BTW

Oh, and no Typhoid!

Happily Ever After

I'm back!

And I can't believe it's over. I have visited so many new places over the last five months (hence, "many countries") and experienced things I had never even dreamed existed. I've learned a great deal about how far I can push myself and that it is important to continually face my fears. If I hadn't strayed from my comfort zone I would have missed out on countless opportunities to learn more about the world--and myself!

These few months have been very refreshing and I'm newly excited to go back to school :) Seeing how different cultural groups live their lives has inspired me to really dig into work and make a difference in the world.

I really tried to come up with deep, meaningful thoughts but I realized that this experience--these months--has changed me in ways that I can't exactly put into words. I'm proud of who I've become and I can't wait to get back to school and be fully aware of who I am relative to the rest of the world. I can only hope that I'll have similar opportunities to travel in the future!

I'm sorry I didn't bring my camera cable with me to Europe, but I'm loading my photos onto my computer as we speak (as I type) and I'll have them up here as soon as I can! I can't wait to sift through all those gems!

penultimate

"Another [sunny] day
has come and gone away
in Paris and Rome,
but I wanna go home ..."

I'm on the last day of my travels! I can't believe what an amazing, educational, and inspirational experience I've had. My plan for today is just to relax and absorb Rome--my final European destination. I visited the Vatican yesterday and it was completely and thoroughly amazing but left me exhausted. Rome--like Paris--is totally flooded with tourists, which I supposed merely reflects the fact that they're great places and popular destinations but it gets kind of old pretty quickly. Perhaps today I'll focus on the culinary factors of Rome ;)

I leave here early tomorrow morning, but keep reading because I do have a few final thoughts I'd like to share with you all once I'm home! And, as always, they will be deep, meaningful thoughts.

The Silver Lining

Yesterday my mom and I got up fairly early to make our way to the airport. We bid farewell to Joan--who was a hospitable and knowledgeable host--and got to the airport by 8AM. I said goodbye to my mom and walked over to my terminal (which took me forever) then there was a loooooong line to check in and stood in it dutifully. An hour and a half later--a.k.a. 15 minutes before my flight was scheduled to depart--I asked a SwissAir worker if this flight would still be taking off on time since there were still many people behind me. Apparently, people on the 10 o'clock flight (mine) were supposed to go in the other line ... the one marked "Business Class," which apparently I should have known. So at this point I'm in a frenzy, thoroughly worried that I'm going to miss my flight. I whiz through security and over to my gate to find a chaotic mass of people. I have no idea if I'm in the right place so I keep asking if this is the 10 o'clock flight to Zurich. Finally, one attendant responds without looking, "Yes, ma'am. We'll begin boarding shortly. Just wait over there." So at this point while I'm thoroughly relieved that I haven't missed my flight, the Midwesterner in me--of course--feels incredibly guilty for pestering these workers when they're so busy! We finally made it onto the plane 15 minutes later.

... then proceeded to sit there for another hour. By the time we took off at 11:25 it was clear that I would be cutting it very close for my connection. And when we landed I was informed that I had been rebooked: moved from the 12:35pm flight to the 5:30pm flight. I now had 5 entire hours in Zurich and the airport is not far from the center of the city ... this situation was looking brighter! After calling Aviad (using a phonecard provided by SwissAir, thanks!) to let him know I'd be getting into Rome later than expected, I got on a train heading into the city. This is why I'm traveling: not just to see the sights but also to take advantage of opportunities that provide me with new, interesting, and unexpected experiences. I had never thought to visit Zurich but I was presented with a chance and even though I didn't have very much time and I was still frazzled that my original plans hadn't worked out ... I was going to take this chance to live.

And, boy, did I make the right choice! Zurich was smack-dab in the middle of celebrating its Spring Festival, which is basically the event of the year. People flocked from all over the country--the world, even (I heard a great deal of English)--and there's music playing and food being sold off the streets. I personally indulged in fresh roasted nuts and cider donuts! The weather was beautiful and I had a wonderful view of the Swiss Alps. I decided to head back to the train station before the Children's Parade began but I saw them getting ready and lining up in their cute little traditional Swiss costumes. The festival was absolutely overwhelming; the joy of the people was contagious. Though I was only in the city for a little over two hours I really want to go back to Switzerland and do it right. I want to fully experience the Spring Festival. The city is just so cool ... they pour sand into a pit and hold volleyball tournaments inside the train station! This was a memorable experience and a further incentive for me to start learning German.

It was late by the time I got into Rome but Aviad gave me great directions from the airport then came to meet me at the train station! He and his housemates have been very nice and welcoming and I had a full and exhausting first day that included, among other things: the Colosseum, the Roman Forum & Palatino, Capitol Hill (and the Vittorio Emmanuel monument), a brief glimpse at the Trevi Fountain and Pantheon (I hope to go back and really experience them again some other day) and gelato (duh)! Aviad didn't have class today so he walked around with me a bit in the afternoon! I love sharing new experiences with someone else because it's just somehow not as fulfilling when you say "Look how amazing that is!" and there isn't anyone there to hear you.

the rest of paris

Quickly:

1) Love(d) Versailles. The person at Schonbrunn who said it's better than Versailles? A liar or an idiot.

2) We've taken a tour of a chocolate shop and a bakery. This means first-hand look at how miracle work is done. And free samples.

3) Leave Paris tomorrow (bye, Mommy!) to visit my friend Aviad in Rome!

4) I saw a bride and groom today.

Paris holds the key to your heart

What a whirlwind! If you're not prepared for a long read then you should come back another time because I have quite a few things to recount and I dare to say most--if not all!--of them are fairly interesting.

First, let me lead off with a few bits about Vienna that I forgot in my last post. The great thing about the Staatsoper is that an American billionaire donated millions of dollars to have personal sub/super/whatever-titles installed in front of each seat. Apparently he's in prison now, but because the guy's American you have your choice of whether your display reads in German or English! Very much unlike the Volksoper, which did Carmen in German! Gag me. And the greatest thing about paying for the most expensive standing room is that I was on the same level as all the expensive seated tickets so we all got the royal treatment in the restroom. After each lady came out of the stall there was a cleaning lady waiting to wipe down the seat with antibacterial gel. I thought that was pretty good service for 3.50.

