Oh and by the way...

Sam and I totally got to see the tombs of Michelangelo, Galileo, AND Machiavelli at Santa Croce Church!! All you Ashbrooks and Sikkenga fans, be jealous!!!

Florence in Good Weather

So Sam and I, on videotape, officially recanted our worries from last night that Florence would turn out to be a dirty and chaotic city that pales in comparison to Venice. But this morning, we were up at six, gone forty-five minutes later, and we are back, exhausted and dead on our feet eight hours later, having seen pretty much the entire city, from the Arno River to the train station. And while the traffic and the people are less attractive than Venice, Florence is an amazing city absolutely drenched in beautiful history. We met a very nice American couple at the Accademia, and again by the Arno in front of the Ufizzi. It was nice to compare notes on the differences between Venice and Florence, since they had just left Venice the day before, like we did.

So we have added the Accademia, Palazzo Vecchio, Santa Croce Church, and the Basilica Santa Maria Novella to our list of sights. All were amazing, and all have contributed equally to one very restful night sleep that we are going to have later tonight.

Oh Italy, How I Love Thee

Well, I made it safely to Erfurt to drop off my luggage. the city is a weird mix of 80's, and fashion chic, old world and new. it will be interesting to study there and explore its history more.

Venice was amazingly beautiful and peaceful despite the Carnival. Sam and I had a great time and many adventures, one of which involves and cute little nun and a very friendly local. More details to come when I have more time (half hour limit is NOT enough!!)

Also, we are now in Florence, which is suicidally busy compared to Venice. But the art and the sights are great, so can I really complain with a good conscience?

Anyway, that is all, unfortunately I can post right now. There is a line for the free internet at this hostel! Oh, and as a result, I cannot post my pictures yet. Sorry! Hopefully later!

HUGE HUGE Thank you!

Although they do not know about the blog, I would still like to take the opportunity to publicly thank four people at Ashland University: Jim Barnes, Vice President of Business Affairs; Carl Gerbasi, Vice President of Enrollment Management; Terri Hudson, Bookstore Director; and Jill Hiltner, Bookstore Assistant Manager/Merchandise Manager. Jim Barnes and Carl Gerbasi, when I asked them for help in purchasing gifts to take with me to Erfurt University, lent me their support in a very big way. Carl sent me a goody bag of T-shirts, pens, and wristwatches, while Jim sent me to the Bookstore to meet Jill and Terri, who helped me pick out a whole slew of AU gear to take with me to Erfurt. To give you a better idea of their extreme generosity, check out the picture of all my booty below:I felt it was very important to thank Erfurt University for hosting me this semester, and as the first student from AU to study at Erfurt, my presence there would have a great impact on their general opinion of Ashland University. It is a good idea for me to make a good impression, and to stress, through my attitude toward Erfurt University, AU's hope for a long-lasting and prosperous relationship. With that in mind, I knew I did not have the resources to do this message justice. So Carl, Jim, Terri and Jill, thank you SO SO much for recognizing the importance of bringing gifts to Erfurt, and for your willingness to go above and beyond what was minimally necessary. I mean, this is literally hundreds of dollars worth of awesome stuff!! My gratitude cannot be understated.

So, at the end of the day, there are two things that I can guarantee as a result: 1) the people of Erfurt University will really appreciate the gesture and AU's thoughtfulness, and 2) I will hopefully come back with similar offerings from Erfurt (because if nothing else, I will personally reciprocate the generosity).

Germany Countdown: 5 days

Italian Excursion Finalized

So it has taken me over a month (I personally blame it on my green-ness as a trip planner), but my 10 days in Italy are finally...well, final. I am very proud of the fact that I have successfully narrowed down my list of places to see in Italy from everything to a more manageable list, which is the following, in chronological order:

1. Venice
2. Florence
3. Rome
4. Pompeii
5. a surprise for Sam (:D)
6. Siena

Now that those 10 days are solid, I just have to worry about the other 18 days...

As my time at Emerson Climate Technologies winds down, I cannot believe I am so close to leaving this country behind for SIX months. In preparation, I find myself observing people and their general habits more closely, wondering which if any of them are uniquely American traits. Our obsession with reality shows and fast food, our love of shopping malls and hatred of aristocratic manners may all disappear in the presence of medieval castles and foreign languages. I look forward to the slow, leisurely European pace with greater opportunity to enjoy life and soak up the sights, but as an American who is obsessed with punctuality, I may also find the change difficult to handle or comprehend. Who knows? Only time in Italy will tell me if I will love gelato or can tolerate that stereotypical Italian male attitude; France, if I like wine rather than water with meals or can relate to and understand that devout French patriotism. As an avid people watcher, I plan on using those long meals and seemingly slower-moving clocks as an excuse to discover what is the same and what is surprisingly/delightfully different about the European philosophy toward everyday life.

