Today is my last day in Europe, as tomorrow is a traveling day and will be spent on planes and in the airport! I can't believe my semester has come to an end...but I am so excited to go home, and I know that everything I didn't get to see or do is a reason to come back real soon!
Yesterday, my friend Katie and I took the train up north to Oban, Scotland and went on a wildlife charter cruise. We were in search of dolphins and porpoises, but none wanted to be spotted, but we did see lots of seals, birds, a salmon farm, and lots of sheep and cows among the hills of the Isles. It was so pretty, and the drizzly rain held off until the very last part of our cruise. We were the only two for the tour! We were very lucky that they still took us out as usually there is a minimum number of people per boat. However, the couple was so nice to us giving us hot chocolate and biscuits (shortbread..aka cookies), and they were full of good information about the Isle of Kerrera and the city of Oban. It was a very relaxing and fun two hour tour! So glad we got it in before my week ends....and so glad that Katie wanted to come with! Always great to travel with friends!
Today I am doing my final packing, getting rid of a few things that have just been worn over and over again and have seen better days. Tonight for dinner I am headed to Katie's host family for dinner. It will be a wonderful homecooked last meal over here, yum! Then tonight I am staying up all night so I will be tired for the flight tomorrow and will hopefully be able to sleep! This way I can attempt to prevent jetlag and be able to stay up to watch the Twins tomorrow night!!!
Can't wait to see my family at the airport and of course sleep in my own bed!!!!!! See all of you who have been keeping in contact with me soon hopefully! I have had a wonderful semester and I am so glad I could share part of my experience through this blog. When (not if...) I return to Europe...this blog shall be put back in service!
Thanks for following along, see everyone soon! Home here I come! :)
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Saturday, April 25, 2009
The week continues!
Time has flown since Tuesday already, I have got souvenir shopping done, had a wonderful meal of fish and chips at the local Blacksmith's restaurant, went to Karaoke at the Pub last night, and have just been enjoying spending time with Katie! :)
Tonight is a girls movie night, we'll be watching Devil Wears Prada and having fresh fruit salad and microwave dinners. Of course, laughing, and having fun! Who knows how late we may stay up talking or our movie selection just may turn into a marathon all night long!
I am indeed super excited to come home in only 6 days! I had a great conversation with Mom today and it was so cute to be able to say, see ya Friday, so excited! Of course I am enjoying my last days here in Dalkeith and in Europe in general, but the thought of coming home is very comforting.
Trying to upload pictures as I write these, but just to paint you a picture beforehand, I went on a one day tour of Loch Ness and the Highlands Thursday. SO MUCH FUN! It was absolutely gorgeous up there, and although it was rainy here in town, by the time we got up north it was sunny and blue sky came into view! I searched and searched for Nessie, but didn't see the Loch Ness Monster. Bummer! However, it is a big Loch so I will just have to return and search more another time. Can't wait to see the documentaries on tv now and say I've been there! It was a very exciting day and by the end of it I was exhausted! 350 miles total we rode in a bus!
Tomorrow brings a little more shopping in Edinburgh, then just relaxing at the house, then Monday Katie has class and I'll be sleeping in, then going on walks, and getting some reading done! Super chill week before I head home. :0
Write more later...almost home. 6 days!
Tonight is a girls movie night, we'll be watching Devil Wears Prada and having fresh fruit salad and microwave dinners. Of course, laughing, and having fun! Who knows how late we may stay up talking or our movie selection just may turn into a marathon all night long!
I am indeed super excited to come home in only 6 days! I had a great conversation with Mom today and it was so cute to be able to say, see ya Friday, so excited! Of course I am enjoying my last days here in Dalkeith and in Europe in general, but the thought of coming home is very comforting.
Trying to upload pictures as I write these, but just to paint you a picture beforehand, I went on a one day tour of Loch Ness and the Highlands Thursday. SO MUCH FUN! It was absolutely gorgeous up there, and although it was rainy here in town, by the time we got up north it was sunny and blue sky came into view! I searched and searched for Nessie, but didn't see the Loch Ness Monster. Bummer! However, it is a big Loch so I will just have to return and search more another time. Can't wait to see the documentaries on tv now and say I've been there! It was a very exciting day and by the end of it I was exhausted! 350 miles total we rode in a bus!
