The opposite of a tell all.

I have now been back from my eurotour for two weeks now, and my mother finds it less than amusing that I have yet to write a blog about it. Considering she paid for the trip, I figured I owe her some sort of news. Before going on the tour, Rotary kept telling us that it would be the best two weeks of my life. I would think it safe to say that it was not. However, it was perfect in every single way, and I would not have had it any differently. Maybe not the best, but definitely one of them. I enjoyed the trip thoroughly, not just for the sights, but for the people as well. The other exchange students, and the energy they bring to everything we did, made it all worth while. Had I made this trip alone, yes it would have been cool, but no where near as special, as it was with the people I have grown to love, and cherish as a second family. We started the trip off nice and early, leaving from Oldenburg. We spent the first day in the bus, making a quick stop on the border to France, to visit an old Cathedral. Unfortunately, I forgot to pay attention when they were telling us about the history of the Cathedral, so I have absolutely no idea what its importance is. That night, we arrived in Straussburg, France. Needless to say it was beautiful. We spent two days there, which were amazing. While there I roomed with Melissa from Mexico and Veronica from Venezuela (Hello Spainish= very confusing conversations) which was really cool, and I got to know them a bit better. The first (and last) full day in France was spent with the American girls, walking around, exploring the city. We went shopping, and walked around the city center. We went and sat at this cute little cafe that overlooked the river that runs through the town. Then we walked around some more, and found a quiet spot on the river bank, and sat there and talked a bit. Then we went and grabbed some lunch, accompanied by ice cream. I swear-I ate ice cream every day of that trip! Nothing can beat European ice cream. It's a wonder that I didn't gain any weight from this tour. We had to meet the rotarians and the other exchange students by the cities main Cathedral at 2, so on the way there, we bumped into the Brazilians, and stayed with them for a bit. Just a little hint. This is Central Europe, so naturally everything is very picturesque. Also, it was France, so pretty touristic, so it's made so that you can get in touch with your "romantic side". There were street musicians every five feet. So naturally we found the Brazilians with them, singing and dancing. Then Kenzie and I saw an artist, drawing a picture of Marianna, so we decided we wanted one too. So for 15 minutes each, we had our pictures done. At first I thought mine looked exactly like me, but the longer I looked at it, the more I realized it was totally different. Life lesson-don't buy into the tourist crap. It really is fake. Then we went to the church, and from there we all climbed on this little boat, completely made of windows, and did a tour of the city by boat. From the boat, we saw the European nations building, some old castles, and some very touristic sites. Then we were given free time again until six. My friend Hanna and I went back to the Hotel to sleep, and get ready for dinner. Then when we got out of the Hotel, it was raining, so we rain through the streets, until we got to the restaurant we supposed to eat dinner at. Growing up in America, you always see commercials, trying to advertise how their food is "real" French Cuisine. Well they are way off. But then again, I think french food overrated. That night I just wondered around the city with friends, talking, until curfew. Thank goodness I stayed in a group. On these tours we are given free time and a map and set free, and I cannot comprehend a map by any means, so I need all the help I can get. But I do have to say my map reading skills have improved sufficiently. Anyway, the next day we headed off to Luzern, Switzerland. There, we have to convert our money, into Francs. Stupidly, I converted 30 euros, and I had to use it all up in the one day we were in Switzerland. So then I had to be very careful with my money the rest of the trip, because I spent two days worth of money in one day. Anyway, Luzern was a very nice surprise. I was a little bit upset we were going there, instead of somewhere cooler, but I am in fact, very happy that we did go. It was just so beautiful. The sight I saw there was indescribable, and no photo can ever do it any justice. It was purely magnificent in every way. After going with the Rotarians to this statue/fountain thing that I have no idea what it actually was, we had free time. So me and the American girls, and Emily, Franco, and Truman, all went back to the street that runs along the lake (stunning). We bumped into Gustavo there, and after walking a bit we saw everyone else. Then we saw something way cooler. A hippie parade. Coming down the street, there was a ton of smoke, and loud folk music, and homemade street cars, and wagons. hundreds of people walking, laughing, drinking, talking, dancing, smoking, singing, doing everything imaginable. Every wagon had different music, and about twenty people. So the we all hopped into the middle of this "parade" and danced and walked along with. Definitely a high on life moment. That night, we went back to this spot, and they had set up camp under the trees, and there was a concert going there, so