Packing up, yet again!

So, I got the fellowship!! yah!!! I cannot wait to go to Greece. I have been researching the places that I am going and finding places to stay this past week, inbetween writing both of my papers. I wrote my music essay yesterday in 8 hours. Yes, that is right. 3,500 words in 8 hours. I turned it in and am now done until June 3rd. My exam is just a 90 minute writing session. It should be easy enough. I wrote the essay for that class, too. It was actually really interesting once I started doing the research. I'm glad to be done with my essays!!

Here is my itinerary for Greece:

FLY OUT OF LONDON- 13th May

May 13th - 15th: Athens
Dimitri (CRAMP)
Phone #: 00306992390154
He is working till 6pm, but he said to call and we will work it out.
Address: Find Platia Amerikas & he will pick me up
Lelas Karagianni 15
Athens, Attiki, 11473

May 16th – 19th: Iraklion, Crete
Stelios Papardelas
MSN: stepup88@hotmail.com
*Waiting on phone number
Taking ferry from mainland to Crete, he will pick me up at 6am.


May 19th – 22nd: Sparti
Lefteris Xanthakis
Phone#: 6973989777
Possibly picking me up at the port in Athens and driving down to Sparti.

May 22nd – 25th: Patra
Petros Kolotours
*Waiting on phone number
He is a university student and has a friend, Giorgos Kakavas
(Phone#: 00306937185677)that I might split the days with.

May 25th – 28th Rafina
Spiros Misokilis
Phone #: 00306978998963
He is a photographer, but may not have loads of free time. Hopefully, I will take a
day trip out to Mykonos island. I’ve heard it is very interesting!

FLY OUT OF ATHENS- 28TH May
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I really hope that I have not spread my time too thin. I wasn't sure what all there would be to see in each place and don't want to stay in one place the entire time. Plus, no CSer would let me stay for two weeks..I don't think. I have talked to all of my hosts online and they all seem pretty relaxed, so it should be a good time. One is a student in Patra. I will be sleeping on his floor..Should be interesting. :) Another is in the olive business, which should be really cool to learn about and see from a local perspective. At least two do some work as photographers, which will be helpful. Stelios, in Crete, said that he should be able to show me around quite a bit, so I am excited for that as well! Overall, it should be a great trip!

I am trying not to idealize any of the places, as I really do not know what to expect. Of course, each stay, each host, each town will be different, but building up expectations is not what I want to do. Just because Petros is a student does not mean that his life will be completely different or even similar to mine. I have no idea what it will be like and I love that fact! I leave on Monday night to catch a bus from Swansea to London Gatwick. It's an overnight coach, 10:30 to 4:00 in the a.m. My plane leaves at 6:20 a.m. and gets in around noon in Athens. I have to get ahold of my first host, so that should be interesting. I really hope my phone works there. I checked online and the Orange website says that it will.

I still have some things to get done before I leave. I need to top-up my phone at the store, so that I will have a receipt. I also have to get some traveling items, like soap and ssunscreen. I also want to get a book on Greek language/culture/places to see. It will be helpful and give me something to read on the bus and plane. I have yet to decide if I want to take my iPod. I feel like if I have it, I am so disconnected from the world. Sometimes that is a good thing, but I think the point of this whole trip is to be very connected to the modern and traditional world. If I am constantly plugged in, then what's the point? Well, I guess I just answered my own question. I am not taking it. ;) All that is left is packing on Sunday/Monday during the day. Saturday will be spent getting things that I need and just relaxing. Sunday is Carnage here in Swansea and it's Tricia's last day, so it will be a crazy day alltogether!! Monday morning will probably not find me in any mood to pack, but I know that will need to do one last load of laundry and finish packing in the afternoon.

I cannot wait for Greece! it is just another great opportunity that the universe has put at my footsteps. I will take advantage of every moment, learning as much as I can and documenting it all with my camera! I will try and write as much as I can over the two weeks, but I cannot guarantee anything. I will be keeping a written account, too, so it will get in here eventually!! See you in two weeks!!

Wish me luck!

always changing...

