The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.

Its been a few days since I've given myself enough time to update everyone on my European status. I feel like some kind of trendy jetsetter or in the very least, like I am straight out of a Hemingway novel. I've always wondered what it would be like to be a part of that "lost generation" of writers and artists who tried to make a living in Paris (although, technically, Hemingway refused to believe his own generation was lost). All my friends and I do is have intellectual conversations, travel freely, spend money, and drink good alcohol. Which, believe me, I'm having no qualms about.

This week I've tapped a little into my adventurous side, and that seems to be recurring these past few weeks, leaving me feeling really rejuvenated--even joking that the Innsbruck program can be advertised as a fat camp with all the walking up and down mountains we seem to be doing. Sunday we were given the opportunity to visit two of Ludwig's castles in Bavaria and the design really fascinated me. The fact that he dedicated the design of one of his castles to the French courts of Louis XIV is a interesting story in itself. I also had a chance to go water rafting down the Inn river just outside of Innsbruck: full wet suits and getting to jump into freezing cold water is surprisingly fun. I forgot how much fun the outdoors can be when you learn to forget what might be in that murky water below you and the bugs flying about you.

I also got a very good cultural (and drinking) experience in this week: Munich's famous HofBausHaus gives you a liter of beer to go along with your authentic German wiener meal. We took an afternoon train ride into Munich and just spent a few hours at this beer garden, laughing and having an amazing time, then took the latest train we could back. Its kind of wild that you can go between countries so easily, and make it back in time to catch a few hours of sleep before class. In just a few hours I'll be departing on another train, and heading to Zurich for the night and spending some time there until its time to catch the 3pm train to Paris for the weekend. I'm hoping to finish "A Moveable Feast" by Hemingway before the train arrives in the "City of Love", so I can really relate to him when I sit down for a drink in Harry's New York Bar, famous for many writers during Hemingway's time period. Not only that, but I'll be reunited with one of my favorite friends, Daniella, during my weekend in Paris. Picnic lunch under the Eiffel Tower, anyone?

Until next time and Au Revoir, my friends!