the official europe entry.
coming up: a complete description about my life in europe.
DAY 1:
meeting at the airport, i was really shy and stuff and didnt talk too much. i recognized laura from her myspace. everyone seemed really cool and i knew we were all going to have a kick ass time. i sat near laura and jason on the plane. jason kept talking, the one thing he never stopped doing.
DAY 2:
we arrive in london, england. got my lugage easily and went through customs fast. we met our tour guide, Andy (or candy pants), he was so awesome. we get on our first bus that takes us to the hotel. we throw our stuff in a closet because our rooms werent ready. so we take the underground straight to piccadily circus.
we had some free time for lunch. that's when i found out my atm card didnt work and i was really upset about it. natalie bought me nugs from BK.
Andy took us to Trafalgar Square where the lion statues are.
then he took us to covant garden where there were all these small shops. natalie and i chilled most of the day together--we were the "tall girls" we went to a small church and then back to Trafalgar Square to have a quick look thought the British Art Museum before dinner. dinner was okay, it was fish and chips at an italian restaurant. i sat with nathan, laura, mo and ashely. we made our way back to the nearest undergroud. then back to the hotel. i found out i was rooming with the youngest girls on the trip who were from the same school but they werent really friends. one of them was supposedly more popular than the other. we called them the "prada pals" i think that was jesse's name. sweet one. well i guess while everyone else was partying with like norweign girls, i was in the hotel room on the phone trying to figure out my money situation.
a good story that we always used to comment on.
sam (pothead of the group) smoked some weed. laura was trying to get him into bed, he takes off his pants, sits down on his bed starts rubbing his thighs and goes "i neeeeeed jason, someone get me jasssson." hahah i wish i was there.
DAY 3:
we went on a city tour. we saw st. paul's cathedral, west minster abby, big ben, and buckingham palace. we also saw david schmier. Lee/lee lee/ida, tried to get a picture with him. then we split up for the first day of like 5 hours of free time. well it was me emma natalie nathan and jamie, we had lunch and then took a cab to the british museum.
me and guard. hawt.
emma natlie me nathan and jamie.
we were sitting out on the steps of the british museum and it started to rain, we decided to find the undergourd but it took us forever. we got to the tower hill station and nathan said he had to go to the bathroom. he was gone for an hour and a half. so we sat there waiting for him. and then he comes back and we are just like "i hate you" but in that hour and half i found out that jamie's older brother went to columbia and was an 08 like ingrid. it was a weird. then we went to dinner at this japanese place called wagamamma. i sat with laura and chris. then most of the group went to go see a play. while most of the guys stayed behind. we went back to piccadily circus for another hour. me jamie chris and laura sat in a park. then we got back to the hotel room. everyone else was out and having fun while i stayed in the hotel room-- i was a bit unsocial.
DAY 4:
we woke up early, got on the eurostar. i sat with jason. we got off at brussels, belgium. we took a bus, there was A LOT of traffic. we got off somewhere and we made our way to this square to have some free time. me natalie and emma went to the Manneken Pis statue:
then we got chocolate and waffles which were AMAZING. then we did a bit of shopping. then we met for dinner. i think i sat with the gucci gang, leelee didnt get my dialtones shirt that i was wearing. then we got back on the bus for a long drive to amsterdam. but the bus drive was amazing and i got to know people alot better. we got to our hotel, it was so much bigger than the last one, everyone was happy. we were in someone's room and i accidently walked in on okey taking a shower. then we watched porn because it was free. we were like a weird disfunctional family.
DAY 5:
amsterdam turned out to be so chill, it was awesome. we went on a canal cruise where we played all these slapping games, then to the diamond factory for the worst tour ever. then we had a little time to shop in the market. we had pizza for lunch. it was awesome. then we went to the anne frank house. it was interesting. the house was pretty big. we then had more free time where we bought stuff for people, that was a fun time. we sat down to watch street performers. this one street performer was awesome.
then we met for dinner which was the funniest dinner ever. i sat with natalie, sal and jamie.
we then walked through the red light district, which was an experience.
well we had another hour of free time which consisted of watching street performers.
we then went back to the hotel for some more free porn. we were running around like crazy if i can remember. it was fun.
DAY 6:
we got up and got on the official bus we traveled on most of the time with our bus driver, claudio, emma had a huge crush on him! heh.
we almost left jamie because everyone was running late. we stoped at the city of cologne where they had this huge cathedral. instead of lunch i got a pretzel and we found an internet cafe. i emailed peeps then went back on the bus for more of a drive. heidelberg is famous for some college or university. it took forever to walk to dinner. dinner was eh. but i remember it being a ton of fun. then we went to our hotel which was outside heidelberg. it was really small and i had to sleep on this cot that kept breaking. jamie and i were in the whole night while emma watched live 8, and kept saying how she could feel that coldplay was going to come on next, but they never did. then when emma got out of the shower she flashed me and natalie. god it was so funny. she tripped over her suitcase and her small towel fell off of her. it was hilarious.
