Copy Mouse

It's no secret that I love Disneyland (and all things Disney really). Being away from Disneyland this past year has definitely been a bummer. It's the first year I haven't had an annual pass since I was 12 years old. Crazy right? Definitely having Disneyland withdrawals (like quoting the Indiana Jones ride for fun). Being the loyal Disneyland guest that I am; I am very critical of other theme parks. I love other parks, I mean come on, Six Flags roller coasters? The bomb. But it's still no Disneyland. Same goes for other places. I just have utterly high standards when in comes to my overall theme park experience thanks to Disney. So when I first heard of Europa-Park, I knew it didn't stand a chance, no matter how awesome it was.

About a week ago some friends of mine (other au pairs) decided to plan a day trip to Europa-Park and asked if I wanted to join in. I had heard about Europa-Park quite a few times over the months, so I decided it would be worth a visit. I told Nacha and Ivanka about it, and they (and others) wanted to join in on the fun as well. Things were discussed, and plans were planned, and soon we had decided that July 1st would be our adventure day. Like I always say: "There's nothing like a theme park to start the month off right." Yeah. You're right. I don't really say that.

Sunday rolled around and we embarked on our adventure in the early morning hour of 7 a.m., which of course caused much eye rubbing and demands for coffee. Once properly fueled on coffee and baked goods, Nacha, Bernie, Albert, Ivanka, and I hopped on a train headed towards Rust, Germany (which is quite near the French/German border). We were to meet up with my au pair friends (who had left earlier than us) at the theme park.

As we jumped off the train and joined a queue to get on a bus that would take us to the park, the weather decided to show off by raining. But not a sudden down pour or thunderstorm, and not even a nice light mist. No. It was a steady "light rain" all day. ALL DAY. Needless to say we were drenched the whole time (water rides didn't help haha). It finally let up less than an hour before we left. Ridiculous, but typical. This German "Summer" weather is all lies. This is not Summer. Wearing pants and closed toed shoes is not Summer. I- Urgh. Okay. Deep breaths. No need to rant about how much I miss California Summer weather. Sorry. Now, back to my story.

After a very, very squished bus ride, we arrived. Europa-Park stood before us in all it's glory. And man, is it big. It's largest theme park in Europe actually. I still eyed it skeptically though. Because as we all know, size doesn't always dictate how awesome something is.

The entrance gate.

We waltzed through the gates, grabbed some maps, put our stuff in lockers (best idea ever), and started to figure out a game plan for the day. Albert was the one that suggest we try to put off the best rides till later, and do all the less exciting rides first. That way we end the day off on a high note.

So we set off into the park. Like Disneyland, Europa-Park is divided into themed lands. Europa-Park's are, quite appropriately, different European countries (such as Germany, Spain, Iceland... you get the idea). Then there are three other sections that house the rides and attractions that didn't quite fit into the other countries themes. Those lands are: Children's World, Enchanted Forest, and Adventure Land. While the country themed lands tended to remind me more of a strange mix between Knott's Berry Farm and Disneyland, the odd ball lands reminded me solely of Disney. Which was a cause of much giggling for me because I kept thinking what a big copy cat Europa-Park is. But then again, many theme/amusement parks copy each other, so I'm being slightly biased. Probably more than slightly. Tragically sorry about that.

Here's a map of the park.

The first stop on our "world tour" was Germany, where we met Euromaus. Euromaus (Euro Mouse), the park's mascot, is a grey mouse. Can't help but think of another famous mouse mascot.... Mickey Mouse, anyone? Nacha and I couldn't get over the fact that they deliberately chose a mouse as a mascot, even when they knew that Mickey Mouse was a mascot for another, very famous, theme park. What were they thinking? Who knows. Well, all criticism aside, Euromaus is a friendly guy and we got a picture with him and his dolphin friend.

Me, Nacha, and Ivanka with Euromaus and his dolphin friend.

Next we headed into Italy. Here we road Ghost Castle... an ever so "frightening" ride through a haunted house. Again, sound familiar? (Haunted Mansion). Then we frolicked over to France and rode on the Dinosaur Ride. It was another dark ride, which Ivanka and I enjoyed thoroughly. Especially the sign at the end that says "Please, get off",  ever so politely. All around the park the translated English was quite the giggle. I even caught a few spelling errors here and there. But you have to hand it to them for having the signs in German, English, and French. That's awesome.

