Buongiorno Meran!

This morning is gorgeous.  It is a mixture of what you might think Switzerland, Austria, and Italy combined might look like, cause thats exactly what it is!  It snowed in the mountains and the skies are completely clear blue.  E una bella giornata.

Today I have many thoughts swirling through my head.  First, as I walked through town this morning I am realizing how awesome it is to know a foreign city so well and feel like you know the man on the corner selling bratwursts, the beggar who sits every morning in the same place on my walk to school, or the barista that makes your cafe macchiato every other day, or the other barista that makes your cappuccino on the other days [I drink coffee sometimes...] Even though we never really speak, there is kind of an unspoken recognition of each other that makes me feel like I have truly lived here and am not just a visitor.

Although two months is hardly a long amount of time in one's life, these two months in my life will offer so many things to my future self.  When I first arrived, I would celebrate the small victories like: ordering un cafe o un gelato in italiano, riding the bus by myself, understanding a few words in Italian, and picking up Beatrice from school and having a calm and uneventful afternoon with her.  Now I am noticing that my victories have become a bit bigger: when I understand whole conversations in Italian, meeting new friends and immediately feeling a connection, still feeling victorious to have a great day with Beatrice, speaking broken Italian to someone who actually understands it [!], and feeling more and more like I have figured out what it could be like to build a life in a foreign country.

I have learned about feeling lonely, scared and isolated in a completely new place, but I have also learned to cherish the moments when I feel alive, joyful and connected with other people.  Those are the moments we live for my friends.  Nobody will be without challenges but those challenges just come with the moments where the joy is just bursting from you or you can't wipe the smile off your face because in that moment, you are truly happy.  

Yet through all this feeling challenged and isolated, I have realized I am so fortunate. I have lived a relatively uneventful, normal life which is incredible to me when I hear stories of what other people have experienced.  What I see as challenges are probably laughable to some.  I have a healthy family that I get along with really well, I have supportive and loving friends, I have had incredible growing experiences, I have seen some of what the world has to offer and I have never been in need.  How can I ever give back to what I feel like I do not deserve?  So for my idea of "giving back" I think its important not to take these things for granted and be reminded to be thankful for everything that I have been given.  Because sometimes I forget, as many of us do, how much we really have to be thankful for.

I came upon a quote recently that stuck with me.  "Time is like a river, you cannot touch the same water twice because the flow that has passed will never pass again." After experiencing up close the harshness and the flow of the river [at camp], I think I have a decent understanding of this.  I want to be someone who lives in the moment and doesn't look back and say, why didn't I do that? Or wow I wish I would have done that when I had the chance.  Which brings me to my next topic... Because of a few select reasons, {one of which being my wanderlust won't shut up} I have decided to leave Merano a little early to do some more traveling.

I have mixed feelings about this.  I feel irresponsible for spending more money than I had planned, guilty for breaking an agreement for staying here longer, wishing I had time for all of the things, and sad to leave my brand new friends and [host] family here in Merano.  BUT I also feel excited to see friends around Europe, courageous for doing something out of the ordinary, and I feel at peace with my future self who would regret missing the chance to do this.  My wanderlust self and my reasonable self are conflicting so hard, but wanderlust wins the ticket so here I go.  I have time to be reasonable the rest of my life, right?

Anywho, more about that later.  This weekend was the grape festival in Merano which we took advantage of.  I will share some pictures but it is basically like it sounds.  Lots of traditional food stands, beer and wine, people dressed in traditional clothes, bands playing in various spots around town and a parade to finish.  Also this week I {finally} got in touch with other au pairs in town.  I have immediately felt accepted and connected with the group and will look forward to going out and getting to know them a little before I leave.  Bummer this didn't happen sooner, but I guess I had some lessons to learn on my own?

Arrividerci for now friends.  Thanks, as always for reading :)

Chestnuts!

Traditional Dress

What I've learned about solo travel

Four of the most important things to have when you are traveling alone are:
~Comfortable walking shoes
~A good book
~An open mind
~A positive attitude

I took this weekend to travel to Innsbruck, Austria.  It is incredible to think of how much I have learned just from traveling alone for one weekend.  So many thoughts, I don't even know where to start! First of all if you have never traveled alone, I highly suggest it if you get the chance.  It is a unique experience to see new places and do whatever the heck you want all by yourself.