DAY 7:
we got on the bus and traveled to rothenberg where they were famous for these pastry balls.
then on the bus again to travel to one of the first concentraion camps, Dachau. it was really depressing.
then back on the bus where it took awhile to get to the restaurant for dinner. they gave us all these fruit cups that no one wanted except for nathan:
then to our hotel which was a sheraton!!! it was so nice. our room was amazing. i wish i had spent my time better there.
DAY 8:
d00d i love how sam is holding up his boxers. it was the fourth of july.
we had our city tour of munich.
we went to this palace. then we got off in a square and a billion hours of free time. first i got a crepe that i didnt like in the end. then we found an internet cafe where we stayed at for like an hour. then we found a super market and bought lots of fanta and gummies. then we bought presents for sal because his birthday was in a few days. chris got a boner. it was funny, but only laura and me knew what was going on, jamie didnt get it. then we sat in a beer garden for awhile because we were tired. we went back to the square to watch break dancers. then got back on a bus to have dinner at the same restaurant that we ate at the night before. we liked our waiter in his offit. then back to the hotel to chill. i didnt like how i spent my time there either. :/
DAY 9:
well we are on the bus again. we stopped at Innsbruck, Austria for lunch. we got mcdonalds. then jamie and i walked around and ended up at the swarvoski crystal gallery. then on the bus again for a drive to venice. the mountains were really beautiful on the road passing through the alps and shit.
nathan and laura got into a fanta war.
random bus pics from that day.
eeeeeeeeemmmma.
nathan took off his pants.
we got to venice, the hotel room was cheap, but it was sooo close to the beach. everyone went for a swim before dinner while i stayed in the hotel room--bad decsion. after dinner we all went out. and jamie was being a douche and being like "meh meh meh im jamie, im a douche" so we ended up getting a bit lost and played mini golf, while laura, nathan, natalie, emma, aubrey and michelle had an awesome time.
DAY 10:
we took this boat to venice.
laura and i talked about scene haircuts.
we met another explorica group on the boat, who were traveling with their families. we went on a little venice tour, then to a glass blowing place. it was cool how they made the glass. then some people went on prepaid gondala rides. me natalie sal jamie and chris went to get a crappy expensive lunch and this stupid pizza place. then we walked around. sal totally pantsed me. then we decided to go on our own gondala ride.
it was fun. then the group got smaller and smaller. me and jamie went to lacoste with cora and tina (our chaparones). then we met up with jesse nathan and laura. we ended up playing this awesome card game that nathan invited called "good morning queen" we played it in this alley way and old italian men kept coming up to us and asking what we were doing. then we met up to get on ze boat again. on the boat we talked with guys from the other explorica group. then back to the hotel for last minute shopping with laura, then to the hotel for dinner. then we all got ready to go clubing. it was all very exicting. they wanted us to get buddy's. mine were emma and natalie. so we get to the place, we are the first ones in there and everyone starts getting drinks from the bar. everyone was pretty "hammered" as cora liked to call it. then jesse starting puking and me and sal had to help her back to walk to the hotel. then me emma and laura spent the rest of the night with jesse making sure she was alright. it was an experience.
DAY 11:
we all got together that morning some how and got on the bus. we stopped in assisi for a bit.
thats where we found out by the london bombings and i knew my mom was still in england at the time. but i knew she wasnt on any trains or buses. we visited St Frances' Basilica.
we had dinner and celebrated sal's 18th birthday. it was very exciting. the hotel in rome was shit, but i roomed with laura so it was okay. our curfew was 10 last night for a punishment from the other night, but we ended up trying to find a laundermat at 11 with tina.
DAY 12:
funny how thats the only picture of the whole group from that day.
sooo me laura and erika slept in 5 hours late and missed the vatican. we fucking flipped out. andy left a note in the lobby saying "those who didnt bother to turn up this morning, MUST stay in the hotel till the rest of the group returns at 9PM" well we found the other room that didnt wake up, which made 6 of us. so we make a bunch of phone calls to our parents telling them what had happened. later on we found out that the explorica offices said that it wasnt allowed for the group to leave anyone behind at the hotel. we were going to get in trouble, but then we didnt because of jason's mom. welll. so me laura erika and jamie decided we should make our way down to the colleseum
because we werent going to stay in the hotel til 9pm.
we didnt expect to find the rest of the group there, we actually didnt want to meet them there.
the gucci gang was pissed at us, or maybe just leelee was. well she started to bitch out laura. and we were like wtf. so they chaperones decided to drop us off at the spanish steps and then go get sal and jason at the hotel. so we climb up the spanish steps. and on the top there is a park. in the park we rented a bike fit for 6 people. it was so much fun. jamie crashed us into a tree, it was hilarious. then we got icecream, then some of us decided to hit up an internet cafe which i navigated everyone to. we then went back to the steps and chilled before we headed to dinner. dinner was nerveracking, i kept thinking about our punishment. i remember talking about andy and his "collegues" which are all women who we see swaping numbers with. its was so funny. then we got back to the hotel.
