a few pictures for the road...

still friends after weeks of travelling together!
contemplating life in Scotland.
the cross that marks the grave of one of my grandpa's friends from high school.
every hostel in the Suisse Alps is required to have at least one Saint Bernard.
an oompa loompa tending the Lindt chocolate fountain in Koln.
holocaust memorial in Berlin.
you have to get up early to beat the crowds on the Charles Bridge in Prague.
shortly after taking this picture for my bro, i dropped my camera and busted it. thanks Nate!
i wanted to ski Mont Blanc but i forgot my skis at home.
i wanted to go to the top, unfortunately i was still suffering the effects of food poisoning!

this one's for Nate...

I enjoy walking around in my bare feet. And sleeping in a room by myself. And putting food in a clean refrigerator. It is nice to be home. The last two weeks of my European experience were amazing, beginning with our paragliding adventure in the Suisse Alps. I strapped Interlaken native Raymond to my back and ran off hill to soar above towering trees and snow covered mountains. I couldn't stop smiling for the next two hours. From there, we traveled to Munich to tour the Dachau concentration camp. Beth and I were both overwhelmed by the enormity of the complex. To see how large the camp was and to know how overcrowded it was absolutely unbelievable. One could easily spend an entire day there but we were emotionally drained after a few hours. We hopped on a train that took us to Berchtesgaden, a beautiful area of the Bavarian Alps. We hiked to the spectacular Lake Konigssee and took in even more documentation about World War II at Obersalzburg, where Hitler and other Nazi bigwigs maintained mountain homes. I was again impressed with the volume of information on display that recorded Germany's most prominent disgrace. I couldn't help but be creeped out as we descended into the extensive bunker system below the museum that was intended to protect some of world’s most detested human beings in history. We went to Salzburg the following day, where apparently some movie called “The Sound of Music” was filmed. I have never actually seen the film and I realize I might possibly be the only person in America who hasn’t. I’m sorry; it’s on my list of things to do. Our next destination was Normandy, just in time for the 63rd Anniversary of D-Day on June 6. Tears come to my eyes just thinking about our day there. I was able to attend the British Commonwealth memorial service along with a hundred or so veterans. It was extremely moving to see them sing hymns and bow their heads in prayers of remembrance. The American Cemetery at Omaha Beach was even more touching as I finally understood the sacrifice those men made on that day and in the months leading up to the end of World War II. Most were younger than I am now, and traveled somewhere they had never been to liberate a people they had never met. Their offering is simply remarkable and I know I will forever admire those men. Our final stop was Scotland. I loved the beauty and history of Edinburgh. It was definitely in my top three favorite cities. We also went to the small village of Oban on the west coast for some hiking before heading to Glasgow to fly our separate ways. Beth will continue to live and work in Ireland while I am so excited to be reunited with family and friends in Washington. I cried when I saw the Cascades from the plane, but I believe that was because I only slept four of the last forty-eight hours in Scotland. Needless to say, I have done nothing but sleep and eat since I got home two days ago. Thanks for taking an interest in my travels, I look forward to spending the summer catching up with everyone!

when in doubt, walk downhill...

Don't tell my mum, but I'm spending the night in the train station. In the company of my good friend Beth. We spent an extremely rainy afternoon relaxing at Beth's family's apartment. This following an extremely rainy morning in which I walked around with my pack on for three hours only to end up...back where I started. It's a long story and if you're looking for a good laugh you can ask me about it when I get home. I recently spent time in Cologne and Frankfurt and enjoyed both cities for very different reasons. Cologne has a spectacular Dom (cathedral) that somehow survived all bombings of the city during WWII. It also has a great chocolate museum that makes my stomach hurt just thinking about it. I went to Frankfurt the night before I flew to Norway and did absolutely nothing touristy, just lounged in the park in the 80+ degree heat and watched the world go by. Oslo was an interesting experience and slightly disappointing. I had heard great things about Norway and while the countryside surrounding it is beautiful, the city itself was quite uneventful. I did enjoy the National Gallery and the break from the warm weather of Europe. We are flying back to Frankfurt early tomorrow morning and from there making our way south to Interlaken, Switzerland where we are quite excited to paraglide! I have just two weeks remaining on the continent, and I must say I am more than excited about going home. Please continue to pray for safety as Beth and I travel together.

best of bohemia...

