The Link!

Hahaha. I forgot the link!! Here it is:

http://www.lulu.com/content/paperback-book/philosophy-undertaking/7835102

My Book!

Just following up on my previous quest for philosophical help. I sent out a message to anyone that wanted to answer the question: What did you learn today?

It was all part of my philosophy term project, my search for the definition of the word learn. It was all a bunch of deep philosophy stuff but if you feel like taking a gander, here's the link. I think you can download it for free (the link is under the big blue "add to cart" button). Enjoy!

Much love. Hope you're all happy and healthy.

Ash

Some Philosophy

Hey Everyone.

I know its been a while. I'm pretty busy with getting back to classes and life in Boston. But life is fantastic. I'm incredibly happy with my friends and boyfriend and I'm enjoying classes more than I ever have.

However, thats not the purpose of this blog. I am doing a term project for my Philosophy 101 class and was wondering if you all could help me. Its really simple and all I need is an answer from all the people that affect me most in life...you! Duh. The more people I get, the better, so please please please take 2 minutes to send me your answer.

The question: What did you learn today?

It can be a short or long answer and can be done at any time of day. If you could email me, that would be fantastic. sensualcelery@gmail.com

Thanks all!

Ash

Ps. if you already answered this through facebook, ignore it!

We live on trains

Holy crap. The last time I wrote, it was about Berlin. Berlin seems worlds away now. Since then Chels and I went to Amsterdam for a couple night, spent two days on a train, the night in Oslo, and two days on a plane.

As you may recall, we changed our plans from spending 10 days in Scandinavia because we don't have enough money for a 6 euro cappuccino. We spent a little more time in Prague and Berlin and added on Amsterdam. So we finally left Berlin on Saturday and arrived in Amsterdam Centraal 7 hours later. We decided it might be a good idea to reserve our train tickets to Oslo 2 days later only to find that the ones we wanted were completely sold out. Instead of leaving Monday night, we would have to leave Monday morning, early. That cut out one of two days in the city of sin. So we decided to hit the ground running. We took the 45 minute bus ride out to our cheap hostel, changed and took the bus back into town.

If anyone has ever been to Amsterdam, you know how surreal it is. The main entertainment square is hopping with clubs, pubs, and people. On top of alcohol, there are coffeeshops everywhere that sell copious amounts of weed. Its odd to know that at least half the people milling around you are high. Chels and I walked from the main square to the red light district. We were on a mission...to see a sex show. Amsterdam sex shows are infamous, we didn't want to see it for the sexual entertainment (EW), we wanted to see it for the novelty value. So we forked over a very steep 25 euro and entered into the world of kinky sex. We sat ourselves down at the back of a row of booths that were full of young people, like us. Aside from a few creepers, everyone was there for the same reasons we were. The format of the show was a set of 6 acts. There was one couple act and 5 female single acts. I will spare you the sordid details but I can list the main props involved: a 50 foot piece of string, a sharpie pen, and a banana. These props were spread throughout the show, much like the performer's legs!

We left that room in shock and continued to wander the redlight district. As much as we tried not to, we stood gaping in front of the windows filled with gorgeous women bathed in red light and offering their services. We later found out that all the prostitutes in Amsterdam get tested for diseases on a regular basis and proudly display their certificate of cleanliness in their window. Another tidbit of knowledge, they charge 50-100 euro for each visit depending on the length and number of acts performed. What really surprised me was how gorgeous these girls were. I have been to Amsterdam in March and remember them being ok looking but nothing to write home about. Well I'm writing home, these girls were stunning. They easily put me to shame. So we went home for the night in a kind of shocked stupor.

The next day, we got on a free walking tour. It gave the whole history of the red light district and the tolerant ways of the rest of the city. It turns out that all drugs and selling sex are illegal in Amsterdam. In fact, the city was founded by a set of strictly religious prudes. However, unlike America, these prudes also believe in unwavering tolerance and turn a blind eye to the shenanigans as long as they don't blatantly advertise it. If you look at any of the coffeeshops, none say anything about selling weed or being able to smoke it there. Weed menus must be specially asked for and people are not allowed to smoke it in the streets. I found all of this out from the walking tour, of course.

Amsterdam is also very expensive so we ended up having another couple of picnics and then heading back to the hostel. In a way, we were glad our stay got cut short. Amsterdam is a lot to handle and we didn't feel like the mental stimulation anymore.

So we woke up at the crack of dawn and headed to the train station. We had five trains and a 24 hour journey ahead of us. Time to settle in for the long haul. Little did we know how long it will actually be. We got a train to Duisburg, Germany and then had a 30 minute layover. The boards told us that our train would be 5 minutes late, so when it arrived only 3 minutes late, we thought it was a miscalculation. Nope. We got on the wrong train. We arrived in Essen, Germany instead of Hamburg and scrambled to save the remainder of our trip. In the end, we just had to get to Copenhagen by 11.08 that night for our night train to Oslo. The earliest way to get there got us there at 11.18. We were screwed. So we redid our entire itinerary. 3 more trains than originally planned, 22 euro extra for a new night train reservation, and 12 extra hours. Talk about long haul!

We were survived our 5 hour layover in Berlin, aided by wine, and managed to get on our night train to Malmo, Sweden. We popped a couple sleeping pills and realized we had already had a bottle of wine. Whoops! Better get to sleep pretty fast, NOT. We settled into our train beds when two italians walked in and showed us their tickets. We were in their beds, but our tickets said the same thing! Turns out that the woman in Germany sold us tickets for the next day. I wanted to punch someone. Luckily we managed to get an extra bed in the train but not before standing in a drunken, sleeping pill high in the corridor of the train for 30 minutes.

We made a friend on the night train and she translated for us the complexities of the Swedish language. Thank god she was there otherwise our trip would have been even more hellish. We were on the next train with her as well when the loud speaker came on. She groaned and threw her head back. There was construction on the tracks, we would have to get off, get on bus, and get back on the train. Our connection at the next station was only a half hour. We didn't make it.

More schedule rearranging, another station added to the itinerary, and another 4 hours. We finally arrived in Oslo 39 hours after we started. I believe we saw about 8 train stations. We had reserved a night in the airport hotel because all hostels were booked (WHAT???). We couldn't stomach the cost of a room for two people so we paid for one and snuck one of us in. Luckily we were supplied with two beds anyway. We spent the next two nights and one day wallowing in comfy beds and two channels of American tv.

I left early the next morning, connecting in Heathrow and Boston and then finally home. Chels left a few hours after me. Again, I settled in for the long haul. The trip ended up being about 28 hours long. I met a lot of cool people on the plane and that made things bearable. However, I only managed to sleep 6 hours in 48. I was buoyed by the fact that I got to see my boyfriend in the 3 hour layover in Boston and my family at the end of the line.

I'm finally back in my own room in San Diego. It feels unbelievable to be home. My boyfriend is here too for 10 days as well as some family friends from Britain (Pete, Jan, and Cath Jones) for 4 days. We've all been having a blast visiting various beaches and having delicious meal after delicious meal.

My final words for this blog: I absolutely loved my trip. I saw so many loved ones and met so many more. I would not trade the experience for anything. But I am so happy to be home. The backpackers life is not glamorous and I'm more than ready to settle down in one bed for a year or so. Basically, life is awesome and I'm a happy chick.

I hope you're all doing well. Until next time,

Ash

Berlin, the city of separation

Ok, so I just wrote the blog on Prague and now I must tell of Berlin. These poor girls are sitting on the couch waiting for me to be done so it will have to be quick.

We took the train from Berlin to Prague and arrived on Tuesday evening. We were greeted by Uli, my dad's cousin. This connection is a long lost one. The last time my dad saw Uli was when they were about ten. Since then, my aunty Sheena has seen Uli and his wife Gabi, but other than that, there has been almost no communication. When I told my dad I wanted to go to Berlin, he immediately suggested Uli and I started to get excited about meeting some paternal family (they all live so far away and spread apart that we rarely meet).

Uli greeted us, we went to drop off our stuff, and he treated us an authentic and delicious German dinner. I had some kind sausage, Uli is the authority on these things, and Chels had some German pasta (i've forgotten what its called). We were soon to find out that Uli and Gabi would treat us like this for the rest of our stay, with free and delicious food and unbelievable hospitality.

We came home to a glass of wine with Gabi and Uli and then settled into our nice warm bed in our own room! No sharing for the next 4 nights! Wonderful. We woke up, had a huge egg and toast breakfast with Gabi and then she took us to a lake at the end of the subway line. It took about 45 minutes of public transport and walking to get there but it was worth. It a wonderfully warm lake with small coves to swim in. And a beer garden to top it all off! There were so many people playing the water and having a beer. It gave me the immpression that Berliners are very close with nature. They love to be surrounded by it. I couldn't agree more.

