Tuesday, March 27, 2007

Europe

Even before I have finished planning for my trip to here and here, I have another trip to plan for! I am going back to Europe end May and I am really excited!

I’ll be attending a student symposium in Switzerland and they are really nice because they will be paying for my airfare and the date of return is flexible. Last year I was interning so I didn’t have much time to travel after the conference. I just spent a week roaming around Switzerland. This year I will have graduated and plan to travel a bit around central – eastern Europe. I am already quite sure I’m going to Austria. One of my dearest friends is Slovenian and she made me promise that I would visit her in Ljubljana when I came to Europe next so I am most definitely going to Slovenia. And of course (squuuueeeee!!!) Turkey.

This is all that is certain for now (not bad I think considering I found out I was selected only last night). More plans need to be made and finalized. But in any case I am terribly deliriously happy. And I know it’s too early and everything and I don’t want to jinx my plan to finally reach Turkiye, especially considering last summer didn’t work out…but oh well. So much traveling to do. So many plans to be made. I will never be able to get through these last two weeks of school. But did I mention how happy I am?

Have been listening to Isyankar on repeat since last night. I am so sure I will scream out with happiness when I finally see the Aya Sophya, just like I kept squeeling the first day I walked around Paris. Ok enough. I don’t want my plans to get jinxed.



17 comments:

Swathi Sambhani aka Chimera said...

color me in all shades and hues of green!

my only solace is that atleast i would be travelling a lille - off to Minneapolis the next week.

Falstaff said...

St. Gallen?

vanshica said...

hey

Revealed said...

Much much envy coming your way to flood you in green!

General Pervez Musharraf said...

Student symposium?

Is this a fancy name for a crash course on how to tinker with cuckoo clocks?

Alok said...

whoa! take care, lots of envy coming your way... hope it doesn't derail your plans... haha :)

meanwhile i will continue reading books about vienna!

Szerelem said...

Swathi: Well, I have been really lucky that I have gotten to travel so much over the past year or so :) Still, fingers very tightly crossed things work out for this trip.
Minneapolis – would be very cold, isn’t it?

Falstaff: Indeed. Did you participate in previous symposiums as well?

TR: Thank You.

V: heylo to you too. I see you have finally figured out how to use blogger.

Revealed: I really don’t deserve all the envy. I hate school so this is the only way to remain sane :D

General: No cuckoo clocks unfortunately. Only arguments on how to tinker with social/political/economic institutions.

Alok: Sigh, I know!!! Like I said – fingers crossed. Very much so.

Aishwarya said...

Turkey is incredible. :) Take many pictures and know that I am insanely jealous.

Falstaff said...

szerelem: Yes and no. I went to St. Gallen's twice (getting invited is so ridiculously easy - one day of writing on some random topic and you're in) but never really attended anything but the breakfasts and dinners. Spent my time more productively seeing Switzerland. It's amazing how much you can do in day trips from St. Gallen, provided you get out early and understand the rail timetables.

Szerelem said...

Aishwarya: I've heard only good things about Turkey so I am really looking forward to it. And rest assured I will take loads of pictures :D

Falstaff: Hehe. I think getting through is just pure luck...they pick some really weird essays sometimes. I apply from Singapore and everyone under the sun applies here, so it's a bit hard to be sure about getting through. And all said and done, the only reason I apply is well for the free air ticket. The food at St. Gallen's is, I think, reason enough to go :)
I covered a LOT of Switzerland in one week last year - it's ridiculously tiny and the long summer days make travel ideal. After my visit this year I'll probably have seen enough of cow country to never feel the need to go back!

General Pervez Musharraf said...

This symposium sounds like a great idea. I think I might go as well.

Durrow Gal! said...

Hey hey...congrats!!! Say hi to whoever I know that will be going this year! You have fun and take loads of photos!

TS said...

I haven't even been to Nepal.

The f****** Passport is just gathering more dust by the day.

Hmph.

Aishwarya said...

When's the Cambodia trip, by the way? I was there in 2004 and loved it.

Szerelem said...

Aishwarya: Cambodia trip is in ten days!! :D
I have wanted to visit for eons so I am quite excited. Any advice on must see things or anything else?

Leon Trotsky said...

The Khmer Rouge memorial at Phnom Penh is simply spectacular, I hear!

Aishwarya said...

ALL the Khmer Rouge related historical spots. It's emotionally one of the most draining things I've ever gone through, but you need to, you know? Our tour guide's dad had been disappeared during Pol Pot's rule.

Um. I did all the regular touristy things...do not go exploring in the temples without a hat. I learnt this the hard way. I remember very random things..like everywhere we bought bread in Siem Reap it was delicious...Angkor beer is cheaper than water...hardly anyone speaks English. And many great pictures can be taken.