Hello! I probably won’t have an update each week, but I wanted to share about this second week in Uruguay because we took a downtown city tour and had a field trip to Sierra de Minas, a pretty area in the country outside of Montevideo.

City Tour 🏙️

On an organized tour of the city center, we learned about Carlos Gardel, a famous tango singer from the early 1900s whose birth country is controversial, some saying he was born in France or Argentina. Uruguayans say he was born here and there is a statue of him outside of the first bar in Montevideo called Bar Facal (along with a bronzed plaque stating that he was born in Uruguay). Next to his statue is a fountain, filled with locks of lovers who’ve pledged forever to one another. 🔒❤️

Plaza Independencia in Montevideo’s main square has a monument to José Artigas with an imposing statue at ground level and a mausoleum below it where his remains rest under protection by a guard of honor. Artigas was a soldier and revolutionary leader, knowns at the father of Uruguayan Independence. 🇺🇾

There is also a well known food truck called Macanudo where a few of us stopped for lunch. They sell huge hamburgers and hotdogs. 🍔🌭 Though I thought I ordered a hotdog, I accidentally ordered an expensive hamburger 😂🤷🏻‍♀️…but it was tasty. 😋

Field Trip! ⛰️

The organizers of this international student program are named Orlando and Sebastian and they are awesome! They are our contacts for any questions about our classes and life in Uruguay. They were super nice to take us on a field trip this week to the Sierras de Minas, an area about an hour and a half away from the city. We visited a wild life preserve that had capybaras, a leopard and some really neat birds. We also had lunch at a park and then hiked to a zip line for some pretty views.

In week 2, my Spanish has not improved 🤣🤦🏻‍♀️ But I have started listening to Spanish podcasts and music and I found a flash card app where I made 300 flashcards in one evening….so hopefully I’ll notice some small gains soon. 😀🤞🏼 I hope everyone had a nice Labor Day this week and thanks for following along!

It was an interesting first week living in Montevideo! 🏫📓 School started on Monday with an orientation and tour of the campus, which is really just a large, pretty 4 story building with a cafe and study areas. Even though the area feels really safe, there are security guards posted at every door (and I was stopped to ask what I was doing when I took pictures of the campus below🤭). There are 22 international students in the program this semester, mostly from the U.S., although there is a student from Italy and one from Australia as well.

We are only taking classes with each other, so it means very small classes. My intermediate Spanish class only has 3 students in it! One class has 4 and the most is 10 students! Classes are mostly in the afternoons and seem very laid back so far. Several professors arrived a bit late to classes this week and mostly just chatted about what the class would be like, including field trips. There were only a few classes that provided a syllabus or expectations for the class. I am taking several classes for my International Affairs major and 2 Spanish classes, taught in Spanish. I have had to pay for 2 books this semester and they were only $13.65 each!! Here are some pictures of the school:

Life this week 🥟

So far, everyone in the program has been really friendly and nice. Most of the students are living in home-stays around the city, but a few are living in apartments. Some students have to take the bus to class, but I am lucky because I can walk from where I am living. We all use WhatsApp to communicate and everyone has been open to social events. One of the students had a birthday this week, so we all met for dinner. Uruguayans usually eat dinner later (like in Spain), so between 9-11pm. This worked out in our favor because we met at 7:30pm and were the only ones in the restaurant! 😆However, it was packed by the time we left.

On Friday evening, I met with another student to tour a free museum near the school and then we found a super cute cafe/book store for tea and bakery treats. 🥐 Saturday, my homestay host took me and her son to an interesting and beautiful ballet 🩰and then we ordered pizza afterward (it had SO much cheese, it was delicious!).

Today, most of the students met up at a large feria, or market, that had everything from fruits and vegetables to clothing, jewelry and food trucks (and the biggest avocados I have ever seen🥑). There are large ferias every weekend and smaller ones in different neighborhoods all around the city most days of the week. The city feels really safe, even at night. The food is expensive. Without a car and exploring the area, I’ve had over 18,000 steps every day for the last few days! 💪

It’s great being able to hear Spanish everywhere, but I am definitely struggling to understand it, especially if people are speaking quickly–so that’s challenging and can be discouraging. So far though, people are kind and helpful when I explain in Spanish that I don’t speak well or very much. Overall, great first week, now 15 to go! 😀

