all who wander are not lost

Vacaciones en Costa Rica

2011-04-01T23:16:00.000+01:00

I´m going on my last week here! I´ve had such a relaxing last two weeks of vacationing and traveling here. So much to talk about in so little time. Where to begin!

Poppa Joe came to meet me in San Jose and I got to experience hot water showers with pressure and staying in a hotel for the first time in SO long. More importantly I got to travel with my dad :).   It was a quick and exhausting week of tours and travels, but it was definitely worth it to see as much as we saw.

We started in Monteverde, which was a neat and chilly mountain town. I expected to enjoy it more honestly, I think it was just too touristy for me. We spent the day in the cloud forest where we searched for little birds for a very long time, then went off to explore on our own. It was easy to feel as though you were in a dream or, as my father put it climbing the "Stairway to Heaven" when hiking in the forest.   We made our way to the continental divide where we napped and looked at the "mirador" of more clouds.

The next day we treked all day down to a small town on some river called Sierpe, where we took a speed boat to Drake Bay, by far the coolest beach area I´ve seen. It was incredibly remote and full of private little coves, with loads of monkeys and untouched wildlife. We stayed at a lodge tent camp called Las Caletas on the hillside overlooking the water, where we met plenty of people and I heard a lot more German. The owners could speak English, German, some italian and Spanish of coures, among others...talk about over acheivers!

Our first day in Drake Bay we went in to Corcovado National Park. This was a farm more remote and free park than the one in Manuel Antonio. It was a grueling day of hiking and touring, but we saw tons of animals including a Tapir, Peccaries, Parrots, Toucans, Coati, and Monkeys up the yingyang.   Our second day we took a boat to Caño island where we snorkeled. I didn´t realzie how hard it can be to get the hang of snorkeling after an 8 year absence. It is even more difficult when you get tons of little jelly fish stings. I loved the snorkeling though, except all I could think about the whole time was Finding Nemo and couldn´t get phrases like "Fish are friends, not food" out of my head.

After Pop left I came here to Playa Samara, where I have been since Monday. I had only planned to stay three nights but am unable to leave. I spend the day sitting by the beach and trying my luck at surfing. The guys at the surf school where I learned and rent the board from all recognize me now, and have nicknamed me "Saritah Bonita." Who can argue with a name like that? Mostly I am unable to leave here because I get to spend the last few hours of daylight running and then playing beach soccer with some other gringos into the sunset.

I´m back to the US on Wednesday. Im ready to be in North America again I think, though I will miss dearly speaking Spanish, among other things. Until then, Puravida!

Sarah

Establo San Rafael

2011-03-29T23:53:00.000+01:00

It started with a very questionable bus ride from Quepos. I spent five hourse on a public bus ascending Tico mountains, sometimes on paved roads, sometimes on roads that I do not consider to be roads. On more than one occasion I closed my eyes in fear because the rickety bus didn´t feel like it´d make it up the hills. We stopped about every five minutes in very remote areas, with people appearing from the middle of no where to get on an off with their grocerious and other various things. FINALLY after this trek I was let off in the mountain town of Puriscal in the pooring rain, with not a clue where I was or where to go, just with directions for a taxi cab driver to get me there. And it all worked out, I made it with all of my things and in one piece!
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I spent two weeks at Establo San Rafael, (http://www.establosanrafael.com/) a farm run by an American family that moved down here about six weeks ago. Neighboring the owner´s sisters "Barking Horse Farm," the caballeriza is home to 9 sweet little horses, all Costa Rican born and probably the happiest horses in Costa Rica. Being an ´intern´ there was like being at summer camp for me. As an intern my day mostly centered around the morning and evening chores - I began and ended each day with the nickers and grunts of hungry horses, feeding them and then mucking there stalls. The routine of such a task was welcomed, and I have to admit I miss having chores like these. Especially when I can put my music on...there´s nothing like belting out a song with a rake as your microphone, or as you´re shoveling a giant pile of poop.

In between chores there was plenty of riding or hiking or lounging in the mountains time. I also got to learn a lot about the natural horsemanship, or better known as "horse whispering." It seems hoky, but it enables the true horse person to better understand the animals and both you and the horse get a better look in to eachother´s soul, and thus the bond becomes more significant. I got to spend a little time working with the token stallion, Augustus, who was quite the character. When he wasn´t trying to flirt with the mares he was sticking his tongue out at me or playing the "7 games" of horsemanship back at me. The above picture is one of our gentler moments. Getting to jump was probably the most fun I had, for nothing to compare to that moment between take -off and landing when the two of you become completely synced, the world freezes and you fly. Above I put an after shot of this, riding my other favorite of the bunch Altivo.

Being in rural Costa Rica was also an experience...outside of the farm it felt like going back in time. Roads were, well, not exactly roads, although sometimes I found them paved. When walking around these roads with steep hills always got me out of breath, and it was always embarassing when you´d see an old grandma powerwalking in her barefeet like it was nothing. When men would drive by they often whistled or made offensive gestures...which I´m told was supposed to be a compliment, as the goal of many tica women in the area is to be sexy. But we outsiders just found it offensive. One Sunday we went to town to see the "Tope," a big horse parade. It was basically a giant clusterfuck of horses prancing. Some were well fed, some not at all, some were extremely dressed up, some had riders in high-heels. All looked rather stressed out trying to perform the only gait that the Ticos strive for: a sort of trot-in-place prance move that really doesn´t look comfortable. It all stressed me out more than anything, and made me appreciate the wonderful life the horses get to experience at Establo San Rafael, (as well as at the neighboring Barking Horse Farm). That kind of love and care seems rare in Costa Rica, as well as in the rest of the world.

