The Adventure of Surviving Eruption Disruption 2010

As I'm sure everyone has heard by now, there was a volcano that erupted on Iceland last Wednesday leaving thousands of travelers, including myself, stranded without planes for almost a week! While normally I would loooove to spend an extra week in Italy, it looked like we wouldn't be able to fly out for weeks if at all. So that began the craziest, most spontaneous adventure I'd ever had. Erin and I traveled by train through central and northern Italy up to Nice, France then to Paris and from Paris to Calais, then from there we ferried from there to Dover, England then finally to Canterbury.

Erin and I spent 4 amazing days in Italy (2 in Rome and 2 in Florence) and it was fantastic. We flew into Pisa then took a 3 hour train to Rome. We basically were tourists in Rome, seeing the Vatican Museum and St. Peter's Basilica one day then the Roman Forum, the Colosseum, and Palatine Hill the next. Just seeing the vastness of the city and its history was pretty incredible--places like the Roman Forum are shells of what they used to be but still breathtaking in their decaying states. It's awe-inspiring just imagining what these places looked like in their prime. After Rome, we made our way to Florence (or Firenze) which I have to say was my favorite place in Italy. It has a similar sense of immensity and history but we didn't have much of a plan so we got to wander the city and eat amazing food, and gelato of course, which is my favorite way to see a new city. I got in touch with my friend Sam from high school and UVM and we all went out to dinner, which was such a blast. Italy was definitely my favorite place I've visited thus far.

Erin and I were all set to fly home last Thursday...until the volcano hit. We honestly thought it was a practical joke. When we heard all flights were cancelled til Saturday we headed back to Florence and enjoyed more wine and good food. It was then we had the SECOND flight cancelled. We knew then we had to get out of Italy soon (not quite apocalyptic-like but still urgent). Panicked, we searched for trains or anything that would get us to France. Overhearing some other Americans who were getting a train to Nice, France we ran back to the train station and by the grace of God, got on that train. Arriving in Nice, we met up with 3 other American girls (Victoria, Lauren and Kathleen) who were trying to get back to Edinburgh for finals. There we also met Jake, a kid trying to get to London. Together we searched for trains to Paris, but we had to spend all of monday in Nice...which was a true gift. As freaked out and stressed and overtired as we were, we still managed to appreciate what a opportunity this was.  We sat on the beach and Lauren swam in the Mediterranean. The ocean was astonishingly tranquil and feeling the sun on my face I felt immediately calmed. Once we knew we had a train to Paris (on Monday people were trying to get them for Tuesday night so we were very nervous). We had a connection in Marseilles then onto Paris then from Paris we spent the night hoping to get the Eurostar in the chunnel or get to Calais for the ferry. When we got to Paris at 10 pm we headed right to the train station--no one was getting Eurostars until SATURDAY. The next morning, again, we were very lucky to get a train to Calais then to the ferry. Once we got there it was fairly simple to get a ferry (they had 2 ferries that ran every hour back and forth to Dover, England which is only 30 mins from Canterbury). Once we were all on the ferry, we all felt such a immense sense of relief I didn't know if I wanted to laugh or cry...or sleep.

Once we all finally got to Dover, we went our separate ways. It was awesome having met those girls, it always seems better to tackle problems like this in groups. Now that I'm back I can relax and see my friends here. But now that I have time to think about it, I feel so heartbroken that my mom couldn't fly over because of the ash cloud. She's my best friend and it's been 4 months since I've really seen her (skype so doesn't count) and I didn't realize how heavily I'd been resting my hopes on her visit. But I would have been so upset if she had come earlier and got stuck here and missed too much work. I keep reminding myself I'll be home in a month.

While it was unexpected and frustrating, I'm somewhat glad we were put in this. It was a challenge, but now I know I can do pretty much anything travel-wise. We all kept our heads and handled ourselves without breaking down...too often. I was able to see Nice and other parts of Italy and, really, isn't that what this whole experience is about?

x Megan

Paris, je t'aime

Paris, thanks for one of (if not the best) experience so far in Europe. I thought Dublin would have been the highlight, but it seems every new city I go to changes my view on...everything. That may seem trite and insincere, but I've learned a lot about myself while in Paris for 3 days.

