It's New Years Eve and I'm ready for a nap

Getting over jet lag, getting over being sick and visiting my Dad in the hospital has been an exhausting week. Today we went and visited my Dad for a few hours and then went to my Aunts house to watch the ball drop. I do believe this is the first time I haven't had a single drink on New Year's Eve since I was 18. I was also in a glorified version of pajamas, wearing sweatpants and a sweatshirt. This was perfect because I could curl up on the couch and took a nap! Around 9:30 my Mom was exhausted so we headed back home which was fine with me. I was in bed by 10pm and asleep well before midnight. Happy New Year to me! ;)

Where are you Christmas?

Merry Christmas All!

Happy Christmas Eve!

It was a rough Christmas Eve with Dad going into the hospital. It has reminded me to be thankful for the simple things. Merry Christmas!

It's been fun

What a great family vacation. I can't wait for the next one....now....let's Conga!

Fun Day at Sea!

After waking up this morning and having my Dad kindly remind me that I'm 30, we decided to stay in bed for awhile and watch movies. After having enough of being lazy, my Mom and I went to the cruise presentation and booked 2 vouchers for future cruises! We then picked up Dad and did some last minute exploring of the ship. It was a great final day on board.

In the evening we took Dad to see the Christmas show. Mom and I cried of course when the little kids were singing Christmas carols and the little ones were decorating the tree. After putting Dad to bed, we had our last night of karoke which was one of the most fun things we did all week.

Even though I was sick most of the week, I still had a great time. I am proud of my Dad for making it down the stairs to go to Catalina and I love my Mom for being so much fun. Well done us! Can't wait to do it again!

So I'm 30...now what?

I woke up this morning with the realization that a new chapter of my life is before me. But what is next? More world travel, marriage, children, a fantastic career...or none of these? Who knows, that's the exciting part ;)

Every day you may make progress. Every step may be fruitful. Yet there will stretch out before you an ever-lengthening, ever-ascending, ever-improving path. You know you will never get to the end of the journey. But this, so far from discouraging, only adds to the joy and glory of the climb.

- Sir Winston Churchill

The last day of my 20s....sigh!

So here is what I have to say about the last decade of my life:

-I have learned a lot about how to be a better daughter and a better friend

-Life is for the living. Make the choices that will make you happy

-The status quo is not good enough, just say "to hell with it" and go for it

-There is nothing lonelier than being in the wrong relationship

-Loving yourself is the most important choice you can make so you can truly love others

-Beer before liquor, never been sicker, liquor before beer, you're in the clear

There are many other lessons that I have learned along the way and I have no regrets about the last 10 years. It is kind of exciting to think that 10 years from now I could be in a completely different place and experiencing things I never thought I would. I am so looking forward to the evolution I will experience in the coming decade.

Ah life, you are a like a jerky hot guy...you want to hate it sometimes but it is so enticing you find yourself doing it anyways ;)

Our first cruise!

What a fantastic day. Today my family and I sailed off on our first cruise! As soon as we got on board my Mom and I got a drink. I got a margarita of course and my Mom got a Corona (no surprise there!). We got my Dad settled into the cabin and got another round of drinks before heading to the orientation meeting. We learned all about how to make it around the ship and were well on are way to a full on party. I can already tell this is going to be a great trip. Ok, gotta run, maragarita number 3 is calling ;)

So many things to do and so little time

Due to all of my flight delays, I had to get everything done for the Cruise in one day and what a day it was. Nails in the morning, haircut,shopping and then the ever important wax appointment. I am so excited to go on our first family vacation in forever. It is going to be a great week spending time with my family and celebrating my birthday. I am so grateful to be home and I am ready for some Carnival Fun!

Murphy's Law

So after many hours and many delayed flights I have finally made it to Bakersfield. I am far too tired to recount the shenanigans of the day. Suffice it to say, I am up one shower, a cat and a taco bell grilled steak stuffed burrito. It took me a while but I'm finally home.

I'm coming home

Can't wait to see, my family... Cali, here I come!

