Leemurs, Man. Leemurs.

So after a wasted day yesterday, where there was torrential downpours much of the day, and some minor street flooding - some shops even sandbagged the front of their shops! - I decided to take my first sunny day in the city and head up to the famous San Diego Zoo!

However, I started the day off a t 6:30AM, waking up early, because I had slept so much the day and night before, and headed down to the ocean (which was 500 feet away!) to watch the sun rise along the Pacific and with palm trees in my view. It was incredible! Definitely well worth getting up and out before anyone else had even started their day. Saw a number of runners on the beach as well, and really was longing to get back into shape and be running. Beach running is something I'd love to be able to get into!
...Maybe when I move out here...

After catching several buses, which were similar to those I've experienced in Providence in terms of the characters found aboard, I made it up there early in the afternoon and had a few hours to spend inside; which was good since it cost me over 30 dollars to get in! First stop was the koala bears. They were incredibly cute, but relatively inanimate, as they sat in their trees eating while everyone went ga-ga-goo-goo over them. After that I headed on towards the meerkats and other desert and Australian type animals; camels, warthogs, dingos, wallabies, and kangaroos. They were all really cool little critters - though the camels and warthogs were kind of gross. The wombats were pretty interesting too. Lions, tigers, and bears - oh my! Pandas and polar bears; leemurs and monkeys; eagles and flamingos to boot! Finished the day off with the reptiles - snakes and lizards and spiders too. The zoo was well worth the visit and was quite a fun little excursion.

The nice weather was so great too. Probably hovering around only 60-65 degrees but was much warmer than anything I had experienced in the past month or so. Hopefully more nice weather is ahead before I go home. Though the forecasts are looking rather grim. Rain, rain, cloudy with chances of rain, and then sun - on the 18th, when I leave. Of course.

On the way back from the Zoo, I met Nathan from the UK and Aaron from Dallas, Texas. They were traveling together for the last week - as Nathan was touring the US on holiday, and Aaron had quit his job and they met up out someplace around Vegas the week before. They were both pretty cool and talkative guys and we decided we'd either do something that night or the following day. First cool people I've met out here in SD. The rest have been a bit shady and seemed to be bumming around more than traveling around - and there is a distinct difference indeed.

(Not So) Sunny San Diego!

24 hours on some awful US Airways air craft and I got to San Diego. An extra 8 hours of travel, but I made it. First flight was delayed 2 hours in Dublin before even departing. This caused a missed connection in Philadelphia, where I got to sit around for 4 hours before my flight to Las Vegas (which I wouldn't have needed if my connection was made in Philly). Got to Vegas and I must say, the strip, lit up at night, was quite impressive.

Deplaning, I found myself immediately face to face with slot machines in the Las Vegas airport terminal. I did all I could to not start throwing money at those things. And if my connection there was more than the 90 minutes that it was, I likely would have lost all ability to resist, especially in the hopes to kill time between flights. 2 and a half hours later I landed in San Diego though. It was awesome! I got free transportation to my hostel, because they have some sort of deal with a shuttle company - so I didn't even have to pay! Anything for free is A-ok with me!

The next morning I woke up ready to hit the streets - despite feeling awful after the 24 hours of transit the day before, where I had a fever most of the time, a sore throat, and was coughing constantly. The skies in San Diego were... cloudy. And the wind was blowing things off of the palm trees. No one was walking the streets. It was quite juxtaposed to what I was expecting in "Sunny San Diego."

I made the most of it though, and walked the coast a bit, because after all I was on the Pacific coast! Met an Aussie guy (surprise, surprise) named Chris and got breakfast with him on one of the piers. No sooner had we finished then the waitress promptly tossed the check in front of us and wished us a nice day. The first time I got a check without asking in 3.5 months. I was not very excited about this. So far my return to the United States had been pretty disappointing. We walked around through some of the shops along the strip and beach and made the most of an awfully miserable day. After an afternoon nap I ended up just hanging out the rest of the night and settling into my room and talking to people on the porch of the hostel.