The next few days, we took another Sandeman free tour through Berlin, borrowed Gabi and Uli's bikes for a bike ride through the Tiergarten, and saw a local market full of sausages and smelly cheese.

The smelly cheese is another story all together. Gabi HATES cheese. And even worse, smelly cheese. Uli LOVES it. So when I mentioned that the smellier the better, he made me promise that I would have a cheese feast with him. We did just that, when Gabi was out of the house, and it was some of the best goat cheese, and brie that I've had in a long time. Thanks for that Uli, it was a treat.

The tour we took was really interesting, mostly about Hitler, the Nazis, and the Berlin Wall but also about the architecture in the city and how it has developed since the fall of the wall in 1989. Its really cool to see a city that has been constantly transforming in only the last 20 years. Great for an urban development and architecture nerd like me.

I loved Berlin. It could have been the warmth that we experienced from our hosts, or the fact that we could enjoy the city without worrying what we were paying for sleep, but I think it was the attitude of the general population and the abundance of hope that shrouds the city. I know that all sounds so artsy fartsy and big words, but its the truth. Its a city with a really interesting (although incredibly sad) past and it shows in every area.

So I must let these girls on the internet now but I want to thank Uli and Gabi for letting us stay with them and for the great conversation and hospitality. It was a joy to be in Berlin with you two and I beleive you showed us things we would have never seen before. So thank you.

Hope you're all having wonderful days. Next blog will be about our two nights in Amsterdam and my journey home. I leave tomorrow!

Love you all!
Ash

Prague was lost in the process!

Hello all!
I was completely under the immpression that I wrote a blog about Prague but for some reason it isn't here. Maybe I'm delusional, I don't know but I have to catch up on Berlin and Amsterdam so I'm just going to write it relatively quickly and then move on to Berlin.

Chels and I arrived in Prague on Thursday night. We stayed in a hostel that was a lot like the one from Munich. It seems that during the summer, the schoolhouses in Prague are converted to hostels. They had put bunkbeds for 80 people in one room, mildly separated by thin red sheets of fabric. They decorated the walls with huge posters that could easily be removed and converted the office into a breakfast\common room. It was pretty awesome but not as good as The Tent in Munich, the beds weren't as comfy. However, it was only 6.50 euro a night. Unbelievable. As soon as we got there we knew we wanted to stay longer so we extended our stay from 3 nights to 5.\

Our first night there, we treated ourselves to a pub crawl. At 15 euro a person, it was way over our budget but we decided to go for it. One pub crawl in 2 months isn't too bad. We got dinner and an unlimited supply of beer/wine for 2 hours. Needless, to say, we took advantage. As we were sitting there, gulping wine, I saw someone I recognize come it. I triple checked to make sure and realized that it was definitely a friend from home. Christina, a high school friend, just happened to be in Prague and on the same pub crawl at the same time as I was. Unbelievable. I haven't seen here in a couple of years so we did some serious catching up. I'm still flabergasted.
That night was a good one and I managed to keep my dignity. I woke up with barely any hang over and some memory of the night before! Success.

I was talking to my parents in Vienna about my worry about Scandinavia. The plan was to venture up there for the last 10 days of the trip. See the fjords and all that. However, we soon realized that there was no way we would have enough money. And even if we did, we would be sitting down for a meal, resenting the fact that we were paying at least 1 dollar for every bite we took. Its just he mentality of a broke traveler. So we changed the plan and spent more time in Prague, Berlin, and decided to include Amsterdam for a couple nights. thats the great thing about Eurail and backpacking, you can switch things up without a second thought. Its pretty convenient and cool. Fly by the seat of your pants kind of living.

Because we had so long in Prague, we decided to take it as a little relaxation time. We took our first Sandeman free tour there and were opened up to the joy of free learning. They are tours that they have in 13 cities all over Europe and they are run based purely on tips. They are about 3 hour walking tours and really informative and interesting. Loved it.

I was sick with flu-like symptoms for most of our time there so for a couple nights, I stayed in while Chelsea went out with friends from the hostel. It was much needed rest for me and a good break from each other for both of us. We have been getting along really well and can read each others moods well. We both understand that its immpossible to be together all the time and still get along. So we make sure to have some time apart.

Prague trip consisted of a lot of walking around the city. I managed to get up to a hill above the city, climbed an observation tower, and faced my fear of heights. It was a gorgeous hike up (yes, I actually did some hiking) and a stunning view from the top. We also got a paddle on the river and floated around for an hour, basking in the sun and serenity.

We had heard from several people that Prague is one of the most beautiful cities in Europe. We thought, after seeing Switzerland and Vienna, that there was no way. However, it proved us wrong. Its not just the government and arts buildings that are designed there but every housing building, bridge, sidewalk, EVERYTHING. Its the totality of it that makes it so gorgeous. The history also made it beautiful to me. It seems that the Czech people have a history of peaceful protest and have been successful for the most part. They are such a calm, kind group of people. Prague has inspired me and I now want to travel Czech Republic much more in depth. I hear the rest of it is gorgeous too.

Alright, there are some people waiting for the computer so I better go write my other blog and get off it. Hope you're all healthy and happy.

Love,
Ash

Lets park ourselves in a park

Hello from Prague!! This city is gorgeous but you all don't get to hear about it until I leave. For now, I will tell the story of Vienna.

Chels and I managed to get a relatively cheap hostel just outside the city and decided to stay for 3 nights. We had no idea what Vienna was like accept that a load of people had told us it was pretty. If you remember, we took the overnight train from Munich and arrived at 6am. I passed out on the train and managed to get a good five hours but Chelsea barely slept a wink. We stepped off the train and were walking down the stairs when, what do you know!, I skip the last step and twist my foot. If any of you read my Rome blog, you know that I had an injured foot for about a month while there. Well tripping down these stairs, I reinjured it. I knew it wasn't broken because I am pretty clumsy and know what a broken bone feels like. I was hobbling around for the rest of the day, in a lot of pain.

We walked the 500 meters to our hostel and were greeting by the most unenthusiatic receptionist I've ever seen. She talked in a whisper so we couldn't understand what she was saying and she didn't smile once. Talk about a change from The Tent. We also wanted to smack her when she told us that we couldn't get a room key until 3pm. 3pm! It was 6am at this point! SO we helped ourselves to the free breakfast, dropped our stuff off in the luggage room and got on the tram to find a park.

We found Stadtspark pretty quickly and laid our blankets out for a nap. I had been sleeping soundly for an hour when Chelsea shakes me awake: "Ash! That man just took that ladies purse! He just stole her purse." I was about to jump up to run after him when reason hit me, what if this guy had a knife or worse. It was the lady's fault that she left her bag unattended, her boyfriend could chase the guy. So we alerted him and he chased after the thief. He got the purse back but I think it was a wakeup call for the girl. Chelsea was shocked and shaken up. It was a bit of a wake up call for her as well. I just thought it was really cool. Nothing bad had happened and we got to witness a crime. Cool! We stayed awake and watched the guys in action. There were three of them and they would gather and talk and then break up and roam the park. I don't think they got anyone else. We fell back asleep. As we were leaving the park, we saw one of the guys re-enter wearing different clothes! He didn't want us to recognize him.

Great first impression of Vienna.

We were exhausted and it was only 1pm. We got some groceries and took them back to the hostel only to realize that all they had int he "kitchen" was a microwave and fridge. No cutlery, plates, or even a freezer. We wanted to kill these people. We managed to scrounge a meal and were finally ready to check in. We slept the rest of the afternoon away.

The next two days were spent lying in parks and people watching. Walking to and from the parks was a lesson in Classical architecture. Indeed, the city is full of gorgeous buildings. Unfortunately, unless you're into classical music, art, and museums, there's nothing to do. Some highlights of our trip in Vienna: seeing Bruno (the new version of Borat) in English!, eating traditional Viennese cuisine (schnitzel and fries. could not be more artery clogging), and having a drink down by the river.

Honestly, it was a beautiful place but its not a place for budget travelers. Our hostel was crap and we don't like museums. Haha. Youi can tell from the length of this blog that there wasn't much going on. But now we're in Prague and it makes up for the bore that was Vienna.

Hope you're all happy and healthy,
Ash

ps. Apparently the nightlife in Vienna is incredible but we didn't have the money to get out at night.

