story dance club that played different music on each floor. So the first floor was rap, the second was 90’s music (favorite floor), the third was 80’s and---I didn’t go any higher, so I am not sure :). At this club, I ran into DIS students! It was a great first night out in Prague.

The next day we all were dragging a bit so we made another stop to Starbucks! After the caffeine kicked in we headed to the clock tower so we could climb to the top. The view from the top was amazing. Prague is so gorgeous. From the top of the tower you could see “mini Venice”, which is a little river in the middle of town that looks like Venice. There is also a “mini Eiffel tower”. You could see New Town Square, the Jewish Quarters, and what seemed like miles of the amazing city. We then shopped, grabbed lunch, and explored more of the town for the rest of the evening. At night we stopped at a cute little bar called “Bed and Bar”. This is a bar that is filled with beds, so you kick off your shoes, climb on top of the beds and order a drink. It was a relaxing ambiance and a great end to the perfect trip in Prague.

The next morning Jenni, Brittany, Hillary, and I were sad that we didn’t go to the Lennon Wall so we woke up around 6 and headed through Prague to find the Lennon Wall. We got lost of course but we did find it, eventually. It was amazing to see this wall. There was so much color and creativity throughout the wall. It was very neat to see. Sidenote: Last year my big tagged me in a photo with an elephant on it. I had no idea where it was or when she took it while she was in Europe. However, I looked extensively at the amazing wall and saw the very photo she took and tagged me in. I was so excited that I looked for her name throughout the whole wall but couldn’t find it. I wrote my name in the middle of the white peace sign and left a little bit of myself in Prague. After leaving the wall we were ready for our next country visit. We had quite the walk to the train station because when we originally walked to the hostel, it was dark. Therefore, our sense of direction was a little off. But we got there and made our train to Bud-PEST! This was my favorite train trip. We were able to get our own little cabin with six seats (just like in Harry Potter!). So therefore, we were able to kick our feat up, play music from an iPod, eat, talk about boys, and laugh at all of our stories from Prague.
I forgot how beautiful laughter was. I can distinctly remember laughing to the point of tears with these five, amazing girls. It hit me on this trip, how much a girlfriend can make you laugh. I was so lucky to be able to sit with great friends and experience this journey that many aren’t as fortunate enough to experience. I was lucky and extremely happy.
We arrived to Budapest at night and thankfully we had a very short walk to the hostel this time. It was the cutest hostel called, Oleander. It was in the middle of a garden and the hostel was specifically for a small group. There were only two rooms, one kitchen, and two bathrooms. So we put our stuff down and headed out to a hidden and very traditional Hungarian restaurant. I ordered Schnitzel and Goulash soup. I shouldn’t have ordered all of it because the Schniztel was literally half of a frying pan; long piece of meat. It was gigantic! I looked like a fat American with that piece of meat in front of me but it was yummy anyways. We all ordered a drink and cheered to our next adventure in Budapest.

The first full day in Budapest involved a walking tour. We wanted to hear everything about the city. Our tour guide was such a cute woman and was very knowledgeable about the town. We walked across tons of bridges, looked at museums, castles, churches, walked through Old Town and even ate lunch with the group. Fun fact, Budapest is actually two different cities---Buda and Pest. Among the many facts I learned on the walking tour! During the walking tour we stopped at an overlook and saw the most gorgeous building---Parliament. After the tour finished we headed to Parliament to see if we could go inside. When we reached Parliament we learned that only English speaking tours were given at three times and we unfortunately missed all of them. So we decided we would come back tomorrow morning and get a guided tour of the inside. After this, we headed to the Jewish Quarters because I wanted to visit the second largest synagogue in the world. Anyone know where the largest is??--> NYC. Of course since I am not a super jew like my mother, I totally forgot that it was Passover this past week so the Synagogue was closed (to all of my Jewish relatives and friends, no I did not observe on Spring Break. I could not find matzah in Denmark and I wanted to be able to experience all of the culture including the food—first time in a very long time). So I was officially bummed and embarrassed but I took pictures and we headed to get ice cream! This wasn’t ordinary ice cream for it was flowered shaped--so cool and yummy. We then headed to the market to get food. We went into this underground market and it was like a whole different world. There were fruits, veggies, meat, cheese, nuts, and more everywhere. I couldn’t even walk through the whole thing in an hour. The girls and I decided to buy food and have a picnic while the sun went down at the tallest point of Budapest. This was by far my favorite memory in Budapest. I really enjoyed doing all of the touristy things; however, its little things like picnics with girlfriends that make the vacation a bit more special. We passed the wine around, ate cheese and bread, and watched one of the most beautiful sunsets fade throughout the city. It was so gorgeous that the pictures, unfortunately, do not do justice. Once the sun went down it was chilly so we headed back to the hotel to get ready for the night. That night was one of the girls’ 21st birthdays so we headed to an underground night club and began the festivities.