After visiting the dinosaurs, we made our way to Switzerland to ride the Matterhorn Blitz. I really wanted to ride this one, because I miss the Matterhorn Bobsleds at Disneyland quite badly, but sadly my dreams were crushed. The ride broke down due to technical problems while we were in line. Sad, sad day.

We left the Matterhorn Blitz and walked through Greece to get to Russia (surprisingly not as long of a walk as you'd think). Russia is where I first caught a glimpse of the park's monorail. Another typical Disneyland ride. And though the Europa-Park monorail was similar, it definitely had a European train flair. I especially liked how the different trains had different routes written on the side. Of course they all went to the same places around the park, but you could pretend you were going from Zurich to Frankfurt (or other locations in Europe) if you ever so desired. After ogling at the monorail, we rode the Euro-Mir, which is a roller coaster that simulates astronaut space training. I've never been on anything like it, definitely really cool. You are basically in a pod with four people sitting back to back, and throughout the ride the whole pod spins and it goes down the tracks. And along with the traditional roller coaster picture taking Europa-Park has added a twist: video taping. In certain seats there are cameras that tape all your screams and looks of pure terror. I found this to be quite entertaining. Though, just like the photos, I would never actually buy it.

Finally we were able to meet up with my au pair friends in Iceland. "Hallos" and names were exchanged. From there we went to Portugal and rode our first wet ride: Atlantica Super Splash. We amazingly spared getting drenched. Which didn't really matter at this point considering how wet we were from the rain.

Then we went back to Iceland and went on a super amazing roller coaster called Blue Fire. Well, not all of us. Bernie and Ivanka aren't big fans of the dizzying effects of roller coasters, so they avoided them the whole day. So anytime the rest of the group went on one, they went off on an adventure and did something else. But back to Blue Fire... ah man. It's just your typical roller coaster, sitting with shoulder restraints, but geez is it fast. And there are the wonderful moments were your adrenaline goes haywire from all the twists and flips. Roller coasters are just too much fun.

Blue Fire from a distance.

Sadly after Blue Fire we lost my au pair friends and didn't end up reconnecting with them the rest of the day. But the five of us had fun anyways.

The next ride we decided to hop on was Wodan: Timburcoaster. The theme of this ride is about Norse legends. Which is legit. But they failed when it came to setting the mood in line just because of a few details in decor, like the really, really fake looking wood (which Albert and I rolled our eyes at). The coaster itself totally threw me off. Not literally, haha. It's a wooden coaster, and with most wooden roller coasters one gets used to the idea that all wooden coasters are a bumpy, "hold onto your head" adventure. This one was actually really smooth, a total shocker.

Letting out my inner viking. (Albert being a prankster in the background).

Famished, we dug into our stash of sandwiches. Being the ever savvy people we are, we decided to bring food with us. Nacha, the magically amazing cook, made some legit sandwiches, which were devoured over the course of the day. We also had some snacky food, yummy, though not as awesome as the sandwiches.

While Albert and I ate our sandwiches, the other three decided to go on a quick ride nearby. While Nacha, Bernie, and Ivanka road Whale Adventures Splash Tours, Albert and I tried to find some shelter from the rain. We found a nice awning to sit underneath super close to the ride the others were on. One minute we were eating our sandwiches, and the next minute we were getting soaked from behind. Turns out the Whale Adventure ride is interactive... you can spray water at passersby from a tugboat and they can spray water at you from the docks. We jumped out of the way, grumbling about the bratty teenagers that had succeeded in getting us more wet, and then proceeded to sit in the same spot. Yeah, we are that stupid. The next boat came and what do ya know, it was our friends, and they were feeling pretty mischievous. The trio declared war on the two of us in a series of water canon blasts, and we both ran for it. I, to get a better view for pictures, and Albert to claim watery revenge. After much spraying and yelling, Albert came out the clear winner of the water fight; and the Bernie, Nacha, and Ivanka were whisked away in their tugboat to the end of the ride in shame.

Nacha and Ivanka getting thoroughly defeated in the water battle.

Next stop on our world tour: Scandinavia. Here we rode the Vindjammer, a big swinging viking boat, which was hilariously entertaining due to collaborative efforts of all the riders to make sound effects. Then we decided to try our luck on another water ride, the Fjord-Rafting. Which is like a less tame version of California Adventure's Grizzly Bear Rapids. At one point, to all the girls horror, we bumped into another raft and none of us could quite figure out if that was supposed the happen or not. When all was said and done, I was the only one that escaped getting drenched. Nacha, the wettest of us all, demanded that we go back to Portugal to a warming station (a people sized Barbie box with walls lined with heat vents blowing out hot air) we had seen earlier.

