In case you somehow missed it between my upteen tweets, facebook posts, and, if you know me in real life, conversations, I am OMGSOEXCITED over the moon to be going back to the States tomorrow finally for vacation!
Sometimes, it's really the smallest things/creature comforts of home that you miss most when you're gone. Here are yet some more things I'm looking forward to on our trip:
1) ICE! (ice baby)- Ice is seriously some kind of American delicacy. Most restaurants in Europe won't serve it in your drinks. Last summer, when I had surgery in like 90-100 heat in a building with no air conditioning, I was beginning the nurses for ice cubes. Only to be told that there wasn't a single one in the entire building.
2) free refills- To be fair here, this is more of a suburbia thing. In NYC, I don't think any restaurant I ever went to had free refills on soft drinks. When I was in college, it was a big excitement for me to eat at Applebee's because they had free refills on sodas and for me that was practically unheard of. However, soft drinks in Germany are generally tiny. And expensive. It is usually the same cost to get a 0,5L beer as it is to get a 0,2L of Coke. If not cheaper.
3) shopping, on a Sunday- I've covered this on here before but the entire country pretty much shuts down on Sundays. I want to be able to just walk into a store that's not on base on Sunday just because again. And this brings me to my next point
4) paying with a credit card- Credit card fees in Germany are insane, so a lot of stores will not accept credit cards. It's either the German debit card which we don't have. Or cash. There was one time when the Ikea near us did not take credit cards. Can you imagine buying a bedroom set with all cash?
5) free shopping carts- Most grocery stores here charge a deposit for use of the shopping cart that you get back when you return it. I know a few stores in the U.S. do this too, but it's the exception not the rule over there as it seems to be here. I have a shopping cart token that I always have to remember to bring me whenever I go shopping to make sure that I'm not clumsily fumbling around for a euro coin in my purse at the last minute. Ultimate not a big deal, but still annoying.
6) not having so much change- Our smallest bill is 5€ (roughly the equivalent of $6.68 based on today's exchange rate) so change tends to accumulate quickly and your wallet gets heavy before you realize it. And yet you still don't have the euro you need for the shopping cart when you're in the grocery store. Murphy's Law, I tell you.
7) cheap manicures- My last one over here cost 23€! And this was for a plain manicure with polish. Nothing fancy, no gel, no shellac, no acrylic, nothing. With prices like that, you can imagine how often I get manicures over here. Yea, not very. When my MIL told me that a manicure near her costs somewhere between $10-15, I wasn't sure if I wanted to cry tears of joy or jealousy. Also, nail salons over here charge anywhere from 4-7€ extra if you want a manicure with polish. Considering I always bring my own nail polish, I think that's just outrageous. (Don't get me started on the one time a lady in a salon told me it would be 10€ more to get a manicure using OPI polish over there.)
8) throwing things out- Germans can be real, well, insert uncomfortable WWII German stereotype here, when it comes to recycling. You can't just throw something out. You have several trash bins. One with yellow bags for plastics, metals, foil, etc. One with white bags for paper products. One for regular garbage. There will also be several glass recycling bins in towns with one receptacle for clear glass bottles, one for brown glass bottles, and one for green glass bottles. The look on my father's face was priceless when I had to explain to him in Berlin that all three giant dumpster looking things outside of the apartment we were staying in were to be used for glass and only glass. And that he couldn't just throw the empty wine bottle away in whichever bin he felt like it. Priceless. I think that recycling is important and it's important to be eco-friendly, however, it is nice to be able to throw away a beer bottle top without thinking "did I put that in the right bag?"
And two things about Germany that I will miss in the States:
1) tax (or lack thereof)- The European tax system is called the VAT (Value Added Tax). The tax is figured into the final price of the item and that list price is all that you have to pay. It makes shopping so much more convenient. While the 19% VAT here can be outrageous at times, I love the European system so much and am not looking forward to having to go from a country where you don't get charged any more tax that's visible to you as the consumer, to going to a country where they like to charge tax on every.little.thing. (And then, if you're in New York City, it seems like they just tack on taxes to the taxes you've already paid them. Just for the fun of it.)
2) tipping- Europe has a very different culture about tipping than America does. Part of your VAT from the cost of your meal goes to cover a reasonable living wage for your waiter so things like server minimum don't exist. You are not obligated to tip, and if you choose to, the idea of something like a 20% tip is unheard of. Since a 5€ bill is our smallest note, the unofficial tipping rule is to just leave the coins on the table if you want to. If you don't, that's ok. Your waiter won't be terribly offended. If your meal is 20€ and your Coke costs 4,20€ (ouch, I know), it's perfectly acceptable to pay 25€ and call it a day. This is a huge benefit because when you go to a restaurant, you know exactly how much your meal is going to cost based on what you order. In the States, you have to figure out tax and tip and after not having to do that for well over a year, I've grown to like not having to deal with that. (If you eat at the restaurants on base with servers, you do still tip there. Or at least I hope you do. No tax however.)
So now it's your turn- no matter where in the world you live, if you were to be gone from your home town or country for over a year, what small things would you miss the most? If you currently live abroad or have in the past, what do you think your host nation(s) does better than America?
Showing posts with label Travel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Travel. Show all posts
Sunday, January 13, 2013
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
Kindertransport memorial
When we were in Berlin, we saw a lot of various Holocaust memorials. A lot. Of everything that we saw, I have to say that the Kindertransport Memorial was the most haunting and moving.