My trip here included 3 flights and a 7 hour lay over in Panama, but even though it was about 29 hours of total travel time, it all went super smooth. It is SO much easier to travel internationally when we’re not in a Covid pandemic 🤣😆! My Copa flight from Denver checked my bag all the way to Montevideo! There were no covid tests, vaccine cards, proof of flights out of the country, visa concerns, and my bag was not lost! Wins all around! Wahoo! 🙏🏽 🎉🎊💃🏻

I am staying with a host family in the Pocitos neighborhood, about a 13 minute walk from the University that I’ll be attending. The lady who is hosting me is a retired professor and has hosted students for what sounds like at least a decade. She is extremely welcoming and friendly and has made me feel comfortable right from the start. She lives on the 7th floor of a building that is 3 blocks from the ocean! I took these pictures on my walk today. 🌊

Currently, her adult daughter and her 1 year old grandson 👶🏻, as well as her adult son, live in the house too. Her daughter is a doctor 👩🏻‍⚕️and her son is a translator (which has been awesome because my Spanish is pretty minimal and his English is amazing–although he got ‘scolded’ with his mom for speaking to me in English since she knows I need to practice my Spanish😂). I have a little room with a desk and a half bathroom in the room, which is great!

Today I ventured out to a mall to get a SIM card and it was in the 50s and beautiful. It’s winter here currently but will start to warm up and will be full summer when I end the program in December. ☀️

My SIM card with 50gb of data was $7.50 for 1 month. Pretty good deal! The surrounding neighborhood has all kinds of coffee shops, gyms and small grocery stores. We start class on Monday and I noticed on the schedule that we have several field trips planned to places in the area, which is super cute! Stay tuned for more updates. 😀

Hey everyone! Happy August!! It feels like ages since I’ve done a blog post. I hope everyone has had a great summer, I can’t believe it’s August already!

University classes ended for me in early May (1 year of college classes done, yippie!🎊🎉) and my apartment lease was up in June. With my semester studying abroad in Uruguay starting at the end of August, I decided to spend the summer with family in Nebraska. This was only possible due to the extreme kindness of my mother for putting me up for 3 months (I am soooo grateful to her!!). 🙏🏽🥹

It has been such a lovely summer! And it couldn’t have come at a better time! After what felt like a grueling finals week, I had a week to pack, clean and move my belongings into a storage unit. Some wonderful friends helped me move my heavy furniture out of my 2nd floor apartment and then I was on my way to the midwest. 🚙 It was a 3 day, 1700 mile drive and thankfully, it went super smooth, but I was worn out when I arrived, ha! 🤣

Family Time!! ❤️❤️

I finished high school and went to college in Nebraska, but moved away shortly after completing school, so it’s been nearly 20 years since I actually lived in the state. I was able to spend a longer stint with family after the travel trip, but even then, I was searching, applying and interviewing for jobs in Maine, feeling like I had one foot out the door. This summer, I’ve actually been able to unpack and spend extended amounts of time with family and old friends and it has been fabulous! Lincoln feels huge compared to where I’ve been living in rural Maine! 😂 And getting to hang out with my cutie nieces for more than just a few days has been extra special!

4th of July 🎊

We decided to try a professional fireworks show this year since my nieces had never seen one previously. Even though there were some unfortunate teenagers behaving badly before and after the fireworks that prompted police to intervene, the show itself was great!

Emily the Cat 🐈

My mom adopted a cat unexpectedly a few months ago when a family friend passed away. We have mostly been a dog family previously, but Emily has warmed our hearts and been the sweetest pet to hang out with this summer! 😊

Friends, Concerts & Events

I kinda forgot how boiling hot the summer weather can be in Nebraska (and how frizzy my hair gets when I’m here 😆🤣), but thankfully, there have been enough nice days to attend live music, check out the zoo, go for bike rides and visit with friends.

Next Up, Uruguay! 🇺🇾✈️

I leave for Uruguay mid-August and will be living with a host family until mid-December! I can’t believe it’s only a few weeks away and am both excited and terrified (mostly about my minimal Spanish speaking skills), but I’ll be taking Spanish classes while there and am looking forward to improving. I’ll try to keep the blog updated while I’m there. At the end of the trip, a friend from Europe is planning to meet me to explore Patagonia in both Argentina and Chile before the Christmas holidays, so lots to look forward to! Thanks to those who have taken the time to stop by the blog! I hope everyone is doing well! 😃

P.S. That’s me in the sidewalk chalk, courtesy of my 5 year old niece! 😉😍

Quick and exciting announcement! I am going to study abroad in Montevideo, Uruguay this fall! In addition to studying Spanish, I’ll be taking classes for my International Affairs major and hopefully living with a host family. I have been VERY lucky to receive a scholarship because I am a non-traditional student, and I am so excited and grateful for this opportunity! Please stay tuned as I’ll try to keep the blog updated during my stay in South America. 😀

When I lived in Seattle years ago, I knew a friend who visited Budapest and her pictures were really beautiful. Since then, I have wanted to see the city myself. I had planned to stop in Budapest during my travel trip in 2021, but because of the Covid pandemic, Hungary was closed to visitors. I was very happy then, to be able to stay in Budapest for a week after visiting my brother in the Netherlands on this trip!

