Oh, you've got to have friends...

"A good friend is a connection to life - a tie to the past, a road to the future, the key to sanity in a totally insane world."

I've always realized how lucky I am to be blessed with the best friends a girl could ask for, but being abroad has made me appreciate them so much more. Even with an ocean between us, they can brighten up my day.

Last week, two of the girls in my sorority sent me letters, filled with all those little things that I just love to hear & put a whole bunch of random Moscow things inside. It made me feel so loved & reminded me that while I may no longer live in Moscow, I still have 90 girls there who love me & think about me. It's so hard to explain a sorority in France, because there is nothing similar. And since Alpha Gamma Delta meant the world to me during college, it's even more difficult. I miss you girls everyday & am so blessed to have you in my life.

I know it's not easy to keep in touch - the time difference here is ridiculous, and makes it necessary to plan things like phone dates & skype dates at awkward times. & yet, people have taken the time to make it work. My sismom & siskid have been very consistent with their video chats & I love seeing their faces & hearing about their lives. Every single time I get off the phone with someone I can't stop smiling!

I've gotten a constant stream of letters, a few care packages (thank you times ten million seven Tayler & Esme), and lots of facebook messages to remind me that some friendships aren't meant to end.

& some friendships are meant to start. I have met some great people here, & regardless of what language we communicate in, or how different our cultures are, we are there for each other. Next year, I am going to go to Brazil for Larissa & Marianna's graduation, because after spending all this time traveling together, how could we not be friends?

Regional Exploration (part II)

"What gives value to travel is fear. It is the fact that, at a certain moment, when we are so far from our own country we are seized by a vague fear, and an instinctive desire to go back to the protection of old habits. This is the most obvious benefit of travel. At that moment we are feverish but also porous, so that the slightest touch makes us quiver to the depths of our being. We come across a cascade of light, and there is eternity. This is why we should not say that we travel for pleasure."

Right afer Sam left, my friend Esme flew over from Idaho to spend a week here. & so my second round of regional adventures began!

We spent a few days exploring here - my roomate Hayley even took a day off to hang out with us in Grenoble. That was really fun because I'd never really explored there & with our conflicting schedules, we don't see much of each other. Plus, we saw Nine, which I've wanted to see since Christmas Break. I wasn't disappointed, although I really don't think I could be disappointed with a muscial movie. Give me singing & dancing any day & I'll be happy. We also went skiing (though it's the end of the season, & it wasn't as great as it has been), went to Annecy, & explored Chambery.

However, we did do something very exciting on the trip that has led to my new obsession: Couchsurfing! Whoever invented the concept is pretty much a genius. It's a social networking site similar to Facebook where you can create a profile and search for people who are opening up their homes for you to stay for FREE on your travels. Not only is it much cheaper than staying somewhere like a hostel, but it is better because you have people who know the region to show you around and help you get where you want to go. Plus, you get to meet great new people from all over the world.

Granted, there is definitely a fear aspect here. I was so scared there would be someone who would take advantage of a 20-something girl, which is why I decided the perfect time to try it would be when Esme was here - that way there would be two of us! So, we went to Geneva to try Couchsurfing for the first time. It was great! Our host, Dan, was really easy to talk to! He cooked us dinner & breakfast & then spent the day with us showing us around Geneva. Some brief highlights: the flower clock, the UN, the Red Cross Museum, Cathedrale de St. Pierre, & Lake Geneva. There's lots more pics on Facebook if you're interested.

Later on in the week, we couchsurfed again, this time in Lyon, for 2 nights. We were hosted by the cutest American-Czech couple. I loved them! They made us two delicious French meals & on Saturday morning they took us to their favorite local cafe & then to Saturday market. I hope that we stay in touch, because I loved spending time with them & learning from them. They both know so much about Lyon, France, & life. I have to give them credit - leaving the country they were born in to start a new life in a completely foreign country. It's true that I'm studying abroad, but that has a set end date. It's really just a long visit before the rest of my life in the United States. I'm sure I'll come back here one day, but it was never my intention to spend the rest of my life here. I think it takes much more courage to go to a foreign country with no end date in sight. I know that after awhile, it would become your home, but wouldn't you still miss the country you were born in? I think I would miss the US - little things, like peanut butter and Starbucks on every corner, and big things - like my family and friends, and the language. Do you think you could do it?