Now, PARIS! It's much bigger than I imagined! There are 14 metro lines that all intertwine with each other and Paris is making it very clear that this is the biggest city I've been to in Europe. It takes forever to get anywhere but so far it has all been worth it. We've done a bunch of interesting things including visiting a North-African hammam, visiting the bakery and successfully buying things in my limited French, and walked around different neighborhoods in the city. We're staying with one of my mom's ex-coworkers, Joan, who is currently living in France and studying French. We've taken up residence in her cozy apartment and I'm really liking the neighborhood (located in the 11th). I've recently decided that in the future I would like to read a book relevant to the place I'm visiting before I go: either a piece of non-fiction or a novel that takes place there. It just so happened that Joan had a short mystery novel (a Maigret ... anyone familiar?) that takes place in the 11th! It's pretty neat to read about daily practices with which I've become familiar and street names that I've walked along earlier in the day.

We've visited the Musee d'Orsay, which--given all the hype--I wasn't sure I'd love as much as everyone else had. But I did (thanks, Guy)! The building itself is SO cool ... you can still see the remnants of the train station in the architecture. And the artwork that's housed in the building is fantastic. I've always loved the Impressionists for the way they play with light and there were works by so many of my favorite artists. After the Orsay we headed to the Eiffel Tower with the intention to see it both by day and night! (It was beautiful.)

I must preface this next section of my post by telling you about something that I have elected not to write about in the past. It was interesting to note and recount to my mother but did not seem relevant enough to make the cut for this blog. I have since changed my mind :) Essentially, everywhere I've gone I've seen couples on their wedding day. A small town in China, the highrise Taipei 101, driving off in a white VW bug in Amsterdam, and many, many more. It felt a bit like I was a wedding-magnet. It kind of makes sense because many people like to get married and/or take photos at major landmarks ... the same landmarks that I've been visiting on my travels. But my experience yesterday was just too much.

As we were in line for the elevator to the Eiffel Tower, there was an older couple behind us in line--very well-dressed (well, the lady was fairly scantily dressed)--and we went up in the same elevator. When we got to the top of the Tower I was completely engrossed in my tourbook and I failed to notice him PROPOSE to her right next to me. Not even next to my mom, but next to ME. According to my mother, he asked her, slipped a MASSIVE diamond on her finger, and had a photographer take their photos. I sincerely hope that I'm not in their engagement photos ... in front of the skyline of Paris you can see the bride, groom, and ... me, with my head buried in a guidebook. So you can see that with all the people visiting the tower at that given time the couple was--clearly--drawn to me.

Today, we went to the Louvre! We saw the Mona Lisa and all the other famous landmarks. Before we left, I had an itching to go see the Dutch/Flemish/etc. section of the museum. When we arrived at the entrance we were informed by security that we could not enter for the time being. So we joined the 10 or so other people who were waiting. There were hordes of suited security milling around and people were getting their cameras ready ... it was clear that someone important was inside the wing and that was the reason we were not allowed inside. Then we saw the Queen of Belgium emerge! She was only about 10 feet away from me and I snapped a photo as she descended the escalators. Later, as we were browsing the exhibit, we happened to glance out a window and caught the Queen leaving the Louvre and being led to her vehicle which was escorted by police. It was really, really neat and I fully enjoyed my first encounter with royalty ;)

It is now getting to be quite late and we have a relatively early morning event planned for tomorrow. I hope the events of the last few days have entertained you as much as they have entertained me!

Auf Weidersehen

Today I followed in the footsteps of Marie Antoinette and made the journey from Austria to France (omitting, of course, the part where my family sells me into a marriage contract). My last days in Vienna were wonderful, though I'm also looking forward to spending a week--with my mommy!--in Paris.

Diana was scheduled for her third (and final) performance of Ariadne on Friday. Still sick! So instead, we went back to the Volksoper (where you can buy standing-room tickets in advance for 1.50 euro ... brilliant!) for an above-average production of Carmen. Seeing opera in Vienna has turned out to be the cheapest thing we've done! Between pricey museum admission--even with student rates--and afternoon coffee with dessert (we sampled the famous Sachertorte, which was delicious!) nothing has cost as little as the opera!

Saturday, Ben and I decided to attend different musical events in the evening. I had to get in line at 5:30pm for standing-room tickets to the 7:30 performance of Vincenzo Bellini's La Sonnambula. He is one of my favorite composers of art songs so I was very excited. Waiting in line was relatively uneventful. Ben, unfortunately, left with my glasses in his backpack and my texts weren't getting through to him. This time I had paid 3.50 (for very good tickets at the Staatsoper) so I filed into a second-row spot and--following instructions--tied my scarf around the railing to reserve my spot. I had about 20 minutes to grab some food before the show and I decided to run to the concerthouse where Ben was going and just try my luck to see if I could find him. On my way there I tried calling him using the number he had used to text me. I kept getting different people--and never Ben--speaking German to me then hanging up. The third time I tried a "hello" and the response was: "Hello, Vienna ambulance." I had accidentally called the AMBULANCE three times! I felt terrible and quickly explained that it was not an emergency before hanging up.

After the harrowing events of the evening (they were fairly traumatic, OK?), Ben and I met Ann for drinks. We went to a nearby pub that is located in the building where Beethoven wrote both "Ode to Joy" and his 9th Symphony. Pretty fantastic. Unfortunately, that also meant that after going back to the apartment and packing I didn't get to bed until 2:00AM ... and had to wake up at 4:45 to begin my trek to Paris.

I took the City Airport Train (CAT), which is BRILLIANT! The main station is not even a 10-minute walk from Ann and Tobi's and it's remarkably convenient. I checked in, printed my own boarding pass and luggage ticket, tagged my bag and sent it on the belt ... all from an electronic kiosk! Ann was absolutely right in saying it's kind of like "playing Airport"! Then I got on the train--which took me directly to the airport--and once there I had to do nothing but get on the plane. Wonderful!

I do want to tell you all about where we're staying in Paris and what we did to relax and settle in this afternoon, but I've already recounted quite a bit today. Nobody wants to read a post that's too long and I'm quite ready for bed considering the fairly sleepless night I had last night. So, until next time!

Bug opera & Eastern Europe

Last night we went to Puccini's Turandot at the Volksoper (the people's opera) and it was quite a spectacle! Instead of Asian royals, the show was about bug royals ... vaguely Oriental bugs ... so that was interesting. The technical design was amazing! The costumes were terrifically reminiscent of Star Wars (or, according to Ben, Power Rangers villains), the lighting was uber dramatic, and the set was outrageous and had so many moving pieces! It was a much more daring production than the one we saw at the Staatsoper, but I didn't enjoy the singers quite as much. The tenor was very good and I enjoyed his aria greatly. The soprano was a beast and the worst actress I've ever seen in my life ... but her voice was indeed beautiful.