Danka for the Bier

Its that time again. Chelsea and I left Lucerne and traveled to Munich. One of the main reason I was so excited to be there was because I was going to get some time with my UncleJonny. I rarely see him as we live on opposite sides of the Atlantic and both lead busy lives. Anyway, he works in Munich during the week. We got there, dropped our luggage off at his hotel and settled down for a drink at his local haunt.

The waitress greeted us with a hug, excited that she could me Jonny's niece and then introduced us to everyone that entered the place from then on. Apparently my uncle is friends with the whole of Munich! We had planned to go out to dinner after a few drinks so Chelsea and I didn't eat beforehand. This proved to be a mistake. We ended up drinking uncle midnight and then heading to an amazing restaurant. We got there to find out that the kitchen was closed! So, of course, we sat down for more drinks. The waitresses were awesome and brought us some sausage and cheese but we were too far gone for it to make any difference.

My uncle put us up in a neighboring hotel for the night and we, once again, savored the little things. Having a bathtub (we took long, soaking bath...and washed our clothes in it), having a kitchen (we cooked a meal with fresh veggies and chicken), and having a gorgeous comfy bed (we slept for HOURS). We were very hungover the next day so we just stayed in. That night we realized there was a sauna and spa room in the hotel so we spent a couple hours in there and then went to bed. Chelsea and I are finding that we are either old or crazy. One night we can stay out until 4am and the next we need to go to bed by 8pm. I'm just thankful that Chelsea and my sleep patterns are relatively similar.

We worked out in the hotel gym the next morning and enjoyed the amazing, and free, buffet breakfast at the hotel. We then checked out and headed to a hostel called The Tent just outside the city. On our walk to the hostel, we caught our first glimpse of Munich. We had been so comsumed by savoring hotel life that we didn't leave the building! So finally we walked through Marienplatz on the way to the tram. Its the main shopping street so Chelsea and I were doing some serious temptation fighting.

We had planned to stay one night at The Tent but extended our stay a night as soon as we got there. The Tent is unlike any other hostel I've ever stayed at. It is set up like a campsite. With campgrounds, a bathroom and shower building, a reception building, and a cafeteria. As well as the personal tents, there is one HUGE tent that sleeps 100 people. Its about 100feet by 50feet with high ceilings and packed to the brim with bunkbeds and lockers. There are no walls in the tent so you literally feeling like you're rooming with 99 other people. It can be a problem to fall asleep if you don't have earplugs but it presents amazing opportunities to meet people. Within 3 hours of arriving at The Tent, we had made friends with a couple of Americans that had been there a few days.

We had plans to meet Annabelle, someone we had met while having drinks with my Uncle, at the English beer gardens. Our new friends came along and invited some more American friends of theirs. Little did we know what a night it would be. As soon as we got off the tram at the garden, it started to rain. We went to get a beer anyway but then it started to downpour. Annabelle amayingly invited all 6 of us back to her apartment for drinks and pizza. We ordered both from the midnight delivery system in Munich and proceeded to get drunk. Two of the younger guys were sick and headed home around midnight. At that point, Annabelle decided that we should go to a bar. We got a short taxi ride to her local joint and started drinking and dancing more. The place was underground and tiny but it was full of locals. They stared at us in amazment, wondering how we had found the place.

By 2am Chelsea and I were ready to go home. I pulled out my map and asked the bartender where the nearest tram stop was. It was nowhere close and a dangerous walk for a woman at night. We were stuck there until someone else wanted to leave. I settled in for the longhaul. Finally, the others decided they were ready to go home. At 5AM. We started the long trek back to The Tent, in daylight. We passed a huge fountain in Marienplatz and my friend, Kyle, and I decided to run through it. I don't know if you've ever gotten the urge to run through a fountain but I get it all the time and figured it was the perfect time to quench my thirst. It was really awesome but then we had a soaking wet, 40 minute tram ride back to the tent. We finally got to our beds at 6am, exhuasted and still drunk.

Chelsea and I were determined to do something productive the next day because we still hadn't seen any of the city. I woke her up at noon and we stumbled, tired and hungover, to the concentration camp (Dachau) even further outside the city. I think our state of mind and past few weeks made us even more sympathetic to the plight of the prisoners and we left with a much better apreciation for the simplicity and quality of our lives.

That night we stayed in and cooked dinner with an early bedtime. We caught up on sleep that night and when we woke the next morning, two of our friends invited us down the river. We put on our bathing suits and bought some alcohol. We then spent the day ont the river. Drinking, playing in the freezing water, soaking up the sun and the sights. I got completely burnt but it was worth it for the fun day we had.

Chelsea and I left for Vienna that night. We took the 6 hour overnight train. Now we are staying in another hostel just outside the city. Its a big dissappointment compared to The Tent but we're trying to make the best of it.

Tune in next time to hear of our experience in Vienna. Hope you're all healthy and happy,
Ash

A whirlwind of countries

Hey All,
Chelsea and I are sitting in an internet cafe in Munich right now. Hungover and sleep derprived but pretty happy indeed. Modern technology means that most of the time, after writing a blog, I get to talk to Steve, my boyfriend, and my family. This does much to boost my spirits if they are down, even if I can barely form a coherent thought.

I last wrote the day before we left Barcelona. We woke up early to catch the train at 9am. We got the train station in a mad rush only to find that the train we were told ran on the weekends didnt exist. The next train was at 1pm. We woke up really early for nothing! Theres nothing worse you can tell a backpacker. Haha. We were severely pissed off and after afew yoga breaths we decided to make the best of our time in Barcelona. We shoved our packs in the train station lockers and ventured to a really awesome part of the city, La Rambla. Its a really long street that has a huge median. IN the median are stalls selling flowers, fruit, and even birds and turtles. Off to the side is one of the biggest covered markets I have ever seen, aside from Asian countries. I stayed in a hostel on La Rambla last time I was in Barcelona but Chelsea had never seen it. We wandered the strip for a couple hours savoring the smells and sights. Its a great experience and Im glad we got to see it.

We finally caught our train and headed to Montpellier, France. We made a stop in Cerbere to switch trains and then again in Lyon, long enough to have lunch. We made it Montpellier around 9pm and overpaid a taxi to take us to the hotel that Chelseas parents got us. There arent any hostels in the town because it is so small and Chelseas dad wanted to make sure that didnt stop us from seeing one of his favorite cities in the world. We gladly accepted his awesome gesture and quickly settled into the fact that we would have a real bed, not a bunk bed, and our own bathroom! It was glorious. My dad and Chelseas dad traveled to Montpellier for a rugby weekend in 2007. Thez both raved about the place and recommended some pubs and restaurants.

The place is absolutely tiny and offers nothing in the form of sightseeing or tourism. It was just what we were looking for. The town was first built by Romans so it had a distinctly Italian feel while still being French. It feels like a movie set, like no town like this could actually be real. We mostly just relaxed while we were there, taking naps and wandering the town in search of baguettes and wine. We stayed there for two nights. On our last night, we went out to a great little pizza place (counter intuitive, I know). Montpellier is VERY expensive and it was the only place that fit our budget. Our waiter, a cute (but too skinny) frenchman told us in broken english that he plans to travel and wanted to talk more about it. We fell for it, hook line and sinker. He met us at the local irish bar when he got off his shift. A friend of his was also there and didnt speak a word of english. Our friend, Luc, expressed a serious interest in Chelsea and started a long string of compliments and very blatant references to what he could do for her in one night. His friend and I just sat their in awe, jaws dropping.

He was a very outgoing kid and Chelsea was stunned. There was a perpetual blush on her face. This only encouraged him. At one point, he got so worked up in telling her she needed a one night stand that he said (excuse my language), 'you need a very big orgasm'. I was stunned and was crying laughing, Chelsea almost fell out of her seat. Anyway, it made for an entertaining last night.

We woke up early the next day to work out and shower. We've actually been pretty good about working out every other day. Running or circuit workouts if we have our own room. Its a great way to see the city, to run around it, and once you get passed the stares from the people in the city, its reallz enjoyable.

We got the train that day from Montpellier to Lucerne, Switerland. When we were planning our stay in Switzerland, I was talking to Chelsea while we were sitting at a couple of computers. We had no idea where to go or what we wanted to do and were being very clumsy about figuring it out. The guy next to me informs me that he is Swiss and recommended that we go to Lucerne. So thats what we did! After getting over the extortionate prices in Lucerne, we were able to appreciate its stunning beauty. Apparently it is a lot like Interlaken but lesser known and more beautiful. The train ride there was a treat in itself. The juxtaposition of the lush green and towering Alps gave us chills.

