European experiences so far...:)

1. There are more H&M´s on the street corners than Starbucks!
2. We´re learning to carry a lot of change with us as public toilets cost anywhere from .50 to 1€...!
3. Bottled water here is so cheap! a 70 ounce bottle is like 1€. It would totally be like´$6 at home. Probably because no one really drinks tap water..
4. Table water automatically comes with bubbles... and most bottled water is fizzy
5. Tableside entertainment in Munich usually comes with mime acts who come and ask you for a tip afterwards... :)
6. We´re not sure if we´ve spent more time on trains or in hotels this trip... probably trains :)
7. I personally think that maneuvering through the language barrier is much more enjoyable than speaking English all the time... :)
8. We´ve memorized the numbers on our calling cards already... and I´m not sure if that´s a good thing... :)
9. Movie theatres in Germany are amazing!! We saw Indiana Jones today to get out of the heat for awhile and it was hands down the best theatre I´ve ever been in. They even had assigned seats and it was only 4€ to see a movie!
10. We´ve pretty much accepted the fact that we´re going to be lost at least once per city for anywhere from 10 minutes to 2 hours... and we´re learning to be OK with that. :) When else can you see backside neighborhoods and random alleys selling cheap shoes and full pigs?
11. Information desks and maps are becomming our best friends... :)

Things we´re done on this trip so far:
1. Visit a town we´ve never heard of (Mechelen!)
2. Pretend to understand the language... (ja? ok ok... nein... ich spreche nicht Deutsch...)
3. Stop and smell the flowers
4. Listen to the music of real German oompah bands with lively Irishmen
5. Make a lot of friends
6. Watch the sun set at 150 miles per hour
7.... wake up in another country than we fell asleep in :)
8. Fall in love with the country
9. Developed an intense love for nutella and pretzels :)
10. Had German and Japanese roommates at the same time
11. Rode bikes through the amazing Austrian mountain and countryside with new friends
12. Learned to develop an appreciation for eye masks and ear plugs... :)

Needless to say, this trip continues to be such a great experience for me. Sometimes hard, sometimes discouraging and tiring, but nevertheless amazing. I feel like foreign travel is kind of like having your first child. You think you´re prepared until you arrive and realize you really have no clue what you´re doing, and you freak out for a little bit, and then you have to learn along the way. By yourself, from other people and through asking for help if you have to. Because it is then that you discover the things you can only find from trying and enduring. Even with every frustration, problem and overwhelming moment that makes me wonder "what did I get myself into..." I realize that I wouldn´t ever trade this for anything, and I fall in love all over again. Travel is my passion.