Hi all. I am in Budapest, Hungary and leaving for Romania tomorrow morning. We have been so incredibly busy here that my posting activities seem to have become obsolete. I can not possibly relay the informatino of everything that has been happening here, but I can retell a few of the highlights and then catch up to you in detail a little later (if possible, right?).
-Many fun and new friends in Bratislava, including late night romping around castles on hills, dancedance parties, and lake swims
-a 24-hour no-sleeping escapade on the streets of Vienna
-BUDAPEST. It is SUCH an amaízing city: so romantic, creative, stimulating, beautiful, comfortable with itself, and ever-changing. It is a really fabulous place. I hope to come back here and I could see myself living here. We changed our plans the last minute, traveling from Slovokia to Hungary instead of Romania first so at the last minute, we had no place to stay. We found an excellent hostel and made quick and fantastic friends with the awesome staff--a bunch of fun young guys from the city. We spent the remaining time actually couchsurfing with a last minute dude named Jozsef. We was sweet and we had a good time with him. Highlight activities: the thermal baths (this huge beautiful complex of large, heated Turkish baths--both indoor and out), bikeriding around the city and to an island in the middle of the Danube, frollicking around the castle district in the Buda hills, amazing night clubs (open air gardens), fun music, cheesecake for desert (?), cobblestone, breathtaking (literally) architecture, and endless picnics. The architecture here is so phenomenal--more on this when i have time. Also, more on everything when i have time. you know i like thorough posts, but havent the time right now.
all my love to you all on the other side of the ocean. romania tomorrow for 4 days, then croatia until the 9th, then prague till 13th, then berlin till 17th, then either helsinki or directly to ESPANA!
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Monday, August 24, 2009
I said don't give me the brush off; this is big
Aug 23, 2009
Currently listening to: Where do you go to my (lovely), Peter Sarstedt (Darjeeling Limited Soundtrack—which is really fascinating, because, as you will see in my post, this fits eerily well with the content of this blog….it’s a French song in a movie about three American men traveling to India. We get the west meeting with the east, their uncomfortable co-occupation, traveling, and the inevitable searching and learningàthe mission of their journey. Hopefully I come to such enlightening conclusions, as well. Just like the movies, si?).
First, flying. Josh and I took off early in the morning on Megabus to Chicago, mostly sleeping along the way while I also snuck in Kevin’s traveling mix from time to time (which was really good, mister). We stopped for a break somewhere in the middle of Illinios, where all the megabuses usually stop, and we were right near a cornfield. Josh and I saw it appropriate to walk into the cornfield until we could see nothing but corn around us and sky above us. It was a first for both of us that we needed to check off the list; and plus, it was a good tribute to the Midwest. One last little hoorah for our home. (Hi, St. Louis!)
In Chicago we navigated our way to O’Hare, endured many hours until our 9:55pm flight (which we worried we would be delayed, seeing as the weather was rather mischievous that night). The sleep in the flight was the worst sleep of my life—this was because the armrests were waaay too damn low. If they had been higher, like on most other airlines, I could have rested my head on it and gotten some freakin shut-eye. Instead, maybe an hour of sleep for a flight that left at 10pm and arrived in London at 11:15am. Not the best. In London, Josh and I boogied around the airport for a little doing this and that and then departing from each other’s company: Josh into London, and me to the central bus station where I waited for Alison, was hit on a by a British boy who was trying, obstinately, to dress like an Italian, and my first few hours observing Europe and hanging out with pigeons (so London, right?). Alison arrived (!) and we grabbed a quick bite, then hopped a bus to the Stanstead airport and flew to Slovakia. I passed the H out before the plane even took off. Maria greeted us at the airport with a favorite Slovakian snack (yum), we chatted (or is it chat, here?) until the wee hours and then, bed. Maria’s family is really sweet and her place is very nice. She is the most amazing host.
Today, technically our first day in Slovakia, we, of course, got a slower start (jet-lag). After a slow morning/afternoon of traditional Slovak lunch that her mother prepared, we headed out to visit an old castle about an hour away. Thoughts on the castle: Do I not like visiting any places that exhibit or demonstrate ornate wealth? It just kind of made me sick, upset, and completely guilty and stupid for spending time out of my life being there. I mean, I can’t believe how these people (royals) lived and how ridiculous their lives were. How could you ever feel human if all you did all day was “lie in bed day and entertain your visitors” (actual quote)? I’m serious. Will I be seeing this all over Europe? I imagine yes. Will I be feeling this way about everything?—I asked myself, then, what am I looking for in Europe—honestly? What I wrote in my private journal in response to this question was honestly: fun and adorable charmingness, I guess, like little alleys and cobblestone, music on patios, and cafes and colors, architecture. [I know I sound like a ridiculous, idealistic, and ignorant idiot, but after India, what can one expect?] Time envisioned prior: okay, now where does that get me. Perhaps in time I will learn that it is not about the intention or the reason but what I find. Does it not matter where I am, but what I’m doing? If so, then I don’t know: in the larger sense.
