Hannah Kate's Journey

Cyber Monday

Today is a great day to sit in bed and take full advantage of all the online shopping events. I woke up to only 40 emails outlining today’s deals and steals. Of course this is the time to go back to your ‘shopping carts’ at various sites and see what that additional 30% off or free shipping can save you. I’m currently looking for the perfectly glam New Year’s Eve dress. I’ve outlined a few deals I found below…so grab yourself a hot chocolate, curl up in your covers and … ENJOY!

Anthropologie - Free Shipping on ANY order

ASOS - 30% off everything

Free People - Take an additional 25% off all Sale Items

Gilt City - Every city gets $10 off their purchase

J.Crew - Take 25% off entire order, use code: MONDAY

Juicy Couture - 30% off everything

Kate Spade - 75% off select items, free shipping on orders of $200 or more

Madewell -Giving free shipping & 25% off every order, use code: TREAT

Steve Madden - Take 30% off every order, use code: HOLIDAYS30

True Religion - 30% off of select styles

Ulta - Free shipping on orders of $25 or more plus choose a free beauty bag with 15 free samples, use code: HOLIDAY2012 

Urban Outfitters - Take $15 off an order of $75 or more, use code: SUPERCYBER

Love the holidazzzeee…

*Pictures from capecodcollegiate

Home Sweet Chicago

After a grueling 16 hour flight/layover period, I am finally home! It felt so good crawling into my bed last night. I’m realizing the bit of culture shock experiences being back home and taking it all in. First thing I said walking into my room, “did you raise my bed mom?” My bed in italy is a foot of the ground, reminds my of what a jail cell bed might look/feel like. So clearly my heavenly bed with pillow top was screaming my name. I also loved getting water out of my fridge, it comes out perfectly cold with no floaties unlike Italian tap water. And not that I was planning it but my mom and I stopped for Portillo’s on the way home, I grabbed my favorite chopped salad, yes a salad. 

Along with being back came the doctors appointments, and along with the first check up came the first weigh in… not too proud of the 10 L B’s that came with the 6 months abroad… but not to worry, I went to my gym today as well, felt so good to just run on the treadmill while having E! channel 14 inches from my face, I zoned out and did 3 miles. Need to make that my new regimen. 

This morning, once I woke, I texted Mom to come play with me in bed. We talked for a little while, I was so happy to have her here with me, man I’ve missed her. After our chat sesh I made french toast for us, I have been craving syrup, I know random right. It was probably my last indulgence for a while. 

Next priority of being home, Callie, my 70 pound black lab whom I would die for. She is my other best friend in life, I kept rubbing and kissing her today, missed her too. 

I can’t explain it though but with being home and soaking up all the joys that I have here has also made me super emotional. Not sure if its the jet lag, or the reverse culture shock, or just the pure happiness I have for being home, but I found myself a little sad too knowing that my 6 months abroad is over. I need to embrace the next chapter in my life… being a second semester junior, finding an internship for the summer, and trying to live out the values and joys that I found in myself when I was abroad. I don’t think it will be a challenge but I will have to work at not letting the bad parts of American living effect my newly adapted European values, I don’t want to get so stressed like I use to and be rushed all the time, I want to talk more and learn more about the people around me like I did abroad. Lastly, I really want to continue my studies of Spanish and Italian, hoping that one day when I return abroad they will help me out. 

Even so, I am SO unbelievably happy to be home. There really is no place like home. 

Keep posted for one, an update on my last days in Florence, and two, a new blog I’m starting… yes oh yes!

ALL DONE

Yesterday I finished my last exams. I know this has seemed like its all about traveling and playing but I have to say my program was more about academics than I think most other study abroad programs. I was enrolled in five courses here, 3 hour long classes, four days a week. It was not a struggle as much as it was a balancing act between work and play. I’m so happy to be done since now I have some good time to enjoy the last moments here in Florence before leaving on Sunday. I also feel proud since I have complete my third consecutive quarter of classes. I have been enrolled in school non stop since last December and there is not burn out here. Just makes me happy that although it seems that many people sacrifice their mandatory classes to go abroad, I was able to do it all and some! I never thought I would be going to Spain or Italy to study, I never thought I would enjoy them as much as I have, and I couldn’t imagine what the feelings and experiences would do - they changed my outlook on life and what I want for my future. That may sound drastic but its true. Having been able to experience traveling, adapting, opening up, and dealing with new challenges has made me more independent, self sufficient, grateful, intelligent, and overall happy. 