I absolutely loved Prague. A combination of the hostel I stayed at, the people I met, and the beauty of the city made it the highlight of my travels thus far. I stayed in a five star hostel, no kidding. It was nicer than nearly every hotel I've ever stayed in, and I could devote an entire blog to the amazing breakfast buffet they offered. I met up with about six other solo travellers who were so much fun to relax with and take in the Czech culture. I was simply floored by the eccentric beauty of the city, from its winding cobblestone streets to its towering castle, I loved to walk along the Charles Bridge and admire all of the fantastic artwork. Good think I'm travelling by backpack or I would have bought that bridge out.
After Prague I made my way to Amsterdam by way of Berlin. I wasn't extremely impressed with Amsterdam and don't really recommend you go there unless you enjoy the smell of urine and marijuana. I did find the Foam Photography Museum and the Anne Frank House to be cultural gems among the city's rubbish. I enjoyed my brief stay in Berlin and will be interested to learn more about the Cold War when I get home after seeing the Wall and checkpoints between the divided city.
I am in Brussels at the moment and just enjoyed my first true Belgian waffle. I am hooked. I plan on spending the rest of my Euro on waffles for an afternoon snack, for dinner, for dessert and as a midnight snack. They sell them in the streets and out of vending machines here. Between that and Belgium chocolate, I should have no problem gaining plenty of vacation weight.
I have just three weeks left in Europe and will be meeting back up with Beth in a few days. I am excited to have a travel companion again but am even more excited at the thought of sleeping in my own bed soon. Please pray I will enjoy the rest of my travels and will continue to be blessed with safety.

use your imagination...

I dedicate this blog to my Momma, on her 26th year of being the best mom in the world. She travelled in Europe for three months when she was my age. They say the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. I hope they are right, because I would like nothing more than to grow up and be like my Mom!
I have just spent an amazing day in Vienna. I think this is my favorite city as far as grandeur is concerned. From the soaring spire of Stephansdom to the impeccable gardens of Schonbrunn to the extensive Museumsquartier, this city has something for everyone. I really had no idea what to expect in coming here, and I was more than impressed with Vienna's history and transition into the 21st century. And it seems so clean compared to Paris and London! The weather was perfect all day, not even a cloud in the sky and I wandered from building to building, in and out of museums and was never overwhelmed by huge crowds of people. The slight blemish of the day was, in my excitement to capture all these amazing sites, I dropped my camera. Just a small drop, but the damage is done and the rest of my trip will be quite blurry for you photolovers! I am feeling amazingly better, thank you so much for your prayers throughout the past two months. Every need has been answered and my faith continues to grow with every passing day.

where have all the redheads gone...

I am overjoyed to be among trees and mountains again, although I miss the Irish nearly everyday. I spent a few days in Paris, and between getting food poisoning and frequent rainshowers, I managed to see quite a bit of the city. I was more than ready to move on to Annecy, a quaint town in southeastern France with an amazing lake. Everyone there was either training for a marathon, a millionaire or in whatever category I happen to fall in (read: bum). I spent my days hiking in the hills and along the lake. I also daytripped to Chamonix from there, roughly the Whistler equivalent of Europe for you nonskiiers. It...was...unreal. Imagine Jackson, Wyoming at the base of Mt. Rainier. Mont Blanc had some of the gnarliest glaciers I have seen! I am in Bern, Switzerland right now and absolutely love it. It is a cute town that has barely changed in the past hundred years, minus the addition of approximately 400 McDonalds, and is surrounded on three sides by the Aare River. It also has excellent views of the snowcovered Alps. I am going to Munich tomorrow and then on to Vienna and Prague from there. Please pray for HEALTH, as I have a head cold at the moment and would like nothing better than to curl up in bed and sleep for a few days.

a few pictures for you...

the dingle peninsula!
the cliffs of moher!
at giant's causeway!
hanging out with the BREWMASTER at guinness!
on the way to glendalough in the wicklow mountains!

dublin, n.i. and the peninsulas...