All in all it was two weeks of hard work but a simple, carefree existence for me. The kind that made me forget any issues and feel like a youngun again, but also feel full of purpose. Sometimes when the waters were filling and the horses were fed, and no one was looking, I found myself dancing through the barn aisle again, like in the good old days.

I have much more to write about but I must stop myself now. I just spent a week traveling with Poppa Joe and only have a week left, so much to do until then!

Con Amor Siempre,

Sarah

Puravida puravida

2011-03-09T00:58:00.001Z

I am again in a new place! I bode farewell to my COSI friends and Tica family and am now in the mountains of Puriscal to ride horses for two weeks. I can tell already its going to be a great time. More on that later, though. I just had the most amazing weekend in Montezuma, a little pueblo on the peninsula. Me and the COSI gang took a speed boat across the water to arrive in the tiny village that ended up being one of the coolest places I have been. The 'town' consists of beaches and a block and a half of shops and restaurants, and some dirt roads to numerous hotels/hostels. It was such a magnificent little gem...crazy drunk/stoned folks, awesome dreadlocks down to the ankles, street vendors with beautiful jewelry and friendly sales techniques, not a single extranjero that stuck out sorely, and the sweet, penetrating aroma of puravida. We spent the weekend eating, drinking, and hiking. On Saturday we hiked to two waterfalls, the second of which was 40 ft high and many people jumped off. 6 people have died doing this I read, so naturally I wanted to try. All went well at first when I flung myself off the cliff without thinking. Then, as I realized what I was doing middair, I let out a scream and ended up hitting the water with my arse. My tailbone is now still hurting and sitting down is a task. But it was worth it!

I came back from the crazy weekend with just enough time to spend one more night at my host mothers house before coming here to Puriscal. OH sweet bliss.

I realized as I was eating my last meal with my Mama Tica that I haven´t really written about the most significant part of my trip so far. The homestay part of this experience has by far been the most interesting, enlightening and new experience. Quepos and Manuel Antonio are pretty sweet places, but they are extremely touristy and geared to tourists completely...between the beach and bars in town, it doesn´t much feel like being in a foreign country. Of course you encounter people from all over the world, but there is still missing that authentic, intimate cultural experience with Costa Rica, which makes me so grateful for Margarita, my Mama Tica, and her hosting me for these three weeks.

I have to admit I was very skeptical when I pulled up to her house the first day...on a crowded street with dogs laying on the road, people staring at me as a clear outsider, sticking out like a sore thumb. The house felt so foreign, with a sort of Iron gate as a front door and a patio for a living room, ants and geckos crawling all over. Staying in the house of a complete stranger is going to be uncomfortable under any circumstances, but especially when you don´t speak the same language. She cooked me a delicious dinner that night though, and of course she has been through this before so she didn´t exhibit any ounce of awkwardness, and before long I was comfortable. I liked my little room, with walls the color of pepto-bismol and geckos on the ceiling, and I played games with the relentless ants to see if I can change their travel patterns. Mostly I enjoyed the walk through this little pueblo to the bus stop every day, feeling an outsider but feeling comfortable in those shoes, and I loved my meals with Margarita. We talked more and more about our lives, she explains things to me, and every night we watch her favorite telanovela, "Teresa." She is also obsessed with CSI, whenever it comes on at night she comes yelling 'Sarah! Sarah! Ven! CSI!' and we bond over watching it. I wanted to ask her more about her life, like what happened to her finger or if she was married, but deep chats are rather difficult in a foreign language. But I think we were comfortable with our circumstances none the less. Her grandkids also were very curious about me, and loved to hug me and play with my hair. I'm pretty sure they only liked me because I gave them gum when I had it...other than that communication was rather difficult. They are kids like any other, innocent and jovial. Paola, the oldest, is beautiful and wants to be a dentist when she grows up, and the youngest girl Mia wants to follow suit. Daniel, the only boy, is four and wants to not study but be a farmer when he grows up. So cute they are.

Now I am in another new place with a new host. My spanish will suffer because everyone here is from the USA and or speaks fluent English, but my horse and mountain girl skills will improve immensely I am sure.

That's all for now, until next time, Puravida.

Sarah

Monos en la playa!

2011-03-02T18:07:00.002Z

Tuesday I went to the national park in Manuel Antonio to see countless monkeys frolickinon the beach, scavenging and playing. It's not good that the ticas feed them I know, but it's tres fun to watch! Most are howler monkeys with the white face...but yesterday we were pleasantly surprised on the public beach to see a bunch of smaller monkeys running around! They are precious and crazy. We were told to take care because they bite and will take you stuff...smart little creatures they are, taking advantage of the tourists just like the Tico thieves.

Almost done here at the school, tomorrow I'm off to Montezuma with friends before embarking on another new adventure, working with caballos in the mountains!

Con Amor Siempre,

Sarah

On turning 23 in Costa Rica

2011-02-25T18:25:00.003Z

What a wonderful birthday! Two cakes, one made by the COSI school and one by Margarita (my mama Tica), lots of felicitaciones, a very pleasant, tranquil day and an evening at "la fiesta". My german friends showed me that, when wishing someone a happy birthday, it is customary to either hug them or shake their hand, something Id not thought of before.

After a morning of classes, I (of course) went off to the beach to relax and nap. Then I came home to Margarita who had made me a delicious cake, and we ate dinner together as per usual, talking little but watching our telenovela.