DAY 13:
we stopped at this town that was on some sort of hill or mountain-- Orvieto.
we had to get on this weird train that took us up there.
me natalie and emma got big bulky rings together. then we met up with some peeps and we walked through this market. that's where i got my child's laptop that plays that kick ass song. i didnt even care that the screen was broken and it was 10 euro. it was awesome. we then met up with the group at a church. i tried to party boy the boys in there little hacky sack circles that they always had (pot posse).
well we went down the mountain and then back on the bus. we arrived in florence pretty early. we got to our hotel. our hotel was pretty cloe to the center of florence so we walked down there to the doumo or what we liked to call the douchemo. of course we had shoilettes for bathrooms, where the shower head is insanely hanging close to the toilet. laura natalie and emma would mac on guys. it was funny. then me and emma went shopping then made some phone calls before dinner. then we had dinner. then we had an hour of free time, i called some more friends while nathan was getting drawn. we went back to the hotel and my room became the room where everyone went to. we had a good talk with the gucci gang, it was fun. we had a lot more in common with them that you woul have expected.
DAY 14:
we had a city tour in the morning.
it ended in the leather shop where everyone got leather bracelets. then jamie emma natalie okey and i got lunch at a real restaurant. then we went to see the statue of david. the line wasnt too bad. the statue is really awesome.
[thats not the real david, just a replica, but its placed where the orginal david was, we had to go into a museum to see the orginal]
then we go like the best gelato ever.
then it started to pour so we headed back to the hotel to dry off. then we went back out again, but jamie was hungry again and had to get pizza so me and laura went back to the leather shop to pick up her bracelts. then we went back to the hotel to go on the internet before dinner. aubrey went upstairs and claudio, our bus driver kissed her, she flipped out and this whole ordeal before dinner started with andy and phone calls. so dinner was fine, and then they told us they would take us to a night club. but some of us didnt feel like going and spending 14 euro just sitting there. more drama. so cora stayed behind with us. so me jamie emma laura chris and jesse hung out in my room all night, it was alot of fun.
jamie eating a tampon.
chris and laura.
emma.
when i went to mail some postcards, the guy at the front desk who we had talked to before in the internet room was rolling a joint. i laughed and he asked if i wanted to smoke with him.
i talked to george on the phone for the longest time. then everyone who went to night clubs started to come back.
DAY 15:
we got on our bus and stoped at a switzerland city name Lugano.
it was amazing.
me and emma had lunch together where we really got to talk. it was awesome. then we met back on the bus and arrived in lucerne for some dinner. then we went to the hotel which was amazing. it had the best view ever from the terraces.
we met this kid dave who was in people to people, who laura to aliking to. we found this room called the titlis room where there was pingpong and fooseball. everyone was making phone calls. i went to my room eventually. emma and nathan ended up staying up til 3am listening to this guy sing and play the piano.
DAY 16:
we had a city tour of Lucerne then about a billion hours of free time. then to this big gift shop where got stuff for everyone. me nathan natalie and emma had lunch at this department store then bought some stuff from there. then got ice cream, then rented a boat where we all took off our shirts.
the gucci gang and pot posse ended up seeing us. sal, jesse, aubrey michelle and chris came out with their boat. they crashed there's into our's and laura, standing up at the time, fell into their boat. later on we ended up breaking the boat, but we still got our deposit back. then me natalie and emma went for a bit of gift shopping. then we met for dinner. at dinner i sat with laura and emma, not knowing it was going to be our last meal together.
back at the hotel we met with another explorica group. i liked this kid anthony from the group who was from canada. he was a cutie. i wanted to get with him, but damn jamie. the gucci gang and pot posse were having a toga party:
sam getting ready
them before they got smashed. hahaha.
so a bunch of us were in the titlis room watching indian guys playing ping pong. jamie told me to go up to the toga party. eventually me and jesse did, it was the funniest thing we had ever seen. like ryan was dancing around the room with a belt around his head and his sheat made into a cap [quail man]
so it was very funny. we ended up leaving. i think we went back to the titlis room. i went back to the party to help everyone clean up. me and laura went to sam chris and matt's room to make sure everything was okay, sam was in bed shirtless and was like "laura get me matches and girls" so i jumped into bed with him gave him a hug and got off the bed he said "you're so awesome, julie" he was still calling me julie after 16 days. soo funny. so we were in the titlis room and i was wicked tired. so when i said good night to everyone and gave anthony a hug, but in doing so i grabbed his ass. supposedly the rest of the night he was talking about it.
DAY 17:
it was funny that laura gave the finger, considering the fact we would find out she was leaving soon.
so got to dijon, i think we stopped somewhere, or maybe not i forget. so me and emma shopped at h&m. it was sweet. then we met at the hotel for dinner. after dinner everyone was trying to make a billion phone calls, the line was huge and went on forever. i finally got my chance on the phone til midnight. but before that i was on the internet. me and jamie "broke up" whatever. when i came downstairs i found out that laura was going to be sent home for overall having a bad attitude. such bullshit. me and emma were so upset about it. but we spent the remaining hours of the night bitching about it in the computer room. but laura was going home, because she didnt want to be with cora and tina anymore. it was all very sad. i eventually went upstairs.
