it's over. kind of.

Some people from the house left this morning, and some are leaving tomorrow morning. We spent our last night together watching EuroTrip, which, admittedly, we probably should have watched the first night.

Tomorrow, my mom comes and we begin traveling! I really should be packing now, but our dryers are sooo broken that my clothes refuse to dry.

I'll probably check my facebook/e-mail a few times throughout our journey. We get back (with the rest of the fam) to America on Dec. 30. Then rush comes and I cry.

it's beginning to look a lot like christmas.

I've finished everything but the hardest part: finals. Boo.

This weekend Taryn and I did fun things:
Belvedere & Kunst Historisches (hopefully, revisiting both counts as studying for art history)
Museumsquartier Christmas market
shopping
Schoenbrunn (couldn't actually get into the palace due to the 4-hour wait, but we went to the Christmas market there)
Rathaus Christmas market
St. Stephen's
Demel

There was a whole lot of Christmas market action going on which made me think it was actually Christmas break! Alas, my freedom will not come until Tuesday afternoon.

crunch time.

Today I went to the MAK (modern art) to get stuff for my very last paper of the semester. I just don't get modern art. I ended up very badly sketching a few things. No idea how that will be beneficial to my paper.

Anyway, it's fricking freezing in the Flow House. I have my heater way up and I am right nezt to it. My comforter is practically an article of clothing.

I've been listening to Christmas music - yay. I'm 11 pages (typed) into my final study guide for history, but I still have a long way to go and I have to learn it all. That doesn't sound like fun. I'm up to my old crunch time antics: obsessive gum chewing (at least 15 pieces of gum per day), compulsive Facebook stalking, inability to leave room (oh wait, welcome to my highly-introverted life), and confusion as to why no one is bringing me a grande decaf soy no whip peppermint mocha from Starbucks as I type this. The things I would do for Starbucks delivery ...

Also, I'm approaching cold #3 which I think is clear-cut evidence my immune system doesn't actually exist. For goodness sake, I'm taking iron supplements/vitamins like they're candy and my body still gives up.

london: where everything is better.

I am so sad that I had to leave London yesterday. It was so much fun and it was so, so nice to see Gillian.
Luckily, I had been to London a few times before and done a lot of touristy stuff so we focused on shopping. And food.

We went to Harrod's and it was super decorated for Christmas. We spent 3.5 hours absorbing it's beauty. They had a Wizard of Oz theme going on in the store, and all the major shoe designers put their take on Dorothy's ruby red slippers. Overall, I was in a designer paradise. I ate a massive burger on the fourth floor and it was so, so good.
I had this amazing Christmas sandwich at Pret that I am still dreaming about.
Also, we had Thanksgiving dinner (on Saturday, but close enough) and it was delicious.
I was super upset to have to go back to Vienna. bleh.

london.

Ahh, can I please just leave for London now? I'm not about to do any work beforehand even though that would clearly be advisable.

Things that should probably happen while I am in London:
1. marriage to Prince Harry
2. shopping. shopping. shopping.
3. tea time. 5 pm.
4. Ice Bar (it's happening)
5. my work does itself while I'm gone
6. sleeping in.
7. chocolate.
8. Starbucks.
9. invitation to a ball (probably by Prince Harry; I would accept an invitation from lower-ranking royalty ... I guess)
10. I never leave.

the lack of chuck bass is too much to handle.

No new Gossip Girl (so no new Daily Intel recap). No new Desperate Housewives. No new Brothers & Sisters. Tell me, television networks, what am I supposed to do to fully procrastinate if I can't watch your shows illegally online from Austria?

15 more days until this semester is over!
1 photo paper
1 photo presenation (shit.)
2 term papers (one is almost done - due at midnight tonight)
1 museum paper ... and I guess I have to go there first ...
1 art history journal
2 finals (history & art history)
some reading and write-up things in there.
and, on the bright side, 4 days in London.
and, on the not bright side, no TV this week.

nuremberg.

We went to the old Nazi Demonstration Grounds and there was a video of young kids (in particular this beautiful little girl) with marks on their arms and they were marching towards the gas chambers. Most haunting video of my life.
The whole thing was massively depressing.

My diet for the weekend was mainly coffee, lettuce and beer. Oh, Germany, land of pork and cheese.

i wish that smoke could change its color.

Today, I left the house for the first time in three days to make an iron supplement/food staples run. Seriously. Three days. That would never happen in Nashville. I love driving around there. This city doesn't appeal to me though. And I don't have a car. Also, leaving the house would interfere with my afternoon-long naps.
Anyway, I tried to explain in German class how Nashville is just more accessible and livable than Vienna and I don't think my professor understood.
Our oral final is tomorrow and I still don't know how to speak German. Awesome. And our German pronunciation final is tomorrow, too.
After all this finals crap is done and history class and our combined history/art history trip to the Leopold Museum (so right when I can't take it anymore ...), I'm going back to the Christmas markets which is exciting.

In terms of my mounting work, I now have a title for one of my term papers. That is all. I think I'm going to have to bring my computer to Nuremberg this weekend and get stuff done on the train. Hopefully, I'll be near an outlet. I'm upset because all of my work involves a computer. What am I going to do if I can't find an outlet? I don't know how I feel about people watching/introspection for five hours each way.

I used my Phi Mu abroad iTunes money on the latest John Mayer CD. Love it. I've been listening to it on repeat. It's one of those albums that requires a few hearings before it all settles in. Well, actually, I do that with all albums. I really like his cover of "I'm on Fire."

I was working on my art history journal today and I realized that I like tragically beautiful art. I can't be content with just pretty things. I need some kind of dark, depressing angle. So it goes.

