Full Circle

Best friends castling through Bellinzona!

I know I haven't updated this in awhile, and I'm very sorry for that! This past month absolutely FLEW by, and I was extremely, extremely busy. I finished my Independent Study Project with little to no stress, which is extremely unusual for me. I did, however, develop tendonitis in my wrists from all the typing, but I successfully wrote a 34 page paper, 45 pages with everything included, titled "The Smug Life: An Explanation and Evaluation of Human Smuggling and Policies in Europe." Personally, I'm almost proudest of my title. Naming papers is literally the hardest part of the entire endeavor BUT this time around, it was easy! I owned my 30 minute presentation and really ended the semester with a "BANG." I couldn't be prouder of myself, so I hope you all share these feelings.
So, here I am, with 24 hours left to go in Switzerland. It's a very, very strange feeling. Today, Jasmine and I went on our final run and had our final lunch of bread, cheese, and salami, and went our separate ways. I just said goodbye to my homestay family... so, so strange. Nothing has hit me yet!

Bellinzona, Ticino, Switzerland

I've been trying to figure out the best way to express the meaning I've taken from this experience as well as share my past few excursions- it's been an eventful month! I decided to ask myself the simple question: what did I get out of this experience? what did I learn? what am I taking home? Let me tell you- the list is not short. So, quit now if you have literacy issues.

Classic tourism, you know.

To begin- My trip to Ticino, the Italian part of Switzerland, with Jasmine. As you may recall, we were supposed to be heading to the Southern shores of Malaga, Spain, but thanks to the 26% unemployment rate, the Spainards finally exploded and a strike broke out. Of course, the airline we chose was a striking airline, so our flights were cancelled and we were forced to make other, non-Spanish speaking, vacation plans. In retrospect, I wouldn't trade it for the world. We began our tour in Bellinzona, a place known for its castles. After hours of exploring, the sun set, and with a handle of tequila and some Sprite, we went back up to the largest castle and drank the night away. Let me reiterate- we drank in a castle. In Switzerland. At night. For free. At this time, I had the stark realization that I had never felt so free in my entire life. Not a care in the world, just living in the moment. I hadn't realized for just how long I had been living in other moments, but I wanted to stand on the edge of that castle and scream to the world that I was finally free! Except, unlike in Titanic, the castle would not have a tragic ending. My movie is much more interesting. Of course, if I happen to be in a plane crash tomorrow, this post will be extremely ironic. Anyway, onward!  
We traveled to Locarno the next day and Lugano the next, and my sense of freedom continued. Nobody to answer to except myself, and nothing but laughs with my new best friend. What more could I ask for?

Fondue is feeling hot, hot, hot (you have to sing it)

Sacre Coeur, my favorite

Two princesses at our palace, Versailles 

Next came PARIS! I know, I've been there before. But this was redemption weekend. I was meeting my oldest AND best friend, Lisa, and was determined to have a weekend without a breakup, a cold, a tumble down the stairs, or the stomach flu. Because I am now a professional world traveler and can literally navigate myself flawlessly in almost any situation (this is not an exaggeration, it fascinates me but I ALWAYS get to where I need to go. Watch out Dora...), I arrived at my hostel at Lisa and my preplanned time of 7pm. Except, to my dismay, Lisa was nowhere to be found. I figured her navigation skills were not quite as fine tuned as mine, and just checked into the hostel and relaxed for about 20 minutes. 730... still no Lisa. I decided to go to the market next door and get some fruit (because I can't go 30 minutes without eating any) and a bottle of wine. I mean... when in Paris... right? I worked my.. wrists..? off working on that damn paper, and by god, I was going to drink a bottle of wine by myself if I had to. So, I sat on our balcony with my wine and plastic cups, and watched pedestrians until about 845, when I finally spotted little Leonard (my pet name for Lisa)! Our hotel was in Montmarte, my favorite area of Paris, so we went and ate at my favorite fondue place, and then went up to Sacre Coeur at night, because it's breathtaking at any hour.

Surreal life we're living, no?

The next day, we went to Versailles, and I have to say, I hope everyone who is reading this has stopped to think about how amazing the human race is. I will be the first to admit, I am as big a cynic as they come. Humans are stupid, humans make bad decisions, they are naive, they're destroying the world... etc. etc. BUT. Think about the Pyramids and the Sphinx in Egypt. Think about all of the churches that have been built all over the world with textbook perfection. Then there all of the painted ceilings, detailed architecture... all before modern technology. I also find it extremely ironic that even with our modern technology and building capability, people don't visit modern buildings, they visit old ones. New and improved structures aren't marveled at, the old ones are. Food for thought... Versailles is no exception. It's WAY too excessive for my taste, obviously. Velvet walls? Really, Louis? But really, it's incredible that something of that valor was constructed and maintained so long ago. It really boggles my mind. Anyway, after a day of delicious crepes and more exploring, we got another bottle of wine and headed to Sacre Coeur for the afternoon. I could have stayed there for hours, people watching and socializing with the various people who spoke English. No sense of time, nowhere to be. We eventually headed to dinner and then to the Eiffel Tower to see it sparkle in all its glory. Again, to reiterate- I casually went to see the lit up Eiffel Tower with my best friend for a Saturday night activity. I. Am. So. Spoiled.

Jackie, Jasmine, and I with about 20 Asian tourists. Best. Day. Ever.

I flew back on Sunday, after an extremely delayed flight... the airport lost our airplane. Really, though, I really don't understand that. Losing an airplane? I would think that a piece of machinery of that size would be a little bit hard to dislocate, but I stand corrected. The important part about that story is a) they found the plane, and b) I wasn't stressed or deterred by it at all. Confused, yes. Still don't understand it. But I knew I'd get home eventually, and that feeling is a feeling I've never really experienced.
During the week, I nailed my presentation... hooray for public speaking confidence. It's an extremely underestimated life skill!

Jackie and myself, reunited, once again! 

