This past week was so busy with work, working out,  and I had Maddie and Jane, who I met in Lake Como, stay for a couple of days. Maddie and Jane are from the U.S. and are traveling all over Europe until November. They took a spontaneous trip from Amsterdam to where I live and they were able to get some rest, eat heavy german food, and do some exploring in Germany. They are such amazing girls and I wish them the best in their travels in Europe and beyond.

                                               

       

Yay!! The day has finally arrived, Oktoberfest!! So much anticipation for this day. I've been wanting to go for years and I am finally able to live the dream. The day started at 3:30 am. I put on my new red dirndl and was picked up by my friend Jasmine around 4:30 am. Our train to Munich left at 5:06 a.m. I'm sure you guys are probably thinking, " Why so early?" Well tents open at 9:00 am and if you don't have a reserved ticket and get there late, you will not be allowed to go into the beer tents. You also need an actual seat at a table in order to be served. So it was a priority to get there early!
The trains were so packed that we had to sit on the floor for the remainder of our trip to Munich. People were chugging beers and wine and it was only 6 am.

Once we arrived to Munich, we walked about 15 minutes and arrived at the Oktoberfest grounds. There were already thousands of people! There were many food stands, rides,and huge beer tents everywhere.We headed to the Hofbrauhaus tent and there was a huge line of people scrambling to get in as they opened the doors. We entered the tent and ran aimlessly trying to find seats for our group of 5 people. Everyone was standing on tables trying to rally up their friends. We were lucky enough to find a table. These tents hold up to 7,000 people inside and so it took a bit of time to get our beers. It's amazing to see these servers carry 8 beer steins that hold up to a liter each. I wonder what the hiring process it, I would definitely not make the cut.

We got our beers, huge pretzels, and met people from all over the world. There were a lot of Americans in our tent though. People were standing on tables chugging a whole liter of beer, crowds singing drinking songs, and people throwing pretzels around the room. We obviously joined in on throwing pretzels around and it felt like I was back in middle school we we started food fights all the time.

After drinking for a couple of hours, we left the tent and ventured around the grounds. We went on a couple of rides, got bratwurst, crepes and churros with nutella ( Cheat Day) and drank outside other tents. We met a cool group of Germans and hung out with them until we headed home. The train ride was so miserable. I was dying of thirst and my dirndl was so tight that I couldn't breathe.

So happy to shower and go to sleep when I got home!

Oktoberfest was so much fun!! I highly recommend it and hope many of you can come for next year's celebrations :)

Chunky Monkey Oat Pancakes

Looking for a healthy alternative to those delicious hot cakes you eat on Sundays? Well I'm so happy to have stumbled to a recipe, which I've tweaked and love! I've been eating these everyday this past week and don't mind waking up early in the morning to make them.

Ingredients

• 1/2  cup rolled oats
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 2 egg whites
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp chia seeds (optional)
• 1/4 cup greek yogurt (I used quark this time: quark is a german yogurt/cheese that is low calorie and fluffy)
• 1/2 sliced banana
• 1 tbsp mini dark chocolate chips

Topping

• 1/2 banana
• 1 tbsp almond butter
• 1 tsp almond milk (optional)

Mix all of the dry ingredients together: oats, baking powder, cinnamon, chia seeds, chocolate chips Then add in the vanilla extract, yogurt, banana and egg whites. Mix until it looks like a nice bowl of oatmeal.

Heat up a pan with a bit of  Smart promise vegan butter (you can use coconut oil or regular butter). Place the batter on the pan and allow for the bottom of the cake to cook through. Once you notice the corners of the pancake are brown/ crisp and you see bubbles bursting through the pancake, flip it over. Don't worry if you flip the pancake and itS A MESS. Trial and error, it will still taste good, I promise.