First: For people who know me well they know that I have a seriously crippling fear of heights. I can't seem to find out what it is, but not having my feet on the ground freaks the bejesus out of me. My friend Erin and a girl that we met, Beka, really wanted to climb the Eiffel Tower. To the top. 1,063 feet off the ground. In the pouring rain. Needless to say I was a little skeptical and utterly freaked out. But after an hour and 1/2 wait I made it to the second level...not allll the way to the top, but still an amazing feat for me. Standing up there among hundreds of other people you can feel an odd sense of peace and solitude. All you can see for miles is lights and sounds. As the girls made their way to the very top I stood as near to the edge as I could and took it all in. I breathed in the air and felt so alive and proud of myself for not fainting. As I turned to walk down...yes walk... the whole tower lit up with lights that you can see reflected in the buildings opposite the tower. It was such a remarkable moment and you share it with strangers. Definitely one of the best experiences of my entire life.

Second: I love walking. There's something incredible about meandering in the streets of a new city on a beautiful day that feels so exciting. I speak no French, so I really felt a sense of isolation but also like a voyeur; I could listen and watch without really eavesdropping on people's conversations.

Third: I'm a history nerd. I loved learning about Versailles and the history of Paris and their shops and just how majorly the city has influenced art, music, film and how people view love.

We travel by ferry from Dover to Calais, France then a 3 hour coach ride to Paris. The only downside of the trip was that SeaFrance was on strike so we were stranded in the channel for a few hours...but we made it alive and safe. Now all I want is a nice cheese plate and an amazing glass of red wine :)

On sunday: Rome and Florence :)
Going home is going to suck

on the seine river

hall of mirrors in versailles

palace of versailles

oscar wilde's grave

so thrilled...to be back on the ground

erin and I on the river by our hotel

English High Tea

Ever since I was a little girl I've wanted a real live tea party (probably came from reading too much 'Alice in Wonderland'). Today, some friends and I finally got to have one! We had real tea, and cakes, and actual cucumber sandwiches-- which are actually quite good. It was such a nice way to end classes and to get ready for PARIS TOMORROW :) I'm a little too excited for this....

          

                             

                              

                              

                              

Wow 10 weeks flew by

So my classes ended today (I don't have them on thursdays and this friday is Good Friday and I will be in Paris <3) and I just cannot believe how fast the time went! I'm just 2 papers away from my 1 month break then a final on March 17th.

I'm going to have such culture shock when I have to have a job and an internship this summer then 5 classes in the fall... This will be interesting to say the least :)

I CAN'T WAIT FOR PARIS (notice my excitement with the all caps and such)

:)

June 2nd

So I'm starting my internship early so instead of coming home June 18th I'll be home the 2nd...who wants to greet me at the airport? :)

U2, Guinness, and James Joyce

I just got home from the amazing weekend that was our visit to Dublin. I cannot say enough amazing things about this city- from the people to the food to the history. My friend Erin and I arrived VERY late Thursday night after our bus/flight got a little delayed, which is my very least favorite part of traveling. Our hostel was so cute-- only a ten minute walk from Temple Bar and Dame Street.

We went to the Guinness factory, which was such a blast! We took a free tour around the city and I thought I knew a lot about Ireland's history but I had no idea. It's truly amazing to hear. We did a pub crawl which was SO MUCH FUN! We got to meet some other Americans and some really friendly and kind Irish guys. To any city that you go to I think it's such a good idea to do something like a pub crawl --- for 12 euro we got 30 mins of free beer and free shots with any other drink we bought. It's an expensive city, which does cause some issues but that didn't stop it for being amazing! I recommend Dublin to anyone and everyone...When can I go back?!

St. Paddy's Day

St. Patricks Day is surprisingly big with the Brits, and we Americans were happy to add our 2 cents. Hope everyone had a safe and lucky St. Paddy's Day!!

My first Guinness!