DAY 18:
arrived at our hotel then laura was leaving for the airport, it was so fucking sad. everyone put their luggage in me and jesse's room. so we got the metro to notre dame. i had lunch with natalie emma and nathan. then notre dame then ice cream. then we went to the Arc de Triomphe a few of us climbed it.
[view]
then went down, got water. then we went early for dinner. afterwards we took passed by the Moulin Rouge:
then we chilled at the Sacre Coeur (sacred heart) church on a hill. then we had to climb down all these stairs to get back to the metro:
then back to the hotel for fireworks, it was bastille day. nathan got a bit tipsy for the first in his life. we were supposed to be buddies too. me emma and michelle had fun with someone's journal. god it was soo funny. chris slept in me and jesse's room that night because he didnt want to stay in a room with matt and sam who were smoking and he wouldnt get a good sleep. we fell asleep to european music videos.
DAY 19:
me and jesse woke up a bit late.
we went on a city tour. then to the eeffel tower for some pics.
then a bunch of us went to versaille. it was okay. not alot of fun. after the tour we went outside in the gardens.
chris was happy.
we then went to a park outside of the palace and sat there for an hour with this ranom black guy. then back to the bus to meet up with the rest of the group. then had dinner. after dinner we went on this boring seine cruise. we just sat there and did nothing. most of us went up the eiffel tower. we ended up cutting everyone online and it was a great bonding experience with the group. haha. me nathan and natalie ended up walking down most of the tower. it was fun.
while waiting for people, sal gave andy a piggie back ride. classic.
then we went back to the hotel. a bunch of people got drunk out on this grass roof. i dont remember what i did that night. i guess i was on the phone alot.
DAY 20:
we went to the lourve early in the morning. then met everyone, had an awesome lunch together then to the hotel to get our luggage then to the train station. we took a five hour train ride to the border of france and spain. we played cards and slept. i ended up listening to sam's ipod mini, we had alot of music in common, i wish i would have said something.
then the overnight train to madrid from hell haha.
creepy spanish guys wanted to get with us.
DAY 21:
got off the train, then to a bus, then to breakfast at the Museo de Jambon. we visted the royal palace. we went to the hotel, dropped off the luggage. then free time for lunch. we met again to visit the prado museum. a few of us got to stay behind to have more time in the museum. then walked back and picked up sweet posters for 5 euro each. then back to the hotel and had an hour before dinner. we had a tapas dinner. it reminded me of the spanish midterm. then we got churros and hot chocalate.
then we went back to the hotel to chill. we had some fun reading okey's diary. there was some fucking major drama though. i ended up having like 5 sangrias and they made me really drowsy. i was on the computer a lot that night. i guess we were being too loud at night so this woman on our floor came out of her room and started screaming "I VANT SLEEP I NEED TO SLEEP" it was funny, but then jesse was getting yelled at but jesse had been sitting there reading in the hall. someone had left my laptop out in the hallway in front of the door. like wtfux.
DAY 22:
only a few of us went to toledo that morning. we went to the spanish catholic capitail chruch which was beautiful. then we went to this random room with a grave in it. then to an old temple that existed before the spanish inquisition. then jamie and leelee got into a fight over if its important to know about the spanish inquisition. it was weird. then we drove back to madrid to have a billion hours free time. me emma and natalie got our last lunch, then went shopping at h&m, then a supermarket for candies and fanta. then gift shopping for people. we met back at the hotel for our last dinner which ended up being a mess. we sat down had our dinner and then people started throwing food, so a bunch of us left, then everyone left and we were standing outside for awhile waiting to leave. then cora and tina yelled at us. so then back to the hotel room for our last night, fucking insane:
we went to bed around 2ish, they said the front desk threatened to call the police on us. we had to wake up at 3. then we said goodbye to sam and leelee who were going on a different plane at a later time.
jamie and jason got into a fist fight, it was entertaining.
then we got to the airport, jamie and nathan were going on different planes, had to say goodbye to them.
ryan kari erika alicia adina
matt me and taylor--haha.
so on the plane to madrid to london i sat with erika and sal, we were surrounded by jamacain olympic team. i slept all the way to london. we had to go switch terminals. then i did a bit of shopping for ingrid. then back to another plane to JFK. i got to switch with sal to sit with emma. it was a good flight, good movies. we got off the plane, it still didnt hit us that it was our moments together. we went through customs then through the gate to see my dad. i wanted to start crying so much when i turned around to see emma. i gave her a hug along with everyone else. i even hugged matt and taylor who i didnt even spend time with. i left without saying goodbye to natalie who got stucked behind the international passport line. that really sucked.
and then i got home and all was well. i learned a lot of things about myself. i learned about different people from around the country. and it just sucks that i probably will never see them again. i really hope i can go on another tour like this sometime again. and all i do now is dream about being with everyone again touring different places and shit.
i miss it.