THEN, on Thursday, Jackie came to Geneva! I could not have asked for a better closing weekend. Everything really came full circle for me. On Thursday, we quite literally walked around Geneva for 3 hours, just exploring and relaxing, and enjoying the sights that I quite frankly hadn't enjoyed all semester. It's a beautiful, beautiful place. Thursday night was the program's final farewell drinks party... and a party it was. We were all EXTREMELY happy to be done with our program and were really letting it all hang out, if you will. I, in fact, told one of our professors that he reminded all of us of Gru from Despicable Me. Luckily, I'm super smooth and told him that it's a good thing and we will miss him every time we see it, but really Dana? I need to take my confidence down a notch sometimes, that situation could have been bad! He was a sport though, and he has children. So, I think in the end, he took it as a compliment. At least that's what I'm telling myself. The rest of the weekend was just as relaxed as the rest, and it really made me reflect on my experiences here and myself as a product of these experiences.
Here we go-

Cows mating... backwards. So confusing for all parties involved

This semester has changed my life. Everyone says that, but I really, truly, mean it. I say this all the time, but when I arrived here in January, I had a totally different picture of what my life would look like on this very day. Some people in this program are doing exactly what they thought they would, but my life totally took a 180 degree turn. No boyfriend, no Chicago, and a summer that is looking to be adventurous, action packed, and risk filled- a summer I never thought I'd have. I'm taking a nanny job, which is not glamorous at all. But want to know what? I really don't care. I've realized that life is about living, not about all the things you achieve. Yes- I will achieve great things. I have known for a very, very long time that I am destined for this. But the difference is, now I just don't feel the rush. My life needs to be about happiness and the relationships I have with people, as well as balancing what is important to me. Which, in the end, is my happiness. I look at my future with a giant question mark, but not a scary one. Big, open doors. I can literally do whatever I want.
I worked hard in school and have the grades and I have the passion, so I can go anywhere, do anything, and be whomever I want to be. I don't need to stay on the rigid path that I had carved out for myself. I can go wherever the wind takes me, and that is an incredible feeling.
I have to credit the people in this program for who I have become. Never in my life have I been around people who have made me feel more inspired, supported, and incredible.
The people in this program are some of the most good hearted, smartest, driven, and loving individuals I think I will ever meet in my entire life. I came into this program thinking I was just a mediocre honors student from CSU, not anything special... they were all Ivy Leaguers!

On Jackie and my neature walk. Swiss countryside, SO beautiful.

They very well could have let me assume this and exerted their assumed superiority over me, but they didn't. Instead, they reminded me every day how smart, beautiful, and special I was. People that I'd known for mere weeks were telling me on a daily basis all the wonderful potential they saw in me. I went through some hard times this semester, times that, at moments, I wasn't sure I was going to be able to recover from. But my classmates were there for me to pick me up and give me whatever I needed, and literally held my hand every step of the way. When I would cry, I had 27 shoulders to cry on, and 27 people promising they would kill someone for me if they needed to. When I raged about how stupid I was and how I couldn't compete, I had 27 people telling me that I brought something to the table that was my own, and I needed to own that and let my incredible talent shine. I had 27 people to laugh with, to eat with, to talk politics with.

Kavya! Oh, how I'll miss your precious face. 

I have never felt more myself or more uplifted and inspired. I found people with so much positivity I never thought it was possible, and people with so much love for the human race I restored my hope in the world. I developed new friendships, some of which are so strong, they have secured spots in my future bridal party (once I find someone who I decide is good enough to marry, of course). I have so much love for all of the people in this program, and I am positive I will cry my eyes out once this becomes real for me when I am home.
So, what is Study Abroad for me?
It's a new life. It's a new perspective. It's a new appreciation for all relationships in my life, including my friends old and new, and a new love for my family. It's new memories. It's a new best friend. It's new relationships with your old best friends. It's life. It's love. It's everything I ever wanted it to be, and I wouldn't trade my new life for the world.

The three best blondes anyone could have!

Life As We Know It

Happy April! 

Sam and I in Zurich

My life has been preeetty uneventful these past few weeks, as our independent study period gives us literally infinite amounts of free time. Free time that we are, of course, supposed to be using to write our papers, but everyone knows that doing things ahead of time is overrated. I kind of went on civil protest due to the fact that we are supposed to have a total of about 10 hours of interviews completed, and nobody in this godforsaken city wants to give me the time of day. I have sent out over 100 emails, have made over 20 phone calls, and have only received probably 10 emails back. SO irritating. Not only that, but some of the experts just flat out lie to me! One woman told me she was not an expert in the field of human smuggling and irregular migration... but, wait for it... I read a 312 pg PDF the day before that was authored by the same woman. That's okay, lady, I didn't want to talk to you either. Next time you decide to publish 312 pages of something on the internet and display your contact information, prepare yourself for the possibility that people might want to contact you and, you know, discuss the topic that you CLEARLY know a lot about. The other problem I've encountered is the fact that people here go on 2-3 week Easter vacations. Really!? Obviously they didn't get the memo that their vacation time is super inconvenient for me. However, despite some increasingly rude responses and the ridiculous amount of vacation time, I have had a few very interesting interviews that have me totally nerding out about school and my topic. Finally, some fire under my belly! 

The view from the Cathedral 

Last weekend I went to Zurich with Sam. As I think I've mentioned before, she is a Swiss citizen, so she has a large number of distant relatives in the country that she has been traveling around to visit. Thankfully, she was kind enough to bring me to meet her great uncle and great aunt in Zurich! 
Not a joke, I've never met more precious old people in my entire life. The couple, Marcus and Fleur, were about 80 and were more full of life than many people I know my own age. They were SO thrilled about our presence in Zurich, despite the fact that I wasn't even related to them, and promised to show us a FABULOUS day. First, they insisted on buying us a "proper" lunch. When we sat down, we realized they were eating, and were informed that "old people don't need lunch, we have years of fat stored up. Young people need to eat, eat, eat!" I mean... If you insist... 