The "fiesta" or fair was tres cool, I feel I got an authentic more or less Tica experience. We went to watch "Los Toros," which I thought was supposed to be some kind of Bull fight (except for unlike in Spain, it is illegal to injure the bull). IT ended up being a modified version of bull riding like I´ve seen in the US rodeos, but there was no competition or time the riders had to stay on the bull for, and afterwards a lot of people in the ring would chase the bulls around. Like Ferdinand, most of the bulls did not want to play the game, and wanted to get out of the ring or lay down. None the less it was interesting.

After the bulls we watched some l ive music which was sooo good...lots of saucy dancing and the band was really fun to watch. I´d love to have danced, but not with the stumbling drunk man that continued to ask me and all my friends until we left, unfortunately.

Espero que todo este bien en los Estados Unidos, hasta luego...

Sarah

Sunset Frolics

2011-02-23T18:59:00.002Z

I have been here for over a week now! Time is beginning to move fast again. Last night the "epicness" of the trip was made official when we all stayed on the beach in Manuel Antonio to frolic in the waves as we watched the beautiful sunset. As I´ve said before, the best people I know are the ones with whom I can frolic, they make any experience better.

Its far too easy to fall in to a routine here. Class in the morning, nap on the beach all afternoon, go home to have dinner with my mama Tica, go out with new friends. It didn´t take long to get over the initial shock of such a dramatic scenery change. Its strange to be in a routine of a life so different from what I´m used to, but these sorts of life changes are so good for the soul. Funny how I told myself all this year that I was in a sort of transition or waiting phase, bearing down after graduation and waiting for the next thing. But being here feels much more like a waiting phase. It seems a pleasant, fruitful haze, letting time roll by waiting until reality and time set in again. Nothing wrong with that though, it is grand to celebrate my youth and I am soaking up every ounce of sunshine and freedom that I can. Maybe I will return to face my med school applications, work and life choices with a calmed spirit and a clear head. With these sunsets, I´d say that is a definite possibility.

All the people Ive met so far are my kind of people, most are world travelers. We wanderers speak the same language. I am certainly envious of the places people have gone, the things they´ve done, and in awe of their abilities to speak languages other than their own. I´m still learning more German, although I dont understand a lick of it. It makes me kind of a big joke among all my German friends, they like to tell me to say stuff and then laugh at my feeble attempts to make german sounds, like ü, I hate that one. I think I will try to visit Germany if and when I go back to Europa, I am liking the sound of it more and more.

Tomorrow is my 23rd birthday. Ive never been able to have a birthday in summer, it will be so pleasant! My mama Tica will make me a cake she said, and I think we will go to the Quepos "fiesta" or fair, to watch the "Toros." Woo hoo!

Puravida todos,

Sarah

Mein Name ist...

2011-02-20T18:44:00.002Z

Sarah Schoennhals. That´s right, Im learning German in Costa Rica. The majority of the students are the school are from Germany, Austria or Switzerland. My friend Laura has been kind enough to teach me the correct pronunciation of my name, while she laughs histerically at my attempts to make those strange german sounds. I also learned to count to ten, but Im not very good at it..Einz, zvi, dry, fear, funve, zex, seeben, oct(with some spitting in that one), noyn, den.

Don´t worry I´m also getting much better at my Spanish. I can even hold conversations with my mama Tica at times, although she still looks at me like I am an idiot most days. In a kind way, though. I also spent friday learning a lot of the swear words in Spanish from my new friend the surfing guy. Incidentally, he loves Germany, and wants to move there to be with his girlfriend and work in a grocery store (I think, it was all in Spanish).

Will have more interesting updates soon, but for now Im off to lay on the beach and frolic in the waves!

Sarah

Pura Vida Costa Rica

2011-02-16T18:16:00.002Z

After much deliberation, I have decided to continue with this same website and combine all my world travels in to one epic blog. This post begins my recordings of my adventure to Costa Rica. Four days I have been here and I´m already thinking in Spanish! Seven more weeks to go...

I arrived in San Jose to be accosted by countless taxi drivers. The language school I am at was meant to pick me up, but were a few minutes late. The anxiety must have been very clear on my face because many people kept trying to help me. That was the time I realized that I am incredibly bad at speaking Spanish. Fortunately my ride did come and all was ok. I spent the night in a hotel where I´m pretty sure they were moving furniture on the metal roof over my head ALL night long, and then took a bus to Quepos where I am taking spanish classes for the next three weeks.

My first few days here are a true attestament to how easy it is to fear what we don´t know. I was miserable my first couple of nights, in the hotel and the second with my ¨mama tica,¨or host mom, here in Quepos. I longed for the comfort of home and familiarity, and have never felt so alone. I can recall feeling the exact same way my first night in Oxford. Excited for the day when all would be done. But now it has been a few days and I am incredibly comfortable and am loving it. Getting over that initial adjustment always feels like a battle, but new friends, warmth and the beach took that stress away almost immediately. Now I hardly mind the heat, the language barrier, or the trail of ants that streams endlessly across my bathroom floor.

Margarita, my mama tica, is very funny. She lives alone but has many grand kids that come during the day. She does not speak english (or if she does she won´t), and looks at me like I am an idiot every time we have a conversation. I would like to know more about her and want to overcome all of our awkward silences, but deep conversation is incredibly difficult in a foreign language for me. At least for now. She cooks wonderfully though, always with rice and beans, and lives in a nice little house on a crowded Quepos street. I can hear EVERYTHING outside my window. The wailing cats at three am, and the rooster that goes off without fail aroun 4 am every morning.