Budapest is so lovely! The Parliament building was my favorite landmark, but there were multiple castles, churches and city views that were stunning throughout. 

By chance, my sweet friend Steff, who lives in Switzerland, was able to meet me in Budapest for a long weekend, so we got to explore the city together! 😃

City Views

Budapest, once called ‘Queen of the Danube”, consists of two parts, Buda and Pest, separated by the Danube river. The Buda side of the city, hosts Buda Castle, Fisherman’s Bastion, Matthias Church and an interesting funicular ride from the Chain Bridge to Buda Castle.

The Pest side holds the Parliament building, the Danube Promenade, City Park, Andrássy Avenue and Hero’s Square.

Multiple bridges connect the hilly Buda district to the flat Pest. The Chain Bridge, opened in 1849, was the first permanent bridge across the Danube in Hungary. 

We stayed on the Pest side and found the city to be both walkable, and easily accessible by Budapest’s clean and easy to navigate subway/train/trolley system. 🚞

Fisherman’s Bastion

This unique landmark on the Buda side was built in the 19th Century specifically as a lookout on the beautiful capital city and was never used as an actual fortification. It boasts lovely views of the Parliament building on the Pest side, and was neat to see all the castle-like qualities. 🏰

Buda Castle, Matthias Church and Funicular

Just after leaving the Chain Bridge on the Buda side, a funicular lift, built in 1870, connects Adam Square and Buda Castle. The views of the city from Buda Castle are panoramic and beautiful!

Matthias Church, located near the Fisherman’s Bastion, was established in 1015 and has striking Neo-Gothic features. We were especially impressed by the bright and colorful roof.

Night Views

The Parliament building on the Pest side is lit every night around sunset. We walked down by the waterfront on the Buda side and watched the lights come on, which was really impressive. 🤩

The Chain Bridge and the Pest side also had plenty of lovely night lighting and made for a fun time of day to explore.

The Baths 💧

Budapest is known for its mineral baths and thermal spas. There are multiple baths throughout the city and we decided to visit the Gellért Baths on the Buda side during our trip. 

We were excited to take a trolley car to the baths. Yellow and narrow, I found them to be very cute! 🚃

There is a lot of hype about the baths here, but both Steff and I agreed that the bath we visited was a bit underwhelming. It was very nice to soak in, what are essentially very large hot tubs, but the building felt a bit old, dingy and neglected. The changing rooms were also extremely confusing and maze like. I accidentally went into a men’s bathroom because the signs were so minimal, oops! 😬 Thankfully, no one was in there except me and I only realized after I came out that I had gone in the men’s side. 🤣

Szimpla Kertmozi 🍻

A woman I met on one of my flights to Europe strongly recommended visiting a place called Szimpla Kert while in Budapest. When researching I discovered that this is the oldest and most famous of what are called Ruin Bars around the city. 

Szimpla Kert, which means Simple Garden, was started in 2004 when a formerly abandoned building in Budapest’s Jewish District was saved from demolition by a group of entrepreneurs who wanted to reinvent the space into a community bar. They decided to keep the building’s derelict look, adding unique decorations and seating, to create the open air space that it has now famously become. We visited during the day, and at night. There is a lot of graffiti and unique lighting with artistic details in every room.

Hero’s Square & Vajdahunyad Castle

Part of City Park, Hero’s Square is notable for the iconic Millennium Monument which features Seven Chieftains of the Magyars and the Memorial Stone of Heroes. Next to Hero’s Square is Vajdahunyad Castle and City Park Ice Rink. 

Vajdahunyad Castle is a copy of Hunyad Castle in Romania. It was built in 1896 as part of the Millennial Exhibition which celebrated the 1,000 years of Hungary since the Hungarian Conquest of the Carpathain Basin in 895. It was originally built with cardboard and wood but became so popular that it was rebuilt with stone and brick between 1904-1908. 

