Nomadic Adventures

"We must take adventures in order to know where we truly belong."

I left you a piece of my heart in your beautiful masterpieces of nature we call mountains. You've brought a certain happiness in me that I never thought possible.

As soon as I arrived in interlaken I knew we were going to have a great weekend. There was simply something in the air and the people that bring your spirits up right away. It was late at night as we arrived at the Bed and Breakfast so we didn't get to see the scenery, but once we started to walk around town we could see the outline of the majestic mountains we were surrounded by in the land between lakes.

We woke up Friday to one of the best breakfasts I've ever had. We had yogurt with granola along with swiss cheese and salami, and outstanding rasberry jam with homemade bread. The best start to a fantastic weekend ahead.

And then.. the adventure in Switzerland began! I wanted to paraglide more than anything since the confirmation of this Eurotrip and thankfully I had a great friend to share the experience with since she was up for trying firsts with me! We were picked up by a Twin Paragliding van and taken to the site where we got all of our gear. We got our shoes on and got on the road without wasting any time! I wasn't scared or hesitant until we started to reach higher altitudes on the mountain where I realized this was actually happening, and we weren't just "talking" about it but actually doing! We reached the highest the van could go and hiked the rest of the way to the "take-off" mountain site.

Overwhelemed by the beauty ahead of me, my pilot suit me up with equipment and proceeded with instructions and safety talk, which to be honest I might have not been paying attention to since I was too invested in soaking up nature's beauty. Marcel, my pilot was great and made me feel safe at all times. (I highly recommend Twin Paragliding if you ever find yourself in Interlaken) And then we were.. "ready" to set sail. Once hooked up to the parachute Marcel told me to run as fast as I could so I followed orders and sprinted like never before. Next thing I know the ground and my feet aren't in contact anymore and we were in the air flying into the most surreal view.

As I looked around my heart was filled with bliss and everything bad went away as if it never existed nor was given importance. Invincible, almost as if I was on top of the world and in that moment nothing could stop me. A sensation that sparks your soul and for that short amount of time you learn to apperciate life even more because it is simply too short not to be grateful for everything around us. I couldn't be more thankful for my life and what I know is ahead of me.

After a few minutes of smooth sailing over the lakes Marcel asked me if I wanted to do a few spins in the air and how could I say no? We started alternating directions as the air and parachute worked together to make me feel as if I was riding a rollercoaseter! I was liberated by thin air. I didn't want it to end, but all good things come with a limit! After few minutes we alnded and it was over, but the feeling stayed alive within me as it always will!

Once Laura landed we got our pictures and went on our way to the next adventure in this wanderlust land.

Lauterbrunnen was our next stop from which we took a bus thena cable-lift up to Gimmelwald. We arrived at Mountain Hostel and couldn't be more in love with Switzerland and what it had already given us within a few minutes. (yes, a thirty second dance party was called for) There was absolutely no one around. We found our third travel parter, Josh, at the bar next door with the biggest smile on his face and a big mug of beer. We all reunited and catched up for a couple of hours then decided to adventure around town.

Winter wonderland seemed like a never-ending exploration in the making. We went on our way to explore by hiking a few miles up to Murren. An hour later and we arrived! Surprisingly it was not very cold and since it was qutie a steep hike we were mostly hot and ironically surrounded by snow. After heading back down from Murren and rested a bit before dinner next door. After dinner, we decided to embrace our inner child spirit and played around with sleds on the snow. Laura held my jacket as I went down the hill on a sled and was not supposed to let me go so I wouldn't wreck, but as you can imagine inertia was not in our favor or shall I say mine. One minute I hear: "I got you, dont worry!" and after a few seconds I hear: "Oh, shit!!" and it was literally down hill from there... pun intended. I ended up doing a whole 180 and ran into a pile of snow as I fell over. Unstoppable laughter was initiated immediately after embarrasing myself and I realized these are the small moments I live for that become nostalgic memories.

Saturday morning arrived way too son and time was passing us by as we haad the time of our lives. Josh and Laura left early to Murren and wouldn't be back for a couple of hours. In the mean time, I decided to explore a new hiking trail by myself. I picked a route from the map and followed the trail. Two miles later I found a bench overlooking the town and a straight view of the mountains. The more time I spent with the moutains, the more I continued to fall in love. From left to right all I could see beyond me were moutains over mountains on top of mountains. How could such extraordaniray and breathtaking beauty exist? I was impressed by nature as it seduced me with its charm.

