Oregon is beautiful

Britta and I stayed with her parents the night before we left, since they live conveniently closer to the airport than we do. This is vital when you take as long to get ready to go anywhere as Britta does.

We woke up bright and early for our flight. Dragged Britta out of the house, tried to check in at American Airlines even though we were flying United. Finally got on the plane, looked out the window, and saw our beloved Pacific Northwest whitecaps.

(L-R) Mount St. Helens, Mt. Adams, Mt. Hood

On the way back, we flew through 14 hours of daylight, and when we reached the Portland area in the early evening, we passed so close to Mt. Hood it felt like we could touch it. Britta took this picture with her blackberry as it fell behind.

I want to climb this mountain.

I love the Ring of Fire.

Destination: Boston

Last month, I went to Boston for spring break. Therefore, we're taking a tiny break from visiting Paris to see Boston. This is a post in two parts: Then and Now.

Background: I went to college on Boston's south shore for a little over a year, before transferring back to my native Northwest. I played DIII soccer for the school (during which I experienced most of greater New England by chartered coach), became acquainted with Nor'easters, and made a trip to Hawaii and New Zealand with the biology department.

I love this city.


---THEN-------------------------------------------------------------------------

When my mom went to Boston with me for the very first time, in January 2006, we spent our free hours drinking in the city. We walked the Freedom Trail (that handy brick path that wends its way to all the important historical sites, like the Old North Church and really old burial grounds), chowed down on seafood, and shopped at Faneuil Hall and Quincy Market.

After getting familiar with the MBTA (this did not happen to me, obviously haha), it was all about the museums, the sports venues, and the Italian food in the North End.

Museums-

• I love the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Back Bay. It's a huge house with an enclosed courtyard turned solarium, full of original art and correspondence from celebrities of centuries past.
• The MFA rocks my world. Free admission for students always does! Besides the immense collection of perennial art, the changing exhibitions are awesome. I went to the Fashion Show: Paris Collections 2006. I love clothes. I love style. I love seeing Valentino and Christian Dior and Viktor & Rolf creations up close.
• Would have loved to spend more time in the Museum of Science. As it was, L (same one I visited in Paris) and I went to see Body Worlds 2. Amazing. Anatomy student heaven.
  
• Visited the Harvard Museum of Natural History for a biology class assignment. While strolling through said museum, I noticed a photograph that looked oddly familiar. As it turned out, the subject was a gravel shed from my hometown, 3000+ miles away in Oregon. Small world. There were also a plethora of blown glass botanics and lots of taxidermy. Sweet.
  

Home at Harvard!

Big bones in the HMNH

Sports-

• Bypassing Fenway and TD Banknorth Garden (everyone knows those names) in favor of...
  
• New England Revolution soccer! L and I met and bonded over this team. She had extra tickets, and I a quiet desperation to see them play. She drove all the way to my school to pick me up, and we rocked out to the Dropkick Murphys (locals gotta represent!) all the way out to Gillette Stadium and back. Our first game was in cold, pouring rain, but we sang our lungs out with the Midnight Riders and I bought my first MLS gear. Later on, we made banners urging the club to "Free Clint" and now I support his London club, Fulham FC. While I am a self-described equal opportunity footy enthusiast, it's so great having a local team.
  

Drenched, hypothermic, and exhilarated

Other highlights of my time in Boston include-

• The Christmas tree lighting in Boston Commons. December 2006 was unseasonably warm... we went downtown in t-shirts and ate ice cream after the fireworks and the crowds dissipated. We met the nutcracker, Clara, and the Mouse King from the Boston Ballet.

I missed the chance to hit him with my shoe.

• A soccer friend, Brittany, and I made an excursion to the New England Aquarium. The NEAQ is all right, but the one in Oregon is much better. While Boston's is a hot date spot, I can think of much more creative places to go. ;) The NEAQ does have a huge central tank with turtles and sharks and occasional SCUBA divers in it, which is awesome, as well as oversize penguins stalking the entrance.