Overall, not excited to have left Europe; not excited to be in the US; and wishing I had taken out a loan and had another 3 months left.

(This post came 2 weeks late, as I was hiding the fact I was home from my family, to surprise them with my arrival for Christmas time. I already had flights booked home at this point, though they were none the wiser. Very cheeky.)

Everything Comes In Threes

Three months abroad; three sicknesses.

It seems like once a month I have gotten sick. And so, we have come to that time once again to continue the trend. Got a bit of a fever here in Dublin. Figured it would happen during my flight, which was another debacle like my initial flight into Europe. The woman next to me was coughing much of the 2 hour flight from Geneva. The tallest man alive sat behind me, and thus every time he shifted, so did he knees in my back. The children seated in front of me and across the aisle were alright until they began crying midway through the flight.

However, I managed to get good and drunk on my first night in the city. As they say, 'When in Rome...' and that definitely seems to be the Irish way. And since then it's been a lot of orange juice and water consumption coupled with a lot of rest and laying around. A bit disappointing as I leave Dublin tomorrow and have yet to really see much outside of the neighborhood I'm staying in - as I took a brief walkabout the other day. From what I have seen I like the city though. And where I am staying is surrounded by bars, and they are all, always, full. I quite like this part of the city I must say.

Also, the Irish accent has quickly become my favorite. Even more than the Australian accent.

On a more serious note though, being laid up in the hostel I've had plenty of time for reflection on the past three months and things I've done; things I've thought about; people I've met; and also life in general back home. It's been quite an interesting past few days here, despite not being out and about doing much.

Cloud 9

At 13,000 feet above the ground, the door to a perfectly good airplane opens and you look out...

Everything is checked one last time. Your straps and harnesses are tight and your heart is racing. Your once purely scenic view of the Swiss Alps which you have been enjoying for the last ten minutes is suddenly shaken to life as the jumpmaster opens the door and the chilling air whips inside the plane and lashes your unexpecting face. The photographer moves into place, and jumps out of the plane before your very eyes. Nothing seems real at the moment, yet you know it is all about to become very real. You swing your legs over the edge of the plane and they are dangling over... nothing at all. And now you realize you are truly in for a ride.

"One! Two! Threeeeee.....!"

Head up, knees bent, legs tucked back, you are the first one in the plane to plunge face first into the sky. The icy wind rips at your face and your stomach jumps up into your chest! The air is ice cold and you are free falling through the sky. The reality of the matter sets in after about 6 seconds. The next 39 seconds are both the longest and shortest of your life. With nothing stopping you, you slice through the air at a mere 120 miles per hour, bombing toward the ground and certain death. You make faces to the cameraman, try and breathe, open your mouth and swallow the freshest air ever. Your jumpmaster taps your shoulders, this means you are to grab the straps again. The free fall is almost over; yet it seemed like it just began!

Whoosh! You are sucked back up into the air as the chute deploys and the intense noise of the wind whipping into your ears cuts out. Everything goes very quiet. You are now gliding through the sky. The harnesses are loosened a bit now, and you are more or less hanging, attached at the backside to your jumpmaster. You take in the scenary, admire the view, when all of a sudden you are spinning in circles! Your jumpmaster laughs, and says, "Watch this!"... You spin in circles through the air! Your stomach and brain have no idea what is going on! Utter chaos for the frontal lobe.

What feels like 10 seconds later, the jumpmaster tells you, as you make your final approach to the ground, to keep your legs up as you land. This is to avoid breaking your legs. You listen carefully. : )

Being winter, you land in a bunch of snow, back at the runway you took off from. Your heart is racing. Your hands are shaking. And you cannot believe what you just did. You have just skydived. You jumped out of a perfectly good airplane. Shot through the sky like a bullet. Floated, rather quickly, to the ground. And you want to do it all again.

Such Great Heights

The Alps are incredible. I will begin by getting that out there.
Switzerland, which I almost did not even visit, has possibly become one of my favorite locations; a location I sincerely hope to revisit again in the future. While I have said that about numerous locations, I would definitely rate Switzerland in the top 3 so far. I definitely appreciate the mountains more than the islands, and the history of Germany makes it real hard to pick between the two. The edge may slip out of Swiss hands based on the fact that everything in the country costs about twice as much as what you would hope or expect.

