It's already been a while since I was in Porto, but I just didn't get a chance with uploading this post. A lot has been going in my life. So but I'll be trying to upload posts regularly again. Day 117.02.2017 My sister and I went to the airport pretty early in the morning. The flight to Porto only took about 2 hours. From the train station we had to find our apartment in the city centre of Porto, without any internet. Just a map. Because we were early to check-in in our apartment, we went to eat lunch around the corner. As you might see in pictures with my sister, we look pretty Latin, so people just assumed we speak Portuguese. And when they realized we don't speak Portuguese they automatically lost interest. This experience was somehow funny. Because I get asked like all the time if I am Latin . After we ate and got the keys for the apartment we went to explore the city a little. We took a boat ride in the river, douro and got a view of all six bridges. To let the day sink in we went to the ribeira and on the other side of the douro, i think village on the other side was called, Gaia. After it got dark we ate something little for supper and tried to find the way back to our apartment, where we went to bed really really early. Day 218.02.2017 On the second day in Porto, we got up early so we can use the whole day for productive stuff. While my sister was getting ready, I went around the corner to get some coffee and croissants. The first stop was the famous libary, Livraria Lello. It was really crowded so we didn't stay pretty long, we went to the really pretty main train station of Porto. At the train station we bought bus tickets to get out of town, to the sea side. Unluckily the weather wasn't as good as we tought it would be but the sun ended up coming out anyways. We had a lot of fun at the minimalistic Sea Life of Porto and had a great meal at the sea. For our "last" night in Porto we wanted to go out. We went to the Hard Rock Café, which was just around the corner from our apartment. Actually all of the night life scene was around the corner. even though Day 319.02.2017 We got up early on Sunday, so we can use all the time before we have to go to the airport. First thing in the morning was to visit the Jardins do Palácio de Cristal. The garden was so pretty and had an amazing view over Porto and the Douro. After we walked all the way down to the river and a visit at the pirate museum, we both were hungry. We went again to Gaia, where we saw earlier that weekend a traditional Portuguese restaurant. (Yes, please don't mind this annoying man looking at my sausage.) After buying a few souveniers we went back to our apartment to get our stuff and go to the airport. But when we came to the airport they told us they overbooked our flight. And we will get a standby ticket, in case someone misses the flight or doens't show up we can have their seats. But everyone showed up for the flight to Zurich, so we had to spend another night in Portugal. Good thing, we got everything paid from the airline. A nice hotel, with a great view on the river, and even two meals. Day 4After spending another night in Portugal, we had a flight back home at 6 in the morning. We left our hotel around 5 I think. Can't really remember, I was so tired. Being back home made me think about what I loved most about this amazing trip, besides spending time with my big sister. I think the part I liked to most was the street art, from musicians to painting. I am wotking on a video of all the artists I was able to catch a shot of. Hope you enjoyed reading about my trip to Porto!!
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A lot of my friends have been asking me why I haven't posted anything lately. Mainly because I have just been in a Christmas rush. I have been tying to get all the shopping done, Christmas dinners at my office and last exams before break. And on top of all of that I have been trying to get enough sleep, what hasn't really been working. But I am glad that yesterday I managed to get my last present.
Well I guess a lot of you feel the same way during Christmas time. Stressed out, trying to remember everything. But we all should remember to take a little time for us, get away from all the hectic stuff and calm down. I am looking forward to having enough time to post on regular bases again. On Thursday morning I left with my family to Vallais for a short vacation. We drove up there by car. We made a stop at the at the Furka Pass, where we went inside of a glacier. We arrived pretty early at our appartment. So we went to eat lunch and afterwards to a suspension bridge. It was making me sick. The next day we went to Brig, where we went to the old castle, getting groceries and swimming at the Brigerbad Spa. For supper we made Raclette, like we Swiss people like to do. My sister left me behind on Saturday morning. So I went hiking with my family and Go Kart Downhilling. It was really fun. The old village was so beautiful, it was amazing to see this old structre of buildings. For the last day my father had planned to go paragliding with his wife, but we ended up going hiking at the Aletschglacier. The weather the whole weekend wasn't bad at all. It was way warmer than I expected it to be. All in all I had a fun weekend, even though it's really stressful to go on vacation with my family. HOME IS WHERE THE MOUNTAINS AREThere is been happening a lot in my life, and I still feel like I am doing nothing. School is going great. I have friends, I feel comfortable with and right now the classes aren't that hard. But just some teachers are making me furious. I feel like they have no common sense. Other than that, in school everything is going pretty well. SPENDING TIME WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDSI spend a lot of time with Lia and Maite. September 24thI went hiking with Maite on the Titlis. We had a lot of fun, even though we didn't get that far with hiking. On our way to Engelberg we saw Switzerland in different