We got lucky in that there was a huge jazz festival going on while we were there called the Blue Balls Festival (translation problem. Haha). While they have paid concerts in a small theater, they also had an outdoor amphitheater with live music and surrounded by about 30 stalls with all kinds of food, beer, jewelry, and clothing. While we couldnt buy anything, we just wandered around soaking up the atmosphere.

The town is tiny, possible to walk around it in about 45 minutes, so we bought a picnic from the grocery store and found a little park with gorgeous views of Lake Lucerne and the Alps behind it. We laid there for a few hours and went back to our hostel to start drinking. I bought a 3 Franc (about 3 dollars) bottle of wine. It was disgusting but I managed to get about 3 quarters of it down. We went down to the festival again that night, this time a little jollier, and hoped that someone would approach us. We are generallz pretty outgoing but the people in attendace we made up of groups of friends and didnt bode well for us. When no one approached us, we just went to sit up on the stage, which had since been abandoned by the performers. We sat there, contentedly people watching when a woman finally came up to talk to us. She said that her friend really wanted Chelsea number, that he was a really nice guy but just very shy. She gave the woman her email address but told her not to give it to him until he came up to talk to us. After much persuading on her part, he finally approached us and we all talked for about an hour. We went back to our hostel and to bed.

The next morning we got the train from Lucerne to Munich and thats where we are now. More about that in the next post. Hope you are all happy and healthy. Miss you!

Ash

The Rest of Spain

Hello All,
We leave Spain tomorrow so I figured an update was necessary. We spent three more days in Madrid with Sarah, Aurel, and Dobs mostly just cooking, drinking, and talking. The last day we were there Aurel suggested that we actually see some of the city. So we woke up at the leisurely hour of noon, had some breakfast, and finally got out of the house at 2pm. The great thing about Spain is that even if you don´t see daylight until mid afternoon, they still view it as having the whole rest of the day left. We went to a cafe for some sangria, tapas, and internet access. Then off to the train station to try to figure out eurail tickets. The process of reserving them is not as easy as it sounds and can take hours with the result of not getting on the train you wanted. I´m quickly learning to go with the flow and relax a little. My new motto...whatever it is, its not worth getting angry about. After that we went to La Reina Sofia, a museum that houses tons of Dali and Picasso stuff. It was really cool but we didn´t have long there so it was a little rushed. We also got to see a cool street performance in front of the museum. Thats one good thing about traveling in the summer, there are so many outdoor, free events!

One night Sarah, Aurel, Dobs, Devon, Chelsea, and I cooked dinner, by that I mean I cooked dinner and everyone ate it. We got sufficiently drunk and walked around Madrid to a gorgeous dessert place. I scarfed down a oreo sundae and we took lots of awesome photos.

Chelsea and I left Madrid early on Thursday morning. We ended up having to wait in the Madrid train station for 2 hours and then the Barcelona station for 2 hours. With a 3 hour train ride in between. The ride was pretty cool. The landscape is a lot of desert. I´m not sure what I expected to see riding through Spain but that was not it.

We finally reached our hostel in Barcelona, tired and very sweaty. The people at the hostel were all really cool though and they quickly boosted our spirits. The accomodations here are great with a kitchen and living room on each of the four floors. Chelsea and I decided to attend a hostel event that took us to a club on the seafront. We each drank a bottle of wine before we went out, thinking that we then wouldn´t spend money at the club. We were drunk but not too bad. Then the people we were hanging out with decided it would be a good idea to steal a bottle of whiskey from behind the bar. Needless to say, we left the club almost falling over. The taxi dropped us about a block from our apartment and it still took us 45 minutes walking to find the place. We walked in the wrong direction! On our walk we encountered an couple interesting characters. At one point, we were crossing the street and had to shuffle between a couple of cars. On the sidewalk stood a man, fully dressed, except for his man parts which were sitting, erect and waiting, in his hand. He proceeded to wag them at us so we quickly walked away. When he started to follow us, I used my hard earned street skills and turned around to confront him. I gave him my most intimidated stare and yelled ´NO!´as loud as I could. He freaked out and turning, running, in the other direction. Some serious awesome points for me. I felt like a million bucks. HAHA.

Today we woke us with massive hangovers. We managed to roll out of bed at noon and found that, after throwing up, walking was the only thing that made us feel ok. We walked La Sagrada Familia, Gaudis infamous Cathedral that has been under construction for over 100 years. I stayed outside because I´ve already seen it, and Chelsea went inside and to the top. I enjoyed some people watching in the park inside and had the gorgeous view of the cathedral in the background. We then got on the metro, not a nice experience while drunk, and made it to the beach. The beach in Barcelona is stunning. Really long and with beautiful sand and warm water. We collapsed in the sand, underneath an umbrella, and let the sound of the waves sooth our pounding heads. There were tons of people walking around the beach trying to sell things Chelsea was checking her facebook and read a message from Lisa Prior saying that we should seize every opportunity that arose. At that moment, an woman walked past offering back massages. What better opportunity than that! Haha. Two asian ladies gave us a 15 minute back massage for 5 euro. It worked out all the backpack kinks and only helped to relax us. It also killed the last of the hangover blues.

We hadn´t eaten all day and found a restaurant that was recommended by the lady at our hostel. She said it was a local joint and had the best paella in town. It was a little pricier than our budget but the food was delicious and we have leftovers to last at least another day.

Now we are back at the hostel, going to bed early so we can have an early departure to Montpellier tomorrow. I´m missing home a lot tonight. It probably because I´m fretting about money and consumed by pure exhaustion. All in all though, life is amazing. Chelsea and I were sitting on the beach wondering how our lives could be so great. How do we have opportunities like this and the means to seize them?? Its incredible. Cross your fingers that a good nights sleep gets rid of my sad mood. I miss you all like you wouldn´t beleive.

Hope you´re all having great days.
Ash

Run for your lives!!!

I fully intended to write twice a week but am finding it very difficult to find the time!!

I stayed at the Reid's house for three days and had my first real relaxation time in two months. I spent two weeks with them when I was 15 and have since thought of it as a second home. The hustle and bustle means that no one minds if you disappear for a few hours. They're getting used to the fact that I take naps like crazy and will say something if I don't like what they have planned for me. Lizzo is an amazing mum and takes me under her wing whenever I'm there. The three days I was there were made up of seeing old friends and getting some serious rest in. Watching tv and washing windows (by choice!), going out with Becky and her friends. It was a really good time and gave me some much needed time to recharge my batteries. I can't say that I'm looking forward to school in September, but I'm not dreading it anymore. I think that as soon as I'm fully rested, I will start to enjoy the idea of learning again.

I caught the train early on Saturday morning (very early) and climbed on a plane to Madrid! The continental portion of my trip is based almost entirely on the whims of Chelsea (my travel buddy and one of my best friends) and I. Chelsea arrived before me and she, Sarah, and Aurel were at the airport to greet me. I have had the fortune and luck of seeing Sarah about every few months but I haven't seen Aurel since last April and I haven't spent quality time with Chels since December. We went back to Sarah and Aurel's apartment, went shopping for outfits so that we could be completely dressed in white, and went to the grocery store. Then we piled into the rental car and headed to Pamplona for the Festivale San Fermin (otherwise known as the Running of the Bulls).

We left at 6pm and arrived at 11.30pm. Five hours of straight driving and we got out of the car and started drinking immediately. Its hard to explain how incredibly huge this party was. EVERYONE, and I mean everyone, is dressed completely in white with red scarfs tied around their necks. Everyone over the age of 12 is at some level of drunkenness and almost everyone is planning on staying up all night. We wandered the streets of Pamplona clutching our boxes of Sangria and soaking up the atmosphere. This was the last night of the festival and the next morning was the last bull run. Everyone was out to party. From 11.30pm to 6am we attended several free concerts held throughout the town, went dancing at a club, and found the best kebab I've ever tasted. Everyone was in high spirits and it was incredibly surreal. I hadn't slept on my flight or the night before so I was drunk with exhaustion and happiness. The only way I can come close to explaining it is a rugby weekend where everyone is rooting for the same team and the attendance is the size of 1 million people. It's something that you really can't know unless you've been.

At 6am we all flocked to the stadium that the bulls and runners end up in. The run didn't start until 8am but we had to get our seats. We spent the next two hours trying to stay awake and taking pictures to document the epic night. At 8am, a tv screen in the arena showed us the run starting. Men of all ages, dressed in white, stretching and preparing for battle. I soon realized that to run with the bulls makes you more of a man (at least in the eyes of these crazy people) and to touch to bull basically means you're a god. Two people had died during this years week-long festival, but luckily no one died in this run. We did see some blood and some serious injuries, but no deaths.

