Sunday, July 15, 2012

Enter; the glorious death of an age.

For once my blog title is some what appropriate.

When I got home, officially 100% home, I shed a tear. Sleeping here in my parents house is really the end of my trip.
What a bummer.

But it's okay because I already have my old job back, I get to return to my home church, and I will be living with some good friends for the remainder of the summer.

While I was gone I really met some of the most beautiful and wonderful people of my life.



Like that little light of my life, Jérémy.
I also got to make bonds with people like Angelina and Darren, my family away from family. 

 

And then of course my one and only favorite Australian, Miriam.



UPDATE: I totally forgot about an epic adventure that I couldn't share while I was still in Austria because it was kind of heinous. It targeted someone in Concordia (my dormitory).

My preciousss...

And this is when I fell in love with Jess and we decided to keep the baby.

My poor neighbor.

Darren was also a part of this and tried to curse us with incense.

Add caption

After the plant was returned to its original owner - Darren found it necessary to move the plant yet again to my neighbors door. We were NOT sneaky about this. 


I have been dying to share that with the world.

(Ok now back to the sappy stuff)
And then not too mention the plethora of wonderful, beautiful, party animals that I met;



Above would be my little joint-study/Erasmus babies. The people that helped make my experience good. Give or take a few, like the owner of the Claddagh (an Irish pub in Klagenfurt) Julian or the girl taking this picture, Shauna. And you really have to understand that I can't possibly mention every person that I met and that helped shape my experience. Like my buddies from Vienna and Corina and Mr. Nusser and my teachers.. 

But you can appreciate that people are people every where that you go.

Since I have returned to my home state I've decided that my other travels were frivolous and not part of the experience that was Austria. So I won't talk about them.

Here is everything I hope that you learned this far;
  • You should give homeless people food not money. 
  • The mullet will never be a good hair decision.
  • More people should be foster parents. 
  • Everyone should support a cause(actively).
  • Global warming is real.
  • Tattoos don't mean that a person is tough and you should not equate them with someone being 'trashy.'
  • Moths are evil.
  • Math is evil, too. (Coincidence  in the similar spellings?) 
  • All dogs go to heaven.
  • Everyone should travel, it broadens your perspective. Inevitably.
  • Learn to be tolerant of other cultures, people are people.

    Turtle and I bid you farewell.


Fin

Friday, July 13, 2012

I am in DC nerds!

Can I say something like ~INTERMISSION~
or something?

Because I'm hard core travelling with my family right now. Road trip style. And I will do a wrap up blog for my time abroad..

When I am home.
Because life is too hectic right now to sit for a long period of time and think thoughts and upload pictures.

:*

Wednesday, July 4, 2012

Hello posh British accents.

Remember that time that I didn't think I sounded very southern but according to the Londoners I've encountered; yes, yes I do. I'm excited to be back in my country where I can understand everyone (mostly) and people won't think of me differently for being American because they are American to eh.

Anyway, I listened to an American girl complain about not having food to 3 different people over her phone for a length of perhaps two hours. No wonder no one likes us ha. Good times. She complained because when we arrived to Heathrow Airport - by the way I'm at an airport in London for my 12 hour lay over on my way back to Dallas, TX - and all of the shops have closed.
And it's freezing.
Seriously, I'm sitting here with four tee shirts draped over my jean clad lap, a cardigan over my tee, and a scarf. I finally decided that I wasn't going to be able to sleep thanks to the cold so I turned on my lap top which is like a delicious little heater right now! But don't worry - it's 1:34am and the restaurant that looks really delicious and super British traditional is opening up at 6am. So I will stalk it. And then I will gorge myself on food.
And then I will hunt down my terminal (they gather all of the people who stay the night in the airport in Terminal 1 and I need to check in with Terminal 3) and I will sleep. I WILL SLEEP SO HARD ON THAT PLANE.

The first course of my dinner. 

The second course (which was mostly inedible - who buys Chicken flavored chips seriously).

GOOD OL' DP YEAHHH


I'm pretty sad because I was thinking I would get to go into town and hang out with my friends who are in London right now (Corina and Angelina) but little did I know that Heathrow is way the hell out in the middle of nowhere apparently. So I opted to stay here.
And now I know that no matter how prepared you are to hang out in the airport for 12 hours, it will be miserable.