I can’t believe its almost to a close - leaving Sunday - I’ll have to start saying goodbye to people tomorrow, as my room mate Jill decided to leave a bit earlier. That will be one of the first steps into realizing this is the end of a time in my life that I’ll never forget. I’ll come back to Florence later in life, hopefully with family, and explain to them where I lived, what I did, and who I met. The same holds true in all the other places I visited. 

Let the countdown begin… 5 days left and its time to celebrate.

Interlaken, Switzerland

Interlaken is a place where I can see myself living later in life. Hopefully after I’ve made my first fortune I can head back to this amazing valley of a town surrounded by white peaked mountains and two large lakes that contains the bluest water I’ve ever seen. More so than the Caribbean. It’s also the coldest water since its from the glaciers. Ever heard of Evian people, yeah, that runs out of the faucets a tap water here.

This trip was full of relaxing activities. Most of which were outdoor and adrenaline raising but only if you chose those. First day we decided to get a feel for the area and hike up one of the major mountains. It’s not as high here as Denver, about 5,350 feet but still just as gorgeous. It actually reminded me of Denver with the stunning scenery and got me even more excited for our return home. 
 

 

After our hike we took advantage of the local pubs and some Swedish beers. I loved just sitting with all 8 of us, drinking and talking for some of the last moments together. Those moments are something I’ll miss when I’m home but will remember forever. Giggling, clinking beers, and talking about life. 

That night we actually went downstairs to the bar of our hostel called Balmers! This backpackers hostel is very nice, more so then the other places I’ve stayed, and the Metro club was pretty decent. They give two for one drinks to the people staying there so that made our night.

Next day, a bit tired, we grabbed bagels and hot chocolate, yes, from the place across the street called Utopia which became our second home for the weekend. The woman running it is from long island and when she wanted to move here she wrote a list of all the things she missed from the US then decided to sell those, Arizona Ice tea, Bagels, cream cheese, American cheese, chai lattes, fruit smoothies, etc. either way it was delicious having some tastes from home considering its been quite a while.

We then headed to Murren which is his little mountain town high up out of the valley where you take a couple trains and a gondola to the top. It was stunning as well. Seeing the glaciers from a closer distance. We made it a photo sesh and pit stop for tea and coffee. 

When we got back it was actually pretty late and we just ate at the hostel. The girls got fondue. I was so tired from the previous night that we just went to the pub down the street, our second home. When some local Swiss Germans started causing trouble by calling us “schlompens” we asked our friend who was the main bartender there what that meant and he got red in the face, got the bouncer, and threw these guys out of the bar. Apparently, that word is equivalent to see you next Tuesday in English. Either way, we were laughing that we were able to get some natives kicked out of a bar!

I decided to go to bed earlier because for our last day we had an exciting activity planned. My friend Sophie and I decided to go paragliding! I can’t really admit how much fun it was, the view was impeccable as we descended 2500 feet from off a side of a cliff. Yeah! It was so exhilarating and my instructor let me drive a little bit while we were up there, of course I could say it seemed easy but he set it up pretty easy for me. I felt like a bird as we were above the trees then headed over the town and then he pulled a couple tricks as we spiraled down to land. It might not have been the skydiving experience I originally wanted to do but it was still insane and cheaper. I’m so glad I did it and shared the experience with one of my friends. 

I had such an amazing time here, loved the beautiful scenery and again, the people were so welcoming to us as travelers. I really do want to come back here at some point and maybe do my skydiving bucket list as well as ski the alps. Needless to say, what a great last trip. 

 

Can’t get over I have exactly one more week to live up these last moments abroad. I plan on taking full advantage of them. For now, I’m studying for the next two days then it’s party time!