Internet usage, kebabs, train tickets, water, you name it, and it is overpriced! So I am eating a bit less, and enjoying the views a bit more. Definitely an acceptable balance. I also have graciously accepted some Christmas presents from my parents while here which I will post about later, once I have actually let them know what their money has gone towards as well. I think photos may do it more justice, but they are without a doubt the best Christmas presents I may have ever received!

Bern Baby Bern

Bern, Switzerland to be precise. That is where I found myself after a failed attempt at making it into Italy. I must admit, I am quite thrilled with how that has worked out so far.

The train ride from Salzburg to Bern took me on an incredibly scenic tour through the Swiss Alps. I do not really know what else can be said - the inability to connect my camera to this computer to download any of the approximately 200 pictures I took on the train (not really an exaggeration) makes any attempt to properly convey the beauty futile. Thus, I will not even bother in attempting. On another note - this computer also does not seem to allow me to make apostrophes.

The Alps are definitely something not to be missed in a lifetime though. And I plan on coming back as soon as possible; even if this is the most expensive country I have been in.

Truth

I read an article in a Newsweek magazine today.
It said: "A journey brings you face to face with yourself."

I could not agree more.

Salzburg, Vienna, and Thanksgiving, Oh My!

While being lucky enough to spend Thanksgiving with familiar faces in Austria (Julie and some of her friends I had met in Budapest about 6 or 7 weeks ago) it still wasn't the same without being with my family in the end. But to show how close of a call it was... the dinner I was able to go to with Julie, setup by her study abroad program directors, was arguably more elaborate and elegant than any dinner I've been privy to before. Being in a huge dining hall with an enormous Christmas tree, chandeliers, a small orchestral performance along with alternating opera performances (not sure if that accurately describes it, but I am making haste presently with this post) performed in Italian and German, plus some Mozart - since this is Mozart headquarters! - a wonderfully satisfying three course meal, and some new and interesting company, it was quite the holiday celebration. It was also free, which didn't hurt matters any.
It was such an elegant affair that I actually had to go to a store in the city and purchase a nice shirt and sweater so that I would be allowed in. Apparently "well traveled" clothes that are all wrinkly aren't appropriate for such occasions; who knew?!

Salzburg itself is a quaint little city though. And with a day trip to Vienna on Friday I got to see some of the differences and similarities within the country and the capitol as well. Without time for pictorial additions at present, I can easily say that this is one of the cleaner countries I've been in thus far in general and also holds some wonderful views. I also was lucky enough to walk part of the Sound Of Music trail! ; )

My completely unplanned trip to Austria was quite nice overall, especially considering the whole plan of me visiting and organization of said plans, occurred over little more than 2 hours via Facebook, on the same day I actually arrived! Getting to see my good friend Julie for the second time in Europe was wonderful though, and I'm so glad I made it! The Thanksgiving dinner was incredible and far surpassed anything I was expecting. Her friends were all friendly, hilarious, and awesome, for the second time! And I experienced everything from the aforementioned, to karaoke, rooftop cafes, tours of the Vienna parliament, and plenty of Austrian beer!

My plans for the next few days have changed already, as I missed my train to Venice by actually sleeping in this morning, for a solid 9 hours, something which has been a rarity over the past 2-3 weeks, and have altered my course yet again. Next destination: Bern, Switzerland!

Burn Out, Not Fade Away

Over the last couple of days I began plotting my final course for this European travel and will continue to solidify the plans over the next couple of days as well. I need to lock myself into more of a solid route for once so that I can easily reach my final destination without too much hassle. The current proposed plan has me hitting 7 new cities in 4 countries over 14 days before relaxing in Ireland for 4 days before my flight. It's going to be the most vigorous 2 weeks of travel of the entire trip as I work from the southern part of Europe all the way to Ireland.