I found this program as I was doing nothing productive with my life that involves a year in Japan after college. Yes, please. Hello Kitty, check. Also, I wanted to go to Japan to study abroad in the first place but it didn't work out.

COUNTDOWNS.

There are ...
3 days until I go to Nuremberg
9 days until I go to London & stay with Gillian
16 days until Taryn comes
and 24 days until my mom comes!

And there's loads of work somewhere in-between there but let's not talk about it ...

I would figure out how many days until Wake but, wow, that would be a lot of counting. I'm not so good with numbers.

the weekend festivities.

Yesterday, we went to the Treasury Museum. I saw a pair of opal earrings that I wanted for myself. Too bad they used to belong to royalty so they weren't really for sale. We also wandered around Vienna for quite some time, and I think I am more confused than ever about this city. It's really embarrassing. The thing is that I can navigate places closer to me fairly well but I don't really go downtown so it still isn't all that clear in my head. I'll need to work on that one before my friend comes and my family comes.

Today, I went to the Military History Museum all by myself. It took forever for me to get there -- I bet there is a faster way, but, again, my knowledge of downtown is fuzzy. Anyway, the museum is huge and I want to go back with my fam or something. This evening, we met up with a couple of people and went to the Christmas market. I had hot red wine punch. It was interesting. It was oddly cinnamony. I think I would have it again. Maybe not without having dinner first though (whoops). Because it was the opening night of the Christmas market, the place was so crowded! It was a weird mix of adults drinking alcohol and shopping for ornaments and children listening to puppets playing music and riding around on a kid trolley. I want to go back when it is less crowded. I'm sure I will be back more than once.

Tomorrow, I really need to get cracking on all of my damn work. I didn't realize how much of a procrastinator I've become.

home for the weekend ... well, my fake home.

On Tuesday, we went to the Belvedere and I did my art history presentation. The Belvedere is sooo far away. It's annoying because we live in the 19th district which means that pretty much everything is far, far away. Don't get me wrong: I enjoy living with the rich people. I'm just greedy and I wish we also lived closer to the heart of Vienna.
This weekend, I am not traveling which is nice because next weekend I am going to Nuremberg and then the Wednesday after that I am visiting my friend in London over Thanksgiving. The weekend after that, another one of my friends is coming to visit me. Then, I have finals and my mom comes. Finally. That's a lot of stuff happening on top of term papers and such.
I think I am going to go to the Treasury Museum tomorrow since I have to for art history anyway and then on Saturday I really want to go to the Military History Museum. Tomorrow night Ashley and I are going to the Christmas markets - they are opening this weekend! Yes, I am a Jew. I still have Christmas spirit ... in mid-November ...

dublin.

I went to Dublin last weekend and it was so much fun! We spent three hours at the Guinness Factory - it had seven floors. We also explored the Temple Bar district on Saturday night but it was really expensive. We went on a tour of the Irish countryside and it was really pretty. It was a nice break from city life. In general, people in Dublin are way nicer than in Vienna, but not in a creepy way. They are just friendly people. And they are very attractive.
I love the English language. It was so nice to not have to speak some terrible German at people and have them look disappointed because I look German and yet I cannot speak the language.
It was great seeing everyone and it made me all the more excited to go back to Wake in January. Also, I am visiting one of my friends in London over Thanksgiving and another one of my friends is coming the first weekend in December. I can't be away from my friends as long as I was; it was unbearable.

it's november.

Yesterday morning, we went to a cemetary in the freezing cold.
It was not okay.

Other than that, I've been sleeping, sleeping, and sleeping. So much sleep, so little time.
Now I'm in photo class. We are talking about our final presentations. I don't know how to take a good picture, let alone 8-10 with a theme. I am too tired to care.
How will I make it through a history class that I haven't prepared for and 2 hours of art history slides in the dark? How will I write a 5-page paper tonight when I need at least 15 hours of sleep in a day? Who knows.

My mom sent me leggings YAY. And tights, even though I didn't ask for them. So at least I'll be warm.

halloween.

Yay it's Halloween! Tonight someone's parents made beef stroganoff (I feel like I spelled that wrong, but I am also too lazy to look it up) and it was really yummy.

The plan was for us all to stay in and watch a movie. Now everyone is going out which is kind of depressing since I will be staying here because I feel majorly sick. But that's okay. I don't feel nearly as bad as I did at the end of freshman year Halloween ...

We have delicious Halloween treats that I might eat while everyone is gone. Happy Halloween to me.

artis quartet & schoenbrunn

Oh, life ...
In Vienna, the weather already really sucks. I know it doesn't bother some people, but when the days get shorter in general, it really depresses me. It's dark at 5 p.m. here. Because I have anemia (I think), I'm tired as it is all the time. This just makes it worse. Also, it's gloomy and cold. For the month of November, Vienna is supposed to have just two hours of sunlight a day. Basically, I want to stay in bed all day. Luckily, that's not really an option here.
Also, I had an English classes catastrophe this morning which initially freaked me out but then I decided that, forget it, I'll just drop the major to a minor (which I already have). Then, I got myself into the classes somehow anyway. Instead of being relieved, I felt bitter because I'm an English major. What good is an English major going to do me anyway? Bleh. I need to rewind and pause and figure out what I want to do with my life.

Last night, we went as a class to see the Artis Quartet. I was really tired because I didn't get to take a nap beforehand (we went on a art history field trip to the Kunst Historisches museum), so I'm sad to say I couldn't really pay attention to it. It was fancy though and I like fancy events. It felt very classy.

Today, Ashley and I went to Schoenbrunn Palace to see the inside this time. We got to see 40 rooms and they were all glamorous. I want to be royalty.

i'll be sure to keep this in mind.