The famous lake

Next, we walked around the Old City and Marcus and Fleur told us everything I could ever want to know about Zurich, as they had grown up there. We went to a cathedral, similar to the one in Geneva, and climbed all 60 flights of stairs... with Marcus! He took those stairs like a champion. Better than I did, I'm pretty sure. After the cathedral, we went to the Üetliberg, the tallest point in Zurich, where we could REALLY see the entire city. We climbed about 20 more flights of stairs, Marcus still in tow, and hiked up the mountain like champions. Switzerland is, without a doubt, the most constantly stunningly beautiful place I've been in my entire life. Later on, we met up with MORE of Sam's relatives, her mom's cousin or something, and had dinner at a beautiful restaurant. One thing I learned about my German roots? They LOVE meat. The more meat, the better. I had to hide my horror while reading the menu (the English version, of course... the German version looked like this: awia sdkngiwehg lswiurevnv mcsks hfhqo qlhsoidg je). SO MUCH VEAL. Veal kidneys, veal head, veal liver, veal ravioli, veal roast, veal sausage... I seriously was traumatized. So many dead baby cows. Luckily, I was able to settle for some pork. After dinner, we went back to Fleur and Marcus' house, a huge house in the Swiss countryside. 
However, my favorite part of the weekend was observing the way the couple interacted with each other. They still held hands, flirted, and joked around like they were teenagers. They told us stories about how they lived in Finland for a year and decided that when they moved back to Switzerland they needed a sauna (which they had in their house), and showed no signs of slowing down. Sometimes it's easy to think that a life like that is impossible to obtain and is a dream, but Marcus and Fleur proved to me that it is not. They were so in love, so happy, and so ready to take on the world, that I (naturally) became extremely philosophical and began to think about my life and the world around me. I want THAT for my future. Endless happiness, constant adventure, and a life so full of magic that I don't have anything negative to say. 

ALL of Zurich.

When I got back to Nyon, I was still in the middle of my philosophical thought process, and started to observe the people around me. I see people that are perpetually unhappy with their jobs and are constantly stressed, irritable, and tired. For what? To come home at the end of the day and barely talk because you're both so exhausted, and often fight? It doesn't seem like that would be a tolerable way to live. Then, I started to think even further. As I recently discovered that I can, indeed, create a state of happiness regardless of any situation due to the human brain's amazing capabilities, I started to wonder, it is even possible to blame anything but yourself for unhappiness? Some people blame their jobs, blame school, blame significant others... but we all literally have the power to change all of that. You don't like your job? Either find something you like about it, positive reasons to put up with it, or quit and find one you like better. Don't like school? You could drop out of school and work at McDonalds, or you can remember that you are privileged to have an education and one day will be a better person for the experiences and things you learned while you were at school. Don't like your significant other? Either you are perpetually unhappy with yourself and are taking it out on someone else, or you are dating someone really super lame. So, either change your mindset and change yourself, or stop dating a super lame person. Literally there is no excuse for unhappiness. Sadness, yes. But unhappiness? No. 
Then, there is this new "YOLO" trend. Personally, when I see it, it reminds me of a candy bar or something and makes me want to eat more chocolate. And, "you only live once" is a pretty valid saying, because to my knowledge we haven't quite figured out how to master death. I like it in the sense that I think it does push people to make changes in their life, like I mentioned before, that will make them happier, and take steps in their lives that they wouldn't normally take. I like that. I can use a little more adventure, you know? What I DON'T like, however, is people using the saying to act like complete idiots. 
"JUST CHEATED ON MY BOYFRIEND, OH WELL, YOLO!" "Just took 17 shots and woke up in a random man's bed, oh well lolz, YOLO!" "Got a girl pregnant and did coke last night... YOLO!" "Tonight I'm going to drag race my car down the street after drinking 8 beers and hope I don't die, YOLO!" 
No, you're dumb. The fact that you only live once does not mean that you should go around making decisions that could ultimately end your life, or decrease the quality of your life immensely. That, I would say, is extremely counterproductive. 

Marcus. Trying to be him.

My point, after this long rant, is this: life is always changing. I am in a place in my life that I literally did not think I would be in 3 months ago, and I could easily be upset about that. But I'm not. In 24 days I will leave Europe, and I could be depressed about that, but I'm not. I saw the epitome of what I want for my life in a darling, happy, 80 year old couple, and after observing the world around me, I wish that happiness upon everyone else. 
So if you don't care about anything else I have to say other than this- don't waste your life being a sourpuss. You will lose your friends, and probably even your dog will hate you. Be HAPPY! Always find the silver lining, and never settle. 
With that, I am confident I will be happy for the rest of my life, and I hope that all the people I love can be happy too. 
Adios, amigos! 

Schwyzertüütsch... what?

That word that looks like not actually a word but a bunch of letters thrown together is ACTUALLY a word. It means Swiss German. As in, a kind of German that not even Germans understand. So obviously, I can understand it just fine, cause I'm fluent in nine languages.
This was a great week. The first week of our independent study project is finished, and we now have to legitimately start doing a lot of work... as our 30 page intensive research papers are due in 2.5 weeks. But, I enjoy not having a structured schedule.
So, my week.

Jasmine and I ran every day, so productive of us! Yay, exercise! Then, most notably, on Wednesday, a few of us volunteered to go to the UN to study while some photographers for our program came and took some pictures. Easy enough, right? Ha.... that's what we thought. So after the photographers arrived at the UN and made it through security, it came to our attention that they were not granted media status. The three girls in the group, myself included, were not positive about the outcome of situation, but Chris, our sole male, had a special UN clearance badge and he was convinced he could get them through. So, we stop in one of the study rooms and Chris manages to convince the librarian that these photographers are taking pictures for his NGO, not our not-so-prestigous study abroad program instead. After we pretend to be taking French books off of the shelves (none of us speak French) and pose studiously, the photographers decide it'd be GREAT if we could get some outdoor shots. Outside we go.

Typical. 

Grindelwald, Bern, Switzerland

The two photographers fall in love with this particularly grand marble staircase, so they ask us to walk up the stairs in pairs, slowly, so they could get some shots. So stupid. BUT... then... up comes a UN police officer in her official UN van, yelling in French at the photographers (and us, but we had real badges) that they had to delete their pictures immediately and they had to get in the van and be escorted off the premises. The girls and I were not in any hurry to rush to their rescue, we were hungry. Chris, on the other hand, continues with his story and is flashing his badge at the officer, saying, "I just feel bad, they're with my NGO, can I go with you? Can I just escort them out?" The officer is not having any of it, and is yelling no, but Chris manages to convince this woman to let him meet her at the front desk. Then, off they go! The photographers and the security guard in the van, and Chris on foot. 30 minutes later, Chris meets up with us and tells us that the UN tried to ban these photographers from the premises for a year. Instead of going with it, like a sane person, Chris continues his story still, and prompts the security guards to call his boss. In New York. Luckily for all parties involved, Chris' Ukrainian boss went along with it and this completely false story checked out. SO ridiculous. Just another day at the UN, folks!

Play time at the cemetery! 

Hiking enthusiasm! 

