Thursday, December 3, 2009

Thanksgiving and Vienna and School, Oh My!

I am happy to announce that as I write this, I am only 9 days away from leaving Budapest and 10 days away from arriving in Alaska. Joy! I'm not saying that I don't enjoy Budapest- it definitely has it sparkling moments, but I miss home and my family and my friends and the snow and using a phone, that I think after all these months it'll be good to see what's going on in my own turf.

I have been having some good times in Budapest for sure though, although not every day. Wednesday continues to be the worst day of the week for it starts early, ends late, and gives me too long of a break between my two classes, but not long enough to do anything productive. The rest of the days aren't bad at all, and I've been making a point to hop off random metro stops just to see what's around the parts of the city I haven't gotten to see yet. So far I've mostly been noticing the various outdoor holiday bazaars, and they are oh so lovely.

Last week Thanksgiving happened, as I'm sure most of you are aware. I was worried that it would be a sad and lonely day, since I've always been around family on that day- Cassandra came to stay with me in Greece for Thanksgiving 2006. I thought about taking a very long nap and skipping the day entirely, but luckily I found out that a restaurant near the Opera House, called M. was planning on taking traditional American Thanksgiving fare and preparing it in a "special" Hungarian way. There was also going to be live music put on by two American students at my school, so I knew if I went I would be in good company.

I had made a 7:30 reservation, but since it is seriously impossible to predict how long it will take to get somewhere (it's anywhere between 30 and 50 minutes to get from my dorm to my school, which is a big gap if you wake up late and need the extra minutes or if you get to Point B too early and have nothing to do to kill the time) so I got to the restaurant early. The host, named Marci, was extremely friendly and treated me as if I was a guest in his house. Up until this point I had not experienced this kind of hospitality in a Hungarian eatery, so I actually felt like I was intruding on a private party! The host introduced me to the performers, as well as a couple of other early patrons, and insisted we all sit together and chat. He gave me a complimentary glass of wine and left us to have whatever conversation we were going to have. It began with a discussion of "What the hell is the deal with 'half floors' here? They try to sneak in a whole other floor before they even get to the first floor from the zero floor, and what's up with having a zero floor anyway?" which lead to how cool the restaurant was for having drawings on the paper walls.

Let me see if I can describe this. The restaurant is small, so making reservations for the place even though it is reasonably priced is a good idea. It's named after some (I think French) author whose name begins with an M but is hard to pronounce, hence the name of the place is M. The decor consists of what looks like butcher paper bounded to each table, as well as on the walls. On this paper are drawings of shelves, dressers, and other furniture. There are even frames drawn around real photos. It might seem weird at first glance, but the point is that the author the restaurant is named after is being honored by the paper decor, since the use of paper is what made him capable of writing. Plus it was cute.

Dinner was a success! I sat with two American undergraduate students who are studying here for the semester, as well as their advisor from Romania named Monica who happens to be a PhD student in the Philosophy department here. Small world! I had delicious pumpkin soup with roasted pumpkin seeds, apple-stuffed turkey and mashed sweet potatoes, and pumpkin and poppy seed pie. These were all made in the Hungarian way as promised, but it was so nice to have something close to what I would normally have on Thanksgiving and I was very grateful for it. Oh, and I also had enough wine to where it looked like I was looking through glass during the end of the evening, but it's all good. After the live music was done, and as my table was finished getting stuffed, we went to go home for the evening. Monica, being the nice wonderful person she is (as well as a CEU employee) picked up the check and charged it to the school. Haha! Ultimate win!


So all in all, even though I didn't have Thanksgiving with my family, I didn't have a spoiled day and I was very thankful for the company I had that night. Next year, since I will be back here in Budapest, I hope to be able to repeat the evening.

Alright, I am so not in the mood to talk about my Vienna trip just now, I'm getting so sleepy. Next time I promise!

Thursday, November 12, 2009

Strolling Down Andrassy ut


It seems as though fall has finally decided to arrive here in Budapest. For a while the temperature had been flirting with the idea of making its promising drop, but only just recently has it actually happened. At least for me. I think the locals and anyone who has never spent any amount of time living in an "arctic region" would say it got cold here weeks ago. However, since the leaves have been changing colors only just recently, now everyone can agree that it is officially fall.

Last weekend I took the opportunity to treat myself to a movie. Since it was an American movie (Julie & Julia and absolutely adorable) I'm very much guilty of not submerging myself in Hungarian culture. For my defense though, I did try to speak as much Hungarian as I could when purchasing the ticket, and there were Hungarian subtitles written on the screen which I tried to match the spoken English words to them from time to time, so there.

The next day I invited Darjana and her boyfriend Peter, who was visiting from Serbia, to go to the Fine Arts Museum with me. Yes, it's the same museum I went to a few weeks back, but there was a whole new temporary exhibit up and I wanted to see it very much. It's called "From Boticelli to Titian- Masterpieces of Two Centuries of Italian Art." I couldn't live with myself if I let an exhibit like this get away from me. There were several of Boticelli's religious paintings on display. Until then I had only seen ones such as Primavera and the Birth of Venus, so this was really exciting. There is speculation that Boticelli had traveled to Hungary when he was a young art apprentice, so there's some fun trivia for you. The exhibit had a number of impressive paintings by Titian, Veneto, Il Sodoma, Tintoretto, as well as many others. The painting I was most excited to see was Lady with an Ermine by Leonardo da Vinci. Beyond knowing that it would be absolutely gorgeous to look at, in the back of my mind I remembered that it was what inspired Philip Pullman to use daemons (animal companions) in His Dark Materials oh which I became obsessed with in 8th grade. Despite the fact there were a butt-load of people there wanting to see the same things we did, overall it was a nice experience going to the museum.

After the museum visit the three of us walked down Andrassy ut in search of coffee. It was raining of course, yet it wasn't cold enough to find the atmosphere miserable. The wetness made the varying colors of the leaves stand out, and I found enjoyment looking at them against the fashionable embassy buildings along the "Broadway of Pest." We found a place for coffee on Nagymezo utca and I ate some amazing Serbian food called Plazma that Peter was so kind to bring from home. We were on the same street where Cassandra and I saw a photo exhibit when she was here. Unfortunately the cute little elephant sculpture she posed next to is no longer there, but I still have the memory.


I'm not sure what is in store for this weekend. There was consideration for some travel to another city, but with the rain happening everywhere in Central Europe it might be better to wait another week. I am feeling a little sick as well- I've been dealing with a sinus infection off and on all week and today I'm feeling particularly week. Luckily it's Thursday (laundry day!) so I don't have to do anything too stressful today- although I have yet to look at the Sartre reading for tomorrow so maybe the stress level will change! (I kid, I kid...)

