I just crashed....into the motivation wall. It's not gonna happen.
TV shows premier this week + new Dan Brown book + Grades don't really matter anymore (yeah, yeah, don't lecture me, I know) = Serious lack of motivation
Have you ever seen the movie, "Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants"? The parts that were filmed in Greece, were filmed on the island of Santorini, where was spent three days. It was so glorious. Doing nothing, laying on the beach, cruising all around the island on 4-wheelers, swimming in hot springs, hiking volcanoes, watching world famous sunsets. It was UNFORGETTABLE!!!!! Here's the pictures from our couple days in paradise:
SANTORINI PICTURES The SANTORINI Airport When we were booking flights back to London, we saw a lot of flights that went back to Athens, but luckily found a direct flight back to London. We didn't realize until travel day how lucky we were. First of all, the airport is only in operation twice per week, and there is only one flight per week directly to London, the others went back to Athens. Well we get the airport and immediately as we walk in the door, we have to put our bags through a security belt thing, manned by one guy that was no older than me. Heidi had the hair dryer and straightener at the bottom of her backpack and I guess how they were situated it looked like a gun. The guy got really nervous and asked Heidi to empty her bag. When we finally got through "security" checkpoint 1, we went to the counter that had a neon green construction paper sign with "London" written with a Sharpie on it. We checked in and then went through a second security point run by a bunch of high school age kids. I had put a whole tube of toothpaste in bag, hoping I could get it through because I had just bought it. I had forgotten that I had my water bottle in there. They stopped me and told I had to throw away my empty water bottle, didn't say a word about the toothpaste, or the gallon sized plastic bag full of liquid containers. We show our passports to the security guard that was at the "international terminal" (there was only four gates in the airport). He wasn't happy that we didn't have a stamp for Italy because they didn't give us one of the sleeper train, but he got over it, stamped, and lit up a cigarette as we went into the gate area. Everyone in the area was sitting on the ground because there was 5 chairs for a full flight worth of people. About 20 minutes after the flight was supposed to take off (the plane had been sitting out there, and nobody was doing anything important) they cleared us all out behind the passport counter, and then told us to line up, yeah right. It was a pushing and shoving match to show the two teenagers our ticket and passport to go line up again. Really organized. They let the "preference passengers" board the shuttle bus first, then once they drove us 50 feet to the airplane. We finally got on the plane. We had to show our ticket to the flight attendant. Michelle didn't and she pulled on Michelle's backpack as she started to go down the isle to make sure for a fourth time that she really was supposed to be on the plane. The special people that got to sit down on the be us ended up being the last ones on the plane, so they paid $15 extra, to sit down for a 30 second shuttle ride. Wow. The funniest part about the whole story is that Santorini is an international airport. :)
The video: The second clip in the video I had to take, it was just too funny. These group of locals were standing around all shouting at the same time at each other. I have no idea what they were saying, but it was pretty entertaining :)
Dear Athens, Why did you hate me so much? It wasn't very nice that you made my life so difficult. But that's okay, I still love you. I think you're awesome and think it would be totally cool if we hung out again sometime. No hard feelings, ok? Love, Candice
To reread the crazy adventures from Athens, click here. To see pictures from Athens, click here.
