its been a while...

So. Here I am in my dining room at almost 4 in the morning.......I can't fucking sleep! I don't know whats wrong with me. Marsha today was telling me about her friend who only sleeps like 2 hours every night. But still manages to get absolutely nothing done in the 22 hours that she's awake....I was at the library today from 2 PM- 1 AM. .... ... I managed to read ONE article for one of my exams next week, nothing for my other one, and to do some of my economics homework before going on an angry rant about capitalism and free markets in my chapter outline....I really hope my teacher reads it all.
This class has really opened my eyes to how a lot of Americans think. And I simply dont get it. At all. What is wrong with universal health care? Or with a paid maternity leave? Or with a paid PATERNITY leave? Or with forced paid vacation? Or with free daycare? I understand that these programs are being implemented in other countries solely because of higher taxes....but the people in these countries are happier! And they have a better quality of life! AANNDD! The majority don't mind the higher taxes because of the benefits that they get from them! They can rely on their government to spend their tax money effectively, because isnt that what governments are for?
I CANT TRUST MY GOVERNMENT! But I'd like to be able to.
I can't sleep while I've got these things on my mind. It's too distressing.

goooood morning!

Greetings!
Im waiting for Guillermo to wake up. Its been a great few days, and I dont want to leave New York! .....Except that I DO want to get to Miami already! 3 months is a long time to be away. And I havent seen my mom since January! JANUARY! Its been so long. I leave tomorrow afternoon, and I think we will be going to Central Park in the morning before heading out.... Today we will be exploring the wondrous area of Williamsburg, Brooklyn! woooooo! Can you believe that my sister has lived here for more than 2 years and shes only been to Brooklyn like twice! What the shit! Its where its all going down.
I found out that my friends band is playing tonight at the Mercury Lounge here in New York, and Im super stoked to see them. (http://prettyandnice.com/) I might even be able to get my older sister to come!

Venice:
Do not pay 80 Euros for a Gondola ride. ITS NOT WORTH IT! Not that we did it....but it IS very easy to ride the ferries fo free (illegally, of course). We rode to the island of Murano fo free. And didnt see any people making glass. Disappointment? ....yes.


Verona:

Juliets house was amazing! I know shes a fictional character and all (we were SO confused about this the entire time we were there....but we are pretty sure that Shakespeare made her up. In fact, Im now 200% sure of this), but it was so touching seeing everyones letters to her! (Apparently theres a movie about it?! Letters to Juliet) And of course, we each wrote one (we made friends with an American guy who was going to Venice, and we convinced him to stay with us in Verona for the day...good times).
...Romeo's house, on the other hand, was not as impressive.

back in the US

Hello all!
Ive been back in the US for almost a week now! Im in New York Citaaay visiting my lovely older sister, who lives here. Im super stoked because today one of my besties gets here!!!! Were going to have a blast together. AND I havent seen him since MARCH! Its been way too long.
Im currently waiting for him to arrive, he lands at 10ish. I also have a terrible stomach ache, from yesterdays Whole Foods lunch. I still love Whole Foods.
Brussels was awesome. I STILL havent uploaded my pictures =/ Im definitely slacking. Madrid was also beautiful, as usual!
Ive decided that Im either moving to France or Belgium to learn French.

Brussels: coffe and beer. a lot of both.

Ghentfest 2010

"im sorry, she just likes to hug"

Helenas friends' house in the Hamptons. Beautiful Saturday.

GUILLERMO JUST LANDED! i have to change.

Brussels

So Im finally in a position to update with pictures and details.
Since I last updated, Ive seen a lot. and spent too much.
After I got dumped, I was depressed for a few days and didnt even think about touching my Canon. As a result, I dont have very many good pictures from some places....but I always had my Cybershot with me, so I at least took SOME.
Im in Brussels, and I think this is another place where I want to live for a few months. I would so learn French! And why stop there? Dutch/Flemish too!!!!!

at the museum of modern art, in Koppenhagen



at a bar in Berlin


Budapest at night.


Lamp post at the Fisherman's Bastion

Fountain spewing wine in the caves under Budapest.


A beach on an island in Split. They prefer pebble beaches to sand beaches and Jessica and I still cant figure out why. Those pebbles were impossible to walk on! The water was super clear though, and soooo refreshing! We bought these awesome captain hats that say CROATIA on them, and I think its been my best purchase so far. Everytime we wear them people salute us!


After a jump from those cliffs. That was scary.


from the mainland to the island!


So I guess thats all for right now....I still have to upload my Italy pictures from my device to my computer, so it might be a while until those come around.....
Jess and I are going to Ghent Festival tonight. We're getting there around 11 PM and are planning on taking the train back to Brussels around 7 AM. I should be napping.
I leave to Madrid on Wed. Everything is happening so fast!
Au Revoir!

Horse Meat

So since my last update, i have been to:
Koppenhagen,
Dresden,
Tubingen,
Berlin,
Budapest,
Split,
Dubrovnik,
Milan,
Verona
and Im currently in Treviso which is about 20 minutes outside of Venice!
Things have been wunderbar, except for the constant pain in my feet, and the deterioration of my English (spell check corrected the spelling of deterioration for me. i looooove technology).
This update is picture-less due to my level of EXHAUSTION. I seriously thought I was going to pass out and DIE today while crossing a huge bridge in Venice. Luckily, I survived.
Couchsurfing has been a MAD success. Seriously, weve stayed with 3 different hosts in Italy, and all of them have been marvelous.

Jess: "We can get 9 hours of sleep tonight."
me: "omg, YES"
Jess: ".....but only if we go to sleep right now."
Ciao!

Goodbye Swedeeeen!

I will be sad to leave this country! Regardless of the weather.....Just look at all the GREEEEEEN!
Koppenhagen tomorrow, with an overnight bus ride to Dresden!

Good News!

By request of Chanel, I am updating. :]
I survived Stockholm! Im now on a farm in Laholm, near Goetheborg! Its fabulous down here, except for the weather. Im really not down with how cold it has been. And the people who live here say that this is the coldest its been during the summer in a whiiiillle. Why!!! I dont even have winter clothes in Florida, why would I bring any with me on this trip!? Ive been wearing the same thing since I got here (on Monday. whoa! Have I been here that long?!).... except that I switched from leggings + shorts to leggings + jeans. yup, its gotten colder. I've become an expert at making fires!!!! Thats always a good skill to have.
The kind of work that we have been doing wasnt really what I was expecting. We have mainly been weeding the vineyard (we had some wine from the grapes the other night. Talk about delliiiish. ALSO! Im not a vegetarian on this farm, because THE MEAT THAT THEY EAT IS RIGHT HERE! I met the cows and the sheep, and they're the ones that they eat!!!! So environmentally friendly! AND! They use ALL parts of the animals that they kill!!!!! :] AAAANNNNDDD, the veggies that they have been cooking come from Maria's farm! aaaaahhhhh, its like heaven.), and moving TREES from field, which will get picked up later, and the field will be turned into pasture land! :] They keep talking about how important it is to rotate things around the farm, and I can't help but feel a little bad/guilty for not having finished reading Michael Pollan's The Omnivores Dilemma....

Oh, Sweden is GORGEOUS.

....last thing: www.bataholm.com im on a farm, motha fuckas!