The Happy Tourist and Her Few Nice Things.

It’s been almost three weeks since I’ve been in Europe and I can honestly say that it feels like I left San Diego a lifetime ago. Not for bad reasons, but I’ve just been doing SO many things that one day feels like 5.  So really it’s like I’ve been here for about 3 months instead of 3 weeks! And today is the beginning of a new country and a new adventure. Maria and I are currently on a train to Prague (but by the time I get internet to post this, we’ll already be checked into our hotel). I’m most curious about this country. It’s the most foreign to me and sounds the most beautiful. It will be interesting to see what Prague is really like, how we get around without knowing a single word of their language, and what cultural norms we should practice while we’re here.

Speaking of cultural norms….

I’ve tried really really hard to be a good American tourist. The last thing I want is to be remembered by the shop owner or the restaurant staff as the “dumb American”. I’ve read up on etiquette and do my best to respect each culture I come into. But…I’ve found that sometimes I’m just too excited to “play it cool”.  I’m about to go off on another one of my tangents again…ready? Happiness brings me greater happiness.  It grows exponentially. And the same with negativity. Once you’re in a bad state of mind, coming out of it is nearly impossible. In my 25 years of life, I’ve been through good times and bad. There were definitely moments, looking back, when I genuinely was allowed to be sad. It’s ok to give yourself permission to go through those tough times. Life is hard. Embrace the struggles. Grieve the losses. Journey through the sadness. And then find your way back to a happy place. But sometimes it’s really hard to find your way back to that happiness even when the rough times are over. We get comfortable feeling bad for ourselves. I know I do. And then it hit me….happiness is really really fun. Not fake happiness, because if you are going through something right now, the last thing you should do it force yourself to be happy and ignore the real feelings. But authentic happiness is incredibly enjoyable. And how do I find my happiness? In the little things, that’s how. Cute bicycles with a basket of flowers. The smell of freshly baked cookies. A hardy, make your eyes water, laugh with a friend. The movement of the clouds. The energy of the Metro system. Getting the perfect shot with my camera. Good music. Trees. Freshly roasted coffee.  These are a few of my favorite things (I just did a Sound of Music tour, I had to throw that last part in!). That is my happiness and no matter how silly I look appreciating the little things, I’m going to continue to do it. Here’s where I come back to where I left you for that tangent. Cultural norms or no cultural norms, I’m going to continue to do the things that make me happy (within reason). I will probably look more like a tourist and a dumb America, but I’m ok with that. I want to stop, literally stop, and smell the roses. I want to take 100 pictures. I want to sing as I’m walking down the street or standing on the Metro. If I want to skip, I’ll skip. If I want to dance, I’ll dance. If I want to make random comments about how much I love everything, I’ll keep talking to myself even if no one is listening. I’m going to be considerate of others and difference cultural norms, but no matter how silly, dumb, or random I look, I will continue to be a happy tourist and a happy person. What makes you happy? What can you do that brings you back to a happy place after tough roads?

This happy tourist has been traveling with nothing but a carry-on suitcase and a duffle bag. 5 weeks in two bags small-ish…it can be done! Before leaving for Europe I was completely and utterly disgusted with the amount of clutter in my life. I distinctly remember sitting in my room looking at my over-stuffed closet and dresser and being overwhelmed by the “stuff” in my life. I made a promise to myself that after returning to San Diego from my post-Europe holiday travels home, I would completely ransack my apartment and give away everything I don’t need. I’m even more convinced this is what I need/want to do when I return. I have but 5 outfits to choose from on this trip. My shoe selection is extremely limited. I have one heavy jacket I wear everyday to keep the cold Europe frost from touching my skin. And you know what…I love it. Life is simple this way. I don’t intend to go over-board with this process. I’m not suddenly going to sell all my worldly possessions and walk around in a potato sack, but I do want to downsize.  Nice, business attire is needed for work and comfortable clothing is needed for play. Photos and meaningful decorations are needed in my apartment to make it feel like home. But let’s be serious, no one needs 19 pairs of jeans, 32 dressed, 74 shirts, or whatever is actually in my closet!

