Come for the green, stay for the craic: 2013

Ok. I'm SO sorry for not getting the longest post ever (aka my epic 2 week tour around Europe) out......

Fast forward 2 years later and I STILL haven't done that post. But today, in honor of it being the two year anniversary of me leaving for Ireland, I'm going to do a "best of" post and stroll down memory lane a bit :) I'm not quite sure how to go about this since there is so much that I loved, so forgive me if this is somewhat jumbled and long!

First I guess I have to start with how I don't think I'll ever forget the night before I left. Knowing that in less than 24 hours I was going to be boarding a plane that would take me roughly 3,500 miles away where I'd be for 6 months? Yeah, that was terrifying. Saying goodbye to my family was hard, especially saying goodbye to my dog and two cats. But I managed to walk away from them and got on the plane. And let me tell you, landing in London after not sleeping for close to 24 hours? That was an experience and a half.

To this day I still want to find that kid that was throwing cheerios at me. I still want to kick him. Stupid child throwing cereal at a sleeping person....

But it was all worth it when I finally got to Ireland. Now this time has already been documented in a past post, so I'll skip it, mostly due the fact that I don't really remember a whole lot of it due to lack of sleep for 2 days.

Roommate time!

Let me just say, I STILL miss our weekly viewing of Jersey Shore. That show is awful without all our commentary and Paige's singing. I wouldn't have traded you guys for anything :)

Kelly- Our resident Betty Crocker. You were the first of the roommates that I met and you were so nice helping me figure out how to use the shower and settle in! For some reason the talk we had walking to your friends' house for dinner has stuck with me to this day. Sometimes I'll read the card you gave me right before you left and smile because that talk helped me with a lot of things, even if you didn't know it :)

Michelle- Because of you and your drink mixing, I will never be able to drink green apple vodka ever again. Haha But you always had the most ridiculously amazing stories and the worst luck with the dryers actually drying your clothes. Walking into the kitchen the first time that happened and seeing your clothes hanging everywhere? Priceless.

Paige- You were always a great voice of reason which we all needed sometimes. For some reason I've never forgotten the time when we were studying for our Celtic Mythology class in the library and I told you how to bold letters in facebook chat. And when we went exploring and found the rugby field that was near where we lived despite it being super windy outside. Also thinking of roof/ruff never fails to make me laugh ;)

The roommate Valentines Day Cake!

A few honorable mentions...

Matt and Korali- you two were awesome people to have with me. Being in the same program as you made things so much easier and more fun. Our times during the "excursions" we had are some of my favorite.

Coleman- where to even begin talking about Uncle Coley. Having you as our go to man was awesome. You made me feel so much more at ease about arriving in a new country all alone. There were times I don't know what I would have done without you.

The rest of the Galway girls- you guys made being in Ireland. So many great nights, so many awesome stories I'll be telling for the rest of my life. Ya'll are awesome and I wouldn't have traded you for anything.

Now on to the actual places!

Ireland- Ireland had a certain magically beauty to it that no other country was able to match. But of course I'm going to say Galway! By US standards it was a small town, but the to Ireland it was a large city, which made it a bustling place that brought so many different kinds of people there. Plus Galway had a great Celtic culture background that really made living there perfect. I think my favorite thing about Galway would be Galway Bay. Being able to grab lunch and eat it by the bay while reading a book was one of my favorite things to do. Sitting there had a calming effect that I've never really been able to recreate. There are still times when I wish I could go get fish and chips and sit by the water. Galway is known as one of the "cultural" epicenters of Ireland, which meant there was so much to learn! All the signs were in both English and Gaelic, classes were offered in both languages, and there was almost always busquers on the streets playing all types of music. There was such a charm to Galway that I've yet to see or find anywhere else. OH I also have to mention the Cliffs of Moher. They're slightly more touristy, but there was something about looking out and seeing how huge those cliffs are. And on the way home, our bus driver stopped and some of the smaller cliffs where you are allowed free range to roam...I'll never forget seeing the sunset while sitting there. That plus going to the Aran Islands with the Interstudy kids and the cliffs there, sitting off the edge of them was one of the most amazing, yet dangerous, things I've ever been able to do.