Regional Exploration (part I)

"but the warm summer breezes/and french wine and cheeses/put all [her] ambitions at bay/...some of it's magic, some of it's tragic/but i had a good life all the way."

Yes, life in france is good. & my only ambitions these days involve traveling.


This month I spent some time getting to travel in my region, because I was lucky enough of to have some visitors to explore with! Last weekend, my friend sam, who I hadn't seen since high school came to spend the weekend. she is on exchange in nice & thought it would be fun to see another part of france, so down she came. We went to Annecy - known as the Venice of the Alps & home to the best buscuit shop in the world - & Lyon - the second largest city in France. Both were so much fun! Annecy is much smaller and definitely only worth a day trip, but beautiful all the same, especially if it's warm because of all the little rivers running through the town and the beautiful lake.

In Lyon, we had some more serious adventures, mainly because of its size. When we got there, we were trying to find the Old Town, and an older "somewhatsketchylooking" (yes, all one word, said very fast) guy came up & asked if what we looking for. We told him & he told us he would take us there, so off we went, 3 girls down a deserted metro tunnel with this guy. We were all exchanging glances & wondering if it was smart idea, but we went & he showed us the map to explain we were headed in the right direction. Then he starts to play tour guide in French, but all three of us are too nervous about the whole situation to take much in. Finally, after about a 10 minute walk we are at the edges of the tourist area we were looking for & then he asks if we want him to show us around for the day & we say no thank you quite firmly. We were scared he would ask for money or try to stay with us or something but no, he just smiled & left. I guess that just goes to show you how cynical people are these days. & I always think I'm the one that sees the good in people. We were lucky, I guess. We saw, surprise, more churches & the gorgeous old section of the city, which does have a cool astrological clock. We also went to this road of restaurants, and had an amazing dinner - the first dinner I've eaten out in France & I wasn't disappointed. I had a regional specialty called Tartiflette, that was quite delicious & of course, some amazing bread! What's not to love?

I'm really glad Sam came! I was really nervous things wouldn't be the same after so many years of not seeing each other, but I guess some things never change. Within minutes, we were talking about good old Orchard Park & all our mutual friends. It was so nice to have a little bit of home reach me all the way out here. It came at a really great time too, I was ready for some native English babble, & someone who could sympathize with missing creature comforts like Starbucks (which we did have in Lyon!!!!) & peanut butter. I hope she had as much fun as I did & that I get a chance to go & visit Nice sometime soon!

The Daily Grind

"The secret of your future is hidden in your daily routine."

Lately, I've written a lot about my travel adventures, because they are big, vibrant parts of my life at the moment. & big things in your life can make your life sparkle in all kinds of ways.

But I think what really makes or breaks you are the little things. The routine of your daily life. For example, I couldn't make it through the day without those little crappy cups of hot chocolate we all buy at our school on break. Or without my roomates saying hello when they come home & chatting about the day. Or laughing with someone. Or getting mail. It's those little things that I continue to crave to make it through.

And those are the things I love to hear about from other people. Yes, I want to hear if something goes great, or not so great, in your life. But the day to day converations are more important. I want to know that you just bought a great new green sweater & can't wait to wear it. Or your kids just started their baseball season. Or you went ice skating last weekend & it was so much fun.

Those things are what you need and they give you insight into what kind of person you are, what you value, and what really matters.

I've been thinking about my routine in Chambery - I finally have one now after living here a little over a month. It's completely different than my routine in Moscow, or even my routine in New York, but all three reveal the same values.

I value friendship - every day I want to talk to my friends, old & new, support them, and interact with them as much as possible. I love having people over, going out even if I'm tired, & just being there for people.

I value my time - it frustrates me when I'm wasting time. I know how short life can be & I want to do as much as I can while I'm here. If I think something is a waste of time, I'll let you know, or I just won't do it

I value spontaneity - this is a new value I think. I've discovered that with more free time, I have so many possible things to do. I can go to Switzerland & couchsurf with a guy I've never met before, or go skiing in the Alps, or hop on the next train to just get away. & for the first time, that's totally fine, because I'm not responsible for anyone else.

