Euro Trip 2010

Craig and I went to Europe at the beginning of August. And then we came home, started school the next week and I got busy with having morning (or all day) sickness and coaching volleyball, and thus kind of forgot that we went to Europe and had a really great time. For example...

We found Jim Morrison's grave.

We stood in front of the Eiffel Tower.

We went and saw the palace of Versailles.
We rode in a tiny room on a train from Paris to Milan overnight. Craig said never again will he ride a train.

We saw U2 perform in Torino on August 6th (the day before my birthday).

We ate lots of gelato.

I lead us through the Forum with the help of Rick Steve's Italy guide.

We ate some more gelato.

Craig got to see all the sights around Rome that are featured in the movie Angels and Demons. This is in Piazza Navona where the final bishop gets drowned.

We toured the Vatican Museum and got one room away from the room dedicated to my great-grandmother - it was unfortunately under construction.

Since I was about two months pregnant on our trip, we also slept a lot and traded meals frequently when whatever I ordered didn't look appetizing. I had a lovely time and thoroughly enjoyed myself but was incredibly ready to get home at the end of the trip.

Bahamian Vacation

Craig and I returned last night from our six days and five nights in the Bahamas at the Sandals resort just outside of downtown Nassau. On the day we arrived the island was in the midst of a torrential downpour which slightly dampened our spirits but provided a soothing background for a much needed four hour nap. The rest of our trip was filled with lots of sun and time spent relaxing by the pool or on the beach. I was able to finish the seventh Harry Potter, read an entire Jane Green novel and get three-quarters of the way through The Time Traveler's Wife, loaned to me by my friend Emily. Our time wasn't spent entirely in the sun though - there were daily naps which were a necessity after the sun drained our energy in the morning, two days full of sand volleyball for me and one afternoon of pool volleyball with both of us against a nice couple from Long Island, as well as three nights spent at one of the two casinos located on the island. The resort was nice and although there were a few frustrations (late luggage delivery, no beach towels available and slow drink service at meals) all in all we had a fantastic time. Here are just a few pictures of our vacation with the complete collection located here:

http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/album.php?aid=2320947&id=23904605

A view of the shoreline of the Sandals resort's private island located 1/4 mile from the mainland.

Craig and I headed out to the Crystal Palace Casino (where I met my adopted Jewish grandmother Annabelle) after dinner one night.

Another view of the private island - this was probably my favorite day because there was really no one around to bother us and I could sit on the rocks with the waves rolling in and read my book in peace and quiet.

The view from our hotel room out to the ocean.

After dinner our first day out in the sun.

Although we had a great vacation and really enjoyed just spending time with each other, we were both ready to get home. My biggest reason for wanting to come home has four legs, a white stripe down the middle of her nose and happens to be curled up next to me on the bed in a deep nap.

I'm back!

Ugh...jet lag sucks.

Alright - here's the rundown on my trip to Europe. This is obviously a shortened version - there are some stories that can only be told in person because they are HILARIOUS.

Amsterdam:
- Saw the Anne Frank House, Van Gogh museum and the Heineken brewery.
- The Dutch men are BEAUTIFUL: tall, slim, great hair and high cheek bones. Sigh.
- Overnight train to Munich: met some other backpackers and sat up til 1 in the morning discussing American foreign politics and other such intellectual topics with them and two old German guys in the dining car.

Munich:
- Went to Dachau Concentration Camp on an incredibly beautiful day. It was insane to think that such disgusting and despicable events were carried out on the same rocks that I walked across. I found out that it is mandated by Germany that all German high school students tour a concentration camp. It was a very surreal experience.
- Went on a bike tour of the city with Mike's Bike Tours. Jumped in a freezing cold river in the middle of Englischer Gardens and then hung out with some guys we met on the tour at a couple of beer gardens. Beer came in LITER glasses. Yum.

Berlin:
- Walked along the East Wall Gallery of the Berlin Wall and went to the Checkpoint Charlie museum.
- Went on another bike tour with Fat Tire Bike Tours and saw the entire city. Most of the city is relatively modern because of the destruction wreaked on the city at the end of World War II.
- Went on a pub crawl with the Fat Tire guys. They took us to an Irish pub and I walked in and the song that was playing? David Hasselhoff's Looking for Freedom, which, ironically enough, was the song that he sang on top of the remains of the Berlin Wall on New Year's Eve in 1989. Those Germans - they LOVE the Hoff. We also went to this AWESOME bar in the former Communist East Berlin. It was five stories of concrete slab with all the walls spray painted. It really made me feel like I was in an illegal and underground bar in East Berlin in the early 1980s. It was so cool.

London:
- I traveled around London mostly by myself because Kristin was working, but I found that I really enjoyed being completely independent in a city that I had never been to.
- Toured Westminster Abbey, walked by the Parliament buildings and Buckingham Palace.
- Toured the Tower of London and St. Paul's Cathedral.
- On Tuesday night, when Kristin had a BP gala that I couldn't go to so I went and saw Les Miserables in the Soho Theater district. It was AMAZING. Definitely the highlight of London for me. I saw it when I was very young and I loved it...I had chills and tears in my eyes the entire time.

There is so much more to tell, but I'm too tired to write it all right now.

The main thing that I came away with from this trip is that I am okay on my own. When Kristin was at her conference, I toured the city and I would get hungry. And I had to sit at a cafe and eat all by myself. Strangely enough, I actually found it very relaxing and comforting. At the end of the trip, I told Kristin this: "I don't know what's waiting for me at home. I don't know what will happen in my love life, but I do know that no matter what, I'll be okay. I'm alright all on my own."

