Exploring England

       I've noticed that the more you travel the more of a story teller you become. You meet all these people around the world all vying to know a small piece of your life. I love sharing my life with people. After my trip to England this weekend I have quite a few more stories to tell. 

     
         The first day we had in England I met my friend Dara's family and friends. It felt so weird for me to travel to a new place and hear people around me speaking a language I was fluent in. The accents however were quite different and always put a smile on my face. I was told I have a strong accent of my own! Dara, her brother Aiden, her lovely friend Milly and myself all made our way by bus from their quaint town of Andover to Winchester. We were lucky that day, because the sun was out and there was hardly any rain. Winchester was beautiful and I got to see the grave of Jane Austen in the Winchester Cathedral. After that we walked around and I was taken into all of the "posh" shops. It was wonderful and I actually bought a dress! Keep in mind it was hard to buy almost anything in England because of the outrageous conversion rate from USD to GDP which happened to be about 1.00 to 1.73 pounds. Ouch. Nonetheless we enjoyed ourselves and I was treated to a traditional Pastie. We ended up walking some more and finished our day trip with lunch at a restaurant called the Slug and Lettuce. After Winchester we met up with another of Dara's lovely friends and headed around town and eventually back to Dara's house to celebrate her birthday with gluten free Mac n cheese and chocolate cupcakes. That night we picked up our friend Alyssa from the airport and prepared for our trip to London the next day.

           Friday morning we had a 7am wake up call to be on a train to London by 9am. The weather had reverted back to it's natural grey skies and steady rain so we all could have an authentic England experience. The three of us met Dara's friend MC at the train station and made our way to London. Once we arrived the rain was more of a mist and we walked to the Tems to see all of the iconic sights of London. All of the sights were beautiful and it was just incredible to be there in that city. Coming from California I understand the appeal of those types of cities LA, New York, London. People dream about those cities and it felt surreal to be in one of them that had always been so far away from me.

            We walked around the city and thoroughly enjoyed the sights. Walking from place to place was amazing. We saw the changing of the guards and enjoyed a casual cup of Starbucks. We strolled through a beautiful park across from the palace and had lunch at a Chipotle. It was a special treat for myself and my birthday! Again we walked around London and Dara and MC took us to all of the beautiful shops and we looked at things and laughed at the prices. It was such an amazing time just walking around the city and being there. As we were walking through the city we found ourselves at Kings Cross and took a picture with the famous 9 3/4 cart. It was such a wonderful day and ended with delicious delicious Portuguese chicken from a restaurant called Nando's. To end our day we hopped on a train at 8:30 that was supposed to get us back to Andover by 9:30pm. That however didn't happen and we had to wait on a train for 5 hours!! We ended up having to take a taxi (paid for by the train company) back to Andover and finally got back home by 2am. Unfortunate ending to a wonderful day otherwise.

           Our last day in Andover was amazing, we slept in and enjoyed our breakfast and morning. Finally when all of us were dressed and ready for the day we walked downtown to pick up some tea for ourselves and potatoes for dinner. After we were done enjoying downtown Andover we went back up to Dara's house and had our final dinner with Dara and her family. The night was perfect and we finished it with heading out to a bar with Dara and all of her beautiful friends. It was a great time in England with great people and I can imagine it any other way.

           The next day we woke up early in the morning and Dara's mother drove us all the way to the airport. As an unanticipated event we got to the airport with 20-30 minutes till our flight's gates closed. We had to wait in line for our visa stamps and then run and I mean run through security all the way to our gate. All of us separately arrived at the gate in time out of breath and relieved. There are always surprises waiting for you at the airport, and we made it home with time to spare. England was an amazing experience and I am so grateful to have had it. Cheers to Adventure. 

Lisbon Portugal Dec 2013

So as my first semester came to an end instead of going home I decided to go to one more country before coming home for Christmas. I found myself planning a trip to Lisbon Portugal with my friends for an end of semester thrill. After our finals finished and we packed our bags I got a whopping 2 hours of sleep before waking up at 3am to walk to the train station luggage in tow and hoping on a bus and eventually a plane.

Like any vacation there were many bumps in the road before we arrived to Lisbon, some baggage problems and a lost group member but we eventually came together and made it to the hostel.

Upon arrival we were greeted with a welcome shot of traditional Lisbon liqueur called Ginjinha (very early in the morning) and very friendly faces. This hostel is the best place I've ever stayed in and as we found out is ranked as the second best hostel in the world!