Tomorrow brings a little more shopping in Edinburgh, then just relaxing at the house, then Monday Katie has class and I'll be sleeping in, then going on walks, and getting some reading done! Super chill week before I head home. :0
Write more later...almost home. 6 days!
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
A Day at Dalkeith
I have been able to sit in on some of the classes here at Dalkeith with Katie, and boy is it sure different than the flexibility that I am used to on my program, the ITC. But it has occupied some of my time, and it is nice to see what the WIS program is like to compare it to mine!
Besides sitting in on class yesterday and today, I have been getting up like the earliest ever on this trip for breakfast here (gotta take a free meal when it's available!) which is at 7:30am. :) Yesterday the weather was so nice, Katie and I did a little shopping in Dalkeith and then laid outside with her roommate, Lauren, for awhile because it was so nice out! Then last night I went for a walk around the Dalkeith Property which is so beautiful. There are the hairy cows and sheep grazing in the back fields, so pretty to be able to walk past with the rolling hills and gorgeous scenery in the background.
Tonight the agenda holds going to Edinburgh for dinner, maybe a little shopping, then watching a movie tonight and also going on a walk! Sounds good to me.
Oh, pictures haven't been working for me to post...bummer. I'll try another time, otherwise when I get home (which is shortly!) I will put a few up of the highlights from the second half of my trip!
Take care everyone
Besides sitting in on class yesterday and today, I have been getting up like the earliest ever on this trip for breakfast here (gotta take a free meal when it's available!) which is at 7:30am. :) Yesterday the weather was so nice, Katie and I did a little shopping in Dalkeith and then laid outside with her roommate, Lauren, for awhile because it was so nice out! Then last night I went for a walk around the Dalkeith Property which is so beautiful. There are the hairy cows and sheep grazing in the back fields, so pretty to be able to walk past with the rolling hills and gorgeous scenery in the background.
Tonight the agenda holds going to Edinburgh for dinner, maybe a little shopping, then watching a movie tonight and also going on a walk! Sounds good to me.
Oh, pictures haven't been working for me to post...bummer. I'll try another time, otherwise when I get home (which is shortly!) I will put a few up of the highlights from the second half of my trip!
Take care everyone
Monday, April 20, 2009
Summer Vacation
Man, did time ever fly! I haven't even said a word about Prague and here I am in Scotland already with less than two weeks until I leave to go back home. Summer vacation has started for me!
Just briefly, Prague was very beautiful. We had gorgeous weather of sun and 70s every day except the very last day we were there. We went on two tours of the city, got to experience Easter in Praha and just hang out one last time with everyone before we all went our separate ways for our last two weeks of independent study. My final exam, papers, and map quiz all went well (of course I don't know for sure yet...), but it was a very nice semester, I mean I was in Europe after all. :)
Now I am in Dalkeith, Scotland staying with my friend Katie who is studying abroad here at the Dalkeith Palace with the Wisconsin in Scotland program. I will be here for the full two weeks before I fly from Edinburgh to London on May 1 to meet up with the group. So far I have been here for one full day and it has already been a busy one! Katie's host family here let me come along with their day of adventures they had planned. First, we went to the the Antonine Wall, then Stirling Castle, ate lunch at Legends Coffee House which is where the National William Wallace Monument is - which we climbed all 246 stairs to the top to get a panoramic view of the town and countryside. After all this business, we went back to their home and dinner was prepared for us and dessert! Her host family, Rachel and Micheal, is the sweetest couple ever and so welcoming, I plan to eat dinner with them again next Wednesday. :)
I plan to do lots of reading, relaxing, and getting some pictures uploaded so I don't have to do all that back home right away. It's nice to be back in a place where a lot of things are familiar. I know what bus to take and now where to shop, eat, etc. Now if only the pound wasn't at the exchange rate of 1.56 everything would be perfect!
Countdown to home begins....but Scotland is nice for now. :) Write more later....
