kaitlyncarzoli – Valpo Voyager

Author: kaitlyncarzoli (page 1 of 2)

Saying (a Temporary) Goodbye

Today I have to find a way to summarize what the last four months have meant to me, and honestly, I have no idea where to start. I feel like everything I could possibly say has been said a million times before, and yet I feel compelled to say it again because I really wish that more people would take that leap of faith and go study abroad. No words can completely describe how amazing an experience it is or how profoundly it changes you. It really would be a shame to miss out on this opportunity, so here is my final attempt to convince the masses.

First there are the tangible things–all the travel, events, and adventures you get to have. In addition to the two 10-day class trips that are jam-packed with activities, we had over 25 other events, including many free meals, concerts, and excursions. During the semester, they keep you busy. And of course that doesn’t even count the long weekends and spring break, when you can just go anywhere and everywhere.

Like Prague:

and Paris:

What’s arguably even more important are the intangible things you gain from this experience. You can meet people from all over the world. You’ll get completely comfortable hearing multiple languages, often spoken in the same room. You’ll learn that there is more than one good way to do pretty much anything. You’ll become a better problem-solver. You’ll get over all of your dumb little fears. You’ll learn how to do laundry, shop for groceries, and cook. (But hopefully you already do those things.)

But what has by far meant the most to me is getting to wake up every single day and be really excited about life. I’ve become much more independent and confident. After you successfully navigate Europe pretty much on your own, you’ll feel like you can do anything. Because you can. If you think about it, there aren’t a whole lot of things that are harder than packing up your life and moving to another country, so once you’ve done that, suddenly, the things that used to scare you just don’t anymore. And more importantly, you come to the realization that it’s the scary things in life that end up being most worthwhile.

Tomorrow, I have to say goodbye to Reutlingen, but I’m in a different position than most of my classmates. This goodbye will be easier for me because it is only a temporary one. Because I get to come back in three months, I’m mostly just excited to go home right now. But come August, it’ll be time to put everything I learned to good use again. I guess more than anything else, today I feel grateful, for the transformative experience this semester has been, for the relaxing summer ahead, and for the opportunity to spend another year right here where I belong.

The Best Things I Ate: The European Tour

May 9, 2014 / kaitlyncarzoli / 0 Comments

It’s time for the last installment of “The best things I ate.” Check out parts 1 and 2 if you haven’t yet. This time, instead of dishes from Germany, I’ve collected all of my favorite meals from various countries I visited over spring break. Since this post required extensive research, it will be rather long, but I have to share these things because they are such an important part of why I love travel, and they are what inspire me to create new recipes of my own. Whether I’m at home or halfway around the world, I try to branch out and try new things, as well as authentic classics, and here, you’ll see a good mix of both, organized by city.

Prague:

This was the first dinner I had in the first city of break, and it was a great way to kick it all off! It was roast pork with horseradish mashed potatoes and a gorgeous gravy. It was classic Czech food with a little added elegance. Another reason to love Prague is that even fancy restaurants are ridiculously cheap because of the exchange rate!

This little treat is something I grew up eating at home. Kolacky are little Bohemian cookies filled with jelly or cream cheese that come in all shapes and sizes. I saw these at a bakery stand at a local festival and just had to have a real one!

Budapest:

For even cheaper fancy food, this is the place for you! This was my birthday dinner, chicken with beetroot risotto. I’m not really a fan of beets, but I am a huge fan of risotto, so I decided to take a risk and order it. And not only does it look beautiful, it tasted perfect too!

Vienna:

A long time ago, I did an entire post about my favorite foods in Vienna, but one thing I regretted missing out on the first time was some real Wiener Schnitzel. So this time, I found a restaurant that was really popular with the locals and finally had some. Some of my friends got the giant version that was bigger than the plate, but I opted for this one to get the sides. That way, it didn’t look entirely like a heart attack on a plate. At least there was some lettuce.

Venice:

Unlike Prague and Budapest, food in Venice can get pretty expensive. But one thing that’s always a deal is pizza. Honestly, my favorite pizza in the world is still Chicago style deep-dish, but for authenticity’s sake, this one was pretty good too. But it was a struggle to eat with a knife and fork.

Rome:

It was here that I first learned how to eat like an Italian. Apparently, the giant bowl of pasta is only the first course, and you’re supposed to have room for a meat course after that. I usually just picked one or the other, but this pesto was my favorite pasta course, mostly because I believe you can never have too much basil.