This morning we watched Ann teach an English class on Second Life! For those not in the know, Second Life is like an online community where you design an avatar and live as it and actually interact with other people online more than just talking in a chatroom or something (I had only ever seen it on CSI!)... apparently, you can buy things with real money and also transfer money out. So Ann sat at the computer with her headset and taught a class of students at a technology school a few hours from here. It was so cool!

Then, for the meaty part of our day, we made our way to Bratislava, Slovakia! The train ride only cost 14 euros (roundtrip) and lasted about an hour. It had a distinctly more eastern feel ... and to me felt a lot like Istanbul, but more European. We walked around for a few hours and had a meal then got back on train to return to Vienna! We won't be going to Salzburg (Mozart's birthplace!) as originally planned because the times didn't work out for the fabulously kitschy tour of 'Sound of Music' sights, but I'm glad we got to see a place so different from anywhere else that I'm going.

I really, really like Vienna. I especially like the fact that people follow little rules like not walking on the grass and not crossing the street on a red light even when there are no cars. Honestly, nobobdy does it! As someone who enjoys following rules it makes me so comfortable! I can't wait to go to museums and (hopefully) see more opera in my last couple of days here :)

Finally, I miss everyone--including you, Matthew--very much. So quit telling lies to my mother.

Devastated one day, full the next

First: With the accent here, "baroque" sounds an awful lot like "Barack" so while I should be getting all cultured I feel like I'm getting some subliminal messages from the other side of the pond.


Moving on:
The walk from Ann and Tobi's place to the Staatsoper (the big operahouse) takes only about 15 minutes (she wasn't joking when she said "very, very central")! On our way there I was telling Ben about my extreme excitement because I've never had an experience of idolizing a living person so to see my idol--in her element--was mind blowing. But I didn't want to get too excited because there's always the chance she'll break her leg (knock on wood) and won't be able to go on. I had been looking forward to seeing Diana perform for months!

... and she was ILL. Unable to perform. The understudy was fine; she hit all the notes in her Staatsoper debut, but she lacked Diana's power and energy and spunk. I think Diana should have just popped a Ricola and dragged her ass to work--at least for me--but that clearly didn't happen.

Today we visited Schonbrunn Palace, which was the Hapsburgs' summer residence. We toured the palace and the grounds and watched a demonstration of apple strudel being made in the bakery (sample included!). We also walked through other parts of the city, visiting the famous Karlskirche, Naschmarkt (a market that we plan to visit again on Saturday when it gets crazy!), and various monuments. It will likely rain for the rest of our stay so we are planning to visit many museums throughout the rest of the week.

Tobi and Ann (and their roommate Bernard) made dinner for us tonight! Viennese specialties that were just wonderful ... and it's my first home-cooked meal in a long time! We had a traditional soup (broth with carrots and "fried peas"), a green salad with dressing made with pumpkin seed oil (which is DELICIOUS and will become a staple in my diet), and essentially Austrian mac'n'cheese (kind of like German spaetzle) with a dessert of apple strudel! I was well-fed with Austrian food and thoroughly satisfied. With dinner I had a bottle of Radler, which is essentially beer mixed with lemonade (beer for the bike, apparently) and I'm in love with it. It has a nice, light taste and a lemonadey after-taste, go figure. What a delightful evening!

first impressions: wien

Have arrived safely in Vienna after a fun day in the Holiday Inn! I left early yesterday morning and arrived to meet Ben! I was swept through the EU gate so I didn't get my passport stamped which made me very sad. Also, I will hopefully have no problem leaving in a week! The streets of Vienna look--unsurprisingly--like they're straight out of the movies. We toured the Hapsburg palace in the afternoon and the opulence is absolutely astounding ... can you imagine peeing into a gold-lined porcelain chamber pot decorated by the most famous contemporary artists? Because I can't.

We had dinner last night and chilled with a few other people at our hostel then this morning we moved all our stuff to an apartment very, very close to the center of town! We're staying with family friends Ann and Tobi ... I grew up with Ann's younger sister Alyss until they moved away in fifth grade, so it will be very fun to catch up! We're going to walk around town a bit more this afternoon before heading to the opera tonight to see Diana Damrau as Zerbinetta in Richard Strauss' Ariadne auf Naxos. I'm so excited by the thought that Diana and I are in the same city right now that I might pee my pants.

The Holiday Inn

The best part of being limited in my food choices is that I can actually compare the quality of the food at each restaurant since I'm basically eating the same dishes (well, appetizers) everywhere. It's brilliant! Thursday night's dinner was--by far--my favorite. The Greek salad was perfect, the grilled mushrooms were just the right texture and had a nice dressing, and the eggplant spread had actual pieces of eggplant and garlic rather than being turned into a mush. It was very exciting. Interestingly, though, it was the most underwhelming bread of the entire trip. Aaron and I predict (with hope) that this could be the end of the aubergine phase of my travels.

Also exciting: we went to both the site of the first modern Olympic Games (1898) AND the 2004 Olympic Stadium!! We've been to so many beautiful historical sites in Athens that I can't even list them all. Or, maybe I could but I'm down to the last few minutes of my free internet time.

Aaron left this morning so my parents are kindly treating me to a night at the Holiday Inn near the airport. It is a very clean and beautiful hotel (with automated curtains!) and it will be a relaxing evening. It took me far too long to get here (2.5 hours for a trip that would take about 20 minutes by cab but it was both cheap and enlightening, I suppose). It is, unfortunately, daylight savings time here tonight so I lose an hour while I sleep ... but, on the bright side, I have to wake up in order to fly to Vienna (where I'm meeting my friend Ben Skerritt) so I suppose it's worth it! I feel desperately as though I've forgotten to relay an interesting/important story but seeing as how I'm running out of time it will just have to wait until next time!

Athena

The historical sites of Athens are extensively numerous. We were wandering around town yesterday after lunch and within 5 minutes had accidentally happened upon the Temple of Olympian Zeus. It's crazy! Today we visited various other sites, including the Acropolis where we took some wonderful photos. While I understand that reconstruction work must always be occurring, it's just not as picturesque when the beautiful structures are obstructed by supports and cranes. Other than that, I'm loving the weather and vibrancy of Athens. The buildings are beautiful, the food smells delicious, and the locals and tourists are so full of life.

Last night, Aaron and I tried to find the only vegetarian restaurant in town ... but apparently it closed two years ago. So that was sad. But we did go somewhere else where I had delicious grilled oyster mushrooms (!) and an eggplant spread that I hadn't yet tried. By the end of this week I'm going to be the eggplant queen and there won't be a single eggplant dish that I haven't tried. The fresh tomatoes and feta cheese really do hit the spot, though. The Athenians dine late so I'm taking a short internet break before dinner anywhere between 8 and 10pm. I bought some fresh strawberries off the street today so I have plenty to tide me over until then! I have very constant internet access until Saturday, so feel free to email me with any interesting Spring Break (or other-themed) stories or particular requests for goods from Vienna, Paris, or Rome.