The next morning we woke up early and headed for the inside tour of the Parliament. Parliament was beautiful and I enjoyed all of factual information of the building. After the tour we headed back to the main square and shopped. After having plenty of bags in our hands we headed to the hostel to get our swimsuits for the Szcheyani baths. The Szcheyani baths are an underneath, all natural, hot springs (over 111 degrees F) which are brought to the surface and cooled for the public. They correlated closely with a country club for there were many pools, tons of people, and kids running around. The water was so relaxing and very warm. The baths were located in a beautiful yellow building with statues everywhere. We paid for a day pass and also got a Hungarian massage. I was a little nervous for the massage because I knew it would be---foreign. However, I did not expect what I experienced. I was relieved that I had a woman; however, when I walked into the room she said “off your clothes”. I didn’t get it because I was already in just my undies and a towl. But apparently that was too much clothing. In the Hungarian culture, you get massages completely nude. I was shy but eventually got over it. However, I was a bit uncomfortable when she was massaging my butt muscles. I mean seriously, who wants to feel their butt fat giggle up and down? Afterwards, all of the girls and I spoke about our experiences and I was the lucky one because everyone else had a man :). We were sad it was our last night in Hungary so instead of taking the train home we walked the 45 minutes home. It was such a great way to enjoy the last night. We saw beautiful buildings, typical Hungarian neighborhoods, and we even got to stop and have Chinese on the way home. I was so excited. It was so cute because we were seated in our own little room. You know the ones where you have to open the door and walk down stairs to get to your table? It was so cool. The lady didn’t speak English so we did our best to order correctly. However, it didn’t work out to our advantage so we ate what we got. We walked around for a while after dinner to digest and then made our way back to the hostel. It was time to hit the lights and say goodbye to Budapest.

The next morning we headed to Vienna which would be my last city with these wonderful ladies and unfortunately my shortest trip. Before we hopped on the train, we grabbed a quick breakfast and headed towards Austria. Thankfully, this was our shortest train trip and we did have seats. Yay. Once we got to Austria we checked into a beautiful hostel. Luckily a pizzeria was right next door so we dropped out stuff, got dressed, and grabbed some lunch before heading out to explore the city. After we devoured the pizza we decided to explore a little bit on our own. We grabbed a map and started walking. It was gorgeous. There were so many beautiful buildings and many, many museums. Vienna is known to be the city of music and home to Mozart, for those of you who did not know. So, the girls and I thought it would be appropriate to go to an opera! Since we are poor college students we bought a ticket for the standing section and had quite the experience. All operas are a challenge due to the different languages however; because I am short I had trouble seeing at times. Also, that day I had the sniffles and an old lady next to me kept shushing me. There was nothing I could do! I tried to sniff into my forearm and even tried to hold it back but you know where it goes after that---so then I tried clearing my throat and she got so angry that during intermission she told on me! Oh boy, we decided to leave after that because not only did our feat hurt but I was fed up with the lady! It was a very unique experience. Afterwards we decided to walk to a restaurant and look up what the opera was about. While eating our food, we learned that the opera was a very interesting love story. Bummer.

That night we headed to McDonalds to investigate the difference between American McFlurries and Austrian McFlurries; however, they were the same! It was a good way to end the night. We hit the lights with a bit of American satisfaction in our tummies.

The next morning we took the map out again and visited everything we weren’t able to go to the day before. We had a great time getting lost in the city and trying to figure out what building was what. Before we knew it, it was night time. That night my friend Jamie met me in Vienna and we got ready to head out for the cruise. However, we had one night in Vienna together so we went to a local bar and talked about how our different spring breaks were going. It seemed as if she was having a great time but we were both looking forward to the cruise ahead! The next morning I said goodbye to the girls and Jamie and I set off to the airport. We were ready for a 5 day cruise, with 9 girlfriends and the trip of a lifetime.