Comfortable walking shoes are self explanatory.  I guess it depends on the kind of travel you like to do, but for me I just love exploring a new place/city on foot.  A good book is for the times you are waiting for your food at a cafe or just want a break from walking and sightseeing.  I shamelessly read my book at a slightly fancy restaurant, in a park, on an outdoor terrace with a drink... I also love to read and I carry an unnecessarily large purse that could hold five books so there's that.

An open mind I found to be important when it comes to talking to locals and people in general, or experiencing something that was different than my expectations.  Whatever I experience is what I experience so I better make the most of it! One thing I tried to not do was plan every moment of my day.  A quote I read somewhere says this, "Focus on the journey, not the destination." Which is something I have tried to be mindful of as I am experiencing new places and things.  I think as a tourist, it is easy to fall into the trap of planning each destination and landmark and miss everything that happens in between.  What would happen if you got lost? Nothing really.  You might even have to ask a local for directions.  GASP.  Of course there are some landmarks that must not be missed like going to Paris and not seeing the Eiffel tower would be a little silly.  My point is, I think it is important to slow down and enjoy the surroundings on the way to the Eiffel tower [or whatever said landmark] to truly enjoy and experience a new place.

Speaking with other tourists and locals were some of my favorite parts of the weekend.  I think that its easy to forget when we travel how other people live is different than us and how each persons story is unique.  What brought them to that place at that time? What are their passions and interests? Do they have a favorite food? How many languages can they speak? Where did they grow up? These are the random questions that crossed my mind when I spoke with different people this weekend.  You will probably never see the people you speak with again so even if they think you are weird, who cares?!  I met people from Italy, Guatemala, Poland, Germany, [Austria], and one guy had even spent some time on a farm in none other than little Albany, Minnesota.  The world is so small yet so big my friends.

Last but not least, a positive attitude.  This comes in handy when we are speaking about the weather or a service that is being provided to you like at a restaurant or cafe.  First of all, we can't do anything to change the weather so if its raining - boo hoo. Yes it sucks if your plans must change because of the weather, but then your plans must change and there is nothing you can do about it! Roll with the punches, or should I say forecast (?).  I also find that it does not do to get too upset with slow service at a restaurant or cafe.  Yes you are paying for a service but the people working are human too, giving them grace is good for both of you.  I found especially from being alone, these were things that I had to smile about if it took 15 minutes for the waitress to come talk to me, or if it was too cloudy to actually see the mountains I had hoped to see.  These are things I can't change, so I won't let them put me in a sour mood or ruin my day.

Of course, I am only human and I am guilty of doing some of these things sometimes.  But I am working on it and we are always a work in progress aren't we?

Ok ok, what did I actually do this weekend you might be wondering? I'll try to keep this short.  We all know that sightseeing is just a way to pass the time between the most important part of traveling: food. Yes? Ok glad we agree on that.  Yes I did do some sightseeing and I thoroughly enjoyed everything I saw.  Big churches, pretty colored buildings by the river, small side streets with cobblestone streets, cafes and shops, something famous called the golden roof, and really really beautiful fall colors in the park.  But of course, to me the food is always interesting in a new place.  From my experience, Austria knows sweets, meats, and apples.  My three favorite food things/places from the weekend were:  A steamy apple strudel at a romantic candlelit table for one [lol] in a restaurant off the beaten path;  breakfast at a trendy place with fresh bread, cheese and egg with REAL coffee and carrot juice (also got to watch the cute barista make cappuccinos and lattes for the win), and an afternoon on an outdoor patio with cake and hot chocolate [where you stir your own ball of chocolate into hot milk!]   For my Cork friends, this one is a close second with O'connails.

Also, yesterday I had thought of seeing a museum because it was cold out when I stumbled upon an exhibition about Medicine Sans Frontiers or Doctors Without Borders.  So instead of spending money on the museum, I had a free tour [in English] to learn more about what they do which was much more interesting to me than Austrian history, sorry to say.  In true Steph fashion I spent the money on cake instead :) It was a win win for all.

This weekend was 100% treatyoself weekend for me and I will treasure these days.  WAH, these are always longer than I mean for them to be but I hope I've given you some food for thought and some insight into what I am learning in these three months.

[PICTURES]

Main shopping street.

Joined the rest of the tourists by asking a stranger to take a pic of me in front of this famous gold roof. lol.