So, I never realized, until just now, how much I have changed since I left home. It's amazing how leaving everything you know for something completely new and different makes you question everything you thought you knew about life and yourself. I don't think I've ever changed so much in such a short period of time...and the funny thing is that I am not quite sure if it's been a good change or a bad one. I think that has a lot to do with the fact that at home, I am that person who does what they are supposed to do all the time. Here, without all of the responsibilities, it has been nice to not do the right thing all the time. That is not to say that I am doing all the wrong things, but when you've known one sort of lifestyle..pretty straight arrow most of your life it's nice to be able to let loose once in a while. I think that I just took way too much advantage of this fact and now I am really going to have to buckle down and get things done. I need to learn how to find a happy medium between being the "good kid" and the "fun kid," if that makes any sense. Even though I am at the point where I am questioning some of the things that I have done over here in Wales, I would not say that I regret any of it...not one thing. I have had the most fun I have ever had in my life in Wales. I have met some of the best people, lifelong friends, here in Swansea. I have tried new things, seen new places and experienced so much.

Now, I have one week to write a paper on Tim O'Brien's "The Things They Carried" and a little over a week to write a paper on popular music and the mass media. I have yet to choose my topic for that paper. I know that I should have started on these papers the week I got back from Spring Break, but like I said before I have been having a lot of fun, not really worrying about the little things. It's also hard to get motivated to write these papers because classes are pretty boring. They have interesting subjects, but the teaching style over here is so different and impersonal that it is hard to find the motivation to go to class, much less write two 4,000 word papers. It won't be so bad, though. I have one class tomorrow, then I am spending the rest of the day at the library. On Tuesday, I have two classes, then again to the library. Wednesday, Thursday and Friday will be research and writing days as well. Apparently the campus is closed on Sunday, so Saturday will be my last chance to do any research for the one paper. It is not going to be a hard paper to write, I just need to make myself sit down and type it out. I have seven days to write 4,000 words. That averages out to less than 600 words per day. I am thinking that I will break up my paper by going through the different stories in the book and breaking them down individually, showing how O'Brien fictionalizes the war in each story with the different characters. I think that I should really try to have my paper done by Thursday or Friday, so that I can start on my other paper. It is a bit shorter in length, topping out at 3,500 words. It's also about music and media, so I will be able to research that easily and write it up pretty quickly. Once I am done with these two papers I only have one exam on the 3rd of June, then I am done. I will have basically three weeks after my exam to do whatever I want. I also have three free weeks before my exam after I turn in my music paper on the 12th. I am not sure what I am going to do with my time. Until I find out about the fellowship, I cannot really plan the last three weeks. I believe I will spend about a week and a half before my exam studying, but I would also love to travel to Spain and see some of northern Wales. I have heard that it is really pretty up there.

All that said, this last week was pretty insane. I know that I should've spent time working on my papers, but I really do feel like I needed to just do what I wanted and not worry, for once, about anything. It was a lot of fun and I would do it over again if I had the chance. There's nothing better that having fun with friends, laughing, listening to awesome music, meeting new people from different countries, hanging around a bonfire and playing cards all in one week! I loved every minute of it!

Will they really bring Wisdom?

Wisdowm Teeth are overrated, I think. The hurt like crazy and cause all sorts of problems, not wisdom...lol... Seriousloy, though, they do hurt so much. My bottom ones are coming in now and it is not a pleasant experience. On the other hand because of this and what I think is an allergic reaction to the wonderful mold that is in our building I got to experience the NHS, National Healthcare System. I was able to go to a doctor on campus, for free. I was also able to get a prescription for an antibiotic, for free. I guess if you are a citizen it isn't really free because you pay higher taxes, but to me it is free. I think a lot of people take advantage of that while they are here. That can be a bad thing, especially if they don't realize what goes into a nationalized service like that. I do like the idea, though. I am not sure how easy it would be to implement in the US, but I definitely think once it was enacted, it would be well worth the hassle. People who are sick should be taken care of. They already have enough burden being sick, then having to mess with paying tons and tons of money for doctor's fees and medication. It is just outrageous!!

