Russia was AMAZING!  I was very nervous about how this port would turn out (either very overwhelming or very underwhelming), but I had such a wonderful time.  Pulling in was very interesting!  It started off being surrounded by very industrial areas, and then slowly, as we started getting closer to the city, you began to glimpse the tops of churches.  The transition between industry and culture was so cool to experience.  We docked around 8am (next to a submarine, which I found ironic) and you could see the Winter Palace just down the river!  For the first day, I had booked a walking tour and Hermitage Museum visit.  Unlike Windsor Castle, the Winter Palace now only serves as a museum, and does not function as living quarters for anyone anymore.  Instead, it is filled to the brim with breathtaking works of art and artifacts ranging from the Antiquities to the 20^th century.  Every aspect of these rooms was ornate- even down to the door handles.   Before I went to Italy, I didn’t understand the appeal of museums.  By the time I left, however, my opinion of them was totally flipped.  Now, I can take hours walking through a museum, completely enthralled by what I’m looking at.  I can even recognize names of artists!  We saw works by major artists such as Van Dyke, Rembrandt, and Da Vinci.   After we left the Hermitage, we did a ten-minute “walking tour” from the museum, by Pushkin’s apartment, to the Church on Spilled Blood and Kazan Cathedral.  Once everyone was back on the ship, a few friends and I decided we wanted to go out, but that we wanted to stay on our side of the bridge (the bridges in St. Petersburg go up at 1:30am, so if you miss it you’re stuck until morning).  When we found a bar to go to, we came across two problems: no one spoke English, and they didn’t take credit cards (I hadn’t gotten out any rubles yet at that point).  It was an issue, but it was also an opportunity to see just how nice and helpful Russians really can be.  One of the servers physically walked me to the ATM that was down the street since he couldn’t explain to me where it was.  When we got there, it was closed, so we started walking until he found some locals he could ask about a different bank.  We finally were able to go to that one, and he walked us back.  It was something he absolutely didn’t have to do, especially since he was working.  When we walked back into the restaurant, we saw the rest of the group trying to communicate with the owner about what we wanted to drink and how much.  He was bringing over different bottles trying to figure it out, and there was someone there who spoke a little English trying to aid us as well.  Through his help and lots of hand motions and trial and errors, we were finally able to figure everything out.  Even though I couldn’t try the Russian vodka (it was made with wheat), we truly enjoyed our time there.  Not only because it was great company, but we were also so thrilled to see how hospitable the Russians in the bar were.

 