Saturday, October 24, 2009

Long Live the Hungarians!


It seems as though the days spent here in Budapest are going by so fast that I only get a chance to blink two times before it's a new day. I'm happy about this because I am excited to return home for the winter holiday season, but at the same time I feel like I am running out of time to enjoy Budapest. A lot of it has to do with being a full-time student with the most ridiculous schedule on the planet, which means that I have to be smart about setting aside time for play and make sure that I don't compromise my studies too much. Maybe I'm taking school a little too seriously; then again, if I just wanted to explore/travel/party all the time, I could have done that without signing up for a two-year school program.

I have been making it a point to do at least one thing for myself a week that involves enjoying Budapest and forgetting that I have any homework to do. Two weekends ago when I visited the second-hand English bookstore, I picked up a flyer for a symphony orchestra concert happening the following weekend. The flyer expressed that the show would feature the cimbalom, and although at the time I wasn't exactly sure what that was, I figured it would be a fun time. When I got to my room, I hopped on the computer and found out that the cimbalom is a fancy name for a hammer dulcimer that has been tweaked by the Hungarians to suit their wants. I immediately decided I was going to go, and I didn't mind at all that I would be going alone. There are just some things in the world that are better to enjoy without having to be distracted by the awareness of a companion there. Don't get me wrong, I do still like to be social, I just wanted this for myself.


Last Saturday I made my way to the Duna Palota, which is a former casino-turned-palace right across the street from where I go to school.  Talk about not having to worry about getting lost! When I found the entrance to the palace I was immediately overwhelmed by the decor- everything was carefully styled in neo-Baroque (pretty much all archietectural styles in Budapest are "neo" because there are not a whole lot of surviving original buildings due to war destruction). Once I was given my seating assignment I walked slowly up the red carpeted stairs so that I could admire the golden stucco features of the walls and the cherubs pointing down at me from the ceilings. If the concert turned out to be awful, at least I knew I would be able to enjoy the atmosphere.

Much to my satisfaction the concert turned out to be amazing. The theater itself was quaint, for it occupied just a small area on the upper floor of the building. The decorations were just as impressive as the rest of the palace, although I didn't doubt this for a moment before walking into it. When the members of the orchestra came out from backstage they didn't once try to hide their individual personalities, and you can tell they treated one another more as family members rather than colleagues. They began by playing the Rakoczi March by Berlioz, which I later found out is considered an anthem of Hungary (although unofficially). The sounds were full and rich and I couldn't help but notice my emotions stirring. After a few other Hungarian-influenced pieces, the orchestra played Tschardas (or Czardas) from Coppelia and I actually started to cry. It was the song the last ballet class I apprenticed at Mo's had danced to, so I did feel some sadness, but they played it so well that I felt happy at the same time. Talk about mixed emotions... The orchestra played pieces by Bartok, Liszt, Lehar, Brahms, and Strauss, with the cimbalom coming in every once in a while to be featured in a specific piece. The player did a solo of Monti's Csardas and once again I cried, but this time I felt no sadness whatsoever. I felt like I was turning into my mother (no offense Mom!) :) Earlier before the cimbalom player came out, the orchestra played Haydn's Farewell Symphony IV, and every so often the players would get up, one by one, nod at the audience, and leave the stage. The audience chuckled, at first because they weren't sure what was going on and thought this was strange, but then they (I'm just going to assume) figured out what was going on (a farewell song, get it?) and laughed out of amusement. When there were only three instruments left, the conductor turned around and shrugged at the audience, pretending he had no idea what was happening. When the last viola left the stage, the conductor threw up his hands and stormed off the stage himself, leaving two violin players to duet until the end of the song. When they finished, they gave a nice bow to the audience and practically ran off the stage, making the audience chuckle once again. I was definitely having a great time.

The conductor was an interesting specimen for sure. There were times where he would act extremely serious with his orchestra, and there were other times where he would stop conducting and do a little hip swivel dance to the music. I think I would have liked him as my own conductor. He allowed certain instruments to lead the orchestra at different times, and he made sure to acknowledge the entire band after each song rather than just the soloists. I secretly think he either has a thing for and fling with the first violin player, because he was constantly kissing her hand and making her blush. Near the end of the concert during Long Live the Hungarians! he lead the audience in a hand-clapping frenzy, getting us to clap loud and soft and to different rhythms throughout the song. He "tricked" us at one point by making us think he would lead us into a big clap, but then suddenly stopped himself, although we still clapped, and gave us a shake of a his finger right before he winked. His mannerisms were odd but enjoyable, mostly because he was more cool and relaxed than I've ever seen a conductor be. I really wonder what his orchestra thinks of him, for it would be my guess they all get along with him and prefer his style. Then again, maybe he can be so cool on stage because he trains them so strictly during rehearsals. Shrugs, you never know.

I loved going to the symphony so much last weekend, that I'm going again. It's a completely different one this time though, with an entirely new orchestra and location. The show is going to be held at St. Stephen's Basilica, so I imagine there will be songs inspired mostly by religion versus the pride of a nation. I am very excited to sit inside the basilica and find out what kind of experience I will have. The show takes place tonight, so I should probably get ready for it soon.

One last thing before I go. Yesterday was Revolution Day, a national holiday in Hungary that observes the revolution against the Soviets of 1956. It marked the three year anniversary of the day I first landed in Budapest when I was on break from school in Greece. Since we didn't have classes, I invited Elena to come along with me to the Museum of Fine Arts, which is located right outside of Hero's Square. Since it was a holiday admission for all exhibits were free. I wanted to take advantage of this fact in order to see the "Turner and Italy" exhibit, which would be closed in a couple days so that the "From Boticelli to Titian" exhibit could be installed. I really enjoyed the works by J. M. W. Turner, who had made a whole series of sketches and watercolors while traveling to different regions of Italy. He made Italy look so soft and pleasant that it made me want to go back there again really soon, especially to Capri. Elena and I toured the museum for almost 4 hours (although we did take a break for a snack and a drink) and we only covered half of the permanent exhibits. Once the new temporary exhibit is put in place, I'll go back to see it, as well as the other half that I missed.