Subway 🚉

The Budapest Metro opened in 1896 to celebrate the Millennium of Hungary and is the 2nd oldest metro system in Europe after London. The M1 line (below) became a World Heritage Site in 2002. I loved seeing the old subway tiles and how low the ceilings were compared to modern subways! 😀

The Food! 🍽️

We lucked out with great food options while in the city. A friend of my brother’s recommended a restaurant called TATI Farm to Table where we had brunch one morning, and we stumbled upon a great late lunch restaurant called Garzon Café, with vegetarian options and delicious drinks. 

The city is famous for Kürtöskalács, or Chimney Cakes, known for its cylindrical shape, which comes from rolling dough around a wooden spit that rotates over hot cinders. They have all different types of toppings and some fancy shops add ice cream or chocolate inside. There are vendors all over the city that smell delicious, so it’s fun walking around the tourist areas because it often smells like cinnamon or vanilla. 😋

Final Thoughts

Budapest is one of my favorite European cities that I have visited so far! The lay out of the city, the easy use of their transportation system, the food, the friendly people we met….it was such a nice week. I would definitely recommend visiting if you have a chance in the future!

As most of you know, one of my brothers lives in the Netherlands. 😃 I had several weeks off after the fall semester ended and so I decided to spend the holidays visiting him. It had been 2 years since we had last seen each other in person, and he had also moved within the country, so I was really excited to see him and his new home! 🏠

After navigating a canceled train service to where he lives from Amsterdam 🚊 and having to find buses during a bad storm, we made it! He lives in the north of the country in a super quaint and pretty city. We got to celebrate a friend’s birthday 🎂 while I was there, as well as visit a neat outdoor market.

The bikes here are such a sight to see! 🚴🏻‍♀️ Stacks and stacks of them, and bike riders everywhere! I thought I would probably eventually get hit by one because I’m not used to having to watch for them! 😂

Rotterdam! 😃

We spent the majority of our visit staying with Tanner’s awesome friends, Vesna and Jeroen, in Rotterdam. They were the most wonderful hosts! 🥇 We were so lucky to have such generous, kind, welcoming people to spend the holidays with this year, I feel so grateful! ❤️ Vesna made us multiple delicious meals and homemade bread, and we got to watch great movies, have some really fun talks, and enjoy it all with their sweet cats. Thank you SO much Vesna and Jeroen, you guys will always have a special place in my heart for all the love and care you gave us this visit!! 🥰

Brielle! 👑

One of Tanner’s friends lived in London for a number of years and wanted to celebrate Boxing Day after Christmas. She was nice enough to invite us to celebrate with her, and so we visited the town of Brielle with her family. Brielle is a fortified city that is situated on an island of land in the western part of the country. It played a crucial role in the Eighty Years’ War and today has one of the highest per capita counts of monuments in the country. 

It looks like something out of a story book! We had a lovely dinner as well as several beautiful walks through the town.

Escape Room!

I had only ever attempted an escape room once about 5 years ago, and we did not escape. I wasn’t super excited about trying another one, but the same sweet friends who invited us over for Boxing Day, met up with us again a few days later for an escape room, and we escaped!! Yay! It was a really fun experience! We also grabbed drinks and snacks afterward, and I got to try the famous Dutch bitterballen, or fried ‘meatballs’. They were like fried gravy and pretty tasty.

Friend Visit!

While volunteering in Zimbabwe two years ago on the start of my travel trip, I met Ineke, an avid traveler and adventurer. She lives in Belgium, and it turns out that she was only an hour drive from Rotterdam! She was nice enough to drive up to meet us for lunch one day while I was visiting. It was so great getting to see you Ineke!! Can’t wait til our next adventure! ☺️

Amsterdam 🌃

I had one over night in Amsterdam prior to flying to Hungary for a week, and was lucky enough to spend the day with my sweet friend Stefan. We met while traveling in the Galapagos in 2022 and it was so great to get to connect again in person. He took me all around Amsterdam, including to the infamous Red Light District, and also treated me to the best vegetarian lasagna I have ever had (which he made from scratch, including the lasagna noodles!!). The whole experience was such a treat, thank you Stefan!! 😃

2024!! Happy New Year! 🎉🥳

The last year and a half has been a bit tough living in rural Maine and deciding to head in a different direction career wise, but I am feeling hopeful about the new year ahead! Being able to end 2023 with family and friends in the Netherlands was a much needed injection of joy in my life and I am SO grateful to my brother (and Vesna and Jeroen) for hosting me on this trip! I miss you guys already and can’t wait until our next meeting! Love you guys and thank you! ❤️