Things I Learned During My Year Abroad

While this list is mostly for entertainment purposes, it's all true! I experienced all of these quirky wonderful things while abroad. Enjoy!

1.) There are cowboys in Berlin

2.) Bring a book.

3.) You can go a whole week on pizza alone

4.) Free wifi is a gift of god

5.) Some taxi drivers will accept candy and several currencies as payment

6.) The London underground is never fully functioning

7.) You can get to know someone very well, very fast

8.) Hulu doesn’t work in England

9.) Even if you’re wearing sunglasses, someone will try to sell you a pair

10.) Tea cures any ailment

11.) Beach picnics should consist of fresh bread, cheese and veggies

12.) Hydro-powered jet packs exist

13.) British Royals always speed by, even if they only have to go 20 feet

14.) There are approximately 35 bat mobiles in Monte Carlo

15.) Pay as you go is not a good plan

16.) You will be dirty, tired, and hungry often. It is unavoidable.

17.) You can live on less than 10 euros a day

18.) Maps are nice, but not indispensible

19.) Best way to see a city is to walk. Worth the blisters promise

20.) Gelato counts as a meal (yes, even breakfast)

21.) Tour guides who are shorter than you are not easy to locate in crowds

22.) The hills are not alive with the sound of music

23.) Although it may not seem it, 200 stairs is A LOT

24.) Sometimes, bikes are scarier than cars

25.) Always carry Band-Aids. Always

26.) Teddy bears may go off on their own adventures if not monitored closely

27.) Asking for directions may make you a dorky tourist but not an idiot

28.) People will make fun of your accent, get over it

29.) Sun block is your best friend

30.) Buying pasta in Italy is a fantastic idea

31.) You will be more tired after the break than before it

32.) You can eat anything with chopsticks

33.) Bring your own shampoo and face towel

34.) Pigeons may try to break into your room

35.) Don’t over-pack. You have to carry it (and there aren’t many lifts)

36.) Read the airplane magazines, they’re cool

37.) McDonald’s is in every country, Starbucks is not

38.) Movies, movies, movies. Bring them

39.) Cricket is a glorified game of pickle

40.) Driving in Europe is scary

41.) A good club doesn’t need a promoter

42.) If it says formal, it means it

43.) Try Pimm’s

44.) You really can see a whole city in one day.

45.) On British boys: yes, they have great hair and yes, they dress better

46.) You won’t find “normal” people in Brighton

47.) Take a cooking class in Paris it is so worth it

48.) See a show in the west end (London)

49.) Double decker bus tours are awesome. Preferably the red ones

50.) Water. Self-explanatory

51.) Treat yourself. Macaroons, pastries, gelato, candy, you name it

52.) Picadilly Circus isn't nearly as exciting as it sounds

53.) Nobody knows how big America is. Brace yourself for dumb questions

54.) Naps are border-line essential

55.) You will miss it more than you think. Enjoy it

56.) Stuffed animals are good travel buddies (you are never too old)

57.) You will learn a lot of new and random things

58.) Skype is the real life equivalent of magic

59.) Wanderlust is an incurable disease (John Steinbeck knows what’s up)

60.) Being American is a novelty

61.) Trains are never running properly. ever.

62.) You will develop an acute “American-Detector”

63.) Taxi drivers are exceptionally interesting

64.) Don’t go anywhere without a camera

65.) Keep a journal, blog, video diary. Anything, just remember!

66.) You can never have too many pairs of boots

67.) Invest in a back-up hard drive, photos take up a lot of memory

68.) No one wears raincoats in England, you just get used to getting wet

69.) It isn’t soccer, it’s football

70.) It is very easy to get lost in Harrods

71.) Hugh Grant is a creep

72.) The best way to unpack is to dump out your whole suitcase.

73.) You’ll spend a lot of time alone. Learn how to entertain yourself. Fast

74.) Send postcards, they’re fun and people love getting them

75.) The first week sucks for everyone, promise

76.) Care packages will make you ineffably happy (your parents love you)

77.) Allow yourself an unnecessary luxury or 2

78.) A good pub meal means you won’t need to eat for 3 days

79.) Block phones are ugly and annoying, but indestructible

80.) “Cheers” is a universal term (greeting, goodbye, agreement, ”please”)

81.) There are a lot of castles in Europe (the one in Prague is the biggest)

82.) Just because you’re in Scandinavia doesn’t mean it can’t be 85 degrees

83.) You have to plan a lot more than you think you do

84.) Learn “please” “thank you” and “toilets” in every language you need to

85.) There are bugs everywhere, don’t get your hopes up

86.) When desperate, dry pasta dipped in tomato sauce counts as a meal.

