Here we go again....

Two days after returning from Berlin...I am almost all set to leave for my Spain break. I am taking a long train ride from Brussels to Paris, then Paris to Madrid. Steve is picking me up tomorrow morning and I may tag along with his class on a walking tour somewhere in the city. The girls are meeting me later on in the day. I am so scared about getting there on time and on my own, but SO fucking excited to see Spain, and my boy. Eva and are so poor, but we will be in Spain, so who really cares. Bread and cheese baby, bread and cheese...oh, and wine.

Ich bin ein Berliner!

HELLOOOOOO...
It has been awhile. I am lying in bed on Wednesday night after an exhausting trip. Last weekend I was in Berlin with my best and oldest friend, Cassie. It was one of the highlights of Europe so far, no doubt. I took a night bus by myself and met Cassie at our hostel, which was a miracle. We spent our first day wondering around the city, which was so incredibly beautiful. I could not believe how big Berlin was. I learned so much about Jewish history, WWII, and the Cold War. We saw Humboldt University where Einstein taught, the Brandenburg Gate, Potsdam Platz, The Jewish Musuem, the Holocaust Memorial, the Riechstag, the Berlin Wall, Checkpoint Charlie, The East Side Gallery, and Museum Island. We saw where the Nazi book burning took place, where Hitler's bunker used to be, and where countless East Germans escaped into West Berlin. We ate Currywurst and drank strange, pear flavored German alcohol. We went to a crazy ass gay bar called Berghain with our smokin' hostel mate. We started fights on the U-Bahn, took a three hour walking tour, and at durham! It was such a culturally fufilling weekend. God, just writing about it makes me happy.
Oh, yeah, we saw Of Montreal, told Kevin Barnes to play Oslo in the Summertime for his encore, met the whole band, got Skeletal Lamping for free, and had Kevin sign my shirt.

Oslo in the summertime nobody can fall asleep
I’m staring out the window from my bed
At 4 a.m. the sun is up
look the sky is pepppered with sea birds and with crows all cackeling
HVA?

Up in tre ten Heimdalsgate
me and Nina making fun of footballers in Rudolph Neilson Plass
I practice my norwegian on poor beffudeled waitresses
who shake their heads completely at a loss
Oslo in the summertime the streets are strangely quite ’cause
everyone’s away on holiday
HVA?

Oslo in the summertime Pakistani children play locked inside of the courtyard all day
Pretty people everywhere sun lamp tans and flaxen hair
Just tell the American not to stare
HVA?

I love Berlin and I fucking love Cassie...

Another week has flown by...

I can't believe my trip is halfway done...It's literally unbelievable. This week was fairly relaxed. I have a new-found appreciation for the boy I have taken for granted for along time. Today, one year ago, my life changed drastically. There has been a lot of good and a lot of bad, but I have never felt more alive. So I thank you Steve. Thank you for an incredible year. Happy anniversary...no matter what happens to us, I love you...
Work was incredibly lame this week. It was very slow. We presented Mr. Mikolasik with the Spanish classes I researched. I also started research for my papers, which are really coming up fast. I leave tomorrow on the night bus for Berlin to meet Cassie! And now, Matthew may even be joining us! He totally surprised me, so I hope everything works out.
Tonight should be great...We are getting drunk with Eva and Megan's friends who are here. If I don't write before I leave, I will be sure to tell you all about my trip to Berlin to see Of Montreal!
PeAcE

Botanical Gardens in Leuven....

...Are beautiful...

I will never climb 1,000+ stairs again...

My weekend in Koln, Germany was awesome. The trains went smoothly this weekend and my time with the girls was much needed.
We arrived on Friday and got a wonderful dinner of white sausage, pretzels, sweet mustard, and Kolsch. We hit up a few bars in Koln and met some Germans throwing a bachelor party. I also must mention my time with Eva on the floor of the Marriott was magical ;) On Saturday we got up and went to the most beautiful Cathedral in the world. We climbed over 1,000 steps that day, and I shan't forget it. My legs were shaking for the next two hours. We did some shopping and then took a nap before our big night out. We went to a club and danced the night away until I almost got in a fight with a German. Fuck language barriers. I have pledged to learn French and German before I die!!!! I swear, I will do this!!! I had some of the best talks ever with Megan, Erin, Jess, Eva, and Joyce this weekend, only confirming how intelligent and wonderful my friends are. I love you girls, you saved me this weekend.
Obviously this has been a rough week for me. I know I have tons of love in my heart, but I don't know how far that can take someone. I really want to be close to you, I do.
"Thinking of you, wherever you are..."
This week should be nice. Back to work tomorrow. But on Wednesday, their is an emergency meeting of world leaders in Brussels to discuss the financial crisis. I'll give Paulson my regards for you all...Eva and Megan both have friends here this week, so Thursday should be legendary. And then I am off to Berlin with Cassie!!!
I hope I have enough soul-power...
Peace...

