Benefits of Learning a Foreign Language

I am writing this post to compliment my posts about Europe and all of the non-English-speaking places I have been to. In almost every country in the world in which English is not the first language or official language, kids are required to learn the language as soon as they enter grade school. At this stage of childhood development, the brain isn't completely done neural pruning yet, so that developed neurons and axons that dictate language comprehension abilities get an extra dosage of things to contemplate and comprehend. Although it is harder to learn another language as an adult, it is not impossible. Here are a few reasons why everybody should attempts to learn a foreign language.

1) There are so many languages out there.

According to one ethnographic study, there are well over 6800 languages that are still used in the world today as of 2018. 6% of these languages account for 94% of the world's population, which means they are around 400 languages that are used to communicate with other human beings around the world. English, as it stands, is only one of those languages. There are so many languages out there to be explored, and all of them and their own respect just as easy and hard as English.

2) It increases cultural awareness.

The best way to become aware of other people in this world is to experience what they experience through their own eyes. When you realize how difficult it can be to communicate with Outsiders from an Insider's perspective, you will become much more aware of the problems they face.

3) It increases hirability.

There are literally hundreds of jobs out there nowadays that are looking for somebody who speaks at least two languages. If you are one of those people, you just made yourself much more marketable in every single job market. Just think, if you speak Spanish, and your client speaks Spanish, you save the middleman of having to hire a translator.

4) It is intellectually engaging.

When you're speaking a language that you didn't grow up with, you usually need to put some sort of thought into your choice of words, your grammar, compensating for that which you do not know, and of course, understanding the point of view of whomever you were communicating with. Being bilingual increases your gray matter in your brain, too. It came in handy for me when I was in Italy, which you can read about here.

5) Being multilingual is impressive to everyone.

I would argue that currently in America, since we are not made to learn a second language as part of our education, that at least three-quarters of a population are monolingual. When I tell people that I've been speaking Spanish since I was 14, that I've attempted to learn Arabic, and that I've caught myself bits and pieces of Icelandic, German, in Japanese, their jaws usually hit the floor. I don't claim to be good at any of these languages, but it is still an incredible feat that most people would never care to accomplish. In countries like India, Indonesia, and Switzerland, though, having fluency in multiple languages is an expectation. It activates a part of the brain that most people don't otherwise get.

6) Businesses usually start up because of foreign trade.

There are hundreds of small startups every single day, and a lot of them in the twenty-first century are based around some sort of foreign culture or for in trading. You could be part of that start up from the ground up if you spoke that particular language.

7) It breaks down barriers.

There's this dilemma in society called the language barrier. However, if you know even a few words of another language, you can help her move that barrier. You grow closer to people's hearts by trying to relate to them on this basic human level.

8) The friends you'll meet and the networking you'll create.

Whether it is a club in high school, an interest group in college, or something in your professional life, you will always meet people who share the same language interests as you. You'll meet them everywhere and anywhere.

9) Everything you learn about a culture and its nuances.

Although I described this briefly earlier, it deserves further explanation. There are so many things that make up a culture that are derivative of language. And of course, vice-versa also applies. As you are learning a foreign language, you will learn about the people, how they dress, how they act, their sense of humor, their social lives, their food, the where they live, their religion, their music, and so many other unique aspects of their lives. You just gained an Insider's perspective to a whole new group of people to become friends with.

10) You'll feel at home anywhere.

If you've already learned one foreign language, then picking up on bits and pieces of another will become a no-brainer exercise. And should you just so happen to land where are you study the language, you'll be even better off yet. It will surprise you when you're language comprehension abilities will come in handy, especially when traveling somewhere in which your first language is not theirs.

On a personal addendum, being forced by my mother to learn Spanish in high school was one of the best decisions of my entire life. When I worked as a cashier at Giant, I had so many incredible conversations with people simply because their first language was Spanish and not English. I've even had it occur where individuals only speak maybe four words of English,

 and I need to rely on someone else for translation or from my own acquired word Bank. When I took Arabic, I never thought that I would be able to go to a mosque and hold a conversation with the Imam and the adherence. When I started learning Icelandic, I never thought I'd be told by several Icelanders that I have perfect pronunciation and should consider visiting again. The doors that foreign language has open for me have been incredible, and really, I still am surprised that when my language abilities come in handy. I will be going back to Europe, but this time, with better German and Spanish skills yet. And if any of you reading my blog ever go abroad, it will serve you the same gratitude and fortune.