13 Tips For Single Dames (from buzzfeed.com).

a taste of italia

This is what I remember from Italy, but unfortunately I have a terrible memory. I should have written it all down.

MILAN
Day 1: After two short plane rides that nearly busted my eardrums, we arrived in Milan. Unlike in Vienna or Nuremburg (our very, very short layover), it wasn't frigid or snowing, but it was still disappointingly cold. The weather wasn't the only thing that was cold; the whole city seemed to be a little cold and distant. We checked into our hostel and our room had a balcony which was kind of cool. Hungry with no where to eat at around 2 pm (all the restaurants around were closed for the afternoon), we discovered McDonald's. I got a Happy Meal and it made me very happy. We sat outside with a bunch of high school kids who were smoking and being "cool" and such. I felt very uncool. Then, we did a lot of shopping though I didn't buy anything.
Day 2: This morning, we woke up insanely early to go see The Last Supper. It was definitely worth it though. We tagged along with a German tour group (go figure) and went through sliding doors that got rid of the bad air. I felt very important. Then, we checked out the church next to it. While wandering towards our next church, we descended upon a huge open air market where we each bought scarfs for 5 Euro. We also went to some rich family's old house and saw a ton of Madonna and Child paintings. And we went to the Duomo.
Day 3: We went to this huge castle where we did a bunch of museums in there. My favorite was the Egyptian exhibit. We also explored the park next to it and it was very pretty. That afternoon, we took the train to Florence.

FLORENCE
Day 1: Because it was Monday, we were kind of limited in our activities (pretty much everything closes on Monday). We went to the Duomo and saw beautiful stained glass windows that were insanely detailed. We also took a bus to this high hill that overlooked Florence and got a beautiful view. While there, we encountered a Romanesque church that was kind of creepy and dark but cool at the same time.
Day 2: We started the day off early with the huge Uffizi gallery. There was so much srt there - I could have spent all day there! We also went to the Royal Palace and saw the Costume Museum and we went to the Galleria dell Academica and saw Michaelangelo's David, as well as some of his unfinished sculptures.
Day 3: We said goodbye to Florence and hopped on a train to Naples, but not before accidentally going to the wrong train station and having to take a cab to the real one and then sprint to catch our train. Whoops.

NAPLES
Day 1: We tried to get into the Royal Palace but it was closed, and, even though some man assured us it would be open the next day at 9 AM, it wasn't. So, instead, we started our day at the castle near the palace. There were certainly a lot of steps involved. We had a nice view of Naples though when we were done looking at the art. We also went to the National Archeological Museum which had a few interesting exhibits but it was pouring down rain so I was uncomfortably wet the whole time. A part of me just wanted to get back to the Bed and Breakfast where we were staying.
Day 2: Because the weather was so terrible and the Royal Palace which houses so many cool things wasn't open, we decided to do all three sightseeing bus tours in Naples so we could learn about Naples and see the sights without bothering with the weather. By the late afternoon, it had gotten a little better, and we went up and down the main shopping street.
Day 3: We took a day trip to Pompeii which was really cool but it started raining in the afternoon even though the forecast said no rain! Also, by the end, my knees just couldn't take it anymore and I was absolutely exhausted. Luckily, I took a lot of picutres and I can view those from the comfort of my room in the Flow House.

Then it was back to Vienna! We had to fly through Brussels which was kind of bizarre. We also didn't know about the time change so we got to the airport 3 hours early instead of 2. Luckily, it wasn't 1 hour instead of 2. I bought a small Longchamp bag at the airport which is funny because that was my only big purchase and I made it in Brussels of all places. However, I felt it was necessary because my purse right now isn't water resistant at all and it also doesn't zip which poses a hazard for my phone and camera every time it rains.

Overall, I had a great time in Italy. The food and wine were both great (the most important part of a vacation, of course) and I always got served ample amounts of both. My favorite meal was in Naples - I had an absolutely delicious seafood pasta dish. I also really enjoyed the Marinara pizza which doesn't have any cheese so it is lactose-allergy friendly.
My favorite place was definitely Florence and I would go back there without hestiation (maybe staying at a nicer place next time than our gross hostel that stole my leggings and had dead bugs in their sheets, among other things ...).

back to work right away.

Wake has wasted no time in getting me right back to mounds of work. I would really like to do a big fat post on my Italian adventure but that's going to have to wait at least a couple of days.
I will say that I loved Florence and I already want to go back!

fall break.

This week has been overwhelming, but I'd prefer not to discuss everything, so let's just jump right into Italy! Ashley and I are leaving early tomorrow morning for Milan and we are also going to Florence and Naples. It's going to be a great (and much needed) 10-day vacation.

after 20 years of travel ...

Because I don't feel like studying for midterms (big surprise), I was inspired to contemplate my top ten favorite places in the world. This is difficult because I usually place memories with places and use that as a base to judge them as opposed to beauty of the city or something more tangible. Oh well. Also, they are in no particular order because I can't decide how I want to rank them.

Prague - Maybe it's because this is still fresh in my mind, but I really loved Prague. I think I can safely say I'm the only one out of the Flow House that would put this in a list of 10 favorite places, but I don't care. The architecture was gorgeous and the city was very accessible. Plus, it was fairly cheap, especially when you've been spending Euros in Vienna of all places.

Phoenix - two words: spring training! I love the warm weather and baseball combination. It gets me so excited for the actual baseball season to start. Also, I've been lucky enough to stay at a Four Seasons here and, let me tell you, I would go back in a heartbeat.

San Diego - San Diego is a beautiful city where I get to use my Spanish (a plus since I don't want to forget it all!). It is home to the best zoo in the world (with the possible exception of the Omaha zoo - I don't know, I haven't been there) where I got to go on an awesome behind-the-scenes tour. The weather is gorgeous and the beach is right there. I am a beach person. I don't really do nature otherwise.

