The valley in the Alps.

First off, we saw and experienced so much and I love the fact we have the opportunity to be here. In Salzburg we went to the salt mines. My favorite part was the slides, although I wish we could have gone on the really long one they said, "Is to thrilling for all the tourists." It would have been nice to explore different parts and get to see different salt crystal formations on the cave walls.

The old town in both Salzburg and Innsbruck were astonishing. The view from the fortress was mysteriously beautiful. The lights portrayed the shapes and sizes of the buildings in the city but you can not actually see everything like in Boston (wave of homesickness...). Everything in Boston is so much bigger and brighter which illuminates more of the surrounding buildings, streets and parks.

Innsbruck's high and centralized view of the city was from up top of the . We had to climb up 148 stairs to get there and it was well worth it. The irrigation system of the rooftops was well planned and efficient. I like it better than modern gutters.

I walked the city alone the second day there. Five of the students went to Munich early, and five went to Venice for the day. My brother was the only other student who had no minutes on his phone. I had the city to myself and my camera; this was my favorite part of the trip, which is surprising to myself. I generally enjoy peoples company, laughing, talking, and having a good time exploring. It was revitalizing to just wandered by myself letting my feet take me where ever they wanted to go. No compromises, no complaints, no worry if I was lost or going to be late. My mind was clear and I remembered my high school photography class and many of the rules that add to a good photograph. Within the three hours I was completely free I took photo's of the city capturing the city life and its architectural beauty with stunning alps shining through wherever they pleased. I found so many cool things and places that I normally would not have seen if i was with other people. I found a hidden section of wooded walking paths with a few covered bridges. One which cut across the main river, with jaw dropping scenery on each side. I found a metal 10 foot tall bird in a park near an elderly home. I walked along a small river and saw many locals conversing strolling alone like i was. I found a big shopping complex with tons of people trying to get word out about their companies or fundraisers. And my favorite of it all is i found a slightly run down industrial street with a large bridge running parallel to the street above it leading down to bright white peaks towering over the city keeping it safe. Who knows maybe some of the photo's will make it to post cards. ^_^

Old Magic within these city walls.

Regardless of where i went and what i did it was beautiful to just wander the city. When i do this weird things happens to me when i travel. I don't know how else to explain it except say that i breathe in the magic and beauty of the past. I just really appreciate the architecture and natural environment of Europe. Everywhere i have gone so far since being abroad,when i see anything that conveys that same feeling, i stop walking, close my eyes and take in a deep breath and am floored by how much it moves me.

There is so much more to Amsterdam than meets the eyes. Despite all the stereotypical misconceptions the city has a lot more to offer than it seems. Me and three other students went for a 3 day trip, and did not get a chance to see everything we wanted to. We went to the Anne Frank house, which was powerful and moving.

On the last day three of us wandered the city to eventually find our way to the Van Gogh museum. We took our time and really appreciated the beauty of the city. There are 4 canals you cross on the way to the center of the city. As much as i wanted to take one of the boats i knew i could not afford it. There were plenty of other beautiful things that were free to keep me entertained. I took 160 pictures in an hour and half, all on the walk to the Van Gogh. I felt so inspired by the beauty of the city. The way the museum was presented enhanced the stunning abilities and accomplishments of Van Gogh and many other Dutch and French artists.

I cant wait to travel more and see as much as i can while being here.
Until then,
Auf Weiwersein

Wien ist wunderbar!!!!!!!!!!!

I LOVE IT HERE!!!!!!

Everything is amazing!!

The rooms are very spacious. Me Steve and Pie explored the other wings of the school for over an hour a couple days ago. This place is sooooo big and I'm sure there are other places we didn't find yet.

For the locals, they usually walk looking forward and don't smile or greet other people. They are very nice and friendly when you talk to them. They are formal and proper. We are starting to say hi to many more of the students who are staying in the same school as us. They greet us back and sometimes we have small conversations, but they are very very busy, their schedules are so full. But they definitely got more friendly once we sat in on the class today.

We have already been to the Museum of Vienna, the Belvedere, and the museum we went to today....but i forget the name of it. At the Belevedere someone asked me in German if i spoke German or English, and when i answered English they said they were surprised and thought i would have spoken German. And that i looked like i was. Then in the gift store, the clerk spoke English to the person in front of me automatically because she could tell she was a tourist, but when i walked up she greeted me in German and said the price in German. I glanced at the price and paid, so lucky there was a price display on the screen. It made me really happy she assumed i was German. It was my goal to fit in and not be singled out as an American by the end of the 3 months, but i guess i managed to achieve it in 4 days :) Now i just have to work on my German so i can converse in their language.

Me, Steve, Pie, Jon and Nicole all went to a funk joint last night for Steves birthday. It was ridiculously awesome. We had a few drinks and danced for hours. The music was so chill and FUNKY!!!!!

So I'm still looking forward to spending about 84ish more days here ^_^

Vienna here i come!!!!!!

Myself in 10 words

Optimistic - I like to look at the good things in life. I used to stay upset when things would go wrong or not according to plan. But honestly what good does sulking or trying to find whats wrong with a situation, when it is so much more enjoyable to just be happy and thankful for the good things.

Caring - I try very hard to take care of people and I want to be there for people as much as possible. I have a no time limit policy with all of my close friends. I always offer them a shoulder to cry on, someone to listen to whats going on in their life, someone to shout at to let emotions out, feedback, or advice. I'm always there if they need me and i tell them that i do not mind what time of the day or night it is. Call me at 4 in the morning balling your eyes out, and i will be there to comfort.