Fondue for Two

It is the night before I leave for vacation and what a wonderful night it was. After finishing our econ final we all headed down to the bar for a drink. It was great to celebrate the completion of our first term together. After a guest speaker or two I headed to the Swiss Chalet for fondue. It was amazing but after awhile I hit a cheese wall. For any of you who have experienced fondue, you know what I am talking about. After dinner, I headed downtown to meet with some friends. We had some drinks and did some dancing at our neighborhood hot spot "The Lido". I think if I take an inventory, I have probably had close to two bottles of wine today, but maybe I shouldn't think about it. In other news, I almost made a new friend tonight but I had to quickly dismiss him due to his lack of fondness for beer and Harry Potter. These are crucial issues people. He does like hats, which gives him bonus points but I fear Harry Potter is a deal breaker. Oh well, onward and upward. By this time tomorrow I will be with my family...bliss...I will miss Switzerland while I am gone, mostly the fondue. I will just have to replace the wine and cheese with California Margaritas and tacos. I think I can manage ;)

I am a good girl

Tonight was the last night that the MHAs were at La Ferme....4 glasses of wine and 2 glasses of champagne later I can safely say that I am not quite ready to go to bed...but alas, Tourism Economics exam tomorrow. I think I will just daydream about being in California in a few days and returning to my crazy habits there. I can be a good girl, I promise...but just for tonight ;)

Please, celebrate me home

No matter how far away you go, your home is always in your heart. It is in the way you speak, how you treat others, the things that make you laugh. Who we are at the core is part of where we come from. When ever I miss my family or feel alone I remember that I am already home. The years of learning and love I have been lucky enough to receive from my family have given me the ability to make a home wherever I go. Now, when I go back to the States for Christmas I know I will be going home because I will be going toward the love that created that sense of home to begin with. Happy Holidays everyone :)

Oh You Fancy Huh ;)

Oh my gosh...I can't wait to get my hair did and my nails. I just made my appointments for that and some other accoutrements for when I get back to Cali. I am going to be so fly when I go on my cruise....Neeraj..drop me a beat.....;)

I miss my cat!

Very soon I will be home snuggling with my adorable Dagny. I miss a lot of things about my old life. My car, of course my parents, going to Walmart on a Sunday to get something I need at the last minute. But if I'm being honest I would have to say that late at night when I am drifting off to sleep, the thing I miss most is my cat softly purring next to me....only 5 more days!

Tall Chai Latte Chaud

Today I made the trip all the way downtown for the specific purpose of ordering a Starbucks drink. Sadly, I am so out of shape I am still sore from the lower body workout class so I got off two stops early so I could actually stroll downhill to Starbucks instead of taking the normal treacherous uphill route. Pathetic or genius? I think a little bit of both. Needless to say I met my friend at Starbucks and ordered my drink in perfect French, including the ridiculous special instructions. It was delicious and gingerbready! In order to continue our Christmas cheer we took a stroll around the Christmas market and imbibed a piping cup of vin chaud. We enjoyed the stunning view of the snow capped mountains, did some grocery shopping and then made our way back to campus. I then took a four hour nap followed by some serious movie watching. What a lovely and relaxing day. I should do this more often.

I have a goat cheese headache

Tonight we went to Le Nocturne and I ate one of the most delicious pizza's I have had to date in Switzerland. The only down side was that the amount of goat cheese they put on the pizza was astonishing. It was so delicious that I couldn't stop eating it which led to an overdose and eventual goat cheese headache. It's okay because it was definitely worth it. After dinner a group of us went for a drink and rounded out the night with some dancing at Punk. Just a typical Friday night. Dinner, drinks and dancing. I can't believe we have already made it half way!

An American in Paris and other reasons I love being friends with French People

Today was just as interesting as any other day in Lausanne. I made it through my usual 8 hours of class only to have my French friend, Charlotte suggest "eeuuuhhhh Jessica!, let's going to legs/butt/abs class!". Ok, I thought, I could use a good workout since I have been subsisting on a diet of chocolate and cheese for the past week. Oh was I so wrong. My attempts to do something good for myself ended in horrible pain. Everytime the French instructor would say "reste" I thought it met I could actually rest....nope, that means "hold it" or "stay"in French. So I'm pumping my legs up to the ceiling questioning why I am friends with Charlotte, but then the class ended and I realized I am really just out of shape and I shouldn't blame my adorable French friend.