As one of the most common sayings I've heard over here from other travelers here goes... "I can sleep when I'm dead!"

(Bayern) Munich

Yes, another country, and more footballing lessons, after going to a Bayern Munich football match, my first day in the city. Shows a bit where some priorities fall eh?

With a 15:30 kickoff time, and online tickets not available, I was putting all my eggs in one basket in the hopes of missing out on some prime sight-seeing time to take in a high quality match by one of Germany's top clubs. I took the metro over to the stadium, and it reminded me so much of taking the train from Salem to North Station, and then catching the 'T' in to a Red Sox game; everyone was even wearing all red and white! The crowds going to a football match in Munich were very much the same as the crowds flocking to Fenway Park for a Sox game. Each metro was packed to capacity; the one I was on even broke down on the way so we had to get off and try and get on other metros coming (which were also already packed). Something not soo unheard of for riders of the Green Line in Boston.

I managed to find a scalper, and saved 20 euro on the ticket price, and it was even a valid ticket! Met a couple of Canadian hockey players who are playing in Europe currently and chatted with them for a bit before making my way to my seat for the match. It was quite worth it, and Bayern Munich trounced the opposition 4-1. It was easily the most skillful performance of football (or soccer) that I've ever seen firsthand. I even believe I picked up a few ideas from watching them play their non-American style. Even more than I've gained from watching matches on TV back home.

So this trip is more than just a holiday/vacation/adventure/journey - it's a learning experience in many different ways, even in football (soccer) knowledge!

Everything's Gonna Be Alright

I am convinced since traveling, that everything will work out for the best possible scenario. I believed I was optimistic before traveling, and some people had mentioned it here or there; however, since traveling, I am an absolute optimist. I am 100% convinced that things will work out in every possible way.

Today while taking a train from Amsterdam to Munich, I got to the train station with an hour before the train I was going to take was due to depart - I just needed to get a seat reservation which usually takes me about 5 minutes, maxium - with a non-English speaking attendant. However, today I encountered my first queue at a ticket stand, and was nervously watching the clock and the queue list. I told myself that at 12:15 I would just leave and get on the train and risk not having a seat for an 8 hour train trip. At 12:14 my number was called, and I got my reservation for the first half of the trip, and made my train.

My connection window was only 25 minutes in Frankfurt, between trains. Not a big issue in most cases, but our train had technical issues and left 10 minutes late. Then we were notified we were going slower because there was a freight train in front of us on the tracks. Then it began snowing and there were high winds and we went slower. We were informed during all this some trains were being delayed and some connections canceled. My connection to Munich departed at 7:54pm. I arrived in Munich at 7:59pm. I figured that it would work out, and wasn't worried. Upon walking to the platform my train was due to depart from, I saw that that train had been delayed as well, and it arrived 10 minutes later.

With all the train cancellations, there were heaps more people waiting to board. Not everyone was going to get a seat, it was going to require lots of luck and some near perfect location waiting on the platform, hoping the train doors opened directly in front of me, otherwise I had no shot at a seat - especially with a huge backpack getting in the way! The train pulls up and a door opens directly in front of me. There are mostly reserved seats inside, so I just sit in one that was reserved, and am expecting to be bumped from it any moment. 4 hours later, not having been asked to move, we arrived in Munich.

Sure, they are some small things, but they all went right, and everything worked out. Just one of innummerable times this has occurred. I am absolutely convinced that things will always work out for the best. 100% of the time. I even look back at prior events before my travels and know that they were for the best now too.

I listened to Bob Marley's song, Everything's Gonna Be Alright, just after realizing all of this.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BbSNdENl5yE

Editor's Note:

It is most definitely worth noting, as Ryan had mentioned to me earlier today, and I found out after what he showed me within the city while biking today - Amsterdam would be so much different, and much less interesting I think, if it didn't have the vast number of tiny bridges going over the numerous canals in the city. The only downside of this, is it makes getting lost that much easier. : )

Furthermore, some information worth noting about Amsterdam, is that it is actually 4 meters below sea level, and that the entire area was originally marshy wetlands or just underwater, but thanks to the dykes that were built up, Amsterdam has flourished. This is also part of the reason, possibly, that Amsterdam is completely flat, and going over tiny bridges is about the highest elevation you can get in the city.