The run starts outside the stadium and ends in the stadium. Is actually kind of funny watching the thousands of runners filter into the ring and to the edges of the dirt to stay out of the way of the bulls. Then the bulls run through and its all over pretty fast (aside from the unfortunate few who come in contact with the horns). The show isn't over though. The men all stay in the stadium and a smaller, baby bull comes out and in its confusion and desire to be back with its mother, it charges the men in the ring. This is mostly harmless, the worst injury we saw was a man knocked unconscious, and most men get right up and start taunting the bull again. At this point, I was torn between sympathy for the animal and really wishing for the idiots in the ring to get thrown around. It was definitely an experience but I don't know if I could watch it again.

After 6 baby bulls came and went, everyone left the stadium for some much needed sleep. At this point, it was 9am. I had slept 4 hours in the last 48 hours. I was dead. We had a quick picnic and then slept in the car for a couple hours. When we had just enough energy to do the 5 hour drive back, we left. We arrived home, had some dinner, and went back to sleep. I woke up 15 hours later for an awesome couple days in Madrid, but that blog is soon to come.

Love you all. Don't forget to smile, they're contagious.

Besos!

Ash

The other side of the family....and the country

I last wrote after my first night in Dublin. Although I was still a little tense about being alone, I decided to make the best of it. I spent Saturday wandering the town. I tried not to look at a map and just went where my feet took me. I'm not one for sight seeing. The sights are where the tourists go and that means loads of people. Not to sound snobby, but I'd much rather sit and people watch with a drink in my hand.

After a couple of hours of walking, I realized that Dublin is tiny and there aren't even very many sights to see. The special thing about Dublin is its ambience. The music scene and tyhe heritage. The general happiness of the place. Even though it was raining almost all weekend, there is a happiness about it. So after I circled the city, I had a 4 hour siesta that put the evening at my fingertips. I quickly got ready and headed out on the town. I bought a beer at the local grocery store and headed over to the historical district. That band I like was there again! They weren't going to play for a while though so I found a place to sit on the side walk and watch the world go by.

Its interesting how certain people hate to see others sitting alone. I am one of these people and completely understand the compulsion to sit and talk with them, or at least give them a hug to say "its ok to be alone". Well I came across a group of very drunk Irishmen who did just that. There were about 6 of them, one of them relatively sober, the others EXTREMELY drunk. The one, came to sit and talk to me. I reckon that his original idea was to hit on me but once he realized that I way too young, he settled for just talking to me. His friends immediately spied what he was doing and decided to come and torment us. They were tripping over themselves and falling on top of him. Ruffling my hair and asking me all kinds of rude questions. It sounds like I don't like drunkards and was getting annoying, however this is far from the truth. I love watching drunken people (and being one of them at times) and think its really funny to interact with them. Well this was hilarious, until one of them decided to lay on top of me. I had a beer in my hand and was not going to let it go so I luckily saved it from falling when he toppled me over. I was laying at the bottom of a doggy pile screaming "my beer! watch my beer!" So, as you do, this man grabbed my beer and squeezed the can until it drained over his friend, the relatively sober one. Absolutely hilarious as long as it doesn't get all over me, which it didn't. My new friend bought me a new beer and they went on their merry way (to a strip club, they said).

I spent the rest of the evening listening to my band (I finally bought one of their cds), and having a drink with a hostel roommate. We went to bed early because I was to get up early the next morning.

Sunday was a completely different experience. I wanted to get out of the city to see the Irish countryside that everyone raves about. I managed to find a tour that only takes 12 people in a small-ish van. It was a friendly and intimate affair. I fluttered my eyelashes and snagged the front seat, managing not to get trapped in the back with the group of Slovakians that made up the rest of the tour. Our guide/driver was a man in his 70's with an amazing knowledge of the land and great knack for storytelling. He drove us up and through the highlands, about 2 hours outside the city, stopping every half hour or so for another spectacular view. The car was mostly silent in between stops and it was such a peaceful and quiet place. A great place to get stuck in your own thoughts. Reflect on life and all that. We ended up at an ancient monastery for a couple hours, walking around the gravestones and greenery. It was surprisingly uplifting and unspeakably gorgeous. I fell asleep on the drive back and still managed to sleep for 12 hours that night. How am I so tired!? Its ridiculous.

On Monday, I got a flight back to Britain. Met up with Fotis and George for a couple drinks in London and managed to miss my bus (again) by 3 minutes. Literally. And it was not because I was drunk, I was waiting at the wrong gate. Doh! I wrangled another bus and got into Penarth (my dad's home town) at midnight. Mutti (my grandma) waited up for me and we spent a couple hours catching up. The next day was spent walking around Ikea with Mutti and Sheena (my aunt) looking at couches. I am not being sarcastic when I say that it was really fun.

Today I arrived at the Reid's house. I've only been here 3 hours and its already a whirlwind of activity. I will be here until Saturday when I leave for Madrid.

I'm excited to have a travel buddy from Madrid onward. I am finding that traveling alone gives me way too much time to think. I already think too much and with no one else to distract me, I'm getting trapped in my own head. Thinking about the future and what I'm going to do with my life. Just thinking too far ahead when its really not neccessary. My dad and Steve managed to snap me out of it when I was going crazy last night but I think I just need a nice long drinking session to dumb me down a little bit. Stupid forward-thinking brain.

Hope you're all doing well. Much love.
AAsh

Designed to Smile

Hellooooooo,

I can't believe that its been a week since I wrote last. I haven't had a spare fifteen minutes to access a computer and write my life away. So here it is. I left off at my Uncle and Aunt's house. We ended up staying in and cozying up to a movie. Exhausted from....well from doing nothing, I promptly fell asleep. Granted the couch is the size of three queen matresses and was cloaked in cashmere throws. Clearly it was made for Ashley to fall asleep on.

The next morning, my Aunty Lisa picked me up for tea and a ride to the train station. I haven't seen her in about 15 years and it was unreal to catch up with a long lost family member. We are astoundingly similar in our views on life and I'm really happy that we managed to catch up.

I took the train ride from Edinburgh to Markinch and was met by my Aunty Caroly K. As soon as we arrived on the Arnot farm, memories started flooding back. I spent three weeks there before I started high school. Playing the rain, my first alcoholic drink, learning to drive a stick shift, and witnessing a bloated dead cow getting its eyes pecked out by crows (hahah). The place feels like a second home and I love Caroly and Uncle Bill like an Uncle and Aunt (Caroly is my second cousin). I managed to get down to see Uncle Charlie (Caroly's dad) and Aunty Anne (Caroly's sister) on the Monday. Other than that, I hung out with Caroly and Uncle Bill and relaxed from all that doing nothing that went on for the past week.

My bus left St. Andrews Square on Wednesday morning. I figured that this meant it left from St. Andrews. Oh how wrong I was. Apparently, St. Andrews Square is in Edinburgh, a half hour away. I arrived at the St. Andrews bus station five minutes before my bus was meant to leave and then realized that I would clearly miss it. Aunty Carole and Minnie had thankfully stayed to make sure I got on the bus. I hopped back in the car and we ventured back to Aunty Carole's house to schedule a new bus ride. They were all booked for the next two days. Perfect. My only option was an even longer bus ride or an extortionately expensive train or plane ride. Aunty Carole, being the amazing woman she is, treated me to a plane ride down to London. Rather than suffering over 9 hours on the bus, I only spent and hour and half on the plane. AWESOME. It also meant I got to spend the whole day with Aunty Carole, Minnie, and their two dogs. We took a gorgeous walk on the water to get some ice cream and then snuggled up to the rain outside.

I arrived in London on Wednesday evening and took the train to meet Karen and Fotis (Katie's last name). I met them through a family friend (George) when they all came to stay with us in San Diego for a few days. We went back to Karen's house for a couple drinks. The next days we walked all around her town, to the gym for a swim, to her grandma's house for a ridiculously cheesy (ie. yummy), homemade macaroni and cheese followed my rasberries, ice cream, and meringues. We then went to George's house to see him Mum and then back to Karen's for a barbeque. It was great to be around Karen's family but it really made me miss mine. Note to my mum: Can we have a barbeque with everyone when I get home?

I left Karen's the next day and got on another plane to Dublin. That is where I am now. Its my first trip in a foreign city completely alone. Last night I was a bit apprehensive to tour the city without a companion but soon realized that it has its merits. All I have to consider is what I want to do. I can change my mind on a whim and not worry about who it affects. I went out in this historic area called Temple Bar. They are trying to breathe new life into the area and it is full of pubs, restaurants, and street performers. I stumbled across a REALLY good street band comprised of a violinist, 2 bassists, bongo player, and guitarist. I didn't have money to buy a cd but I'm going to see if they're there again tonight. I ate a sandwich in the main square and did some awesome people watching. Then settled into a pub for a guinness and irish band. A canadian man, at least ten years older than me, started conversation. He was a really nice guy but I quickly realized that he was interested in more than good conversation. I listened to a couple more songs and, just as he offered to buy me a drink, I excused myself and walked back to my hostel. It was a really good night. It seems like this city was just designed to make people smile. Everyone is so happy and friendly.