We went back to our rooms and got ready for one of the funniest evenings I have had since I have been here. A group of us went to our usual hot spot, The Lido, and watched a comedy show called A New Yorker in Paris. It was so great. He managed to capture in one hour all of the things my friends and I have been laughing about for 5 months. When you go to an International school you learn a lot about yourself and the culture that you come from. Tonight was no exception. If you are ever in Paris or run into his show you should definitely go. What a great night. A lot of laughing with my French friends and good times.

Sometimes I just cry myself to sleep

There are days when I want to feel sorry for myself and eat a tube of ice cream and cry to Adele...but then I watch this skit and think "do I really look like that". The answer is yes...so I put down the ice cream and call my Mom ;)

Madame Secretary, Jessica White, Fellow American

Today was so amazing. I had the honor of going to the United Nations in Geneva to see Madame Secretary Hillary Clinton's historic speech on International LGBT rights. Charlotte said I had such a patriotic spirit that she could see the American flag spinning above my head. We were both so cheerful as we got on the train and took the tram to the United Nations. However, we almost didn't make it because the gate was closing at 4pm and we had only 10 minutes before it closed. We ran 500 meters and made it in the nick of time. You should have seen us. We looked like we were chasing the Beatles we were so excited.

When we got there we ran into our other classmates and got into the hall about 2 hours before she went on. We met two really interesting people. One person worked for the Human Rights organization and gave us the inside scoop on the topic of the speech. The other is a speaker who lectures on age and self esteem. As we were waiting I was so excited I felt like it was the night before going to Disneyland and I couldn't sleep. Hopefully, this wasn't a once in a lifetime opportunity because I think I could get used to being a citizen of the world.

Find the historic speech below and see if you can spot me. I'm sitting about 10 rows back on the left hand side!

French Faux Pas Part 1: We're off to see the Wizard...wait no?

This is the first of an ongoing series regarding my friendship with two fantastic French Ladies and how I am trying to slowly inundate them with my Americanism. Sometimes I wonder how they have existed for so long without some of the wonderful cultural gems of America. Through my overactive sense of Nationalism I plan to "share" my favorite things with them throughout the rest of our time together. After all, I don't see much of a difference between us, both of our flags are red, white and blue and like any overindulgent only child I expect them to like everything I do ;) Hey wait, that rhymed..haha

Charlotte and Jessica on the metro

Jessica: Oh look how cute that puppy is, he looks just like Toto

Charlotte: Toto?, what is a Toto?

Jessica: "You know, Toto from The Wizard of Oz, Somewhere Over the Rainbow, yellow brick road, munchkins, ruby slippers, the wicked witch of the west, there's no place like home, any of this ringing a bell?"

Charllote: "eeuuaahhh...no...I have not hear of this Oz who is a Wizard? And what bell?"

Jessica: pause for a rare moment of speechlessness, "It's ok Charlotte, I'll send you the link on youtube"

Alex and Chad...stop making me swoon!

Youtube has some great talent. I love the 21st century.

It's the most wonderful time of the year!

I love Christmas time and now I have even more ways to enjoy it. Today we went to the Christmas market in Montreux and I enjoyed delicious Vin Chaud, which apparently you can get everywhere in Europe. What a fantastic Christmas tradition that I plan on perpetuating when I get home. We toured all of the little booths which are all adorable wooden huts. We enjoyed Churros and then had a fondue dinner in a quintessential Swiss chalet. It was wonderful to get off campus, spend time with friends and enjoy the beginning of the holiday season. Besides the terrifying journey on the ferris wheel (thanks Charlotte), I feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Now I just hope it will snow so I can make a snow angel :) Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays everyone!

