Don't worry, I'm alive!

My mother has informed me via email that my lack of blogging has caused multiple relatives to express concern that I have been held against my will in Prague since August 19th. Fortunately, that is not the case, I have just not had access to a computer and there has been sporadic internet access, plus I have been busy having an amazing time! But for an update, Erin and I are in beautiful cinque terre right now, and will be heading to Rome tomorrow where I will be for two nights before finally arriving in Ireland. We have been having so much fun, and things could not have gone more smoothly so far. We are meeting up with erin's parents in Rome, and they have my laptop, so soon I will have many photos and stories to share of our travels so far. Until then, know that all is well here, as I hope it is with all of you too!

Prague

It's been a few days since we've been in Prague, but I finally have some photos to share! 

We really enjoyed our time there. Some of the highlights include getting asked for directions multiple times (so we must have somehow looked like we knew what we were doing!), trying different foods, seeing amazing views of the city from Prague Castle, stopping to talk to a really nice older woman for awhile who gave us recommendations of things to see, and just wandering around the city. Considering our only mishaps were a lost ticket for our castle tour, being on a bus when it broke down, getting separated for a brief time on the subway, and Erin almost taking a tumble down an escalator, I think we did pretty well for our first stop on our trip.

Today is our last day in Munich, so I will hopefully be back tomorrow with a recap of our time here!

Munich

No luck so far with uploading pictures to the blog, so that may unfortunately have to wait until I receive my laptop at the end of August, but I will keep trying!

Yesterday was our first experience with the train, and we successfully made it to Munich. We talked to a really nice young couple from Boston who were sitting near us for part of the way. The six hour ride went by pretty quickly. When we arrived it was a gorgeous evenng to walk around and explore on our first night here. Erin and i agree that it is some of the best people-watching ever here. We love seeing all of the well-dressed people riding bikes to work or wherever they may be going. We spent the majority of today relaxing in the English Gardens, an enormous park (again, people-watching central!) The weather has been beautiful.

I hope all is well at home, and good luck especially to the many Bennies and Johnnies departing this week for their own adventures abroad!

Hello!

Hello from Prague! Things have been a little rainy, but wonderful, so far. Check back tomorrow for an update with pictures, once we figure out how to load some onto Erin's iPad!

Here We Go!

The day I have been looking forward to this entire year has almost arrived. Tomorrow Erin and I will meet at the airport, board the plane and our adventure will begin. I can't wait for the moment when the plane begins to take off and everything will be out of my control. That may sound strange, since that's the moment that often makes people the most nervous, but for me, I know I will feel such relief that all of the packing and planning and preparation is as done as it is going to be and all I need to do is relax and look out the window as the world becomes smaller and smaller below us.

The past week has been an absolute whirlwind of getting ready and seeing friends and family before I leave. I know it's silly to be sad since I'm only going to be gone for four months, but it's hard to put that in perspective right now. Knowing that I am hours away from beginning one of the most exciting experiences of my life makes it easier to leave though, and I really do trust that everything will go well. Thank you to all of the friends that have made this summer, and especially this past week so great, and for all of the well-wishes and prayers that have been sent my way as I begin my travels.

A Break from Packing...

I needed to take a quick break from the chaos of packing to share this video. Although visiting Paris is not part of my plans for this trip so far, this ad for a student travel company is so adorable and highlights the simple things about traveling that I am so looking forward to. Only four more days to go!

Check out their awesome videos for London, Barcelona, and Beijing too!