An Unforgettable Summer

Coming Home

2010-09-05T22:24:00.007-05:00

9/4/10 Location: North Dakota and Minnesota “Who says you can't go back? Been all around the world and as a matter of fact There's only one place left, I want to go Who says you can't go home?” “Who Says You Can’t Go Home”-Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora Those lyrics from one of my favorite bands say it best. After a trip around the world to exhilaratingly exotic and fascinating places, and

ND&MN vs. DMV

2010-08-21T10:09:00.000-05:00

8/20/10 Location: Alexandria, VA Things I am excited to come back to at home and in FM:· My wonderful family· Jake· Aj & Ashley, two of my best friends and my roommates who I haven’t seen in over six months since they studied abroad in Australia February through June· All my other friends in Langdon and in FM that I haven’t seen since May! · My grandparents and other

New York, New York

2010-08-18T20:54:00.021-05:00

8/12/10 Location: New York City I’m back in the DMV after a amazing, whirlwind weekend in the City that never sleeps, the Big Apple, the Empire City: New York City. I just loved New York City. It was unlike any place I’d ever been. It’s astounding to look up and see only towering skyscrapers glinting in the sunlight as they stretch seemingly into the clouds. I suppose New Yorkers may find

Earthquakes, Soccer Games, Heat Advisories, and Other Firsts

2010-07-29T20:58:00.004-05:00

7/24/10 Location: Arlington, VA/Washington D.C. area This summer marks the first summer I’ve lived somewhere outside of North Dakota and Minnesota, and accordingly, I’ve had a few other firsts as well. Last week, July 16 to be specific, I suddenly woke up around 5 A.M. It sounded like someone was shaking Whitney and I’s bedroom door in its frame, rattling it, like they were trying to get in.

Light Up the Sky

2010-07-12T21:06:00.010-05:00

7/5/10 Location: Arlington, VA/Washington D.C. area Fourth of July tonight in the nation’s capital. It was absolutely…dazzling. Is there any other way to describe the flare of shining white gold, twinkling royal blue, and shimmering brilliant pink flashing across the dark night sky over the illuminated white Capitol and gallant tower of the Washington Monument? The fireworks and the layers of

brb...again

2010-07-08T20:26:00.001-05:00

So, you may have noticed I haven't updated this for a couple of weeks. In my defense, for the first week I was incredibly busy and the second week I was on vacation. Yes, a vacation! Complete with family, friends, fireworks, fun, and the fierce heat of 100 degrees Fahrenheit and 85% humidity. However, I have missed writing. Much more than I expected. Hopefully, I'll have time this upcoming

In Memoriam of the Best Dog in the World

2010-06-20T17:19:00.008-05:00

6/20/10 Location: Arlington, VA and memories from North Dakota Last week was off to a great start: I’d settled into my job, got to know my supervisors and coworkers better, spent time at the apartment with my roomies, explored the Rosslyn neighborhood, and went swimming for the first time at my apartment’s pool. Then, I called my dad after work on Thursday, June 17, since I figured my mom, whom I

Oh, The Places You'll Go!

2010-06-20T17:00:00.008-05:00

6/14/10 Location: Arlington, VA/Washington D.C. area I have officially been in D.C. for over one week now. To be honest, living and working here has required a lot more observation and adaption than any of the other six countries I traveled to in May. It is probably because I am spending a much longer period of time here and I am on my own and not with a group of 11, and

My PSA

2010-06-06T17:11:00.001-05:00

6/5/10 Location: Grand Forks to Fargo to Minneapolis to D.C. I have my very own public service announcement for you today: NEVER, ever, fly Delta Airlines if you can help it, e.g. no other possible option is available. I’ve never had a great or even positive experience with Delta before, but today blew every other encounter I’ve had with them out of the water. I woke up at 4:45 A.M. today to get

Platform 9 ¾

2010-06-03T21:28:00.001-05:00

5/27/10 Location: London, UK Another beautiful day in London! Besides our first half day here, which was in the 80s, it’s always cool, in the 50s to 60s, and sunny. Today we started off by going to the Tower of London and the Tower Bridge. The Tower of London is the oldest building used by the British government. The complex was built in stages, and construction began in 1078 with the Norman

R-O-C-K in the U-K

2010-06-02T22:42:00.002-05:00

5/26/10 Location: London, UK Ah, the gothic beauty of the Collegiate Church of St. Peter at Westminster. Or, as you may know it, Westminster Abbey. We arrived at Westminster a little later than our scheduled time because we decided to take the bus instead of the tube and let’s just say the bus was a leetle bit slower than the subway. Anyway, we made it. However, we didn’t have a tour guide or

On Avenue Q

2010-06-02T20:10:00.003-05:00

5/25/10 Location: London, UK First full day in London today and I loved every minute of it! We’re in London for almost four days, but there is more to do here than any of the other stops on our world tour so we have to fit in all of the “absolutely must-sees.” We started off the day at the British Museum. My initial thought was “Museum? Eh…” I am 100 percent for the acquirement of knowledge and

