21st birthday

Birthdays come once a year and it's a day to feel loved by all those exciting people in your life.  Facebook has turned birthdays into casual "HBD" posts on your wall.  It allows people to remember your birthday though.  Thanks to all my friends and family for the phone calls, texts, emails and cards. You made my day!

My present from my parents was a trip to Denver to celebrate my 21st.  The trip to my other home was incredible.  I spent 3.5 days wandering around DU and seeing friends. I have never had a homecoming quite like this. One of my favorite things in the entire world is hugs.  I LOVE hugs and some of the best hugs of my life occurred this week.

I haven't seen most of these friends in a year. We reminisced how a year ago at this time we were saying goodbyes, a little weary and nervous about all going abroad, but excited for our adventures. It does not seem like that long ago.

I got to celebrate my birthday with so many people and even though it was 40 degrees with some snow on the ground we had fun.  I got to roller blade, ride bikes, get waffle fries at Chick-Fil-A and truffle fries at Park Burger, watch the Stanley Cup Playoffs, eat red velvet cake, make chocolate chip pancakes for breakfast, go to Trader Joes and Sprouts, eat lunch at Illegal Pete's and several meals with different friends, walk around the park and spend nights out way past my usual bed time!

Friends would call or text me and I would walk around catching up with people here and there.
Catching up with friends whom I've literally traveled the country and world with was so fun.  Each one makes me proud. Proud when people from home ask what my friends are doing this summer and I say they're "interning with Merrill Lynch, hiking Switzerland, researching environmental impacts of diving in Caribbean" They're inspirational, but still 20/21 year old kids always ready to have fun.

I'm so excited to go back to DU in the fall for senior year.  Three years ago I was debating between attending Loyola Marymount University, Gonzaga University, and the University of Denver. I was so undecided and after this year I can surely so I'm incredibly happy with my decision to attend DU. The people are adventurous, kind, compassionate, intelligent and happy to be alive!

So thank you to all who made my trip fantastic. To old friends and some new ones thanks for celebrating my return to the US and my 21st birthday. Thanks for caring about me and being genuinely interested in my life. Thank you for the hugs, dancing, singing, sleepovers, rides to/from the airport and the cakes. It was definitely a birthday to remember (yes I remember my entire 21st!)

coming home

The journey home back to the US of A. The country that  I truly love the most. These past four months have been an experience and adventure that's for sure. The journey really began June 5, 2013 when good friend Mur and I set out from Denver with Boston on our minds and 6 days to get there.  That's when I really learned the importance of friendships and calling people up to stay with them. That's the trip I learned to say "yes" to new experiences. I think my favorite word this past year has been "adventure". Approaching each day as an adventure means that you're always sure to have a different experience. You approach a task with a new mindset; you embrace the good, the bad, and the ugly. When you say the word "adventure" it sounds like you're a little kid in search of gold at the end of the rainbow.  It just has a positive ring to it.  I'm home now and hope to keep saying "adventure" on a daily basis.

No one will ever truly know what you have experienced unless they are there with you. I've already had people ask "you slept in hostels? were they dirty and gross?" and "you spent nights at an airport?" and "you traveled alone?". Well yes I did and I loved my adventures.  One day when I'm older maybe I won't be sleeping on trains or in airports or staying in hostels, but for now I'm content with my sleeping accommodations.

Mur and I at the CNN tower in Toronto, CAN

Another common comment-"you must've met a lot of really cool people". Oh if only I could successfully convey all the amazing people I've met and give glimpses of their lives. We all learn not to talk to strangers, but I tend to make some exceptions to that rule while still following my instinct. If I wouldn't have talked to strangers then I wouldn't have left my room.

Another common question-"so did you actually go to school or what'd you did the past 9 months?"  Yes. I really promise, but pictures from school just aren't as cool as pictures from the Eiffel tower or on top of a volcano. I earned 49.5 credits to be transferred back to DU. I did have homework (maybe 80 hours in total including studying for finals). I earned A's and B+'s.  I learned some in the classroom and actually enjoyed studying philosophy and the Italian language, but I learned a whole lot more in my larger classroom....the world.