After classes in Manuel Antonio in the morning we all go hit the beach for a few hours. The past few nights we´ve sat atop a hill on the deck of my friend´s hostel and watched epic sunsets. Then I return home for dinner with Margarita. There is a vibrant life here, both of the tourists, locals, and many students.

That is all to report for now, hopefully I´ll have more soon.

Me hacen falta los estados unidos.

Sarah

Last Update: Reflection on a Traveler's Best Moments.

2009-08-16T02:47:00.002+01:00

It felt noble, in a way, yet liberatingly inconsequential at the same time. I knew, the moment I stepped on to the plane, that the mysteries to come would change me forever. Here I was in foreign countries without anyone, where I could disappear into thin air and not soul would notice or care. I was all alone, sitting on street corners and wandering in and out of reality. I had had two years of a wonderful family of friends by my side always, and it took so long not to feel hopelessly lost without them. Most of the time I carried my life on my back and never had a sure foot to step down on. But there is an incredible strength and nobility in that sort of freedom that nobody can touch. One learns to take it all on faith. It was a story all my own, to write and experience as I went. I wouldn't wish it on anyone, but I wouldn't trade it for the world.

There were times I'd close my eyes and pretend I was home again, safely. Or that my very own Edward Cullen was coming to hold me tight and protect me from any fear or harm that might befall me. Tears often found me, a weary traveler on a very long journey, never seeming to find a resting place. But in the end I was always so glad to open my eyes to the adventures awaiting me. I traveled through country after country, seeing new face after face, learning about different lives and hearing different stories, never finding familiarity but always finding comfort in the thrill of seeing the world with new eyes, as a wildly free traveler.

Words cannot give credit to the brilliance of what I experienced abroad and, while I am happy to be back, I know that my heart and soul will always have an ache for the incredible journey I left there. I will never be the same. Now I am about to embark on my senior year at Queens with the comfort of familiar faces and love that I missed so much. Even though Europe isn't calling my name anymore, I still find liberation in being back to a life I didn't want to leave behind in the first place, a life I really loved. I take this last year of my youth in stride, with an open heart and fulfilled soul, but always remembering that not all who wander are lost.

Love Always,
Sarah.

Bye Bye to Oxford

2009-06-21T15:14:00.012+01:00

By tomorrow I will be back in america with no more accents and buildings like castles. Exam time was a blur and I don't know if I've ever been quite so stressed, but it's overwith now and all I can do is hope that I passed them all.

I've decided to put in an application to study medicine here starting in the fall of 2010 for their graduate-entry program. I know it would be incredibly hard to spend four years away from home, but it would be hard to turn down if I actually got accepted...

Here are some photos of my last few weeks of Oxford:
The Bodleian Library (top), and teh Radcliffe Camera - Sometimes I actually try to study in these places, but never get much done...Punting on the River Cherwell:
Dreaming spires...

My meadow

Horses in Port Meadow:

celebrating exams finishing in our sub-fusc

See you soon USA!!!

Love, Sarah

Trinity Term in Oxford

2009-05-26T20:57:00.006+01:00

Things are beginning to wind down here for me. We've had our last week of tutorials and labs and now it is meant to be two strait weeks of revision before exams begin. Yikes! It is certainly a scary time, but an exciting time nonetheless. I've got a feeling I can handle it. Hopefully I can roll with the best of 'em here. In less than four weeks I will be boarding a plane to head back to the USA. I simply can't believe that this epic adventure is almost over.

Me and the other St. Hugh's Biochemists on our Last day of Labs

Sunday night I spent a day in London lounging in the most sun I've seen all year in Hyde park, and then went to the London Tap Jam (www.londontapjam.org) that night. It was held at a fancy Jazz bar with a stage and jazz band for people to go up and "jam" if they're feeling up for it. I'd been a couple of months ago but was too afraid to go up on my own. this time I put my name on the list though, and, while I spent the entire time before my turn thinking of ways to chicken out, I managed to do it. I picture Janet Gray in my head telling me I HAD to go up there and I told the band to give me an upbeat 4-4 rhythm, and danced my way through "The girl from Ipanema" with some solo taps and drumming challenges. By far the coolest thing I've done in London. Tap dancing always gets to be a part of my soul and of my experienes wherever I go :).

The sun is beginning to shine more and more and I can go outside now without a hundred layers. I have even managed to catch a glimpse of a tan. There is a feeling of excitement and anticipation in the air with exams looming around the corner and the taste of summer lingering in everyone's thoughts. Trinity term at Oxford has many meanings besides exams, though. It means the annual MayDay up-all-night celebration to bring in the first of may on Magdalen Bridge at 6am. It means balls and events to dress up and drink as much as you can (I discovered this at the Le Cirque du Soir event for Darfur). Mostly it means playing lots of croquet, punting on the river cherwell, wearing sun dresses and of course complimenting all of it with Pimms cocktails. And I like to add a daily run through University Parks to marvel at all the flowers still a bloomin'. Of course now 8 hour study days are what I wake up to. But as of June 12th I am a free woman!
Magdalen college in the early morning, the bell tower where the choir sang from.
The Le Cirque du Soir event at Oxford Town Hall

Love and miss America Mucho.