-Chelsea

Life is nothing without family: Family in CPH

There is nothing like family!

I had two wonderful visitors for ten days! My mother and grandmother came to Copenhagen and had quite the week and a half! I can’t tell you how amazing it was to hear and speak English 24/7 for a week in a half and engage in a conversation to people that I know and love. It was wonderful to hear about all of the events that have been happening since I have been abroad and also how the family is doing. I hope you enjoy the stories and laughter of my wonderful time with my family:

I first picked them up at the airport and was happy to see that they had as much luggage as I did coming into Denmark!! My host father Klaus, was there to pick them up and we drove to their hotel (which was very close to my school) to drop off their bags. The hotel was lovely and the rooms were tiny. Very European-like. After we dropped off the bags and changed our shoes we headed out into Copenhagen. We went to one of my favorite restaurants in Cph that is right next to my school. It was interesting to see my Mom and Grandma get comfortable with the Danish culture and restaurants. This would include slow service, paying for ketchup and water, and the language of the Danes! It took my Geema a while to understand that they don’t speak American (she meant to say English, but said American many times throughout the trip. Needless to say, I teased her). Unfortunately I had class that day so I went to class why they relaxed back in the hotel and tried to catch up on sleep. After class I showed them a glimpse of my gorgeous city. I was able to show them City Hall, PalmFitness (my gym), DIS, and the charming squares close to their hotel! After the evening flew by we decided to go to a restaurant close by the hotel that Klaus (my host dad) recommended.

The first full day in Copenhagen—was packed with sightseeing activities and delicious meals. I met my grandma and mother at their hotel before heading out for the day. As we started walking, something caught our attention directly---Chinese food. We couldn’t resist, we just had to stop their and eat lunch. Of course, the Cannon women would find a Chinese restaurant in any given city! :) After eating, we set out for a long day of walking with happy tummies. I was the tour guide for the day and showed them as many of the major attractions of Denmark as I could in one day. We visited the Royal Theater, Opera House, the Queen’s quarters, Rosenborg Slot, Kings Gardens, and also walked along the famous Canal. Grandma sure got her exercise in that day! It was so wonderful to show my family some of the major attractions to, what I call now, my country from a far! That evening we headed to the Klausens for dinner! I was so excited to show my grandma and mommy where my train comes every morning, what street I walk on, the house I live in, and especially the wonderful Danes I live with. They absolutely loved the house and the Klausens. We had a delicious meal together and ate some of Annette’s famous homemade ice (or ice cream)! It was great to see both of my families interact with one another even if there was a language barrier. It was also nice to have an (mostly) entire meal with the Klausens in English. It was refreshing. They speak English very well and never leave me out of conversations but I feel as if it was special that night because my family was there. I didn’t mind it one bit :) I think it also brought comfort to my family to see that I am living with such great individuals. We even skyped with my Dad so the Klausens could say hello! My host family truly has been one of the best experiences I have had throughout my time here. They make me feel as if I am a part of their family and even tease me like one! It was a great night!

The following day (Wednesday) was a day devoted to rest and museums! I think I wore grandma out from the walking day before so we promised her it would be a fun and relaxing day. In Denmark on Wednesdays, most of the museums are free, so we decided to visit the Statens Museum for Kunts (or the Kings Museum). It was a very interesting museum and it was great to see some of the famous Danish paintings. I especially loved how my mom and I shared the same feelings about some of the modern art pieces---none what-so-ever. It’s not that we do not appreciate modern art, but that we simply just don’t get some of it (especially the ones there)!! :) After that, we to visit the Botanical Gardens; however, it was closed. I think my dad would have really enjoyed those pictures. Following the attempt to see the gardens, we bought tickets to Lovely Bones which was playing the night after in my favorite theater located in Dybbolsbro. We walked back to the hotel and I was able to catch up on my homework for I had an exam the following day. As my mom and grandma wrote in their journals I couldn’t believe two days had already passed. It seemed like just yesterday I picked them up, I knew this trip would go by very quickly. That night we visited the Ice Bar with a two of my girlfriends. I was very excited to go to a "bar" with Grandma. She ordered a drink that was heavy on the juice light on the alcohol :). It was very cute because they gave us specific things to wear inside the bar which included a large blue coat and gloves. The drinks were great and the cups we drank from were made of ice! Inside the bar their were ice sculptures and a little "hand ice hockey" game. It was quite the experience and a fun night.