Boston - I love the Red Sox (though not as much as the A's) and I was so happy to spend a summer there. While it was kind of overwhelming to be in a city that large for three whole months, I had a great time. The city is definitely walkable (though admittedly it's a long hike from one end to the other) and the T system is easy to navigate. Cambridge is fun as well. The Fourth of July fireworks show was the best I have ever seen.

London - From adorable British accents to excellent shopping at Harrod's and the like, this place was meant for me. As someone interested in media publications, I really enjoy glancing at the various newspapers and tabloids. The peppermint tea just tastes better in London, and the theater in my opinion is even better than New York. I will never forget seeing Beauty and the Beast there when I was 9 or Wicked and Les Miserables when I was in high school.

San Francisco - Of course, San Francisco had to make my list. A product of its suburbs, I grew up taking BART in to go shopping or see a play or visit my dad at work. The Bay Area in general, while there are some things I don't like about it, will always be my home. San Francisco was our last stop on my epic cross-country road trip with my boyfriend at the time and it was my favorite, although I enjoyed seeing my friends in Santa Barbara as well.

Oxford - The summer before my junior year of high school, I was fortunate enough to do a little study abroad type thing at Oxford University with two of my friends. The town of Oxford is so cute but not so small that there is nothing to do. One of my favorite activities was taking a couple of pounds over to the sandwich store down the road from where we lived and went to school and getting super delicious sandwiches.

San Antonio - San Antonio is such an awesome place. They have delicious Mexican food and a beautiful river. I begged my dad to let me visit Trinty University because I thought I wanted to go there for some unknown reason and ended up not liking it there at all. Instead, I fell in love with the city. The weather is beautiful and the people just seem so happy to be there.

Southern Spain - Okay, I did a home stay in the south of Spain and I don't remember the town's name but it was absolutely gorgeous there. While I wasn't a fan of the whole homestay situation, the town was a true gem. It was right on the water. The people loved to dance and have a good time. While I couldn't really get used to the late dinners and abundance of cigarette smoke lingering in the houses, I definitely could get used to taking walks along the beach and not having class until the afternoon.

Munich - Munich is definitely my favorite city in Germany (thus far). The capital of Bavaria, this place is where you should go if you want a taste of real Germany and you want to have the most fun while doing so. The people here was way nicer than in Northern Germany. The church is beautiful and the famous clock is cool. Also, now that I know some German, hopefully going back there will be even more fun when my whole family goes in December.

trash on the streets.

Budapest was ... interesting. I think I was too sleep-deprived to enjoy a lot of it, and the place was so dirty! I guess it was "dump all of your trash on the streets" weekend which was just stange. And then there were people looking through the trash - how weird is that? I would not want someone else's trash! Although I guess some of those people were homeless.
Anyway, Budapest did have a really awesome bridge with a great view and I enjoyed hanging out there a lot. It was also pretty cheap. We had to go to the Magyar Museum while we were there to gather information for a paper and the museum was actually very interesting but I lose interest when I have to be taking notes left and right. I just don't like the pressure of note taking.
Also, the subways in Budapest were so old school! It was bizarre. And the escalators went really fast and were really steep - they scared me a lot!
I don't think I will go back there, but it was an interesting experience nevertheless.

budapest.

Tomorrow morning at 5:50 AM (shoot me) we are going to Budapest. Should be interesting. Be back Saturday night.

schnitzel party.

Today was our celebration of the 10th year anniversary of the Flow House. We made schnitzel and potato salad and had crepes for dessert. It was delicious!

It's only Wednesday but for me it's almost the weekend! I hope Budapest is fun. I am annoyed that we are only spending one night there but I guess that it's good that we have all day Sunday to study since we have 2 midterms on Thursday. I just opened one of the study guides and it was depressing.

it's my birthday! in europe!

Today is my birthday! We are about to have a Flow House fam dinner with brownies for dessert! Later tonight we are going to Waxy Murphy's to fully celebrate. While it's kind of sad that I turned 20 (I can now say I'm in my 20's ... what?), I am kind of happy at the same time.
Also, the girls in the house got me really pretty flowers so I feel especially loved :)
Is it weird having my birthday in Europe? Yes. It doesn't feel real, like it will be revoked upon returning to the U.S.

czech me out.

Last night we got back from Prague and it was awesome! I loved the architecture and the city in general.
On Friday I woke up at 5 am for this big adventure. I was not too happy at the time; however, it was definitely worth it. We got a basic city tour to orient ourselves with the area and then we were on our own. We ended up at a jazz club which I thought was cultured and cool of us. Also, I had a traditional Czech dessert which was super delicious.
On Saturday we went to the Prague Castle and I didn't exactly enjoy the hike down from that. However, the girls also did some window shopping which I enjoyed a lot more and we went to dinner at a really nice place.
Yesterday we were all kind of exhausted from the trip and our plans for the day (Jewish Museum and surroundings) was a bust because it was Sukkot so everything was closed. We did see the "Fred & Ginger" building which I thought was cool.

prague.

We are going to Prague at the crack of dawn tomorrow! We'll be back late Sunday night. I'm really excited but we have a ton of school stuff planned so our free time will be limited.

ice cream.

Today is the last day the ice cream place we all love is open so we went and got our final fix (mine being soy, of course). I don't understand why it has to close for the winter, but whatever.

Tonight we are having a girls night! At TGI Friday's! I'm so excited!! And then tomorrow I don't have class until 2 p.m. ... hmm ...

because my life is defined by tv.

I love Chuck Bass. The end.

Because I have a German essay and a history write-up due tomorrow, I figured I might as well watch Gossip Girl and Greek, go and get cake, and, now, write on my blog. True life: I have senioritis. So it goes.

