Let's be realistic for just a minute

the-tricky-angel-gabriel: I remember when I thought people in their 20’s were adults. Now all of...

Fri, 17 May 2013 10:40:16 -0400

I remember when I thought people in their 20’s were adults. Now all of my friends are in their 20’s and everybody is just kind of fumbling around bumping into each other, trying to figure out where the free food is……

so that’s pretty much what I’m expecting to experience for the next like 10 years.

the accuracy of this post is alarming.

doingtimeasacapsicle: teapayne: I think a great idea for reality tv is to take 15 random teens...

Fri, 17 May 2013 10:39:50 -0400

doingtimeasacapsicle:

teapayne:

I think a great idea for reality tv is to take 15 random teens from around the world that are addicted to the computer, and put them in an amish village until they have a mental breakdown

calm down hitler, this isn’t the hunger games

danieldempsey: My dude straight loving him some nsync.

Fri, 17 May 2013 10:37:19 -0400

danieldempsey:

My dude straight loving him some nsync.

The reason I got to the exhibitors hall at conferences

Thu, 16 May 2013 18:30:03 -0400

whatshouldwecallstudentaffairs:

illusionvirus: purgatorybitches: I’m still laughing my ass off...

Thu, 16 May 2013 05:06:39 -0400

illusionvirus:

purgatorybitches:

I’m still laughing my ass off at my desktop.

internet explorer looks so suspicious

what did he do this time

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Tue, 14 May 2013 06:31:56 -0400

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Mon, 13 May 2013 06:44:06 -0400

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Mon, 13 May 2013 06:41:51 -0400

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Mon, 13 May 2013 05:55:07 -0400

its-salah: This beautiful little girl had open heart surgery...

Mon, 13 May 2013 05:53:56 -0400

its-salah:

This beautiful little girl had open heart surgery less than 24 hours before this photo was taken. When asked why she was up so quickly, she replied her Hello Kitty slippers make everything better.

Thursday day 4

Mon, 13 May 2013 05:52:08 -0400

Yesterday was quit a journey; one adventure after another. I had an early rainy waking up at 6:30 eating breakfast at 7 and meeting with my friends Brooke and Alec at 7:30. We decided that it would be different to rent a car and travel to the country side of the Czech Republic to see a new part of the country that we wouldn’t be able to get to with public transportation. Now, I do not know a lot about cars, but Brooke and Alec are very big into cars. We ended up renting a Mercedes that I did not drive because it was a stick shift. They said if they were going to drive round the country they wanted to feel the power of the car. I love to drive and all, but even if it was an automatic I would not have driven. We are in another country for god sakes!

After gathering forgotten belongings and buying car snacks, we headed for the country side. As soon as we got through the city the view was beautiful. The first thing we notices was yellow patches of flowers. We are still unsure of what their purpose is, but they have to be used for something because there are so many patches of these tall yellow flowers. There is probably just as much farm land as there are these yellow patches. Once we realized that these must be important to the agriculture, we had to get out of the car and take some pictures. So, we simply pulled to the side of the road, hopped over a tiny creek, and soaked in the beauty.

We decided not to plan the entire day detail for detail. The whole idea was to drive around, get a little lost, and see the beautiful sights the country side has to offer. Still, we had a destination we wanted to eventually get to. This place is called Bohemian Paradise, and is exactly how it sounds. Our professor had suggested this eleven mile hike to us because it is simply breathtaking. Let me go back a little bit, because I am getting ahead of myself. We wanted to take back roads instead of the high way because the point was to enjoy the view. Luckily, Brooke brought her iPad to use the map and navigation on it, so we did know where we were in that respect and were able to navigate to the places we wanted or needed to go. Taking the back roads was fun because we went through many different towns that probably had less than a hundred people in each. The small houses and rustic feel to the architecture was absolutely adorable. Driving through these towns we ended up finding part of Bohemian Paradise by accident. So, we got out of the car and started to walk. To give you a perspective of how small these towns are, we had to pay to use the bathroom due to the expense of flushing the toilet. Yeah we were in the middle of no where.

Like I said before, this place is eleven miles of trails, forest, rocks, stones, everything nature has thrown in there. Sure, we were hiking in a forest which you can do anywhere in the US, but there was something different about this place. The trees were skinny and ginormous! The way the sun was beating down through the leaves of the trees created such a picturesque scene. In these woods I felt like I was a part of nature. It was a very different experience compared to hiking in the US. After hiking about four miles, we decided it was time for lunch. O our way out we saw the most beautiful view of the country on the top of a mountain, so we stopped and took a bunch of pictures.

