tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16163076927994346602024-02-19T17:36:30.833+01:00With The Moon on Their Wingskathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06934210860595836760noreply@blogger.comBlogger39125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1616307692799434660.post-67917066756880545972014-04-20T21:16:00.003+02:002014-04-20T21:16:38.470+02:00countdown<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: left;">
46 days left in Europe. Weird, right? Most of me is incredibly excited and only some bits are beginning to feel the twinge of sadness. </div>
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Here's what's been going on in my little world of schnitzel, wine spritzers and teaching:<br />
<br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>had my medical exams and have ruled out anything remotely cancerous,
ulcer-related, or otherwise chronic. still not sure what's exactly up
but I have a hunch it's been mostly stress fueled...oi. (plus a possible
food intolerance ultimately made worse by worrying and fretting!
HURRAH.) but yeah, WOO! good news, really.<br /> </li>
<li>spring has
finally sprung. trees are green. flowers are in bloom. the sun comes out
at least a few times a week...cannot complain. <br /> </li>
<li>after
stanley's visit I spent a weekend in Vienna with my babes and had a
grand old time. was a much needed break from my doldrums and refueled
the spirits. </li>
</ul>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6d6BPmAQcg26DByArGSgfZIFDsGNP28oddpx-Oa9FWQbiU6oFNmMhhB5d8c1wfHbzlaMSxiFxJOyRMcWSFb5rdZonGS8VmtkIJpQjmC-nlYJVzEnSkHnszNe-E2QVK5z1YM96wJwRZrQ/s1600/IMG_4474.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6d6BPmAQcg26DByArGSgfZIFDsGNP28oddpx-Oa9FWQbiU6oFNmMhhB5d8c1wfHbzlaMSxiFxJOyRMcWSFb5rdZonGS8VmtkIJpQjmC-nlYJVzEnSkHnszNe-E2QVK5z1YM96wJwRZrQ/s1600/IMG_4474.jpg" height="320" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">swings are not just for children</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib39U9iIP6QVftfE8BFctet0h4XpGrpX13D0sn2Dponq8lYh9naujdgKUJPzPNSE5XIFxPIVPqBclVB0gnUw4PI-yFARQFTwVIzP_PD4uMPqDWseZz32GZKqm7zRCKoWzU2bo7It3LuwE/s1600/IMG_4480.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib39U9iIP6QVftfE8BFctet0h4XpGrpX13D0sn2Dponq8lYh9naujdgKUJPzPNSE5XIFxPIVPqBclVB0gnUw4PI-yFARQFTwVIzP_PD4uMPqDWseZz32GZKqm7zRCKoWzU2bo7It3LuwE/s1600/IMG_4480.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">park day with my bezzie</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3Tryi2fmykt_V8VZFzFTSiRQV0rj7wBsBrwjXaziCTmKn6V5cUcRy2LqQzf5T8vnIJie-IYPnY1NXdyw73NfAfOfEmyShkyQd1mxcKkd2dxqslj0ObLghk8yfCU2u2T-sqbL_FU05vGg/s1600/1977145_495170317276615_425775247_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3Tryi2fmykt_V8VZFzFTSiRQV0rj7wBsBrwjXaziCTmKn6V5cUcRy2LqQzf5T8vnIJie-IYPnY1NXdyw73NfAfOfEmyShkyQd1mxcKkd2dxqslj0ObLghk8yfCU2u2T-sqbL_FU05vGg/s1600/1977145_495170317276615_425775247_n.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">partyyyyyy</td></tr>
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<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>here are some instagrammed whatsits </li>
</ul>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqXqOOVoSfSLL9pwQ-Hg6du6kxJ5Xt-yFkn2KXZd3qiWSAlF8MGjmDUhLlOyeUstupSDFqJKfgZEaGg4rPgB4UQTXtIHrrqTkMaBQ3KpABOMqms6w-4aDyP0CawcrJS24j6xFCTw3J6rw/s1600/IMG_4444.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqXqOOVoSfSLL9pwQ-Hg6du6kxJ5Xt-yFkn2KXZd3qiWSAlF8MGjmDUhLlOyeUstupSDFqJKfgZEaGg4rPgB4UQTXtIHrrqTkMaBQ3KpABOMqms6w-4aDyP0CawcrJS24j6xFCTw3J6rw/s1600/IMG_4444.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">my beautiful city</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">artsy cupcakes</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHzdOVNDjol9GWorCpV9bp7S-8B8yZ0NxrNZzwALeG1B7_FJo03bZEL9gnv9MXURmJTPrq1IBYlBdGPaogbQ_HLFHEMvlbkCd8Gon2jvnlijflwEydO-KMduptfy8g1Vdy5DCPjEg1hPs/s1600/IMG_4613.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHzdOVNDjol9GWorCpV9bp7S-8B8yZ0NxrNZzwALeG1B7_FJo03bZEL9gnv9MXURmJTPrq1IBYlBdGPaogbQ_HLFHEMvlbkCd8Gon2jvnlijflwEydO-KMduptfy8g1Vdy5DCPjEg1hPs/s1600/IMG_4613.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">particularly good day with sun and mixtapes in the mail</td></tr>
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<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>just had a wonderful Amsterdam adventure with the best friend and an Easter feast the day after I got back. things are good.</li>
</ul>
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Although I'll miss this little town and the European way of life I will not, let me repeat, not miss teaching.<br />
Over and out.<br />
<br />
</div>
kathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06934210860595836760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1616307692799434660.post-74895011739050486542014-03-08T14:52:00.002+01:002014-03-08T14:57:31.441+01:00marching on<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Spring is beginning to show her beautiful pastel-colored face in Graz. The birds have begun to chirp again, flowers are slowly creeping out of the thawed ground and I've successfully felt actual sunshine on my squinty pale face. Sun? IS THAT YOU?! NEVER LEAVE ME AGAIN. <br />
<br />
As of today I have 40 more working days here in Austria. 40! (plus 22 days off...) My flight home is booked for June 5th and my last day of school will be May 28th. How did this happen? February, thank the gods, flew by. I've never disliked a month more than I dislike February. Last year was the snowy season from hell plus the lost house key debacle and this year was another round of gray skies and cold noses plus the unfortunate escalation of health problems for yours truly. GET THEE TO A NUNNERY, FEBRUARY.<br />
<br />
"Health problems?" you ask. Since the beginning of December I've been plagued with a gastrointestinal tract that simply won't play nice. Since then I've seen several doctors, both stateside and abroad, been administered this test and that, and had the misfortune to lose and gain symptoms as easily as the wind changes. Thanks for the consistency, body. Rude. 4 weeks ago I scheduled one of those incredibly invasive procedures that are typically reserved for the over 50...And in one week I'll finally undergo said procedure. The main downside to my brief affair with socialized medicine is that because I wasn't hemorrhaging from my innards at my hospital visit, I was simply scheduled as soon as I could be fit in. Naturally, the plus side is that I wasn't bleeding all over my guts. However, the downsides of waiting 5 weeks for an exam are the constant gnawing worry, impatience, discomfort and guilt for the increasing amount of classes I've missed. I have no idea what's quite wrong with me, I just know that I can wake up feeling like there's a hot ball of lead in my belly, or that I'm going to retch over a class of 20 youths or even feel perfectly fine. Sometimes food helps, sometimes it hurts. Sometimes I forget that something is wrong only to be reminded a few days later. I'm smart enough to know that if I truly felt the need, I could visit a hospital any time, any day. The mildly annoying fact is that, as uncomfortable as I may feel throughout the week, I don't feel bad enough to go to the emergency room. Double-edged sword, I suppose. <br />
<br />
Hopefully this explains why I've become more and more of a recluse, why I spend more time than should be legal online and why my online updates are far more subdued. I'm laying low until I know what the heck is wrong with my bod.<br />
<br />
BUT as my exam draws nearer, I can feel my stress decreasing. Which has allowed me a bit more fun this past week than previously.<br />
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Tuesday was Mardi Gras, or as it's called here, Fasching. This year I played it safe and was only out of the house for 3 hours and refrained from imbibing (which did me little good, because I still wound up staying home from school the next day due to awful queasiness that lasted well into the evening) I threw together an impromptu costume of what I had lying around the place and became, for those 3 hours, a mime.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvwDGrswHUKZY6qBs0P6gb6I7vM4YcIcJ8BvQS4a0HbzA-t3NWkLH3QdJ2j_olt9AVr4hJTOtJYozc9vb_Hq8PyzJOvgBg9lLusULGQwtuTOEQjWKK9-yrvizYNvvvnILGJszJiyqkMqk/s1600/IMG_4323.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvwDGrswHUKZY6qBs0P6gb6I7vM4YcIcJ8BvQS4a0HbzA-t3NWkLH3QdJ2j_olt9AVr4hJTOtJYozc9vb_Hq8PyzJOvgBg9lLusULGQwtuTOEQjWKK9-yrvizYNvvvnILGJszJiyqkMqk/s1600/IMG_4323.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New career choice?</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIiEx3CPX64wqzkI1OLimnWRNUOOt2T1nyp7JfL20NiQa9QEwuJYS5mcojXi7nTlGJjpDpKMr4Ojle3C-mvAtaN-0JDthAUIRQ-OsWGjZSn7Kof3KwX1_JJhnEFlqVpBwUc9Jt1QD_9tE/s1600/IMG_4306.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIiEx3CPX64wqzkI1OLimnWRNUOOt2T1nyp7JfL20NiQa9QEwuJYS5mcojXi7nTlGJjpDpKMr4Ojle3C-mvAtaN-0JDthAUIRQ-OsWGjZSn7Kof3KwX1_JJhnEFlqVpBwUc9Jt1QD_9tE/s1600/IMG_4306.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jenn went the Rocky Horror Picture Show route and inevitably had much more fun.</td></tr>
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The festivities continued as my dear friend Lauren from HIGH SCHOOL came to see the sights of Austria and Graz. A successful attempt to eat her way through this country.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTNI6tyethlUzF0AFOr3rgy63pgJsJQZ1PdnBS3SKSmHkSXEJ1oEZPOsX86np0DdKOV_hskJX-6v7Jw6F8e1wPIgVpvjWmJIfxSUy5T1wpUaEdDOIFbYOG_7qIerazAo03wrBb62Y_fMQ/s1600/IMG_4321.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTNI6tyethlUzF0AFOr3rgy63pgJsJQZ1PdnBS3SKSmHkSXEJ1oEZPOsX86np0DdKOV_hskJX-6v7Jw6F8e1wPIgVpvjWmJIfxSUy5T1wpUaEdDOIFbYOG_7qIerazAo03wrBb62Y_fMQ/s1600/IMG_4321.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Her first experiences with Austrian beer and Käferbohnen. THE BEANS!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWvoEL4k0Gkv66Vnr9goOstpqU-9X-QhFClC5-VQ_EyJ3QtWuSnBmtyw73hTN5NloDy0UNRnQz8BdxTsioxre78S25AUqjgZ37CQltvf5z8wHqMSQvShRnIwJ03aBJiaftTgNLkjcW5IA/s1600/stan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWvoEL4k0Gkv66Vnr9goOstpqU-9X-QhFClC5-VQ_EyJ3QtWuSnBmtyw73hTN5NloDy0UNRnQz8BdxTsioxre78S25AUqjgZ37CQltvf5z8wHqMSQvShRnIwJ03aBJiaftTgNLkjcW5IA/s1600/stan.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An afternoon in Vienna</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKoH-LsAOIKWTIRTpyIun5DUDMvQMIHCgb_sTC9VSmURc8liyAoQIKlNOb8Ej4OBqhGGmiHeJb0RQ7vrFvWQvYHhJt_tS1N-yIXiFiVGON4chtROPiau7qKwHG6YmL904sC27pjVacrRc/s1600/IMG_4333.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKoH-LsAOIKWTIRTpyIun5DUDMvQMIHCgb_sTC9VSmURc8liyAoQIKlNOb8Ej4OBqhGGmiHeJb0RQ7vrFvWQvYHhJt_tS1N-yIXiFiVGON4chtROPiau7qKwHG6YmL904sC27pjVacrRc/s1600/IMG_4333.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ginko. Vegetarian heaven.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR1e8TmA4S1BUhEqbbch_fS0MzA5O3l3WedlpYfu9D9aYI0xf-tP7xp7a0P7HoahiE3YrX2bVliQ_9bziImGx_2avEVJ2dSWrVr0A0044VYzR_M-zosMCsQl7b-soLvYsJZUctedcHfas/s1600/IMG_4334.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR1e8TmA4S1BUhEqbbch_fS0MzA5O3l3WedlpYfu9D9aYI0xf-tP7xp7a0P7HoahiE3YrX2bVliQ_9bziImGx_2avEVJ2dSWrVr0A0044VYzR_M-zosMCsQl7b-soLvYsJZUctedcHfas/s1600/IMG_4334.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I CAN'T STOP/WON'T STOP</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn3tLtKVwKrnQDJ-j0UvxFtMx_MZe3gF3tLL2nP3W6vI56QMJmBvG-REx5MqXqb_pBuf7XHtH1DR44BLm0fiMEa7rNwUV9tf9wnS2esU93aanXDp9E1d40Z3FRv-sn_hnluzGdAKE85N4/s1600/IMG_4348.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn3tLtKVwKrnQDJ-j0UvxFtMx_MZe3gF3tLL2nP3W6vI56QMJmBvG-REx5MqXqb_pBuf7XHtH1DR44BLm0fiMEa7rNwUV9tf9wnS2esU93aanXDp9E1d40Z3FRv-sn_hnluzGdAKE85N4/s1600/IMG_4348.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Everything the light touches is our kingdom."</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE_Vtnb-Y-eynfJccPSHYmu2e2VZqhSGoZHYq6fa9jCoB426khc6sRoDQ6yOoQy_XjjyOpBh7PDNTOAb0PkYLdy67kjgsjQJfyHYyZJDQL3NHVVTRSMxu0VGkofScKmenYwXnMAaprl7c/s1600/IMG_4354.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE_Vtnb-Y-eynfJccPSHYmu2e2VZqhSGoZHYq6fa9jCoB426khc6sRoDQ6yOoQy_XjjyOpBh7PDNTOAb0PkYLdy67kjgsjQJfyHYyZJDQL3NHVVTRSMxu0VGkofScKmenYwXnMAaprl7c/s1600/IMG_4354.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Graz on high</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjq80vwSM1TZbKSwvog__BeJKwu6Y_YTyqhv2wsxamb_x_u_qPtV_IsvCbJu-zgGCk0vA2bzF0H4RWTr6lhyD0llHYDLSTj6xvTlIBcj8Ds27bZ7sL38aCMGO1hd5A6BS5TvXEV0VmXx4/s1600/IMG_4351.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjq80vwSM1TZbKSwvog__BeJKwu6Y_YTyqhv2wsxamb_x_u_qPtV_IsvCbJu-zgGCk0vA2bzF0H4RWTr6lhyD0llHYDLSTj6xvTlIBcj8Ds27bZ7sL38aCMGO1hd5A6BS5TvXEV0VmXx4/s1600/IMG_4351.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Biggest pizza party.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Lauren's gone now and I have zero plans for the weekend except to sleep and eat and sleep and eat. Over Easter break I'll be traveling to Amsterdam, seeing The Netherlands for the first time as well as being reunited with my heart and soul, Tini.<br />
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Those are all the words I have for today. I'm going to feast on that leftover pizza now...</div>
kathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06934210860595836760noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1616307692799434660.post-63233858043930203852014-03-02T21:49:00.002+01:002014-03-02T21:52:22.156+01:00verona favs<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Remember how I used to update this lil' guy? Hmmf. Well this and that happens and I don't find myself as compelled to do much of anything these days. Except stroke small animals and eat lots of cookies. I'm hoping my generally cheerful disposition returns with the sunshine of March! Even though I already put all these on the facebook, here they are again to prove that this was a travel blog of sorts.<br />
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kathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06934210860595836760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1616307692799434660.post-31316708213630963182014-01-22T17:33:00.000+01:002014-01-22T18:27:56.836+01:00january blues<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Sometimes life moves really quickly, and sometimes slowly---sometimes it feels like it doesn't move at all.<br />
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You, dear reader, may have noticed the dramatic drop in activity here. You may have noticed that I wax poetic far less these days. I haven't stopped living and doing neat things, but the neat things I do seem to have gotten smaller and simpler. But as its now a new year, 2014 in case you've missed it, I'm making changes, rearranging and rethinking how I go about my business. <br />
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January is nearly behind me and I will rejoice when it is. This is the second year in a row where the winter months seem to have taken their toll on me, left me a little weary and less likely to brave the cold and more likely to stay in and look at pictures of corgis in various costumes. I'm not wallowing in misery or anything quite so drastic, but my moods are a little heavier and my willingness to "put myself out there" almost nonexistent. I really need to buy more vitamin D tablets...<br />
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Though to be fair to January, Christmas is really hard to live in the shadows of. This Christmas was very good, which both helped soothe my homesickness and rejuvenate me for the coming months. I only have 5 or so of 'em left here in Austria and I suppose I better make the most of them. Although my yearning, aching, wailing desire to backpack everywhere has diminished, there are still bits I plan on visiting in the new year. Still trains and planes and buses to ride, just...at a more manageable pace. Like I've been telling anyone who asks, I'm ready to step away from the nomadic life so that I can appreciate it again. Roaming has become the norm and I am so tired of temporary housing. I have no plans to SETTLE DOWN in the strict sense of the phrase but I do want to put all suitcases in a closet for a while.<br />
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2014 is also the first year in many where I don't have a real plan, a real goal. Two years ago I was applying for this position. The four years before that I was away at Lewis and Clark and before that I knew I'd be going to college somewhere. Right now I don't have an application to submit, a deadline to meet, a letter of recommendation to send. I don't have a potential employer or admissions committee to dazzle with my, well, with whatever dazzled them before. Go back to school? Where? For what? Move to Portland? Work where? Move to SLO? For what? Currently I have more questions than answers and more vague options than I can shake a stick at. I think this is what they call your mid-twenties crisis.<br />
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I'm not the only one, right?</div>
kathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06934210860595836760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1616307692799434660.post-18097210049652839482013-09-29T15:12:00.000+02:002013-09-29T15:12:16.589+02:00new home<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I've been in Graz for 1.5 days now and already my room feels like mine.<br />