As you wait for the other end to cook. Begin mashing the other 1/2 of the banana in a small bowl and add the tbsp of almond butter and almond milk. Mix until you have a creamy consistency. After you place the pancake on a plate, you can pour a bit of organic maple syrup on the pancake and then pour the monkey butter topping. It is heaven. Enjoy, let me know how it turns out!

Lake como & Milan

Friday: September 4th

Woke up at 4:00 a.m. to be out of the house by 4:30 a.m. so I would make it to Munich airport with enough time to spare. It was a 2 hr drive and I was so tired so I blasted house music and also facetimed with Mark. By 6:45 a.m. I was parked and in the terminal of the airport. I checked the big screens showing departure times and was confused whether it was terminal 1 or 2, but I saw the time 8:55 a.m. to Milan and I was already at the terminal so I  I got breakfast, took my time until my flight started boarding at 8:30 a.m. When I scanned my boarding pass, it said to contact the staff. As she checked my boarding pass she said, "This is Luftsana, not EasyJet. You are at the wrong terminal!"

I almost had a heart attack. She said she will call my gate so they could wait for me. I sprinted with my 40 lb backpack to the other end of the airport. No lie it was probably a mile. I had to go through security check and all in 15 minutes before my flight left. By the time I was at security check, I was sweaty and telling the staff my flight is leaving in 15 minutes. They didn't seem to care much. One lady went to tell the lady at the gate to hold the flight and the security was holding me up because they said my backup had explosives. I was baffled and said, "I need to go!!" They scanned it again at another machine and it was good to go. I ran to my gate and they almost didn't let me in. Because of me, the flight to Milan arrived a bit late. I was just so happy I made it. Lesson Learned.

Arriving at Milan, I had to take a train to Varenna and then a ferry to Mennagio where I was staying. I was pretty vigilant with my gear because Milan/ Italy in general is known for pick pocketers. I distributed my money in different wallets in my bag so I felt safe.

The train ride was beautiful! The ride passed many lakes and villages in the mountains. It was beautiful. Arriving to the port in Varenna, the landscape was amazing and I was excited to take the ferry to Bellagio. Bellagio is a dream. The colored buildings, grape vines,  flowers, and ornate architecture makes it look very luxurious. I took a lunch break at a restaurant and had an amazing plate of Bolognese and porcini pasta My mouth waters thinking about it. I wondered around the shops selling everything from silk scarves to olive wood utensils and expensive clothing.

 I wondered around the streets and homes and ended up at one of the most beautiful docks I've ever seen. The hike down more than 200 steps was worth it.





After exploring Bellagio, I went to Menaggio to check in at the youth hostel I reserved. I was surprised to see the hostel was in such an amazing location with a great view out to the lake. This is my first time I've stayed at a hostel and I was hesitant on how it would be. I was traveling alone so I thought it would be a good place to meet people instead of booking an airbnb or hotel elsewhere where I would probably not meet a soul. Besides, who can say no to 19 euro a night?

I put my stuff in ton my bunk and was happy to sit down. The room  had 8 beds and a  great view from the balcony. I took a nap and woke up when one girl named Clare walked in. She was Australian and also traveling alone. We chatted a lot and went to the dinner the hostel was hosting. After chatting for a while,  we went back to the room and met the other girls also staying there.

I had borrowed a lock from the hostel to safeguard all my important belongings in the locker. I locked up everything and was ready for bed when I realized I locked my wallet in there, but I wasn't sure if I brought it up from dinner. Suddenly, I realized I think I locked the key in the locker!! F*&K!
I had already taken out my contacts so of course I couldn't find the keys or see anything. I told the receptionist and she didn't seem thrilled. She gave me a ring of keys to all of the locks and none of them worked. I need my stuff!! Since none of those keys worked, they had to go for the drill TO BREAK THE LOCK! I was mortified and laughing to myself because I am an idiot. After seeing sparks from the metal, the lock broke free and I was relieved. I feel bad for the roommates that were woken up after this. I looked in my wallet to see if the keys were there, but didn't see them. The next day, I found them in another bag, which was on my bed the whole time this whole fiasco occurred. I didn't tell anyone that of course...haha Next time, I need to put my contacts back on and then search for the keys.