So this happy tourist is going to continue to stop and smell the roses in one of the 5 outfits I brought along with me. And when I return, I intent to keep singing, keep smiling, keep wandering off the beaten path…just with a few less things to weigh me down. 

On the train headed to Salzburg!

Christmas Market!

While waiting for the Sound of Music Tour to start, Maria and I decided to do a photoshoot on this tree. 

So cheesy and I loved every second of it!

They served beer on the tour bus...probably for all the boyfriends and husbands that were forced to go for their significant other. I took advantage of it and bought one for 1.5 Euro!  I mean, how often are you allowed to drink on a bus!?

"I am 16 going on 17..."

We saw BEAUTIFUL scenery!

It was dark by the time we got to the fountain in the movie, but I still wanted to take a picture with it!

I loved the tour! The movie is sooo good and all of it reminded me of our production of The Sound of Music in High School. I was Liesel (the oldest daughter). I miss those days of singing and dancing in musical theater. Hmmm...I may have just been inspired to get back into it. Well, maybe when my MBA program is over I'll audition for something again...

A dying language.

Another great day in Vienna! We toured a palace, walked up to the top of St. Stephen’s church, did a Rick Steve’s self-guided walking tour, ate some cake, shopped the local Christmas market, and had an Austrian beer to close out the day. We only had one full day in Vienna, so we had to make the most of our time. Tomorrow we leave bright and early for Salzburg. Maria and I are both so excited for our Sound of Music tour. Last night we watched the Sound of Music and sang to all the songs together. It was wonderfully cheesy and I loved every minute of it!

At the end of the day today, Maria and I were on the metro back to our apartment and I was watching this little boy (about 2 or 3) and his mom interact. They had just come from the same Christmas market we were at and the little boy was completely enthralled with his Spiderman balloon and his balloon sword (2 balloon items – lucky kid!). His mom handed him his balloon sword and he was having a ball swinging it around and investigating the intricate detail of how the thing was put together (kid, I’m 25 and I still can’t figure out those things!). After a few swings he suddenly got his balloon sword caught up in the string of his Spiderman balloon. He tugged and tugged and tugged but could not get his sword lose. He got frustrated, annoyed, a little upset, and tugged some more. His motions got more furious and careless as the balloon continued to stay tangled up. As an observer, I could easily see that if he had just stopped for a second to analyze the situation, it would have taken but one turn in the right direction to free the balloon sword from the web of Spiderman. Finally, the boy was able to free his balloon, but not without headache and force. Sound familiar? How often do we continuously try to tug and tug and tug at difficult things in life to make a change, but just end up getting more frustrated with life because nothing seems to be working? If only we tried a little harder, right? Wrong. 

I do it all the time. Sometimes the best thing we can do is let go and ask for help. Sigh…help. It’s a four-letter word for me. I hate asking for help. I feel a little hypocritical, because just a few blog posts ago I wrote about how I need to not ask for opinions and advice as much, but need to rely on my own thoughts a little more. This is so so true. It’s so important to never lose yourself. Never let one person or a group of people be your mind and your heart. You were given one of your own for a reason. And yet, when your mind and your heart are telling you lies or something is too big for you to handle, that four-little word can be your saving grace.

