And because I am such a planner, I've got (for the most part) my entire term planned out for trips!
1. I'm going to GERMANY! (Leaving for Munich tonight for Oktoberfest tomorrow. Cool thing we found out: This year is the 200th Anniversary of Oktoberfest. We're going on the last weekend of the 200th Anniversary - HOW COOL IS THAT?! Great timing :D)
2. I'm going to DENMARK! (Copenhagen is where my plane lands)
3. I'm going from Denmark to SWEDEN! (My friend Derek is studying abroad in Lund, Sweden. [you can check out his adventures, too, at: http://baileder.wordpress.com/] He's going to meet me in Copenhagen, we're going to tour for the day, and then we're taking a 1-hour train to Lund so I can visit Sweden over Thanksgiving weekend! And we're making a Thanksgiving Dinner).
4. I'm going to CROATIA! (For the 2nd to last week I'm here in December, it's Julie's birthday and the last time everyone in our travel troupe is free. We found tickets to Croatia for only 39 Euro, and hostels for around 20 Euro a night, so we're going to stay there for 4 full days and explore Zagreb!)
5. I'm going to ITALY! [Travis, Carter, and I are planning a trip to Italy mid-November. Travis and I have booked our tickets TO Venice and FROM Rome (Carter is meeting us in Rome), and just have to figure out now how to get from myself and Travis from Venice to Rome. We'll spend a total of 2 days in Venice, and 3-4 days in Rome. Hostels: 16 Euro a night].
6. I'm going to POLAND! (There is a school trip to Krakow, and I'm booked for the last weekend of October).
7. I'm going skiing/snowboarding (I haven't decided which I'm going to attempt yet) on a GLACIER in Austria! Mid December, and I am THERE!
And those are pretty much all of my travel plans for the duration of this trip. During off-days, I'm hoping to take day trips or 2-day trips to various locations in Austria - I'd love to go see Linz, I hear Gratz is pretty cool, Melk sounds great, and I'm planning on going back to Salzburg in December once the holiday season hits. I'm also going home with Angie one weekend, too! There is a weekend in December where they celebrate Nikolaus (their Santa Claus) and there's a thing going on in her hometown, so I'm hoping that that weekend will work.
I'm so excited for all of these trips, but I'm really excited to just explore Austria as well. Jill, Julie, and I are trying to plan an overnight trip to Budapest, Hungary to just check it out before school really gets going. I also have off days where when I'm not studying, I can really explore Vienna more. There are great museums here and entry is always reduced with a student ID.
I'm LOVING my time here, and am trying to get it all in! I may not quite make my 10-country-count goal, but all in all, who cares? I'm stoked for the time that I have here, and I'm still going to live it to the fullest!
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Monday, September 27, 2010
Pardon while I ramble about important things: FOOD
Here's the thing that I've noticed while in Austria: I'm hungry, like all the time. It could have to do with the fact that my visit really serves no purpose yet. Other than trying to travel to some places, I really have nothing set to do until classes start on October 11. While sitting, contemplating life, enjoying the beautiful buildings around me here in Vienna, my stomach decides to cut in and let me know that yes, I am bored, and it's bored too, damn it, and wants some action.
My new love: Goulash. It's Hungarian, and is essentially beef stew. It has become my new comfort food, and warms the soul when it's a bit chilly outside. I seek it out. Luckily, Abbey, Jill, and Julie are also fans of goulash, so my seeking it out, or their seeking it out depending on who is in the mood, is not really that much of a hindrance to anyone.
Let's chat for a minute about temptation. Austria is fantastic. The problem: Desserts here are delicious. They are delicious everywhere. I have yet to have a bad dessert/pastry/gelato/anything-with-sugar. Back in the States if I go out for a meal, I'm not really compelled to order dessert because let's face it, unless it's a Blue Ribbon Brownie from Applebee's (One of my faves, don't judge, and I'm STILL mad they discontinued in in the Corvallis AB's back in 2008), US desserts aren't really that special. I mean, yeah, yay pie, yay chocolate lava cake, yay cookies with ice cream on top. Those are child's play compared to the dessert counters here.
Here, everything is special, and I am therefore tempted to order dessert whenever I get lunch, dinner, or happen to be walking down the street past a cafe, pastry shop, or pedestrian carrying anything sweet. I'm still shocked that I have been able to tighten to the next beltloop in the two weeks since I have arrived, and desserts alone are probably going to be the cause of my belt returning to it's comfortable loop position.
Apple Strudel: Austrian specialty (think "Crisp Apple Strudel" from The Sound of Music? Yeah. No WONDER it's one of their favorite things because it's delicious!). Torte: Everywhere - rich and delectable. Tiramisu: Uhm, hello, it's like coffee and chocolate and cake all wrapped into one. Huh-DUH I'm gonna love it. Gelato: Think Ice Cream, but about 10 times better, and it always comes in a variety of flavors, of course. Croissants and such available for breakfast, an afternoon treat, dessert, you name it. "Schoko-" = Chocolate suffix, and it as a preface to any word means it's that much better.
Carbs: Prominent. I have eaten so much Italian food it's ridiculous, and there are breads EVERYWHERE! I feel like I'm at last years' RA training again (because it was also a carb overload).
On a positive note: Coffee. Coffees here are FANTASTIC! The whole coffee experience in itself is fantastic. They don't really have the floofy Starbucks drinks with lots of syrup and flavoring - you can opt for it at some places, but for the most part it's just a simple espresso, cappuccino, cafe latte (my favorite), mochachino, or a really great Austrian coffee called a melange - It's basically a cappuccino with a lot of milk. We've had many a trip to go out and get coffee, and it's basically you sit down, drink your coffee, chat for hours - It's considered a social outing to go get coffee, you very rarely get it on the run.
I really am enjoying the mellow, laid-back experience that is dining and drinking coffee here. Because nobody will pester you with the check, you can sit for as long as you want or need, and never feel pressured to leave like you are in the US. It's refreshing, and is definitely helping me a. take a second to appreciate the food/drink I'm consuming b. take a second (or quite a while, actually) to appreciate the COMPANY that I'm with. Not that I don't appreciate it in general, but I'm constantly on the run at home to go somewhere and do something that I rarely ever take the time to sit down with someone or a group of people and just chat. The lack of check has lead to GREAT, in-depth conversations about aspirations, the state of the world, and random stuff that I generally don't get around to talking about, because I never 'seem to have the time.' I'm loving it. Food and the dining experience in itself is helping me to slow down in general, which is something I was looking forward to coming to Europe.
In conclusion: Food = Different. Dessert = tempting. Coffee = fantastic. Daily runs = necessary to burn off my exponential increase in consumption of, well, everything.
Please watch for the sequel, where I share the differences of alcoholic beverages. Prost! (Cheers)
My new love: Goulash. It's Hungarian, and is essentially beef stew. It has become my new comfort food, and warms the soul when it's a bit chilly outside. I seek it out. Luckily, Abbey, Jill, and Julie are also fans of goulash, so my seeking it out, or their seeking it out depending on who is in the mood, is not really that much of a hindrance to anyone.