London Calling

2010-06-02T19:55:00.003-05:00

5/24/10 Location: Cairo, Egypt to London, UK Yet another travel day…it happens when you have six countries on your 25-day itinerary. Today we flew direct from Cairo to London and no connections was great. Plus, after this flight, we only have two more: London to Chicago, then Chicago to Minneapolis. Then, finito! Done with airplane food, security, customs, lines, and crying children. I would be

BRB

2010-05-31T09:26:00.001-05:00

So, we made it around the world! As I type this, I am sitting in my comfy full-size bed in my own room! It's great to be back in the US of A! Even though I had an amazing time on my trip, the feeling of coming home and seeing you family and friends again is wonderful. I apologize for the lack of updating recently. Our days in London were full of activities, so I didn't have

Great Giza

2010-05-27T03:48:00.003-05:00

5/23/10 Location: Cairo, Egypt We did so many exhilarating things today! It’s like I went paragliding, scuba diving, and rode an elephant all in one day because today was jam-packed of fun activities. We started out with a bus ride to Giza, just outside of Cairo. Giza, as you may know, is home to the Great Pyramids (Great Pyramid of Giza, Pyramid of Khafre, and Pyramid of Menkaure) and the Great

Everything Egypt

2010-05-27T03:35:00.001-05:00

5/22/10 Locations: Cairo, Egypt Everywhere you look, you see statues and relics from thousands of years ago. Some have been heavily damaged by time and the elements, but most look like perfect pieces of engineering that should have been created hundreds of years ago, rather than their true age of about 5,000 years. Today, the group went to the Egyptian Museum with our guide, Romani, and explored

It's a Small World

2010-05-24T16:14:00.002-05:00

5/21/10 Locations: Delhi to Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi to Cairo We finally made it to the Delhi International Airport at about 11:30 P.M. That’s the good news. The bad news is our plane to Abu Dhabi didn’t depart until nearly 5:00 A.M. To say the least, we were a little tired. We had started the day riding elephants, then did a series of tours, then sat on a bus for over four hours. Now, we had more

Elephant Rider

2010-05-24T16:02:00.004-05:00

5/20/10 Location: Jaipur, India List of Cool Things I’ve Done On This Trip So Far: --paraglided off a cliff in New Zealand --scuba dived by the Great Barrier Reef --Rode an elephant up a hill in India Yes, today everyone in the group got to ride the largest land animal on the planet. We traveled about 10 km outside the city to Amber Fort, where the elephants take tourists from the bottom of

The Lost City

2010-05-22T08:00:00.002-05:00

5/19/10 Locations: Agra to Jaipur, India We had the long drive ahead of us today that would take us from Agra to Jaipur, but luckily we were able to break up the time on the bus with a visit to Fatehpar Sikri. Fatehpar Sikri is an abandoned city that was constructed by the Mughal emperor Akbar in 1570 and it served as the empire’s capital from 1571-1585. The city was abandoned after just 14

A Palace and a Fort

2010-05-22T07:54:00.001-05:00

5/18/10 Location: Delhi, India Today we rose before dawn so we could go see India’s most famous attraction and one of the seven new wonders of the world, the Taj Mahal, before the day reached its high of 47 degrees, or about 116 degrees Fahrenheit. It still was about 80-90 degrees that early if I had to guess, but by the time we got there the sun had recently risen and it was much more bearable

This is How a Heart Breaks

2010-05-22T07:27:00.001-05:00

5/17/10 Location: Delhi, India A heart can break in several ways. A heart can break after losing a loved one, whether it’s from a long-fought lost battle with disease like cancer or a tragic car accident. Someone we loved deeply was taken from our life, and it hurts. We feel it in our chest; we’re heartbroken. A heart can break after breaking up with a boyfriend or girlfriend or divorcing a

Dog Days of Summer

2010-05-18T11:15:00.000-05:00

5/16/10Location: Delhi, India I took my last step on the stairs leading down from the Cathay Pacific plane from Cairns onto the ground by the Delhi airport and the heat hit me like a brick wall. Suddenly, it was slightly more difficult to breathe and within minutes I had a thin layer of sweat on my skin, undoubtedly working overtime to adapt to the sudden change from the coolness of the plane to

Hello Hong Kong

2010-05-18T08:28:00.001-05:00

5/15/10Location: Hong Kong, China We only had one full day in Hong Kong, so we knew we would have to make it count. Go big, or go home, as the saying goes. We definitely went big and our full day in Hong Kong left us feeling drained, but we felt like we covered most of what we wanted to see and do in the city of 7 million. Our day was made a little easier by a woman named Faith. Faith is also a

Lessons Learned at the Halfway Mark

2010-05-18T07:54:00.001-05:00

5/14/10Location: flight from Cairns, Australia to Hong Kong, China Another travel day today—a nearly eight hour flight on Cathay Pacific from Cairns to Hong Kong. We didn’t even arrive in Hong Kong until 8:20 pm, and then by the time we went through customs, retrieved our bags, and drove to our hotel it was over an hour later. We were all exhausted and weren’t going to explore Hong Kong on our