We wanted a very authentic Czech restaurant. We thought since there was very little civilization around this would be easy to find. We were right, but they spoke basically no English. I was slightly uncomfortable because I know how to say hi and thank you in Czech, but that is about it. Thankfully for technology, Brooke had a translation app on her iPad that allowed us to some what communicate to the waitress where we basically asked what she recommended and that is what we all ordered. W all got pork with sautéed onions, fresh vegetables, and French fries. It was delicious! Afterwards we walked across the street to get ice cream. They have the smallest scoops on the planet. It was one dollar for two scoops but I wish I had huge scoops because it was so delicious. I almost went back for another.

While we were hiking we saw a concrete structure in the distance that we only assumed was a castle. We knew as soon as we saw it that it had to be our next destination. So, we traveled towards this castle, which was the best decision we made all day. We drove up a winding dirt road to get towards to top of the towers. There was a small parking lot where we parked the car and began our mile hike up to the very too of the towers. We had to pay to climb the stairs to the top of this castle, but it was the equivalent of one dollar and twenty five cents. I honestly would have paid twenty dollars. We climbed a bunch of stairs until we were literally on the top of these towers that used to be part of this castle. The view was indescribable. You could look in every direction and see the farm land, the yellow flower patches, and tiny towns. you could hear sheep that were grazing in a farm a little ways in the distance. the Czech Republic is the most green place i have ever seen. It was honestly the best view we saw all day. I wanted to stay forever, but we had to head back to Prague.

On our drive back we really wanted to find some stores to do a little shopping in, and after a frustrating hunt we finally found a mall. This wasn’t just any mall. This was the biggest mall I have ever seen. Just to put it in perspective, there was a full size grocery store in the mall. Which was also the biggest grocery store I have ever seen. They do it big in Czech. We only had forty five minutes, but Brooke and I were up for the challenge to hit as many stores in as little time. We quickly learned that like everything else, they had quality clothing for cheap prices. I ended up buying a tan leather jacket, a black long sleeved shirt, and a cross body purse. It was bitter sweet returning the car and trucking back into the city of Prague.

I ended my day getting some take out pasta, that made me feel like I ordered Chinese food from the container it was in. I ate on my own and packed because I was leaving for Turkey the next day. I enjoyed the time alone to soak everything in that has been going on and get to bed early. I was dead asleep by eleven!

Wednesday day 3

Mon, 13 May 2013 05:51:37 -0400

I never would have thought that one of the places I would go in Prague is the zoo. I didn’t even know they had a zoo here. Our professor suggested if we all have time to go see it, that we should take the time to go. So, we took his advice and formed a group to go to the zoo! It took us about forty five minutes to get there, so it was a good thing we left at nine. We took the train and then a bus, which was an experience on its own. Once we got there it was sigh of relief. For some reason our group decided to put me in charge of getting there. I tried to explain to them I was directionally challenged, but I guess they wanted to challenge me. I was so proud when we got there and didn’t get lost! I was with my roommate Ruby and our friends Jess, Alex, Natalie, and Sabra. It was a smaller group, but it was better that way.

Apparently the zoo is the seventh best in the entire world. That is what the pamphlet said, and it does not surprise me Zoo Praha got that title. (Praha is what the locals call Prague. They do not refer to the city as Prague at all. Even the signs say Praha on them!) the exhibits were very well put together, the animals were well beautiful, the park was clean, and the views were breathtaking. At one point we reached the polar bears and if you looked to the right you could see the entire city of Prague. The same went for the giraffes. They had a huge area for them to roam around and in the background was Prague. No big deal. Just the entire city in the background. The animals have better views of Prague then we do at our hotel. Talk about living large. My favorite animals were the spider monkeys, the elephants, and the gorillas. It was surprising how well trained the animals were because a lot of them, obviously not the dangerous or very large animals, were blocked off by a tiny fence. I literally could have walked over the fence and played with the spider monkeys. There was a new baby gorilla and elephant that have been born this year and we got to see both! It was so cool to see them interacting with the rest of their family or pack. The gorillas were surreal. I felt bad because I noticed how human like they are. I believe in the evolution theory, and it felt like I was watching a human stuck in a cage. The way the leader of the pack would scratch his face, blink, turn his head, even yawn, was so human like I almost didn’t believe it. The coolest part of the zoo is the way to get around. So, since the zoo is so big part of the zoo is at the top of a hill and the other is at e bottom. The easiest way to get from the top to the bottom is to take what I can only describe as an individual ski lift. We were hesitant to take it at first, but it was so fun and gave us a good laugh. Overall the zoo was a really fun time, and it was well worth the trip up there.