Another thought came to mind as well. Bare with me as I go off on this tangent…I promise I’ll tie it altogether. Affirmation. I am a firm believer in sharing words of affirmation with people. No, it’s not my love language, but I think it’s a dying language. My guess is people a) are too embarrassed to “get real” with friends and tell them how great they are, b) have a hard time doling out compliments because they never received them (or received them too often and now it doesn’t mean anything), or c) …well, I’m not sure, but I know there are many more reasons why compliments aren’t shared. But I am here to advocate that we change this! If you think someone is awesome, you should tell them. If you think someone is talented, you should tell them. If you enjoy someone’s company, you should tell them. If you like someone’s outfit, you should tell them. If you enjoyed a conversation with someone, you should tell them. You get the idea. I’m not talking about commenting on someone’s facebook photo (although, those are all good things). I’m talking about personal, one-on-one complements. Email someone a personal email. Pick up the phone and call them and tell them how great they are. Say it to their face the next time you see them.  It’s amazing what a little compliment can do for someone. Brighten someone’s day. Share a compliment. Share love….authentic, genuine love.

Ok, now time to tie it altogether. I got a short, but out-of-the-blue sweet sweet email from a friend complimenting me on a few things I’m typically most insecure about. Usually I try and fight those insecurities on my own, like the little boy and his battle of the balloons. But today I got some help. Thanks to a random act of affirmation, I surrendered, accepted the compliment, and it made my day. It was a little thing, but getting help doesn’t have to be big. And sharing a compliment doesn’t have to be a grand gesture either. Just try it.  And try asking for help. There may be an observer close by who can clearly see the direction to take. Or maybe not. But at least you have someone to share in the misery of untangling whatever balloon sword drama life has thrown your way.

Here’s to compliments and asking for help!

Enjoy the photos!

Cappuccino with breakfast!

Outside the Palace

 View from the top of St. Stephen's church. Kinda lame, but you get the idea. 

On our Rick Steve's self-guided walking tour!

A stop for Apple Strudel 

The Christmas Market!

An Austrian beer to close out the day!

Maria was reading through the Rick Steve's book about Salzburg. His directions told us to turn on "Dreifaltigkeitsgasse" street to get to our tour.  Could there be any more letters in this word!!!??

Meet Vienna

Maria and I made it to Vienna today. I was going to blog last night about our day-trip to Florence, but was absolutely exhausted when we got back to our hotel and just couldn’t turn my brain on to do any writing. Florence was amazing. I really liked Rome, but Florence kicks Rome’s butt! As you’ve read, I love cities, but Rome was almost too big for me. The streets don’t make any sense, apparently Rome doesn’t believe in street signs, everyone drives way too fast, the Metro is always packed…I loved it and hated it all at the same time. I got some great energy from the city, yet was left incredibly drained from it at the end of the day. Florence was such a nice break. It looks like it’s straight up out of a postcard. We hiked…yes, practically hiked, up the duomo (http://www.duomofirenze.it/index-eng.htm), saw some great art, shopped, and took in the beautiful scenery Florence had to offer. I thought I had seen cuteness to the max…but I was wrong. So so wrong.

Meet Vienna.

Vienna has to be the custest little town ever. We got in this afternoon, bundled up and headed to two Christmas markets. I don’t think I’ve ever been in a place that seems to love Christmas as much as I do. I felt like I became part of a snow-globe. We shopped, ate delicious things we couldn’t pronounce, and drank hot keiser punsch. I was giddy with joy as the Christmas spirit filled my heart. I was feeling a little sad that I’m missing all the traditions of the Christmas season…decorating my apartment, baking, seeing all the decorations in shops, driving around to see lights…but after tonight I feel like I’m getting a healthy dose of Christmas cheer! Tonight Maria and I are staying in. We’re a little far out from the city at since it’s 34 degrees ferinheight , we opted to cozy up in our ADORABLE Vienna apartment (yes, apartment), answer some emails while listen to Christmas music, do some laundry, then watch a movie. I think it’s a good thing to have nights on trips when you live a normal life. It can get exhausting going 24/7 and seeing new and exciting things every single day. You need to give your mind, your spirit, and your body a break. Tonight it that night.

I’m about to make some tea and curl up in bed. Good night world! And Merry Christmas!

Side note: Maria and I made a list of all the “interesting” things we noticed about Rome. I thought I’d share.