DAY 1:
meeting at the airport, i was really shy and stuff and didnt talk too much. i recognized laura from her myspace. everyone seemed really cool and i knew we were all going to have a kick ass time. i sat near laura and jason on the plane. jason kept talking, the one thing he never stopped doing.
DAY 2:
we arrive in london, england. got my lugage easily and went through customs fast. we met our tour guide, Andy (or candy pants), he was so awesome. we get on our first bus that takes us to the hotel. we throw our stuff in a closet because our rooms werent ready. so we take the underground straight to piccadily circus.
we had some free time for lunch. that's when i found out my atm card didnt work and i was really upset about it. natalie bought me nugs from BK.
Andy took us to Trafalgar Square where the lion statues are.
then he took us to covant garden where there were all these small shops. natalie and i chilled most of the day together--we were the "tall girls" we went to a small church and then back to Trafalgar Square to have a quick look thought the British Art Museum before dinner. dinner was okay, it was fish and chips at an italian restaurant. i sat with nathan, laura, mo and ashely. we made our way back to the nearest undergroud. then back to the hotel. i found out i was rooming with the youngest girls on the trip who were from the same school but they werent really friends. one of them was supposedly more popular than the other. we called them the "prada pals" i think that was jesse's name. sweet one. well i guess while everyone else was partying with like norweign girls, i was in the hotel room on the phone trying to figure out my money situation.
a good story that we always used to comment on.
sam (pothead of the group) smoked some weed. laura was trying to get him into bed, he takes off his pants, sits down on his bed starts rubbing his thighs and goes "i neeeeeed jason, someone get me jasssson." hahah i wish i was there.
DAY 3:
we went on a city tour. we saw st. paul's cathedral, west minster abby, big ben, and buckingham palace. we also saw david schmier. Lee/lee lee/ida, tried to get a picture with him. then we split up for the first day of like 5 hours of free time. well it was me emma natalie nathan and jamie, we had lunch and then took a cab to the british museum.
me and guard. hawt.
emma natlie me nathan and jamie.
we were sitting out on the steps of the british museum and it started to rain, we decided to find the undergourd but it took us forever. we got to the tower hill station and nathan said he had to go to the bathroom. he was gone for an hour and a half. so we sat there waiting for him. and then he comes back and we are just like "i hate you" but in that hour and half i found out that jamie's older brother went to columbia and was an 08 like ingrid. it was a weird. then we went to dinner at this japanese place called wagamamma. i sat with laura and chris. then most of the group went to go see a play. while most of the guys stayed behind. we went back to piccadily circus for another hour. me jamie chris and laura sat in a park. then we got back to the hotel room. everyone else was out and having fun while i stayed in the hotel room-- i was a bit unsocial.
DAY 4:
we woke up early, got on the eurostar. i sat with jason. we got off at brussels, belgium. we took a bus, there was A LOT of traffic. we got off somewhere and we made our way to this square to have some free time. me natalie and emma went to the Manneken Pis statue:
then we got chocolate and waffles which were AMAZING. then we did a bit of shopping. then we met for dinner. i think i sat with the gucci gang, leelee didnt get my dialtones shirt that i was wearing. then we got back on the bus for a long drive to amsterdam. but the bus drive was amazing and i got to know people alot better. we got to our hotel, it was so much bigger than the last one, everyone was happy. we were in someone's room and i accidently walked in on okey taking a shower. then we watched porn because it was free. we were like a weird disfunctional family.
DAY 5:
amsterdam turned out to be so chill, it was awesome. we went on a canal cruise where we played all these slapping games, then to the diamond factory for the worst tour ever. then we had a little time to shop in the market. we had pizza for lunch. it was awesome. then we went to the anne frank house. it was interesting. the house was pretty big. we then had more free time where we bought stuff for people, that was a fun time. we sat down to watch street performers. this one street performer was awesome.
then we met for dinner which was the funniest dinner ever. i sat with natalie, sal and jamie.
we then walked through the red light district, which was an experience.
well we had another hour of free time which consisted of watching street performers.
we then went back to the hotel for some more free porn. we were running around like crazy if i can remember. it was fun.
DAY 6:
we got up and got on the official bus we traveled on most of the time with our bus driver, claudio, emma had a huge crush on him! heh.
we almost left jamie because everyone was running late. we stoped at the city of cologne where they had this huge cathedral. instead of lunch i got a pretzel and we found an internet cafe. i emailed peeps then went back on the bus for more of a drive. heidelberg is famous for some college or university. it took forever to walk to dinner. dinner was eh. but i remember it being a ton of fun. then we went to our hotel which was outside heidelberg. it was really small and i had to sleep on this cot that kept breaking. jamie and i were in the whole night while emma watched live 8, and kept saying how she could feel that coldplay was going to come on next, but they never did. then when emma got out of the shower she flashed me and natalie. god it was so funny. she tripped over her suitcase and her small towel fell off of her. it was hilarious.