87.) The most beautiful library in the world is in the Strahov Monastery.

88.) Real sailors wear tevas and use copious amounts of hand lotion.

89.) Aisle seats are better than window seats but watch your elbows.

90.) Large teenage school groups are annoying. And everywhere.

91.) Beer is acceptable compensation for any inconvenience.

92.) When flying, someone will inevitably lose your bag.

93.) There are no trashcans in Victoria Station. Throw it out on the train.

94.) Red bull is a perfectly reasonable beverage at any hour.

95.) There’s always somebody who misses you.

96.) The iPod is a godsend.

97.) Being confused for a local is the best feeling ever.

98.) I may need to practice my French, but my waiter has to practice his English

99.) You will miss home.

100.) The world is a scary, beautiful and wonderful place. Explore it.

The Spirits Don't Want You To Have Any Of My Brownie!

After weeks of traveling, I was feeling exceptionally worn out, and so we spent our first morning in Marseille in bed recovering from the near constant motion of the last few weeks. We explored the harbor in the afternoon, which was just down the road from our hostel. We made it out in time to catch the tail end of a market set up along the waters edge and meandered about the harbor snapping pictures and munching on pastries before catching the last bus tour of the day to get a quick overview of the city.

            On our second day in Marseille, we decided to take a 40 minute bus trip to Aix En Provence and what a beautiful little provincial city it is! Despite its quaint exterior, in many ways this city really reminded me quite a bit of a small Paris. The main shopping street was dotted with cafés and high-end stores; like a narrower version of the Champs Elysees, while the marble-work fountains could have been taken straight from the Louvre. In other ways it was every inch the clichéd picturesque French country town. People sat in outdoor cafés sipping café au lait and chatting in clipped French, smoke trailing languidly from cigarettes perched daintily between their fingers. There was a boulangerie on every corner and shopping bag trailing foodies examined vegetables with the sort of cooking savoir-faire that I could only dream of achieving. Walking through the Mezarine quarter, we stumbled upon beautiful fountains and old-world streets lined with traditional apartments. Clothing hung from the windows of every house and people meandered down the road carrying a baguette and a bottle of red wine for dinner. A trek through the old town revealed elegantly constructed churches and endearing petite squares with old French couples seated on stone benches and children playing tag with frightened pigeons. Though our day was cut short by an unexpected illness, Aix En Provence was nothing short of charming and, while easily completed in a day, definitely worth the trip.

            We had a productive last day in Marseille, hiking up a monstrous hill and some formidable steps to the church overlooking the harbor, stopping for a quick lunch at Starbucks and a little shopping on the main shopping road, and then continuing on an hour long walk up to the Palais de Longchamps before retiring for a nap. Getting up bright and early, we braved the heat and caught a bus most of the way up the hill to the St. Church. It is a beautiful church situated on the highest point in Marseille and overlooking the harbor directly. St. is the patron saint of Marseille and the church is thought to act like a guardian angel of sorts, looking out for all of the people below. The church was as stunning as every other European church, with golden mosaics and massive arches, as well as a unique Marseille touch in the form of strands of model ships hanging from the ceiling. From the hill on which the church was situated, we could get some fabulous shots of the city and the harbor, as well as enjoy the cooling wind (the very same ones which blew saran wrap over my brownie as Meg went in for a bite, thus inspiring the title of this post) from that vantage point. A quick lunch in Starbucks (Mango Smoothies and a Blueberry muffin really keep up the energy) we began our trek up to the Palais de Longchamps. Although we couldn’t go into the Palace, the façade was reason enough to walk an hour there and an hour back. As you approach the palace, which seems to spring up from nowhere, a vast pond stretches before you, fueled by the beautiful Grecian Fountain high on the front of the building. Imposing stone lions flank the gates and Corinthian-style columns rise from the ground, forming the open body of the palace. The Athenian style of the building combined with the lush greenery of the front gardens and the sparkling lake make for a truly beautiful piece of historic architecture, quite out of place among the crumbling apartments of uptown Marseille.