we went and danced along with. For me, every day was a bit of a culture shock. From one day I went from hearing German, to French, then to german then back to french, then italian, and then swiss german. Then more french. Then Austrian German. Then czech. I have to say that is the strangest language I have ever heard in my life. Anywho, I really loved being in Switzerland. Later that night we got back to the Hostel, and all sat downstairs, Dudu and Gabriel playing the guitars and ukuleles, with all of us singing. The next morning, we woke up early, and were told to wear clothes that could get dirty. Then we drove in the bus for a couple of hours, and arrived in some mountains. I sat next to Gussie Bussie (Gustavo) on the bus, and we listened to his ipod and talked, which was really nice. That's what I love most about Eurotour. Getting to talk to people I don't get to talk to very often. Anyway, when we arrived we got off the bus and were met by these two men, dressed in overalls wearing gumboots. They had the THICKEST swiss german accents ever, and I could not understand a word. They had us suited up with hard hats, and gumboots, and off we went into the the third largest cave system in the world. After climbing up the mountain a bit, we entered the cave. It was really slippery and muddy. Needless to say, it was pretty cool. But at one point, he had us turn our lights off and walk in the dark for ten minutes. Scariest thing ever. According to him, this is what it was like to be blind. Everything was black, not even a hint of light to be seen. Eventually we were able to turn our lights back on and the tour was pretty much finished. We entered this big cave thing toward the end, that had some lights and little prop up tables every where. There we had our packed lunches and took a lot of photos. Then we got back on the bus and rode the rest of the day to Italy. Absolutely beautiful! And thankfully back to a currency I actually understood. To me that was more important than the language! The first two days, we spent in Lavagna. On the first night, our Rotex Okko took us all down to the beach, which was a lot of fun. I didn't really like the beaches in Lavagna, because there was no sand, it was only rocks. Then some of us dipped our feet in the water. Then Rene splashed water on Melissa and it was an all out water war. Every one was in the water squirming splashing around laughing and screaming. Fully dressed mind you. Our rotex shook his head, saying he knew he should have told us to bring a bathing suit, but in all honesty, had we brought them, we wouldn't have used them, because swimming with our clothes on made for better laughs. Four crazy brazilian boys accepted a dare from our rotex. To strip down naked and run screaming down the beach. Naturally we had an interesting night. Then some of the boys put their underwear back on, and insisted on wearing only that back to the hotel. So of course, they recieved plenty of honks and calls from passing cars. Ohh Italy, a country that makes exchange students even crazier than they already are. Then the next morning we were loaded once more on the bus, and we drove for like 20 minutes through the city, and arrived in St. Margehrita. There we had to wait half an hour for the ferry, so the guitar was broken out, and we were all singing and dancing, as is usual for exchange students. Once again it was a major high on life moment. The energy, and character, and the love of life I get in these moments are simply incredible. When the ferry got there we continued singing and dancing, much to the amusement of the other passengers. Then we arrived in Portofino. Drop. Dead. Gorgeous. And I mean that in every sense. I got separated from the American girls, so I spent the day with some of the brazilians. I don't really understand what they are saying, but sometimes I can understand the topic, and who feels what about it. But thats about it. Dudu was there, so the whole time we walked through the city, he was strumming away on the guitar, with us singing along. We went inside this old castle and stood at the highest point of the Island. Then we climbed to the edge of the cliff, holding hands, trying not to look down. At around three, we headed back to St. Margehrita and laid out on the beach. The water was really warm, so I went swimming with some of the Brazilian girls, and Gustavo. Then I went exploring with Kenzie and Gustavo. Afterwards, we all watched the Brazilians play soccer against some Italians on the beach, and get their butts kicked. That night once back at the Hotel, we ate our dinner, and then we headed back down to the beach. I stayed on the rocks with Hanna, Gustavo and Daniel, and talked the rest of the night. A lot of other things happened that night. All I can say is, that the next morning, everyone was tired, and Ana had the nickname Scar face, and I lost the ring I bought in France, and Hannas Northface is forever burried under rocks on an Italian beach. The next day we drove to Florence. Let me just say this-Italy is EXPENSIVE. The first day in Florence, I went shopping with Emily, Mikayla, and Kait. Then we met up with an Italian boy, who was on exchange in Emilys town last year. He showed us around, and we got pretty lost. Then we had lunch at this cute little pizza place, and then slowly wandered through this flea market. Once again. Don't fall for this. I bought a ring from one of the vendors, and it broke the next