Cinque Terre Day Trip

Today we took a day trip with a guide, Luca, to Cinque Terre (pronounced Chink-eh Tear-ah). Cinque Terre is a protected region of five cities that sit on the Italian coast of the Mediterranian Sea. We took an added detour to Pisa, which meant that we were only able to see 3/5 cities in Cinque Terre.

Pisa

My thought the entire time we were in Florence was that we were in Italy, literally an hour away from the tower, and I was not going to miss seeing it. Pisa itself appeared to be a rather boring and unimpressive city so I'm glad we only took about 10 minutes to see the tour and then were on our way.

The tower in all its glory.

Cinque Terre

We arrived and parked in Riomaggiore, the eastern most city. All 5 of the cities are connected by trains, so once we were in Riomaggiore we only walked and took the trains. There are also paths that connect the cities but Luca told us that many of the paths are unsafe and or closed because of the mudslides that have occurred after heavy rain in the region. We saw some walkers, carrying walking sticks and wearing hiking boots, but we did not attemp the walk.

Riomaggiore

Vernanzza

Vernanzza was our second stop, and the 4th city in the chain (2nd most westward). One of the larger cities, we stopped for lunch here and also got to climb a tower for a view. Lunch was amazing. I had the best pesto of my life, with thin gnocchi like noodles and the largest fried calamari I have ever seen. The restaurant was called Trattoria del Capitano and I would highly recommend stopping there if you're ever in Vernanzza!

Emily and I with our guide Luca

Rooftops in Vernanzza  

Lunch! Pesto and seafood pasta. Nomnomnom.

Manarola

Manarola was the last island we visited and the one I thought was most picturesque. It is one of two smaller villages but the only one of the two smaller towns that is located directly on the Sea. People in Manarola park their boats next to their homes much like we park our cars. We took a lovely walk along a look out where I snapped upwards of 50 pics of the absolutely stunning view. Again, the pictures probably don't do the view justice.

Looking up the mountain

The streets of Manarola

Plz take me back.

Like now.

Happy spring quarter Northwestern.

Venice (Days 4-6)

Bonjourno from Italia!

After an incredible first few days in Spain it was time to explore the next country, Italy! Our Italian stay will take us to Venice, Florence, and Rome with day trips to Cinque Terre, Tuscany, and (fingers crossed) Pisa. In 10 days. 

As we landed in Venice the plane violently shook and part of me was pretty positive we would crash either 1. Because we couldn't land or 2. Because we wouldn't be able to stop on the landing. When we were slowed down the plane erupted in applause. Great work pilot.

Unfortunately our time in Venice was plagued by rain. The first night it was literally downpouring as we walked from the bus station to our hotel and I had to change clothes after we had checked in because the rain had gone all the way through my layers. We went out for a traditional Italian dinner (pasta, wine, and tiramisu) and I was amazed by how flavorful the tomatoes were. 

Sites:

We only spent one whole day in Venice (partially because my dad literally HATES the city...quote "I'll never come back here again") and spent the majority of the day seeing the major sites and getting lost in the maze that is the Canal City. 

Rialto Bridge:

Literally just a big bridge with an incredible view of the city!

St. Mark's Square & Basillica

We didn't take the time to go inside since we spent SO MUCH time in churches in Barcelona/will be spending SO MUCH time at churches in Rome. But it was pretty to look at and anchored the square nicely.

Doge's Palace

The only museum we went to in Venice. Mildly overpriced, but a great break from the rain, and a nice way to see some Venetian history. It appeared to be a miniature Versailles but a few hundred years earlier and with way more politics entwined in its walls.

Food Highlights:

Great pasta and pizza. No one place really stood out but everything was better than what I usually consume back at home.

Tuna pizza (so yummy!!)

Tuna pasta

Off to Florence for the next 6 days! On the plan are some sights recommended by my good friend Mackenzie who studied abroad there, a day trip to Cinque Terre, and a wine tour.