            On our last night in Marseille, we decided to go out to a nice restaurant for a regional tradition known as bouillabaisse. A rule of thumb for European dinners in general is to not expect to be going out before 7-8 and you should expect dinner to last two to three hours. Our meal started around 7:30 and lasted a full two hours and forty-five minutes. The soup itself was what I would call an acquired taste. While I really enjoyed it, Meg, who doesn’t love fish, didn’t particularly love it. It consisted of two courses. First, the soup that cooked the fish, made with a cocktail of local herbs and the catch of the day, followed by a fish course in which you are first presented with a towering pile of the fish used to cook your unique soup and then receive the fish in a bowl. This was the best part of the meal, barring the small bones to be dealt with, because the fish was really well cooked and flavored well with the spices. Definitely a good meal choice for the avid fish-lover visiting Marseille.

            As we ate, we were perpetually bombarded with competing music sources, watched carrying a drunk friend become a spectator sport, and generally noticed a surge in the number of people milling about that seemed abnormal even for a bustling port city. It wasn’t until later that we realized it was in fact the summer solstice, and we had kicked off our summer with a bang, munching on bouillabaisse and molleux au chocolat and observing the festivities in the south of France! 

I Don’t Want A Tour With Him, He Isn’t Wearing His White Wig!

Our trip to Vienna didn’t exactly get off to a wonderful start, but after two very turbulent plane rides and a minor car accident in the taxi, we made it to the hostel and we were upgraded from a room to an apartment! This made our stay just that much nicer, though Meg may disagree after having to suffer through my low-budget cooking for a few days!

            Our hostel was a ways out of the city, but situated right on a main road that led straight to the center, so we began each morning and ended each evening with an hour long walk along a well populated shopping street, stopping for Starbucks halfway down of course. Our trek ended at the Opera house, where we could take a tour with a guide dressed in traditional garb, from the waistcoat to the white wig, or hop on the bus tour. After such an invigorating walk, we were obviously ready for a little rest, so we bought a 2-day pass on the Vienna sightseeing tour bus and set off on another hop-on hop-off adventure. Our first stop was the Belvedere palace, a stunning old palace converted into an art museum with extensive and well-tended gardens, dotted with fountains. We practically devoured the first floor of the museum, which was an exhibition of modern art ranging from beautiful to bizarre, and still had time to appreciate the famous “Napoleon Crossing The Something or Other” painting before facing the daunting task of walking the length of the gardens. Halfway down and glad I had decided to wear my Keens that morning, we admired a beautiful marble fountain and watched the tanned lawn keepers do their work. While we managed to barrel through this site in one hour (that’s how much time there is between buses and we were nearing the end of the scheduled bus day) we could easily have spent another hour or so in the museum or sipping some tea in the garden café.

            Next stop was an old church square called St. Stephan’s Square. The church is cited as the very center of Vienna and it is one of the most popular tourist attractions. From the outside, it looks largely like any other gothic-style church throughout Europe and I have to admit that my visit to this attraction momentarily began to feel like a duty to see all of Vienna’s sites rather than a genuine interest in the building. However, upon entering the church that feeling immediately subsided and was replaced by an overwhelming sense of awe. Despite it’s mildly cookie-cutter exterior, this church was like no other I’d ever seen before. Towering arches, brilliant stained glass windows and shimmering mosaics aside, the entire interior was lit up with a sort of psychedelic mesh of colored lights such that I found myself not only awed, but momentarily disoriented by the lights and colors swimming before me. After a few minutes of reverent photo snapping, Meg started up a torrent of pleas to climb the north tower, a daunting 343 steps. After a valiant protest spawned from my hatred of steps outweighing my desire for a panoramic photo of the city, I eventually conceded and followed her grudgingly into the narrowest staircase I’ve ever been in. 343 steps later, we were both sweaty, red-faced, and aching in the knees, but even I have to admit that the view was fantastic. A comprehensive view of the city stretched endlessly on all sides, mountains rising imposingly in the far distance. I whined about the climb the whole way up and most of the way down, but the view really was spectacular and I got some great photos. Worth the trek, but requires some serious determination and stamina.

