Viva Munchen! {Part II: Dachau}

So, you may recall a post from a few weeks back when I preemptively revealed that we were going to be partaking in Mike’s Bike Tour’s Neuschwanstein Castle tour. We were beyond excited to take a trip out of Central Munich into a remote area. Unfortunately, as fate would have it, a tour group of 34 kids decided they were going to do the tour on the same day, effectively occupying nearly all of the bus’ seats. The few seats that were left over were taken by people who had purchased their tickets the day before, so we were seriously out of luck. We decided, however, that we wanted to do something cultural; the beer tents were accessible, but we had already experienced that madness on Friday. Sarah proposed a visit to nearby Dachau, the site of the first concentration camp.

Although visiting a concentration camp wasn’t quite as happy as the castle tour, it was definitely an incredible experience. Consider that we can likely see loads of castles within the UK alone, the fact that we were able to see a Munich-based concentration camp was intense. I had no idea when I arrived, but Dachau was built in the early 1930s and actually served as a model for future camps. The camp and the museum were definitely eye-opening and heart-breaking, but it is something that I truly think would be a benefit to all people to see first hand.

After experiencing Dachau, we explored Olympia Park (the site of the 1972 Summer Olympics) and did a little souvenir shopping. After nabbing a Oktoberfest-inspired eco-tote and das boot (in miniature) I was set for our last night at The Tent. We kept our last night relatively low key, eating in and calming our souls before leaving Sunday morning. We managed to make it back to London in one(ish) piece and found our way around Munich using solely public transportation; definitely a bit of a feat for the neophytic travelers that we are. Note to anyone hitting up M-town: we nabbed a 3 day group pass (good for up to 5 people) for 21 euros, and it covered all of our travel within Munich via tram; such a steal. My overall feel for Munich? Despite the amazing history and some pretty amazing architecture, it’s not a city I would visit again. I think there are some places that are a ‘one time’s enough’ kind of deal and for me, this was one such place. Oktoberfest was amazing and the experience is something that should be had by all, but unless you’re hitting up O-fest, I think there are a number of other cities to better spend some time.

Next stop on the map? Scotland.

Lots of love,

Viva Munchen! {Part I: Oktoberfest}

Ahhh… back in London after nearly four days of German madness. Due to the fact that we had three(ish) days in Munich, we decided to spend one day at the beer tents, soaking in the debauchery that is Oktoberfest. Let me say this as a preface: even as a non-beer drinker, Oktoberfest is something all people should experience once in their life. We stayed at a place aptly dubbed “The Tent;”  inside of a massive tent (surprise) filled with glorious orange bunk beds. Some people opted for the cheaper alternative: bringing their own tent and sleeping outside.

Although Germany gets a bit cold at night (even with three blankets and insane layers), The Tent was definitely a good choice; I paid a grand total 57 euros for three nights in Munich. I took 200 euros out at the airport, hoping that it would be enough for the four days, and actually left the country yesterday with nearly fifty euros in my wallet!

When we landed in Munich on Thursday night, Sarah & Lois (our Nova Scotian partners in crime/tour guides) led us down to the beer tents to expose us to the madness that would ensue on Friday. By 830P, of course, the scene was a bit calmer — many people had already gone home to pass out (or just walked into the street to pass out) so we managed a pretty good sneak-peek at the tents.

The Hippodrom (complete with champagne bar) had been our dream tent. We managed to get inside and see the masses of drunkards enjoying themselves, but ended up hitting up two different tents on Friday due to the crazy line that formed Friday afternoon. I don’t know what my vision of the tents was exactly, but I was beyond amazed at the set up — it was like the biggest, greatest, brightest fair ever! The area was covered in beer tents, food stalls (pretzels, sausage, currywurst, nuts, etc.), and rides!