Sarah

New Zealand

2009-04-27T19:58:00.011+01:00

Another whirlwind adventure under my belt. Sadly, it is likely to be my last big traveling fiasco of the year. It was like all of the fun things I have done this year building up to one epic and final adventure. It was so different from all other trips I have taken. The country was the most beautiful place I have been. No matter where we went, there was something beautiful to see. It kind of got ridiculous after a while. Like every pretty thing I've seen in America crammed together on one island with no room for ugliness in between. From rolling hills to staggering mountains to rivers and lakes and oceans, the wilderness never stopped taking my breath away. And the people were wonderful. It was such a nice breath of fresh air for me.

It was a LONG amount of flying - from London to Dubai to Bangkok to Sidney to Christchurch, about 34 hours total. But the flight was comfortable and I even got a phone call mid flight (you can call other seats on the ariplane from your seat) from a Pakistani fellow who wanted to comment on how much I ate. Some kind of pick-up line I just didn't get maybe? who knows.

I spent the first weekend in a beach house with my favorite walking G friends - Kat, Kathleen, David and Ethan (and Andrew and my new Kiwi friend Morgana!) on the westcoast in Greymouth. Waves crashing at the foot of the house with applause-worthy sunsets to watch every night. We rolled in the waves while those that knew how did some surfing one day, then did a little kayaking/canoeing near Punakaiki (which is mostly just really fun to say) the next. It felt so good to catch up.

After that we made our way back to Christchurch, stopping to do a little boulder-hopping and camping along the way.

We hiked part of the Abel Tasman Coastal Track. We spent our first night sleeping on the beach under the stars with the waves rolling in at our feet. It was warm and golden up there, with endless green canopy breaking open only to shoot us glimpses of the captivating sea.

(us asleep on the beach)

When my dad came, I had to gear up and master driving on the left side of the road. He spent the first few minutes in the car with me convinced I was still on the wrong side. But even he got the hang of it eventually. In then end it made driving all the more entertaining. But it was hard not to stop and gaze out at the overwhelming beauties that spread around the road. We first drove to Banks Penninsula for the day, stopping literally evety thirty seconds for a photo opportunity, including a mythicalesque one of a rainbow shooting over the greenness. Then we drove up to Kaikoura, saw a seal colony and hiked a little, i got barked at by a seal (which scared the bejeeeses out of me), then we headed to Hanmer Springs for two nights. It was wonderful to spend some real time with my dad catching up and contemplating life together. Our second night in Hanmer, we stayed at a lovely B and B and got to know the owners and other guests over some wine. Too much wine. Then we drove to Greymouth to meet up with my friends for a ngiht, and then headed down to see the Glacier for a night before making our way to the happening Queenstown for our Mildford Trek to begin.

The Milford track was certainly the climax of the trip for me. 33.5 miles of endless rain, waterfalls, and overwhelmingly wild views. It was like being swallowed by the wilderness for three days of magic. It was hard to care about anything but mother earth. We stayed in lodges along the way, as we had to do it thorugh a company that guided the trek, but that was just fine. It was nice to come back to friendly company and warm meals every night. The first day of walking was rather warm and flat, but the second day brought on heavy downpoor. It was that day though, in the morning as my music played in my ear and I looked up to see giant rain-made waterfalls pooring down on either side of me, that I felt truly infinite and lost in all of it. It was then that I realized I would never be the same.
- (Me atop mckinnon's pass)

The rain did stop that day when we made it to the top of Mckinnon's Pass, enough for the sun to shine and us to see the vast valleys on either side of us. Then when we made it to the lodge that day we did a quick hike to see Sutherland Falls, the fifth highest waterfall in the world. The last day of hiking was quite long, a whole 13 miles, but we made it happily and got to our final lodge for a good meal and a night out to the pub in Milford. The next day we did a cruise of Milford Sound which is probably the most beautiful thing I saw in New Zealand. Words and pictures don't do it justice.

We spent one more night in Queenstown after that with my walking G friends and I spent some time with the guides and friends I met on the track. Then we went to Dunedin for a night where we watching sea lions flirt and caught three little penguins waddling around and rock -hopping. Then it was back to Christchurch. I spent my final night in New Zealand in true walking G fashion, adventuring to some old army battery and spending the night snuggled in between some of my favorite people.

And then I came back to Oxford to be welcomed by warm weather and spring blossoms. Although I can't say I care much for exams!

I have eight more weeks here. It has gone by so incredibly fast. While I am so excited to have the heavy weight of my finals taken off of my head, I am so not excited for this time to be over. It's like I feel the ticking clock ready to strike midnight on my fairy tale. But I won't think about it for now. For now, I'll just enjoy my life in the sweet deliciousness that it gets to be for the moment. I love and miss you all!

Love, Sarah

From a London Coffee Shop...

2009-03-22T11:02:00.003Z

I just returned from a lovely trip to Santorini, Greece to spend a few days in London. It has been a rather lonely few days seeing as most of my friends are elsewhere. But Notting Hill is certainly my favorite bit of London and the Saturday market on Portobello is wonderful. I'm sitting in a nice coffee shop eating the most expensive glass of orange juice i've ever had, and it feels like I am drinking a pure orange. The little girl on the table next to me is asking her father in her cute British accent where Babies come from, and I have a stack of books and notes next to me I'm meant to be studying. But all I can think about is the epic New Zealand adventure looming in the days ahead. It's a wonderful life...

Greece was spectacular. Everyone spoke English so I never had to worry about that, althgouh I am ashamed to say the only words I know still are Kalimera (hello), Yiamas (cheers), and OPA!.

