God's Grandeur

"The world is charged with the grandeur of God..."

This past week we needed to recite a poem for our poetry class. I chose God's Grandeur by Gerard Manley Hopkins. I memorized this poem when I was a junior in high school and it has stuck with me all these years. I still feel a tie to this poem and what it says.

This is a graphics project I played around with on the train from Munich to Berlin today. I just took one of my photographs that I took in Florence and added a little something to it. Enjoy!

Roma

We are in Rome, Italy this week. The city where ancient ruins come to life. Rome is filled with excitement at every turn. Interesting people, places and history. My week has been packed with trips to the Colloseum, Roman Forum, Trevi Fountain, Pantheon, and Vatican. I am soaking in as much as I can during our short stay in Rome. Here are some photos from my week.



Roman Forum

Leslie and I being silly at the Colloseum.

Yes! Leslie and I had a water bottle sword fight in the Colloseum. She put up a good fight but I won!

Throwing coins in the Trevi Fountain. Legend has it that if you throw a coin into the Trevi Fountain you will find your way back to Rome again. I guess that means this is not goodbye. I will see Rome again!

Until next time... Ciao!

Cinque Terre

Saturday I took a day trip with the group to Cinque Terre. We took the train from Florence to Cinque Terre where we finally had a warm beach day. Our day consisted of tanning on the beach, hiking, swimming, cliff diving and a ton of laughter. It was so nice to have warm weather and to be back on the beach. It felt like home. It was a Point Loma inspired day. Lots of sun, water and sand. The scenery was incredible. I can't wait for the day when I return to Cinque Terre. Here are some photos. Maybe the pictures will inspire you to go to Cinque Terre someday as well.






Some of the group after cliff diving.

These girls are incredible. What a blessing they have been. I love them all and this trip would not have been the same without them.

It was a fantastic day with great friends. I loved every minute of it. I am still smiling from ear to ear.
Until next time...

Ciao!

Firenze

Spring is here and I am in Florence, Italy this week. It is a beautiful city filled with leather markets, old buildings, and delicious gelato. We have been running like mad all week and it has been hard to keep up. I am finally feeling the exhaustion but I am extremely excited for the next few cities that we will travel to. I am packing tonight, since we leave for Rome tomorrow. I figured everyone would enjoy seeing some photos from my week in Florence. Here they are. Enjoy!


Michelangelo's David!


View of Florence at sunset.


Some of the girls and I watching the sunset over Florence.

Ciao!

Venezia

View from the Rialto Bridge

My week in Venice, Italy is coming to a close and what a week it has been. Venice is so different than any other place I have been. It is so nice to not have cars. There are no cars on the island. Everyone walks or takes a boat by canal. It is a very nice change. Venice thrives on tourism so of course there are shops everywhere. I was amazed to find how many specialty stores there are. There are hundreds of mask stores. It was very difficult to pick what kind of mask I wanted to buy but I finally found, not one but two masks. Each mask is different and has its own personality. Venice is also known for its Murano glass. Everywhere I look, I see beautiful Murano glass. The architecture and atmosphere of Venice is incredible. It is hard not to get hooked. I love everything about Venice.


Sierra and I by San Marco Square

On Sunday evening we left Paris for Venice. We took an overnight train and arrived in Venice Monday morning. After carrying our luggage across 5 bridges we finally made it to our apartment. It is so nice to have an apartment and not live in a hotel for a week. We actually have a kitchen. Woo Hoo! It is extremely nice to cook meals instead of eating at a café or out to dinner. We have had class every morning and then go exploring in the afternoon. The best thing about Venice is that you always get lost but it is really easy to find your way… eventually. There is always something new to see and it is fun to get lost.


This is what you find throughout Venice

Friday, Jen came to visit. After I picked her up at the train station, I had class and in the afternoon we took the water taxi to the Lido. We had class on the beach and then spent a few hours walking on the beach, swimming in the cold water, finding sea shells, and playing volleyball and soccer. After we had our fill of beach fun we all rented bikes to ride. We loved riding the bikes around while trying not to get hit by cars passing by. We found some beautiful houses and scenic views.