The second day was very much an adventure.  The first order of business was to find a ticket agent because I had decided to take a spontaneous trip to Moscow the following day with a few of my friends.  We searched everywhere, but could not find one of an agent!!  Finally, after lots of asking around and playing charades with various shop owners, we were able to find a train station.  Unfortunately, not a single employee knew English and almost none of them were willing to work with me to help me find out what I wanted.  Finally, as I was in line at the last window, I noticed that the couple in front of me were speaking Italian and using an Italian-Russian dictionary to communicate what they wanted to the ticket agent.  I pulled the woman aside and asked if she could help me when they were done.  After two hours, we finally saw a light at the end of the tunnel!  I used Italian to speak to the couple who then helped me translate what I wanted into Russian, all the while playing Pictionary with the woman at the counter to figure out where in the train I would be sleeping.  It was such a production, but I have had few other moments in my life where I have felt such an immense feeling of accomplishment.  I was able to overcome an INCREDIBLE language barrier, using skills I have picked up in the past few years, and the help of very patient people, to get me where I needed to go.  It was going to make my trip to Moscow even more memorable than it was already going to be!  Our next stop was Kuznechny Market.  Dani knew the stop we needed to get off at, but not quite exactly where it was.  After running into my roommates, we followed their directions to the market and it was incredible!  All the stands gave you free samples of whatever they were selling, whether it was fruit, vegetables, nuts, or cheese, and it was all so delicious.  Dani, Kait (who we ran into there) and I really loved a particular kind of melon and were able to haggle the stand owner down to a price were we would all pay about a dollar each.  I found a type of cheese I really loved and paid about a dollar for a big chunk of it.  We got our lunch!  Thinking about it even now is making my mouth water!  Markets are one of my favorite parts in exploring other countries.  You get to talk to locals and try different food for so cheap.  It’s the perfect glimpse into a part of their everyday lives and their culture that many other people look over.  We spent the rest of the afternoon wandering around.  We went back to the Church of Spilled Blood, went souvenir shopping at the market across the street (I haggled a beautiful music box down from 1800 to only 600 rubles!) and got cheesecake at a restaurant Dani had discovered the day before.  It was one of the best cheesecakes I had ever had!  We headed back for dinner on the ship and to rest before I headed back out to catch the train with my friends.  The group ended up being Byron, Erin, three girls Kayla (an ADPi!), Sara and Megan, and me.  The train got to the platform around 11 and we headed to our cabins.  Byron and Erin had bunks together, and two of the girls did as well.  I was very worried about the ride because I was by myself.  It ended up being nothing to worry about though!  Apparently, the only tickets available for the ride there were in second class, so I got a private car with two other Russian women (another relief…I was so happy not to be with men!).  They tried so hard to communicate with me, but I was finally able to explain that I was an American student visiting for a few days and really knew nothing of language.  They were so nice, and made sure I knew when we were leaving and getting in, and that the box of food on the table was my dinner/breakfast!  It was actually a very comfortable bed, even though I didn't have any room to sit up.  As the train began to pull away from the station, that feeling of accomplishment I had earlier just began to grow, and despite the a cold and some serious blisters, I absolutely could not wait to explore Moscow the next day.

 