Just briefly, Prague was very beautiful. We had gorgeous weather of sun and 70s every day except the very last day we were there. We went on two tours of the city, got to experience Easter in Praha and just hang out one last time with everyone before we all went our separate ways for our last two weeks of independent study. My final exam, papers, and map quiz all went well (of course I don't know for sure yet...), but it was a very nice semester, I mean I was in Europe after all. :)
Now I am in Dalkeith, Scotland staying with my friend Katie who is studying abroad here at the Dalkeith Palace with the Wisconsin in Scotland program. I will be here for the full two weeks before I fly from Edinburgh to London on May 1 to meet up with the group. So far I have been here for one full day and it has already been a busy one! Katie's host family here let me come along with their day of adventures they had planned. First, we went to the the Antonine Wall, then Stirling Castle, ate lunch at Legends Coffee House which is where the National William Wallace Monument is - which we climbed all 246 stairs to the top to get a panoramic view of the town and countryside. After all this business, we went back to their home and dinner was prepared for us and dessert! Her host family, Rachel and Micheal, is the sweetest couple ever and so welcoming, I plan to eat dinner with them again next Wednesday. :)
I plan to do lots of reading, relaxing, and getting some pictures uploaded so I don't have to do all that back home right away. It's nice to be back in a place where a lot of things are familiar. I know what bus to take and now where to shop, eat, etc. Now if only the pound wasn't at the exchange rate of 1.56 everything would be perfect!
Countdown to home begins....but Scotland is nice for now. :) Write more later....
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Berlin
The overnight train here to Berlin wasn't that bad. In fact it was fun! 6 of us with all our bags and more bags crammed into a tiny room where we can only lie down in our beds! I did get some sleep though and we woke to a breakfast of tea and bread with butter and jam.
Found our hostel, staying at the Wombat's - a very clean place (we stayed in a Wombat's in Vienna with class). It is a fun place and worked out nicely that we all have a room together.
With only being in Berlin for two days it is so hard to fit everything in that there is to do. I didn't know a whole lot before coming here, which has proved to be amazingly rewarding based on past experiences, and now I just don't want to leave!
We went on a free walking tour of the city right away which took a good portion of the day, after seeing a ton of awesome sights and learning about the city, we ate dinner at the restaurant where we are staying, which has really good and decent priced food! I had a cheeseburger last night and a chicken sandwich tonight with some delicious rosemary fresh chips and sourcream and chive dipping sauce.
Seeing the Berlin wall, Hitler's bunker, the Holocaust memorial, Checkpoint Charlie, and the sights and sounds of the city has been so intriguing! I have learned so much from being here for such a short period of time.
Today, all six of us went to the zoo along with one other person we met from Australia who is staying at the same hostel as us. He was able to tell us a little bit more information about kangaroos than we knew when we saw them there! It was funny! Highlights from the Berlin Zoo include: the huge hippopotamus exhibit and the baby hippos, watching the feeding of the sea lions and getting splashed with fish water, a baby elephant, kangaroos, and the ice cream bar that Mandy and I both got! So much fun, well worth the visit there!
I have gotten a few postcards here that will be perfect to frame and hang as artwork when I get back home. And get this, I even got a postcard picture of myself while being here! There was this cool machine that for 5 euros you get 3 postcards, so Michelle, Liz, and I took a picture together and turned it into a postcard and there are even Berlin landmarks all around it, it is really neat!
I hate to leave tommorrow, but am excited for what Prague has in store to see!
Found our hostel, staying at the Wombat's - a very clean place (we stayed in a Wombat's in Vienna with class). It is a fun place and worked out nicely that we all have a room together.
With only being in Berlin for two days it is so hard to fit everything in that there is to do. I didn't know a whole lot before coming here, which has proved to be amazingly rewarding based on past experiences, and now I just don't want to leave!
We went on a free walking tour of the city right away which took a good portion of the day, after seeing a ton of awesome sights and learning about the city, we ate dinner at the restaurant where we are staying, which has really good and decent priced food! I had a cheeseburger last night and a chicken sandwich tonight with some delicious rosemary fresh chips and sourcream and chive dipping sauce.
Seeing the Berlin wall, Hitler's bunker, the Holocaust memorial, Checkpoint Charlie, and the sights and sounds of the city has been so intriguing! I have learned so much from being here for such a short period of time.