Brittany and I getting some Pengzilla lovin'

That was three years ago. While I still love all these things about Boston, I've changed so much in my time back home. For example, I'm a big girl now! Tune in next time to see me write about my return trip and all the cool stuff I did this time. :)


Apologies for the lack of pictures. Many of my old Beantown photos were swallowed during the Great Computer Crash of 2007.

Part 2

J'ai deux billets pour Paris!

Y'all, it's happening.

On June 22, my fabulous roommate and I fly into Paris and together take France by storm for 16 days.

First to the Loire Valley (Angers) for a wedding, on south, and then back to Paris.

I never thought I'd be back within 10 months. I cannot wait to see the things I felt like I missed out on (like being too sick to go in Notre Dame).

Squeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

A whole new world

Before I officially begin the story of my trip, let me first say thank you to all of my European friends (and Euro-dwelling American friends) who made me feel so welcome. Thank you for showing me your world. A big thank you also to all Europeans in general... I wasn't sure what sort of reception to expect, but every single person I met treated me with so much warmth and hospitality, and I appreciated that more than I can say. I enjoyed you and your countries very much.

Let the games begin.

---

Saturday, 2 August 2008

European Adventure Travel Day 1:
Portland, Oregon to Zurich, Switzerland

The day starts innocuously enough. Wake up. Drink coffee. Stumble into the shower. Get dressed. Drink more coffee. Realize that today is the day you leave the country.

Eyes pop open. You're awake now.

Head to the airport. Check in baggage and pray silently for an aisle seat at the ticket counter. Proceed to security checkpoint and clench your ticket and passport between your teeth as you perform the quasi-striptease/elaborate game of Simon Says with TSA employees. Drink more overpriced coffee purchased from sullen employee at tiny shop. Board plane. Sit. Wait.

---

Living on the West Coast is only convenient if you're flying to, say, Australia (unless you have to fly to Boston to join the people you're going to the Antipodes with, but that's another box of disgruntlement entirely). My first flight was from Portland to Philadelphia at the ugly hour of 0845. I was sitting between halves of a military family ( I offered to trade seats, but they quoted some previously unknown airline rule about number of kids allowed in a row. I don't know. Maybe US Airways made it up), but their two children were the quietest children I have even seen on a plane in ten years of flying. There was an unattended minor sitting next to the window in the row in front of me. At some point during the flight, said unattended minor pressed her face between the seats and said to me, very seriously:

"Excuse me ma'am, but are we in Philadelphia?"

We were somewhere over Lake Michigan at the time.

The rest of the first flight and making my connection in Philly were relatively uneventful. My gate was located at the end of one of those silly terminals with several gates and a big open area full of seats that is reached by a ridiculously long hallway, so long, in fact, that no one can be bothered to leave once they have reached the gate, resulting in a hot, sweaty, smelly, crowded area. Fun.

[airport]------------------------------------------------------( )

Depiction of hallway to terminal

Got on the plane. Am seated next to two cute Swiss German boys, apparently fresh from a trip to Vegas. They speak German to each, French to me, and very limited English: "blackjack," "hit" (pronounced "heet" with a high giggle at the end), and "thank you very much." Before take-off, I attempt to learn German via text message from my roommate, but she only managed to teach me one word: sali, which is Swiss-German for hi.

Shortly, I discover that I am the one tiny pocket of American-ness in this giant pressurized tin can full of homeward-bound Swiss vacationers, all of whom are speaking German. Naturally.

The flight is delayed twice, due to weather in Zurich, as if nine hours on a plane isn't already enough. I entertain myself by watching the two boys play card games, all of which were hilarious to both players and baffling to me. I contemplate buying headphones until I find out the in-flight movie is The Golden Compass. Pass. People, do not forget headphones on international flights. It is very unwise.

We took off at sunset. Sleep was intermittent, at best, and after only a few hours we were chasing the sunrise over the Atlantic. Flying east on a red-eye is the weirdest feeling. I have no idea how long the flight was, but I think "forever" is a safe guess.