Saturday: September 5th

Got up around 8:00 am and headed downstairs for breakfast. I slept pretty well and was ready to explore around Lake Como. I met two really cool girls named Jane and Maddie from the U.S. and we  decided to walk the Green trail to many points of the Como. They were traveling from the U.S. together for 4 months, and this was their second stop. We walked miles and saw many extravagant villas and hotels. We stopped for lunch and found a small beach area with sand and a volleyball court. We took a dip in Lake como and although the water was a bit chilly, it felt amazing. The water was very clean and just gazing at the mountains and Alps in the distance made me appreciate how this moment is perfect. We sam for a bit and sunbathed afterwards.

Clouds started to set in and we took a trolley train back to the downtown. Good thing we did, because it started to thunder, rain, and hail. I couldn't believe how a sunny day could turn into such a nightmare. We escaped the rain by going to a cafe and eating tiramasu and drinking cappuccinos. It was amazing.

 
We went back to the hostel and chatted with so many other people until dinner.We had BBQ and polenta for dinner. Soon the "social table" was full of people and the conversations were great. A couple of us decided to go to Karaoke night at a bar downtown. We arrived to a bunch of old Italians singing to Andrea Boccelli and other Italian Classics. We obviously stole the show with Backstreet boys and spice girls..haha typical. On our way back to the hostel, we decided to go for a midnight swim in the lake. it was so cold, but felt adventurous being in the water with the moon, stars, and amazing people. We parted ways and will definitely keep in touch.

Sunday: September 6

Took the ferry back to Varenna to catch a train back to Milan. I arrived and started walking through all of the shops en route to El Duomo. There were so many nice stores with reasonable priced clothing and everyone that I saw pass me on the street seem to be very fashionable. Even though I heard bad things about Milan from others, I really liked it. Very populated, but there was a lot of culture. Good music on the streets, great architecture, and good food. The Duomo was spectacular, but there were so many weirdos walking around that I left. Definitely a place where all pick pocketers reside. I made my way to Sempione, a big park and took a break from all of the walking. I also stumbled upon a Gelato Festival where I tried 5 different gelato flavors: Panetonne, Peaches with Basil and cinnamon, a buffalo mozzarella, tomato, basil, lemon, and pepper one, and cinnamon with citrus. They were all so amazing, but I liked panetonne best and ate it twice. After making my way all over milan, I took a bus back to the airport where my hotel was located. It was nice to finally sleep in a nice bed and relax.

-I had the most amazing time traveling alone in Italy and will definitely be doing more trips elsewhere. It's nice to go solo because you get yourself out of your comfort zone and able to meet lots of people you would otherwise not know if you were traveling with others. Traveling alone is great because you get to do what you want, when you want, whenever, Besides, I like to know a town by foot so many would probably be opposed after all the miles I walk. Italy is amazing and I will be coming back.

Rothenburg

Waking up to a bright room and blue skies this past Saturday morning, made me abandon my idea of staying home all day. I got dressed and chose a town at the spurt of the moment: Rothenburg.

I've heard that Rothenburg is a small, beautiful medieval town that has one of the best Christmas markets. It's timber framed houses and colorful buildings also makes it one of Germany's most unique towns and was actually an inspiration for Walt Disney's movie, "Pinnocchio." Filming was also done in Rothenburg for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part I and II. How cool is that!

I set out on a 2 hr drive and arrived by noon. The sight of pear trees and the historic town wall enclosing  the town made me excited to explore what was behind those walls. Walking through the cobblestone streets, I saw many tourists and the sound of Bach and Vivaldi performed by a string quartet in the town square. They were amazing!