Jen and I

My first week in Italy has been incredible. I am sad to be leaving Venice but I am looking forward to seeing Florence. I can’t believe a week has gone by already. I don’t feel like I have been gone from Paris for more than a few days. Well I am off to Florence.

Ciao!

A month of travel awaits

Bonjour!

I would like to apologize for the lack of blog posts. Life has been pretty crazy lately and it becomes difficult to make time to blog. I am in LOVE with Paris and do not want to leave even though I am extremely excited to travel throughout Italy and Germany.

We are in our last week of our stay in Paris. The week is jam packed and I am finding it difficult to say goodbye to this incredible city. I have friends here, a connect group, and a church. All I need is an apartment and a job then I would stay forever. If God allows me to come back, I would in a heartbeat.

Thus far, my week has involved:
1. Connect Group for church
2. Disneyland Paris with Marie and Matt
3. Random adventures in Paris with Adam and Aaron
4. Church at Hillsong Paris
5. Sitting on the grass by the Eiffel Tower then going to the top at sunset
6. Helping Kasey, a friend from church, move (carrying all here bags on the metro was pretty hilarious)
7. Reading poetry while sitting by the Seine River and Notre Dame with Libby

I have been slowly packing all week and it is hitting me that we are leaving Paris. Paris has really become home in the last 2 months. I am finding it hard to grasp the idea that I will not be in Paris much longer. I cannot wait to come back to visit my friends and experience this wonderful city once again. Maybe next time I will be fluent in French.

I am very excited to travel for the next month. We only have about a month left before I head home to California. The next month will be filled with adventure and excitement of new cities and cultural experiences. We leave on an overnight train to Venice on Sunday. Within the next month we will travel to Venice, Florence, Rome and Berlin with a few day trips while in Berlin. Traveling will be quite an adventure but I think I am up for the challenge. I am very excited to travel but I am not looking forward to living out of a suitcase for a month. Should be interesting.

I will try to get photos up soon. I haven't had time to edit them or upload them. I promise they are coming soon though.

Well until next time.
Au Revoir!

Victoria

Chateaus and Shenanigans

Bonjour!

Friday I took a day trip with Libby, Sierra, Katie and Rachel. We left at 5:30 and took a train to Blois, France. Once there we took a taxi to Le Chateau du Chambord. The castle was gorgeous. It was a beautiful sunny, blue sky type of day. It was incredible. We explored the castle for a few hours and then went out on the lawn out front where we took jumping photos in front of the castle as well as having lunch. I don't think I have laughed so much in my life. After lunch we took a taxi back into Blois where we shopped and had dinner at a Pizzeria. We were all exhausted by this time. It is pretty hilarious because we all became giddy. We finished the evening by having dessert at a patisserie by the train station. We all slept on the train back to Paris. We had been up since 5am and did not get back to Paris until 12pm. What a long day! It was so much fun though. I am so blessed to be here with these girls. I cannot express how thankful I am for them. I love each of them so much!

Here are some photos of our day trip to Blois, Chambord and the Loire Valley. ENJOY!


Le Chateau du Chambord

Loire River from the taxi.


Libby!

Roof of the castle.

It was an all around FANTASTIC day.
Much Love from Paris!

Au Revoir!

Paris Lately...

Bonjour!



I am sorry I haven’t written for a while. I have been thoroughly enjoying emersion into Parisian culture. I am falling in love with Paris and it is hard not to see myself living here eventually.

I have found a fantastic church that is unlike any church I have attended in the past. I am attending Hillsong Paris church and have met some fantastic people. The church has such a heart for people and I wish I was here longer and could be involved more.

In the last few weeks I have found some hidden pleasures in Paris. A friend recommended that I find Le Parc de Buttes Chaumont. The park is gorgeous and unlike anything I have seen in Paris. It captures your imagination and draws you in. I could spend hours upon hours at this park. I hope that I will be able to see it in the springtime.


View of the lake at the park.

Close to Notre Dame is my favorite area, St. Michel. St. Michel has almost everything that you can think of. Historical monuments, bookstores, cafes, restaurants, dessert shops, shopping, cinemas… and the list goes on. I wish I could explain it better but it is my favorite place to hang out in Paris. When we don’t know what to do but we want to get out we just go to St. Michel. There is always something to do. It has become a habit for a few of us to go to Café Molongo in St. Michel. It is a nice atmosphere with Moroccan décor. I love the Café Latte Aromatise Vanille. It is the best Latte I have ever had.