Ivanka making friends with a shark in Scandinavia...

Albert and I on the Vindjammer.

 For our next destination I made a request. I wanted to go on the Vienna Wave Swinger (aka swings) in Austria. So went made our way to Austria by going through Spain. While in Spain, we took a little detour and rode the very county fair like Feria Swing (which isn't really a swing at all). Once we got to Austria I was very excited. I love your typical run of the mill playground swings, so the ones at theme parks are always extra thrilling to me (swings on steroids). California Adventure has swings that were recently updated from being inside a giant orange to being Silly Symphony themed. So when I rounded the bend from Spain to Austria, I wasn't sure what to expect with the Europa-Park swings. Much to my giggles, I saw that they swings were mushroom themed. Yes, that's a theme. The main base was this huuuge mushroom and from the under part of the mushroom hung the colorful plastic and metal swings. Albert and I got in line, which really wasn't a line, since we were the only ones in it. Ivanka, Nacha, and Bernie decided to go on a nearby water ride and not join in on the fun. We got to go on the swings twice in a row because there were only a handful of people on the ride. So lovely. I love feeling like I'm flying.

Albert looking so stylish in his rain poncho.

Footloose and fancy free.

The swings!

After the mushroom swings, we all met up again and traveled through the Enchanted Forest. Which was quite magical. We even saw the witch's house from Hansel and Gretel. Fancy stuff. Once we made it through the forest, we found ourselves in England. There we played soccer in bumper cars shaped like cleats. Truly something everyone should do at least once in their lifetime.

Ivanka in her cleat shaped bumper car.

Once we were done perfecting our soccer skills, we headed back to France. This visit, we rode the Silver Star, a very hilly roller coaster. No flips or twists, but still very thrilling. Once off the ride, we filled up on some hotdogs and sandwiches, and were ready to hit the pavement again.

We failed in our attempts to ride the Volo da Vinci (Da Vinci flying machines) in Italy because of an extremely long line. But while in line we got to witness the most ridiculous on stage performance by Euromaus and his girlfriend. They were singing about the rain twirling their umbrellas while wearing a seriously lacking costume: raincoats, rainboots, jeans, and mouse heads. They looked so cheap! I couldn't believe it. You could totally tell it was two girls. I felt offended for the children, where was the magic?! Ahhhh. Disney would never do that.

Our time at Europa-Park was nearing it's end. Six o'clock was coming quickly, and we knew we had to be choosey about our last one or two rides. I made another request... I begged everyone to go on one of the most boring rides in the park: the Dschungel-Fahrt (Jungle Ride). Why? Well, I am a nerd of epic proportions of course! My favorite ride in Disneyland is the Jungle Cruise (cheesy jokes and all) and I just couldn't pass up the opportunity to go on a similar ride. So I dragged everyone back across the park to go to Adventure Land. Well, the ride did not disappoint. Of course, it's no Jungle Cruise, but it was close enough. Since there were no guides to give cheesy jokes, I had to resist the urge to not give the tour myself. I know all those jokes by heart, it wouldn't be too difficult haha. Probably the best part of the ride was the fact that it would be oh so easy to just jump off the raft. Safety at it's finest.

Me in front of my look-a-like Jungle Cruise. Life is good.

Bernie being a silly goose.

Floating through an African village.

Silly nonsense.

We decided that we had enough time for one more ride, so we rushed back over to Iceland to ride Blue Fire again. It once again was awesome. But, when we got off the ride we started to panic. We had about fifteen minutes to get across the park, get our stuff out of the lockers, and jump on the bus that would take us back to the train station. If we missed that bus we would have to wait another hour for the next one. So we had to book it across the park as fast as we could, tensions running high. The five of us hopped on that bus with a minute to spare. Now that's what I call perfect timing.

In the warmth of the train home we finally started to dry. Which was quite nice after a day of looking and feeling like we had taken a swim in a lake. Once we got home I was extremely glad to take a hot shower and jump into some warm pajamas.

All in all, I had a lovely day. Rain and a theme park always makes for an adventure. Add on top of that that I was with a great group of friends in a foreign country and you have a winning combination. Europa-Park will definitely be seeing more of me, there's still so many rides to ride! But, in all seriousness.... Disneyland still holds my heart. And that's not going to change anytime soon.

