So my time in Denmark is finally coming to an end :( It feels like its been forever that I've been here but at the same time it feel VERY weird to leave. Me and my friends were discussing it and this is one of the first times any of us have left anywhere for good. When you leave home to go to college you leave with the knowledge you'll be back at Thanksgiving, when you leave school you leave with the expectation that you'll return in the fall. But with this, I honestly have no idea when I'll be returning to Denmark. Scary thoughts. BUT since my time here isn't done quite yet I refuse to do a wrap up post (I'm still not ready) so instead I'll tell you about my upcoming travel plans.
View My Travels in a larger map
So this map shows all the places I've been in Europe and plan on going before I leave. The blue dots are places I went before this trip, the purple ones are the ones I've gone to so far and the yellow ones show where me and Allie are going on our end of the semester eurotrip. I'm flying out Saturday morning to Dubrovnik, Croatia, and then heading to Zagreb, Salzburg, Vienna, Budapest, Prague, Berlin, Amsterdam, Paris, and London. Quite the trip ;) We've got 19 days of constant travel, but you're only young once and this is what being my age is all about. I'll probably get home and fall into a coma until my job starts (its only 3 days after I get back, so that's a real possiblity, not an exaggeration) but it will be worth it. I won't be able to post while I'm gone because I'm leaving my computer but I'll write about my final days in Denmark and my travels when I get home. Until then!
Tara
Thursday, May 13, 2010
BOOZE CRUISE
Trip: 11
Life: 21
So my last full weekend of my study abroad experience me and some of my friends decided that we needed to make sure we got to the last Scandinavian country before we left the area so we went on a cheap but excellent booze cruise to Oslo. We were onlyin Norway for like nine hours but there's not much to see in the capital anyway, if you really want to see the worthwhile things in the country you have to rent a car and drive to the fjords. However, for a last minute effort I'd say we did pretty well for ourselves :)
Hottubing on the Baltic sea!!! Tough life huh?
The girls, Alicia, Jess and I at one of the clubs on the boat. They actually had a pretty good situation set up, but I heard WAY too many Abba covers. Still, good times.
at Froggen Parken, a great park in Oslo. Definitely worth checking out if your ever in Norway when the weathers nice. It was fantastic for us, we only had our jackets on because there was no where else to put them.
Some old guy trying and failing to pick up Alicia... hillarious.
Life: 21
So my last full weekend of my study abroad experience me and some of my friends decided that we needed to make sure we got to the last Scandinavian country before we left the area so we went on a cheap but excellent booze cruise to Oslo. We were onlyin Norway for like nine hours but there's not much to see in the capital anyway, if you really want to see the worthwhile things in the country you have to rent a car and drive to the fjords. However, for a last minute effort I'd say we did pretty well for ourselves :)
Hottubing on the Baltic sea!!! Tough life huh?
The girls, Alicia, Jess and I at one of the clubs on the boat. They actually had a pretty good situation set up, but I heard WAY too many Abba covers. Still, good times.
at Froggen Parken, a great park in Oslo. Definitely worth checking out if your ever in Norway when the weathers nice. It was fantastic for us, we only had our jackets on because there was no where else to put them.
Some old guy trying and failing to pick up Alicia... hillarious.
Monday, May 3, 2010
More Paris with Mamacita :)
Alright, my numerous attempts to make these pictures come up in order have all failed and I really need to stop procrastinating and start working. BUT I can say that this was one of the best vacations I've ever taken and that I had a FANTASTIC time with my mom. She really is amazing, and I'm one of the luckiest people in the world to have her and the rest of my family. Here are some pictures I hope you enjoy them. And if you see my mom anytime soon wish her happy birthday!!!
Me and mom at Versailles our last day there. There were HUGE lines that we got to avoid because she had the good sense (as always) to buy one of those all museum passes for the weekend which ended up being totally worth it.
In the Babylonian exhibit in the Louvre. WHAT a great museum.
Mom with Lily of the Valley in front of the Pantheon :) May day was a big holiday in France and practically everything was closed but they were selling Lily of the Valley on every street corner which is Mom's birth (and favorite) flower.
Me and mom on our lunch cruise on the Sienne. We never do stuff like this, but it was really fantastic. we got to see so much of Paris and got a much needed break from being on our feet.
Sacre Coeur! An absolutely stunning church on Montmartre which ironically enough is the neighborhood that the Moulin Rouge is in. Ah the French.
Me and mom at Versailles our last day there. There were HUGE lines that we got to avoid because she had the good sense (as always) to buy one of those all museum passes for the weekend which ended up being totally worth it.
In the Babylonian exhibit in the Louvre. WHAT a great museum. Mom with Lily of the Valley in front of the Pantheon :) May day was a big holiday in France and practically everything was closed but they were selling Lily of the Valley on every street corner which is Mom's birth (and favorite) flower.
My requisite jumping picture, also in front of the Pantheon
Me and mom on our lunch cruise on the Sienne. We never do stuff like this, but it was really fantastic. we got to see so much of Paris and got a much needed break from being on our feet. Eiffel Tower!!!
