And so it begins...

The time has finally come. Later this afternoon, I will be on my way to Europe. Eeek! I'm so excited! I am filled with the bubbly feeling of wonderful nerves. The next few months hold so much, so many experiences. I fly up and down quite a bit and then am taking a train to Vienna as planned, so I have many, many hours of travel ahead of me, but the end result will be fantastic. A whole week in Austria? Who could ask for anything more? ;) I've been thinking a lot lately (scary, I know!) about everything and anything and have decided to take on a project. I got the idea from YankeeDiva. (This happens to actually be the blog of a famous opera singer, mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato.) She has started a project of 365 gratitudes. She doesn't post everyday, but each time she does she picks up from where she left off. In turn, it won't be completed in one year, but is symbolic of giving thanks everyday. My mom and Lynn have always reminded me to be sure to count my blessings. And so I begin, along with my trip to Europe, a project of 365 gratitudes, which I am sure will take me well over 365 actual days to complete also. (I'm sure thinking of Europe so much has given me only more reason to take this on.) As much as possible, I hope to post a picture with my gratitude...with special thanks to my pretty new camera my dad bought me! Today, I leave you with Gratitude 1:

(And, of course, it has every bit to do with my travels later today! Surprised?)

The Final Stretch

Europe countdown: 10 days

It's amazing how time flies by. I can remember when it was 110 days. It crept up much faster than I expected, so my final week at home for the summer was filled with much craziness trying to fit everything in. Plus finishing up work. I finished working at the produce stand last Tuesday but was still at the day care up thru this past Thursday repainting/designing their signs for the building....that was stressful! Friday, I moved into the townhouse apartment near school with Courtney and Karly. It's looking good. My mom stuck around all weekend to help get things together. Needless to say, that means the past week has held a lot of sorting, organizing, packing, unpacking, etc. I got the brilliant task of packing for four months in Hungary, a week in Vienna, and moving into an apartment all at the same time. How I did it, I'm not quite sure, but I did. (And I fit everything I need in my suitcase...with room and weight allowance yet to spare! Although my backpack is a little on the hefty side with my books.) In my last week at home getting things ready, I got to see my friends Noémi, Sandy, and David once more before I left. Noémi invited me over for dinner last Wednesday. I got to meet her one-year-old Havela who is the most adorable little girl ever! Big, beautiful brown eyes and dark hair. Noémi taught me a few more Hungarian phrases...including how to say, "Today is my birthday, give me cake!" hehe! My birthday is the first day of orientation in Hungary, so now I'll know how to get cake! Ridiculous, I know. I spent a night at my sister's place and watched movies...she's getting big! Maybe she'll have the baby before I leave....probably not, but that'd be cool. I also had the chance to drop in on my dear friends from the community theatre I did a lot of work with in high school, the people that really propelled me into the world of music. They were doing a production of Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella, which was my first show with the theatre years ago. It was so wonderful to surprise them, see their shocked faces and double-takes before they realized who I was, and catch up on life. I miss them oodles! Since I'll be away for my birthday, my family had a little party on the 8th. My dad got me a new camera, too! It's pretty! So now I can take pretty pictures in Europe and post pictures as well. Since I'll be away for my birthday, my family had a little party on the 8th. Then, again, everyone got together for breakfast on Friday morning as a little "bon voyage" party.

It was very sweet of them. So now I'm here for the next ten days with not much to do. Hopefully Lynn will be able to meet with me for a couple of lessons before I leave. Oh, and Chadwick promised to take us to the zoo in April and still hasn't, so maybe he will take us this week.

Mmm! Schokolade!

My family and I spent a few days this past week in Hershey, PA, the U.S. chocolate capital. Yum! It was a nice little vacation even if only for three days. We stayed at the Hershey Lodge in "the Tower" which was pretty cool. Believe it or not, everything was chocolate or had a reference to it. The sheets, wallpaper, room number plates, lamp switches, etc. were emboldened with the famous Hershey Kiss. Even the soap in the shower was chocolate scented. A little ridiculous, I know but cool. And we got soooo much chocolate. Pretty much everywhere you went, they just handed it to you. For most of the time there we occupied ourselves with activities at the lodge, playing putt-putt golf, chocolate bingo, tennis, swimming in one of the three pools, having a cup of coffee or a smoothie in the cafe downstairs, etc. It was nice just to relax and have no particular schedule for a few days. We also visited Hershey's Chocolate World, which besides the amusement park (no, we didn't go there...which is good since the temperature was in the 90's and humid!) is the main attraction. You cannot tour the actual chocolate factory, so this is the alternative where they have simulated tours and such. We saw "The REALLY BIG 3-D movie," which was super cool! I have to say it was quite a spectacle and very well done. We also took a class on chocolate tasting where we learned all about the art of tasting chocolate and the cacao bean and the different varieties of chocolate. No, Hershey's isn't exactly Swiss or Belgian chocolate, but it is certainly a great next best. Some kinds actually remind me a lot of Swiss milk chocolates. Before heading out of town, we visited the Hershey Museum, and although they are building a new one which may be really fascinating, do not bother wasting your time! Besides watching Hershey Kiss commercials from through the years (many I remember from when I was very little), it was absolutely awful! And the Apostolic Clock that is "the 9th wonder of the world" should be considered among the scars on the face of America. I mean, honestly, that is nothing to be proud of. It was so dumb. On a bright note, though, my dad and I went on a tour of the Hershey Theatre (moreso, I dragged him along, but he ended up enjoying more than myself I think). We saw EVERYTHING (and I mean everything) and got to see the ins and outs from top to bottom. The ceiling in the theatre I think was my favorite part. They can simulate a starry night inside the building...kind of like a planitarium dome attached to the ceiling of the theatre. The tour concluded with my dad "making" me sing for the all of four people on the tour. Sure, I didn't mind it, but I was also kind of put on the spot and didn't really have a choice. But it was really cool to sing on the stage of a really cool historical theatre where many greats in American song and theatre have sung before. Next stop, though, the great stages of theatres in Europe?! :)

My computer is finished, and I just have to go pick it up. Apparently, they replaced the fan, something else, and the motherboard!! What?! Pretty much all that is originally my computer now is the shell from what I've gathered. I would have saved the hassle and just handed over another one...probably would have been cheaper on their part, too. Luckily, I don't have to pay anything because it's still under warranty. It just makes me laugh. Yesterday, was my sister's baby shower, so Saturday night and Sunday were spent deep in baby decorations, food preparation, gifts, and socializing. I think it turned out quite well, though. Oh, I must add...before we went to Hershey, my little sister Becca and I spent the night at my older sister Jessi's house and I had "sister time"....suprised we didn't kill each other! hehe! We went to see Mamma Mia! the movie, and I have to say it was one of the worst I've seen but HIGHLY entertaining. I'd watch it again just for the entertainment value! The quality of performance as a musical was nothing like the stage version, though. I was not at all impressed in that aspect, but then again, that awfulness was probably what made it so entertaining! Well, two more weeks at home and 25 days and counting until my 36 straight hours of travel at the end of which I will hopefully end up in the same place at the same time as Katrin. hehe! I'm sure all will be fine, but my overactive imagination takes me through all the crazy cunundrums that I could...and probably will...encounter on my adventure to get there! I'm slightly worried after being navigator on the Hershey trip and getting lost on more than one occasion! I might be in trouble! Oh, life! All part of the journey! :)