Dreaming of You

There is so much about Germany that I love. Fresh baked goods being very high on that list. And no, I'm not kidding. Their bread's the best everrrr. It's been a great five months here (yeah, five months already, can you believe it?). But I must confess, I do miss America. A large portion of my day dreaming, aside from hot German men taking me on fabulous vacations, is spent thinking about home. Since this takes up a lot of my thoughts, I figured I would give you a list of the top American things on my mind. My American friends and family will laugh at most of these for sure, knowing that they get to enjoy the awesomeness that I am missing out on (love you guys too...). As for my German friends, you don't realize what you are missing out on. At all. And for that I apologize. And invite you to come to my neck of the woods, if you ever decide to go to California, where I will treat you to the best burger ever. EVER.

1. Disneyland
My home away from home. Things are a little less magical when one can't go to Disneyland at least once a week. Sigh. But the magic lives on... in my dreams. I seriously have a ridiculous amount of dreams about being at Disneyland doing various things. The great tragedy is waking up to my alarm clock.

Rainy night with the girls walking down Main Street U.S.A.

2. In-N-Out/Taco Bell/Subway/Jamba Juice/Terri House/Lucille's BBQ/Every other restaurant I love
Food, glorious food! Americans just have so many freaking choices when it comes to food, especially in Southern California. It's amazing how one little smell or thought can trigger an intense craving for a food item I have long been deprived of and then last the whole day (or week). I drool just thinking about an In-N-Out Burger. Mmmmm...

Amy and I comparing burgers at In-n-out.

3. School
I will admit, I'm quite the nerd. I love school. I love being in a class, taking notes, doodling, getting lost in my own thoughts, learning lots of nerdy things.... being away from college means I don't get to fulfill my nerdy needs. I am stuck making due with online classes. Which are evil soul sucking creations of doom. I need a classroom pronto.

4. Watching T.V.
Although there is a T.V. in the apartment, I don't ever watch it (unless it's the kids channel with my girlies). Why? Well, it's being all in German is a major factor. Also, we don't have a bunch of channels. And I really don't have the desire to watch it. I mostly catch all my T.V. shows on iTunes (yes, I actually pay to watch things), so I don't feel the need to suffer through only understanding half a T.V. show. But I've come across a problem... how am I going to watch the Olympics?! I love the Olympics, and will be tremendously sad if I can't get some coverage of it in English online. This, along with not watching Top Gear every five seconds on BBC America, makes me really miss my American T.V. channels.

5. Target/The Mall
Target, my love. I pretty much live at Target. Lived. I haven't seen the interior of a Target in far too long. I miss going just to look at all the things I wish I had money for or running around the aisles trying to get all the things I can afford. There really is no place like Target here in Germany. Which is tragic. I also miss American malls... here malls are a relatively new thing, and they are slightly smaller and more compact. I get all claustrophobic and want to leave as fast as possible. Shopping is great here, I just miss my typical stores.

6. Talking
I love to talk. So not being able to be understood all the time drives me bonkers. Most of the people I talk with either speak in German or English (a lot of them know other languages). My German isn't so great, but I can get on well enough, especially when the people I talk to can't speak English. But on the whole, I know quite a bit of people who speak English here. Which is great (and not so great for practicing my German). But, I really miss talking to native English speakers. Many American idioms and many of my strange words ("sassy" being a prime example) are lost on people here. To their credit they often just nod and smile haha.

7. Rhonda the Honda & Road Trips
Here, if I want to get somewhere, I either walk, ride my bike, or take a train. That's just the way things are. Not everyone has a car. And if they do have one, they don't use it as frequently as Americans do. I can count the amount of times I've been in a car here on my fingers. It's such a rare thing, and I pretty much get giddy when anyone mentions a car ride. I miss my Rhonda the Honda desperately. I love getting around how I do here, but there is just something so wonderful about having my car to take me places (I have a huge list of reasons, I won't bore you with them). And taking trains to other cities is great, but they take all the fun out of a "road trip". I need a road trip through the desert like now.

Rhonda the Honda and I chilling out in Niland, CA.

8. Reading
I get really excited when I can perfectly read a sign these days. Sound pathetic? It's not. When you live in a country where everything is in a different language, suddenly being able to read signs is difficult. Being able to read them and feel like a normal part of society is pretty freaking exciting. Same goes for walking into a bookstore. There's nothing more horrifying than seeing thousands of books that I am unable to read.