Tour De Deutschland

We awoke very early our second day in Germany, as we had places to go, people to see, and things to do. On our second day, we would be getting a tour of the area and the local city. And, who should be giving us the tour, but a couple of 11 and 12 year old children who are required to do this tour as part of their Elementary School graduation?

One we got to the gymnasium (their word for high school), I was blown away by the modernity of it in the middle of the city. We got there, and the teacher himself actually prepared a full buffet for all of us. I don't know why we were getting so many buffets in Europe and ‘all you can eat’ type deals, but as hungry high schoolers, we were very thankful every step of the way. Not to mention the fact that all their food is fresh, usually organic, and doesn't contain all of the nasty preservatives and chemicals that food in the states does.

The different varieties of juice, the different breakfast foods… all of it, fantastic.

And so, we met our tour guides, Anna and Lena, told ourselves a bit about ourselves and vice versa for them, and then we loaded onto a bus for the hillside just outside the city of Freiburg. When our tour guides were confused about something, they would ask somebody in German or talk German amongst themselves, which I found absolutely adorable. But the rest of the time, we noted that they had actually put together an extremely thought out walking tour of the area that comprised of a good 3 km. We climbed a tower of rust and saw the surrounding area of the city, went to a couple thrift shops, got some food at the Open Air Market, and saw the Munster, the biggest church in town, and the Heart of the Lutheran Reformation.

After spending a day gallivanting around and learning about the culture, it was time to go into the heart of the Black Forest itself and perform. At this point in time, word was getting around Europe about us and our travel route. So, a reporter from you June German newspaper actually caught a picture of the Drumline and myself playing our bucket solo called "recycled", and put us in the newspaper. I still have a copy of the article saved on my computer to this day. We got severely discounted (and sometimes free) food as a result of our performance, as the lady running the stands was so impressed with us that she wanted to keep us well fed.

Here we are. (I am second from the right.)

The hospitality I experienced in Germany was like none other in the world, and we still had another day to go. We've already seen and done so much, but yet, I have no idea what lied in store for me in the depths of the black forest.

The Pagoda

There is an old building in Southern Pennsylvania that was established in 1908 as a tourist attraction and a luxury hotel. However, in 1910, their liquor license was denied and the bank foreclosed in Reading, and William Witman never opened the $50,000 hotel, tanking his investment. The city of Reading bought the property for $1 in 1911, and the facility was opened as a tourist attraction. To this day, the Reading Pagoda has been maintained by the loving citizens of Reading, and has seen lots of different people from different walks of life, including actual Japanese monks and scholars.

Getting my inner zen on in front of the pagoda.

The pagoda sits at the top of a rather tall hill and is visited often by people in the surrounding area. I myself have gone there a good bit. Their website provides a wealth of information on the location, and it is almost always open. It is a very lux and posh facility that has seven stories of stairs, perfect for any daycation or holistay. Its proximity to the business district of Reading makes it perfect for a bleisure trip or cinetourism, and will give you an Americanized tour of Japanese culture.

I myself paid the two dollar donation to climb the stairs to the top, where I looked out to see the world. And, it was bright and beautiful.

One Example of the view from the top.

So, one day, possibly years or weeks from now, if you find yourself in South-Central Pennsylvania, come and visit the pagoda. It will be a voyage to be remembered for years to come.

The Lake Laid Blue...

In Germany, in the black forest,  there is a Scenic Lake where are all of the locals go to hang out. It is called Lake Titisee. Beside this lake, which is actually a small amusement park and Museum, there was an old dugout-style cart coaster that took us down the Mountainside. It was here that we also got to try the Black Forest Cherry Cake for the first time, one of the local favorite desserts. This chocolate torte is made with cherries, Cherry schnapps, and lots of love. My buddy Adrian ordered a slice in German, and I followed suit in English. Between this and the food stalls in the Open Air Market, it was easily some of the best food I've ever had.

Photo Credits go to Black Forest Travel.

After going down the roller coaster a couple times, brakes completely off and all, we went to another Open Air Museum. It was here that they found out that Germans grow pot in the countryside, as they had a small exhibit to show this. They also grew hibiscus, salvia, barley, corn, and a few other crops that I can't remember the names of at this moment in time. Naturally, one of my stoner friends picked off a couple of leaves from the pot plant and started munching on them. Although they would come to have no effect, it was very gutsy.

