This is how I feel for everyday that I'm in Europe. Plus, I feel like this just might be one of the greatest mantras for life. How wonderful would life be if this was your attitude every. single. day.

So far on this trip I have visited relatively few museums, so toady I decided to visit two. Stuttgart is the heart of the European auto industry. Porsche, Mercedes, and BMWs are all made in the area. The latter two have museums in the city and I decided to check them out. I wasn't quite sure what to expect, but I ended up loving my time at both. The history of these companies and the making of the automobile is fascinating! Katy and I were probably the only all-girl group there but that's ok :) I also got to sit behind the wheel of a Porsche 911--I will be purchasing one of those. There is a Porsche dealer right across the street from the museum and if I wasn't a poor student I probably would have driven home with one :)

I am in love with Germany and am seriously considering never leaving. Once again I am astounded at the beauty that surrounds. The rolling green hills are stunning. Red roofs dot all of the little towns that are tucked into the small valleys all over the countryside. Everyone NEEDS to visit this amazing place. Stuttgart spreads out over several hills, which provides numerous lookouts where you can see the whole city. Katy and I found one of these last night just as the sun was setting. The whole city was bathed in golden sun. It was so perfect.

Today we went to Liechtenstein Castle today. The castle is an hours drive outside of Stuttgart and my face was glued to the window the entire time. I can't seem to soak in Germany fast enough; my eyes feast on the never ending hills and trees. The view from the castle was just as enchanting. I had a magnificent view of the valley and town below through the crisp summer air. From the castle we stopped at an old town square. Most of the buildings here were constructed sometime in the 15th and 16th centuries. How amazing is that?! Sometimes I wonder what the walls would say if they could talk.

Our last stop was to the Ritter Sport chocolate factory. This place might just be heaven on earth. When I walked into the shop there was wall-to-wall chocolate in every flavor imaginable: vanilla mousse, strawberry yogurt, chocolate with cornflakes, creme brûlée. It was hard to narrow down my choices so, naturally, I walked out with 10 different flavors :) 

Also, normally I would apologize for a huge number of photos, but I'm not even sorry. I couldn't help posting so many because I love them all!

I found this quote while I was pinning away on the train today. I absolutely, whole-heartedly support this idea. I have carried my little travel notebook with me almost everyday that I have been in Europe and it's been fantastic. I also carried my notebook with me at school. You never know inspiration will strike!

Day two in Prague was fairly relaxed. Katy and I had a whole list of things we wanted to do and see and some we managed not to do a single one. We are still baffled at how that happened...

A major thunderstorm rolled in right after lunch (which consisted of duck and homemade pasta--amazing!). The weather went from sunny and breezy to wet and thundery (?) in a matter of minutes. This was one of those storms that is angry; one that is not the least bit enjoyable to walk around in and renders your umbrella useless. We took shelter in a nearby cafe where we ate too much ice cream and watched other tourists scrambling for cover. As we watched people on the streets we began casting people into roles in a romantic comedy. It was an interesting experiment to make up the backstories to people I'd never met; it made people watching even more interesting. 

During this time I also pulled out my pen and jotted down some thoughts. I forgot my journal at home, a decision I am greatly regretting, so I found an old receipt and wrote on the back. There's something romantic about writing on scraps of paper in a cafe. It seems that almost every great novel starts that way. People watching has an interesting way of giving me the urge to write. I think this practice makes me very introspective and causes me to reflect on my own life. Some of my very best writing is done while I'm observing others coming and going. I wonder why that is; interesting, though. 

Eventually the storm dissolved into sunny skies again and we resumed our shopping. I found an amazing pair of shoes that will be starring in the rest of my pictures. We headed home kind of early to pack up our suitcases and get ready for the morning bus/train rides to Stuttgart. I am amazed how quickly our suitcases exploded. Looking at our room you would have thought that we had been there for a few weeks. We finally got everything packed though and prepped for our early morning. 

I'm now on a bus rolling through the Czech Republic. We've hit another summer shower that is covering the tops of the hills in a light fog. I think I will have a lifelong love affair with rain. I love the way it gives a softness to everything it touches and makes all of the colors come alive. Listening to my Spotify playlist of subdued songs makes this a perfect moment. If I could bottle this moment into a vial and take it with everywhere I would never be unhappy. I love driving through new places. It gives me a sense of wonder as I see new places up close for such a long period of time. Driving gives me the chance to see the 'hidden' moments of a place, little things like how they irrigate their fields differently. You would never see that from inside the city. 