I'm about to find a book store and a grocery store and settle in for more people watching. Love you all. Hope you're all happy and healthy.

Ash

Every Family in Edinburgh

Hey everyone!

I am at this moment sitting in the gorgeous and palatial home of my Uncle Jonny, Aunty Ann, and their three boys, Connor, Muir, and Rory. I managed to find my way here through several forms of transportation and the good will of another Scottish family. At this point, it feels as if I've stayed with every family in Edinburgh...I've only stayed with two! This could get interesting when I'm changing countries every 3 days.

I woke up at 4 am on Wednesday morning after a night at the bar with Steve (my boyfriend) and a couple of our cycling friends. Steve, bless his soul, woke up with me and we started the hour long metro ride to the airport. Through the transfers and bus rides, we could barely keep our eyes open but we had this aura of impending grief. Trying to savor every last second. He checked in with me and, after a very tearful goodbye, I headed off the find myself a seat and hopefully a place to rest. Luckily the international terminal at Logan had recliners. I put on my ipod and drowned away my thoughts. The sadness overwhelmed any excitement, I really did not want to leave this kid!!

I let out a few tears as we left the ground in Boston and promptly fell asleep. I only managed to get two hours in and then I immersed myself in the movies, thank god for personal headrest tv's. We finally set down in London and the excitement hit me. This was it! The trip I had been planning for over a year now. It was a little bit surreal. From the airport, I took the cheaper way to Victoria Coach Station. After an hour on the metro and 30 minutes of walking around like a chicken with my head cut off. I found the bus, boarded, and realized there was no way in hell I could sleep. Please realize: I was on the 9 hour, overnight bus from London to Edinburgh, I had 4 hours of sleep the night before, and only two on the plane, and I had been traveling for a total of 12 hours so far. I WAS NOT in a good mood. I finally laid my head on the window of the bus (a very bumpy and uncomfortable position) and salvaged a few hours of sleep. I woke up to the sunrise over the rolling Scottish hills. My favorite color, that sunrise orange, mixed with the vibrant green grass and the blue of the dawning sky hit me all at once. I thought, in my dreamlike state, life maybe wasn't so bad. Haha. This trip is going to be awesome.

I arrived in St. Andrews at 8am. I tried to find a taxi to take me to the Melville's abode, once again like a chicken with its head cut off, only to find that they had removed the taxi rank from outside the coach station. Who does that!? Linzi, being the doll she is, picked me up. It was great to see her for the first time in three years and really surreal. I got back to their place and Linzi presented me with coffee and a bacon butte (pronounced butt-ee). For those of you who don't know, bacon buttes are god's gift to man. Its a very simple creation that will rock your world forever. Bacon on a roll drenched in butter. Heaven. After that gorgeous concoction, I took a shower and proceeded to sleep away the afternoon. Tough life eh?

We picked up Minnie, my not-so-little-anymore cousin, from school. I cannot believe the rate at which kids grow. You oldies must be even more flabbergasted.

The next day was spent at the Highland Show, a festival for Scottish Farmers and anyone else who wants to see. I experienced my other new favorite dish, roasted pork roll. You line up next to a pig that has been roasted and then taken apart, slowly, and piece by piece. As Minnie so aptly observed, it still had the nose hair and teeth. Apart from that, the roll was ridiculously delicious. We then shared some fresh donuts and, since we weren't full yet, went for a round of fudge. I saw very few animals but I officially love the Highland Show.

Erica, Tom, and Pheobe (my other family of cousins) came over for dinner and the night was spent expending Pheobe's energy with activities like being sprayed with a hose while jumping on the trampoline. I didn't participate, it was only Minnie and Pheobe, but it was hilarious. Photos are on the way.

My Uncle Jonny picked me up the next day and now I'm in house number two. Last night we had dinner followed by copious wine and this morning I managed to go on my second run of the trip. My Aunty Ann, Connor, and Uncle's friend, Mike, all came on the run and it was a nice reason to get outside. It also justified the egg, bread, and bacon breakfast we indulged in.

We are about to start the days activities, I have no idea what we decided to do, I'm just along for the ride. Love you all. Although I haven't had much time to come up for air, I miss you when I am about to fall asleep and when I wake up in the morning. Hope you're all happy and healthy.

Ash

And the journey begins! (again)

Hey everyone. I'm not sure I believe this, but it's been 2 months since I left Rome and now I'm heading back across the Atlantic. I've spent a short semester of classes in Boston and have once again, settled down. I'm really bummed to be leaving yet really excited for the black hole of adventure that lies ahead.

Once I got back in Boston, I promptly researched tri and cycling organizations in the area. I found a weekly ride that basically saved my social life. Every Tuesday, a bunch of Boston students, alumni, and older Boston residents (about 40 people each week) go on a social ride, ending at the Sunset Cantina for drinks and food. Needless to say, the dehydration was a great aid to people's drunkeness and I quickly made friends. I should mention that I'm not yet 21, however a wonderful person got me a fake ID and my drinking record is amazing.

The first Tuesday I went on the ride, I met this awesome girl, Katie. We both lagged at the back of the pack, talking and laughing, and then rewarded our hard work with several margaritas at the Cantina. She and I became really close friends. Unfortunately, she leaves for Ireland for a year about 3 weeks after I get back from my trip so leaving her this time won't be easy. Ah the life of jetsetters.

The second Tuesday I went on the ride, I sat at a booth with 5 other male riders (the cycling world is wonderfully male dominated) and really hit it off with one of them. He just graduated from Northeastern. That week, in true Ashley style, I asked him on a date. We have spent almost every day together since that first date and I am completely head over heels for him. We're going to stay together while I'm traveling and then he will come to visit San Diego while I'm there at the end of the summer. I know some of you are sighing and shaking your heads but I'm really glad to have him in my life and I have no doubt that we will make it with flying colors through the next two months.

Besides Katie and Steve, I met a slew of other awesome people through the Landry's ride. Friends that I will keep for a lifetime. I also got to catch up with people that I hadn't seen in over a year and reconnect with people that I always wanted more time with.

My classes were a complete joke and I was really happy about that. I'm in no mood for serious courses and all the free time let me spend a whole two months doing everything that I enjoy in Boston. Including the Gay Pride Parade, wandering Boston for an evening walk, concerts at the House of Blues, and visiting my uncles in New York. It was an awesome first part of the summer. I can't believe I'm about to embark on another adventure. I can't believe how blessed my life is.

Anyway, I'm off to a goodbye dinner with some friends. I leave very early tomorrow morning. Wish me luck guys! I'll keep you updated every few days. Love you all!

Ash

Back in Boston

Hello everyone,

I'm sorry I've been so neglectful of the blog writing responsibilities. My life has changed quite a bit since the last post. Since then I finished my classes in Rome, went back to San Diego for 3 days, and now I'm back in Boston taking classes! I figured I would write a reflection or something. Give myself some closure on this incredible time in my life.

So my final review went really well. I'm not sure if I wrote about it but I had one of my annual identity crises because of the last critique session so the fact that the semester ended well is a miracle. I was actually really proud of my project and I did a ton of work on the presentation. It was definitely one of the best products I've ever turned out. Below is a video of my powerpoint presentation. Hopefully it loads properly.

I finished most my final work early and had some time to walk around Rome but I found that there was nothing else that I desperately wanted to see. Everyone else was still working and the streets were seething with tourists. Basically I spent my last few days in Rome reflecting their gorgeous lifestyle. I sat in the sun, reading and drinking wine. Throw in some pasta, bread, parmesan, and olive oil and you have perfection.

I left on a different flight from the rest of the group. Their flight went out at 6am. They had to leave our apartment at 3am. So, obviously, we just didn't go to bed. We started drinking around 7pm. We took our bottles of wine and models (the ones that had taken about 10 hours each to make) and floated them down the Tiber. The models that is. Then we went home to do a drunken cleaning of the apartment and some card drinking games. As you can probably guess, we were pretty drunk when they all finally left for their flight and I went to bed. I left my apartment at 8am for my flight. 9.5 hours to DC, 5 hours to San Diego with a 3 hour layover in between. Mix that with a hangover and almost no sleep and you have misery.