For our first day we wondered around the city and looked at the various sights and places. Taking in this city was no easy task a place of just grandeur and beauty Lisbon is absolutely amazing. Everywhere you look there are beautiful tiles marking the walls and waves carved into the streets everything has beauty. Walking around instead of eating at the large restaurants and places among the main streets we took a chance on a small restaurant down a side street. Let me tell you we were not disappointed by the food, quality and price of this little place! I enjoyed a peach tea and a spin off on traditional Portuguese paella but with duck and it was delicious. We walked around some more and eventually headed "Home" to have dinner with Momma. I should explain and say that our hostel is called the Lisbon Home Hostel and it is known for their famous dinners with Momma. The hostel is run by two brothers and their own mother comes and cooks dinner for about 20 something odd people every night. We sat down at the dinner table and I was not disappointed. 10 euros for soup, a main dish, dessert, sangria or beer if you so please and a dessert liqueur plus Momma's company. I would say our first day was a complete success 

I'd have to say overall Portugal was amazing and I couldn't have chosen a better group of people to share it with. We walked everywhere and met such beautiful people! We ate with Momma and people and went on a walking tour on the second day. Our tour guide was named Sophia and she was PERFECT. I loved the tour because she was a local and we got to see the city in a different perspective as well as learn a ton of history. Fun fact about Portugal there was a horrible horrible dictator there named Salazar and JK Rowling spent quite a lot of time in Portugal and named Sylthern house after the dictator Salazar. 

Here's a list of the things I loved about Portugal: 

The architecture everywhere is absolutely beautiful. My favorite part was the tiles all through out the city squares and centers, they were gorgeous waves and are supposed to remind the people of their sea roots. 

Some of the buildings all around the city were abandoned or even just kind of decaying. I know that's not necessarily a good thing but just seeing these buildings in such an urban city was somehow beautiful. 

The old tiles everywhere, it added color and beauty to everything. 

I loved learning the history of Portugal. One of my favorite moments was learning about the street art all throughout the city and how people express old folk tales through graffiti. We learned about a beautiful women who found the Portuguese sailors and convinced them to stay with her in the sea and one day they left her and she got so angry she turned into a sea monster so large that when her tail hit the ocean it created all the waves in the sea. 

-Side note we also learned about traditional fado music through graffiti and how it came to be. It is said that a beautiful prostitute named Maria Severa would feel such heart break and loneliness when the sailors would cheat on their wives and children and leave her ultimately. She began to sing and created the traditional music now called fado. 

Portugal was one of my favorite experiences i've had so far with some of my favorite people. I love to travel not only because I learn about another culture but I learn more about myself and what I value. Here are some of my favorite pictures from my trip. 

Thanksgiving Nov 2013

This year I was so lucky that I was able to spend my Thanksgiving Holiday with family in Germany. Getting from Lugano to Frankfurt Hahn was definitely a challenge that included a late night train, hostel stay in Milan (waking up to a naked woman in the bed next to me), a early early morning bus ride and finally my plane to Germany. Once there it felt like home. I had my Uncle there to pick me up, but first there was a small travel mishap of going to the wrong airport and then we made it to his little village.

I felt so so blessed to be able to spend the holidays with my family and feel like I was actually at home again and not just in a dorm room. The first night they treated me to (German) Mexican Food and delicious delicious banana daiquiri's and then lots of snuggling. I got to run around the house with them and mostly just spend time with my family.

(Picture of their Living room area) 

Thanksgiving Dinner was amazing thanks to my Aunt and Uncle's family friends and we all ate together and had a traditional dinner. It was delicious but I really missed my family back at home and even my friends in Lugano. While I was in Germany I really thought about all of the things that i'm thankful for and the experiences I have.

(The Delicious Dinner) 

I think that one of the most important things about my trip to Germany was that I got to spend time with my Uncle Mike before he left for a year. We spent our last night together getting sushi and accidentally happening upon a German Christmas market. I will miss him so much for the next year but I know he'll be back soon. 

This year I have so much to be thankful for. I live such a blessed life being able to travel and have such an open perspective on the world. I am so happy every day that I have friends and family that care about me even when i'm so far away. I am thankful that I can go to such an amazing university and meet so many people that share the same ideals that I hold true to my heart. I am so blessed in every way. 

This year I am thankful for everything I have in my life and everyone in it. I know that without the experiences and the people I know I would not be the same person I am today.

Love Jamie 

Swiss Bus Tour

As my first month of school has passed I have had some pretty phenomenal experiences. This past weekend I was lucky enough to be a part of something fantastic! On Friday September 20th I embarked on a journey with 40 or so of my classmates on a bus tour throughout Switzerland. Twisting and turning we drove through mountains and got to see some of the most picturesque places I've ever seen. It was so humbling just to be a part of it and learn the cultures of each place and walk around each town. I can say with a full heart that the Swiss Bus Tour was by far one of my favorite experiences so far.