Still miss you all!

another aeroplane, another sunny place

Turkey was a wonderful, aubergine-filled (I learned a new term!) experience. I will never forget its history, character, and ice cream. I'd like to recount some of the more interesting experiences, but frankly I'm too lazy. Maybe once I return home I'll take some time to collect a few thoughts and keep you all entertained even after my travels. We woke up early this morning and took a short flight to Athens, Greece. They served a full breakfast! We took off, ate, then landed. Ha! It's Independence Day here, but we unfortunately juuuust missed the parade. There will hopefully be something extra exciting going on tonight?

This post is dedicated to Alex Peyser who has been a constant reader of my blog. I hope you're having a relaxing break, but Aaron and I wish you were here ;) If you've somehow stopped reading, I will maim you upon my return.

Top 10 Greek Inventions:
from "Top 10 Athens"

1. Olympic Games
2. Athenian Trireme
3. Democracy
4. Theatre
5. Pythagoras's Theorem
6. Hippocratic Oath
7. Catapult
8. Archimedes' Screw
9. Greek Fire
10. Pap Smear

Final Turkish Delights

I didn't think I could ever eat my fill of eggplant, but I might have gotten there. There is likely much more eggplant in my future, though, so I'm doing my best to enjoy it! Today we visited Topkapi Palace and the Grand Bazaar, both of which exude "character" ... you know (hopefully). My favorite site of the day was the Underground ("Basilica") Cistern, which is a startlingly lavish structure for a reservoir. It's wonderfully lit and a delightful bit of history (as is everything else in Istanbul). We also walked through some streets that gave us a glimpse of not-touristy-Turkish life, which was a nice change of pace.

#1 discovery of the day: Turkish ice cream is delicious!

Istanbul, Day 2

On our second full day in Istanbul, Aaron and I took the Bosphorus Strait ferry cruise to a little fishing village on the Asian part of Istanbul, a 1.5 hour trip (and a quick visit back to Asia on the European leg of my travel!). It was, as most of my visits have been, very picturesque. We climbed the hill up to some castle ruins and from there had a very peaceful view of the Black Sea then had lunch on the sea. Not on the sea, but you know what I mean. I wish I could post photos for you all but I'm only on internet cafe computers, etc. for a while ... hopefully soon, though! We've just gotten back from the ferry trip (6 hours in all) and are trying to figure out whether we can force our exhausted bodies into motion for the rest of the day.

Tomorrow is our last full day in Istanbul, so we want to see as much as possible! The city has amazing culture and character and has been a wonderful place to visit.

Missing you all! MUCH LOVE.

Another city, same me

Quickly, let me run through my last day in Holland. Guy's mum took me on the train into Amsterdam and we went to the Van Gogh Museum and walked around the center of town. Then I took a tour of the Anne Frank House, which was very meaningful. The city is very pretty but I'm sure I would've appreciated its beauty more had I gone on a sunny day ... instead, Thursday had miserable, drizzling weather.

I'm now in Istanbul with Aaron! I'm too exhausted to describe everything we've done in our one full day here, but we've hit many big sights. We went to the Aya Sophya and Blue Mosque and then walked around the "New District" in the late afternoon. It is very beautiful in a mostly standard Mediterrannean way, but is also steeped in its own individual history. We have two more days here and I hope I don't pass out from exhaustion before then.

Much love to everyone and hope to write more soon!

Alkmaar

The jet-lag isn't beating me up too badly this time around. I fell asleep rather late but once I was asleep it was a pretty peaceful night. No sleepless morning spent waiting for a Hawaiian sunrise on a beach that faces West (in my defense, I realized it before the sun actually rose).

I slept in a little and then went into the city of Alkmaar with Guy's mum. It's situated in Northern Holland--about an hour from Amsterdam--and looks just like Epcot. I realize that my statement may come across as ignorant or terribly American-focused but whatever. I was really just very surprised that Disney seems to have gotten it right. The city, its canals, and the blatantly Dutch-ness of it all are wonderful. I took a self-guided walking tour, visited a beer museum and a cheese museum, and was sufficiently exhausted by the time I finished about 3 hours later. I'm very grateful for this chance to see more of Holland--not just the "big city" that many people hit. I also very much enjoyed when Guy's mum asked me if I have "any serious boyfriends,"which I choose to interpret as a suggestion that I could perhaps have more than one serious boyfriend at the moment.

EUROPE beckoned

... and I answered.

I'm here! I arrived in Amsterdam early this morning (via Atlanta, which is a surprisingly beautiful airport) and it was a fairly comfortable flight because the seat next to me was empty and I don't really take up that much space. I'm staying with Guy's parents (and dogs) who are taking very good care of me. Holland is--thus far--completely picturesque. I'm very sorry that I'm too early for the famous tulips (for those of you who don't already know, make note for May Day that it's my favorite flower) but it is nonetheless wonderful to be here. I'm going to rest up again tomorrow and tour the city on Thursday ... and I'm looking forward to meeting up with Aaron in Istanbul on Friday!!!

Also, it doesn't cost extra for me to receive text messages here, so do text me! Avoid calling, though, because the phone company charges about a kidney (or any vital organ, really) for 5 minutes of international roaming so it's unlikely that I'll answer.

and again ...

I find myself yet again on the eve of extensive travels. I had a wonderful two weeks at home—in Minnesota and Providence—and it’s been so great that I can’t wait to be back for a month in April! Until then, I’ll miss you all dearly and wish you the best. I give you full permission to live vicariously through me because my life is clearly quite exciting.

I leave tomorrow for Europe, where I will be touring around for the next month. I will be seeing various people that I LOVE, including Diana Damrau as Zerbinetta! And while I adore the opera, I’m clearly really going to Europe to experience the culture and see the sights (and by that I think I mean eat the food and experience European shopping). I have packed a seriously tiny piece of luggage for a girl of my age (and beauty) and I can only hope that I won’t be tempted to buy anything before I meet up with my mother in two-and-a-half weeks. I’m nervous about being completely on my own for a few days in Amsterdam and Athens, but I suppose now is the time to face my fears and take advantage of this amazing opportunity. Here’s a little gem from Hawaii to show you (and remind myself) that embracing new challenges allows for unbelievable experiences.

Aloha, this is Lizzy!

