A Year in Review: 2011

Chris and I have been blessed with a wonderful year, filled with many adventures and changes.  I thought I would do a quick recap of some of the highlights of 2011 as we look forward to beginning 2012.

January: We left for Maastricht, The Netherlands for our three-month study abroad trip. We also traveled to London and Bath, England on a group trip with our program.

Chris and I at Stonehenge on our group trip to London.

February: The highlight of February was spending Valentine’s Day in Paris with Chris. We had so much fun exploring the city and spending time together. We also visited Berlin, Potsdam, Cologne and Munich in Germany, Salzburg in Austria, Brussels in Belgium and Lyon, Dijon and Strasbourg in France.

Chris and I near the Eiffel Tower.

March: In March, we celebrated Carnaval in Maastricht. It was so fun to be part of the celebrations. We took a day trip to Amsterdam before the festivities. We also got a full week off from school so we visited Prague in the Czech Republic and Vienna in Austria. We then met up with Chris’s family in Zurich and visited Interlaken, Grindelwald and Bern in Switzerland. The next weekend we met up with Chris’s family in Paris and went to the Louvre and visited two castles in Loire Valley. Then, Chris and I took a day to visit Bruges in Belgium and then headed to Gent, Belgium to meet up with my friend Kim! It was so great to see her again. Chris and I took one final trip to Heidelberg, Germany before our month of travel.

April: We finished school at the end of March so April was our month of travel. We took a night train from Paris to Madrid and visited Madrid and Barcelona in Spain. We then headed to Nice and Marseille in France, visiting Monte Carlo while in Nice. After France, we begin our wonderful tour of Italy, visiting Milan, Venice, Florence, Pisa, Rome, Naples, Capri, Cinque Terre and Stresa. Chris and I finished the month of travel with a relaxing day in Annecy in the French Alps.  We returned to the United States in late April.

Me in the beautiful Cinque Terre.

Chris and I in Barcelona.

May: In May, Chris and I both graduated from Baylor! Though we were sad to leave Baylor and our great apartment in Waco, we were excited to start the new phase in our life. I also started a new travel blog- www.pinkvalise.com. I have been writing three times a week for the blog. 

Chris and I graduated from Baylor!

June: Chris and I moved to our new apartment in Dallas. I also started working at a public relations firm.

July: Chris and I got our sweet puppy, Skyler, on my birthday. She is a corgi mix. We had fun adjusting to our new role of dog parents.

Our sweet puppy Skyler.

August: Chris started med school! He has enjoyed his first semester as an MS1.

September: Skyler graduated from puppy training! She was so cute in her graduation cap.

Skyler graduated!

October: The big event of October was Chris’s white coat ceremony. We also went to the State Fair of Texas.

November: Chris and I went back to Baylor for Baylor Homecoming!  We got to meet up with friends and watch Baylor beat Missouri. It was so great to be back for a weekend. We also got a few days off to spend Thanksgiving with Chris’s family.

December:  We traveled back and forth to the Waco area a lot- I was a bridesmaid in Katy’s wedding and then the next weekend we headed over to spend Christmas night and a few days after Christmas with Chris’s family.

We had such a fun 2011, traveling around Europe and getting a new puppy. We are excited to see what 2012 holds for our little family.

Settling into the Big D

Hello friends,

It has been a month since we have moved into our apartment. Here is a quick update on what we have been up to. I will try to update in more detail as soon as possible.

• We moved into our new apartment. It's in a great location, with everything we could possibly want or need close to us. 
• I started a new job. Monday will be my fourth week. I work for a public relations company, but my boss is also launching a new high-end perfume and candle fragrance line in October so I have been designing the boxes and bottles and working on the website. I have also been doing a lot of social media to try to get people excited about the brand. 
• Chris and I have moved my travel blog to its own domain. You can now find it at www.pinkvalise.com. It was a lot of work to make the transition, but it has been worth it. I love the new layout and I still enjoy writing for it every week. 
• I still write for the Examiner. You can find all of my articles at http://exm.nr/lQ6gGe. I would really appreciate it if you would look as I get a little bit of pocket change in return for each page view. 
• Next week is our "super week"- our birthdays and anniversary. I have been working hard to make it special for Christopher since he will be starting medical school in four weeks. [He doesn't like to hear that.]