Aside from the politics of the situation, I am finally feeling better after two nights of no/little sleep and much throwing up. The medication had a bad effect on me because I had not eaten much the days before due to my teeth being sore. I was taking the medicine on an empty stomach and it was causing my stomach to cramp up. It was probably the worst pain I have ever felt in my life. There was nothing that would ease it and I couldn't sleep because of it. I would start to fall asleep and wake up with a pain and then try and thrown up. It was plain misery! Thank goodness that has passed! I will say one more thing, the convenience of being in the US is definitely something that we all, myself included, take advantage of every day! I never realized how easy it was to get things done or get ahold of people in the States. I was sick and didn't know what to do. It was a little nerving. I got it figured out, though, and now I know what to do in the future. That is what this trip is all about, I guess, figuring things out in a new environment!

Florence!!- 28-31 (SB6)

I will never forget the days in Florence with Cris, Marcello, Fabio, Fernando, Adriana, Fernando, Cris's brother, Yuri (Mr.U) and all of the other friends that came and went through the apartment. It was the most amazing time of my life! We had some drinks and laughed a lot, listened to good music, took lots of photos, made new friends, walked a lot, chilled on the bridge, met creepy Italians, listened to an array of languages in the house and had loads of fun doing all of this!! We saw the Duomo and Plazza del Michaelangelo, which were both amazing! Seeing the sun set over Florence from atop the Plazza will forever be engrained in my memory. I have a feeling Cris and I will stay in touch, too. I hope to go back and visit him someday and I know that he wants to come to Wales, so we will meet again! Overall, the best 2 1/2 days of my life!!! I cannot even really write down all that I want to, to explain how great my time in Florence was. It is one of those experiences that really is just better kept inside and treasured. I learned so much about different cultures. I mean, I don't know much Spanish and definitely don't know Portugese. The guys and their friends are Brazillian, so Portugese is their first language. Cris spoke very good English, but I liked sitting back listening to them all talk to each other. I think that was the first time in my life when I realized how hard it must be for people in America that don't speak english as their first language. You really feel lost and kind of left out. You have no idea what is being said or if someone is talking about you. It is very confusing and frustrating! I loved it though!

We had to leave early in the morning on the 31st and it was sad to say goodbye to Marcello and Cris. We had really just began to bond with everyone and I did not want to leave, but Venice was calling us! We got Cris a mini soccer ball and we all signed it, along with the recipe cards that Mel and I made up. they had traditional American recipes on them. When Cris saw his gift, he almost started crying and I was so excited that he liked it. Someone else had wanted to get him wine, but I knew from talking to him that a soccer ball would be much better! Again, I will never forget those days, the people or the lessons learned!

Rome- March 26-28 (SB5)

Couchsurfing is not for everyone, pointe blank!!!!!!!!!! People who want dates or hookups or those who flirt constantly don't couchsurf! It is not a good idea for you or your host/hostees. That said, we had a horrible experience with Nik in Rome. He seemed nice, but turned out creepy. His friends seemed nice, too, but now who knows!? Other than our host problems, we did really have a good time in Rome. We saw the Pantheon, Colloseum, Roman Forum, Campo del Fiori, the Spanish Steps and the Vatican! Everything was amazing! I had seen some of these places before, but was glad to go back and excited for the new palces. I got my hair cut near Vatican City and we ate lots of Gelato!! Even though we all had fun in Rome during out day excursions, we were all ready to get the heck out of Rome due to Nik. It was just not a good situation. We were all looking very forward to Florence! We caught an early evening train to Florence and were very excited to meet Cris and his roommates.

London- March 22-25 (SB4)

I though London would be larger than it was, but it was still fun. I saw Buckingham Palace, Hyde Park, Big Ben, Trafalgar Square, The National Gallery and The Portrait Gallery. We were in London with Janny's dad, which was cool, aside from the 14 immature high school girls. I can understand it though, as I was also once 17. There were also a few parents along on the trip, plus 3 tour guides. It was a fun time, getting lost in a larger group. Some of the stuff the girls did was eye opening to how I might've acted as an ignorant high school kid when I was overseas before. They would laugh at things that were clearly just different than American culture, not weird. The time with the group and J got old fairly quickly. I got sick of listening to J be fake to the parents of the kids. She acted so different, like she had to act older because her dad is the coach or something. I cannot stand it when people do that. The parents were very cool. I talked to them and I know that had J just been herself they would have liked her just the same. Oh well, you can't change how people are I guess. You can only make sure you act like you want others to see you..and for me that is just me being me.

