I have just graduated from Sonoma State University with a BA in Sociology. I have absolutely loved my time in wine country- it really doesn't get more beautiful than vineyards and endless green, but I am ready for the next adventure!

I am from the Bay Area and as much as I want to travel, I want to end up here later in life. I love that someone can go out for a different kind of ethnic food everyday of the week and still have endless options!

In July/August, I will be visiting one of my great friends in England where we will tour multiple castles, London, Paris, Paris Disneyland (we did meet at the Disney College Program anyway), and will be attending the 2012 LONDON OLYMPICS!

Click here for the official website for Edelweiss Lodge and Resort

In September, I will be working as a civilian employee for an American military base in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany. I will be in the hotel indusutry working for Edelweiss Lodge and Resort. They say my backyard will be the Alps. I have my hiking boots packed already.

Click here for the official website for the Disney College Program and Professional Internships

About two years ago I participated in the Disney College Program, working and living at Walt Disney World, Florida. It really started my love for traveling and throwing myself outside of my comfort zone. I highly recommend it to anyone who respects the Disney Company and wants to get their foot in the door or just wants a break from life- it was definitely both for me.

Saturday, September 29, 2012

It's as easy as Do-Re-Mi



So what should you do on your first weekend in a whole other country let alone another continent? Go to another country! We decided to take a day trip to Salzburg, Austria. We won't talk about the train trip duration, the important thing is that we got there, the sun was shining (used up our weather luck on that one), and we were ready for an adventure. One of the girls had studied abroad during her time in college, so we saved hours of trying to figure out what we should do/see, how the bus worked, etc and just hit the road right away!


Makin Julie Andrews proud


Go here to watch the Sound of Music clip. Skip to the 4 minute part and you will see the gardens!  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xIjobdArtiA


First, recognize this view? Neither did I, but its the Mirabell gardens where the ultra-famous "Do-Re-Mi" song from Sound of Music was filmed! I was all ready to pay for an expensive tour, but really I just recommend saving your money and seeing this garden. It is absolutely b-e-a-utiful! If you want pics with no tourists in the way- go early like 6am early. Anyways, we took some great pics and I feel like I need to see the movie again (with someone so I can brag obviously).


Then we went to a real posh restaurant and what did we do? We ordered dessert! Hotel Sacher had their famous Sacher torte. So unbeleiveably yummy, but of course the recipe is top secret. I have now found my new life long ambition. We also bough famous Mozart Kugel, which is a chocolate ball with hazelnut and pistachio inside. We got the handmade Furst kind (if you want a mass load of them, which I totally recomend, get the factory aka cheaper kind). This is only sold in Salzburg (since Mozart did live in Salzburg so you can see how that makes sense). Get one- so delicious. It sounds like all we went to Salzburg was to eat, but I swear there was more... but it may have been 90% of the trip.

The entrance to our "mountain"
The view!


We climbed a mountain next. There was a cute entrance and was only about 5 minutes to the top with an amazing view at the end. My family did our fair share of camping, hiking, and what not, but being really out of shape with nature a five minute climb in my flip flops and skirt is my kinda mountain!

We then got raddlers (the best invention Europe has ever created)- half lemonade and half beer and went to sit by the Salzach river. Great view, ate the chocolate, drank our raddlers, and simply relaxed. It was perfect. Its so easy to get stressed on day trips, or just trips in general, to feel the need to see EVERYTHING and with that sometimes I feel that I don't really get to experience the city. However, this really helped with that. So with that next time you travel, get something to eat or drink, find some grass or a bench, and simply take the city in. I guarantee you will remember those moments more than the moments you were hussling to the next "great view" or important highlight of the city that you "simply should not miss."



My favorite drink!
The view from our spot on the river



Almost final stop- the Salzburg Church. Religion is a whole other topic I will not discuss, but I absolutely love looking at Europe's churches. I don't pretend to know architecture, but I love to see how elegant and extravagant the people made them. It is breathtaking and I love sitting and just looking at how intricate all the details are. America's buildings are all about speed and smalles amount of money spent where as Europe took great pleasure and time in building where they wanted to spend their time praying- plus they are usually completely eye boggling!







We finished our trip with walking around Old Town on the main road. And thats where I realized it begins... the paying of bathrooms. Its something that seems so wrong, but when you need it you sure don't have time to argue with them!
Old Town's Main Road
When it was a house, it was the smallest house in Europe






Mozart's house growing up

Where Mozart was born 
It's a little weird to hear about these famous people all throughout your life, have to study Mozart for your music college final, and then go and see their house on a random trip. Definitely weird, not gonna lie. This final picture is of a bus that was going through the streets of Salzburg and I just liked it, nothing special just a simple message that I thought fit the day trip pretty spot on.