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I have this bordering obsessive tendency to decorate whatever space I inhabit. Immediately. If I see blank walls, my mind will focus on nothing else until they have pictures of cats and travel taped to them. Beds must be made (something which will last about a week), drawers organized, desks arranged, candles lit, fairy lights hung and knick knacks set in their rightful places. I'm fairly certain that I was an interior designer in another life---that, or a hoarder. Who knows.<br />
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I arrived at my new abode sometime after 6 pm on Friday and by 7 I was out in the city, tracking down the things I'd stored here over the summer. By 8 pm I successfully lugged two very large suitcases, one backpack, one carry-on suitcase and a laundry basket full of bedding and a large stuffed polar bear up into my room (up two flights of stairs, mind you.) I was beat. After a full day of travel, plus an unplanned 4 hours of uncomfortable airport napping in Frankfurt, I was ready for bed. I didn't care whose bed. Luckily, this one belonged to me. That night I didn't even bother unpacking. I was too tired. My floor was a series of luggage piles and I didn't care.<br />
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When I woke up, I cared. After a harrowing trip to IKEA and several failed errands, I was ready to unleash the hounds. I spent Saturday putting things in their new places, making my room feel less like a level of hell and more like somewhere I wanted to stay. And by the time I met up with friends for a pasta dinner and sturm (essentially alcoholic grape juice, wine that's not yet wine.) my suitcases were stowed and things began to feel less temporary. Today was spent sleeping, watching American TV and decorating. Yesterday was practical. Today was aesthetic. My walls are no longer blank, surfaces no longer empty...I'm all moved in.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjHOFOExMQ9KA8SmIuINwSc7yBGUC3iyCcCzF-uCtnwh5mis3rPivI11s6k8AmGbe3Tiqn0kC2Kk4tde_8dSe8yIlABJP1Smp7Q652tyw19HTZgIodfmWyNIFaI1ZUPfVfn70fU7yoM3U/s1600/IMG_3189.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjHOFOExMQ9KA8SmIuINwSc7yBGUC3iyCcCzF-uCtnwh5mis3rPivI11s6k8AmGbe3Tiqn0kC2Kk4tde_8dSe8yIlABJP1Smp7Q652tyw19HTZgIodfmWyNIFaI1ZUPfVfn70fU7yoM3U/s320/IMG_3189.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Foyer! Right to the kitchen, left to the dining room and my room</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kitchen! Balcony ahead, shower to the right and flatmate's room to the left.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I haven't quite mastered the bath/shower combo yet..</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lil' balcony</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOIzZyywHf9kk_6G7-rLTT2V4R5pPTkxam-SgDfAmENBuNVhGt9hPY75wErRw0VIErBoXSbqRXMi3f7vv0LQu-7FBb_403Y-MRGXLQAIy1fGn-l0ZUFk_-AL6NU5wI-yCdE0NoNLMQWQQ/s320/IMG_3193.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="240" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dining area. A REAL ONE!! Right to my room</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The night I arrived, two other bags not pictured..</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGtIYEdijf54bAaUKSLN02tj6nGzR0mlta2-IQjfrGynJLJc9f8Utj12_I9B4sL-aH6q6vCxxIkJfyXklXND_hyphenhyphen5RGRN8AOwjX_-qcRk1JaZHYAZijHim0QHT9NYQugc3v3Iy1W-3_RF4/s1600/IMG_3188.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGtIYEdijf54bAaUKSLN02tj6nGzR0mlta2-IQjfrGynJLJc9f8Utj12_I9B4sL-aH6q6vCxxIkJfyXklXND_hyphenhyphen5RGRN8AOwjX_-qcRk1JaZHYAZijHim0QHT9NYQugc3v3Iy1W-3_RF4/s320/IMG_3188.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">LOOK AT THE STORAGE SPACE</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEireCnqlbGurTycqVI1oYb8wAObv4QYMQjea3sciWcxbILiaNphz0DUGce9vOrocxMRs_ygpaqDoRwdUTj7B7ebeBv-zl6_jmg5XSF53nRxZEIByD2MVUX-1j_ArqpFzuyrUxqxMwVMing/s1600/IMG_3200.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="144" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEireCnqlbGurTycqVI1oYb8wAObv4QYMQjea3sciWcxbILiaNphz0DUGce9vOrocxMRs_ygpaqDoRwdUTj7B7ebeBv-zl6_jmg5XSF53nRxZEIByD2MVUX-1j_ArqpFzuyrUxqxMwVMing/s640/IMG_3200.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Decorated!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbU4eMffGNMG__JgC8D3PxFkct_p_EJd5W07RaHxRW7KfQ3r_k7OPM3-0qpFVBly6vU3wMx1x7zvpJVLurvlluOlMg-YWDyqWUwmbZf-MIMYozW1-g1BQdsYOptgfYHXYsrZ8C7SSxat8/s1600/IMG_3202.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="143" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbU4eMffGNMG__JgC8D3PxFkct_p_EJd5W07RaHxRW7KfQ3r_k7OPM3-0qpFVBly6vU3wMx1x7zvpJVLurvlluOlMg-YWDyqWUwmbZf-MIMYozW1-g1BQdsYOptgfYHXYsrZ8C7SSxat8/s640/IMG_3202.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's real big.</td></tr>
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kathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06934210860595836760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1616307692799434660.post-65979078345782485742013-09-26T07:17:00.002+02:002013-09-26T07:17:39.835+02:00round two<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
The time has come for me to fly off into the wilds of Austria and attempt to hammer some good ol' American knowledge into the brains of my students.<br />
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Tomorrow at 11:35 am I will take to the skies once more, for what feels like the millionth time this summer. My flight path will be: BFL--> IAH --> FRA --> GRZ. This time tomorrow I'll be soaring somewhere over the Atlantic. Or the Carolinas. Who knows.<br /><br />I have several things planned for the coming year, including updating this old blog, but some other schemes as well. KEEP YA POSTED. <br />
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Catch you on the flipside.<br />
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Here are some pictures of wild cats.<br /><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ae/AfricanWildCat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ae/AfricanWildCat.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">African wildcat</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i.imgur.com/dHrDO.jpg?1" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://i.imgur.com/dHrDO.jpg?1" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Norwegian forest cat</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://scottishwildcats.co.uk/images/wildcatheader1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="256" src="http://scottishwildcats.co.uk/images/wildcatheader1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Scottish wildcat</td></tr>
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kathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06934210860595836760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1616307692799434660.post-19757000794106966742013-07-03T22:01:00.001+02:002013-07-03T22:13:45.604+02:00Afoot pt. 3: Dubrovnik<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
warning: this post includes a big ol' bundle of pictures. and they're all great and will fill you with envy and delight. you were warned. <br />
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After a few days in Zagreb we climbed aboard a very stuffy bus and drove the 5 hours to Dubrovnik, with a half hour break in Bosnia! Bosnia only has about 10 miles of coastline, so we quickly found ourselves back in Croatia...<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheypTD_xDlBU4dErNI7irvbbKb-NEPO7bHhaO4q7dfapCi5xqe6WcPsHhM6O_IDYkGfG2OyXUMGw-qpprNJYegXzuvnU_OoLRuIGZVnC4qZ06edxS4ojgjdg3s4K4xNg6UPyV19jC8D4U/s1600/IMG_1441.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheypTD_xDlBU4dErNI7irvbbKb-NEPO7bHhaO4q7dfapCi5xqe6WcPsHhM6O_IDYkGfG2OyXUMGw-qpprNJYegXzuvnU_OoLRuIGZVnC4qZ06edxS4ojgjdg3s4K4xNg6UPyV19jC8D4U/s400/IMG_1441.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Bosnian coastline</td></tr>
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Dubrovnik was everything I'd hoped for and more. Before arriving, the only thing I knew about Dubrovnik was that it was one of the filming locations for Game of Thrones (!!!!!) and therefore a MUST SEE. This prior knowledge was all I needed. Dubrovnik is magical, ancient and perfect for any tourist, Game of Thrones fan or not. (Though being a fan totally helps)<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/dlg2tDJaMd4" width="480"></iframe>
I kept humming the intro song for GoT whilst here, especially while we kayaked the Adriatic..<br />
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Our time in Dubrovnik was spent swimming in the clearest waters I've ever seen, walking slick thousand year old marble stones, climbing fortress walls and towers, counting stray cats, eating ice cream and meandering winding alleys filled with towering steps. Not only was the city completely cool, we also happened to stay at the perfect apartment. We rented from airbnb and had the lower level of a divided villa all to ourselves, complete with ocean views, a view of the Old Town, wonderfully helpful hosts and air conditioning. I might just move back...However, there was one drawback to this enchanting getaway: the tourists.<br />
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Now I know what you're thinking as you narrow your eyes skeptically: "but Kat! YOU'RE a tourist too!" Yes, yes I am, however I am not one of the thousands who come off the cruise ships for an afternoon and leave by sunset. Alissa and I could barely walk through the Old Town on our way to kayaking one morning simply because the streets were so packed with tour groups, all led by men and women waving flags on sticks, umbrellas and signs. I was so glad to be out on the water instead of inside with the masses. And while we were there it was still technically the off season...<br />
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NOW PICTURES.<br />
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<u><b>Dubrovnik</b></u>:</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEajbJ9bdihFuVLsd2fVFfcrlK0g6eI1kZ7AyDbmN9ZDfwZcyH5yFYKoHnvL-nd1Mao5bbuvo3gRKZcPhKVr5p2VjNGPa5SpM0UOr9JYf2vj7JNTbluz97cHZAd_QY2ZmHLrQRlFqb_04/s1600/IMG_1446.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEajbJ9bdihFuVLsd2fVFfcrlK0g6eI1kZ7AyDbmN9ZDfwZcyH5yFYKoHnvL-nd1Mao5bbuvo3gRKZcPhKVr5p2VjNGPa5SpM0UOr9JYf2vj7JNTbluz97cHZAd_QY2ZmHLrQRlFqb_04/s400/IMG_1446.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">They're coming...</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm3BoDoAX5TaHhKQUaG0VPRw7r_ep_btI002EYUmc_ZjOrWJ5oybBCrTVmhr9lB1dKSQRwCGljp2YkDdxEISb4jCnKGdUjkVcCQUdQKhA4R3I-7bxor2Splk0BM6sM2GgcH3C4jItqW1I/s1600/IMG_1444.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm3BoDoAX5TaHhKQUaG0VPRw7r_ep_btI002EYUmc_ZjOrWJ5oybBCrTVmhr9lB1dKSQRwCGljp2YkDdxEISb4jCnKGdUjkVcCQUdQKhA4R3I-7bxor2Splk0BM6sM2GgcH3C4jItqW1I/s400/IMG_1444.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from our apartment.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSa62EIG4p367tEbdQ-up3kt8XgbYWc5mKtdOgPmjTWEacqdf1_CeKJBlzToWT0GNEh-Ge6yDvts-l3RNkTQ5D8040d0ZyCGsw1ypGh4QFhgiuAk8J5rruc1VB41Xj5_go7fnXIMFpKy4/s1600/DSC_0241.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSa62EIG4p367tEbdQ-up3kt8XgbYWc5mKtdOgPmjTWEacqdf1_CeKJBlzToWT0GNEh-Ge6yDvts-l3RNkTQ5D8040d0ZyCGsw1ypGh4QFhgiuAk8J5rruc1VB41Xj5_go7fnXIMFpKy4/s400/DSC_0241.JPG" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Explorers we are</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitkTJ92bUcBk0x_Mgf8eYk4tvDQSTTEqwrO1UZDgvbf45yuQzbj5PYoeP8yO0b0JUyibX5-mnYKfYYocRbvVgoCoa_JSVeGRrrASoSkycOQqueCac6k4s2ZL3uBY7iNLuWG7fULLbWr1E/s1600/DSC_0245.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitkTJ92bUcBk0x_Mgf8eYk4tvDQSTTEqwrO1UZDgvbf45yuQzbj5PYoeP8yO0b0JUyibX5-mnYKfYYocRbvVgoCoa_JSVeGRrrASoSkycOQqueCac6k4s2ZL3uBY7iNLuWG7fULLbWr1E/s400/DSC_0245.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiadwubYgSLqoEKjj7Pgw7uYI8XGtpbjosSjSzxKQhq2scUbFj6611xgZjRf8kZa9NCUl2J09cNuaECIDU8MtgbmqZhg1SZoD77P0FBGrcNRkvQzL8fLOQe84vWAwSJibbonSzlWwEkFdQ/s1600/IMG_1451.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiadwubYgSLqoEKjj7Pgw7uYI8XGtpbjosSjSzxKQhq2scUbFj6611xgZjRf8kZa9NCUl2J09cNuaECIDU8MtgbmqZhg1SZoD77P0FBGrcNRkvQzL8fLOQe84vWAwSJibbonSzlWwEkFdQ/s400/IMG_1451.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Freakishly clear water.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhASvUPv7_Ms_K77XBuLqN-4OBrMKC7C6VCX8ctuPNTLz_lcGTuAhqlK0kC5G4T8iFcy2oBWiUntIgXExr98o6snBqMexDp86KW9BcO1dznx-_1FzwyASTgKUB-d4gHBk2Wx-uFbNUMM-w/s1600/IMG_1453.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhASvUPv7_Ms_K77XBuLqN-4OBrMKC7C6VCX8ctuPNTLz_lcGTuAhqlK0kC5G4T8iFcy2oBWiUntIgXExr98o6snBqMexDp86KW9BcO1dznx-_1FzwyASTgKUB-d4gHBk2Wx-uFbNUMM-w/s400/IMG_1453.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All the happy people.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc2BxNdbEFV_cR-_1LcNJNstkaVxzII_dGQm5h_YBFHtLeLXA4Hj9LeZBqoP0OqLP2uotov8jiSsXp3NXdpIzwro5i3lolqM9M0FxImqYatdCY7-L8mQVrPLN5GyEKeuWz7RgROOBFJNA/s1600/DSC02816.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc2BxNdbEFV_cR-_1LcNJNstkaVxzII_dGQm5h_YBFHtLeLXA4Hj9LeZBqoP0OqLP2uotov8jiSsXp3NXdpIzwro5i3lolqM9M0FxImqYatdCY7-L8mQVrPLN5GyEKeuWz7RgROOBFJNA/s400/DSC02816.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">HEY ITS US.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVgo9LZRluACAsDXR1eDKAcR6DLStv6skE4D2MEJzGbAzFlYzpS8UFO5O5SP3Au1hkcSiwvrZ1ZuMlShryLvPbCIrGJvjIfhvlVI9s6hRS1qNz3jeetiUzJqjRLzMuqGrLRnxXeviXW14/s1600/IMG_1457.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVgo9LZRluACAsDXR1eDKAcR6DLStv6skE4D2MEJzGbAzFlYzpS8UFO5O5SP3Au1hkcSiwvrZ1ZuMlShryLvPbCIrGJvjIfhvlVI9s6hRS1qNz3jeetiUzJqjRLzMuqGrLRnxXeviXW14/s400/IMG_1457.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First encounter with the city</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikxxERL6P6KD2ksatCUHjUz_9BZMTl5A0O6nkOf-iUc90ufPL2p7GbeeEqCYZNCAnuI-P9MYC9HvbKh09kmpCcQ6evVV4eiaXHL38v0MHchi9UAeI0mj7K1OGPkvYojuAw4X9hWwjfxyM/s1600/IMG_1464.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikxxERL6P6KD2ksatCUHjUz_9BZMTl5A0O6nkOf-iUc90ufPL2p7GbeeEqCYZNCAnuI-P9MYC9HvbKh09kmpCcQ6evVV4eiaXHL38v0MHchi9UAeI0mj7K1OGPkvYojuAw4X9hWwjfxyM/s400/IMG_1464.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This man hit things and made coins! Very loud.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoec2LQQ8GY4oJ1e0-g4irMSToHVhLo_gxr6t8KLHzkTR3rltr2eweGb4KFufATcpXJfrchzdAM4ADNhhMh95lw1qbXzDAOY5fcmglDC3kNEmw4sRqs15qYlZOh8Ox2eE0SP40dX3mH88/s1600/IMG_1469.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoec2LQQ8GY4oJ1e0-g4irMSToHVhLo_gxr6t8KLHzkTR3rltr2eweGb4KFufATcpXJfrchzdAM4ADNhhMh95lw1qbXzDAOY5fcmglDC3kNEmw4sRqs15qYlZOh8Ox2eE0SP40dX3mH88/s400/IMG_1469.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Congratzzzz</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGpQaFO3z7N3J96-4R3gH7K3plwqrKfTTKYJPwKMwXrx1I8hg6r4HsVqJMQIwSvUw-E8GDXIVwFZohLVK-WZnkstmpTUQkTFGMNYOo6EwvwqVrnLwfAAhRWaySS9LW8s53SdLAp11Hey8/s1600/IMG_1473.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGpQaFO3z7N3J96-4R3gH7K3plwqrKfTTKYJPwKMwXrx1I8hg6r4HsVqJMQIwSvUw-E8GDXIVwFZohLVK-WZnkstmpTUQkTFGMNYOo6EwvwqVrnLwfAAhRWaySS9LW8s53SdLAp11Hey8/s400/IMG_1473.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMnLXtcoXwQp5GilhAJomSJLlDGMZH7quyyXCVvy_D-p9bWvaVSvsYyfTiVADBdkNRrvjAxqiLBCacRryY-z3FmxlmHbr29a2lQg6YTsHoRRtjnnKKEJD3_9mxAWdJBmEfkm9Dglr68lQ/s1600/IMG_1476.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMnLXtcoXwQp5GilhAJomSJLlDGMZH7quyyXCVvy_D-p9bWvaVSvsYyfTiVADBdkNRrvjAxqiLBCacRryY-z3FmxlmHbr29a2lQg6YTsHoRRtjnnKKEJD3_9mxAWdJBmEfkm9Dglr68lQ/s400/IMG_1476.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"I had as lief the town crier spoke my lines!"</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIelEEnIDG3qOyVemCW2xLoIt_jTa7xVcv-fGrPt4jZIQgd4a7APmFHee112bTgOQf5DeX-ytJruvqivAT1_tGLLdqu8WbNlqH_-DGWDPXWhwP_wbotYITxBqnVo8FBsnKpP9GRd5DYp0/s1600/IMG_1487.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIelEEnIDG3qOyVemCW2xLoIt_jTa7xVcv-fGrPt4jZIQgd4a7APmFHee112bTgOQf5DeX-ytJruvqivAT1_tGLLdqu8WbNlqH_-DGWDPXWhwP_wbotYITxBqnVo8FBsnKpP9GRd5DYp0/s400/IMG_1487.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ye olde water source</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvcrkMuofzfKUA1njlPiam29TklbO_tckifRQ3cs3AEDNnLW3l88M7y9U53-qWDgVToxU-6pzaRw2LmieOBy0taA2FkXv8c7ItoP1ju64r4sORfHShECH2e9rBArKB8InbBxtDmnE0AMk/s1600/IMG_1503.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvcrkMuofzfKUA1njlPiam29TklbO_tckifRQ3cs3AEDNnLW3l88M7y9U53-qWDgVToxU-6pzaRw2LmieOBy0taA2FkXv8c7ItoP1ju64r4sORfHShECH2e9rBArKB8InbBxtDmnE0AMk/s400/IMG_1503.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0_6zf_k2cbaRlC6gTkqzYC6DZyseFqaZPQtYcCy-kGzL4c-ti-e49KADXIBGRkOYXm4HmN0R8lOVGFs3Mpd-z1wexicCvUQB0eeFL27uSr76lQMTk_5ARPynAaWjv2iJy0Wth5N-JIvo/s1600/IMG_1506.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0_6zf_k2cbaRlC6gTkqzYC6DZyseFqaZPQtYcCy-kGzL4c-ti-e49KADXIBGRkOYXm4HmN0R8lOVGFs3Mpd-z1wexicCvUQB0eeFL27uSr76lQMTk_5ARPynAaWjv2iJy0Wth5N-JIvo/s400/IMG_1506.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9DKjBS4r1fEYBGsmQ-TZnCSff61t08N8mG7k1RlppasYxLIXZI0C5Lpr6DhlS_B5uHzR4tt91PVu-MybHwRO7yUhrMYv1v_hGK-vaJO0dlAFeHHf1OU5sC-oLxsfFm1bDOU5umiFHg5I/s1600/IMG_1510.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9DKjBS4r1fEYBGsmQ-TZnCSff61t08N8mG7k1RlppasYxLIXZI0C5Lpr6DhlS_B5uHzR4tt91PVu-MybHwRO7yUhrMYv1v_hGK-vaJO0dlAFeHHf1OU5sC-oLxsfFm1bDOU5umiFHg5I/s400/IMG_1510.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Daawwww</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi46WRO-m5JYWmSXfVcad2CdmdSMTQ7rZnpH-9nvNz7nSJQ-ipTuvHPCTC9NNdmfZHAHuQEGV1Vs_BCJ3-E0h3AO17QhTejjx3YFVEB0CIKg8YwSJyutmegCfPRtvrCjlLwpY0K77VARxs/s1600/DSC_0288.