Sorry for so many posts in one day! I've found that if I don't catch up on blogging quickly it never gets done. So, enjoy the abundance of posts :)

Today was our first day in Prague. I have heard time and again how beautiful this city is and I was not disappointed. If I had to pick one word to describe Prague it would be enchanting. This city is so colorful and full of beauty that I can't help but stand in awe of it all. Today we spent most of the day walking around and soaking in all the Bohemian goodness.

We trekked up to the castle and worked our way to the Old Town Square. We found this lovely park along the way that had a labyrinth of mirrors which was interesting/stressful. I am extremely claustrophobic so this wasn't the best combination for me. There was a beautiful rose garden as well that we walked through. For lunch we stopped at this little cafe and had traditional Czech goulash. If you're thinking noodles and tomato sauce (which is what I was thinking), you would be wrong. I was brought chunks of beef in this dark brown sauce and dumplings, aka soft white bread. It was delicious, just not what I was expecting. I was also able to fulfill a lifelong dream of having strudel in Prague. Right before I bit into it I was afraid that I had built it up to much in my mind. It was AMAZING. I could live on that stuff. 

Katy and I spent the rest of the day wandering, which is my favorite way to explore a city. We met some amazing people and found some hidden gardens we wouldn't have seen otherwise. All in all, it was a perfect day. 

 

Norway has always been at the top of my bucket list. The tales of the fjords and the pictures of the sea have enchanted me for years. When I got the chance to visit I jumped at the opportunity. I spent a week there and I was not disappointed. The whole country lived up to everything I had built it up to be (except for the cost...beware it is very expensive!). If you are thinking about visiting this amazing place, let me give you another five reasons to put you over the edge:

The Food

When I first think of Norway, food is not the first thing that comes to mind but it should be. The fish is amazing, obviously, but the bread is to die for! I must have eaten at least one loaf every day. The jam is also fantastic which is quick and cheap something to stave off hunger during those hikes on the fjord. Norwegian chocolate is also from the gods--so good!


The Scenery

If my previous posts have not convinced you that this country is BEAUTIFUL then I'm not sure what else I can do. Honestly, Norway is one of the most spectacular places I have ever been. It is something out of a dream. 

The People

Norwegians are some of the most kind and helpful people around. Every person I met was so willing to help, whether I was asking for directions or for a suggestion of something to see. Not only are they very helpful, but everyone looks like a super model. 

The Hiking

With such amazing scenery, how can you not be out hiking?! I hiked the Preikestolen, but that was just one of the amazing hikes in Stavanger, and that's just one region! The whole country is filled with enough hikes to feed your inner hiker for weeks. 

 

 

Norwegian Pride

Norwegians love Norway. From Oslo to Stavanger, the national pride in Norway is palpable. I was extremely impressed with the knowledge everyone seemed to have about the places we visited. They seemed to know all of the history of Norway; it was incredible. I loved being in a place where people were so proud of their country. This helped me to enjoy Norway that much more. 

Sorry for the lack of posts the last few days! We spent our last two full days in Stavanger at a cabin owned by Katy's relatives. This island is a little ways into the fjord and was stunning. Think the Shire (sorry for the overload of LOTR references but I just can't think of anything else to compare it to!). There were several pastures on the island that were the most perfect shade of emerald. The pictures just do not do them justice! Her uncle gave us a tour of the island in the rain which made it even more perfect. 

The second day we spent hiking the Preikestolen or "Pulpit Rock". This rock formation juts out over the fjord and is a sheer drop of almost 2,000 feet. The hike was amazing--a little more strenuous than I had anticipated, but gorgeous nonetheless. We weren't sure that we would be able to do the hike because of the weather. The Norwegian equivalent of park rangers close the trail if it gets too windy or people will literally be blown off. Crazy, huh? Luckily the weather was perfect and we were able to go up. The views were incredible!

The last day in Norway we went to church and then caught a flight to Prague. I loved Norway and will definitely be returning! 

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