Let's chat for a minute about temptation. Austria is fantastic. The problem: Desserts here are delicious. They are delicious everywhere. I have yet to have a bad dessert/pastry/gelato/anything-with-sugar. Back in the States if I go out for a meal, I'm not really compelled to order dessert because let's face it, unless it's a Blue Ribbon Brownie from Applebee's (One of my faves, don't judge, and I'm STILL mad they discontinued in in the Corvallis AB's back in 2008), US desserts aren't really that special. I mean, yeah, yay pie, yay chocolate lava cake, yay cookies with ice cream on top. Those are child's play compared to the dessert counters here.
Here, everything is special, and I am therefore tempted to order dessert whenever I get lunch, dinner, or happen to be walking down the street past a cafe, pastry shop, or pedestrian carrying anything sweet. I'm still shocked that I have been able to tighten to the next beltloop in the two weeks since I have arrived, and desserts alone are probably going to be the cause of my belt returning to it's comfortable loop position.
Apple Strudel: Austrian specialty (think "Crisp Apple Strudel" from The Sound of Music? Yeah. No WONDER it's one of their favorite things because it's delicious!). Torte: Everywhere - rich and delectable. Tiramisu: Uhm, hello, it's like coffee and chocolate and cake all wrapped into one. Huh-DUH I'm gonna love it. Gelato: Think Ice Cream, but about 10 times better, and it always comes in a variety of flavors, of course. Croissants and such available for breakfast, an afternoon treat, dessert, you name it. "Schoko-" = Chocolate suffix, and it as a preface to any word means it's that much better.
Carbs: Prominent. I have eaten so much Italian food it's ridiculous, and there are breads EVERYWHERE! I feel like I'm at last years' RA training again (because it was also a carb overload).
On a positive note: Coffee. Coffees here are FANTASTIC! The whole coffee experience in itself is fantastic. They don't really have the floofy Starbucks drinks with lots of syrup and flavoring - you can opt for it at some places, but for the most part it's just a simple espresso, cappuccino, cafe latte (my favorite), mochachino, or a really great Austrian coffee called a melange - It's basically a cappuccino with a lot of milk. We've had many a trip to go out and get coffee, and it's basically you sit down, drink your coffee, chat for hours - It's considered a social outing to go get coffee, you very rarely get it on the run.
I really am enjoying the mellow, laid-back experience that is dining and drinking coffee here. Because nobody will pester you with the check, you can sit for as long as you want or need, and never feel pressured to leave like you are in the US. It's refreshing, and is definitely helping me a. take a second to appreciate the food/drink I'm consuming b. take a second (or quite a while, actually) to appreciate the COMPANY that I'm with. Not that I don't appreciate it in general, but I'm constantly on the run at home to go somewhere and do something that I rarely ever take the time to sit down with someone or a group of people and just chat. The lack of check has lead to GREAT, in-depth conversations about aspirations, the state of the world, and random stuff that I generally don't get around to talking about, because I never 'seem to have the time.' I'm loving it. Food and the dining experience in itself is helping me to slow down in general, which is something I was looking forward to coming to Europe.
In conclusion: Food = Different. Dessert = tempting. Coffee = fantastic. Daily runs = necessary to burn off my exponential increase in consumption of, well, everything.
Please watch for the sequel, where I share the differences of alcoholic beverages. Prost! (Cheers)
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Kick-off is at 2 a.m., let's move! move! move!!
The biggest downside to studying abroad in the fall is missing OSU Football season. It doesn't have to be a total loss, though! The internet isn't just good for social networking, email, blogging, and randomly stalking celebrities, oh no. ESPN 360 will be a godsend while we're all gone.
Oregon State vs. Boise State is going to be a ridiculous game, with a lot of pressure. We even painted our practice fields blue to prep for the intimidating entity that is Smurf Field. Kick-off in Boise is at 5:00 p.m. Pacific Standard time - or, 2:00 a.m. here. We, as die-hard Beavers fans, will not let that get us down.
Jennifer's roommate has a television, and an HDMI cable. Ross has an HDMI-compatible computer. The result: Game Day in Erasmus room 501. I've got my jersey ready and everything.
To prepare, beer was purchased in flats, any beaver gear available was donned, and I bought a huge bag of pretzels and chips (Brand name: Kelly's. How appropriate). Not only did we have the Austria OSUers, we also had Brian down, who is studying abroad in Sweden, and Ross brought a friend from Finland over as well.
I'll just say interesting times in Haus Erasmus watching football games, and we'll leave it at that. I ate a half a bag of pretzels between 2 and 5 in the morning, which I'm sure cannot be healthy. Football game was a bust, but it was nice to still be able to watch. I'm sure the neighbors (downstairs and upstairs as well) weren't thrilled about the sporadic cheering and yelling for touchdowns, or the OSU First Down chant that we never missed (of course not!!), but not many people were here this weekend anyway, so we weren't a total nuisance.
We may have lost to Boise State, but according to Carter, it's because he didn't have his jersey in the mail yet. Sorry, Beavers, Overseas shipping takes awhile. We're all going to be on a train back from Oktoberfest for the Arizona State game, but you can bet that we'll be ready for Arizona on the 9th!
OOOOOOOOOO! SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS! UUUUUUUUUUUUUU! OREGON STATE! FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT!
Oregon State vs. Boise State is going to be a ridiculous game, with a lot of pressure. We even painted our practice fields blue to prep for the intimidating entity that is Smurf Field. Kick-off in Boise is at 5:00 p.m. Pacific Standard time - or, 2:00 a.m. here. We, as die-hard Beavers fans, will not let that get us down.
Jennifer's roommate has a television, and an HDMI cable. Ross has an HDMI-compatible computer. The result: Game Day in Erasmus room 501. I've got my jersey ready and everything.
To prepare, beer was purchased in flats, any beaver gear available was donned, and I bought a huge bag of pretzels and chips (Brand name: Kelly's. How appropriate). Not only did we have the Austria OSUers, we also had Brian down, who is studying abroad in Sweden, and Ross brought a friend from Finland over as well.
I'll just say interesting times in Haus Erasmus watching football games, and we'll leave it at that. I ate a half a bag of pretzels between 2 and 5 in the morning, which I'm sure cannot be healthy. Football game was a bust, but it was nice to still be able to watch. I'm sure the neighbors (downstairs and upstairs as well) weren't thrilled about the sporadic cheering and yelling for touchdowns, or the OSU First Down chant that we never missed (of course not!!), but not many people were here this weekend anyway, so we weren't a total nuisance.
We may have lost to Boise State, but according to Carter, it's because he didn't have his jersey in the mail yet. Sorry, Beavers, Overseas shipping takes awhile. We're all going to be on a train back from Oktoberfest for the Arizona State game, but you can bet that we'll be ready for Arizona on the 9th!
OOOOOOOOOO! SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS! UUUUUUUUUUUUUU! OREGON STATE! FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT!
Friday, September 24, 2010
Girls' Weekend, Part Zwei
I am TOTALLY back-dating this - Realized I never wrote about it! So I'm copying out of my hard-copy travel journal. Enjoy.
