Ciao Ciao.

Hallo meine Lieben!

I had the full intention of writing a blog post last week. Every time I tried though, it just came off as grumpy. You see, two weekends ago I went with everyone in my UW group up to Prague. This was the side trip I was most excited for. I had only ever heard positive things about this Czech city. Unfortunately, based on my experience I cannot report the same. For one, we were constantly wet. It was raining for most of our time there. When you reach the point in which you can’t tell if your feet are wet or not you know something isn't right. Also Prague was swarming with tourists and felt quite dangerous honestly. Every other city so far I have felt secure in but not Prague.  I did shoot a few good shots with my camera despite the rain. I hope to be able to return one day to change my negative opinion that I am currently holding onto.

 Different perspective // castle

 Group shot! // castle and Charles' bridge in back

So rainy:(

While Prague was not the dream I had imagined, Venice this past weekend made up for it. 3 friends from my UW program trained eleven hours to the famous island. I had been to Venice in 2006 with my family and loved it. Coming back felt like rediscovering an old friend. Some things I recognized and it seemed like nothing had changed. However, I also got to wander and find new parts of the city. I was only thirteen the first time there and my parents were not going to let me run off into the alley ways and walking streets that wind into dead ends.  This time I got to do just that! My friends and I did the standard Venetian things like see San Marco square, the Bridge of Sighs, and visit Murano. My favorite thing though was just getting lost in the city built on stilts.

When we arrived I had the general idea where the hotel was but didn't really know exactly and that did not concern me at all. Something I have learned about travel is that sometimes it is best to not really have a plan. Things will most likely work out some way or another and you will find what you are looking for. If you over plan and things go differently than expected you will freak out. Spontaneity and flexibility are the names of the game. A little prayer doesn't ever hurt either.

Anyways, Venice really is not that big of a city and it could easily be conquered in two days (or even less). We however had four days there. This means that besides wandering the corridors we also spent much time just sitting alongside various canals talking and reading. I decided if people go to Hawaii they lounge by the beach, and in Venice we lounge by the canal. Besides being outrageously expensive and being eaten up by mosquitoes, Venice was perfect. Sunshine, history, and relaxation.

I am leaving Vienna on Friday, and I am filled with so many different emotions. I am happy that I am closer to my return home to family and friends whom I miss dearly. I am sad because I am leaving a place that has been my home for the last two and a half months—and I don’t know if I will ever come back again. I am nervous because I am going to be non-stop traveling the next few weeks—and its actually pretty exhausting. I am excited because my journey isn't over yet. Overall though, I am grateful. Grateful that I have had this opportunity to see more of the world.  I've gotten to meet people from lots of different cultures (many not actually even European), I've gotten to try many new foods (so much chocolate!), and I have just gotten to experience different cultures as a whole. I don’t know where God is going to lead me in the next few years, but I am thankful that he has provided for me so far and gifted me with many opportunities already.

Cheers to the unknown!
Stacie Marie