We spent Friday morning exploring the city centre and checking out some of Munich’s sights and architecture before hitting up the actual tents. We discovered that Munich has an obsession with H&M; we (seriously) saw seven within a quarter of a mile! Bargain shopper heaven, I tell you.

{Their town hall was seriously amazing.}

After exploring, we finally felt ready to hit up the tents around 230P. We joined up with our two new Aussie friends that we had met at our hostel and hit up the Spatenbrau tent for some massively huge steins.

We ended up finding a table surrounded by some seriously drunken/creepy Italianos and a few sweaty Danes; it was glorious, to say the least. Although getting hit on/harassed by drunkards is foreseeable, there is definitely a line between drunken banter and grossness. Unfortunately, Francesco from Napoli (pictured above) ended up being a super d-bag and developed a minor obsession with Alex’s shoulder/purse/general being. I’m not 100% sure what happened next, but some intense dialogue between said Italianos & our Aussie friends ensued and a mini fight broke out. Fighting is, of course, not desirable at tents of happiness, so we were evicted. The tent cops escorted all of us out of the tents. Francesco decided to make a break for it when we’d barely made it out of the tent; fortunately, one of our Aussie buds happened to be a cop and took him down so quickly it was amazing. It made for some amazing pictures and a truly impressive scene; you can try to piece this madness together:

Needless to say, we had to leave the area after some questioning.

We ended up hitting up another tent down the way where we witnessed at least three more fights (none nearly as amazing as Mark & Francesco’s). We ended up sharing a table with a group of seventeen year old Germans who proved to be hugely educational. First, they taught us how to toast properly:

To the titties, {raise stein to chest}
to the sack, {lower stein to nether regions}
tac-tac! {cheers!}

Secondly, they taught us not to accept gifts from strangers. Earlier in the night we had been given heart-shaped cookie necklaces (see sweetness above) with German phrases written on them. The lady who gifted them to us prefaced the gifting with the following question: “Do you speak German?” After responding that we did not, in fact, speak German, she gave us said necklaces to adorn ourselves with. One of the kiddos at our table informed us that these cookies could be translated as such:

After sex, we do it again.

Needless to say, we had an all around amazing day at Oktoberfest. It was incredibly eventful from start to finish and we met some of the coolest people ever.

Stay tuned for Part II of our trip — an incredible trip to Dachau & our attempt to hit up the Erotic Messe.

Lots of love,

Off to Munich!

I have just finished packing 4 days of necessities into a 21″ carry-on. I’m really crossing my fingers that my luggage fits into EasyJet’s 50cm x 40 cm x 20 cm restriction… After being here for about a week, I’ve deciding that I suck at converting metrics. (Side note: When the man at the gym was asking my height and weight, he looked at me quizzically when I gave him my response in inches and pounds versus centimeters and “stones”… I was going to do him the favor of converting it, but I don’t even know what a ‘stone’ is. Probably something I should learn at some point.) In any case, I have managed to pack four tops, two extra pairs of pants, a pair of heels, a jacket, pajamas, an umbrella, toiletries, a couple of books and all of my necessary electronics (camera, phone, etc.) and paperwork (passport, bus information, etc.) into this bad boy.

I’m relying on the fact that a Deutsche Bank exists inside of the Munich airport, otherwise I will be Euroless until further notice. Additionally, the transportation from the airport to the actual hostel is another feat we can deal with upon arrival. I feel as though the lack of planning (read: spontaneity) adds to the adventure. If I find that the so-called “spontaneity” is actually a shitfest, I will do better to plan such mundane logistics beforehand.

That being said, I’m off to Oktoberfest tomorrow! I am incredibly excited and will undoubtedly be returning with a load of incredible pictures. I will also not have access to internet/phone service/general technology, so updating my blog and Skyping with the fam is a no-go for nearly four whole days!

I’ll see you guys back here on Sunday!

Lots of love,

Marks & Spencer > Sainsbury’s, and Other Observations.