After the zoo we were starving and just wanted to hang out. We went to a cafe we have been to before because they are that good. Their sandwiches are simply amazing and their desserts are even better. We took the food back to the hotel, changed into our Jammie’s, and ate our food. After about two hours we decided to do a little shopping. We traveled across the Charles Bridge which was built when Charles IV was in power. We found the cutest little shops and bought some souvineers. For dinner we walked past a card e called Jo’s and the smell attracted us to it. Before going in for dinner we walked around the city, which is actually a castle. Basically the entire side of the river is part of the castle that is now used for tourist and local purposes. Getting lost in the city is the best way to spend your time. You find e best places and have really great conversations.

After spending two hours in the restaurant and enjoying the best ribs and roasted potatoes I have ever had, we decided to go up to the observatory. I had read about it online and knew I had to go. For two dollars we got to enjoy the sights of the sky. The cutest boy I have seen in Prague so far was on the first room, and he showed us a few double starts and open clusters. It was so cool to see the starts up close using these huge high tech telescopes. The second room was where they were observing Saturn which was unreal. It literally looked fake. You could see Saturn’s rings and all. It was so spectacular! We spent two hours there with the cutie and the stars which was just perfect. We just hung out for the rest of the night and had a few laughs. I am really enjoying this trip with my new friends. I didn’t know anyone going on the trip, so it’s awesome we have all connected and become friends.

Tuesday day 2

Mon, 13 May 2013 05:51:08 -0400

On Tuesday I woke up an hour before breakfast came because I was so hungry. I only got about four hours of sleep, but I was wide awake ready to start my day. As soon as there was a knock on the door I jumped up to answer it and eat breakfast! What a great start to the day. We met with our group at ten in order to tour the castle in Prague. First we had to buy our train tickets because it was about eight stops from the bridge, which was a couple of miles. The train ride was fun because it reminded me of the t in Boston, but it was all above ground. The train rides on the street with the cars, so it follows the street lights and everything. It was a very interesting ride. The train winded through the roads to the top of a hill where the castle was located. We did a brief history of the castle in a class room before we toured the place. It was a little boring to be honest. It was like a tease. We were right there by the castle, but we could not go and explore yet. Finally, it was time to tour the castle.

It was a brief tour, but it was beautiful. There is a cathedral in the center of the castle that is breathtaking. The outside has so much gold accenting the beautiful architecture. There is a clock that is the main attraction to tourists, and it makes sense because of its beauty. In order to leave we had to walk down this huge staircase that had a nice view going all the way to the bottom of the hill. On the stairs there were people playing violins, guitars, and painting different Prague scenes.

Our next stop was a tower that overlooks the entire city. The tower is a replica of the top of the Eiffel Tower. It is not nearly as big, but it is a replica of the structure. You have to take a tram up to the top of a hill where the tower sits. We walked through a huge garden that reminded me of the Public Gardens, and then we had to climb the stairs to the top of the tower. That was a definite work out, but it was worth it. You could honestly see the entire city from the tower. It was so green and the buildings were so colorful. There are no words to give the view justice, and I am so happy we got to go up there and see what Prague is all about.

It was a very scenic day filled with nothing but beauty.

Sir Marcus thank you!

Mon, 13 May 2013 05:35:54 -0400

Sir Marcus thank you!

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Sun, 12 May 2013 15:36:50 -0400

Cindy Clark, a Pennsylvania-based dog breeder decided to share...

Sun, 12 May 2013 15:36:41 -0400

Cindy Clark, a Pennsylvania-based dog breeder decided to share these images of her then 3-month-old nephew with a few 3-week-old French bulldog puppies.

thedailywhat: Touche of the Day: Mrs. Doubtfire’s Dress vs. Kim...

Fri, 10 May 2013 03:58:39 -0400

thedailywhat:

Touche of the Day: Mrs. Doubtfire’s Dress vs. Kim Kardashian’s Dress

Comedian Robin Williams chimed in on Kim Kardashian’s custom-designed Riccardo Tisci evening gown by comparing it to the floral dress he wore in the 1993 comedy film Mrs. Doubtfire. The socialite’s attire became quite a hit during Monday’s Met Gala, spawning a series of photoshopped images poking fun at the reality star’s “sofa slipcover”-like dress.

