Good news everybody

Michael got into the London School of Economics summer program! Yay! This means he will be in Europe when I'm in Europe (at least for little bit). He starts July 27 and will be joining me in Copenhagen on August 15th, the day after the program ends. I am so proud of him for getting in! I'm sure it will be hard work but totally worth it.

Yay!

Not London

Last night I took him out to celebrate his success. We were going to get London Fish and Chips to celebrate in an English way, but instead we got burgers and curly fries. I suppose that might be a better choice since he will be without true American burgers for almost 2 months.

Congrats, Michael!

UPDATE!

Good news everybody! It looks like I will be able to go to La Tomatina after all! After a few hours of searching the internet for inexpensive lodging I found it! It's a 3 star hotel in Valencia that will cost about $23 a night! That is less than I am paying for other hostels and dorm rooms! The price is half off of what it normally is, so I still feel like I am somehow being scammed, but let's hope not. The point is, I get to spend a few hours of my summer throwing tomatoes at strangers.

The streets will run red with the blood of Solanum lycopersicum

Due to the nature of the event, I highly doubt I will be able to snap photos :( so sad

OH! Also I may (not confirmed) be going with my sister, her boyfriend, and their friend, which would be pretty cool. We could all stay at the scarily cheap hotel! And then throw tomatoes at one another.

The rain in Spain falls on the plain

I've done it!
I booked my flight to Spain from Copenhagen on August 17. I will arrive in the historic Spanish city of Madrid at 6:30 pm and use the metro to head of to the Panizo Hostel. It is a well-rated place in the heart of Madrid for $22 a night per person, which is the cheapest price I found, including dorm rooms! It is in an amazing location, close to the Museo de Prado which houses works by such artists as Francisco de Goya and Rembrandt, among many others. I look forward to seeing Goya's "Saturn Devouring His Son" up close and personal.

om nom nom

I will unfortunately not be able to witness a bullfight, but that is probably for the best considering they are kind of expensive, given my basically nonexistant budget. Also due to expense I had to cut out La Tomatina and Ibiza. The hostels and hotels in Valencia (near where La Tomatina takes place) raise their prices a ridiculous amount to take advantage of the huge surge of tourists, and I don't blame them. Most people are probably willing to spend a lot of money to go to something like that, and I would if it meant I wouldn't starve in the streets of Barcelona afterwards.

Perhaps I will use my ingenuity to get there, because IT'S A GIANT TOMATO FIGHT.

Summer Yummies

One of the things I am most looking forward to this summer is the cuisine. I have very little exposure to food from European countries, besides the Czech restaurant "Little Prague" here in Davis, and random Italian restaurants.

Here are some of the foods I am looking forward to, most of which I have never tried or even heard of!

Tiropitas

Greece:
- Breakfast: tiropitas (flaky cheese filled pastries)
- Lunch: garlic-marinated lamb kabobs or tzatziki (garlicky yogurt and cucumbers)
- Dinner: moussaka (lamb, eggplant and bechamel sauce), pastitsio (lamb or goat meat with macaroni and tomatoes), stifado (braised beef with onions) and paidakia (grilled lamb or goat chops)

Denmark:
- Breakfast (morgenmad): is usually very abundant, based on yogurt, jam, sandwiches, eggs, cold meats, cheeses and fruit juices
- Lunch (frokost): is generally based on canapés (small, prepared and usually decorative food held in the fingers), calls Smørrebrød, which are generally a complete meal made up of a series of slices of buttered bread with all kinds of cold meats, fish, sauces and pâté.
- Dinner (middag), is usually formed from a single dish based on meat or fish.

This especially looks good: Apple- and Prune-Filled Spareribs - Ribbenstykke med Æbler

Since the other places I'd like to visit are not yet confirmed, I won't list their specialties until that happens.

I do solemnly swear not to be that American that goes to France asking for French fries or to Belgium for Belgian waffles. I also promise to try foods that I haven't tried or make me uncomfortable (ie seafood). I want to try a local delicacy in each place I go to, if I can afford it of course. Here's to food!