Happy Birthday Britney

Today is Britney Spears' 30th birthday which means I only have 19 days until I make the big 3-0. It seems crazy how many famous people are my contemporaries:

• Paris Hilton
• Sienna Miller
• Nicole Richie
• Rachel Bilson
• Jessica Alba
• Hayden Christensen
• Natalie Portman
• Justin Timberlake
• Beyonce Knowles
• Julia Stiles
• Ivanka Trump
• Alicia Keys
• Elijah Wood
• Adriana Lima
• Jennifer Hudson
• Serena Williams
• Alexis Bledel
• Bryce Dallas Howard
• Joseph Gordon-Levitt
• Christina Millian
• Josh Groban

I have bought their albums, watched their movies and televisions shows, and grown up with them. I don't feel old but it is strange seeing the world grow up around you. In 20 years my kids will say "OMG, have you seen the New Sean Spears movie" and I will say "Oh yeah, Britney's son"..."Who" my kids will remark. At that point I will feel old but hopefully by then botox will be over the counter ;)

Today I was a Pastry Chef

Today was our last day for our Kitchen Practical. Tonight I worked in the pastry department for the dinner at La Ferme. We had a great time trying to become inspired by our plate design and reinventing it for each table. I am glad it is over because I am so tired but it was still a great experience. Now I only have to make it for 2 more weeks before I come home.

At your service

Tonight we had the service side of our kitchen practical. My friend Nicole and I were thinking..."I never thought I would have to do this again!" After getting over the initial shock, we got together as a team, made a floor plan, dressed the tables and we were ready to go. I played the role of hostess as my classmates and friends came in to dine with us. It was actually really nice to be moving around again and visiting with guests instead of sitting in class for eight hours a day. It reminded us all of why we are here. We truly have a passion for hospitality. At the end of the night I was exhausted but it was the good kind of tired where I know I put in a good nights work. Now for tomorrow to work in the kitchen.

I'm like a Dyson

I am getting tired so easily these days. I used to be on my feet 15 hours a day when I was serving. Now, it has only taken 5 months of sitting in a class room and I have lost my touch. Today we were in the Kitchen again learning how to vacuum pack food. It was actually pretty interesting to see how you can prep food for a commercial kitchen. The coolest part was after we prepped all the food we got to use this giant vacuum to suck all of the air out of the bags. It was super sci fi. The teacher even said this is basically how they prepare all of the food for the Astronauts of NASA. We made rack of lamb, homemade ice cream, steamed carrots and about 6 other dishes. After we were done we got to enjoy the fruits of our labor. It was a nice experience, other than the minor nervous breakdown I had. Long story, basically I am ready for Christmas break. So now I have developed a new set of vacuuming skills. Should I put that on my resume?

Sweet Dreams

There is something about this week. I am extremely tired. Maybe it is all the standing and running around I know I am about to do in the kitchen. We had our Foie Gras and Pastry workshops today to prepare for our La Ferme nights this week. It was pretty fun but I find myself considering a nap way too often. Maybe it is the gloomy weather and I am just due for some sunshine. I am going to try and workout tonight to get my energy levels up. Or maybe just a long nap ;) Take me away Stevie Nicks

I wish I could be Benjamin Button

"The most unfair thing about life is the way it ends. I mean, life is tough. It takes up a lot of your time. What do you get at the end of it? A death. What's that, a bonus? I think the life cycle is all backwards. You should die first, get it out of the way. Then you live in an old age home. You get kicked out when you're too young, you get a gold watch, you go to work. You work forty years until you're young enough to enjoy your retirement. You do drugs, alcohol, you party, you get ready for high school. You go to grade school, you become a kid, you play, you have no responsibilities, you become a little baby, you go back into the womb, you spend your last nine months warm, happy, and floating…you finish off as an orgasm."

>Jack Handey

An American Thanksgiving in Switzerland

Tonight all of the American's in my class got together to host a good old fashioned American Thanksgiving for our classmates. We were lucky enough to have it in the old farm house on campus that has been converted to a restaurant. It was truly beautiful and I'm not just saying this because I have had close to 2 bottles of wine. The wonderful thing about this holiday is that it gives you pause to remember how much you have in life and blessed we all are. It also allows me the pleasure to bake! I made homemade pecan pie, pumpkin quick bread and rice crispie treats. The only thing that was missing tonight was my family, but that's okay because I have made my own little family here. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Blackbird

There is a part in all of us, no matter how big or small, that feels broken. As happy as I am and as motivated as I appear there is a part of me that still needs to heal. Failed relationships, failed career paths, failed plans. Things rarely work out in life how you thought and learning to release myself from those plans has been so freeing. Moving across the world has given me the chance to take a moment and reflect on who I am and what I really want. I think I have learned to see and I know that the journey of life is exciting and full of possibilities, so I am just going to fly where the wind takes me and be free from it all.