I value discovery - I love to explore & to learn, about life, about history, about places, about people, and most importantly myself. This is why I love to read - I appreciate my silly financial journals now, because I can read those in English, novels, my classes - when they have new information, talking to other people who don't have the same view.

I value love - I realize just how lucky I am to have people that care about me, whether I am in Europe or America or anywhere else. That wonder how I am & are hoping for my happiness, even if I haven't quite figured out what that is yet.

Most of all, I value happiness - in the big, amazing moments & in the every day things. I want to define myself by what makes me happy, and run with it, even if it's not what people expect or what they think is right for me.

After all, this is my time. In Europe...& in life, & I want to make the most of it <3

The grass is always greener

"You can't have your cake & eat it too."

This phrase has always bothered me, even though it is very common in the States. Why would I buy cake if I wasn't going to eat it? Isn't that what you are supposed to do with cake? Obviously you can have your cake & eat it too...right?

Lately, I don't think that's the case. I've finally realized what people mean when they use that phrase & several recent examples in my life have made it relevant.

A few days ago, I was sitting at the dinner table with a bunch of people from other countries talking about anything & everything, when the subject of University education came up. In the US, we always complain about the cost of college. It's incredibly expensive to go & I know so many people who are going to be paying off loans forever. So I've always been envious of countries where university is paid for by the government. However, my friends from those countries expressed the opposite view. "Why should everyone's tax money go to a person's education, when it is only advantageous to that person to continue their education?" they argued. & it makes people expect free college, so they are less motivated to get through. I'd never really thought about those problems, but they are valid nonetheless. You have to choose which system to use though - you can't have the benefits of both systems. No eating that cake!

Even more close to my heart, is my home. Lately, lots of things have been going on in the US that make me really want to be home, & surrounded by my family & friends. Don't get me wrong - I love France & this adventure that I'm on. But while you're away, you miss things. Big things, small things, people things. It doesn't matter - people grow up while you're gone, they change. Even worse than that, for me, they might really need you & find you're not there. I've always prided myself on being there for the people that are closest to me. Even being across the country, I managed to remain a part of my friend's lives in Buffalo. But there are some oceans that are too wide to cross (quite literally) & it's a lot harder to bridge the gap in a different country. When you're off exploring, things back home are changing, whether you like it or not. & when you return, neither will be the same.

4 girls. 5 cities. 10 days. (Or What I Learned In Spain)

10. A trip to any major city is incomplete with a trip to Zara....literally we went there in every single city to scope out the 2.99 Euro bins & all got some great deals!

9. Lots of portugese (pra me ta bon, tchau, eh, NOSA...)

8. Book your transportation in advance...i don't want to take anymore unplanned train-hotels!

7. It's great to travel when someone else has already planned everything...i was so glad that Larissa & Marianna already had a great idea of what they wanted to do while we were there. No research, just following another leader, for once.

6. Living out of its suitcases has it's limits...after awhile you start to miss wearing different clothes, shaving & using all the things you take for granted at home

5. Rain doesn't stop anything! We went everywhere rain or shine... and I don't think one of us complained once. If it's important to go out & see a city, you'll do it no matter what the weather.

4. There can be a sensory overload after too many beautiful things...when i look back all i remember is lots of beautiful things, towards the end i'm not even sure i could tell you everything we saw.

3. Every day pleasures in the US are major treats here! I had my first & only Starbucks in Feburary at the airport, & it was pure bliss. If you know anything about my life in the US, I am a Starbuck's junkie, so giving up this global mecca is a big deal for me, among other things.

2. It's good to plan, but also good to be spontaneous - our dancing excursion in Barcleona was one of the highlights of my trip & was never on our schedule.

1. Small acts of kindness can change a person's life.

Basically, it was a wonderful trip I'll always remember. If your curious about more of what we did, you can look at the 200 facebook photos I put up of the trip...which isn't even all the ones that I have!

For now, I'm back to Chambery, recieving a bunch of visitors, in the past & near future & planning my next adventures! Life is good. <3

Vallencia

“Our battered suitcases were piled on the sidewalk again; we had longer ways to go. But no matter, the road is life.”

Vallencia was the end of our Spanish adventure. In many ways, it was time. We had liveed out of a suitcase, seen much, & ate out a lot. But we wouldn't have wanted to miss Vallencia...it was great!

