Ciao Italy, Hello EUROPE!

Ciao, everyone!

As most of you know, I recently embarked on a new journey; this time, I was traveling through four other countries in Europe! For nine days, I traveled to Hungary, Austria, Czech Republic, and Germany. All in all, it proved to be a worthwhile, amazing experience that I will keep tucked away in my heart forever. Each destination offered something different than the one before it and the one after. I am proud to say that I learned something new in each city I visited during this travel break. Naturally, it is near impossible to describe every experience I had over my nine day excursion in a simple blog post. So, I'm compromising. Simply follow the photos and I'll allow them to help me tell the story...

Budapest

My first destination was Budapest, Hungary -- a twelve hour drive from Paderno del Grappa. Although the bus was crowded and cramped, the minute we arrive in Hungary, I knew it would be well worth it. Hungary is an interesting country with a very unique history. Like any city, you are walking in the wealthiest part of the city one block, and round a corner and find yourself in the wrong neighborhood. To me, it added a bit to the experience. How? Well, our hostel was located in one of these conditions exactly. Entering the doorway to get to our hostel was like something out of a Freddy Krueger movie. But, when we reached the top, a beautiful hostel awaited us -- clean, safe, and prepared just for our visit.

Of course, we wasted no time in walking around our new city. Since we arrived in Budapest early that morning, we were able to catch a free two and a half hour walking tour that morning. We learned all about the history of Hungary from our awesome tour guide, Agnes, and got some amazing photos along the way.

A typical fountain and park in Budapest.

The architecture of every building is amazing. This is a music hall.

If you look directly down the middle, there lies the Basilica -- one of Hungary's most famous churches.

The changing of the guard at the Buda castle.

Another amazing church -- check out the golden roof!

The horse with the brass balls -- literally. Apparently, it's good luck to rub his privates if you need a little extra help in the bedroom. Sadly, some people did it.

Up on the castle terrace.

A room inside Parliament. Truly an exquisite building - no wonder it's the hardest building to get into in Hungary.

Funny story: Ask me how we got in for FREE!

A view of the castle from the tallest hill in Budapest. We hiked it and got this view. So worth the burn!

Overall, Hungary was an amazing country with some of the sweetest people I've ever met. The city of Budapest was easy to navigate. After being there a day, we didn't even need a map! But Budapest did give me a few firsts -- I tried hummus and falafel for the first time at a famous Hummus Bar in Pest and treated myself to a bath in Buda. If you've ever heard anything about the Hungarian baths, let me tell you -- no story or picture would do it justice. Imagine the biggest pool you can think of, surround it with the most beautiful mosaics and historical dome you can think of, and add some steam, hot water, and friends. It was the two most relaxing hours of my life. All for about $13. You can't beat that. 

Vienna

Out of all the towns and countries we visited, Vienna still reigns as my absolute favorite. The second we drove into the city of Vienna, I was already in love with it. The city is organized a lot like Chicago -- the same parallel roads and arrangement of the buildings. There are no skyscrapers here, but the architecture of the town was so familiar to me. Have you ever walked just before Water Tower into the cute little quad with  horse carriages and the old Church that now has something to do with water? I can't think of the name, but the same architecture that building and quad is made out of is what the entirety of Vienna is. It is exquisite. Not to mention, their transportation system is one of the best I've ever experienced. The metro probably goes as fast as lightening (no exaggeration) and gets you just about anywhere in the city in about ten minutes. I could talk about Vienna all day, so I'm going to save us all some time and just get right into letting the pictures tell the story!

I went for a visit to Sigmund Freud's house. This is from his very desk.

Katie holding up our very obvious "we're tourists!" map from our hotel. It literally was bigger than her!

The Vienna castle. Katie and I saw the Royal White Stallions perform and practice here!

The city center: it gives Michigan Avenue a run for it's money!

More of the city center... (and yes, that is a pony!)

The Stephansdom - a beautiful, famous cathedral in the city center.

Inside the Stephansdom...

Another inside look...

Nope, not a castle -- a LIBRARY!

A picture of me inside one of the AMAZING state rooms at the Albertina. Our White House has some competition!