Café Latte Aromatise Vanille.

This weekend we had a family day at the park. Most of us went to the American University of Paris not to far from where we are staying and got some energy out. We played Kickball, Ultimate Frisbee, and Soccer. It felt so good to go run around outside for 4 hours or so. The weather was beautiful. It was warmer than normal but still cloudy with some rain showers throughout the day. I loved it. We want to go play outside every Saturday if we can.


The group fooling around while captains picked teams.

This semester has been such a blessing and I love the people that I am with. We are becoming very close and enjoying every step of this journey. I will try to write more soon.

Au revoir!
God Bless,
Victoria

Je t'aime Paris!

I am currently in Paris and loving it. I have been in Paris for 2 weeks now and am finally settled in. I have classes 4 days a week (Monday-Thursday). I am taking a drawing and painting classes from an artist named Kathy, who is originally from San Diego and has been living in Paris for over 30 years. I am also taking Photo, Art History, Poetry and Literature. I am done with class around 12:30 everyday and am able to go explore the city in the afternoon. While we were in London we did not have as much time to explore on our own. I am getting to know the city and the people here.

I am attending Hillsong Paris and joining one of their connect groups. I am excited to get to know people who live here. I am in love with this church. The services are in French and English. I actually went to the 5 o'clock service tonight and cannot wait for Wednesday's connect group.

I am realizing that the hardest thing about being here is being away from my family. The time change makes things very difficult. I can't talk to anyone back home until around 5pm my time because they are still sleeping. It has been difficult trying to remember the time change.

The weather has been very cold recently. It snowed 4 days in a row this week. It was around 20 degrees here last night (-6 degrees Celcius). The weather was very nice today. Probably the warmest day we have had in Paris. It was good to see the sun again. All of us are missing the sunny San Diego weather. It is pretty rare to see the sun here. It is cloudy all the time. I am enjoying the cold weather though. It is a nice change of pace. This whole trip has been a very nice change of pace. I am enjoying every minute of this trip. I will try to write again soon.

Much Love! God Bless,
Victoria

A Little Taste of London

Our first Sunday in London we went to church at Westminster Abbey. The service was very traditional and very beautiful. We experienced worship led by a choir, a sermon given by a priest, and communion. It was an incredible experience.

Big Ben and the London Eye.

I loved all the brick buildings and colored doors. The appartments/houses in London are called flats. I would love to live in a flat some day.

London was incredible. I was very disappointed to leave London but I am definitely enjoying Paris.

London to Paris

On Monday we traveled from London to Paris. We rode the Eurostar for 3 hours before arriving in Paris. Our morning began by leaving the house at 8:00am with all of our luggage. We walked about a mile to the Tube, where we rode to St. Pancras train station. We then took the Eurostar to Paris, where we got on their metro (subway). After we got off the metro we had to walk about a half mile to the FIAP where we are staying. It was such a long day of travel. We were all sore from carrying our luggage.

We are finally settling in at the FIAP now. Paris was pretty rough around the edges when we arrived but I am warming up to it. I saw the Eiffel Tower for the first time today. It is incredible. Completely takes my breath away. I can't even describe how I felt when I saw the Eiffel Tower. It is incredibly large and such an icon around the world. I can't believe I get to live in Paris and see the Eiffel Tower whenever I wish. It is quite a sight and I will never forget the moment I saw it. I can't wait to go back and sketch it.

I am practicing my French daily and trying to grasp the culture. It is difficult to take it all in. It is definitely an adventure and I am loving every minute of it.

I am hoping to get photos up soon. I have been having difficulty with facebook as well as putting photos on blogspot. Please bare with me.