Friday, October 9, 2009

I'm typing a new post so that I keep my fingers out of my eye

Siighh...I have an eye infection. I realized it right in the middle of tonight's yoga session when I thought there was an eyelash or dust under the lid. Instinctively I went to work on the eyeball to try to get whatever foreign object it was out of there, but upon my non-success I realized the feeling was over the entire eyeball and not in one concentrated spot. I ran into the bathroom to look at my eye in the mirror, and just as I expected, the area was covered with a yellow film. I poked at the nearest sinus and I noticed unwanted pressure that tends to come with this lovely pussed-eye look. Great. These type of infections do happen to me frequently- my doc says I have a very thin sinus on the left side of my face by my eye that easily gets clogged- but I haven't had one since the end of June. There isn't a whole lot I can do other wait it out, and if it gets really bad (meaning I get a full-on sinus infection that'll basically make me worthless) I have some antibiotics in my drawer. I just have to keep my damn fingers out of my eye, which is hard when it feels so natural to prod and poke.

But what's going on in my world of Budapest? Last weekend I went to two sessions for the in-house conference the Philosophy department hosted. It was a two-day event where PhD candidates gave talks on their thesis projects. I didn't make it to any of the early morning events, because I don't do early mornings if I don't have to, but I did manage to get to the later ones after lunch. Afterwards there was a wine reception. I find it very kind that after any event they host, they offer free wine to all who attend. This includes the colloquium talks that occur each Tuesday evening. I did stay for a little while last Friday, but from here on out I'm going to skip out of the building as soon as the presentations are over, because I really do not need to be drinking any alcohol (or soda for that matter) while I am staying in Hungary. Yes yes, I'm lame, but I like it better this way.

Anyway, when I was heading to the dorm Friday I was all alone and it was late. Luckily Budapest has a reputation for being a very safe city. I ended up making a very temporary new "friend" on the bus ride from the metro station to my dorm. At first I thought he was some old creepo, and as he talked to me in Hungarian I just kept shaking my head and looking out the window. Finally I realized that I actually knew how to say "I don't speak Hungarian" in Hungarian and I thought this would be a good way to kindly let him know I wasn't interested in a conversation. Turns out he's one of those people who gets extremely excited when hearing his language spoken by a foreigner. He asked me where I was from. Shoot! I just learned how to say where I'm from in my Hungarian class the night before. He then asked my age, what I'm doing in Budapest, and where I'm going (I think). Me: "Am 24 I. Am student I." *Gives shrug for last question.* At that point I was very interested in trying to figure out what he wanted to tell me, and to figure out what I should tell him. Granted, I don't know a whole lot of Hungarian after taking the language class for only two weeks, but still, I gotta practice everything at some point. The man pulled out an apple and handed it to me. "Alma!" I exclaim. (That means apple.) Oh yes, now we're really onto something. He tolds out three more and shoves them toward me. Is he giving me his apples? I'm not sure, but I start to count "Egy, ketto, harom...." I hesistate because I cannot remember the word for four, so he helps me..."Negy..." Ah yes negy! Once we got the apples counted he put them into a bag and dropped it onto my lap. At that point it was time for me to get off the bus and go into my dorm, so I formally said Thank-you to him for giving me the apples, and informally said Good-bye because that was all I could remember. All in all, the whole scenario turned out well, and I totally scored negy almas.

It's supposed to rain all weekend, so instead of doing some sight-seeing I'm going to find some place called Tree Hugger Dan's Bookstore and Cafe. There are actually two locations, one being by the famous opera house and other being just two metro stops down from the first. My sister could probably find them easily because it's close to the photo gallery we went to on Andrassy ut (avenue). Why I want to go to one of these places is they sell free-trade coffee (score) and second-hand English books (extra extra score). I know I shouldn't be reading books that aren't my texts for school, and usually I stick to that rule during the school year, but there's no harm in just taking a look, is there? Anyway, that's where I'll be tomorrow if anyone comes looking. Have a great weekend!

Thursday, October 1, 2009

Thursday is Laundry Day

I've been back in Budapest for maybe half a week, but with all the catching up I've had to do for school and running errands and what not, it feels like I've been back for an entire month. I lucked out and everyone I've gotten to know, including the professors, have been extremely helpful in getting me up to speed with everything. Two of my friends even gave me recordings of some of the lectures- unfortunately one of the recordings is of the professor who has the thickest Hungarian accent ever and I can't make out a single word that he's saying. This is true in real life as well, so this will definitely be an interesting semester. I hope at some point I'll get used to it and understand what he's saying.

Yesterday I had my first class at 11 AM, and my second one wasn't until 5:20 PM so I had a few hours to kill. I struggled to find ways to do so- I did all my required readings for the next two days, I dang-near wrote a novel for an e-mail to Cassandra, and I read every single word on the Daily Newsminer's website. After all that I still had two hours left to go, so I decided to grab some food at a Chinese restaurant near the school. I don't know why I thought that would kill any amount of time, I was finished with my food in about ten minutes and I still had nothing to do. The restaurant didn't exactly have the "sit around and hang out" atmosphere that I needed, so I moved down the street to a coffee shop. I did this on the same day I decided to give coffee a rest, since it's somewhat expensive here and  I'm sure my health would appreciate the break. "Just one more day wouldn't hurt" I thought, but then of course this stupid schedule would be repeated next week all over again. Also, I completely forgot I could have just ordered a hot chocolate, or even a non-caffeinated tea or something. I'll remember that for next week.

Today my first class isn't until 7 PM. It's my Hungarian language class, and after the first session I had two days ago I don't remember anything except how to introduce myself. Oh, and I know how to count from 1 to 2, and then 5 to 10. Right now I can't remember how to say 3 or 4, but as soon as I look at the notes laying on my bed I'm sure I'll be golden. Since I had no obligations for school today other than to write a 1 page response paper on a really easy reading for my Aesthetics class, I decided to catch up on laundry, clean my room, write the paper, and listen to the Chicago soundtrack. When I listen to the music from it I like to pretend that I am Roxie Hart, Velma Kelly, and Billy Flynn all at the same time. Don't worry, I have the whole routine worked out in my head and it pretty much only works in there, so you'll never have to worry about me thrusting it upon you or anything. :) Since it's not quite 3 PM I still have quite a lot of time to kill, so I'm thinking I'll do some yoga, take a shower, have a late lunch and read some more of the Time Traveler's Wife. I should probably go out and explore more of Budapest, but I still have the experience of being in Alaska last week fresh in my mind and I'm not ready to let go of it yet. Besides, if I do all my exploring now, I'm really going to have to find a way to kill time for the next two years.

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

June Elaine Lash (1923-2009)


I never imagined what life would be like without Grandma. I wouldn't even let myself make the effort to try.