The island of Santorini was so incredibly picturesque. It's every bit of what I imagined in my head, with the little white houses and with blue doors hugging the cliffs overlooking the sea of caldera. I stayedin the capitol of Fira, but went every night to Oía to watch the sunset. I would sit on the ruins of the old village on top of the cliff and look out in to the endless see as the spectacular sun (far brighter than any sun I've seen since the summer) fell beyond the horizon. A perfect end to every day.

I took a boat tour one day to the volcano near the island, then they took us to swim in the hot springs. And by that I mean they stopped the boat about fifty yards from the "springs," tell you to jump off and swim to them - so you jump into water so cold it takes your breath away, then swim frantically to get to the springs only to find it is barely even tepid water. But I guess it was worth the adventure.

I spent St. Patrick's day at the one open bar on the island, Murphy's Irish Pub (go figure), with a bunch of American tourists and a few greek people as well. Made friends with some Americans studying in Switzerland for the semester, and met Christos and Angel who were greek folk my Queens University people said they met there before. What a coincidence!

And then I found myself back alone in London, people watching and soaking up the solitude as best I can. But in not long I will be on a plane to New Zealand for the best 21st/62nd birthday celebration ever!

Love, Sarah

Updates!

2009-03-09T00:05:00.004Z

Greetings world! Apologies again for the lack of updates. Sometimes I forget about this, or forget if anyone ever reads it...

It is the beginning of 8th week here which means that Hillary (aka 2nd) term is coming to a close. So I have just six weeks of travel then one more term and I am finished with my time here. It seems to close now. It still feels like I just got here. I am not going to be ready for it to be over. I am spending as much time as I can soaking up the British accents and the people I love here.

I had a classic 21st birthday here, except that it didn't mean much of anything special as I am already legal to drink here at 18. But it was nice to celebrate the occasion with friends who were all ready to have a wild and fun time.

Last weekend I played in the biggest soccer (aka football) game of the year, the Varsity Match against Cambridge. The varsity match is as big as university sports get - there is one in every sport. Men's sports are much more prominant here, but it still felt like a big honor to get to play. It will certainly go down as one of the highlights of my time here.

We spent the whole weekend in Cambridge for the game. My team was full of laughs and banter up until and after gametime. First we cheered for the second team, the "Furies", singing songs like "We'll shove our dreaming spires up your arse" and "I'd rather be a lepper than a tab" (tab is our word for Cambridge person). And other profanities. There was no holding back. And they won! Then it was time for the blues to play...

When I stepped out on that field, with my new Oxford Jersey on with my name printed on the back, I felt that same rush that I used to feel when I would come to play a big game for Queens. I remembered it with a huge rush of comfort and a fire in my heart to fight hard for my Oxford Blues. Cambridge had quite a few more fans that we did (seeing as it was their home court), but we still had some hardcore cheerers. And most importantly, we "did the double" and won 2-0. It was a hard-earned victory. After the game, there was an awards presentation and then later a banquet with both teams, which was full of heavy drinking and banter. All in all, a wonderful weekend. And I got my "Full Blue" which means something big I am sure. I owe alot of the great experiences in my life to soccer, this definitely counts as one of them.

After we won!

This holiday I am only going to be in three different countries, but its going to be another whirlwind adventure for me. I begin by going to Santorini, Greece for five days, then I'll be in London. And then I am going to join some friends and later poppa Joe for some crazy adventures in New Zealand! I am so excited it's not even funny...

I'll put pictures up soon.

Miss you US. Lots of Love.

Sarah

Christmas/New years photos

2009-03-03T14:28:00.001Z

Photobucket Album

Northern Ireland/London adventures

2009-02-09T19:42:00.001Z

Photobucket Album

The French Alps

2009-02-09T19:34:00.001Z

Photobucket Album

Photos from Michaelmas term 2008

2009-02-07T15:58:00.003Z

Photobucket Album

2009-01-22T22:34:00.002Z

I am back at Oxford and I have a place to live for the next eight weeks! That is pretty exciting, but I am sad that my wild traveling extravaganza is over.

I felt homeless a lot of times, but with many maps in hand and my backpack strapped on, I found a whole new meaning to the word "freedom." And embarked on an adventure as a wanderer.

I began on an Oxbridge ski/snowboard trip to the Val Thorens resort on the French Alps. After a 26 hour bus ride (including three hours on a ferry), I boarded down huge mountains, went off jumps and went "off-piste." Night time always brought parties and fun, but my favorite was always the walk home - when the moon was high, it light up the entire mountain range and you could see glistening mountains reflecting on a back drop of infinite starlight. On our last day, I stood at what felt like the top of the world gazing out at the endless rocky peaks, covered in blankets of fresh snow, a view that took your breath away.

Then I headed to London alone, and went on my own expedition to the depths of Northern Ireland, finding new meaning to the color green and to the concept of rain, and learning the complexities of a religious conflict going far deeper than I ever knew. I met more Australians than I could count. And then I went back to walk through the streets of London, feeling extremely hobo-esque at times but loving the freedom. I enjoyed people-watching and hearing a plethora of different languages spoken all around me.

Then fellow Camp Harrisoners Morgan and Alex came to rescue me, and we jumped on the chunnel train to Paris. Christmas Eve we saw the International Mass at the Notre Dame which, even though I am not religious in that way, was very powerful and stunningly beautiful. Then we spent that night drinking with lots of new friends, from South America to the states to Singapore and Australia. We sang songs as loud as possible, spoke a TON of Spanish, and tried to stay up until breakfast time, passing out just a half an hour before it started. We spent more nights of fun at the hostel, having an "anthem contest" with all the nationalities there, all the while attempting to practice my French that consisted of “Merci Beaucoup” and “Tout de la Frout.” I nearly died on the Champs Elysees - crazy Parisian drivers! We saw the sights like the Louvre and the Eifel tower and Versailles, and did a lot of frolicking, but had the most fun trying to squeeze three people through the metro thing on just one ticket, laughing hysterically the whole time.