I keep thinking back to India, my last, most intense, and longest travel/international experience ever. I keep understanding a lot of my trip here by my trip there. Trying to understand myself as a traveler by the difference; trying to understand the world by the difference. The difference: obviously countless things. Notable things of the day: sheer number of people (all of the everything that that affects. It’s really amazing and I never realized that before—the affect of all those people, of mass populations, limited space), intentions of the people, downtime, how wealth relates to leisure, safety, organization and sanitization, things taken for granted. India was “so difficult, yet humble”, I wrote in my journal. Today, perhaps, I learned more things about India than I did about Slovakia and Europe. Isn’t that really interesting? Wow.
After the castle, we went back to Maja’s house and did some email stuff that we needed to do in order to prepare for the future of our trip; and then, into Bratislava. We toured the city at night with Maja’s friend Jenni (spelling?) and took some fun pictures. After dinner at a pub, the four of us met up with two guy friends at another pub, laughed, moved to our third pub of the evening where we played mean games of foosball (“table football”. Loosers had to crawl under the table) and called it a night.
I am already feeling very effected by things—just by new space and difference (though not stark—Europe is nowhere near uncomfortably different) and the lack of all the people in my life and the energy, day to day, that I usually have (energy as in energy intake from my surroundings, ie activites, people**). I already feel a small loneliness and an isolation. I think a lot of this has to do with the language barrier and the absence of typical activities throughout the day that I like to do. Dan, I had some song from the mix you gave Alex in my head all day, so my thoughts were often with you (hi! How’s grad school??). The true song of the day award goes to David Bowie’s Sound and Vision. You little bitch, you, torturing my mind for a good 10 hours. 12 hours. Good song, though. I used my senses of sound and vision quite a lot today, fueled only by David and his fabulous inertia. I don’t know why I said that. I think it’s cause I wanted to end this blog entry and didn’t really want to have to think about how to end it, so I just wrote something that didn’t quite work in order for you to want me to go away. So here I am, going away. Bye, everyone. How are you, good? Catherine, how’s the job/training? Naguine, New York? Any developments? Etc. Etc. You can all write comments on my blog and we could communicate back on forth on subject. Wouldn’t that be nice. Okay bye!!
Currently listening to: Where do you go to my (lovely), Peter Sarstedt (Darjeeling Limited Soundtrack—which is really fascinating, because, as you will see in my post, this fits eerily well with the content of this blog….it’s a French song in a movie about three American men traveling to India. We get the west meeting with the east, their uncomfortable co-occupation, traveling, and the inevitable searching and learningàthe mission of their journey. Hopefully I come to such enlightening conclusions, as well. Just like the movies, si?).
First, flying. Josh and I took off early in the morning on Megabus to Chicago, mostly sleeping along the way while I also snuck in Kevin’s traveling mix from time to time (which was really good, mister). We stopped for a break somewhere in the middle of Illinios, where all the megabuses usually stop, and we were right near a cornfield. Josh and I saw it appropriate to walk into the cornfield until we could see nothing but corn around us and sky above us. It was a first for both of us that we needed to check off the list; and plus, it was a good tribute to the Midwest. One last little hoorah for our home. (Hi, St. Louis!)
In Chicago we navigated our way to O’Hare, endured many hours until our 9:55pm flight (which we worried we would be delayed, seeing as the weather was rather mischievous that night). The sleep in the flight was the worst sleep of my life—this was because the armrests were waaay too damn low. If they had been higher, like on most other airlines, I could have rested my head on it and gotten some freakin shut-eye. Instead, maybe an hour of sleep for a flight that left at 10pm and arrived in London at 11:15am. Not the best. In London, Josh and I boogied around the airport for a little doing this and that and then departing from each other’s company: Josh into London, and me to the central bus station where I waited for Alison, was hit on a by a British boy who was trying, obstinately, to dress like an Italian, and my first few hours observing Europe and hanging out with pigeons (so London, right?). Alison arrived (!) and we grabbed a quick bite, then hopped a bus to the Stanstead airport and flew to Slovakia. I passed the H out before the plane even took off. Maria greeted us at the airport with a favorite Slovakian snack (yum), we chatted (or is it chat, here?) until the wee hours and then, bed. Maria’s family is really sweet and her place is very nice. She is the most amazing host.