9. "No Weather"
Ahh I never realized how spoiled rotten I was when it came to weather. I mean, I "knew", but I didn't really "know". When cold to me means throw on a sweatshirt, jeans and sneakers; it's a real shocker to suddenly find myself wearing three pairs of socks, boots, leggings, jeans, an undershirt, shirt, sweater, coat, scarf, gloves, and hat. Long, cold Winter to say the least. The other day it was warm enough to wear just a skirt, shirt, and jacket and I told freaked out. Why? I felt naked.

10. The Beach & Ocean
Oh how I long to feel sand between my toes and frolic around in the waves. So Cal girls aren't meant to be away from the ocean this long. My inner mermaid is having some serious withdrawals.

The girls and I striking a pose on the beach in San Diego, CA.

11. Coffee Shops
Gone are my long afternoons and evenings spent pouring over homework (and facebook) while slurping up ridiculous amounts of good coffee with friends. For something that was such a big part of my weekly routine, it's strange not to have it happen anymore. I miss it so.

Jarae and I at It's a Grind pondering one of the big questions of life: Face in a book, or Facebook?

12. American People
I've met people from all over the world the past couple months. I've seen many cultures in action, and it's fascinating. I love meeting new people. But as much as I love all the people I've met, I miss my Americans. There's no one quite like us. We are weird, but I love our weirdness. And it would be really nice to be able to say I'm from California and not have it be in the least bit interesting or exciting. Just once.

All that being said... these may be the things and places I miss, but I mostly miss my friends and family. Because these places and things wouldn't be so awesome without them. Can't wait to tackle you all with hugs when I get home. Until then, I continue to bask in the awesome adventure that is Germany. Even if that means six more months of no In-N-Out Burgers.

So Long, Farewell, Auf Weidersehen, Goodbye

Friday was my goodbye party. And I leave in five days. So goodbyes are on the brain. Me leaving hasn't really hit me yet. There have been many mini realization moments the last couple days though. It won't hit me until I get on the plane and find myself all alone embarking on the biggest adventure of my life. Only then I will proceed to ball my eyes out, all while sitting next to two complete strangers who are looking at me like I am crazy/they kind of want to give me a hug (Yes. This has happened before...).

So. The party. The lovely John and Rebecca Douglas (people I babysit for) were super gracious and let me use their home as the location of my party. They even provided utensils and plates and super cute decorations. I was so blessed by their hospitality and love!

The plan was just to have people come over, hang out, and eat appetizers and desserts from about 7 to 10:30 pm. (It was a potluck). Also, you were to dress up as something European. I was Maria from The Sound of Music, which was very fitting I think. As usual, everyone was late (and I have no right to complain since I am late to everything). But once people got there it was a good time.

It was really nice hanging out with my friends. It's really hard to think that people so dear to me while soon be very far from me. I know that they won't drop off the face of the earth, but there is something about actually getting to hug and talk to a person face-to-face.

The whole evening was a lot of chaotic chattering (even some arm wrestling). I love parties, but I tend to get overwhelmed by them. Especially if I am the center of attention. Control freak me goes into hyperactive host mode and becomes deeply worried that no one is having fun (and the thoughts spiral from there). I dealt with this last night, but I think I did a pretty good job of brushing it off and enjoying myself.

My two favorite parts of the evening were pictures and passing around my address book and autograph book.

 Pictures of course are like my favorite thing to do ever. I just love them. There is something so magical about being able to capture a memory forever.

My Papa & Granny.

Some of the group hanging around the dining room table.

Jarae and I being ridiculously awkward and classy.

Megan and I.

Me and Mike.

Saying goodbye out in the front yard.

 The address book was my way of making sure I got people's addresses and E-mails. I want to be able to send letters and E-mails to all my friends! You know me, I love to communicate.

The autograph book was my grandma's idea. She thought it would be cute to have all my friends write me notes that I could read whenever I was feeling a little homesick. Genius! So during my last week of Disneyland (my pass expired Friday) I went and got an autograph book (the ones you use for Disney characters to sign) and a really cute Minnie Mouse pen. At the party everyone passed it around and left me notes. Everyone seemed to have fun doing so.

This is the autograph book I got!

I plan on carrying my address book and the autograph book around the next four days to make sure that my friends who couldn't come to the party are able to participate.