I hope everyone is doing well and I will try to update in more detail in the future. 

With love, 

Olga 

Living in Limbo

Chris and I have been living with his parents while we wait to move into our apartment in Dallas. It has been nice to get to spend time with them.

Chris and I have also been able to spend more time than usual with each other. It has been so nice to just be able to hang out and watch TV together, especially since that time will be hard to find with Chris starting medical school in the fall.

Other than that, I have been writing a lot. I still update three times a week on my travel blog, pinkvalise.blogspot.com and have recently started writing for the Examiner. On the Examiner, I get paid per page view on each article so I would really appreciate it if you had a look.

My examiner page-http://exm.nr/lQ6gGe

My latest article about Paris-http://exm.nr/krP5jD

We are moving to our apartment tomorrow so I will post some pictures when it is ready.

Love,
Olga

Beyond Baylor: Adjusting to Life as an Alumna

We graduated last Saturday. On to our next adventure!

I never realized how hard it would be to leave the university that I had grown to love. I take after my father, and I am usually eager to jump to the next chapter of my life. With Baylor, however, I don't want to let go. My heart breaks every time I remember that I will never have class on Baylor's beautiful campus again.

I suspect that part of my difficulty in letting go lies in the process of packing away our apartment. I love to move from one place to another, another trait that I received from my father. However, with the 15 times that I have moved in my life, I have always detested the process of packing. I even despise packing for travel. It is one of the few things in life that I procrastinate. This time, I have actually done a fairly good job of packing ahead of time, but the closer it gets to the date we move, the less I want to finish the process. Perhaps it is because a part of me wants to stay, and I feel like when I done packing, our move is a done deal. 

With my family after graduation.

The best part about moving to Dallas is being close to my family. Even though they currently live two hours away, we haven't been able to see each other much since Chris and I got married. I recently saw them for the first time in four months, after studying abroad in Europe. We are going to be living about 30 minutes away from my parents so it will be nice to meet them up for dinner without a four-hour roundtrip.

Chris and I next to the beautiful Pat Neff hall.

Even though we are leaving Baylor at the end of this month, I plan to come back as much as possible. I can't wait for Chris and I to attend Homecoming, basketball and football games and other events as alumni. Baylor is where Chris and I met, fell in love and got married at the beautiful Armstrong Browning Library. Baylor is forever weaved into our lives, even when we are not physically on campus. 

A New Chapter: Graduating and Moving to Dallas

Hello friends.

Life has been busy since we have returned from Europe. I have been getting everything together for graduation, looking for a job, packing up the apartment and looking for apartments in Dallas. It's amazing to think that this chapter of our lives is coming to an end.

I wouldn't trade my experiences at Baylor for anything. At Baylor, I fell in love, got married and embarked on an unforgettable journey with my husband. On Sunday, we found a wonderful apartment in Dallas to continue our journey. Though I know it won't be easy with Chris starting medical school in August, it will be nice to be closer to family for a while. We are moving in June so everything is coming up quickly.

I have also been busy with my new travel advice blog. I love to write and help people so I decided to try a new project. You can see my blog at pinkvalise.blogspot.com.

I hope everyone is doing well. I haven't forgotten about doing posts about every city we visited. I will start those up again sometime in June probably, when I have more time.

Love,
Olga

Back in the United States: Reverse Culture Shock

I have always thought that reverse culture shock was a funny term. Surely three months in Europe wouldn't make me forget about what life in the United States was like. Boy was I wrong.

After not sleeping for 48 hours, my exhausted state found being back in the United States strange. On the way to the parking garage in the airport, I even commented, "Wow, everyone speaks English here."

On the way back to Texas!

In the spirit of being back in the United States, I have created a list of things that made me excited when I got back to America.