Before I get into the amazingness that is Marks & Spencer, I should probably start by re-capping last night’s events. On Sunday evening, whilst fighting off some jet lag and caffeine withdrawals, going out and socializing wasn’t number one on my list. Thusly, Alex and I discussed organizing a little get together to take place last night, wherein we could actually meet all of our facebook friends. As one H. Joe Puentes put it, “What good are facebook friends if you never get to actually meet them?” I think in this case, that point was supremely valid. Our ‘little get-together’ of six or seven people ended up being a good 20+ LSEers who ended up joining the party. We ended up hitting up The Prince of Wales pub on Drury once more and enjoyed every second of it! Meeting everyone that we had been talking with for months was super fun, and the mix of personalities ended up making for an eventful (and hilarious) night. After seeing the close of the Prince of Wales for the evening, we headed across the street to finish up our night.

Mia, Alex & I at the Prince of Wales pub!

Now, if I would have thought things through more clearly, I would have determined that hanging out until 130A and drinking on an empty stomach would not be conducive to waking up at 630A to head to the Sports Centre for an induction. As fate would have it, my alarm didn’t go off at 630A and instead I slept until 845A. Oops. Luckily, they were able to get me in at 1130A and I got a good solid mid-day workout in before heading out for the day.

I topped up my Oyster card (which I’m borderline obsessed with) and hit the tube station to take a ride down to Oxford Street. A friend from my complex and I hit up O2, Primark (to get some basic necessities at a ridiculously amazing price), H&M, Selfridges and Marks & Spencer. First let me say, if you’re ever in the area, Selfridges & Co. is the most amazing, brilliant place ever. If there were a heaven for shoppers, this would be it. It smells like amazing shopping when you walk in — the floors are white marble and the building screams ‘handbags here cost more than your education.’ Even if you don’t buy anything, it’s worth checking out.

{This picture doesn’t do Selfridges justice!}

The Marks & Spencer hub is on Oxford Street as well and it has helped my official transformation to London life. I thought I was going to have to live on pre-packaged Sainsbury’s/mediocre 3 bean salad for life. Instead, we found the most amazing grocery shopping at Marks & Spencer and realized that we could actually stock a kitchen and cook! I’m planning on making another trip down there for some basics later in the week. Fortunately, M&S has a branch in Covent Garden, about five minutes from my place.

Lessons from the last 24 hours:

1. Marks & Spencer is 23498294 times better than Sainsbury’s
2. Multiple pints of apple cider + jet lag + lack of food & caffeine = a bad combination
3. Hanging out with people definitely moves the acclimation process along a thousand times faster than normal
4. Dressing in layers is key. The tube is about a million degrees when everyone and their mom is riding it during rush hour. Uncomfortably hot.
5. Sitting at Hyde Park with a pre-packaged M&S lunch and intelligent conversation is actually an enjoyable way to pass time.

6. Pret a Manger (a cafe-ish joint in London) is not pronounced ‘Prett a Man-jer.’ It’s pronounced ‘Pret a Man-zsay’ (with a French accent.) Pret a Manger is French for “ready to eat” … who knew?

I definitely need to pack for Germany tomorrow — I’ll be leaving for Oktoberfest Thursday afternoon! Craziness!

It’s All Coming Together: Bank Accounts & Gym Memberships

Today has been my practical day, more or less. I started off the morning with a jaunt down to my local HSBC bank branch. Fortunately, HSBCs are scattered about London so they’re easy to find — this one was about five minutes walking from my flat. I was able to open a passport account in about fifteen minutes!

What to take into the branch with you:

– Passport or National ID Card
– Non-UK address Verification (Drivers License, Overseas Bank Statement, etc.)

I filled out the application form online through HSBC’s website and only had to provide those two items. If you haven’t applied online, you’d probably be better equipped by bringing in an LSE acceptance letter or verification of student status. My bank card will be arriving within 8 or so days, but I have been provided with all of the necessary account information to sign up for direct debits!