I stayed for a while to have some alone and self-reflection time as I enjoyed the moment. I started to hike back down and ran into Laura and Jsoh back at the hostel. We hiked back up to Murren from which we took a trolley up to Sonnenberg. Most of the people were either skiing or sledding down the mountain, but we hiked down and were able to appreciate our surroundings. Once we reached the bottom we went to get dinner at a local restaurant which ended up being one of the best decisions ever! We all wanted to try a typical "Swiss" dish that wasn't foundue. We came across a dish called "Rostii" which is served in different ways but based on potatoes. I had the "vegetarian" while Josh and the sausage and Laura the chicken. Safe to say we didn't exchange many words at dinner.. meaning the food was absolutely delicious. Afterwards, we played pool for a little while before heading back to the hostel. Josh and I went tot he bar next door for a couple of drinks and good conversation along with free coffee cake given to us by the awesome bartender.

Sunday arrived without an invitation. We woke up early and headed back to Interlaken to enjoy one last stroll around town before heading back to Verona. We ran into a Swiss chocolate store and as you can imagine we got some for our friends and family as well as for ourselves. To say it was heaven in chocolate form would be an understatement. Afterwards, we got some hot chocolate and walked around one last time before going back to the train station.

As the train moved away from Switzerland I couldn't help but think I was where I belonged for the tiem being. I enjoyed a perfect weekend in a haeavenly place along with great company and couldn't have asked for more as the simple things in life are what matter most.

Switzerland, you have left me with void to fill up again. I hope we can meet again someday.

"I just want to go on more adventures. Be around good energy. Connect with people. Learn new things. Grow."

Tuesday, January 27th

What better to do on a Tuesday afternoon after the second day of classes? Wine tasting! 

About 30 minutes east of Verona a beautiful winery, Cantina di Soave, can be found up on a hill. As we arrived we soon started the tour and walked around where wine was kept. It was entertaining to learn about what kinds of wine stay longer than others and based on the wine the kind of temperature it must be kept under. 

According to our guide, Cantina di Soave was founded in 1898 and its reputation follows today. The vineyard is famous for its use of the area's native growth of the garganega grape to produce their wine. Cantina di Soave is known mostly for their white wines but offer a wide selection of red wines as well as sparkling wine. As we continue our tour we learned about how weather conditions may affect production of certain wines and sometimes have to throw away years of production because of the weather. 

After walking through the establishment we got to sit down and actually try the famous wines! We were offered four different wines. Apparently, it is proper to smell the wine with the glass on the table and locate yourself on top of the glass rather than move the glass towards your face. If you really want to blend in with the italian way of drinking wine then hold the glass by either its lower stem or simply hold the glass by its base. Also, to determine the amount of alcohol a wine has you should swirl the glass slowly enough to raise it within the glass. The content can be measured by the time interval it takes for the wine to return to the bottom of the glass and the ridges around the inside of the glass. 

The first wine we had was white and slightly too sweet for my personal taste but regardless it was very tasteful. Next was a light red which for me was one of my favorites that I could possibly drink a glass of every day! One glass a day keeps the doctor away, right? My least favorite came up next which was another red but a little darker and stronger than the previous one. To me, it tasted no different than a regular cabernet so it was not too special. The last one was definitely one to remember! It is a type of wine called Amarone. It was very strong and definitely something you could enjoy two or three times a year with the right meal. 

Once finished there was the option to buy the wine in the shop which was located across from the room. Everyone took some time and looked and picked out what they wanted. Afterwards, we walked across the street for dinner which was set and waitin for us. The location and set up of the room was absolutely stunning. As I sat down and noticed there were four forks placed around my plate I then knew it was going to be a rather long meal including four courses, one per fork. First we were served a light pasta with duck on top. Next was a cheezy and delightful risotto that I could not possibly finish even if I wanted to. The main course included steam pork, potatoes, and peas. Finally, dessert consisted of gelato combined with a small fruit cake along with a extremely sweet white wine which I was not a fan of. 

All in all, Cantina di Soave and dinner was a complete success and definitely worth the 30 minute drive! The night ended with, how I've always heard; "barriga llena, corazon contento"! 

Sunday, January 25th. 

Today was the first day we did not have any group activities planned and also the last day before classes start. Some of us chose to do the Verona City Pass which includes fifteen attractions in Verona all for fifteen euros; including the Arena, Castelvecchio, Juliet's Balcony, etc. Others went to a Verona soccer game and Lake Garda. 