Birds eye view of Innsbruck.

Yummiest hot chocolate

Picnic in the park. I had a fairly long convo with a 90 year old man who couldn't speak any English, he tried to warn me that all the Italian boys were going to come after me. 

Thank you Lord, for simple pleasures like fall colors, good coffee and kindness from strangers.

For the love of oatmeal!

All my fellow oatmeal lovers raise yo hands!

Ok, for the people who understand the obsession love for oatmeal -  people in Italy have no clue what is it.  Yes you read that correctly.  It is something that is hard for me to wrap my head around as I am sure it is hard for Italians to wrap their head around this strange hot pudding like cerealmilkwater combination that we eat for breakfast.  I made it one morning to show it to the family and they were very confused and almost alarmed that at home, I eat this many days a week [if not all of them].  Anywho, this post will be mostly about the differences in food culture and coffee culture that I have observed so far.

If you want to skip this whole thing and read a shorter post, this huffington post gives a pretty accurate picture to some of the things I have observed about Italy in general.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/11/american-in-italy_n_4235479.html

Also, here's a sunny morning in Merano:

I will continue on the topic of breakfast because breakfast is hands down the best meal of the day.  There is something about all of the different yummy options that you can have for breakfast that have made me fall in love with mornings.  Coffee, [oatmeal], yogurt, fruit, toast, bagels, eggs, donuts, pastries, cereal, smoothies... the possibilities are endless! The main things about an Italian breakfast are that they are small, and they are sweet.  At home, many times they will have espresso, tea or hot chocolate with a few breakfast ish cookies, or bread with nutella.  The coffee is still espresso but they usually make it longer- so it is brewed longer for a less concentrated espresso- and they sometimes add more hot water or milk- which makes an americano or a latte macchiato.

The most common breakfast to order at a bar [which is what they call a cafe] is a cappuccino with a something filled croissant.  Of course my favorite filling is nutella, but you can get different kinds of fruit spreads as well.  Things I have noticed while drinking coffee out: most people add an entire packet of sugar to their drinks- whether its a cappuccino, an espresso, a caffe macchiato-  they don't seem to be concerned about too much sugar.  Of course I follow suit because do what the locals do, right? Another thing I have noticed is that some people prefer to have only a cappuccino for breakfast and thats it.  For me, that would never be enough and my stomach would be growling in like 30 minutes.  But for some Italians, milk as enough of a breakfast- at least until midmorning when they might have a snack or something.

Also, I know in this region of Italy, coffee culture is very different than it is in southern Italy.  Here, people sit to drink their coffee and it doesn't cost any extra to sit down in the bar.  When I was in Rome and Florence two years ago, I noticed that most people ordered their espresso at the bar, paid, drank it at the bar and peaced out.  In those regions, they will charge extra if you want to sit because then you are getting table service.  Whereas if you just drink it at the bar, they hand it right to you and you hand the empty cup right back.  I am thankful that people sit here and drink their coffee slower, because it is one of the small pleasures in life that I most enjoy.

I suppose that is enough about coffee... So since this part of Italy is so close to Austria and Germany there are many more regional dishes that are closer to German than I expected.  Of course there is the typical pasta, pizza, wine thing here but there are also pork sausages, dumplings, and beer.  I have had good examples of both, but probably more typical Italian cuisine.  The most interesting thing about pizza is that its so thin, you can eat a whole pizza and not feel uncomfortably full, which is what most people do.  I always forget about this so when a whole pizza is placed in front of me, I get nervous that I won't be able to finish it and look rude.  But then I have no trouble polishing the whole thing off :)

Other regional specialties include, apple strudel, spinach and ricotta ravioli, lamb dishes, speck dumplings and apricot dumplings and many more that I haven't tried or don't know what they are.  Italians also have something called aperitif, which is something like a happy hour.  People go to bars to have drinks and small snack like chips, nuts or olives as a sort of appetizer for their dinner.  Italians are very concerned with digestion and having an alcoholic drink before a meal is supposed to open up the stomach for more food- and then having one after the meal is supposed to help with digestion of the meal.  This is also why cappuccinos are only mostly drunk in the morning- because the dairy is heavier and harder to digest- this gives your body time to digest it throughout the day.