The next day (Thursday) was a great day in Copenhagen. My mom and I woke up early and headed to Palmfitness for a workout after breakfast. She was impressed by the facility and the cuties behind the desk. As she headed back to the hotel, I was off to class to ace my exam. While I was in class, my grams and mom went to the Hans Christian Andersen museum in the main square. This is one museum I have not been into so it was nice to look at the pictures and hear of their experience. Later that evening, we had a small dinner at the hotel before the movie. We headed towards the Cinemax in Dybbolsbro. The theater is absolutely gorgeous and grams and I enjoyed our own bag of popcorn (haha daddy)! My favorite part of the movie was when my grandma leaned over to me and asked me: “is the movie in American?” I laughed so hard and couldn’t help but pass it along to my mom. We teased her for the rest of the trip. I am not sure if any of you have seen the movie but it made me realize how lucky I am to have such a wonderful family. I was so happy that they were here with me in Denmark. When the movie finished, we had a slumber party back in the hotel before shutting our eyes for the night.

Fist pump for Friday:
Friday was a day devoted to cooking. Since the Klausen’s cooked for us, it was our turn to return the favor with an all American-Cannon dinner. Therefore, we headed out for quite the adventure to the grocery store. It was quite the experience trying to find certain sauces and things at home that aren’t easily found here. For example, since Danes cook everything from scratch, there weren’t any hash browns to be found because Danes would generally peel them from their potatoes. :) That’s why we’re American, quick and easy ways to make food (kinda miss it right now). Luckily after many texts to my host father, Klaus, about how do you say this in Danish, we found everything we needed and headed to their house to start cooking! We thought we had just gone through the hardest part, shopping; however, the converting was the hardest part. Luckily we had my computer in the kitchen looking up Fahrenheit to Celsius and all the other measurements used in cooking! Good thing we had a computer or else we would be surviving on my mommy and I doing math---eeek. I bet you are wondering what was on the menu huh? Well for starters we had my mom’s famous parmesan cups. These are little parmesan baskets if you will that are filled with salad, Caesar dressing, and a few croutons. Very cute, easy to make, and delicious! Of course for the main dish we had chicken teriyaki (my favorite), a potato casserole, asparagus drizzled with soy sauce, and apple crisp for desert! The Klausens loved it. I have even made the chicken teriyaki for my host family since my mom and grandma was here because they enjoyed it so much! It was a successful process for the Cannon women and we were happy/ proud to show off our favorite family dishes.

Weekend away:
Although I was very excited for the weekend which meant no classes, I had to go to Germany for my Holocaust and Genocide class to visit the Neuengamme concentration camp. So here is a breakdown of what the Cannon women did.

Mom and Gramms weekend:
While I was away, my mom and grandma enjoyed the peace and quiet I am sure, but also went out to dinner at a fine restaurant called Stellas on Saturday, just the two of them. The next afternoon my host family offered to take them on a trip to Kronberg Castle (which was extremely nice on their part and also perfect for me because I had already visited the castle prior!) They loved going with the Klausens. They visited the lower chambers of the Castle and even had the opportunity to walk around the cute little town to look at the shops and restaurants. The Klausens ended up stopping on the side of the road by the waterside and had tea and snacks (or a mini-picnic) for my family. They loved it! Mom and Grams ranted and raved about how cute they were. After that, my host family took them to the famous “mermaid statue” (which is now in Shanghai). They enjoyed their evening with the Klausens and had dinner at an Italian restaurant. They picked me up from Fru Plads (a square in the middle of Copenhagen University) the next night (Sunday).