Today we went to St. Stephen's for art history but we've already been there a few times for random reasons, so I don't really feel the need to comment on that.

However, afterwards some of us went to Demel for cake and it was amazing. It was exactly what I needed. We met a three-year-old girl named Aurora there who was adorable and super well-dressed. I loved her whole outfit, especially her coat. I can't wait to have kids (note: that's an exaggeration - I can wait a few more years when, you know, I'm married and such).

Also, on another note, my fear of escalators which has never really affected my life has now just become embarrassing. I wait a solid 10 seconds before I make the plunge onto the escalator, which is kind of not okay in a big city like Vienna. I just am scared that I'm going to get caught in the middle of two stairs. This fear is not very justified, but I have it nevertheless.

My parents' birthday card for me came today! I guess they were just paranoid that the mail would be super slow. It was very nice to get something tangible from the U.S.

i miss wake. but it's all good.

Things I miss about my normal college life:
1. Costco-sized peanut butter
2. frat parties
3. Phi Mu - specifically, HLMK
4. texting/using a cell phone in general
5. my car
6. the prevalence of the English language
7. the OGB (I admit it)
8. late-night Subway
9. Target wine. and Target in general.
10. not having to cook for myself/affordable restaurants
and, of course, many more things, too.

I'm one of those people who wants to be an undergrad for roughly forever and I can't wait to go back to Wake.

That's not to say I'm not enjoying myself here, though. I have no class on Fridays. The only classes I like are my history classes, but oh well. At least I know that the most impulsive declaration of a major ever was not completely off-base.

My mom is officially coming at the end of the semester and we are going to travel around a bit in Germany (a trip down memory lane for my mom when she studied abroad a mere 23 years ago) before the rest of the fam comes. We were going to do Switzerland but I'm looking forward to Germany because my family came from there and all. Also, since I really can't eat anything in Germany - land of pork and cheese - hopefully I can lose some of this Nutella weight!

stockholm madness.

This morning at way-too-early o'clock (our taxi was at 4 am), Ashley and I left the rather peculular place that is Stockholm. Everything was crazy expensive, the bathrooms were coed, and everyone spoke Swedish which was super unfamiliar to me. We managed to go a decent amount of things in Sweden from looking at pretty royalty crowns to examining a ship that sunk way back in the 1600's. The weather was cold, of course, but not unbearable. While we were waiting for our train last night, I really, really hoped it would be the Polar Express instead (even though it's not at all close to Christmas time and also, would it accept me as a Jew?).

On Thursday, we went and saw the Roman ruins which were fine, but not much to write about. We did find out at the end of that experience that the really good ice cream place (with soy options!) closes on Wednesday which means they give the ice cream away for free! I'm already looking forward to it.

sweden.

The time has (almost) come. Tomorrow, Ashley and I are going on the first of our international adventures!! To the most random place ever! It's just us, so hopefully we won't get too lost. The rest of the group is going to Oktoberfest, which probably would not have been a pleasant experience for me (they are getting to the tents at 5 a.m.), so I am happy we are going on this adventure.

We (and by we, I mean Ashley) made peanut butter cookies for the trip!

We'll be back Sunday, when I can also update on tomorrow's art history field trip to some Roman ruins.

all i care about is food.

Given the fact that I didn't even leave the house today, I would just like to discuss the amazingness of my food lately.
Last night, the whole house had chili. I am definitely not the biggest chili fan but this was delicious and it only cost 2 Euro per person which is awesome since I spend Euros here like it's going out of style.
Today, I had homemade chicken salad and deviled eggs.
And I stuff my face with Nutella daily.
Sooo basically I eat better here than I do at home (when dinner usually comes out of the depths of our massive Costco-ready freezer).

On a separate note, I've been hammering away at this book I have to read...in German...too bad I can't read German. Oh yeah, the presentation is due after I get back from Prague which is not this weekend (that would be Sweden) but next. Oh man, I am in so much trouble. But it's about Jews in Austria in the 1920's so I feel like I know what's going on. Also, we have a paper due tomorrow and one due that day after that. But those are in English and, not going to lie, my biggest talent is quick paper writing, so I'm not worried. I just kind of want this week (as in, the next two days of class) to be over so Ashley and I can enjoy Sweden!
Today's art history class almost killed me. Two hours of watching slides in the dark is a recipe for disaster.

bumming around vienna.

So I'm already starting to get sick again .. oh nooo I have no immune system. Welcome to my life.

Yesterday I went to the park and it was perfect weather. I really enjoyed people watching.

Today, painters came to the Flow House and it was madness. I got paint on my prized Banana Republic dress that my mom gave to me as kind of a going away present. As if that weren't bad enough, I went on the bus the grocery store and sat on some wet substance. I don't want to know what it was.

the hills (were) alive.

This weekend we went to Salzburg and it is such a cute place! The girls did the four-hour Sound of Music bus tour which was definitely worth the 33 Euro price. We also went to the fortress there which involved a scary tram ride up a steep mountain. There was some really awesome shopping but unfortunately everything else was really expensive so we didn't indulge too much.

The weather was much nicer than I thought it would be, considering we were in the Alps. Overall, I enjoyed the weekend much more than last weekend.

that time we went to a winery for class...

Today was an action-packed day. We went the Klosterneuburg Monastary (picture above)which was gorgeous. Then, we went to a castle and I got to hold a medieval weapon.
The best part of the day, though, was going to a winery. We got to try three kinds of white wine, two kinds of red wine, and we were given a glass of champagne. Also, the food was great.

Tomorrow we are taking a ridiculously early train to Salzburg! I'll be back late Saturday night.

volkskundemuseum.