Then, on Friday, we picked up and trekked the 3.5 hour train ride trek to Grindelwald, Bern, Switzerland. Let me tell you, it was worth the trek.
Sam, Jasmine, and myself made the trip earlier in the day, and spent the afternoon enjoying the sunshine and walking around. Literally, breathtaking. We walked through the town, and spent a fair amount of time enjoying the scenery at a cemetery. It sounds creepy, but it actually was interestingly beautiful. With mountains in the background, the beauty of the old church, and the intricacy of the tombstones, it was a strange kind of serene. Additionally, if you think about it, cemeteries aren't really that creepy. Yeah, people are dead. But the cemeteries themselves are full of love! Nobody buried in a cemetery is buried there because they were hated. It's a memorial, and a place for families to gather and remember all the things they loved about a person, and all the things they miss the most. As far as death is concerned, cemeteries are probably the least creepy place of all.
For dinner that night, we went to the grocery store, and Jasmine and I split a loaf of bread, a package of salami, and some cheese like the fatches we are. We headed back to the hostel (which was easily the nicest hostel I've ever been to), and just dined our night away. It was honestly a top 5 dinner I've had in Switzerland. Sam almost died of famine 2 hours prior to dinner time, so she opted out of our Swiss feast. Then, we watched Bridesmaids, obviously, and quoted it for probably an hour after that. Best. Movie. Ever.
The rest of our group arrived close to 11, and upon their arrival, we went to bed.

Team Tanktop

Yesterday, we got up early, had a phenomenal breakfast of fresh Swiss foods at the hostel, and bought our tickets for the gondola to go hiking.
By hiking I mean walking up a mountain in snow, sliding everywhere. There were a few falls... but it was incredible. I can't even describe it! We even hiked in tanktops because the weather was so cooperative. I have the sunburn to prove it, as it turns out my super fair translucent skin does not like the high altitude, no cloud, no sunscreen, reflective snow combo. Ouch. It was worth it.
After the hike up, we took a gondola back down (I only hyperventilated for about 2 minutes total, much to my friends' disappointment. I talked up my intense fear of heights), and took a train to the famously picturesque town of Wengen. This town is only approachable by train. Strange to think how some people live such simple lives. No cars, so much nature, and so much time for life. So different, but pretty attractive.

Not real life. 

After Wengen, we were beat. Starving, we took the train back to Grindelwald and headed to a pizzeria that we had been told was a must-see. However, the pizzeria was not so happy about our arrival. The very intense German woman that was the manager on duty very aggressively told us that it was impossible, in every way shape or form, for us to ever be seated at her pizza restaurant. Too busy. Except for the two families that walked in after us and were seated right away, even though the place doesn't take reservations. But, she said, please try one of the other pizza places in town. Just not here. Seriously, so rude. Sorry we wanted to purchase food from you at your business that sells food, lady! Instead, we settled for another local restaurant, had a delicious meal, went back to the hostel to play Apples to Apples (I miss you, America!), and passed out.
Now, completely exhausted, I am back in Nyon!

Wengen

I have to say, I don't know that I've ever felt more alive in my entire life. It's like something just suddenly switched 'on,' and I am fives times the person I was when I got here. I can't exactly describe it, but it feels as though an electric current has been put through me and I all of a sudden am ready to take on the world. I am excited about my future, and know that I was meant to do big things. It's not scary, it's just exciting! I literally have the entire world and an entire life ahead of me. Nothing to tie me down, nobody to tell me I can't, nobody to stand in my way. I'm a small, fierce, ball of female energy and I suddenly know for a fact that my life is just going to become increasingly amazing, because I'm ready to make it that way.

Myself and Jasmine, or our aliases, Salt and Peppa

To conclude, I will tell you that when we reached the top of the mountain on our hike, I struggled with how to even process what to feel or think while looking at something so beautiful. How could I possibly fully appreciate something this magnificent? Then, one of the girls on the hike said, "Just remember this beauty, and remember this feeling. Now, whenever you are at the bottom of the mountain, you can always live your life like you're at the top."
Cheesy, but incredibly accurate.
Such a happy quote for such a happy time!
Well, I must go to bed. Until next time, my loves!

The Grass is Green Everywhere

Greetings, friends!
I just got back from a run with Jasmine through the Swiss countryside, and am currently writing you from the balcony of my 7th floor apartment, as I listen to Beatles Pandora because we all just figured out how to block our IP addresses, basking in sunlight. Staring at mountains and the lake at the same time. My life is suuuuuuper difficult.

Fueling my Coke Zero addiction in London

Last week was finals week for us, as our independent study period began yesterday. So, while that quite a bit of work, I honestly was not stressed out at all. A first for me, as you know. It was a phenomenal week. It has been sunny and 60+ degrees almost every day for the past two weeks, so Jasmine and I have taken to going running every day. Some days, we run down by the lake and are amused by the swans (who CAN fly) and all the ducks, and we've even made friends with the town alcoholic named Papi. He speaks zero English, but he yells AMERICANNES!!!! every time he sees us. Best friends forever!!!! If we don't run by the lake, we run on a path through some woods that leads us to the countryside, and both are absolutely breathtaking. Both literally and figuratively, as running is not exactly my strong suit. But, I'm getting better! And as we so truthfully learned from Legally Blonde, "Exercise gives you endorphins, endorphins make you happy, and happy people just don't kill their husbands." Although I don't have a husband to kill, I do have a life to live, and ever since the sun has been shining and I have been exercising, I've been exploding with happiness. I feel like Dana 2.0. It's marvelous! I also have been eating a lot of strawberries dipped in Nutella. I'd say that probably heavily contributes to my happiness level... it's honestly the most delicious snack I've ever had. And I eat a lot. Go try it.

Now!

Jackie's "suitcase"

This past weekend, after my last final, I jetted off to London to meet Jackie (flying in from Paris) and to meet up with Rachel, who is studying in London. It was an extremely fun weekend, albeit uneventful. Friday night, I met Jackie at the airport, only to see that her suitcase was not a suitcase, but instead a clear trash bag tied in a knot. Classy, Jack! :)  After our happy reunion, we headed to our hostel... which was NOT near the airport. 2 hours away, in fact. Then, we got lost. We ended up not being settled until around 11:30, so we just went to bed. Our hostel room looked like a spaceship. We shared the room with 12 people total, so obviously most of them were strangers to us. Most of the women were German, on a bachelorette weekend, but there was one 60 year old woman who snored like Chewbacca. Honestly, not an exaggeration. She was across the room from me and I could feel my body vibrating it was so loud. So, thanks to coyote ugly and her loud noises, I barely got any sleep. BUT! That was okay.