Cinque Terre:

As a general rule, whenever I’m lucky enough to go to a restaurant where I can see the ocean from my table, I order fish. And that’s almost the only time I order fish. This was the first time that I ever got one with the head still attached, but after respectfully laying a piece of lettuce over the face, I thoroughly enjoyed this meal.
So far, I haven’t mentioned any restaurants by name, but I feel compelled to for this next one. Based on rave reviews from Rick Steves and Tripadvisor, I had to try Il Pirata in the tiny town of Vernazza. I’m sure all their food is great, but I specifically wanted to go for breakfast.

First, there’s this little cup of wonderful. The owner gave us a little free sample, describing the mix of fresh strawberry slush and whipped cream as “the Italian yoghurt.” That little taste was not enough. And just the fact that this is considered just like yoghurt here is just another reason why I love this country.

Finally, yes, I did order a cannoli for breakfast. I had to do it, and it was the best one I’ve ever had. And now I know better than to order a pre-filled one. These are filled only after you order them so that they stay delightfully fresh and crunchy.

So that’s how I ate my way across Europe. Next week, I’ll write my last post as I prepare to go home for the summer. I’m sure it’ll be bittersweet and super cliché, but hopefully it’s a good final chapter.

Spring Break Part 2: La Dolce Vita

May 6, 2014 / kaitlyncarzoli / 0 Comments

After the first week of break, the first three cities, I already felt like I had seen a lot, done, a lot, and walked a lot. But the Odyssey continued. After one of the longest train rides I have ever been on, we arrived in Venice to start our full week of exploring Italy. Now, Italy was one of the specific places we were “strongly advised”not to go, mainly because of pickpocketing and other issues that past groups have dealt with there. But I’ve always wanted to go to Italy. I know at least a dozen people who have spent extended time there and have never had a problem. And the truth is, there are a lot of more dangerous places to go in the world, places that I actually do want to see someday. So I respectfully ignored the warnings, and guess what! I had a great time with no problems at all, and never once felt unsafe. So my advice is to go to Italy. Be a nerdy tourist and strap your valuables to your body, research good places to stay, don’t talk to strangers, and just go! During the week, we went to Venice, Rome, Cinque Terre, and Florence. Once again, I’ll try my best to sum up all the fun.

Venice:
I loved Venice. In fact, it’s one of my favorite cities. However, this place gets a lot of mixed reviews. People either love it or hate it. I love it because it is exactly as beautiful as I pictured it. It’s just a beautiful city that looks like it hasn’t changed much in centuries. The main thing to do there is just to walk around and get lost in the narrow streets. And you will get lost. There’s really not much point in looking at maps, and it will take you about four times longer to find things than you would expect. Some people don’t have the patience for this, but I found it fun. Instead of rushing around to a million tourist attractions, you can just wander, take your time, and enjoy the views. The public transport system here is the water bus, which is especially fun to ride at night, to see the city light up. One thing I regret missing out on was a gondola ride. People seem to think they are a tourist trap, but in reality, they actually aren’t that expensive. If you get a full group of 6 people, the cost would divide to 13 euros per person. If I had realized this sooner, I would have done it, so I’ll have to come back someday.

Rome:

I wanted to love it, I really did. I liked it, but in the end, I think it fell a little short of my expectations. Don’t get me wrong, there are a ton of things in Rome that everyone should see in their lifetime, but now that I have seen them, I feel like I can just check this place off the list. Experienced travelers recommend that if Rome is “too much for you” you shouldn’t go further south, implying that it is one of the more intense tourist destinations. While I do think that it was a little much for me, this wasn’t because it was somehow too intensely Italian. It was because of the hoards of crazed tourists. There were just too many people in town. I’m sure it had a lot to do with the fact that we were there right after Easter, but still, I’ve never had a stronger urge to shove people in my life. It’s a shame because the museums, the ruins, and the Vatican are beautiful. I probably would have loved it if it were February. Go to Rome, but book museum tickets in advance, and remember to bring extra patience.

Cinque Terre:
This area is a slice of heaven. Formerly known as “Italy’s Hidden Riviera,” it has now been discovered and become a top destination (Thanks, Rick Steves.) It’s five tiny, quaint towns along Italy’s western coast, linked together by hiking trails and trains. Unfortunately, the trials were closed when we were there, and the train system could use a lot of help. But if someday, they can fix it, so that it doesn’t take 2 hours to go 5 minutes up the road, this place would be absolutely perfect. I may seriously consider learning Italian, moving here, and opening up a bed and breakfast. It would be a good life.