In 1938, after Kristallnacht, a group of Jews and Quakers in England organized a fund to get Jewish children out of Germany and to safety in England. The children traveled by train and were taken into camps or foster families in England. This movement was able to save the lives of nearly 10,000 children before the transports had to stop due to lack of funds.
When we were walking around Berlin, we saw the memorial right outside of the Friedrichstraße train station. At the time, I only had my iPhone on me. I took a few pictures, but the memorial had such a profound effect on me, that I had to come back before I left and take pictures with my real camera.
This memorial was created and donated to the city of Berlin by Israeli sculptor Frank Meisler. He was one of the children that was saved by the Kindertransports.
The memorial is meant to look like a train platform along a track. There are two sides to it.
The 1938 side of the memorial shows two children about to board the train for England. The children are lighter and shinier. They look hopeful and happy. The little girl is clutching her Teddy Bear.
The 1945 side is darker in color. There are 5 children huddled in a group. They all look worn out and tired. There is an opened suitcase lying on the platform behind them and it contains a broken doll. You can see of the girls wearing the telltale yellow star.
These children don't have any hope to them. They know that they are being deported to the camps.
The point of the memorial is that the direction of the train track decides if you live or die. The Friedrichstraße train station was the station that children who were going to England departed from.
These photos were uploaded via the BlogPress app on my iPad and appear blurry when viewed in Safari. To see them clearly, click on each photo individually to see the emotion and detail of this memorial.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
In 1938, after Kristallnacht, a group of Jews and Quakers in England organized a fund to get Jewish children out of Germany and to safety in England. The children traveled by train and were taken into camps or foster families in England. This movement was able to save the lives of nearly 10,000 children before the transports had to stop due to lack of funds.
When we were walking around Berlin, we saw the memorial right outside of the Friedrichstraße train station. At the time, I only had my iPhone on me. I took a few pictures, but the memorial had such a profound effect on me, that I had to come back before I left and take pictures with my real camera.
This memorial was created and donated to the city of Berlin by Israeli sculptor Frank Meisler. He was one of the children that was saved by the Kindertransports.
The memorial is meant to look like a train platform along a track. There are two sides to it.
 |
| 1938 side |
 |
| 1945 side |
The 1945 side is darker in color. There are 5 children huddled in a group. They all look worn out and tired. There is an opened suitcase lying on the platform behind them and it contains a broken doll. You can see of the girls wearing the telltale yellow star.
These children don't have any hope to them. They know that they are being deported to the camps.
The point of the memorial is that the direction of the train track decides if you live or die. The Friedrichstraße train station was the station that children who were going to England departed from.
These photos were uploaded via the BlogPress app on my iPad and appear blurry when viewed in Safari. To see them clearly, click on each photo individually to see the emotion and detail of this memorial.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Thursday, August 16, 2012
Friday Five- Brussels
Tomorrow morning (well technically today, since it's past 1:00am here already), TLS and I are driving to Brussels for the biannual Flower Carpet. We went to this event in 2010 and loved it. I have been looking forward to this for the past year and a half or so, and I am not sure how I will be able to sleep tonight.(On another note, I should probably start packing?) This will be our fourth time together in Brussels, and my fifth. Clearly we love this city. This week's Friday Five is dedicated to one of my favorite European cities.
1) Beer
I am not a big beer drinker by any means. I dislike almost all of the beers that I've tried. Whenever I get beer here, it's usually a Radler (beer mixed with lemonade). However, I love Belgian fruit beers. Whenever we go to Belgium, we like to stock up on his and her beers (Trappist beers for him- including the Hermes Birkin Bag of Beer- fruity and pink for her). My favorite bar has a list of various fruit beers to pick from. I may have drank my way down it. Twice.
*If you are interested in stocking up on beer in Brussels- by far the best selection we have found is at the Beer Temple. However, prices here are a little higher, so we usually go to the Del Haize supermarket first and pick up whatever we like from their selection, and then get the rest at the Beer Temple.
2) Chocolate
Yes this is kind of a no-brainer considering it is one of the things that Belgium is most known for, but good Lord is the chocolate good. Almost all of the shops have samples for you to try, and I love doing the walking chocolate tour- going into each one and trying a sample and buying a few pieces to try. Thank goodness we drive there instead of fly, because we always bring so much back with us, that there is a big difference between what our bags weigh when we get there, and what they weigh when we leave! (Coincidentally, there is also a big difference between what we weigh when we get there and what we weigh after we leave after all of the beer, chocolate, and frites!)
3) "Our" bar
I don't even know the name of this place, but there is a bar right off the Grande Place that T and I "discovered" on our first trip to Brussels, and it has kind of become our regular spot. It is where we first learned about Westvleteren. Like I said, their beer menu is great and the owner now recognizes us and treats us as regulars. Most of their seating is outdoors, and it is just a great place to sit, drink, relax, and people watch.
Seriously, if you held a gun to my head, I could not for the life of me tell you what this place is called, but for anyone who may be going to Brussels in the near future, I will try to remember to take down the name and address and give it to you. (Don't really know the address, but I could stumble my way from it back to just about any hotel at 2:00am. Hypothetically, of course.)