The train pulled in just after 6 the next morning.  The Moscow train station was a ways out of the city, so we figured out how to get to the Kremlin and headed that way.  We were all hungry, but nothing was open that early, so we ended up at a McDonald’s.  While we were there, we met a new Russian friend!  Nikita, who was presumably finishing his crazy night of drinking with some drunk breakfast food, came over and introduced himself to us so he could practice his English.  He was such a sweetheart!  He wanted to know all about each of us- where we were from, what we’re doing in Russia, and all about Semester at Sea.  We talked with him for a solid hour; it was so great chatting with a local!  Upon leaving our new friend, we just wandered around the Kremlin area until everything opened at 10.  It was all so beautiful!  While we were waiting, we made our way to the Red Square.  As we approached the square, I swore I heard the Game of Thrones theme song and was terribly confused.  That was closed off as well, but one of the surrounding churches, Kazan Church, was open.  We took a look inside and there was a service going on!  It was very moving, even though we had no idea what was going on.  A small, old, Russian woman tried pulling us aside and explaining what was going on and what we had to do, but I don’t think she realized that we didn’t speak Russian.  It was so cute and so nice of her to try and communicate to us though!  After watching in for a few minutes, we made our way back outside.  As soon as we opened the door, the serene atmosphere of the church was abruptly interrupted by the theme song to Pirates of the Caribbean.  It was such a strange combination of tradition and pop culture, and we needed to figure out what was happening.  It wasn’t hard to do, however, because as soon as we stepped out of the church, we saw what was going on.  From the front steps, you could see all of the Red Square.  They were setting up for a festival that would be going on the next day to honor a national holiday in Russia (their own Victory day, I believe).  The music was coming from the rehearsal of one of the acts- synchronized horse trotting!  It was one of the strangest and most intriguing things I had ever seen.  There were about twenty horses and riders trotting along with some of the major action TV/film theme songs!  There was Mission Impossible, James Bond, Game of Thrones (which explained the music from earlier), Pirates of the Caribbean, and more.  They even pulled out swords at one point.  I have never seen anything like it, and can’t imagine that I ever will again.  Everything finally opened at 10, and we made our way inside the Red Square.  We went to St. Basil’s first.  I was so happy to have my ISIC card from SU Abroad, because it got me discounted rates at every place we went to that day!  It was so cool inside and very unlike any other church I’ve been in before.  It was a maze through many different rooms and chapels.  It serves now as a museum, so there were many artifacts from it’s history and paintings that were created for it.  At one point, I ran into an Italian tour group and was even able to hop on to get a guided tour of it.  The best part of the tour was the show that they had organized.  Inside the main chapel, the tour guide had gotten a group of four men to sing one of the typical Russian church songs.  Their voices and the echoes they made in the chapel gave me goosebumps.  It was one of the most beautiful songs I have ever heard, even though I had no idea what they were singing about.  We then made our way back outside the square to get in line for entrance to Lenin’s Mausoleum.  Against his wishes, Stalin had his body embalmed after his death in 1924, so he has been preserved in the same state that he died in almost 90 years ago.  You aren’t allowed to bring anything in at all, and are not permitted to speak in order to pay the deepest respect to him.  There are guards at every turn and it kept incredibly dark.  It was the creepiest atmosphere I had ever been in.  You wander through a labyrinth of passages until you get to where he is on display.  Then BAM!  There he is.  Lenin, in all his glory.  It was the coolest and freakiest thing I have ever seen in my entire life.  I couldn’t believe I was seeing him in person (sort of).  After lunch, we headed over to the Kremlin itself to tour the churches.  On our way, we passed two brides making their way over!  I have never seen as many weddings as I did in Russia…apparently they all get married during this time of year because it’s so miserable during the rest of it (which actually makes total sense)!  We made our way inside the walls of the Kremlin, and I was in awe.  While it is still very significant politically, it used to also be the religious center of Russia- such an important part of Russian history!  Inside, there was a main parliament building, surrounded by Napoleonic cannons that were captured from the French when they lost the war.  Just around the corner was the plaza that hosts the cathedrals.  The walls of the churches, the stone of the plaza, and the walls surrounding it were all white.  It made me feel very peaceful.  We went in most of the cathedrals, and they were absolutely beautiful.  Byron had printed out a Lonely Planet guide packet before we left, so he was able to tell us the history and significance of each place, which fascinated me.  No matter how many churches I go into in whatever country I’m in, I will never get sick of them.  They’re always part of my favorite things about each new place!  We spent the rest of the afternoon wandering around the Kremlin and learning about the different histories of each section.  We spent the rest of the day wandering, getting dinner and Internet.  I was able to FaceTime with Julia and mom!  It was great to see their faces.  It was eventually time to make our way back to the train station.  This time around I was in 3^rd class, which is open.  Somehow, I felt much safer and was more comfortable this time around!  I absolutely passed out as soon as my head hit the pillow and didn’t wake up until it was time to get off the train.

 

The last day we spent close to the ship.  Dani and I were too tired to do much of anything else, so we spent the morning getting Wi-Fi and planning future adventures.

 

I definitely experienced some problems in Russia with language barriers, but I can truly say I enjoyed my time there.  I’m so incredibly glad I went to Moscow, because I know I would have absolutely regretted not going.  St. Petersburg was so much fun and absolutely beautiful and Moscow was just amazing.  I really loved my time there, though I was also happy to move on to the next port:  Hamburg!

Amazingly, those first two days were absolutely beautiful.  It was sunny and hot, and perfect for exploring new places.  This was not the case on Thursday.  We woke up to pouring rain and a chilling wind.  Fortunately, a bunch of SAS kids had booked a tour of Harry Potter Studios that day, so no amount of terrible weather could dampen my day.  We spent the morning hanging around the hostel getting to know each other before heading out to the studios.  It was magical in every sense of the word.  Not only did it appeal to the part of my that will always believe that my letter to Hogwarts just got lost in the mail, but also to the part that is completely fascinated with everything that goes into creating such an amazing film.  Every prop and set in the studio were the authentic ones used in the filming of the 8 movies in the franchise.  Beside every thing was a board that talked about what it was and how it was used, and what the importance of it all was.  We spent THREE hours walking around, and I felt like I could have done so much more.  Not only did they have props and costumes, but they had original sketches for various scenes, creatures, and special effects.  You could see the mechanics behind certain things like the book Hagrid assigns for the students in Care of Magical Creatures (the one that attacks Harry when he opens it).  It was incredible.