Today, all six of us went to the zoo along with one other person we met from Australia who is staying at the same hostel as us. He was able to tell us a little bit more information about kangaroos than we knew when we saw them there! It was funny! Highlights from the Berlin Zoo include: the huge hippopotamus exhibit and the baby hippos, watching the feeding of the sea lions and getting splashed with fish water, a baby elephant, kangaroos, and the ice cream bar that Mandy and I both got! So much fun, well worth the visit there!
I have gotten a few postcards here that will be perfect to frame and hang as artwork when I get back home. And get this, I even got a postcard picture of myself while being here! There was this cool machine that for 5 euros you get 3 postcards, so Michelle, Liz, and I took a picture together and turned it into a postcard and there are even Berlin landmarks all around it, it is really neat!
I hate to leave tommorrow, but am excited for what Prague has in store to see!
Monday, April 6, 2009
12 days of my semester left
I never thought time could go so quickly. One day I am leaving to go to London and be in Europe for 3 months, and then all of the sudden I have 12 days of my semester left until I am on my own for two weeks. Then on May 1st I will be back home! Crazy!
Vienna has treated us very well with beautiful weather! Walking down the main shopping street, Mariahilfer Strasse, there are countless ice cream shops, and everynight after dinner we have treated ourselves well! I've tried Caffe, Schokolade, Kiwi, Strawberry, Banana, Passionfruit, Vanilla, Bisconttino, Mars, Mango, Pistacio, Orange Chocolate, Yogurt...you get the picture I have tried a lot in the past 10 days! Delicious, all of them! :)
Off to Berlin on a night train tonight with 5 others, we will be staying in a hostel for 2 nights and then will be headed to Prague for class. Then on April 18th I am done for the semester with class and start my independent travel time. From now to then though I have a couple of papers to write, and psychology reading to do, and all the capitals and countries to know of Europe for our final map quiz.
The time has flown by...everyday is so much fun and always a new experience.
I register for classes tomorrow for Fall Semester 2009, very exciting! I have had my classes picked out for a few weeks now.
Write more once in Prague!
Vienna has treated us very well with beautiful weather! Walking down the main shopping street, Mariahilfer Strasse, there are countless ice cream shops, and everynight after dinner we have treated ourselves well! I've tried Caffe, Schokolade, Kiwi, Strawberry, Banana, Passionfruit, Vanilla, Bisconttino, Mars, Mango, Pistacio, Orange Chocolate, Yogurt...you get the picture I have tried a lot in the past 10 days! Delicious, all of them! :)
Off to Berlin on a night train tonight with 5 others, we will be staying in a hostel for 2 nights and then will be headed to Prague for class. Then on April 18th I am done for the semester with class and start my independent travel time. From now to then though I have a couple of papers to write, and psychology reading to do, and all the capitals and countries to know of Europe for our final map quiz.
The time has flown by...everyday is so much fun and always a new experience.
I register for classes tomorrow for Fall Semester 2009, very exciting! I have had my classes picked out for a few weeks now.
Write more once in Prague!
Friday, April 3, 2009
Vienna!
I will write more later of course, but just briefly I have been surprised by my best friend Katie who is studying in Dalkeith, Scotland for the semester! She came to visit me for the weekend while I am in Vienna. I am so excited. Vienna is a lovely city and the weather has been very decent these past few days. I have had off of class and have enjoyed sleeping in and even went to the Zoo. So fun!
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Bad Ischl
The small town of Bad Ischl was very relaxing! There was a group of 15 of us that stayed in apartments of 4 people each and we just had a blast hanging out, watching movies, making our own meals in the kitchen, and enjoying the lovely views of the Alps right outside our window. We even got a private tour of Kaiservilla, the famous Habsburg's home. Our tour was given by the great grandson of Franz Josef and currently holds the title of Archduke. It was very neat and historic to get such a great opportunity to be there! He stills lives in the house too, it is just seperate from the museum area, and every now and then he would leave for a couple minutes to run to his place then come back and tell us more information. What a hoot it was!
More on Vienna to come...
More on Vienna to come...
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
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