DAY 7:
we got on the bus and traveled to rothenberg where they were famous for these pastry balls.
then on the bus again to travel to one of the first concentraion camps, Dachau. it was really depressing.
then back on the bus where it took awhile to get to the restaurant for dinner. they gave us all these fruit cups that no one wanted except for nathan:
then to our hotel which was a sheraton!!! it was so nice. our room was amazing. i wish i had spent my time better there.
DAY 8:
d00d i love how sam is holding up his boxers. it was the fourth of july.
we had our city tour of munich.
we went to this palace. then we got off in a square and a billion hours of free time. first i got a crepe that i didnt like in the end. then we found an internet cafe where we stayed at for like an hour. then we found a super market and bought lots of fanta and gummies. then we bought presents for sal because his birthday was in a few days. chris got a boner. it was funny, but only laura and me knew what was going on, jamie didnt get it. then we sat in a beer garden for awhile because we were tired. we went back to the square to watch break dancers. then got back on a bus to have dinner at the same restaurant that we ate at the night before. we liked our waiter in his offit. then back to the hotel to chill. i didnt like how i spent my time there either. :/
DAY 9:
well we are on the bus again. we stopped at Innsbruck, Austria for lunch. we got mcdonalds. then jamie and i walked around and ended up at the swarvoski crystal gallery. then on the bus again for a drive to venice. the mountains were really beautiful on the road passing through the alps and shit.
nathan and laura got into a fanta war.
random bus pics from that day.
eeeeeeeeemmmma.
nathan took off his pants.
we got to venice, the hotel room was cheap, but it was sooo close to the beach. everyone went for a swim before dinner while i stayed in the hotel room--bad decsion. after dinner we all went out. and jamie was being a douche and being like "meh meh meh im jamie, im a douche" so we ended up getting a bit lost and played mini golf, while laura, nathan, natalie, emma, aubrey and michelle had an awesome time.
DAY 10:
we took this boat to venice.
laura and i talked about scene haircuts.
we met another explorica group on the boat, who were traveling with their families. we went on a little venice tour, then to a glass blowing place. it was cool how they made the glass. then some people went on prepaid gondala rides. me natalie sal jamie and chris went to get a crappy expensive lunch and this stupid pizza place. then we walked around. sal totally pantsed me. then we decided to go on our own gondala ride.
it was fun. then the group got smaller and smaller. me and jamie went to lacoste with cora and tina (our chaparones). then we met up with jesse nathan and laura. we ended up playing this awesome card game that nathan invited called "good morning queen" we played it in this alley way and old italian men kept coming up to us and asking what we were doing. then we met up to get on ze boat again. on the boat we talked with guys from the other explorica group. then back to the hotel for last minute shopping with laura, then to the hotel for dinner. then we all got ready to go clubing. it was all very exicting. they wanted us to get buddy's. mine were emma and natalie. so we get to the place, we are the first ones in there and everyone starts getting drinks from the bar. everyone was pretty "hammered" as cora liked to call it. then jesse starting puking and me and sal had to help her back to walk to the hotel. then me emma and laura spent the rest of the night with jesse making sure she was alright. it was an experience.
DAY 11:
we all got together that morning some how and got on the bus. we stopped in assisi for a bit.
thats where we found out by the london bombings and i knew my mom was still in england at the time. but i knew she wasnt on any trains or buses. we visited St Frances' Basilica.
we had dinner and celebrated sal's 18th birthday. it was very exciting. the hotel in rome was shit, but i roomed with laura so it was okay. our curfew was 10 last night for a punishment from the other night, but we ended up trying to find a laundermat at 11 with tina.
DAY 12:
funny how thats the only picture of the whole group from that day.
sooo me laura and erika slept in 5 hours late and missed the vatican. we fucking flipped out. andy left a note in the lobby saying "those who didnt bother to turn up this morning, MUST stay in the hotel till the rest of the group returns at 9PM" well we found the other room that didnt wake up, which made 6 of us. so we make a bunch of phone calls to our parents telling them what had happened. later on we found out that the explorica offices said that it wasnt allowed for the group to leave anyone behind at the hotel. we were going to get in trouble, but then we didnt because of jason's mom. welll. so me laura erika and jamie decided we should make our way down to the colleseum
because we werent going to stay in the hotel til 9pm.
we didnt expect to find the rest of the group there, we actually didnt want to meet them there.
the gucci gang was pissed at us, or maybe just leelee was. well she started to bitch out laura. and we were like wtf. so they chaperones decided to drop us off at the spanish steps and then go get sal and jason at the hotel. so we climb up the spanish steps. and on the top there is a park. in the park we rented a bike fit for 6 people. it was so much fun. jamie crashed us into a tree, it was hilarious. then we got icecream, then some of us decided to hit up an internet cafe which i navigated everyone to. we then went back to the steps and chilled before we headed to dinner. dinner was nerveracking, i kept thinking about our punishment. i remember talking about andy and his "collegues" which are all women who we see swaping numbers with. its was so funny. then we got back to the hotel.
