adventure.

Adventure. I love it. Hence the subtitle of my blog and the crazy adventures I have been on in the past three months.

This past weekend I decided to participate in a little different adventure on one of the DIS adventure trips to Sweden to go canoeing and hiking. After being in cities for the past 3 months, it was nice to finally enjoy a peaceful weekend in the countryside of Sweden.

To start off the trip we went canoeing down the Ronne A. Despite the cold weather and cloudy skies, my great friend Meg Banker and I still had a blast steering in zigzag lines and playing mental games to keep our mind off the weather. We even found a random hanging bridge over the river, so we decided to follow suit of some of the others in our group and take a pit stop to try out the bridge. Stupid decision? Maybe. Was it fun? Of course.

After canoeing we headed to the hostel, owned by a very sweet Swedish couple, and enjoyed a yummy beef stew that was exactly what my stomach desired. We all grabbed a much needed nap after a 6:00 a.m. wake-up and 3 hour paddle. Around 3:30 it was time to hike to Nimis. Nimis is a really cool construction of driftwood and sticks, begun in 1980 by the artist Lars Vilks. It is situated on the peninsula of Kullaberg in the south of Sweden, but is actually its own independent state Ladonia. It was one of the neatest things I have ever seen, essentially being a large playground for adults.

Our night ended with a yummy BBQ and time to get to know some of the other DIS students I hadn't met before. It was great to meet other DIS students, because once you get situated with your friends here, which is usually those you life with, its hard to stretch out beyond those boundaries and meet other students.

The next day we went rappelling on a cliff over the water and then ended the day with orienteering around the reservation. Being in nature is so refreshing and it was amazing to see Europe through a different lens. Sometimes I feel as though Europe is only defined by hustling cities with tourists everywhere, but there is so much more to it and I really got to experience that on this trip.


Yet even though this adventure is a little more extreme than others, studying abroad is a new adventure every single day. Whether it is learning a new word in a different language or finally figuring out a different way to get home, adventure is there. If I were to describe study abroad in one word it would definitely be, adventure.

hangglidinginterlaken

A little advocacy for my friends at Hangglide Interlaken!

Have you ever had a dream that you’re flying? And then comes the unfortunate second where you open your eyes and realize that it was just a dream. Well this dream became an exciting reality when my friend Emily and I decided to go hang gliding with Hang Gliding Interlaken, owned by two pilots, Bernie & Ed. They picked us up at our hostel and within minutes I trusted them with my life and knew I was about to experience an unforgettable flight. From start to finish, they explained how everything worked--even letting us help put the glider together, all while continuing to crack jokes that helped ease our nerves.

The flight itself was absolutely breathtaking. I remember telling Bernie, “I feel like a bird!” We took crazy pictures, did some dives that made my stomach drop and then ended with the smoothest landing I could ever imagine. I believe my words were “that is the coolest thing I have ever done!!” Bernie and Ed congratulated Emily and I on our flights and even gave us a cold Swiss beer to celebrate! We got some really amazing photos and an even better video to show all of our friends and family what an awesome experience we had.

Therefore, if you EVER have the chance to go hang gliding in Interlaken, I have two words for you: DO IT! These guys were very professional and I felt 100% confident with their abilities. This was honestly one of the greatest things I have ever done in my life. Carpe Diem—Seize the Day! Go to www.hangglidinginterlaken.com!

my copenhagen is...

Ever think about whipping out your cell phone camera and making a film? In my Virtual Worlds & the Digital Consumer class at DIS we learned how to make "pocket films," which is called a lommefilm in Danish. The founders of Lommefilm in Denmark came to our class and gave us a quick lesson on how to make such a film--which is actually quite easy.

We were assigned the topic "My Copenhagen is..," but we could spin it in any creative way we desired. We were given two days to capture video on the cell phone and then a workshop was held last night to upload all the clips, edit them together and produce the final 90-second movie.

For our film, I came up with the idea to film about 40 different people each saying what Copenhagen means to them in one word. My group filmed a variety of different people, from DIS students to local Danish residents.

At the end of the workshop we had a little contest and all showed our short films and Kasper, the owner of Lommefilm, and our professor Marie chose the winner. Drumroll please..........our group won! :)

Unfortunately it's too big to fit on here, so check it out on my Facebook page!

"I can now say that..."

Well, after two weeks of AMAZING adventures in Europe, this is what I have to say.

"I can now say that I have..."

1. Been to Spain, France, Italy and Switzerland.
2. Spent more consecutive hours with Emily Adams than I have anyone else in my life.
3. Been to McDonald's in all of my visited countries (Switzerland was the best and most expensive).
4. Figured out the way to the middle of Madrid from the airport all by myself!
5. Eaten true tapas and paella and drank Sangria.
6. Seen paintings by Picasso and Salvador Dali in the Reina Sophia in Madrid.
7. Been to the chocolateria in Madrid featured on the travel channel and eaten delicious churros and hot chocolate.
8. Been to the Spanish Royal Palace.
9. Walked on the sandy beaches of beautiful Barcelona on a tour led by some pretty beautiful Australian men.
10. Been to the Sagrada Familia, the still unfinished 200 year old church designed by Gaudi in Barcelona.
11. Walked down Las Ramblas and been asked 50 times whether I want to buy the most annoying noisemaker alive.
12. Taken more than one true "siesta" in Spain.
13. Learned the trains in Europe will always be more advanced than in America.
14. An Armenian man asked to marry me.
15. Arrived on a train in Nice with 50 French children singing a "Nice" song...one threw up on the way there, too. Great.
16. Climbed the citadel in Nice and seen an amazing panoramic view of the city.
17. Eaten REAL crepes in France. Delicious!
18. Hung out with one of my favorite people, Sarah Nierste, in her current home in Florence.
19. Climbed the 463 stairs of the Duomo and seen the most amazing view of Florence.
20. Seen the David statue!
21. Eaten gelato more than 2 times in a single day.
22. Worn shorts in Europe and not frozen to death!
23. Boughten real balsalmic and olive oil in Italy.
24. Been back to Rome and loved it just as much as the first time.
25. Seen the Pope. okay, not really :) But I saw the window to his apartment!
26. Walked two miles to McDonald's in Rome. Long story.
27. Eaten the BEST guacamole in a random Mexican restaurant in Interlaken, Switzerland.
28. HANG GLIDED THROUGH THE SWISS ALPS! Caps are necessary, because it was definitely the coolest one.
29. Gotten bracelets in all countries as I had planned.
30. Gained more independence and street smarts than I ever thought possible.
31. And finally, I have learned that traveling really is the best classroom. I wrote in my journal while I was sitting in front of the Colosseum in Rome that I had to promise myself one thing: No matter what I do in my lifetime, I want to promise to always keep traveling. You learn more about yourself and more about the world around you than you could ever imagine. It is truly life changing!

Here are a few of my favorite photos from the trip. Check out the rest on Facebook!