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi46WRO-m5JYWmSXfVcad2CdmdSMTQ7rZnpH-9nvNz7nSJQ-ipTuvHPCTC9NNdmfZHAHuQEGV1Vs_BCJ3-E0h3AO17QhTejjx3YFVEB0CIKg8YwSJyutmegCfPRtvrCjlLwpY0K77VARxs/s400/DSC_0288.JPG" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rapunzel, Rapunzel..!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgh6TNFLe6ChIk4umigYyY5K0QMkE6zaR_LbmQbzakytx5jp4LG1olzr4gIwhYN1Y5E_pLaBkAEmoeaLsxBpAefzksZV4X9OiR6JChesXq3Wz3TUke19H76ApuuaMR6AA4ybBlvC17BmU/s1600/DSC_0316.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgh6TNFLe6ChIk4umigYyY5K0QMkE6zaR_LbmQbzakytx5jp4LG1olzr4gIwhYN1Y5E_pLaBkAEmoeaLsxBpAefzksZV4X9OiR6JChesXq3Wz3TUke19H76ApuuaMR6AA4ybBlvC17BmU/s400/DSC_0316.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wut?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaEC5Exyn3EUUR0MxmzqEb6Q96PY2ZjykJbAqx0wuE8ikBxsNPf5j_1Vj_BdehZKFWXqXOfnP_-Gzvt2_FJJvQ0_0rWGHvyQi_6KwU8TcKZazSLWa5q2TsFh7tU0HI7wj8HYFbU1LAzqc/s1600/DSC_0333.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaEC5Exyn3EUUR0MxmzqEb6Q96PY2ZjykJbAqx0wuE8ikBxsNPf5j_1Vj_BdehZKFWXqXOfnP_-Gzvt2_FJJvQ0_0rWGHvyQi_6KwU8TcKZazSLWa5q2TsFh7tU0HI7wj8HYFbU1LAzqc/s400/DSC_0333.JPG" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">DIFFERENT CAMERA</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLRjLqrJMWVaH3S0jC0UlFeYBoSy1MLmvlGtn59frRf-W1Mh7QsgcyX0RBQFcLJnnm6PsnD7IgNORpz9u879Oq3msN3vBSyy-mWB0FmyYCGjLln_f4oG0OlT4PcTQxzzyNiDguMQEbKb8/s1600/DSC_0335.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLRjLqrJMWVaH3S0jC0UlFeYBoSy1MLmvlGtn59frRf-W1Mh7QsgcyX0RBQFcLJnnm6PsnD7IgNORpz9u879Oq3msN3vBSyy-mWB0FmyYCGjLln_f4oG0OlT4PcTQxzzyNiDguMQEbKb8/s400/DSC_0335.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">help meeeee</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvL0CPqDv_yOQshGcgOwHe1ki-TUwhkcKKbqgZH6RcRhQYoqZlefHyDjsl8N0fpe4QS1uMw3P1mTG_MiFDg6M-Skr7VZV-t7c9pxjr0YXqS6tLmD_iSa8bGcDdJyVMv2EHiEZlIOf2XHM/s1600/DSC_0337.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvL0CPqDv_yOQshGcgOwHe1ki-TUwhkcKKbqgZH6RcRhQYoqZlefHyDjsl8N0fpe4QS1uMw3P1mTG_MiFDg6M-Skr7VZV-t7c9pxjr0YXqS6tLmD_iSa8bGcDdJyVMv2EHiEZlIOf2XHM/s400/DSC_0337.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just kidding i'm cool</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOTi4b3VhMPdRzEjxeJzYZtcvibiGbjE96ZHCCC_YQJqp9zODGHjyJpOE-slByCJAOM_p9kg9xfLwRXYYdIJPpf60r5fvOBXxnMZP6BR1TvI560CADesC3reJs5x3BcUr6u4QRQMfxqgs/s1600/DSC02937.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOTi4b3VhMPdRzEjxeJzYZtcvibiGbjE96ZHCCC_YQJqp9zODGHjyJpOE-slByCJAOM_p9kg9xfLwRXYYdIJPpf60r5fvOBXxnMZP6BR1TvI560CADesC3reJs5x3BcUr6u4QRQMfxqgs/s400/DSC02937.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">DIFFERENT ANGLE</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyp4o9aRFvHaNP0fVKBqDM5I49nNhurdW_yhYa2OvqR9Rm5JAu-4geRyP8HdR-uBjy8aY840L1Cj-gwSXvquQKRIaMtCJrlJyUqX63JP4Mp5vS3umt9zOFrJAe7ByebdCPhUADuiRlDWg/s1600/DSC02949.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyp4o9aRFvHaNP0fVKBqDM5I49nNhurdW_yhYa2OvqR9Rm5JAu-4geRyP8HdR-uBjy8aY840L1Cj-gwSXvquQKRIaMtCJrlJyUqX63JP4Mp5vS3umt9zOFrJAe7ByebdCPhUADuiRlDWg/s400/DSC02949.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">teehee</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7z4OHxE0pCdfUCMBhKRshtlyE0kkkMQOhFaOkAx6VfzokG8yi_3h5iePW3BrcluFkVF0S0ztUwmR_nj4MkM5uyvFQ7hOucBUxFtc7IyEDa7qA59CkRWXg_N0ZuCF15uTlsxhcahd-EfI/s1600/DSC02950.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7z4OHxE0pCdfUCMBhKRshtlyE0kkkMQOhFaOkAx6VfzokG8yi_3h5iePW3BrcluFkVF0S0ztUwmR_nj4MkM5uyvFQ7hOucBUxFtc7IyEDa7qA59CkRWXg_N0ZuCF15uTlsxhcahd-EfI/s400/DSC02950.JPG" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">'sup?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVK97jxOFBQU1sx8xOnTEsKFT0FCRyN-fn7hoMbLqSCQ4wnBcwYQsXW2BKHlaqBzdIB5qC5awtKtnxN4UMP64il5PpjSMi_kNnMkUrwzjbNiVliM6Q_VHSBdYBidevwvrLo24ItgMvHi0/s1600/DSC03039.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVK97jxOFBQU1sx8xOnTEsKFT0FCRyN-fn7hoMbLqSCQ4wnBcwYQsXW2BKHlaqBzdIB5qC5awtKtnxN4UMP64il5PpjSMi_kNnMkUrwzjbNiVliM6Q_VHSBdYBidevwvrLo24ItgMvHi0/s400/DSC03039.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">AND THEN WE KAYAKED</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGlv2tlpeBFMsNOL_RAAaZh9dM6gtsDyJuiuH6A5faLjjf6x4sbH4tM6ivWr_ThJ8PT5n2c41R1DAgJSy-aEEgTkNsCPkMBo_0F90aCK7WYX1HijU3IFHKCp-hzrKBgb9GWfPnTngnO5I/s1600/DSC03045.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGlv2tlpeBFMsNOL_RAAaZh9dM6gtsDyJuiuH6A5faLjjf6x4sbH4tM6ivWr_ThJ8PT5n2c41R1DAgJSy-aEEgTkNsCPkMBo_0F90aCK7WYX1HijU3IFHKCp-hzrKBgb9GWfPnTngnO5I/s400/DSC03045.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">in kayaks!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiewJmEppr2YJx3yn3XzrlFcslweicVZf7Rh3GAZXySkvj9WRF2alIL0wz_sj_09BXNRgJM9-pgc7_rofC_q017y7NkpCk5sMKScf-e4KQI6EF4QnzfdBWRyj-peq7AFHlU-96HzxuFx5g/s1600/DSC03051.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiewJmEppr2YJx3yn3XzrlFcslweicVZf7Rh3GAZXySkvj9WRF2alIL0wz_sj_09BXNRgJM9-pgc7_rofC_q017y7NkpCk5sMKScf-e4KQI6EF4QnzfdBWRyj-peq7AFHlU-96HzxuFx5g/s400/DSC03051.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">into coves!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZMkPnyWF2fUSYdXOCTrgq0RAl8DZByGeXFKqWVF0nZQlgNbw4t7ducV5HAZu92FETTfALXhArs60IHz_tVp6JLcPwcSZKXzIV3fj6drnUV7DNls7u9b8iibevfNIz_JIZZd8wNboYwHQ/s1600/DSC03054.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZMkPnyWF2fUSYdXOCTrgq0RAl8DZByGeXFKqWVF0nZQlgNbw4t7ducV5HAZu92FETTfALXhArs60IHz_tVp6JLcPwcSZKXzIV3fj6drnUV7DNls7u9b8iibevfNIz_JIZZd8wNboYwHQ/s400/DSC03054.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1uLOB3o1vnY4UrMxfDjch-_0DkSMCnpixpsCPKM9sbdLHaUmkoRLOjri7pw34PD3oralye4eIPdaJYvoH4cpwhzV7R9Uo0un9on27vTC4S3IKfSds6Ji-SzIoK7Gk0Zz5KsfTz9vdaNg/s1600/DSC03058.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1uLOB3o1vnY4UrMxfDjch-_0DkSMCnpixpsCPKM9sbdLHaUmkoRLOjri7pw34PD3oralye4eIPdaJYvoH4cpwhzV7R9Uo0un9on27vTC4S3IKfSds6Ji-SzIoK7Gk0Zz5KsfTz9vdaNg/s400/DSC03058.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">out of coves!</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu796m62fHrzTr_9Zpw7BhzDbcHav0RSY2L1y51qiKG2Zy9IgcfbZQA15tSjgYCo4EeUF9n6DSgWOTdubkbrw_Zd0afGrlt2OCkZduRY-drl1u2p-0-TVu2gyHEylAnxzoik9p1Mt9X90/s1600/IMG_1554.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu796m62fHrzTr_9Zpw7BhzDbcHav0RSY2L1y51qiKG2Zy9IgcfbZQA15tSjgYCo4EeUF9n6DSgWOTdubkbrw_Zd0afGrlt2OCkZduRY-drl1u2p-0-TVu2gyHEylAnxzoik9p1Mt9X90/s400/IMG_1554.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuF6re5JudGuFg7oT5EwqmwBcDz4H68wNY_NKbuUT3aKE2RVJZ3feZ9Ygqsv43473HQpoybWFAjW5rzzUEdy3uobCgkUMG_428RgW6jxBehuEXRVsZb2LEI0I4W4wFkgqWwQ6DfJmRmcc/s1600/IMG_1567.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuF6re5JudGuFg7oT5EwqmwBcDz4H68wNY_NKbuUT3aKE2RVJZ3feZ9Ygqsv43473HQpoybWFAjW5rzzUEdy3uobCgkUMG_428RgW6jxBehuEXRVsZb2LEI0I4W4wFkgqWwQ6DfJmRmcc/s400/IMG_1567.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And then we walked the 2km of walls around the city.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrwP3HhUPjuPf6yyFHBgoUYL8qtFz6E2BoPLJf1zlzMLfdKjhJQSAjFxHZIJSlf7b2Dq0fNfLkDOornK0QKsNkdKrMHVxPYpnkkO8ofYUzlpkEpZzbBN2Xe9G5Zcno_l5UZKkkjuDWGiQ/s1600/IMG_1582.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrwP3HhUPjuPf6yyFHBgoUYL8qtFz6E2BoPLJf1zlzMLfdKjhJQSAjFxHZIJSlf7b2Dq0fNfLkDOornK0QKsNkdKrMHVxPYpnkkO8ofYUzlpkEpZzbBN2Xe9G5Zcno_l5UZKkkjuDWGiQ/s400/IMG_1582.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha6mUzlr0SXckgOZdkATeVoX1917GVJkRZ_oRGNcopLFisUaBLhPwUc3NUcO4HGDnL-Q67xTTwleZvv9T9uqRZ0lHk84BF8Oup_cTsP-bJPzyvAC3mvzgUU29SSIDbCRV8brkeI0ef09g/s1600/IMG_1586.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha6mUzlr0SXckgOZdkATeVoX1917GVJkRZ_oRGNcopLFisUaBLhPwUc3NUcO4HGDnL-Q67xTTwleZvv9T9uqRZ0lHk84BF8Oup_cTsP-bJPzyvAC3mvzgUU29SSIDbCRV8brkeI0ef09g/s400/IMG_1586.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">typical.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6M61DU4qg2asBhVeZrFwwP4S2M8WGGmappdxAEIwEjie9_P5QQAg5g4bCFPagjVQyq-SLijLcz_6jq0NYw5U_DI3P2liLpIZnETOC6pYQxDduPIZh3rzQUaTYIkDB_oD2i6f_oDfh2M4/s1600/IMG_1587.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6M61DU4qg2asBhVeZrFwwP4S2M8WGGmappdxAEIwEjie9_P5QQAg5g4bCFPagjVQyq-SLijLcz_6jq0NYw5U_DI3P2liLpIZnETOC6pYQxDduPIZh3rzQUaTYIkDB_oD2i6f_oDfh2M4/s400/IMG_1587.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I kayaked around that island</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjef0bF1RqocI9h8YSXzSU2rTv-6ulcnlTMTjgZEjX-4uA1oKb0oGdvVNQqux4iB5qveVKtS9FbCYvCKK2VN2vjNiDS5DogRb_NLciBd-oLiCqt5vIFZUqx4YeIuK5ueJ07TygqxX3r4LI/s1600/DSC_0534.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjef0bF1RqocI9h8YSXzSU2rTv-6ulcnlTMTjgZEjX-4uA1oKb0oGdvVNQqux4iB5qveVKtS9FbCYvCKK2VN2vjNiDS5DogRb_NLciBd-oLiCqt5vIFZUqx4YeIuK5ueJ07TygqxX3r4LI/s400/DSC_0534.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPUIXfq8KAuNeYQDp1gt-_TmyG8iE7wSbowtiYQgIEqHt4MlmJRDsGtp-Ys-utizK7NkhkuSbipmB1lg07tesGg4tSJ5Jxuu0JCqpvaydIDlBK6lLC-sNR5yvSmI8J0wFbUUaoRSknpnA/s1600/DSC_0543.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPUIXfq8KAuNeYQDp1gt-_TmyG8iE7wSbowtiYQgIEqHt4MlmJRDsGtp-Ys-utizK7NkhkuSbipmB1lg07tesGg4tSJ5Jxuu0JCqpvaydIDlBK6lLC-sNR5yvSmI8J0wFbUUaoRSknpnA/s400/DSC_0543.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">hey dere</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmuRtrPJ5bRToXZwD93yDO90dR1hTSwOqlcyNjoBwmu9NtCah5fr6jNUsE0l2JrnNgPsgmCoYEWZBoHXNiyeVkNKaKhyphenhyphenLdOpKw8RV-aCotqkIt09J0LUAiiUAEb_n9YxKgX0QSVA34Sgk/s1600/DSC_0593.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmuRtrPJ5bRToXZwD93yDO90dR1hTSwOqlcyNjoBwmu9NtCah5fr6jNUsE0l2JrnNgPsgmCoYEWZBoHXNiyeVkNKaKhyphenhyphenLdOpKw8RV-aCotqkIt09J0LUAiiUAEb_n9YxKgX0QSVA34Sgk/s400/DSC_0593.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">something's different..</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrkGNzUID5njPCZEGedpI6PLEVOAGjoRRC7Bd0-m20q0amLJ67pSPONlNPHoFhldmgogrVcj-hBhEh-3giYjFwNT6RbOi5qfZdqShVyXSpWMHZUbOqCZxgXQrFCeO5Y38p5iKYtok-N8g/s1600/DSC_0594.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrkGNzUID5njPCZEGedpI6PLEVOAGjoRRC7Bd0-m20q0amLJ67pSPONlNPHoFhldmgogrVcj-hBhEh-3giYjFwNT6RbOi5qfZdqShVyXSpWMHZUbOqCZxgXQrFCeO5Y38p5iKYtok-N8g/s400/DSC_0594.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">HELP</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvpObDwJmqLM2Xl1KSzhMAOyMEH2nXxSVQpJFD6jVnnam1marb3KTcWPwvikPeo_Vjdg7xiD7pPGrNC2AIj7mUh9UjJJykTOTvrjsqqAOZUQeoCXEm7n9Pv9aGivP2NvHOnu4sxss2ON4/s1600/IMG_1625.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvpObDwJmqLM2Xl1KSzhMAOyMEH2nXxSVQpJFD6jVnnam1marb3KTcWPwvikPeo_Vjdg7xiD7pPGrNC2AIj7mUh9UjJJykTOTvrjsqqAOZUQeoCXEm7n9Pv9aGivP2NvHOnu4sxss2ON4/s400/IMG_1625.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Best cafe spot.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBguHOaaO9CZYTqCTr-0ZPKpz-0-NKHVUmf2JnccfEDFiJ2lIyieCyzn7u-kAftH6lWu2ghHSwb6rNlKp51e7rLWA7i98qlwUEmZp0BhHHllJAuYjd-aiRU4EHpZDN8TpcdPlTqe_64Pg/s1600/IMG_1613.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBguHOaaO9CZYTqCTr-0ZPKpz-0-NKHVUmf2JnccfEDFiJ2lIyieCyzn7u-kAftH6lWu2ghHSwb6rNlKp51e7rLWA7i98qlwUEmZp0BhHHllJAuYjd-aiRU4EHpZDN8TpcdPlTqe_64Pg/s400/IMG_1613.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We had 1/3 of this on our kayak trip..</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjelEW7PUNgipF7XXGeAok399_s3o55J1u1vPsaG5BMxxNG0aGQygMS_tOpK_4LTXUWG_2WVSSkF9Y-w950QyeZI7lG-tLyNRnw7pbMXwRqVMy-2cEPsDUPRMY40J23W1D5fh-neZyXqQs/s1600/IMG_1545.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjelEW7PUNgipF7XXGeAok399_s3o55J1u1vPsaG5BMxxNG0aGQygMS_tOpK_4LTXUWG_2WVSSkF9Y-w950QyeZI7lG-tLyNRnw7pbMXwRqVMy-2cEPsDUPRMY40J23W1D5fh-neZyXqQs/s400/IMG_1545.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At night!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1qlYKdAZKbWFp19YviXBQ1W3vEqVDzPEl1lUauNnHutnc0XAocu6RziI1lOmgZ_3YUGq6vx7aMZP30rezNMVJRqdvGwi6BKHgd3jzuEVldA75MZLrKcWBbLewAtZybaoJIHrYoajgaEc/s1600/IMG_1549.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1qlYKdAZKbWFp19YviXBQ1W3vEqVDzPEl1lUauNnHutnc0XAocu6RziI1lOmgZ_3YUGq6vx7aMZP30rezNMVJRqdvGwi6BKHgd3jzuEVldA75MZLrKcWBbLewAtZybaoJIHrYoajgaEc/s400/IMG_1549.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Goodbye, Dubrovnik</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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That's all, folks! Next stop, Plitvitce Lakes.</div>
</div>
kathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06934210860595836760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1616307692799434660.post-28288153883196124112013-07-02T19:58:00.001+02:002013-07-02T20:25:57.020+02:00Afoot pt. 2: Zagreb & Split<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
As you may or may not know, Croatia has officially joined the EU. It's official because I found this picture online. <br />
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<a href="http://d1pax3e3t5tpyh.cloudfront.net/cdn/farfuture/TMaABgGPTeG4B5PoMnKOl4sDVwIhqjLX6YpJodUf_Ao/mtime:1372430575/sites/default/files/styles/web_full/public/croatia-july_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="207" src="http://d1pax3e3t5tpyh.cloudfront.net/cdn/farfuture/TMaABgGPTeG4B5PoMnKOl4sDVwIhqjLX6YpJodUf_Ao/mtime:1372430575/sites/default/files/styles/web_full/public/croatia-july_1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Alissa and I set off for Croatia the 10th of June on a bus to Zagreb. The lack of both English and German spoken on said bus quickly made us realize we weren't on the most beaten path anymore. And we didn't know any Croatian. ADVENTURE RIGHT?! The words we'd learned to mutter lamely by the end of our trip were hvala (thank you) and dobra dan (hello). That's it. I still can't spell the actual name of Croatia ---Hrvatska. There, I googled it! We arrived safely in Zagreb after some stops at the Bosnian border and spent three days perusing the city. Our hostel was perfectly central and everything was easy as pie.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<u><b>Zagreb:</b></u></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdNNOqSFG2iMxm_khqDYwwfuOBcieZ29Pm2ycXfOFKNq8R4ywUxj4AIOpLLxxvedrG0udVcQqYrG5OyR2otllcrqOmvxUrGXmGYFS0Q4kGf8011JmRZimRCOctC4IxeHaLRygjMzk3fa8/s1600/IMG_1297.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdNNOqSFG2iMxm_khqDYwwfuOBcieZ29Pm2ycXfOFKNq8R4ywUxj4AIOpLLxxvedrG0udVcQqYrG5OyR2otllcrqOmvxUrGXmGYFS0Q4kGf8011JmRZimRCOctC4IxeHaLRygjMzk3fa8/s400/IMG_1297.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Floating water?</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIhCLBgL_xmz5Bkyv7GNXs848ID11N9CPZ2TaP3L8nxP0teQikwhHspxgVXgsbIXAzuuXT0MFr5krRH_5ualDl7CluJ808vowjRwcF4UthBPxiJmGXni4p8AvS7WzgzJ_qLKomQBI1nmM/s1600/IMG_1302.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIhCLBgL_xmz5Bkyv7GNXs848ID11N9CPZ2TaP3L8nxP0teQikwhHspxgVXgsbIXAzuuXT0MFr5krRH_5ualDl7CluJ808vowjRwcF4UthBPxiJmGXni4p8AvS7WzgzJ_qLKomQBI1nmM/s400/IMG_1302.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">W'ERE IN CROATIA!</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTSSMD1hTHf4lHBKKnzWkYE7Fq9dgmRj6yNygxDrWHli8DmEEl92VIcAHn_ggho3OoYUQ5feCo6hJIYMlUnuztKTkwJ520718F8pRP9ttDGhJ5cIVCazmAe_ukCESPsujq_0KSSLC-qq4/s1600/IMG_1307.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTSSMD1hTHf4lHBKKnzWkYE7Fq9dgmRj6yNygxDrWHli8DmEEl92VIcAHn_ggho3OoYUQ5feCo6hJIYMlUnuztKTkwJ520718F8pRP9ttDGhJ5cIVCazmAe_ukCESPsujq_0KSSLC-qq4/s400/IMG_1307.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At night</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg19_WK8vo5EUwHiqClqCcTEaJJutU18AxvAgJDQ4hnm0bhjM_Db4IpuVAQ7AfhwLmwK1BWO8QwVZ7QM7T9ryI2jEJZpjm1NVhjIbqXE-NtNe7sacLgDKeOUl0h7pA5TkVBwa3tC0lUVKY/s1600/IMG_1309.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg19_WK8vo5EUwHiqClqCcTEaJJutU18AxvAgJDQ4hnm0bhjM_Db4IpuVAQ7AfhwLmwK1BWO8QwVZ7QM7T9ryI2jEJZpjm1NVhjIbqXE-NtNe7sacLgDKeOUl0h7pA5TkVBwa3tC0lUVKY/s400/IMG_1309.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shiny</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDWSP1NVPjLSMDubQCUtT7svCP1EmmFbt-1BcxVJZPb_duYk5tkblXHlLs5vn9uHIb7W2WDoZretV8xZsTAHZz6k8k-NyJJszNuP5mLXkv9e8R5OvQ0_IESt71Gb8A-yJswlpwJe7QJZg/s640/IMG_1311.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDWSP1NVPjLSMDubQCUtT7svCP1EmmFbt-1BcxVJZPb_duYk5tkblXHlLs5vn9uHIb7W2WDoZretV8xZsTAHZz6k8k-NyJJszNuP5mLXkv9e8R5OvQ0_IESt71Gb8A-yJswlpwJe7QJZg/s400/IMG_1311.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So excited to begin the journey!</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnvIk8n9aRTIkM4EZ8hQBfcBQj-x2C2Bvnhl9lRMFbpssBgrNSUgXpP2CLR28eFMgYNY1hZXZmIexRYYNzrdarBgkbqi_D2NghwvZVpuTNMP4g3zgeC4QK2tYBFRek-ORL7FOLJHLJCVs/s400/IMG_1320.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Museum of Broken Relationships</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnCUG70L6CSy5aLZOoNJJgw9qixj4UwoZ_1skcjLBmf6R33kFV5hPw2QM0gRAUkmmpMOg3qFNy2om9INAeFKEd3QnvwyvEcNYhnJFbB89uRE3WDZkUWFUx_LxtU0zTwumi6k9sLb3zbDo/s1600/IMG_1316.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnCUG70L6CSy5aLZOoNJJgw9qixj4UwoZ_1skcjLBmf6R33kFV5hPw2QM0gRAUkmmpMOg3qFNy2om9INAeFKEd3QnvwyvEcNYhnJFbB89uRE3WDZkUWFUx_LxtU0zTwumi6k9sLb3zbDo/s400/IMG_1316.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkRKQiw17jvfkAO_fP1FcQixHEjllSiABJ2y7O0V0WJJylNAtBEJm0YnLSUTdpu1-_i4s484VwwLm3Jr6A1tB8Y_uMcIdHMOMCk3ZuzaJzDQrvKSm2SJyx0zypx-S4RvWFbnf5uQY_eK0/s1600/IMG_1317.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkRKQiw17jvfkAO_fP1FcQixHEjllSiABJ2y7O0V0WJJylNAtBEJm0YnLSUTdpu1-_i4s484VwwLm3Jr6A1tB8Y_uMcIdHMOMCk3ZuzaJzDQrvKSm2SJyx0zypx-S4RvWFbnf5uQY_eK0/s400/IMG_1317.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Florida lake where I skipped school with my boyfriend. The arrow indicates the spot where I first saw a penis in the sunshine."