Fish and Chips! 

Saturday was St. Patrick's Day, and Jackie and I set out to meet up with Rachel. It was raining heavily, so we didn't do much touring, but instead ate plates of fish and chips bigger than our heads and just loved the fact that we could understand what was going on everywhere. Saturday night we went out with Rachel and her friends, and it was an excellent night of celebration! Jackie found herself a short-lived Italian boyfriend, we danced in the corner by ourselves with our new bff Joe, and Jackie got to eat McDonalds. A great time was had by all!
Sunday came too soon, and because no shops were open on Sunday morning, Jackie was forced to opt for a black trash bag for her suitcase home. Again, she makes me so proud!!! But actually, I'm so blessed to have such good friends. Pretty sure Jackie and I are in a long distance relationship now, who needs boyfriends? I am so lucky to have a life filled with so much love!

Rachel, myself and Jackie

So, anyway. I'm not going to lie, until recently, I have been  internally wondering if I chose the right place to study abroad. I loved Spain, I loved Italy... I was set to go to London... what if I made the wrong choice? I miss Spanish, I love Italian food, and I love British accents. Do I love Europe more than America? So many decisions, so many thoughts! But, this weekend, I came to a conclusion.
Nobody has it figured out, completely. The grass is always greener on the other side, but when you get there, does it live up to your expectations? Is it ACTUALLY better than your current situation or situations past?

Jack and I, so in love :)

Since I've arrived, I've been compiling a pretty extensive mental list on things I like better about Europe, pros and cons of Switzerland, things I miss about the U.S. Here are my major findings:
Things I miss about the U.S./Things I won't miss about Europe (aside from my friends and family):
5. My car. I love walking and I love public transportation, but something about having the option of driving is so freeing! Yeah, it ruins the environment, but I hate feeling like I can't do something because I'm not safe walking by myself, etc.
4. Sundays. Because the world doesn't shut down. In Europe, you better hope that you don't need anything on Sunday, because you will definitely not be able to find it. And if you can, you definitely can't get it before noon.
3. The lack of smokers. I seriously don't know how Continental Europe missed the whole memo about smoking, how it kills you, causes serious life problems, can kill other people... includes rat poison... how it's not okay to blow smoke in people's faces... it's gross. I hate it.
2. Communication. I really love interaction with people, and this language barrier sucks. I hate not being able to talk to the lady in the seat next to me, or to understand what the old man on the train says to me. I hate going to the post office and being worried that I'll be sent home, again, and told to come back with someone who can speak French. I miss being able to walk up and down the street without worrying that I'll be a target for violence because I'm not speaking the language!
1. Mexican Cuisine. Seriously, it's the ONE thing that Europe doesn't have. Spanish food is NOT Mexican food. Sometimes, I just want a greasy enchilada with lots of melted cheese and refried beans and a huge margarita. I do have an increased love for Thai food and I love Italian food as much as the next person, but nothing will fill the void that my palette has been experiencing from the lack of food from the super safe place known as Mexico.
Things I will miss about Europe/Don't miss about the U.S.:
5. Public Transportation. I feel so efficient walking everywhere and being able to take a train or bus everywhere I need to go, and love feeling like I'm not singlehandedly contributing to the death of polar bears in the North Pole. I definitely think America needs to step up its public transport game!
4. The lack of bigotry and racism. Reading about American politics over here is embarrassing. People laugh at the current religious conservative trend, and I legitimately am planning on leaving the country if Barack Obama loses the election. Over here, at least in Switzerland, there are small populations of racists and bigots, but overall, the population is too diverse to discriminate based on the color of someone's skin. There is no way to know whether they are Swiss, French, German, African, etc. I wish that was the case in the U.S.
3. The attention to the environment and fair labor standards. My 13 year old host sister knows more than I did, until recently, on child labor and what effects people are having on the environment. If I hear one more person in the U.S. claim that climate change/global warming is a hoax, I'm going to shave his/her head. YOU'RE AN IDIOT. AND A CHILD PROBABLY HARVESTED YOUR DIAMOND RING. HOPE YOU'RE HAPPY
2. The rich history. I love being able to go to a new city and learn about thousands of years of history, and feeling like I'm in a super important place. The United States doesn't have that kind of history yet, and while it will one day, history nerds like myself find Europe much more fascinating.
1. The simplicity of living. People here live in smaller spaces, so they don't have that much stuff.  Things are recycled, reused, and having a surplus of items is unheard of, both because it's expensive but also because there is just nowhere to put it. Night time is a relaxed, family time, and a night where a sit-down dinner is not served is a RARE occasion. People in the U.S. could sit down and take a breather every once in awhile. Take a breather, live your life!
These are large generalizations, obviously. When I went to Italy, I loved the food, loved the culture, but strongly disliked how the men were predators and stared at me for my blonde hair. When I went to Spain, I loved the language, loved the weather, loved the people, but couldn't eat the food every day. In London, I loved the people, the language and loved the atmosphere, but I couldn't live in a place without constant sunlight.
After two months of living in Switzerland, I finally can honestly say that I have made the right decision. I love the weather, I love the people, I love the culture, and I love the beautiful scenery. I hate the French, but I get by. People don't hate me for having blonde hair, don't hate Americans, and are open to all cultures. I'm happy.
And, I've come to the conclusion, that the grass is not greener on the other side, it's green everywhere. You just have to look for it.

Happiness is a state of mind. No excuses!

"Los Bebes... En... La Escuela"

BARCELONA!
For those of you who have not seen Bridesmaids, the title of this post is a reference to the extremely awkward part of the movie where Helen and Annie are giving the toast, and Annie (attempts to) speaks Spanish.
For reference, watch http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9BVGoKEPR6E, starting at 2:52.

The view from my airplane window FYI. Hey, Swiss Alps! 

All weekend long, any time there was an awkward moment or just a moment where nobody knew what to say... which happened a lot... my friend Jasmine and I just kept quoting this movie. Over. And Over. NOTHING cures an awkward silence like a little Bridesmaids. OR Blades of Glory, but I had to get some new material because my friends were about to start plotting my death after 5 solid years of quotations (by the way, guys, Jay-Z and Kanye just recently quoted that movie in a song... don't know if you've heard it... cause I know you have... so FYI I did it before it was cool. You should appreciate me).
Okay, so, my weekend.
First of all, let's start out with the stark reality that I casually hopped on a plane on a Friday afternoon, and was in SPAIN an hour and fifteen minutes later. Just a nice weekend getaway? This is completely surreal. One second everyone speaks French, then BAM! Hola, senoritas! Yes, please.