Ambulance sound – it’s the most annoying ambulance we’ve heard in any of the countries we’ve visited

Everything is on a large scale- buildings, fountains, etc

Nothing's on a grid, no street signs, no directional signs

Cars/motorcycles really do run you over

SO much passion – from food to loction, people here love to love

They really do talk with the "da dum da dum da dum"

Nothing modern-nothing in the last 100 years

Toilets-men and women wash their hands together, no toilet seats

FOOD is amazing!

They say prego for everything!

Cars will drive down ANY street

The men really do love blondes :)

So I don’t have anymore “renewal” insight this time around…I’m just really really loving the Christmas spirit and that’s renewal enough for my heart!

Enjoy the photos.

Florence

Getting to the top of the Duomo!

View from the top!

Florence at night - open air markets!

I bargained for these fake glasses. The sticker price was 15 Euros. I got them for 5 Euros. :) 

VIENNA! It's about 34 degrees fahrenheit today. 

Cutest Christmas market ever!

We are staying in a cute 2 bedroom apartment and it's cheaper than any hostel we've stayed in thus far. I'm loving Vienna even more! And I'm thankful for the towel warming racks to dry my clothes (dryers don't really exist in Europe). 

 Oh, and Europe ate my shoes. I've worn these boots almost everyday for 3 weeks...on cobblestone streets. I think I need to go shopping tomorrow. Don't you?

For your consideration.

Rome has proven itself to be a wonderful city, once again. Maria and I had such a busy, yet fulfilling day today. It started with a blessing from the Pope, himself, in the Vatican, a trek up 551 steps to the top of St. Peter’s Basilica, a tour of the Colosseum, and dinner at the most wonderful REAL, “mom and pop”, non-touristy Italian restaurant. See pictures below!

A couple things came to mind today. Most importantly was the idea of consideration. Maria and I are very different, yet very similar people. We are both detailed, however…(If you know me at all, I have a little secret for you. Ready?)…on trips and vacation, 100% of my type-A personality goes away. I’m serious. I’m the most unorganized, free-spirited, I-have-no-idea-where-I’m-going, “oh shoot, where’s the museum ticket I just bought” person….ever. You would never know it by how I am at home, but it’s true. And Maria…she has maps and schedules and tickets and print-outs, oh my! But you know what, it works. I was a little worried I would get on her nerves because I literally have no idea where I’m going or what plan is next and that can be frustrating to someone who is trying to make the most out of their trip, but I think (I hope), it’s actually working out really well. When we get lost, I bring to light the enjoyment of how you can actually find the most interesting things when you don’t know your way. And when I have no idea what I’m looking at or how to get to the next monument, Maria is there with a map, memorized directions, and information on everything. We balance each other out. So where does this idea of consideration come into play? Because no matter how opposite or similar you are to someone, you have to be considerate to make a relationship of any kind work. I’ve noticed that we constantly ask each other, “Is that ok with you?”, “What would you like to do?”, “Would you like me to hold that for you?”, “I know you’re really into this, so would you like to do that?”, etc. Consideration. Before coming on this trip, I wrestled with this idea a lot. Many “grown-ups” in my life have given me advice that I need to stand up for myself, do what I need to do to get what I want, don’t be a push-over, don’t let someone to that to you, get tough on them. And you know what? Every single time I’ve let go of my softer side, it’s completely backfired. Every. Time. Basically, I’m awful at being tough. Yes, being a push-over is not ok, but I prefer to kill my flies with honey rather than with vinegar. And I prefer to let a lot of things roll off my back.  I’m done with listening to advice about how I need to stand up for myself. When the time is needed, believe me, I’ll stand up for myself. But for the most part, I’m ok with being the nice girl. I’m ok with seemingly being “the push over” (key word there “seemingly”). Ok, I got off on a little tangent there, but what I’m getting at is consideration is a good thing. And maybe those grown-ups who told me to “get tough” should try it every once in a while. Put yourself in another person’s shoes. Try being kind instead of being bitter. Stop for a second and think about what your words are doing to the person receiving them. Whether that be the person on the other end of an annoying sales call or your spouse or the person you’re traveling with that is very different from you, every tone and every word effects people. It’s nice to be nice. And for Maria and I, our consideration for one another has made this trip together work!