4) Food
Pretty much, if you know me at all, you know that food is very important to me. When I travel, I love to eat out and seek out the good places to eat. Usually, my must-see list is more of a "must-eat" place. Brussels is no exception. I love getting waffles and frites from the stands.
My favorite dish to eat there is Carbonnade a la Flamandes- a beef stew made with ale. It is delicious and I will eat it even when it is 90 degrees outside. (Which is good, because coincidentally, it is supposed to be 90 degrees this weekend. How about that?) My love of this dish got the concierge at the Marriott to recommend to us Fin de Siecle. (The restaurant does not have a website, so here is a link from a food blogger that describes it better than I ever could.) It has gotten a bit of a cult following in Brussels, and has top marks on TripAdvisor. They don't take reservations and the wait to get in can be long at times. I honestly don't remember if they take credit cards or not. We were not disappointed. Both of our dishes were excellent and were well worth the wait. We are going to Brussels with another couple, and it is the guy's birthday. His wife asked me if I could recommend a nice restaurant to go to, and guess where I suggested?
5) The Grande Place at Night
The Grande Place is gorgeous all the time, but at night, the buildings just look incredible when they are all lit up. Every night, at 11:00pm, the city puts on a light and sound show in the Grande Place with the colors and timing of the lights on the buildings set to music. I can not put it into words, but it really is incredible. When the Flower Carpet is not going on, people will just come and sit on the cobblestone street and look up and wait for the light show. It really is one of my happiest memories from Brussels. I am beyond excited to take my new DSLR with me to try to get some better pictures of it this time around. If you are ever in Brussels, be sure to catch the show. You will not be disappointed.
1) Beer
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| just your average day at the grocery store |
*If you are interested in stocking up on beer in Brussels- by far the best selection we have found is at the Beer Temple. However, prices here are a little higher, so we usually go to the Del Haize supermarket first and pick up whatever we like from their selection, and then get the rest at the Beer Temple.
 |
| drinking from what is quite possibly the coolest glass ever |
2) Chocolate
 |
| chocolate covered grape skewers from Leonidas |
Yes this is kind of a no-brainer considering it is one of the things that Belgium is most known for, but good Lord is the chocolate good. Almost all of the shops have samples for you to try, and I love doing the walking chocolate tour- going into each one and trying a sample and buying a few pieces to try. Thank goodness we drive there instead of fly, because we always bring so much back with us, that there is a big difference between what our bags weigh when we get there, and what they weigh when we leave! (Coincidentally, there is also a big difference between what we weigh when we get there and what we weigh after we leave after all of the beer, chocolate, and frites!)
3) "Our" bar
I don't even know the name of this place, but there is a bar right off the Grande Place that T and I "discovered" on our first trip to Brussels, and it has kind of become our regular spot. It is where we first learned about Westvleteren. Like I said, their beer menu is great and the owner now recognizes us and treats us as regulars. Most of their seating is outdoors, and it is just a great place to sit, drink, relax, and people watch.
 |
| fun times |
4) Food
Pretty much, if you know me at all, you know that food is very important to me. When I travel, I love to eat out and seek out the good places to eat. Usually, my must-see list is more of a "must-eat" place. Brussels is no exception. I love getting waffles and frites from the stands.
My favorite dish to eat there is Carbonnade a la Flamandes- a beef stew made with ale. It is delicious and I will eat it even when it is 90 degrees outside. (Which is good, because coincidentally, it is supposed to be 90 degrees this weekend. How about that?) My love of this dish got the concierge at the Marriott to recommend to us Fin de Siecle. (The restaurant does not have a website, so here is a link from a food blogger that describes it better than I ever could.) It has gotten a bit of a cult following in Brussels, and has top marks on TripAdvisor. They don't take reservations and the wait to get in can be long at times. I honestly don't remember if they take credit cards or not. We were not disappointed. Both of our dishes were excellent and were well worth the wait. We are going to Brussels with another couple, and it is the guy's birthday. His wife asked me if I could recommend a nice restaurant to go to, and guess where I suggested?
5) The Grande Place at Night
The Grande Place is gorgeous all the time, but at night, the buildings just look incredible when they are all lit up. Every night, at 11:00pm, the city puts on a light and sound show in the Grande Place with the colors and timing of the lights on the buildings set to music. I can not put it into words, but it really is incredible. When the Flower Carpet is not going on, people will just come and sit on the cobblestone street and look up and wait for the light show. It really is one of my happiest memories from Brussels. I am beyond excited to take my new DSLR with me to try to get some better pictures of it this time around. If you are ever in Brussels, be sure to catch the show. You will not be disappointed.
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
Strasbourg
On Sunday, April 1st, TLS and I went to Strasbourg, France for the day. We needed to do our Passover shopping, and since shockingly enough, there aren't many kosher stores in Germany, whenever we need specific products, we drive to France for them.
Strasbourg is in the Alsace region of France and is about a 1.5 hour drive from our house. We love going there for day trips and have been there several times already. We parked our car, did our shopping in the Jewish area, and then drove to the main area by the Cathedral. My husband immediately noticed this street sign:
The Strasbourg Cathedral is famous for its Astronomical Clock, which is absolutely stunning. We decided to go see it again since we were in town. Being the token Jews that we are, it completely went right over our heads that it was Palm Sunday. Woops.