I Am Sterdam

Amsterdam, truly, I have come across no other city like it in almost 11 weeks of travel. Everyone rides bikes - including me, for the first time in about 8 years - and the saying "it's just like riding a bicycle" really does hold true; my first night here I had a bike that was a bit too big, and I was a bit too rusty on my biking skills and as a result could barely keep up with people and nearly caused a handful of accidents. Jump forward 4 days of biking EVERYWHERE, and I feel much more confident, my legs are no longer sore, and I'm able to bike while carrying bags of souvenirs which cost more than I likely should have spent on them. : )

The bike culture is truly something wonderful though, as you see old women, young children, students and professors alike, all riding bikes. Even businessmen are seen biking through the streets. The liberal attitudes translate into other areas of the city as well, with unique odors (marijuana, for those who don't know much about Amsterdam) gracing city streets and coffee shops without so much as a second thought by most; as well as the infamous Red Light District.

Outside of the obvious lures of Amsterdam (for some people), the city is quite quaint and seemingly quite lovely when it isn't raining 8 days a week, as it feels like it has rained every day that I've been here so far. They're famous for their tulip fields, and while, in my friend Ryan's words they're "just mudfields right now", one can imagine this city in the spring and summer time with windmills abound and tulip fields surrounding them.

My first day in the city I even shared a pleasant conversation with two young guys I met in a shop, one who was from Afghanistan, and the other who was from Iraq. The three of us talking and joking around seemed quite ironic considering the current global affairs, but everyone in Amsterdam seems to just be living their lives and trying to enjoy their lives - not stereotyping and classifying people as terrorists or war-mongers simply because they're from a certain country originally. Amsterdam has been a great place to slow down for a bit and just relax and enjoy some time in a nice city instead of rushing to museums.

I also got to see the Sinter Klaus parade here, where Sinter Klaus and his slaves ("Black Pete") arrive from Madrid, Spain and give candy to all the little children who've been good this year, as he starts his journey. He also arrives by boat, and rides a white horse. Obviously quite interesting to see the differences from the American culture, and I'm honestly still a bit confused about the whole deal, but it is what it is.

Finally, also quite worth noting, many thanks to my friend Ryan who I know from back home, who is letting me stay with him as he studies here - and thus is saving me heaps of money on a hostel here, as they're much more pricey than in the eastern part of Europe. Cheers, Quinn!

Berlin, Berlin, the City of Sins

With so much history behind Berlin, or, both Berlins I suppose could be said, it's hard to not include a post documenting some of the more impressive things which I learned while taking a tour in the city.

I had only taken 2 tours prior to the tour I took in Berlin. I am largely opposed to the idea, and hate being part of the massive crowds that flock from one exhibit and historical site to the next like locusts descending on crops. Thankfully, the day I chose to take this tour it was rainy and miserable, and it kept the pseudo-enthusiasts at home apparently, as my tour had only 5 people, and the tour guide said that of all the tours he'd done in the previous 7 months, this was the smallest group. Luck was on my side.

The tour in Berlin I took was titled the Third Reich Tour - dealing purely with Nazi Germany's rise from the rubble of WWI until their demise during and following WWII and touched on a few small notes about the Cold War as well. It was an early Christmas present for me, as I love learning about these things. We visited, among other places, the old SS Headquarters - the SS were Hitler's secret police who had almost no supervision and were allowed to accomplish tasks by any means necessary; Hitler's bunker - where he spent his last days and hours; the old Wehrmacht Headquarters - the head of all of Nazi military operations; the Reichstag - the ex-German parliamentary building which was burned down in 1933 as the beginning of the Nazi era took hold, this fire played a crucial role in Hitler assuming full power in a "legal" way, it has been since fully rebuilt and I was able to visit the top of the building and get a panoramic view of Berlin at night which was incredible; and also Brandenberg Gate - where the Nazi's used to march through and numerous processions took place here during the Nazi era.