Another thought on consideration…

We climbed up 551 steps to the top of St. Peter’s Basilica today. Before starting the climb there was a sign on the wall that said something to the effect of “as you walk up these steps, keep in mind the elderly and the suffering”. And I did. With each step, I thought of the people in Africa who have to walk miles and miles for water each day.  I thought of the orphans who walk through life knowing no parents. I thought of the poor who walk without being fed. And I thought of the blessed who walk with plenty of resources to give to those in need. I am one of them. Today was a good reminder of how important it is to give to and serve others. Here I was walking up one of the most beautiful pieces of history in Rome and there are others in the world looking for a scrap of food to eat for the week. Each day I’m more and more appreciative of this trip and the wonderful life that I have. I hope I never forget it.  And I hope I always remember to be considerate. 

The Pope

551 Narrow Steps to the Top? Bring it!

Made it!

The Colosseum

I come all the way to Rome, eat in a REAL Italian, non-touristy restaurant off the beaten path, food made by a mom and dad and served by their kids, and what do I find...a Fresno State sticker on the kitchen window. The guy in the picture is the son that studied at Fresno State for 3 months. Small world!

When in Rome...

We landed in Rome today. From the moment we landed in this country my heart has been happy. I’ll be honest…I didn’t love Barcelona. It’s not that I didn’t like it. I just didn’t love it. It made me feel homesick, because it was too similar to San Diego. The beach was amazing, the Gaudi architecture was “wow”, the food was yummy, but there was something about the lack of “old, romantic, Europe” that kept my heart form falling in love with it like I did Portugal and France. But now I’m in Rome. And I have certainly fallen in love.

Maria and I had some things to take care of as soon as we landed. Check-in to our hostel, make it to the Vatican by 3pm (per our museum pass instructions), and then pick-up tickets for the Pope blessing before 6:45pm. What a crazy few hours! We were on this metro and that metro and this street and that street. We got lost, we almost got ran over (um…people weren’t kidding when they warned me that Italian drivers literally stop for no one). It was nuts! But we figured it out, saw all the beautiful artwork at the Vatican, and then finally settled on taking an evening stroll to some major monuments, as recommended by Rick Steves.

The evening stroll was more than I ever could have asked for. We saw the Spanish Steps, the Trevi Fountain, the Pantheon, the Forum, and the Colosseum. We’ll be back to the Coliseum tomorrow for the real visit, but we wanted to see it all at night. And we walked to EVERYTHING! I’m not sure how far it all was, because we took a few detours here are there (ya, detours, that’s what I’ll call it, we weren’t lost at all), but it felt like a good solid walk. Good enough to deserve a home-made pasta dinner!

With each step I took tonight on our walk, I could more and more renewed and restored. Each Metro ride brought so much confidence back, just as I felt that first night in Paris. Have I mentioned how much I love the Metro? Weird, I know. But I love it. It’s smelly, it’s dirty, it’s filled with interesting characters, but I love every bit of it. You get to see the real part…the real people…of the city when you ride the Metro. The Metro is the heartbeat of every large city. Underneath the houses and the restaurants is the ba-dum, ba-dum, ba-dum of the wheels turning – keeping the movement of the city going. It’s somewhat overwhelming at times, but when you finally push through the people and are holding on to that germ-filled pole as you ride to your next location, it’s a great feeling.