When I finally got home, I was a mess of emotions and tiredness but it was amazing to see my family. Being home is the only time that I feel completely content. My parents are actually my best friends and we get closer every time I come home. Now if I could just get them to move to Italy!

For my birthday (in September) my parents bought me my first tri bike. I wasn't expecting such a grand present but I'm completely stoked on it. My dad got a fantastic deal and worked out all the logistics. We went to the bike shop (Nytro on 101, if anyone cares), and there, standing like a beacon of gorgeousness, was my bike. It quickly became my pride and joy despite my rocky (literally) first ride in which I came ridiculously close to impaling myself on a rock at 23 mph. Hah.

I only had three glorious days at home. Spent in my awesome bed and with my family and friends from home. On Sunday, my parents had a barbeque for some close family friends and it was so fantastic to see everyone. Its scary that I can actually hold adult conversations now. And (GASP!) I actually enjoy their company!

I left the next day after a stupid amount of time packing. I caught the redeye, arrived in Boston at 6.45am, found an apartment I had never seen before, dropped off my 100lb bike back, and was in class by 8am. No rest for the weary.

I have to say that I was really nervous about coming back to Boston. My thought was, if I'm not at home, I might as well be in Rome. However, I forgot how much I loved this place. It does help that it's summer. It was chucking it down yesterday but today it is gorgeous and sunny. I love Northeastern's campus and despite the fact that most of my friends are abroad, I'm prepared to make new ones and to get closer to the people I already know. I have to mention that I had lunch with an old friend today, Chanda, and it felt so good to be around a person that knows me. Actually knows me. To be able to relax in their company. To not watch my words and to not worry that I will mess up another first impression. Not to mention that I'm living in a really great apartment for these next 2 months and have two very cool boy roommates. One has a girlfriend (don't get any ideas!), and the other is....probably going to read this blog. Haha. I only met the other one when I moved in yesterday but so far so good. We have a lot of the same interests including snowboarding and drinking so all should be well.

I just emailed the Northeastern Tri Club today to see when the next meeting is so hopefully I'll be training with some partners by next week.

I have 7 weeks here and then its back to Europe for 8 weeks! I'm going backpacking! Haha. Britain, Ireland, Madrid, Barcelona, through France, Switzerland, Munich, Austria, N. Italy, Berlin, Copenhagen, Norway, and Sweden. I'm doing most of this alone so if anyone knows of friends or family in any of these places, please let me know. A friendly face is always a comfort. 

I'm going to stop writing until I start that trip in July. Thanks for tuning in guys. Thanks for all your kind words. Its surprisingly comforting to know that someone is listening to all my jabber. Love you all. Stay happy and healthy.

Ash

The End is near. Way too near

CAUTION: Do not read unless you know me VERY well otherwise this will sound very depressing. Its just another rant of mine but its not the happiest writing in the world. Seriously, don't read it.

Last time I wrote, I was on a high from Spring Break. Relaxation was my middle name and there wasn't much that could bring me down. Haha. Oh how quickly my moods can change. We returned to classes and were immediately shocked into a state of stress and disbelief. They hit us with an extensive History final that required about 16 hours of studying, then two final projects that would take the remainder of our time here (2 weeks). Even then, they did not shatter my sense of calm. Of course I could get all the work done.

A week into the working process and a few days after my final, I realize that its not the work load that will break me but the realization that I'm leaving in 9 days. 9 DAYS. I knew I would have to leave this place, but not this soon. I'm just not ready.

Its now 3am. I slept for 4 hours and then woke up when my roommate went to bed. I haven't been able to sleep since them. Kept up by the overwhelming thought that I have to leave Rome. I'm not sure that my blog is the right place to express all this stuff but since I sent my diary home with my parents, its really the only place I have. So please forgive me, all those people that read this, I'm just going to vent for a little while. Maybe a few of you might have some advice about dealing with leaving a place, although I should be good at that by now.

Everyday that passes and every little experience that I have, I keep thinking that this will be the last time I do this. I was riding my bike home today, through the bustling city center full of screaming Italians and confused tourists, through the charming Jewish Ghetto with the mighty synagogue and all the little Mom and Pop shops, along the Tiber river with the luscious green plane trees spilling out over the river wall, and finally into the little courtyard with the really old church and my housing unit. All I want to do is take pictures of everything, ingrain them into my memory forever. I feel like I'm losing this new, wonderful piece of myself.  When will I speak Italian again? To an actual Italian person. Without having to pay for classes? Despite how much I hated the endless walking lectures, I will miss comparing the various nuances of every church in Rome. I'm going to miss the sense of camaraderie we have as a group of students in a foreign country. Although there are some people I definitely won't miss, there are some that I will feel lost without when we inevitably get back to Boston and everyone scatters back to their respective lives.

I honestly feel that I don't have much to go back to. The few days with my parents will be wonderful. And to get to see my Gran and Chuck in person. For an entire three days. But then I pack up my things again and move to Boston. Very few people that I love will be there, all still in Europe. I am just going to another city where I feel like I have to start all over again. I have no doubt that I will be fine. After making a life for myself in San Diego, I know I am capable, but all I care about right now is having the comforts of a home. Any home. Rome has finally become that for me and now I have to leave.

I feel that I'm abandoning a best friend that I have no idea if I will ever see again. A list of places I need to see, things I need to buy, and things I need to take pictures of just keeps running through my head. Then on top of that is the pressure to turn in a good project at the end of this 9 days, to go running so that I can be in good shape when I get home (I know that triathlons will be the only thing holding me together for the next few weeks), and to spend as much time with these people that have become my life: my architecture friends, Roman professors, and Roman friends. It's all slipping away way too fast. 

When I read back over this, I realize that I sound extremely depressed. The truth is, I'm not. At all. I am actually just thankful for the amazing experience that I've had here. Kind of stuck between enjoying my last days in Italy and reminiscing about them at the same time. Its a state that I like to call "limbo". In between stages in my life. Its not easy but, like I said, you'd think I'd be used to it by now.

Anyway, after a good cry and a lot of venting, I think I've gotten most of it out. I'm not quite clear headed enough to go to bed yet though. Maybe I'll watch some tv that reminds me of home (Gossip Girl, One Tree Hill, Privileged?) and let the excitement of seeing my family take over my brain.

Thanks for listening guys. Sorry for that. Love you all and hope you're all healthy and happy.

Ash

Spring Break!

I know I know, I haven't written in 2 weeks. But I have a valid excuse: I was on Spring Break. So prepare yourselves, this is going to be a very long blog. I have actually alloted an hour to write it. Sit back and relax. Hah

I left off after our paper making adventure in Fabriano. The week that followed was a whirlwind of design, Italian, and of course the obligatory 3 hour walks. They informed us that all design decisions must be made before we left for break. That was an unexpected turn for the worst because most of us have just been rambling along, making general decisions but nothing specific. The site of our project is huge and none of us have dealt with so many buildings before. Where do you place the doors, windows, and interior walls in EACH ROOM. What about trees and grass and what kinds of plants do you want?? AHHH! Talk about overwhelming.

On top of all that, we had our last Italian classes and our final on Friday. It wasn't too bad and I'm hopeful for an A in that class.

On Friday, all finals and most design decisions were done and we could relax and look forward to the next 10 days of spring break. My friend, Erica, and I decided to travel just the two of us. We are getting very sick of traveling in groups of 35. Plus, 2 is a lot easier to organize. Our itinerary is as follows: Paris - 2.5 days, travel - 1 day, Istanbul - 2 days, Athens - 1 day, Santorini - 4 days.

We left on Saturday afternoon for Paris, very excited. My best friend, Sarah, studies there but I unluckily chose to visit on one of the weekend she was gone. She gave Erica and I her room anyway saving us a lot of money and hassle. After we settled in to Sarah's rooms, we decided to go for dinner and then out. We had no idea where we were or where was good so we just got on the metro and off at "Notre Dame - San Michel". This turned out to be a good choice. As soon as we got above ground, the night was bustling. We ventured off the main road and onto a smaller alley for a cheaper dinner. No such luck. We ended up paying an arm and a leg but got a very authentic french meal. Foie Gras and all. We then went to a street with lots of pubs and clubs and street performers to a club/pub called Ze Bar. It was an experience to say the least. we proceeded to chug down flaming shots. If you don't know what that is, it involves fire and shots. Lots of fun. Everything in the bar had fire involved. After we got our fair share, we headed home to share Sarah's twin bed. Thank god for alcohol. We were passed out through the night.