Anyway, on we go.This weekend preeeetty much cemented my dislike for the French language and my adoration for Spanish, adoration that had taken an extreme hiatus. Aka since high school. Even if you have no idea what a Spanish word means, you can at least read it off the page and have a 90% chance of pronouncing it correctly. Because you pronounce all the letters. In French, not so much. It's more like you write out a word, then cut it in half, and say that part. It's stupid. Why write an entire word with unnecessary endings and letters and vowels if you aren't going to say any of them? Ever? SO FRUSTRATING! I am better at it than I was, but I really do love the Spanish language. This weekend has inspired me, and I'm pretty sure I'm going to take up Spanish upon my return to the U.S.

Surprises like this little guy, staring up at me from my plate! 

Friday afternoon, we arrived in Barcelona to moist air and a warm sea breeze. With our stunna shades (that's sunglasses, dad) on, we trekked to our hostel that was actually really close to the center of the city. I like that, because since I have discovered my unusual spectacular sixth sense of direction, I feel responsible for getting everyone home. After we settled in, I claimed the bottom bunk as usual, and got our bearings, we set out to find a restaurant that was described as a place where "you can eat like hell, consume a lot of grease, have fabulous desserts, and barely pay a dime." Sounds like my kind of meal, I'm in. Old Dana would not have been up for trying adventurous foods and would have ordered the Margherita Pizza, but guess what? Either recents have inspired a new sense of adventure and zest for life that I really never knew that I had in me, OR the brain tumor that I'm convinced I have is just causing me to have alternate personalities. Either way, I like it. And I ordered paella, a traditional Spanish meal with all sorts of surprises in it.

The group of girls I went with: Myself, Azline, Rachel, Jasmine

It was absolutely delicious. I finished the meal with a delectable slice of tiramisu, and then we moseyed into a nearby grocery store to purchase some alcohol... cause we were in Spain... and are too poor to afford drinks at any bars. Viva la Espana. Obviously we were speaking English, because we were in a group of 2 Spanish speakers, 1 French speaker, and 1 German speaker. Not efficient. As we were standing in line, a guy our age turned around and responded to one of our questions in English. Long story short, it turns out he and his 28 US citizen friends were in Barcelona for their spring break... from Switzerland. 45 minutes away from us. Small world, to say the least! They invited us to hang out with them in the apartment they rented across the street, and it ended up being a really fun night. The guys were really fun and upon further review, knew a strange amount of club bouncers, so they got us in for free. This club/bar was right on the beach, and we danced the night away and took little breaks out on the sand, surreal. Although the whole super intense club scene isn't really my thing, and I got a little freaked out by the amount of 40 year old men that tried to dance with me (including a man who claimed to be a fashion designer in Paris. Neat pick up line, dude), it was something out of my box and something that I needed to experience in order to fully experience Barcelona.

Gothic Cathedral

The next day, we woke up at the crack of 10 am and enthusiastically got ready to go explore the beautiful sunny city! We bought smoothies from a very nice man at a store made completely of fruit, otherwise known as my dream home, and set out for the Gothic Corner. Barcelona is kind of like one of those lollipops where you aren't supposed to know what flavor it is, and usually you don't know, unless you're someone like me who likes to take the wrapper off to see if I like the flavor and then put it back on if I don't like it. In the case of Barcelona, the maps only have some street names on it, and kind of just point you in general directions. So, off in general directions we went! We didn't exactly know what we were looking for, but we would turn corners and see random churches, then turn other corners and be on a street full of adorable shops. Finally, we found the Gothic Cathedral. We sat on the steps and soaked in the sun for a solid 45 minutes, and I thoroughly enjoyed the people watching. Well, enjoyed is a relative term. One thing that is extremely culturally unique to Spain is the fact that people are making out. Everywhere. Nonstop. It's kind of gross. On one hand, it's refreshing to see people so incredibly in love, but on the other hand, it honestly looks really exhausting and also traumatizing for some parties involved. First, that just seems like it would take up so much time... and so much chapstick. I don't know how they would ever have a conversation with being interrupted every 5 seconds. And it happens everywhere. Our first exposure to it was in front of the cathedral, with a couple that choreographed all the places they would kiss for at least 30 of the 45 minutes we were there. Over here? On this step? Oh, switch me. And boy, were they going at it. Well, he moreso than she, because he just looked like he was trying realllllyyy hard to suck her face off and keep her lips for a souvenir. Gross. This happens everywhere, though. On stairs, on trains, on planes, probably in automobiles, on sidewalks.

Some afternoon Sangria. I'm a fan!

ANYWAY. We eventually left the cathedral and ventured on to Las Ramblas, a street known for its supreme shopping. Boy, did we take advantage of that one! We spent a solid 1.5 hours in a makeup store that was dirt cheap, and it was awesome. I had been feeling the urge to do something drastic like dye my hair again (Kelly, I know you read this... don't you dare take advantage of me in this vulnerable time of my life again!!!!), pierce something, or cut all my hair off. I decided the better option was buying some new nail polish and lip stick so I can just feel like I have a new look, instead of doing something that I will live to regret years down the road. Like brown hair.
We then stumbled in and out of clothing stores, obviously making some purchases, one of which, of course, included a Coke Zero on my part. I'm obsessed. We all made a few purchases, and although we had spent the majority of our day shopping and drinking Sangria and not really sightseeing, it was exactly what I needed. I never knew what time it was and never felt like I had to be anywhere, and that is a sensation I don't think enough people get to enjoy.
We also went into a dog store for 20 minutes, while my friends watched me talk to dogs and play with them through the glass. I'm a freak. Sorry I'm not sorry, though, I hadn't been that happy in weeks!

Back of La Sagrada Familia (or part of it, at least)

Back  

Next, we took the Metro to La Sagrada Familia. I don't even know exactly what the purpose of the building is, but I do know that the architecture and attention to detail are incredible. It is not finished yet, and has been under construction for around 100 years I believe. It bothers me a little bit that each section of the structure is a different color and a different style, but that irritation is masked by the sheer beauty of it. Impressive.
For dinner on Saturday, we went for a traditional tapas meal! I ordered fried artichoke shavings and chicken kebabs. My shaved artichokes legitimately looked like fried spiders, but they were actually one of the most delicious things I have ever tasted. I love Spanish food, but I would literally be 500 lbs if I had chosen to study abroad there.