My Magical visit to Paris! - Day 1

Paris is absolutely amazing. It is an indescribable city. My photos and words won’t be able to fully emulate my experience. Needless to say I was astounded at how magical Paris truly is. My friend Colleen and I saw it all! I’m thankful we arrived thursday night, thanksgiving day, so we could have enough time to soak up all that Paris has to offer. I’ll admit though arriving alone from Rome to the airport where I waited for Colleen to come from Pisa was somewhat sad. I sat waiting and decided to call my family to wish them a happy thanksgiving. It was a homesick feeling much stronger than ever where I listened to my dad and brother tell me about how they watched the Macy’s parade, took a walk around the town with the sun shining and were prepping the William & Sonoma smoked turkey all while cheering on the undefeated Wisconsin Packers. My mom was doing the same, an avid Wisconsin fan, who was at my cousin’s house. All of her side of the family was there and they had some excited news of a baby announcement. I would have done anything to have been with either side of my family in order to enjoy my favorite holiday but I had to have a dose of reality and instead be thankful for my experience. I was in Paris for christ sake! I slapped myself and was grateful when Colleen arrived so I didn’t feel so alone again. 

We immediately took the bus ride to our hotel and got to the Republique hotel which was 80’s inspired and full of graffiti all over the walls. Very different but suitable for my first Parisian experience. We set our things down and decided to splurge on a “thanksgiving” inspired meal. Right around the corner we ordered champagne and french onion soup with a split roast chicken, the closest thing I could find to turkey and my dad’s butternut squash soup. I was so happy again, and really excited for the start of our weekend. 

The next day we woke up early and grabbed a coffee and parisian pastry on our way to Notre Dame. It was a beautiful church which was at one point going to be torn down but when the book came out by Victor Hugo, it made the church famous again and a huge restoration was in order. We ended up going to the top of the towers once we were done with the inside and we got to see the absolutely amazing views of the city. You could see everything from the outlines of the eiffel tower to the end of the champs elysee is where the arc d’triumph is located. We even were able to go up the stairs and see the bell which the famous hunchback was known for ringing in the Disney movie. Loved it!

On our walks we ran into these old little stands with vintage books and postcards. I couldn’t resist buying a few! There were also a few bridges where tourists would put locks on the sides. The story goes that a couple writes the date on it and locks it to the side and then they’ll be together forever (locked up together haha). It was so beautiful to see all the LOVE in the city. They also do this in Florence which is pretty cool. 

Congrats Fiona and Ian on making it 10 years!

We walked shortly to the Musee d’Orsay which is know for its impressionist artists. The building itself used to be a train station and a female Italian architect Gae Aulenti who made it the way it is today, absolutely stunning with the huge clocks from the original building. We saw Van Gogh, Manet, Renoir, Monét and the list goes on. Absolutely beautiful paintings with such bright colors and organized brush strokes.

I loved Paul Signac’s La Boulée Rouge.

Afterwards we were pretty starving at this point and treated the moment perfectly with Lauderee which is this famous macaroon shop. They had so many gorgeous desserts but we were only interested in the macaroons. They had flavors like chocolate ganache, pistachio, rose petal, orange blossom, and hazelnut. We of course splurged and bought a box of 12, okay maybe 15. 

Anyways…. haha… we ended up going to the Champs Elysée street which is home to all the major shopping areas. At the beginning of the street they had these christmas markets. The only little shop that I liked was of these christmas ornaments. I had to get this hot pink ornament with a glittery eiffel tower on it and ‘Paris’ written in perfect cursive, it will be a memorable moment on my tree! We ate lunch at Chez Andre a little restaurant right off the main drag where we split a lentil salad, goat cheese pastry, and roasted chicken. Ummm yum!

We continued to walk till we hit the Arc d’triomph which is located in the middle of one of the most busy round about. We didn’t even want to try and cross it and sadly couldn’t figure out if there was an underground way, needless to say we still loved eating our macaroons on a close bench. 