And the stairs…I feel so alive walking up the old steps of Rome. Maybe it’s because I had knee surgery just a few months ago and spent the evenings crying myself to sleep because I couldn’t walk up stairs for a much longer time than was expected so I really really REALLY appreciate the ability to walk up and down them, but for whatever reason, stairs bring me joy. And thinking that over 1,000 years ago Roman soldiers walked up those same steps is just a little cool too…just a little. ;)

Sigh! This is such a random blog tonight because I’m just so filled with joy and exhaustion all at the same time. I’m happy to be in a city of love, of romance, of history, of something BIG. Tomorrow is a big day (climbing the St. Peter’s Square cupola, Pope Blessing, Colosseum  Forum and other sights after that, and then we’re meeting up with Maria’s friend who lives here and is going to show us around) and it’s 11pm here, so I’m off to bed. Enjoy the pictures!

Vatican

                     

Our evening stroll lead us to the Spanish Steps...

The Trevi Fountain

The Pantheon

And finally the Colosseum 

Starbucks in Spain.

I said goodbye to my PLNU friends and arrived in Spain on Friday to start my new adventure with Maria. I’ve been away from San Diego for about two weeks and this is the first time I’ve gotten a little homesick. I feel a little silly admitting that I’m homesick when I’ve only been gone for two weeks. I have friends who have given up the comfort of their own lives to serve others for months and years at a time in third world countries…they deserve the right to feel homesick. Not me. And yet, I do. It’s not too bad, but I think I feel this way because Spain reminds me so much of San Diego. Maybe it’s the more modern architecture, the increase in number of American’s I’ve run into, the familiar Spanish language, the beaches, caving into buying coffee at Starbucks yesterday, having a close friend from San Diego with me…it looks like home here. And yet it’s not. I don’t go home to my apartment at night. I’m not in the comfort of my own home. I haven’t cooked for myself in so long. I’m still living out of a suitcase and sleeping a twin bed surrounded by white popcorn walls. But…I have a great friend with me to share in all the joys and stresses of traveling and for that, I’m thankful. What’s renewal without being stretched on all levels? I think the biggest lesson out of this time of homesickness is that I appreciate home so much more. My friends are like family. And my family-family is quite awesome. I lucked out. And San Diego…well it’s pretty cool too. ;)

(PS-I’m also thankful that Maria did so much research to find the best places in Barcelona to see, because I honestly did little to no research. And I’m not just saying that because she’s siting right next to me. :) I wouldn’t have done half the things we did yesterday without her here.)

All this to say, I’m having the most amazing time discovering new places. Maria and I took some great tours Saturday and Sunday. We saw the most amazing buildings by Gaudi and ate at some delicious restaurants. I love traveling with a foodie!!! And all the reasons why I’m a little homesick are good things. I’m around the familiar. And today we’re going to see the most familiar thing of all…the BEACH! I can’t wait to dip my toe into the Mediterranean Sea.

Here are a few pictures of the start of our exploration and adventure in Spain!

This outdoor market was so cool. Although it made me want to be a vegetarian even more.

On the tour bus...it was a little windy.

All of Barcelona behind us!

We had dinner at El 4Gats. So good!!!

Day 2 in Spain: visiting the Sagrada Familia

Park built be Gaudi. I <3 Parks. 

Dinner at the most delicious vegetarian restaurant. Thanks for eating no-meat with me, Maria!

 Starbucks in Spain.

Thankful.

Happy belated Thanksgiving everyone! I wanted to write this blog yesterday, on the day of giving thanks, but we had a full day and I didn’t a single bit of time to write.  I’m currently sitting in the Orly Airport in France waiting for my flight to Barcelona to meet up with Maria. As the PLNU portion of my trip comes to a close and Thanksgiving resonates with me for one more day, I wanted to take some time to write down the things I am thankful for.

I am thankful for…

Tradition. I never thought of myself as a traditional person, but after experiencing one of the most celebrated US Holidays in another country, I’m quickly reminded of how important tradition really is.  We were treated to a delicious American Thanksgiving feast yesterday, by our hosts at the institute we were staying at, but it just wasn’t the same. There were no days leading up to Thanksgiving to remind us of the holiday.  All stores were open. No one to say Happy Thanksgiving to except each other. And no close family and friends sitting around the table. Like I said, the meal was great and I loved celebrating it with these 20 or so people I’ve come to know over the last 2 weeks, but something was missing. It’s official. I now appreciate tradition so much more than I ever have.

