Groundhog Day

Do you ever wake up and feel like you're stuck in the set of the movie "Groundhog Day"? You know, same routine-different day of the week. Wake up, eat your breakfast, go to work, come home, eat dinner, go to bed and on and on and on.

Let me tell you....being home from this adventure of a lifetime suddenly feels like I'm trapped in Groundhog Day! I just spent three and a half months facing a new adventure everyday. New places and people and excitement from the moment I woke up in the morning to the moment I finally put my head to the pillow at night.

Now I am back home and...well...it's back to the same ole, same ole! I have to say, adjusting to life back home is MUCH harder than I expected it to be! It's not the jet lag or the exhaustion that's got me feeling blah. It's missing the sheer adventure and excitement of each day. It's the people, the places, the foods, the cultures.....I may have had some rough bumps in my journey, but I LOVED every second of it. Man, do I miss it already!

Don't get me wrong, I love my home in Texas. And I was DYING for a bowl of queso, family hugs, and friendly faces I love. And I'm surprising myself with my sudden lack of interest for the place I've always boasted about. I LOVE TEXAS. I am a proud Texan through and through. There are endless reasons why I love my home. I've traveled the world before my trip, so why all of the sudden am I dying to get out of home and go on another adventure?? What was different about this trip than all of the others I've taken before?

I forced myself out of my comfort zone and made life changing decisions from the moment I decided to take my trip. I did it MYSELF and I achieved things worth being proud of. Maybe I'm just not ready to let go of that adrenaline rush.

No matter the reason, this trip has opened my mind to a whole new world of ideas and journeys I want to take in life. I'm no longer scared of the unknown. I think I've come to embrace it. I'm no longer scared of change. I think I've come to challenge it. I'm no longer content with familiar. I think I'm come to dislike it.

Who knows what will come next for me. I've been thinking of writing a book? Creating my own company? Going back on another journey? Applying to teach overseas? Or...who knows....maybe my travel road is over for now and it's back to teaching I go? Lots to think about over the next few weeks as I head back to the office and start saving up my money again. (Shout out to the train strike in France for allowing me to achieve my FIRST credit card payments.)

All I know is....right now I am currently in the hump of, as Phil says in the movie, "Well, what if there is no tomorrow? There wasn't one today."

Bandy Ball Game: One more mark off the ole checklist!

I have to start out by saying there is no way in the world that I think I could survive a Scandinavian winter!! It is not even winter here in Sweden yet, but it's possible that I am slowly freezing to death. It is cold, sometimes snowy, always icy, with the sun down by 3:30 in the afternoon. Dreary and bone chilling and not my cup of tea in the least! It IS beautiful though.....from the window....or a postcard! I can't even imagine the depth of winter here when the sun is only out for a few hours and it is -20C! EEK!

Ice Skating rinks throughout the middle of the city!

That said...I don't know HOW Ola convinced me that I would enjoy going to see a game of Bandy Ball outside at night here. I suppose it was the pure curiosity plus my love of sports that talked my little mind into it. I've never seen, no make that HEARD, of this game. Of course, I HAD to see it first hand; even if it was going to be my first and last ever live game of bandy! I bought another scarf, hat, mittens, etc. and off I went to see this intriguing sport!

For Mommy: Me all bundled up & ready to brave the cold!

The game is kind of like hockey. A few differences are that there are more guys on the rink, the rink is larger, the players don't wear pads, and instead of a puck they play with a little ball. If you're interested, YouTube the rules of the game. It was actually very interesting and very fun to watch! I liked that it was even more fast paced than hockey. Always something going on throughout the game...nonstop action.

Behind the rink was a HUGE pile of ice/snow that the kids were climbing on. Not gonna lie...I wanted to join them. But, the fact that 5 minutes in and I couldn't feel my legs kind of kept me to my senses about playing in ice.

It was fun to see the crowd. The Swedes were just as proud of their team as they were at the soccer game I attended in August. They sang and cheered the whole game through. People brought Thermoses full of Glogg, Irish Coffee (even brought whipped cream!), beers, and foam stands to keep themselves warmed up throughout the game. Here's my half frozen attempt at a quick video. It's a bit shaky and uneven because I was so cold and my mittens did not make it easy to work the camera! But, nonetheless, try to enjoy & hear the cheering :)

I have to admit that I was a weenie. I was absolutely frozen to the core! But, I toughed it out to watch the entire game. It was fun to see that the home team, Hammarby, won 6-1! The ball is so small and the goal is so huge! It really was a fun game. Perhaps I'll coach a Bandy Ball team in Texas?!? :P Doubtful!

