Welp, as most of you can guess, I miss the food the most. But, particularly, I miss the breakfasts. Each hotel I stayed in came with an amazing European breakfast spread. In most countries, this meant lots of cheese, meat, and bread. I didn't see a pancake once. Hey, I'm definitely not complaining.

We would have a set time to meet downstairs for breakfasts and that was great on most mornings. However, it was definitely something to look forward to!

One of my favorite things to do was make my English breakfast tea and grab a mini loaf of bread- typically one with lots of little nuts and seeds, a piece of brie cheese, and a jam/preserve of some kind of fruit. The combo was unbelievable!!!

Another thing I absolutely adored was the coffee. The coffee in Italy especially was to die for. Everything in Europe, especially food is so craftily done. They take their time and use only the best and freshest ingredients to make their meals special. I really appreciated this. It's one of those things that America should really catch up on...

Salzburg, Austria

                                                                   




















Upon my return from Europe, I have had the ability to reflect on so many things. The number one thing being how lucky I am. I was able to visit three of the most beautiful countries in the world: Austria, Germany, and Italy and lots of cities and towns. Some of those include: Salzburg, Wien, Munich, Prien, Hallstatt, Brannau am Inn, and Venice.

Salzburg, Austria was my home base throughout my travels and as a result became something so near and dear to me. It became a second home. Austria was the most amazing place I had ever been to. The scenery, the people, the lifestyle, the system (education, healthcare, retirement, etc.), the food, the cafes. I can go on for ever. So many times I questioned why can't America be like this?? Italy was just as great. Being able to see a city entirely dependent on water was amazing. The sheer warmth and kindness the people of Austria, Germany, and especially Italy offered up was incredible.

As I write this, I miss these places so greatly. It still feels so surreal that I was halfway around the world. My body is not yet used to the time differences and my soul is not yet used to the experience differences. There is no way I could begin to write about my experiences and give them the full body and life they deserve in one post. So, I will be doing a series of wrap-ups about my experiences in Europe over the upcoming weeks. I'm so excited to share with you all the gems of experiences I've been so blessed to have.

This salad is the most simple salad to prepare on planet Earth. Most salads are easy to make and assemble but this is is probably the most delicious. I first had it 4 or 5 summers ago while on the Cape with my Aunt and sister. It reminds me of summer in it's shear simplicity and fresh taste. The salad has only 4 ingredients that can be found in any market or store. It is so beautiful and so fresh it's a must on a brunch menu. 

Ingredients:

• 1 small or medium sized seedless watermelon
• 2 ripe mangos
• 1/4 cup of julienned mint leaves- about 8 or 9 leaves
• 1 lime

Credit: Aglet

So, as most of you all know, I am going to Europe for a month on May 11th (5 days, AH!!). I have so much to do I can't even think about it. I am super excited about this experience and intend on taking full advantage of it. I felt the best way to do this was to make a bucket list. I'll be going to Salzburg, Vienna, and Innsbruck Austria; Munich and Prien Germany; and Venice, Italy. If you have any suggestions, please let me know!!

My European bucket list:

• Go to every cafe and order a random drink
• Sit outside of cafes and people watch
• Eat the very best food
• Be open minded about local food
• Eat the schnitzel
• Smile a lot
• Buy a unique article of clothing from each place
• Take pictures of EVERYTHING
• Take a few minutes to be by myself and just breath- take in life and my surroundings
• Speak the native languages as much as I possibly can- Sprechen sie deutsch??
• Converse with the locals
• Grow as an independent traveler
• Go on a gondola
• Feed the pigeons
• Drink the vino in Italy
• Drink the beer in Austria and Germany
• Take the beaten path in every city

I know it has been a while since my last post. I've been so busy with schoolwork and finals that I barely have time to even look at my computer! But, the summer is coming which means I'm back, baby!

The summer brings so many amazing things with it. For one, the weather is amazing and all of nature is happy- the trees, the birds, the bees, the hydrangeas, people, the ocean. Everyone is happy. This summer is going to be especially amazing because I am going to be doing a ton of traveling! I'll be spending a whole month in Europe. Yep, I know. I'll be visiting Salzburg, Vienna, and Innsbruck, Austria; Prien and Munich, Germany; and Venice, Italy. I couldn't be more excited!! I will also be traveling to Vancouver, Cape Cod and Islands, New Hampshire, and possibly Chicago!

I cannot wait to share these experiences with you all through my blog. Get ready for the European preparation posts as I ready myself for takeoff on May 11!

Two words: Yogi tea. Yogi tea is one of my life essentials. I have them in my bag at all times for any last minute impromptu cups of tea (yes, I have a lot of those). Why do I love it so much you ask? Well, number one: I love tea. I used to be addicted to coffee. I would get horrible headaches if I didn't drink it and I didn't like the idea of being addicted to something so, I quit. I started the quitting process by switching out coffee for a tea. Despite the delicious taste and instant happiness tea brings, it has countless benefits for your mind, body, and soul. There are also so many different kinds of teas: green, black, red, white- amazing!

I am a big green tea fan so naturally my favorite Yogi flavors are Blueberry Slim Life green tea and Pomegranate green tea- definitely the best flavors!

My number two reason for loving Yogi tea is because of the amazing quotes and sayings that they print on their tea tags (see picture above). They help to bring a little positive light into my daily routine. They thus help me to bring positivity to the rest of my day and the people I see.

I would love to spread the message of Yogi tea to the rest of the world so that everyone can add a little positivity into their lives and thus, into others'.

Spread love, be the light!