Its been too long!

Wow, it has been a very long time since my last post. My life since my last real post (about my trip to Prague in February) has changed so much and I have been to so many other places! Firstly, I went to Scotland directly one week after I went to Prague, and I didn't blog about it. Then I went to a few cities in Northern Italy, two cities in Germany, a few cities in Peru, and home to New York/Pennsylvania. In a few weeks time, I will be traveling to Budapest, then New York again (for Thanksgiving), then Los Angeles to see my best friends and family, and then back to NY for Christmas (I think). Won't be back to London until New Year's Eve, which Lord knows what I'll be doing for that. Hopefully something not lame, which is the word generally used to describe my typical New Year's Eve plans. 

Anyway, to sum up: Scotland was okay. I went with my parents to Edinburgh and on a bus tour of the Highlands. I got sick on the bus ride, which to be fair was an 8 hour ride on small bumpy Scottish roads in a crowded bus. Luckily, the German woman sitting next to us had a bag. That's all I'm going to say on that issue. 

Edinburgh Castle 

Me with some sheep in the Highlands

My parents by Loch Ness

and there's Nessie 

Then, there was the ski trip in Northern Italy with my housemates, which was great! I learned that skiing hurts and I much prefer the bunny slopes. We went to Torino, Lake Como (where George Clooney lives), Bellagio and Verona. Verona was the best, but we were only there for 1 night and a half a day. We did see most of the "attractions," though, which goes to show that Verona is mainly for doing nothing. Fine by me, but we didn't have time for that. 

On the cable car going to the "advanced" slopes (I just rode in the cable car)

In the lodge drinking warm beverages

Getting ready to ski (without my skis on)

Como

Lake Como from Bellagio

Verona 

Me by a fountain in Verona

Then in June, I went to Berlin and Munich, which are both in Germany. This trip was pretty fun, but I was exhausted for the first day in Berlin because I went to a Coldplay concert the night before (awesome Concert, by the way). Berlin was really cool and funky, and I liked how cultured it was. I definitely want to go back some day to look at some of the museums that I missed. Munich was a little more quaint and typically "German" if you know what I mean. I saw a lot of lederhosen and dirndl shops, and we went to the Hofbrauhaus, which is the largest beer house in the world (I think). That was fun, but I preferred Berlin. 

Brandenburg Gate

Me and the giant Amplemann

This is a currywurst. Looks a bit gross, but wasn't too bad.

At the Hofbrauhaus (sporting my Coldplay tshirt from the concert)

We thought this meant we were going to the Virtual Alien Market. We were wrong.

And then there was Peru. That was ridiculous. I have never experienced anything like that before in my life, and it was pretty great. We went to Lima, Arequipa, Puno, Lake Titicaca, Cusco, and Machu Picchu via the Inka Trail. I got altitude sickness in Puno (3,830 meters/12,556 feet), then I was alright until we stayed in a very dirty homestay on the Island of Amananti in Lake Titicaca and my sickness prevailed. After about three days in Cusco, I felt I was pretty much better except for the runny nose and cough, and decided to go on the four day trek through the Inka Trail to get to Machu Picchu. Not a good idea, I thought I was going to die. Long story short, I made it (with a lot of help). In retrospect, I'm grateful that I actually did do it, and I wouldn't have done it any other way. It was a great experience, and I'll definitely never forget it. 

Me with some Alpacas

At a market in Cusco

One of the archeological sites on the Inka Trail

Me at Machu Picchu!

Our Inka Trail Group

Me in a hole in Machu Picchu (right after I fell in poop. Not kidding)

Cholo Power sign in Lima by the Pacific Ocean

So, that's pretty much all of my travels from February until now. It has been quite the adventure, I can say that for sure. It was amazing, and I wouldn't change a thing. Looking at the pictures again makes me remember why I'm here and why I love to travel so much. I have learned so much and grown so much as a person from August 2011 when I first got to London until now, over a year later! I'm completely new, and with one more year to go, I'm so excited to see who I become when this degree is all said and done in September 2013.