The next day was a day for touring. We went to Notre Dame (busy for the weekend before Easter), walked along Champs-Elysees (gorgeous in the sping), to the Eiffel Tower (we layed on the grass underneath it for about an hour), and then to the Sacre Cour (street performances galore). This day of adventure was speckled with nutella crepes and wine. We took our time wandering and sitting when we got tired. A couple of things that stick out in my mind: As we were walking in to the Notre Dame, I passed a guy, about my age, holding up a sign that said "free hugs". I took him up on his offer without being pick-pocketed and it was awesome. I'm going to do it as soon as I can find a city that won't shoot me down. Also, as we were walking out of the Notre Dame, I spotted 4 people with Northeastern University shirts on! They were co-op and study abroad students there and were trying to take a picture to get on the school website. What are the chances! It was so random. Its a small world.

That night, we stayed in and had a bottle of wine and some chocolate in the room, reading all Sarah's American magazines. It was a restless night of sleep and I woke up the next morning with the flu. Ughhh. Sarah came home with Aurel that afternoon after a weekend just outside Paris. We went to lunch, the four of us and then split up so Erica and I could go the Louvre. We flew through that (we're kind of sick of museums) and then lounged outside on the new pyramid fountains. As we were walking back to meet Sarah and Aurel for dinner, a man stopped me and asked to take picture of my feet! My feet! At this point, I had been walking non-stop for 3 months. My nails were a mess and my flip-flops had created a nice little dirt river down my feet. Why my feet? Because I have long toes. Oh of course. I did consider that it might just be a man with a serious foot fetish but who am I to judge? We did a foot photo-shoot for 15 minutes and he then showed me the exhibition I would be in. Weird. Apparently it wasn't a fetish, he was a legitimate photographer.

We left Paris the night for 24 hours of hell. My flu symptoms only got worse. I won't get too graphic, but by the time we connected in Heathrow, there was nothing left in my stomach. We then had an 8-hour night time connection in Heathrow on our way to Istanbul. We had been planning to go out for a couple hours in London and then sleep some in the airport. The flu killed most of those plans. We spent WAY too much money on a hotel room for the night and only ended up sleeping for about 4 hours. We woke up at 4.30am for our flight. We got emergency exit seats (YESSS), only to find out that they didn't recline (NOOOO). So much for sleeping on the plane. Four hours later we arrived in Istanbul to find that Obama was is town. Good time to come to a Islamic country eh? Not that I have anything against Islam, but if anything bad were to happen, it would happen that day. On top of the risk factor, all the roads were closed so he could get to the airport. 2 hours later we found our hostel, on foot. I layed in bed and passed out for 15 hours.

The next day was our only day in Istanbul and we saw all the sites. I drugged up on the pills I got in Paris and we walked around the city. We saw the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, and Grand Bazaar and still had time to spare. I have to say that I have never been to a city where everyone was so genuinely nice. There were very few women around but the men that ran all the restaurants and bazaar stalls treated us with the utmost respect. Every stall we passed gave us some good banter and we gave it back. It was loads of fun just interacting with the population. I had been really nervous when we arrived. I was really tired and very much out of my comfort zone, but they quickly banished my fears. We did as much shopping as we could fit in our bag and everything was really cheap. Probably the most interested thing that happened to us involved a very nice and very crazy Turkish man. As we left our hostel and were trying to figure out how to structure our day, we were approached by a man that explained that we would want to go to the Blue Mosque before prayer time and when the light was good. We asked him to point us in the right direction and he just told us he would walk us there. It was a short walk but we soon found out that he had a carpet store and wondered if we could take a look. He helped us skipped the line at the Blue Mosque and then waited for us outside. Why not indulge him. Little did we know that his "store" wasn't a stall but a huge, expensive carpet and jewelry store. Did they know how cheap and poor we were? We were led upstairs to a show room. Although I should have been scared of some kind of horror story happening, they made us feel very comfortable. We were passed off to the owner of the store who sat us down on some couches and had his minions bring us some apple tea (delicious). He then proceeded to tell us the meaning of life. Hah. He imparted some serious knowledge on us unsuspecting American girls. One quote is: "You are tigers. Women tigers. Tigers keep a clean home, they are good. No one wants to be called a Donkey but everyone wants to be called a Tiger." So apparently we are tigers. Another quote: "You cannot love something that you buy until you own it for a while. Until it becomes yours. Its like your husband. When you first marry him, you do not like him. Then, after three years, you love him. After 25 years, you would die for him. After 25 years, you know him for longer than you know your parents. You love him like he is your parent." 

We bought a carpet. Haha. How could we not? A small one each, small enough to fit in our packs.

That night we left Istanbul for Athens. We took an extortionately expensive taxi because the buses were broken down. Our hostel was "in a really bad area" according to the taxi driver and smelled constantly of smoke. Our room was right next to the bar and played really loud music until the wee hours of the morning. I'm not usually one to complain but this was pretty bad. So far I DID NOT like Athens.

The next day was much better. We walked to the Acropolis which is on top of one of the highest hills in Athens. The views were spectacular and I was more astounded by them than the centuries old structures. By this point, Erica's friend from home had joined us in Greece. She is studying in Alicante, Spain and is on her Easter Break as well. After the Acropolis, we wandered some of the stalls in Greece. After our shopping spree in Turkey, I didn't spend any money. That night we found a hookah bar and settled in. We smoked hookah and ate divine Greek food until we were too tired to hold our heads up. For those of you that don't know, hookah is a kind of flavored tabacco. It comes it all kinds of exotic flavors and you smoke it out of a HUGE, 3 foot tall pipe, with hoses coming off the side. It just relaxes the mind and is not even close to as bad as cigarettes.

The next morning we woke up early to get the ferry to the island of Santorini. On our way there the left rear motor blew up and we had to put-put to the nearest island. We were supposed to be stranded for 3 hours but it ended up being 8. Although this sounds bad, it wasn't. We met up with 5 of our friends from Rome and spent the day on the beach, drinking and talking. And getting a tan! I am no longer completely translucent.

We finally got to Santorini, 9 hours after we were supposed to. We split from the Rome group and were picked up by the guy that owned our hotel, Villa Zinovia. He spoke very little English and laughed a lot. He was really tan with leather skin and a big smile. He just constantly looked relaxed. This was going to a be a good end to our trip. The next day we rented ATV's and explored the island. We found a beach called Red Beach and laid there for the rest of the day. At one point, three guys approached us and we all started talking. I love travelers! They were from the US and had heard our accents. We ended up going out in the main town with them that night. One of them was very cute and more importantly, tall, and I spent most of the evening with him. It was a good night ;)

We spent the next two days laying on the beach and reading like fiends (I have discovered the Twilight series and its addictive). I got rid of my lily white complexion, although I'm sure my tan will wear off within a few days. We returned to Rome completely relaxed and, if I'm being honest, completely sick of each other. I wouldn't mind a few days away from Erica and I'm sure the feeling is mutual. Unfortunately for us, we're roommates. We'll deal.

It was an amazing spring break and I'm really sad for it to end. Although I'm happy to get back to being productive. I can't go long without doing some work. What a sick person I am! I have officially been typing for an hour. Hopefully you didn't get bored. I am now off the studio. We have two weeks of work left and then one week of presentations. There's a final this week that none of us are prepared for. Its going to be a long and emotional last couple of weeks.

Love you all and miss you, hope you're having good days.

Ash

Two and Half Months of Photos.

These are all out of order. I can't figure out how to move them around without it taking forever.

This old man followed me around in Fabriano telling me that I was the "ragazza di miei suoni" (the girl of his dreams) and that I had "occhi del mar" (eyes of the ocean). He was obviously nuts. Hah

Yep, this is what I look like when I travel. They have dubbed me "the turtle".

A tower at pisa with Erica and Diana.

Sketching at Herculaneum in Campagna.

Sara, Whitney, Diana, and I atop a bell tower in Cuisi in Tuscany.

Thought I would throw in a nightlife picture. Clearly sober. This is us girls in Barcelona.

A birds eye view of Dan and I at the Duomo in Siena.

Hanging out at Parc Guell in Barcelona.

Parc Guell again: Sara, Me, Erica, Diana, Whitney, and Lisa.

The whole group at Paestum in Campagna.

Sarah came to visit from Paris the week my parents were here. This was us at the Wales v. Italy rugby game. The boys were random well-dressed Welshmen.

On the ferry in Venice.

During my parents' and Sarah's visit. A nighttime visit to Trevi Fountain.

Sarah and I at the game.

Momma and I out for a few drinks with the rest of the gang.

Singing at dinner. As usual.

This is one of the cool buildings we got to see. This is what we do EVERYWHERE. sketch.

Love you all. Have happy days!