You know you have been in Europe for three months when:

• You are excited to get free refills.
• You are amazed by the size of drinks at restaurants.
• You always want to ask how much it costs to go to the bathroom.
• You are so excited to eat Tex-Mex and Texas barbecue. 
• You don't have to ask if someone speaks English.
• You drive, even if a place is 200 yards away. (I almost just put meters here. There is obviously still a lot of Europe in me.) 
• You are surprised when a stranger smiles at you. 
• Your back is still hurting from the 40-pound backpack you carried around for months.
• You want to take a day trip to another country for a few hours but realize Mexico is too far away.
• You feel like you can buy a cup of coffee at Starbucks without breaking the bank.

I am currently working on editing my photographs and will have more blog entries about various cities on the way. I am also working on a new travel blog project, called pinkvalise. [pinkvalise.blogspot.com] I am going to work on it over the weekend and hopefully start updating regularly starting Monday. 

We had been awake for over 48 hours here. On our way to Itasca from the airport.

Hiatus for Backpacking through Europe

Hello dear friends,

Tomorrow at 2 p.m., I will be leaving for a 19 days of backpacking through Europe. I will be unable to blog while backpacking because I will not be bringing my laptop, but I will post many entries about our adventures once I return.

For those interested, our itinerary is: Madrid and Barcelona in Spain, then Marseille, Avignon and Nice in France, then Milan, Venice, Florence, Rome, Naples, Capri, Cinque Terre and Stresa in Italy and ending up with a day in Annecy, France.

I hope everyone has a great three weeks. I will post as soon as I can.

Love,
Olga

The Hills are Alive with the Sound of Music: Salzburg

Though Salzburg,Austria is known for the movie "Sound of Music," it has so much more to offer. I had hoped to take the Sound of Music tour, but Chris and I weren't able to afford it once we found out the tour was €40 per person. At least the tour will give us an excuse to go back to this beautiful city once we have more money.

Salzburg is proud that Mozart was born in and lived in the city.

The night we got to Salzburg, we ate at a wonderful place called Ristorante Beccofino. I had lasagna and some amazing raspberry tiramisu. I can't wait until we go to Italy so I can try some tiramisu there.

My delicious raspberry tiramisu.

We woke up at 6 a.m. so that we could see as much of Salzburg as possible since we had to leave at 2 p.m. Unfortunately, it was an incredibly foggy day so we weren't able to see much of the city. We climbed all the way to the top of Hohensalzburg Fortress, only to find out that it was closed and wouldn't open until much later in the day. I'm sure the view for the fortress is spectacular, but unfortunately, all we could see is fog.

On the way down from the fortress, we discovered the road had ice so we tried not to slip while walking downhill. It was quite the entertaining experience.

I love the green color of the Salzburg Cathedral.

Then, we had breakfast at a bakery and walked around town. The Salzburg Cathedral is beautiful and the Salzach River provides a lovely setting for the city. Did you know that Salzburg means "salt mountain" because of the large salt deposits in the area? I thought that was interesting. I also enjoyed seeing the Mirabell Palace and its gardens. I bet the gardens look absolutely beautiful in the spring and summer.

Salzburg Cathedral from the side. 

We left Salzburg too soon, and I really wish that we could have seen more of the city. It is a city that I plan to visit again as soon as I can.

The Salzach River and part of the city. I am sure it is even more beautiful without the fog.

The Mirabell Palace has a beautiful park. I bet it looks incredible when the flowers bloom.

Our trip back to Maastricht from Salzburg was difficult. Our trip was almost entirely booked with reservations so we were unable to get a seat with our Eurail pass and had to sit on the floor near the door with nine other people for three hours. It was unfortunate, but we still managed to laugh about it and have a good time.

Johnny and I sitting on the floor of the train

This week is difficult with finals and major papers due, but after it is over, we get 20 days of independent travel. We are using our independent travel to go to Spain, France and Italy.