"All your life, you were only waiting for this moment to be free"

There's more upstairs!

So after five months in Switzerland I have only now discovered the American Market in Geneva. This is probably not a good thing. On the way to pick up my friend Kathleen from the airport, I had to make a stop to look for pumpkin pie filling. Note: If you are making pumpkin pie in Switzerland, good luck because they don't sell pumpkin pie filling. Anyhow, I get there and I should have just handed them my wallet. I was like a kid in a candy store: Pop tarts, marshmallow fluff, peanut butter captain crunch, Kraft macaroni and cheese, ranch dressing, salsa, brown sugar and cinnamon oatmeal, the list goes on. I kept piling up stuff on the counter and then my eye spotted the staircase and I look at the clerk and said "OMG, there's more upstairs". Needless to say 150 CFH later I had more the enough to carry back. When I picked up my friend at the airport it was like she had never left the states. Anyhow, fantastic store but I am not allowed to go back there during my remaining time in Switzerland, it's just too dangerous ;)

Leave

Wednesdays are usually the days I lock myself in my room with chocolate, listen to sad love songs and cry myself to sleep. Do you feel like crying with me? Here is a really depressing break up song to get you started ;)

Look at me....I'm making carrots!

Today we worked in the hot kitchen for the food court. I made the biggest pot of carrots ever. The pot was so big I could fit into it. I was shouting to my friends like a big dork "look at me, I'm making carrots!" If you know anything about me then you know I am fascinated by scale. I love really tiny things (have you heard my plans for a mini farm) and really over-sized things. Maybe it was those hours of watching The Wizard of Oz and Willy Wonka as a child or my love of the book Gulliver's Travels. If I try to analyze some of the quarks of my mind too much I would probably end up in a really dark place. I guess it just boils down to the fact that I am easily amused and I like to simple things in life. Tell your friends, especially the cute tall ones with dark hair, light eyes and a PhD. ;)

It's the social networking revolution

Tonight I saw a guest speaker talk about how social networking is taking over our lives. Scary, exciting or just reality. Apparently, you can look up information about anyone on this website called Spokeo. I looked up myself and they had my income tax return from last year. Crazy. Oh well, good thing I am an open book and I don't have any secrets.....or do I? ;)

The password is Eggplant

Tonight things got a little crazy. I went out with a few girlfriends and things ended in a frenzy. I was on an impossible spy mission and I had to deliver my message before it was too late. We came back in a taxi and I called one of my classmates and told him the secret. The password is eggplant, if you want to know the story I will have to kill you first ;)

Sliding Doors

"The doors we open and close each day decide the lives we live"

- Flora Whittemore

Sometimes I think about what might be if I turned left instead of right.

I'm looking for....

Somebody

Being in Switzerland away from the hustle and bustle of life allows a lot of self-reflection...maybe too much. I find myself actually thinking about being in love and feeling connected to someone again. It is easy to distract yourself when you have work and family to keep you busy. Now that I have been here for a few months and gotten into a routine I find myself pondering life's great questions in the wee hours of the morning between sleeping and dreaming. I suppose it boils down to one simple thing...everyone wants to be loved. Hopefully there is someone out there in the universe waiting for me.

Bonnie McKee - Somebody von eury10

Fix you

You can spend all of your life trying to make things right, giving every part of yourself to correct the past and create a future but you can not change people. The only thing you can do is be the most authentic version of yourself and control how you behave in the world. I can't fix everything in this world, I can only fix myself.

Alien like you

This is a fantastic song that reflects on how we all feel sometimes. Wouldn't it be nice to meet someone who actually understood you and made you feel just a little less alone. I think I daydream too much.

It was a race against time...