Tonight is our last night in Hawaii. We went out to enjoy the sunset on the beach and now we're starting to pack. We've amassed many souvenirs (good news for all of you!) so hopefully we'll be able to fit it all into our suitcases!

In addition to spending a sufficient amount of time at the beach, we've visited Iolani Palace, the palace of the former Hawaiian monarchy. Very beautiful and very cool to learn more about Hawaiian history. We also went snorkeling in Hanauma Bay and saw lots of pretty fish! There were so many colorful fish that I felt like I was swimming in a tank at the Rainforest Cafe.

By far the best story I have for you is one that will entertain the recent transfers from my lazy mother's blog. My mom finished snorkeling earlier than me and my dad, so she went to rinse off in the outdoor shower area (or whatever it's called). A little girl of abour 4 or 5 was also in the shower area. Said girl turned to my mother and asked, "Are you a man?" (Btw, what would propel you to ask that kind of question?). My mother--fairly indignantly--answered "No." (as she should). It wasn't even a day when she forgot to shave her legs, so we're just assuming this little girl is stupid. Mom's still a little touchy about this experience so maybe you shouldn't mention it if/when you see her unless it's to reassure her that you're on her side. This fact does not detract from the fact that this is one of my favorite stories ... ever.

Yesterday we drove all around Oahu and toured the Dole pineapple plantation (a family favorite) and saw a bunch of other key tourist attractions. Today I took a surfing lesson (photos to wait until after I get home) and I'm no pro yet, but I'm nearly there (Duh). The two people I shared my lesson with were a couple from Plymouth, MN ... funny how we came all this way to meet up with people from home!

I'm pretty sure that covers the key points of our Hawaii trip. We hop on a plane tomorrow night to fly back to Minnesota. It's been a month-and-a-half since I've been back (is there a lot of snow right now?) and I can't wait! I'll have two weeks at home before I leave for Amsterdam--the first leg of my European trip!

So stay tuned.

The Journey Home(ish)

A car came to pick us up at 3:00AM on Monday morning. This was after my dad made a quick trip to the emergency room due to a rough bout of food poisoning (or something). We got to the Taipei airport, onto our plane, and to Osaka with little difficulty. Once in Osaka, my mom and I decided to go out to see the city a bit (another stamp in my passport!) but my dad stayed in the airport for a long nap. Then my mother and I had successfully navigated immigration & customs. This is more difficult than it sounds for two main reasons 1) they photograph and fingerprint you upon entrance which made me uncomfortable because I had already been traveling for 10 hours and looked like it AND now the Japanese government has my prints, and 2) and elderly Frenchman made conversation with us while in the immigration line and had much to say on Paris, Shanghai, Minnesota and how he was taking the time to visit many places while there is still gasoline because otherwise he won't be able to fly since he is not a bird.

So we made our way outside and took the train/subway to Namba, the southern portion of downtown Osaka. The train was completely above-ground so we got to see a lot of the city, including the beautiful Osaka Bay--also known as the reason the Osaka Airport is continually sinking. Anyway, we also saw many Japanese homes in what seem to be a surburban area and the houses are completely picturesque! They have the Japanese plant hedgings and the beautiful stone-tile roofs. We walked around the city for about 20 minutes before my mother was also hit with food poisoning (I seem to have been spared due to my recent turn to vegetarianism) so we headed back to the airport. We were only out in the city for about 2 hours but I was happy to be able to see another city/country--especially one that is so different from anywhere I've been. Also, it was interesting to test my chops in a country where I don't speak the native language. Amazingly, I've never traveled to a country where that's the case. I fared pretty well!

The flight from Osaka was uneventful. Both my parents were sick and I watched "Dan in Real Life," which was fine but did not meet my expectations. I barely slept for another night in a row, so it was with utter exhaustion that--25 hours after we left my uncle's house--we arrived in HAWAII! I basically slept all day yesterday, woke up for a snack, then slept the entire night. I enjoyed some sun today and I can't wait to hit the beach tomorrow!

MUCH LOVE from HAWAII!

Taipei

We were there for a week-and-a-half, so I'm not going to be able to fill you in on every detail, but I can give you enough stories to effectively procrastinate. The first few days were fairly tough because my dad wasn't really over his jet-lag, which contrasted greatly to the exhaustion my mom and I have been feeling due to the fact that we've been traveling for a month. On his first day my dad woke us up at 8:30 with shouts of "It's almost noon! You're going to sleep the day away! How are we going to see anything on this trip if all you do is sleep!" so we were dragged out fairly early that day. We went to Taipei 101, the (now second) tallest building in the world with 101 floors!

By his third day, my dad was starting to feel the wear and tear and finally understood that we've been doing this for 4 weeks and are pretty darn tired. We've done other exciting things, like visit the neighborhood where my dad grew up and see old friends and family. It's crazy how much can happen in 7 1/2 years ... and in my dad's case the 25 years since he immigrated to the United States! OK, so you have to forgive me because I had loads that I wanted to tell you but the computer was acting up and I couldn't upload photos and now that I can I've forgotten most of the things we did in Taipei. I do remember that we left the day before the Lantern Festival and we got to see people making the holiday's delicacy on the streets!

We came back down to my uncle's in Tainan by the high-speed train (as featured on the Amazing Race!). The trip that takes over 4 hours to drive took less than two hours by the train. It was very convenient and comfortable, and you can see my excitement at traveling like a contestant on the Amazing Race :)

We're leaving in the middle of the night tonight because this time we have a lot of luggage and need to drive up to the Taipei airport. We have an 8-hour layover in Osaka and hopefully we'll be able to take advantage of this time to tour the city a bit. If I have to sit in an airport for 8 hours I will cry. Then we're on our way to Hawaii!!! The land of sun, pineapple, and U.S. cell phone service. This means I WILL BE ABLE TO SEND AND RECEIVE TEXT MESSAGES! The break from constant technology has been liberating, but I'm ready to get back to the "real world" as I know it!

I'm back!

Back from Taipei ... relaxing at my uncle's and gearing up for the Lantern Festival tomorrow! I'm dreadfully sorry I didn't get to post during my stay in Taipei. I was very busy and seldom had the opportunity to access the Internet. But now all I have to do is kick my cousin off warcraft to get Internet time, so I should be able to update you on the past week within the next few days. My dad is finally getting situated in Taiwan after being here for about a week, though he still does cute American things like buckle his seat belt when he gets on a car and get upset when people don't wait in line for the subway.

Expect to hear from me soon!