Florence:
I really enjoyed Florence, the birthplace of the renaissance. Some people I know may take offense to this, but I thought of it as a more manageable, mini version of Rome. There are plenty of museums and attractions to see, but it maintains a somewhat relaxed atmosphere. And it’s walkable, which is always a plus. Aside from admiring all the renaissance art, my favorite part of the day here was walking up to Piazza Michelangelo, where I took this photo:

So that’s Italy. I loved it, and am so glad I decided to go after all. I’m proud of myself for getting through over two weeks of intense travel. Each of these places challenged me. I clearly wasn’t in Germany anymore, but I learned a lot. I learned how to read a map and not get lost, how to get lost and be okay with it, how to get by in places where I didn’t speak the languages, and how to get up every day and look for adventure. But as much as I loved all the places we went over break, the most important thing I learned is that Germany is my home, and I can’t ever take it for granted. I now have a greater appreciation for the fact that I know how things work here, that I can speak German, and that this is also a very unique and beautiful country. It’s good to be home!

Spring Break Part 1: Exploring Eastern Europe

May 4, 2014 / kaitlyncarzoli / 0 Comments

It’s been a while since my last travel post. Where have I been all April? Well, it feels to me, like almost everywhere. I just returned from two and a half weeks traveling around Europe. It was an Odyssey. It was like the Amazing Race, only without the actual race and the million dollars at the end. I feel like I just walked across half of this continent. But it was unforgettable, a true once-in-a-lifetime experience that I’ll cherish forever. Since there’s no way to cover the entire trip in one post, I’m going to split it into three. First, there were the eastern cities of Prague, Budapest, and Vienna. Then, there was Italy. Finally, I’m going to have one more installment of “The Best Things I Ate,” a spring break edition.

Prague:
We kicked off our break in Prague, a place I’ve wanted to visit for years. It was one of the cities on our itinerary that I was most excited for, and in the end, it still was one of my favorites. Everyone says it’s ridiculously beautiful, and everyone is right. It’s more similar to Germany than even I had expected, and that made me feel at home, despite the language barrier and confusing currency. My favorite things we did there were the very thorough free walking tour, seeing the castle (and the whole city) light up at night, and most of all, learning about my Bohemian heritage. All weekend, I just kept eating everything I could find that my grandma and mom make at home.

Budapest:

The language barrier I had experienced in Prague was even worse in Hungary. Still, it helps that in these smaller countries, no one expects you to speak the language, and it’s not too difficult to get by. This was definitely the city that felt most foreign to me. It’s the farthest east, it’s not super touristy, but the good side of that is that it’s even cheaper than prague. Despite the challenges, I found the history of this city really fascinating, and found a bunch of fun things to do. Here, we went to the third best bar in the world, and we spent our entire second day in one of the famous bath houses, which I highly recommend.

Vienna:

This was my second time in Vienna, so I had mixed feeling about coming back. It is one of my favorite cities in the world because of its imperial elegance and long list of cultural attractions. I did really enjoy coming back because I got to do all different things than the first time. Last time, I really wanted to have Wiener Schnitzel in Wien, but I ran out of time, so I always told myself I’d come back someday just for that. Besides the Schnitzel, my favorite things were the grand tour of the Hapsburg’s Schönbrunn Palace and the view at night from the oldest Ferris wheel.

These three cities made up the first week of my break. Each has its own distinct character, and I love them all almost equally for different reasons. For the second week of break, we went south to explore some of Italy’s greatest cities, but that’s another story for another post.

Field Trips and Travel Tips

April 1, 2014 / kaitlyncarzoli / 0 Comments

It’s been a little while since I’ve posted an update on my life here. That’s mostly because I haven’t had the opportunity to travel for the past two weekends, but in that time, I’ve still had a few little adventures, and I’ve made a point of taking the time to enjoy the simple pleasures of European life. The sunny and 75 degree weather we’ve had here has really helped with that! So I’ll share a few of those little things, and then I want to switch gears and offer some practical tips for travel and hosteling. Not that I’m an expert or anything, but I’ve learned a few things I wish I had known before.
In addition to all the free time we have for international travel, there are a handful of shorter field trips organized by the program, as well as several independent day trips we can do for fun. Last month, we went to Rottweil for the Fasching, or mardi gras parade. This is a very strange, but wildly popular phenomenon here, that’s hard to compare with anything in the US. Then, there’s something the whole world can understand: The chocolate factory.