So when I booked my flight to go see my cousin for her birthday I neglected to realize I would be cutting it extremely close to making it to my marketing mid-term. I literally was running into through the doors minutes before it started. It was really crazy, once I landed at the airport I still had to take a 45 minute train ride to town and then i had to find the fastest cab driver in Lausanne. It was kind of like the scene in the Italian Job where the Mini Coopers were driving like crazy, except it was the much cooler 1969 version!

...and the break dancers were adorable

Tonight we went out to our favorite hotspot "The Lido". We did our usual consumption of wine and dancing but then a circle formed and all of the sudden there was a battle! Well sort of...I saw my French friend getting excited and I was ready for it to get going and then all of sudden the cute Swiss people started break dancing. Apparently there was some sort of break dancing competition in town but no one gave them the memo that their moves were from Run DMC circa 1984. It was fun to watch and even better with 4 glasses of wine. Oh,the break dancers...they were so adorable.

The Prince of Luxembourg

Today was a great honor as the Prince of Luxembourg visited EHL. We had an exclusive wine tasting where I was able to enjoy a glass from 600 euro bottle of wine. It was amazing. I have never thought of myself as much of a wine connoisseur but you can definitely taste the difference. It was like an explosion of flavors in my mouth. I can't wait to visit the Chateau Haut Brion when we go to Bordeaux in March. It is going to be quite a treat. This tasting is just one of the many perks of going to EHL and I am looking forward to see what the rest of the year brings.

Happy Halloween!

"Sometimes when I feel like killing someone, I do a little trick to calm myself down. I'll go over to the persons house and ring the doorbell. When the person comes to the door, I'm gone, but you know what I've left on the porch? A jack-o-lantern with a knife stuck in the side of it's head with a note that says "You." After that I usually feel a lot better, and no harm done."

-Jack Handey

Yesterday

Sometimes when I think about my life I wonder about how my journey would have unfolded if I had made different decisions. I know exactly who I am and what I am about but I am curious if the butterfly effect would have change the direction of my life if I would have made just one simple choice. I suppose it come down to one simple emotion, loneliness.

I can go the distance

Today was a big milestone for me and I have my friend Kelvin to thank for it. I finally ran 2 laps around the trail during running team. It has been tough for me to get back into running and remember that I could do. Thanks Kelvin, now I know I can go the distance.

Moulin Rouge

Today we made a trip to Montmartre and walked up to the very top of the hill. It was amazing to look down over the city and see how big it truly is. I also got to see the Moulin Rouge in person which was a little anti-climatic. On the upside we went to this amazing cupcake place, Berko, and I had to restrain Charlotte from buying the entire shop. It was nice to walk around and see everything but it is a bit of a shame that tourists like myself have made all of the wonderful places in Paris a bit cheesy. Oh well, c'est la vie.

All That Jazz!

Tonight we headed back to Bern for my friends birthday. We went back to the hotel we visited with the Jazz club and had an amazing dinner. After dinner we headed down to the club to listen to some really great music. All of the musicians were from the states and then could really play. The main singer played the trombone and we were clapping like crazy and were restraining ourselves from dancing. It was really great show and afterwards we visited with the musicians for about an hour and got to see here some really great stories. If you are ever in Bern make the trip to Marian's jazzroom. It will totally be worth it.

Laughter is a universal language

Tonight a few of us went to a club downtown to watch a comedy show. Ok, so it was in French and I didn't really understand most of what he was saying. But what I did understand was the humor in what he was saying. I think that has been one of the most amazing things about living in Switzerland. We all have so many things about us that are different and set us apart, but the one thing that can bring us together is laughter. After all, it is the universal language...wait or is that math?

Bern is for the bears

Today we went to Bern for our Architecture class. Fun fact. Bern is some derivative of the word bear, so there are bears all over the city including real ones. In the morning, after we visited a restaurant site we got to see the real brown bears that are in a sanctuary right in the middle of the city. It was quite a day. We had lunch in the Swiss Parliament, visited some really interesting hotels and got to go to this really awesome hotel that has a jazz club in the basement. Cool day, I would do it again ;)

This is why I can't have kids...Happy Friday!