</td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXkTPqiO8bBXelvV5c7FFC9Mu6uJoIOyDNMr8GF-FtD6hqMUZIcLvSdgulxa3G_b6G5FUdDz82zqIl8rGwK41kDXOGNnzzvzwFaCoO6LVAJnoQoE_KJjf9TsaNXfuJdFhjYfGoKRtzazs/s1600/IMG_1322.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXkTPqiO8bBXelvV5c7FFC9Mu6uJoIOyDNMr8GF-FtD6hqMUZIcLvSdgulxa3G_b6G5FUdDz82zqIl8rGwK41kDXOGNnzzvzwFaCoO6LVAJnoQoE_KJjf9TsaNXfuJdFhjYfGoKRtzazs/s400/IMG_1322.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6rwC5tFOfInmOyVC7ZRJRGiUG8IOQhB7omZqhcye24Vnq9stvA3N30QXJr8mIvXEHvWNoo4VdzkPSxJbK0gIFvxsBBQkzLRKeUvQNMUO63w9jlqCTOJbdv-2R_phirxLCVOoG2aAg31o/s1600/IMG_1326.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6rwC5tFOfInmOyVC7ZRJRGiUG8IOQhB7omZqhcye24Vnq9stvA3N30QXJr8mIvXEHvWNoo4VdzkPSxJbK0gIFvxsBBQkzLRKeUvQNMUO63w9jlqCTOJbdv-2R_phirxLCVOoG2aAg31o/s400/IMG_1326.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaK4Us4SH0rEAbalc0MP90qFsfzNE8tRDXDVwPVoqrL2rX-6uVTUwQzvI7LbEVkTlYU31rjSeltj6NIPN31KgyvxnT4Xn6faWm8xih0EBj6WHVluhI3IaJ7h8wyBmRcD0L1IQ26mZRCws/s1600/IMG_1328.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaK4Us4SH0rEAbalc0MP90qFsfzNE8tRDXDVwPVoqrL2rX-6uVTUwQzvI7LbEVkTlYU31rjSeltj6NIPN31KgyvxnT4Xn6faWm8xih0EBj6WHVluhI3IaJ7h8wyBmRcD0L1IQ26mZRCws/s400/IMG_1328.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Picturesque, no?</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfg1QHjXarjAHkIzK3whClszaWRUJPkDBp4kmoRX-jMwLVPfGNRWYeZ7mBl7VjSemBmqc-3uNT25QBQHepOgi72r6lxs5LMv2KSNKyT1WVRJkjKsZgA991XxQUDApQbdEMRKp4xjKVY-Q/s1600/IMG_1330.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfg1QHjXarjAHkIzK3whClszaWRUJPkDBp4kmoRX-jMwLVPfGNRWYeZ7mBl7VjSemBmqc-3uNT25QBQHepOgi72r6lxs5LMv2KSNKyT1WVRJkjKsZgA991XxQUDApQbdEMRKp4xjKVY-Q/s400/IMG_1330.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dolac Market. Just the beginning.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYOEuh9g8SuOKmxXv_8dJNLZPDoYsMSbTVxNk10JV_r7tYkVY35yuSORWVdK0PgwvTEbAC6w0XgWOdvTLoTnJ0ptgv49mmkFQNGLNem59dnNk5XY-c3lA8I7YvlY-jU1_1C_SAPeIsIjQ/s1600/IMG_1333.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYOEuh9g8SuOKmxXv_8dJNLZPDoYsMSbTVxNk10JV_r7tYkVY35yuSORWVdK0PgwvTEbAC6w0XgWOdvTLoTnJ0ptgv49mmkFQNGLNem59dnNk5XY-c3lA8I7YvlY-jU1_1C_SAPeIsIjQ/s400/IMG_1333.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vegetables abound!</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOeZ_c_3FSnRUG_z37R7FrtHMLbVdxwvOnDBxSZm49kwVLaBcKigdeTxUfdqm0KBxbXCWVNSRpPUWxRgzRjR1mV3IkD1dyjIQjvrQmEbXkzGTVf5ScS6I0WOkn2svNzmWH-R-j49sBTKg/s1600/IMG_1338.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOeZ_c_3FSnRUG_z37R7FrtHMLbVdxwvOnDBxSZm49kwVLaBcKigdeTxUfdqm0KBxbXCWVNSRpPUWxRgzRjR1mV3IkD1dyjIQjvrQmEbXkzGTVf5ScS6I0WOkn2svNzmWH-R-j49sBTKg/s400/IMG_1338.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cathedral</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin-JdOsX8GYjHBepi4xqojBA_7WBVJcNEyhFd0bVZwvog4m5KS5CrwK5JI52FkKhnKvZbguzv8PYTKZbNt5dbpog0Q8txV-2SG-vY1a1unPHo219iUf4fFCzsUDBhpiNC35-Q7QqR7tLI/s1600/IMG_1343.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin-JdOsX8GYjHBepi4xqojBA_7WBVJcNEyhFd0bVZwvog4m5KS5CrwK5JI52FkKhnKvZbguzv8PYTKZbNt5dbpog0Q8txV-2SG-vY1a1unPHo219iUf4fFCzsUDBhpiNC35-Q7QqR7tLI/s400/IMG_1343.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Opera</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1Lbtki59wRvxufniZHNHOzaizRpkgpIQ7bCedWAScIUVAfm05HluxWypXKIDV6eYQYjLFtMzbQqXcnDxcBN0xshyphenhyphenTmM-c-Lx4xiEkQzqffCOjb_0ml8tJ6eg6oItZEKrdXEBdAb19HEs/s1600/DSC_0017.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1Lbtki59wRvxufniZHNHOzaizRpkgpIQ7bCedWAScIUVAfm05HluxWypXKIDV6eYQYjLFtMzbQqXcnDxcBN0xshyphenhyphenTmM-c-Lx4xiEkQzqffCOjb_0ml8tJ6eg6oItZEKrdXEBdAb19HEs/s1600/DSC_0017.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1Lbtki59wRvxufniZHNHOzaizRpkgpIQ7bCedWAScIUVAfm05HluxWypXKIDV6eYQYjLFtMzbQqXcnDxcBN0xshyphenhyphenTmM-c-Lx4xiEkQzqffCOjb_0ml8tJ6eg6oItZEKrdXEBdAb19HEs/s400/DSC_0017.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq-ZuwkbYlduw5gWy8mv4e4qHrmjjUCgx5ABbl6AgPqDFCs7BCWLATSRimZh_8f1FzsK6sRkY21WmdhX77vdIXHShPfSVX2mTH1n2-p1Vku292XYExGkbJQ1g8YDggq-PVxQVY2uIxqfU/s1600/IMG_1349.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq-ZuwkbYlduw5gWy8mv4e4qHrmjjUCgx5ABbl6AgPqDFCs7BCWLATSRimZh_8f1FzsK6sRkY21WmdhX77vdIXHShPfSVX2mTH1n2-p1Vku292XYExGkbJQ1g8YDggq-PVxQVY2uIxqfU/s400/IMG_1349.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Picture of a picture taker</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9RoCOcZW2y1IULTaIKTagZtCp1ears-zv9J_L1MtQlPmWGp_h9cwWyPFnm5uciZnfMmp83YrDkNUVXaT9HKq2_4u-zq38opMrAPemAe1YLnTuRDbc11BU5x7-Mx5PV8ZIEX_b1wfwcaY/s1600/DSC_0016.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9RoCOcZW2y1IULTaIKTagZtCp1ears-zv9J_L1MtQlPmWGp_h9cwWyPFnm5uciZnfMmp83YrDkNUVXaT9HKq2_4u-zq38opMrAPemAe1YLnTuRDbc11BU5x7-Mx5PV8ZIEX_b1wfwcaY/s400/DSC_0016.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Flipped</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Botanical gardens</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Journaling!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I couldn't cross the bridge :<</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tea</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2Mg8WMt3ZOLaL2SbgoSRr0N9trDLAw0hX6oUuvzMmk_muPVSNOcbkyCEWJoxRTYSpq7VBhX-POtKPfCA2sMzpnBZy8tFnRQuv1K87fIkYgfxxs05Wr777tIncuIfFlx6G0SwIk054-9M/s1600/IMG_1371.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2Mg8WMt3ZOLaL2SbgoSRr0N9trDLAw0hX6oUuvzMmk_muPVSNOcbkyCEWJoxRTYSpq7VBhX-POtKPfCA2sMzpnBZy8tFnRQuv1K87fIkYgfxxs05Wr777tIncuIfFlx6G0SwIk054-9M/s400/IMG_1371.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">AND A MINT BROWNIE WITH MINT SLADOLED (Croatian ice cream)</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mirogoj Cemetary</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At California Burrito!</td></tr>
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<b><u>Split:</u></b><br />
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Alissa and I flew to Split where we met up with Mike and Amanda. Split is home to Roman emperor Diocletian's palace, which was built at the turn of the 4th century AD. It once looked like this:<br />
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<a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/51/SPLIT-Hebrard_overall_color_restitution.jpg/800px-SPLIT-Hebrard_overall_color_restitution.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="246" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/51/SPLIT-Hebrard_overall_color_restitution.jpg/800px-SPLIT-Hebrard_overall_color_restitution.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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It now looks like this:<br />
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We spent another few days in Split exploring the Palace, going swimming in the Adriatic, eating wonderful meals prepared by Mike and being thankful we didn't live there. So many tourists! but not as many as Dubrovnik...<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfDuryTtTfWUQePdBY3icVjxEpaYva9sFsdKbZsj67r5p-oIW57v0-zsKA-vlcjwbg6E6iRoGy_9zq5rDKgEvyHnzGbt3zLmCt5SG4qw49Ti-9PobdebuiwvNLxLvvbF4WIcWmOTYPstQ/s1600/DSC_0104.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfDuryTtTfWUQePdBY3icVjxEpaYva9sFsdKbZsj67r5p-oIW57v0-zsKA-vlcjwbg6E6iRoGy_9zq5rDKgEvyHnzGbt3zLmCt5SG4qw49Ti-9PobdebuiwvNLxLvvbF4WIcWmOTYPstQ/s400/DSC_0104.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kickin' it at Diocletian's.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFfqbg7kDHDTcno5H1EKBvtZ3WM0BSbb2oH5REoV54L5SUb1u5WXKc7ROjdMhhTdxQFzE02VaX2hBOJQvy6e2vS-AQftYHV1ungcwiXI6W2h_w6oV6kLAmvI7g_xBTYIBSrqTfgtBkVUw/s400/IMG_1409.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I found a snoozy cat.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBS4E0ufqybmcAgq-NouS9rVydMTc0Yw5pPE1FeW_GhEljZ-LxZY-4_f1n_81I6OAfp1CyH9zGzkt02Hsx8L2YW21d8Gg5D5cBPZwrCA66YOeY0vepQIXVudD6P1NsqmoKP_SLKcdVSnY/s1600/DSC_0144.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBS4E0ufqybmcAgq-NouS9rVydMTc0Yw5pPE1FeW_GhEljZ-LxZY-4_f1n_81I6OAfp1CyH9zGzkt02Hsx8L2YW21d8Gg5D5cBPZwrCA66YOeY0vepQIXVudD6P1NsqmoKP_SLKcdVSnY/s400/DSC_0144.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">CROATIA.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tasty food.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the gates to the palace</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The main drag</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3-i-yrOylG5niocTpeefWoHzjiaNHl8Fi2-EBPpwA-4gDm3Ak8ffzrN8tk8H0AxNuMJbbm_9nthJeChNH2H1q33sTX76bBkIyxv24gZ86UZAxM3_EGSgXiKXRJWVZqWkWtSiJVwoBTyA/s1600/IMG_1430.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3-i-yrOylG5niocTpeefWoHzjiaNHl8Fi2-EBPpwA-4gDm3Ak8ffzrN8tk8H0AxNuMJbbm_9nthJeChNH2H1q33sTX76bBkIyxv24gZ86UZAxM3_EGSgXiKXRJWVZqWkWtSiJVwoBTyA/s400/IMG_1430.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So bight!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiED0Be0IUt7PncZIQuTQvZlCDDQJbZ83-0gcHouDhhyOqQ4ZNEN-asrXpafdCha56LrY-yimTq3VH9IAF_FGJukDT2hOd0b98S61plkzHW78Picb7wbrYbUxqVlq1vx-3DVsKg3VKEFAw/s1600/IMG_1432.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiED0Be0IUt7PncZIQuTQvZlCDDQJbZ83-0gcHouDhhyOqQ4ZNEN-asrXpafdCha56LrY-yimTq3VH9IAF_FGJukDT2hOd0b98S61plkzHW78Picb7wbrYbUxqVlq1vx-3DVsKg3VKEFAw/s400/IMG_1432.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hello, Adriatic</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS3frRXxZsCLn4ay-jFlpynqrfhyphenhyphenweGJzQbyq85of1ggDJvq9T4lDoE0XBjD6kdrlgCiH4-V7hC3f-OjOEeZCh48LBC5GVCbio0LeFEISmuhvmtqtuVENAL1T7EnGWI9CUCPjBncI3c70/s1600/IMG_1435.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS3frRXxZsCLn4ay-jFlpynqrfhyphenhyphenweGJzQbyq85of1ggDJvq9T4lDoE0XBjD6kdrlgCiH4-V7hC3f-OjOEeZCh48LBC5GVCbio0LeFEISmuhvmtqtuVENAL1T7EnGWI9CUCPjBncI3c70/s400/IMG_1435.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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And that's Split.</div>
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kathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06934210860595836760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1616307692799434660.post-3089893715702490722013-07-01T18:59:00.000+02:002013-07-01T19:05:01.714+02:00Afoot pt. 1<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
The Bavarian countryside rolls past my window as I fight the urge to mix the z and y keys on my keyboard. For the next six hours my sole forms of internetless entertainment shall be tunes, taking selfies with my iphone, snacking and battering away on my laptop. I suppose I could also opt to snooze (and seeing as I'm still on Farm Time the urge to snooze may arrive here shortly…) but snoozing is for the weak and weak I am not! Today marks my 22nd day of travel, the end of my first three weeks on the road with Petrelli. (Technically I've been with her for just under four weeks, but a few days were spent being an invalid in Graz, struck down by tonsillitis. Rude.) In the past 3 weeks I have been through four separate countries -- yes, I'm counting the 45 minutes in Bosnia -- and stayed the night in seven cities with day trips to several more. LOOK HOW WELL-TRAVELED I AM! There have been many ups and a few downs, one that seemed to plummet to the core of the earth but luckily shot back up before self-destruct mode kicked in. I've kayaked and swam the Adriatic Sea, wandered the lakes of Plitviče, drank Slovenian wine, reminisced in Munich, bonded with goats large and small and seen the Swiss Alps from across Lake Constance (terrible lake name, by the way. Whoever was head of the naming committee should really rethink that one.) <br />
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This has only been the first half of my summer of traveling, the second half kicking off in two weeks when I fly to Auckland, New Zealand. So much more adventure awaits me, yet now I'm having a bit of a lull in which I spend two weeks in Graz to settle accounts, get rid of furniture and move out of my apartment for good. Instead of focusing on the hectic mess that awaits me, let's instead look back on the past three weeks with fondness! FONDNESS I SAY.<br />
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The cities/sites visited on this trip were: <br />
- Vienna, Austria<br />
- Zagreb, Croatia<br />
- Split, Croatia<br />
- Some tiny rest-stop in Bosnia<br />
- Dubrovnik, Croatia<br />
- Zadar, Croatia (technically i slept through Zadar: it was hot, I was tired, I didn't miss much. Shhh.)<br />
- Plitviče Lakes in Croatia<br />
- Ljubljana, Slovenia<br />
- Bled, Slovenia<br />
- Munich, Germany<br />
- Salgen, Germany (tiny village where we WWOOFed!)<br />
- Pfaffenhausen, Germany (Slightly larger village 2km away from where we WWOOFed)<br />
- Mindelheim, Germany<br />
- Augsburg, Germany<br />
- Lindau im Bodensee, Germany <br />
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Because words probably can't fully paint the perfect picture in your mind to describe all the fun things I've done and seen, I'll be using pictures from this point on to describe my trip. Lucky for me I had two photographers on this trip and from them I will be stealing a few (or all) of their pictures. I suppose I should elaborate on who I was traveling with, eh?<br />
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My main companion on this journey was Alissa, bestest chum from Bakersfield and animal expert. We've traveled the globe a few times now, having seen England, Scotland, Canada and South Korea together. Soon we will add Middle Earth! The two supporting members of our cast were Alissa's sister Amanda and her boyfriend Mike. Amanda really likes horses and climbing things and Mike really like vegetables and slowly taking pictures. Luckily these two could legally rent a car in Croatia so they get major points for making the roadtrip portion of the trip possible. Also Mike makes great food. And Amanda laughs at my joke. Or just at me, she does that too. Anyway, FEAST YOUR EYES ON THE DIGITAL EVIDENCE OF MY TRAVELS.<br />
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<u><b>Vienna</b></u>: In which I took very few photos and ate lots of cake</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stephansdom, Vienna</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inside the Albertina gallery</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vegetarian organic restaurant! </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsHj-0OB9DNsvEkyUBs5MW7oIPqY6Z5djQDCHpT3QVuB3lRGuBTvkTrjxnStJ24Bi8dHaVQmchN8w8zW7jfcR2uN_-FuPeZ5xHr_Fi2kIue8AjbKDJt2nnrBIABP5oOzMXttj66ntSvtg/s1600/IMG_1270.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsHj-0OB9DNsvEkyUBs5MW7oIPqY6Z5djQDCHpT3QVuB3lRGuBTvkTrjxnStJ24Bi8dHaVQmchN8w8zW7jfcR2uN_-FuPeZ5xHr_Fi2kIue8AjbKDJt2nnrBIABP5oOzMXttj66ntSvtg/s400/IMG_1270.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Infamous Hotel Sacher</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIyGbcGYsluOG6HITAb2I7u5edLZXddamLu0_geLI-5d0Yt99y3P2Gz5l0mNkxiYaYWFbUOFHKJZqcDSa5nqJ2F0miPXfjbv-0kFo_QCznZSQjoW_D-2phScbbPFB4AsEydkslkL1tGY4/s640/IMG_0947.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIyGbcGYsluOG6HITAb2I7u5edLZXddamLu0_geLI-5d0Yt99y3P2Gz5l0mNkxiYaYWFbUOFHKJZqcDSa5nqJ2F0miPXfjbv-0kFo_QCznZSQjoW_D-2phScbbPFB4AsEydkslkL1tGY4/s400/IMG_0947.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I stole her iphone for this SWEET SELFIE</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmbTaLCLYTkuyGV1ATXHUVTMrNf-qUSnNKmglvWbNhb_E6S-opMDO5PPMRlASBqWORi1VPjR-7tCV8h78fRveS_9gaU9OI__T8K9rzd_S-AtRs0LU7EL_DNaBmDrZpE0bIzntG0N_E74w/s1600/IMG_1268.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmbTaLCLYTkuyGV1ATXHUVTMrNf-qUSnNKmglvWbNhb_E6S-opMDO5PPMRlASBqWORi1VPjR-7tCV8h78fRveS_9gaU9OI__T8K9rzd_S-AtRs0LU7EL_DNaBmDrZpE0bIzntG0N_E74w/s400/IMG_1268.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I liked the lion</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbOvpBkqMY4np306HCN17ChltYsqv9kogkDsyF6EBt1wwqpZ9o2gpTHDAO8SQWAMWmpGx274VRzlAA-LjVelfrHfMTju4oMy5yHdSzzukqf6sFAedeklPzNhgWts17_pKOtkml4azu85g/s1600/DSC_9790.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbOvpBkqMY4np306HCN17ChltYsqv9kogkDsyF6EBt1wwqpZ9o2gpTHDAO8SQWAMWmpGx274VRzlAA-LjVelfrHfMTju4oMy5yHdSzzukqf6sFAedeklPzNhgWts17_pKOtkml4azu85g/s400/DSC_9790.JPG" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Almost</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsWT1QpzTZoDkMlqvcpgcaXEBL2GuUzII4Dnuk6CMVzVjUfPXa-6LBY2N32KptfD6piw-Nd7TFI1FrftgdXa6XRFnIqMuJ9Uu3X9xNzBBE1PD5KAdavBjkei2hMCU3tkHWu3VEFPcp8v0/s1600/IMG_1284.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsWT1QpzTZoDkMlqvcpgcaXEBL2GuUzII4Dnuk6CMVzVjUfPXa-6LBY2N32KptfD6piw-Nd7TFI1FrftgdXa6XRFnIqMuJ9Uu3X9xNzBBE1PD5KAdavBjkei2hMCU3tkHWu3VEFPcp8v0/s400/IMG_1284.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There was a lot of tea in Vienna</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ_vLACkn3OGLeqgrYqPUkwLpzWJ72kgwlkHevuBT9JvSJf3Y399HRtGEqTHHqMQIUs8ihOyeBUWysy99-PH73aUU-QTkQQLx5J7ctJLU_5NG8SiBWrCRE8MTyrjossrkbxOSH-RMklfo/s1600/IMG_1286.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ_vLACkn3OGLeqgrYqPUkwLpzWJ72kgwlkHevuBT9JvSJf3Y399HRtGEqTHHqMQIUs8ihOyeBUWysy99-PH73aUU-QTkQQLx5J7ctJLU_5NG8SiBWrCRE8MTyrjossrkbxOSH-RMklfo/s400/IMG_1286.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">She's ready to party at THE BREAKFAST CLUB</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMsLZLwObSP0U4J68IfODqObWZHniRk9tBprfjfu2HmE34IWYs83alc73K395g6uoh5uT6shT3C7P21heIt9XeYG0i8DnaQ3VkyW8jAqC_bqHywwkxyoBNWeTthyphenhyphenhqjwCzV6dq1qjqPf0/s1600/IMG_1287.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMsLZLwObSP0U4J68IfODqObWZHniRk9tBprfjfu2HmE34IWYs83alc73K395g6uoh5uT6shT3C7P21heIt9XeYG0i8DnaQ3VkyW8jAqC_bqHywwkxyoBNWeTthyphenhyphenhqjwCzV6dq1qjqPf0/s400/IMG_1287.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">See what I mean?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br /></div>
kathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06934210860595836760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1616307692799434660.post-23377463927737020372013-05-06T17:23:00.001+02:002013-05-06T17:23:30.921+02:00May is the best month<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
From the bottom of my at times black heart, I would like to wish you all a belated happy May Day and Cinco de Mayo. I would also like to take this moment to thank the Austrian government for being oh so Catholic and only making me work 12 days this month. AWWW YEAHUH.<br />
<br />
On the rare May morning that I find myself at school, my work load has been cut in half due to students off in Spain, seniors taking their final exams and general chaos as the end of the year grows nearer. Life could be much harder. But this lack of lesson planning leaves me with even more free time, time in which I've spent: lounging in a park, skyping the boy back in the US, baking snacks, eating baked snacks, going out for ice cream, tutoring the old and the young, tidying and planning for the end of the year move. <br />
<br />
This is basically how I spent yesterday afternoon with my friends<br />
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<a href="http://www.pamperedwhiskers.com/Images/Sombrero-Cats-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://www.pamperedwhiskers.com/Images/Sombrero-Cats-3.jpg" width="317" /> </a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
It was a real paw-ty. HEH HEH HEH HEH. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
However, more importantly, guess what's coming in 11 days? What's that? MY 23RD BIRTHDAY?! WHY YES! YES THAT. In 11 days I will be 23. Twenty-three. I'm hardly an adult but I will be a full year older. HURRAH! However....<br />
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<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/QFRAfsZMgUA" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<br />
LIFE IS SO HARD AM I RIGHT?! luckily with birthdays comes...<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.the-christmas-game.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Mountain-of-Presents.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://www.the-christmas-game.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Mountain-of-Presents.jpg" width="224" /></a></div>
Yeah I googled "mountain of presents." What of it?!<br />
<br />
Therefore, May is the best month. Holidays, free time, sunshine (sometimes), aging, PRESENTS.<br />
<br />
That's all I got.<br />
<br />
<br />
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kathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06934210860595836760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1616307692799434660.post-5794949102501309422013-04-18T16:46:00.000+02:002013-04-18T16:51:56.336+02:00woof. wwoof?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Well, my little gumdrops, my time here in Austria is drawing to a close (for a summer, at least.) Aside from all the SCARY AND ADULT planning I have to do in the next two months---get credit card, sell or recycle furniture, move out, apply for a new visa, etc -- I also get to plan one of the MOST AMAZING TRIPS EVER. CAN YOU HANDLE MY EXCITEMENT?!<br />
<br />
This is my bestest chum Alissa<br />
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</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://fbcdn-sphotos-f-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/p206x206/555595_10151006855383874_641338734_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-f-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/p206x206/555595_10151006855383874_641338734_n.jpg" /></a></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://fbcdn-sphotos-h-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/306025_2273580155621_2592541_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-h-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/306025_2273580155621_2592541_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">See the love?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
She's known for her turtle-feeding skills, Vulcan-like brain and love of smoothies. She will be my companion for the months of June, July and a lil' but of August. WE'RE TRAVELING THE WORLD, GUYS!!<br />
<br />
What's the plan so far? We're going to be visiting the countries of Slovenia, Croatia, Germany and NEW ZEALAND.<br />
WHAT. YEAH. I'M GOING TO MIDDLE EARTH AHHHHHHHHHH!<br />
<br />
Most of our time will be spent explorin', eatin', people meetin' and picture takin' but another part of our trip will be to WWOOF. What's that, you ask? WWOOF stands for Worldwide Opportunities on Organic Farms. We'll be given food and lodging in return for helping out with whatever tasks need doing on our hosts property. I'm hoping to stay on farms that have more animals, like goats and horses. Because goats are delightful and horses kind of scare me so I want to be less scared! While in NZ, we'll use different hosts to see different parts of the country. SO AWESOME RIGHT?!<br />
<br />
To help get you as excited as I am, here is where we're headed.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3YFKNVvsTSk44bpQ4fxFfOpiu_yDCzWa2ZUlBu6xp2s5jdbepXbrOmQjE8R2CPqUuAqkwRBUpNbbSgQnVgUlWC6p39YOEMn9HgKiOrRKcXJPuH76qXEi_juDZ8-vn8OqYoJ66kZNbvIQ/s1600/slovenia%5B1%5D.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3YFKNVvsTSk44bpQ4fxFfOpiu_yDCzWa2ZUlBu6xp2s5jdbepXbrOmQjE8R2CPqUuAqkwRBUpNbbSgQnVgUlWC6p39YOEMn9HgKiOrRKcXJPuH76qXEi_juDZ8-vn8OqYoJ66kZNbvIQ/s320/slovenia%5B1%5D.gif" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">SLOVENIA AND CROATIA YEAH!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://slovenia1.wikispaces.com/file/view/slovenia2.jpg/34764543/slovenia2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://slovenia1.wikispaces.com/file/view/slovenia2.jpg/34764543/slovenia2.jpg" width="255" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Allow me to introduce Slovenia</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://beersandbeans.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/Soca-Gorges-and-cave-in-Slovenia-by-Jesenicnik.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://beersandbeans.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/Soca-Gorges-and-cave-in-Slovenia-by-Jesenicnik.jpg" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">SLOVENIA!!!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://images.budgettraveladventures.com/uploads/2011/05/Piran-Cape-Slovenia-Ubald-Trnkoczy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="214" src="http://images.budgettraveladventures.com/uploads/2011/05/Piran-Cape-Slovenia-Ubald-Trnkoczy.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Need I say more?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.hellomagazine.com/imagenes/travel/201104155270/plitvice/national-park/croatia/0-18-637/a_55444174-a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="206" src="http://www.hellomagazine.com/imagenes/travel/201104155270/plitvice/national-park/croatia/0-18-637/a_55444174-a.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">WELCOME TO CROATIA</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.nationalgeographic.com/adventure/images/nov_05/croatia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="209" src="http://www.nationalgeographic.com/adventure/images/nov_05/croatia.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Croatia is heaven</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.awams.com/resources/images/locationImages/dubrovnik.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://www.awams.com/resources/images/locationImages/dubrovnik.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dubrovnik, Croatia AKA King's Landing from Game of Thrones!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Now, onto New Zealand...<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.nationalgeographic.com/adventure/0510/photos/Jpegs/NewZealand.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="209" src="http://www.nationalgeographic.com/adventure/0510/photos/Jpegs/NewZealand.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Middle Earth!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.westfleet.co.nz/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/punakaiki.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://www.westfleet.co.nz/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/punakaiki.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'll never leave</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><br />
<a href="http://files.myopera.com/frezzinewzealand/albums/12625352/Heart-Lake-New-Zealand-Nature-Wallpaper.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://files.myopera.com/frezzinewzealand/albums/12625352/Heart-Lake-New-Zealand-Nature-Wallpaper.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">GEOTHERMIC ACTIVITY </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://www.heelsandwheelsonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/DSC_0117.jpg" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> THE SHIRE</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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SO ARE YOU EXCITED NOW OR WHAT?!?</div>
kathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06934210860595836760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1616307692799434660.post-51824278120378207632013-04-10T18:13:00.001+02:002013-04-10T18:13:18.127+02:00doodz.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio-SqpvSNnzvCkWOF4MLQIKyuKQhqUV1j1IxeGU9Rr41obTdJhXXgSmrurwh1YzE_DnFWnLsu0e7qjAgSgsjd93cy8QUgmmdc-CxiyAxvEzZk5I-z4eHgWjZVIROSS9FJ2JC-e6ACVT6M/s1600/IMG_1180.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio-SqpvSNnzvCkWOF4MLQIKyuKQhqUV1j1IxeGU9Rr41obTdJhXXgSmrurwh1YzE_DnFWnLsu0e7qjAgSgsjd93cy8QUgmmdc-CxiyAxvEzZk5I-z4eHgWjZVIROSS9FJ2JC-e6ACVT6M/s400/IMG_1180.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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kathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06934210860595836760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1616307692799434660.post-90777929799555276552013-04-09T17:27:00.003+02:002013-04-09T18:39:35.083+02:00do I dare disturb the universe?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td><i>LET us go then, you and I,</i></td><td><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=1616307692799434660&pli=1" name="1"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td><i>When the evening is spread out against the sky</i></td><td><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=1616307692799434660&pli=1" name="2"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td><i>Like a patient etherized upon a table;</i></td><td><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=1616307692799434660&pli=1" name="3"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td><i>Let us go, through certain half-deserted streets,</i></td><td><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=1616307692799434660&pli=1" name="4"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td><i>The muttering retreats</i></td><td align="RIGHT" valign="TOP"><i> </i></td></tr>
<tr><td><i>Of restless nights in one-night cheap hotels</i></td><td><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=1616307692799434660&pli=1" name="6"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td><i>And sawdust restaurants with oyster-shells:</i></td><td><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=1616307692799434660&pli=1" name="7"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td><i>Streets that follow like a tedious argument</i></td><td><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=1616307692799434660&pli=1" name="8"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td><i>Of insidious intent</i></td><td><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=1616307692799434660&pli=1" name="9"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td><i>To lead you to an overwhelming question….</i></td><td align="RIGHT" valign="TOP"><i> </i></td></tr>
<tr><td><i>Oh, do not ask, “What is it?”</i></td><td><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=1616307692799434660&pli=1" name="11"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td><i>Let us go and make our visit. -- </i>T.S. Eliot<i><br /></i></td><td></td><td></td><td><br /></td><td><br /></td><td><br /></td><td><br /></td><td><br /></td><td><br /></td><td><br /></td><td style="text-align: justify;"></td><td style="text-align: justify;"></td><td style="text-align: justify;"></td><td style="text-align: justify;"></td><td style="text-align: justify;"></td><td style="text-align: justify;"></td><td style="text-align: justify;"></td><td style="text-align: justify;"></td></tr>
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You may find yourself wondering where the hell I've been as of late. You may have been kept up at night with unshakeable worry and concern that your life was so very lacking in weekly updates from a certain Katherine. Or, more likely, you've only just realized I was gone. Whatever the case may be, if you are suddenly overjoyed at my return, merely bemused by my absence or currently eating a sandwich, allow me to say without remorse:<br />
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The past few months have had some unexpected turbulence by way of lost keys, nearly overwhelming anxiety thanks to lost keys, constant calls to the landlords, house arrest, depression thanks to the lack of sunlight and compounded by keylessness, the winter that never ended and so on. As you may know, I absolutely love complaining. I'm quite adept at it and if anyone is around to listen, I will tell them all my woes. But, normally my woes are a bit miniscule in comparison to the rest of the world. Even with the past 2 months of unfortunate sadness, my situation is nothing to gripe about, really. Hence, why I slithered away from my dear friend Blog and retreated to my room to wait out the storm. Now, judging by the blue sky above, the new set of keys on my desk and the acceptance email chillin' in my inbox, I think it's safe to say I've made it through the wilds of winter.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">UNASHAMED GAME OF THRONES REFERENCE </td></tr>
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Had I heeded the above words of House Stark, I may have been able to prepare myself for the onslaught of unhappiness that was to come but, ah well. IT'S FINE I GOT THIS. I'm springing back to life now that the clocks of Austria have sprung forward. It's April now which means I have roughly 2 months left in my contract here in Graz. And with Austria being oh so very Catholic, I have 2 five day weekends next month. Can I get an amen?! (I've also come down with a cold this week and have spent the last 2 days huddled in bed drifting in and out of soup-induced dreams of tacos. Seriously, I dream of tacos nightly.) Soon I'll be hunting for someone to lease my apartment while I travel the world with my bestest pal Alissa. Soon I'll be stuffing things into boxes and bags, storing what I can and tossing the rest. Storing, you say? But Kat, whatever do you mean?!<br />
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Well my little gumdrops, I have been offered a second year here in Graz and I have accepted (well, via email, still need to send that pesky letter...) I've been placed at the same two schools here and will begin again on the 1st of October. When I received my confirmation email, I felt an immense wave of relief. Teaching may not be what I want to do for the rest of my life, but the security of knowing I have <i>something</i> for the next year fills me with satisfaction, comfort and hope for an even better year. In retrospect, I haven't used my time here in Graz to the fullest potential (as I lie in bed in my pj's at 5 pm writing a blog entry...)<br />
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I've spent many afternoons holed up inside when the whole wide world awaits outside. I haven't done much for my German (though whenever I go out, the people always shout "Damn, you're American? Your German be smokin'." or something to that effect.) Next year I want to DO EVERYTHING. I don't want to be a homebody 3/4 of the time (just like, 1-2/4 of the time..) How might I accomplish making round two EVEN BETTER?! Here's a list on what I plan to do next year:<br />
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<li>Yoga: I miss it. My body misses it. Also, it'll help combat those pesky winter blues. SUCK ON THAT, PESKY WINTER BLUES!</li>
<li>More travel: I've spent most of this year in the confines of Austria, and next year I plan to take all my 3 day weekends, weeks off and vacations and make good use of 'em. Italy, Spain, FINLAND. We shall see where the wind blows me.</li>
<li>German or Spanish class: One of my teachers kindly gave me a €100 gift certificate for the language courses offered at the university, so I plan on taking one of those. I'm not sure which level I belong in for German, or if it would even be beneficial but...I've felt less and less intellectually stimulated here so I'm thinking just some sort of academic pursuit will keep me content. </li>