Anybody else heard of this sport? What's your favorite sport to watch live? Thinking after all of this time in Europe I will definitely be adding soccer to my DVR list!

Denmark marks the spot for a return trip for sure!

One of the best spur-of-the-moment trip decisions I made was stopping into Copenhagen, Denmark for a couple of nights on my way back up to Sweden. I LOVED this city!

Adam decided to start his backpacking adventure at the time I was leaving Milan, so I got lucky and got a travel buddy for this trip! We went from Milan to Munich and only got to stay in Munich for a short night. I took him for some schnitzel, (SO GOOD), and walked around the city even though it was 11pm and rainy. I LOVED Munich so much that I didn't even care that I was exhausted and frozen, I wanted to show off this city that gave me memories of a lifetime. I wish we were there in the day so I could have seen sweet Anna and Nadine, but we had a train to Copenhagen to catch in the morning.

We spent two nights in Copenhagen. Though the hostels were again not the best places I've stayed, the city completely captivated my attention.

I had the most delicious traditional Danish meal I could have imagined! The receptionist at the hostel recommended a cafe to eat at. It was so good that I think I need to give it its own blog. However, I'll cheat and tell you that this cafe is so old Hans Christian Anderson used to eat there. I had roast beef on rye bread with lettuce, a friend egg, and cucumbers on top. OH EM GEE AMAZING!!!

After that, I knew I was going to fall in love with Denmark. Adam and I got a map from the hostel as well that showed a great route to walk the city and see all of the sites. Even though it was very cold outside, we decided that would be better than joining a tour or taking the bus. Turned out that this was the best decision. We saw SO MUCH in just one day!

If you love beautiful places, rich history, stunning views, great food, nice people.....well, go to Denmark!

After our walking tour, which took all day, we stopped in a little pub for a warm drink. They had a sign for a drink called Glogg. We asked the bartender what Glogg was and as he told us, he let us sample it. YUM!! It is a delicious hot Danish drink that warms you right up from the cold! They served it with little ginger cookies. It was so delicious I could have sat by a fire drinking that all day. But, considering just some of the ingredients include red wine, port wine, and schnapps...I opted for just the one glass. I would love to try to make this for a cold holiday night at home!! I looked this up online and asked my Danish friend about it and it is a traditional drink during the Christmas season. One more thing to add to my recipe book!

Next up for our day in Copenhagen was also awesome! Remember the Danish guys that I met at Oktoberfest? The ones we played Uno with and ended up having a ball? Well, I facebooked them and told them I would be in Copenhagen so they met up with Adam and me. First we met them at a pub where we watched a soccer, excuse me, football, game. Was really fun! Then, they took us for a bite to eat, (at my starving request!), and then to one of their favorite bars. We had a great time and it was so fun to see them again! I hope someday they come to Texas so I can get a turn being a hostess to someone who has never been to my country. It is so fun to see and experience things the "locals" do rather than just your typical tourist attractions. I have been so blessed and so lucky to meet so many generous and welcoming friends along my journey!!

I will have to write another blog and take you through my tour of Copenhagen. This country is definitely on my list of places I plan to come back to and spend more time! If you're considering Denmark, keep in mind that like many places in Northern Europe, it is pricey if you're on a budget. Average meal was about $20-$30, average drink $10, average hostel $50....and that was me choosing things according to a budget. Adds up quickly but SO.WORTH.IT!!!

Jeg elskede den smukke by København!

 

Swiss MISS: A misadventure in Switzerland

I have gotten really bad about finding Internet these past couple of weeks, (Sorry Mom)! So, where to start….?? I came back to Italy, already, and have been staying in Milan with some old friends from school days, Bryan and Adam. We were staying in an apartment that Bryan’s aunt owns in Milan.

Then…dun dun dun….Aunt Ralfy’s friend was coming into town and she wanted her to stay in that apartment. So, that afternoon we found ourselves with nowhere to stay. **Cue bright idea from Holly**

“Hey guys, why don’t we just buy a train ticket and go check out Austria?” says Holly. Considering we had nowhere to go and all hostels in Milan were completely booked, the guys were in for this idea.