We then decided to head over to the eiffel tower but first stop…. buy some champagne, a baguette and some yummy brie! Just to make the experience absolute perfection. I didn’t know that right on the hour the tower actually sparkles! There are these twinkle lights that turn on for about 5 minutes each hour and it was stunning to watch. That was the true magic in all the experience. We continued to eat, of course, and stare in awe until a little family of mice started to scurry across the path into the park, going right underneath our bench, thats when we decided this was the time to leave. 

By this point although we were exhausted it was just necessary to keep going! We thought we might have time to see the Louvre but by the time we got to the museum we only had an hour until close. So we just ended up walking into the Latin Quarter which is apparently the oldest area of Paris. It was nice being in that section since no cars can go through and we just walked around looking at all the restaurants. Most of them were Italian or kebabs, Europeans love their kebabs, but we wanted more authentic french food. We came across this little place that had trip advisor top rating stickers on the door so we decided to go in. With a great glass of red wine and boeuf bourguignon ordered I was again in complete bliss. By this time we were literally in a food coma and were pretty exhausted. We headed home and prepared for the next day… Versailles!

Even so, I loved that first day, walking around literally everywhere. I was super grateful for Colleen since she spoke some french and was our little navigator all day. It made life a little easier being able to just enjoy the scenery. It was definitely one of my most memorable days abroad.

Paris Day 2 & 3

On Saturday we woke up pretty early and headed to Versailles. It was so easy just to take a quick train to the palace. Its absolutely huge! I had no idea how immaculate it was decorated with all the gold detail and I absolutely loved the inside decor. There was so much green and pink fabric. Crystal chandeliers were everywhere and the portraits of the royalty were just like the movie Marie Antoinette. I love the bedrooms which had the most grand bed you’ve ever seen with feathers coming from the Queen’s bed topper. My favorite was the hall of mirrors where above are tons of crystal chandeliers all lit up while there are literally mirrors lining the hallway. It was beautiful! Another plus of Versailles, the same famous macaroon store is also located right next to it! Oh, and plus plus… there was a starbucks down the street. Yeah, I was in heaven!

We ended up coming back from the Palace earlier than we thought and we immediately went to the Louvre. I had no idea how big that museum was, the triangle building in the center is just the ticketing booth… ha… but we found a map and really just stuck to the main attractions. We saw Leondardo’s Mona Lisa which was quite smaller than I thought it would be but still truly amazing. The rest of the artwork was from artists that although I may not have known I recognize from my previous art classes. It was such a change seeing art from a new time period than the renaissance. We did see the two slaves by Michelangelo which were more finished in comparison to the four which are hosted here in Florence. When we did go through the Renaissance time period it was such a great feeling to be able to name the artists and know the era, technique, and story behind the piece. Clearly school is paying off here!

We finished up at the Louvre and ended up heading over to the Gallery Lafayette which is this major department store like Harrod’s but they stell all kinds of brands. Most of which were very expensive but very chic considering Parisian fashion is the Mecca of trends. I just kept touching all the things I wanted, and making mental notes for future purchases. Best part, they were all decorated for Christmas too!

We ended up eating a late lunch at this place right next to the gallery called Sofa where we split a cheese tasting and Colleen had croque monsieur which is just a fancy way of saying a ham and cheese sandwich with a egg done over easy on top, I ate a salad and tried her sando. Yum! 

Since it felt like we had been going going going we decided to go back to our hotel a bit earlier and rest before our fancy night out. My friend Amellia is studying there and I met up with her and her two friends at this cheese fondue place somewhat outside of the city center. It was recommended by friends since its famous for its fondue and the fact that they serve wine out of baby bottles…. yes baby bottles!! So funny to be sucking alcohol out of a children’s cup. The fondue was amazing and I thought they had chocolate fondue but turns out that is an American thing… so sad… either way it was delicious and it got me excited for Christmas Eve with my family since we always have ‘fondue madness’, I’ll be able to get my chocolate fondue then! 

We went out for drinks afterwards but with my exhaustion and lack of knowledge for the french language, we went home slightly early. I was still so excited to have seen my friends.