Today we went to the Volkskundemuseum for our Vienna history class. I thought it was really cool but I was stressed out about note taking. I wish I could have gone just for fun. The museum was basically a "mock house" mostly from the 19th century. I am so happy I am not a peasant farmer living in the Alps in the 19th century.

We also got our train tickets for Salzburg this weekend. I am sooo excited for the Sound of Music bus tour - you don't even know. I watched the movie over the summer with my 5-year-old cousin (my 2-year-old cousin caught bits and pieces) and it was adorable to watch it with her.
I feel like this semester is going to fly by because next weekend Ashley and I are going to Sweden, then we have a class weekend trip to Prague, then another one to Budapest and then it's our 10-day break (which we are spending in Italy!). I'm excited because I've never been to any of these places before.

kunsthistorisches museum (part 1)

Today in art history we explored the Egyptian, Roman and Greek exhibits at the Kunsthistorisches Museum. I really enjoyed looking at the Egyptian exhibit.

Right now Ashley and I are making banana bread (well, Ashley really made it). And then it's time for Greek!

throwback to the 90s.

Today Ashley got surprises in the mail - seasonings for chicken from her madre! Tonight we made Hawaiian chicken and it was super tasty. Then someone from the house made strawberry peach pie. I'm so happy right now.
What could make it better? Watching Sandlot. Oh wait, I'm doing that right now. Welcome back, childhood.

re: the alps.

FRIDAY: We left the Flow House at 6:40 am. Rough. We took a bus to the town and then we had to hike all the way up to our motel. I was pretty much spent for the day at that point, no joke.
SATURDAY: 12-mile hike to see cows. Will never hike so much again. The end. Though I guess I can say now that I have hiked the Alps. Sadly, I have a feeling this will not help me in life.
SUNDAY (today): Encountered rain in the freezing cold weather. Sadly did not have umbrella at that point. Wanted nothing more than to be back at the Flow House.

Okay, the Alps were really pretty and we did see a cow festival, which is probably a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Still. I've had my nature fix for awhile.

We have three field trips this week and I think this weekend we are going to Salzburg (think Sound of Music). So it's going to be busy!

alps.

We are going to the Alps early tomorrow morning so I am going to be MIA in all facets of life (Facebook, e-mail, etc) until Sunday evening.
Wish me luck.

schoenbrunn zoo & park expeditions.

Today, for German class, we went to the zoo bright and early. It was actually a lot of fun because I love zoos for some inexplicable reason (my favorite being the San Diego zoo, of course). I gave my presentation on lemurs which was fine I suppose. In case you were wondering, lemur in Latin means "spirit of the night." Anyway, we went to a seal feeding and their little aquarium, among other highlights.

Then, half of the group went to get crepes (and then we were late for history class, whoops). My diet here is terrible, but, I mean, you're only a teenager once, right? I should know as the end of my teenage years is rapidly approaching. Yes, this is really an obsession of mine.
For dinner, Ashley and I had delicious croissants with olive oil, basil, chicken, and cheese (lactose-free for me, of course). Yummm.
Clearly, my life is all about food.

After the main events of the day, I took my massive amounts of reading to the park down the road from our house. I really wanted to enjoy the park before the weather becomes too cold. It was so nice. I'm not a nature person, so I don't really care about that, but I really enjoyed watching the kids play even if it did make me feel old. The whole thing kind of made me happy that I was taking this semester off from Winston just so I can regroup and figure out where my life is headed.

wien museum.

Today we went to the Wien (Vienna) museum with our art history class. As you can see, it's not that impressive from the outside but I thought it was cool. We spent almost all of our time on the first floor (4000 BC to Gothic) and our professor was very descriptive about everything.

It's located in kind of a shady region in my opinion, but the real shadiness happened on the way back. As we were exiting the U-Bahn station, this weird random lady tried to touch me. It was so bizarre.

I am not looking forward to doing homework. Tuesdays are rough for us, as we have class from 9-4 (and our art history ran over to about 4:40 pm). Plus we have to get up super early for the zoo tomorrow FML.

because i was definitely missing tex mex.

Tonight, most of the group took the bus to Fresco Grill: a gem of a Tex Mex treat hidden in Vienna. I definitely devoured my entire burrito. I even got free water and they spoke English! Life was awesome. I love America and I'm not at all ashamed to admit it.

About that ... I'm not really the assimilating type so the transition to Vienna hasn't been the easiest (especially due to my contraction of "the plague"). However, I think I'm finally feeling more comfortable in this foreign city. Now it's time to travel! In all seriousness, I can't even explain how excited I am to go to Sweden later this month and then, next month, Italy for our 10-day trip! This whole experience has been really surreal.

schoenbrunn palace!

Today, we went to the Schoenbrunn palace. We actually decided, since it was very overwhelming, to just do the outside today while the weather is somewhat bearable (though still freezing in my opinion) and then go back and do the inside. The outside was so cool! There were mazes and beautiful gardens and I was exhausted by the time the whole thing was over.
I can't believe that was just a summer house. Must be nice...

inglourious basterds.

EPIC. LOVED IT. Okay, it was a little too graphic for me, I will admit (especially one scene), but it was much better than I expected. I felt a little weirded out that I was seeing this Nazi movie in Austria but it was all good.
I was also annoyed to be spending 7.60 euro for it - I just can't stand spending all of this money.

PS My gmail is still down. I'm so annoyed.

centimeter III

Love the graphic. We just got back from Centimeter III (what the cartoon is about) - a magical place where you can get copious amounts of Wiener schnitzel for relatively little $$. I ate like I was in a Man vs. Food challenge. I have no idea why I was so hungry but the whole experience was just amazing.

