wanderlust – Out and Abroad

Dear Amsterdam: A Love Letter to the City of Canals

October 21, 2019outandabroadLeave a comment

*Rembrandtplein, Amsterdam, Netherlands*

Dear Amsterdam,

Canals and cannabis. Your true claims to fame. But your amazing qualities do not stop with those two. What many people don’t know is the amazing history and culture of the so-called “Venice of the North”.

When I visited you, it was just for a weekend trip, but now I am positive that I will be returning. From the second I stepped onto my Airbnb on a sailboat, I knew that Amsterdam was something special. We spent our days in downtown Amsterdam, exploring the picturesque streets and canals. In addition to the beautiful culture and scenes in Amsterdam, we spent our fair share of time in coffeeshops filled with tourists and locals sharing good times. The munchies were inevitable. Luckily you had amazing food all over; my personal favorite was stroop waffles, which I made sure to bring home so I could continue enjoying them. We also tried traditional Dutch pancakes, which are very similar to crepes, and very delicious. Because we were all coming from very different cities, the Red-Light District was something that intrigued us a lot, so we decided to visit the Museum of Prostitution, which was interesting and informative. I learned to appreciate the culture a lot more after learning about the people and the traditions of the city.

What I expected was what I had heard: weed and windows full of sex-workers. What I experienced was something much more: a beautiful city with happy people. Restaurants and streets full of live music, small stores full of amazing cheese and desserts, and canal fences lined with bicycles.

It is obvious why you are number one on almost everybody’s bucket list. You are one of the most lovable cities I have ever been to, a bold statement since I was only there for three days, but I know it is true.

Thank you for allowing me to experience you as fully as possible given the short period of time I was there. Thank you for creating a place where everybody is welcoming and happy. Thank you for giving me a chance to live life on a boat for a weekend.

Adieu Amsterdam.

Dear Germany: A Love Letter to Deutschland

October 18, 2019October 18, 2019outandabroadLeave a comment

Dear Germany,

I never knew that just one weekend would give me enough time to fall in love with a city. Now I do.

When I told my friends and family that I was going to be studying abroad in Europe, they all told me that I needed to take a trip to Germany. Not that I wasn’t already planning on visiting Munich for Oktoberfest. I was worried that one weekend would be a waste of time, that it would not be worth it. Yes, it was a short trip, but that just forced me to make the most of my time there, which proved to me that perfect weekends do exist and that perfect places do too.

Because we were going there for Oktoberfest, the first thing we did was shop for Dirndls and Lederhosen, which was a fun first thing to do in Germany because it gave us insight into your culture and the people. After changing into our traditional German outfits, we took the metro downtown to the Oktoberfest fairground, Theresienwiese, which was nothing like I had expected. It was full of beer tents, amusement rides, food tents, and games. We spent most of our time in beer tents, where we met locals who taught us the true way to cheers “Prost” and that if you do not touch your stein to the table after Prost and before drinking, your kids will be ugly. Waking up at 6 am to wait in line in the rain on Saturday morning was so worth it because we got into the Hofbräu tent, the sister of the Hofbräuhaus in downtown Munich. We ate our fair share of pretzels and drank our fair share of Oktoberfest Beer.

*View from Rathaus-Glockenspiel, Munich, Germany*

I was smart enough to book my flight out of Munich for Sunday night so that I had an entire extra day to explore your city and culture outside of Oktoberfest. I explored Marienplatz and took the lift to the top of the tower where I got the best view of Munich and its beautiful landscapes. We went to the original Hofbräuhaus for lunch where we got pretzels and grilled chicken. There was an outdoor food festival in a park where we tried cheeses, honey, beers, and were able to support the local companies and their specialties.

Germany, I appreciated visiting you, even if it was only for 3 days. You were amazing enough in those short days that it was as if I had been there for a week. Thank you for your amazing city, food, beer, and culture.

Prost and dankeschön.

Dear Guatemala: A Love Letter to the Country of Eternal Spring

June 12, 2019outandabroadLeave a comment

*Volcán San Pedro, San Pedro La Laguna, Guatemala*

Dear Guatemala,

Never have I ever enjoyed a trip more than I enjoyed the one I took to visit you. I cannot believe the amazing people, culture, activities, and nature that I experienced within your small, breathtaking land.

Your beautiful town of San Pedro La Laguna was the perfect home for two weeks. I was lucky enough to spend my time in a homestay with some of your amazing people, who taught me so much about the important things in life. It was obvious to me from the start that although your people might not have the luxuries that we have in life, they have the most important thing of all: smiles. Although I can’t blame them, it was nearly impossible for me to stop smiling the entire time I was there.