The following day was our last and I couldn’t get over how much we had done the whole trip. It felt like a mini week vacation because of how much we had gotten done just on the first day. The only stop I wanted to make was to Louis Vuitton. For those of you who know me, LV is my all time favorite handbag, I think they stand for so much class and having known many people who have the bags for their lifetime, they are made with quality. We had gone into the store the first day off of the Champs Elysée but I was not ready to purchase, by our last day, I was just craving for my monogrammed Neverfull bag. Little secret, the bags are cheaper if you buy them in France plus you get a 12% tax back on your credit card… so all in all you end up saving almost $200 depending on the bag you want. Needless to say, I bought myself my bag, something my mom said ‘you’ll have forever and remember your trip every time you look at it’ - since she’s a woman with lots of class… I took her advice. It was the perfect ending to a perfect weekend and I got to share it with Colleen who also bought a bag! And Amellia who is an avid lover of LV!

To say that Paris was magical is such an understatement. I can say that it was my favorite trip but I feel like every time I blog about my experiences I say the same thing. I have to say though that when I look back on my abroad experience, Paris was by far one of the most memorable and I will forever cherish my first time there. I hope to be able to go back and share the experience with my mom… next goal in life though… to learn French. But for right now…

Merci & Au Revoir! 

-xoxo

Skrillex In Rome With Good Company

So I have had no shortage of concert activity while abroad. I went to Skrillex who is another one of my favorite dubstep djs. This was the third show I had been to and I’m happy we decided to go since it was accompanied with a day trip exploring more of Rome with my long time friend Devin. She is studying in Rome currently and although she goes to DU, I haven’t been able to see her as often since freshman year when we were inseparable. We met up wednesday night at her apartment where her room mate was cooking the best food ever, linguine with pancetta. Ummm probs the best meal I had before a concert to say the least. We got all dressed up and went over to my other DG sisters apartment. We met up with Hayley, Maria, Katie, and Nicole. Sophie and Jill were with me getting to Rome and they decided to sleep at that apartment so once we got to their place we were all reunited! 

We celebrated Jill and Maria’s birthday (20 and 21 consecutively haha). It was so good to have everyone under one roof again. We went to the concert and it was jam packed with people. Although we got separated I stuck with Devin and we went up to the blacony in order to escape the creepy Italians as well as the sweat. eeww. I love how although we were in a different country, dubstep concerts are the same everywhere! Everyone was just dancing and enjoying the show. 

The next day, although it was Turkey Day, it definitely didn’t feel like it. I was not going to let the different scenery affect my time, especially since it was my last time in Rome. I’m fortunate to have been three times but this time was now for pure enjoyment. Devin and I woke up semi early and just talked for the longest time about old stories, freshman year, and all the fun times we had had. Made me realize how much I’ve missed her and need to make more effort to hang out with her back at DU. We then headed to this amazing panini place right in the Trastevere area which is across the river a bit. Its a younger area full of restaurants and no cars, so we just walked around talking before it was time for me to leave for Paris! I said a bittersweet good-bye to Devin and headed to the airport. 

I realized how lucky I am to be able to travel so much and more importantly share these experiences with good friends. I was so happy to see my old friend Devin and just as excited to meet my new friend in Parí.

Salzburg & Vienna

Wow…. this weekend was probably one of my favorite. The scenery of Austria was absolutely breathtaking. It reminded me a bit of Denver with the mountains and the greenery all of which were going through their seasonal fall changes. 

I think it was also one of my favorite weekends because I was just with my best friend Emily, exploring the beautiful country, drinking warm punsch (mulled wine), and getting in the christmas spirit with the christmas markets. Friday day we walked all around Salzburg, home to Mozart, the Sound of Music, and to my favorite (smaller) christmas market. We saw the sights of course: Salzburger Dom Cathedral, St. Peter’s Cemetery, and the Residenz Castle. 

There are many cemeteries in Salzburg which I found out because Austrians have these odd fascination with death. There are more gravestones that living residents in Vienna, but we only visited the ones in Salzburg (one tombstone was enough for the weekend). They devote a lot of their money to “death clubs” which are basically funeral insurance societies. Anyways they are beautiful and very well kept. 

The christmas markets were insane full of ornaments, hot drinks, and of course some typical Austrian treats.