When I learned that my Grandma June passed away on Thursday, September 17, I was devastated. I didn't want to believe it was true- I wanted it to be a big mean joke. I did know the truth though, and I didn't bother trying to hold back the tears. I cried over the phone with Cassandra, I cried in the shower, I cried on the metro (I tried to cover that one up as best as I could though), I cried in the coffee shop (it's called Coffee Heaven so it doesn't let you ignore the truth) and I cried in front of a few of my peers once I got to school. At that point the rest of the world didn't matter. I lost the only grandmother I had ever known, and to make it worse I was alone in a foreign country thousands of miles away from my family.  I really needed them, whether they knew it or not, and I felt guilty that I didn't have a way to offer them my support. I knew that since I was just starting school, and was half way around the world, my chances were slim for going home. Slim chance or not, that night once I returned to my dorms, I became determined to make it home to be with my family and go to Grandma's funeral. I wanted to make sure I would be able to say my final goodbye to Grandma since I couldn't while she was still alive.

God I miss her. If you've never known Grandma personally, there is a very special chunk of life you've missed out on. Grandma had always been a crafty woman, not only with objects like her afghans, but also with her remarks and conversations. She had a great sense of humor, and when she would crack jokes I knew she was enjoying her life at that exact moment. It made me happy when I knew she was happy. What cracks me up about her the most is how much of a huge flirt she was. She had a special place in her heart for doctors and paramedics, and she had no qualms about letting them know this. Since she was a tiny old lady her advances were more adorable than anything. I loved it when I was a kid and I would go visit her and my Grandpa. She always made me poached eggs on toast, which to this day is still my favorite egg style ever. I remember every once in a while she would give me a really serious look, grab my hands, and tell me that she wanted me to know she loved me. She did that a lot recently come to think of it, so my guess is she knew her time was coming to a close. She lived a very long life and created a huge loving family, so it's up to me and everyone else who feels lost because of her death to realize that it is all okay, and that it's best to celebrate her life and her memory rather than dwell over the fact that she's gone.

Right now I'm back in Alaska, and I'm trying to make the most out of being here as I can. Tomorrow the family will attend Grandma's viewing, and the day after we'll have the funeral, burial, and memorial gathering at my Aunt Cindy's house. Once that's over I'll still have a couple days to spend in Fairbanks, so I'm going to take advantage of the cool weather and fallen leaves and appreciate being home. The lfight back to Budapest on Saturday is going to seem longer than ever before.

Monday, September 14, 2009

Getting Cozy

The photo to the right is of Cassandra and me when we visited Hero's Square. At that point I was still brand new to Budapest.

I think at this point I'm pretty well settled into my place at the CEU Residence Center. I can't really say that I am in the rest of the city, except for at one coffee shop the girl who works there already knows my order before I even open my mouth. Despite all the odd things I've been having to get used to, such as walking around in what feels like a lot of heat, or using three different types of transportation (bus, metro, and tram) to get from Point A to Point B, or finding out that water isn't free, I still really enjoy the city. I went to lunch today with some of my peers from the Philosophy department and we all decided that Budapest is much better than Prague. So there you have it.

I'm failing miserably in my attempt to be a loner. It's WAY too easy to get to know people around here. Luckily I prefer it this way, and was only going to try to play the Loner Card because I wanted to be different than I ever have been before. I'm glad I got that out of my system. There is nothing better than walking down the street and seeing a familiar face, then running off with that person to do some task because you both have to do it anyway, and then deciding to join each other for dinner later.  Everyone so far seems to be really nice. There is one thing about the people I hang out with though that took a while for me to get used to. You see, our department isn't very big, so everyone is pretty much together all the time, which is good. The greatest portion of the students are from either Serbia, Croatia, or Montenegro, so they all speak similar languages and what's not so great is they choose to use them most of the time. At first I would sit there and fume. I hated being left out of whatever conversation it was, and I thought it was a serious waste of time whenever one of the people would decide to translate for me after the conversation was finished. I think Elena, the girl from Romania, and I have bonded the most because we're the only two who can't understand what everyone else is saying and really prefer to use English at our English-speaking institution. However, at this point I've gotten so used to it happening that instead of getting upset, my mind wanders off into my own little world as I tune them out. I actually take advantage of the situation by sorting out my thoughts that like I would normally do on my own, without having to actually be alone. Basically I've found that I can make the best out of situations like these, so it's all good.
Over the weekend I joined a bus tour around the city. It was informative and helpful, because now I think I can come up with a place I want to get to and have an idea of which way I need to head. The lady who was our tour guide though cracked me up quite a bit. At one time she pointed out the largest sports arena in Hungary and told the bus that "it can hold 13 people." I guess that's progress for you. :) I didn't exactly get amazing photos during the tour because we spent more time on the coach than we did outside standing still, so I'm thinking one of these weekends I'll have to take myself on my own little tour. It'll be the perfect opportunity to learn how to use the manual camera Cassandra was so kind to leave for me. I'm sure if I wore my big hat with a "PRESS" tag sticking out from it, I wouldn't look like a tourist at all.
Today I signed up for all my classes and got all the required reading material that is available at this point. I'm going to take 8 classes, which sounds like a big load but it only makes up 15 credits. One of the "classes" is a department colloquium where only our attendance (and I'm sure attention) is mandatory as guest speakers will be coming in once a week to discuss philosophical topics. I'm actually pretty excited about that. I'm also excited about my Aesthetics class, which is my 4 credit elective. The rest of my classes are mandatory core classes, which will be Logic (sure...), Metaphysics (score!), Continental Philosophy Since Kant (woot!), Philosophy of Language (ehhh...) and Academic Writing (barf). I will also be taking a non-credit beginning Hungarian language course, which I hope to be extremely helpful in getting me to not have to feel so guilty for only remembering how to say "thank you" in Hungarian. I was going to take a Political Science course as an elective, but I'll save it for next semester since my course load won't be as full with core classes then. Seems about right I think, now I just need to actually get through it with success.

I really wish Cassandra could have stayed around here a little bit longer. I think she would be impressed at how my entire school and residence center are used as photo galleries. I'm not exactly sure who the photographers are, but there is some fancy work here and I bet she could get some good ideas from it all. Maybe if we're lucky she'll get to see it all if she is able to come visit in the future.
Tomorrow I don't have any meetings, so I'm going to take advantage of the time and buy groceries and check out the school's sports center. They offer classes in belly dancing and yoga...what more could I ask for? :)

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

From an end to a beginning, with bathing in between

Our trip has come to a close. Cassandra flew back to D.C. and will soon go back to Alaska and I am settled into my new lifestyle as a student in Budapest. I guess “settled” isn’t exactly the best word, but I am no longer traveling about and I have actually put my whole room together at the CEU Residence Center. It’s somewhat of a bare room, which is a little depressing, but if the cleaning lady who will be coming in once a week discovers anything taped or nailed to the walls my ass is toast. The bulletin board is fair game though, so all the photos I brought along as well as some of the postcards I bought in England and Scotland are now taped on there- I don’t want holes in them so I skipped the thumb tacks. I did try to put a little personality (mine, anyway) into this room so I set up two My Little Ponies that I snagged from home. It’d be nice if I had my whole collection.