Understanding - It is very easy for me to relate to peoples emotions. I can put myself in their shoes and make myself feel to the best of my ability emotions that others would feel in a scenario. This makes it easy to understand why someone is feeling the way they are, and i like to lend a hand.

WEIRD!!! I'm usually thinking something goofy or crazy. I randomly make silly faces at people, like sticking my tongue out or giving an odd smirk but with an intense stare that most people confuse as some awkward stink eye. I'll randomly jump around and say random things, or explain an odd story i made up. Or saying something like oh man imagine if something was........

Secure - I have learned to not care what other people think about me. Take it or leave it!!! I do not have any problems with my body image, and when i make up my mind about something i am sure that it is the right thing. I have recently come to accept the fact that I am Bisexual. I stand my ground on what i believe in. Nobody can tell me what i am FEELING.

Free - I am my own person. I will not be held down by who i used to be or who i used to date. I was in two abusive relationships and never did what i want. Now i do what i want when i want, and it is amazing. Having the freedom of my heart and mind is what brought me to Vienna.

Mature - I have seen and experienced many things. I have gotten the chance to travel and see different cultures. I appreciate the small things in life and do not make a fuss over what some people would consider a big deal. I look at some friends relationships and am glad that i would no longer get hung up on trivial things like if someone i was dating gave someone a piggy back ride or a massage.

Survivor - I have been though a great deal growing up. My parents fought a lot and i repressed a lot of my childhood. Especially because i was sexually assaulted for many years. It took me a long time to emotionally deal with what happened on my own, but i acknowledged what happened and actually confronted the person who did it to me and we worked things out. And have both moved on.

Bold - I used to lie to myself a lot about things that were hard to accept or understand. But a friend helped me to just live my life like i was made of glass. Why do i have anything to hide? Just accept the truth and go with it. Since then i have become extremely blunt because i am afraid of bending the truth. I say what i mean and i say it loud and proud.

Graceful - I did ballet for almost 11 full years (pointe for 3), Jazz for 4, Lyrical for 2 and Hip-Hop for 1. People have told me that when i move it is soft and flowing, which is how a ballerina dances. I still always catch myself imaging choreography when i hear music. Dance is something that flows through my veins. I cant help but dance down a long hallway when i have a lot of energy.



So thats me in 10 words....well more like a whole bunch more but you get the point.

"Yesterday is a memory,
tomorrow is a dream,
today is the reality,
make the most of it."
-Unknown Author

Invation to Insight

I interviewed my friend Brandon and my brother Steve. I have directed them both in Reality Check, so they have seen me in a professional sense and as a friend. I have only known Brandon for this past semester, and Steve my entire life :) As you can see we're very close and get along really well.



STRENGTHS
Brandon said my strengths are that I am a firm speaker and I get my point across with ease and fineness, and that I back up my point if someone tries to break it down. Also that I am really engaging when i am talking with people, that it lets them know i am really listening. Steve says that i know how to make people laugh, and i surround myself with good people. Also that i am straight-forward with people and can let them know my opinion of them through body language or speaking.


weaknesses
Brandon said that a weakness is that sometimes i can be too blunt. I tend to speak my mind a lot, and that in the professional world would need to think more about what i am going to say before speaking. Even though i do not intend to offend anybody, it can be very startling. Also that when i get overwhelmed i start to break down. Steve said that it is hard for me to take criticism, that i will only listen to it to an extent before i shut them out.

Improvements
Even though i tend to understand peoples feelings well, i do not want to offend anybody. So, I feel like i should work on putting up a slight filter to consider other peoples feelings more. I was not aware of how blunt i have become. I used to hide from the truth, and since i have learned to see things for how they are, i think i tend to expect others to want the plain truth. Also i need to work on being able to take constructive criticism and actually listen to what people are telling me, instead of being a baby.

Intersting Blogs

The Lost Blog
http://www.filmfodder.com/tv/lost/
This blog has a summary of every episode and all the interesting things that occurred during it. People can post responses with their opinion of the episode, or any other interesting idea's.

Video Bleach
http://videobleach.blogspot.com/search/label/134?max-results=1
This blog has the full anime Bleach available to watch with a small summary of each episode.

Twilight Trailer
http://twilight-trailer.blogspot.com/
This blog has trailers of the upcoming movie, as well as some behind the scenes information.

My Hopes for Vienna

I hope that all of the students will get along well, and welcome the students from the Athens trip. It would be nice if with all the last minute changes that everything goes smoothly with rooms, and no one is upset about having to share a room if they were planning to be alone. I hope everyone can pick up the language and do well in our classes. I want all of us to become close and be able to be there for each other and I hope that some permanent friendships come out of this trip.

I hope that Heather and Tom enjoy themselves just as much as any of the students. I hope that their family can come together and be closer than it already is. I hope the little ones remember and later appreciate this trip. I hope Heather keeps respect from and for the students, and I hope she and her husband can become close with all the students. It would be nice since there is no GA that they can be role models for us.

My main hope for me is that I get to go to Egypt. I've always wanted to see Egypt for as long as i can remember, their culture fascinates me. I also hope that I can mature greatly and meet some nice people over in Austria. It seems like people are really nice over there and that they like Americans. However I want to take it a step further and want to be overlooked as an American and blend in with the Austrian culture so I can fully live in their culture.

I'm nervous about not picking up the language. I've always had a hard time with languages and haven't succeeded when studying them. I'm nervous about keeping up with the school work. I can tell that I'm going to love it over there and I don't want to end up being too distracted by other things going on. I'm nervous about missing my parents, this will be the longest i have been away from them. My mom is going to be so upset while we're gone.