Goodbye, Tainan

Chinese New Year is a wonderful celebration of friends and family. I miss you all SO much! The holiday actually lasts for four days and people don't go back to work until the 5th (today). Many stores and government facilities are also closed for this time, which is an interesting experience because nothing in the U.S. stays closed for more than a day! I loved receiving lots of hongbao, which are red envelopes that adults fill with money to give to children :)

On the evening New Year's Day we went to the Night Market, which was exceptionally busy. We didn't buy anything there, though we ate quite a few local treats! I discovered a new favorite drink, which is warm sweet ginger milk--it's absolutely delicious and I'm going to make it all the time when I get home! The next day, we had dinner at the home of my mom's childhood neighbors. It was fun to spend time with people who knew my mom as a young girl--some people she hadn't seen in over 20 years!--even though a lot of the conversation takes place in Taiwanese, which is a dialect that I don't understand. We've also been shopping at a local department store, which was fun, fairly inexpensive due to post-New Year's sales, and quite different from shopping back home (at the MOA, duh!).

Yesterday we took a short trip to Alishan (translation: Ali Mountain), which is a place my mother has wanted to visit for 20 years and has never quite been able to go. Alishan is famous for its sunrises, as well as beautiful forestry and other fawn and flora. I was kind of reluctant to go, but I figured: when will I ever find a better time to drive through the night to see a beautiful sunrise? We left home at 2:30am(which is earlier than I've been going to sleep), arrived at the mountain's base at 4:45am or so and took a little train up to the top, which is over 2500 meters above sea level. We got to the sunrise viewpoint at 6am and it was incredibly crowded! The sunrise was anticipated at 7:02am and it was indeed beautiful. It wasn't a red sunrise as I had hoped, but it was one of the prettier sunrises that I've seen in my life. While I was slightly peeved that I hadn't had a good night's sleep, it was heartwarming to be able to share an experience with my mother that she'd been waiting for for many years. We then walked down the mountain and drove home, arriving at about 1pm--when my cousins were waking up.

It has been a fun and relaxing stay in Tainan. We're heading up to Taipei tomorrow since my dad's arriving tomorrow night (yay!) and we'll be staying there for a little over a week. We're planning on coming back down to Tainan to celebrate my uncle's birthday! If I can manage to wake up early enough (fingers crossed) we'll go to the market in the morning to buy some of my favorite fruits and other treats. What I love about Taiwan is the opportunity to buy really good food at all hours of the day.

Happy New Year!

Happy Chinese New Year! We're resting after the festivities of last night and this morning and I'm taking the time to update you on the last week or so. (Cheers, hoots, and hollers abound.)


On our last full day in Shanghai we took a day trip to Hangzhou (literally, "Hang State"), a city that bears my name! We booked a trip with a sightseeing company and I will spare you the gritty details of our unpleasant experience with the company. I will, however, fill you in on the fact that Hangzhou, Shanghai, and other surrounding areas in Southern China--which rarely see any snow--received more snow than they've had in about 50 years. I don't know whether the states have been getting any news on the weather (and subsequent traffic congestion) in China, but it's actually mindblowing. It's the kind of wet, slippery, gross snow that we get in Providence. But Southern China's incredibly ill-equipped for snow, and it was being swept away with brooms made of branches. Most of the trees in the area are not "built" (or whatever, you know what I mean) for that much snow and we could see many trees that had toppled and branches that had broken off due to the heavy weight. We were dreadfully afraid we wouldn't make it back to Shanghai--they seal off roads when they become icy, rather than take care of it with ice and sand--and in one piece, since there's no habit for wearing seatbelts in Asia. It was, however, beautiful snow.

The snow continued into the next day, which is when we were scheduled to leave for Hong Kong. We'd been watching the news on the weather so we knew we should get to the airport early. We tried calling the airline before we left the hotel to ask about delays and cancellations, but none of our calls went through. Our flight was scheduled for 6:50pm; we arrived at 3:20pm to find that our flight had been cancelled. Not just delayed--outright cancelled. The runways had iced over and no planes could land. Due to the fact that the cancellation was weather-induced, the airline (which will remain nameless for propriety's sake)--ahem, DragonAir--was not claiming any responsibility for ensuring us seats on a flight. And then they refused to refund our money! So we stood in line for 3 hours to get standby numbers and simultaneously checked which other airlines might be flying to places that would give us easy access to Hong Kong. It was quite an overwhelming experience. Transportation was exceptionally crowded because everyone was trying to get home for the New Year.

We tried to tell them that my grandma couldn't really handle it--trying to get her on the earliest plane that went out, but they weren't being very understanding. They wouldn't even give her a meal voucher! We stuck her into her own little nook of the airport and told her to get some rest. While there, she made a friend (duh) who was on an earlier DragonAir flight that had been delayed. When he left he gifted her with the towel on which he had been sitting (seen under my cousin's ass as we're camped out in the airport, below). Grandma'ssleeping on the floor. This was that kind of bonding experience, you know? We actually made quite a few friends through this process and I now will always have somewhere to stay in Shanghai. Yay!

While I was passing time in my new home-away-from-home, frustrations were building among the people. There were still people in the standby line! DragonAir was flip-flopping regarding whether or not they would be sending additional planes to make up for the cancelled flights. How do the Chinese take care of problems? Protest.

(Okay, so the photo doesn't fully capture the chaos of the scene.) At this point, the airline starts showering the crowd with meal vouchers in hopes of appeasing them. When that doesn't work, they bring in the cavalry.



After further protesting, negotiating, pushing and shoving, we were on our way to an airplane at 1:00am! We didn't want to make grandma walk; she was kind of tired, so we put her on a luggage cart! To pad the base she used her new friend's old towel.




We finally departed Shanghai at 4:00am and arrived in Hong Kong around 6:30am. After taking a quick nap, we set off to explore a city that I came to love in the two days we had to sight-see. The weather wasn't good enough, otherwise I'd have beautiful photos of water and buildings and sky and other pretty things. But I did get to see Kim (!) and we did fun things like have dim sum and ride the world's longest escalator halfway up a mountain (it was really long!).





My family also went to get foot massages ... the reflexology kind that HURT but are supposed to rebalance your body or whatever. It was delightful. We arrived back in Taiwan late on the 5th and spent yesterday sleeping off travel exhaustion and preparing for New Year's Eve. My description of the holiday will have to wait until a later date because already I'm being called to do New Year's things.


It feels wonderful to be safe and warm (shortsleeves and sandals!) and celebrating with family, but I do miss you all dearly.

Much love!