In this open air and open our Museum, we saw exhibits of blacksmith forges, traditional German houses and lifestyle, and most importantly, a teacup. This was no ordinary teacup, is it was big enough to fit 4 people into it, and sitting on the ground stationary. In the center was a wheel, which you and your friends could use to make the teacup spin around and around. We ended up getting the cup going at least 60 miles per hour, and all of us lead our heads out and it times to make it go faster. This just resulted in us screaming our lungs off and getting dizzy, and our captain almost throwing up everywhere. Regardless, it was hilarious.

Aerial view of the museum. (Credits go to Their Website.

Before getting ready to leave the countryside of Germany, we spent a little bit of time sightseeing in a small town, interacting with the locals and whatever broken languages we could speak, and enjoyed an all you can eat schnitzel noodle Buffet. This was also where our bus driver parallel parked a bus between a tight squeeze of two cars, perfectly, and in one attempt. This is where I finally got to speak with him and tell him how incredible he was. All he said was this; "you guys perform the good music for me, I'll take you wherever you need to go". Oh Jan, you're the true MVP!

Our time in Germany finally came to an end, and we laid our eyes to rest on the nunnery for the last time. We're going to be getting up early tomorrow for a long stretch of traveling - Six hours of it.

Along the Heritage Rail Trail

 The Heritage rail trail is a 40 mile trail that spans from inner city York to Hunt Valley Maryland. It is a Scenic byway that was established after the York Pennsylvania to Hunt Valley Maryland train it was shut down, and the nature nearby was turned into footpaths and preserved for recreational usage. It is still an excellent way to get exercise and get from one small town from another, as it goes between York, Glen Rock, Seven Valleys, New Freedom, and Hunt Valley.

Somewhere along the rail trail...

 Every summer, there is a charity event held by the Cancer Association of America in which proceeds are raised by biking miles on the rail trail. So every September throughout high school and the first two years of college, I participated in that event, biking a total of 10 miles on the rail trail with my boy scout troop to raise money and commemorate my father who passed away from cancer.

...And from the top of it.

 The trail itself is massive, and starts on a low point and ends on the low point. Altitude increases from the starting point up until you get to the Midway point in New Freedom, and then decreases going the other direction. One summer, my friend Brett and I decided to be dropped off in New Freedom and bike 25 miles back to York. Not only was a great exercise, but I also could hardly feel my legs after that.

There's a lot of beautiful scenery along the way, There's a lot of beautiful scenery along the way, including a kayak Hut, a park, some fields, small towns, lots of foliage, a few Bridges and tunnels, and some Crossroads. It is a great way to get exercise for any body type at any given point of the year. The trail also picks back up around Gifford Pinchot State Park, which I detailed in another post, and continues for a few miles back towards York. So if you ever find yourself ambitious and needing some fun biking routes in southern York Pennsylvania, the rail trail is a great place to go to.

Where Time Stood Still

When I was a senior in high school and in honor's choir, our group got invited to go to New York City for a day and a half to perform and see the city. We also got to see a musical, Once. Our hotel may have been in New Jersey, but we lived pretty much the entire trip in New York City, besides travel time of course. Everything about my experience was a trip to remember.

I awoke on a Saturday morning around 6:30 in order to catch the bus from Frank's Theaters in York. There were about 50 of us who were going on this trip, all of us very talented, experienced singers and aspiring musicians. Five of us were coming from West York to go on this trip, myself included. Previously, the five of us had gone to the farm show complex in Harrisburg every year with our select vocal Ensemble to sing Christmas carols and more. This time, we would be putting on a small concert in St John's Cathedral, the largest church in downtown New York City.

The bus ride lasted four and a half hours, and included the pit stop for coffee and a bathroom break halfway through. They had Burger King at this gas station for whatever reason, so I picked up some hash browns and a sandwich to tide me over until we ate dinner. This was my first time ever setting foot in New York, much less New York City. As soon as we came through the tunnel that led into New York City and Lower Manhattan, all of us started cheering with enamored excitement.

The city was huge. The people were everywhere, and all of them usually friendly. You could literally go up to anybody on the street and strike up a conversation. It was the biggest cultural hub I ever seen, even more so than Paris and Switzerland. It was incredible. And who would have known that it wide Just a few hours north of me?

Normally, the honors choir goes to New York City and sings in the Rockefeller Center, and sings for a big audience. We weren't as lucky, and I had not gone there before. Simply because of monetary constraints, I was only able to go this one year. 