Pre-travels philosophy

Last night, my sisters and I went to dinner with Michael Edwards, our Biology professor from our Post-Secondary days at Edison Community College. Mr. Edwards is a one-of-a-kind inspiration, in a class all of his own. Just spend a few moments with him, and you will walk away determined to follow his example and be a better person to the world, covering friends and enemies alike in good-natured humor and carpe diem philosophy.

We discussed my trip of course, which looms ever closer like the giant Snoopy at the Thanksgiving Day parade. I can feel its presence getting closer, but unlike seeing Snoopy, I still was not excited about seeing February 8th. There were too many obstacles between now and then, too many things left undone for me to truly enjoy the moment.

But now, post-Michael Edwards visit, I feel the anticipation grow. Mr. Edwards helped remind me that Europe is not so much filled with scary strangers, who speak not a wisp of English and are waiting to rob me blind and exploit my touristy frenzy, as it is a place covered with unforgettable memories and friends waiting to greet me in Italian, French, Spanish, German, or whatever the case may be. It is incredibly difficult to break out of a comfort zone once you have found it, and even more so after you have moved your stuff into it and your friends have come to join you. To step out of it once again is to throw away your favorite, lucky pair of jeans that are so worn they are not suitable for public use. You have trouble doing it, maybe even shed a tear or two, but it has to be done. And you are better off for having done it. Your growth as an individual and your wardrobe thank you for it.

The uptight and orderly-to-a-fault side of my personality and my comfort zone need people like Mr. Edwards to help me remember to seize the day, or as Mr. Edwards puts it, to rise and refuse to set again. So here's to you, Mr. Edwards. Thanks for the good laughs and the healthy dose of much needed optimism.


On a somewhat related note, last night I also had a chat with Kendra, a fellow Ashbrook scholar and German student at AU. She asked me questions about my trip and my plans, and by the end I realized that I know very little about what awaits me in Erfurt. I don't know what classes I will take; I don't even know what is offered (what crazy kind of university never offers the same class twice in over six semesters?). I won't know where I am going to live until I arrive in March, and I definitely have no idea who my roommate/s will be. Heck, I don't even know when the semester is over, beyond the vague answer of "the end of July" I got when I asked. At times, these are enough unknowns to almost make me want to go running back to AU next semester. But here I am, accepting what I cannot change or control, without shock therapy or hypnosis to talk me into it. Carpe diem that! But even better, I plan to not let it bother me. In a true break from everything my mom has taught me, I am going to ride the wave, not only enjoying it when the ride is over, but also the turbulence along the way.

Countdown to Germany: 28 days!!
(that's less than a month, on Thursday February 8th for all you calendar checkers out there)

Plowing ahead through travel plans

Though I have not left for Europe quite yet (February 8th!!), I thought it would be a good idea to mark down what fun and stress I am having planning the trip. My friend Sam has kindly agreed (though I think she sees it as a bonus rather than a chore) to come with me as I explore the wonderfully artistic country of Italy. We are so alike that it is the same as planning just for myself, but with the added comfort of having someone to share the experiences with me. So the fun part is watching that stage of my journey come together; hostels are booked, sites are picked, and train schedules noted. I am starting to feel the presence of Italy already!

But the stressful part comes as I move on to the other three weeks of my European tour. I have decided to hit only the places that are: a) going to be hard to see in a weekend trip from Erfurt because they are further away; b) likely to be places that I would want to visit alone; or c.) probably would not be a popular excursion choice for a group from Erfurt. So I have narrowed it down to the UK and France. Now all I have to do is decide what else, besides the obvious London and Paris, I would like to see. Any suggestions? Be sure to shoot them my way.

In conclusion, my least favorite aspects of traveling in Europe:
1.) picking places to stay!
2.) museums that require reservations (and an additional fee for reserving, of course)
3.) picking places to stay!
4.) and finally, narrowing down my list of places to go from "EVERYWHERE!!!!" to a more feasible itinerary.

But to keep the balance, my favorite aspects of traveling in Europe:
1.) high-speed trains shrinking an already small continent
2.) museums, even if they require reservations, with nothing short of the best art in the world
3.) the experience of hosteling
4.) speaking broken, mispronounced Italian and French (with the help of a phrasebook), and significantly better but short of sufficient German
5.) the chance to break out of my small-town American girl mentality

and finally:
6.) the chance to get lost everywhere I go then get helped by a kond-hearted local, to taste local life and cuisine, to misunderstand and to be misunderstood, to see the beauty of the European landscapes and its equally varying people, and--of course--to have the single most amazing experience of my life.