We finished off the day with a trip to the London eye, just before it closed.  We had been told that it is amazing during both the day and night, but the night gives you a view of London lit up that nothing can beat.  We were so happy we decided to go at night because the view from the top truly took my breath away.  You could see everything in London, and it was amazing.

Friday was sadly our last day in the city.  Though I had already done and seen so much, there was still so much more I had left to do.  I had an entire plan for the day, and was determined to accomplish everything.  The plan was destined for failure from the beginning though.  We left almost an hour and a half after I was hoping to get going.  That wasn't the biggest deal, though.  We still went to an incredible breakfast and walked around Borough Market trying all sorts of cheese and olive oils.  Our next stop was the Globe Theater, Millennium Bridge (the one Death Eaters destroy in the HP movies), and St. Paul's Cathedral (where we saw a group of older women who called themselves the Red Hat Society and wear fancy red hats whenever they gather).  We then headed off towards our next destination, the amazing Abbey Road.

I had found the Abbey Road stop on the Underground map and had plotted out our travel to Northeast London.  We were set to go and had no problems getting there, despite how long it took us.  As we exited the train, however, we saw a sign that read "Day tripper looking for the Beatles pedestrian crossing?  Unfortunately you're at the wrong Abbey Road."  I was devastated and so incredibly mad.  The destination we were actually looking for was at the complete opposite side of town in Northwest London.  All the time we took to get there was wasted, and we were about to use up so much more getting back.  Before heading to the real Abbey Road, however, we made a stop at Camden Markets.  Everyone we had talked to had told us that it was absolutely incredible and that it was a must-see.  They were right!  Anything you could ever want, you could find there.  Amazing food, clothes, jewelry, souvenirs, etc!  We wandered around there for a few hours, did some shopping, and bought a yummy smoothie.

Finally, we were on our way to Abbey Road.  I was so excited I couldn't control myself (surprise, huh?).  It was SO COOL.  Yeah, it's just a walkway on a street, but THE BEATLES WALKED HERE SO I DON'T CARE.  After a few failed attempts at getting the iconic picture, we saw an Italian couple who went all out to get what they wanted.  The woman taking the picture stepped out right into the middle of the street and blocked traffic while the man walked (BAREFOOT, just like Paul) across the street.  It was awesome.  So, I approached them and asked them (in Italian) if they could do the same for us, and they were so excited to hear me speaking Italian that they said yes!  (I seriously have used Italian almost as much as English on this trip, it's amazing)  We crossed the street and the man took the picture, blocking all traffic until he got a shot he was satisfied with...in typical Italian fashion.

Unfortunately, it had gotten so late that we weren't able to do any of the other things I was planning on doing.  Instead, we headed to dinner and then back to the hostel to get our things.  On the way back, we got off the Tube a stop early and walked across London Bridge to see the beautiful Tower Bridge all lit up.  It was breathtaking.  Back at the hostel, my friends picked up their stuff, and I packed my things and checked out early.  One of my friends graciously offered to let me stay in the Hilton room for free since I had to be there so early the next morning, so I jumped on the opportunity.  Fortunately, Dani and I had checked in our luggage, but our friends Emily and Stephen had brought it all with them.  I have never struggled so much in my entire life.  Getting their things all the way to the hotel (attached to the airport) via Tube was near impossible and would never have happened had Dani and I brought all our things with them.  We finally made it, though, and with a nice nightcap in the hotel room, our amazing time in London came to and end.