Another look at the state rooms...

Loved this red!

The Albertina. If you are ever in Vienna, visit this art/state room museum! It is a must! 

The most famous chocolatier in all of Austria. Demel Chocolatier is the name. Another must see/buy if you are ever in Vienna!

Vienna spoke to me for many reasons. We didn't interact with people all that much, but everyone pretty much keeps to themselves unless spoken to. Whenever we needed directions or looked lost, people were willing to help. I loved that. The weather was brutal -- so cold you froze after being outside for only a minute. But take one look at Vienna's version Rodeo Drive/Michigan Avenue and you forget the outside temperature. That city center kept us busy for hours! 

My friend Katie and I, as I mentioned, were able to see the Royal horses practice and perform. We were also given a tour of their stables, where we were able to meet and greet the horses! Unfortunately, no cameras were allowed. But, again, if you are ever in Vienna, visit the Spanish Riding School. A great experience I will never, ever forget.

And before I forget, the most important part. You can find gelato just about anywhere in Vienna. An added bonus! But, on a more serious note, Vienna is a place I will definitely be returning to in the future. A beautiful city, with a beautiful history, and a million and one things to do. Two days was nowhere near enough!

That's all I have time for at the moment. I hope you enjoyed learning a bit about my travels in Budapest and Vienna! Keep an eye out for a new blog telling the tales of Prague and Munich!

Until next time --- Ciao!

LIFE: Then and Now

Two blogs in one night? I  know. But I have to share this experience with all of you. So, consider it a special treat!

Throughout my life, there have been few occasions where I have experienced the true power, emotion, and inner strength as I did this past weekend. This past weekend, I had the opportunity to participate in the Leadership Initiative for Excellence (LIFE) two and a half day seminar here at CIMBA. This seminar is designed to get one thinking about one’s personal development, self-awareness, and the innate qualities that make one a leader. It is designed specifically to push you to your limits; to take you places you have never quite experienced before. To say it was unique would be an understatement. To say it was life changing would also be an understatement. It was a journey through myself — past, present, and future — and a test of strength, passion, courage, and conviction.

Day One (Thursday):
Imagine walking into a room unfamiliar and dark. Seven people walk in, heels clicking, faces stern, suits stiff. “YOU MAY EAT YOUR DINNER NOW,” they scream. Heart pounding, palms sweaty, eyes darting from person to person, fear of the unknown seemed to plague all of us. Do we go out to the buffet in a single file line? Do we eat in silence? Are we allowed to smile? Questions circulated around and around in my head. I was dizzy with the thought of everything I was about to encounter, expecting the worst.

My first session on Thursday evening was the most frightening of them all. I was given five minutes to write a three-minute speech on punctuality. After, I would have to get up in front of my group and present my speech with projection, passion, and conviction. It didn’t seem too bad. However, when I got up to give my speech, it was a bit of a different story. My knees shook, my palms were sweaty, my heart raced at some extreme (probably unhealthy) speed, and I immediately forgot everything that I had previously written down in my LIFE book prior to speaking. I rambled on about punctuality and it’s importance during business, community activities, personal life (weddings and child birth), and how time is valued in different cultures. How I got there, I don’t know. All I remember is the big sigh I let out when one of the black-suited terrors rang the bell to signal my finale. Unfortunately, I failed that assignment. As the black-suited terrors explained, I chose to fail myself. And, ultimately, they were right. Did anyone pass? No. Every single person in that room failed that first assignment. But I was soon to learn that failing produces a fierce sense of motivation that I have never quite experienced before.

