The Brunch Club.

I haven't had the chance to introduce some of the people I have been blessed with the chance of getting to know this summer. So here it goes...

In this picture you will meet the girls who became important people in my life that I have had the pleasure of meeting.
  On the left is Dawkins, the flower child, fellow tea lover, and gorgeous sweetheart that I love and adore. She's not only one of the easiest, most trustworthy people to talk to, but she's comforting and lovable. I love who she is, what she embodies, and how her mind views the world. 
  Next to me is Chelsie, the fellow slug that has just graduated and the girl who is onto great things. She's the beauty that makes me laugh and the one I can snapchat ugly double chins for days. She's my go-to when it comes to tag teaming in sports against the boys and the one I look to for advice. 
  Naomi is quite possibly the most deceiving one. She looks quiet and innocent but don't be fooled. She is probably one of the most sassy girls I have ever met and I loved it. She not only makes me laugh but surprises me with what she says. Naomi is always so thoughtful, kind and funny so there's never a dull moment with this sweet, beautiful girl.
  Then there is Edyth. Edyth is my sassy partner in crime. I love her style, her laugh is infectious and she's the one who can always tell how I am feeling and knows exactly what to say or do to make me feel better. She convinces me to try new things and is far braver than I could ever be. She's wonderful, beautiful, funny and easy to talk to. I clicked with her right away and she's one of a kind. 
  And finally there is Katelyn, who is a fellow slug, passionate feminist with great visions of the world, and likes to hit the dance floor with me whenever we can. She kinda became a big sister to me. This gorgeous beauty not only taught me how to be open minded, but taught me how to embrace all the little imperfections. I can never thank her enough for that. 
All these girls had one thing in common; they all are encouraging, loving and confident. They really embrace who they are and encourage confidence within oneself. As they would say it "You are a strong, independent woman" and these woman are definitely ones I will never forget. 

Girl Meets Prague

As Naomi and I left Amsterdam and said goodbye to Edyth & Dawkins, it dawned on me that I would be going home soon. Saying goodbye is never easy, especially when you really learned to love those around you. 

Our flight from Amsterdam to Poland went well, but we soon found out that our flight from Poland (which already included a 2 hour layover) was about 2 hours delayed. Not to mention that they boarded us onto the aircraft only to make us sit and wait for an hour because of scheduled landing conflicts. On the bright side, the seat next to me was empty which meant more room for me and time to catch on sleep.

Once we arrived in Prague (finally) our next step was to catch a bus to the train station to meet our friend Dan. And then comes the next struggle...where is Daniel?

Without wifi it is practically impossible to get ahold of another person, but about an hour later, we managed to find Daniel amongst a sea of people. Thank goodness cause this meant dinner and nap time. We had rented an apartment of some sort through Airbnb. Since we had been delayed and were unable to reach the landlord through message, we had missed our slot time. However, with some wifi and a fantastic dinner at a nearby restraunt, we were fed, happy and able to get into the lovely apartment in no time. I highly recommend this service if anyone has trouble finding hostels or hotels for cheap. The three of us had a great experience through this site. 

 It took some begging (although not much) to get my friends to go to Praha Zoo with me. I really love the zoo, with the exception of birds. I really don't like birds. 
I do however, love tigers and elephants. I consider them to be my spirit animals. This zoo had so many animals and in most cases they are barely blocked off and could practically escape. Slightly intimidating but really cool. 

 Named this one Nala. This one was a gem and quite the sassy one. She just kept growling away and was extremely active, which was different from the usual normal sleepy tiger. 

And here is Ellie. I took a ridiculous amount of selfies with her because she's not only photogenic but majestic. I have a thing for elephants because they represent happiness and luck. Plus they are just so stinking cute. 

 Daniel recommended that the three of us go out and try an ice pub. For about 10-15 dollars, you can go in for 30 min and a free drink. The limit is 30 min because it is so cold in there and I'm assuming it's for safety reasons. We got to wear these big fluffy jackets and gloves to hold the drinks. It was such a neat thing to do that I am really happy I had the chance to experience. 

We took a boat ride along the Vltava river and saw a really amazing view of the Charles Bridge. This bridge is the only connection from Pragues Old Town and Prague Castle. We had an adorable tour guide who explained the history of Prague and its monumental constructions. He even recommended a traditional Czechoslovakian dinner for us to try out, which we ended up going to. It was surely a Czech meal let me tell you. 

If you see Prague Castle, see it at night. Take the tram up and enjoy this lit up beauty. It's not only more quiet and less packed but it's so enchanting. Then walk down, because you are able to see spectacular views of the city and all of its glory. 
 During our time studying abroad in Lund, one of our teachers had told us to visit the astronomical clock in Old Town. It was gorgeous. There is no other way to describe how pretty it was in daylight and at night. 

 My final night in Prague we were lucky enough to catch some fireworks on our walk down from Prague Castle. It was so bittersweet and emotional because I'm a sucker for fireworks and Prague never looked so pretty. I also knew I would be leaving early the next day and a part of me was not ready for that. Until next time Prague.