day. Also, don't ever look at the men looking around trying to catch your eye. They are going to try and sell you fake name brand bags. And if you make eye contact, you're done for. They won't be leaving you alone. They scream from their stalls about how pretty you are, and how just because you are such a good person, they will make a special price for you. Don't ever go for their asking price. It can be bargained. I got that ring for three euros, when he originally wanted twenty-five. Afterwards, we went to the church, and there we met all the other exchange students. This church is gorgeous. It's made of marble, and is basically white, with a golden dome, but when the light hits it, it flows into different colours of pink, blue, yellow, and green. It's impossible to describe. The next day we got in the bus once more, and were headed to Lido di Jesolo. Yes this is still in Italy. On the way there, we made a pitstop. In Pisa. As in, the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Pretty cool. The moment our bus pulled up in the parking lot, it was surrounded by these men, arms full of fake bags, and holding trays of sunglasses, hoping we would buy from them. One of the rotary woman got off the bus first and screamed at them to go away, that we werent allowed to buy anything. Only some of them went away. The moment we got off they were calling out, trying to get us to buy their things. Some of them tried to convince us by calling us Lady Gaga. Anyway we eventually made it to the Tower, which was amazing. We were able to climb all the way to the top. Took forever though, and I was really scared climbing up, since the steps are slanted.anyway, the view from the top is memorizing. Then we went into the church next to it, and I had had my flag wrapped around me, as a joke. It got really hot, so I took it off. Then one of the security guards ran over to me and told me to put it back on, because I wasn't dressed properly for a church. Surprise of my life. Not really, but I was a bit surprised at how strict the Italian churches are. Every time we went to a church, we had to either wrap scarves around our shoulders or waists, so it was suitable to go inside. Walking back to the bus, it was just Kait and I. Kait made the fatal mistake of making eye contact with one of the guys with the bags, and we were surrounded. more and more kept coming and blocking our way, and the bus was still pretty far away. they were getting louder and louder and more kept coming, so we looked and each other and said "run?" so we held hands and pushing through the guys, sprinting screaming across the parking lot, until we got onto the bus, collapsing on the ground laughing, with everyone staring at us. So, from there, we traveled further to Lido di Jesolo. We arrived there early afternoon, so we spent the rest of the day  on the beach. I have to admit, I was a little bit sunburnt. Then the next day, I'm going to call sundress day. Basically every female exchange student was wearing a sundress, and all the guys looked like they were vacation ready. That day, we used a public bus, and rode it to this ferry thing. Then we rode the ferry, right into the heart of Venice. This is what I was looking forward to the most on the trip. Unfortunately, I was a bit disappointed in Venice. It was exactly what I expected, which I guess was the problem. I think I needed to have gone in an off season, and explored it a bit deeper. But there are so many tourists you can hardly walk, and I find it a shame that such a famous and beautiful city, is now subject to the cheesiness of tourism. Regardless, it is a fascinating city. We started the day off with a tour of the city, and a visit to the main church, where we once again had to break out the scarfs and shawls. Then after we had free time, so I went with some of the American girls, and Truman, to a pizza place, tucked away in a little alleyway. It was such a nice afternoon. We sat there for a couple hours, and toward the end, I realized there was wifi, so I broke out my ipod, and we skyped Raul for a little bit. Then we explored Venice. We visited the Grand canal, and then on the walk back to the main square we walked in and out of the cute little stores. There were a lot of stores meant for masks, which are used for Karneval. Which is really big in Italy. Then as we were walking across this little bridge, I hear my name called out. Docked to the walkway, are two Gondolas, each full of Brazilians. They needed four more people, and then they would be able to ride it for pretty cheap. So we agreed to it. For thirty minutes, we rode in these gondolas, talking and laughing. It was truly beautiful. The water is a pretty blue color, but at the same time, you dont want to dip your feet in it, because of how filthy dirty it is. The chemicals, and waste in the water is shocking. We ended the day, sitting on the docks, writing in our journals, and I once again had one of those high on life moments. They come randomly, and when I am most peaceful, and relaxed. Then we got onto the next ferry back to Lido di Jesolo, and went back to the hotel. It was Kenzie's birthday, so we decided to go out and celebrate. This would be the second night were not much can be explained. All I can say is that it was lots of fun, we made new friends, and Kenzie became a mermaid. The next day, was a free day, and we could choose between staying on the beach, or going back to Venice. We all decided to go