Thankfully, since we are far from being morning people, by the time we actually ate lunch and made it over to the Cathedral, Mass had long since ended. I should also mention that going to the Cathedral was a spur of the moment decision, so I did not bring my camera with me. What follows is a series of semi-blurry iphone pictures. (The Cathedral has a gorgeous Rose Window, but after around 10 blurry attempts, I just gave up on photographing it.)
Since it was a gorgeous day outside, yours truly had the brilliant idea to climb to the top of the Cathedral for the viewing platform. The fact that admission to the viewing platform is free on the first Sunday of each month only made it seem like an even better idea. It was only a 66 meter hike to the top! Piece of cake! Insert comment here about how I just had heart surgery less than a year ago and my cardiologist told me not to exercise. Since I wasn't in a gym, it obviously wasn't exercise right? WRONG!
Admission to the viewing platform is done in 30 minute intervals and is limited to 50 people at a time. TLS were numbers 1 and 2. The stairs to the top of the Cathedral are so narrow that there are actually two separate staircases: one to go up and one to go down. This meant that when I started having trouble breathing and my heart rate shot up on the stairs, there were 48 other people behind me that were trapped and had to wait for me to move. I'm sorry y'all. Really I am.
I was glad when we got to the top because at least the views were spectacular.
I had to take a picture when we got back down so that I could look back on it and say "I did that."
We found a British mailbox by the garage where we parked. I thought it was random so I had to take a picture of that, obviously.
I call this shot I Went to the Royal Wedding and All I Got was this Lousy Mailbox
Strasbourg is in the Alsace region of France and is about a 1.5 hour drive from our house. We love going there for day trips and have been there several times already. We parked our car, did our shopping in the Jewish area, and then drove to the main area by the Cathedral. My husband immediately noticed this street sign:
 | ||
| try saying THAT three times fast! |
Thankfully, since we are far from being morning people, by the time we actually ate lunch and made it over to the Cathedral, Mass had long since ended. I should also mention that going to the Cathedral was a spur of the moment decision, so I did not bring my camera with me. What follows is a series of semi-blurry iphone pictures. (The Cathedral has a gorgeous Rose Window, but after around 10 blurry attempts, I just gave up on photographing it.)
 |
| The view of the Cathedral from the street |
 |
| the most I could get of all of the clock in one single shot |
 |
| a slightly better view |
 |
| some of the clock's details |
Admission to the viewing platform is done in 30 minute intervals and is limited to 50 people at a time. TLS were numbers 1 and 2. The stairs to the top of the Cathedral are so narrow that there are actually two separate staircases: one to go up and one to go down. This meant that when I started having trouble breathing and my heart rate shot up on the stairs, there were 48 other people behind me that were trapped and had to wait for me to move. I'm sorry y'all. Really I am.
I was glad when we got to the top because at least the views were spectacular.
I had to take a picture when we got back down so that I could look back on it and say "I did that."
Thursday, March 22, 2012
Travel Wish List
I was emailing with a friend the other day, and I mentioned how jealous I am of her upcoming trip to Japan because that has always been at the top of my travel wish list for me. I come from a family that loves to travel and am lucky enough to be married a wonderful man who has the travel bug as much as I do. My parents have several shelves of travel guides back at home, and whenever I got bored, I loved reading their books and planning out dream vacations in my head. While I have been fortunate enough to travel to so many places, there are a few that I have not yet been to that are on my "I need to see them before I die." Here they are in a somewhat random order.
1) Japan
I love everything about Japanese culture. The art. The food. The gorgeous kimonos. The architecture. The food. The Cherry Blossoms. The fans. Origami. All of it. Since I was about 10 years old, it has been my dream to go see Japan and experience it for myself. I have yet to make that dream a reality. But I'm working on it. It is my not so secret wish for TLS to get stationed there after Germany.
2) Greece
I grew up with greek mythology. I used to have a book of Greek Myths and art that I loved. I would read it over and over cover to cover nonstop. Until the covers fell off. They fascinated me so much. No Cinderella here- I read Greek myths every night before bed. By the time I was in the fourth grade, I had read both the Odyssey and the Illiad. Growing up attending the Metropolitan Museum of Art every Saturday afternoon, the Greek and Roman galleries were always my favorite. Whenever I travel and go to a new museum for the first time, the first thing I do is go check out the Greek and Roman art wing if there is one. Greek culture fascinates me. I even took a year of Greek in high school. I always knew that I had to go to Greece at least once to see the ruins and visit all of the places that inspired some of my favorite childhood stories and memories.
3) Walt Disney World
Yes. Really.
While my parents have done well for themselves and live an incredibly comfortable life now, for my family this was not always the case. I grew up with not much money and because my mother wanted to only send me to private schools, even with scholarships this tied up a lot of my parents' (at the time) small incomes. Things like vacations were just not in the books for us. I wanted to so badly to go to Disney World but we just could not afford it. By the time my parents had started earning more money and could afford to go on vacations, my mother's reasoning was "well you're not a little kid any more" and so they didn't want to go to Disney. They have taken me on plenty of incredible vacations and I've loved every minute of them. I've been to half of Europe but have yet to get a hug from Mickey Mouse. It is my adult dream to change that. TLS talked about taking me there when we're back in the States. Until then however, we may have to cheat and go to Euro Disney.
A pair of Mickey Mouse ears with my name on them has been perpetually on my wishlist for I don't even know how long now. A sorority sister sent me bride and groom Mickey Mouse ears and TLS and I wore them at our rehearsal dinner. Loved them.