After Prague, we ventured to a location where the hills were alive, with the Sound of Music. Oh yeah, I'm talking Salzburg, a location that quickly became my favorite European destination thus far. Here's the kicker: When most Americans think of The Sound of Music, Salzburg comes to mind, and vice-versa. Most Austrians have never even heard of The Sound of Music, let alone seen it. Edelweiss, the 'Austrian folk song?' - Simply a masterpiece by Rogers and Hammerstein. A masterpiece I love :D
20.9.2010 - Train to Salzburg
Ok, so don't ask me what happened on the train to Salzburg, I slept basically the entire way. Julie took a photo of me sleeping, and another photo of Jill pretending to sleep next to me sleeping. I will say, though, that for the brief moments that I was awake, I determined the following:
For those of you who don't speak mathematics, I will translate: AUSTRIAN COUNTRYSIDE RULES! It's beautiful! Similarities: Corn and Sunflowers. Differences: Couldn't tell you specifics, but I was definitely more in awe of Austria.
The hostel we stayed at plays The Sound of Music movie every day at 10:30, so we took the earliest train to ensure our presence at the showing. Of course we had to see the movie to get us in the mood for the trip! It was the four of us, this older guy, and these three probably 19-year-old-ish guys in the dining area of the hostel. The 19-year-old-ish guys kept talking and talking and talking about how they had already seen the movie, not a big deal, whatever, until finally, I told myself - 'if they're still talking during the next song, I'm going to say something.' And they were. Not helping to counteract the American stereotype, I asked "Are you guys planning on talking throughout this entire movie?" They must have been, because they left. They were replaced by this girl who made a few side sexual comments throughout. Still - It's hard to ruin The Sound of Music, so I didn't mind.
21.9.2010 - Salzburg, Austria
The Von Trapp house in the film is 2 different palaces: One was the actual building, the other was the backyard. This made the filming of conversations in the backyard interesting, when the house was "in the background" - These conversations basically had to take place in 2 different areas!
Before filming the boat scene, they didn't ask the children if they could swim...apparently, the girl who played Gretel couldn't. Julie Andrews was supposed to hold onto her, but she fell backwards and all the children fell forward. Gretel struggled and was grabbed by someone else, and the actress that played her doesn't like water to this day.
Girls' Weekend in PRAGUE AND SALZBURG!
Part Zwei: Salzburg
After Prague, we ventured to a location where the hills were alive, with the Sound of Music. Oh yeah, I'm talking Salzburg, a location that quickly became my favorite European destination thus far. Here's the kicker: When most Americans think of The Sound of Music, Salzburg comes to mind, and vice-versa. Most Austrians have never even heard of The Sound of Music, let alone seen it. Edelweiss, the 'Austrian folk song?' - Simply a masterpiece by Rogers and Hammerstein. A masterpiece I love :D
20.9.2010 - Train to Salzburg
Ok, so don't ask me what happened on the train to Salzburg, I slept basically the entire way. Julie took a photo of me sleeping, and another photo of Jill pretending to sleep next to me sleeping. I will say, though, that for the brief moments that I was awake, I determined the following:
Austrian Countryside > Czech Republic Countryside
Arrival in Salzburg: Approx. 10:15
Within the first 20 minutes of my arrival, I determined that thus far, Salzburg is my favorite European destination. It is a quiet, clean, quaint little city tucked away in a beautiful mountain range (which is probably why I like it so much). Eve the city not considered downtown is nice, whereas in Prague, if you weren't downtown, it got a little sketchy.
The hostel we stayed at plays The Sound of Music movie every day at 10:30, so we took the earliest train to ensure our presence at the showing. Of course we had to see the movie to get us in the mood for the trip! It was the four of us, this older guy, and these three probably 19-year-old-ish guys in the dining area of the hostel. The 19-year-old-ish guys kept talking and talking and talking about how they had already seen the movie, not a big deal, whatever, until finally, I told myself - 'if they're still talking during the next song, I'm going to say something.' And they were. Not helping to counteract the American stereotype, I asked "Are you guys planning on talking throughout this entire movie?" They must have been, because they left. They were replaced by this girl who made a few side sexual comments throughout. Still - It's hard to ruin The Sound of Music, so I didn't mind. After the movie, the four of us went and had lunch at an Italian place down a side street. Salzburg is very bike-friendly. Walking around old-town Salzburg, we decided that if possible, we will make another visit before we all go back home in December. The buildings are breathtaking, and the setting couldn't be more perfect. Beautiful hills and mountains in every direction make me feel closer to home.
Upside of Salzburg: I could stay here for an extra two weeks. Does Universitat Salzburg have a Masters program? I'd do it.
Downside: I ate like crap today. Not a total downside, though, because it was FANTASTIC.
- Breakfast: Apple, water, twix bar, half a bag of chocolate-covered gingerbreads. Damn you, Manner, you will be the death of me!
- Afternoon snack: Handfuls of "Cini Minis," which are basically like Cinnamon Toast Crunch, and the other half of my choco-covered gingerbread.
- Lunch: Pasta (oh, carbs...) and lots of it. It was great, though.
- "Dinner": 2 wine cocktails, 2 chocolate nougat pancakes (crepes), and a cafe latte.
- Happy Hour at the hostel: Half a liter of Lager. Mmmm, beer.
Day 1 in Salzburg was chill: No tours, just walking around an experiencing the downtown area. Tomorrow, though: A SOUND OF MUSIC TOUR!
Salzburg = Favorite European Destination so far. Already mentioned it, but worth mentioning again.
I am FOR SURE coming back in December once it snows, and maybe one other time before I head home to Oregon.
Sound of Music
Interesting Facts
The Von Trapp house in the film is 2 different palaces: One was the actual building, the other was the backyard. This made the filming of conversations in the backyard interesting, when the house was "in the background" - These conversations basically had to take place in 2 different areas!The girl who played Gretel loved Austrian pastries, and gained some weight while filming. The Gretel who gets carried over the mountain is a stunt double.
Leisel injured herself during the gazebo scene and had to film it again with an ankle brace and painkillers. When she was finished, the entire crew gave her a huge round of applause.
The gazebo scene between Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer was supposed to be lit, but the two actors kept laughing when romantiacally singing to each other, so the director turned off the lamps.
The opening sequence of scenery to Julie Andrews on the mountain had to be shot twice; the first time, the helicopter wind force knocked her over.
Before filming the boat scene, they didn't ask the children if they could swim...apparently, the girl who played Gretel couldn't. Julie Andrews was supposed to hold onto her, but she fell backwards and all the children fell forward. Gretel struggled and was grabbed by someone else, and the actress that played her doesn't like water to this day.The tour took us to a few locations, but the best part was the trip to the cathedral the wedding scene was shot. Our tourbus drove for about an hour through the Lakes and Mountains area surrounding Salzburg, which was gorgeous. Mondsee was not only beautiful, but the location of the best apfelstrudel I have had while in Austria.