God Bless,
Victoria

Lovely London

My plane took off out of LAX at 6:00pm, January 22nd. The plane was a little late taking off but we had smooth sailing direct from Los Angeles to London. It is currently 2:40pm in California and 10:40pm here. I think I got a total of 4 hours of sleep on the plane ride and am staying up despite the Jet lag to beat it, this is the reason I am writing this post. I arrived in London at 12:15pm (4:15am California time). Very early morning to say the least. It took us about 3 hours to get to our residence with the group. The Tube is crazy! It accelerates at a very fast speed and if you are not holding on to the poll or sitting you might find your face in the floor. We then had to walk about a mile to find our residence for the week. Of course we got turned around and probably walked about 3 miles total. Once we were settled in our rooms we went out and explored a little. Lots of walking despite the massive jet lag. After dinner and an orientation in one of the rooms with Eugene. We went out for Matt's 20th birthday. It was a great way to kick off the semester. It is good to be here and it will definitely be a drastic change.

Little taste of London for you:
1. The cars have the right away, not the pedestrians. (Don't get hit by the cars when you cross the street. They drive fast and don't stop.) Oh! It seems like the traffic lights are only a suggestion. Not many people abide by them. They also drive on the wrong side of the road, on the wrong side of the car.
2. There are lots of words that are different here. Instead of saying:
"exit" they say "way out."
"to rent" is "to let."
"underware" is "pants."
"hungry" is "peckish."

I haven't gotten to experience much of the city but hey, I am here for 8 days. Tomorrow we are going to Westminster Abbey for church and then have the rest of the day free to explore. This will be a life changing trip. I love the people I am with and know I will enjoy seeing the history of Europe.

Best Wishes from London and God Bless,
Victoria

Here is a tip for you

Today I had a dermatology appointment and had a dentist appointment Monday. When getting ready to leave the country for 3+ months, you tend to make many doctor's appointments. Eye doctor, skin doctor, physician, dentist, etc. Let me just say it is not a great idea to have certain appointments when there is a time crunch. Today I had to have 2 biopsies done and won't find out until Monday. I have to go in Wednesday to have stitches removed. Nothing too serious but now I have another appointment to fit into my schedule.

I find it extremely hard to be patient about leaving. I want to go to Europe so bad. I have roughly 8 days until I leave and it is killing me. I want to travel. I am in the process of planning a weekend trip to Ireland with some friends. This is going to be a fantastic semester if I ever get there. I can't help but be anxious. I had some unexpected stress today but on a good note I am leaving in 8 days and I found a very warm winter hat. Isn't it cute? I LOVE IT!

Tip for the day: Do not wait a week before you leave to have any serious doctor's appointments. It will be a huge stress reliever for you.

I forgot to mention. If anyone has questions feel free to comment. I would be happy to answer any questions you might have.

God Bless,
Victoria

20 Day Countdown

Happy New Year to everyone! I cannot believe it is 2010. This year is going to be filled with many blessings. I cannot wait to see how God surprises me this year.

I have 20 days left at home before I leave for Europe. I am feeling the pressure of getting everything done and the excitement continues to build. Wednesday I spend the day with my friend Meg in Orange County who went on the Fall 2009 Euroterm trip. She continued to tell me little details about her trip and what a good experience it was. I can't help but get excited about going. I am realizing what a great experience it is going to be for me. I am looking forward to traveling and learning about other cultures. I still can't get past the fact that I am leaving in 20 days. I just said goodbye to one of my closest friends, Maddie. She is going back to school tomorrow and stopped by to say goodbye. It was so good to see Maddie and her boyfriend, Tim. The goodbyes are going to continue to get worse I'm sure but I am looking forward to getting to know everyone I'm traveling with even more. I am expecting that the 16 of us will become very close by the end of the trip. In my last 20 days, I have quite a bit to do. I was lucky enough to receive a jury duty summons and might need to report sometime this week. Even though I would find it interesting to be on a jury, the timing his horrible. Now I have a week where I can't plan to go anywhere. I have appointments right and left as well as some shopping to do. I need to get electrical converters, start packing, and read a book. I am hoping to fit in a trip to San Diego before I leave. I hope I will be able to come see some friends at PLNU before I leave.

Time is winding down and I can barely contain my excitement. I will be returning to Forest Home to work when I return next summer. 2010 is going to be a fantastic year. Europe then returning to Forest Home followed by my Junior year at PLNU in the fall... sounds like a great year to me. Bring it on 2010!

God Bless,
Victoria