We ended up taking a small elevator that went up to the top of the city to the Residenz castle where the Prince Archbishops of Salzburg would live. It was amazing to see since it was at the highest point of the city and looked out to all of Salzburg.

Of course Emily and I indulged in some typical Austrian food which is very similar to German good with the ‘steak & potatoes’ theme. 

That night we actually left and went to Vienna by bus, only about 5 hours away. When we arrived to our hotel we were starving and started aimlessly trying to fine restaurants. Problem is, most restaurants allow people to smoke inside and since it is so cold there, many people gather in restaurants for their social hour, very different from Italy. We ended up running into an extremely nice lady who told us about three restaurants and even took us into one to try and get a table but it was so crowded she just kept suggesting more. Finally our fourth restuarant we went to called Schilling, we got in and ordered a typical Austrian beer and Goulash. It was such a memorable experience. 

The next day we saw everything there was to do in Vienna. First we did a walking tour with our group where we saw the enormous palaces which seemed to be all over the city. Since Vienna is the third largest city in Europe its pretty astonishing how many palaces there were. Afterwards we headed to the larges christmas market called Rathausplatz which was situated right in front of their City Hall. Absolutely gorgeous.

Of course we had to go to the Potato Jim stand where they have these giant baked potatoes filled with sour cream, chives, ham, and cheese. Yeah a heart attack on a plate that was literally to die for. We split it don’t worry!

Afterwards we went to Naschmarkt which was super hard to find but so worth it! Right as we stepped off the tube line (very different than London’s, much more confusing) we were in a flea market which is supposedly the biggest in Europe. Then the actual food market started full of fruits and veggies and then towards the end of it since its 6 meters long, there are all these restaurants, mostly were Asian but some were typical Austrian. The smells were to die for. I did find myself keep saying “do you smell that Emily?” all throughout Austria. They are known for their danishes, there hearty plates, and lots of potatoes. No wonder I was in heaven. 

After our exploration we headed to Grinzing which is an area outside of Vienna where they are known for their wine taverns and holiday spirit. It was a quaint town full of small Austrian looking buildings, colorful with small roofs, and they were filled with christmas lights. We had Austrian wine and cheese while visiting then just headed back to our hotel to get ready for our Mozart concert!

We went with our group to a Mozart concert which also featured Strauss. It was my first classical concert and I actually didn’t hate it. There was dancing and two very good opera singers. I learned to appreciate it while watching and I was very glad we decided to go. Who can say they went to a Mozart concert in Vienna while abroad?

Afterwards we went back to the Sacher Hotel where we went previously in the day to have their famous Sacher torte as well as some Weiner Schnitzel on rucola. Yes, we had two sacher tortes in one day but I’m not counting. Its a famous torte for anyone who hasn’t heard of it that was created by an apprentice of the hotel, Mr. Sacher, because the main chef had gotten sick and couldn’t serve the prestigious royal guests who were coming that day, so Mr. Sacher ‘whipped up’ this famous chocolate marzipan torte which ended up becoming so famous that today 360,000 tortes are shipped all over the world. It was delectable.

On our last day we started off heading to Hundertwasser Hauser’s modern architecturally designed apartment buildings, yes, that’s his name. They reminded me of the Gaudí architecture in Barcelona with all the colors and crazy designs on the buildings.

Then we went to the grandest of palaces called the Schoenbrunn Palace which was copied after the Versailles Palace. There were christmas markets in front of the palace which totally set the scenery. We walked around but got sooo incredibly cold that we ended up going into the Palace’s chic cafe called The Residence which is home to the best Apple Strudel, I agree too! We had lunch and talked more about how much we loved this trip. 

   I’m so lucky to have even gone considering I was orignally suppossed to go to Prauge but my travel plans were cancelled twice that last minute we made plans to go to Austria. I can’t say I regret the decision either since I now have such a fascination with the Austrian culture. I loved the food, people, and city so much that I would without a doubt go back. I don’t know if it was being there with my best friend or having such a calming and relaxed schedule or all the holiday cheer, but thus far Austria was my favorite.