I'm not sure if I'm going out tonight since I went out last night and I'm still fairly sick but we shall see. It's already the weekend because we don't have classes on Fridays :)

coach envy.

Coach has made some AWESOME new things and I really wish I could fly to America right now and splurge on something.
Here is their website with new stuff: http://www.coach.com/online/handbags/-newatcoach_allnewatcoach-10551-10051-5000000000000000002-en?t1Id=5000000000000000001&t2Id=5000000000000000002&tier=2
I am a huge fan of the new laptop sleeve. Maybe madre will get it for me for my birthday.

Not too much to update on the Vienna front: I'm still ill. I'm still eating chocolate. MLIA.

the plague.

Ashley and I are currently sick which for me reached a new low today. I didn't even leave the house which is unfortunate. Also I took a painfully necessary "power nap" to get me through the day. Still, I was/am cranky and upset.

Anyway, I have a borderline obsession with the entire Kardashian family and I googled Kourtney to keep up with her pregnancy only to find she has her own website! http://officialkourtneyk.celebuzz.com/
So, yes, this is what I've been up to in Vienna. That, and copious amounts of German translation action.

love that chocolate.

As I mentioned yesterday, today was our first day of classes. To celebrate the end of the day, a few of us went to Demel, this delicious pastry shop in the heart of downtown Vienna. While it was pretty expensive, it was SO amazing. I had the truffeltorte and the best part is that I feel like I won't gain any weight because
1. we walk everywhere - tons of walking
2. I don't eat nearly as much here as I would at, say, the Pit due to the fact that I must prepare/buy everything myself. Also, the food here is definitely not what I am used to.

I just attempted my first load of laundry in the scary European washer. It takes like two hours to do one load and the washer is sooo small. This makes me sad because I spill on my clothes pretty much every day and therefore amass huge amounts of laundry very quickly. Also, the washer was confusing in general and it German. I hope I don't flood the basement or something. I didn't even understand how to turn it on but somehow it knew to do so.

and. .. take two

Last night was much better than two nights ago. We actually made it to the Bermuda Triangle (picture above). I even went to McDonald's and had a delicious, much-needed Sprite. I don't know what's wrong with me because I don't usually have soda. It was just an incurable craving.

The only problem was that by the end of the night I was absolutely freezing. I guess, be careful what you wish for? I wanted it to be colder, but by that I meant roughly 75 degrees instead of 90. Also, I have this *awesome* cold/maybe strong allergies that's not exactly helping the situation.

Today we went on a bus tour but I think everyone was just really exhausted. We went to the wine garden and the red wine was pretty good but it was only a 2008 which was kind of disappointing. Also, I wasn't in the mood for drinking.

Tomorrow starts the first week of classes!

downtown woes

Not a successful night downtown ... Thank goodness for night buses though or else I would still be walking. I just had cereal and soy milk and that was the highlight of my night. Oh well - shit happens. By the way, the whole time we were there I was craving McDonald's like none other and that was really distracting. And Subway - yay Wake late-night memories.

This afternoon, the girls went on a shopping trip downtown and we saw this guy who was passed out on the street. It basically scarred me for life. There were two policemen interviewing people but no one was trying to wake the guy or anything which made me wonder if he was dead. I had no idea what was going on but certain things just haunt me forever (I witnessed a similar occurrence in New York - a young child was unresponsive on the back of a bicycle - and I still remember it vividly like 8 years later). So scary.

In other, much better news, I'm really excited because this Sunday we are going to a wine garden! We do have a bus tour beforehand but at least it's not a walking tour. All of this walking is killing me.

PS People have the swine flu at Wake...wtf?!

schedule as of this upcoming monday

In case anyone wants to Skype me/cares this much about my life ...
Note: I'm living in Vienna which is 6 hours ahead of EST.

MONDAY
11-11:55 German
1-2:15 History 300

TUESDAY
9-9:35 German pronunciation
9:40-11 Photography
12:30-1:45 History 311
2-4 Art history

WEDNESDAY
9-9:55 German
1-2:15 History 300

THURSDAY
12:30-1:45 History 311
2-4 Art history

Overall, I'm not the biggest fan of my schedule, but I will say that it allows for Wake Wednesdays which is a plus since I don't even get that at Wake.

failing at german/clothing

When classes really start, it's going to be a sad thing. I had my first "intensive German" class with just the 214 group and it was terrifying. I don't know how to speak/read/write German. Apparently this is a problem. Also, the whole class thing gets in the way of sleeping in and such.

We had fajitas tonight and they were delicious. It was cute how we had a family meal in the dining room. Then, we went out to an Irish pub called Charlie P's or something like that. I avoided the beer this time, but the Guinness looked really good. It was so incredibly hot in there so I was glad when we left after one round of drinks but it seems like a good place to go ... when it gets colder. I like how Austria is having an insane heat wave and I brought clothes like I was going to the Arctic (not really, but it feels that way right now).

We have another city tour tomorrow which I'm sure will not help me in the slightest when it comes to getting around. Oh well, I can't complain too much as it is not until 1 p.m. Love it.

monday nights are the new black

So the whole group went out last night because clearly that's what you do on Monday nights. Five of us went to a club called Q which was really fun. I wish I had a picture to show the venue but I don't.
Three of us got lost on the way back - horribly, horribly lost. At one point, I wasn't sure if we could make it back, especially since we didn't know what street we lived on - nbd.
Today we went downtown and did a walking tour but I was having trouble paying attention to what was going on - it was all so overwhelming!
Below is a picture of downtown to get an idea of its size (I think it's huge):

peace, love, vienna.

Today, we went downtown which was an adventure. I am so bad with directions! I got delicious-looking blackberries though from the market pictured above.

I can't get over how expensive everything is. I'm really sick of spending money already, but I'm trying to keep a positive attitude about it all.

the past day, etc.