I think I have also figured out why Europeans are thinner.  Among other things, they just walk so much more! The other day I went and checked on my phone how much I had walked, and it was 7 miles! I had just been running errands, and took a walk for fun.  I love walking so I don't even notice that I am actually walking a decent amount everyday.  Some days are more like 2 or 3, but still... Going to the gym to walk on a treadmill sounds so strange now- and way more boring.

Well this was longer than I had intended.  I hope it was as interesting to you as it is to me!
Ciao!

Cafe Macchiato [Espresso with a bit of steamed milk]

Latte Macchiato [Steamed milk with a bit of espresso] 

~closest thing to an American latte but too much milk for my taste

Cappuccino and apple strudel

Giant apple packaging warehouse I toured. 

{Apples trees are just as prevalent as grapes in this region!}

Italian aperitif 

One gelato, two gelato, three gelato, four....

The question is, how many gelatos is it acceptable to have in one week... in a day? Also, what makes one gellateria better than another and what is truly the best flavor of italian gelato????  I have decided it is my quest to figure this out.  Someone has to, right?!

But seriously, gelato is everywhere.  And it is dang good.  Even though Merano has so much influence from Germany and Austria- their gelato is on point.  I suppose maybe its not too hard to mess up ice cream or maybe I am biased and like every kind of ice cream there is... but this stuff is gooooood.  The flavors are so interesting too.  It is actually a thing that nutella and hazelnuts are all over the place here.  Gelato, chocolate bars, croissants, cakes.. are all very common to have hazelnuts.  So far, this is my favorite flavor partly because its not so common in America and also its just really good.  Next post maybe I will talk a little about Italian coffee.  Ok enough about food and more about what I have been up to the past week.

So today is like literally treacherous weather outside.  On my walk home in the pouring rain and wind (as I was laughing to myself at my circumstances and feeling a little nostalgic of Ireland), I wanted nothing more than to sit inside with a huge mug of steaming hot chocolate, a baked good, and write a blog post.  So here I am, sipping my hot chocolate, hoping that the weather is not so treacherous when I have to go outside again in a few hours [insert crying emoji].

This past week has been pretty low key with a few random excursions and events that are worth sharing.  Merano is a city that is famous for its spas- meaning really fancy hotels with the extreme pampering opportunities, so spa treatments like massages, skin treatments, nail treatments, and also things like fitness programs, thermal baths, pools and saunas.  The most famous in Merano is called the Terme.  So I decided to take advantage of this beautiful facility that is only ten minutes away from the apartment to take one of the fitness classes as a sort of free trial.  Did I mention that most of the tourists here are retirees? Yes, well I went to this Pilates class (that was in Italian mind you) and I was definitely the only person under at least 50 years old.  I still had a lot of fun and the instructor was kind enough to include some english for me- and I think some of the other participants kinda liked having a younger person there.  They even invited me to the pool after the lesson! Sadly I had other obligations, but told them maybe next time.

This weekend was a girls weekend- Emanuele was away for work so the three of us (Barbara, Beatrice and I) planned a day trip to a neighboring city called Bolzano which is basically a larger version of Merano.  Can I just say that I LOVE train travel? No motion sickness like with busses, and no long lines like the airport.  The landscape is incredible here as well so train travel is definitely the best way to go to see the surroundings and get where you are going quickly.  Mostly we just walked the streets, did some shopping and got gelato of course.  But we did go to an archaeology museum with one of the oldest mummys in the world-  I forgot how fascinating ancient history is so this was really fun for me to learn about.  The mummy or "ice man" is called Otzi-  He was found in the Otzal Alps in South Tyrol in 1991 by some recreational hikers who took some pictures and informed an archaeologist, who returned to the site about a week later to discover more about the body.  The mummy is the first most well preserved find of a human that is at least 5,000 years old, and alongside his body were many well preserved artifacts that helped to identify when he was living.  So he actually died before Stonehenge was built to give a point of reference-  this guy is really old!  It was very cool to have something SO OLD be right in front of me.

My other recent adventures consist of walking around the many paths in Merano and going up to a nearby village to hike around to a castle.  The rest of my free time is usually spent walking or sitting along the river, walking along the streets and looking at shops, trying a new place for coffee or gelato, reading, writing, or planning excursions or weekend trips. The other "down time" that I have with Beatrice is spent coloring, painting, playing barbies, baby dolls, restaurant, library.. you name it, this girl likes to play.  Otherwise we are going to and from school and ballet, working on homework or practicing English, and eating meals together.