I love it here. There are vacation homes in many of the surrounding areas of Salzburg, and frequent trips or a vacation home may need to be added to my "when I have enough disposable income" list. And so concludes our four-day girls' weekend trip. Huge success, a lot of fun, and a great way to kick off travels in Europe. I couldn't have asked for a better travel group!
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Girls' Weekend, Part Eins
I am TOTALLY back-dating this - Realized I never wrote about it! So I'm copying out of my hard-copy travel journal. Enjoy.
Girls' Weekend in PRAGUE AND SALZBURG!
Part Eins: Praha
A week or so ago, Jill, Abbey, Julie, and I made the most spontaneous decision any of us have ever made while getting a train ticket to Salzburg. Abbey said "We should look into Prague, too." This somehow led to us deciding to add Prague to our weekend girls'-outing, and so, the adventure begins.
18.9.2010 - Train to Prague
(Yeah, I'm doing European dates for good practice)
 |
| Julie and Jill, ready for a whirl-wind adventure! |
My god. The Czech country side is beautiful, and being in farm country reminds me of home....obviously I'm not in the high desert here, but close enough. Waving cornfields, trees, mountains in the distance. A lot of fields have been harvested, so it's a mixture of browns and greens.
Arrival in Prague: 13:35
Updated country count: 2
19.9.2010
Prague has come to a close after a quick, jam-packed, 2-dayish trip. Some highlights:
Making that HILL our bitch:Krown (?) Conversion:
$1.28 = 1.00 Euro = 28 Krown. Prices looked really high, but were actually very, very low. I spent less on a dinner of a Greek salad and a beer than I did at Starbucks. 90 cent beer!The Trek to Starbucks:
 | |
| We FINALLY found it!! |
My First Hostel Experience
The "Castle"
 |
| Huge. Ass. Clock. |
The Town Center Clock/Glockenspiel
For all the hype, I expected more. Kim was right, though. Watching the tourists was fun. We, of course, guarded our purses from pickpockets as instructed by Kim. Took pictures because we had to, saw it because it's a tourist must, but I was much more intrigued by the architecture of the building surrounding the clock than the clock itself.My train ride
My first train ride with compartments! Not that big a deal. Note: In Europe, you only have to arrive at the train station with like 15 minutes to spare before you leave, unlike the US where 5:45 really means 4:30. Dad trained me well, always be safe, and we arrived with a good solid hour to go. Not necessary, but as it was the last train back, I was thankful for the peace of mind.The Absinth Shop
I didn't dare go in, but I did take a picture. The entire shop was green. I'm pretty sure that Absinth must be a token Prague thing, because it was EVERYWHERE in gift shops. And I mean, come on. Its own shop? Has to be some sort of big deal, but it smells like black licorice, which I don't really dig. I'll pass.My train ride AGAIN
As I was writing the above train ride bullet, the power on our compartment went off. Pitch black, had to switch compartments. Ours was basically being dragged like a paralyzed limb. The four of us were reunited elsewhere, and the last hour and a half turned into a giggle fest involving naming Abbey's backpack Godfrey, naming Abbey "Mama Ab" or "Mabs" (which I'm sure she'll be referred to in the future), and deciphering bottled water chemicals. We drove the other woman in our compartment to the bottle, which she had 'hidden' in a BIPA bag. Can't fool us, ma'am! We're from the US where drinking in public is NOT allowed. Why hide it here where it is? 
Conclusion of the first half of Girls' Weekend: A phenomenal success. Didn't see it all, but saw a lot. Rubbed the lucky Saint on the Charles Bridge and everything.  |
| Overlooking Prague, or "Praha," from the hill. Beautiful. |
European Public Transportation...
...ROCKS. I will probably expand on this later at some point, but for now, let's leave it at that.
Euro Public Transport > U.S. Public Transport.
That is all.
Huge entry to come on Girls Weekend in Prague and Salzburg. Night, folks!
Friday, September 17, 2010
Laundry Adventures in Haus Erasmus.
So today, my roommate Abbey and I were thinking..."by golly, we're both running out of shirts, socks and underwear. Laundry needs to be done in the near future."
Who knew it would be THAT TOUGH to do a freaking LOAD OF LAUNDRY!
So. We get to the laundry room. No big deal - there are 4 washers and 3 dryers (which is ridiculously backwards, because everyone knows that dryers take longer, and therefore there should be more of them than there are washers). Hooray! We have 3 small washing machines worth of clothes, and there happen to be three washing machines open! We are feeling GOOD about our Laundry adventure.
2 loads of darks, 1 load of whites, in and good to go. One of the darks machines was newer and different than the others, and of course everything is in German. We start and pay for our laundry (with these weird cards up against the wall, forget coins) on the older machines no problem, and the cycles are about 45 minutes - appropriate, we think. Guess on the newer machine, and it says the cycle time is 1:15 - WHOA! That seems ridiculously long! (For me, at least, I'm used to doing my laundry in Weatherford where all wash loads take 39 minutes and all dry loads take 50) To remedy what I think to be a bad situation, I turn the dial to a different cycle. Bad idea. What is the opposite of remedy? Destroy? Yeah, that's what happened.
The wash stops and this message flashes across the screen in German. Door's locked, I can't read German, I immediately go into "Oh shit, Panic mode!" Abbey goes across the hallway to the study room to ask a student in there if she can read German. The student tells us that the machine says "Unable to Change Cycle" or something like that. Try the door - locked. Try paying for it again - No good. Try turning the machine off and then on again - Message flashes saying "Disconnected from Network." Great.
Abbey and I go downstairs to call the Building Manager and tell him that the washing machine has taken our clothes hostage. He informs us that he won't be back for another hour and a half, and will take a look at it then. We finish our other two machines of wash, and stick them in the dryer, everything with them seems good.
When the manager finally shows up, he tells us that he basically doesn't want to screw up the machine any more than it already is, and he will try and get a technician in to look at it tomorrow. Problem: We're leaving at 7:30 a.m. to go to Prague for the weekend. His solution: Don't worry about your wet clothes in the washing machine, it's sealed so they won't mold (that makes no sense to me...). He'll take our clothes out once the machine is fixed, put them in a basket or something, leave them to be taken care of by the chambermaids, and we can pick them up when we get back. We inform him that we won't really be back during business hours until Wednesday, and he says that's fine.
At this point, Abbey and I have accepted the fact that there is no hope in getting that half of our darks back before Prague, and move on to the next task at hand: Those clothes of ours in the dryer.
The dryer was doing its drying thing for over an hour, so I'm feeling pretty good. Once it's finally finished, Abbey opens the door to a CRAPTON of steam coming out of the dryer - steam = water. Yup. Our clothes, after an hour, are piping hot and still very, very damp. FORGET TRYING THIS AGAIN! I'm pretty much done with laundry for the night.
Unload our damp clothes: Check. Where to dry them - Well, we have a big room. We turned anything imaginable into a drying rack. Doorknobs, lamps, drawers, chairs, doors, and even our open windows had clothes lying on them. We fashioned a fort out of Abbey's damp sheets, which made me revisit my childhood briefly before remembering what a disaster this whole situation was. Crappy part: The majority of my shirts were in the locked load, I found out. Bummer.
