7 Countries in 7 Weeks

Today, I woke up around 9 am and went to the original Museum of Broken Relationships (the second one is in LA, but who cares). Relationships are tough. The exhibits were interesting and I'm glad those individuals were able to find peace within the hurt and pain that results from broken relationships. Also, I really enjoyed the second picture found at their cafe. After the museum, we grabbed a croissant and made our way to Zadar. Now, I am at the airbnb getting ready to head to a seafood dinner and then out for the night. Also, I'm finally all caught up! Sorry for the delay, I know you've all been waiting on my wonderful posts!!!

Yesterday, I attended classes and left for Croatia around 4 pm. We arrived in Zagreb around 10 pm, got a bite to eat, and walked to our airbnb. I didn't take any pictures yesterday due to traveling, so here is one from today! 

On Wednesday, I ditched class and took a day trip to Salzburg by myself. What a wonderful experience. As I've previously mentioned, I love traveling with others, but this burning desire to be alone remains. I left around 8:50 am, arrived around 11 am, and found a cafe to have coffee and a croissant. I walked around for a little bit and then hopped on the Sound of Music Tour bus around 2 pm. We saw a few of the places where the Sound of Music was filmed and then made our way to the lake district. It was so beautiful, my pictures almost look fake. The town was super cute too. I ended the day with Sachertorte and reached Vienna around 11 pm.

Tuesday, I attended classes and went home to change for the opera. We waited in line and then secured our seats in the standing room. We had an hour before the performance began so we went downstairs for a snack and glass of champagne. The show was an incredible experience; there was so much pure and raw talent. Also, music is an integral part of Viennese culture so we had to experience it at least once. We left after the second act and bought kebabs and ice cream and walked around for a bit. It was a very good day overall.

Monday, I mainly just caught up on sleep considering I didn't get very much over the weekend. When I woke up, I ate dinner and then drank wine with everyone in the lounge. We watched the first half of The Sound of Music, which was nice for my day trip to Salzburg on Wednesday. I didn't take any pictures this day so here are some from over the weekend! 

I woke up around 1 pm on Sunday, ate lunch, and made my way to the music festival on the Danube River. We stayed for a while and then ate dinner at the pizza parlor. We made our way back for Portugal the Man around 10 pm. I don't know why, but for some reason I really enjoy this picture.

I woke up around 10 am on Saturday, checked out at 11 am, and ate breakfast afterwards. We went to a cathedral, Olympia Park (on Olympic Day), and The English Garden. After we sat in the garden for awhile, we decided to find a place to watch Germany play in the World Cup. On our way out, we happened upon the beer garden, which ended up being the perfect place to watch the game. My dinner consisted of bratwurst, Bavarian cheese, a pretzel, and beer. Also, I finally found a beer I actually like - Radler. What better place to find a good beer other than Germany? Pretty cool. Overall, I enjoyed my time in Munich; however, I found the people a bit more abrasive than what I am used to, which is completely okay. I'm thankful for the experience.

Another weekend of no sleep, but it was well worth it. Anjali and I arrived in Munich around 6 am and bought coffee and croissants to start our day. We walked to our hostel which was conveniently located 10 minutes away from the station. We rested in the lobby until 8 am and then hopped on the tram to head to the Dachau Concentration Camp. It was very difficult to experience, but informative nonetheless. The dehumanization and maltreatment those involved endured and suffered through is awful. We walked through the exhibition room, barracks, crematorium, and gas chambers. I learned a lot. After we saw everything there was to see, we made our way to the New Town Hall (first picture) located in the Marienplatz square. The gothic architecture is stunning. We grabbed lunch (a pretzel, potato salad, and beer) in the Viktualienmarkt. We walked around for a bit and checked into our hostel at 3 pm and napped for a few hours. We ate dinner (I had curry sausage) and the

Today was a very happy day! I attended classes and then came home to pack for Munich. Around 5 pm, I went to dinner with a couple friends and tried Poutine for the first time. My fries were topped with salsa, sour cream, and guac - so yummy! It was such a lovely day today so we sat by the river for awhile and then treated ourselves to ice cream. I came home, showered, and FaceTimed my Mom, Dad, and Grandparents. It's always a pleasure talking with them! My bus leaves for Munich at 11:15 pm and I will arrive bright and early at 5:55 am. I can't wait to see what adventures this weekend holds, especially with Germany playing in the World Cup on Saturday night! (I'm usually not a huge fan of soccer or beer...but this weekend consider me their #1)  Also, to keep you all updated, I received an A+ on my psych presentation last week and an A on my German midterm! I promise I'm learning things!  Okay, I'm off to Germany! Stay tuned :)

Yesterday was so much fun! I finished my paper in between classes and rewarded myself with a few drinks on the canal. I went home, ate dinner, and made my way to the amusement park with friends around 8 pm. I channeled my inner seven year old and had a blast. We rode a couple rides and hit the swings at sunset. Absolutely gorgeous. The rides were a little pricey, but the park is super cute so it was nice to walk around, especially at night. I hope we make it back there before our trip ends! 