Since Cassandra flew back to the U.S. today I’ve been feeling really down. I went to my orientation meetings today and although they were helpful I haven’t yet gotten into school-mode yet. Classes don’t even start though for another two weeks so I’m in no rush to make the mental transition. For now I’m exploring the city some more, and am scoping out little “hot spots” such as particular areas in the city center park or coffee shops along the route from my dorm to the my school that I can use as comfort zones when I need them. I don’t always like to study in my room, and I can’t stand the sounds that are made in libraries- the kind where people end up exaggerating on their efforts to be quiet that they end up being extra noisy- so I like to pick out places where I can go and fall into my own little world.
This is going to sound gross, but it’s my life and it’s current so here it goes… I haven’t shaved my legs in about three weeks and they are not looking pretty. Cassandra and I basically gave up on the idea of shaving our legs (don’t worry, we still got our arms) during the trip because we were always sharing bathrooms with other people in hostels and we didn’t want to take up too much time and what not. I figured once I got to my permanent room I’d shave my legs the moment I got into the shower. Yeah, that would be a splendid idea if I could bend over without hitting my head on the shower wall. Seriously, I’m pretty sure showers in motor homes are bigger than the one I have. I’m glad I’m not bigger around because otherwise there would be no where for the water to go other than up. I think what I’m going to have to do is set up a shaving station at my sink and just go ahead and work it that way for the next two years. It’s either that or be a happy little hippie for a while- yeah, not so much.
I also mention this little issue because Cassandra and I were chuckling about it as we were putting on our bathing suits. Yesterday morning we treated ourselves to one of the more popular Turkish baths in the city, the Gallert. It was a bit of a hassle trying to figure everything out. It took us about twenty to thirty minutes worth of running around and questioning people about what we are supposed to do and how to go about obtaining suits (the shop was closed for another two hours) until finally one woman understood what we were after. When we finally got to the swimming pool area I was pretty excited. The architecture was pretty amazing, with all the marble floors, walls, and statues in all areas of the bath. It’s very Art Nouveau. After a bit we wandered through a maze to get to the thermal baths. We went into the hotter one, and Cassandra really liked it. My thing is I don’t really like sitting in hot water very long. We did spend a good amount of time in it though, and after we got into the sauna for a short while. Cassandra probably could have lasted in there longer than me, but I don’t do well with heat in any form, so I had to get out. After that we decided to get into the big swimming pool and it felt so cold! It took us a minute to get used to it and I loved it. We swam a couple laps around and pretty much giggled the whole time while doing it. During one of the laps something was turned on and the whole pool went bubbly. It was fun! When we were done we got changed AND THEN saw that an outdoor wave pool existed. Darn the luck, that one probably would have been the best.

The rest of the day we spent walking to Castle Hill (exhausting!) and making our way to the Robert Capa exhibit at the Ludwig Museum. Capa was a photographer that Cassandra was very familiar with and I’m pretty sure his exhibit was the best part of the trip for her, so I’m happy we went. I was very impressed by his work- there were shots of famous people like Ingrid Bergman, Pablo Picasso, Ernest Hemingway, and John Steinbeck, as well as a lot of his war photography. There were some photos up that stirred up my emotions, like the one I saw of a dead child on a path with a soldier nearby. The show is really popular in Budapest right now, it seems like everyone in the city has gone or is planning on going soon. I hope they do, especially since one of the greatest photographer considered by many people all over the world was born in Budapest.
I’m curious to find out what tomorrow is going to be like. We are going to be given a tour of the library, and me being the nerd I am I am sure to enjoy it. I’m missing home though- I won’t mind it so much if December doesn’t take very long to arrive.

Friday, September 4, 2009

From London to Budapest


We have arrived! I'm in the city where I'll be spending two years going to school and maybe earning a Master's degree, assuming I don't screw it up along the way. We arrived to our hostel later than expected due to a flight delay and a baggage pick-up delay (cops were called to the airport for a suspicious bag, so I heard) so we're just going to hang out here tonight. I don't want to attempt venturing out into the rainy darkness right now, so we're going to save our wandering for tomorrow. I'm hoping to locate the university as well as the residence center. I have to be at a meeting at the res center Sunday night so I'll actually start to meet my peers then. Exciting!

Our last day in London was really enjoyable for me. I'm not so sure Cassandra had a good time- she's been really funny and negative a lot on this trip it seems. I'm trying not to let it get me down though, I worked too hard planning everything to let that happen. Anyway, after getting ready we went to Oxford Circus to meet up with my friend Ben. It was so good to see him again! He and Cassandra seemed to get along really well so that made me happy. We walked to Chinatown to get lunch at a place "the locals" like to eat, and it was damn good food. Just the day before I was whining about how much I wanted Pagoda. After lunch he took us to the National Portrait Gallery, a place I have never been to before. There were portraits painted of all sorts of monarchs and government officials, as well as other important people and friends of important people. Moving along there were more contemporary pieces of random people I didn't know, and then finally we arrived to a photography gallery. I can't remember the photographer, and neither can Cassandra apparently, but that's okay because at the very end we got to see an exhibit of photos taken of Bob Dylan on a tour of Europe back when he was 25. He looked so young and cool, I'm thinking about looking for the book of those photos later when I'm back at home.

Once we were done at the gallery, we decided to walk to a park when all of the sudden Cassandra's arm was hurting. It was the weirdest thing, especially since Ben had JUST told us the remedy of how to fix a hurting arm when we were having lunch. According to a little girl who fell onto her arm when playing on playground equipment, the only thing that would make her arm feel better was ice cream. So there you have it. We decided to test the theory Ben told us, and it worked! Cassandra and Ben enjoyed their ice cream and mended arms while I had a coffee, and we walked off into St. James' Park. That place was incredible for several reasons, but mostly because of its wildlife. The gray squirrels (which are not rabid due to being on an island or something) expect to be fed by people because it happens all the time. We watched people allow the squirrels to climb on them and search for bits of food. There were also Canada geese, bar-headed ducks, etc. that expected to be fed as well, and they had ZERO fear of people. Ben told me he comes to the park to feed the animals all the time, but he never feeds the pigeons because he and the rest of London hates them. He said it's also forbidden to feed pelicans because they feed at a zoo nearby all the time. It was crazy watching all these animals flock to people. I was afraid of being pooped on.

