Florence

Second stop in Italy- Florence! Our first full day here we went on a 12 hour tour through Tuscany. We left Florence and headed to Siena, where we did a walking tour of the city. Siena is an interesting city that is heavily based on tradition. It is also home to the banking system, and holds the oldest, fully functioning bank.  

From Siena we went out into the countryside to enjoy a 4-course lunch and wine tasting at an organic farm. This was my first time having pasta since in Italy, and it was amazing. It was also interesting to learn the proper wine tasting technique, even if I didn't enjoy all of the wine. The tour continued on to San Gimignano, where we tasted award winning gelato, and took in more amazing views.  

Our last stop on the tour was Pisa! We were able to explore not only the Pisa Cathedral, but also climb up The Leaning Tower of Pisa.  

Our second full day in Florence was spent relaxing by the pool, doing some shopping and enjoying a nice dinner. Tomorrow we're off to Rome! 

The whole floor was made of marble artwork  

Starter: bruschetta  

Main Dish: pasta was tomato sauce, this was followed traditionally by a meat and cheese course (mine was instead boiled vegetables)

Dessert: almond cookies dipped in wine

View from the top of the tower. 

Inside the Pisa Cathedral

Sorrento

We began the Italy leg of our trip in Sorrento. We flew into Rome, took a train from the airport to a central Rome station, from there to Naples and then the local train from Naples to Sorrento. We had heard this train was a little sketchy, but it's the only way to get down there without paying an excessive amount. Our Bed and Breakfast, Casarufolo Paradise, picked us up from the train station and took us way up into the mountain where we would be staying.

We woke up to an amazing view overlooking Sorrento and Mt. Vesuvius across the water. We headed to Pompeii via the same local train line, the SFSM Circumvesuvia. We were planning on doing Vesuvius in the afternoon, depending on how long we stayed at Pompeii. It ended up raining early afternoon, which meant Vesuvius would be closed anyway, so we headed back early to Sorrento. Our Bed and Breakfast only picks up guests at 9 or 10 pm, so we decided to brave the hike up the mountain. We made it to the top ready for a shower, and thankful we hadn't hiked up Vesuvius too. For dinner we tried a restaurant the owner recommended, and were not disappointed. 

Our second day we met up with friends to take the ferry over to the island of Capri. The ferry is a bit pricy, 39€ round trip (price varies depending on which ferry you take), but it was definitely worth it! Capri was beautiful. We had a great day going on a long hike to one of the highest points on the island (we think), and catching up with friends who were also traveling across Europe. 

 

Sorrento View

Austria

First stop is Salzburg.

We got into our 4 star hotel, which I'm still not sure how we got for so cheap, before heading to Fortress Hohensalzburg. The Fortress was used to intimidate others from attacking Salzburg. It was extremely large and can be seen throughout the city! We wanted to get a feel of the town before heading out for the....SOUND OF MUSIC tour!

We went with the Panorama tour company, who actually drove the cast of the Sound of Music around during filming, so we knew they would have some good facts. It was awesome to see all the places used in the film, as we are both big Sound of Music fans. 

 After the tour we took the 2.5 hour train ride over to Vienna (we've now logged over 24 hours on the train!). We went to an awesome restaurant for dinner where Abbi tried the Wienerschnitzel, and loved it. Sunday night we just hung out at the hostel. So far we've been very happy with our hostel experience as they've all had nice atmospheres, good music, and clean facilities. 

Today we woke up to no rain and slightly warmer temperatures! We toured the Belvedere, where we saw more amazing art. We noticed we've spent most of our time in beautiful palaces looking at famous paintings, which is just fine! From there we headed to the "old town" and looked at more amazing buildings, but didn't do any more tours.

Tomorrow we fly out to Italy, where our first stop is Sorrento! 

See if you recognize the different Sound of Music locations! 

Do-Re-Mi!  

Where Maria hits the high note! 

Choco-holic

Munich

We arrived in Munich about 7 hours later than expected due to rail workers striking. Our night train was cancelled, we were put in a hotel, and took the day train instead. We quickly dropped off our bags at the Wombat Hostel in downtown Munich, and headed toward Nymphenburg Palace. This was used as the summer residence for the Bavarian royalty. 

Our second day we took a tour that left right from our hostel to the Neuschwanstein Castle. It was a two hour train ride each way, but definitely worth it. King Ludwig II grew up in the Hohenschwangau Castle in the Bavarian Alps and built the castle Neuschwanstein Castle nearby to have a place of his own.  It was cloudy and cold (as in actually cold, I have on a T-shirt, running jacket, down vest, rain coat and we bought scarves) but the landscape was beautiful.