A friend told me this summer, "Maybe the Lord knew you needed a period of rest and rejuvenation".  And I think she is right- of course the Lord knows everything but somehow His plan is working just how it needs to in this time in my life.  Unexpected or not, it has been good for me to work on trusting in whatever the future holds and that the timing will be good and right.  This time has forced me to do some soul searching and lots of thinking because I spend so much time alone, so in that respect it has been good to figure out what kind of a person I am/want to be when nobody else is influencing my decisions.  This is probably more than you care to know so anyways thanks for being interested in the happenings here in Merano :)

Here are some of my moms pictures from her short stay in Merano:

And here are some randoms of around Merano:

City streets

Shameless selfie because #solotravel

Fall is coming here too!

Part of my daily walk to and from school

Classic italian breakfast: Cappuccino and croissant

The pools at the Terme

New Routines

Hello all!

[I took this from my bedroom window...I know, right?]

So today marks a week in Merano.  Can't believe its already been a week! It has been a week of discovering many of the things that Merano has to offer including: the beauty of the landscape and panoramic views, the delicious regional foods, the history and mix of German and Italian culture, and of course learning the routines of the house and more about each member of the family I am living with.

When my mom and I arrived last weekend we were a little tired from traveling and not sure what to say or do as first meetings can sometimes be awkward.  We were both very excited to get here though and finally meet the family I have been only communicating with via email, WhatsApp, and occasionally FaceTime.  Barbara had already planned for us to rest a little bit and then they had made a reservation at a nice pizzeria for the 5 of us.  It was such a great introduction to Merano and the family- also really great pizza [insert emoji with tongue out].  My mom's last day here, we wandered the city in the morning and then in the afternoon we all went up to a popular walk/hike that overlooks the city.  The sun was shining, our bellies were full of delicious food, we were with great company and a great view- it is a day that I will smile at in the future.

Saying goodbye to my mom was not so fun.  She was making her way back to the U.S. alone - which can be intimidating in a country where you don't speak the language - and I was about to stay with a family that I just met for three months.  (She also had a few travel issues-canceled flights and such- which was no fun for her).  Although three months is relatively not that long, after spending practically every minute with someone for 7 days straight and then not at all for awhile is weird and sad.  All that to say, I've missed my mom this week.

On the other hand, I have enjoyed beginning to find a routine here and figure out the bus system (YAY!) and be able to navigate through the city to find things I need or want.  My main duties as an au pair are to clean around the house and do some shopping while Beatrice is at school, pick her up from school and make lunch for the both of us, and then play or do an activity until mom gets home.  The upcoming weeks will be a little different with Beatrice starting ballet lessons and me starting Italian lessons (!).  This first weekend we have all been together has been very low key.  It is so interesting to observe and be a part of a true Italian family with all their routines and things they like to do in their free time.  Namely, on Saturday night they typically eat out and on Sunday there is usually some outing or activity where lunch is eaten out of the house and they are usually back before dinner.

So for this weekend, we went to a restaurant/brewhaus with typical foods from this region which is the South Tyrol region.  There are a lot of influences from Germany here, about 70% of the population is German and the rest are Italian.  So with that, some of the cuisine is actually German - so for example I had pork schnitzel and potatoes with cranberries.  I am getting a taste of combined cultures which is kinda fun.  The German influence is also evident in many of the names of towns or cities in the region.  Merano is the Italian name for the city but Meran is the German name.  On many of the road signs you will see Merano/Meran to indicate the city.  Many people have also started talking to me in German because I am blond, which I guess is a compliment that they don't automatically speak to me in English?

A few things that I have found noteworthy about Merano and Italy:
~It is a very clean city, not much dog poop to be found, although there are many dogs.
~It is actually pretty touristy- mainly for middle aged and older people, and some families- the region is famous for its spas and wine.
~Many of the hills are covered in grapevines and apples [instead of sheep dotting the hills like in Ireland :)].
~It actually will get decently cold in November- not quite like Minnesota- but colder than I imagined I suppose.
~Lastly, I just love observing normal life for the people here.  Although there are cultural and language differences, I am constantly reminded that we are all humans on this earth and pretty much do the same things just with a few different twists.  [insightful thought for the day]

This is a little long I suppose, but thanks for reading again.  I am so thankful to have the opportunity to explore and learn on this great big earth! So thanks to all of you for being interested in my adventures.