Sacre Coeur! An absolutely stunning church on Montmartre which ironically enough is the neighborhood that the Moulin Rouge is in. Ah the French.Mom reading the guide with the Venus de Milo in the background, pretty typical ;)
Me and Winged Victory. Again, the collection at the Louvre is just unbelievable. You could spend a week camped out in their and still not fully appriciate everything.
Mom and Doc Martins, 50 years of fabulousity.
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Paris with mom :)
So I am currently in Paris with the coolest person ever, MY MOM :) She got in yesterday morning, and I got in last night and so far it's been fantastic. We walked around a bit yesterday, got fantastic food, and relaxed in the warm spring weather. And TRUST ME if you've been living in Denmark for as long as I have there aren't words for how fantastic 75 degrees feels. Anyway here are pictures of our first day out and about, and I'll write more soon!
Mom by an adorable old cafe on Ile de Saint Louis. Established 1567, no big deal...
Notre Dame!
MORE Notre Dame! No but sreiously you could spend a whole day looking at Norte Dame from 100 different angles and still not be done with it.
Relaxing at a Cafe :)
Mom by an adorable old cafe on Ile de Saint Louis. Established 1567, no big deal...
Notre Dame!
MORE Notre Dame! No but sreiously you could spend a whole day looking at Norte Dame from 100 different angles and still not be done with it. 
Relaxing at a Cafe :)
Ahh I have to go, she just woke up from her nap (that I wasn't supposed to let her take) and wants to go see the sunset. Some big old chuech is blocking the view, what a Parisianne moment. tata for now!
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Home, Sweet Denmark
Although I had a fantastic time on Spring Break there aren't really words to describe how glad I was to be back in Denmark. As always, you don't know what you've got til it's gone, and although I had been really liking my time inn Denmark up until break I hadn't fully appriciated how nice a place to live it is. Plus, the weather's been fantastic! Here's just a few shinanigans I've been up to since I got back-
Partying it up back at the hojskole, note how we all have spring break tans, the danes were jealous ;)
THE QUEEN!!! I know you can't see her, her husband is in the way, but it was her 70th birthday on April 16th and the Danes were thrilled.
Afterwards me and Erica went to build a bear and decided to make minitures of our favorite queen's guards (Niels was on guard at the Royal Palace being VERY serious when I saw him earlier that day, it was kind of hilarious).
Party at the hojskole!!! Wooo!!!
The Americans decided to teach the Danes a thing or two about how we drink in the States. This is Jacob, the Hojskole Principal learning how to play flip cup with us at the Alumni Party on Saturday. We tought a good 30 people how to play over the course of the night. They thought it was lots of fun, but were suprised by our playful competitiveness. Trash talking isn't really something they do here, and I think it seemed a little mean hearted to them when we would rip on eachother. which to us is half the fun. Just one of those cultural barrier type things, but no big deal :)
TIVOLI GUARDS. God these little boys were so cute.
At Tivoli they have this Hans Christian Andersen ride, which is where Walt Disney got the idea for "Its a Small World." Its a small world is undeniably eerie, but this was even creepier because a) there were sections that were meant to be scary and were and b) there was no music, only a danish storyteller in the background, so you could here all the gears in the little mechanical people turning
But mostly Tivoli was just awesome!!!
Partying it up back at the hojskole, note how we all have spring break tans, the danes were jealous ;)
THE QUEEN!!! I know you can't see her, her husband is in the way, but it was her 70th birthday on April 16th and the Danes were thrilled. 
Afterwards me and Erica went to build a bear and decided to make minitures of our favorite queen's guards (Niels was on guard at the Royal Palace being VERY serious when I saw him earlier that day, it was kind of hilarious).
Party at the hojskole!!! Wooo!!!
The Americans decided to teach the Danes a thing or two about how we drink in the States. This is Jacob, the Hojskole Principal learning how to play flip cup with us at the Alumni Party on Saturday. We tought a good 30 people how to play over the course of the night. They thought it was lots of fun, but were suprised by our playful competitiveness. Trash talking isn't really something they do here, and I think it seemed a little mean hearted to them when we would rip on eachother. which to us is half the fun. Just one of those cultural barrier type things, but no big deal :)
TIVOLI GUARDS. God these little boys were so cute. 
At Tivoli they have this Hans Christian Andersen ride, which is where Walt Disney got the idea for "Its a Small World." Its a small world is undeniably eerie, but this was even creepier because a) there were sections that were meant to be scary and were and b) there was no music, only a danish storyteller in the background, so you could here all the gears in the little mechanical people turning
But mostly Tivoli was just awesome!!!I'm loving being here in the spring time with the weather like it is, but schools really picking up the pace so I'm really having to budget my time. I'm leaving for Paris tomorrow at 6 to meet my mom for her 50th birthday and then the weekend after that I'm going on a booze cruise to Oslo, which will be amazing I'm sure. Luckily, next week is the final week of classes so if I can get my act together and bang out a few papers I'll have a whole week to do nothinng but enjoy Denmark! Wish me luck!