Study Abroad?

I got an email today from the Animal Science department here at UC Davis (2nd Aggie reference) and it discussed a biology program at the University of Copenhagen (among other things). I realized just how much I would like to do this - I feel like I am missing out on the quintessential college-abroad experience. I'm not complaining about this summer, because obviously it is going to be super amazing, but I wish I had the sort of major that allowed for international study.

The good news is, I still have at least 2 more years as an undergraduate, so there may be hope yet. If I do get the opportunity to study abroad for even a semester that would be awesome. I get the feeling that this summer is going to give me only a taste of living abroad, and I wouldn't want this to be the last time.

Weekend Mini-Vacations

Since I will have a place to stay in Denmark for about a month and a half, I figure it will be pretty easy to go out for weekend trips. So where should I go? Here is what I'm thinking:

- Paris! Paris is not on my month long trip extravaganza, so it will be a perfect weekend getaway. Plus, my friend David will be in Rome and wants to see Paris as well, so I can go there and not be alone. Yay!

- Norway! I'm 1/4 Norwegian and as the most ethnically diverse part of my background, I would like to see it.

- Sweden! It's close to Denmark and easily accessible. Also, it's the homeland of Inga so I must go.

Edit:
- Hamburg! I would like to see more of Germany, and since Hamburg is only 4 hours from Copenhagen, it would be a convenient and quick trip.

I don't know where else. Any suggestions?

Am I right, or am I right?

While stumbling across the great Internet, my theory of Denmark being the greatest country in the world was confirmed. On a website designed to turn travelers into expats I found an article stating that Denmark "still tops the world in overall happiness." It even beat Bhutan, a country which doesn't have a GDP, it has GNH: Gross National Happiness. I'm not even kidding.

I found this article through StumbleUpon, a Mozilla Firefox browser program that allows you to hit a button that will take you to a random website based on your selected interests. I wasn't even looking for evidence that Denmark rocks, so this chance finding further supports my idea. I think happiness is a pretty good reflection of all the things a country is doing well, therefore Denmark is truly superior.

All competition aside, I feel very lucky that I get to spend my summer in a country that is known for being really, really happy.

P.S. I think the picture the article used is really cute:

Courtesy of expatify.com

London Calling

Warning: This post has very little to do with London, I just like the song and its quasi-relevance to what I'm going to say.

I have gone on long enough without actually saying where I'm going (besides Denmark), so here is an itinerary that I can bet you will change almost immediately, as it tends to do.

June 16 - Fly to Europe
June 17 - Arrive in Athens
June 17 - 21 Spend time in Athens
June 22 - June 30 Spend time on Greek Island
July 1 - August 16 - Spend time in Copenhagen
August 17 - Fly to Spain from Copenhagen
August 17 – 20 Spend time in Madrid
August 21 – 22 Spend time in Ibiza
August 23 – 27 Spend time in Barcelona
August 28 – All day traveling to Nice
August 29 – All day traveling to Zurich
August 29 – 31 Spend time in Zurich
September 1 - 3 Spend time in Munich
September 4 – 7 Spend time in Berlin
September 8 – 10 Spend time in Amsterdam
September 11 – 12 Spend time in Brussels/Bruges
September 13 – Take chunnel to London
September 13 – 17 Spend time in London
September 18 - Fly back to US of A

So in a way, London is indeed calling. Also Sicily might be added in there if Nicolaj wants me to go there with his family, or I will just go straight to Copenhagen and begin my month and half of embarrassing myself by trying to speak Danish

Denmark's the spot

Some of you may be wondering "Why Denmark?" People my age don't go to Denmark. They go to Italy, France, Spain, and England, but not Scandinavia. Maybe it's because I'm part viking (25% Norwegian!) or because I know I have a place to stay, but honestly I think it may be because it's somewhere different. I know I made the right decision though, as throughout my research I have discovered that Denmark may actually be the greatest country on Earth.

It knows it rocks.