When we got to the cathedral, our mouths were agape after seeing how big the church was. We performed at 10:30 in the morning to a room of mostly parents. Our first song was "O sifuni mungu", an African spiritual, and we really got a feel for the sheer dynamics of this cathedral. The ceiling was 120 feet high, and echoed like mad. We hit our last chord and our next song, "Lux Aurumque" by Eric Whitacre, and our director pulled out a stopwatch. 8 Seconds. Our last chord run out in the cathedral for 8 Seconds. Chills ran down my spine. A tear ran down the face of the person beside me.

The powerhouse of a cathedral that we sang in.

The guys ensemble sang hello "Mary Lou" , a barbershop ensemble song, and the girls ensemble saying "mouth music", an Irish spiritual. We sang a song of joys, and mixed meter cantata. We sang a few more songs before ending our set with "Why We Sing", followed by an encore of "Let the River Run", as re-imagined by Carly Simon. This powerful song was originally a Quaker spiritual, but now would become the most powerful song I have ever song in a choir. There were four percussionists, including myself, but only two of us went on the trip. We slammed our drums loud and proud. 

What an incredible concert, only to be followed by a tour of Times Square, a few picture opportunities, and then our first Broadway show. We saw the musical ones, and it immediately became my favorite musical. I broke down about the soundtrack, as everything about this single stage single set  Broadway show was incredible and Unforgettable. Although I performed in musicals in my own I was never the biggest fan of them, until this day.

We then ate at Hard Rock Cafe, making sure to purchase souvenirs. I had a collection of drumsticks from Hard Rock, and this would be a addition number 5. We then had two hours to ourselves to roam around, where we checked out the Nintendo store, and their biggest candy store. We then met up in Time Square around 6 at night.

At this point in the trip, we all looked at each other, happy to be alive. Our director put up a high sign to get us all together as a group, and said that he had a wonderful idea to stand in the center of Times Square and start an impromptu acapella version of Let the River Run. And this is the magical moment where time Stood Still.

Some friends and I in Times Square. Wait for it...

As you may be aware, Times Square is one of the busiest parts of New York, and  New York City is one of the busiest cities in America. There is hustling and bustling and lots of cars honking their horns everywhere. Lots of advertisements on the big screens in the Big Apple, mostly for musicals and products that are up and coming. When we started singing though, the crowds gathered at the outdoor Amphitheater at Times Square all came to a quiet halt. There were no words. No cars honking. Just the Euphoria of the moment, and at least 400 people listening to a group of high schoolers sing Carly Simon, recording us on their cell phones, taking pictures, and listening. 

And then all of a sudden, an image of us appeared on one of the Billboards, and the honors choir was on display for all who looked on the other wise illustrious advertisements. We finished our song on a high A from the sopranos and a middle D from the basses, swelling into an uproar, ferociously. A 5-second halt, and then the Applause started like mad. 

That just happened. Time Stood Still. No,;New York City, Stood Still, just to listen to us.

What an Incredible gift we had been given this day. We used our talents to give back in the only beautiful way that we knew how to. Triumphantly, we returned to our tour bus, ready to get dinner at a local pasta restaurant. Because we were part of a group, we got a discounted rate, and all of us got a four course meal out of the deal. Between this and the gracious hospitality, we had to thank them in the only way we knew how. My percussionist colleague Dakota and I started drumming on the table, and once again, the choir was letting the River Run. You should have seen the smiles on their faces.

And so it came to pass, that this would be my first glimpse into the wondrous world that is New York City. This was my first time going there, but most certainly not the last. Until next time I stumble upon the Big Apple, I would always continue to let the River Run. And I would let all of the dreamers wake the nation.

Classified

When I was 19, I had a girlfriend whose mother really likes to travel and see new things, as long as it was cheap. She got US Government clearances and tickets to go for a tour of the Pentagon in Washington DC. The Pentagon is the headquarters for the Department of Defense with the United States military, and it is a highly classified and extremely cool building. There is a mall right next to it in Arlington Virginia called The Pentagon mall, where you can buy some souvenirs if you were one of the unfortunate ones who was not able to go on your tour of the Pentagon. Or, of course, you could go buy stuff after your tour, which is what we did.

Upon entering the building, all firearms must be checked, and verifying information must be presented to the heavily armed security officers. Upon arrival in the main part of the building, we see a massive staircase and some of the largest bathrooms I've ever seen as well. And trust me, I've seen a lot of bathrooms (shameless travel disclosure). We are invited into a waiting room, where we waited for our tour guide to take us on a tour of the portion of the facility that is accessible to civilians.