The front. So amazing!

Still not knowing what time it was, we headed back to the hostel to get ready for another night out. Myself and a few other girls opted out of the club scene, as we hoped to find something just as exciting, just a little more laid back. We ended up finding our destination but not being impressed with it, so instead we walked into a random small bar on the side of the road (I'm pretty sure it was because Jasmine had to pee) and struck up conversation with all the bartenders. We were the only ones in the bar aside from a older man at a corner table who was laughing at us, so obviously I made the best decision of going over to talk to him, asking why he was laughing. He was a diehard Spaniard and refused to speak English to me, and somehow I managed to have a decently fluent conversation with him. I was speaking Spanish that I didn't know I knew, but it was so fun! The mystery man ended up being the owner of the bar (thank god he wasn't a serial killer), and I think we ended up staying there for 2 hours or so, just talking with the man about his life and Spain in general. I loved speaking Spanish. The poor bartenders wanted to leave really badly so we left, only to get lost and have to wander into another bar because Jasmine had to pee, again. Even though we never reached a definitive destination, I was beaming with happiness. The weekend was incredible. We had no agenda, nowhere to be, we knew nobody, and were just living. That's how it's supposed to be! We ended up getting home around 3:30 or 4, and that felt early in this city. But again, nobody ever knows the time. But those of you who know me also know that I have a hard time staying out past 1am, so I was just in love with life and the fact that I really feel like I'm living it.

My dinner of fried spiders, aka artichokes.

The next day was very sad, leaving. However, I can't complain that I am living a dream life and am loving myself and my friends more than I ever thought I could.
Sorry I always end with the big cheesefest USA, but really, I have become such a sap being over here. People always say that studying abroad will change your life, and I believed them. It just didn't happen in the way I thought it would. Life throws you curveballs, but you define yourself as a person by how you deal with them.
Weekend conclusions:
I love Spanish, I love Spain, I love sun, and I love happiness.
Although, I'm probably not going to adopt the Spanish custom of constant PDA. Get off me, bro.
Adios, mis amigos! 

It's Not Easy Being Awesome

Disclaimer: This post will be extremely long. If you dislike reading, please read no further. Although if you dislike reading, it was dumb of you to try to read my blog in the first place.


ANYWAY.

I'm thinking about going into modeling.

This past week was our program's study trip to Brussels, Belgium and Paris, France. Let me tell you, it was quite the week! We departed on Sunday for Brussels, and after 5 hours of train riding, arrived around 4pm. Our hotel was quite nice, even though our pillow was basically a few cotton balls with a sheet over them. This is a common problem, actually. I'm adding adequate (aka real) pillows to my list of things I miss about America. Brussels is the capital of the EU, so the next day we had class at the European Commission, which was pretty neat. It's very interesting to study the internal problems of the EU, because they are not much different from the US. Just in a different place! After class, we set out on a mission to eat the famed Belgian waffles. No exaggeration, I don't think  I will ever again eat any breakfast food that tasted as good as that waffle. These waffles were crispier than traditional waffles, as if they had been glazed with sugar, because they were also sweeter. Then I added a layer of Nutella, fresh strawberries, and topped it with a pile of fresh cream. It. Was. Incredible. Best 3.5 Euros I will ever spend. Eating it, however, was another challenge, as demonstrated by the photo above.

The real thing! Apparently, he has 800+ outfits, and wears them on various occasions.  

A waffle stand with culturally accurate decorations

Nonetheless, I don't think my taste buds have ever been more satisfied! To make it even better, we ate it right next to the sculpture that Brussels is most famous for... Manneken Pis. If you think that that sounds like a sculpture of a little boy peeing, you would be right! Next, we ventured through the Grand Place, and I was amazed by how absolutely breathtakingly beautiful it was. Without this program forcing me to go there, I can honestly say never in my life would I have actively tried to go to Belgium, but after this particular afternoon, I had decided it is an extremely underrated destination. Grand Place is surrounded by Willy Wonka-esq candy/chocolate shops, beer shops, and adorable restaurants and cafes. Later that day, a few of us ventured through the city... all the way through it... through parts where I thought I was going to be kidnapped by the men lined up on the street whistling at Sam and my blonde hair (but seriously, is being blonde normal anywhere in the world?)... to find a local brewery that received rave reviews. It was worth the walk! We met a very nice employee named Cedric who educated us on the Cantillion's "spontaneous yeasting" beer. The whole "spontaneous yeasting" thing did not really make me that excited to try it, but the beer actually was really tasty. The next day, we had class in the morning and then a few of us decided to go to a "flea market" across the city. Apparently, in Europe, flea market means selling absolutely useless items that could not possibly be of use to anyone in the entire world. For example, entire boxes of used post cards. Or a broken nativity scene, with a decapitated baby Jesus and Joseph. Or used underwear. It was extremely confusing. We made a hasty departure and found our way to a restaurant, where I ordered a burger and fries because it was the cheapest thing on the menu. If that doesn't make me a stereotypical American tourist with a budget, I don't know what else will. Upon our feast, we discovered that ketchup cost 1 EUR per person. I was furious. In my mind, free ketchup is a constitutional right!!!! Don't worry, I have since calmed down, but ladies and gentleman... take advantage of your free condiments while you can. Kiss your ketchup bottles for me. Later that day, we found a cute bar that served microbrews, and parked there for a few hours just enjoying some delicious beer. I had a Christmas beer that had a hint of chocolate, and it was aaaamazing! However, the bacon flavored beer that our waiter made us try was not good. At all. I never thought I'd use the terms delicious and beer in the same sentence, so thank you, Belgium for that experience.