Here's to more great food and times!

Barcelona (Days 1-4)

Hola from Barcelona!

I've thoroughly enjoyed my 3+ days here and am honestly a little sad we have to leave tomorrow afternoon. BUT Italy is the next stop on the trip, and since I LOVE pasta (that's probably an understatement) I don't think I'll be disappointed.

Site Highlights:

Park Güell

This beautiful park offered gorgeous views of the city center and the sea. It's situated on a hill which made for a fun walk, but the famous "cheetah girl" benches were worth it. We also enjoyed some Gaudí architecture, which was a warmup for Sagrada Familia!

Sagrada Famillia

One of our favorite sites in Barcelona! Literally one of the most amazing things I have ever seen. We bought our tickets in advance, and took an official English tour, which were both helpful hints given to us. Some fun facts about the church: 1. They hope to complete it by 2026, to honor the 100th anniversary of Gaudí's death. 2. When completed, it will be the tallest building in Barcelona (170 meters). 3. The interior of the church is supposed to remind one of a forest, and a "tree of life" is featured on the front, top of the building. The pics don't do the building justice...

Our first peek at the church

The light reflecting from the stain glass windows

Montjuic Park

Probably the most underrated place we went in Barcelona, we loved the views and the fountain. While the fountain is probably more beautiful in the evening, when it is lit up, our schedule didn't allow for us to be in Barcelona on a night in would be illuminated. Maybe next time? Also in the park is the Olympic park from the 1992 Olympics. The stadium was much smaller than I thought it would be, but it was fun to see a little piece of history.

Food Highlights:

No post is complete without a comment on the local cuisine! Barcelona is famous for its meat, tapas, paella, and café con leche. Luckily we were able to enjoy an abundance of items/places. Below are some of my favorites:

Bo de B (rec by Lily/Emily's Spanish teacher): Sandwiches

El Antril: Tapas

Brunch & Cake (rec by Olga): Brunch

Mercat La Boqueria (rec by Hannah):

The weather has been a little chilly and not sunny so I'm ready for both heat and sunshine. Barcelona was incredible and I'm pumped to continue the adventure! Hopefully I'll be back sometime in the near future! Enjoy a taste of my adventure and I'll hopefully write again after the next city.

T-10 days....

....until the adventure begins!!!

Wahoo!  I can't wait to *finally* have my semi-study abroad experience (minus the classes/homework).  I will be spending the next few weeks traveling Europe with friends and family enjoying the many wonders of (mainly) Eastern Europe.

On the itinerary:
1. Barcelona
2. Italy (Venice, Tuscany, Cinque Terre, Florence, Rome)
3. Greece (Athens, Naxos, Santorini)
4. Croatia (Zagreb, Plitvice Lakes National Park)
5. Budapest
6. Vienna
7. Munich
8. Prague
9. Berlin

The goal is to keep the blog up-to-date with my adventures, some of the fun things that I am experiencing, and a couple pictures.  Updates will come as time allows :)

Recommendations are always accepted and greatly appreciated!

Random Ramblings Edition #2: Life Quotes

**This post was initially written in March 2012 and was updated over the last few weeks.  Enjoy a flashback to freshman in college Kat.**

Confession:  I have a slight obsession with quotes. 

Many times when I'm feeling a specific emotion I search for a quote....sadness, happiness, excitement, remorse, anger, remembrance, etc.  Here is a compilation of some of my favorites:

"Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind." -Dr. Seuss

"Tough times don't last, but tough people do."

"It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live." -J.K. Rowling

"Sometimes the questions are complicated and the answers are simple." -Dr. Seuss

"Reach for the moon, even if you miss you'll still land among the stars."

"Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference." -Winston Churchill

"A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty." -Winston Churchill

"Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed is more important than any one thing." -Abraham Lincoln

"I'd rather choke on greatness, than nibble on mediocrity."