Our tour guide introduced himself as a sergeant with the United States Marines who was taking a break from active duty to lead guided tours of the Pentagon. He asked all of us where we are from, with only a surprisingly few amount of the people saying they are from the United States. Half of the tour group came from England and the Netherlands. One couple came from Germany, and another from Japan. And all of them came simply because they wanted to learn a little bit about the inner workings of our government and defense policy.

The most impressive thing about the tour, aside from seeing the different military and defense exhibits and displays themselves, would probably have to be the fact that our tour guide led the entire tour backwards. That's right, he was back stepping the entire time while talking to us, only changing directions at the very end of the tour when it was over. While walking backwards, he gave us a lot of history lessons about the Pentagon, where it started, and how it got to where it is today.

Towards the middle of the tour, we got to the section that was destroyed and rebuilt during the terrorist attacks on September 11th 2001. We were asked to sign a guestbook that laid under a wall full of purple hearts, each hard to commit commemorate a fallen citizen. It was a very sobering moment. We admired the topiary that existed in the refurbished Courtyard for a moment or two, and then continued on with the rest of the tour, next going to the naval Wing to learn about their ships and boats.

On the last half of the tour, there was actually a display About the Boy Scouts of America America and their involvement with the Pentagon. We then saw some employees speeding around downstairs, complete with healthy meals obtained from the Central Cafe of the Pentagon. These meals usually included Arby's, Starbucks, and McDonalds. Even in the most locked down building in the United States, there is a deficit of healthy food choices.

A Much younger me at the pentagon. I was holding the wrong wrist, though.

At the end of the tour, we got to stand next to our tour guide and his assistant, noticing that like most military pictures, neither of them was smiling. We looked around, took a few more pictures, got some souvenirs, and called it quits for a day. I wish I could tell you more about what goes on in the lower levels of the Pentagon, but just as for the rest of us, that information is classified.

Concerning Martial Arts

Martial arts have been around as long as the art of war has been around. Some of the oldest martial arts reach back several thousand years. A few of the ones that are popular today came around within the last century or two, however, and our improvised improvements upon martial arts they have been around 4 many times longer.

Glove up, and get ready for action!

Learning a martial art is beneficial for nearly anyone. I went from doing no martial arts at all until I was 21, to becoming a mixed martial artist in 3 years. I trained professionally at a gym on and off, and also messed around with my friends and I mixed martial arts Club on campus. In 3 years, I learned the foundations for Judo, Muay Thai, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Capoeira, and Aikido. I also touched on small bits and pieces of Sambo, Taekwondo, and Krav Maga. I do not claim to be an expert in any of the aforementioned by any stretch of the imagination, but I feel as though I know enough to hold my own grounds if an event were to occur. Here are a couple reasons why learning a martial art is beneficial; not just for travelers, but for everyone.

1) You learn practical skills.

At first it may not seem like it, but martial arts are full of practical skills. They are infrequently things that you can use in day to day activities, but the opportunities are out there. You will learn how to manipulate your environment surround you, which can always be of use.

2) You'll learn your own limitations and how to overcome them.

As a new martial artist, you will realize that there are quite a few things that you can't do yet. You will learn in time, and you also learn how to overcome the things that you couldn't do before. It will take some time, but you will learn how to overcome your limitations.

3) You can build your confidence.

Before joining martial arts, I will admit that I didn't have the most self confidence in the world. Starting martial arts though, I learned a lot about myself and how to build up my confidence effectively without limitations. Being a martial artist has helped me to be proud of who I am, and to take initiative in situations.

4) Build your endurance.

After watching mixed martial artists on the television, have you ever thought to yourself that surely, you would never be able last as long as they do in that sort of situation? Well, you will eventually be able to do just that. You will build up your endurance and activity tolerance too levels that you once thought to be impossible. What you could once do for two minutes without getting tired, you will actually be able to do for 5 minutes or more without getting tired.

5) You become one with yourself.

In martial arts, there is a huge connectivity to spirituality. Martial arts will help you find your center, to quiet your mind, to humble yourself. Through meditation and meditative techniques, doing martial arts will slowly change the way you view yourself. And you will definitely know that you have quieted your mind when you realize that you can take another's life into your own hands if need be.

Martial arts harmonizes mind, body, and spirit, and really gets all of them working as one functioning unit. When do you learn even one martial art, no matter how formally or informally, you will begin to learn to control your own consciousness and emotions.

6) You can relate to more individuals.

Taking martial arts, you'll never know who you will run into who has also learned to martial arts.