"If a kid asks where rain comes from, I think a cute thing to tell him is ‘God is crying’. And if he asks why God is crying, another cute thing to tell him is ‘Probably because of something you did."

— Jack Handey

hahaha...I'm so evil ;)

All by myself

I am pretty good about being an independent woman but every once in a while I have a moment where I want to put on my flannel pajamas, drink a bottle of wine and listen to sad love songs. The only thing that would make this night perfect is my cat.......God I'm pathetic....oh well....tomorrow I can get back to being my awesome self. Sigh......

I think I'm ready

This morning I went shopping in downtown Lausanne. As I was walking by a store front a feather flew right past me and landed on the ground. When I looked up I saw feathers falling everywhere. It made me think of my Uncle who passed away when I was 6. There is a story behind it, but it always seems when I need something I find a feather. It is almost like he is thinking of me.

This past week has been an interesting one for me. For one reason or another I find myself reflecting more on who I am and what I want. I have taken the steps to achieve my professional goals and I know I am on the right track. Now, after nearly 4 years of being along, I find myself wondering....is something missing?

It is easy to let life distract you from loneliness. There will always be bills to pay, laundry to do and assignments to turn in. I have learned the most dangerous time is the space in-between the distractions, the quiet moments when you let your guard down. These are the times when life catches up with you. When you find yourself walking down the street looking up a the sky as feathers cascade around you. When you realize you are ready to let the world stop spinning and open yourself up to the possibilities. When you see the feathers for the sky.

Maybe my Uncle was sending me a message that it's time. It might be time for me to stop being so afraid of the outcome. It is easier to be alone because you don't have to trust another person and depend on them. But being afraid is no way to live. People need people and I am starting to realize that I need my own person. I need to let go of the fear and fly. But with whom?

Happy Friday

"The most unfair thing about life is the way it ends. I mean, life is tough. It takes up a lot of your time. What do you get at the end of it? A death. What's that, a bonus? I think the life cycle is all backwards. You should die first, get it out of the way. Then you live in an old age home. You get kicked out when you're too young, you get a gold watch, you go to work. You work forty years until you're young enough to enjoy your retirement. You do drugs, alchohol, you party, you get ready for high school. You go to grade school, you become a kid, you play, you have no responsibilities, you become a little baby, you go back into the womb, you spend your last nine months warm, happy, and floating…you finish off as an orgasm."

-Jack Handey

To boldly go where no beer has gone before

The following is an account of 10 intrepid travelers who set out on a journey seeking greatness. Each of us had different backgrounds, life experiences and alcohol tolerances...but we all had one common goal.....BEER! Together, we were a band of pilgrims seeking the ultimate Mecca for our kind. Our journey led us to Oktoberfest!

Wench's Log: Day 1, September 16th

The Arrival: It was like the beginning of the Britney Spears video "Baby One More Time". I was sitting in class, flicking my pen nervously on the desk, watching the clock, tick...tock...tick...tock....I just need it to be 12:30! As soon as we were out of class, we grabbed our bags and hit the road. I had that nervous excited feeling I get right before I go to Disneyland. But my rag tag bunch of friends and I weren't heading to Disneyland. We were heading to the other happiest place on earth...Munich!

The drive was a long one but totally worth it. As soon as we made it to the parking lot of the hotel we had our first of many beers. After checking in and a quick change we were off to downtown. We had dinner at the Augistener beer hall. It was hilarious, because as soon as we walked in my American cohort said "Jess, I know were are in the middle of Munich but it looks like the Epcot center!". There were beer wenches, liters of ale and sausages galore!

We all had a great dinner and I developed a really fun beer game ( don't ask). After dinner we headed toward....well, no one really knows, but we did end up at a dance club. The remaining events of the evening were a blur. I do remember dancing salsa with a Cuban guy and taking a sip of a mojito. We walked back to the hotel in the rain....and then I passed out :) All I know was that....IT WAS AWESOME!