On another note I'm freaking excited because;
1. I had a Dr. Pepper
2. I met a cool guy from Texas who looks like if Carlton (from The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air) and Stanley (from The Office) had a 50 year old love child.
3. I painted my nails
4. I'm slightly delirious
5. And last but not least I AM GOING HOME

The whole going home thing hasn't set in at all though. Like that I won't be coming back here next week or something..

I'll just get a therapist.

So if I could tell someone who is coming to Austria anything at all I would say, "Hey ho bring some cool snow boots that are water proof and wool socks because it's get fuh-reaking fuh-reezing in Austria."
Yeah, and to bring lots of layers. And remember that summer does come .. eventually so bring a swim suit.
And eat Nutella first. It is your life source.

And I can't wait to finish my chest piece.

And I hope everyone remembers me when I get home. I mean they might be all, "Who is that weird girl in the scarf. She must be European." hahaha or not.

I'm officially cracking myself up. I think it's time to take my contacts out and try to sleep a bit.

Cheers to new adventures.

Monday, July 2, 2012

Blisters and knock off converse.

The last couple of days I haven't been half of the wreck that I was when I first came to Austria. I guess I am ok going back because;

1. I knew exactly when I was leaving and prepared for it appropriately
2. I get to go see people I previously knew, not going into the unknown

But seriously the tears have been sparse and my excitement level is high!

I had my final Mongolian BBQ dinner with Jérémy the other day before I left for Vienna. It was hard saying goodbye to him because not only is he my favorite person but because it was a final 'hurrah' for leaving Klagenfurt.
That shit was hard, man. 


I did get to go to Freud's house in Vienna today though which has cheered me up of course. (Also, I went swimming in the Danube.) It was interesting seeing pictures of him, his family, the men he worked with, where he lived. Seeing notes he wrote to himself, letters to other people, drawing Slavador Dali sketched of Freud. Really quite the trip.

And I'm actually excited to endure the long flight and everything because I will be feeling like I'm moving again. That I am getting away from this stagnant feeling of just wait to get somewhere else. It's also that time of trying to live in the moment and enjoy what's going on.

Anyway, you probably know what I mean if you've ever had to leave anyone or anything dear. 

Random pictures from my instagram (morgnerd, yes I am the social networking master).


Angelina and Darren; Dar was explaining something about the Euro 2012 game.

A nifty French liqueur I tried that almost killed me. 

My school, hipster I know.

I had heels on, a rest was necessary and I had a good view.

Someone cares about me and I think it's that man above. ^^

Eggs come with egg art in Austria. 

Public pool in Vienna.

BIG BLUE BUS BRO

My moms favorite nickname for me - besides 'buttcheese.' Yes I am serious. 

Freud's house. YEAYUH

Cocaine, yup.Freud advocated cocaine and then later decided he didn't. 

Watched the Euro 2012 Finale on a roof top.





Anyway, catching my flight to London tomorrow. 12 hour layover. Then to America.
Dallas,
New York,
can't wait to see my family.
yeah yeahhh sappy c:

Friday, June 29, 2012

beep boop bop I'm gone! (almost)

Remember the days when you were living in a foreign country and then you had an awkward time gap of moving out of your housing and going home - thus nowhere to live. And then your friend was like "Hey yeah stay with me. My roommate moved out and the room is empty and it's just during the time that you need," and you were like, "Holy crap you are an angel!" And then you were hanging out eating Mini Oreos and the landlord showed up and was like "Err are you living here?" And he got sort of weirded out but stayed awesomely cool and was like "Dude just stay here, I'll just write up a mini contract."

Good times.

Yeah. That sums up my day. Which was super exhausting but totally productive.

Yeah so, leaving in 4 days.

SUPER excited to see my family.

Excited for home.


 >> Sad face for how much I will miss the creepers above. <3

Thursday, June 21, 2012

And then depression set in.

