My Summer Abroad

Summer16//London//Austria//Chicago//California//All one summer//EXCITING

[angiesummeradventures-blog]

Makartsteg Bridge

Walking on this bridge I was surrounded by hundreds of locks and I was mesmerized. These are all proclamations of love right in front of me for the whole world to see.

The first day I was in Salzburg I walked on this bridge to get to the Fortress Hohensalzburg. I had no idea why there were so many locks on this bridge. I started to read the locks and they had names, hearts, promises of forever love and dates. 

At the end of my first day, I ended up reading about why there were locks in the bridge and I came upon the reason.  Most people put a lock on the bridge and toss the keys in the Salzach River as a symbol to seal their union. 

On my second day in Salzburg I was able to purchase a lock of my own. I wasn’t sure what to put on it at first. I wanted to put my mother’s name, or  my grandparents’ name. My decision was to have  “Angie <3 Ricky” engraved on the lock since that is what my family would have wanted. I also had the the date in which I put the lock on the bridge engraved on the lock in European format (day,month, year).  I hope I am able to come back in a few years and see the lock and remember how I feel right now. 

I had the privilege of visiting Salzburg this past weekend and it was extraordinary. This was only one of my experiences in Salzburg but more are to come! 

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Coins for Milk

Lately, I have been just staying in my room staring outside my window. So I decided to start checking things off that were on my list of things to see while in Linz. I was able to see the Mariendom (New Cathedral) and the Alter Dom (Old Cathedral). The Alter Dom is the green one while the Mariendom is the one with the  Gothic Revival architecture. While I was only able to see the outside, the inside is a mystery. I barely found out I can take a tour so I plan to ask around. I would have gone in this past weekend but I still can’t read German so I was not sure if they were in mass or not. 

Now you may be wondering why the title is Coins for Milk. Well, it turns out I had my first encounter with someone asking me for money when I was outside one of the cathedrals. This women starting speaking to me even though I told her I knew no German yet. She continued and we began to play a game of charades. After about 5 minutes all I understood was she needed money to buy milk and that milk was 10 euros. Well..... I had just bought milk for not even 2 euros so I was a bit concerned. Firstly, what type of milk was she buying? Why was the milk selling person/store giving her a high price? None of my questions were answered but I gave her 5 euros and she just looked at me as if asking for more. Luckily, a large group was passing by and the instant she looked away I took my escape and quietly walked away. It was an interesting experience to say the least. It got me thinking about why she approached me and not someone else who walking by. Perhaps because I was the only one walking alone. Altogether, my experience was grand. I will see more I promise. I am just fight off some homesickness. 

[angiesummeradventures-blog]

Hello! I am sorry I have not updated in a long time. My life has been hectic! I am constantly doing something which gets me a bit tired and I end up not posting anything. Anyways, here I am posting stuff so let me tell you about my trip to Vienna!

Arriving on a Friday I had ample time to explore the center square of Vienna. After arriving by train, which is actually such a cool experience, I had to take the Vienna underground transport system to get to the apartment type hostel my new friends and I were to stay at. This was my first time at a hostel so it was a bit nerve racking, partly due to the movie I have seen regarding hostels. However, our stay was great! My first hostel experience went without a hitch. 

We explored Stephenplatz and walked for what seemed hours going through stores and visiting the  St. Stephen's Cathedral. Friday was particularly uneventful at night due to use being super tired from walking around so much. My feet hurt as much as they did in London so that means I walked a good amount. 

On Saturday we got to see Mozart’s grave and visit the  Schönbrunn Palace. Both of those places were  gorgeous. The cementary where Mozart was buried had people buried there since the 1800′s! That really made me feel like I was somewhere sacred. The Schönbrunn Palace is not free to roam around in the inside of the palace but it is free to walk around the garden so that’s what we did. The gardens are extremely well-kept making them stunning! 

I hope to visit again before my departure of Europe so that I can experience the Ferris Wheel and the zoo. I know that I will be going back for the free music concert though! 

P.S. The souvenir prices are high! I had a hard time deciding whether or not to get some and I decided not until my next trip. So if you’re going, make sure to take a good amount (like at least 9 euros per souvenir per person). 

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I have officially left London and have landed in Linz! This region of the world is full of nature and first thing I want to do is find a place to go hiking! I arrived via plane and then a train brought me from Vienna to Linz. Since it was my first time on a train I was freaking out but of course it was not so bad! I want to thank London for giving me my first course in public transportation. Now I don’t feel so scared to venture out. Tomorrow is Saturday so I am planning on exploring this town! Get ready Linz! 