Hong Kong

I'm IN LOVE with Hong Kong. Something I've decided in the hour or so that I've been out and about in the city. I don't want to recount our adventure to HangZhou and the experience at the Shanghai airport without sufficient visual material to accompany my post. So please wait patiently until I am back in Taiwan on the 5th and you will be thoroughly amazed by the story of my life. Don't forget about me in the meantime.

Much love to everyone!

OMIGOD.

I want nothing more than to tell you all about the last two days of my life because they are UNBELIEVABLE but I'm unfortunately paying an outrageous amount for Internet access, so it shall have to wait. Suffice to say I am currently safely in Hong Kong!

Shopping

We started our day with shopping for lots of fake things (read: fake brand-name things). I bought a lovely bag for $14 dollars and it put a smile on my face all day long. The bargaining was hard work, and only grandma's really good at it because my mom and I both weaken when the store owner begins to get upset or discouraged. At any rate, it was very fun and ultimately fulfilling even if it was in a material way. If we have enough cash left on Saturday we might go back!

After shopping we headed over to the riverfront, which is the famous scenic point of Shanghai. We took a gondola-type-car-thing through a tourist tunnel under the river, which was an audio and light extravaganza. It was a lot of fun, especially as a method of transportation. I took many wonderful photos--of myself in my new coat! with my new bag!--but unfortunately I'm still at the net bar chilling with smoking gamers and can't load any photos onto the computer.

Instead of hailing a cab all the way home, we decided to save some money (perhaps for another bag?) and headed for the subway. When the car arrived it quite literally looked like people had been packed into the cars like sardines. I thought we'd never be able to fit in, but we squished in, held our breath, and the doors closed right behind us. Then we arrived at the next stop. OMIGOD, YOU GUYS! People actually squished in behind us. I have never been in such a crowded place ... especially not an enclosed space underground. It was the kind of packed-in sensation that (literally) takes your breath away. I couldn't breathe for the next two stops! I didn't even have to hold onto a pole or bar, because I wasn't going anywhere anyway! I thought I was in the front row of a rock concert or something. Anyway, embarrassingly, I think my favorite experience of the day was taking the subway!

Everyone who promised to email me should maybe do that. So I don't forget who you are. I WANT TO HEAR ALL ABOUT YOUR LIVES!

SHANGHAI = WONDERFUL

Today was our first full day in Shanghai. We arrived yesterday morning after a 13-hour trip on the overnight train from Beijing. I knew before getting on the train that I would either get viciously ill from the moving train or absolutely love it. I LOVED IT. It was a clean and comfortable cot, we had an entire partition to ourselves (4 beds to a room), and I so thoroughly enjoyed being rocked to sleep that my family nearly had to drag me off the train in the morning. Of course, grandma made a new friend on the train: a guy my age who goes to school in Beijing. Depending on how things work out, perhaps we'll all hang out in Shanghai. For serious.

We were all fairly lethargic after the overnight ride so we restricted ourselves to shopping instead of sightseeing yesterday. Actually, we were mostly exhausted from braving the Shanghai train station. The new year is approaching, so a lot of people are traveling to get home to celebrate with their families. It was not only crowded and dirty, but people were actually pushing other people out of the way! I can and have handled bustling crowds before, but there were no rules in this mob! Don't worry, we made it to the hotel safely. As much as I appreciated staying with family in Beijing and experiencing a slice of life the way the locals live it, I'm practically salivating for the constant hot water at our hotel here.

Shanghai is currently experiencing the most snow the city has seen in over a decade, so most of the freeways are closed down. This has severely limited the number of places we can visit, which is slightly disappointing. On the bright side, Shanghai is shopper's paradise! I am wearing a new wool coat that is the most recent LOML (love of my life). Today, we made plans to visit a famous temple in the city. Turns out it's just a tiny temple and the main sight is really the surrounding shopping area. So we shopped more. However, on our way out we checked out some of the famous sights of Shanghai, to add to our experience of the city. I really like this place! It has a feeling and flavor very reminiscent of New York ... my mother pinpoints it as particularly more modern than Beijing. Either way, I'm glad to find a place I like in China ... I was beginning to get worried that I was becoming one of those Americans. You know. Anyway, we've sampled a good deal of the city--including its famous pork bao, which were DELICIOUS--and it's a wonderful place!

My mom and I are currently sitting in an internet cafe (called a "net bar") paying about 75 cents for an hour of Internet usage in a private room. Main room usage is less than 50 cents an hour. Pretty spiffy if you ask me. Now I have to sign off because I really have to pee and I'd rather walk across the street to our hotel than use another squatting toilet. You're welcome for the visual.

Much love!

The Forbidden City

We're leaving for the train station in about an hour to take the overnight train to Shanghai. So excited for shopping! Overall, I was underwhelmed by Beijing. I liked it but didn't love it. I'm not sure how much of that is the city and how much is the fact that I was sick. I can't get used to all the smoking indoors--restaurants are literally foggy with cigarette smoke--and spitting and littering on the streets. But it has been amazing to meet extended family and make new friends. However, it bothers me that my cousin always gets offered beer with dinner while I don't. I'm all for acting ladylike when the time calls for it, but I can enjoy a drink as thoroughly as the next guy. Don't worry, I still drink -- I just have to ask for it.

Yesterday we went to the Forbidden City. It was really cool to see and mindblowing to imagine countless emperors roaming those same stone paths. But it was really surreal and almost seemed fake. I don't know if it's because they've done so much renovation in preparation for the 2008 Olympics or if it's because so much of the history I studied was European history, but the palace just didn't seem believable. We entered through the back door so we exited through the front, right under Mao Zedong's face, into Tianamen Square. Then we went to a famous commercial area where cars aren't allowed to drive. We went into a silk store to look for a scarf to bring a friend as a souvenir. Given my superior taste, I had the task of choosing the scarf. I looked at a whole bunch and tried one on. When the lady shopping next to us saw me try one on she liked it so much that she bought it. I AM SO AMAZING.

Duh.

The Great Wall

First, a few tidbits from the trip from Taiwan to the mainland. We flew via Hong Kong, since there aren't any flights going directly between Taiwan and China. Because I was still sick, my grandma told us to get our seats assigned at the airport by a friend she had made on a previous trip through the airport. Our tickets were for row 22, which was disappointing given my grandmother's directions. Then we got on the plane and row 22 turned out to be the first row on the plane! Grandma's friend proved useful! She had another airport friend in Detroit from flying through there a few years ago ... I swear she makes friends everywhere she goes.