During the trip I took pictures of the girls playing soccer, which was fun for me. That may have been my favorite part. We did geet a chance to go out one night in London. We went with Graeme and Nick, two of the tour guides. They took us to the Cheers! bar in Picadilly. It was fun minus the drama. J lost her phone in the taxi on the way there and then she was freaking out about it even though there was nothing she could do. The night was fun aside from that and all the creepy guys at the bar. That happens everywhere, so it wasn't a big deal. The next day we headed up North to Manchester, where the girls did some training. One of their games got cancelled due to field conditions, so we all went to Warwick Castle instead. That was pretty fun. It was definitely more of a kid-oriented place, but still fun. I took some photos and got to have some alone time just walking around the grounds. That was just what I needed! That night, the girls did have a game. We went to the game, but had to leave from the fields to catch our bus. We had called a taxi, but as we were heading up to the parking lot the owner of the travel company offered us a ride to the bus station. Even though we felt bad for leaving the taxi waiting, we could not turn down a free ride. We both knew it would save us money and with most of the trip still ahead every little bit would help! We got to the bus station to catch out 6 1/2 hour bus to Stansted. It was a decent trip and we got our plane just fine after meeting up with Melaney and Kelly in the airport. We were all so ready to leave the UK and embrace Italy for the next week!!

Germany- 19-22 (SB3)

Janny and I caught our flight from Stansted to Munich early in the morning on the 19th. We spent some time in the airport talking to a guy from the States. He had been in the airport since 6 pm the night before and was still waiting for his friends to get there, so they could catch a flight together to Italy. We decided to call him Ryan. Being the silly, forgetful people that we are we never asked him his name. Oh well. I think I like making up names better anyways! We got into Munich and caught a bus to the main train station. It is really close to a lot of the major tourist attractions and the shops. We walked around the area for a while. I had seen all of it before, but it was still nice. I got to be a tour guide for Janny, which was interesting and funny! It started snowing, so of course, we took pictures of us in the snow in Germany. We also bought scarves, mine blue and Janny's pink. Getting those scarves was quite an adventure. We had our packs on and decided it would be a good idea to venture into the tiniest shop in the world. I am pretty sure that I hit every single person in there with my bag. That is when we decided to start calling our bags the "overly large baby attached to our backs!!" It started to get cold with the snow, so we decided to go back to the train station and get to Kyle's house.

Kyle picked us up at the train station in Parsberg. I was really excited to see him again! J and I were both so tired and ready for a shower...but first dinner. Kyle took us out to eat at the same place where he took Mel and I before. After dinner, we drove home then played with Jolie. We took showers and basically passed out upstairs.

Overall Germany was really fun. I got to spend time with Kyle, which is always a plus anytime! I even got to spend some alone time with him, playing FIFA and MLS on Playstation. It was a lot of fun even though he kicked my butt everytime!lol... Sonja came down again for the weekend as did her parents. Aside from Sonja's smoking, I love spending time with her, Kyle and her parents. They are always so much fun. It is so interesting to spend time with people that are not American, because it really is a challenge to listen and talk to people that don't speak English well or at all. After a fun-filled three days, it was time to go to the airport. Kyle and Sonja dropped us off at the airport. They were heading to Tiffany's to get an engagement ring. I was so excited for him!! He texted me right when I got into London to tell me that they were officially engaged!! I am really excited for their wedding in June and for the little ones to come, hopefully soon!!!

Germany is always a fun experience and I always learn something new while I am there. This time I learned what the story is behind the mushroom coffee shop in Regensburg. I decided to ask this time and the man was very eager to tell the story. He said during the 50s/60s the government commissioned the building of five or six of these mushrooms. The reason behind it..I am not sure. The man wasn't sure how to explain it in English. However, the one in Regensburg is only one of a few left in Europe. Now, it is a historic site, preserved by the government. I really though this was interesting!