Day Two (Friday):
After only five hours of sleep, I was back at LIFE Friday morning at 6:55am. The black-suited terrors had lost their suits, but not their stern faces or frightening voices. “YOU MAY EAT YOUR BREAKFAST NOW,” they scream, once again. I still shook with fear — but fear of what? The unknown? The unexpected? And the questions began circulating once again…

My second assignment was to act as though I just won $100 million dollars. Realistically, this would never happen — especially not to me. I don’t even buy lotto tickets! I had to rely on my acting skills for this assignment. After watching several of my teammates complete the challenge (sometimes having to repeat the challenge two or three times), I made a pact with myself to give it all I had on the very first try. This way, I thought, I will save my voice, some energy, and, hopefully, some humiliation. I was only willing to humiliate myself once. So, naturally, when I found myself doing the sprinkler and the grocery cart while screaming at the top of my lungs, I realized that the “don’t humiliate yourself” reminder had pretty much been flung out the window. To add to the show, I did some jumping jacks, kissed my game show “host” on the cheek, screamed I “just couldn’t believe it” more times than probably necessary, and nearly lost my pants. So much for saving myself from embarrassment, right?

When I sat down after my performance, I felt different; something happened to me during that second assignment. Whether it was the will to pass (and not fail myself or my teammates) or whether it was simply a sleep deprivation that caused me to act crazy, I will never completely know. But it was after this challenge that I began to see myself, and the LIFE experience, in an entirely new way. They were challenging me; they were pushing me to show my full potential. They forced me to focus on the task at hand and not the other thoughts going through my busy mind. I have never experienced a moment of clarity in the way that I did following that challenge. The process began to make sense. Although I still had no idea what was ahead of me, I was surprisingly okay with that. The fear of the unknown still resided inside of me, but the fear didn’t take over my will to want to succeed any longer.

As it turns out, Friday was the most powerful session for me. Later that night, we were given wooden boards and instructed to write our biggest barrier to leadership in marker. Then, on the back, we had to list three things we would do after we broke through that barrier. For me, admitting any barrier was a job all in itself. I fear many things — those many things are all individual barriers to leadership and, ultimately, to myself. The now-khaki-wearing terrors told me to narrow it down to one. In the end, I realized that my biggest barrier to leadership is the fear of letting others down. So, naturally, the khaki terrors wanted me to break through it on my own. I thought this would involve writing yet another speech that I would have to present to the group regarding my fears and my ambition to get past it. What I found before me, instead, were two cinderblocks placed one foot apart, a cushion for my knees, and my fist on the center of my fear. With emotion, power, conviction, and passion, I was told to break through that barrier (not just the board) to successfully pass this assignment. Before doing so, though, I had to share with the group my barrier and the things I would do better once I broke it. As my fist punched through the board, I felt a sense of power I have never quite experienced; a sense of relief. I didn’t notice that my hand was bright red or that it throbbed; I instead felt the power of the wide array of emotions I was feeling by breaking through my biggest barrier. I felt the onset of tears. I felt happiness. I felt relief and power and passion. And it was at that moment that I realized that the khaki-terrors were not really terrors at all — they were powerful people pushing me to test myself in ways that I have never quite been tested before. They were helping to me to get an even clearer picture of the person I am and the person I know I can be.

Day Three (Saturday):
After another night with only a few hours of sleep, I was back in the cafeteria at  6:55am. This morning felt different; it was calmer, more relaxed than the previous morning. It seemed all of us had shared in on a unique experience the night before. We broke through those barriers together — we were the witnesses of strength, power, passion, and conviction. Although this marked the last day of LIFE, I can proudly say that breakfast was calm because we weren’t fearing anything anymore. We knew that, as a team, we would handle anything the coaches gave us. That trust alone was more powerful than anything else I have experienced with a group of people who were only strangers the afternoon before.

Of course, the final exam was the most difficult. With no preparation, each of us had to stand up and shout with passion, conviction, and strength what we were going to do to make a difference for five minutes. Meanwhile, our entire team had to cheer us on. We had to tell the others how we are going to make a difference in our lives, the lives of our family members, our community, and our work. Stepping up there, I shook — just as I did with the first assignment — but this time it wasn’t of fear; it was because of the wide range of emotion that I was still feeling from breaking through my barrier the night before. I don’t remember much of what I said (er, yelled) during those five minutes, but I do remember how great it felt to know that my team supported me for exactly who I am and who I want to become. That feeling was far more powerful than anything I have felt prior to my exam. LIFE, it seemed, allowed me to bond with these people who I knew nothing of the day before…but I felt they were like family by the end of my five minutes.