It was certainly a couple weeks of nonstop, hectic running around, but I couldn't have imagined having a better time in London.  All the stress was completely worth it.  The best part?  London isn't even one of the official ports for SAS.  If my time there was that amazing, I am so excited to see how the rest of this trip blows me away.

Baci e abbracci! xoxo

Wednesday was one of the days in London I was most looking forward to, and it lived up to everything I was hoping it to be.  I got a really rough start, unfortunately, but it all worked out perfectly fine!  I was planning on going on a tour to Windsor Castle, Bath, and Stonehenge for the day, and was supposed to meet the group at 8:35.  I set my alarm for 7 to give me enough time to shower, eat breakfast and get there, but I was still so jet lagged that I immediately fell back to sleep.  Fortunately, I woke up in a panic around 8 and realized I needed to get going...fast.  Needless to say, I didn't get there for 8:35.  The girl at the front desk of the hostel told me to go to the wrong place on the Tube.  After making this realization, I went from person to person asking for directions, and they all told me different things.  By the time I finally figured out where to go, it was 9:05 and I was sure the bus had already left.  I still went in hoping to plead with them for either a refund or a spot on the next day's bus, but, miraculously, the buses were running late and there was one seat left on the bus that was pulling out as I walked in.  I got on the bus and started crying from stress and relief.  I couldn't believe how lucky I was!  I quickly fell asleep (something I would do between every stop on the tour), until we got to our first destination: Windsor Castle.

Honestly, I wasn't very impressed with London to that point.  With the exception of the big monuments throughout the city, I got a big NYC feeling from it.  It was much more modern than any of the other cities I've traveled to, and I was a little disappointed by that.  Windsor Castle completely changed that outlook, however.  THIS was the London I was looking for.  The old buildings surrounding the castle and the castle itself gave you the feeling of stepping back in time.  It was all so beautiful, and I was so excited to be walking the same halls that centuries of monarchs had done previously.  There were incredible artifacts gifted to the royal family, portraits and paintings done by DaVinci, Rembrandt, and Van Dyke, as well as artwork done by members of the royal family themselves.  We saw Mary's Dollhouse, which included real silver in the dining room, mini crown jewels and original artwork and literature.  We meandered around the state rooms where the Queen entertains guests and the private gardens where the Queen takes her daily walks.  Finally, we were able to see St. George's Chapel.  I knelt in front of the altar and it was a such a strange feeling knowing I was in the same place where so many royals had been married in years past.

Our next stop was Bath, which quickly became my favorite part of England.  The city style is Georgian, which is essentially a mix of classic British style blended with ancient Roman and Greek styles (I bet you can now guess why I loved it so much!).  The town was so unique and quaint and I really wish I had more time to explore, but I still had an absolutely amazing time here.  Before we got off the bus, the tour guide told us that more than likely we wouldn't take more than 20-30 minutes walking through the baths.  There were so many incredible artifacts and ruins to see and learn about there, though, that I have no idea how someone could just walk in and walk out.  I spent over an hour wandering through it and still felt rushed!!  It was one of the coolest museums I have ever seen.  It was built around the ruins, and everything was laid out as they would have been if the ruins were still standing.  The baths themselves were the coolest things.  They're in the open air, yet you can still feel the heat coming from the water.  In the religious bath, you can even see the water bubbling from the steam coming from below!  I put my hand in and it made me wish more than anything that I could just jump right in and sink into the water.  Next time, I'll have to make sure to book a spa session!  Towards the exit, there was also a fountain where you could have a glass of water from the springs.  It was warm and tasted very "mineraly", but it was really neat to be able to drink it (it has a lot of nutrients!)