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I went on a Harry Potter Studio tour this week and it was INCREDIBLE! I felt like I was in the movies! Riding the bus over there put me to sleep due my predisposition to always fall asleep in vehicles.  With the bus stopping and a classmate poking me, I was able to wake up. I was able to go take a pictures with the chess pieces which were outside the building. We then made it inside the building and I was mesmerized by the pictures that were hanging in the lobby. The shop was visible and automatically I thought, “Yup, there goes my money.”  Getting in line just made me more anxious and when we finally got into the first room the magic began. We were giving an introduction to the tour and the second room was a speedy overview of all the books/movies. We were then shown the magical door which began the actual tour and we were allowed to pass. We entered into the great hall and BAM my heart stopped. I was so in LOVE. My childhood was there before my eyes.  Seeing the costumes and the props and the rooms in the tour was so remarkable! I am extremely happy I was able to go and words cannot fully explain what I experienced.

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Food, food, glorious food!

 Eating at different styles of restaurants is definitely a must when you visit a foreign country. I have tried Asian, Mediterranean and British food throughout my visit so far. I went to Yo Sushi which is down the street from the hotel I am staying at. The design of the restaurant is one of the main reasons I wanted to eat there. There are two different ways to get food to your belly. You can either order it like regular restaurants or you can pick it up from the conveyor belt. Some food is constantly passing around on a conveyor belt throughout the restaurant. I picked up some of those plates and I ordered teriyaki chicken. The food is placed on different colored plates with the colors representing the price of the meal in the plate. I ate everything I got due to its deliciousness. Another great place I went to is called York and Albany. It is a Gordon Ramsay restaurant so I was super hyped to get to eat there. I am a fan of Gordon Ramsay and his tele shows so I had high expectation. With the juicy pork belly, perfectly baked potatoes and soft broccoli I was almost transported to one of his tele shows. It was an amazing experience. I only wish my husband was there with me. The prices for both restaurant was not crazy expensive so I recommend you take a stop there if you are ever in London. You won’t regret it!

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I had the privilege of visiting the 9 ¾ platform in Kings Cross Station in London. It was an INCREDIBLE experience! As I walked into the station, my anticipation escalated inside my chest and my breathing was becoming heavy (partly it was also due to the stairs). I have always wanted to visit the platform since I have seen the movie years ago. Happiness was all I felt when I saw it there before me. I waited patiently and nervously in line to take my picture. I am not sure why I felt nervous to be honest. Seeing this in person has always been a dream of mine and now that I fulfilling my goal I must have been worried of the feeling I would feel afterward. Would I feel content? Disappointed? Would I be happy with my picture? Would there be no regrets?

As I stood next to the cart and received the scarf and wand, I felt my nervous rushing up my chest. When I posed, I felt my smile from ear to ear. My face showing sincerely happiness. The second pose started, the jumping pose. That was where my concern lay. As soon as the camera woman said three, I jump as cute as I could and I surprisingly did not fall. I was told that my first take was great so I did not try again. I felt my nervous rushing up again in my chest as I went to see my pictures.

After I took my two pictures, I felt such relief. I was not disappointed or felt any regret. I was entire ecstatic with my pictures and the way I came out in them!

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So far....

·       Buckingham Palace

·       Holland Park

·       London Eye

·       Big Ben

·       Westminster Abbey

·       Windsor Castle

·       Tubes

·       Tattersall Castle Restaurant

·       Tower Bridge Exhibition

·       Ice Cream Truck --> Oyster Ice Cream

·       Tower Bridge

·       Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre --> The Taming of the Shrew

·       Muji Store

·       River of Thames Cruise

·       Hare & Tortoise restaurant

That is a list of places I have been to in London. I have only been in London for 5 days and I have seen so much! I feel quite proud of myself since I have gone out of comfort zone a few times and it was worthwhile.

Do you know that I am terribly scared of heights? Well, I am and it was extremely terrifying going on the London Eye. I am not sure when my fear became evident to me but I was almost petrified while I was on the London Eye. We started off by going toward it by crossing the bridge and I was cool, calm. As soon as I stepped in, my body reacted in a way that it had not responded before to heights. I had to automatically sit down on the wooden bench provided in our capsule before my legs would give out. Half the entire 30 minutes in the capsule I was sitting down in the bench and just trying to breath normally and not cry. I told myself, “Angie, you are a strong and loved individual. If you can get through finals, you can get through this. You got this!” I did the super woman pose in my head and I started taking pictures from my view. Once I got enough courage, I stood up and took a picture (which due to me trying not to freak out looks funny). At the end of the ride, I was so relieved to step on solid ground! I don’t regret my decision of going up on the London Eye, I am very happy that I was able to do it.

I was able to take the underground system of transportation in London, known as the tubes. I had tried to prepare myself for public transportation by taking the bus in Edinburg, Texas but I ended up getting lost so that put fear in me of public transportation. I was only scared of not finding a way back to the bed I wanted to sleep in. I am very lucky to have some great classmates though! We have gone through the tubes a few times and the buses and I feel well prepared for any public transportation now! I feel I have grown as an individual just by that experience. I have gained confidence in myself and others which I did not deliberately knew I was missing.