And for your friends that have not studied martial arts, you'll be able to impart some basic knowledge unto them as well. It is so much fun, that you will know how to keep away, and you'll make friends in the process of doing so.

This is a very short list of items, but all of them are applicable as a martial artist things outside of martial arts. You will also learn how to communicate with. I highly encourage anybody to learn a martial art, because for some, it could just be the difference between life and death.

Ghosts in the Water

Being the site of one of the bloodiest battles in the entire Civil War, Gettysburg is a small town filled with hiking and history and ghosts alike. It sits just west of York and Harrisburg, and marks the scene of one of the shortest but compactly brutal events in the American Civil War, where over 50,000 people have lost their lives. The union won that day, but the bloodshed is remembered for years to come. This is especially considering that fathers and sons fought alongside one another, with one usually losing the other to war, or with both losing their lives, and the youngest of soldiers usually being an average of 15 years old and 5 foot 3. I guess if all else fails back then, you go to war.

Many historians have covered the bloody events that occurred over the span of 3 days, especially the Pickett's Charge across the rather large battlefield at Devil's Den and the gruesome injuries that were sustained on the blood-splattered fields. I would not begin to do them justice if I started talking about the historical components of Gettysburg, but what I can attest to is that the terrain is tumultuous, which means perfect for hiking, and apparently, also haunted.

Several hotels and inns have reported sightings of ghosts and paranormal activity, including one photographer who claims to have captured a picture of the late General Lee himself. Myself, I visited one of the famous haunted bridges late at night, and although I didn't photograph any ghosts or specters, it did provide a very eerie and off-putting sensation. If you go for the ghost tours, it is best to do it freelance and bring your own gear, but there are usually some ghost tours that are lead on weeknights starting around $30 per person. If you are a skeptic or a non-believer, this could potentially be the turning point for you.

Good 'ol Re-enacters.

As far as the hiking goes, Devil's Den is a wonderful place to practice rock climbing. The trails in the surrounding area leading to Little Round Top and Big Round Top Spin at least 7 miles, and provide a scenic backpacking route through one of Pennsylvania's most famous cities. The city itself is still rather small, but the land in the surrounding area has been preserved by the Department of Agriculture and several historians. Civil War reenactors usually come to different locations every weekday, and with all of the memorials and points of interest, there's a lot to see and do in Gettysburg. My favorite sightseeing point I visited was there largest cemetery, right outside their welcome center. Much like the Memorial Wall in DC, observe sacred silence when you go here.

If you are more of the indoors type and exhibit type, there are several indoor museums and preserve sites you can visit. Admission for a few of them has gone up in recent years, but there are still some cheap attractions, such as the Dime Museum and the Gettysburg Museum of History. There are several other museums scattered throughout Gettysburg, and if you're up to saving money, going around and doing all the different memorials and cemeteries is a cheap way to spend your time and Gettysburg. Trekking through the National military Park is not for the faint of heart, so be sure to stop by some local restaurants to enjoy a bite to eat. A lot of American bars and breweries are scattered throughout Gettysburg, as well as a traditional Italian pizza shop and a McDonalds.

The view from the tower by Devil's Den.

Much like Hershey Park, I'm fortunate to have grown up only a half-hour from Gettysburg. I know people that have traveled several hundred miles or more just to see the sites in person. I think the craziest license plate I've seen in the community parking was one from Missouri. It must be a psychological phenomenon to believe that things are less important because we grew up near them, because as many times as I've been to Gettysburg and acquaint as it is, I'm still deeply surprised that I see people coming from the other side of the United States to see the park. However, the same could be said for when I drive up to Maine, or when I decide to take a cross-country trip to see some obscure things in Montana. And it can definitely be said for that time I found myself wandering the streets of Paris.

So that being said, read up, and come out for a visit! There may be ghosts in the water, but rest assured, they are friendly.

On the Turning Away

Before too long, my 11 day stint in Europe had come to an end. Many great friends were made, many great memories were recorded, plenty of culture was experienced, incredible food was consumed, and many of wonderful day hikes where had. The title of this post is inspired by British rock group Pink Floyd, with some of their song lyrics being a direct inspiration for all of my experiences in Europe. I listened to a lot of Pink Floyd and classic rock when I was in Europe (and my MP3 player actually had some German and Italian music on it as well). But to quote Pink Floyd's album “A Momentary Lapse of Reason”:

Just a world that we all must share

It's not enough just to stand and stare

Is it only a dream that there will be

No more turning away...