Once we were done viewing the animal spectacle it was about time for Ben's girlfriend Naomi to get off work. We went to a nearby pub to meet her before going to our show Thriller Live. Naomi was such a sweetheart! I'm really happy that Ben found someone so great, and it was nice that she didn't mind Ben hanging out with two girls while she was at work. I hate it when people get all nervous and jealous for stupid reasons. Luckily there was nothing to worry about.

Thriller Live was a pretty incredible show, but I gotta admit that I was too busy thinking about how sad I was that Michael Jackson has died that I didn't fully give the show the chance it deserved. The dancers were pretty badass though, and I recognized one of them from my Dance Spirit magazine. The singing was really good as well, except there were two singers that Cassandra and I were very annoyed with- I guess one of them won X Factor (the British version of American Idol) and she thought she was hot stuff. That's not what I would expect at a tribute show. Still though, the songs, lights, colors, costumes, and choreography were all very exciting. For one part of the show they took the recording of Michael's 1995 performance from the MTV Video Music awards and recreated it- they even had the part where a man was flipped over after his "gun" was taken away and all the men bent forward to an impossible degree from their ankles. Argh I wish I could have seen the real thing!

So that's it for now. Tomorrow will be a whole new adventure. I am hoping to take Cassandra to a Turkish bath but like an idiot I forgot to pack my bathing suit. I won't be surprised if I find one somewhere though, those baths are very popular here. Eek, then it's off to school! I really hope I'm cut out for it.

Wednesday, September 2, 2009

It's weird to be in London and not get on a bus to another city right away


Hello hello! Cassandra and I are in our itty bitty room at the Clink Hostel in London. It's smaller than my room at home, which for those of you who know what I'm talking about you're probably wondering how they can allow four people to stay in a linen closet together. They do though, and it's super hot in here, and the walls are headachy orange to boot. We make due though, and the sink in here actually has just ONE faucet meaning I can choose the temperature of my water instead of frantically running my hands back and forth between the hot faucet and the cold in order to get luke warm or whatever. I'm really hoping I have just one faucet in my apartment in Budapest, but I have a feeling when I get there in a couple days I will be sorely disappointed.

Just to catch up, Cassandra and I spent yesterday and the day before in my favorite town in England- Salisbury! The impressive cathedral with the tallest spire in Great Britain resides there (it actually owns the town in a way...nothing can be built taller than it and it owns property that Marks & Spencer, etc. are located) and we got to climb it most of the way. I loved the climb, I actually enjoy the little bit of burn in my thighs. Going down though I became a total chicken shit but nervously kept my mouth shut as I carefully made my way down the narrow steps. When we were up there the view was fantastic- we could see out for miles. The best part of all is when inside the tower we were able to see what I consider the more intimate part of the cathedral- we were looking at original scaffolding from the 1200s and everything else that didn't need to be covered with marble sculptures and other pomp. Don't get me wrong, I do enjoy a finely decorated Gothic cathedral, but I especially love this one because I've seen it in so many different ways now. I highly recommend it to anyone traveling in that area.

The day before going to the cathedral we took a bus tour to Stonehenge. The weather was actually amazing, so the entire world joined us on the tour. Seriously, the site was PACKED. While toodling around the stones I thought it would make a really interesting image if everyone around decided to lay down and lounge about. Even with all the people there I'm glad the weather was nice, because it seemed like Cassandra was getting discouraged with having bad lighting for all her photos due to poor weather. There were even spots every now and then where we didn't see any people around or through the stones, so that was nice. Stonehenge itself is interesting to see, but I'm more in awe of how it was created rather than seeing it standing how it is. Maybe that's because I didn't get to see it without people around.

After Stonehenge we took a bus to Old Sarum, which is an old settlement that used to have a castle and a cathedral, but now is in ruins. To get there we had to walk along a path that sheep use when grazing, and just at the end we walked by two men dressed as what looked like 14th century warriors. Weird. We made it to a gravel path and saw a ton of cars parked and camps set up just like we do for the Anderson Bluegrass Festival. A festival was definitely going on, for people were all dressed up in different battle garb from very early medieval days all the way to uniforms the British wore in World War II. Demonstrations, faux battles, crafts, games, cart rides, etc. were all set up and it looked like a really great time. Going through it we saw lots of little kids dressed up as knights and Robin Hood like fellows pretending to hunt one another to fight. They were absolutely adorable, especially when they would yell out to one another in their little English accents. We eventually made our way to the castle, which is in ruins and only bits of some walls and foundations are left. It reminded me of visiting the old ruined Minoan palaces Phaistos, or even Knossos (if it wasn't all messed up from Arthur Evans of course, that dummy). All in all it was a nice day with some great touring, and I'm really hoping my sister liked it as much as I did.

Now that we're in London Cassandra is taking the opportunity to do some things that she wants to do, which is great I think. We went to the Photographer's Gallery around Oxford St. as well as the photography section in the Victoria and Albert Museum in South Kensington. Tomorrow we're going to do some other things she's looked up, and we're also going to meet up with my friend Ben. The last time I saw him I stayed with him for a week in Rugely before going home after I was finished with school in Greece. I'm really looking forward to the visit. Later tomorrow night we're going to see the show Thriller Live, which I hear is great but we're seeing it to replace seeing Michael Jackson himself. If he didn't die on June 25th we would actually get to lay our eyes on the real man. I still can't believe he's gone. *Sings "Gone Too Soon" to self*.

Sleepy time now. I hope our roommates aren't too ridiculous when they come in tonight- I just have to be open-minded and forgiving at all times I suppose. Something like that I'm sure. :P

Monday, August 31, 2009

Hanging out in Salisbury (but will talk about that later)

(Written 30 August 2009)

You know it is impossible for a house to be haunted, and you know it is not very likely a murderer is lurking in the hallways or is waiting for you inside your room when you are out for a moment. You know thinking otherwise is silly, but you still feel your skin tense and your blood rush right before you walk into the door to your rented room. You know there is no danger, but the light switch can’t be turned on faster and you couldn’t possibly scan the room with your eyes without haste before even thinking about stepping foot inside. You know better- there is nothing there to get you and all you’re going to do is have a pleasant night of sleep after listening to the creaking pipes that is very much not a ghost.