Ok I'm not seriously getting depressed or anything but I am having a  major melt-down. Kind of. Maybe like a mini one. I'm just thinking back to all of the things that everyone thinks about when they have to leave study abroad;

1. How the hell did I develop a twitch in my eye?

2. Seriously. A twitch.


3. How am I going to cope with being away from this (this being Klagenfurt).

4. Is all of my crap going to fit back into my suitcases and

5. I'm going to eat so much food and get so fat when I go back home.

Well maybe not everyone is thinking those things but as an American I am seriously afraid of getting fat upon arriving home. I'll just get like super into fitness instead right? errr yeah.

And let's just go back to the fact that I have developed a twitch in my eye. It's small. But it's persistent. I am attributing it to finals and the woes of having to leave my new friends in like 0 days.

And by 0 I mean 12 day. TWELVE EFFING DAYS.

Yerp derp.

And now something happy to make up for my super awesomely pitiful blog!

21 pics of super adorable and awesome stuff. Made me jerk a tear. Don't judge me.

Conclusion:
After posting this I feel much better and realize that this is just a small part of the big picture of my life. So I'm not so sad about leaving - just happy to have the memories. Cheesy I know, don't hate. Just be all sappy and embrace it with me.


Monday, June 18, 2012

Anita bonita and other things.

I unintentionally put these pictures here and cannot move them so now you get this blog in reverse order of how I would have preferred it to be. If you scroll past these pictures (which are of my day trip to the Hochosterwitz Castle with Angelina, Lauren, Kara, and Claire. ALL AMERICAN GIRLS btw) - past these pictures into more of the recent stuff.
Like how Anita sent me a package and random pictures of me in a fountain.
We had to walk. A lot. 


Angelina, Claire, Lauren, Kara

Look at that rad castle. Yes we walked to that. 





Kara, the model. 




I def don't look touristy right. 

We climbed that. Ok not really, but we walked through those gates (14 of those bad boys).






Lauren - log enthusiast.



Lauren, Kara, Claire

Creeper picture of Lauren. I imagine she was thinking something pretty deep.

Angelina is unamused.


Yes, it was as gross as it looks. But I had to try the weisswurst (white sausage).




Now on to the even more useless information.


I received the best le package everrrr today. Well all of them have been the best, but you know what I mean. Anita le Savage sent me a package (because she is a doll)! I just want to note that everyone must obviously think I'm a fatty. I have consistently had american cookies over this entire trip. Seriously. There goes the whole 'trying to adopt healthy European eating habits!' ;) 

She sent me the most rad JELLYFISH plugs. 

*closer up

And my new favorite cup and straw. Not that I had a favorite straw before. But how summery is this shiz. 

Now look at my beautiful plugs, LOOK AT THEM. 
Aside from my joy of the package and the fact that I will be in Texas in 15 days (and then on to NY to see my parents).. I'm still in a pretty spastic mood. Continuously worrying about what to take home and what to leave. I'm also having a very reflective time and I haven't even left yet!

I really think that coming here was just a point to hone my domestic skills (I've gotten better at cooking and my cleanliness level might be borderline OCD).

And to .. "find myself" or whatever. I didn't really have a huge metamorphosis. Maybe I have and it's been gradual to me but I will seem different when I come home? I highly doubt it.

The main thing I've gathered at this moment is that my world view was in great need of expansion. Little did I realize how homogeneous I thought the world was. I mean I knew everyone was not the same but I had never experienced it. I had also never before been judged for being American. I mean if you asked me to define myself "American" wouldn't even cross my mind. But now I know that this title holds a lot of weight whether it's positive/negative or true/untrue.


I'm sure things will really start to hit me once I'm on the plane but right now that's as far as I've let myself wander because I'm still in school and trying to maintain some sense of living in the moment.

Random picture time!
A picture from afar of the castle mentioned above. INSANELY GORGEOUS.


Classy as always. 
Another random picture from my sweet as birthday partayyy bro.




Jérémy, herpa derp

A look into my hygiene (in my Serbian hostel)

SUPER HUG. I find it necessary to include pictures of Angelina and I consistently.

I was doing my parkour. 

And Darren didn't enjoy it so much. 

Back to my 'merica roots. 

Awkward forever.

AND A RULE BREAKER yeayuhh


I can't be zen..

but he can.

"Do it. You know you want to."