Chelsea’s weekend in Germany:
Although I was extremely sad to have spent my weekend away from my family the concentration camp was a very fascinating and emotional thing to experience. Neuengamme was a labor camp where prisoners were forced into brick production. Prisoners had very harsh working conditions (as most prisoners did in the Holocaust) and many of the individuals were sent to this camp from Auschwitz. When we first arrived it began to downpour, which I think made the visit their more surreal. The concentration camp was extremely large and was very painful to imagine how many people could live there, how many actually did--- and how many died there. When you first walked into the camp there was a huge area that had bricks everywhere. I learned later that the bricks symbolized not only the debris left over from the unused bricks but all of the prisoners who spent their last days of the Holocaust in this concentration camp. My teacher, Torben, is very knowledgeable about this point in history so he gave us a tour of the camp. One in particular point on the tour there was a large broken down train. Not a full train but just one of the sections or “car” if you will. This train represented the transportation of the Jews into the camp but as you looked down on the ground, there were what seemed like, several thousand foot prints. These foot prints represented all of the individuals (without shoes) who walked from the train into the muddy quarters of this killing field. As I looked down at my boots in the cold, wet, and rainy ground I could not begin to imagine the conditions these individuals lived in. I can’t imagine walking around barefoot, with one thin layer of clothing in the snow. Most individuals weren’t even lucky enough to be given shoes and if they did, the Nazis would often give them two right footed shoes (or left) so they weren’t able to walk quickly and efficiently. If they did not follow the line quickly enough, they would be killed on the spot. Being there brought so many emotions. It was hard to put myself in their shoes because the reality of their time in the Holocaust is so unbearable to imagine. Also, there was a little house on the outside of the camp, where the general and his WHOLE family lived. Apparently, his children would literally run around and play outside with this whole concentration camp system in their back yard. How sick! Can you imagine? Why didn’t the wife do anything, what happened when they had family over, friends? Nothing could be sad or people would face consequences.

At the end of the tour, we walked inside the museum which was amazing. It had so many facts that I walked around for over an hour and a half reading excerpts from people’s diaries, survivor stories, and more. It was amazing. On a lighter note, I do want to say that Germany does recognize the Holocaust. We can sit here and remember all of these harsh times and talk about them; however, others aren’t as fortunate. For example, it is forbidden to talk about the Armenian Genocide in Turkey. In fact, our American presidents will not say the “G” word because it brings up too many problems with the Turkish government. Fun fact: a while back, MGM was producing a movie on the Armenian Genocide and the Turkish government said that if they showed it anywhere they would cut off all theatrical ties with America and will forbid any English movies to be played throughout their country. Did MGM show it---no, of course not. Is the Armenian Genocide recognized? ---no. Although many political issues and factors I am sure are the reason why we do not mention it (blah blah blah), the Holocaust is recognized and you can even see swastikas with big X’s through it on graffiti throughout the country. Even though Germany does have a very dark history the people are very nice; however, the language definitely scares me! :) I am serious, it sounds like they are yelling at each other all the time. A very rough language but German Schnitzel is too die for…Okay off track. Coming home to family brought me such happiness. The concentration camp hit me in ways I didn’t think it would. Of course I knew it would be hard to walk through, knowing these were my people who were put through these issues because they didn’t fit the “Aryan race”; but being able to come home to your family members with open arms really made me grateful for what I have.

Case of the Mondays:
SO, since it was Monday I thought it would be nice to skip class and spend time with my family for they were leaving in three short days :(. I couldn’t believe how fast the time had been going and I wanted to get in everything possible. So what did we do? We shopped of course! Monday was the shopping day and we enjoyed every moment of it. We strolled around Stroget, got hot chocolate at the famous Royal Café (where they serve their customers in the official Royal Copenhagen china), and bought gifts for family and friends back home. It was a great time and I made some purchases as well. Eeek. Before dinner my mother and I decided to take one of the classes offered at my gym. So we took a very intense (little did we know) class called “High Pulse”. OMG, it killed me. I thought I was in shape…whew baby, it was intense. My mom and I just had to laugh at times, not only because they were speaking in Danish and we were lost, but it was very energizing…It was a great workout and we were ready for a large dinner. We thought it would be fun to head to Hard Rock Copenhagen next to Tivoli. Grams loved all of the musical pieces, artists, and guitars on the walls. She thought it was so cute. It was also very nice to have “American food”. It was a great Monday!