One major thing I've learned is our dependence on one another. We depend on the bagger at the grocery store and the mail man to bring us our mail. We depend on our friends to listen and laugh with us. We depend on our family to love us. We depend on the taxi driver, pilot, conductor to take us to our destination safely.  And because we depend on one another we should help each other out. Someone once asked me how I try and live my life and I said that I try to treat others how I wish to be treated. If I needed help with directions I'd hope I could ask someone and they'd try to help because I would do the same for someone else. Let me get this point across-YOU ARE NEVER TOO BUSY TO HELP SOMEONE IN NEED.  If the 15 people in Munich hadn't helped us we wouldn't have Angie's phone, if people on the bus and in the streets in Salerno wouldn't have directed us to the train station we would've been out $70 and missed our train. If the workers at the Patagonia store in Prague hadn't taken out a map to help me to get my hostel I would've continued walking in the opposite direction.  I've really realized how much we need one another and I'm not afraid to ask for help-for someone to give directions, let me borrow their phone, or take a picture for me.

Chile core 

I hope this is not the end of my time abroad. I hope that I have to opportunity to work or study abroad again because talking to strangers and becoming friends is one of my favorite things.  After reading my blog you might never want to travel with me, but if you're up for an adventure and flying by the seat or your pants then I invite you to come along!

Things I learned: 

-I like eggplant, avocado, chorizo, schoopwaffle and zucchini 

-it is possible to fall asleep with headphones in your ears and country music playing

-most strangers don't want to hurt you 

-it's possible to run through large crowds, dog pooped streets and taxi jams

-if you miss a train/bus, there's always a next one

-16 hour bus rides aren't as bad as they sound

-sometimes people don't love Americans, but most of the time they do and it's okay to be proud to be an American (plus owning being American is better than trying to conceal it)

-most dogs don't want to attack you

Julie and I in Prague

Things I'll remember from my travels:

-love, happiness, and kindness are universal

-everyone laughs in the same language

-NOTHING will go exactly as planned

-facebook can be the best address book ever (or provide one time waiters a way to ask you on a date)

-maps are not as popular as they once were, but there are lots of free map apps on smartphones

-your friends and family will be there when you get home, you don't need to spend all day snapchatting, facebooking, texting, instagraming or twittering to stay up date date

-but technology can make you feel so connected and happy and that is perfectly OKAY

-breathe right strips are key to a good night sleep if you're stuffy

-I'm pretty good at interpreting handsignals  

-sometimes non-Americans have really insightful opinions about America

-when a group of you are trying to figure out what a native is saying, you can't all pretend to understand

-we might have to pay a lot for health care in America, but it is pretty nice

-people love having their picture taken and sharing their stories

My little brother has always loved the motto "whether you think you can or you think you can't you're right" and there have been many instances where it was crucial to think that I could.  Like the time I tried escargot, or sprinted to catch a train in Switzerland.  Your mind really wants to help your body succeed to what you've set out to do.

My Favorites/the best In Europe:

-big city: Amsterdam

-small city: Bruges, Belgium or Bled, Slovenia

-airport: Schipol, Amsterdam and Vaclav Havel, Prague

-train station: Antwerp Central

-pizza: Gusta Pizza in Florence

-pasta: prosciutto and cheese tortillini with truffles at ZaZas in Florence

-train ride: from Zermatt to Lucerne Switzerland

-car ride-from Lake Garda to Cinque Terre Italy

-stranger turned friend: Mario, met in Budapest

-hostel: 5 Terre Backpacks in Corvara, Italy and Castle Hostel Bled, Slovenia

-church: Basilica of San Francesco in Assisi, Italy

-gelato: caramelized pear flavor at Garden Tea Room in Florence

-nicest people: the French

-best food: Hungary, Amsterdam and Krakow

-best metro system: Paris

-most walkable city: Prague

-oldest city: Agrigento, Sicily 

-best brownie: Coffe Heaven Krakow 

-non-European food: Nam Nam Thai in Munich

-ski resort: Mont Blonc Chamonix, France

-museum: Anne Frank Amsterdam, Netherlands

-coastal town: Portofino, Italy

Kelly, Jen, Meghan and me at the dunes

embrace life

Brittney wrote me a letter last year before I left and said "You have more faith than anyone I know-not just in God but in life. This experience is going to reinforce your faith in life." It's safe to say the past year has definitely reinforced my faith in life and I'm forever happy and grateful.

So thank you from my whole heart. To Emily, Constantine, Max, Sascha, Leah, Alex, Sam, Clayton, and Matt for housing me at some point this past year.  To the countless new friends I have for experiencing life and adventures with me. To my friends from the states who provided stability, support and love from abroad. And to my family for supporting this journey and never getting too mad even if I traveled alone.

Hannah and I in Patagonia, Chile

casual selfies with Rob at Machu Picchu