4) Thailand
My parents love Thailand. While they are not big on repeat vacations (unless it's a beach/relax type of vacation), they have been there at least three times. If not more. They have yet to take me with them. Sniff. They literally have several albums worth of pictures from their trips at home. They always talk about what an amazing time they had on their trips there and how they can't wait to go back. They were at one point seriously considering buying a Villa in Thailand to retire at. (I think they still might be.) My mother literally cried when she heard on the news about the monsoon. I really want to go visit it and experience all of the things that they have first hand. (Have I also mentioned how much I really love Thai food? A LOT.)
5) Dubai
My father is a Travel Channel geek. (Have I mentioned that my parents travel a lot?) When Dubai was first being built up, I sat there and watched all of the programs on tv about it with him that talked about the construction of the Burj al Arab and the islands. All I could think to myself was that it was the most incredible thing that I had ever seen in my life and "I have got to go there sometime." I loved watching the Amazing Race episodes that were filmed there. About 5 years ago, I decided to look up how much it costs to stay in the Burj al Arab for a week. It's not pretty. You need a loan to stay there. A big one. Thankfully, there are a lot more wallet-friendly hotels there. And it just looks so fun! I really hope that we are able to go.
And have I mentioned that there's a Shake Shack there?
6) China
Walking the Great Wall is on my bucket list. It looks so beautiful and stunning in pictures and I love that you can actually see it from space. I also love Peking Duck and would love to taste the real stuff. And to see Tiananmen Square. My parents loved China (have I mentioned that they take several vacations a year?) and my mother had a lot of fun buying pearls there! Bonus.
7) Austria
Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens, bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens...
I can pretty much recite every single line in that movie to you in my sleep. Don't ask me how many times I've seen that movie because I can't count that high. I even saw the Broadway revival of it in middle school with my mother. Like pretty much every other girl out there, it's a goal of mine to go and visit all of the places that were in the Sound of Music and take a picture of me running down and twirling down the Alps. I suggested to TLS that we do that as our holiday card picture this year. He's not as crazy about the idea as I am. I'm still working on it.
Unlike every other place on this list, I actually have been to Austria. When I was a freshman in high school, I went on a trip to Munich, Vienna, Budapest, and Prague. I loved Vienna. I did. But come on now. Where were the alps, where were the 7 children dressed in identical sailor uniforms, and where were the nuns? Salzburg is officially on my bucket list. And has been since I first saw that movie way back when. (True story: when an Army ranger friend of mine tried to describe his job to me he said "name World War II movies you've seen" and I replied "The Sound of Music." He laughed. I was serious.)
8) Ireland
I don't know why, but growing up, I had this image of Ireland as being this beautiful country that was literally nothing but fields that stretched on to eternity. I loved playing frisbee with my parents in the park and told them that they had to take me to Ireland so we could have a real game of frisbee in a field there. My mother didn't really understand this. Oh well. I was determined to make it happen some day.
That day is almost here. A friend of mine who is about to move to Korea for a year decided to do one last trip before she leaves. She chose Dublin. And yours truly is going with her on a girls' trip. I could not be more excited! We are only going for almost exactly 48 hours, so I am certain that I won't see anything like the picture above, and we might not get to do too much outside of the Guinness storehouse, a bus tour, and a cathedral, but I am still over the moon excited!
I have been making my travel wish list since I was about 5 years old and it feels so great to be able to cross another item off it.
Bonus points: Ireland will be another place that I have traveled to before my parents have.
I've shown you mine now show me yours. What is your travel wish list? What are the places you absolutely have to see before you die?
1) Japan
I love everything about Japanese culture. The art. The food. The gorgeous kimonos. The architecture. The food. The Cherry Blossoms. The fans. Origami. All of it. Since I was about 10 years old, it has been my dream to go see Japan and experience it for myself. I have yet to make that dream a reality. But I'm working on it. It is my not so secret wish for TLS to get stationed there after Germany.
2) Greece
I grew up with greek mythology. I used to have a book of Greek Myths and art that I loved. I would read it over and over cover to cover nonstop. Until the covers fell off. They fascinated me so much. No Cinderella here- I read Greek myths every night before bed. By the time I was in the fourth grade, I had read both the Odyssey and the Illiad. Growing up attending the Metropolitan Museum of Art every Saturday afternoon, the Greek and Roman galleries were always my favorite. Whenever I travel and go to a new museum for the first time, the first thing I do is go check out the Greek and Roman art wing if there is one. Greek culture fascinates me. I even took a year of Greek in high school. I always knew that I had to go to Greece at least once to see the ruins and visit all of the places that inspired some of my favorite childhood stories and memories.
3) Walt Disney World
Yes. Really.
While my parents have done well for themselves and live an incredibly comfortable life now, for my family this was not always the case. I grew up with not much money and because my mother wanted to only send me to private schools, even with scholarships this tied up a lot of my parents' (at the time) small incomes. Things like vacations were just not in the books for us. I wanted to so badly to go to Disney World but we just could not afford it. By the time my parents had started earning more money and could afford to go on vacations, my mother's reasoning was "well you're not a little kid any more" and so they didn't want to go to Disney. They have taken me on plenty of incredible vacations and I've loved every minute of them. I've been to half of Europe but have yet to get a hug from Mickey Mouse. It is my adult dream to change that. TLS talked about taking me there when we're back in the States. Until then however, we may have to cheat and go to Euro Disney.