I highly recommend the Verona City Pass. In one day we explored Verona inside and out! It was a little hectic since there were twelve of us, but it was worth it! Personally I did not want to overlook Verona and take it for granted. Even though we are staying here for the majority of the time during the week we simply go to class and plan to leave out of town for the weekend. There's much more to Verona than just the attractions, but hopefully in time I will get to wander and find more gems within the city. 

We started out at the Arena di Verona which is located in Piazza Bra. The Arena is a Roman amphitheater built in the 1st century and it is the third largest Roman amphitheater. Originally, its purpose was to entertain the people with bloody carnage from gladiators fighting each other. After many hundreds of years being empty, the Arena opened again around the 1900's for the use of the opera. Walking into the Arena was eye-opening. The structure, the marble, the size, etc was astonishing and beyond beautiful. From the top of the Arena you can see Piazza Bra and the life within Verona with its colorful walls and busy streets. 

Next up was Museo di Castelvecchio! I can't say this is my favorite because there are many things about Verona I've fallen in love with, but this museum is definitely at the top! The medieval castle was built in the 14th century and belonged to the Della Scala family whom, at the time, ruled Verona. It wasn't until later that the castle was used as a fort against the French during the late 1700's revolt. Well, Szymon says anyway. The castle is used today as an art gallery featuring medieval and renaissance artworks. We went in as a group and everyone just kind of went their own way. I like to sit back and enjoy the museum slowly and go through everything in depth. Surprisingly so did my friend David! Everyone got ahead of us, but we did not mind since we were enjoying and exploring the artwork along the way. It was interesting to see the different pieces of work and how easy it was to tell from the style of the work the time period it was in. Castelvecchio is a "must go" in Verona! 

And so we are off to Torre dei Lamberti! The tower is located in Piazza Erbe and it is the tallest tower in Verona. Even though the view is absolutely spectacular and breathtaking one must first take 368 adventorous steps to get the top! Once you're at the top you feel as if you were in the center of Verona, mostly because you literally are! Enjoying the view definitely made me feel in absolute zen until it we realize the bell was going to go off soon and started sprinting down the stairs in order to keep our ability to hear. 

Afterwards, the group headed towards the Centro Internazionale di Fotografia aka photography exhibit. Another top of my list in Verona was this gem! I enjoy photographers and their work a lot so I appreciated this exhibit a little more than others. The cool part about this place was underground and in between Roman ruins. Every month the center exhibits a different photographer, in this case it was Tina Modotti. The group continued their fast-paced "go go go" mindset as I stayed behind and explored the exhibition. Definitely worth going! 

Hint: "What's in a name? That which we call a rose.By any other word would smell as sweet."

Answer: Juliet's Balcony! 

Of course we had to take the liberty to visit Juliet's house! How could we not? Ironic enough the guys were not into it at all! Walking into Juliet's house you can find many love notes all over the walls right before entering the actual balcony as it is not allowed to stick them on the walls, but if one wishes to write to Juliet, there is a mailbox available which is supposed to deliver the letters. We went into the house and took some pictures at the balcony. Outside the house you can find a statue of Juliet which is famous as she has one breast covered and another one uncovered. Who knew rubbing Juliet's breast gives you good fortune in love? 

Chiesa di Santa Anastasia was next on the list! This is probably my absolute favorite church in Verona! It is the largest church of Verona and it is a prime example of Gothic architecture that was dominant in the Dominican house of the Catholic church. The interior of the church is absolutely breathtaking. Everywhere you look there is a piece of art and a story behind it. 

Once we started to head back to the Residence it was inevitable to grab some gelatto after a long day of adventures. After walking approximately 12 miles around the city we finally got back home! 

Verona keeps unfolding itself to me as I continue to realize this is my home for the next few months and I couldn't be happier. 

Verona, Verona, Verona. 

I can't get enough of this city. There is always something to do and somewhere to discover. Waking up today, Saturday, January 24th, took a little more work than usual. We had to be up and going by 9:15 am. The group all got together in the lobby and Marco took the lead on the city tour. It was a very cold morning to start off with and not enough breakfast food in our stomachs! We didn't really know what to prepare for or what we were going to do. 

We started walking towards the inner city. This is definitely my favorite thing to do so far, simply walk. Even when you aren't actively doing something that requires more acknowledgement you are absorbing all of the surroundings and atmosphere. Walking and exploring Verona, for me, is very peaceful. No rush, just you and the city. 

We walked around Piazza Erbe and other gems of Verona. Our last stop was breathtakingly beautiful. We walked about 250 stair steps high up on a mountain that leads to the peak of the city. From the view you can see as far as the city goes. It was astonishing. I had never seen something so beautiful and historical all wrapped up in one. 