Grand Place, Brussels, Belgium

Wednesday morning, we departed Belgium for Paris! It feels incredibly strange to so nonchalantly be talking about heading to Paris for the weekend. My life literally is a fairytale right now. Anyway, Wednesday was a beautiful day, and some of us trekked (16 km, to be exact) around Paris for about 5 hours, in awe of the fact that we were actually there. As it turns out, people haven't been lying for thousands of years, because Paris is beautiful. Thursday we had class all day. We spent our morning at the OECD, learning about things like corporate bribery, and then spent the afternoon at UNESCO, learning about gender inequalities in education in Africa. The good news is, both of these organizations are actively working to fix said issues. I know we all have complaints about our every day lives, but seriously people, count your blessings. We were told that in some places in the world, textbooks don't even show the anatomy of the female body. That means that somewhere out there, children are growing up thinking that a man's body is "normal," and because women are abnormal, they are less superior. Additionally, many females never get the chance to go to school, because they are married off and with child by the age of 14. Can you even imagine? I'll take 1 EUR ketchup over that situation  any day.

Just a casual day at the Eiffel Tower

Later that night, I had plans to FINALLY see Jackie, who is studying in Paris. She had planned to meet us at our hotel at 6... which didn't happen. We had no way to communicate with each other (#studyabroadproblems) and at about 6:30, my group of friends and I started to get a little nervous. We walked outside and posted up in the center of this square, thinking she was maybe just lost. Still no Jackie... so, I gave them as much description as I could, "Her name is Jackie, she's taller than me, she has blonde hair, blue eyes, always smiles, is from Las Vegas, and likes lunging," and left them to stand guard while I ran up to the hotel room to try to find someone Facebook who had her French number. I come back at 6:50, still no Jackie. At 6:57, we decide to just leave, but then... WAIT! We see her! After much screaming and hugging, we went to dinner at this awesome fondue place that served wine in baby bottles. It was a delicious dinner with an amazing group of friends, and we ended the night with a trip to the top of a hill to see the entire city lit up! I was on a life high.

I guess that's pretty cool

Reunited and it feels so good!

...Then, the breakup happened. Unexpectedly, I found myself crying all night long, heartbroken and shocked at what had happened. After a night full of Skype calls with my family and friends, I was unable to sleep, and was no longer exactly psyched about being in Paris. But, never fear, Sam came to the rescue! She forced me to get out of bed, shower, she packed my things, bought me an apple, and marched me to the nearest Creperie where I ate 1.5 Nutella crepes. Because I was extremely embarrassing and couldn't stop crying, we opted for the double-decker bus tour of Paris. It actually was a really good purchase, because we saw the entire city and it was a gorgeous day. Anyway, during this tour, I was apparently feeling really nervous because I ended up ripping my skin off my cuticle on accident, and my finger started bleeding profusely. So, now I'm crying and bleeding. This day was going well. We got off the bus and Sam kindly asked some police officers in front of the Eiffel Tower if they had a band-aid. Seeing my tears after looking at my bleeding finger, they started laughing, because they thought that I was crying over my "boo-boo." That's a direct quote. After I was bandaged up, not a joke, one of the officers pulls out a Blackberry and photographs me with another police man because they thought it was so funny. So, now, to some group of policemen in Paris, I am forever captured as the stupid American girl, crying over a bleeding cuticle. We actually found this really funny, and was the first step to getting to a positive place again. Next, we made our way to our hostel for the weekend, where I ran into Sarah, who was in town from Spain! Next good thing, check. Finally, we met up with Jackie again, and then went to the Louvre. That museum is too big for its own good. It's incredible, but seriously, I really don't understand art. My thought process is this: "Oh, that's pretty! I like the colors." or, "This photo is not pretty and is depressing, I don't like it." I don't know enough about it to have much more complicated opinions than that, and I also don't understand who gets to decide what "art" is. I'm pretty sure that I can draw a line across a piece of paper and frame it? I appreciate art to the extent that I could definitely never do most thing that are in museums, but I decided I am more drawn to detailed architecture, ceiling paintings, and sculptures rather than paintings. Like the pyramids, for example. Thinking about how incredibly difficult and time consuming that would have been is mind-bottling (Blades of Glory reference). To create something so beautiful and intricate on such a large scale is way more impressive to me than paintings, for some reason.

Now THAT is art I can appreciate. Beautiful! 

Anyway, the day was still a little rough, but I found it very difficult to be sad when I was around such great company. I was with my best friends from home, and all the girls in the program were so good to me. It just wouldn't be right, to not appreciate them! Sarah, Jackie, Azline and I went to dinner, then went back to the hostel for a night in. Unfortunately, I fell down the stairs later that night and bruised my tailbone, then woke up in the middle of the night with a cold... so all day Saturday I had a fever. BUT, I was determined to make the most out of my weekend. I was in Paris! Thank you, Dr. Cross and Symbolic Interaction for helping me create my own positive energy. Saturday, we went to the Army Museum, which was awesome. Everyone knows I'm a sucker for everything World War II related. Then we went to the Musée d'Orsay, and headed back to the hostel where I attempted to watch my baby sister compete at state swimming, via internet webcast. It didn't really work out. I stared some people at the hostel down until they stopped using the internet, but even after I had scared everyone off, it still didn't work. Once again, Oh well, I'm in Paris! Let's go have fun. So after 2 hours of much needed catching up time with my friends, I suddenly didn't feel so well... oh. Now I have the stomach flu? Cool! Another night in bed for Dana! Sunday morning I felt much better, and although I was disappointed in my body's immune system for not cooperating, I rallied and we went to Notre Dame during mass. It's a beautiful place. Although I don't agree with the fact that they make you pay to light a candle to "properly" pray for your loved ones, I can see why it has been recognized as so historically beautiful. 

European Chi Omega love!

Then, the time came where I had to depart my friends. It was so sad! Spending the weekend with them was exactly what I needed, and this weekend made me realize how many amazing people I have in my life. So many things are taken for granted on a daily basis, but I genuinely don't know what I would do without my friends and family. They are there to tell me all the amazing things I'm capable of, and build me up when I feel like I won't survive. They also are there to tell me when I need to shower, when I need to wash my face, or when my outfit is ugly. What more could I ask for?! So, to everyone reading this, thank you for caring. My life is as unexpectedly dramatic as always, but if it wasn't, it just wouldn't be right. 
I can honestly say that my trip to Paris did not go, in any way, how I expected it to. But, what is important is that I left with a smile on my face, and have now realized how exceptionally awesome my life is. And, quite frankly, I'm ready to kick some ass. Hopefully without falling down (too many) flights of stairs, cause that really hurts. Seriously though, the tailbone is used wayyyyy more than I really expected. 
Moral of the story, being awesome is exhausting. 






Anyway, until next time! I'm off to Barcelona this weekend. THANK GOD FOR SPANISH!