Ritter Sport, my second favorite chocolate brand, conveniently has a factory very close to Reutlingen. It has two small museums, but the real attraction is the back room of the factory store, where they sell broken chocolate, discontinued flavors, and experimental test flavors for less than half-price. I came home with about 5lbs of chocolate.

Last week, we took another field trip with our econ class to the Daimler (Mercedes) Factory. Cars aren’t really my thing, but it was interesting to learn about how they are built.

Finally, tomorrow we are going to a nearby castle and then a wine tasting event, so I’m excited, and I will report on that later.
The other way I’ve been occupying my time lately is with planning my spring break. In our 17 days, we will go to Prague, Budapest, Vienna, Venice, Rome, Cinque Terre, and Florence. I’m extremely excited about all of those places. Dozens of people have told me that Prague and Budapest are amazing, before I ever went to Paris, Vienna was my favorite city in the world, and Italy as a whole has been on my bucket list for years. It’s an amazing blessing to be able to go to all of these places, but the planning process is not easy. Here are 10 things for future study abroaders to keep in mind when planning budget travel:

1. Be realistic about distances in Europe.
Before I got here, I said I wanted to go to about 15 different countries, including Greece, Croatia, Spain, Denmark, and more. But those places are really farther away than they look on a map. Now, many people studying here in previous years have gone to these places, either by plane or overnight train. But overnight trains are just not for me, and I’d rather use my rail pass than fly, so I had to scale back my plans a little. I decided to stay closer so that I didn’t end up spending half of my trip on a train, but of course, this is a personal preference that is different for everyone.

2. Don’t be too picky about accommodations.
This one is really hard for me. Most hostels are not as nice as most hotels, and there’s no good way around that. Read reviews before you book, but try not to let one or two bad ones cancel out 100 good ones. My paranoia has taught me that if you look hard enough, you will inevitably find at least one horrifying review of every place, but odds are, your experience there will be at least ok.

3. You get what you pay for.
It’s not always best to pick the absolute cheapest hostels. In some cities, I have seen them for less than 5 euros, but something seems off about that to me. There must be a reason. Usually it has to do with the location. While it may seem convenient to stay right next to the train station, in most cities, this is generally not the best neighborhood. The hostels I have stayed in have all been between 15 and 30 euros, which is still a steal compared to hotels.

4. Don’t settle and listen to your gut.
I don’t expect luxury at any of these places, but if I have any rational reason to believe that a hostel is not clean and safe, I won’t settle. Of course you don’t really know until you get there, but odds are, if your gut is telling you no, theres a better option out there. Be patient and keep looking.

5. Have a city map before you go.
Hostels will give you city maps for free, but that doesn’t help you when you just got off the train at midnight and need to find the place. And don’t rely on cellphone GPS.

6. Know the difference between hostels and hotels.
In most hostels, the beds are bunked. You can usually get sheets at check-in, but you have to make the bed yourself. You may or may not be sharing a bathroom. Some hostels have lockouts in the middle of the day for cleaning. Some offer free breakfast, some make you pay for it, and some don’t have it. Free wifi is rare. There is usually no furniture besides beds. None of these things are really a problem, but I’m always amazed at the reviewers who whine about these things like they didn’t expect them.

7. Bring a towel, pillow liner, combination lock, and flip-flops.
Hostels can charge over 5 euros just for a towel. Some have lockers without locks. Some of the pillows could be cleaner. Be prepared, and you’ll be fine.

8. Always get the cancellation insurance.
ALWAYS. It’s about 2 extra euros.

9. Don’t wait until the last minute.
Most of the time, we haven’t had problems booking about 5 days ahead, but the earlier, the better. Especially in the bigger cities (i.e. Paris and Rome), the best places sell out faster than you’d expect.

10. Look for alternative accommodation.
Most of the time we pick hostels from popular sites like hostelworld.com, but there are other options. Some people suggest looking for “budget hotels.” In my experience, this hasn’t been a very viable option. However, with a little research, you can find some other gems. For example, we found the only hostel in the 1st district of Paris directly through their website, but it wasn’t listed on booking sites. In Rome, it’s apparently very popular to stay cheaply in convents and monasteries. Since those were booked up, we emailed the most popular hostel in the city, and even though they were full too, they directed us to their blog of recommended accommodations, where we found an affordable B&B in a great location. Sometimes you have to hunt a little or send a few emails, but it’s worth the extra effort.