I had yet to sample the delicacy that is the Kebab Sandwich at this point, and since Laundry was "finished" (and by finished I mean drying overnight in our room) at like 9:00 p.m., we decided that tonight was a very good night for some Kebab from a roach-coach-esque stand down the street.
Basically, they slice this sketch-ass pork (I'm guessing) meat from an upright stick, put it in a bun, put some lettuce, tomato, onion on it, gob on huge amounts of special sauce which I am not asking the ingredients for, and sprinkle on a load (literally, a load) of those pizza peppers on top. It tasted like a heart attack, but in the best way possible. I loved it.
Ended the night with a Kebab sandwich and a beer. I figured it appropriate.
Lessons learned:
Who knew it would be THAT TOUGH to do a freaking LOAD OF LAUNDRY!
So. We get to the laundry room. No big deal - there are 4 washers and 3 dryers (which is ridiculously backwards, because everyone knows that dryers take longer, and therefore there should be more of them than there are washers). Hooray! We have 3 small washing machines worth of clothes, and there happen to be three washing machines open! We are feeling GOOD about our Laundry adventure.
2 loads of darks, 1 load of whites, in and good to go. One of the darks machines was newer and different than the others, and of course everything is in German. We start and pay for our laundry (with these weird cards up against the wall, forget coins) on the older machines no problem, and the cycles are about 45 minutes - appropriate, we think. Guess on the newer machine, and it says the cycle time is 1:15 - WHOA! That seems ridiculously long! (For me, at least, I'm used to doing my laundry in Weatherford where all wash loads take 39 minutes and all dry loads take 50) To remedy what I think to be a bad situation, I turn the dial to a different cycle. Bad idea. What is the opposite of remedy? Destroy? Yeah, that's what happened.
The wash stops and this message flashes across the screen in German. Door's locked, I can't read German, I immediately go into "Oh shit, Panic mode!" Abbey goes across the hallway to the study room to ask a student in there if she can read German. The student tells us that the machine says "Unable to Change Cycle" or something like that. Try the door - locked. Try paying for it again - No good. Try turning the machine off and then on again - Message flashes saying "Disconnected from Network." Great.
Abbey and I go downstairs to call the Building Manager and tell him that the washing machine has taken our clothes hostage. He informs us that he won't be back for another hour and a half, and will take a look at it then. We finish our other two machines of wash, and stick them in the dryer, everything with them seems good.
When the manager finally shows up, he tells us that he basically doesn't want to screw up the machine any more than it already is, and he will try and get a technician in to look at it tomorrow. Problem: We're leaving at 7:30 a.m. to go to Prague for the weekend. His solution: Don't worry about your wet clothes in the washing machine, it's sealed so they won't mold (that makes no sense to me...). He'll take our clothes out once the machine is fixed, put them in a basket or something, leave them to be taken care of by the chambermaids, and we can pick them up when we get back. We inform him that we won't really be back during business hours until Wednesday, and he says that's fine.
At this point, Abbey and I have accepted the fact that there is no hope in getting that half of our darks back before Prague, and move on to the next task at hand: Those clothes of ours in the dryer.
The dryer was doing its drying thing for over an hour, so I'm feeling pretty good. Once it's finally finished, Abbey opens the door to a CRAPTON of steam coming out of the dryer - steam = water. Yup. Our clothes, after an hour, are piping hot and still very, very damp. FORGET TRYING THIS AGAIN! I'm pretty much done with laundry for the night.
Unload our damp clothes: Check. Where to dry them - Well, we have a big room. We turned anything imaginable into a drying rack. Doorknobs, lamps, drawers, chairs, doors, and even our open windows had clothes lying on them. We fashioned a fort out of Abbey's damp sheets, which made me revisit my childhood briefly before remembering what a disaster this whole situation was. Crappy part: The majority of my shirts were in the locked load, I found out. Bummer.
I had yet to sample the delicacy that is the Kebab Sandwich at this point, and since Laundry was "finished" (and by finished I mean drying overnight in our room) at like 9:00 p.m., we decided that tonight was a very good night for some Kebab from a roach-coach-esque stand down the street.
Basically, they slice this sketch-ass pork (I'm guessing) meat from an upright stick, put it in a bun, put some lettuce, tomato, onion on it, gob on huge amounts of special sauce which I am not asking the ingredients for, and sprinkle on a load (literally, a load) of those pizza peppers on top. It tasted like a heart attack, but in the best way possible. I loved it.
Ended the night with a Kebab sandwich and a beer. I figured it appropriate.
Lessons learned:
- Get a drying rack for your laundry. The dryers will not work, and at 1 euro per load, I have a feeling that running your clothes 3 times per laundry day can add up over the course of 4 months.
- Kebab = Fantastic.
- When running the washing machine, DO NOT TOUCH IT once you have pressed Start. A ghost will jump out at you, a kitten will die....bad things will happen.
- A beer and a heart-attack of a dinner can remedy any situation...if not remedy, at least numb...if not numb, at least distract for 10 minutes, which makes it worth it. Plus - Beer is fantastic, and for my thoughts on heart-attack of a dinner, please see lesson number 2.
Coca-Cola. A little taste of home.
If you know me, you know that in the States, I do not accept Pepsi as a Coca-Cola substitute. For cola, I drink Coke. That's about it. Thank goodness they have it here, because I'm going through a small bout of culture shock.
Nothing huge, really. My signs of jet-lag are that I can easily sleep for 10 hours a day, and will randomly fall asleep at 8:00 p.m. (early for me) - The exhaustion is definitely getting better. Culture-wise, though, I'm having difficulties getting by not speaking German over here. Not that I'm an arrogant American and expect everyone to speak my language, I'm just having difficulties adjusting. Little things like reading a menu at a restaurant can get really frustrating, and my German phrasebook turned out to be a godsend when I was grocery shopping.
I am fortunate to have the following while I'm here, to help me get by:
Nothing huge, really. My signs of jet-lag are that I can easily sleep for 10 hours a day, and will randomly fall asleep at 8:00 p.m. (early for me) - The exhaustion is definitely getting better. Culture-wise, though, I'm having difficulties getting by not speaking German over here. Not that I'm an arrogant American and expect everyone to speak my language, I'm just having difficulties adjusting. Little things like reading a menu at a restaurant can get really frustrating, and my German phrasebook turned out to be a godsend when I was grocery shopping.
I am fortunate to have the following while I'm here, to help me get by:
- An awesome roommate - Her name is Abbey, she's from the East Coast, and goes to University of South Carolina, home of the fighting Cocks. We're planning a lot of traveling together, and she's great to hang out with.
- A great group of 8 other Oregon State students studying here (9 if you include Abbey, who we have adopted as an honorary Beaver) - 5 of whom are staying in the same dorm as me. We're all making new friends, but still spend lots of time together, which is great.
- My Buddy, Angie - Austrian native, I met her this spring when she studied abroad at Oregon State. She's been showing me around, making sure I have all of my administrative stuff taken care of, and has served as translator in multiple situations. She also taught me how to say "tap water" so when we go to restaurants, we don't get charged 2.50 Euro for a small bottle of still water.