            Every city has its own little unique quirk; Istanbul has park benches better suited as beds in five-star hotels, Rome has overzealously “friendly” pigeons, Tokyo has seemingly no public trashcans anywhere, Copenhagen is known for its “Little Mermaid” statue’s unfortunate decapitation (twice), and Marseille has some really beautiful Metro stations. Vienna is no exception to this rule, and the graffiti along the Danube River is among the coolest I have ever seen. It was all creative, rarely crude, and incredibly well drawn despite the temperamental medium and the risk of incarceration typically associated with vandalism. I didn’t catch a glimpse of these artworks until our 

last day in Vienna, but they definitely left a lasting impression! Next up on our jet-set adventure? Marseille! 

 The first thing you notice as the plane touches down in Istanbul is red: red stretches as far as the eye can see on the rooftops of the thousands of buildings that form the city. This turns out to be an accurate indication of what is to come, because really the best way I can describe Istanbul, is with the color red and the smell of warm cinnamon. Both are rich, decadent, and connote an oriental influence.

            The first thing we did while in Turkey was actually to leave the city and travel to the east of Turkey to visit a friend in Samsun. Samsun is a pretty small city widely known in Turkey as General Ataturk’s landing spot and not much else. Our friend Abigail (check out her blog “Merhaba”) met us at the airport late at night and we made plans to meet early the next morning. It was a lucky coincidence that Abigail was still in Turkey and I am so glad that we could take advantage of that and explore a less touristy city with someone familiar with the language and culture. She took us to her favorite lunch spot and afterwards we had the most delicious baklava I have ever tasted in a teeny bakery off the main street. We walked all over the city and hopped from chai house to eatery just catching up and swapping international exchange stories before meeting 2 of her American friends for a traditional Turkish dinner called pide (it’s basically Turkish pizza). We were sad to say goodbye, but excited to go explore the cultural epicenter of the only country in both Europe and Asia!

            Back in Istanbul, we spent the first day orienting ourselves in the city and exploring the Topakapi Palace and the Aya Sofya museum. One of the first things we noticed as we walked through the massive gates of the Topakapi palace, were 6-10 wolf-like dogs sprawled out in various places across the extensive green lawns. Venturing into the heart of the palace, we shambled through a room decorated in beautiful reds and gold with the biggest bed I have ever seen. Deciding to skip the treasury (the line was distressingly long and really how many crown jewels can you see in one month anyway?) we walked around a really cool exhibit on the clothing worn by royals and entered the most beautiful building in the palace, the chapel. Forbidden to take pictures, we simply absorbed the traditional blue tiling, highly ornate ceilings, and beautiful gold and jeweled artifacts dotting the walkways. We snacked on some roasted hazelnuts and sesame bread on our way out and considered a few Fez for our brother before jumping in line for the Aya Sofya, an impressive building which once housed a Sultan’s harem. Upon entering the building we were greeted by a colossal archway decorated with gold religious symbols.  The Aya Sofya itself is a massive room with a balcony wrapped all the way around the perimeter upstairs and beautiful chandeliers hanging low in the room, illuminating complex mosaics and golden details. Wandering through the enormous open space, I tried to imagine the busy and exotic harems I had read about in novels occupying the area and found it surprisingly easy with all of the glowing light and extravagant decorations. Next up, The Grand Bazaar!

            We started off our “Bazaar day” on a tour which would take us to the spice Bazaar and then on a river cruise down the River Bosphorus. The spice bazaar seemed plain from the outside; it was a simple stone building in the shape of an L resting on the edge of a square full of pigeons. However, upon entering, we were caught off guard by the neon signage and earthy-colored rows of spices extending on either side as our noses filled with the powerful smell of cinnamon and jasmine and several spices which I couldn’t name. We were offered nuts of all kinds and pieces of Turkish Delight by enthusiastic vendors looking to tempt us into buying something. We did end up buying some Turkish Delight and took plenty of pictures before rejoining the group for our river cruise.

            I definitely recommend the river cruise down the Bosphorus, if only because somewhere down the line as you are half listening to the tour guide and enjoying the breeze, you will look out and realize that you are perched between two continents, Asia to your left and Europe to your right. It was such a cool feeling as I sat there and saw two continents stretching out into the distance on either side of me, at which point I really felt like a traveler, out to do nothing more than explore the world and all of its many cultures and traditions. Despite the amazing views and beautiful riverside palaces, that defining moment was truly the best part of the morning’s tour. After climbing back on the bus with several other tourists at the end of the cruise, we were finally headed over to explore one of Turkey’s most famous landmarks, The Grand Bazaar.

