Some mornings during this trip in Europe, I would wake up and ask myself, "Why do I travel? What am I doing here?" After establishing what country I'm in, I try to take a moment to answer these questions. But only now that I am back in the United States, have I fully been able to answer them. Did I accomplish my mission in Europe? What was I searching for? Myself. My future. Others. Other perspectives. A combination of these: self-growth through daily challenges, personal experience based on travel and interaction. I have been told that people travel for three [View Full Entry]

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"You cant appreciate home 'till you've left it, money 'till its spent, your wife 'till she's joined a womans club, nor Old Glory 'till you see it hanging on a broomstick on the shanty of a consul in a foreign town". -O. Henry In just the same way, I have realized that I didn't truly appreciate America until I left her. Being away for seven months I have defended her, described her, and denied her many times over. It has led me to think, "what is America anyway? What does it mean to be an American?" The best example I [View Full Entry]

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Ode to Heidelberg Europe » Germany » Heidelberg By Rachel Conquers Europe April 13th 2007 Rachel I listened to the city come alive from its dreamless slumber Blinking awake at the movement overhead The patient tick of a crossing signal, Cars purring at stop lights and the awkward clunk of a trash can emptied. Surround-sound birds, A spray of air at the gas station low hum of public transport comes together to form a cacophony of living and mechanical sounds swirling together as the city comes alive. The scent of a skunk in the woods, a cemetery of dew-laden grass, and yeasty bread rising [View Full Entry]

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"I stood for a long time by the roller coaster, and I noticed that most people get on it in search of excitement, but that once it starts, they are terrified and want the cars to stop" (Eleven Minutes, Paul Cohelo). Why do people go to amusement parks? The only so-called "amusement" comes from the possiblity of ending your life and the churning of your guts. Amusement parks are just a platform for sugar and death. And that is exactly why we love them. What other place do you pay to terrify yourself after gorging on such gastronomic nightmares as [View Full Entry]

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Guten tag aus Deutchland! I am taking German lessons from F + U University (I still dont know what that stands for) in Heidelburg, Germany for the next two weeks. Learning a new language is like cracking open an antique book: I can actually feel the dust sloughing off inside my brain. Why are you taking German? Gut fragen. 1. I hate being a mongolot. Americans are ubiquitously known for being monolingual. Communication is crutial. While visiting a country, you should certainly TRY to communicate with the locals. They appreciate the effort and its good for you. 2. I will [View Full Entry]

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He has lived 4.5 times longer than I. I cant even begin to imagine the things one can see in a lifetime that stretches from the turn of the century: through the invention of vehicles and two world wars. I was notified by my relatives Ken and Nancy that we had family in Germany. How perfect! I decided to end my European adventure in the place of my origin. This is a journey of self-discovery and it certainly helps by knowing where you come from. Upon entering the country, I learned BAUMANN means "builder man". I was intent to discover [View Full Entry]

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Castle in the Snow Europe » Germany » Fussen By Rachel Conquers Europe March 26th 2007 Rachel Snow filled cavities Open to a grey sky Cedar piles wait outside for their turn in the flame A squeal of delight peals from my train- Excited to go nowhere Someone whistles its time To visit a castle in the snow My silver box flies through Icy green Bavaria to rest at the Sleeping Beauty Castle Beauty is found Outside Solitary snow walk between trees throwing ice and a pulsing brook [View Full Entry]

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Last night, gathered around a cigarette-littered coffee table, I asked five strangers to plan my fate. I dont want my trip to become stagnant, so I decided to throw in a little spice. Ive recently been inspired by two books: Lonely Planet's Book of Experimental Travel and Lost Cosmonaut. The book of Experimental Travel provides suggestions for non-traditional iteneraries like closing your eyes and blindly scrawling your signature on a map, then following the line your signature makes. Lost Cosmonaut is a book detailing the adventures of an anti-tourist in the small area of Kazan in Russia. An anti-tourist! Someone [View Full Entry]

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I woke up to a long, rough tounge scraping across my cheek. Kaya, the dog who belongs to our hosts, Rene and Steffie, chose to wake me gently...with her saliva. Yuck. Today is the day that we get to go sledding in the Alps! Steffie generously offered to take us with her to meet her parents for a day on the mountain. I sometimes have to remind myself where I am. "What country did I wake up in this morning?" Austria. Innsbruck. Im Couchsurfing with a mountain guide and her rock climber boyfriend, I mentally take note. We packed our [View Full Entry]

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Its not the hills that are alive with the sound of music, its the streets of Vienna. If you ask the Viennese about their city, they will undoubtedly mention, "QUALITY of life". Vienna, Austria is said to have one of the highest qualities of life of any city in the world. From environmental consciousness to cultural opportunities and workplace logistics, the residents of Vienna seem to have it made. As a city known for music, is has produced an incredible amount of talent. Famous musical talent that has sprung from Vienna include Josef Haydn, Wolfgang Mozart, Franz Schubert, Johannes Brahms, and [View Full Entry]

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