It was a pretty amazing trip. But I am VERY happy to be home. I cried when the plane touched down at DFW. But then again, I cried when the plane took off to London when I left. I cried a lot during the trip. But in a good way.

I'm Leaving on a Jet Plane...

but I do know when I'll be back again.

I'm leaving this afternoon for Europe and I'll be back on June 21st. If I get a chance to sit down at a computer while in Europe, I will try to update this blog. If I can't...then I'll give you all the details when I get home!

Love you all!

Little Girl Lost

Two weeks from tomorrow I leave for Europe with one of my closest friends, Kristin. We're hitting up Amsterdam for a few days, then off to Munich, staying with Josh for a weekend in Heidelberg and finally back to London for the remainder of the trip. I'm extremely nervous - there is so much to think about. From packing and clothing options, to money and the question that continually has run through my head: "What if I don't like the food they eat there?" The most major things have been taken care of - lodging, transportation and a basic outline of what we'll do when we get there.

I think the scariest thing about the entire trip is what it signifies. I'm doing this on my own. My parents are not helping me pay for it, nor will my mother be there interpreting the language for us like she was in Italy. I think that this might be the farthest that I have ever physically been from my parents. And it kind of terrifies me.

Plus...I'm terrified of the plane crashing into the ocean. Because then you're screwed.

I am the youngest of three children in my family by a lot. I was the accident. Oops! Eight years after they had my middle brother Mike, I was born. I am the only girl - the princess. I never had to take care of anything that was a big deal like this - I could almost always convince SOMEBODY in my family to "help" me, to which I just backed off and let them do it for me. Yes, I tended to be lazy and a tad bit manipulative. In turn, I think that this has made my transition into adulthood a little harder. Remembering to pay bills on time was a shock, as was the fact that my father made me pay him to change my oil.

Anyways. Back to Europe. I'm excited. I truly am. I'm not sure if I'm more excited about seeing the sights or doing something this big COMPLETELY ON MY OWN. I kind of feel like it's time to cut the umbilical cord. As much as I love and respect my parents and I know that I will NEVER be able to repay them for everything that the did for me growing up and do for me now....it's time to stand on my own. I can change my own oil. If I go over on my budget for the month - I will deal with it. I can take my own clothes to the dry cleaners. I can figure out how to make the stinkin' grilled cheese sandwiches on my own. And if I mess up...well...then I'll call Mom.

As much as I resemble my parents physically, we are often on different ends of the spectrum when it comes to politics, drinking and sadly...morals. I don't know when the tides changed and I went from a fairly conservative little Catholic girl to this die hard liberal woman. I'm going to put my money on going to the University of North Texas having something to do with it. I felt guilty when I made an educated decision to vote for John Kerry in the 2004 Presidential election. I felt like I was disobeying my parents, or letting them down in some way. Like I was a little rebel thumbing my nose at them just because I could. I know that to a certain extent, they don't approve of my lifestyle. I don't think that either of them can relate to who I am or what I hold important and value in my life at times. I think that when my mother was pregnant with me, she had this vision of her daughter all dressed in pink and acting like a lady. I played in the mud as a child, and hated dresses. I'm not that conservative, lady-like and delicate woman that I think she wanted me to be. But I wouldn't be happy that way. I like being loud. I like laughing with the guys at the dirty jokes. Hell - I like TELLING the dirty jokes. I'm bold and brassy and sometimes a little intimidating. I look at her and, no offense Mom, I don't see this dainty, lady-like, waif of a woman. I see someone who has stood up for herself, someone who likes to laugh and drink wine with good friends. I see her as one of the strongest women that I have ever met...and I'm just like her, but yet, I don't feel like I measure up.

I also feel like I'm completely disrespecting my parents and that if my mother were to read this, she would get upset and therefore I feel guilty and I am beginning to think that I shouldn't even publish this. Do you see the internal conflict that I'm wrestling with? These are my thoughts and my feelings but I'm afraid to let her know because it would disappoint and hurt her...

My parents are pretty conservative with their money as far as buying clothes, music, going out is concerned. Don't get me wrong - they're not penny pinchers. They live in an older, but updated house; they both drive new cars and most of all - they take fantastic trips. And my mom doesn't sleep in anything less than 3 stars. Apparently, we are more alike than previously thought. :) I have the worst habit. Everytime I buy something, I hear my mother's voice: "And how much did that cost? It's cute - but do you need more clothes?" Or my father's: " I bet if you looked in the back of your closet, you could find that same exact thing." I actually feel guilty spending the money that I earn because I'm afraid that my parent's are going to get angry with me. It's not their money, but still...I guess it's just something that was ingrained in my head when I was in college and actually spending all their money on complete crap that I don't ever wear anymore. We just have different priorities. They tend to go grocery shopping at least once a week and spend their money. I go clothes shopping at least once a week, in contrast to my monthly/bimonthly grocery shopping trip. I don't eat that much at my house because I would much rather be able to fit into that size 8 skirt that I bought, then chow down on frozen pizza. And plus, if I get hungry...my mom will let me eat the leftovers.

I just want to be able to make decisions, large and small, for my own life without automatically thinking of what my parents would say or think or if they would disapprove or not. I want to be independent and make decisions for my own life based on what I believe to be right for me because I think that if I am able to do that...maybe I'll make decisions that will make ME happy.

And Mom...if you're reading this - don't cry. I love you. I just can't be everything that you want me to be. I just want to be me and have you be okay with that.