A pair of Mickey Mouse ears with my name on them has been perpetually on my wishlist for I don't even know how long now. A sorority sister sent me bride and groom Mickey Mouse ears and TLS and I wore them at our rehearsal dinner. Loved them.
4) Thailand
My parents love Thailand. While they are not big on repeat vacations (unless it's a beach/relax type of vacation), they have been there at least three times. If not more. They have yet to take me with them. Sniff. They literally have several albums worth of pictures from their trips at home. They always talk about what an amazing time they had on their trips there and how they can't wait to go back. They were at one point seriously considering buying a Villa in Thailand to retire at. (I think they still might be.) My mother literally cried when she heard on the news about the monsoon. I really want to go visit it and experience all of the things that they have first hand. (Have I also mentioned how much I really love Thai food? A LOT.)
5) Dubai
My father is a Travel Channel geek. (Have I mentioned that my parents travel a lot?) When Dubai was first being built up, I sat there and watched all of the programs on tv about it with him that talked about the construction of the Burj al Arab and the islands. All I could think to myself was that it was the most incredible thing that I had ever seen in my life and "I have got to go there sometime." I loved watching the Amazing Race episodes that were filmed there. About 5 years ago, I decided to look up how much it costs to stay in the Burj al Arab for a week. It's not pretty. You need a loan to stay there. A big one. Thankfully, there are a lot more wallet-friendly hotels there. And it just looks so fun! I really hope that we are able to go.
And have I mentioned that there's a Shake Shack there?
6) China
7) Austria
I can pretty much recite every single line in that movie to you in my sleep. Don't ask me how many times I've seen that movie because I can't count that high. I even saw the Broadway revival of it in middle school with my mother. Like pretty much every other girl out there, it's a goal of mine to go and visit all of the places that were in the Sound of Music and take a picture of me running down and twirling down the Alps. I suggested to TLS that we do that as our holiday card picture this year. He's not as crazy about the idea as I am. I'm still working on it.
Unlike every other place on this list, I actually have been to Austria. When I was a freshman in high school, I went on a trip to Munich, Vienna, Budapest, and Prague. I loved Vienna. I did. But come on now. Where were the alps, where were the 7 children dressed in identical sailor uniforms, and where were the nuns? Salzburg is officially on my bucket list. And has been since I first saw that movie way back when. (True story: when an Army ranger friend of mine tried to describe his job to me he said "name World War II movies you've seen" and I replied "The Sound of Music." He laughed. I was serious.)
8) Ireland
I don't know why, but growing up, I had this image of Ireland as being this beautiful country that was literally nothing but fields that stretched on to eternity. I loved playing frisbee with my parents in the park and told them that they had to take me to Ireland so we could have a real game of frisbee in a field there. My mother didn't really understand this. Oh well. I was determined to make it happen some day.
That day is almost here. A friend of mine who is about to move to Korea for a year decided to do one last trip before she leaves. She chose Dublin. And yours truly is going with her on a girls' trip. I could not be more excited! We are only going for almost exactly 48 hours, so I am certain that I won't see anything like the picture above, and we might not get to do too much outside of the Guinness storehouse, a bus tour, and a cathedral, but I am still over the moon excited!
I have been making my travel wish list since I was about 5 years old and it feels so great to be able to cross another item off it.
Bonus points: Ireland will be another place that I have traveled to before my parents have.
I've shown you mine now show me yours. What is your travel wish list? What are the places you absolutely have to see before you die?
Saturday, January 21, 2012
Travel Essentials
Being that I travel a lot, I have certain must-travel items that make traveling a lot easier and better.
1) Snuggie
Don't laugh y'all. This thing is incredible for international flights. It is a lot bigger, softer, warmer, and more comfortable than those tiny blankets you get on the airlines. If you get one at all. When I put mine on in JFK, people on my flight looked at me like I was deranged. Then once we boarded our flight and they tried to maneuver their tiny blankets, they were all looking at me with jealousy in their eyes.
To any of my military readers- if you ever fly Space A, bring a Snuggie with you. Unless you're flying on a rotator, the plane is guaranteed to be incredibly hot at one seat, and freezing cold two rows down. And you don't get your own blanket. Layers and planning ahead are crucial here.
2) Bath & Body Works PocketBac
My MIL sends me these periodically and I love them. I have one in every single purse. Perfect for travel because they are tiny and don't take up much in your plastic bag.
3) CamelBak Groove Water Bottle
I saw this on base and decided to get one to try it out. This is pretty ingenious because it comes with a built-in filter so instead of just having to constantly buy bottles on the road, you can carry the one and fill it up whereever. It is great for going through airport security because you can empty it out before you go through and then fill it up in the bathroom. We each have one (mine is pink again, the husband's- not so much) and they have saved us so much money when we fly. Because it has a bite valve, you can drink from it laying down, and this was a huge help for me when I was post-op and could not move for 25 hours. Drinking from that was a lot easier than drinking through a cup!
4) Colgate Wisps
Amazing. I first received some in a goodie bag from a Shecky's Girls' Night Out, and I instantly fell in love. These little things are single use mini brushes on one end and a toothpick on the other. The toothbrush end has a little bead of toothpaste on it. Again, these don't have to go in your ziploc bag, and are great for red-eye flights so you don't have to get off the plane with morning breath.