I didn't take too many pictures in Athens because I was sick and I looked it and was just feeling kind of crappy all day, (pun intended) :)
THE SLEEPER TRAIN When we were making plans to go to Europe, I had read people's travel blogs and the suggestions were to take a sleeper train from Paris to Rome because you would be to see the Alps and it was just a more fun experience. We found tickets that were about the same price as airline tickets so we got them. Well if anyone is reading this and thinking about doing sleeper trains, DON'T!!!! It was the worst thing ever! We got there are there was this lady dressed in full tradition African gear sitting on the bench, taking up the whole thing with her bags and her, instead on putting them on the racks or under the bench. We put our stuff out of the way and pretty sure our other bunk mates came (6 people in total). The French couple that came in were friendly and kind of annoyed with the African lady too. She decided to take her shoes off (PEW-EE!) and start massaging her feet. It smelled, and it was about 85-90 degrees in there. We went down the "snack car" and they had dried out sandwiches and...oh wait, that was it. The bathrooms were the size of airline bathrooms but smelled like a combination of cows, burned broccoli, and throw-up. So in the morning when we were stopped in Milan, there was a group of high school students from Texas that got off the train, the African lady poked me really hard to wake me up, "your people leaving, get up. Your people leaving." My response, "no, we're going to Rome. Those aren't our people." She left the room and we never saw her again. I had set my alarm to get up at about 4am so that I could go out and see the Alps and there was nothing. So overall the sleeper train, no good. But it makes a great story!! :)
Rome was truly amazing. I had mixed feelings about it though. Of all the cities and places that we went, it was the place that I felt the least safe. But overall I am so glad that I got to see what I did. I am so blessed to have been able to go on this trip and see what I did.
My favorite thing in Rome: THE SISTINE CHAPEL ...which is actually the Vatican City, but oh well. I know that there has been a lot of preservation and restoration over the years, but it AMAZED me at how vibrant the colors were and just how amazing it was. I knew I was in the presence of greatness. Here's the videos I took during our trip to the Vatican.
Brigham Young University hosts a campus Education Week once per year right before the school year starts. It is a week mainly designed for educating adults on MANY different topics. Here's what the website describes it as:
Campus Education Week, begun in 1922, is a program unique to adult continuing education in the United States. For one week each August the program utilizes the campus of Brigham Young University (Provo, Utah) to present approximately 1,000 classes on education, religion, marriage, family relations, health, history, genealogy, science, youth interests, and many other areas. The program is designed primarily for adults, although anyone age 14 and over may attend. It is believed to be the largest continuing education program of its type.
It is truly an amazing opportunity for me to be able to attend. This was my 5th or 6th time going, I can't remember but it is always so powerful. I love the timing as well heading straight into school for the semester. It rejuvenates me and inspires me to be the best that I can be.
The classes that I went to this week, probably not by chance, had an overwhelming theme of LOVE. The love of our Heavenly Father has for each one of us individually, the love of Christ and his sacrifice so that we might return to him, the love each one of us needs to continually develop for our family and all those around us. I learned numerous times through different speakers that love is indeed the most powerful force in the world. We learn in the Book of Mormon that charity, the pure love of Christ, NEVER FAILETH. President Hinckley said this: "Love is the only force that can erase the differences between people or bridge the chasms of bitterness."
One of the teachers of the classes I went to shared this video clip with us that reduced everyone in the room to tears. It was so powerful and sent such an important message.
Think about who you need to say, "I love you" to and who needs a hug today.
One of the websites I check everyday for a daily dose of laughter is failblog.org. It basically is a website of "what were they thinking?" videos, pictures, newspaper articles etc. Some are funny, some are crude, this made me really laugh! Enjoy :)
Paris was an absolutely beautiful city. I went into it thinking that it was going to be my least favorite because I was never really interested in French history, and I'm not a super artsy-fartsy kind of girl and I always pictured Paris as that. I quickly changed my mind. The city was beautiful! The buildings had beautiful architecture and detail, and not just the famous touristy ones, but everywhere! While we were there is was cold and rainy. When you look through the pictures you'll see that I am wearing the same sweatshirt in basically all of them. We were in Paris for three days but I kind of look like I was only there one because I'm wearing the same thing in all the pictures. It was cold and that was the only sweatshirt that I had with me.
My favorite thing that we in the city was see the Eiffel Tower at night. It was so AWESOME!!! Every hour, on the hour the tower would sparkle for 10 minutes. We were up on the Arc looking out at the Tower for 9pm. We decided to take the subway down to the base for the 10pm. And it was so cool!