Day 1

Tue, 07 May 2013 18:01:07 -0400

Today is the first full day in Prague! Once again writing this a day later but work with me here!

We had breakfast delivered to our hotel room at 8:30 this morning and it was so good. I didn’t think I would like it as much as I did. It is a European breakfast which means nothing is cooked. It is all cold foods. We had a ton of bread with jam, honey, and butter, yogurt, a meat platter with salami, turkey, and cheese. There was also coffee and tea and orange juice. My best friend from home, Filiz, has a similar breakfast at her house since her family is Turkish. Since I was always over her house I learned to really like this, so she definitely prepared me for this delicious breakfast I chowd down on. We had to meet with our group at ten to go to an orientation session. We went to a classroom in a Czech university and talked about traveling plans, public transportation, safety, and everything else we needed to know about visiting this beautiful city. Afterwards we went on a basic tour to give us an insight on the area we are staying in. It was also a preview of the tours that are to come in the next week. The tour was great to see different historical buildings and hear about their history, but it was a tiring tour. Since we were all tired we decided to grab nod witches and take them back to the hotel to eat. The sandwich place was intimidating because only one person spoke very broken English. But the food made up for any intimidation because it was yum yum good. I got a crab sandwich, salami sandwich (only on piece of bread is the way they make sandwiches) a tomato union and mayo side, and chocolate raspberry cake. I want to mention that this meal was about 4 dollars total. What is that? I still cannot believe that! We took the food back to the hotel and ate around the table and literally talked for hours. It’s so crazy that all these people go to the same hook as me and I have only met one person before. I actually really like that though because I am meeting so many new people. It’s a new experience to go to another country with people you barely know. Its exciting though and I am getting close to a handful of people! I had to take a nap since we were going out at night and I knew I would not make it without one.

We went to a five story club/bar that also had an ice bar inside. I did not go to the ice bar, but I did go to the different music floors of the club. Two were closed so the ones that were open were the hits, oldies, and dance party mix. It was a very fun night! We all let loose, had some drinks, and danced our butts off! I had a rum and coke which I surprisingly like now! We stayed out until 3:30 because Czech’s party really late here. Fur hours of sleep was actually great and I woke up before my alarm ready for breakfast the next morning. I am weird.

We got to see a lot more of the city today and learn a lot of history. It was a jam packed day where I got to know a lot of people. There are so,e good seeds on this trip that I hope to get color to! I have made plans for this next week, but I am going to keep them to myself for the moment because I want every post to be a surprise on the things I have done. So stay tuned!

Day 0

Tue, 07 May 2013 17:44:40 -0400

We have arrived in Prague! I know that this is going up a little late, but I have had zero time to sit down and write these things down, so bare with me.

The long traveling has paid off and we are finally here. Our second flight was pretty short and very uneventful. It consisted of a little bit of reading and listening to music. Very relaxed. Before the flight though we had to go from terminal 5 to terminal 3 in London which is at least three miles away from each other. Luckily, we took a bus and then walked through what looked like a mall inside the airport and through the craziest hallways to get to the plane which we boarded outside. That was pretty cool. The whole process of going from one terminal to another was crazy! Once we landed it took some time for everyone in our group to get their luggage, but we finally took taxis to our hotel that was about ten minutes away from the airport. At the hotel it was another chaotic hour deciding who would room with who and figuring out rooms. Nonetheless, after about two hours everyone was settled in their rooms ready to explore.

I decided to go out even though I was exhausted to get something to eat with a group of people. We walked around for a bit and found an authentic Czech restaurant with a super nice waiter that taught us how to say please and thank you… Which is super hard to say and I have determined there is no hope for any of us when it comes to learning Czech. Anyways, he suggested a sirloin dish which was one of the best things I have ever tasted in my entire life. I’m not just saying that. The meat was so tender you could cut it with your fork and it melted in your mouth. There was also bread dumplings which I surprising really liked, all of it was drowned in this orange sauce which made me nervous, but it was the best sauce I have had with a dish! Seriously such amazing food…. And I’m a picky eater so that’s saying a lot. Everyone got a beer because we can, but I don’t like beer so I got a glass of red wine. I thought when in prague right? Wrong. It was gross. I only like one or two types of wine mainly because they don’t taste like wine. I just don’t like it. But I felt obligated to drink it so I forced myself to drink it. Haha I’m lame.