Living a Fairy Tale: Neuschwanstein Castle

The day we visited Neuschwanstein Castle was an absolute fairy tale. The castle, which was used as a model for Sleeping Beauty Castle in Disneyland, was situated in the beautiful mountains.

Neuschwanstein Castle in Fussen, Germany.

Me with the castle in the background

When we got to Fussen, Germany, the city where the castle is located, from Munich, light snow was falling on the ground so we grabbed a hot chocolate and took a horse-drawn carriage to the castle gates. It was amazing to get to ride up to this enchanting castle. 

Chris and I in front of the castle.

In the courtyard of the castle.

Once inside, we took a tour that told us more about King Ludwig II and the building of the castle. Ludwig II was obsessed with swans so there are swans all over the castle. Construction began in 1869 and was stopped in 1892 due to the king’s death. In the 23 years of construction, one floor of the castle was never completed. 

Another picture of us with the castle.

Doesn't it look magical?

With the snow falling and the beautiful scenery, our visit to Neuschwanstein Castle made for a perfect day. Even now, I can’t wait for the chance to go back to this beautiful place. 

Drinking hot chocolate on the horse-drawn carriage ride.

All the Glamour and Glitz: Viewing Versailles

We just got back from Carnaval celebrations so I thought I would do a quick entry on our trip to Versailles.

On Sunday, before we left Paris, we took the RER to Versailles. It was definitely worth the trip. Versailles is absolutely gorgeous. I loved all the decorations inside (It is interesting how the king’s room is the least ornate — I guess since no one else was meant to see it?) 

I thought the grounds were just as impressive as the building. The parks and The Grand Canal were beautiful. I can only imagine how they would look in the summer!

Tomorrow afternoon, we leave on a night train to Prague. I’m excited for our first night train experience.

I might try to post an entry about Brussels tomorrow, but I have a lot of homework to get finished before we leave for the week so it might not happen.

Anyway, since photographs are worth a thousand words, here are a few from our trip to Versailles.

Chris at the Versailles doors.

It's so beautiful.

Me at the Hall of Mirrors

Absolutely beautiful parks

Part of a chapel.

Chris decided to put a crown on my head.

In Love in the City Known for It: Our Valentine's Day Weekend in Paris

I apologize for not writing about my weekends lately. I have developed what I have affectionately nicknamed “the gunk.” I was sick a few weeks ago and Chris caught it.

Chris has been sick since before we left for Munich and still hasn’t gotten better so I ended up catching it from him again. Now we are both sick. Hopefully we will get better soon since Carnaval break starts tomorrow and we will be traveling for a week straight!

Anyway, enough about the gunk. On to more interesting things- like our trip to Paris.

Going to Paris was an absolute dream come true. I have been wanting to go to Paris [and France in general] since I first started learning French as a 12-year-old. Nine years later, there I was, taking in the beautiful architecture in this spectacular city.

La Tour d'Eiffel <3

The trip couldn’t have been more perfect. Paris met all my expectations and then some. What a beautiful, amazing city with so much history. I was in love.

On Thursday night, Chris and I took the Thalys train to Paris. Once we got settled into our wonderful hotel, we went to a great restaurant called Bistro de Breteuil.

Side note: Did you know that “bistro” is actually a Russian word? During a war, Russian soldier would go into French cafes and say “bistro,” which means “be quick!” in Russian. Thus, French cafes started putting up the word “bistro” in front of their cafes so that the Russian soldiers would know it is a place for a quick bite. Interesting how it caught on and is now all over!

The food at Bistro de Bretuil was delicious. We ordered off a “prix fixe” menu, which included an apéritif, bottle of wine for two, entrée, plat and dessert. I even tried escargots! (Those who know me know that I am hesitant to try new food.) Everything tasted great, especially my crème brûlée. As Chris put it, “it was the best crème brûlée ever!”

Afterward, we took a walk around the city at night. It was absolutely spectacular.