The Berlin Wall was another stop I made while in Berlin, and it was far less imposing than what I expected it to be, although reading about it's history, and hearing information about it from the tour guide was really moving. More information I learned about it, was that not everyone was really happy when the wall came down. Furthermore, many of the East-Berliners were quite happy with their communist state and had a lot of trouble adjusting to the democratic system set up afterwards. As a result there are still plenty of homeless in Berlin and many of the older generation had trouble getting work after the wall came down.

Also pictured here, is the 1936 Berlin Olympic Stadium which I visited without really any intention on my final day in the city. It was on the same metro line I was taking, so I decided to take a trip out of town and visit it. It was quite impressive. The small building you might be able to see in the distance through the opening on the far side of the stadium used to be the Fuhrer's seat (Hitler's seat).

So far, of all the history I've read about and encountered on this 10+ week excursion of mine, my time in Berlin has been the most interesting; even more so than my time in Greece and learning about my ancient heritage, which if you had said that would be the case a few months ago, I would likely have laughed it off as a farse.

A good way to tell how much I'm enjoying a city also, is by how infrequent the blog updates come. So, for example, I am writing and finishing my Berlin updates while in Amsterdam, because I was too busy in Berlin. And finally, I will note, this last picture is for my Mom, since I rave so much about my Greek heritage, I didn't want to leave out the fact that I do have French and Latvian heritage as well.

Ich Bin Ein Berliner

If you truly want a city in Europe which will live up to it's hype - and then some! - as far as I'm concerned, that city would be Berlin, Germany.

I arrived here on the evening of November 8th and after settling into my room and meeting my new roommates Jocelyn, (from Seattle), Tracy (from Canada) and Guiliano (from Brazil) - I immidiately went out with the two girls in search of a bar or club to start the Berlin experience off correctly. We stumbled upon a club that had some sort of zombie/living-dead theme going on that night, and with Jocelyn disappointed about missing out on Halloween since she is living in Poland, where they don't celebrate Halloween, we decided to have at it. Got our faces made-up like vampires and zombies and enjoyed a great and interesting evening (until 5am!) in a Berlin club.

To backtrack a bit, I will also note now, how Berlin (I cannot say all of Germany as I've only been in Berlin, but I assume the rest of Germany is similar) is so much more like the US than anywhere I've been thus far. English is very widely spoken and in 4 days I've only come across two people who spoke absolutely no English, one of whom could understand it though. The city is massive. The traffic is nothing compared to that of cities like Boston or New York though. Far more bikes, pedestrians, and subways and metros than traffic jams.

The history and architecture in the city is incredible, and being someone who loves history and WWII history especially, this city makes me feel like a little child the night before Christmas, all day long! In my 3 full days within the city so far, I have left the hostel every morning no later than 10am, and arrived back no earlier than 6:30pm - walking almost exclusively so as not to miss much by taking one of the various methods of public transit (u-bahn, s-bahn, bus, etc..). Yesterday for example, I left the hostel at 8:45am, and arrived back at 6:30pm and walked the whole day - even during the afternoon when it was raining.

Having seen so much in the last 3.5 days, and with only one full day remaining, I feel like there is so much I haven't even seen yet, and I've been out for 8+ hours each day! Even spending time to update my blog I feel as though I'm missing out, so with that in mind, I end this post for now, and will try and get back to photo updates and sharing my journey later.

Also had a couple of firsts in Berlin, as I got my first Thai food experience, and also ate duck for the first time as well - in addition to sampling plenty of the local cuisine too. The first photo on this page also marks the first time I willingly got make-up put on for "a night out on the town." The second photo is me in front of the Brandenberg Gate, one of the older entrances to the city of Berlin, it stands on the border of East and West Berlin, and was situated in East Berlin during the era of The Wall, from 1961-1989. It was originally constructed in the 18th century though and has been remodeled since it was damaged during World War II.