So that’s my two cents about hosteling. It’s definitely a learning experience, but it can be very rewarding. I’m off to Paris again this weekend, and then break starts the week after that!

The Best Things I Ate This Month: Part 2

March 23, 2014 / kaitlyncarzoli / 0 Comments

Since this wasn’t the most exciting week for me, instead of writing about going to class and doing homework, I thought it was time for the next installment of my favorite foods of Europe. As you are probably well aware, one of my favorite things about living in Europe is eating in Europe. Since my last “Best of” food post was so much fun to write (and research) I have, in fact, decided to make it a series. For each of the four months of my travels, I will post the very best things I ate. While the first post was dedicated to German favorites, this one also includes culinary pleasures from Austria and Paris. Since I only spend 36 hours in Paris, there’s no way I could possibly do its incredible cuisine justice, but rest assured, I’ll be back someday. I have many, many things to share this month, so this is going to be mostly pictures (in chronological order) with short commentary.

First, the Thüringer Wurst, my first experience with street food. Surprisingly good for just 1 euro!

Next, there’s Spaghetti-Eis. It looks like spaghetti, but it’s ice cream. And it’s terrific!

I had this meal in a very old Austrian restaurant in Salzburg. It’s pork roast with the best gravy and a giant Knödel. That’s a dumpling, but I just like the word Knödel.

This was my meal at the Hofbräuhaus in Munich. This establishment isn’t exactly known for the food, so the schnitzel cordon bleu was just okay.

The apple strudel, however, was perfect. Fresh and not too sweet.

On a day trip to Ulm, we stopped at a little café for cake and coffee. This is a slice of blueberry goodness.

And now, on to Paris! The first thing I ate there (besides the free breakfast at the hostel) was a Nutella crêpe. They don’t skimp on the Nutella!

While in Paris, we decided to have one splurge dinner at a real brasserie. The steak-frites was great!

And the crème brûlée was even better! That crunch of the sugar on top is the sound of perfection!

So those were the highlights. Over the next month, I’ll continue to be that tourist, taking pictures of all my food, so I can share it all with you! And next week, I’ll have more travel experiences to share!

Switzerland and Feeling Like the World is Yours

March 16, 2014 / kaitlyncarzoli / 0 Comments

We’ve officially past the halfway point of the semester. The feeling that comes with that realization is incredibly difficult to describe. First of all, I’m proud of myself for doing a thousand things I never thought I could. I’m sad to see the time passing so quickly, but since I have another whole year here to look forward to now, I’m actually really excited to go home for the summer and be with friends and family for a while before round two. Knowing that I have more time has gotten rid of the sense of urgency I had to go everywhere and do everything as soon as possible, which feels like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders. Still, I know that my experience next year will be nothing like this semester, so I’m trying to really cherish all the unique opportunities I have now.
The most exciting of these opportunities is the backpacking/hosteling/eurail riding experience. It’s one giant cliché, it’s what all the college kids are doing these days, or at least, it seems like it. Honestly, I never expected to love that style of travel. It all sounded way too spontaneous to me. However, I think this weekend was when it finally started to sink in that this freedom to go anywhere is pretty incredible. The fact that we can decide on Tuesday that we want to go to Switzerland on Friday and actually make it happen is not something to take for granted.
So that’s what we did. It conveniently takes only 3 hours to reach Zürich, and while it’s somewhere that was never on my travel bucket list, I’m so glad I went. We spent only a day and a half there, but since we decided to spend our time in a more relaxing way just enjoying the culture, we didn’t feel compelled to spend longer going to every typical tourist attraction in town. And to my surprise, the culture of Switzerland is really fascinating. The country has four official languages, and almost one quarter of its inhabitants are not natives. It’s like a playground for the rich and famous, but still has a rich mixture of cultures. Although Zürich is in the German speaking part of the country, I felt right at home when I walked into cafés with menus half in German and half in French.
We began our exploration of the city with a walk down the most famous shopping street. It’s lined with the kinds of stores I would feel awkward just walking into, but at the end of the road is the beautiful Lake Zürich. Switzerland, not Illinois.