Your culture—the food, the crafts, and the traditions—blew me away and gave me a new appreciation for the lifestyle so different from my own. Fresh fruits everyday for breakfast, homemade tortillas, rambutan fruit, fresh fruit smoothies, empanadas, and entire fish were all foods that I hope to experience more in my life. The beautiful handmade crafts, paintings, clothing, and other goods were the perfect thing for me to bring back to my family and friends to give them a taste of the amazing culture.

Spending days in clinics in San Juan Moca, Chicacao, Santiago, Piquia, San Lucas, and San Pablo helped me progress toward becoming a healthcare provider in my future. I cannot thank these towns enough for their patience, their kindness, and their openness to allowing Americans provide them care.

Other than the two earthquakes that occurred while I was there, I was lucky enough to experience so many unique things while visiting your country. I went with the little sister in my homestay to swim in beautiful Lake Atitlán, which was so refreshing on the hot and sunny afternoon. Another amazing piece of culture that I experienced with my host family was making fresh tortillas from only water and corn. Taking a boat across the lake multiple times was an amazing way of transportation that allowed us to see more of the beautiful region around the lake. My favorite transportation on land was the tuk-tuk, which was super convenient when your skies drenched us in rain. I enjoyed taking a class with a talented local, who helped me create a beautiful tiny painting of San Pedro to take home—one of the best souvenirs I got. Spending a beautiful morning in a kayak on the lake was both relaxing, due to the serene surroundings, and eventful, due to the kayak filling and almost capsizing. Waking up at 3am to hike to the top of Indian Nose Mountain to view the beautiful sunrise was the perfect way to end our stay in San Pedro before taking off to Antigua for a few days. In Antigua, we were lucky enough to hike to the top of Volcán Pacaya and roast marshmallows on the hot lava rocks on top of the active volcano.

*Sunrise from top of Indian Nose Mountain, San Juan La Laguna, Guatemala*

Upon my return back home, I faced many family members and friends who were curious as to how my trip was. I couldn’t help myself from telling them that I can see myself moving to Guatemala at some point in my life. I told them all that Guatemala was the best trip I’ve been on because there is something different, so amazing, about immersing yourself in a culture the way I did in your beautiful country.

Many thanks to your welcoming people, your beautiful culture, your amazing landscapes. I cannot express enough gratitude to you for allowing me to have the experiences that I had in your beautiful country.

I hope to return soon, but until then, Te Amo.

Dear Italy: A Love Letter to the Boot

January 26, 2019January 26, 2019outandabroad1 Comment

Dear Italy,

Most people don’t know this, but you are better than pizza, pasta, and even gelato. Only the people who have visited you know your truth.

All of my friends with Italian ancestors fell in love with the Italy that they hear of, with the Italy that they taste in their nonna’s food. I have no Italian in me or in my family, but I fell in love with the Italy that I experienced first hand, in Italy. A country only has to be home to the people who are citizens there, but you are home to everyone who visits.

The first part of you that I saw was Sorrento, on your beautiful coastline. Then I took a ferry to the amazing island of Capri, where I tried my first, and definitely not last, gelato. I touched the Mediterranean Sea for the first time. The stops in Positano, Brayano, and Conca de Marini were short, but worth it. The amazing history and touching story behind Pompeii gave me a new outlook on your people for being so resilient. Napoli’s underground tour was amazing and unlike anything that I will probably ever experience. Then we visited your famous Colosseum, whose beauty could never be explained. The Pantheon was full of so many nice people, and talented street performers. Vatican City, the tiny country inside of you, with its Sistene Chapel, St. Peter’s Basilica, and St. Peter’s square, is unreal. When we were pulling up to the breathtaking Trevi Fountain, we could hear its thunderous water from a block away. Running up the Spanish Steps reminded me of a painting of the Steps that my mom bought when she was visiting you. The only part of your beautiful country that disappointed me was leaving.

Limoncello is something special that you have, although I did bring a lot back to America for everyone to try. Everyone deserves to experience at least a little bit of your beauty and amazingness.

Italy, I owe you a lot. I owe you my growing love for travelling. I owe you, and only you, irreplaceable memories with my best friend before she moved across the country from me. I owe you one of the best vacations I have ever been on, and I’ve been on a lot.

Thank you for gifting me a chance to experience your coast. I hope, and expect, to return to visit you again, but for now, Ciao Bella.

Grazie for your love, your everything, and my memories.