These lyrics speak to me louder than words, no Pink Floyd pun intended. They speak to me because I was a naive teenager living in a self-centered and Americanized world, being blind and ignorant to the rest of the world except from stories that I had heard and come to believe as fact. I now realize that the world was beautiful, not of this world worth seeing, one that we must share, and one that I want to see as much of it as possible. It was this trip to Europe that really piqued my interest as an individual with a severe case of Wanderlust. It was this single trip that influenced every single part of my life to change for the better. Is the reason why as a human being and a public speaker, I want to make people aware that there should be no turning away from the right side of love to share this beautiful world with one another.

And so, I hopped on my plane, delayed by half hour because baggage claim wasn't process right for our carry-on instruments, and after one anxiety trip of thinking I would be stuck in France forever, we board the plane home. Because of all of the clothing I had thrown out on the trip and left behind in Europe, even with souvenirs and dog, the suitcase was a good 15 kg lighter. And so, after flying into the night and coming back to a sign shining sun, it was good to be home. All 70 of us on the trip saw things that our parents had only ever dreamed of seeing. Only 13% of Americans end up using their passport, and we were in that percentile.

After surviving the trip up from Washington DC, and taking my first coach bus bathroom break, we were back in York. Our trip was over, but the memories of Europe lingered on. I couldn't look at sandwiches the same, or orange juice, or driving. Getting back to a 12-hour clock and using miles instead of kilometers was also incredibly hard. In spite of all this, I just knew one thing as I drove home... I would be back in Europe as soon as I possibly could.

A Day of our Own

The very last day that we were in Europe, we got an entire day to ourselves to relax and bumble around in France. By this point in time, we were quite familiarized with the subway system, the overall layout of Paris, and in general, how to stay alive in Europe. One thing that had me irritated, though, is the reason why we had that free day. Initially, we are supposed to be going to London via a high-speed train, but because it was like 200 extra dollars per day or something, they cut it from the tour. I thought of it this way; if we were already paying five and a half grand to go on this trip… would an extra 200 really hurt that much? So regardless, instead of taking a high-speed train to London, we spent the day walking the streets of Paris enjoying ourselves. 

To start off the day, we got breakfast at the continental breakfast at our hotel. This was our last day in Europe, and throughout the entire tour we have been told to discard old clothes that we didn't intend to take home so that we can make room for souvenirs and to overall lighten up the suitcase. So, every piece of clothing we didn't feel like taking home, my roommate and I threw into the shelving units. We also left behind some extra snacks and beverages we were enjoying on the 6 hour bus ride from Germany.

After running those light errands, we made a plan to go see as much as we could. It was my roommate Nick, and three other kids that came from my high school, that ended up being my travel group for the day. There were a total of 7 of us that came from West York, but this group of four of us was really tight. We were going to rent some bikes and bike around Paris, but as mentioned in an earlier post, France didn't seem to like MasterCard from America. Defeated, we resorted to the Metro System, where you can get a ticket from one side of the town to the other for usually right around two Euros. We had grown quite fond of it, as we had been using the Metro System the entire time in Paris, as we only had our bus driver for a week before he had to return home to the Czech Republic.

A view from the bridge.

We first decided to check out some of the Art District buildings. We saw a little bit of them but didn't actually get a chance to go into any of them. One of them was having a huge Flea Market at the time, and there were plenty of things to see inside the building. We easily walked 5 miles that day, popping from one side of town to the other, taking as many pictures as possible.

And then, I was inspired. My roommate and I started whistling and singing in acapella version of “Boulevard of Broken Dreams by Green Day”. I was inspired, because I was still single, still not talking to any girls, and wandering lost in the streets of Europe trying to find myself. And while singing that song, we definitely did find ourselves. We had some deep conversations about girls that we liked, issues we were facing coming ahead, and many other things. What a cathartic way to spend your time wandering the streets of Europe. Needless to say, the girl that my roommate liked back then, he's now been dating for over 5 years.

Much as we did in Italy and Switzerland before us, we went to restaurant in night that had live entertainment from the vocals in the style of their traditional folk music. Just when I thought accordions and Italian lyrics were cute, and I thought that the Swiss Alp horns were incredible, then we got to hear a French couple sing and play accordion. It was very schmaltzy and beautiful. After wandering through nearly every part of Paris and getting close up pictures of the Arc de Triumph and Eiffel Tower, we called it a day.

A perfect ending to a perfect day: a pontoon ride.