Tuesday:
Tuesday morning we met up with a friend Jennifer Trail at La Glace which is a famous café around the Copenhagen area. Jennifer Trail is an American woman who is good friends with my mom’s friend Chris Jaconette. Jennifer is here in Copenhagen with her husband and younger daughter because her husband is a Fulbright scholar working in the music industry in Copenhagen. Therefore, before I left for Denmark I contacted Jennifer and we have met up a few times since I have been in Denmark. So we all had tea and Danish pastries at La Glace. After we finished our tea we shopped the rest of Stroget. As always shopping stirs up an appetite so we headed to a cute little Italian restaurant that my mom and grandma went to while I was in Germany. It was the cutest little place and they seemed to love us. They brought us champagne and the waiter even gave me a flowers. It was so cute and needless to say I loved the food. After our bellies were full we headed to DIS to go on a field study to the Red Light District in Copenhagen with my Human Trafficking class. Before we headed out to the district we talked inside the classroom about what we were going to see, a little bit about the district, and how we should be walking through the area with an open minded lens. Before I tell you about the field study it should be noted that prostitution is legal in Denmark. It was a very interesting field study and we saw about twelve prostitutes out on the street. I was very shocked by the location because I had been down there prior when visiting a dance club but didn’t realize it was the red light district. By looking at it you wouldn’t realize it because they have nice stores and beautiful apartments. This is because in the past rich individuals who would visit would be staying down in this location and would like escorts for the weekend, so the district has stayed in this location the whole time. You wouldn’t even think twice about the area if you were walking through it. Honestly, I never realized the girls as I was walking before the study. I say girls and not women, because some of them are extremely young. They look like normal women just waiting for something but I never actually knew what was going on until I went on this field study. My teacher who works for an organization called Hope Now, which works with these women undercover, knew a lot about the area. She told us that this corner is known for individuals of this ethnicity or this one. It was a very eye opening experience. We would see the girls on the streets and then a few minutes later when we were walking back they would be gone, or in other words, they were picked up by a customer.

Last day in Copenhagen:
My mom and grandma’s last day in Copenhagen was Wednesday. This means free museum day as I mentioned earlier. Therefore, we decided to go to the Danish Resistance Museum. This museum was about how the Danes helped the Jews in the Holocaust and all about Denmark’s involvement in the Holocaust. It was a great museum and very interesting especially after I had just visited the concentration camp the past weekend. Wednesday was also St. Pattys day. What better way to celebrate their last day than with the good ol’ Irish luck! There were so many events going on throughout the day: three legged races, case races, parades, and green faces everywhere! We decided to watch the parade that started in the main square of Copenhagen. We then walked along Stroget to get some food and laughed at all of the crazy happenings of the holiday. We had a great dinner at Mama Rosa and toasted to our last night together.

Farewell:
I was extremely sad to say goodbye to my mother and grandmother; however, I was very fortunate to have both of them visit me in Denmark and for such a lengthy time period. I truly had such a wonderful time showing off my city from home as well as introducing them to my host family. It was so great to watch them immerse themselves in the Danish culture, count out Kroner from their pocket, eat Danish hot dogs, and enjoy their time with me. It was such a great time and I knew I would be seeing them soon.

(Mommy and Grams if you are reading this I wanted to say thank you for everything. It was such a great visit and I enjoyed all of the slumber parties, laughs, and memories. I love you guys very much!)

To all my readers: take the time to enjoy the moments with the people you love. This is one lesson I have learned while being abroad. Don’t take moments for granted and live your life to the fullest while keeping your heart and eyes opened. I am so thankful for this experience and have learned a lot so far. I have another two months of lessons, memories, and cherished times to share with you.

Elske dig og savner dig (Loving you and missing you),

Chelsea Pauline Cannon

Scotland: Land of Kilts, Bag Pipes, and Whiskey

Hi everyone! I am so very sorry that this has taken me ages to write to you about my past experiences. I know I have a lot to catch you guys up on and I will be writing about my trips in the next couple of weeks as frequently as possible. I will start with my wonderful trip to Scotland. My last “study tour” with DIS was to the land of kilts and whiskey. As a “Psychology of Happiness” class we visited the cities of Edinburgh and Glasgow. I can’t tell you how beautiful Edinburgh was. It remains at the top of my list for my favorite cities within Europe. Throughout the trip I became closer to many fellow students and made new friends. The memories of this trip will forever be a part of my experience abroad.

Glasgow:
It was quite the experience traveling with 60 students to Scotland! I had such a blast on the airplane with my girlfriends. Giggling about our past weekends and excitingly talking about what we are going to do in Scotland. Needless to say, I again had the largest bag out of everyone traveling. I think I am going to claim that title throughout my time here. When we arrived in Scotland we headed to our hotel—yes hotel and not a hostel eek! It was so nice! I roomed with my friend, Chelsea. Ironically enough it was her birthday that first night so that gave us a reason to go out. :) The whole class (which was so cute) went out to celebrate her birthday and we clanked our glasses to the beginning of a great trip!