Beth, Kim and I have been enjoying a traveller's life the past ten days or so. We started out in Dublin, where the Guinness and Jameson flows freely and makes for fun tours of their respective origins. We also took in a lot of history about Ireland's revolutionary past at the Kilmainham Gaol (Jail) and of more peaceful times at Trinity College. We escaped from the city in the Wicklow Mountains, a beautiful range to the south that is home to an monastery and fantastic walking trails.
Kim and I trekked north from there (while Beth returned to Galway to work) and spent a few days exploring Northern Ireland. I thought this was the most fascinating part of our journey so far. We spent time in each of the Nationalist (IRA, usually Catholic) and Unionist (UVF, usually Protestant) neighborhoods in Belfast, and in the Bogside in Derry, where they display murals commemorating their bloody past. I am more and more moved by the history of the Irish people and their struggle for Independence, a story that continues to unfold. Northern Ireland was also absolutely gorgeous, being home to Giant's Causeway and some of the greenest grass I have ever seen.
We met back up with Beth in Galway, rented a car and headed south to the Dingle Peninsula, Killarney National Park and the Ring of Kerry. Dingle and Killarney were amazing, even more beautiful than I had envisioned. And hey, I saw the Ring of Kerry. We enjoyed the freedom of having a car and miles to explore, and Beth is a pro at driving on the wrong side of the road.
I am enjoying my last weekend of being in Galway before striking off on my own to travel through Western Europe for three weeks. I will meet back up with Beth in Norway at the end of May. Please pray for safety and for peace of mind for my loved ones. I am so excited to get to see parts of France, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Belgium, the Netherlands and Prague!

no switchbacks needed...

Our journey this week took us to Westport for two days to wander through the cute shops and hike Croagh Patrick. The near perfect cone shaped mountain retains significant religious value for the people of Ireland. It was on this mountain that St. Patrick fasted and prayed for forty days, and every day hundreds of pilgrims make the trek to the top to take in views of Clew Bay and feel a bit closer to heaven. I have done considerable hiking in the States and I can attest that the Irish believe the direct route is the best route. We hiked straight up that hill!

In other news, my feet have declared mutiny on the rest of my body. I developed a gnarly case of tendinitis from walking approximately 147 km in my Birkenstocks the first week we were in Galway. Now it seems like every pair of shoes I wear leaves me with oozing blisters so I have been reduced to wearing my joggers most of the time. In Europe, that is slightly less cool than having "AMERICAN" tattooed on your forehead. Please pray for healing for my feetsies! Our friend Kim is arriving tomorrow for a two week visit and we are excited to tour more of the country with her!

random observations...

Dogs are much more polite here than their American counterparts. I can expect to get chased or barked at a couple of times when I go for a run in the States. They have very relaxed leash laws here, and when I meet a dog, it very politely smiles and says hello and then continues on its errand.
Galway City is having a water crisis. Apparently there is crypto-tyrannosaurusrex (or something equally hard to pronounce and spell) and a small amount of human feces in the water. We have to boil or buy water, which has led to the new city slogan, "Why drink water when you can drink Guinness?"
Irish drivers drive on the left hand side of the road. No surprise there, but what drives me insane is that they walk on the right side of the street. I would assume the easiest thing to do would be to keep it all to one side to avoid confusing everyone but until they do, I will continue to do the "What side are you going to pass me on?" dance everytime I meet someone on the sidewalk.
We just got back from an amazing few days on Achill Island, with rugged cliffs and few conveniences. It was great to see more of the land by foot and millions of unfriendly sheep. Lambs are, without a doubt, the cutest thing ever invented. Not to mention tasty!

just a couple of galway girls...

Everything fell into place yesterday and we scored a sweet room just ten minutes from downtown AND Beth got a grand job at an upscale bar and restaurant. We get to move in to our new digs tomorrow and are quite pleased to be leaving hostel life behind. We're sharing a house with another girl and possibly more in the future, as our landlord rents to students during the school year and to families on vacation during the summer months. Beth has already worked two days at Kirby's, a really nice place downtown, and is having a great time working out her serving skills. Thank God for a lovely place to live and an income to afford it!
We hope to take weekend journeys on her days off and plan to go to Achill Island sometime next week. It is reputed to have stunning cliffs and gorgeous beaches, although I'm sure we will not be doing any sun bathing! The weather has been perfect considering we heard we'd have nothing but rain in the weeks leading up to our visit. We've had a few rain and hail showers but they are almost immediately followed by beautiful blue skies and sunshine. Please pray I will find constructive ways to spend the time Beth is at work, as well as for safety as we walk to and from our place near Salt Hill into the heart of Galway.

as Irish as the day is long...

