Spring Break in Europe has begun!!

Today, I leave for my study tour in Prague and Berlin. We have a 12 hour overnight bus ride to Prague!! YIKES! Then we head to Berlin for the second part of the week. I come back to Copenhagen for ONE NIGHT to repack and then I'm off for 15 more days!! 

I am traveling all over Europe and I'm so excited to see all the cities. Keep yourselves posted on where I've been by checking this blog. I'll be adding pictures if I can! 

BON VOYAGE! 

"I'm Hungary for Budapest!"

Budapest

I just spent this weekend in BUDAPEST! It is SUCH an amazing city with so much culture and beauty. We had 2 jampacked days of sightseeing.

Monica and I left friday night. We got to the airport and when we went to check in, the Malev Airline attendant made me check my backpack! She said it was too long. I have a midsize camping backpack that is definitely carry-on sized. I was NOT happy about having to check my bag especially because it's a soft sided backpack and I didn't want it getting dirty or smooshed. Not to mention when we made it on the airplane, it was EMPTY! We had like 6 rows to ourselves with 3 open overhead bins...annoying. 

We arrived at the airport around 10:15pm and got an airport shuttle to our hostel. When we got to the place, the driver simply dumped out bags on the street and said bye. We had NO idea where the hostel was because he dropped us in front of a random door. Thank goodness a young guy walked up to the door and helped us figure out where the hostel was. 

The place was nice with a kitchen and large living room. We had a private double with a bathroom down the hall. It was a clean place and we didn't mind it. 

We met up with Max, Susanne, Jenni, Jeff and James at the flat that Max, Susanne and Jenni were staying in. We hung out for awhile and then ventured out into the city. 

We visited a couple of bars and just had a good time talking and interacting with each other. Monica caused a scene when we stole a pastry from the kebab stand. 

The next morning we all met up around 10:30 for a funfilled day of culture. We were staying in Pest so we headed over the bridge to Buda. We walked alll over the mountains and took some great pictures. The city is so beautiful and the buildings are all so ornate and unique. 

We hiked up to the Citadel which is the highest point in Budapest and you can see the statue on top of the mountain from almost any point in Budapest. It was quite an accomplishment when we got to the top. We were so lucky to have nice weather because originally it was supposed to rain all weekend. We had sun and relatively warm temperatures! 

After our hike we headed down the mountain and in search of the thermal baths. With James and Jenni's expert navigating we found our way to the metro and arrived at the baths. Unfortunately, Monica and I were stupid and didn't bring bathing suits so we were forced to rent one from the baths. 

The baths were so interesting. It's like 2 huge hot tubs filled with all kinds of people. There are massages and spas you can go to as well. 

After our baths, we were starving and craving some more kebabs. We headed back to our hostels to rest up for our night. 

That night we explored Pest some more and ended up at a club called Alkatraz. It was themed after the prison and all the drinks were so cheap! We had a good time just sitting and hanging out there for the night. 

Sunday we headed out for some more culture. Captain James led us to the Great Synagogue and we got a really great tour and learned how the temple was a huge part of the Holocaust. It was all very relevant to the Holocaust class I am taking. 

It was a super cold day and really windy but we made our way to the basilica and the House of Terror after we had a gourmet lunch that cost all of $8. 

We took a break after all the sightseeing to rest up before dinner. The boys picked a street and we started exploring restaurants for our last meal in Budapest. We found a Hungarian/Italian place that had GREAT pizza and some really interesting Hungarian food. 

We turned in pretty early after getting some pics of Buda at night. 

We were supposed to get a taxi at 5am to head to the airport but my alarm never went off and we were a bit late for our taxi, but we got to the airport with plenty of time. 

I was so sad to leave the city but SO glad that I went. It was such an amazing place and I learned so much about the city and it's role in the Holocaust. 

Studying vs. Traveling

I am booked for the next 7 weeks. I am travelling every weekend or I am having a visitor.

Last weekend, I went to Amsterdam with Jillian, Drew, Jim and Alex. We stayed at the Hotel Armada which was right on a canal. The city was beautiful and very similar to Copenhagen with lots of bikes, water and overcast weather. I visited the Van Gogh Museum, the Anne Frank Huis and the Heineken Experience. I walked the whole city and when I got home monday morning, I was wiped.

Tomorrow night I am headed to Budapest with some new friends. I have heard really good things about the city and I am so excited to travel again. Everything is a lot cheaper there and I can't wait to see the natural hot springs! I just bought a new "camping" style backpack and it makes travel SO much easier.

When I get home on monday, I am faced with 2 research paper midterms. They are due the week after but Tyler will be here and I don't want to spend my time on school work while he is here. It is taking all the self-discipline I have to get these papers done in advance. I have already done the research and made an outline for the finance paper, but I have yet to even pick a topic for my 10 page Holocaust & Genocide paper!

Tyler comes in 8 days!!! It could NOT be at a better time. I can't wait to see him and show him the city. Having visitors, especially your boyfriend, is so exciting!

Tyler leaves thursday and I leave saturday for 3 weeks of travel. I'm really looking forward to Berlin and Prague and I know my adventure trip in Ireland will be so exciting.

On another note, Colin and I got bikes yesterday. There is a place where you can rent them and they use the profits to fix up bikes and send them to Africa. For about 2 months and 2 weeks of rental, we paid 700 DKK which is about 115 dollars. We chose to get a bike that was one level up because they were a bit nicer. I rode to class this morning and managed not to injure anyone. I'm still very slow and unsure about the rules. After a few more ride, I'm sure I'll pick it up. It is so liberating to finally have a bike because I do not have to rely on public transportation. My bus went on strike last week and it was so much more difficult to get around because the train station is not as accessible. I'm excited to explore more of the city on my bike.

Side Comment: I have finally figured out my living situation for next year. Lizzie and I found a really cute 2 bedroom place on McFarlin. It is within walking distance but now that I'm becoming such an avid biker, I really want to bring my bike to school and ride to class and maybe even venture out on the Katy Trail. Since I have to bring more stuff to school this year, my mom suggested that I rent a UHaul van and drive to school. I have already secured Tyler to assist me with this trip. It will be fun for him to see SMU and who else would I want to keep me company for a 24 hour drive to Texas?!?!

A few people have already had their parents visit and it is getting me so excited for when my mom comes in April!!

Alright, that's all for now. More when I get back from Budapest!