"For what it's worth...it's never too late, or in my case too early, to be whoever you want to be.  There's no time limit.  Start whenever you want.  You can change or stay the same.  There are no rules to this thing.  We can make the best or the worst of it.  I hope you make the best of it.  I hope you see things that startle you.  I hope you feel things you never felt before.  I hope you meet people who have a different point of view.  I hope you live a life you're proud of, and if you're not, I hope you have the courage to start all over again." -F. Scott Fitzgerald

"If you want to change things, you can't please everyone.  If you do please everyone, you aren't making enough progress." -Mark Zuckerberg

"The ability to learn is the most important quality a leader can have." -Sheryl Sandberg

Have an outstanding weekend.
Kat

Ringing in 2015

Wow.  I can't believe it is 2015.  To be honest, 2014 chewed me up and spat me out.  It challenged me in ways that I never imagined it would.  But at the end of the day, I'd like to think that I am a positive person, 2014 taught me so many important life lessons.  Even though it was hard, even though sometimes I wondered if I would make it through in one piece, I would not trade *most of* the experiences that 2014 provided me.  I learned a lot about work, friendship, leadership, family, and life.  It showed me the importance of taking time for those who care about you at your lows, doing what YOU want to do, and living life to the fullest because you never know when it will end.

So.  What does 2015 have in store?

I'm pumped for this year.  Already so many exciting things are lined up and it's only January 3rd!  First, I'll be finishing the remainder of my extracurricular activities in the coming weeks leaving me time to do whatever I want to do for the first time in a long time.  Next, I'll be finishing up classes and  graduating from college!  This will be followed by a lengthy backpacking trip through Europe (something I've always wanted to do) and some much needed time to reflect on the past four years while spending time with friends.  If that trip goes well, another trip will follow to a yet to be determined location.  That trip will lead into my not so big move to my first apartment AND the start of my first big person job!

My goals for this year kind of align to all of the big changes that I will be going through:
1.  Do things that make me uncomfortable (in a good, challenging way).  It's so easy for me to do what I've always done and I want to make 2015 the year that I challenge that and really grow as a person.

2.  BLOG MORE.  Not so much because I want people to read my thoughts but because 1.  I hate writing in journals, 2.  I've come to value what I've written here.  It's really cool to look back and see what I was thinking about and how my thoughts/dreams/opinions have changed over time.

3.  Go off the grid.  I want to make 2015 the year where I delete my FB, instragram, twitter, snapchat, you name it.  I'm tired of living through social media and want to live in the moment without the pressure/influence of social media.

Here's to a year of living and accomplishing BIG dreams and loving every moment of life.

xoxo
Kat

#YDY

My life motto this quarter has been YDY.  Meaning you do you.  This came about after I decided that I wanted to learn how to be independently happy.  Being happy is an incredibly difficult task and over the past quarter I've struggled a lot over what it means to be happy and how to find happiness within myself. 

I recently came across a blog that I thought did an exceptional job of outlining how to be happy.  Here are their 7 steps to happiness:

1.  You choose: Make your own decisions, don't let other people make them for you.

2.  Focus on the present.  Not yesterday or tomorrow.

3.  Don't forget to be grateful.

4.  Help someone else find happiness.

5.  Simplify: Eliminate 

6.  Do what you like to do.

7.  Or at least do something.

After reading through these I came to a couple conclusions about my journey to find inner happiness.  The first is that I need to live more in the present.  Thinking about what has happened in the past is a waste because (1) you can't do anything to change what has already happened and (2) looking at the past sometimes just makes us regret what we have done which does not lead to happiness.  In my case, looking at my future has been detrimental because I could be imagining a life that has no chance of happening.  Simplifying things is also something that I can work on in the near future.  I feel like there is so much excess in life and it's hard to really appreciate the best things when you're drowning in many things that are unimportant.

As this quarter winds down I'm going to continue working towards happiness and just doing me.

Happy March.

Kat