- Episodes of Friends on my external hard drive, along with some movies and other American TV shows I can revert to in times of shock.
- Cornflakes and Coca-Cola - My little pieces of home.
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Julie made that crepe her bitch
I met up with my friend Jon from school today! He's in Germany for a month, but visited Vienna for the weekend. It was great catching up, and I have greatly missed his sarcasm.
Jill and Julie finally arrived in Vienna! Ross just got here tonight! Waiting on Travis, and our group will be complete!
I decided to nap this afternoon. Again, I don't think I have recovered from Jet Lag. Or I'm just really lazy, either way, for the next 2 weeks jet lag can be my excuse for pretty much anything, so I plan on taking it. I woke up to a knock at my door (hmm....just like yesterday!) from Jill and Julie - they were heading to Stephensplatz and the city center to go walk around and check it out. Of course I'll get out of bed for that. Abbey came with us, and we met up with Cynthia before leaving, too.
The city center of Vienna is amazing. It would definitely be a place I would go on a day off when I have some downtime just to walk around. Oh, and street performers in Europe kick street performers in the United States' asses. Full on shows, a guy playing classical music on a cello, a 5 man orchestra - it was great.
I have a feeling the words "amazing," "fantastic," "gorgeous," and "awesome" will be used quite frequently in this blog - you have been forewarned. I just cannot get over the buildings over here, they're breathtaking. If you think about it, the oldest buildings we have in the U.S. are, what, 275 years old? That's like a baby building here. All of their buildings are so detailed, it's really great.
When we got off the U-bahn, we immediately started looking for food. I don't think any of us had actually eaten until then. We found a kind of hole-in-the-wall Hungarian restaurant, where we had delicious, hearty soups. We ordered the smaller portions to save room for dessert, but were surprisingly full after finishing the small portions. I'd hate to see what the bigger portions look like. We made room for dessert anyway. I mean, come on - crepes. With chocolate. Hells yes that's going to happen. I split one with Cynthia, Julie and Abbey each got one, and Jill grabbed bites of all three. OH. MY. GOD. DELICIOUS.
When we were finished, Julie wiped her plate clean. She said "I just dominated that crepe. I just made that crepe my bitch." First somewhat regional food experience: I would say a success.
Jill and Julie finally arrived in Vienna! Ross just got here tonight! Waiting on Travis, and our group will be complete!
I decided to nap this afternoon. Again, I don't think I have recovered from Jet Lag. Or I'm just really lazy, either way, for the next 2 weeks jet lag can be my excuse for pretty much anything, so I plan on taking it. I woke up to a knock at my door (hmm....just like yesterday!) from Jill and Julie - they were heading to Stephensplatz and the city center to go walk around and check it out. Of course I'll get out of bed for that. Abbey came with us, and we met up with Cynthia before leaving, too.
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| Vienna's City Center - I could spend days here. |
I have a feeling the words "amazing," "fantastic," "gorgeous," and "awesome" will be used quite frequently in this blog - you have been forewarned. I just cannot get over the buildings over here, they're breathtaking. If you think about it, the oldest buildings we have in the U.S. are, what, 275 years old? That's like a baby building here. All of their buildings are so detailed, it's really great.
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| My Goulash Soup - Comparable to beef stew at home. Love. |
When we were finished, Julie wiped her plate clean. She said "I just dominated that crepe. I just made that crepe my bitch." First somewhat regional food experience: I would say a success.
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| Excuse me while I foam at the mouth - it was DELICIOUS. |
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Vienna Touring, Day 1: I would call it a success.
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| Back of the Garden at Schonbrunn |
Schonbrunn palace is GORGEOUS! The gardens are GORGEOUS! The zoo right there was ridiculously AWESOME! The view from the top of the hill of the palace and Vienna is AMAZING! And the entire place is surrounded by gardens/winding trees which are also AWESOME! I'm so coming back just to walk around.
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| Monument at the top of the hill behind Schonbrunn |
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| The view of the Palace and Vienna from the hill! This photo doesn't do it justice at all. |
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| The gardens behind Schonbrunn palace - You can see the monument at the top of the hill in the background. Again - No justice from this photo |
Friday, September 10, 2010
Ikea - My first experience ever, and it was in Europe. Sweetsauce.
I hit the U-Bahn (subway) this morning with Jennifer, Carter, and Cynthia (who stayed in Erasmus last night because she couldn't get her dorm key) to head to WU for an information session for International students, where we met up with Mark. (Note: all of the aforementioned people are OSU students studying at WU.) At first, I was scared out of my mind to ride the U-Bahn, as I have never really utilized public transportation, but this is AWESOME!
After our orientation and certain administrative tasks were finished, we decided to head to Ikea for some essentials (in my case, a towel. Which I forgot. I definitely dried off after my shower by wringing out my hair as much as I could, throwing it in a bun, and then putting my pajamas back on. It's not a great feeling). We had to make 3 connections on the U-Bahn, then catch a bus, and head back. I now feel great about public transportation here. It's convenient, I feel safe on it, and it can really take you anywhere.
Ikea = AWESOME! I have never been before (which shocks people), and I was ridiculously intimidated by it. You could schedule a whole day to go to Ikea, and just walk around. We left, Ikea bags in hand (which we had to buy, because bags are not included in the whole buying things process here). I am now outfitted with a towel (thank god), a cheap duvet cover, a cheap set of pots/pans/utensils, and a smile on my face.
After our orientation and certain administrative tasks were finished, we decided to head to Ikea for some essentials (in my case, a towel. Which I forgot. I definitely dried off after my shower by wringing out my hair as much as I could, throwing it in a bun, and then putting my pajamas back on. It's not a great feeling). We had to make 3 connections on the U-Bahn, then catch a bus, and head back. I now feel great about public transportation here. It's convenient, I feel safe on it, and it can really take you anywhere.
Ikea = AWESOME! I have never been before (which shocks people), and I was ridiculously intimidated by it. You could schedule a whole day to go to Ikea, and just walk around. We left, Ikea bags in hand (which we had to buy, because bags are not included in the whole buying things process here). I am now outfitted with a towel (thank god), a cheap duvet cover, a cheap set of pots/pans/utensils, and a smile on my face.
Thursday, September 9, 2010
50 hours to Vienna
Last update was in Seattle on Tuesday night? Let me give you a rundown of what happened from there.
10:00 p.m. - Seattle Airport
Hydraulic leak in the plane cannot be repaired, and so they need a new part to fix it. The part has to be flown in. From Phoenix. So. We get to stay at the Doubletree (such fond memories! I stayed at this hotel the first time I ever ventured into Washington for the SIFE trip to Regionals my freshman year of college!) and have to be at the airport at 10 a.m. to get our new connecting flight boarding passes and such. Plane is scheduled to take off at 1:05 p.m. and arrive at London/Heathrow at 6:00 a.m. London time.
10:00 a.m. - Seattle Airport
The queue to the ticketing line is ridiculous. It took us 45 minutes to get from point A to point B, and by the time we were at point B, boarding passes in hand, there was still 2/3 of the line waiting to get through. Our connection gate in Vienna closes at 7:20 a.m. - Pushing it, but we still have time.