The rest of our time was spent at a leisurely pace, looking for more beautiful views, strolling along the pedestrian streets of the old town, enjoying authentic Swiss meals in the outdoor sections of cafés, having wine and chocolate on the rooftop terrace of our hostel, and simply finding as many of those little moments of perfection that we could. It’s those moments of perfection that make this entire experience what it is. It’s those moments that make all the challenges worth it. It’s those moments that make me wonder why all the college students in America aren’t tripping over each other on their way to sign up for study abroad.
It’s been said a million times before, but studying abroad changes you. It not only makes you more independent, adventurous person, but also a more interesting person. You get out there and see all you can see, and when you get back, the world seems both bigger and smaller at the same time. Now I realize that America is such a small part of what it has to offer, but at the same time, I feel like it is a little more within reach than I used to think. It’s mine to explore, to experience, and it could be yours too.

I Live in Germany: What I miss and What I Don’t

March 9, 2014 / kaitlyncarzoli / 0 Comments

This week will mark the halfway point of my semester abroad. Over the last two months, I have really settled in here and created a life that I love. And that’s not just because studying abrade is tons of fun. I really think it’s because there’s just something about Germany that’s good for me. I felt it when I spent a summer here in high school, and I feel it again now. There’s a different pace of life here, and a different general philosophy that’s impossible for me to fully describe, but it just feels right. And I’m not the only one who notices this. In fact, most of the people in the group repeatedly comment about how we want to live here forever. Today, as a sort of midpoint reflection, I want to share the top 10 things I miss from home and the top 10 things I’ll miss about Germany when I do come home. And then I have an announcement to make.

First, let’s start with what I miss from home/ things that annoy me here: (In no particular order)
1. Comfy beds. I don’t know if it’s just the dorms, and cheap hostels here, but I haven’t slept in a bed that wasn’t hard as a rock since January. Also, the bedding is odd here. I’ve already complained about the big, flat pillows, but the duvet blanks are weird too. I miss my fluffy comforter and my memory foam.
2. A fully loaded, kitchen. I’m a chef. I’m thankful that the program supplies us with some essential kitchen items, but I miss having a full set of pots and pans, my electric mixer, and all my little gadgets. Plus, I miss dishwashers and garbage disposals.
3. Free water, free bathrooms, free anything. Restaurants are the worst about this. not even a glass of tap water is free, and the price of bottled is beyond ridiculous. But it’s the bathroom thing that really gets me. Why on Earth should I have to pay 50 cents to use it? Is there some great cost of operating a WC that I’m not aware of? I have been known to sneak under or ark ound the barriers without paying whenever possible because I’ve never heard of anything stupider than having to pay for a bathroom.
4. Doggie bags. You usually can’t take your leftovers home here, but it’s jude to leave food on your plate. So what option does that leave?
5. 1-hour laundry. I miss being able to wash and dry a load of laundry in an hour. Here, the washing takes an hour and the drying can take several days.
6. Normal showers. This just apples to the dorms. I really miss taking showers without having to push the water back on every 10 seconds. Environmentalism really makes my life more difficult than it has to be.
7. Public trash cans. There are a few of them around, but when I’m out and about, I usually end up hoarding trash in my purse all day until I can get home to throw it out.
8. Stores like Target. I miss being able to go to one place and buy pretty much everything I need. Sure, I love the quaint, specialized shops here, but shopping through them can take all day.
9. My Taylor Guitar and time to play it. I have a little travel guitar, but it’s just not the same.
10. Service with a smile. The superficiality of American customer service used to really bother me. But the utter lack of it here bothers me more. Every once in a while, I’ll find a really helpful employee, but that’s rare.

And now for just a few of the things I love here:
1. Bakeries. They’re just better here. They have more variety, the product is cheaper, and they smell heavenly. Plus, their croissants and baguettes are just as good as in France. It’s a little dream of mine to work in a German bakery.
2. Public transportation. Granted, the Deutsche Bahn isn’t usually as punctual as the stereotype would suggest, but still, you can get literally anywhere and everywhere without needing a car.

3. Pedestrian cities. Since the cities here were built before cars were invented, they are laid out with pedestrians in mind. Once you take a bus or train to the center, everything you need is in walking distance.