Stagiaire for Life

Feeling good...a little alone in the world...My trip to Berlin is all set to go...I fucking can't wait.
The only thing that is keeping me going right now is Megan's Thursday night birthday celebration. These weeks just get so stressful, it makes me want to drink...hard...
I did a lot of work today...set up a delegation meeting, corrected bad Slovak to English translated press releases, did some research on the Community Action on Health policies in the EPP, researched eHealth initiatives, hole-punched, and printed out my tickets for Berlin. They said the speech I wrote on Cohesion policies post-2013 was good...which is weird, because I still don't even know what it means...I feel like Sarah Palin...
This week is our trip to Cologne, Germany. Its supposed to be a really fun place, so I am looking forward to it.
I want to suffer for fashion asap...
I need to think about my EU papers, and book my travels for Spain.
I posted a picture of home because I am so excited to see Cassie. Mayhaps I'll get a Duvel or two tonight...Peace...

Putting the pieces back together...

Well...
My life has changed drastically in the last week...
I have to re-make myself I suppose...A new identity. I really have to work on relying on myself. I am currently wrapping up loose ends in my life, organizing shit, and planning more euro excursions...I hope to figure out Paris plans, as well as my trip to Berlin with Cassie. Berlin should be amazing. How did Cassie and I really find ourselves in Europe together after all that has happened? We are also taking care of our housing in Spain over break.
I am nervous to move on...

Money sucks...

Ticky Tacky Ticky Tacky...

...Oye Oye Oye!!!
Wow, Munich. What an amazing weekend. I really treated myself for this weekend, but it was so worth it. We took a beautiful train ride to Frankfurt and then Munich. Castles, open fields, mountains, rivers...It was unreal. I felt such a powerful connection with the culture that my family comes from. Mel, Betsy, Megan, Joyce, and I kept saying that our powers were increased. I really thought about my Dad a lot. He would have loved to be there, and I know how amazing it would have been to do Germany for the first time with him.
After a wonderful train ride with Hanz and Franz the surfer twins, we found our hotel and got ready for Oktoberfest! We made it to the Spaten tent pretty easily. I pimped out the girls so that we could get in! Although it was awkward trying to find a place to sit, we ended up finding some nice/ugly Danish boys to sit with. We met some awesome people, chugged three steins, and had a wonderous time. I got headbutted too! That was probably the highlight. I honestly don't even know how I made it home that night. Apparently I put on Wicked bootlegs and made the girls listen to them. Ohhhh boy...
On Saturday we got up and met Joyce's cousin Joseph. He is a dancer in Munich and he was awesome. He was such a nice guy. He took us to a really authentic Bavarian place for lunch. We had sausage and dumplings, potato salad and good beer. I even tried a great drink that was comprised of Coke and Orange soda. Then Joseph helped me by Leder Hosen! After a small catastrophe, ie...our group being split up...we did some dress shopping for the girls, got ready at our hotel, and made our way back to Oktoberfest. We got into Spaten after a little difficulty, and then found a table. What an evening. I made friends with a German guy named Andy. We drank steins, did Bavrian mint drugs, made a shit ton of Euro pals...It was another shit show. I couldn't undo my leder hosen for the life of me and almost peed myself. Poor Megan fell into a table and will probably lose an arm. We all looked so authentic! It was such a magical evening. The beer chants and the old American music classics...it was such an amazing weekend. We had a rough journey back...Belgians were striking so we had to take a bus and a taxi to get home. Munich was fucking incredible. I really hope to make it back to Oktoberfest again! Prost!

A week with Steve...

Steve was here last week...we had a fun night out with my friends here...went to Maastricht and had a nice day on a boat then a good dinner date...I had to work on Wednesday, so we met in Brussels and had mussels, beer, and chocolate...and in the end we lie awake and we dream of making our escape...