I browsed through the many cute shops selling everything from christmas ornaments to medieval  knight armor suits and swords. I stopped for lunch at a family own restaurant where I had homemade pasta with fresh arugula, tomatoes, and pesto. It was to die for!!

 I also ate this dessert called a snowball, which is a trademark of Rothenburg. It is a shortcrust pastry rolled into balls and decorated with icing and powdered sugar. It was a bit sweet for my liking, but it was still very good. After walking through the nearby castle and rest of the town, I ended the day at a beautiful cafe where I had one of the best cakes I've ever ate. (Elsie, your cakes are #1 though :)).
I was so happy to explore this town on my own and appreciate its beauty.

Next Stop: Traveling to Lake Como this labor day weekend! I'm super excited to finally be able to go to Italy. This is my first solo trip and I will be staying at a hostel. I'm really excited :) Be sure to check out my following post when I return!

Have a safe and wonderful Labor Day Weekend :)


P.S. Hope you guys like the new blog layout! 

What do you live for?

Thinking about this question, the first two words that came to mind were: 1. Love and 2. Connection. But, I'm going to go with the word Love because it encompasses connections to many things and people.

So why do I choose Love?

Love is such a powerful word that many neglect to acknowledge or think deeply about. I think Love is the root of all positivity, happiness, and pureness in this world. Experiencing this feeling creates warmth, compassion, empathy, passion, gratitude and eliminates negative feelings that may set in from time to time.

The first love I live for is Love for myself. It might sound selfish, but nurturing and accepting myself helps nourish positive thoughts and actions that affect how I project myself to the world and how I treat people. Love is so humbling and helps me accept that everyone has flaws and not to take anything personally.

The second love I live for is Love for my Family and Friends. Nothing makes me happier than seeing them smile or experience moments of bliss. It's amazing to be surrounded by such positive energy and knowing they will always be there in times of triumph and difficulty. I want to support them and extend all of gratitude and love for how they have shaped me.

The third love I live for is Being in Love. There is nothing better than experiencing those sharp, rapid heartbeats when I see him or abandoning all insecurities and trusting that person completely. Merging hearts together to create an infinite lasting love. Though there is always the risk of heartbreak, not being vulnerable to the possibility of an endless love due to fear is even worse.

The fourth Love I live for is Love for all things in this world. A sunset, a happy dog, an excited cat, rainy days, beaches, tasty food, music, nature, meeting strangers, traveling, sleeping, being at home. There is so much love for all of these little things. Sometimes we forget to appreciate and build gratitude for them, but they are essential in completeling the puzzle.

All of these Loves I talked about are what I live for. They make me feel alive and make me do all I do everyday to generate more Love.

So what do you live for?  

  

Oatmeal Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies

I'm all about finding a healthier alternative to my favorite desserts. I am the "eat dessert before dinner girl!"

Trying to find a recipe for my clinic's Bake Sale, I came across a basic cookie made from bananas and oatmeal. I tweaked the recipe and made my own.The cookies are delicious and super easy to make! Definitely a try!

Servings: 18 

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of oatmeal 
• 4 bananas
• 1 tbsp coconut oil
• 1 1/2 cup chocolate chips
• coconut chips
• pinch of salt

 

Mash the bananas with the oatmeal, then add the rest of the ingredients. You don't have to add coconut chips. You can add any toppings you want.  

Enjoy!

Auschwitz

Have you ever felt deep sympathy for someone you barely know or an event that was never part of your life? 

As a naive 5th grader who first learned about the Holocaust reading Anne Frank's Diary and visiting a  memorial center on a school trip, feelings of sorrow set within me as I learned more about it. I'm not really sure what draws me so much to the horrific events that occurred during the Holocaust, but a deep longing to visit one of the most famous concentration camps, Auschwitz, has always been on my bucket list. Although it is nothing to get excited about, I was so motivated to make my way to Auschwitz during my stay in Poland.