After leaving the baths, the first thing I saw was Bath Abbey, with it's spires towering above the surrounding buildings.  In front, there was a musician singing "Moon River" and playing the sax.  It was truly beautiful moment.  Soaking up the smooth music and the surroundings made for a mystical atmosphere.  Despite the rush of people surrounding me, I truly felt at peace wandering through the crowd.  I slowly made my way past the Abbey, and still had a few minutes to spare.  There was a gelateria we passed on the way to the baths called Real Italian Ice Cream shop where I got my classic coconut and hazelnut & cocoa combo.  I ate it on my way to see the Putney Bridge which is modeled after my favorite of bridges, the Ponte Vecchio.  It was like a mini tribute to Italy!  I had just enough time to snap a few pictures and finish my gelato before heading back to the bus to go to our next and final stop: Stonehenge.

At first, I was very underwhelmed with Stonehenge as we approached the site.  I was expecting this gigantic monument on a high hill, which is not what it is at all.  I was very disappointed.  As soon as we made our way through the entrance, however, my feelings completely changed.  When you're standing face to face with one of history's greatest mysteries, you can't help but soak in and stand in awe of it's splendor.  The way the stones are lined up and placed in the ground to complement the changing of the seasons is absolutely baffling.  Looking on at this incredible site, and seeing nothing in the distance but farms and field animals gives you the most incredible feeling of serenity.

We got back from the tour pretty late, but I was still able to shower, get some food and find my friends to go out.  All the napping on the bus gave me the energy I needed for a fun night in London!  Dani, another friend Jillian, the guy from Cali and the girl from South Korea and I all went out together.  I had an unbelievable time with the best of people and could not have asked for a more amazing time.

These past two weeks have been unbelievable!! I got home from the
Vineyard Tuesday night and starting immediately on Wednesday morning, I
was up and running from 8 until 10 every single day trying to get
visits, appointments and errands done in time to leave on Monday. I've
never run around so much in my entire life!! I really wish I could have
gone home a little earlier because I did need the extra couple of days.
I got everything done, however, even if it was a little off schedule. I
actually did pretty well with limiting myself to what I was going to
bring. Even though I still had to bring two bags, everything I packed
were things I knew I was going to need to get through the next four
months and the various climates in the fourteen countries.

Monday was incredibly hectic with final appointments, errands and
repacking to do. We finally got everything done, however, stopped by
Dad's work to say goodbye and headed up to the North End of Boston to
spend the afternoon before my flight. I was able to see Sam before her
work meeting and Mom, Kailin and I got lunch and gelato. I even had the
opportunity to speak Italian in the pastry shop we went to! It was the
first time in what would be a week of speaking almost as much Italian as
English...examples of THAT later!

Soon came the time to get to the airport and begin my big adventure. I
couldn't believe that it was finally time, and was in tears as the
airplane took off from the tarmac. I sat next to a WONDERFUL South
African gentleman who I was able to share travel stories with for the
first portion of the flight. After dinner and a glass of wine, I fell
right asleep. Given the lack of sleep I had in the past couple weeks, I
slept very well.

A few quick hours later, it was time to begin the descent down to
London! We were there! After all the usual arrival, security, and
immigration practices, I met up with some SAS kids who got in around the
same time. We checked our extra luggage into storage and headed to the
Tube to get into London! It was incredibly easy to navigate our way to
the hostel we stayed at, which was amazing. We checked in, sent our "We
got here!" e-mails to friends and families and pushed through our
increasing feeling of jet lag to start our 2 1/2 hour walking tour of
the city. We did the tour through the same company I used during all of
my Spring Break travels last spring, NewEurope. It was incredible. We
hit almost all of the major spots and learned so much about the history
of England the city of London. Like the other tours, we headed to a
nearby pub for some local food. I was fortunately able to find
something I could eat...I got sausage and mash without the gravy so I
could experience English dishes. It was good! It wasn't Italian, but I
still enjoyed it! It was just me, Dani and Sam (the girls I traveled to
the hostel with), along with the tour guide and one other traveler. We
all shared travel stories, and it was fascinating hearing what everyone
had to say.