<li>More art! I haven't drawn anything in a few weeks, and probably won't be creating something every day before I finish school but next year I plan on taking my illustration seriously. I want to work on it every day like a second job, I want to find and refine my style. Maybe even take figure drawing classes somewhere in town (Or use my friends as unwilling subjects heheheh...) I don't know if I can ever make a career of it but I can make it a damn good hobby and I can always, always improve.</li>
<li>Cook more: So says every college graduate but as I've decided to cut back my meat and dairy intake (YEAH THAT'S RIGHT, GOODBYE COW.) I want to master the art of tasty vegetarian food, getting more creative in the kitchen than just pastas and stir frys and stews. I like cooking, a lot, and I have no excuse not to do it more and become a pro. A PROFESSIONAL I SAY.</li>
<li>And lastly, just make the most of my last European adventure for a while. After next spring I plan on moving back to the US for a stint. I'll spend some time with the fam bam in California before making my way back to the Pacific Northwest into the comforting, weird arms of Portland, OR. Portland is calling me and I cannot wait to see her again.
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<br />Europe is fun, amazing and full of possibility but...not for me, not right now. I don't want to teach in the private sector, I don't want to get a MA in German or Teaching, I haven't met an Austrian lumberjack and don't plan on marrying one any time soon so, that leaves me with few and little options. And I'm okay with that. I thought I was destined to stay here forever but as it turns out, I'm not. Not yet. Maybe in 5 years I'll feel the itch to find work abroad again but until then, I miss the US. Lord knows I never thought I'd say that. (I also may or may not have left the boy I love back in the States.)</li>
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So there you have it. My life in a small little nutshell. For those of you who got lost along the way, here are the main point:</div>
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<li>I was sad but now I'm not!11!</li>
<li>I'm coming back in the fall for a 2nd year!!11@</li>
<li><b>IT WILL BE EVEN BETTER!1!1#$%! </b></li>
<li>I no longer cook with meat or eat lots o' cheese!11!!</li>
<li>I miss Mexican food, Portland and my (gasp) boyfriend, Paul!!11!</li>
<li>I have nothing else to add but 6 is my favorite number and it reminds me of the color turquoise!!1111%</li>
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THAT IS ALL. Here are 3 pictures of the last two monthz <br />
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kathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06934210860595836760noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1616307692799434660.post-76725538033591267922013-03-03T21:41:00.002+01:002013-03-03T21:41:57.846+01:00beware the ides of march<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Guess what, guys? Its March! The month of all things green, Irish-American and murderous Romans. Yay! It will also be a month of sunshine, hopefully. After essentially 4 months of darkness, snow and cold, I'm ready for a little vitamin D.<br />
This is what winter in Austria has felt like:<br />
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or this:<br />
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Take your pick. I imagine that now that spring has sprung, there will be no more pesky blizzards of feet of snow. If there are, I'll have to ruthlessly sacrifice some farmyard animals to offer to the weather gods. Or something.<br />
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Spring looks like this, right?<br />
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I suppose you might be wondering what sort of tom foolery I've been getting up to lately. Well, let me tell you...Not much. You see, after Fasching (during) I had the misfortune to lose my keys. The gods are cruel and the Key God apparently hates me. I blame Austria. 22 years of safely kept keys and then I come to this country and BAM broken key in December. BAM lost keys in February. ALCOHOL WASN'T EVEN THE DECIDING FACTOR. Ugh. Whatever. So, due to being keyless, I've spent most of my time sulking, reading and drawing. Which is fine by me. Hopefully this week keys will be restored to me and I can be more or less human again.<br />
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Luckily after the lost key incident of 2013, I scampered off to Vienna for all kinds of fun with my friend Megan. See out misadventures here <a href="https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151315804761325.476585.562476324&type=1">Facebook Album </a>Lots of cake and tea occurred that week. AND IT WAS GLORIOUS. Coming back to Graz and school was less than desirable. I'm not particularly loving my new school and I'm frustrated most days than not. The teachers rarely let me know what they want for a lesson, until 10-40 minutes before the lesson actually takes place. I like being able to plan. I don't like winging it. Not with kids I don't know and subjects I'm no expert on. Oi. I'm hoping its just the time of year that's making me feel so disillusioned with Austria but we shall see. Come April I will find out if I've been awarded a second year or not, and then I'll have to make all kinds of serious life choices. UGH WHINE. I've basically been in a slump since returning home from Christmas break, and unfortunate key circumstances, unruly students, and lots of snow have not helped warm the cockles of my heart. If Austria were a person, I'd kick his kneecaps.<br />
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WELL THAT WAS CHEERFUL HA HA HA HA ha...<br />
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Toodleooooo.</div>
kathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06934210860595836760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1616307692799434660.post-78161142060391506492013-02-11T21:19:00.002+01:002013-02-11T21:19:56.348+01:00faschingszeit ist krapfenzeit<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Tomorrow is Mardi Gras, or as everyone else calls it, Carnival, or as
Austria calls it: Fasching. To me, Fasching means one thing:<br />
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What's that? Oh, just some Krapfen. What are Krapfen? Glorified filled doughnuts. I don't question the overabundance of tasty, doughy, cream-filled treats, I just accept it and eat them. All of them. (except for the ones filled with marmalade, gross. Can we just agree to stop putting marmalade in everything, Austria? It's not cool. NOT COOL, BRO.) <br />
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Aside from Krapfen, Fasching also means costumes, parades and public inebriation. It's a day where school ends early so the little hooligans can go get their drink on, and so those adults who feel inclined to do so can dress up as anything from large, pink rabbits to racially offensive stereotypes!<br />
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Tomorrow I plan on going out with my crew (yeah, I have a crew. Jealous?) as well as meeting up with some of the younger teachers at my previous school (who will be dressed as cupcakes) and making party. WOO. What will I be dressed as? Well, I bought this jacket for a freedom-themed party:<br />
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So I'll be transforming myself from country-loving 1776 revolutionary to a pirate. All I need to do is make a hat, parrot, possibly a hook and to buy some rum...VOILA. Also I have Wednesday off so...PARTY ALL DAY AND ALL NIGHT. Or until I get sleepy. One of the two.<br />
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Now onto serious things.<br />
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I've started work at my new school. It's about twice the size as the previous one, offers English, Italian, Spanish and French, has about a million more boys (and some delightfully attractive young teacher fellows...) as well as kids as young as 10. Little babies! During my first week I've been to one of each of the upper level classes (5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th form) as well as one of the 1st formers. One of the English teachers I work with, who is one of my mentor teachers, had to substitute the little ones for a lesson so, as reinforcement, she brought me along. The little guys were supposed to have a drawing class, so when we showed up with the announcement that they would instead be doing English, all sorts of feathers were ruffled. However, they were interested in me for about half of the lesson, politely asking ill-formed questions with wide-eyed stares and lots of giggles. There was even a showcase of headstands during this portion of the class. I was surprised how little I wanted to strangle them. Only once did my nerves threaten to boil over and did I consider tossing a child from a window like Mrs. Trunchbull:<br />
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I didn't, however, and still have my job. The second half of the lesson, to their and my delight, consisted of a list of animals in English written on the board and the task of drawing them. Despite the groans of "HOW DO I EVEN DRAW A TIGER?!" "WHAT'S A PEACOCK?!" "I WANT TO DRAW A FOX." it was a huge success. I drew a picture of a fox, to get them started, and the room filled with gasps of utter joy: I had won. A chorus of "Mawwww, wie süß!" ("Aww how cute!) and "Mei!" (Awwww!) erupted from boy and girl alike.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguBNmbSRtLl5v0Ybqpgkyzx4aG0beYCmgpzdLKs7eson3GfEx3yxYFsNDD7XmWd_sNkK0oAVfQlrleNcKqYgJ_nP0gn9gXlQo_JjT7TzwyCFJHXwwKgm9v3_nI-dakK4Jg6NsIdtjp4eM/s1600/fox.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguBNmbSRtLl5v0Ybqpgkyzx4aG0beYCmgpzdLKs7eson3GfEx3yxYFsNDD7XmWd_sNkK0oAVfQlrleNcKqYgJ_nP0gn9gXlQo_JjT7TzwyCFJHXwwKgm9v3_nI-dakK4Jg6NsIdtjp4eM/s1600/fox.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It looked something like this. I don't even know what a fox is</td></tr>
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I had done the impossible: I tamed the 10 year olds. I moved from table to table, asked them in German about their animals, giving praise where praise was, or wasn't due. They showed me their doodles with shyness and sometimes pride. I was asked to draw for them on their papers, like some sort of celebrity. They used the formal you, Sie, and asked when I would be back.<br />
I told them I didn't know (knowing full well that the answer would probably be never) and was honestly saddened myself.<br />
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I, Katherine Nicole, enjoyed an hour with 25 Austrian 10 year olds.<br />
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The end is nigh.<br />
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kathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06934210860595836760noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1616307692799434660.post-73708815292663774842013-01-27T22:47:00.000+01:002013-01-27T22:47:00.075+01:00of tablets and things<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Man, tea is delicious. I've recently rediscovered rice milk and it makes tea EVEN MORE DELICIOUS. Who would have thought. Would you have thought? I think not. This blog post is sadly not about rice milk. If it were, the title would have been "of rice milk and things" (though I suppose, rice milk falls into the "and things" category quite nicely...) I DIGRESS.<br />
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Tablets. No, I'm not talking about iPads or whatever ill-favored version Microsoft has. Nor am I talking about pills (British English is so weird.) I am talking about graphic drawing tablets. Why? BECAUSE I HAVE ONE NOW. Have you ever wanted something, a gift perhaps, but didn't actually know how much use it would get once you got it? Like maybe that Collector's Edition Twist 'N' Shout Barbie you begged your mom for...And once you got her, she was great but too pretty to play with 'cause she had real eyelashes and her waist swiveled AND YOU DIDN'T WANT TO RUIN HER. ....Did this suddenly weirdly uncomfortably personal anecdote have a point..? Erm, sorry.<br />
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What I mean to say, I think, is that I wanted this here tablet, but had never used a tablet before so didn't know how useful it would be/how intuitive/how anything. I just knew it was a thing I wanted. It looks like this: <br />
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Well, my Wacom Bamboo Create is no Twist 'N' Shout Barbie. I have not stopped drawing since it arrived at my door Friday afternoon. The installation process of course was hell, and some parts of it were in German (?????) but I PREVAILED. And I managed to download Photoshop so now I can make even cooler things. THIS IS BASICALLY THE BEST THING EVER. I was so worried it would somehow disappoint me, or I would disappoint myself and be terrible and just an awful artist (sometimes I am) but so far, I can't stop playing with it. I keep finding new features, new shortcuts.....I'm metaphorically rolling through a meadow of daisies here.<br />
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I mean LOOK HOW MUCH FUN SHE'S HAVING.<br />
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I have mildly grand delusions, or at least aspirations, about becoming a comedic comic blogger. And this tool will help make it possible, if it's meant to be. Once I work out most of the kinks, I'll be making obnoxious autobiographical comics ALL DAY EVERY DAY. Except when I'm working. (Can you believe we live in a time where comedic comic blogger is a PROFESSION?!)<br />
Now I'm going to give you a visual journey through my first weekend with my tablet. These are the "works" I've created in chronological order. So hopefully they get better. Or something.<br />
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Exhibit A: Playing with generic Bamboo program. Whilst on Skype. It's like fingerpainting without the mess! <br />
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Exhibit B: I've decided to draw the Ugly Animals Club<br />
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Exhibit 3: I don't even know where this came from. <br />
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Another Exhibit: 1st Photoshop creation<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhldqGbACGQvPWgfC0F612Dqz7yWA62iuAK2DM14n8bRyWY5qmmS8ElgW1RstOkwAbu0oNOvg45BkW0gq32XXSbgOfFXq0AeUSlpD9GDX4EBBJ5urq0nNaiOu3TzfxLWIoqwwQ6JE9w3v0/s1600/1st+photshop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="247" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhldqGbACGQvPWgfC0F612Dqz7yWA62iuAK2DM14n8bRyWY5qmmS8ElgW1RstOkwAbu0oNOvg45BkW0gq32XXSbgOfFXq0AeUSlpD9GDX4EBBJ5urq0nNaiOu3TzfxLWIoqwwQ6JE9w3v0/s320/1st+photshop.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Exhibit is a weird word: Most of my dreams consist of something like this<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrCf2sGspkK8l5mPnr3PIDcd7hoM1MFGRp40zSqqGkr3gvhYneW7fOWSjRRQMuSJMSwT8DT69YocWaocMCd8CNFMtYxs2AsfI8XOC_CgRl-axE95agLKFUC8I4HF-4mgXicPAzxVlIirI/s1600/catnap.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrCf2sGspkK8l5mPnr3PIDcd7hoM1MFGRp40zSqqGkr3gvhYneW7fOWSjRRQMuSJMSwT8DT69YocWaocMCd8CNFMtYxs2AsfI8XOC_CgRl-axE95agLKFUC8I4HF-4mgXicPAzxVlIirI/s320/catnap.png" width="240" /></a></div>
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I'm tired of the word Exhibit: Lololol Not a Wizard<br />
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Exhibit Number Something: Self portrait thing<br />
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That's it. For now. So get ready world, I'm going to become a recluse and somehow morph into a part of my tablet. SUNLIGHT IS FOR THE WEAK OF HEART.<br />
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Happy Sunday.</div>
kathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06934210860595836760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1616307692799434660.post-7307466540467458572013-01-20T16:21:00.000+01:002013-01-20T16:25:48.380+01:00musings.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I've been back at school for 2 weeks now, and so far (knock on wood) there haven't been any crises. I survived the dreaded "Preschool in America" lessons. However, what's difficult about conducting a lesson on something I know virtually nothing about (Seriously, my brain is full of facts about bears, Mexican food titles and the languages of Middle Earth, NOT early childhood development. LET'S BE REAL.) is the assumption that I am some fort of godlike expert, sent from the land of eagles and extreme couponing, burgers and beauty pageants. <br />
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I do my best to research what I don't know, scour articles and entries and try to absorb as many facts about Pre-K education as I can but, i can only do so much. When the students ask me questions about the inner workings of a kindergarten I can only speak from experience, I can only explain how schools vary from city to city, state to state, public to private, etc. If I cannot confirm or deny one of their claims or questions, I feel a bit like a lumpy useless failure. I have to remind myself that I am not the Encyclopedia Britanica, or even it's much more popular, limelight-stealing sibling Wikipedia. I'm not a dictionary, either. I think the teachers forget this small yet REALLY IMPORTANT fact, that I'm just a 22 year old recent college graduate trying to figure out this thing called "adultihood" or whatever, and that while I am resourceful and witty and pretty, I'm not all-knowing. Of course I won't admit the huge gaps in my American knowledge, but I will grumble internally to myself and curse the heavens whilst frantically googling things like "food deserts" and "weird British phrases." ( Due to the texbooks used at the schools being British English, I often have no clue what certain words or phrases mean. "I've never heard than used in America…must be British" comes out of my mouth twice daily, at least.)<br />