After dinner we decided to kind of get lost in the city. It was actually really fun. We went to the Charles river where there are multiple bridges and got a feel for the town we will be staying in. It was fun walking and talking with the group of people I was with. We did get lost, but we had a map that I refused to look at because I would just get us even more lost. I basically went along for the ride. When we got back to the hotel it was only 7 and I forced myself to stay up until 8 which is exactly when I passed out. I slept for twelve hours and it felt so so good.

It is so cool being in another country. I have always wondered it if would feel like I was in another city in America, but it definitely feels like I am in a different country. It is honestly the littlest things that constantly remind me where I am. For example, the bathrooms are so different. The toilets are shaped different and their toilet paper is grayish. It’s silly, but that is something that is really different. The streets are also really quiet. Czech’s are actually very soft spoken and it has been hard for our group to blend in and get used to the quiet atmosphere. The money is a big thing too. The currency is a crown and 20 crowns is equal to one dollar. I kid you not, everything here is dirt cheep. The meal I got today which was the sirloin dish, a glass of wine, and tip, was 12. Like what? Beer is cheaper than water. Literally everything is so cheap and it is incredible how much you can get for your money.

I haven’t even been in this country for 24 hours and I love it!

The Beginning of my Cultural Adventure

Sun, 05 May 2013 12:25:30 -0400

I have been waiting for this for months now. The day I got the email offering me the opportunity to travel to Prague with a trip through my school seemed like every other junk email, but for some reason I decided to read this one. Three months later I am on a plane flying to another country for the first time. I am not sure if I can find words to explain how I am feeling at this moment. I am currently writing this as I sit on the biggest air plane I have ever been on sitting next to the sweetest woman I have ever met. I am sitting in front of the cutest little boy who was so enthused to take off and start his vacation. I have already met people from my group that I know will become my friends. But let me jump back to the beginning and give you a little insight on my day.

I arrived at the airport by myself taking the train and a shuttle to get to the terminal. After I found the group I am traveling with, I checked in and of course had to take some things out of my luggage because anyone that knows me knows I like my stuff. So it only makes sense that I was five pounds over the limit. Security was surprisingly fast and easy and the food we all got before the fight was absolutely delicious. Walking onto the plane we had to take an escalator. Yes, an escalator. I don’t know if I am the only one that was not prepared for that, but it definitely gave me an insight on the type of aircraft I would be traveling in. So I have only flown on Southwest, and Hooters Air once but let’s not talk about that. I am used to two rows of three seats on a relatively small plane. This plane…. Oh my gosh! I felt like I walked a football field before I got to my seat which is in the middle of the plane. I walked through first class, which made me so jealous, and made me think I will fly like that one day. I found my seat, 35A which is a window seat, and I was greeted by the nicest woman! There ended up being no one in between us so we are a lot more comfortable and she gave me a cookie. So clearly we are best friends. We had a delightful dinner with strawberry cheesecake and tea because I like that now, weird I know. After watching Holes, because I have my own tv, a blanket, pillow, headphones, and a toothbrush, I decided to take a look out the window.

I had a moment; a very strong moment. Looking outside I thought I wouldn’t be able to see anything, but I can see stars. Not just a few stars, but hundreds of stars. I love star gazing at night. I feel so free. I feel like I am a part of something so much bigger than I could ever imagine. Looking at the stars from the plane is breathtaking. I think being closer to the stars symbolizes for me how I am getting closer to the things I want in life. I have always talked about going here, going there, seeing this, seeing that, but this is the first time I have actually made it all happen. I mean I am on my way to Prague right now. It hasn’t felt real until this exact moment. When the stars glow in the night sky, it all becomes real. As a few tears streamed down my face I could not help but smile. Because thinking about the little boy behind me telling his kids about the first time he went to London makes me feel like this is what life is about. Taking chances, going places you have never gone before, and doing the things you want to in life.

Thinking about my future used to be terrifying. I hated it. I didn’t know what I wanted to do and I was so scared everything would spiral downward towards failure. Now, thinking about the future is exhilarating! I may not know exactly what I want to do with my life, but I know the things I will do to get there. And I am confident that today is the beginning of a new chapter for me. Today is the beginning of my cultural adventure, and I am ready for every single second.