After hitting up HSBC, I decided to check out the Sainsbury’s down the way to load up on some groceries. After perusing the aisles (and finding that I was pretty satisfied with their selection of vegetarian and healthy foods), I left with a pack of Activia, a large container of soup, a bag of apples, a bag of carrots, a huge container of off-brand Splenda and a container of chickpea salad. All in all (after purchasing store brand versus name brand), I left just £8 lighter.

Post-groceries, I decided that the time came to check out Oasis Sports Centre, a gym that sits thirty seconds away from my flat (on the corner of Endell and High Holborn). After sitting down with a sales associate, I snagged a student membership for £22.50 a month with no contract required. The monthly cost includes unlimited access to cardio and weight equipment, access to the group exercise classes and unlimited pool time. For an additional fee, I can also use the sauna or the squash courts! I was able to pay for October (and the rest of September) in cash and set up a direct debit with my newly minted HSBC account.

What you need to sign up at Oasis:

– Bank account information (Sort Number and Account Number)
– Student ID card or Acceptance Letter
– Payment for first month (cash or card)

It took me roughly thirty minutes to set up the account, take a tour of the gym and schedule an induction (tomorrow at 7AM!) The gym isn’t huge but it definitely has a sufficient amount of equipment to satisfy my workout needs. If you sign up, you’ll be given an access card immediately; an induction has to be done first before you can actually use the facilities!

It’s not even 3P here and I feel fairly accomplished. I think I’m going to take a jaunt down to the LSE area again to check out the campus and visit the Royal Courts of Justice. I’ll be headed out with some fellow early arrivers tonight at the Great Queen’s Street pub for some bonding time!

Lots of love,

Scoping It Out: LSE, The British Museum & Russell Square

I started the day off incredibly well. I took a jaunt down to the LSE campus without getting lost once! I got a bit disoriented on the way back (and ended up taking a bit of a detour), but I finally felt that I knew my way around, to a certain degree. Exciting! I met up with Alex, Sarah & Lisa for a quick (self-guided) tour of LSE! Although we couldn’t get an inside look since the campus is closed on Sunday, we did manage to check out the building and get a feel for the location.

Houghton Street — the main entrance to LSE.

Entryway to LSE on Houghton Street — the buildings were so awesome!

Sarah, Alex, Lisa & I checking out the campus!

After our LSE excursion, we headed to Starbucks to grab some coffee and chat about our impending adventures in Munich! Sarah & her traveling buddy are heading to Munich tomorrow and Alex, Lisa and I will be meeting them there on Thursday! After our much-needed and extremely over-priced caffeine run (2GBP for a grande coffee?!), Lisa and I headed back to my area to check out the British Museum, Russell Square and run a few errands.

Russell Square was so darling! It’s a fairly small green, but it was gorgeous today with the sun shining. There were loads of people in the park, enjoying the infrequent rays and having lunch. Note to self: pack a fun lunch, grab some drinks and head to Russell Square with some friends — such a cool little place!

After discovering that Russell Square sits about 8 minutes from my flat, we headed towards the British Museum (which sits at the corner of Museum Street & Great Russell) to pop in for a minute. Luckily, all national museums in the UK are free so we didn’t feel bad leaving after a few short minutes — I’ll have to head back on a weekday when everyone and their mom isn’t hanging out there! Bonus: I found out that the museum is down the street from my flat — 5 minutes walking down Museum Street!

We ended with a late lunch (jacket potato for me, fish & chips for her) at a nearby pub (the Prince of Wales on Drury Lane), and met a darling bartender who sat down to explain to use how the phone systems work! And now? Now I’m sitting in my bed, drinking pretty disgusting instant coffee & loving every second. Tomorrow’s agenda? Hit up HSBC in the AM  to get my account taken care of, followed by a trip to Oasis Sports Centre next door to join the gym! Afterwards, I may take a jaunt to the Whole Foods Market in Soho to gather some groceries for the week.