Amsterdam Adventures

So I've arrived in Amsterdam. It was quite the morning as I had to pack up and move out of my cute little apartment in Lund and say goodbye to a lot of my friends. I swore I wouldn't cry but little do my friends know that I balled like a baby in my room. 

My flower child of a friend Dawkins and I, had coincidentally purchased the same flight out to Amsterdam to meet up with Edyth. I had to lug my large suitcase and duffle from Lund to Copenhagen Central Station to put my luggage in a locker so I didn't have to travel with excess baggage. From Copenhagen Central, we took the train to Copenhagen Airport and flew out to Amsterdam. Our flight was a couple of hours delayed and the airport dumped all of my carry on toiletries. I may have forgotten that there was a limit...whoops. Once we landed, we had to purchase a train ticket to Amsterdam Central where I had to get coffee. My brain can only withstand so much travel without a bit of caffeine. So at last, I found a Starbucks. I'm not complaining though, cause even though it wasn't an authentic cafe, it was delicious. 

 Tip* When in Amsterdam, there are many tour groups going about town. Now unless they are all wearing the same t-shirt, you could definitely follow the group and listen to the tour guide explain the streets of Amsterdam without them even noticing you don't belong. Word to the wise, don't stay for too long though cause eventually someone does notice. 

Sometimes you have to throw up what you know. So obviously I have to show some Kappa Kappa Gamma love to all of my sisters back in the states. Plus, this was clearly a Fault in Our Stars moment that had to be captured. 

I have mixed feelings about the Red Light District. This placed managed to be beautiful and raunchy at the same time, all while making me feel uncomfortable and sad for the women standing in the windows. The picture says it all; its bright, capturing, crowded and yet harnesses some sense of darkness. Women become mannequins in the window available for purchase and people become the judgmental tourists who watch it all happen. I can't say I enjoyed this part of town. But in large part, this is a part of Amsterdam's culture and its exposed promiscuousness.

This is probably one of my favorite pictures in Amsterdam. The streets were painted along this alley and it was so vibrant and lovely. 

You can't just go to Amsterdam without visiting the Anne Frank House. I highly recommend that if you ever do, you should reserve your tickets online ahead of time because you will be able to go straight into the house and avoid the long line of people waiting to enter the museum. This house was sad, beautiful, and tragic all in one. You are able to enter her home with a sense of tragedy but with admiration of such a courageous young woman who had such big dreams. This was definitely such a humbling experience that I was blessed to see for myself. 

As a change of pace from all seriousness, girls gotta eat, and of course what else but a big ol' waffle with some ice cream and powdered sugar. I ate every bit and my sweet tooth was most definitely satisfied.
Overall, Amsterdam was incredible. The streets were constantly busy and the nightlife was buzzing. Did I forget to mention there's a difference between a 'coffeeshop' and a 'coffeehuis' there? Well..there is in case you didn't know. Fair warning. 
Tomorrow I am off to Prague, vi ses. 

Farewell Dinner

Caution* Selfies Ahead...Fair Warning.

It's bittersweet having a farewell dinner. On one hand our studying abroad experience has come to an end and on the other, it's our last night all together as a group and we ought to make the most of it. The night was ours and those memories are ours. What we take away will be something I unfortunately can't show you in a picture. But what I can show you, are some pictures with the wonderful people I have had the pleasure of spending my summer with. 

Tomorrow is a jam-packed day filled with packing, cleaning and airport traveling to my final destinations before I head home. Thankfully I haven't had to say goodbye to everyone just yet. 

Cliff Jumping and Summer Bar Nights

I tend to be a chicken when it comes to cliff jumping. Scratch that... I tend to be a chicken when it comes to a lot of things, which include heights and cliff jumping. Unfortunately, I'm not the most adventurous girl out there. Wish I were, but hey, not all of us can be daredevils. However, being abroad means trying new things and this was something I convinced myself I could do. 

A group of us decided that with the gorgeous weather and need for some sun, we would go after class to a place our classmate had recommended (thank you Steven). It turned out to be this watering hole of teeny boppers looking for some fun and adults looking for a relaxing weekend. Think Huntington Beach but less crowded and more peaceful. 
       With the exception of a few battle scars and an ear ache, I had an amazing time jumping cliffs with my friends. They helped me climb up and encouraged me to jump off, which if I think about it, sounds worse than it actually is. They helped me conquer my fears and I had a blast trying something new. 


One thing our group had in common is that we all love to go out and have fun. Which of course included many bar nights and wine bottles. Seeing as we are of age in Europe, I know most of us took advantage of it while we could. But hey, when in Europe right?

Some point in the night I lost my phone to too many selfies and funny pictures that are too precious to post on the internet, so I'll leave the few good ones that I can share. I enjoyed every moment of these nights where we all gathered together to share food and drinks and many laughs. I wouldn't have wanted it any other way.