Europe and beyond

I can now claim Switzerland, France, and Italy as three of the countries I've visited in my lifetime.

It feels very surreal, almost as if I didn't even go. I have photos to prove that I did; I have memories to remind myself of all the fun we had.

The rail system in Europe is beyond amazing. I found myself wishing that the U.S. could boast such a superb system of transportation. But, I suppose our country is far too expansive for something like that to work well.

Speaking French to native French speakers is thrilling! If I ever live abroad for a while, I've resolved that I will live in France, preferably somewhere in the Loire Valley.

The women confidently wear high heels and short skirts while riding their bicycles. The men dress so sharply it makes American men look pretty ridiculous.

When we arrived at Charles de Gaulle airport, Karen and I ran into my grandpa and his wife. Huh??? What are the chances? Seriously now.

Europe's over now, and here's my current state of affairs:

I miss the French countryside.
I have over $800 on my credit card. Pay it off, pay it off!!
I'm living in Ballard, with six amazing girls.
I'm waiting to hear from the UW: have I been accepted to their MIT program or not?
I'm still working the monotonous 8-1 job at World Vision.
I feel more content and peaceful than I have in a long time, and yet there's still a certain restlessness.

Me. In Seattle. And loving every second of it!!!

Finally. I feel confident, independent, comfortable in my own skin. I feel like a "grown up," that elusive point in life all 20-somethings hope to reach sooner rather than later.

This could be due to several things. For one, I live in a house in Ballard and pay rent each month. Two, I recently started attending Bethany Community, both on Sunday evenings for a service and on Thursday evenings for a women's Bible study. Both things are just what I've been needing the past few years, but never found until now. I'm getting "plugged in," if you will, and it's helping me feel at home.

Three: my three-week trip to Europe this fall proved to me that I'm capable of being halfway across the world and taking care of myself. I had expected this to be the case, but it's nice to know for sure. :)

Four: I don't have a boyfriend, and I'm okay with that. As much as I dearly hope to be married someday, I've been realizing more and more what a blessing it is to be single. At times, it's difficult to overcome the yearning to love and be loved in return. But, I think that's only natural, and I try not to let that desire possess and control me.

Oh yay. I love the delicious newness and amazingness of everything right now!

More to come, perhaps, when I'm less tired...

The Swiss Alps

Karen and I are spending the next three or four days in the Swiss Alps. This morning, we woke up to a snowstorm. Our hostel has a hot tub, and there is an indoor swimming pool in the neighboring town, so thankfully there are things to do on days like this one. :) Eventually, we want to go to the top of Jungfrau, which is the highest spot in the area (I believe). The only downside is that it costs like 120 dollars. Oh, and get this: I did not bring a coat, gloves, or a hat, so at some point I will have to trek down to Lauterbrunnen to buy some stuff to the tune of a few hundred dollars. Jeez.

Our hostel is great. There are a lot of people our age here, chilling, reading books, playing the guitar, and exchanging travel tips/stories. The view from our bedroom is like something from a fairytale. We are surrounded by HUGE, snow-covered peaks, and we are pretty much situated on one ourselves.

More later, after we go on some hikes and see the area.

Firenze

Surrounding the Leaning Tower of Pisa, one will find hundreds of tourists posing for pictures. Some pretend to push on it, some "hug" it, some kickbox it, and some "climb" it. There is never a lull in this activity. There is always someone taking a picture of that sort.

Of course, Karen and I joined in on the fun the second we got there and took a bazillion pictures like that. I just found it very hilarious that literally everyone who comes to see the Tower feels the need, the pressure, whatever, to do so. It's also funny to me that the Tower is honestly the only attraction in the town of Pisa. At least, the only attraction tourists want to see.

But, pictures and tourist insanity aside, the Tower really is amazing. It just looks like it's going to topple over at any minute. I love the architecture of it too. It's really beautiful.

Back in Florence, we went on a free guided tour of the town, which we escaped from after about two hours because the guide was taking SO long on each building/sight. We had only covered four of the 20 or so sights by the time two hours had passed. We have things to do, places to see, thank you very much. :)

We met a girl from the U.K. who had lunch with us. We exchanged stories about creepy Italian men over pizza. Honestly, though, nowhere in Europe have I felt truly threatened. Seattle, on the other hand, gives me the creeps at night, and even in the daytime sometimes. I already know the secret to avoiding creepsters, and that is to look straight ahead, look confident, and not give them the time of day.

At our hostel, we're in a room with seven other girls, which makes for rather loud, sleepless nights. Snoring, opening of suitcases, shuffling around, reading until early morning: yeah, not so fun. Thankfully, my earplugs stayed in for most of the night last night (they usually fall out after about an hour), so I slept better than I've slept in a while.

Today, on to the David! And something called Casa Buonarroti, which, as far as I understand, is a house Michelangelo bought and is now a museum for some of his pieces. I believe it's free as well, which is always a bonus.