I definitely wasn't expecting to travel back to Hamburg so soon but I can confidently say it was the perfect start to my travels. I started the trip fairly low key by spending 2 days catching up with my old teammate Nina: chatting over dinner, exploring unfamiliar and familiar areas of Hamburg and just sharing stories about our new experiences. Then the reunion continued with some of my old coaching staff. I spent the next 2 days with our scout from last year Malte. We met up with one of the other coaches for lunch, went couch shopping and ate healthy in preparation for Friday night.
This year Malte is coaching for a men's team in Lüneburg and they had planned to celebrate their season on Friday night. Yes, I really did pick the perfect weekend. Malte, Tanya, Moana (another teammate from last year) and an entire men's volleyball team...let's just say there was never a dull moment. Tanya and I made it home by 6 and managed to get in a few hours of sleep (try just 4 hours) before we set out to explore the city. I loved revisiting some of my favorite sights in Hamburg, especially the good ol' fischmarkt! Of course the cheap food is great but the best part is the indoor hall where Reeperbahn goers come to continue the party. There's food, music, dancing and of course more beer. The best part about this whole experience though: no age limit. From guys in their 20's to parents with their children, all the way to grandmas rocking rainbow Mohawk wigs, everyone is just there to have a good time. There is no judgement (well if you discount the guys questioning Tanya and I for holding tupperware of fresh fruit instead of beer) and there is always plenty of entertainment in terms of people watching. Tanya had a early afternoon flight back to Geneva so after we said our goodbyes (more like see you soon since she'll be visiting in Barcelona!) I went into the city one last time for a tea at my favorite tea house. It sure was great being back and even though I would have been happy to stay longer, I was beyond excited to explore a new city...Kraków, Poland up next!
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My blog is as much a read for you as it is a memory book for me. I love being able to look back to all the places I've traveled, all the things I've seen and remember some of the unique moments I’ve experienced. Although I did plan to try and update my blog during my travels I ended up having far less free time or access to wifi than expected. I did manage to keep track of everything over the past 44 days though and can now share some of my wonderful experiences with you. Since I wrote most of my blogs as I traveled they are written from the perspective of me having just been somewhere and are posted on the days that I originally wrote them.
Before I fill you in on my first stop though I'm going to share a few things from my last week in Geneva. Geneva is an international hub home to over 20 different organizations, one of the most important being the United Nations. Following World War II, it was decided that an organization like the UN was essential. The League of Nations existed prior to 1945 but improvements and expansion were imperative following such an atrocity. The headquarters remained in Switzerland, due to it’s central location in Europe as well as its neutrality, but has since expanded to New York, Nairobi and Vienna. Today the main office is in New York but the Geneva campus includes 34 conferences rooms, employs over 8,000 international workers, and holds over 8,000 conferences a year. Even though the UN's "to-do" list only seems to grow, and it seems like some issues can never be solved, it's no reason to simply call it quits. My tour guide (who ONLY spoke 7 languages...) used a very interesting analogy. Drivers licenses are required in every country to lawfully operate a vehicle. Laws and regulations are put in place to keep people safe but every day people break the laws, accidents occur and deaths can result. Even with these negative consequences it doesn't negate the benefits of such a system. The list of world problems is endless and ever growing but this doesn't mean the UN isn't a worthwhile organization. After my tour I can definitely say I plan to stay more up to date on our world's issues and the progress being made to find solutions. My final check mark in Geneva was the Red Cross Museum. It has recently been renovated and is now divided into the 3 distinct sections focusing on a separate problems the Red Cross looks to tackle: defending human dignity, reconstructing human links and reducing natural risk. This idea of universal protection for individuals during times of conflict came about after Henry Dunant witnessed over 40,000 soldiers abandoned on the front lines of a battlefield in Italy, wounded and helpless. Ultimately this idea developed into what is known today as the International Committee of the Red Cross, protecting the rights and health of human beings across the globe. They work to insure proper treatment of POWs, provide assistance to those wounded in battle (without discrimination), track down and reunite families, provide disaster relief and much more. Fun fact: our gym was actually named after Henry Dunant. It’s crazy to think that I just had my last away trip of the season and will have my last game this Saturday. Honestly, it feels like I was just settling into my apartment but now it’s time to pack it all up and get on with what I do best…TRAVEL! I’m sure you won’t be surprised to hear I’ve got quite the trip planned. 44 days, 3 new countries, exploring 9 unfamiliar cities and revisiting 3 of my favorites, all in what I anticipate to be an unforgettable end to another season abroad. So let the final countdown begin…in exactly one week I will be in one of the cities I know best, the city where last year’s adventures began and ended, the city I called home for 8 months of my life. Time to visit old friends and show new friends how to get the most out of their Germany experience. That’s right, HAMBURG here I come! Now before I get too ahead of myself I wanted to share a little about this past weekend: 2 countries, 3 languages, 8 girls and one final road trip. Our first game was in Lugano which is RIGHT on the border of Switzerland and Italy (hence the third language...Italian!). So close my teammate said “you see that brown building across the lake, yeah, that’s Italy”. Since we also played the following day just 2 hours from Lugano, we stayed the night at one of my teammate’s Grandmother’s condo. I sure didn't mind waking up to such an amazing view. Oh and since we were so close to Italy I obviously indulged in some pizza after the game. Since we played in several different leagues last year, I was able to do a fair amount of traveling to other countries (Holland, France, Croatia, Slovakia and technically Italy and Austria if you count airports). I knew this year was going to be different in terms of volleyball, but I can officially say we got to travel to another country: Lichtenstein! Apparently one of the richest and smallest countries in Europe and now I can check it off my list (although I have to admit it wasn’t actually on my “list”). Now what is on my list? After Hamburg I’ll make my way through a little bit of eastern Europe down to the beaches of Greece for some sun and quality sister time. Yep, Carly is coming to Europe again! This time we’ll get to have a real vacation, uninterrupted by double day practices and full of exploring and plenty of relaxation. Then it’s off to the Mediterranean to meet up with the rest of the Valentine clan. To say I’m excited for this trip is a massive understatement and with my first flight less than a week away I can barely contain my excitement. Time to add some new memories to my Euro “scrapbook”!
In Germany, the Germans were all about their wurst and beer, here in Switzerland they're all about chocolate and cheese. So why not make a day out of it? Visit a chocolate factory and get your money's worth of free samples, then add to the stomach ache with a boiling pot of melted cheese and bread. That was the original plan anyway...things changed when we found out the chocolate factory was closed for the next 2 weeks. That didn't stop us from stuffing our faces with some of Switzerland's finest though: off to Gruyere for some lunch time fondue! Gruyere is a very small town, more of a street really, consisting of a castle, cheese factory, and several shops and restaurants. It didn't take us much time to check out all the sites, although I'm pretty sure most people just come for the fondue. The majority of people were out on the patios or packed inside the restaurants. And yes, I did eat fondue. It wasn't bad but I don't see it being something I would crave on a daily basis (ie gelato and pizza from Italy or beer and chocolate from Belgium). In order to complete our "Swiss day", we bought a couple bars of chocolate and enjoyed the sunshine and gorgeous mountain view. It's crazy to think that there are less than 2 weeks left in season. This means I really have to crack down and check the final sites off my "Geneva to-do list". Tour the UN, go to the Red Cross Museum and possibly spend a morning wandering the Natural History Museum. Other than that I feel pretty confident that I've gotten the entire Geneva experience...
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