It took us less than 12 hours to get from my uncle's house to the Beijing airport, where we were picked up by family of our family friend (do you follow so far?). We are staying in an empty apartment owned by my grandma's cousin. Our extended family and friends in Beijing are taking very good care of us: bringing us food and bottled water, taking us out to eat, shuttling us places that are too far away or inconvenient to reach by foot or bus. It is my grandma's third time in Beijing--not including when she lived here for two years over 60 years ago because the city has changed so much since then that it doesn't count. It's great fun to watch her make her way around and lead us for a change :)

Today we went to the Great Wall! It's somehow different to experience history as it represents my ancestors. It's interesting to put everything into perspective and really think about what my heritage means. The climb was difficult, though. Considering my dad is still recovering from being sick a week earlier than me I probably shouldn't've tried for physical exertion. But I made my way all the way around the world to visit that wall and I was determined to climb to the top. And I did! You can see my elation in the photo above. (You can also see the Great Wall in the background, too.) It's not the best shot of the wall but it's a good one of me.

Final note: have you ever noticed how little kids seem smarter to you when they aren't speaking your native language? The little Asian runts sound like geniuses.

First day in Beijing

I'm here! In one piece!

The trip was slightly uncomfortable, but overall bearable. I'm feeling much better but I still have a long road of recovery ahead. That's quite the vicious bug ... I haven't been that sick in a long time.

I want to tell you all about the trip here, my first impressions of Beijing, and what I did today but my body essentially shut down after a couple of hours about the town today. I suppose you'll have to wait until at least tomorrow to read about my thrilling adventures, recounted in my wittily intelligent prose.

Miserably ill

It's Wednesday night and I'm still in Taiwan. My grandma, aunt, and cousin went ahead and my mom and I delayed our departure to China for a day.

I'm incredibly sick. Thos of you who have had this bug know that it's really tough. It's the one that my mother lovingly calls the one that infected all of Minnesota. I've spent the last two days in bed and I still feel like shit. As a result, I haven't gotten to go out and re-experience the city. I also have no appetite, which is both a good thing and a bad thing. Good because it protects against the inevitable vacation-induced overeating. Bad because I can't really enjoy food that I've been dreaming about for the last 7 1/2 years. Hopefully I'll feel at least slightly better tomorrow because I have a day of transit ahead of me.

Sorry my life has been so boring. It can only get better from here (silver lining)!

P.S. Enjoy shopping today!

Transit

I'm in Tainan, Taiwan!

After 28 hours of travel we arrived at my uncle's house in the wee hours of the morning. Surprisingly, I still fell asleep and slept until 2pm today. I started coughing today so I'm desperately hoping that I haven't come down with what my parents had since it knocked them both out of commission for a week! I am now fed and showered and happy to be using the Internet. Oh, and my mother brought the wrong power cord so we have no laptop at our disposal. My Internet usage may be significantly less than anticipated until my father arrives in February.

This post is dedicated to Daddy, who--during my phone call made immediately upon our arrival to let him know that we got here safely--asked, "Why haven't you updated your blog yet?" Well, I'll tell you why:

28 hours of straight travel. Legit. Our initial flight out of Minnesota was delayed for about an hour because it was "too cold" ... around 10 below without windchill. So all the poor workers outside were freezing. But, I mean, realistically if they were cold they should have just moved faster, you know? (JK JK!) When we arrived in Detroit we made our way directly to our connecting flight and as we were approaching the gate they were making the final boarding call and calling our names. My name has never been called in final boarding call before, so that was kind of cool! We ran onto the plane, they closed the boarding door, and I didn't get to make any phone calls like I thought I would. Then we sat on the plane while they de-iced. Whatever.

The flight to Osaka was fairly uneventful. I slept much more than anticipated--always exciting--and finished Book 2 of His Dark Materials. Most noteworthy to document about this flight was a little lesson I learned about myself. I was sleeping soundly with my eye mask on (potentially drooling, but I doubt it) when it was breakfast time. I had no idea that breakfast was going on and in my peaceful, angelic state my mom likely didn't want to wake me. However, when the flight attendant arrived at our row and asked "Eggs or Rice?" I shot awake and answered "Eggs!" before I had any idea what was going on. In conclusion, I like food.

The layover in Osaka was STUPID. I was hoping to get online at that airport, but no go. We got off the plane, went through security, and got directly back onto the same plane parked at the same gate. STUPID.

Upon my arrival in Taipei, a flight attendant saw my Brown hoodie and asked "Do you live in Providence?" Apparently he's moving there. I fly halfway around the world to get my hoodie noticed. Someone say hi to him for me, yeah? Anyway, two of our suitcases didn't make it--they wanted to see the world a bit more--and one of them is full of stuff to bring to China so we're hoping they'll get here tomorrow. After waiting for ages to talk to someone about our luggage we made our way through customs (no problems/not a drug mule) and into a car that got us to Tainan in about 3 hours. And here I am.

The shower was fun. Instead of a shower or a tub they have a drain in the bathroom floor and you just ... shower. I'd forgotten that people don't really shower here daily (for Soph: that's so dirty) and as a result go get their hair washed at the salon. It's fairly cheap, but American habits die hard so I cleaned myself today. I think our plan is to go out for a bit and perhaps get a phone card (!) but time seems to have gotten away from me and it's almost dinner time already. I haven't started missing TV yet (amazing) but I do miss you all. Especially Lucy ... can't wait until she moves in!

Much love to all!
(No sign of Typhoid yet!)

The Departure

Tomorrow I embark on my world adventure. I’ve packed fairly cute and comfortable clothes, received further vaccinations (no Typhoid, yay!), and equipped myself with a decent selection of books. I’m slightly anxious about spending so much time away from home and living out of a suitcase—and with only my family—for a month and a half. My Asia leg (not to be confused with “Asian leg” which is both of them) includes family time in Taiwan, reconnecting with my ancestral roots in China, sightseeing in Hong Kong, and sitting on my college-graduate ass in Hawaii. I’ll be back in the States for a brief blip before jetting off to Europe. You can keep track of me through this blog, although emails about your lives (in all their juicy-detail glory) will certainly be devoured. I hope you’ll find this blog to be an enthralling method for procrastination, since I will do my best to record embarrassing stories about my family and myself.

What will it be like to make seeing the world and exploring new places the focus of my life for a few months? What will I learn about myself throughout it all? How many souvenirs can I possibly pack into my suitcase? And can I really handle 30 hours of transit with my mom and grandma? … three generations is kind of intense.

Wouldn’t it be ironic if I thoroughly enjoyed living out of a suitcase and spending every moment with my family, hated all the books that were recommended to me, felt no emotion at returning to the motherland, and then died of Typhoid? Well, keep your fingers crossed.

Until I write from ASIA!,

Lizzy