My second favorite thing that we did was The Pantheon. The Frenchies liked the one in Rome (pictures to come later) and so they copied and made their own in Paris. It didn't really look anything alike on the inside, mostly just on the outside. The reason it was my favorite was the crypts down below. There were so many famous people buried there, it was pretty neat!
The Laundry Story On our last night in Paris at about 9:30 we needed to do laundry. We asked the guy at the front desk and he pointed us in the direction of the closest laundromat. We find it no problem, and we go in and start to read the signs to figure we we need to do since they are all in French (none of us speak French). At 10pm sharp, as we are still trying to figure out what we do, the lights automatically turn off and the door to the shop is closing. I RUN over to the door and catch it before it closes, scared that we are going to get locked in or something. Of course after we gather up our laundry and leave we see the sign that says (we think) not to start laundry after 9pm. So we are kind of standing around looking stupid and a cute elderly couple is walking down the street and they start talking to us French. We realize that they are trying to tell us where another laundromat is. Talk about a language barrier! We kind of get the drift of what they are saying to keep going down this street and then take your 3rd or 4th right and it would be there. Please try and picture this, three 20-something girls walking around in t-shirts and gym shorts carrying a huge duffel bag of clothes at 10pm in a residential area of Paris. We looked awesome. About 15 minutes later by some MIRACLE we find this Laundromat right as we were about to turn around and head back to the hostel before we get ourselves lost. Well, of course it was closed. So we go back and decide that we are just going to have to do it all in the morning. We get the the original place early enough so that we don't waste the day away and there an overflowing washing machine. There was soap seeping out all over :) The person that had that load didn't come in the whole time that we were there so we didn't get to see a reaction or anything, but it was fun to watch! It was quite the adventure!!!
To see pictures from Athens, click here.
The French couple that came in were friendly and kind of annoyed with the African lady too. She decided to take her shoes off (PEW-EE!) and start massaging her feet. It smelled, and it was about 85-90 degrees in there. We went down the "snack car" and they had dried out sandwiches and...oh wait, that was it. The bathrooms were the size of airline bathrooms but smelled like a combination of cows, burned broccoli, and throw-up. So in the morning when we were stopped in Milan, there was a group of high school students from Texas that got off the train, the African lady poked me really hard to wake me up, "your people leaving, get up. Your people leaving." My response, "no, we're going to Rome. Those aren't our people." She left the room and we never saw her again. I had set my alarm to get up at about 4am so that I could go out and see the Alps and there was nothing. So overall the sleeper train, no good. But it makes a great story!! :)
Every hour, on the hour the tower would sparkle for 10 minutes. We were up on the Arc looking out at the Tower for 9pm. We decided to take the subway down to the base for the 10pm. And it was so cool!
My second favorite thing that we did was The Pantheon. The Frenchies liked the one in Rome (pictures to come later) and so they copied and made their own in Paris. It didn't really look anything alike on the inside, mostly just on the outside. The reason it was my favorite was the crypts down below. There were so many famous people buried there, it was pretty neat!
So we are kind of standing around looking stupid and a cute elderly couple is walking down the street and they start talking to us French. We realize that they are trying to tell us where another laundromat is. Talk about a language barrier! We kind of get the drift of what they are saying to keep going down this street and then take your 3rd or 4th right and it would be there. Please try and picture this, three 20-something girls walking around in t-shirts and gym shorts carrying a huge duffel bag of clothes at 10pm in a residential area of Paris. We looked awesome. About 15 minutes later by some MIRACLE we find this Laundromat right as we were about to turn around and head back to the hostel before we get ourselves lost. Well, of course it was closed. So we go back and decide that we are just going to have to do it all in the morning. We get the the original place early enough so that we don't waste the day away and there an overflowing washing machine. There was soap seeping out all over :) The person that had that load didn't come in the whole time that we were there so we didn't get to see a reaction or anything, but it was fun to watch! It was quite the adventure!!!