Although I really wish to have gone to London for a day, it was still quite incredible to be able to experience everything that I did in the past 10 days of my life. And, to be continued…

The City of Blinding Lights

The City of Blinding Lights

After spending quite some time enjoying all of Europe, we were going back to where we once landed to experience their culture, France. Upon arrival, we were greeted by super strong smelling toilets, not so smiling locals, and a lot of wind turbines. Although I didn't drink coffee at this point of time, and nor will I ever smoke cigarettes, those two Aromas strongly filled the air mostly everywhere in the city limits.

The Art District.

One thing that was fairly interesting to watch year was the traffic. If it were a complete stop in public, and you were riding on a moped, you go directly between the two rows of cars and not care. It was incredible. Also there driving was a lot better than it was in the south. And then the Germans I met drove with such surgical precision that it could be painful sometimes.

In France, they have a system called the rent a bike. People will rent a bike out to take it somewhere, usually work, and then they will lock it up at another Kiosk for somebody else to rent out. The entire time we were in France, my buddy and roommate Nick had a credit card that didn't want to work on him. The same followed suit for me as well. Both of us tried our MasterCards, to no avail. And so, one of the locals had to come to help us out at this kiosk. Nothing eventful really happened other than us both embarrassing ourselves and continuing onwards on foot.

Rent a Bike. Or a horse?

The most noticeable difference about Paris from the rest of the places we had been in Europe, is that smokers were literally everywhere. There was a definite layer of smog covering most of the city, and much more traffic than everywhere else we had been as well. To be honest, Paris wasn't quite what it was cracked up to be. Then again, I was never one for cute little fantasies anyhow. There were also several couples seriously making out with each other on benches, people shouting across the street to one another, and people cutting in and out of lines. But the most notable difference of all was their McDonalds. We witnessed two different things inside of that McDonald's, unisex bathroom and Portion Control. The same cost for a massive burger from McDonald's in the states about a quarter of the result, if less fries and burger than usual. In reference to the bathrooms, there were two doors for men and women's restrooms, and they both went to the same room with urinals and stalls. This freaked out some of the girls that were trying to use the bathroom, as there were guys standing and taking a leak. Of course, they promised that they weren't trying to catch a peek or anything.

Cheese!

We went to the Art District then saw some beautiful scenery, we went into the roof and saw the Mona Lisa and other eclectic artwork, we took a tour around the base of the Eiffel Tower, and we were introduced to the Metro System so that we knew how to get around in Europe. We went on a boat tour and saw the Lock Bridge, which up until the recent lock for moving act had literally thousands of locks on it. And most importantly, we gave our fourth and final performance in Luxembourg Gardens. This is where we played our bucket drumming piece once, broke our buckets, and then were asked for an encore from the audience, and needed to play with our broken sticks and buckets. Needless to say, France proved to be very interesting.

Diving Into the Black Forest

For the next stop in our travels, we would be going to the black forest of Germany (Kirchzarten), a beautiful area that reminds me much of Pennsylvania, and lies just a couple miles from Freiburg. We ran to a couple of locals in our first gas station stop that only spoke German, and at this point in time, I only knew how to say thank you and excuse me and that was about it. But, the scenery reminded me much of my home in Pennsylvania, as did the weather, and the roads. What was markedly different however, were the people of Germany.

Most Germans come off as very serious to Americans; however, they also have a bland sense of humor that is only described as adorable. On the inside, there are some of the easiest people to get along with that I've ever met. And, they are also pretty good judge of character. How I knew for sure, was the fact that a guy at a hot dog stand looked at me and said that I look like the kind of guy who likes caramelized onions on my bratwurst. How could he be more correct?

For the next hotel we stayed at, half of the tour group stayed and Lionheart hotel, and the other half, my half, stayed at a nunnery on top of a mountain with a beautiful view of some small quaint town in the meadows below. The first night we were there, my friend decided to screw with the cows, almost getting gored in the process. Not to mention the giant cow bells around their necks, this cows meant business. In the convent itself though, quiet hours where generally 9 p.m. until 7 a.m., with noble silence to be observed all weekend long. Many good games of Frisbee were played here, and I hiking just outside the convent was incredible as well.

It was a two hour drive to get to our location from the center of Switzerland, but every moment of the drive was just as incredible as the last. But at this point of the trip, we have learned to develop bladders of steel so that we could tolerate long hours of road-tripping without bathroom breaks. After all, our Czech bus driver was always on a mission, and his mission was us.

And so, we on packed our bags and got ready for the days ahead, in which we would be covering a lot of ground. Stay tuned for more!