Security checkpoint - RIDICULOUS line. Cool tidbit: We definitely saw The Whigs in line (the band - google them.)
Headed to gate S-10 (I'll never forget it) with Cynthia, Carter, and Loui and Jeffrey, our two new Indian friends we met the night before. They work on cruise ships, and spend 9 months out of the year on the ship and 3 months home. Way nice guys!
1:05 p.m. - On the airplane in Seattle
The plane is boarded. HOORAY! Here we come, London!
2:10 p.m. - On the airplane....still parked in Seattle.
Apparently someone canceled their flight, and decided the delay was too much for them. Thus, the crew had to go through the cargo hold of a plane carrying probably like 375 people or something like that, to find this one bag to get off the plane. No way in hell are we making our connection.
7:15 a.m. (11:15 p.m. Oregon time) - London-Heathrow Airport
Arrived! Our gate closed before we even got off the plane. We took a 10 minute ride via bus to our next terminal, where we had to go through security again. Observation: Security at Heathrow is more laid-back than in the U.S. - You can have a knife as long as it's shorter than 6cm, you may not have to take your shoes off (I did because I was wearing boots, poor planning!) - but it takes forever to get through. Most people get all of their liquids out, their laptops out, take their shoes off if they need to, all the prep stuff to go through security as they are next in line for security. Because of this, security took FOREVER.
9:00 a.m. (1:00 a.m. Oregon time) - London-Heathrow Airport
Our connection was re-booked midair. Finally we catch a break! Third connection is a charm - plane leaves at 9:50.
1:00 p.m. (4:00 a.m. Oregon time) - Vienna Airport
HERE! FINALLY! OH MY GOD WHAT A LONG TRIP! Cool: Saw the Vienna Boys Choir while we were waiting to get our passports stamped. Not so cool: The lady stamping my passport definitely stamped on top of another stamp! Austria doesn't even get it's own little space :( Oh well. I'm here!
Highlights of the arrival:
1. I used a payphone. It took me about 4 tries, and I had to ask for directions, but eventually, I succeeded.
2. Angie was there to pick me up! So I got to see her, and spend a lot of time with her when I arrived!
3. My luggage arrived! Which is a miracle, because both Carter and Cynthia had their luggage lost. Bummer. Carter had to buy a t-shirt - word of the wise to future travelers: Europeans are very generous on their sizes. A medium here = a small in the U.S.
4. I GOT TO SLEEP IN A BED once I got here!
5. My roommate was here when I arrived! Her name is Abbey. She's from New York and goes to University of South Carolina.
So. 2:00 a.m. Tuesday morning to 4:00 a.m. Thursday morning (Oregon Time) - 50 hours of travel, all for an experience I will never forget.
10:00 p.m. - Seattle Airport
Hydraulic leak in the plane cannot be repaired, and so they need a new part to fix it. The part has to be flown in. From Phoenix. So. We get to stay at the Doubletree (such fond memories! I stayed at this hotel the first time I ever ventured into Washington for the SIFE trip to Regionals my freshman year of college!) and have to be at the airport at 10 a.m. to get our new connecting flight boarding passes and such. Plane is scheduled to take off at 1:05 p.m. and arrive at London/Heathrow at 6:00 a.m. London time.
10:00 a.m. - Seattle Airport
The queue to the ticketing line is ridiculous. It took us 45 minutes to get from point A to point B, and by the time we were at point B, boarding passes in hand, there was still 2/3 of the line waiting to get through. Our connection gate in Vienna closes at 7:20 a.m. - Pushing it, but we still have time.
Security checkpoint - RIDICULOUS line. Cool tidbit: We definitely saw The Whigs in line (the band - google them.)
Headed to gate S-10 (I'll never forget it) with Cynthia, Carter, and Loui and Jeffrey, our two new Indian friends we met the night before. They work on cruise ships, and spend 9 months out of the year on the ship and 3 months home. Way nice guys!
1:05 p.m. - On the airplane in Seattle
The plane is boarded. HOORAY! Here we come, London!
2:10 p.m. - On the airplane....still parked in Seattle.
Apparently someone canceled their flight, and decided the delay was too much for them. Thus, the crew had to go through the cargo hold of a plane carrying probably like 375 people or something like that, to find this one bag to get off the plane. No way in hell are we making our connection.
7:15 a.m. (11:15 p.m. Oregon time) - London-Heathrow Airport
Arrived! Our gate closed before we even got off the plane. We took a 10 minute ride via bus to our next terminal, where we had to go through security again. Observation: Security at Heathrow is more laid-back than in the U.S. - You can have a knife as long as it's shorter than 6cm, you may not have to take your shoes off (I did because I was wearing boots, poor planning!) - but it takes forever to get through. Most people get all of their liquids out, their laptops out, take their shoes off if they need to, all the prep stuff to go through security as they are next in line for security. Because of this, security took FOREVER.
9:00 a.m. (1:00 a.m. Oregon time) - London-Heathrow Airport
Our connection was re-booked midair. Finally we catch a break! Third connection is a charm - plane leaves at 9:50.
1:00 p.m. (4:00 a.m. Oregon time) - Vienna Airport
HERE! FINALLY! OH MY GOD WHAT A LONG TRIP! Cool: Saw the Vienna Boys Choir while we were waiting to get our passports stamped. Not so cool: The lady stamping my passport definitely stamped on top of another stamp! Austria doesn't even get it's own little space :( Oh well. I'm here!
Highlights of the arrival:
1. I used a payphone. It took me about 4 tries, and I had to ask for directions, but eventually, I succeeded.
2. Angie was there to pick me up! So I got to see her, and spend a lot of time with her when I arrived!
3. My luggage arrived! Which is a miracle, because both Carter and Cynthia had their luggage lost. Bummer. Carter had to buy a t-shirt - word of the wise to future travelers: Europeans are very generous on their sizes. A medium here = a small in the U.S.
4. I GOT TO SLEEP IN A BED once I got here!
5. My roommate was here when I arrived! Her name is Abbey. She's from New York and goes to University of South Carolina.
So. 2:00 a.m. Tuesday morning to 4:00 a.m. Thursday morning (Oregon Time) - 50 hours of travel, all for an experience I will never forget.
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Hydraulic Leak
So...Sitting in a Seattle airport with Cynthia and Carter, who we met up with here. After a 1-hour jam sesh, we were informed that there is a "Hydraulic leak" in our aircraft. We're thinking that "Hydraulic leak" is a catch-all phrase for "shit's going down, and we'll figure it out." Basically, we were supposed to be in the air about an hour and a half ago, but instead, we jammed on guitars (me and Carter), Cynthia got some spaghetti, and then held down the fort while Carter and I went to a brew pub for beer and food.
Carter and I have fans! First few fans for both of us. Carter says we have to start small. Apparently, nonce we left, they asked Cynthia if we were musicians, to which she responded "Nope, just accountants!" So true. And so exciting. Our fans are from India, and shared some good-tasting chips with us ('berry Healthy). Apparently, one of their daughters has the name "Kelly" which I think is awesome. He says that she talks a lot - I guess it runs in the Kelly name.