We headed to the train station with our bags and asked the lady for 3 tickets to Austria. There were no trains until that night and it was going to be an expensive overnight train ride for the guys. So we asked her, “Where is a good place to go that won’t take long from here?” She suggested we go research some places and come back with a better location than “Austria”, (where in Austria she kept asking before. We were like….uhhhh the central station? We don’t know…)

So we go upstairs and chit chat and decide we have a new master plan. We go back down to the ticket counter, wait in line again, and when it’s our turn she says “Where to?” Thinking we worked out the kinks to our master plan….“Athens, Greece” we say. “Ummm….you have to take a boat there.” She laughed. Riiiiiiight. About that…

So, strike 2. Next we say “What about Switzerland? Just send us to a main city there.” She starts naming cities and we all liked the sound of Zurich. “Zurich it is!” we said. This ticket lady thought we were completely nuts. Oh boy, were we in for a treat with this decision.

The train ride to Zurich was longer than scheduled, so we got in at about 7:30pm. We were starving, sick of carrying our backpacks, and had nowhere to stay yet. We walked until we found a hotel. In we went to book a room. The receptionist was very friendly and told us it would be about 200 Swiss Franks….PER PERSON. That’s a bit over $600 for a night…for a 3 star hotel.

Ummmmm….we started asking questions about hotels over there. She was telling us that we wouldn’t find cheaper so she started calling hostels for us. Booked. Booked. Booked. Cha-ching…she found one and if we could get there by 10pm we were in! Woo Hoo!

Then, in true form, we walked the totally wrong way to the hostel and ended up having to take a taxi. When we arrived, we walked in circles looking for the actual hostel and then found a small sign, “City Backpackers Hostel”. This hostel was actually in a questionable dark alley underneath a spaghetti warehouse. You literally walked past the open doors of the restaurant kitchen. We went in and walked up, up, up about 4 flights of stairs and found ourselves in the most disgusting hostel I’ve seen. I mean gross. The showers and bathrooms were co-ed, just a tiny curtain to decide your fate from creepsters. I was certain that this place was packed with fleas and bed bugs. Considering it was 9pm, we couldn’t afford anywhere else, and we managed to snag the last 3 beds in the hostel. Our fate was sealed. What a treat! We had a crazy Polish roommate in our ghetto dorm room who liked to chit chat while in his underwear. Just thought I’d toss in that fun tid bit. 

We were all dying of starvation and none of us were even wanting to talk to each other at this point, so we decided to find somewhere to eat dinner. That’s when we found the Mexican restaurant.  All the way to Switzerland for Mexican food, you say? Well, yes. At this point, I would have eaten out of the trash can.

I went simple, a small soup, chips and salsa, and water. Only set me back about 40 USD. Yep, $40!! And I’m pretty sure the “salsa” was tomato paste. Mmm Mmmm.  Now we were feeling a little depressed about our random trip to Switzerland so we decided to get some wifi and look up things to do. What were the first things that kept popping up online?? “Most expensive country in Europe.” “Switzerland: Impossible on a Budget.” “Things to do in Switzerland on a budget: go for a walk.” Hmph. Should have done our research first I suppose J

We walked back to our bunk and SOMEBODY dropped a bag that had a bottle of whiskey in it. When I came back into the room my entire backpack was SOAKED. Laundromat, here I come. Pretty sure at this point that I was about in tears and mentally checked out!!

The beds were so nasty. I slept with my shoes on, my coat on, and stole Bryan’s jacket to put under my head for good measure. After a night of tossing and turning and feeling like bugs were crawling all over me, I opted to skip the shower and even the bathroom in the morning. Still though, as with all adventures so far this trip, I wouldn’t take it back or trade it at all. Horrible unpredicted messes make the best memories!

However, the area was stunning! Beautiful scenery, beautiful buildings, clean, friendly people, and you can’t beat the mountain views. Just wish we knew what we were in for financially on this adventure! I am definitely putting Switzerland on my list of places I want to vacation. I’d love to come back here one day and actually do it right…aka…skip the Mexican nachos and hit the Alps!

Laundromats: Good for more than just meeting your average, run of the mill bum.

Hello Bloggers!

I know I have SO MUCH catching up to do on this thing! I just spent an AMAZING week in Paris with my fabulous mama. Saw so much, got spoiled, enjoyed her company, (even if it did make me homesick for the first real time in 3 months!) I've spent the past couple of nights waiting to get out of here. France has been on a train strike so even though Mom left....I wasn't goin anywhere :(

By now I'm sure most of you heard about my terrifying run in with the bum at the laundromat. So glad to say I got away safe and sound. But, let's put a positive spin on the Paris laundromat...