After the tour, we headed back to the hostel and spent the day getting
to know some SAS kids who had arrived and some of the other people we
met in the hostel. The sense of community that comes with staying in
hostels is the reason I love doing it so much (along with the cheap
prices, lets be honest). The people I've met in this world from hostel
common rooms alone are some of the most intriguing I've ever met. They
all have incredible stories and are from all corners of the globe.
There were a few people we really connected with, including a guy from
Cali, a girl from South Korea and another guy from Australia (there are
a TON of them around!). After a much needed nap, we all hung out
together on the rooftop terrace. It had a great view and was a great
place to relax and talk over a drink. I even met an Italian! He only
spoke very broken English, so I was the only one he could really talk
to. It was amazing having a full conversation in Italian with someone
my own age!

My time in London got off to a really great start, and I was so excited
to see what the following three days had in store for me!

That is all.  I can't believe I'll be setting sail so soon, and leaving for London even sooner!!

Super quick update: I just found out that my friend Jess from Syracuse is going to be in London at the same time as me!  As if I couldn't be more excited to be there...

Also, everything is finished!  Visas have been returned, loan is secured, and all major necessary purchases (backpack/bladder, hiking boots, extra camera batteries, and USB sticks for pictures) have been made.  All that remains is one more day of work, two days of nannying, a ferry ride back to the mainland then a super relaxing week of running around doing errands and packing with my family!!

I'm going to be boarding that plane before I know it....

As the hot summer days keep ticking away, my time on the Vineyard draws to a close.  All summer I've been struggling with an inner battle between the conflicting feelings of never wanting this summer to end and wanting nothing more than to board that plane to London. Today marks one month until embarkation, however, and those conflicting feelings are beginning to subside.  While I'll be very sad to leave this beautiful island (and my family whom I've only got to spend a very little amount of time with), I'm so incredibly eager to start this next adventure.

A year and a half ago, I had never even stepped foot outside of the East Coast, let alone leave the country.  Today, I've got eight countries under my belt, and will be adding another twelve over the next five months.  A year and a half ago, Semester at Sea seemed only a distant, improbable dream.  Today, only one month stands between me and this dream becoming a reality.

I've done all the prep I can possibly do.  All I have left is to pack and continue obsessing over all the ports I'll be going to.  I've done a lot of research so far, and I've got a good idea of some of the things I hope to do and accomplish in each of the cities.  Here's my SAS Bucket List at this point:

England: Stroll through the different parks and gardens on the Princess Diana memorial walk
Russia:  Visit the Hermitage and Winter Palace in St. Petersburg, and St. Basil's Cathedral in Moscow
Germany: Ride bikes through the countryside
Belgium:  Taste all the chocolate I can stomach, visit a concentration camp
France:  Visit a winery, go to Normandy Beach
Ireland:  Kiss the Blarney Stone, hike along Giant's Causeway
Portugal:  Visit Porto and hike through Pena National Park
Spain:  Take a picture with monkeys in Gibraltar
Morocco:  Camel trek through the Sahara and spend a night in the desert
Ghana:  Visit a village, volunteer project
South Africa:  Cage dive with great whites, safari, and hiking everywhere
Argentina:  Stroll through the Italian quarter, take a picture with a lion at the Lujan Zoo
Brazil:  Spend a few days on a riverboat on the Amazon
Cuba:  Sip a mojito on a white sandy beach, and step back in time strolling through Old Havana


I have two very exciting projects I will be working on throughout the entire semester as well.  Since my last post, I got a positing as a contributing writer for an online magazine called The Hostel Life!  I will be writing about my experiences for the site, and hopefully scouting new locations for the new show they're producing to film in!  The other project is a program called Vicarious Voyager.  In this program, I will be working with one of my high school teachers and her students, introducing them to study abroad and helping them discover a world beyond their textbooks.

One month.  The voyage of a lifetime is so close, and yet so far away.