Three more days in London, then heading to Germany on Thursday!

To check out more pictures from London, click here!

Exploring the City!

It has been such a jam-packed day! I have had an amazingly productive day and have been on the go for a good 9 hours! I met up with Alex this morning in Trafalgar Square so we could explore the city together. Although I got a bit lost and ended up taking the long way to Trafalgar, it was definitely a sight worth seeing! The square houses Nelson’s Column and faces the National Gallery, which is a gorgeous sight unto itself! Amazingly, all of the national museums in Britain have free entry — perfect student outing!

In honor of the London Design Festival, the square also hosted a giant chess set game with 32 unique ceramic pieces inspired by English culture, monarchy and the city of London.

After linking up, we headed south past the Thames to catch some awesome views of the London Eye, Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament — the day was absolutely beautiful (70 degrees and mostly sunny!) so the view was perfect!

Post-Big Ben, we hit up Covent Garden for a bit of sightseeing and lunching! Although it was crazy packed, it’s such a great area — aside from loads of awesome shoppes (think L’Occitane & Lush!), there was an indoor market of sorts where people can purchase fresh fruits & veggies.

Aside from the sight seeing, I also managed to get a lot done! We hit up H&M where I purchased a few Euro pieces (leggings & a couple of sweaters), plus I purchased a blowdryer, got a SIM card for my cell phone & purchased an Oyster card to use at the Tube stations! Although I’m pretty exhausted (and it’s only 745P), it was a super fun day and definitely made me more optimistic about living in London!

Tomorrow is a morning meet up with a couple of girlfriends plus a jaunt to LSE & maybe a visit to the British museum!

Lots of love,

To check out more pictures of London, click here.

When in London…

It’s now 930P, London time, and I’m sitting in my accommodation, typing away thanks to the internet connection that I just got working! I have now been in London for about six hours and have made it from the airport to my flat without any issues and got a permanent room assignment. The verdict? Not the biggest or the fanciest rooms, but definitely more spacious than I had anticipated and the kitchen is actually pretty sweet! The bathroom (W.C., I mean) and the shower are super tiny, but I think I can manage.

I am (obviously) in the process of unpacking still and definitely need to hit up a Primark & get some real sheets, but I have a twin bed, a desk (to the left) a night stand with a few drawers & loads of plugs. I just bought an adapter for about 5GBP at a local shoppe.

On the left (about five feet from the end of my bed) is a vanity with a sink and cabinets. The “closet” with the open door on the right is incredibly small. I have three jackets in there now with a couple of pairs of jeans and some shoes, but there is no way I will ever get all of my clothes in there. I’m trying to be as resourceful as possible, but I may need to hit up an Ikea!

Teeny little shower… the toilet is in a different room.

The kitchen extends a bit further than this picture would allow, but it has a fridge, a freezer, a table, stove, dishwasher, cabinets, utensils, a microwave, a coffeemaker and an iron + ironing board! It’s totally equipped and it’s big enough for all of us to be able to sit and enjoy! Thank God — morning coffee is in the picture!!

After getting moved in, I definitely went into a bit of panic mode. My internet didn’t work and my iPhone isn’t configured to actually call anyone yet. Worse, the O2 shoppe and the banks are closed on the weekend (even on Saturday!) so it looks like I will be bankless & phoneless until Monday. Luckily, I did get my internet running so I feel much less overwhelmed and much more connected. I also snatched up an Oyster card for public transportation, a converter (to plug in my laptop) and changed some money at a cash point. I’m still a bit overwhelmed, but I think tomorrow will be much better when I’m on a normal schedule and get to explore. Plus, I am (hopefully) meeting up with a girlfriend to explore the city together, which will be nice. On the bright side, the weather is gorgeous — 70 and mostly sunny. Here are a couple of pictures of the area within about a half mile of me:

The theatre is literally across the street from my complex <3.