Rainforest, Not Café

2010-05-15T10:53:00.003-05:00

5/13/10Location: Kuranda, Australia The group went on a rainforest excursion today. Cairns (pronounced like the French film festival) is in northern Queensland and near the Equator, so that have a lot of rainforest. It wasn't what I was expecting before I came to Australia, but the tropical nature of Cairns has been a pleasant surprise. There's thriving green vegetation everywhere, and the ocean

Under the Sea

2010-05-13T23:37:00.006-05:00

5/12/10 Location: Great Barrier Reef, near Cairns, Australia I took years of swimming lessons as a kid, and later I became a lifeguard and taught lessons myself. Consequently, I’ve spent a lot more time in pools than most people. Last summer alone, I spent 30 hours every week at the Concordia swimming pool teaching everything from the front float to the feet-first surface dive. In all of my

Traces of Home

2010-05-13T23:30:00.000-05:00

5/11/10Location: various airports (Queenstown, Christchurch, Brisbane, Cairns) Today was back to the airports as it was another travel day. I was not looking forward to more “flying and waiting” (see May 4 entry), but the day surprised me. I was struck by how many things seem so familiar, even though I’ve never seen them before, just because they’re so similar to what I already know. For

I'm a Bird

2010-05-10T02:31:00.002-05:00

5/10/10 Locations: Queenstown, New Zealand Today I am very excited to tell you that I rode in a van up to a cliff and I ran off of it as fast as I could. And I didn’t fall. I flew. I went flying today and it has been the highlight of this trip so far. May 10 was adventure day for our group here in Queenstown, which the adventure tourism capital of the world. You can do it all here: bungy jump,

Awestruck

2010-05-10T02:16:00.005-05:00

5/9/10 Locations: Bus tour from Christchurch to Queenstown, New Zealand, including stops at Lake Tepako, Lake Pukaki, and Mount Wakefield and Mount Cook. If there’s such a thing as a gorgeous scenery overdose, I did it. I was literally high off of all the intensely, immensely beautiful scenery around me ALL DAY LONG. My eyes just kept drinking and drinking it all in, like a wonderfully sweet

The Garden City

2010-05-10T02:04:00.000-05:00

5/8/10Location: Christchurch, New Zealand Today was our day of leisure in the Garden City: Christchurch, New Zealand, We started out by going to the largest and most famous of the many gardens in Christchurch, the Christchurch Botanical Gardens. The gardens are sprawling and contain species from all over the world. In fact, almost everything in the gardens is imported. There is only a small

By bus or by plane, by boat or by train, New Zealand looks gorgeous

2010-05-07T15:08:00.001-05:00

5/7/10Location: Wellington, Picton, and Christchurch, New Zealand Today we left Wellington bright and early at 7:00 a.m. on a bus that took us to Wellington’s port. We got our tickets for the ferry ride to Picton. Now when I say ferry, you might think a quaint little dingy that jets us across the pond. No, no, no. This ferry was an Interislander ship. It truly reminded me of a cruise ship. There

Welcome to Paradise

2010-05-07T15:04:00.002-05:00

5/6/10 Location: Wellington, New Zealand I’ve skipped May 5 because I didn’t experience May 5 this year, or at least not for very long since we crossed over the International Date Line in our 757-400 jet to Auckland. The flight was over 12 hours long, but it wasn’t so bad because the flight wasn’t full and I got a whole row (4 seats) to myself—as did most everyone. It was like being suspended in

Flying and Waiting

2010-05-07T14:46:00.003-05:00

5/4/10 Location: various airports (Minneapolis, Denver, LA, Auckland) Getting from point A to B is not so simple when point A is thousands of miles from point B. Today is the first day of the May seminar of six countries in 25 days, and today is the longest leg of the travel: Moorhead, Minnesota to Wellington, New Zealand. I got up at 3:30 AM this morning to depart Moorhead on a bus bound for

Group Video Blog is Up!

2010-04-30T16:42:00.015-05:00

In addition to reading my blog, you can also check out my May seminar group's video blog HERE. We're taking a video camera from Concordia with us and everyday one of us will be responsible for creating a video (minimum of 5 minutes long), so all of you back home can see what we're up to. So, be sure to check it often! We're assigned to a day in alphabetical order, and I think I'll have one of

Things to Do, Things to Get

2010-04-18T18:34:00.026-05:00

The school year is winding down: only about 10 days until I am done with the spring semester and only 5 days until I am sitting in the Minneapolis airport, waiting to board the first flight of my May seminar. Then, 30 days after that, it's back on a plane to go to my internship in Washington, DC! It's crazy. On top of the stress of final papers and projects, I've been trying to prepare for both

Anticipation

2010-03-20T12:57:00.005-05:00

So, it's March 20 today, which means in about a month I'll be busy packing up my apartment and packing up my rolling bag of 62 linear inches for my 25 day trip to New Zealand, Australia, Hong Kong, India, Egypt, and England. I've been planning this trip for months now, but it still seems surreal, like I'm not actually going to be traveling to all of these amazing places. I've never been overseas