The next day, we took a free tour around Paris. Our tour guide told us all about the history of France’s most powerful city. I have learned about French history in my US History and French classes so it was amazing to see all of the historically important buildings. The 3.5-hour tour took us all along the banks of the River Seine from Notre Dame to the Louvre, the Palais Royale, the Grand and Petit Palais, the Tuileries Garden, the New Bridge and ended near Invalides.

Me at the Jardin Tuileries

Afterward, we went on the Champs-Élysées to shop and see the Arc de Triomphe. Then Chris took me on a night river cruise on the Seine River. It was amazing to cruise down the river while the Eiffel Tower was doing its light show and all of the other buildings were brilliantly lit.

Me at the Champs-Élysées

The weather on our first day in Paris was beautiful- we didn't even need jackets! It was about 60 degrees and Parisians told me that it was the first beautiful day they had had in months! 

Amazing Sunset

The next day, we went to see the beautiful churches, Notre Dame and Sacré Coeur. The view of Paris from Sacré Coeur was amazing. The church is located on a hill, and though the steps weren’t too fun, the view was definitely worth it.

Sacred Heart Church

The Notre Dame was beautiful on both the inside and outside. The stained glass windows inside were breathtaking.

Chris at Notre Dame

Stained glass windows at Notre Dame

We also went to the top of the Eiffel Tower, which was a really neat experience. If you can’t tell already, I adored this city. We also walked to the Opera House to see it up close and ate some pastries at a patisserie nearby. I love patisseries- so many delicious desserts in one place!

Us at the top of the Eiffel Tower

We tried to go to the Louvre, but we got there an hour before it closes, and apparently you can’t get tickets that late. It’s okay because we are meeting Chris’s parents in Paris in two weeks so we can see it then!

Me at the Louvre

I was so grateful for the opportunity to speak French all the time. I have been taking French in school for almost 10 years now, but I rarely have the chance to talk to native speakers. It was so exciting to see that French people understood me, and that I was able to keep lengthy conversations going in Paris. 

Egyptian obelisk and Eiffel Tower at Sunset

 Well, I feel like this blog entry has already become too long so I will write a separate entry about Versailles tomorrow. We are taking day trips this weekend. Tomorrow we are going to Bruges (in Belgium). Friday we are planning on going to a city in The Netherlands, possibly Rotterdam or Utrecht, and on Saturday we are planning on visiting Amsterdam!

We are also done with school now for a week because we get a Carnaval break! During Carnaval, we are headed to Prague, Vienna and Switzerland. I will keep y’all informed about our adventures!

Love,

Olga 

Living Like Kings: Potsdam and Cologne

Hello friends and family,

I unfortunately have not been the best blogger this week. School got really busy so I have been trying to focus on that. [Hopefully sometime in the next few weeks, I can write a blog entry about my classes.]

Since I am so behind on weekend trips, I decided to write a quick blog about our days in Potsdam and Cologne.

 We went to Potsdam to see some Kaiser palaces. They were huge and gorgeous. [profound statement, I know.]The kitchen, which was a separate building, was as big as most peoples' houses. I will have the buildings speak for themselves:

Schloss Sanssouci- where Frederick the Great lived.

The New Palace (Also Frederick the Great)

Cecilienhof, where the Potsdam Conference with Stalin, Churchill and Truman was held at the end of World War II.

After Potsdam, we headed over to Koln (Cologne). Right outside the train station is the Kolner Dom, which looks huge and incredibly intimidating at night. 

The next day, we went back to the Kolner Dom and got to see the inside for free because it was a Sunday! (Free is a very exciting thing in Europe, where everything is incredibly expensive.) The inside was beautiful, with many stained glass windows. 

Next, we went to the Lindt chocolate factory and museum. The factory part was really interesting to look at, especially the chocolate truffles (some of my favorite chocolate.) 

The chocolate truffle machine 

With Kinder eggs! I grew up eating those.

Well, that's pretty much it for Potsdam and Cologne. I will hopefully be able to write a few good entries about Paris when I get back from our weekend trip. Tomorrow, we leave for Munich and Salzburg. So excited to see  Neuschwanstein Castle!

Love you all!

Olga