I took an English course at UTRGV focusing on Shakespeare and I learned all about him, his plays, and the places the plays had been performed. I learned about the Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre and I am tremendously happy I was able to go see one of my favorite Shakespeare plays in the Globe Theatre.  Gigi and I saw The Taming of the Shrew in the yard of the theatre. The whole experience was incredible; I am still in awe that I was able to see it. It is hard for me to come to terms that I have seem so many unbelievable places and people. This experience is definitely expanding my horizons and helping me become more diverse!

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The L Word: Lost

On my second day in London, we were lost a good chunk of the morning looking for the hop on and hop off tour bus. It was a bit frustrating since my data did not work well enough for me to be of any help. However, being lost is part of the experience right? I enjoyed being lost even if it was a bit scary. I ended up passing by so many places in London that I don’t even know the names of some! I know we passed by the Royal Albert Hall and the Embassies. We also passed by so many cute stores and restaurants. Even in the busy city there always seems to be the presence of nature. For example, there were flowers in almost all the restaurants we placed by and all the apartments and hotels we passed by had some sort of plants or trees. The intertwine of nature and the city was very nice!

The whole class ended up splitting up after our second failed attempt at getting on the hop on and off tour bus. The group I ended up with had lunch at a pub in South Kensington which was cute! The toilets had very detailed signs about what you can and cannot put in them. It was very comical. There was also really nice looking food! I did not eat but my friends did and I took pictures of their food. We then ended up taking a bus which did not lead us to where we thought it would. We got to Victoria Station and we took the tubes to Kensington High Street and we finally made it back to the hotel! Oh my gosh, it was a very tiring day. I am still up planning what to do tomorrow and I hope it all works out. I have to wake up in like 5 hours so I’ll blog tomorrow how it goes! :D

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On my first day in London I completed something on my bucket list which was visiting a Muji Store. It was awesome! I was able to go inside and view all their things and fan girl all over the pens and notebooks they had. The Muji Store was in my bucket list due to my study blog. I am able see all these other study blogs post their purchases from the Muji Store that I just day dreamed of one day visiting one myself. The store itself was not humongous but it was perfect for my first time! 

I was also able to walk around Holland Park in the Kensington area which I really enjoyed. I personally enjoy taking walks and looking at nature and just observing things which was exactly what I did. I felt so at peace and the environment was so beautiful. The trees were so big and mesmerizing. I love how there is a peaceful park in the middle of a busy area.  I also saw so many dogs, which usually I do not like dogs but ever since I have come here I have gotten a liking to them.

For dinner I was able to go to the Hare & Tortoise restaurant which is super close to the hotel I am staying at. I had chicken ramen and Jasmin tea. It was my first time eating actual properly prepared ramen and it was a delight! The staff was friendly and the food itself was wonderful. The noodles and tea were hot but not too hot and the chicken was soft. The meal was excellent! I went to sleep super tired after doing some homework and talking to my husband. Overall my first day went pretty well. I will post later what happened on my second day in London!

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Last night in the U.S.! <3

Hello readers! Tonight is my last night in the U.S.! I will be going to London, England for my study abroad program. I am super excited!  Before I get into all the emotions I am going through right now, let me start at the beginning.

I have always wanted to go study abroad ever since I heard about the opportunity online and then experiencing the stories my sorority sister told me about her journey.   Last year I had my heart set on doing it but things came up which hindered my ability to feel comfortable enough to leave my house. However, this year I had my heart and mind set on doing study abroad and after many discussions with my husband I was able to feel comfortable doing it. I completed the application and payed the fees in order to see if I would be accepted into the program of my choice. I even submitted applications to scholarships to help me financially which I did not think I would receive. After patiently waiting for the decision which would let me know if I would be able to go or not, I was given the green light to start planning everything in regards to my flight and packing. In fact, I even was a recipient of one of the scholarships I applied to! I was super excited at this point but with all my anxiety I had to have a few more discussions with my husband in order to feel comfortable again.

I started fundraising and I started selling some of my stuff in order to pay for the program costs and my flight. Right before I pressed the button to purchase my flights I felt so many butterflies in my stomach about this. This is something I have always dreamed of and now that I am actually doing it, it feels so surreal.

About 12 days ago, I got some horrible news. My mother called to inform me that my grandmother had passed away. I was raised living with my grandmother and when I got the news I felt my heart break. It was a very hard time for me and my family and I even considered not doing my study abroad. I spent days and nights thinking to myself what would be the best decision. I came to the conclusion that my grandmother would not want me to quit. I believe she would have wanted me to continue and follow my dreams.

Now, the night before my flight takes me to London, I am very emotion. I will miss my family and husband so much! I know everyone is super excited for me and that is what is giving me strength to continue. I just know that tomorrow as I step on the plane I will start to cry. Not because I am sad or scared but because now I know through experience that anything is possible and any dream is capable of fulfillment.