A Passport is a Girl's Best Friend

I leave for Panama tomorrow! The wait flew by so quickly with the holidays consuming my thoughts and all of the duties that go along with them. I am so excited to land in 85 degree weather (goodbye cold rain and 50 degree averages) and get a little sun. Wooooo vitamin D! I will say, with all of the storms and cold fronts, it has been rather odd packing sun dresses, shorts, bikinis and sun screen. The flight plan is that I fly off to Miami at 9pm and from there land in Panama City at 1230pm on the 29th. There I will be welcomed by the beautiful Catherine, who just got finished spending Christmas in Columbia. I also now have a large tag along with me. When Catherine’s parents found out I was visiting their daughter they had a favor to ask me. Cat’s Dad is apart of a Catholic Italian heritage group, The Knights of Columbus, who raised money to donate a wheel chair to Cat’s cite, to help some of the elderly to move around. It was going to cost over $1,000 to ship it, but now it will be my ...

As I start to mental and physically prepare for this next trip I think about how lucky I am to have so many opportunities to travel and experience the world like I have. I've been all over Europe, Mexico, the United States and now off I go to Panama. Now this trip will be a little (actually a lot) different from all of the others, (ie there is no all inclusive resort, and well, its not Europe in any sense), but Im excited for the challenge and the reality check. Now I have been getting many questions as to my reason to go to Panama, for those of you who do not know, one of my wonderful best friends/ old roommates is in the Peace Corps down there, Miss Catherine Fabiano. Her assignment is working on environmental conservation with a Ngabe indigenous tribe in the Bocas Del Toro region, which is in the north eastern region bordering Costa Rica in the jungle. We have been talking about all of our plans and I am so excited! Its going to be one of the best New Years and birthdays ever! C...

I am sure you are asking your self, "But wait Sarah, haven't you only been back in the country for say a little over 2 months?". Why yes that is correct. One of my best friends, Cat, is doing the Peace Corps down in the jungles of Panama with a Ngabe indigenous tribe in the northern Chiriqui region. So as my quarter century birthday is approaching and happens to be right by New Years, I have decided to celebrate the round drinking on the beach in grass huts, probably surrounded by spiders, snakes and mosquitoes. AND I'M SO EXCITED! I just signed up at a clinic to get all 5 of the required shots (yes 5. that day is going to suck) and a prescription for my malria meds (which hopefully I don't trip out on, Ive heard some horror stories.) All I need to do is buy my tickets! Which will probably happen in the next week or two! Woo!

After 32 days in Europe, it unfortunatly is time for me to head back home to reality, ie looking for a job and attemping to start my new life as an "adult". Im not going to lie, Im not looking forward to ditching this Peter Pan-esk life style. I dont think grown-up is a good look for me. Just saying. Last night there was a ridiculous thunderstorm. Right outside my window is a massive construction crane and at some points I thought the lightning was going to hit it. I got some amazing pictures though. After getting all of my things together eariler today, I headed off to the English Gardens with Fabian to relax, swim, and enjoy the Isar river. It was so nice just sitting in the shade, reading and being apart of the local city scene... its all so bitter sweet when I know Ill be cramped into a plane for about 16 hours tomorrow. So my friends\family, by this time tomorrow my feet will be firmly planted on USA soil and I will be back. I look forward to seeing\talking to you soon!!...

...of why I love Munich. I remembered how much I loved this city, but upon arrival, I remebered the amount. In my opinion, this is the best city in Europe (that I have seen thus far). The history, buildings, the people, everything here screams to me "you know you want to move here". It is my San Francisco of Europe. After wandering around for the last few day I am seriously considering of looking for a job here in one of the Universitiey or something when I get back to the states... Sunday. After saying goodbye to Vienna and a 4 hour train ride (with no ploblems, love German trains) I arrived in a very very hot Munich. They have been having a crazy heat wave here and thunderstorms that are wild. On the first night my friends family and I did the typical Bavarian night; we packed up a picnic, rode our bikes to the local beer garden and had dinner accompanied by a few liters of beer and a live poka band. God I love this place. On Monday I had a Frauentag with my friends...

Vienna!!! I have made my way back to German speaking countries and Im loving it. It is so bice being able to participate in simple, basic conversations again. I got in last night without any super crazy Czech train problems, although at one point we stopped on the tracks for about 25min and I had no idea why. After amazing Turkish food (something the States needs to get btw) I settled in to watch my Germans dominate Spain..... but did this happen? No. What the heck Germany? It was strangly reminicent of 2 years ago at the EU Cup. So now I hope Spain gets their butt kicked by the Orange Army!!!! Today I was super excited to explore this city (thanks to the trusty map Amber left behind for me) and boy did it not let me down. It is such a romantic and beautiful city. I took the underground over to the center of the city and just wandered around. Stunning catherdrials, buildings, gardens and history. There is a consert of Mozarts work by the Philharmonic at St. Stephen's Cathe...

After wandering around this little city for 2 days I am ready to say goodbye and head off to Vienna tomorrow morning. A point of interest; the train system in the Czech is about as good as they are in Italy. For those of you who don't know what Im talking about, let me put it this way, they are normally late, run down and dysfunctional. Like my ride getting here. We left the station 10 mins late, for some reason half way through the ride we had to get off at some random place (not a train station may I add) in the Czech, take a bus for 20mins, get back on a train leave that station late, arrive at the intended destination 45 min late, take the next train running 15 min late which had wooden benches as seats. I swear the theme of this trip is "how interesting can my traveling get"... haha. So I am off to concur the Czech train system again tomorrow. I have 3 train transfers to get to Vienna... so the potential for mishap is quiet high...