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Aside from making the youth of Austria smarter, better, sassier human beings, I've been spending my time with my nose pressed in some books. Namely, A Song of Ice and Fire by George R. R. Martin.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">If I could marry books, I might marry these. or at least be in a committed relationship. </td></tr>
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Know that show Game of Thrones that's one of the best things on television? Yeah, based on these beasts. Each book is no less than 600 pages and full of dragons, war, snow, incest, magic and wolves. SO COOL RIGHT?! I finished the first in a week, and am since halfway through Clash of Kings. Can we say new obsession? I just want to read always. ALWAYS READING OKAY? When I haven't been reading (or eating) I've been drawing.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We Were Bears</td></tr>
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My friend Christina is in a band titled We Were Bears and they're planning on releasing an EP soon, so she asked if I could do the album art for them. The only instructions I was given were "Our bodies with big bear heads." So, THERE YOU HAVE IT. I haven't drawn anything remotely "serious" in a long time. Also haven't drawn anything without a cartoon version of me in even longer! I bought special drawing pencils and everything for this lil' project. I need to clean up the lines and work on the bodies but, you get the idea. Will scan it this week sometime and edit the image further when MY TABLET ARRIVES IN THE MAIL <3 <3 <3 I cannot wait to make art things on the computer.<br />
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And lastly, this week I've been mulling over (read: stressing about, panicking over, freaking out etc.) the notion that I'm an adult. I thought of this brain gem the other day: Warning! Adulthood may include but is not limited to: responsibility,
feelings of overwhelming ineptitude, ennui, & utter lack of
directio.<br />
I am so clever. Anyway. Here's a flow chart that aptly describes the panic young people feel these days: <br />
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<br />
In the next few weeks I'll be applying for an extension of my stay here in Graz (my teachers seem pretty jazzed about this. woo!) and will find out come Apri if I'm the chosen one. But, I suppose I ought to explore options for if I don't get chosen, right? Like, do I need to apply for jobs or programs or what? If you haven't gathered by now (then gods, you're slow.) I don't actually have a plan for the future. I was never one of those over-achieving bastards who'd planned out the next 10 years by their second day of Freshman year. I'm definitely from the "just wing it, you'll be fine, and if not, poverty is really popular these days" school of thought, also known as "hey, let's major in something really useless!" and "i have a large working knowledge of cat pictures found on the internet. that's what this job requires, right?" and lastly, "my glasses make me look smart. that's half the battle, isn't it?"<br />
<br />
My friends keep posting accomplished statuses about this grad school application, that fellowship, and the seven hundred different jobs they're looking into... I'm happy for them, that's terrific, but the only fellowship I'm qualified for involves 4 hobbits, 1 elf, 2 men, a wizard and a dwarf. Whatever. But..any suggestions as to where I should turn my giant, glowing eye of evil next? Just in case Austria isn't meant to be?<br />
Because this cat best describes how I feel on the matter.<br />
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YEAH.<br />
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kathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06934210860595836760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1616307692799434660.post-53781934399645827022013-01-13T20:08:00.000+01:002013-01-13T20:25:36.520+01:00the internet <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Like many of my generation, I spend most of my time nestled against the familiar warmth and comfort of the internet's bosom. If I'm not liking your picture on facebook, tweeting my sass to all 21 of my twitter followers or reblogging a picture of a cat in a party hat on tumblr, then I'm probably wishing I were.<br />
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<br />
As a product of the 90's, I grew up with my nose pressed against television and computer screens (partly due to poor vision), with fingerstips firmly prodding remote controls and keyboards (though not the piano. I barely touched that thing. SORRY SEVERAL WASTED YEARS OF PIANO LESSONS. don't get me started on the clarinet) I find solace in the faint glow of my laptop's screen, revel in the notion of "online friends" and have even taken a stab at the wild and crazy world of free online dating. I am a modern woman, unafraid of technology and full of cool ideas like blogs about bears in space (check this bad boy out <a href="http://galactic-bears.tumblr.com/">Intergalactic Space Bears</a> yeah, that's my handiwork.) However...<br />
<br />
GOOD GOD IS THE INTERNET DISTRACTING. I don't know how the minutes and hours roll by without my notice. One minute I'm giggling at a witty comment, the next thing I know it's dark, I'm hungry, and I've gone through every photo album of a friend of a friend of a friend on facebook. How does this happen?! The internet is a gift and a curse. It's basically the one ring. Or the Elder Wand or *insert fantasy/science fiction object of great destruction and power here* But while I've been here in Austria, the internet has also been a huge lifesaver.<br />
<br />
Part of my job requires the ability to be really flexible, creative and damn good at a well-timed Google search. My teachers often ask me to lead a class on a topic I know little or nothing about, or simply don't have the faintest clue how to make it interesting. Some topics I've done so far that required extensive cyberspace searching were:<br />
The Differences between Men and Women<br />
Social Media<br />
Weather<br />
Nursery School Activities.*<br />
<br />
In all of these classes, the internet saved my life. Do you know how many sweet videos are floating around youtube? Or how many relevant blogs there are? (not like mine.) I briefly worked as a slave (intern) at my father's office a couple summers back and helped build an educational library of cool youtube videos, games, websites, etc. that would be useful in the classroom and now I'm realizing how helpful such a library can be. I was so ahead of the curve. I'm a professional now. Basically, give me a subject and I can find a kickass video, or article or image or soundclip. I OWN THE INTERNET.<br />
<br />
<br />
Without Google, I would often be at a loss as to how to capture the attention of 15 sixteen year olds.<br />
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* I actually have this class tomorrow and am frantically looking for stuff. I know nothing about teaching pre-school kids. Is it even teaching or just song-singing and nap time? But, by 9 am tomorrow I'll have something. Or else I'll make them sing Baa Baa Black Sheep for 50 minutes.</div>
kathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06934210860595836760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1616307692799434660.post-63688344528322280692013-01-07T13:42:00.001+01:002013-01-07T13:42:33.722+01:002013<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I know I know, no one keeps their New Year's resolutions past the first week of February, but hey, I've grown accustomed to gentle failure so I may as well give it go. There must be some super secret method for actually achieving your goals and dreams, right? My method is typically just apathy doused in procrastination with a hint of panic, but that formula only really works best for Film Lit term papers.<br /><br />I've been asked a few times now what I've resolved to do in the year 2013 (aka the future. we live in the future.) Normally I'd say things like "GET A HOT MANCAKE COVERED IN BEEFSAUCE TO LOVE ME."* but that seems a tad unreasonable. I think I'll tone it down a notch from previous unrealistic pipedreams, like becoming a princess, for example. If only it were so simple… All right, here is my list of resolutions for the year 2013 that i have just now thought up at 1 pm on a Monday, fueled only by tea and sugar, in no particular order.<br /><br />
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<br /><u>NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTIONS YEAH PARTY:</u><br /><br />• <i>Successfully budget finances</i>: I've had several unsuccessful attempts before now<br />
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• <i>Follow through on plans for the summer, no matter how daunting:</i> I tend to get overwhelmed easily, discouraged by anxiety and stress which lead to my becoming a hermit and poor sleep patterns. I've planned a giant travel-filled adventurous summer with my best friend, and while it sounds incredibly awesome, the logistics have me in a panic. The plan is to volunteer on farms/be a tourist in Croatia and Finland (other countries possible) before heading out for roughly a month long adventure in New Zealand!<br /><br />• <i>Climb more hills to become more fit for said upcoming trek</i>. Don't wait to die of an asthma attack.<br /><br />•<i> Take my comics more seriously</i>: draw every day no matter what, and learn to use the graphic tablet I was given for Christmas. I have a dream of creating a humorous comic-filled humor blog based on my misadventures, that creates a bit of profit, or at least mild internet fame.<br /><br />• <i>Read more.</i> I have all the time in the world. There's no excuse for not reading. <br /><br />• Do more with German. <br /><br />• Figure out how to terminate my lease….<br /><br />• <i>Seriously plan for the future</i>. Look into every job option, scour the US for work, look into masters programs that actually interest me abroad and at home, just…TRY AND FIGURE IT OUT MAN. But at the same time, try not to feel discouraged by how large the world is and how insignificant i am in the scheme of things. I need to shake of the ennui of my generation, to shed the ridiculous notion that I have to be successful and great by the time I'm 25. It probably won't happen. I want to be happy, independent and doing something that doesn't bore me to tears, but I don't have to have "found my bliss" by then. Also, fuck that saying. It's dumb.<br /><br /><br />There you go. HAPPY NEW YEAR OR SOMETHING.<br />
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<br /><br /><br /><br />*this refers to a man, not an edible carnivore's dream.</div>
kathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06934210860595836760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1616307692799434660.post-9873141704078624502012-12-09T15:03:00.001+01:002012-12-09T15:10:03.362+01:00baby it's cold outside<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Christmastime is here. HAPPINESS AND CHEER.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Christmas market am Glockenspielplatz</td></tr>
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<br />
Christmas is quite possibly the best holiday ever. Not even the best holiday, the best time of year. Why? Everything is covered in glitter. Lights hang from everything. Christmas markets. Everything smells like gingerbread and cinnamon. PRESENTS. No school/work/responsibility for a few days. Snow. Christmas music. Carols. Cake. Reindeer antlers. Decorating the Christmas tree. TINSEL FOR DAYS.<br />
<br />
Every shop window here in Graz has some sort of christmasy display, be it big or small. What matters is that its there. Christmas is alive and well here in my little Austrian hideaway. Lights hang from every building, over the streets and alleyways. There's a giant Christmas tree at Hauptplatz, snow is currently scattered around the city...EVERYTHING IS WONDERFUL.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Franziskanerplatz</td></tr>
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<br />
When I was younger, Christmas meant two things: the first was clearly presents. PRESENTS PRESENTS PRESENTS. As an only child, I got lots of presents. AND I LOVED IT. I still love presents, but I no longer ask for things like giant Barbie Dream Houses or puppies. Now I just want to be with the family, have the most stuff in my stocking, and eat lots of food. Also, now that I'm older, my presents aren't limited to the fluffy Beanie Baby variety. SO MANY MORE OPTIONS!<br />
Now the second meaning of Christmas was the Heinrichs Family Tradition of attending a dinner party on Christmas Eve, one that we've attended for about 18 years of my life. Several families would come together under the roof of one of the nicest, quirkiest, most welcoming and wittiest couples I've had the pleasure of knowing. I looked forward to this night every year. I would don my Christmas dress when I was a wee lass, be paraded about, play with a pack of grandsons and generally eat everything in sight. When I got older, it was a chance to talk to cool liberal adults, eat just as much food, and prove that I, too, could be smart and witty. And we'd sing carols. In recent years, this tradition slowly stopped. This wonderfully warm family lost both a mother and daughter to cancer in but a few short years. And although they're gone, I know I always have 18 perfect Christmas Eves to remember them by. <br />
<br />
Christmas for me has never registered on the religious level. Sure, we'd have a few manger scenes scattered about the house but I attribute this to my mother's Catholic Hispanic heritage rather than any firm belief in the story of the birth of Jesus Christ. We didn't go to mass or church. It just wasn't a thing. Mostly Christmas meant and means family. We'd decorate the house together, decorate the tree as a 3 person family unit. We always did this together, even if it meant waiting until 3 days before Christmas due to university schedules. We use the same ornaments that my dad has had for over 50 years, the same ornaments my mom has had since she began teaching before I was born. Our tree topper is a plastic golden star that belonged to my grandma Leona, which probably cost less than $5 but to me is priceless. We hang stockings for the pets, put up every Christmas card we receive, drink eggnog and listen to the same 4 Christmas albums. We visit family, eat tamales on the "bad" side of town, go to CALM to see the lights and spend stressful evenings wrapping presents before going out into the cold to this or that party. Christmas is when my dad doesn't have to work late, when my mom and I don't argue and when I could put an ugly sweater on my overweight dachshund.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Parents, Christmas 2008</td></tr>
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<br />
And even though I won't be "home" for Christmas this year, I'm still surrounded by the essence of it. Every day in Graz until I leave for England on the 22nd is a merry, Glühwein-filled romp. Christmas lights guide me home from a night out, I see happy families window shopping and eating roasted chestnuts. When I meet my parents in Essex, even though we won't be in California, it'll still be Christmas. And it'll still be our 3 person family unit. And that's what counts. Though, I will miss the tamales....<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Reindeer <3</td></tr>
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kathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06934210860595836760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1616307692799434660.post-37714039840286304892012-12-08T14:01:00.000+01:002012-12-09T14:02:09.342+01:00teaching.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Used this for two lessons on Friday<br />
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It was awesome. <br />Plus, a teacher said I should join the teachers' choir. YEAH BABY.</div>
kathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06934210860595836760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1616307692799434660.post-13586669238341963492012-11-27T16:49:00.002+01:002012-11-28T14:22:28.532+01:00that thing you do.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I've been asked a few times now about the actual teaching aspect of my life. I seem to mention my free time a lot more than my actual real-life work time. I suppose that's how it usually goes, though. It's easier to write about the things that bring me only joy. (like shopping, traveling, eating, drinking, dancing, etc.) Teaching is a tri-faced monster: sometimes its wonderful, delightful and all laughter, sometimes its just okay, varying from good to not so good in one day but manageable, and other times its long, exhausting, frustrating and not my cup of tea. <br />
<br />
Here's a general layout of my week:<br />
- 13 hours in class (around 18 spent at school)<br />
- 1 day off, varying each week <br />
- ages 14-19, divided into 5 years<br />
- 6 very sweet, female English teachers whose classes I visit <br />
- various themes per lesson (Health, Social Media, Travel, Teen Heartbreak) you name it, and I can make a lesson. GOOGLE IS MY BEST FRIEND. <br />