DAY 13:
we stopped at this town that was on some sort of hill or mountain-- Orvieto.
we had to get on this weird train that took us up there.
me natalie and emma got big bulky rings together. then we met up with some peeps and we walked through this market. that's where i got my child's laptop that plays that kick ass song. i didnt even care that the screen was broken and it was 10 euro. it was awesome. we then met up with the group at a church. i tried to party boy the boys in there little hacky sack circles that they always had (pot posse).
well we went down the mountain and then back on the bus. we arrived in florence pretty early. we got to our hotel. our hotel was pretty cloe to the center of florence so we walked down there to the doumo or what we liked to call the douchemo. of course we had shoilettes for bathrooms, where the shower head is insanely hanging close to the toilet. laura natalie and emma would mac on guys. it was funny. then me and emma went shopping then made some phone calls before dinner. then we had dinner. then we had an hour of free time, i called some more friends while nathan was getting drawn. we went back to the hotel and my room became the room where everyone went to. we had a good talk with the gucci gang, it was fun. we had a lot more in common with them that you woul have expected.
DAY 14:
we had a city tour in the morning.
it ended in the leather shop where everyone got leather bracelets. then jamie emma natalie okey and i got lunch at a real restaurant. then we went to see the statue of david. the line wasnt too bad. the statue is really awesome.
[thats not the real david, just a replica, but its placed where the orginal david was, we had to go into a museum to see the orginal]
then we go like the best gelato ever.
then it started to pour so we headed back to the hotel to dry off. then we went back out again, but jamie was hungry again and had to get pizza so me and laura went back to the leather shop to pick up her bracelts. then we went back to the hotel to go on the internet before dinner. aubrey went upstairs and claudio, our bus driver kissed her, she flipped out and this whole ordeal before dinner started with andy and phone calls. so dinner was fine, and then they told us they would take us to a night club. but some of us didnt feel like going and spending 14 euro just sitting there. more drama. so cora stayed behind with us. so me jamie emma laura chris and jesse hung out in my room all night, it was alot of fun.
jamie eating a tampon.
chris and laura.
emma.
when i went to mail some postcards, the guy at the front desk who we had talked to before in the internet room was rolling a joint. i laughed and he asked if i wanted to smoke with him.
i talked to george on the phone for the longest time. then everyone who went to night clubs started to come back.
DAY 15:
we got on our bus and stoped at a switzerland city name Lugano.
it was amazing.
me and emma had lunch together where we really got to talk. it was awesome. then we met back on the bus and arrived in lucerne for some dinner. then we went to the hotel which was amazing. it had the best view ever from the terraces.
we met this kid dave who was in people to people, who laura to aliking to. we found this room called the titlis room where there was pingpong and fooseball. everyone was making phone calls. i went to my room eventually. emma and nathan ended up staying up til 3am listening to this guy sing and play the piano.
DAY 16:
we had a city tour of Lucerne then about a billion hours of free time. then to this big gift shop where got stuff for everyone. me nathan natalie and emma had lunch at this department store then bought some stuff from there. then got ice cream, then rented a boat where we all took off our shirts.
the gucci gang and pot posse ended up seeing us. sal, jesse, aubrey michelle and chris came out with their boat. they crashed there's into our's and laura, standing up at the time, fell into their boat. later on we ended up breaking the boat, but we still got our deposit back. then me natalie and emma went for a bit of gift shopping. then we met for dinner. at dinner i sat with laura and emma, not knowing it was going to be our last meal together.
back at the hotel we met with another explorica group. i liked this kid anthony from the group who was from canada. he was a cutie. i wanted to get with him, but damn jamie. the gucci gang and pot posse were having a toga party:
sam getting ready
them before they got smashed. hahaha.
so a bunch of us were in the titlis room watching indian guys playing ping pong. jamie told me to go up to the toga party. eventually me and jesse did, it was the funniest thing we had ever seen. like ryan was dancing around the room with a belt around his head and his sheat made into a cap [quail man]
so it was very funny. we ended up leaving. i think we went back to the titlis room. i went back to the party to help everyone clean up. me and laura went to sam chris and matt's room to make sure everything was okay, sam was in bed shirtless and was like "laura get me matches and girls" so i jumped into bed with him gave him a hug and got off the bed he said "you're so awesome, julie" he was still calling me julie after 16 days. soo funny. so we were in the titlis room and i was wicked tired. so when i said good night to everyone and gave anthony a hug, but in doing so i grabbed his ass. supposedly the rest of the night he was talking about it.
DAY 17:
it was funny that laura gave the finger, considering the fact we would find out she was leaving soon.
so got to dijon, i think we stopped somewhere, or maybe not i forget. so me and emma shopped at h&m. it was sweet. then we met at the hotel for dinner. after dinner everyone was trying to make a billion phone calls, the line was huge and went on forever. i finally got my chance on the phone til midnight. but before that i was on the internet. me and jamie "broke up" whatever. when i came downstairs i found out that laura was going to be sent home for overall having a bad attitude. such bullshit. me and emma were so upset about it. but we spent the remaining hours of the night bitching about it in the computer room. but laura was going home, because she didnt want to be with cora and tina anymore. it was all very sad. i eventually went upstairs.