We spent a night doing a pub quiz and making friends, including some "eurotrash," in London, then scurried off to Scotland. Spent new years at the Edinburgh Hogmanay festivaI, with wonderful costumes knighting people and acting like police officers. The scottish were welcoming to us all, and it was a joyful occasion that everyone was clearly invited to. I did my “Irish Jig” for a crowd at a pub in the Isle of Skye, where I also explored beautiful scenery and dunked my face into a frozen river in hopes of achieving eternal beauty and youth.

I returned to London alone with just enough time ride the tube and lose one of my favorite shoes, but just the one. "Were you wearing them when you lost it?" the man asked when I called lost and found. Haha, no, but that would've been funny.

Then I opened my arms to the sunshine and dipped my toes into the sandy beaches of southern Portugal with my mom. Spent a day exploring Seville, Spain and all it's ornate beauty. I spent the rest of the week enjoying lounging around and having the comfort and enjoyment of my mother beside me.

And then, all of the sudden, Oxford was beckoning again.

So now I'm back, studying hard and still having adventure, all the while remembering that "all who wander are not lost" :)

I miss you America I do very much, but this experience is overwhelmingly breathtaking to say the least.
I love everyone (yes everyone) and I hope you all had a happy holiday!

Love Sarah

ps I will surely put pictures up as soon as I find away to get them all up!

The Crime in Oxford

2008-11-25T22:40:00.002Z

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/oxfordshire/7748814.stm

this is the best news bit I've seen in ages. My favorite part is that they call it a fruit "attack." It is a thousand times better than reading about how our economy is falling. Although I do feel for the cyclist, it would certainly ruin my day to have a black eye caused by a tangerine flung at me whilest I was cycling. I have a hard enough time dodging cars...now I have to worry about lethal fruits randomly flying my way?

Other than burglary, there isn't much crime that you hear about here. No gun shots or horrendous rapes or murders. But I am knocking on wood. I also am out of touch with reality sitting here in my dorm room.

Sarah

I love London

2008-11-23T17:58:00.004Z

I did not except to love the city as much as I did. It is beautiful and ornate and flourishing with all kinds of people speaking any number of languages. I spent the weekend walking through the streets, seeing the sights like Buckingham Palace and Westminster Abbey, eating delicious food (and seeing the biggest-and greatest- whole foods store ever!), frolicking in the fall leaves, sitting on the Chelsea bridge staring out at the Thames river, and enjoying the company of both old and new friends. People here are surprised to hear that I like London so much more than New York City. NYC is thriving and spectacular, but I didn't feel for it like I did London. Something about London in it's very air just made me feel easily at home in a place that is so foreign. Maybe it is because I was able to spend my time with friends in apartments and experience true city-living, but I still feel that I could happily live there for a while. Of course, getting stuck behind crowds of people is exceedingly frustrating, but I can deal.

Term is almost over! In just two weeks I leave for the oxbridge (that's slang for Oxford and Cambridge in case you didn't know) varsity ski trip in Val Thorens, France. I can't wait! After that I will be hanging loose for about ten days, then friends come to join me for a christmas/new years celebration through Paris, Amsterdam, Scotland and back to London. And then it is a 60th birthday celebration with my mother in Portugal/Spain. I am thrilled...if only I could get my vacation work done during that time. Apparently here they don't believe in holidays - it's just time do your work away from school. Yeah, right.

I miss you all dearly!

Love, Sarah

Oxford in the Autumn

2008-11-23T17:47:00.005Z

Just a few pictures I took in the Oxford university parks. The leaves here are spectacular. I am nearly blinded orange when I look out my window. Well that is only when the sun shines, which is rare...

2008-11-05T17:02:00.003Z

It probably goes without saying how elated I am at Obama's winning. His speech brought tears to my eyes...I feel like I can breathe now. And feel like I want to yell to everyone I see "I'm AMERICAN! BARACK OBAMA IS GONNA BE MY PRESIDENT!"

I thought Mccain's speech was quite good. He accepted defeat humbly and kindly, and left a confidence in his voice for Obama to do well. All in all, I actually kinda like the guy.

Everyone here was very in to the election. I have never been surrounded by so many Obama supporters. In my life I have mostly found myself surrounded by fervent republicans...never worried about offending me in their rantings about the "crazy liberals." But here, I am one in the same.

As I was getting dressed yesterday I thought about how everything I own was something I had bought and used in the past eight years...in a time when I was unhappy with our President and our country in general. All except for these ratty old boots I'd bought just a few months before the election, which are what I chose to wear. I don't know the significance of that, but I do know that I feel like a giant weight has been lifted and everything just seems to be a little bit nicer. Obama has his hurdles to overcome and I'm sure failures will come his way, but he is charismatic and uniting and will help us all together get through this depression and move forward.

Change for the better is headed our way. I can feel it.

Love, Sarah

ps I've had some people ask me how they can comment...all you have to do is click on the part that says "0 comments" and it should take you to the page where you can comment. I think that's pretty much is.

It's raining...again

2008-11-01T19:10:00.002Z

Greetings! Sorry for the lack of updates...

Well I've been here for just about a month now, and am adjusting as nicely as can be. I'm learning to say things like "fit" and "queue" and "I can't be bothered..."