I woke up at 6:00 a.m and took a 5 hr train ride (one way) from Warsaw to Auschwitz. I was feeling nervous and frightened not knowing what to expect and how I would react witnessing such a somber place.  I reflected on how much gratitude I have for having my family, friends, shelter, food, and the ability to live freely without being terrorized.

As I stepped off the train, the town seemed sort of run down, gloomy and eerie. Walking through the entrance of Auschwitz, there were so many tourists,  I had to wait 1 hr  30 min to enter the museum. Walking past the gate that read, "Arbeit macht frei" (Work brings freedom) brought a deep chill just thinking about how I was reading the same words those recited everyday as they struggled to stay alive.

Auschwitz was established in 1940 for the Polish Political prisoners. It was originally intended to be an instrument of terror and extermination of Poles. As time went by, Nazis began to deport people from all over Europe, mainly Jews to this camp. Most people think it was just jews, but there were Soviet prisoners of war, more than 21,000 gypsies, Czechs, Yugoslavs, Frenchmen, Austrians, Germans, homosexuals, and others. This location was favorable because it was isolated from the outside world and it had a railway junction connecting different places to this small town. Initially, the camp was comprised of 20 buildings, but as the number of people increased, 8 more blocks were built along with other camps known as Auschwitz II- Birkenau and Auschwitz III.

Since1942, Auschwitz became the biggest center for the mass extermination of European Jews.  The majority of Jews deported were killed in gas chambers immediately upon their arrival, without registration  and without identification numbers. Therefore, it is difficult to precisely determine how many people were murdered, but it is presumed to have been around 1.5 million victims.

So how were so many people manipulated into coming to Auschwitz?

Most were convinced they had been deported for resettlement in Eastern Europe. In particular, Jews from Greece and Hungary were deceived  by Nazis selling them non-existent plots of land, farms, shops or job opportunities in fictitious factories. That is why most deportees brought their most valuable possessions. Most of the places of arrest took place 1,500 miles away from the camps so people were forced onto sealed good wagons with no food provided and crowded like sardines. Since most traveled for many days before reaching their destination, many victims died from extreme exhaustion and hunger.

The trains unloaded at the goods station and here officers and doctors of the SS examined those who arrived allocating them into two categories: 1, healthy and able to work 2. weak, old, children. Those who were weak were immediately sent to the gas chamber. They were told they would be given a shower, so instructed to undress and herd below the showers peering from the ceilings. Instead of water coming through, the SS officers poured cyclone B where 15-20 minutes later, everyone was dead. The officers would then go and remove gold tooth fillings (crazy), rings, jewelry, and remove the hair from the bodies. There were 7 tons of hair found from all of the victims and it is on display in a glass room in the museum. It really hit home for me to witness this. Apparently hair was used to make fabric to make clothes and blankets. Talk about sickos.

cyclone b

a full room of shoes

Another devastating scene was a room full of everyone's shoes and also the suitcases of which all had names and address on it. Most of the victims thought they would be starting new lives or going home at some point. Instead there were tortured in the worst way for no reason.

I cannot imagine how those selected few survived Auschwitz. They were given a day's food ration of 1300-1700 calories with food consisting of coffee, soup made of rotten vegetables, 10 oz of break, margarine and sometimes 20 g of sausage and herbal tea and coffee. The inmates who worked more than 12 hours doing physical labor could barely suffice with the caloric intake. After the liberation, some of the women prisoners weighed 50-65 lbs.

There were so many horrific facts and history I learned on this tour that it would take many blog entries to describe it all. I could not help but maintain a serious face as I walked through this huge cemetery. Every rock,  dirt, trees, and grass are remnants of those who lost their lives in Auschwitz and whose ashes have disseminated into the earth. Walking these grounds was surreal. All of this didn't sink in until the train ride back home.

How could people do this to others? 

Why didn't no one stop them in time? 

So many questions that will probably never be answered. 

I pray for those innocent people who lost their lives and I bow my head in silence in their honor.