Spring Break 2.5: Barcelona
Trip: 10
Life: 20
It's difficult for me to give an unbiased opinion of Spain because of how much of a damper the mugging put on our psyches while we were there. What I can say is that there is not a group of grils I've met in my life who could've baounced back from all the things that were thrown at us during this trip better than my friends did. Now weeks later looking back at our pictures its clear that we did really make the most of our time in spite of our inner struggle to establish some semblence of comfort during the last 3 days of our trip. Here are some shots of the good times we had there...
Out clubbing the first night we were in town... I guess I didn't get the memo about making a quiet face... oh well.
My lovely ladies on our last night all together. Kirsten had to leave early because her visiting sister was getting confirmed, which is a big deal in Denmark despite the fact that they are almost 100% atheist.
Sagrada Familia, a really impressive cathedral size church designed by Antonio Gaudi, an extremely famous Catalan architect.
Me and Jess at the top of Park Guell. If you're ever in Barcelona I reccomend it, its not as crowded as the rest of the city and the views are fantastic.
Fooling around down by the harbor.
Our second night out we stumbled upon this band giving a free concert in an old converted church yard. Lots of fantastic salsa dancing, my uncoordinated American self didn't have any idea what to do, but it was still fun. I had a cute old spanish man try to teach me the gist of it.
Life: 20
It's difficult for me to give an unbiased opinion of Spain because of how much of a damper the mugging put on our psyches while we were there. What I can say is that there is not a group of grils I've met in my life who could've baounced back from all the things that were thrown at us during this trip better than my friends did. Now weeks later looking back at our pictures its clear that we did really make the most of our time in spite of our inner struggle to establish some semblence of comfort during the last 3 days of our trip. Here are some shots of the good times we had there...
Out clubbing the first night we were in town... I guess I didn't get the memo about making a quiet face... oh well.
My lovely ladies on our last night all together. Kirsten had to leave early because her visiting sister was getting confirmed, which is a big deal in Denmark despite the fact that they are almost 100% atheist.
Sagrada Familia, a really impressive cathedral size church designed by Antonio Gaudi, an extremely famous Catalan architect. 
Me and Jess at the top of Park Guell. If you're ever in Barcelona I reccomend it, its not as crowded as the rest of the city and the views are fantastic. 
Fooling around down by the harbor.
Our second night out we stumbled upon this band giving a free concert in an old converted church yard. Lots of fantastic salsa dancing, my uncoordinated American self didn't have any idea what to do, but it was still fun. I had a cute old spanish man try to teach me the gist of it. 
Soaking up the sun on the beach :)
Despite our difficult time in Barcelona we managed to make the most of our time there and actually didn't hold back much. It's not like me to make a big deal about little set backs, but I was suprised by how deeply getting attacked affected my time there. With the exception of a few tussels with my younger brother (mostly over sharing the computer) I've never really gotten into a fight before. When we were jumped that changed without me even thinking about it, and the rest of the time I was there I found myself sizing up the situation everytime someone looked at me sideways or a man made an inappropriate remark. I'm glad to say that's gone away since I've gotten back to Denmark, but it was an interesting thing to find out about myself nonetheless.
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Spring Break Part 2.4: Nice is Nice
Trip: 9
Life: 19
There really aren't words for how much I liked Nice. I don't know if it was my joy at being able to really understand the native language of the city, the rock beach reminding me of my heavenly summer in Greece last year or just the laid back aura of the town but I had a fantastic time the whole time we were there. I've been keeping track of my top five European cities hoping that I would go to new ones that would bump the old ones down, and right now here's what I've got:
1) Nafplion, Greece
2) Salzburg, Austria
3) Nice, France
4) Rome, Italy
5) Stockholm, Sweden
We'll see if that changes with my trip to Paris with mom, my cruise to Oslo, or my whirlwind tour at the end with my friend Allie, but I'm pretty proud of my list right now. I hope some of the places I go do challenge it though, and there are so many that there's a decent chance one will. Anyway here are some scenes of us in Nice!
Picnic lunch on the beach :)
Life: 19
There really aren't words for how much I liked Nice. I don't know if it was my joy at being able to really understand the native language of the city, the rock beach reminding me of my heavenly summer in Greece last year or just the laid back aura of the town but I had a fantastic time the whole time we were there. I've been keeping track of my top five European cities hoping that I would go to new ones that would bump the old ones down, and right now here's what I've got:
1) Nafplion, Greece
2) Salzburg, Austria
3) Nice, France
4) Rome, Italy
5) Stockholm, Sweden
We'll see if that changes with my trip to Paris with mom, my cruise to Oslo, or my whirlwind tour at the end with my friend Allie, but I'm pretty proud of my list right now. I hope some of the places I go do challenge it though, and there are so many that there's a decent chance one will. Anyway here are some scenes of us in Nice!
Picnic lunch on the beach :)
Unfortunately, a wrench was thrown into our plans on our last day in Nice when the French train workers decided to go on strike (typical) so we didn't really get to see Mersaille or Mont Pellier, and ended up having to take 4 trains and two buses to Barcelona instead of the one easy two train plan we'd made for ourselves. BUT with how much I liked Nice and the atmosphere on the French Riviera I know I'll be returning at some point in time during my life, and then I'll really take my time and get to know the area since it is truly fantastic.
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