Until next time, arrivederci!

Fresh grape juice, yum!

Photocreds: Mom :)

Part of Merano's main drag

From today's outing~Dad and daughter

One whirlwind of a week

Time seems to be going too fast these days.  Maybe I am just realizing the concept of time because I am older, or maybe life is just going alright lately and I don't want the good parts to go by so fast.

I have arrived in Merano and the first few days here are like something out of a dream.  I can post pictures, but really they don't do this city justice.  Its the most beautiful place I will have had the opportunity to live in thus far in my 22 years of life.  I am excited to watch the seasons turn and see the unique variety of landscape - the river that cuts through the city, the mountains, the vineyards, and green grass and trees - that surrounds me every day.

The family I am staying with has been so thoughtful and gracious to our needs and brought my mom and I to a few different fun places around the city to get a good feel for it. Barbara and Emanuele both work for a kind of nutritional detox company where many wealthy people come to stay for a week or so and get a detox of sorts. Its very interesting and of course I LOVE that they love and are interested in food and health and all that.  Beatrice (or Bea-treet-cha in Italian), is a darling, sweet girl that is 8 years old. I am looking forward to spending time with her and the whole family in the coming weeks.

More to come on Merano later, but maybe you are curious about what my mom and I have been up to in the past week? Well, if you are reading this I suppose that means you are interested anyways so here I go:
Our first "stop" was Frankfurt, Germany.  We actually had an 8 hour layover there that happened to be in the morning/afternoon, so we went into the city to just explore, shop, and have a meal.  Its a very lovely city with some nice churches, and shopping streets and a river like most European cities.

Our real first stop was Dubrovnik, Croatia.   It is on the southern coast of Croatia on the edge of the Adriatic Sea.  Whew! How to even describe this place? We had really great weather our whole trip, although it was like incredibly hot in Croatia I suppose it fit the atmosphere.  The whole time we were there, my mom and I kept saying it reminded us of other places we've been or seen in pictures.  It was a very long list that included: Spain, Prague, Rome, Greece, and Russia.  There was a little bit of mediterranean, and a little European and eastern European.  I said Rome because it is so old and many of the structures of the city are a brownish/tan stone.

Highlights of Dubrovnik:

• The view from our apartment was incredible.  Like something out of a movie.  We could see the Island Lokrum and also the Old Town of Dubrovnik from where we were staying.  (We did climb about 230 steps to get up there everyday but the view was worth it)
• We went kayaking and swimming in the Adriatic Sea.  The kayak tour brought us to some very unique sea caves that had cool rocks and very clear water. Most of the beaches there were also rock beaches and not sand beaches which was very interesting to us. I also witnessed my first nude beach.... {insert embarrassed emoji} something I will not forget! Anyways, the day was beautiful, the water was cold and clear ~~ it will remain a happy day in my mind.
• The old town has all these winding little back alleys where it is very easy to just wander and get a little lost in - which is exactly what we did.  So of course we stumbled upon the sweetest old Croatian couple who could hardly speak English but they were selling handmade lace and embroidery items like table clothes, table runners etc. They were so excited to talk to us and try to tell us about their handiwork with charades and broken English.  It was a beautiful thing!

An afternoon in Frankfurt, Germany

LOL. A special {accidental} shot of me and this man [insert crying/laughing emoji]

The view from our apartment (and my beautiful mama)

Mom and I at the Adriatic Sea

Next was Zagreb and the Plitvice National Park:

• Zagreb is further north in Croatia and the Plitvice lakes are about 2 hours away from Zagreb so we took a day trip there.  I can't really even try to describe the national park, so I will only put a few pictures of it.  But it was one of the most well  preserved naturally beautiful places I have seen.  It is not very often that you see something so beautiful that has remained undisturbed by human hands for many many years.  We walked all day around 16 different lakes with thousands of waterfalls and what we saw was only 2% of the entire national park.  I can't even imagine how big it must be! 