Toilet seat covers. It’s a little thing that doesn’t exist in Europe. I’m a country girl from Reedley, but bare toilets are one thing even this tree climbing, no-shame-in-burping, I-prefer-the-floor-over-a-couch girl just can’t do.

My country. I’m not an “I love A-mur-i-ca” extremist, but yesterday I was more full of pride for my country than I ever have been. On Thanksgiving day, we toured the Normandy Beach US Cemetery. What a somber and moving place. I stood there amongst the headstones and was moved to tears at the thought of the 20,000+ boys, not men, young 18 and 19 year old boys who lost their lives to help another country. It was probably the best way to spend our Thanksgiving away from home.

Warm scarves. It’s helpful here. Enough said.

Grace. There’s a deeper grace I could talk about here that I’m beyond thankful for, but what I’m referring to now is the small bits of grace I’ve received from the lady at the pastry shop, the man at the train station, and all the other locals I’ve interacted with while traveling that have been so kind and gracious as I struggle through the 6-7 phrases I know in their language and awkwardly gesture and point with the panicking hopes of a successful communication transaction.

Singing. Are you ready for this…I can sing! For those of you who know me, you know I never admit I can do anything. It’s embarrassing and I’m so not confident in anything I can do. But I’m learning to be confident. And guess what…I can sing. And sing I did last night. Our PLNU crew had a talent show last night after Thanksgiving dinner and my classmate Drew played guitar while I sung. It was so much fun!

Clip Art. The little images of a man running upstairs and a circle with a line through it have saved my life. Tonight I had to get from CDG airport to Orly…alone. I got a little cocky before today because I’ve not only been able to manage getting around Paris (with a group), but I often lead the way. Being alone is different. So different. I didn’t think it would be, but when I got on the train and started to sweat because I couldn’t understand the lady over the loudspeaker and didn’t get but 4 seconds to scan the directional sign before walking on the to train, I was really wishing I had someone else there with me to either a) confirm they read the sign the same as I did b) enjoy the ride of getting lost together. But alas, I made it here safely and did it without taking a wrong turn. And it’s all thanks to clip art signs. Annndddd….I was even mistaken for a local . A French lady walked up next to me while I was racing to the next train and said something in French about directions. I looked at her and in my broken French said, “Sorry, I don’t speak French, but if you’re looking for the Orly shuttle, it’s this way”. She switched to English and thanked me. That’s exactly what she was looking for. I guess it’s a good thing I hide my “I’m an American tourist who’s completely freaking out about where to go” thoughts well!

My thoughts. I’m not what you would call an open book. I have a category of things that I’m willing to share with others, but the rest is off-limits to most. You probably can’t tell that I’m not an open book, because why would someone who doesn’t want to share much write a travel blog about discovery and deep thoughts. But indeed I am. I control what’s shared on here. There are probably about 3-4 people who have gotten to see what’s in that restricted category. It’s not a personal thing. Actually, it’s somewhat of a bad thing. It’s a bad thing because once the faucet of Lauren is turned on to those 3-4 people, it’s on full blast. They get every detail, every emotion, every everything. I can’t seem to turn it off. And then on my hour and a half train ride to Orly Airport I realized something. I got lost in my own thoughts, I worked through some big questions, I experienced what it was like to have some pretty big things to need to share with one of those 3-4 people, yet not have them around. The only person around was myself. And you know what, it was ok. I need to learn to trust my own instincts and opinions a little more.

This trip. It’s more amazing than words can describe. I am forever grateful for the opportunity, the time off, the financial ability to do this, and for all those who encouraged me to go. 

Thanksgiving dinner away from home. 

The US Cemetery in Normandy

I am so thankful for warm scarves.