Tuesday was a good day. I attended classes and found a cafe afterwards to work on my midterm paper. The apple strudel and green tea made for a perfect study snack. While I was writing, a man and his wife approached me to ask where the nearest supermarket was. I directed them to a Billa across the street. Clearly, I don't stick out considering they assumed I knew my way around. I told you all I've adapted well!! I made decent progress on my paper and then went home to cook dinner. I ate pasta and drank a mini bottle of wine on the roof. It was nice to spend some time with myself. As much as I enjoy socializing with friends, I need to hang out with my favorite person, too. 

Yesterday, I skipped German to sleep in. We're allowed two free skips so it wasn't a big deal. I was let into my room when reception opened at 8 am, woke up around 11:30 am, and went to health psych at 1 pm. After class, we picked up groceries and ate dinner in the lounge while working on our midterm papers. I didn't take any pictures yesterday, so here's one of me in Budapest next to a mini ice cream cone!! 

Sunday consisted of a delicious brunch, St. Stephen's Basilica, and drinks. It was definitely a relaxing way to end my weekend trip in Budapest! I thoroughly enjoyed the city. When I returned that evening, I immediately took a shower, FaceTimed my parents, and went to the floor lounge to book an upcoming weekend trip to Munich with a friend. When I tried to enter my room, I realized I had left my key fob on my desk instead of on my wrist. To make matters worse, no one is scheduled to work reception on the weekends so I had no chance of being let in. Yikes. Luckily, Anjali's kind soul offered to allow me to crash on her floor for the night. Clearly, the weekends are starting to get to me. Everyone laughed at me the next day considering this is the second time I've locked myself out, but I deserved it!

We began Saturday morning by attending the House of Terror, a museum that depicts the tragedies faced by victims of the Hungarian Nazis. Some parts were very disturbing and it was difficult to wrap my head around the things people endured. Once we regrouped after the museum, we saw Fisherman's Bastion and Memento Park. Both were very historically based, and admittedly, I zoned out for some parts of the tours. Whoops. They were still interesting to see, especially Fisherman's Bastion. I then ate dinner and sat by the river for awhile with an old friend to catch up - it was a peaceful way to end the evening. While I was sitting and observing literally every person that walked by out of pure interest and curiosity, a thought occurred to me. I watch everyone, but who watches me? Does anyone find me intriguing? Is anyone curious about me? Food for thought, I guess. 

Our program group departed for Budapest around 8 am on Friday morning and arrived around 11 am. I began my day by touring the Synagogue and it was absolutely stunning. We grabbed a quick lunch before our bus tour, which included a stop at Gellert’s Hill to see the view. After the tour, we had an all you can eat/all you can drink buffet so of course I had three plates of food and a copious amount of wine. From there, we headed to a ruin pub, had a few drinks, and ended the night at a dance club. It was an eventful first day in Hungary to say the least! 

My midterm went pretty well today which means I indulged in a celebratory lunch with two friends before health psych. We were all planning on attending the opera tonight, but considering the chilly weather and weekend trip ahead of us, we decided on another night. Instead, we are going to dinner. Yum. I'll be leaving for Budapest tomorrow morning at 7 am, so expect to hear from me on Sunday or Monday with fun stories :) Ciao! 

Today was a pretty simple day. I grabbed a beer with some friends in between classes and walked around the city after our last class. I came home and napped, cooked dinner, and now I'm going to attempt to study for our German midterm tomorrow. Wish me luck! 

Today was more relaxed and definitely a good day overall. I received a B- on my German quiz from last week, not the best but not the worst, and then we gave our group presentation on suicide prevention for health psych. To keep you all updated, I have a German midterm this Thursday and a psych midterm paper due next Thursday. Neither will be bad at all. After classes, we went to the Sigmund Freud museum which was super cool. The renovated museum formerly doubled as Freud's place of practice and family's apartment. The picture on the right is a miniature replica of a typical psychoanalysis setting. A new addition to the museum will be completed in 2020 - Europe's largest library of psychoanalysis. More incentive to come back someday? I think yes. After the museum, I came home and made a panini, caught up on my last blog post, and now I'm currently drinking wine and booking bus tickets to Croatia. Life's good. Also, forgive me for slacking on my b

Monday was another busy day. Who's surprised? Not me. After classes, we walked around Nachsmarkt (flea market with fresh produce, restaurants, and vintage stalls) for a bit and I ended up buying olives. Don't question me, they looked good and I needed a snack! Later on, I went home, washed two loads of laundry, cooked pasta, cleaned my dishes, finished my part of the group presentation, and crashed around 10 pm. I was still pretty exhausted from the weekend. I didn't take any pictures this day, so enjoy these random ones from the weekend!