Mom and I hanging out in Zagreb

Our guide at Plitvice National Park

Plitvice National Park

From Croatia, we traveled to Salzburg, Austria to see the city for one day. My favorite parts of Salzburg were:

• Going to the Hohensalzburg Fortress- The views from the top were ah-maze-ing and it was interesting to learn more about the history of the fortress and the city.  
• Mirabell Gardens: This was one of the places that the Sound of Music was supposedly filmed and it was beautiful! I think the combination of the fountains, colorful flowers and plants and the view with the fortress in the background was a perfect combo for me to include it in my highlights. It was also a perfect day for sightseeing- not to hot and not too cold.
• I would have to say the last highlight I will talk about here is from a very pleasant cafe and we of course had to try apple strudel from Austria.  It was delicioso.  Another thing to note is that the coffee in Europe is not like in America.  Espresso comes in this tiny little mug and people drink it almost in one gulp.  I have begun to really like cappuccinos because they are not so strong and I can take at least a few sips to drink it and can savor it a bit more ;) I already know I might be missing those pumpkin spice lattes from America once October rolls around. But for now, cappuccinos for me!

Salzburg!

This is already pretty long so I will cut it off here.  Tomorrow I will tackle the Italian bus system alone to take little Beatrice home from school! Wish me luck!

From one adventure to the next!

Hello friends and family!

This is going to be a blog about the adventures, challenges, joys, and experiences I am about to have for the next few months as an au pair in Italy.  I have truly enjoyed blogging my travels in the past so I hope you all will enjoy staying updated on the experiences I will have in Italy!

As many of you know, I graduated this spring from St. Ben's with a degree in nutrition.  This next year I am taking as a gap year of sorts. After not getting matched for a dietetic internship, I wasn't exactly sure what was going to happen this year so when the opportunity to go to Italy for a few months and be an au pair sort of landed in my lap- I couldn't help myself from dreaming big. After figuring out the details and finding out that it would work out, I decided to take the plunge into the unknown!

This summer I worked as a canoe instructor at HoneyRock which is a camp in northern Wisconsin.  It was a whirlwind of an experience and the transitions have been quick and a little too rushed for my taste.  But diving right into camp after graduation was one of the best things in my life.  It was just what I needed for personal and spiritual growth and to be in such an uplifting and encouraging community after having some hard goodbyes at school.  Anywho- I am transitioning yet again into another big unknown by spending a few months in Italy and I have only a few ideas for what to expect.  Somehow I am remaining pretty calm about it all I am just more excited to get there and meet the family I will be staying with.

I am leaving this Friday with my mom, who with quite the sense of adventure herself, jumped at the opportunity to travel with me a bit before I actually head to the city I will be living in.  We will be hitting some new places for both of us! On Friday (tomorrow! EEK) we will fly into Dubrovnik, Croatia and spend a few days traveling around in Croatia and make our way up to Austria for a few days and finally, to Merano, Italy which will be where I am stationed for the next few months.  It is very close to Austria and is surrounded by mountains, which I am so excited to be able to see and experience for an extended period of time! I will be living with the family I am going to be an au pair for, they have one daughter- Beatrice- who is about 8 years old and the parents are very well educated and have been so kind and welcoming already and I haven't even met them in person yet.

I have one more piece of bad news and one more piece of good news.  We will start with the bad per usual.  As you may have seen from Facebook, we put our dear Bernie down this week.  He was in the advanced stages of heart failure so it was time for him to go and we wanted to make sure we could be there and he would die peacefully.  Maybe it sounds dumb to some people who have lost more than a pet in their family, and I realize that this death is much different than a human death.  But that doesn't make it any less sad and hard for my family as he was around for 15 years and was a part of many transitions in our family, including marriages, the adoption, people leaving for college etc.  Anyways, Bernie was a good one.  Makes it hard to believe how fast 15 years can go by!

The last piece of news is a good one. This week I also accepted a job offer to work at HoneyRock in the winter when I return from Italy.  I will be part of a program called Ministry Service Team and my role will be with programming.  That means I will be doing scheduling for retreats in the winter and making sure the retreat groups get to all of their activities and then hang out with them at some of the activities.  Its honestly such a relief to be able to say I have a job when I return from Italy.  This year has been such a big question mark for me and to have something like this to look forward to- to return to a beautiful place with beautiful people- is very exciting.  The Lord works in mysterious ways, but he sure knows what he is doing as the timing for all of this couldn't have worked out better.

Next post will probably be about my crazy adventure with my mom, which we always seem to have a few good stories after traveling together :)  And also about arriving in Italy and meeting the family.

Happy ending of summer to you all, thanks for reading!

A few pics of Bernie just because :)