gerMANY Photos From my Trip.

Okay so I have made an executive decision.

In this the European season of my blog is just going to be loaded with pictures.
Partly because I just bought a new lens and Europe is beautiful and that is a recipe for oodles and oodles of pictures.

But also partly because, as you can see, I don't always have the best internet so my postings will be a little bit more scarse. And there are just so many stories to tell I can't JUST pick 3 or so pictures. To make it easier, I am just going to describe each incredible experience below each picture (not that you need a lesson on how to read a blog, but I said it... so consider yourself taught).

Before I head off to Berlin in my photo-adventure, I have to finish up with the be-a-U-ti-ful Prague...

Angela + Me + Briana + Bethany
At the John Lennon Wall... years and years of writings and graffiti on this wall.

Just having a grand ol' itme

You know, just my best friends and I... chillin' on the Charles Bridge.
It was twin day at school, but we couldn't pick just one friend so we were triplets.

Do we look like locals!?

The Prague Clock! Everyone gathers around it and cheers at every hour.

NOW OFF TO BERLIN!!!

Angela is so spiritual in her sleep ;)

Bullet holes in the pillars at the museums. Put there by Nazis and Russians.

This was a crazy site to see. So eerie, yet so funny that his bunker is now a parking lot, nothing special about it and nothing left to commemorate it, but a small little plaque telling what it is.

Holocaust Memoral
2,711 Cement blocks of all shapes and sizes
Each block represents about 2,000 victims 

This speaks for itself ;)

Where the Berlin Wall used to run.
There are Bricks in the ground throughout the city marking where it was.

From the East side of the part of the wall that is still standing.

Just some friends at painted fragments of the Berlin Wall

Pork knuckle.
Yes, I ate that.
It was flipping fantastic.

A little art exhibit in the middle of the park.

Private cell for prisoners they wanted to keep in solitary confinement at Sachenhausen Concentration Camp.

The above picture is from the concentration camp memorial site that we went to yesterday. First of all, our tour guide was the best tour guide for any tour that I have ever had. He knew how to keep us engaged, he was extremely knowledgeable, he taught us more than what was seen at this concentration camp, he gave us lessons on life; like the factors of evil and what you need for strength. He gave voice to the Nazis and showed us their side and how we need to not necessarily excuse their actions, but empathize for them and understand them. Yes, some were sick, disgusting people who did awful things for the fun of it, but some were under a lot of pressure, and had an immense amount of other factors going into what may have caused them to dehumanize their victims. I think if I had been living in Germany during WWII, I can't say I wouldn't be Hitler youth. I can't put myself, in the mindset I am in now with the knowledge that I have of the war, in the position of the people of that time and say I wouldn't be rallying up with him. 

It's sad. It's sick. It's disgusting. But it happened. And there is nothing we can do about it except learn from it. Learn from not only the prisoners, but from the guards. Learn from the land that is there, the story it tells.

I am thoroughly enjoying my travels. Interactive learning is an incredible way to be immersed in the past.

I am off to Wittenberg today where Martin Luther, one of the founders of the reformation, lived!

Czech yourself before you wreck yourself.

Dobrý den everyone! I have officially been in Prague for about a day and a half and I am already in love. Who wouldn't be when when you walk out of your hotel and the first thing you see is the most famous bridge in the city, The Charles Bridge, that dates back to 1357?! 

Surreal is the best word to describe this adventure so far. My eyes tell me that I am clearly not in America any more, but my mind just cant seem to wrap itself around the idea.. I am feeling overwhelmingly blessed to be here, overwhelmingly loved from back home, and overwhelmingly delighted by the food and atmosphere of Europe.

I need to get to sleep (I'm headed to a service at the Cathederal located in the Prague Castle tomorrow!) so I hope these pictures suffice the lack of description to pair with it.

But a quick highlight of my trip so far was tonight. My friends Kelsey, Angela, and I explored the town a bit and found a great cafe to sit at.  I drank the most incredible cafe latte, i swear my tastebuds were singing to me for feeding them such goodness.  We sat, talked and played some cards until the cafe closed. It was such a relazing, incredible, European night.

Na shledanou!

Gorgeous city at night.

Truffle, ham, mushroom and arrugla pizza with the house wine... livin the European dream

Love locks. Legend has it that when you find your true love, you write your name and their name on a lock,
lock it to the gate or in this case a little cage on the bridge, then throw the key into the river
and you will be together forever.

Got to love that mustache man.

Saw a random fire street show... not to shabby.

Loving the love from home :)

I'm Off!

Well hello there,

I know, I know, I have been an awful blogger this summer. But the thing is, I have had just too much fun to be engrossed in the Internet.

Anyways, tomorrow is the day. I leave my house at 9 am to venture off to LAX-->Heathrow-->Prague.

Honestly I can't believe it.

It is bittersweet... I am SUPER excited, but also sad to leave my incredible family.  Saying goodbye to my little cousins this evening was precious. They are all the sweetest and I am sad to leave them behind (especially when they won't let go of you as my aunt was practically driving off). My Aunt Noreen (Auntie Nono as we call her) told me that when she was explaining to Kirby what was going on she said I would be gone for 100 sleeps, to which he replied, "100 SLEEPS! I give her 100 kisses and 100 hugs."

I am keeping this post short because I need to go to bed (crazy time changes are in my near future).

Check here as often as you please to see updates on my life in Europe!

 Love my family!!!