Scotland- The 6 am plane ride exhaustion was totally worth it for Scotland! I went with Kerry, a girl from my program, and we met up with some of the other Interstudy kids which was such great fun! We walked around the Royal Mile, went to Edinburgh Castle, and saw the Elephant House (though we have it on good authority from our hostel manager that Rowling really wrote at a noodle shop that is now closed). One thing I'll never forget is the 12 hour long bus tour that Kerry and I took. I mean, in theory it's awesome because you get to go see all these amazing things all in one day. It's the 12 hour part that's a little bit hard to handle. At the beginning we were all excited because of the itinerary, but come the 8th, 9th, 10th hour all we really wanted to do was get off the bus. Not to say we didn't. There were stops along the way where we could get out and explore, but still. And some of the best ice cream I'd ever had was from a little local store by Loch Ness. And yes, we made a point of counting the number of kilts that we saw. Safe to say Scotland lived up to it's name on that one!

London- Right off the bat, my first thought is riding the London Eye at night. Seeing the city lit up was surprisingly beautiful and has always stuck with me. But there wer so many things about London that I loved! While my friends and I were walking around, we came upon 2 police officers who we ending talking about Europen vs American beer. Yet another strange conversation that I'll never forget! Also accidentally climbing up the never ending staircase from the underground to the street (seriously it's like a landmark for being the most consecutive stairs in London). The Tower of London, Buckingham Palace, AND we saw a real black swan! Which I realize is not that amazing, but none of us had ever seen one before and with the movie and all...we were just excited.

Bernadette and her wonderful mother!

Germany- I went to visit my friend Bernadette and her family for a weekend. First of all, for someone who is such an animal person, having to leave behind my dog and cats was super hard. So when I found out that not only was I going to see my friend but that she had a cat too? I was pumped. But in all seriousness Bernadette and her family were so amazing and welcomed me into their beautiful home. Staying in someone's actual home made it seem very odd that I was actually in a different country since so many things seemed exactly like Cincinnati. It was quite strange in a good way! Bernadette, her wonderful mother, and I went on a day trip around the area and saw King Ludwig II's unfinished castle, Herrenchiemsee. Which I thought was beautiful even though it wasn't completed. Actually, the fact that it wasn't finished made it more interesting since you could see the planning and stages the building went through! Overall, my weekend at Bernadette's house was so much fun and a great break from the touristy feel you can often have traveling.

Epic tour of Europe time

First of all, let me just say that on this trip I was a freaking magnet for riots and protests. Seriously, in pretty much every city we ran into, we were somehow part of, or witnessed one. It was ridiculous and hilarious and slightly unnerving. Overall, there were so many things about this trip that I loved. Getting to go around Europe with my sister was such great fun, and reminded me that Holly and I can indeed get along for long periods of time.

Amsterdam- Most people would probably expect me to say the Red Light District, but after getting slightly lost there, let’s just say I don’t really remember what my favorite thing was. Though I do remember the train station being pretty cool. We took a side trip at the recommendation of our dad to a place called Madurodam. It's basically a place that has the Netherlands at a miniature scale. It was epic. Epically tiny.

Brussels- Oh Brussels, I think this city brought the weirdest experience Holly and I had. That being this odd couple that we sat next to during a dinner who had brought their desperately in need of a bath dog (that description coming from a huge animal lover who works with animals…). Looking back on it, all three of them were desperately in need of a bath. The man kept trying to make conversation with us in some form of broken English, and at first we humored him. But his wife being our “translator” obviously wasn’t working, making the whole experience both humorous and slightly disgusting. Now a positive memory was walking around Brussels at night finding all the sculptures and fountains that I thought were the hidden gems of the city. The square was beautiful at night and getting to see the city in a different light, if you will, was pretty great.

Paris- I fell in LOVE with Paris. Something about that city just made me not want to leave. The architecture, the people, the food, the sights, just everything was so amazing. I honestly am not sure I could even narrow down my top 10 favorite things for Paris. But some that stick out are walking through the catacombs (kind of unnerving, but beautiful in its own way), Notre Dame (I was very disappointed the gargoyles didn't move), the Louvre, and the Eiffel Tower lighting up at night. Paris was also the city of stairs. Good god. Holly and I joked that we were going to have the thighs of Gods by the time we left, but dear lord they just never seemed to end! The one day I tried to count the number of stairs, I lost count at midday around 850. Also, remember when I said I attracted riots? Well on the day Holly and I went to visit the Louvre, there was one large enough to shut down the metro stops surrounding the museum. Problem being neither of us knew that due to the fact we don't know French. So it pretty much happened like this:

We pass the train stop...
Me:Um wasn't that the stop for the Louvre?
Holly:Uhhhh yeahhhhh. Let's try getting on going the other way and see if that works.
(We do exactly that and pass it yet again)
Me: Uhhh wasn't that the stop again?
Holly: Uhhh yeahh...Wanna go for a walk?
And so we departed the train and proceeded to pass the riot on our nice jaunt to the Louvre. Not to forget when we left the building, the 3 closest stops had now been closed. Though we did met a nice Australian couple who we walked from stop to stop with.
All of that being said, Paris was magical in all the best ways. I can’t wait for the day when I get to go back.

Idar Oberstein- For those who don’t already know why Holly and I went to a seemingly obsolete city in Germany, Idar Oberstein was the city my parents lived in when my dad was stationed in Germany while in the Army. We kept our visit there a surprise for my parents, only telling them we were there after getting to our hotel. Which on that note, one of the most awkward moments on our trip happened while getting to the hotel. Between the two of us, we had 2 backpacks and a small wheeled suitcase to last us the 15 days of our trip. Now imagine us loudly wheeling that stupid thing down a cobblestone street in a small town that is not used to tourists. I couldn't help but hum “one of these things just doesn't belong here…” while getting the stares of the locals. But my favorite thing in Idar Oberstein was finding my parent’s old house. Holly is very analytical whereas I’m very visual, so between the two of us we were able to find their house using 2 areal pictures of their neighborhood. When we finally found it, the older woman who lived with her son remembered my parents and we got to hear a few stories about them when the lived there. It was unbelievable that she remembered exactly who our parents were and seemed so excited to meet their children. It was super interesting to see a place that Holly and I could have potentially grown up in.

Parents' old house in Germany

Munich- Many people may think that my love of WWII is morbid, but I find that the main attraction for me is the stories that are left behind. Some are of hope, some of despair, but they all speak of humanity and their actions, which is what is so fascinating to me. Visiting the Dachau Memorial was possibly one of the most humbling things I've ever experienced. The atmosphere of the area was somber, but held a grain of hope that I think the survivors who helped design the memorial wanted visitors to feel. I won’t go into more detail, but being in that place made me realize how precious life is and that no matter what, people will rise up and fight.

Salzburg- I was in Salzburg twice actually. Once visiting a friend who was studying there, and another with my sister. My most memorable moment here was a tour Holly and I took of the Salzburg country side. We got to see some of the filming places from The Sound of Music, and see some of the most beautiful lakes I've ever seen in my entire life.

You thought I was kidding didn't yo

Florence- Both Holly and I were slightly sick while we were here, but the one thing I do remember from my sickly haze was the Gardens of Boboli. First of all, anyone who knows my sister knows that she is a cat magnet. So while in the gardens, I kid you not, 6 cats came up to her. One even went so far as to try to climb up her leg. But anyway, in the gardens, you could walk up to the highest point in Florence where they had a beautiful rose garden. And roses being my favorite flower….I was a happy girl.

Rome- Rome was not at all what I expected. In my mind, I had thought of how Rome was in the movies, but we got there and saw how industrial it was. Though in saying that, it was odd to be walking down a busy road and see old ruins sitting on the side of the road. But by far my favorite thing in Rome was the coliseum. I've always loved Roman history and getting to learn about the grand structure was so cool. Actually getting to walk around there? So amazing. Honorable mentions of Rome are for sure the Vatican and the Sistine Chapel, and the Trevi fountain.

Madrid- Three words. Twin baby pandas. I've loved them my whole life and getting to see 6 month old baby pandas was adorable. All they did was sleep and try to climb up their tree, but I sat there for a good 40 minutes just staring because there were real live baby pandas RIGHT in front of me. Also in Madrid it was super awesome to be able to use my Spanglish skills. I can read more Spanish than I can speak, but being able to use those 3 years of Spanish classes made me feel pretty damn smart.

To conclude this MASSIVE favorite's post, I'd like to say that there are a million and a half fabulous things and stories that I've left out. Studying abroad is literally the best decision I've ever made in my entire life and I know that the things I learned and the memories I have are precious. There were so many moments were I just had to take a step back and realize that yes, this was indeed happening and I was visiting things I'd only dreamed about.

And now for a montage of some of my favorite pictures from all over Europe!