- 1st hour begins at 8. <br />
- 30 minutes to get from my door to school<br />
- lots of time to do whatever I want<br />
<br />
Despite generally enjoying myself at school, I honestly don't think I want to have a career in teaching. At least, not at the high school level. At least, not in an Austrian public school. Maybe I could be a cool AP teacher somewhere. Or a hip young professor of German and the history of Comic Drawing. But, you won't see me subbing at Stockdale High School any time soon. I've been working for almost 3 months now, and I know that's nothing compared to most of you reading this, but I've learned or at least observed a lot in this short about of time. Here are some of those things:<br />
<br />
- in Austrian schools, the teachers change classrooms and the students, for the most part, stay put. THIS IS AWFUL. The teachers never know where they have to go next (as rooms get swapped on a daily basis) and they have to lug everything with them. And stairs are involved. STAIRS.<br />
- Language teachers are always grading something. And that something always looks really time consuming.<br />
- There is no lunch break. Just one 15 minute break between 3rd and 4th lesson.<br />
- My school is not divided into varying levels of difficulty. All kids take the same English, math, chemistry, art, etc. classes. <br />
-Teenagers really don't need to drink coffee. Ever. <br />
- There is no dress code.<br />
- Teenagers can either have as much energy as a pack of gerbils, or as little as a sack of potatoes. Its always the luck of the draw.<br />
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Now, of course there are cool differences in the school system here (kids can specialize in fields they know they're interested in, every graduate of my school can work immediately afterward, their english is better than a college freshman's german, etc.) but it's just easier to focus on the differences that irk me or don't make sense to me or are just..different.<br />
The teachers at my school really want their kids to do well and be useful members of society and all that. But, so far it seems to me that the input of the teachers doesn't seem equal to the output. It's a taxing job and one that probably doesn't get as much gratitude as it deserves. (I think every teacher I know just mumbled "here here!") <br />
<br />
Most of my days are good days, and I've been told by many of my teachers that the kids love me, I did a great lesson, they love listening to me, they're so glad to have me, etc. etc. The praise is wonderful. It makes me feel good about my work and makes me feel like less of a plan-less post-collegiate slacker. Students want to speak English with me (some) or hang out with me or add me on facebook….I get a chorus of hi's in the hallway, or giggles or smiles. It's a really pleasant feeling knowing you're good at what you do, or at least good enough not to totally suck. And I will probably apply to do this for a second year(!) It's fun, I love the lifestyle it affords me, and I think I can hold most of the student's attention for 50 minutes.<br />
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But when that 2nd year is up, I don't know where the wind will take me. I don't want to get a teaching credential, I don't want to get a degree in teaching in Austria…Lord knows what I'll end up doing.</div>
kathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06934210860595836760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1616307692799434660.post-9954150577407168922012-11-22T16:43:00.001+01:002012-11-22T17:33:45.885+01:00thanks.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I'm not normally one to spew sentimental mush all over the place, but I suppose if I were to do it, Thanksgiving would be the perfect day. In honor of this tremendous American holiday (and as a classic tool of procrastination) I've decided to make a list of crap I'm thankful for. It may be long, it may be incredibly short. I'm doing this as I go; would be made better with a bottle of wine but, oh well. Oooh, drunk blogging...this could be my new thing!! Anyway. Here we go. THANKS A MILLION.<br />
<br />
<br />
1. I'm thankful that I can draw better than this<br />
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I mean, c'mon. He doesn't even have a beak! And he's bleeding from an open neck wound. And there is no way those legs could support his lumpy, sagging body. <br />
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2. I'm thankful to be living here in Graz, Austria. I'm mostly thankful to be abroad again, surrounded by a version of German I can sometimes understand, with like-minded worldy people. It helps that Graz is also pretty great. Oh, and I'm thankful I GET PAID TO LIVE HERE.<br />
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3. For a well-brewed pot of tea, I will be eternally grateful. Loose leaf? You're my soulmate. Chai latte? Earl Grey? BLACK TEA BLEND?! Without you, my caffeinated, not coffee friend, I would be lost, cold and sleepy. Thank you for existing. Thank you, China, Japan and the surrounding countries, for perfecting the art of this beautiful beverage. England helped too.<br />
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4. I guess I ought to add my family to the mix. I'm thankful my family spoils me (just a little), that my parents have interesting lives outside of me, that the Heinrichs and Lozano/Mendez clans are spread across the world, that I grew up on Mexican food, and most importantly, that they let me explore this big open world of ours. I couldn't imagine a life stuck in Bakersfield, CA and I have my parents to thank for helping get me the hell out of dodge.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">welcome to my life</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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5. I'm so thankful this happened<br />
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6. I'm really thankful for bears. I mean, they look so soft, fluffy and snuggly. AND YET THEY COULD EAT YOUR FACE OFF. A creature with such a high cute factor plus deadly force is clear proof they are the superior species.<br />
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7. I'm thankful not to have the social skills of a petulant 13 year old, and for all the wonderful friends I have, new and old. Thank you for laughing at my jokes, for letting me be mean to you for the sake of comedy, for buying me drinks, for having a cup of tea with me, for listening to me talk endlessly about boys, for meowing with me, for prrring with me, for letting me sexually harass you in our kitchen (Megan) and for all the other weird shit I sometimes do. You guys are keepers.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">get it?! oliver wood?! HE'S A KEEPER.</td></tr>
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8. I'm thankful for the ability to stop this list whenever I please because it's my blog. Also on that note, thanks for reading, whoever you are. If you're family, friend, foe or some guy who googled "thanksgiving" and got this----thanks.<br />
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Liebe Grüße aus Graz,<br />
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Kat</div>
kathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06934210860595836760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1616307692799434660.post-28427063111525344352012-11-19T21:53:00.001+01:002012-11-19T21:56:16.181+01:00wild thing.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I don't think I have had a more adventurous, alcohol-filled, delightful weekend in quite some time. Basically, my life is the bees' knees. (Or is it the bee's knees? How many bees are there? Bees don't actually have knees. Bee is a really strange word. Bees. Bees. The more you write it, the more peculiar it looks. BEES BEES BEES.)<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">worst. nightmare.</td></tr>
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Erm. Right. WEEKEND. This week, Thor blessed me with a mighty gift, the gift of a four day weekend. I mentally sacrificed many goats and things in his honor. HAIL THOR! (and Odin.) Needless to say I went out with friends Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Mama had to take a break come Saturday. One can only go to bed at 5 am 2 nights in a row---3 becomes excessive.<br />
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I tend to shy away from going out midweek, as I have a tendency to get very stressed about time and things of that like. But Wednesday involved shopping at H&M (obviously), an afternoon drink, giant bowl of ramen, more drinks, followed by more drinks. Then bedtime. My lessons were already prepared so there was no morning panic or anything of the like. It felt very adult, home by 10.30, bed by 11 kind of thing. …Thursday and Friday were entirely different stories. Thursday involved ending up at an Erasmus party and dancing until 4 am. It was a bit odd being around so many exchange students all getting out of their minds drunk…Some Italian grabbed my face and kissed my forehead as I walked by, all the while chanting "bellisima!" or something to that effect. Latins.<br />
Friday involved stuffing our hungover faces with massive burgers, beer, wine, long islands and whatever else we could get our greedy paws on, and ended with ridiculous dancing in the city park in a circular shaped bar. Cool, non? Also several rounds of showtunes may have been sung…Friday was also spent at a HUGE MALL outside the city. Shopping heaven. You all know how much Mama likes shopping. SO GREAT. Also..<br />
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WE GOT PAID THURSDAY HALLELUJAH! Man, money is awesome. I'm like, employed and stuff. Weird. <br />
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On Saturday, my greatest achievement was buying groceries and making tamale pie round two. Just as good as round one, don't fret. I also gave myself a haircut. Not just bangs trimming but full blown, all around my head haircut. Its relatively uneven but kind of edgy? I don't look homeless or bald so, I'm not complaining. NEW CAREER OPTION?! I'll probably be finding tiny purple hairs all over my room for the next month, but whatever. I'm so hip. …Anyone need a trim?! Heh heh heh…<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">not too horrendous</td></tr>
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Boys have also played a relatively large role in this week's events. Oh, Austrians! So peculiar yet intriguing. Quite different from American lads. I think. I don't know. The whole male species baffles me to no end. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">am i right?</td></tr>
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And last, but not least, I spent today in SLOVENIA! For just €14 I had a to and return ticket to the delightful little city of Maribor, Slovenia. I LEFT THE COUNTRY. It took exactly 1 hour to do this. EUROPE IS MADNESS. But, I will devote a full entry thing to all things Slovenian at another time. GET PUMPED.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">it wasn't sunny today.</td></tr>
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I know you're all waiting with bated breath.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">lawl.</td></tr>
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kathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06934210860595836760noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1616307692799434660.post-13480939424179555102012-11-13T20:55:00.000+01:002012-11-14T18:45:43.203+01:00ketchup.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I suppose this is the point where I should recap all that's been going on in my cozy little world here in Graz. I'M BEHIND WITH EVERYTHING. Because of this, I'm going to be a lazy sack of potatoes and use bullet points instead of real, fleshed out paragraphs. DEAL WITH IT. First, we need to go back to the beginning. Well, not the real beginning but 2 weeks ago. (Oh God it's been two weeks already?!)<br />
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▪ Halloween: because I'm something of a genius, I hosted a Pre-Halloween party for all my pals who didn't have anything better to do on a Tuesday night. I hung jack-o-lantern bunting, placed autumn candles here and there, served candy corn and alcohol, and crammed in about as many people as my apartment can handle. Nearly had the police called on me but NARROWLY AVOIDED THAT HASSLE. only due to noise, and probably an open window. woops. So, people paraded into my home with an assortment of 'stumes (short for costumes, obvi.) We had Wednesday, Pugsley and Gomez Adams, Princess Bubblegum, Don Draper, Katnis, two body suits, two animal onesies, a lumberjack, Shaggy, some others, and of course myself as a zombie cat princess. After thinning the crowd to about 10, we scampered off to a club and danced the night away to salsa. At one point, some random fellow grabbed me by the arm, posed with me for a photo, then let me go. ..So I'm in some rando's picture. Cool. (I was totes into it.) Naturally didn't go to bed until 6.30 am but, hey, I had the week off. LIVING LARGE, MY FRIENDS! The next night I went to a friend's Halloween party and danced the night away, well, until 1 am because I was snoozy and danced myself home.<br />
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▪ Then Munich happened.<br />
▪ Before I left for Munich, I decided that I was going to take part in NaNoWriMo, which is National Novel Writing Month. It's now an international thing, but whatver. In this month one must write a 50k word novel by the end of November. Now, i happened to be traveling for the 1st four days of this month so needless to say I'M SO BEHIND GOSH. But! I have nearly 5k written, and so far it has made two people snuffle with laughter when they read it, so I'm doing something right. I'm not too worried about the deadline, because I haven't really even tried to arrange my life accordingly for this project. (I spent last weekend talking about boys and being drunk in the city so, there went 3 more days of writing!) Here's an excerpt: <br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"> "She had a bad habit of losing track of time, just like now. She'd managed to walk the last 15 without realizing she'd reached her destination. Autopilot was in full swing and even when the familiar scents of grease and mayonnaise drowned her nostrils, she didn't quite register her surroundings. Not until she was confronted with the reality of two things: one, she was caught talking to herself by her "superior" and two, a small boy was licking syrup off the counter. Wren swallowed a sudden buildup of bile and did her best to walk past the child in question without projectile vomiting. Why did people reproduce again? Beside the boy sat a balding, egg-shaped man of roughly 40, who seemed to be chewing his French Toast as if it were a cow's cud. Clearly the pinnacle of human evolution. Wren wondered how many stomachs he had…She walked past the disillusioned shell of a man that was Mr. Walkins, senior manager of the Jump-N-Jive Diner! (Yes, the "n" was capitalized, and yes, there was an exclamation point.) Both of these facts were speeding the process of Wren's loss of faith in humanity. And unfortunately this was a process that needed no help. She walked past the grotesquely fascinating father and son pair, past an elderly woman stirring spoonful after spoonful of sugar into her coffee and finally reached a door that read 'Employee's Only.' "</span></span><br />
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• Last Weekend: My friend Teresa, whom I met at orientation, lives in an itty bitty village about 2 hrs away and as it was her birthday today, she came to Graz for the weekend for some pre-birthday fun times! We spent Friday catching up, shopping for snacks, eating pizza and playing story cubes. Don't know what story cubes are? You're missing out. Of course we spent the evening talking about life, the universe and everything. She even gave me sage boy advice. Can never have enough sage boy advice. Saturday was spent eating the food we bought, roaming the streets of Graz and buying presents for ourselves because a) it was her birthday and b) I get paid Thursday! That evening we attended a birthday potluck for our friend Jen, from Scotland. SO MUCH FOOD. Teresa and I made a most successful tamale pie. TAKE THAT AUSTRIAN INGREDIENTS! I plan on making it again. Soon. After feasting and drinking lots of wine, the night went on to include 4 more bars. YEEHAW. Now that's how you turn 22. Sunday was spent being generally hungover, but happy. We tried to watch the rugby game at a pub in town but alas, it wasn't meant to be. Instead we ate lots of cheap schnitzel. What else are you supposed to do on a Sunday?<br />
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And that brings us to now, more or less. I'm currently planning on going to Bratislava, Slovakia this weekend and WAS INVTED TO MAKE PARTY with the younger teachers this Friday. MAKE PARTY YES! I am so pleased! I hope it pans out :D There are some other things I hope pan out but, we shall see. Fingers crossed and all that..<br />
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On that cryptic note, TOODLES!<br />
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Or, as they say here in Austria: Ciao, Servus, Pfirdi, Baba! <br />
yes, that's one round of goodbye...</div>
kathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06934210860595836760noreply@blogger.com0