According to Forbes, Denmark is the best country for business in the world. Denmark also has the second highest acceptance of evolution, just behind Iceland. It is the 6th most educated country (Canada is first), and houses one of the governments with the least corruption, according to Newsweek. Actually this whole Newsweek article titled "The Best Countries in the World" is basically an homage to the Nordic countries. Here is an excerpt:

"...it is the smaller nations of northern Europe that can boast the greatest success in solving the problems of balancing competition and cooperation, capitalism and social security. Consider just about any social indicator--income per capita, health, democracy, economic competitiveness, environmental consciousness, honesty--and the Nordic world of Iceland, Norway, Denmark, Sweden and Finland is sure to shine...These are also the countries where corruption finds zero tolerance. The global-corruption watchdog Transparency International ranks Finland, Iceland and Denmark right at the top of the list of the world's "cleanest" governments."

Here is why these countries are so successful:

"Broadly speaking, the Nordic region took three basic decisions. First, it prioritized education, study and science. Second, it decided that it would leave no countryman behind. Social insurance--pensions, public health care, public education--became a basic shared commitment in each of these countries. And third, the region built a vigorous private sector."

Basically Denmark is awesome, no way around it. In fact, Copenhagen is going to play host to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, in order to discuss possible solutions to the current global warming issue.

I think I can be pretty confident in saying that I am going to have a great time there :)

mmmmm....Danish

The original purpose of this summer was to work in Denmark in lieu of having a formal study abroad experience. My oh-so-wise mother instructed me that I could not get myself all the way over to Europe without seeing as many places as possible. BUT! I am still going to be spending a significant amount of time in Copenhagen with my mom's friend from college, Nicolaj Caiezza.

Nicolaj with two tennis racquets for some reason

In order to prepare for work in Denmark (crossing my fingers that I get a job), I have been trying to learn Danish. It's hard. I have tried to learn a lot of languages, and this is the hardest one so far. The word order is very different from English, and so many of the sounds are foreign to my mouth. I bought a Berlitz CD called "Danish in 60 Minutes" to learn some basic words, but hearing and repeating a word isn't really the way I learn. I have looked for someone to teach me some of the more basic nuances of Danish, but no one really speaks it, and most translation websites don't even include it. Luckily I have had this translation website to help me understand what the hell the Danish job websites are saying.

But I have learned a few things. Here is a short list (it's short because I haven't learned much):

Hej! = Hi. This one is easy because they're pronounced exactly the same way.
Ja = Yes. This is pronounced "ya" which isn't too bad.
smukt = beautiful. I haven't really learned it, but this may be the ugliest translation for "beautiful" ever. Also it's pronounced "smoagt."
Tak = thanks.
ikke = negative. You add this to the end of a clause to make the meaning negative. Pronounced "ig-ger"

Honestly the most Danish I have absorbed so far has been in pastry form. I'm almost at the point where I give up and become thankful everyone in Europe speaks English. Sometimes it really does pay to be part of a superpower.

Oh yeah! For my honors class at UC Davis (here is the first Aggie reference) we were told to bring a popular international song to class to share with other students. I googled "Danish Top 20 songs" and found this: "Kun for Mig" by Medina, a Danish singer. I actually really like it! Denmark is just full of sweet little surprises. Soon I will make a post about just how great Denmark is, and we can all determine whether or not I will stay forever.

P.S. Without listening to the song, how do you think "Kun for mig" is pronounced? Give me your best guess!

Oh, the places you'll go...

My family has always made it clear that traveling the world and experiencing new cultures are critical (and privileged) aspects of coming to know myself better. Here is a list of the places I have been so far.


In 2003, once I hit the awful age of 13, my parents sent me to British Columbia, Canada for a month long hardcore backpacking trip with a travel group for teenagers interested in outdoor activities. Only a few of my pictures are digital and none include me, but I have to say this trip was the hardest and most rewarding thing I have ever done.



Here is me (the one in blue three people from the right) and a couple friends in the European Alps while backpacking in 2004. This trip was really fun! We went through Italy, France, and Switzerland, and I have wanted to return to Europe ever since. Adventures Cross Country (ARCC) leads truly amazing trips, and I would highly recommend sending your teenager with them.