We made it safely to Galway and immediately fell in love with the city! It is right on a huge bay and filled with parks and interesting shops. There is a university here and many artists so it gives the streets a youthful, vibrant feel. The Irish are so friendly and fun to talk to that you can't help but feel right at home. We've spent our days exploring the city, walking along the quays, and adventuring out to the surrounding area of Connemara. We've seen massive hills (that Beth likes to call mountains), the Kylemore Abbey and hundreds of free range sheep! At nights we like to head down to one of the MANY pubs to listen to some traditional Irish music (called Trad). It doesn't take long for a friendly Irishman to buy us an extremely tasty round of Guinness. On one particular night a nice gent named Sean proclaimed to me, "You look as Irish as the day is long!" He said it nearly every time he looked at me so we heard it said approximately 147 times that night. I took it as a compliment as I absolutely adore the Irish. Pale skin and red hair was never so stylish as it is here!
We found out I won't be able to get a job without a work permit but we kind of expected that to happen. We're still hoping Beth will be able to secure some form of employment and I will look into volunteering somewhere. We are looking for a place to live for at least two months so that we will be able to travel some before we head back to the states.

welcome to europe...

I am currently sleepless in Dublin. The past few days have been a whirlwind of new experiences. We arrived in London after several hours of traveling from Seattle and wasted no time on dumping our backpacks and exploring the city. It was a short walk from our hostel to the Tower Bridge, River Thames and the London Tower. We jumped on and off the tube for the next two days and soaked up the beauty, noise and vast culture London has to offer. You could spend months in the museums alone! We spent quite a bit of time in the National Gallery looking at paintings by too many amazing artists to list. I was especially moved by the Impressionist Gallery, featuring Monet and Picasso. Not to mention masterpieces by Rembrandt, Renoir and da Vinci! We also admired artwork at the Tate Modern, where I was blown away by Jackson Pollock and Salvador Dali. We definitely needed more time to appreciate all there was too see at the Tate. Probably the highlight of my time in London was taking communion in St. Paul's Cathedral. To experience the Eucharist in a stunning three hundred year old church made me want to weep. I thought about all the people who had been there before me, remarkable or not, and I was in awe of the transcending power of the Lord. We made the trek to the Golden Gallery to see sweeping views of the city just before we caught a train to the airport to fly to Ireland. We arrived at our hostel in Dublin around ten last night and celebrated our arrival with a pint at a pub near Temple Bar.

I have been quite amazed at the ease by which Beth and I travel together. We have been on the go nonstop since we left SeaTac and I couldn't love her more than I do right now. Her knowledge of the UK and art history in general has been invaluable! We look forward to moving west to Ballinasloe today and on to Galway on Saturday. Please pray for our physical bodies as we operate on little sleep, little food and even less water. Also pray for doors to open in Galway. We will be looking for jobs this next week and securing a place to live, a stressful feat even in the US.

leaving on a jet plane...

I leave for Ireland on March 19. I honestly have no idea what to expect, since I’ve never really traveled out of the States. I don’t exactly consider Canada or the Bahamas a foreign country. When my friend Beth suggested we live in Ireland for three months, I jumped at the opportunity to see a different part of the world. She proposed we get jobs and tour the lush, green hillsides of the Emerald Isle on our days off. I am forever looking for a new adventure and getting to have one with a good friend is icing on the cake. We don’t yet have jobs or even a place to live, but I have complete confidence that the Lord will open doors for us in the weeks to come. I know this is an unbelievable trip for most people, and I am truly grateful for the chance to experience a different culture with an amazing history. It is especially a blessing as I have been unemployed since last November, and the past four months have been extremely difficult as I search for purpose and meaning in my life. I want to use the time I spend overseas to gain perspective on my life here in Washington. I will be out of my comfort zone, unsure of my future, and completely dependent on the Lord for my needs. Please keep Beth and I in your prayers, specifically for a quality place to live and an adequate income. Also pray that I will take advantage of every opportunity I have and won’t be terribly homesick for my family and friends.