Pooped In Prague

So after getting sick for the second time, I've extended my stay in Prague for another 4 days - 3 of which have already passed now, and I'm very much looking forward to moving on to greener pastures tomorrow, as I've booked my train ticket (again) to Berlin! Originally I had booked one, woke up feeling miserable at 7am (with an 8am train) and rolled over and went back to bed.

Spending more time in Prague would have been nice if I had been capable of seeing more of the city, however, I was relegated to bed rest, heaps of water, and plenty of laying around. It was qutie exciting to say the very least.

Alas, I am feeling better and looking forward to Berlin, as I've heard even more amazing things about Berlin than Prague and with Prague being a bit of a let-down, hopefully Berlin will stack up.

Election Overseas

November 4th, it's Election Day in the USA. Though it was already November 5th where I was, lounging around in the Czech Republic at 4am, anxiously updating CNN.com to get the latest poll results, electoral vote counts, and to ensure that my fellow Massachusetts residents had voted correctly ...for Barack Obama. I was satisfied with the results I saw early on.

I stayed up as long as I could before passing out in front of the computer monitor; having no coffee or much company, it was tough to stay awake for the duration. So I decided to head to bed, with fingers crossed and hope things would work out. I woke up at 8am, having gotten a rejuvenating 4 hours of sleep, and immediately went to the computer lounge. About 5 seconds later, once CNN.com loaded in the browser, a broad smile came across my face.

The British guy who was sitting across from me noticed and inquired,
"The election over?"
"Sure is", I replied with a smile.
"Obama?"
"Yup."
"Nice."

A little while later, after watching Obama's acceptance speech online, I was in the kitchen cooking up some breakfast when two American girls walked in and made some mention of the election - which obviously started a conversation between us. The one girl described herself as "relieved" that Obama had won. Just then a British girl who overheard us interrupted, "So Obama won?!" she exclaimed excitedly. "Yeah!", gushed one of my fellow Americans in the kitchen. A sense of relief was definitely abound.

In the past 9 weeks, I can count the number of people I met who were in favor of McCain and Palin, from the US or other countries: zero. All I heard from conversations were of how the people thought Bush was horrible, the US needed damage-control big time, and how they though Obama was our (America's) only shot at saving face in the international community.

I've had countless discussions and have been asked so many times about the election and the candidates since leaving the US. I never fully appreciated how much other countries might be interested in our elections, where I was never even fully aware of theirs; until now. I even met a couple from New Zealand who mentioned that they were having elections at the same time as us, but that they were more concerned with our elections than their own, as they felt they would be alright whoever won, but that our election would have a greater impact on how our country goes forward.

Oh-a no... I sounda likea the Borat?!

After another spontaneous decision when I woke up tired of the mountains of Poland, searching for something new, I found myself on a train bound for Prague in the Czech Republic, rather than Bratislava, Slovakia - which had been the short-term tentative plan 24 hours prior. I convinced myself that it would be for the best - as all the decisions I've made thus far have worked out in the end; leading me to become even more of an optimist since traveling; which has been very important so that I don't get disappointed so easily, for instance, if I show up at a hostel in Bulgaria at 1a.m. and it no longer exists...

After 4 days in Prague, with arguably some of the coolest people I've met in the past 9 weeks, my opinion on the city is much improved. It's quite true, that your opinion of a city or country can be largely influenced based on who you meet. So, "Cheers!" (as if we didn't say that enough times in the last few nights), to Nowak, Sarah, Aliza, Susanna, Karol, and Kowalski (pictured left to right in the photo). Prague wouldn't have been the same without you. Even being sick half of the time I was in the city, couldn't stop the good times from rolling on.

Prague was a lovely city for the most part. My hostel was a bit out of the way of everything of interest, but allowed for some nice walks and good exercise. The city itself was a mix of cosmopolitan areas and historical ones as well. It was much bigger than Krakow, and must say I feel it was a bit over-hyped; or perhaps I just didn't see enough of the city. But I much prefered Krakow just in terms of the city itself.