My guess is that we'll have already missed our connecting flight to Vienna once we get there - We shall see! I'm hoping I don't get stranded without luggage or something, that would really suck. In the meantime, the three of us are just waiting for more info, Carter and I may bust out the guitars again and jam for awhile, and my computer battery will be in desperate need of an outlet if I want to use it any further.
Sidenote: The kid sitting next to us is ADORABLE!!
Layovers...they're a bitch.
6:30 a.m. - Portland Airport
It's 6:30 a.m....My flight boards at 3:00 p.m.....Save me.
I'm really REALLY happy about the fact that I a. have a laptop with me, b. have my power cord for said laptop, c. have access to both a power outlet and headphones, and d. have movies and TV shows saved on my external hard drive.
11:45 a.m. - Portland Airport
I've slept in three different places already in this airport. Things I have learned through exploring PDX:
It's 6:30 a.m....My flight boards at 3:00 p.m.....Save me.
I'm really REALLY happy about the fact that I a. have a laptop with me, b. have my power cord for said laptop, c. have access to both a power outlet and headphones, and d. have movies and TV shows saved on my external hard drive.
11:45 a.m. - Portland Airport
I've slept in three different places already in this airport. Things I have learned through exploring PDX:
- The A-terminal - crazy busy! It's all Alaska and Horizon air and I'm thinking for the most part, it's puddle jumpers, flights less than 2 hours. Not a good place to sleep!
- The C-terminal is the place to be! Flat screes playing football highlights (I caught the highlights of the Virginia Tech - Boise State game, it looked pretty good), tons of shops and food, and who knew? Gustav's is in the airport! Awesome! I fell asleep to sports highlights.
- The B-terminal is currently not really in use, and therefore, not noisy. There are also no armrests on the chairs which makes it prime sleeping location.
- The Portland Airport is awesome because while it does have a few fast food places, it has far more brewpubs for food. I'm currently sitting at Laurelwood drinking a pint of their Hooligan, waiting on a Roast Beef and Cheddar melt for lunch.
Leftover Tri Tip, Cherry Coke, and a Twix bar - The breakfast of champions
4:50 a.m. – Eugene Airport
I woke up this morning at approximately 2:10 a.m. – I went to bed last night around 11:45, probably fell asleep by midnightish. 2 hours of sleep. Score. You’d think I’d be EXHAUSTED (and I’m sure I am, my body just doesn’t realize it yet), but instead, I hopped in the car with my Padre, and we headed off to Eugene, stopping at the Pilot station to get dad a coke to stay awake, and me some “breakfast.”
I am shocked at how awake I am. After having to go through the check in line twice, because I’m brilliant and forgot to print off my second itinerary with all of my connecting flights to check my baggage through, I was off through security. Usually I am SO GOOD about dressing for a speedy security check trip, but in this case, I had to unload my laptop, take off my boots (pain!), get all the metal off of course, pull out my carry on liquids (hand sanitizer, toothpaste – you can never be too careful going to another country), and keep an eye on my guitar at all times. On the plus side: My checked baggage only weighed 50 pounds, which sounds ridiculous, but considering that includes the weight of 2 suitcases themselves and a jar of marionberry preserves (OREGON!!!), I’d say success.
Now I’m chilling here at gate B, ready to board. Flight leaves in 20 minutes, and then I’m off for a 32 hour adventure of flying and such, armed with a passport in one hand and Dramamine in the other.
I woke up this morning at approximately 2:10 a.m. – I went to bed last night around 11:45, probably fell asleep by midnightish. 2 hours of sleep. Score. You’d think I’d be EXHAUSTED (and I’m sure I am, my body just doesn’t realize it yet), but instead, I hopped in the car with my Padre, and we headed off to Eugene, stopping at the Pilot station to get dad a coke to stay awake, and me some “breakfast.”
I am shocked at how awake I am. After having to go through the check in line twice, because I’m brilliant and forgot to print off my second itinerary with all of my connecting flights to check my baggage through, I was off through security. Usually I am SO GOOD about dressing for a speedy security check trip, but in this case, I had to unload my laptop, take off my boots (pain!), get all the metal off of course, pull out my carry on liquids (hand sanitizer, toothpaste – you can never be too careful going to another country), and keep an eye on my guitar at all times. On the plus side: My checked baggage only weighed 50 pounds, which sounds ridiculous, but considering that includes the weight of 2 suitcases themselves and a jar of marionberry preserves (OREGON!!!), I’d say success.
Now I’m chilling here at gate B, ready to board. Flight leaves in 20 minutes, and then I’m off for a 32 hour adventure of flying and such, armed with a passport in one hand and Dramamine in the other.
Sunday, September 5, 2010
Key packing technique, thank you Travis
Travis (another Austria-bound Beaver) gave me a GREAT idea for packing for Vienna....ready? Pack a suitcase WITHIN a suitcase. Basically, my mom's large suitcase fits almost perfectly within my large suitcase. 1 suitcase over, 2 suitcases back. It's a brilliant idea. And it totally works. Now...to figure out what the hell I want to put in that suitcase is going to be a-whole-'nother task.
In just over 24 hours, I board my first plane (first of four for the trip over) on my long trip over to Vienna, and I don't feel prepared at all on the packing front. I barely had time to move all of my stuff back home and organize it all in my closet before I jetted off for the past 2 weeks to various locations around the country. Got back, room is still pretty trashed, and will now become more trashed with the complete and total emptying of my car, and I'm going into a mild packing panic attack. How very me of me.
On the plus side: I got my German dictionary. Got a phrase book. Got an empty journal to take on my escapades with me (the contents of which will be hi-lighted here, no worries). My plan is to get Harry Potter in German and work on trying to read that to help me along with the whole picking up on German words thing. We'll see how that goes.
I'm waking up in 8 hours to hit the packing hardcore. This can't be a "We'll see how far I get" type of thing, because well, I've only got tomorrow to get all of my stuff together. THIS IS FREAKING RIDICULOUS!
Night, world.
(A day and a half)
In just over 24 hours, I board my first plane (first of four for the trip over) on my long trip over to Vienna, and I don't feel prepared at all on the packing front. I barely had time to move all of my stuff back home and organize it all in my closet before I jetted off for the past 2 weeks to various locations around the country. Got back, room is still pretty trashed, and will now become more trashed with the complete and total emptying of my car, and I'm going into a mild packing panic attack. How very me of me.
On the plus side: I got my German dictionary. Got a phrase book. Got an empty journal to take on my escapades with me (the contents of which will be hi-lighted here, no worries). My plan is to get Harry Potter in German and work on trying to read that to help me along with the whole picking up on German words thing. We'll see how that goes.
I'm waking up in 8 hours to hit the packing hardcore. This can't be a "We'll see how far I get" type of thing, because well, I've only got tomorrow to get all of my stuff together. THIS IS FREAKING RIDICULOUS!
Night, world.
(A day and a half)
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