BEFORE the scary encounter, the laundromat was a pretty hoppin' place. There was a group of 3 guys in there and I was relieved to hear them chatting in English because I couldn't read the washer directions of how to pay/get detergent for the life of me.

They were super nice guys: lent me some detergent, showed me how to work everything and then we got to chatting. Turns out they were in Paris because they are in a band from New York City and are currently on tour in France. They were really down to earth and fun to chat with. At the end they invited me out to one of their shows later in the week. My mom and I love live music so I thought "why not!?" and had the guys put their info into my notebook. I borrowed this pic from the website that their show was at, La Maroquinerie:

When Mom got into town of course she said we could go. We had to take a taxi and it was quite the drive away. We finally arrived at a little restaurant tucked away in a big building. I saw the band guys, but no stage in sight. I said hello to one of the guys and introduced him to Mom. He had to go get ready for the show, so we said we'd see him inside. Turns out, the show was downstairs in a cool little venue called La Maroquinerie. It reminded me of The Palladium in Dallas, (for those of you back home that like live music as well). Tickets were actually expensive...where was our "I met you at the laundromat, that earns me a free ticket" ticket?? We were thinking...this better be worth it!

We got our tickets and went downstairs. Then we realized we were almost out of cash and still needed to get a cab alllllll the way back to the hotel! Oops! (And THAT, my friends, turns into an entirely different story about the time we had to get out of the cab because we ran out of cash and none of the ATMs on the way home worked either. SIGH. Always an adventure!) Okay, back on track. So, of course the bar was cash only so Mom and I got a laugh out of me pouring my pence onto the counter to see what I could get. It was official: I could afford one shot of the cheapest, most  ghetto beer they had. Mmmm. This gave me and Mom a good giggle. Once my thirst was quenched, we were ready for the show.

 

They were actually pretty good! Mom and I LOVE live music, so of course we had fun at the show. It was really fun to get to see a concert in the middle of Paris with a band full of guys I met randomly. Another experience I never would have had if I wasn't putting myself out there and meeting anyone I could, (that's a tip/hint/nudge to fellow backpackers!!). Mom and I had a great time together at the show. Here's a little video I took during their concert:

Lots of amazing stories and adventures to share. Can't believe I'm down to just 3 more weeks until I'm back in Texas!!! I know I will be bored out of my mind once I get home, but since Mom left I am realllllllly craving seeing my family!!

Flashback to Prague: A few Must Do's if you visit!

Since I don't always have a ton of time to blog, I have to do some catch up as I go. So, let's flash back to Prague for a bit so I can share with you a couple of my favorite things I did here!

My first favorite "must see" is the changing of the guards at Prague Castle. You need to go at noon to see the big ceremony. Supposedly, this is one of the most elaborate Changing of the Guard ceremonies in Europe. The castle itself is a sight to see, too. We bought tickets to go into most of the castle features, meaning, we didn't even cover the whole thing. You could easily spend a full day here. I tried my best to get a couple videos of the changing of the guard. As you can tell, it attracts a massive crowd, so go early for the best views!

While wandering around the castle grounds, Carmen and I saw a sign for a concert in the castle. We stopped to check it out and saw that it happens at 1 o'clock...it was like 12:58! So, we rushed inside and bought tickets. This was SUCH a lucky find and ended up being one of my favorite things I got to do in Prague! It was about an hour long concert with three members of the philharmonic orchestra. They played classic songs from around the world and they were AMAZING!!! We were probably the only people under 70 in there, but it was ohmyword wonderful! If you go, do not buy the expensive seats unless you want to be front row. There are only about 100 seats total inside, so all seats were good ones. In fact, since we snuck in a minute late, we were in the very last row and had no problems at all with that. If you go to Prague Castle...do the concert! I loved it & recommend it ten times over! You can click below to see a quick video I took of the concert :)

Another stop I highly recommend in Prague is going by to see the Astronomical Clock!
This was built in 1410 and get this.....it still works! I would explain this clock to you, but....there are so many features to it and details that it would take me forever, AND I found that reading up on it yourself made it that much neater to stare at in person. Read about the Prague Astronomical Clock and then GO SEE IT! So fascinating!