Tomorrow we will hopefully make it to Olympic Park in the morning before heading off to Salzburg!

Drinkable fresh water from the mountains. 

First Hotel!

Due to a strike in Germany, our night train to Munich was cancelled. We were put up in a hotel, and are instead taking a day train. Bubba Jr. didn't seem to mind the change of plans! 

First Hostel!

Bubba Jr. outside our first Hostel

Amsterdam

After settling in to our first hostel, the Flying Pig in downtown Amsterdam, we headed out to tour the Anne Frank house. This was one of those things i've always wanted to do, and so glad I finally had the opportunity. After this we took a canal tour. We opted to buy a combination 24 hour hop-on hop-off canal boat pass with a museum pass.  

On day 2 we did another canal tour (well really two more...we had time to spare), ending up at the Rijcksmuseum. We saw lots of amazing art, including Van Gough and Rembrandt. After the museum we wandered and grabbed some food. I learned a ton about Amsterdam through the combined canal tour and museum, I would definitely recommend both.

Now we're taking a night train to Munich!

Bubba loves Nutella

Paris

We arrived in Paris mid-day, picked up a museum pass for €50 at the train station, made it to our Airbnb and were able to make it to the Louvre by 2. The museum pass allowed us to skip the whole line and get right to taking a selfie with the Mona Lisa.  After seeing amazing artwork (we enjoyed the sculptures the most), we had plenty of time to take a leisurely stroll down the Allée Centrale. 

Our second day in Paris we woke up bright and early to head to the Eiffel Tower. It took an hour to walk along the river, but was a nice way to start the day. After waiting in lines and being rejected by security because of our State flag, we ended up not climbing up. Instead we were able to head to the Arc de Triomphe and walk down The Avenue des Champs-Élysées (where we so gracefully ate our packed Nutella and jelly sandwiches). We then toured the Notre Dame, and enjoyed some more fresh bread at a local bread festival. We ended the night doing an illuminated Paris night bus tour, this was amazing. Unfortunately, we were not in an open top bus so the pictures didn't turn out too well. Nonetheless, the Eiffel Tower lit up is amazing, as well as the Arc de Triomphe (one of my favorites).

The third and final day we had planned on going to Versailles....until we remembered it was closed on Monday! This was disappointing, but we regrouped and headed back to climb the Eiffel Tower. We spent the rest of the day enjoying the beautiful architecture, visited the Conciergerie, ate lunch in a cute cafe, and enjoyed a crepe (Nutella, of course) for dessert. 

All in all, we loved Paris! We were able to see a LOT because we walked everywhere, and actually felt comfortable without looking at a map! Our biggest takeaway is to always make sure wherever you're going is ACTUALLY open. A lot of museums are closed on Mondays!!

Off to Amsterdam!

Disclaimer: it's a lot harder to post from my iPad than I originally planned, so my photos may not have the best formatting. 

Arc de Triomphe

View from the top of the Arc de Triomphe

"Love" Lock Bridge

View from the top of the Eiffel

Flame of Liberty

Train Ride!

On the train to Paris!

Bubba Jr. In Brugge

Since I was 1 my bear Bubba has not left my side. Since he couldn't go on this journey with me, I thought I would bring a mini version! (Thanks mom!)

Belgium

First stop: Brussels!

After a restless night (around 3 hours of sleep) on the plane we hit the ground running to see the city center in Brussels, before catching an afternoon train to Brugge. We enjoyed a Belgian waffle in the city before hopping on the hour train to Brugge.

Brugge:

The first day we enjoyed wandering along the picturesque streets of Brugge, found a nice place to eat, and crashed. We stayed in an Airbnb here that worked out perfectly. On the second day we toured the Bell Tower in the city center, saw the only Michelangelo statue outside of Italy (Madonna and Child), tried Belgian chocolate and wandered the city for hours. We're off to Paris in the morning!