5) solid perfume
A product I am a huge fan of for several reasons. 1) It's compact, 2) it doesn't need to be put in your ziploc bag in your carryon (notice a theme here?) which makes it great for those trips when you want to avoid paying checked bag fees by just bringing your carryon. The other reason why I'm such a fan of solid perfume is because it's usually a lot cheaper than its liquid counterpart, thereby making it not a big investment in your beauty arsenal.
Mine is Green Tea from L'Occitane. A lovely, light, clean scent. I can't get enough of it.
6) iPad
Love mine. It can do almost anything except display any sites that require Flash. (Darn licensing agreements.) Before we travel anywhere, we like to fill ours up (geeky family- we each have one) with games, and tv shows/movies for the road. The facetime and iMessage features are a huge plus when you live in a different country than the rest of your family. I have the 16GB white iPad2 with this cover from Missoni for Target fiasco:
After getting the iPad, I now usually don't bring my netbook with me any more when I travel.
7) Kindle
The one thing I don't like doing on my iPad is reading. It's too heavy to hold up with one hand and the screen was just not designed for heavy readers.
To be perfectly honest, I used to be incredibly anti e-reader. To me, there is a certain thrill of opening a new book, sniffing it, and yes, ::gasp:: sometimes dog-earing the pages. But if you are a fast reader, like I am, and can read more than a book on a single flight, carrying several paperbacks in your carry-on is not exactly practical. Or easy to do. Right before I went into the hospital for surgery, I made a list on Amazon of the books I wanted to bring with me to read. My husband saw the list, realized he'd have to carry all of them there, and then back home, and promptly went out and bought me a Kindle. I have not regretted it for a day since.
I will leave y'all with a funny story. When I checked in to the hospital, I brought a lot of stuff with me to entertain myself while I would be in there. My iPad for games and videos, my kindle for reading, my iPhone for you know, phone stuff, my portable DVD player to watch Royal Pains on, and my netbook for blogging and just in case any of the other should fail me. And then my husband had his own iPad and his own iPhone. (Have I mentioned we're a geeky family?) All of these things cost significantly more money in Germany than they do in the United States and the nurses could not get over how many electronics we managed to bring with us for a 5 day stay. They thought we were loaded or something.
Anyhoo- those are my travel essentials. What are some of yours?
1) Snuggie
 |
| mine is pink, obviously |
To any of my military readers- if you ever fly Space A, bring a Snuggie with you. Unless you're flying on a rotator, the plane is guaranteed to be incredibly hot at one seat, and freezing cold two rows down. And you don't get your own blanket. Layers and planning ahead are crucial here.
2) Bath & Body Works PocketBac
My MIL sends me these periodically and I love them. I have one in every single purse. Perfect for travel because they are tiny and don't take up much in your plastic bag.
3) CamelBak Groove Water Bottle
I saw this on base and decided to get one to try it out. This is pretty ingenious because it comes with a built-in filter so instead of just having to constantly buy bottles on the road, you can carry the one and fill it up whereever. It is great for going through airport security because you can empty it out before you go through and then fill it up in the bathroom. We each have one (mine is pink again, the husband's- not so much) and they have saved us so much money when we fly. Because it has a bite valve, you can drink from it laying down, and this was a huge help for me when I was post-op and could not move for 25 hours. Drinking from that was a lot easier than drinking through a cup!
4) Colgate Wisps
Amazing. I first received some in a goodie bag from a Shecky's Girls' Night Out, and I instantly fell in love. These little things are single use mini brushes on one end and a toothpick on the other. The toothbrush end has a little bead of toothpaste on it. Again, these don't have to go in your ziploc bag, and are great for red-eye flights so you don't have to get off the plane with morning breath.
5) solid perfume
A product I am a huge fan of for several reasons. 1) It's compact, 2) it doesn't need to be put in your ziploc bag in your carryon (notice a theme here?) which makes it great for those trips when you want to avoid paying checked bag fees by just bringing your carryon. The other reason why I'm such a fan of solid perfume is because it's usually a lot cheaper than its liquid counterpart, thereby making it not a big investment in your beauty arsenal.
Mine is Green Tea from L'Occitane. A lovely, light, clean scent. I can't get enough of it.
6) iPad
Love mine. It can do almost anything except display any sites that require Flash. (Darn licensing agreements.) Before we travel anywhere, we like to fill ours up (geeky family- we each have one) with games, and tv shows/movies for the road. The facetime and iMessage features are a huge plus when you live in a different country than the rest of your family. I have the 16GB white iPad2 with this cover from Missoni for Target fiasco:
7) Kindle
The one thing I don't like doing on my iPad is reading. It's too heavy to hold up with one hand and the screen was just not designed for heavy readers.
To be perfectly honest, I used to be incredibly anti e-reader. To me, there is a certain thrill of opening a new book, sniffing it, and yes, ::gasp:: sometimes dog-earing the pages. But if you are a fast reader, like I am, and can read more than a book on a single flight, carrying several paperbacks in your carry-on is not exactly practical. Or easy to do. Right before I went into the hospital for surgery, I made a list on Amazon of the books I wanted to bring with me to read. My husband saw the list, realized he'd have to carry all of them there, and then back home, and promptly went out and bought me a Kindle. I have not regretted it for a day since.