Time to put some clothes away and get oriented — hoping tomorrow is a better day!

Onward to London!

It’s currently around 6:27P and I’m sitting at Gate 98 at San Francisco International watching planes depart. I’m staring at the black lit signage above my head that’s letting me know that my plane is next to leave, in forty-eight short minutes. It’s rather ominous actually. My grandma, dad and sister joined me to say goodbye and although it was a bit tearful, I have to admit that I definitely felt much stronger than I had anticipated. I thought I would be a wreck. So much so, in fact, that I packed cucumbers to use on my eyes to reduce to tear-induced swelling that I thought would be inevitable. As fate would have it, though, I’m sitting here, just twenty minutes after saying my goodbyes, rather tear-free and more excited than nervous.

Forty-six more minutes now. My handy ‘countdown clock’ on my laptop is counting down the seconds until departure, mind you. Tick, tick, tick. I’m armed with my laptop, my iPhone, some snacks (nectarines, cucumbers & baby carrots), the new Dan Brown novel (The Lost Symbol – which, by the way, is already fantastic), Benadryl to knock my ass out on the plane, and some make-up that will inevitably need to be touched up before arriving. The best part so far? My bags were overweight. Both of them. One weighed in at 56.5 and the other weighed in at 60.5, far surpassing the 50 pound per bag limit. All is well, though. I managed to take out a number of sweaters that were not totally necessary. Luckily, I have my family ready to ship a box of goodies over for me so the sweaters will find a home in there. I was actually still slightly overweight (51.5 and 52.5 pounds), but the guy let me through (thank goodness). I think I feel ready to go now, despite the 10+ hours that I will have to sit on a plane in anticipation.

Here I go! Off to London!

Realization.

You know when things are just surreal? When everything around you just seems like a dream and you’re waiting to wake up? That sums up my life at this moment quite well. I just finished packing the two suitcases that contain my life for the next twelve-plus months, and am slowly putting the finishing touches on my carry-on. As I put away my Let’s Go Europe book and zipped up a pouch of toiletries, it dawned on me: I am leaving the United States in two short days. I have one real day left in the US, and then I will be sitting on a flight to the United Kingdom, courtesy of United Airlines. Not only am I moving to another country, I’m moving to another country to study at one of the best institutions in the world. If ever there were one single word needed to describe this university, “institution” sums it up pretty effectively: educating the likes of John F. Kennedy, fifteen Nobel prize winners, a load of Prime Ministers, Presidents, Kings and Queens speaks volumes. Whomever looked through my application and decided that I should study at the same institution that bred that prominence is my new hero. There is such a mixture of excitement (for the opportunity to study at such a magnificent university) and nervousness (for fear of being overwhelmed by the brilliance of it all). I find that for me, the nerves typically breed greatness; at the times when I fear failure in any capacity, I put in that much more time and effort into being able to compete and succeed.

One of the underlying reasons for deciding to study in Europe was to create an inherent opportunity to travel and see the world. I truly feel that experiencing the way that other people live is an eye-opening, life-altering experience that is necessary for total self-actualization. I don’t fully think that I can be the greatest version of myself without knowing everything that is out in the world. There are people to meet, perspectives to understand and valuable lessons to learn, and without having gained that worldly knowledge, your world stunts you; it is too small for you to fully grow and develop. That essentially sums up my greatest goal for the year. To grow and develop. In every possible capacity; as an academic, as a youth of the world and as a human being. Everyone talks about how experiences like this change your life and your views forever. At this point in my life, I think I’m more than open to that.

So, in conclusion, here’s to an amazing year; a year of change, a year of growth and a year of amazing adventures.

Now I’m off to enjoy my last few moments in the States.

Lots of love,

Here’s an undergrad lesson for those not versed in Maslow’s Heirarchy of Needs (summed up in a super-fun pyramid):