Today, technically our first day in Slovakia, we, of course, got a slower start (jet-lag). After a slow morning/afternoon of traditional Slovak lunch that her mother prepared, we headed out to visit an old castle about an hour away. Thoughts on the castle: Do I not like visiting any places that exhibit or demonstrate ornate wealth? It just kind of made me sick, upset, and completely guilty and stupid for spending time out of my life being there. I mean, I can’t believe how these people (royals) lived and how ridiculous their lives were. How could you ever feel human if all you did all day was “lie in bed day and entertain your visitors” (actual quote)? I’m serious. Will I be seeing this all over Europe? I imagine yes. Will I be feeling this way about everything?—I asked myself, then, what am I looking for in Europe—honestly? What I wrote in my private journal in response to this question was honestly: fun and adorable charmingness, I guess, like little alleys and cobblestone, music on patios, and cafes and colors, architecture. [I know I sound like a ridiculous, idealistic, and ignorant idiot, but after India, what can one expect?] Time envisioned prior: okay, now where does that get me. Perhaps in time I will learn that it is not about the intention or the reason but what I find. Does it not matter where I am, but what I’m doing? If so, then I don’t know: in the larger sense.
I keep thinking back to India, my last, most intense, and longest travel/international experience ever. I keep understanding a lot of my trip here by my trip there. Trying to understand myself as a traveler by the difference; trying to understand the world by the difference. The difference: obviously countless things. Notable things of the day: sheer number of people (all of the everything that that affects. It’s really amazing and I never realized that before—the affect of all those people, of mass populations, limited space), intentions of the people, downtime, how wealth relates to leisure, safety, organization and sanitization, things taken for granted. India was “so difficult, yet humble”, I wrote in my journal. Today, perhaps, I learned more things about India than I did about Slovakia and Europe. Isn’t that really interesting? Wow.
After the castle, we went back to Maja’s house and did some email stuff that we needed to do in order to prepare for the future of our trip; and then, into Bratislava. We toured the city at night with Maja’s friend Jenni (spelling?) and took some fun pictures. After dinner at a pub, the four of us met up with two guy friends at another pub, laughed, moved to our third pub of the evening where we played mean games of foosball (“table football”. Loosers had to crawl under the table) and called it a night.
I am already feeling very effected by things—just by new space and difference (though not stark—Europe is nowhere near uncomfortably different) and the lack of all the people in my life and the energy, day to day, that I usually have (energy as in energy intake from my surroundings, ie activites, people**). I already feel a small loneliness and an isolation. I think a lot of this has to do with the language barrier and the absence of typical activities throughout the day that I like to do. Dan, I had some song from the mix you gave Alex in my head all day, so my thoughts were often with you (hi! How’s grad school??). The true song of the day award goes to David Bowie’s Sound and Vision. You little bitch, you, torturing my mind for a good 10 hours. 12 hours. Good song, though. I used my senses of sound and vision quite a lot today, fueled only by David and his fabulous inertia. I don’t know why I said that. I think it’s cause I wanted to end this blog entry and didn’t really want to have to think about how to end it, so I just wrote something that didn’t quite work in order for you to want me to go away. So here I am, going away. Bye, everyone. How are you, good? Catherine, how’s the job/training? Naguine, New York? Any developments? Etc. Etc. You can all write comments on my blog and we could communicate back on forth on subject. Wouldn’t that be nice. Okay bye!!
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Diving Deeper
Two candles flicker by my bedside and I wonder how much longer it will be until the next candle-flickering bedside moments in my life will ever happen. Base-less, intention-less, homeless for months means few times of comfort. Tonight (and today) under the stress of more preparations that inevitably abuse my precious bank account (buying like 1,000,000 things), the unnecessary freak-me-out (for Kevin: freakmeowt) over preparation that formalized travel calls for (felt whilst browsing so many travel books)—and then my realization that, oh, I’ve done NONE of this—and then all of this drama with my computer (which really freaks me out because setting up a computer overwhelms the hell out of me). Put all of that on top of waking up on the wrong side of the bed—tired and head full of some rather unpleasant dreams—and the emotional stress of leaving and ending and the need to prepare for loneliness (a good thing, perhaps, for this clinically social girl), and you’ve got yourself my day, the weird way that I ended it, and the strange things that I must have done and said. Anyhow, here I am, and, after talking to Marie, my mom, Kevin, and myself, I have this to say (to myself and to you):
· I am leaving not to leave things but to find things. Thus I leave nothing bad and everything good, which means it will be hard, but beautiful. Finding things is hard and painful, too, because this process of goodbye and then easing into unsure waters is not always the most comfortable task. There are times in my life when I find this thrilling, however, and I have no idea if this will be one of those times. Additionally, I am beginning to enter the transitional stage,

and this stage is awkward, like puberty: awkwardly in between, unwelcome, unfitting, unclear, but absolutely necessary. Para crecer.
· Money – this stresses me out like no other. Money will be spent in Europe. I must spend to survive. I must travel wisely and economically, but not get an ulcer because I am burning cash. Additionally, and Sophie knows I’ve learned this, being a stickler with money is good and necessary, but you must also take care of yourself and taking care of yourself might call for money to be spent. If so, let it be spent. It will keep be happier and healthier, keep me going for longer, and help me enjoy the experience, keep the good.