I will leave y'all with a funny story. When I checked in to the hospital, I brought a lot of stuff with me to entertain myself while I would be in there. My iPad for games and videos, my kindle for reading, my iPhone for you know, phone stuff, my portable DVD player to watch Royal Pains on, and my netbook for blogging and just in case any of the other should fail me. And then my husband had his own iPad and his own iPhone. (Have I mentioned we're a geeky family?) All of these things cost significantly more money in Germany than they do in the United States and the nurses could not get over how many electronics we managed to bring with us for a 5 day stay. They thought we were loaded or something.
Anyhoo- those are my travel essentials. What are some of yours?
Sunday, January 8, 2012
She Went to Paris
Looking for answers.
If you've been reading this blog or follow me on twitter for a while, then you know that I have insomnia. That's no secret. I do most of my shopping at night. Lately, I have been getting depressed about my husband's upcoming deployment. I have been trying to keep myself together by planning trips while he's gone so I can focus on the good. On a whim, I decided to go to the Air France website and see what it would cost me to fly to Paris for 2 days. Less than I thought. $115. I am now trying to talk myself out of booking the ticket on the spot and wait until I know more. It's not easy. My mother once booked a two week trip to Hungary and the Czech Republic because she saw a good deal on plane tickets. She called it her impulse purchase. It runs in the family.
I am trying to be good and not book the ticket, but this was what I found to be so funny.
That's right. The actual ticket only costs $1. The rest of the ticket cost is taxes and fees.
ETA: I realized that the screenshot comes out tiny on the post and I can't figure out a way to change that. The picture says that the ticket costs $1 and has $113.60 in taxes and government surcharges on it.
It might be time to replay my favorite YouTube video.
Bonsoir folks.
If you've been reading this blog or follow me on twitter for a while, then you know that I have insomnia. That's no secret. I do most of my shopping at night. Lately, I have been getting depressed about my husband's upcoming deployment. I have been trying to keep myself together by planning trips while he's gone so I can focus on the good. On a whim, I decided to go to the Air France website and see what it would cost me to fly to Paris for 2 days. Less than I thought. $115. I am now trying to talk myself out of booking the ticket on the spot and wait until I know more. It's not easy. My mother once booked a two week trip to Hungary and the Czech Republic because she saw a good deal on plane tickets. She called it her impulse purchase. It runs in the family.
I am trying to be good and not book the ticket, but this was what I found to be so funny.
ETA: I realized that the screenshot comes out tiny on the post and I can't figure out a way to change that. The picture says that the ticket costs $1 and has $113.60 in taxes and government surcharges on it.
It might be time to replay my favorite YouTube video.
Bonsoir folks.
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Trier and Luxembourg
Yesterday, TLS and I went to the Trier Christmas market. Since Luxembourg is only a 38 minute drive from Trier, we made a semi-spontaneous decision to drive there for dinner and get in another country before the year is up. (Last year we made a joined New Year Resolution to visit 10 countries together in 2010. Luxembourg made #9.) In typical MRM fashion, I left my camera at home. Thank goodness my new iphone 4 takes good pictures.
Trier was the third Christmas market we went to together and of those three (the others were Mannheim and Kaiserslautern), it was definitely the smallest. In my opinion- it was the best though. The town itself is gorgeous and adorable and lends itself nicely to the atmosphere.
A gorgeous church in Trier.
I thought this shop was pretty and fun with the giant bow and twinkle lights in the window, so I had to take a picture of it.
The entrance to the Medieval Jewish Quarter.
Gluhwein mug. Gluhwein is a hot, spiced wine that's traditionally served at the Christmas markets. (You will not find a Christmas market without at least one Gluhwein stand.) You pay a deposit on the mug when you buy your wine, and you can either return it and get your deposit back, or keep the mug. Many people collect these mugs because they are adorable. (TLS has one from 2008 that's in the shape of a snowman! I hope that they bring that one back.) This year's was in the shape of a boot. (I am not certain of the significance of this, but I do know that there is some German legend about drinking out of a boot. I've seen boot-shaped beer mugs as well,) It has 2010 written on the toe, a picture of the town on one side, Santa on the other, and Trier Weihnachtsmarkt on the front. Naturally, we kept ours.
The Porta Nigra- a Roman gate in Trier. A hermit monk named Simeon lived inside it. After his death, a church was erected on site as a monument to him. It is no longer in use today.
Luxembourg:
We only drove to Luxembourg for dinner and back, so I did not get a chance to take many pictures. Of what we did see, however, the city is beautiful. We plan on going back next year for longer than just three hours. While we were there, we saw a mini Christmas market. There were only 3 food stalls and 2 or 3 crafts stalls.
Attached to the crepe stall (we got a crepe with chestnut cream- delicious!) was a postbox addressed to St. Nick so children could drop their letters in and know that they would get delivered to the source.
Last picture of the night- the beautiful train station.
Trier was the third Christmas market we went to together and of those three (the others were Mannheim and Kaiserslautern), it was definitely the smallest. In my opinion- it was the best though. The town itself is gorgeous and adorable and lends itself nicely to the atmosphere.
Luxembourg:
We only drove to Luxembourg for dinner and back, so I did not get a chance to take many pictures. Of what we did see, however, the city is beautiful. We plan on going back next year for longer than just three hours. While we were there, we saw a mini Christmas market. There were only 3 food stalls and 2 or 3 crafts stalls.
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