All I will say about the ride over is that I actually thought I was going to die on the way to DC and let out the loudest scream I have ever heard and we had the most disturbing turbulence ever (ignored the seat belt sign to go throw up - it was awesome).
The house is really nice. Ashley and I have the room next to the girls' bathroom which is kind of unfortunate but oh well. We also have bunk beds and I took the bottom because I am selfish. Our room is large though - we have a table and chairs and plenty of closet space. The house is just plain huge. We have a patio and a backyard, a dining room, a basement space and an attic space to hang out, etc. We are also right next to a beautiful park and all of the houses in our neighborhood are huge and have gates like ours. It's classy.
The group seems to be a good fit thus far (though admittedly it hasn't been very long). We went out to a biergarten last night which was fun even though I don't like beer. Actually, I liked the beer I had (a Pilsner). It was good, at least as far as beers go.
Today we are going to get a run down of the laws, go on an area walk, and learn "emergency German." The best part is that the day ends at 3 pm :)

i'm in vienna!!

It's happened - I'm here! But sleep deprivation and general grogginess are preventing me from saying too much about the subject.
The house is really nice and we are right by a park/rich people. It's pretty fabulous.

flying to vienna tomorrow - nbd

Current emotional mindset: mixed everything.
Reasoning: I would prefer to repeat sophomore year because it is familiar and I miss it and it involved not going to a foreign country. Also, it involved not turning 20 which is a big, scary number. However, since that's not possible, I might as well flee the country.

My suitcase is so heavy I can't lift it so I hope men will be available to help me with that. I'm slightly concerned that it's over 50 pounds; however, my dad doesn't think so which actually is more disconcerting because that means I'm very weak.

I guess I'll be posting again when I'm on the other side of the pond.

MAD MEN

I have to blog about this. I watched Mad Men last night and it was sooo good! Don Draper is so attractive.

While I would never actually want to be a woman in the 60's due to the fact that I would try to cut every man who didn't let me be absolutely independent and have my own beliefs, I love love love the fashion. Don't you kind of wish flight attendants still wore what they wore in this episode? I would almost want to be a flight attendant (if I didn't hate flying so much).

Don't ask me how this happened but Newark's finest, the Star-Ledger, actually got an interview with the creator of the show. I love how he always says that he doesn't know how things are going to pan out as if he isn't behind everything.

more packing frustrations/ranting

Reasons why girls need to pack way more than boys:
1. makeup
2. accessories such as necklaces, bracelets, earrings, etc.
3. the option of skirts/dresses/leggings/tights/camis as well as the non-option (sadly) of bras
4. more shoes
5. hair supplies
6. girls get cold more easily
HATE HATE this. double hate times 10.

Also, while one-day contacts are awesome for people like me who
1. randomly lose contacts that their wearing at frat houses and the like
2. at the end of the day, only wish to throw contacts away
3. enjoy opening new boxes every 30 days
they also suck for people trying to stuff their life for four months into a suitcase, a backpack, and a purse because, well, that's a lot of contacts.

Recommendations for packing if you ever find yourself in this unfortunate situation:
1. space bags
2. a faked willingness to give up on having variety of clothing
3. prayer
4. a plan to begin stealing important clothing items from random males including but not limited to an awesome leather jacket, sweatpants for lounging, random t-shirts for layering, and hats.

weather confusion

So it occurred to me that I could actually find the weather for the day I'm arriving in Austria because I leave in exactly a week. The results: high 81/low 61. I'm beginning to think that my packing list is only acceptable if it's in the 50's every single day I'm there. Here are the monthly averages for Vienna.
Soooo there are definitely disadvantages that come along with being raised in the San Francisco Bay Area. Let's be real: in San Francisco, it's in the 50's and 60's every fricking day of the whole year. No excuses, play like a champion. Bring your sweaters to the nighttime baseball games, even in the dead of summer, but don't buy a winter coat because it'll never get that cold. The end.

In conclusion, I need a professional packer in my life right now. Also, I'm so relieved I didn't go to college in the north - I would be so lost.

little j* turns 13

My baby brother's birthday is today, which means his Bar Mitzvah is in t-minus 24 days, which means I'm totally missing it, which means I win the award for lamest sibling of the year. In the Jewish culture, having your Bar/Bat Mitzvah is probably only second to your wedding in "most important events of your entire lifetime" (good luck, little J). Meanwhile, I'll probably be sleeping or whatever thousands of miles away.
Anyway, at least I did get him a cake. It's chocolate and from Whole Foods yummm.

BTW, his birthday means that my big 2-0/omg I'm not a teenager anymore birthday is in less than two months! I know, I need to suck it up since I'm going to be a junior and all so it's about time I hit this milestone. Still, it freaks me out because now I should be thinking about, you know, post-college jobs and stuff.

*I call him little J but this is highly ironic as he emerged from the womb at a whopping 10 pounds and hasn't stopped growing exponentially since.

banking on that 0.5%

Apparently, "Vienna waits for me" and other Jews.
Love that there is a link for "Jewish wedding in Vienna" just in case I want a shotgun wedding with a random (Jewish) Austrian.

not just another country

Apparently, Austria is where Wollford started, which is a great (though very expensive) place to buy leggings. Who knew you could find a taste of Austria in your local mall?

2 weeks until Vienna ...

So it's a little too soon to be blogging about Vienna, since I'm not even there and all, but I feel like the prep/countdown madness is part of the "experience."

I was happy to discover that Vienna is the best place to live in the world. Not to brag or anything...

Anyway, as the day comes closer, I will be putting more preparation updates. Right now all I have is a color-coded packing list and my school books.

Oh yeah, and this is going to be my new home.