4. Cafeteria food. The locals here complain about it, but I think it’s great. You can get a good, filling meal and dessert for 3 euros.
5. 3-day weekends. This requires no explanation.
6. Very informal professors. Most German professors actually insist on a more formal relationships with their students, but in Reutlingen, we have the perks of being a Valpo kid. This means that all of them invite us to their houses and feed us at least once during the semester.
7. The German language. When I go home, I’m going to miss hearing it and speaking it every day. Every day, I have at least one communication challenge, so i’m in the habit of planning everything I want to say in German before I say it.
8. Paying in change. There are 1 and 2 euro coins, so there’s a lot you can buy without paper money. I know it’s just an illusion, but it makes things seem cheaper.
9. Feeling safe all the time. One time, a tour guide I had in Munich joked that you could walk around at night with money glued all over you and nothing would happen to you. I still wouldn’t do that, but I think she’s right. I lock my doors and always keep an eye on my stuff, but a lot of people don’t.
10. A de-cluttered life. Almost everything I have here fits in a suitcase. Sometimes that’s frustrating, but most of the time, it’s freeing.

There are days when I really miss things about home, but all in all, I really thing that the good outweighs the annoying. I feel like I can live in two cultures now. I don’t know if I ever really had “culture shock” but the idea of it between the US and Germany seems silly now. This is my home now, and since I love it so much, I’ve decided to make it my home for a little longer. Next year, I’m going to stay in Reutlingen for an internship in the university’s international office. I’ll be back for the summer and then back at school for senior year in 2015, but for now, this is where I need to be.

Paris and La Joie de Vivre

March 9, 2014 / kaitlyncarzoli / 0 Comments

One of the best things about this study abroad program is that every weekend is a three day weekend. That way, we can maximize our opportunities to travel. So this week, we finally decided that it was time to activate our Eurail passes, and what could possibly be a better first stop that Paris? I’ve wanted to go to France ever since I was about 5 years old, so even though one weekend couldn’t possibly be enough time to explore this beautiful city, I jumped at the first chance to go. In our 36 hours there, we missed so much. The Louvre, Versailles, L’arc de Triomphe. But what we did get, was a wonderful introduction to one of Europe’s greatest cities.
The train from Stuttgart to Paris only takes 4 hours, so we left after class on Thursday and arrived at about 11p.m. I’m glad that we did this so that we had more time there, but unfortunately, our first experience in Paris was a stressful one. In the dark and without a real map, we got lost. Now, I know I’m not alone in this. Several of my friends have told me about their similar first experiences in Paris. It seems to be a right of passage. But my tip is to get to your destination before dark and not to rely on google maps. That little blue dot isn’t always right.
Anyway, we finally did find our hostel, and after a good night’s sleep, we were ready to go get our real first impression of Paris. Of course, our first stop was the Eiffel Tower.

The line for the elevators had about 72,000 people in it, so we decided to get up there next time we’re in town. And there will be a next time. After that, we stopped for lunch at one of the many quaint cafés, where sitting outside in the 60 degree weather, I enjoyed my first authentic French crêpe. After lunch, we took a free tour of Paris’ other most famous landmark, Notre Dame.

In the afternoon, after a quick ice cream stop, (Salted caramel and butter is my new favorite flavor.) we decided to go on a short sightseeing cruise on the Seine. It’s such a touristy thing to do, but I love river cruises because there a great way to see a lot with very little effort and really get an impression of the whole city. After the cruise, we headed back to get ready for dinner. For lack of time, we had to skip many of Paris’ main attractions, but one thing we wanted to make sure to do was go have a fancy French dinner.

Time for a funny story: After deciding on a restaurant out of our Paris guidebook, we read the metro directions in the book and hopped on at the stop closest to our hostel. After following the directions exactly and even switching lines once, we got out of the metro station near the restaurant, only to realize that we were just down the street from our hostel and could have easily walked there in less time. Note to self: next time, knowing where you’re starting will help a lot to figure out where you’re going. When we got to our restaurant, the waiter was extremely friendly and patient, taking time to explain all of the specials in English. Later, he even offered to take a picture of the 3 of us enjoying our meal.

After our steak-frites and crème brulée, we made one last stop to go see the Eiffel Tower lit up at night. Standing there watching it sparkle, I had another one of those moments where I just have to stop for a second and marvel at the fact that this is my life right now. That I get to stand here in one of the most beautiful places on Earth and experience a moment of perfection. And this is for school. I feel like coming back to school and begging everyone I see to go study abroad because I really can’t understand why most people don’t. Just sign up, and then you get to live this amazing life!