            You could easily spend days in the Grand Bazaar, either perusing each stall diligently and navigating through the many passageways, or trying your very best to get out once you are satisfied with your purchases. Despite the confusing and mazelike design, a day in the Grand Bazaar is an experience like no other. Following a tour group down an odd pathway, the bazaar rose imposingly before us flanked on either side by long streets jam-packed with vendors selling everything from freshly peeled apples to gym socks. Entering the bazaar, armed with cash and recently caffeinated at Starbucks, we were immediately bombarded by a tidal wave of sound and a visual rush of color and motion. Stretching out before us was a long corridor lined with stores selling everything and anything you could possibly imagine, a rainbow of goods reflecting or creating their own light and adding to the dynamic crush of visual stimulants so diverse it was overwhelming. Coming from every direction were the cries of venders hawking their goods to anyone who passed them by. I was especially popular, as I was carrying a large camera and many of them sought to be photographed. Shouts of “very good price here!” and “you speak English? Parlez Francais?“ were magnified tenfold as they reverberated off of every wall and sparked competitions among the sellers as they vied for attention.  Continuing down the maze of hallways and offshoots, I snapped photos ceaselessly and mentally reviewed the “rules of haggling” in my head. We ended up coming out with two beautiful bracelets handmade in Turkey and a serious headache after getting lost for a little while. The Grand Bazaar is a remarkable place and an incomparable experience fueled as much by the inevitable confusion and mild stress associated with losing your way as it is by the excited feeling you get while haggling over a beautiful piece and the unmatched vibrancy and energy you find yourself in the midst of. Simply put, the Grand Bazaar is an intrepid traveler’s dream come true.

            After having read about it and being told by 2 separate people that the Blue Mosque is unmissable, it was clear that it was worth a visit. After removing my shoes and dutifully wrapping a scarf around my head to obscure my hair I shuffled behind a small line of tourists towards the entrance. I cannot even describe the sense of awe that overcame me as I stepped into the building. Stretching out above me was the staggeringly ornate ceiling of the mosque and beneath my feet, one of the softest carpets I have ever stood on. Like nearly all the other tourists, I was standing tall, head was craned backwards and eyes fixated on the blue tiles blanketing the ceiling, a stark contrast to the local men bowing in prayer at the front of the mosque, noses to the floor. I felt as though I couldn’t take enough pictures. Not since the Sistine chapel had I seen such a beautiful and wholly captivating architectural masterpiece.

            It’s hard to pick favorites, especially when I have been lucky enough to see some of the most beautiful cities in the world, but whenever I am asked, “What was your favorite place this year?” My answer is Istanbul. It’s hard to describe why, but the clash of cultures and vivacious mix of color, smell and sound quite simply resonated with me in a way that few other cities (so far, only London and Tokyo) have. 

Beer Is Acceptable Compensation For Any Inconvenience

Prague was my last solo trip of the year and for the first time in all of my travels; I decided to partake in one of those six hour organized walking tours. Typically, I prefer o explore new places on my own so I can really orient myself but I figured since I wasn’t going to be in Prague for very long, the tour was probably the most efficient way to see everything, and I was right. My guide was a nice young woman who was full of interesting information, and aside from a few moments of intense heat (or hail!) and a mildly annoying Swedish couple I really enjoyed the day! We saw all of the major sights of Prague, from the largest castle complex in Europe to the Old Square and one of the few remaining original Czech Crystal manufacturers. In the Old Square, there is a church whose main focal point is a famous and beautiful astronomical clock. The clock is composed of several dials, which represent the sun and moon and several moving figures. The figures represent sins and include vanity, greed, indulgence, and a stunning portrayal of Death as a skeleton, striking the time each hour. We ate traditional Czech food at a medieval restaurant (which for non-vegetarians consisted of a delicious looking roast with a bread dumpling of sorts, but for me consisted of chopped vegetables) after exploring the Old Town and then wandered over to St Peter’s Bridge for a boat tour to end our day.  It began to downpour torrentially just as we got on the boat and even started to hail a bit, so our journey was a little delayed but once we got off, the weather cleared up a bit and the tour went smoothly. We were guided by an ex-sailor who knew a lot about the river’s history, from its use during WWII to the 2002 flood where water reached 8 meters higher than normal (think the second floor windows of most canal-side houses).  I ended my day with a nice Italian dinner not far from the Old Square, and a little shopping for Czech crystal. 