ways. And for a short stop we were in Lucerne. OKTOBERFEST 2016With Aline and Lia I went one week later to Munich. It was a crazy short trip. We went shopping in the morning until the afternoon and in the evening we went to the Wiesn. Our hostel was like 10 minutes out of the center so we saw a lot walking towards the center. It was a bummer that Lia got a cold excalty the day we left for Munich. But we had a lot of fun anyways. RED HOT CHILI PEPPERSLast Wednesday the Red Hot Chili Peppers came to Zurich. I went with Maite and some other friends. It was a great show. I was just a little disappointed that they didn't bring all the songs I was hoping for. They brought most a the song of the new album and an amazing pre-band. THIS WEEKENDOn Friday Maite and I went to watch the stars, on a hill near my house. It was so freaking cold, even though we took like 5 blankets with us. I love that I can do crazy stuff like this with my friends. On Saturday my oldest friend Raffaela, which came to visit me in Albama, came to visit me in Zurich. I took her with me to a party of my family. But we left a little early and went to a bar. After that we made a horror movie night at my place. As you can see I am always busy with work, school or spending time with my family and friends. But still I'm never really happy. I do enjoy all those moments. But it just hits me in the weirdest moments and then I'm suddenly sad after I've been in the best mood all day. I am trying to figure out, how to controll my mood swings and be more positive. Even a thousand words won't bring her back. You try so hard to hold on, but on one small second loved ones are gone. Sometimes at night I pray for Nana, even though I know she won't come back. I wish that she could have stayed, but God took her to all of his angels, and has ended her pain. I miss her more every hour and every day. But like most of you people might know, she woudldn't want us to be sad. And all of my memories of her are happy ones. And for this reason I wrote a poem with some inspirational help for her. To my dearest Nana Up in heaven high, high above I know today you're with us all And sending all your love Today we all remember you And bid you one last goodbye Celebrate the life you've had And maybe have a cry You'll nevr be forgotten Nana I'll just close my eyes and see Your smiling face and happy person And you'll be close to me You had such a long live So many have so less It was your time the angels came And placed you with the best So dear Nana up above Altough you're no longer here In my heart is where I'll keep you Forever you'll be near 16.07.2016 This is the text that I wrote for the ceremony of the funeral.
The end of my exchange year came really fast. But in a few days I am gonna upload a blog post abbout my whole year and my experience. Since I've been back in Switzerland... My family and my two best friends came to pick me up at the airport. I was suprise I only expected my mom to come and get me. After some of my family members left, I went home, where my mom prepared brunch for me. I was really excited because breakfast is my favorite food. And I good bread! After one year with no real bread. I was craving Swiss food. Anyways after we ate, my friends and I went to Zurich where we met up with one of my best friends. He had school all morning and couldn't come to the airport. It was so weird to use puplic transportation and in general walking around in the city. Almost every time I started to talk in English. It was so weird the first few days.
For supper I went back home and spent some time with my family. Later that evening I met up with some other friends. Basically all of my first few back home I spent time with old friends. But I didn't feel like a part of the group. All of my friends got new friends. And I didn't fit in. I still don't feel completly comfortable with all those new people around, I feel like as if they don't like me. I was excited to come home, because all my exchange year I didn't really feel like I got any friends (For all my exchange friends please don't get offended by this), and when I finally was home I felt again like I don't have any friends. A lot of my friends changed or are not even friends with my friends anymore. It was just a lot to handle. Now three weeks after I arrived here, I still have to convince myself everytime to do something wit my friends, because I am afraid of the feeling to be left out. Just the other day I talked to a really good friend, who confronted me with the fact, that I don't seem really happy to be around my friends. And I told him all this, how I feel. And he made me realize that I have just been back for three weeks, for me it felt like I have been back for like three months. He told me to give it some time, to spend more time with my friends and getting settle in my group again. I feel like I have never been so busy in my life like right now. I am running around for my mom, my job that I am starting in August, and I just got a summer job at Mac Donalds. All in all I am trying to get as much done, as long as I can. I just wanted to say again how grateful I am for my Mother back home and for Penny my American Mom. I got 23 days left before I have to go home. A few weeks I go i just wanted to go home and I was so done with everything here. But I don't wanna go home anymore. Or at least not that soon. But I can't change the fact that I have to go home. On the other hand I'm excited to see my family and friends. But the more I talk about it, the more it gets real I have to get ready to go home. What I've been doing the past few weeks...The last week of April we had Eagle week in school. Everyday we dressed up different and we had several activities trough out the weeks. I have been to the fair with Marco and his little brother. I have been spending a lot of time with my friends and Penny. I have been involved in the preparations for the Musical production of the school.
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