The next morning we headed to the University of Glasgow for our first academic lecture. The lecture introduced research methods that involved contemporary culture in Scotland and how that has affected positive mental health in the public’s eyes. Statistics were given about the society of Scotland and the work areas that most Scottish individuals participate in. It was great to hear how positive the society of Scotland was and how measures were taken to keep it that way (a bit different than the measures taken in the States). I really enjoyed the lecture, but it was the first day in Scotland and my curiosity distracted me. The lecture ended (yay!) and my girlfriends and I headed out into the sunshine for the rest of the day! It was so nice to wear sunglasses and to walk around without a coat on. We took our time walking back into town and strolled through the many large gardens surrounding the city. It was so wonderful to see flowers and laugh with such wonderful people. The girls and I shopped after strolling through the gardens, took many pictures…oh and got piercings! Yup, you read correctly. I got a piercing. My tounge! No haha, just kidding. I wouldn’t even try coming back to America if I got that pierced. I got my cartilage pierced. It took me a while to say yes I would do it, but it was so much fun and very spontaneous of me. I went with eight girlfriends and we all got various piercings: cartilage, nose, various ear piercings, etc. I mean how many people can say I got a piercing in Scotland with eight girlfriends when we were studying abroad? Probably only eight huh? After that DIS paid for a cute little tea party at The Willows Tea Rooms. It was a little room filled with tables that had two towers of various desserts on each. Not to mention adorable china that was used for coffee and or tea. I tried every dessert and enjoyed the herbal tea! After finishing the tea and showing everyone our piercings, we browsed some more shops and went for a run throughout town. After that, we washed up and headed out for a night on the town. It was one of our friends birthday’s (yup another one!). Again, the whole class came out and we enjoyed playing games and getting to know each other more than just on an academic basis. I made a Scottish friend that night who confirmed to the girls and I, that men do not wear anything under their kilts…It was quite a night!

The following couple of days included academic lectures regarding Scotland. I really enjoyed one academic visit to the “Playfield Institute”. This was a four hour lecture regarding a specific program that is used in Scotland to educate anyone working with children. For example: nurses, social workers, teachers, foster families, etc. The institute provides advice, assistance, and support to these individuals. The goal of the institution is to promote children’s and young people’s mental wellbeing. I thought this was very interesting and a great program for any country. It occurred to me that I do not know many programs like this in the United States. Although, there are many organizations that help the well being of individuals, I cannot recall any programs that specifically target these individuals and work towards this goal. I may be naïve towards the acknowledgement of these organizations but I definitely have not been taught about them. I feel as if this is one reason why I truly love the academic visits within DIS. I have learned about a lot of positive programs and ideas that are specific to certain countries. I hope I can take what I have learned from these programs and their ambitions and bring them back to the US with me!

Edinburgh:
After finishing up at the Playfield Institute, we got back on the charter bus and headed towards Edinburgh. Driving on the other side of the road was quite the experience, although the drive through the countryside of Scotland was one of a kind. I wasn’t aware of how mountainous the country is and how breathtaking the scenery is. After making it to Edinburgh my roommate Chelsea and I headed out to explore the city. Of course the first thing we managed to do was go shopping! I enjoyed all of the shops that displayed kilts, whiskey, bag pipes, and other things that are specific to the Scottish land. We also had a chance to go to specific monuments and museums that were famous to the city. Taking photo after photo led to quite the appetite. We met up with a few other girlfriends and ate at a traditional Scottish restaurant. The food was delicious; however, I am shy to say that I ordered a calzone! :) It was extremely large and yummy. Don’t judge just yet because I did have the traditional dessert of fried Mars/ Snickers bars! This was the highlight of my night. It was absolutely delicious and a million and four calories. But who is counting right?

