SB 2K9

So I am beginning to think I have developed a mild case of ADD. Every time I actually have the time (which is not often) to write on my blog or post pictures or respond to emails, I sit down at my computer, open my blog and facebook, get a message from a friend in my program to go explore Rome, and that is the end to my “I HAVE to write on my blog today” mission!

Rewinding almost a month back to my Spring Break…

My Spring Break was the perfect combination of craziness, fun, and much needed relaxation! To start my Spring Break off I went to Amsterdam with my roommates Joy and Kristen and a few boys from my program. I didn’t really have any expectations for Amsterdam which is why I think I liked it so much. We were there from Thursday night until early Sunday morning and it was so great.

We got there at about 8pm on Thursday night, found out Hostel, met up with the boys and went exploring! The city is interesting at night to say the least. We stayed in a hostel directly in the middle of the Red Light District…it was insane! A friend from my sorority studied there a couple years ago so she gave me some tips on the city and told me never to stare at the girls in the window or they will yell at you or even call the police over. Needless to say I literally walked up and down that street with my head down staring only at my feet! I was too scared to even glance up, other than when I had to look to see where I was going.

The next day we went on a free walking tour (which by the way if you ever come to Europe on a budget the New Europe tours are soo great…They are free and the guides work on a tip basis only. We’ve done them in London, Berlin, Amsterdam and Paris and they are the perfect way to see all the major sites and hear about the city’s history) and I saw the skinniest house ever, the Red Light District, Dam Square, and everything in between. After the tour we went and got a real Dutch lunch…I had croquettes or something like that…absolutely disgusting! But at least I gave it a shot!! Haha We went to the Ann Frank House/Museum after Lunch. That was really interesting and sad. It was so cool to see where she lived and the museum did a great job tying a lot of the house back to her diary by describing where events she wrote about happened. My roommate Joy was less impress though…ten minutes into walking through the museum she turns to me and says “I don’t know what this girl was complaining about…this place is HUGE!” I had to hold back from bursting out laughing because, although the house was bigger than I expected, leave it to Joy to point that out in the middle of the tours while everyone around us is in a very somber mood. I am convinced Joy has turrets but I love her for it!!

Saturday we headed over to the Heineken Factory to do the Heineken Experience. We got there at about noon and it took us about 2.5 hours to get through the whole thing. When you walk in they give you three tokens for free Heinekens throughout the tour then you go through the history of the company and the product. After the history part of the tour, you can walk through the old brewing factory and they demonstrate how the beer is made and with what products. Then we went on the “Beer Ride” where you stand in this little room on a moving platform and they take you through the process of how the beer is made as if you ARE the beer. It was pretty funny. And then best part of the Heineken Experience, there is a huge bar at the end where you can use your three tokens to try the beer. While drinking our three beers each a guy came up to us and handed us his and his wife’s tokens too because they didn’t want them…so we drank more beers. Needless to say by the time we left the factory, after no having eaten since 9am, we needed some time to eat and sit for a little bit!! Haha I would definitely recommend doing the tour though! It was A LOT of fun! On the way back to our hostel from the factory we walked through Dam Square and stopped to watch a street performer do his show. At the beginning of the little show he was explaining why his show was worth seeing because he was going to do 10 push-ups on only his thumbs, do three back flips free standing, juggle, and one very special trick. He asked for a volunteer…and after a straight minute of no one volunteering I decided I would. I thought he was just going to quickly demonstrate what trick he was going to do and I could go back to my place in the crowd. Nope. I quickly became a part of the show. He had me lay down on the ground and spread my legs (which freaked me out right away but I did it) he had to other girls hold a thick metal chain over me and the proceed to explain that he was going to do a flip over me and the chain…the long way! I laid on the ground for the whole show and then he finally did his flip over me and I literally about peed my pants. I opened my eyes thinking it was over and this man was mid air flying over my head. He cleared me…thank god and I am officially a street performer as well he said!!

I think my favorite part about Amsterdam was all the canals and at night every single bridge was light up with lights that reflected on the water. It was so gorgeous. And the city never sleeps! We were out late every night and they whole city seemed to still be awake with us! I could have done without the Red Light District and the “Coffeeshops” every two feet but then again that is also what makes this city what it is…so hippy and so free. Loved it!

After Amsterdam I had one day to rest up for the rest of my Spring Break. On Monday morning Joy, Stephanie, Katie, Val (these are my really good friends I have made here) and my two guy friends Jack and John left for the Amalfi Coast of Italy. We took the train and arrived mid-day in easily the most gorgeous place I have ever seen. The Amalfi Coast is literally straight out of a painting and to make the location that much better the villa we rented for the week turned out to be a small mansion on the side of a cliff over looking the Sea with a private water side platform for the residents of the villa. It was SOOO incredible. The pictures speak for themselves you’ll see. AND the weather was beautiful. We didn’t think it would be warm enough to be in swimsuits but it ended up being 70s and so sunny that it was perfect weather to be outside in a suit. Warm but not too hot that you are sweating everywhere.

We spent the next three days lying by the water, exploring the cities along the Amalfi Coast, having “family dinner,” and drinking wine. I got burnt to a crisp on the second day…burnt to a crisp might actually be an understatement…I was more like a walking ketchup bottle! And to make it worse I didn’t flip over when I was laying by the water so only the front of my body was burnt and my back was an entirely different color…aka Ghost white!! I did not feel too good the rest of the day but at least I got some color right?? We went swimming while we were there too. It was FREEZING but so worth it!

On Thursday morning we packed up and got on a bus to go to Sorrento, Italy. The bus ride was horrendous. The road winded around the cliffs of the coast…in and out…no straight ride ever…I was holding on to the seat in front of me for dear life praying to God I did not become “that girl” who threw up on the bus and triggered everyone else! I was ready to turn to my friend Val and tell her to give me her plastic bag she had her souvenirs in because I was a goner. Luckily, I made it! When we finally got to our hostel, we had the front desk order us pizza (for delivery…first time ever while in Italy). We hadn’t eaten all day so he ordered us two pizzas and 7 suppli (suppli are fried rice balls with mozzarella in the middle..SO GOOD). The pizzas turned out to be a good two feet long and 6 inches wide…which is an absurd amount of food for 4 girls!! We housed it all! We did not feel well after that...

The next two days were spent walking around the city and we took a day trip to the Island of Capri. It was torrential down pour that day…aka longest 30 minute ferry ride of my life. As soon as we stepped onto the boat I turned to my friends and told them not to talk to me…I had to get in “The Zone” to prevent the domino effect of pukers on the ferry. I made it to Capri and back to the main land with everything in tact, thankfully, but it was a close call. Capri was beautiful, despite the bad weather. Definitely a “must-see” in Italy I would say.

We left mid-afternoon on Saturday to come back to Rome. It was really nice to be back home after a long week of traveling and even better…my parents were coming the next day! And after everything that I have experience in the past two and a half months, I was in serious need of time with my parents!!