Backpacking Europe Packing List

Packing is challenging. Packing as light as possible, while preparing for different climates is even more challenging. After adding and taking away a few items, here is what made the list:

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Necessities:                              Dresses/Skirts:                                      Tops:                                                          Bottoms:
7 Pairs of Underwear               Black 3/4 Sleeve Patagonia Dress       4 Tanks: Blue, White, Pink, Black             Black JCrew Shorts
3 Bras                                        Green Kavu "Eve" Dress                       3 V-necks: Green, Blue, Grey                   Black Under Armour Shorts
4 Pairs of Socks                        Grey Old Navy Knee Length Skirt        MSU t-shirt (PJs)                                        Black Nike Cropped Leggings
1 Bathing Suit                                                                                            One Direction Shirt!                                  Black Nike Cropped Pants
Boxer Shorts (PJs)                                                                                    Black Long Sleeve North Face 1/4 Zip    Black Eddie Bauer Active Pants
                                                                                                                   Navy Long Sleeve Cardigan                    Black Eddie Bauer Active Leggings
                                                                                                                   Striped Eddie Bauer Sweater                  Black Old Navy Leggings
                                                                                                                   Denim Shirt   

Outerwear:                                                     Accessories:                          Shoes: (not pictured)                        Toiletries:
Pink North Face Raincoat                              MSU Flag                               Black Nike Frees                                Shampoo/Conditioner/Body Wash
Green/Grey LLBean Running Jacket            Pink Scarf                              Grey/Black Merrell Sandals               Toothpaste/Toothbrush/Mouthwash
Black Patagonia Down Vest                          Pepper Spray                        Cheap Black Flats                              Deodorant
                                                                         Knife                                                                                                   Quick Dry Towel/Wash Cloth
                                                                         Metal Spork
                                                                         Umbrella
                                                                         Selfie Stick (it was a gift!)
                                                                         Detergent/Clothes Line
                                                                         Power Strip

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All of my clothes fit in a medium sized packing cube besides: rain coat, plane outfit, vest, "necessities", and shoes

Carry On:                                                                                                                   Electronics Bag:
Black Patagonia Atom Sling (used as day bag)                                                     Converter
Baggu Market Bag                                                                                                   3 Portable Chargers
Toiletries Bag: Razor, Toothbrush, Face Wipes, EmergenC, Kleenex                 Camera Charger
Liquid: Mascara, Foundation, Hand Sani, Lotion                                                   2 iPhone/iPad cords
Electronics Bag                                                                                                        2 Portable Battery cords
iPad Mini                                                                                                                   2 USB wall chargers
Vera Bradley ID Zipper Pouch                                                                                SD Card/ iPad cable
Pen & Notebook (not pictured)                                                                               Headphones
Rick Steves' Best of Europe                                                                                    SteriPen (I drink a lot of water, so I want to make sure I'm safe)
Cannon Rebel SL1
Soft Camera Case
iPhone 5S

Osprey Aura 65L

I chose not to bring jeans because quite frankly I don't like to wear jeans when traveling unless I need to, they're also heavy. I should be able to mix and match my items quite a bit, and they all will wash well.

For my bag I chose this one because I knew (well I hope!) I will be using it again someday for camping/hiking. I also have had lower back problems in the past so it was important to have back support that is evenly distributed. The color is pretty amazing too!

Now, with my bag packed, i'm ready to head off to Europe tomorrow!

Next Adventure: Europe!

When else do you have 32 days off in your life? Never! Next stop, Belgium!

Graduation

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This past weekend I graduated from Michigan State University! I would not have been able to do it without the love and support from all of my family and friends.

College taught me a lot, most of which outside of the classroom. Some are cliché, but true.
Hard work pays off, kindness goes a long way, and a first impression is a lasting impression. But the most important lesson I learned is that at the end of the day you have to be doing what you love, not what you think the world wants you to love. The concept is simple, but it takes time to truly accept and practice it. Changing your mind about any decision you've publicly declared can be hard, It's natural to fear the judgement of those around you. Whether it's a career path, a goal you made, or even relationships you've had. Since realizing the significance of actually doing what you love, and with the people you've loved, I've never looked back.

So with that in mind, I try and live every day doing things I love. Some days I get lazy and get caught up in the craziness of life. But most days I try to do a few of the things i'm passionate about. These are those things that would be on the agenda for your "perfect day". Make a conscious effort to fit those into almost every day, and I guarantee you won't regret it either.

With the end of this chapter of my life, I can't wait to start my next big adventure: EUROPE!

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And from your brother in California

Welcome to Hannah's Next Adventure

Nearly 22 years ago, we welcomed Ms. Hannah Kristine into the world. She was super cute. Bald until she was three. And my little sister.

For reasons I can't fully express I've almost always felt a need to "protect" her, to live as "perfectly" as I can, to be a good role model for her. But as the years have gone by, I've learned that I'm the best role model, not when trying to live "perfectly", but when I'm living fully.

Last week I graduated, this week you graduate. To a life full of adventures!!!

So today, my amazing not-so-little sister graduates from Michigan State University, I invite you to be you, live fully and continue to embrace the adventure!

I love you! 

Tyler

P.s. Don't forget to work hard, be brave & play.