After years of hearing about how great Paris is from everyone who has been there, I needed to see it for myself. Now that I have, I feel like I’ve been let in on the big secret. I just get it now. I’ve been to Germany 3 times now, but never anywhere else in Europe, so I’m glad I finally got to change that. Before going to Paris, I was a little nervous because of the pickpocketing horror stories I’ve heard, but I have to say, I didn’t feel unsafe once. The city certainly does have a different atmosphere than German cities, which are so safe it’s almost funny. I was a little more on alert than I usually am. Still, I feel like I could love Paris like I love Germany. I could live here someday. In fact, I want to. All weekend long, I had such a strong desire to go eat in every little café, to hop on the back of somebody’s motorcycle and race through the narrow streets, to really experience la joie de vivre like a Parisian. So someday, I will live in Paris, but right now, I live in Germany. I just realized that I actuallylive here. It’s not just an extended vacation. But that’s another story for another post.

A Perfect Day in Reutlingen

March 5, 2014 / kaitlyncarzoli / 0 Comments

Hey guys, it’s been an unexpectedly busy week for me, so I’m sorry I didn’t post sooner. On top of that, I lost internet access in my dorm for a couple of days, but it’s all fixed now, so I’m back! Right now, it’s 10pm, and I’m leaving for Paris tomorrow, so instead of the long post I planned to write, I’m going to share a shorter reflection of a really great day I had last week. There wasn’t really anything thrilling about it, but it reminded me of everything I love about Germany at the exact right time I needed to be reminded of that. I had been in a weird mood for a while, and I don’t think it was homesickness per se, but I think it was just my initial honeymoon period with the study abroad life coming to its natural end. Don’t get me wrong, I’m still having a blast here, but I was exhausted from all the travel and the challenges of doing everything that all 8 people in the group want to do all the time. I needed to take a day to relax, reconnect with myself, and simply do the things I wanted to do.

But here’s the thing: I never go anywhere alone, ever, at least not in America. Seriously, I don’t even walk around my block by myself. Last week, my German teacher told us about an immigrant housewife she knew, who told her that she’d never gone into town by herself in all the time that she’d lived there. My teacher went on and on about how sad that was, and I realized that I hadn’t ventured off on my own yet either. I decided to change that. So I planned to spend the day in Stuttgart, specifically to go to Desigual, my favorite store ever. However, at the last minute, (and by that I mean just as the train doors were about to close) something told me to stay put and really explore the city I’m living in. So I hopped off the train and spent the next 5 hours memorizing every corner of downtown Reutlingen.

The one vague plan I had for the afternoon was to do some clothes shopping, mainly because I think the other reason for my crummy mood was that I was tired of looking like a slob. Sure, it’s freeing to not have that many material things to travel with, but I was really sick of wearing the same 6 t-shirts over and over. I thought I gave up on Desigual when I jumped off the train to Stuttgart, but I walked into a department store, and low and behold, there was a whole corner devoted to my favorite brand! So I grabbed pretty much one of everything and headed for the dressing rooms. I had all afternoon and no one to answer to, so I might as well. And then I found this dress….

It’s beautiful, bright and flowing to the floor (okay about 6 inches past the floor, but that can be fixed.) It was so expensive, but it was the first thing that made me feel stylish in a long time, so I found myself saying my new favorite phrase once again: Man lebt nur einmal. So now I can’t wait for it to be spring so I can wear this. Plus, now I’ll look cute when I go to Spain or the south of France. Now that I have the dress, I have to go there!

Once I was all shopped out, I realized that there was still a lot of daylight left and more places left to explore. Since I can’t wear the maxi dress yet, I needed something else for some immediate gratification. I was in luck, across the street was a nail salon. So I treated myself to my first gel manicure in almost a year. And I was quite proud that me and my asian nail tech managed to understand each other’s broken German. After that, I was already feeling pretty good, but if I know one thing for sure, it’s that no great day in Germany is complete without ice cream…and Döner…in that order. After my extra dark chocolate gelato and oh-so-nutritious pita pocket of goodness, I headed home. Truly, purely, overwhelmingly happy. Having found all I was looking for, both materially and non materially.

After I get back from Paris, I’m going to have a blogging marathon! I’ll devote a whole post to Paris, and then in another one, I want to share my top 10 things I miss from home and top 10 things I’ll miss about Germany when I leave. Plus, I still have to make my big announcement!

Valpo Voyager

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