Here I am at the Trevi Fountain in Rome. I loved Rome. The gelato was too amazing. TOO AMAZING! It's a bummer I'm not returning there this summer (please don't judge me). The banner for this blog is a picture of me and a friend kayaking around the Italian island of Elba. So yeah.






Here I am in 2005 in Argentina with a horse I rode. In Argentina I stayed in a place called Villa del Totoral near Cordoba, another major city in the country. I stayed with an uncle for about a month and got to know the real culture of the area. It was a very wonderful place to be, and no food in the world could or will ever be able to match it.



There are a million and one photos I would love to use to describe my trip to Ecuador in 2006, but this one will have to suffice (also my profile picture is of me and a blue-footed boobie of the Galapagos so that works, too). Ecuador was amazing - if you want a good example of people who are happy with nothing then go there. The wildlife was also spectacular, and if you go to the Galapagos you will see why Darwin was so inspired.



When I was in 5th grade I went to Costa Rica with my dad and sister, but I very sadly do not have any pictures from there. Also in 8th grade my Grandma took me to New Zealand but once again I have no digitized photos :(
So my list of places traveled to is:
- Costa Rica
- New Zealand
- Canada (the backcountry and the cities)
- France
- Italy
- Switzerland
- Argentina
- Ecuador
- and USA! USA! haha

I'm super excited to add to that list this summer!

Hostel Hell

I kinda just realized that after my trip is over, the title to this blog is too limiting to write about my day to day doings. OR perhaps my dedication to maintaining the nature of this blog will force me to continue my travels. I'm alright with that.

Anywho I have been having quite the time researching European hostels. So far the only place I have actually booked a place to stay is in Athens called the Athens Backpackers Hostel. It is has a roof bar; here is the view! Yup - that's the Acropolis of Ancient Greece just SITTING right there! That's nuts. I'm so excited. I get the feeling I will be saying that a lot.

But finding this hostel was no easy task. I spent days looking at websites like www.hostels.com and www.hostelworld.com to find general ratings, but the website that helped the most was Trip Advisor. While the prior two websites were descriptions of the hostels written by the people who work for the hostels, the latter has really useful examples of why each place is good or bad (usually involves cockroaches).

Of course I could have gone the easy route and ask people who have actually been to Greece where they stayed. As it turns out, my friend Sabrina stayed in this same hostel when she visited Athens after high school, and she loved it, and confirms that it is entirely devoid of cockroaches. Also, as you can tell from the picture above, it is really close to the Acropolis! It was a little more expensive than some of the other places I looked into, but $15 more a night is worth it to not have to worry about cockroaches. Also, I figure since I will have been on a plane for more about 24 hours, I figure I will deserve a safe, clean place to stay while I try to convince myself that flying across the world to a strange, foreign country is not a mistake.

One Month til' takeoff

Hey ya'll!

I'm going to Europe!! It sure feels nice to say that. I'll say it again. I'm going to Europe!! Can you tell I'm excited?

Anyway, on this blog you will find what I am doing for my pre-adventure and eventual adventure in the great unknown that is Western Europe. There are exactly 33 days left until I make my way across the pond, but until then, we must all put up with my daily plan changes.

I like to plan, but like that special soup from Nickelodeon's "Are You Afraid of the Dark?", I run on spontaneity. I have a list of the places I would like to visit and a logical order in which to do so, but I feel like I would be doing my traveling adventure a disservice by planning every detail prior to my arrival. I kind of feel like that's what old people do. I'm young and hip (at least I think so) and I feel like spontaneity comes with that. So my big plan is to fly to Europe, buy a 3 month unlimited use Eurail pass, travel to amazing places, and avoid becoming dependent on panhandling for lunch money.

So if you want to live vicariously through me while I wander the streets of super ancient and/or super modern cities, read my blogs! If you have any suggestions for what I have to do, have to eat, or have to avoid, I welcome anything and everything.

Yay!