Last night these thoughts were running through my head after I left my sister’s room to return to my own while staying at the Coundon Guest House in Coventry. It is a beautiful building, with the brick walls and quaint furniture that one expects to see each time he or she steps inside a house like this. The house is large, and old, and currently there are not many people staying in it- I think we are two of six guests total and the house looks like it can accommodate at least 50 comfortably. I like staying here, especially since it is quiet and has given me a chance to take a little break from the hustling craziness of being in a different British city almost every day. When it is night and Cassandra and I are ready to turn in, I walk outside her room into a long dark hallway and fumble with my keys to open my own door, all while noticing the stiff feeling on the back of my neck that something right then is going to surprise me or that I may bump into something very, VERY wrong. As soon as I get into my room though and turn the light on as quick as I can, my heart settles and I feel relieved as I remind myself I’m just being silly. Damn it, then I remember that I still need to use the restroom, which is close by but is in its own corridor through the long, dark hallway. Maybe I can hold it…I can pretend that I fell asleep hours ago, which if that were true I wouldn’t be getting up to use the restroom anyway until I wake up for good in the morning. That’s not healthy though, and I know better. I know there is nothing to be nervous about by stepping out of the room. I know that as a fairly rational 24 year old who loves to walk around in the dark all the time at home that I have the ability to be brave, even though I also know there is nothing to have to be brave about. I need to stop thinking like an idiot and get on with my business and on with the rest of the night. I do believe I saw a switch for a hall light earlier in the day, and I hope more than anything my memory is correct.
---
Tonight is our last night in Coventry. We arrived yesterday after a painful nightlong bus ride from Glasgow to London and from London to here in the late morning. The day before our bus trip from Stirling to Glasgow was not at all pleasant, because just before that after leaving our hostel and having breakfast at a coffee house Cassandra and I got into a horrible argument. Once we arrived in Glasgow we didn’t talk about the argument, but instead just went on with the day. Since Glasgow isn’t really touristy, and all we had to do was kill time before the night ride, we decided to walk around, shop around, and watch a movie. Right before the movie started I told Cassandra that we need to have a talk, and I apologized to her, but so far we have yet to really hash things out how they need to be. I’ll wait until she’s ready and won’t try to force her into any discussion she’s not ready for.

In the evening we found a place to eat dinner. It happened to be a pub, which is where most of the affordable eating takes place in the cities it seems. We were only going to have one drink, maybe two, before heading to a bookstore. We decided that the movie we watched, The Time Traveler’s Wife, had so many holes in the story that we need to figure out if a good portion of the story was left out from the book. We’re going to read the story while I’m in Budapest and have our own “book club” over the Internet. I know, sometimes we are adorable. Unfortunately we never got out of the pub to find our books because we ended up befriending two Germans who were visiting Scotland for a short while as well. We left the place as soon as it was time to board our bus, which luckily was just around the corner, and I know that at least I woke up at the end of the bus ride feeling very dehydrated and having a headache.

Tomorrow morning we’re taking a train to Salisbury and will take a tour bus to Stonehenge as soon as we get there. I’ve been to Stonehenge once before several years ago and I remember I had a funny reaction to it. I’m curious to see how my sister reacts to it. You know, every time I say its name or think about it all I can think about is the scene from This Is Spinal Tap where the band has a model of Stonehenge made to be placed on their stage during a very dramatic moment in their performance. If you know what I’m talking about, then for one you are extremely awesome and we need to be best friends, but also you know how the “dramatic scene” turns out to be. I have a feeling the way the band felt about their own Stonehenge is how most people feel about seeing the actual Stonehenge, but only because it has been turned into such an incredible tourist attraction with a damn near paved path around it. It’s still a part of curious history though and the structure itself is great to see, no matter what other junk has been placed around it.

I believe my time is up for the night. I wish I could post this right now but there is no internet around here. There is also no public phone in our hostel or anywhere down the street so I can’t call home to let everyone know I haven’t been killed or possessed while in this hostel in Coventry. I’m hoping I’ll be able to let someone know tomorrow. Here’s hoping. J

From several days ago (no internet access)

I love Scotland. I believe this is my fourth time in the country and it still amazes me. When we first arrived to Edinburgh from London, it was early in the morning so the city was calm, the weather was cool, and the hostel was super easy to find. We stayed at a place located on the Royal Mile, which means that we were right in the center of the Fringe Festival activities. Once the morning hours were over the streets were filled with travelers, street performers, vendors, and people handing out flyers to various shows and exhibits located throughout the city. Some streets were blocked off for the festival, which made it nice to walk around since the sidewalks were absolutely full of people.

Once Cassandra and I checked into our room and showered (we were several days overdue for them, and that’s not good) we walked to Calton Hill. I have driven by it before on a tour bus but I had never actually walked on it before that day. Unfortunately it was around noon so the sun was beating down on us as we were walking up the hill. We saw all the famous monuments that before I had only seen from afar, such as the round Stewart Memorial and the National Monument that was meant to resemble the Parthenon. Unfortunately the funding for this particular monument ran out so it is only a series of columns on one side with no roof or anything. I think the neatest thing about Calton Hill is the Hume Walk. It’s a paved path that is said to lead one on a trail David Hume would regularly take. As a Philosophy student I find that super exciting- and I enjoy being a dork.

After the hill we walked to the end of the Royal Mile that is opposite from the Edinburgh Castle. There is where Holyrood Palace is located (Holyrood meaning Holy Cross) and it is the official summer residence of the Queen. Cassandra and I both noticed that it has the potential to be really dark and drab, but I’m sure the floor where the Queen lives that visitors are not allowed inside is decorated in a way that is sure to lighten it up. At one point of our tour we walked into a room that is dedicated to Mary Queen of Scots, and in it is a lock of her hair among other things. Outside the palace is a huge garden and an abbey in ruins, which both were really nice to see, except unfortunately many of the flowers were wilted and there were tons of people outside that made it difficult to take in the serenity we were hoping for. I still liked the palace though…I wish I could have been born into a royal family sometimes just so that I could be lucky enough to stay in a place like that.

Our next step was to tour the Edinburgh Castle, but unfortunately it closes early during the Fringe because the Military Tattoo takes place outside its walls. The Tattoo is a big performance which includes military bands, an air show, fireworks, and ceremonial formations. I wasn’t too upset that we didn’t get to see the castle, since I had been in it three times before, but I was disappointed that I didn’t get to see Mons Meg. Mons Meg is a gorgeous cannon that had been restored a few years ago, and it’s my favorite thing on the castle rock. I’ve noticed though, as well as my sister I’m sure, that I get excited when I see other cannons as well. They’re not things I really think about when I don’t see them, but when I do see them something in me lights up and I get as close to them as I can. Maybe that’s weird I don’t know. We finished the night with a tour of a vault under a bridge that was once used for storage and eventually housing for people who were extremely poor. During the great fire in Edinburgh the residents were cooked alive under there, so there are several thoughts about the vaults being haunted because of it. I think it’s a very sad story to tell you the truth, especially since the people could not help but be that poor. Once the tour was done we went to the World’s End Pub with our hostel roommate Julie from Canada.