After enjoying the view for about thirty minutes our advisors released us to do whatever we pleased. Surprisingly enough we were starving and started to look for a place to eat. Schyzmon showed us a local sandwhich shop on the way back to the Residence. I had a pizza and water all for 4 euros! We started to walk home and stopped by a bakery where everyone got a different pastry to try. Deliciosos! 

We finally headed back to the Residence. Paige and I took a nap, except she slept a lot more. Afterwards we cooked dinner and some of the group got together to go out. We headed to Piazza Erbe again since there is a selection of wine bars, but couldn't make a decision so headed back home and ran into a bar called Offline. It was awesome! The bartenders were a lot more welcoming than other bars towards foreigners. Some of us got wine and others beer. After a while, one of the servers came to our table with a round of shots and said it was on the house so we are definitely going back to this place. We hung out for a bit enjoying the drinks and good conversation then came back to the Residence to be up bright and early the next day! 

We arrived in Verona at exactly 9:55 am. 

Where to go? What to do? Soon we got out of the plane and followed the rest of the group as if we knew were we where and what we were doing. After we got our luggage, we headed towards transportation. There was must confusion on whether to go with the taxi or a bus. Eventually, we realized that there weren't any buses around, so taxi it is! Someone had started to say that it would be 30 euros per person to take the taxi. Our taxi driver laughed and sait if we wish it to be that way that it was okay with him. As he drove away from the airport and towards the Residence, I noticed the driving in Italy reminded me a lot of the driving in Puerto Rico. Laws without laws! 

I never realy knew how it felt to be around a languge I didn't understand until now. Since spanish is so close to italian it is easy for me to pick up conversations and understand what people are saying, but to build up the confidence and security to attempt to speak the language is a little more challenging than I thought. What if I say it wrong? What if they laugh? By this point I feel like what the heck not? I am here for the experience, might as well live a little and learn some italian, right?

Once we arrived at the Residence everyone was anxious and ready to get their room key and of course, the wi-fi password. Paige and I got settled in our apartment and took a shower to reboot. It had been a rough sixteen hours of nonstop traveling. Though showering cost us to be late to the group lunch it was well worth it! Communicaton is such a challenge within the group because we didn't have wi-fi for the longest time and the only way to talk to each other is through Group Me and email. How are we supposed to know when and where to be? 

Szymon, one of the professors, took us a couple of blocks down to Piazza San Zeno. It was absolutely beautiful! The tiles, the shops, the vibrant yet mellow colors everywhere! We ended up eating at one of the local restaurants at the plaza. Surprisngly enough we all got pizza. I had the proscioutto e funghi aka ham and mushrooms. At the restaurant I learned that italians enjoy sparkling water rather than natural and find it funny how americans don't like it. It took a while to get service due to the fact that waitors don't make their money off tips. Iit isn't really a common thing to "split" checks, so we just all pitched in how much you were accounted for. 

After lunch, we walked around the main plaza and walked by the San Zeno Maggiore Basilica. The church has, according to Szymon, been there since the 6th century! To walk where many have many many years ago was astonishing. How can so much beauty hold during that many years? And still it did. I have to admit I have already fallen in love with Verona and it's barely been a day! 

Today is the day! 

I am finally on my way to Verona, Italia! For so long it had been all talk about studying abroad, but today I realized that it is real! I woke up with mixed feelings this morning. I felt ready for te adventure, but questioning if I was realy ready to spend the next three months somewhere of the unknown with people I've never met before. Now I see it's part of the experience, and there is nothing I love more than a challenge to keep me on my toes! There's no limit to how many new experiences you can have in this world and I plan on taking as many as possible!

As I passed through security, I looked back to see my mom and siblings waving goodbye then realized this wasn't just a few days or a week. Three months living in a new place with new people and not having the availability to just call home or drive if I wanted to. When I got to the gate I soon met up with some of the students from the program, including my roommate! I felt comfort knowing I wasn't traveling alone. As soon as the plane started to move I fell asleep in a heartbeat for about forty minutes. Unfortunately, I couldn't fall asleep the rest of the way. I was too excited and axious to finally arrive and get going. 

After seven hours and forty minutes, we finally arrived to... PARIS! It was shocking to see how quickly you can tell the cultural differences. As soon as I stepped off the plane, I felt intimidated by the way people stare and rudely stormed pass me. The language and social norms took me by surprise, but it was refreshing to see and put in action the way to handle things as you get around. 

We went through customs and a very "friendly" french man stamped my passprt and it finally felt real! I am officially in Europe! I couldn't feel more excited for what's about to come my way!