Starting on Friday afternoon we embarked with our newly found friend and bus driver Dimitri to the small German speaking town of Andermatt, Switzerland. The drive to Andermatt was just as great as being in the town itself, driving up mountains and literally being the clouds was so beautiful. At one point the road  was even blocked with a large herd of sheep that two men were trying to herd off the road. Andermatt is known as one of the go to places in Switzerland for skiing and snow fun but, we had the opportunity to go throughout town and eat dinner wherever we pleased. I stopped at a small dinner cafe with three or so friends and ending up eating with a couple of other students at the cafe! To fulfill our mission of being "swiss" we had a flammkuchen with ham which was absolutely delicious and shared an apfelstrudel for dessert. Some of the best food I have ever eaten was in that small town. As we embarked onward on our tour we left Andermatt and went to our first hostel in Lucerne Switzerland. The hostel was nice and some students had the opportunity to go and experience the night life of the town.

The next morning we gathered our belongings and went on our way to the Rütli Meadow where Switzerland was first formed. Although we were under the impression the meadow would be a small 15 minute walk away it was actually 50 minute hike down a mountain and up a mountain. As we were on a very set time schedule we walked as far as we could down the mountain and then back up. My friends and I walked father than most down the mountain but let me tell you, walking back up the mountain was no easy task. The views were beautiful and the moments with friends were memorable. It was a great trip even though we didn't see the meadow, it's not about the destination it's about enjoying the journey.

After Rütli we drove to the town on Brunnen and toured the famous Victorianox Swiss Army Knife factory. The factory was so informative and very up to date on technology. We learned about how the company came to be and saw the progression of Army Knives from when they first were created to present day. After our tour we had the opportunity to purchase our own knife. Many of my friends purchased knives and we had a great time seeing where the knives are made and the process of making them. We then had time to have lunch in town and I sat at a small outdoor cafe with friends. 

Leaving Brunnen we went to the gorgeous town of Lucerne! One of my favorite places on the trip, we visited the Lion of Lucerne and the Chapel Bridge which is the oldest bridge in Europe. The whole town of Lucerne looked like a postcard, everywhere you turned was like being in a storybook. We had lots of time to explore Lucerne and enjoy the town which made it such a great time. We walked around and had dinner by the lake enjoying German Swiss cuisine. Many of the students on our trip were thrilled that there was a Starbucks in Lucerne, surprisingly in Switzerland there aren't very many Starbucks. The Americans were happy and enjoyed their coffee along side with the beautiful Lucerne Lake. 

As we left Lucerne we drove to Bern, the capital of Switzerland, where our last hostel stay would be! This hostel was just as nice as the first and students went out to celebrate birthdays and enjoy the town. Hostels are fun experiences because you get to meet people that you probably wouldn't staying in a hotel. The next morning we left Bern on our way to Gruyere. That morning we toured the Gruyere Cheese Factory and had free time to explore and have lunch. 

When I was a child I had the opportunity to visit Gruyere with my family, coming back was so odd because I remember doing things or being places with them and it all felt very familiar. I really enjoyed Gruyere because of that feeling and also because I was able to use my french! I asked people for directions and ordered food small tasks perhaps but the ability to practice a language will always make me happy. In my free time at Gruyere I had fondue with friends and walked around the town it was gorgeous and I will always have place for that town in my heart. 

As one of our last activities together as a group we drove about 10 minutes to the Cailler Chocolate Factory in Broc. The tour of this factory was nothing less than Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. The only disappointing aspect was there was no large chocolate river flowing through the shops. We learned about the history and process of making the chocolate and how it came to be. My favorite part was when we got to eat all of the chocolate, Switzerland really does have great chocolate. We then went on a chocolate shopping spree through the store buying chocolate for friends, family and of course ourselves. 

On our last leg of the trip we stopped at Gruyere once more to explore the town and relax before our long drive home. I enjoyed a Coca Cola and walked around the town with friends and by myself. Listening to languages and looking at the gorgeous place surrounding me. 

Driving home I sat on the bus and thought about what I had just done and all the things I saw. I feel so blessed to be able to have such fulfilling and beautiful experiences. I chose to go to Franklin because I knew that I would get a great education but I would also experience the world around me, connecting my education to the world. If I could tell my friends or family anything it would be that I am so happy. As one of my major trips here at Franklin and in Switzerland so far, the Swiss Bus Tour was truly a blast. 

                   

                                                Love Jamie