When we got there, we took a free walking tour to get our bearings & then went to the beach. I bet it's great to lay out in the sun when it is the season. It was windy, but warm when we went & I wanted to walk around forever. Ever since I was little I've loved the beach. We used to go to North Carolina when I was little & I was a little mermaid...always on the beach & in the water. It's strange for me to think about going on a beach holiday in Spain, when it is so much closer & cheaper to beach in the US, but for the Spanish, it would obviously make sense to go to Spanish beaches. I took some seashells & thought about my loved ones on other coasts...the east & the west. <3

The next day we went to a cermanic museum in a gorgeous old house. The house was more interesting than the cermanics there & i loved the bright colors & gilded ceilings. We also went to a gorgeous park, that was transformed by the city when the city walls were taken down as it expanded. After wandering all the way to the ultra-modern museum of arts & sciences, seeing several fountains and plazas, and seeing the entire city electrified by the night lights we called it a day. Vallencia seemed to have a very aged population - there were old people everywhere we went, and consequently, I don't think there was much of a night life there. Still, I'm not sure we would've wanted to go out. We cooked pasta at our hostel - which was cheap & delicious & met other people studying in France & watched the Olympics together.

On that note, it's strange to be in a foreign country cheering on team USA. It's not like everyone here is doing the same thing, which is so different than what I'm used to. When the hockey finals were on, I was talking on facebook with another American in Chambery, and we were both freaking out when the game went into overtime, & in the meantime, most likely no one else here was even watching the game. Unfortunately, it didn't work out as I would've hoped, but maybe next time. To close, in the spirit of USA hockey, you should all go watch the Miracle on Ice speech.
The original is here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vwpTj_Z9v-c&feature=related

& the better version is here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2CdJTfGiRCI

I love that little kid & can't wait for my kids to be hockey obsessed...just like me!

Granada

“Throughout history by going to far places and seeing strange sights men have prodded their imagination. They have found amazement and delight and have reflected that life back home need not be what it has been. They have learned that…there is more than one way to skin a cat, that there are more things in heaven and earth than was dreamt of in their philosophy, that the possibilities of life are not exhausted on Main Street…Travel has been the universal catalyst. It has made men think faster, imagine larger, want more passionately.”


I think Granada was my favorite city that we visited. First of all, there is the Alhambra. I don't mean to get all guidebook, tourist-y on you, but it IS the most visited tourist site in Spain...and this is for a reason. It is beautiful. When we got our ticket, it indicated the four hour time slot we had to go there, and I remember thinking, what are we going to do there for four hours? There is plenty to do. The views of the city are incredible, the architecture and intracicies of the castle design are impeccable, and the grounds are impressive too. The watchtower and surrounding areas look like something out of a Lord of the Rings movie. I remember thinking, wow, people actually lived here.

Second, there are tons of beautiful streets to wander around in get lost in. Everything in the city is very close together, so you can walk EVERYWHERE, which is great. The streets had a very Arabic feel to them, lots of Moorish architecture, many tea shops, and Arab stores. I think we took a photo on every street corner because everything was so pretty. It helped that it was sunny and in the high 50s in Granada...it was the first time I hadn't worn my winter coat since I was in Idaho!

& then of course, there are other tourist sites to visit. The Mirador St. Nicolas gives a beautiful view of the Alhambra at sunset & I could've stared off into the mountains for hours if there weren't so many people around. There was also a breathtaking monestary which was covered from floor to ceiling in paintings. For me, it was the most awe-inspiring place of worship we went to in Spain. We also went to the Granada cathedral, which is gorgeous in its own rite, and equal to any of the other cathedrals we visited.

The food in Granada was amazing too! The director of our hostel really new a lot about the city & reccomended the best restaurant to us: Paprika! We liked it so much we went twice! It's not dirt cheap, but it is so delicious & really reasonable if you split something. It's such a great ambiance too! I sat on a stone bench in an alcove in the wall & the plates & chairs were all different bright colors. The wine, the food, the physical ambiance...everything was perfect!

The only problem we ran into in Granada was the bus we were going to take to Vallencia was full, so we had to take the train. But it ended up being an adventure & my first experience in a train-hotel! FYI - sleeping on a train is just about as comfortable as you'd imagine.

& with that, we said goodbye to a truly amazing city...