I will also note here, that I have caluclated approximate mileage covered so far in these nearly 9 weeks of travel, and I have covered roughly 3,980 miles from Greece and the Greek isles to Poland and now Prague. That includes only train, long-distance bus, and ferry travel - walking not included. An additional 4,500 miles could be added with air travel included as well. For a total of roughly 8,480 miles in 9 weeks.

Dear Mom and Dad,

Some of the reasons I am never coming home will be illustrated with descriptions, accompanied by pictures, the best of which I will likely save to show you in person, should I decide to come home some day...

Reason #1: The Food
You wondered, before I left, how I would handle the eating situation as you thought me to be a picky eater. This has been no problem in any country thus far and I do not forsee it to be as I have now picked random items off menus I cannot read, and have even willingly eaten such things as horseburger, which as you might assume by the name, is actually horse meat - it tasted pretty good too! Here in Poland though, with lunches like I had yesterday, consisting of bbq'd kielbasa and bbq'd pork, bacon, and onion on a stick, with a bottle of wine... I am in heaven.

Reason #2: The People
I have met some of the most interesting and fun and hospitable people here in Poland, despite having not really thought I would even make it to Poland on my trip, and having no Polish heritage, things have simply worked out; and quite well! Between getting help to and from trains, spending days and even whole weekends with people I've met, it's been a great learning experience, interesting, and so much fun! Plus Polish women have been among the most attractive I've seen in Europe - which doesn't hurt the situation! From Adam and Wojtek in Krakow, to Kamisia in Gdansk, and Magda & Marcin in Zakopane... I've met some amazing people.

Reason #3: The Views
I have the least to say here, as the views here in Zakopane especially, have left me speechless. Nothing I could write could do appropriate justice to the views in the Tatra Mountains. They were some of the most beautiful sights I've laid eyes on and were exactly some of the things I had hoped to see while traveling. Zakopane, itself, sitting in a valley in the Tatra Mountains, has quite possibly been my favorite location, even when compared to the Greek islands. From the profound visit to Auschwitz and Birkenau, to the beautiful and historic city of Krakow, to the beautiful buildings - and war-torn buildings in Gdansk, to the breathtaking scenes in Zakopane; Poland has offered a little bit of everything. Did I mention I am now employed as a tourism representative for Poland? ...Just kidding. ; )

These reasons, and others of course, have lead to me spending two weeks in Poland, and wanting to spend more time here as well. It has been the country I've spent the second most time in - second only to the homeland, Greece. ;)
I could easily spend the rest of my trip here, and am honestly disappointed I will be leaving.

Amazing is Spelled Z-A-K-O-P-A-N-E

The title is a bit presumptuous as I have now been in this small city for not even 7 hours, yet I can tell it's one of the most beautiful places I have been. Zakopane is a small city in the southern part of Poland, which used to be little more than a village, situated within the Tatra Mountain area. It's a popular place among Polish people, and now at least one American. There is skiing, hiking, biking, horse rides and much more available. And plenty of beautiful scenary.

Most of the buildings which are original date to 1900 and have an original style as they were all mainly designed by one man (so I've been informed).

The houses and buildings are beautiful, the atmosphere relaxed, and the scenary is amazing. I am supposed to meet someone I met while traveling in her hometown of Bratislava, Slovakia in a couple days and I am seriously considering passing up that offer - or at least post-poning it because of the beautiful city I am now in.

To backtrack a bit, I spent 3 days on the coast of the Baltic Sea, in Gdansk, Poland. It was a lovely city with innumerable historical buildings and remnants of buildings. Bombed heavily during WWII, the devastated remains of some buildings are constant reminders of the rough past that Gdansk (formerly Danzig) endured. I ended up staying an extra day purely because of the charm of the lovely receptionist, Kamisia - and it was worth it as I enjoyed walking the city streets and met a couple of German guys and got into some intense international and political debate - which we managed to not turn into an argument!

So perhaps Zakopane for a few more days - some hiking, nature, etc. - then perhaps Slovakia.. or maybe back to Slovenia to do what I missed out on? Or maybe a wild card - a jump into Germany!