Graduation:
LIFE challenged me in ways I never thought I would be challenged. It taught me to reach inside myself, to find strength in places I never knew I had it. LIFE had me question the choices I was making, the direction I was going, and the person that I wanted to become. In my opinion, few opportunities present itself in life that allow us this kind of breakthrough. I can honestly say that I woke up Saturday morning with a newfound appreciation for myself, the choices I have made, the people in my life, and the direction in which I am headed. I feel blessed to have had such an opportunity; I wish it were possible for everyone to experience something similar to LIFE. I am more confident, more self-assured, and can proudly say that I feel better equipped to handle anything that gets in my way to a successful, powerful future. LIFE made me a better, stronger, more powerful individual, friend, sister, daughter, girlfriend, student, and employee. Thank you, LIFE, for giving me the power of life.

Busy in Italia

Ciao, everyone!

I apologize for my lack of blogging the past couple of weeks. Here at CIMBA, we are constantly going from morning 'til night, every day, for the entire length of the week. We have just finished up Week 3 and are now on a regular Monday through Friday school day schedule. There will be no more weekend activities, so I am hoping to start up a bit of my traveling!!

Since there is so much to update everyone on, I decided to make it a bit easier on myself (and all of you) by giving all of you a photo tour of where I am and what I have been up to. It's much more fun than looking at a whole bunch of text on the screen! So, I invite you to share my photos below and learn a little bit more about my school, my life here, my friends, and my plans for my first travel week!

LaSalle, Room 134: Where I start and end my day.

A view from campus...

The building on the left is my dorm; to the right, more dorms, the cafeteria, and classrooms.

The entrance way to school -- drive too fast and you'll miss it!

Brittany, Jodi, Allison, and I before our first gourmet dinner.

The vegetarian main course; the block of cheese in the middle was the best cheese I have ever had in my LIFE!
Of course, the gelato. A creamy vanilla with a mixed berry sauce on top. To die for!

An Italian espresso -- it looks so smooth and rich, but it does NOT go down that way! It is the most bitter thing I have ever tried.

Lauren and I during our first gourmet dinner. Lauren is from the D.C. area and attends the University of Delaware. She's a Leadership major there and is looking to move to a third world country to help women survive and readjust to society after spousal abuse and rape. My hat goes off to her! We will be traveling together this next week.

Another view from campus this past week. Statues are everywhere!

I have quickly learned that cobblestone looks beautiful, but are not very friendly to ankles, feet, or knees.

The only snow we see in Paderno is the snow on the mountains. This was just before the Midwest's awful snow storm!

I am now officially the newest member of Phi Beta Delta, an honors society here at Instituto Filippin. During the semester, we will be completing a series of community service projects. Our first project begins after we return from our travel week; we will be working with a group of autistic children in a nearby town named Castlecucco. I am so excited for what Phi Beta Delta has in store for me this semester. I have been elected Web Design Chairman, so that will definitely be a fun way to add my own little pizazz to the organization. We are small -- only about eleven members -- but I have no doubts we won't make an incredible difference here in Paderno del Grappa. More to come!

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So, on to the even better stuff. This Friday, I leave to embark on my first nine-day travel experience in Europe. I will be taking a bus trip to Budapest (Hungary), Vienna (Austria), Prague (Czech Republic), and Munich (Germany) with a small group of girls I met during my LIFE seminar during my first weekends here. I am so anxiously-excited about this trip! It has been such an adjustment living in Italy... and now I am packing my life into one travel backpack for nine days and setting out to travel to four different countries. The opportunity here is so amazing. My bus trip was coordinated through a travel agent that works for Instituto Filippin -- all I had to do was pay a flat fee. My friends Lauren, Katie, and myself all booked out hotels (and one hostel in Budapest) together. The bus simply drops us off at the main train station in every city and we are free to explore until it is time to leave. I will be taking LOTS and LOTS of pictures to share with all of you!

Before you go to bed tonight, I ask that you all say a silent prayer for my friends and I as we take on the four countries we are going to experience in the next few days. It is sure to be one heck of a ride!

Until next time --- Ciao!