Of course, you need to go to the Charles Bridge for some amazing views and cute little market shops along the way. But, DON'T....I repeat DON'T....waste your money on the boat tour! As I said in my previous Prague blog post, this was the biggest waste of money in this city! It was horrible and I got off the tour feeling like I saw nothing and needed a large beverage. I have even talked to people I've met on my journey that have also been to Prague and I'm yet to find someone who says they had a good experience with the boat tours. So...stay clear! Just visit the bridge and sight see on your own.

My last suggestion for Prague is to try the traditional Czech food. I loved everything I tried! I had everything from dumplings to rajska, goulash to cabbage, ham and sausage and breads....YUM! You just can't go to a place like the Czech Republic and not try traditional foods. Delicious!

If you plan to visit Prague, and you should, I hope my tips help plan your sightseeing adventure list! Also, we stayed in a hostel that looked questionable, but was super cheap, safe, and in one of the best locations I could have imagined. Just comment me if you have any Prague questions or travel tips for others!

Sbohem!

When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life; for there is in London all that life can afford.-Samuel Johnson

I'm right in the heart of London. The land of the most adorable accents I've ever heard. I could just listen to these people talk all day. They all sound so cute and charming, even when they are "cheesed off". (My new favorite thing to do is learn all of the British sayings.) Pretty entertaining!

Even more entertaining than the accents is the millions of things to do here in one of the most expensive cities in the world!! Man, has this stop to London put a pretty dent in my budget and I have barely even touched the tip of the "things to do" list! But, there is always something going on: always something to do or something to see. I love it! I wish I had a bigger budget while I was here, but it has still been fun to make do with what I have. The last thing I want to do is head back to Texas with no money left!

The other night Jen and I hopped on the tube and ventured out to explore a bit. She has only lived here for two months so by "explore" I mean we mostly wandered and got lost, but that's the great part about learning a new city!

We had fun climbing up on the lions in Trafalgar Square, enjoying halloumi and chorizo sandwiches on chiabatta bread while looking at the view over the Waterloo Bridge, taking pictures of the night views of the city from the bridges, seeing LOTS of random scenes in the streets, and finally finding a cute little pub to put our feet up and enjoy a drink!





Yesterday Jen and I went out to Camden Market for the afternoon. I LOVED IT! I can't remember if I went here with my parents back in high school or not, but the shopping was amazing! I wish I had more than a backpack and a tiny budget so I could have brought home some super cute British fashion! The crowd was HUGE and seeing the punk fashion was awesome!

We had lunch there.....British shawarmas ain't got nothin on Bahrain. (I know you're thinking WHY would you eat a shawarma there anyway?! And the answer is....it was that or Mexican food that when I pointed to a bowl and asked if it was queso the guy told me no, it was cheese. Or, the Chinese food that looked like it had been cooked three days ago and still was sitting there just waiting to give someone massive food poisoning.) Anyway, without breaking the bank at a restaurant there, the food selection was slim for this market. It was still nice to relax after all of the walking we had been doing!

We found many interesting people and shops in Camden Market, but probably my favorite  random store was Cyber Dog. Yes, Cyber Dog. This store was HUGE. You walk in and it's all black lights and neon, like a rave. There are dancers up high on platforms dancing to techno music. At first it was cool, all random modern kitchen items and cool gadgets. Then you walk down an escalator and you're in Rave Land. HUGE warehouse-like space with the craziest neon and plastic kinds of clothes I've ever seen! Think moon shoes a foot tall and plastic hair pieces that look like an alien head. Then, if you go downstairs again, the first thing you see are dancers on poles and, well, the store turns into a different kind of store down there. Very interesting place though. Cyber Dog was pretty funny to see. Just look at the entrance below and tell me you wouldn't be intrigued. There was even a line to get in!



Today we are heading to Buckingham Palace and other must sees while you're in London. We also have to find my bus stop somewhere off Victoria Station so I know where to go on Tuesday when I head from London to France! Then tonight, we are heading to the pub for Trivia Night where we are determined to make our little Texan team win :) Tomorrow we are seeing Les Mis and I am spending the day wandering on my own. Lots to squeeze into just two more days here!!!

Also lots to catch you up on. So many stories and pictures and adventures! Missing my family lots and sad I missed the State Fair too. But, before I know it I will be back in Texas and probably bored out of my mind! Time to really soak up the next 6 weeks that I have left!!