The following two days were busy with academic visits and lectures. All of the lectures were interesting and each seemed to bring the class closer together. Especially one visit in particular; where we had to participate in a play, as a class, to show our adult creativity. It was…very creative and brought a lot of laughter. Between the academic visits I was able to go to Edinburgh castle and visit the ruins on the top of the city. The ruins were gorgeous and I had a blast taking pictures with the girls. We took jumping pictures on and off the ruins, took scenic outlook photos on the top of the cliff, and I even managed to maintain my gymnast ways and did a handstand on top of the ruins. The castle was beyond beautiful. I wish I knew a thing or two about architecture, because it was extraordinary.

My favorite day was the last day. We took a bus around the Loch Lomond area. This is an area close to everyone’s heart within Scotland. A lot of writers and poets have been inspired by this gorgeous area. It brought warmth to my heart looking out at the boats across the body of water, for it reminded me of home. After walking around the lake and taking pictures (of course), we headed to our next destination; a whiskey distillery called Glengoyne. I have to mention that whiskey is the most disgusting thing I have tasted. It is definitely up there with beets. When I was handed my first tasting, the lady mentioned that you can pour a little bit of water in it so the taste isn’t as strong. So I followed directions, took a sip, and added about half a cup of water into the testing glass! ;) Although it was not my favorite thing in the world, the process of making whiskey was intriguing. I had no idea that whiskey was such a process let alone that it had to sit in barrels for years! I also did not know that the smoky taste of whiskey (as opposed to others) is due to the specific bricks that are used when the whiskey is heated. If you do not use the darker bricks, you will not get a smoky taste. Hmm…since I only tested one, I struggled with purchasing the right whiskey for my father. There were so many to choose from but think I made the right choice. I will find out when I return to the states.

That night my classmates and I went on a Ghost Walk! We learned about the notorious “Body snatchers” of Scotland and visited the 18th century vaults beneath the South Bridge of the town. These vaults included underground chambers or catacombs of the many individuals who were murdered throughout the 18th century. The woman telling the story was quite hilarious but I must say I was a little frightened walking around in the pitch black catacombs with 30 people enclosed in such a tiny space. However, I managed to survive and it was a fun experience. I also visited the "Elephant House". This was where J.K. Rowling sat and wrote the infamous Harry Potter books. It was a small little cafe with tons of elephants. Another reason why I loved it (my "sorority family= elephants)

I was extremely sad that the trip was over. Two days in Glasgow and three in Edinburgh just did not seem like enough time. I fell in love with the sound of bag pipes being played on the streets, the sight of men in kilts, and the clanking of glasses surrounding the Scottish atmosphere. I also did not want to leave Scotland when I had been getting so close to so many wonderful people. Although I knew I would be able to see them in Copenhagen, there is nothing like slumber parties in each other’s rooms, getting ready together for the evening, laughing over memories, dreaming about the future adventures around Europe, and contemplating whether to actually return to the USA or not…I fell in love with the trip, with the people, and the country of the Scottish kilts.

Missing you,

Chelsea

Skating and Scotland and Family-- Oh MY!

Dearest readers,

Yes it has been ages, since I have posted a new blog. My sincerest apologies to you all. Unfortunatley, I am not going to update you with my latest adventures because I have my dearest Mother and Grandmother here for ten days, so I must spend time away from my computer and with my loving family!

However, I can give you a sneak preview or I guess, review of my adventures abroad in the past two and a half weeks:

*I went ice skating with my host family and quickly learned that I am a beginner!

*My lovely mother board on my computer fried!

*Therefore, my mother came to my rescue and now I can relive my life on the computer (and update my blog woo hoo!) Not to mention its PINK! :)

*Scotland was absolutely gorgeous

-I did a handstand on Scottish ruins

-Walked around the famous Scottish Lochs (where the Loch monster lives)

-Went on a Whiskey Tasting Tour (extremely strong for my taste!)

-Visited Edinburgh and Glasgow

-Got my cartilaged pierced with 8 other girlfriends!

-Visited the birthplace of Harry Potter

-Went on a Ghost tour and so much more!

-->(picture of my friend Jo, Jess and I overlooking beautiful Scotland)

*My Mom and Grandma are currently in Copenhagen! We have had a blast exploring the city and enjoying Danish Pastries. Last night we had dinner with my host family and it was extremely tasty and very enjoyable.

So much to go into detail on and I promise you will get a very very long, if not two different blog posts soon. So get those reading glasses out in a few days and enjoy the laughter and memories with me for I have had some of the best experiences in Europe thus far.

All my love and tons of Danish hugs,

Chelsea Cannon