to the beach. I guess we were all just kinda done with tourists. Anyway, I was as red as a lobster, and at one point the Rotary ladies made me go inside, cause they were afraid something might happen. That night I used a TON of creme. That was also a good and interesting night. The next day, we went to Vienna. We were on the bus for ten hours, so I was in sweatpants...because they were the only thing that wasnt totally painful to wear. My sunburn hurt so bad, I couldn't walk straight, and it hurt to sit. We arrived a little bit late in Vienna, and so we went straight to dinner. That night we all went to the center together, but didn't do that much. The next morning, we went to the castle where Marie Antoinette grew up. It was so nice! Then we were dropped off in the middle of nowhere and told to be on a certain street later that night. I spent the day with Mikayla, Emily, and Truman, and we pretty much just looked around, shopped, and went to a church. Then we went back to the Hotel for dinner, and we all went out again. The next day, we left for Prague. On the way there, we made a small detour. It was a rope climbing course. We were given harnesses, and hard hats, and a quick lesson, just to make sure we don't die. Scariest thing ever. We were hundreds of feet from the ground, with swinging ropes and pieces of wood behind us, and a thin rope holding us up. I liked the parts where I could glide, but the others not so much. Towards the end, I started freaking out, so I had the guy in charge bring a ladder over and I climbed down. Just about gave me an anxiety attack or something. After that, we arrived in Prague. New currency, new language. Both strange beyond comparison. 200 kronz is equal to 4 euros, so about 6 dollars. Mind blown. That's pretty much where all my money went, because I had no idea what I was doing. That day we just ate dinner, and I went with the Brazilians to explore around a bit. The city was about thirty minutes away, so we just went to the outskirts. Those were pretty sketchy, so we just went back to the Hotel. The next day we had a tour of Prague. I have to say, this was one of my favorite cities. Perhaps of all time. It's not too touristy, and it keeps the charm that naturally belongs there. We walked around, and then were given free time. We went and did some more exploring, and I ended up getting separated from the group, so I just stayed on the main street the whole time, until we had to go to dinner. The food we ate was really weird. That would have to be the one thing I didn't like about the Czech Republic..the food. Then we all ran back to the Hotel, and got dressed for the disco. Among being an amazing city, Prague is home to the largest disco in Central Europe. At first the night kinda sucked, cause a ton of people got caught without tickets on the train, and we had to bail them out, and we were late, but after a little bit, the night turned into something truly amazing. What happens in Prague, stays in Prague. Or better yet, what happens on Eurotour, stays on Eurotour. The next day, we woke up bright and early, after the two hours of sleep we had, and headed back to Germany. We stopped in Dresden, where we would spend the night. We had free time immediately, but first we said goodbye to our Rotex, Okko, who was going home to see his girlfriend who was in the hospital. In this free time, we went to find doner. Aka the best food in the world. We found some and then when we got back to the hotel, we had to go on a tour of a church. I fell asleep in the video, but then the actual church was just beautiful. Other than that, I don't really know why we went to Dresden. There wasn't that much. That night after dinner, we all went out, to the center, and tried to play hide and seek at the easter carnival, that had just closed. Then the police came and told us to cut it out and we went to the skate park across the street from the hotel. There everyone was running up the ramp, and sitting on the top. When we got back, we were all together, talking, exchange pins and bracelets, signing flags. It was pretty sad, because that's when I realized that it's pretty much over now. Not just eurotour, but my exchange year. I never knew time could move so fast. I could tell everyone felt the same, because it was just a really somber mood. The next day on the bus, we had a long ride home. We were all singing and laughing, and talking, for what felt like the last time. And for some of us, it was. And all at once, we were bawling our eyes out, and hugging. I don't think I've ever experienced something quite as painful as that. They are like my family, and it's as good as if they are dying, because most likely, I will never see them again. Or if I do, it's a very long time from now. It was such a weird feeling. I won't ever forget a moment on my eurotour. It was nothing how I expected, and yet, everything I wanted, and needed it to be. It gave me memories to last a lifetime. And this would be for my exchange students: Der Austauschuler aus Distrikt 1850, Ich hoffe das du schon wissen, das zu mir du meinst alles. Du bist einfach die beste, und ich werden nie ein momente vergessen. Unsere reise, und auch dieses Austausch Jahre war ganz toll, und ich hatte ein richtige glucklich zeit mit euch. Ich wunsche dir die beste, und bitte, komm suche mich noch, wann ich wieder im dem USA bin. Ich liebe euch, und werden dich viele vermissen. Liebe fur immer noch, deine, Katherine