· In similar vein, I need to chill. I have actually been really chill all summer and suddenly this stressfulness has come back over me. I feel like I have to be really in control right now in order to step my foot on to the plane and plop myself into the great unknown. I feel like I have to be together in order to plunge into madness. I don’t know if that’s the best way to go, but I feel it’s wise; it’s what my Self is telling my self to do (I think it is in that order..?).
Ideas for blogging:
-thinking of reading either one philosopher or one novel from each country while in the country and then commenting on it/(inevitably) incorporating it into my life and such.
-Al and I were talking about doing a “Europe in 3 weeks on 1000” kind of schpeal
-something more personal
-something universal (ultimately more marketable)
I like the literature theme. It is me and it is delish. Also, how about recounting all the characters I meet, daily, and taking a photo of every important person I meet? Maybe I could have a travel journal where everyone I meet writes a very short note, or contributes a drawing or something to it. Sure, it’s been done, but every thing has (duh).
· I am leaving not to leave things but to find things. Thus I leave nothing bad and everything good, which means it will be hard, but beautiful. Finding things is hard and painful, too, because this process of goodbye and then easing into unsure waters is not always the most comfortable task. There are times in my life when I find this thrilling, however, and I have no idea if this will be one of those times. Additionally, I am beginning to enter the transitional stage,

and this stage is awkward, like puberty: awkwardly in between, unwelcome, unfitting, unclear, but absolutely necessary. Para crecer.
· Money – this stresses me out like no other. Money will be spent in Europe. I must spend to survive. I must travel wisely and economically, but not get an ulcer because I am burning cash. Additionally, and Sophie knows I’ve learned this, being a stickler with money is good and necessary, but you must also take care of yourself and taking care of yourself might call for money to be spent. If so, let it be spent. It will keep be happier and healthier, keep me going for longer, and help me enjoy the experience, keep the good.
· In similar vein, I need to chill. I have actually been really chill all summer and suddenly this stressfulness has come back over me. I feel like I have to be really in control right now in order to step my foot on to the plane and plop myself into the great unknown. I feel like I have to be together in order to plunge into madness. I don’t know if that’s the best way to go, but I feel it’s wise; it’s what my Self is telling my self to do (I think it is in that order..?).
Ideas for blogging:
-thinking of reading either one philosopher or one novel from each country while in the country and then commenting on it/(inevitably) incorporating it into my life and such.
-Al and I were talking about doing a “Europe in 3 weeks on 1000” kind of schpeal
-something more personal
-something universal (ultimately more marketable)
I like the literature theme. It is me and it is delish. Also, how about recounting all the characters I meet, daily, and taking a photo of every important person I meet? Maybe I could have a travel journal where everyone I meet writes a very short note, or contributes a drawing or something to it. Sure, it’s been done, but every thing has (duh).
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Preparation
Planning and preparing, already, are the hardest part of this trip, or perhaps any trip for that matter. Despite the fact that I am intentionally directionless, there are quite a few logistical and technical matters that I must be entirely in control of before I depart. I am tired, but also these tasks imbue me (weirdly) with a in-understandable energy. A sort of energy in my exhaustion, an inertia in my disintegration. The countdown is 5 days. Friday morning I head out on a big bad bus for 5 hours, make my way to Chicago, and catch a flight that night to London. From London, I immediately make my way from 1 airport to the other and hop on a plane to Bratislava, Slovakia.
Last night we began the festivities of leaving. Josh and I threw a little goodbye party in the barn and backyard and I passed out after attempting to drink Chartreuse at 4:30 in the morning/spilling it all over myself [waking up with strangely shaped, crinkled shorts]; woke up at 1:30pm feeling like utter shit. Sorry, Eman, for disappearing into my house but I was clearly down and out. The party, however, was really fun. Mom and Harold hung out for a bit, various loads of people showed up, and everyone was merry. Thanks for coming.
Tonight, I embark upon the long journey of packing, I interrupt with a short bike ride (because the weather is unbeatable), and I go on a walk with Kevin.
Last night we began the festivities of leaving. Josh and I threw a little goodbye party in the barn and backyard and I passed out after attempting to drink Chartreuse at 4:30 in the morning/spilling it all over myself [waking up with strangely shaped, crinkled shorts]; woke up at 1:30pm feeling like utter shit. Sorry, Eman, for disappearing into my house but I was clearly down and out. The party, however, was really fun. Mom and Harold hung out for a bit, various loads of people showed up, and everyone was merry. Thanks for coming.
Tonight, I embark upon the long journey of packing, I interrupt with a short bike ride (because the weather is unbeatable), and I go on a walk with Kevin.
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