I also learned last night what a "Chav" is...in my understanding it is similar to what we Americans would call white trash maybe? I don't know. It's all very confusing.

The school at Oxford is certainly much more intense and scary than I would have expected. It's not necessarily more rigorous, just different. I changed my mind on the most scary thing - tutorials are definitely the most terrifying. I felt I would die after them. I am supposed to have these "tuts" once a week (well actually I am have two - my tutor thought it a good idea for me to do that for the "optimum Oxford experience" - or he wanted to make me cry), in which I have to write long essays and then explain and discuss in the information with my tutor. It is a very interesting - and good - way of learning. On top of that there are plenty of lectures and classes and my favorite (NOT) thing - practicals (for a whole 6 hours on fridays!). It is ALL science - there are no choices on what classes to take and you have to follow their curriculum(I have some leeway because I'm not getting a degree from here). You are expeected to figure out what you need to do and be as proactive as possible about getting information. Although the tutors are there to help when they can. It feels uptight to me at times, but I think that is just the accent. And at other times it feels relaxed and laid-back (but insanely genius-like at the same time). It's very difficult to explain.

At first I felt like dying. I wasn't ready to be working so hard so fast. Then after I accepted the work load, I began to just feel not smart enough. Here I am, this Junior biochemist in the United States that gets good grades and doesn't fear a tough question, now feeling small and incapable, with a bunch of first-year and second-years students who seem infinitely farther ahead in intellect. But it isn't intellect in which any of the students here outweigh me - it is in preparedness. I was never forced to choose what I wanted to study at age 16. I had know idea what A-levels were or how really helpful AP classes could be in uni (I always just saw them as kind of a bonus to my education). I didn't truly begin to learn science until I came to university, and I wasn't expected to know it until then. On the other hand, I have been able to explore every subject to my liking. From english and calculus classes to Spanish and hey even dance. Oh and how could I forget Core. The bottom line is I am just differently prepared. I guess you could say the US creates us to be more well-rounded, which as you all know is something I in some ways base my life around. Perhaps I am to be less genius-like, but maybe it is just taking the long way around to fully educate my being in the process. If that makes sense. I do look back and wish I would've done more in highschool and certainly I do crave some of the that feeling genius that many people here seem to have, but hindsight won't be doing me any good here. And that is why I am here, to find that genius bit and experience this intellectually elite lifestyle. This its the best educational opportunity I ever have had. And it isn't just because Oxford and the lecturers are brilliant and the resources are great. They are, but also this is the opportunity of a lifetime to truly experience education in a different light. I think learning to exchange the two will be very helpful in future endeavors. I just have to hope that I can survive!

But enough about all that sillyness. School is school and I wil survive it like I always do.

That is all I really have on updates - school consumes me as of now. I am playing "football" here for the Uni "blues" team which is great. Apparently getting a "full blue" status (something you acquire from playing on the team and participating in the Varisty match and stuff) is a big deal. We'll see.

I love and miss everyone! Stay well,

oh and one more thing...VOTE OBAMA!

Love, Sarah

photos!

2008-10-15T16:26:00.005+01:00

The Oxford Covered Market

My bike!

Broad Street

At Fresher's Ball

The scary bits

2008-10-13T16:04:00.002+01:00

Oxford town centre on a Saturday afternoon is probably the most scary place I have been. Don't get in anyone's way, or bump in to anyone, or smile...it will not be well received.

Cycling around Oxford is possibly the second most scary thing I have experienced. Every time a car passes me I cringe with fear it will just run me over. Luckily I am still alive!

Oxford is still a wondrously neat city however. Things aren't as expensive as London, some people are actually kind of friendly, and it hasn't been horribly dreary or rainy yet. My first lecture was in a lecture hall in the Oxford museum of natural history. I guess being a student has some real perks...I got to walk past the giant T-rex and through all of the gothic archways of the building to get to my lecture.

Minus the lack of people that seem to be understanding of my peaceful, unorthodox American ways, it really is a delightful experience. It is extremely surreal. I have to keep reminding myself that I am at Oxford. That it is actually me standing in a fancy room talking to some british fellow in a tuxedo named James and it isn't a dream. Or is it?

I miss you all! I promise once I actually TAKE some pictures, I will put them up!

Love, Sarah

I'm alive!

2008-10-07T14:27:00.001+01:00

After a LONG day of travel I finally have arrived and after two days of adjusting I am no longer jet-lagged! The first night spent here I was incredibly morose and could hardly get two words out strait I was so tired.

It is COLD here! And I think I saw the sun once yesterday morning...if only for a minute.

Oxford is a college town with a cool British historical feel to it. I haven't had a chance to do much exploring but I will. Most of the buildings are old and beautiful. A lot of the colleges look like castles. I feel like I am in a non-magic version of Harry Potter. I had to buy a robe outfit that I must wear when I take exams and stuff. I bought that in a store on High Street, which is essentially Diagon Alley. I am sure there are wizards wandering around here somewhere.

Other than that, there is not much to report thus far. I have just been wandering pretty aimlessly to get things taken care of. I go to the "freshers" events but British people seem so hard for me to approach and talk to. Not to mention I feel like an idiot when I talk to them because I can hardly understand it. The bus driver just laughed at me the other day. Other people just think I am slow. "So where do you go to uni in the us?" = "so where do you asjdfkdlasjfdklasjfsda?". and I just smile dumbfoundedly.

so here's to being more confident in my british speaking and friend-making skills!

I miss the US dearly. Pictures up soon.

Love, Sarah