Wench's Log: Day 2, September 17th, 2011

Making it rain!: Not unusual for me I was one of the first up and especially perky after a long night out. A few of us went outside to enjoy the opening day Oktoberfest parade. I saw many things, not the least of which was a guy with a kick-ass mustache and 2 little wiener dogs. Awesome! We toasted the maidens. I winked at the gents. I admired the horses. And awwed at the children. After the parade the ladies headed to the shops to find our dresses. Fun fact: If a lady's apron is tied on her left she is single, the right married, in the back widowed and in the middle.....well....she is up for anything ;).

The boys had headed to the tents while we were shopping and got us a seat. The bad news was all the tents were full when we got to Oktoberfest so we ate a sausage and had an ice cream and tried to make the best of it. All the ladies decided to head to the pub next to our hotel and have a liter (or two). Next, we decided a nap was in order. Some may disagree but I think that was the best idea ever. Once we were all refreshed we headed to the tents again. This time we got right in and got a table. We had 6 beers and 3 Chickens. We met a German named Sebastian and a guy from Denmark named...wait...I don't remember his name.

And then.....it started to rain....I don't mean a splash or a sprinkle, it was torrential downpours.....AND IT WAS AWESOME! People were attempting to make tents out of tables, others put up their umbrellas. We just went with it and got soaking wet. We ran in the rain laughing and skipping like little girls. We were adorable. Getting caught in the rain at Oktoberfest was one of my highlights of the weekend!

We ran back to the hotel, changed our clothes and headed to our "neighborhood bar". We continued our consumption, faked the lyrics to numerous German folk songs and met a lot of people. Who knew dancing on benches with 150 people could be so much fun! We all eventually stumbled back to the hotel, some earlier then others, and took our rest for the final day.

Wench's Log: Day 3, September 18th, 2011

Prost!: "Nicole, it's 8am. The tents open in 1 hour. Let's get up. We can do this!" I was so ready. My dress was dry from the night before and I felt good. We got everyone together and headed to Hippodrom tent. It was everything I dreamed of, sometimes I get a little tear in my eye when I think about it. Imagine a beautiful tent with red, green and gold swagging on the roof, beautiful evergreen wreaths with little horses dangling playfully, almost as if they are trotting above you saying "neiiiggghhh, Jessica, have a beer!". It was magical.

Our waiter came by with our first round. I took my first sip and then......oh no....I wasn't feeling so good. When he came by again I asked for a mineral water and do you know what he said to me...."Chicken". Oh well, it was the best thing I ever did because after that it was on. I don't remember how many beers I had, I don't remember all the people I met, I don't remember how many bits of pretzel mysteriously ended up in my clevage (thanks Dana)....but I do remember this. IT WAS AWESOME! We toasted the band as they marched out and chugged a beer. We said Prost (German for cheers) so many times I can't count. I ate this delicious pork thing with a potato dumpling. YUM.

Eventually it was time to leave the tent so the group march back, stein in hand, to the hotel. We took another nap and then rallied for dinner. No one looked that good. I figured we would all head back to the hotel after dinner. But somehow, I had a beer, and then 2, and then 3....and then I was dancing on benches again. My friend and I noticed this little 13 year old kid working behind the bar. It was a like a sitcom. Every time he came from the back he had a different accessory on. We even borrowed his hot pink over sized sunglasses for photos.

Some other things happened that night. We saw an old guy who looked like on of our friends, but 30 years from now, we sang loudly to John Denver's Country Roads and I met a Pharmacist named Ben. I can't say more about the rest....but trust me....IT WAS AWESOME!

Wench's Log: Day 4, September 19th, 2011

The Return Journey: It was rough going the next day. Some of us were ready to go but some of us were reluctant to say good bye to the land of liters and lederhosen....but it was time. We piled into the cars and headed home. On a side note: I puked in a field ouside of Munich.

We made it back home after a few pits stops, a long nap and a 7 hour drive. I personally spent the entire night in my bed watching episodes of "How I Met Your Mother". The weekend was over. I found some bruises in strange places. I became closer with my classmates. I learned that yes...I still got it girl! I surprised myself with how much beer I can consume. I think I surprised a few of my classmates with some of my behavior...no, I am not as sweet as I look ;)....But hey, what happens in Munich stays in Munich. OKTOBERFEST was an amazing experience. I am so glad I was able to share it with some amazing people and yes...IT WAS AWESOME! PROST!