The next day we got a bus that took us into the Highlands. Cassandra has always had a thing for Loch Ness, so I wanted to make sure she got to see it. Along the way we stopped to see Hamish, the most famous (and absolutely adorable) highland cow. He really has become a celebrity in the area, and his photo is published in everything that has to do with the Highlands. We made other stops along the way and learned about the history of the Highlanders before getting on a boat at Loch Ness. The boat ride was fun, but we weren’t able to spot any Loch Ness Monster. Cassandra is thinking it’s because he would rather she come there alone instead of with a whole bunch of strangers… ;)

Today we are in Stirling, where an old castle exists that was one of the major military fortresses in the country and it’s also near where both William Wallace and Robert the Bruce did everything they could to defend the people and land. We had a good visit at the castle, but there were many restorations occurring so we were not able to go into places such as the main palace. It rained pretty much the whole time, but at this point we’re so used to being wet that we didn’t notice it as much. I like the rain much better than heat, but it is too bad all our photos are turning out dark and our hair is constantly funny-looking. But it’s true, Scotland wouldn’t be right without its mistiness everywhere.

We have one more day in Scotland, for tomorrow we’re taking a bus to Glasgow, and then we’ll be heading back to England! Maybe we’ll get a dry day at some point, but I won’t count on it.

Saturday, August 22, 2009

Super Troopers in Washington, D.C.


So here we are. Cassandra and I are sitting (she's actually sleeping) in our hotel room for the second night in a row just outside Washington, D.C. When we first booked the tickets to the Washington Dulles airport we were going to visit our Great Uncle Raymond for two days before heading off to London to see Michael Jackson in concert. Well, both of those plans didn't exactly work out. Raymond is recovering from a stroke and isn't able to have visitors, and MJ is, well, dead- but long live the King of Pop. Since the changes with Raymond were at the last minute, we decided to not spend the money to change our flight plans and to go ahead and spend time in D.C. We have both been here several times for different reasons- we have both attended leadership conferences, I lobbied with the Women's Mining Coalition, Cassandra attended the 2005 inauguration, etc., but we have never been here at the same time. Great time to come...it's been storming like crazy and the past two days we have spent completely drenched. Luckily it's been warm, so no need for a jacket, but nothing will air dry and our "let's use the hair dryer to help things along" trick has been failing miserably. Tomorrow morning we're going to have to pack our bags with wet jeans and shirts, which will be kinda gross but oh well. At least we still had fun. We weren't able to make it to the National Gallery in time before they closed thanks to us not waking up until 1 PM (only 9AM Alaska time!) and it taking a long time to get into the city from where we are, not to forget that it's Saturday where nothing stays open. We decided to visit different monuments instead, especially since Cassandra had never seen the World War II Memorial until today, and it didn't require money or a time limit. When we went to the WWII Memorial we saw a bride and groom walking along inside it. I thought that was interesting, especially since the rain was coming down so hard. We later saw them at the Lincoln Memorial and I'm going to assume they went to other ones and had a photographer follow them along. It's a neat idea, and I hope their photos come out alright despite the weather. After all that, we got back to our hotel room and it felt like we crawled out of an ocean. It was still a fun visit. Oh, and yesterday we decided to go to the movies and see the new Brad Pitt flick "The Inglorious Basterds." I had a great time throughout the whole thing, even if it did exhibit a couple moments that made me cringe into my seat. If you see it you'll know what I'm talking about.

Before Cassandra and I arrived on the East Coast we got to visit our sister Carrie and her family in Anchorage. That was a fun time! At first our oldest niece Camille wasn't there at first because she was in school. This is the first year she has not been home-schooled. She seemed to like the school enough, especially since one of her best friends is in her class, but she said so far they haven't done a whole lot. I'm sure it's because it was only the second day of class. :) I tell you what, for a 13 year-old who has been in home school her whole life, she is one of the most social people I have ever met. She does more than I do! Her sister Stella doesn't start kindergarten until next week, so she and the littlest one Lulu were at the house and we all read stories and played around until Camille came home. I am really going to miss those girls, and Carrie and Grant too. I look forward to seeing them all when I come back home in December to visit for Christmas.

That's it for now. When I wake up in the morning I'm going to pack everything away, including the wet clothes, and get on a plane to Europe!

Thursday, August 20, 2009

A New Chapter

I decided that it was appropriate to start a new blog. There have been a great deal of changes in my life lately, at least it feels that way, and I feel this new site will represent this best. At least it's all I can come up with at 2:40 AM with nothing else to do except wait to get on a plane in 9 hours.

Tomorrow (er, today, whatever) my sister Cassandra and I are getting on a plane. We will be stopping in Anchorage for a bit which will give us a perfect opportunity to visit our sister Carrie and her family. After that we fly to Washington, D.C. Originally we were going to visit our Great Uncle Raymond who lives just outside in Vienna, Virginia, but due to his health he is unable to have visitors. Cassandra and I have both been to D.C. enough times, but never at the same time so I'm sure we'll make the most of it. In fact, I have never visited the National Gallery, so that will be a stop for sure, and she has not seen the World War II Memorial so we'll go there as well. I would much rather see Ray than any of that, but respecting his wishes is important at this point.

Once we're done spending our days in D.C. we're going to fly to London. The day we land we are taking a bus to Edinburgh. We're going to get there right in time for a big festival that I was able to see back in 2004 when Lisa Smith and I backpacked our way through the country. I'm really excited to see it again with my sister, and we'll be sure to visit the Jekyll & Hyde Pub that is so swank that its restroom doors are disguised as cases of books. I'm not going to lie, I've been there a couple of times, but never have I taken it upon myself to experience the 7 Deadly Sins there, which are shots of alcohol that are certain to make it difficult to find my way back to my hostel. I better not go for all seven... After being in Edinburgh, we're going to make our way to other spots on Scotland and England before making my final destination. My goal is to discuss these stops on here as we go.

At the end of our trip Cassandra is going to be dropping me off in Budapest, Hungary, where I will begin a two-year Master's program in Philosophy. It's going to be a crazy experience for sure, but I'm going to do everything I can to make the most of it and be a good student while there. Of course there will be plenty of three and four day weekends due to Hungary being a very proud nation and having several holidays. I might be able to take advantage of the time and visit my former dance instructor in Athens or give Croatia a try. I'm not sure at this point, and I like it that way.

Right now I am feeling a little nervous, mostly excited, but also very tired so I better get myself to bed. Once again, my goal is to keep track of my experiences and what not on here just as I did on livejournal when I was Greece, so stay tuned!