Day One

This post will be text heavy with lots of spelling errors because I do not believe in photo documenting myself traveling on public transportation over 2 hours long.

Flight.

My departure from the United States was definitely a foreshadowing of what my trip will be like in Europe- confusing, stress, and excitement all rolled into one. It started out with a quick trip to Einstein's Bagels and then we were off. I would also like to challenge anyone to google Dulles International Airport and not have an address come up that says 1 Aviation Circle- which is the address for Regan Airport (they are not the same thing.) Needless to say this happened to me and by the time I was five minutes from the wrong airport when Wil and I had to to turn around and drive thirty minutes in the other direction. Confusing.
Then we finally pulled up to Dulles to say our goodbyes while Wil was giving me an airport pump up speech. I walked in with my massive bags and waited an hour to check my bags. When I finally got to the desk both of my luggage bags were overweight which would be an additional $200 per bag plus the $70 for my extra checked luggage ($470) when the attendant let me remove items from one of my bags and then sneakily didn't charge me the over fees. Whoever this mystery Dulles worker angel is I thank you sweet sweet lady!!! Stress.
After the security guard "patted down my ponytail" and went through my luggage and dented my watch case- thank you TSA - I was ready to gooooo! Excitement.

4,148.07 miles, 1 bottle of red wine, Moneyball, and 3 mini meals later we arrived in Zurich... then we collected our luggage (all 43 of us) and put them on a bus with a trailer hitch for the 3 hour ride to Lugano.

Mind you Lugano has lots of tunnels under mountains and they drive at high speeds- all I can think when being driven around here is "this is how Princess Diana died"




First Impressions.

coming soon...

Things I have learned so far: Lugano Day 3 Edition

1. You have to have your own shopping bags when you go grocery shopping
2. Cooking wine is very cheap and tastes like Barefoot american wine
3. Young Italian men crush any hope I had that men might be able to understand women- "You buy me a drink and we f*ck?"
4. I do not like 10 mile hikes
5. They do not refrigerate milk in Switzerland (BELIEVE IT!) Therefore I have yet to buy any.
6. I want to eat as much fresh prosciutto as possible
7. Everything is expensive in Switzerland, but we are paying for the view
8. When they tell you the walking you do is like a workout so you rarely have to... believe it. I now have buns of steel from the hills and exploring.
9. The Swiss Alps are no joke. Sorry Blue Ridge Mountains
10. They do not split up checks for groups in Lugano. You either pay individually at the cash register or collect cash at your table (this was not fun with 30+ people mixed with a $250 alcohol bill)

Call it one drink too many, call it pride of a man, but it don't make no difference if you sit or you stand

Lord have mercy on my rough and rowdy ways

It was my 21st birthday yesterday. Strange feelings about that one, but not about this song. Therefore we are focusing on the song.

Yeah they both end in trouble and start with a grin...
We do it over and over and over again

Wisdom

Never confuse fashion and style. Fashion relies on unattainable looks on women with unrealistic bodies. Style is about utilizing the best aspects of you.

- Stacy London

100% into fifty/fifty

For the past 3 days I have been miserably sick with the worst cold I have ever had in my entire life... so what better time to sulk and watch a movie about a cancer patient with a 50% chance at survival?? I have always been a wee bit dramatic when I don't feel well...

The movie was AMAZING! which means I cried for the entire last 15 minutes and my roommate came home to a swollen eyed creature snotting it up in bed. Here are my favorite quotes:

Kyle: You could have totally fucked the shit out of that girl.
Adam: No one wants to fuck me. I look like Voldemort.

 Kyle: You smell like you fucked the cast of The View. 

I don't want to ruin the ending, but there is a one liner that made me truly "LOL" through my tears and was pure genius.

Bryce Dallas Howard was gorgeous and bitchy as usual (see The Help!) And Seth Rogan was true to his sidekick, hilarious, dickhead character style, but was a bit more toned down which I really enjoyed considering the subject matter.

30 Days.

Unreal right? This is my favorite shot

Coyote Ugly

I am sitting in Squires Student Center at Virginia Tech having a truly euphoric moment:

• In exactly one month I will board my first international flight to Switzerland.
• I have been dreaming of this exact trip, program, experience since I was a 16.
• I officially accepted the summer internship of my dreams today.
• Last spring after I visited the company I knew it was where I belonged.
• I have the best friends, family, and support system I could ever ask for.
• This year I really feel like I have grown to have confidence in my abilities...e ven if those abilities are keeping my head up when I have no idea what is going on.
• This has been the most challenging year of my life, but I feel like I am about to embark on something far greater than anything I know.

"So tell me what do you do when you realize all your dreams have come true? "

I think I have an answer for this question Coyote Ugly songwriting bar stripper: Do what scares you. If you are worried something may not be for you, it's too hard, or you are just afraid to fail... do it.