DAY 18:
arrived at our hotel then laura was leaving for the airport, it was so fucking sad. everyone put their luggage in me and jesse's room. so we got the metro to notre dame. i had lunch with natalie emma and nathan. then notre dame then ice cream. then we went to the Arc de Triomphe a few of us climbed it.
[view]
then went down, got water. then we went early for dinner. afterwards we took passed by the Moulin Rouge:
then we chilled at the Sacre Coeur (sacred heart) church on a hill. then we had to climb down all these stairs to get back to the metro:
then back to the hotel for fireworks, it was bastille day. nathan got a bit tipsy for the first in his life. we were supposed to be buddies too. me emma and michelle had fun with someone's journal. god it was soo funny. chris slept in me and jesse's room that night because he didnt want to stay in a room with matt and sam who were smoking and he wouldnt get a good sleep. we fell asleep to european music videos.
DAY 19:
me and jesse woke up a bit late.
we went on a city tour. then to the eeffel tower for some pics.
then a bunch of us went to versaille. it was okay. not alot of fun. after the tour we went outside in the gardens.
chris was happy.
we then went to a park outside of the palace and sat there for an hour with this ranom black guy. then back to the bus to meet up with the rest of the group. then had dinner. after dinner we went on this boring seine cruise. we just sat there and did nothing. most of us went up the eiffel tower. we ended up cutting everyone online and it was a great bonding experience with the group. haha. me nathan and natalie ended up walking down most of the tower. it was fun.
while waiting for people, sal gave andy a piggie back ride. classic.
then we went back to the hotel. a bunch of people got drunk out on this grass roof. i dont remember what i did that night. i guess i was on the phone alot.
DAY 20:
we went to the lourve early in the morning. then met everyone, had an awesome lunch together then to the hotel to get our luggage then to the train station. we took a five hour train ride to the border of france and spain. we played cards and slept. i ended up listening to sam's ipod mini, we had alot of music in common, i wish i would have said something.
then the overnight train to madrid from hell haha.
creepy spanish guys wanted to get with us.
DAY 21:
got off the train, then to a bus, then to breakfast at the Museo de Jambon. we visted the royal palace. we went to the hotel, dropped off the luggage. then free time for lunch. we met again to visit the prado museum. a few of us got to stay behind to have more time in the museum. then walked back and picked up sweet posters for 5 euro each. then back to the hotel and had an hour before dinner. we had a tapas dinner. it reminded me of the spanish midterm. then we got churros and hot chocalate.
then we went back to the hotel to chill. we had some fun reading okey's diary. there was some fucking major drama though. i ended up having like 5 sangrias and they made me really drowsy. i was on the computer a lot that night. i guess we were being too loud at night so this woman on our floor came out of her room and started screaming "I VANT SLEEP I NEED TO SLEEP" it was funny, but then jesse was getting yelled at but jesse had been sitting there reading in the hall. someone had left my laptop out in the hallway in front of the door. like wtfux.
DAY 22:
only a few of us went to toledo that morning. we went to the spanish catholic capitail chruch which was beautiful. then we went to this random room with a grave in it. then to an old temple that existed before the spanish inquisition. then jamie and leelee got into a fight over if its important to know about the spanish inquisition. it was weird. then we drove back to madrid to have a billion hours free time. me emma and natalie got our last lunch, then went shopping at h&m, then a supermarket for candies and fanta. then gift shopping for people. we met back at the hotel for our last dinner which ended up being a mess. we sat down had our dinner and then people started throwing food, so a bunch of us left, then everyone left and we were standing outside for awhile waiting to leave. then cora and tina yelled at us. so then back to the hotel room for our last night, fucking insane:
we went to bed around 2ish, they said the front desk threatened to call the police on us. we had to wake up at 3. then we said goodbye to sam and leelee who were going on a different plane at a later time.
jamie and jason got into a fist fight, it was entertaining.
then we got to the airport, jamie and nathan were going on different planes, had to say goodbye to them.
ryan kari erika alicia adina
matt me and taylor--haha.
so on the plane to madrid to london i sat with erika and sal, we were surrounded by jamacain olympic team. i slept all the way to london. we had to go switch terminals. then i did a bit of shopping for ingrid. then back to another plane to JFK. i got to switch with sal to sit with emma. it was a good flight, good movies. we got off the plane, it still didnt hit us that it was our moments together. we went through customs then through the gate to see my dad. i wanted to start crying so much when i turned around to see emma. i gave her a hug along with everyone else. i even hugged matt and taylor who i didnt even spend time with. i left without saying goodbye to natalie who got stucked behind the international passport line. that really sucked.
and then i got home and all was well. i learned a lot of things about myself. i learned about different people from around the country. and it just sucks that i probably will never see them again. i really hope i can go on another tour like this sometime again. and all i do now is dream about being with everyone again touring different places and shit.
i miss it.