            For my last day in Prague, I decided to go with my tried and true sightseeing favorite, the City Sightseeing tour bus company. There was a bit of confusion and the bus ended up being quite late, so the guide Jeremy compensated everyone with free castle tours or an extra day. Unfortunately, I was leaving the next day and had seen the castle already, so Jeremy came up with an alternative. Even though it was 10 o’ clock in the morning, he bought me a beer as compensation! I really took advantage of the bus and got off at almost every stop. I walked around Golden Gate, a fortress community where Franz Kafka lived, and visited the Strahov Monastery, which houses possibly the most beautiful libraries I have ever seen. My personal favorite is called The Theological Hall, and it is characterized by sweeping paintings across a carved ceiling, deep colored wood bookshelves, elegant statues and beautiful ancient globes. As far as I ‘m concerned, it was definitely worth the extra 50 krowns it cost to take pictures of the three exquisite libraries. After two busy days, I spent my last evening multiculturally, enjoying delicious Thai food recommended by the tour guide in downtown Prague. A short flight to London and I was reunited with my sister after six long months for the next portion of my incredible European journey!

Wasa Crackers Are Norwegian?!?

Apparently, arriving in Oslo on a Thursday is not a good idea because nothing is open, so I had to manage the first 24 hours fueled by little more than a red bull and some (evidently Norwegian) Wasa crackers. I definitely did not enjoy the hostel I stayed at here (loud upstairs neighbors with a habit of dropping things, hot rooms, and only one bathroom) and as a result I spent as much time in the city and as little in my room as possible. As I was only in Oslo for essentially 2 days, I hopped on the big red tour bus and saw a quick overview of the city before deciding where I would allocate my time. I spent a whole morning museum-hopping in the north of the city, visiting a Viking Ship museum and a Cultural/Norse History museum. The Viking Ship museum was small, but really interesting. There were 2 full sized Viking ships there as well as a small burial ship (Vikings buried their dead at sea) and a lot of Viking paraphernalia. One of the coolest artifacts that they had in my opinion was an original boat ornament in the shape of a serpent. These were often used to decorate the bow and stern of the ship. The detail was incredible and after a little research I learned that they are a reference to an Old Norse tale about a monsterous sea serpent known as Midgardsorm who was said to be large enough to encircle the globe.

            The other museum I went to was primarily an open-air museum consisting of old buildings. There was an entirely recreated Old Norse village complete with English townhouses for rich Brits in town for the hunt, several apothecaries and a local craft house with woodwork and pottery. There was also an ancient Norse church. The structure itself was beautiful and apparently its one of only 28 remaining examples of this type of Norse architecture. A fun fact about the church is that both crosses and dragonheads are carved into the steeples of the church to represent both Christianity and Old Norse Mythology (it is considered “safer” this way).

            I also visited a park known as Vigiland Sculpture Park, named after the artist who placed the hundreds of sculptures there. Aside from the fact that this is easily one of the most beautiful parks I have been to in Europe, the statues were absolutely stunning. They depict various stages of the circle of life, from birth to death, and the most striking thing about them, aside from the clear artistic credibility, is how astoundingly dynamic many of the poses are. You begin your walk through the park at a beautiful gate, from which you can see the park’s crowning jewel, a stunning fountain in front of a massive pillar. You walk slowly alone a bridge, flanked on both sides by statues depicting men women and children dancing, fighting, playing, and merely standing. As you approach the fountain, you can see that four male statues sink under the weight of the bowl on top spouting water and the surrounding figures are all people, carved into stone trees. Proceeding past the fountain, you climb an impossible number of steps to the giant pillar and surrounding pensive statues. Upon closer inspection, it becomes that the pillar is in fact made of hundreds of people, carved into the stone. Men, women and children of all ages stacked upon and entangled with each other. It is haunting, evocative and beautiful.