The party just really reminded me how much God has blessed me the past couple of years (and my whole life). I may wish for things to be different, but at the same time I wouldn't change anything. The community I have found myself surrounded by has been so important in shaping who I am. I love my life even though it has it's faults. As I step forward to a new adventure, I know I have the backing of all the people that helped me get where I am today. And even if they are going to be more than 5,000 miles away, I find that thought really comforting.

P.S. Thank you to everyone who came to my party! I love you all so much!

To Infinity and Beyond!

Back in 1995 Toy Story came out in theaters. Pause. 1995?! Ohhh man do I feel old and young all at once. I don't remember being that young when it came it out; I could have sworn I was at least nine, but I was only four. Four! I digress. One could argue that the most famous line in that movie is "To infinity, and beyond!" Every superhero/action figure has his catch phrase, and Buzz Lightyear is no exception. It's a great phrase to yell because it fits a ridiculous variety of situations. For example: "Let's go to pizza." "Where?" "Deli News sounds good." *walking to the car* "Awesome. I love Deli News. To infinity, and beyond!" Really bad example, but you get the idea don't you?! I know, I can hear you disagreement from over here. Don't you get sassy with me!

Why am I bringing up Buzz Lightyear and his catchy catch phrase? Well, I think it fits quite well with my feelings today. I got my passport today! Finally. And I feel as if I could travel anywhere in the world. Oh, that's right. I can. Hehehe. My delight knows no bounds in this regard.

Let me tell you the saga of my passport and why I am so stoked to have it in my hot little hands.

Back in May I knew that I needed to start the fun that is applying for a passport so I could give myself plenty of time to wait for it to come in the mail. On average it takes four to six weeks to get back to you, but often it can take even longer. Knowing my luck, I wanted to give myself a wide berth of time before I needed my passport in September.

So I printed out the application and filled it out. That's when I realized I needed my birth certificate. Uh-oh, I didn't have my own copy, my mom did. She wanted to keep it, so I had to get my own. Which would seem simple and easy, but no, not for me. I had to go through Sacramento, not Long Beach, because I am legally adopted by my Stepdad. So I had to fill out paperwork to get my birth certificate, send that off, and just wait. It came at the end of June. But by then, a couple problems had arisen.

First off, I didn't have any extra cash to buy a passport. So I would have to wait until I did, which would narrow the amount of time for my passport to process. Secondly, Christiane (my German mom) emailed me some forms that I need to fill out for the au pair agency. One of the things they needed was a copy of my passport. Which meant I would need to find the money to get the passport a little faster than I had expected.

July flew by and I found myself without a passport and with the paperwork incomplete. (So much for a wide berth of time right?!). A nagging feeling of doom had descended upon me. Mind you, this was only last week. Being the basket case that I am, I was so worried that I wouldn't get the paperwork mailed in time and my passport wouldn't come... the thoughts spiraled from there. My friend Amber told me about a passport agency in Santa Monica that helped rush passports. This was to be my solution.

I drove out to Santa Monica, to Ambassador Passport and Visa Services, with all my papers and documents. Geez, was I impressed by them. I totally recommend them to you; they were so professional and nice. And they got the job done. I went in on a Wednesday and got my passport on a Tuesday. Bravo.

I'm sure you are thinking, 'Ashley, I thought you didn't have extra money for this and I am sure this rush delivery cost you a bundle!' Yeah, I know. Well here's your answer: I was able to get a bit a money for this because God really knows how to provide for me. It's amazing how I some how get just enough money to pay for something. God is good. The 48 hour rush delivery is not as much as you would expect (it's the 24 hour delivery that costs you an arm and a leg). But it was still painful for me to fork out the money. This was worth it though.

Today I picked up my passport. Well, technically yesterday since it is past midnight now. Technicalities. I was so stoked to go and get it. I had to brave the nasty hour-ish drive for the third time in a week, and I have found a new appreciation for all the lovely people that have to commute that far to work everyday. Let me tell you, holding that passport in my hands made me super proud to be American. I am not super patriotic (I save it up for the 4th of July) but I have my moments. This is one of them. You know that swelling/soaring in the heart feeling? Definitely got that for a few minutes.

I pretty much skipped/ran from the Ambassador office to my car. Once I got in it, I inspected the passport. It just so surreal that I have it. Ever since I was little I have dreamed of traveling to distant countries and just soaking up world culture. Now I can. A little blue book allows me to leave this country whenever the frick I feel like it. I could just hop on a plane right now and go anywhere. That is truly a freeing feeling. I can go anywhere. To infinity and beyond!