Keeping Up with Kenzie

Today was quite the day of driving from Switzerland to Germany to France and back to Germany we went but all I can say is thank goodness for no border control. On our road trip we were able to visit Cailler Chocolate Factory eat way to much chocolate, get stuck in some nasty traffic, have a wonderful picnic by the Rhein River in Basel, see some villages and towns, and lastly arrive at a great little hotel in Germany where I still am not quite sure is exactly but I do know it is very nice, they have the sweetest employees, and wonderful food so works for me! Switzerland was an absolutely superb stop and included everything from delicious food, wonderful company visiting with family, and scenic views. Yesterday included loads of walking which was kind of a kick in the butt for Kilimanjaro and much needed. We were staying on Lake Geneva in the small town of Padeaux and were able to walk around the quaint villages and absolutely breathtaking lake. The only downside was it was raining like...

Yesterday brought us to our last Italy stop- Venice! I now understand why cities are not designed with canals as roadways because while they may be stunning it is an absolute complete waste of time. Our drive from Florence was 3 hours and by the time we arrived at our hotel in Venice it had taken us 6 hours. It took a car, boat, and walking to get us there but in the end well worth it. Venice is possibly one of the most picturesque cities and offers a photo at ever turn and canal but essentially felt like an abandoned city with beautiful architecture and delicious food aka Disneyland for adults. This morning we left after breakfast wanting to leave before the rain came because canals that are filled with ninety percent of the cities waste is not what you want to be stepping in when they overflow. After retrieving our 8 pieces of luggage (that's right 8 for 3 people) we piled in the car and hit the road for Switzerland! Over the course of our 6 1/2 hour drive we were able to see be...

Today was a modgepodge of Florence with shopping, eating, swimming and sightseeing. We had a beautiful breakfast at our villa overlooking the city which included possibly the best coffee I have ever had. We then headed towards the city to the San Lorenzo Markets where I found my perfect tote bag that I have been on the hunt for, and after all what is a trip to Italy without buying some leather! We then strolled through the streets seeing some beautiful piazzas and breathtaking cathedrals. For lunch we stumbled upon a hidden gem in a courtyard which had a mozzarella bar (much better than a regular bar.) After lunch and some more sightseeing we headed up to the little town of Fiesole and drove through the narrow winding roads which feature breathtaking scenery and views. The town also features a small gelato shop that has caramelized fig gelato aka the best thing invented since the airplane. The afternoon consisted of swimming and lounging by the pool which was followed by  dinner w...

From Monaco to France to Italy we went today... Greggors and Mama Cin picked me up in Montpellier yesterday morning, got to meet my host mom, and see Montpellier. It was trés fun and I think they loooved the city. After a delish breakfast of chia pudding and avocado toast we got the road to Monaco, we stopped for lunch in Cannes- had some great seafood, saw where the film festival is and got into Monaco by dark. Monaco is the definition of saucy or maybe bougie, but it is absolutely dripping in designer clothes, jewels, and the nicest cars I've ever seen, I mean if you don't have a Lamborghini you are given a sideways glance. However it was so so fun to be visitors, we were able to see some great yachts, very nice horses for the Longines jumping competition, and had excellent people watching. Our hotel was extraordinary and right next to the casino and just made you feel glamorous. Today we started the day with a wonderful breakfast in Monte Carlo, saw the casino which is one ...

Almost time to say au revoir to Montpellier! My last day here was a blissful one- sleeping in, having a late breakfast, heading to the beach, and packing all of my things. By some stroke of luck I was able to fit all of my things into my suitcase, unfortunately, I'm not sure as to how I'm going to wear any of those items of clothing because my body is extraordinarily sunburnt. My last dinner with my host mom was delicious some pasta, an omlettle, salad, and watermelon made it quite the treat alongside her company. Thinking back about my trip I can't help but think how incredibly thankful I am for all the amazing experiences I had been able to accumulate. From eating Moroccan food in Paris, to picking at the beach, to jumping off waterfalls, to dancing until 5 a.m. Montpellier has truly been the experience of a lifetime. Without my host mom/family, roommate, teachers, and friends I doubt any of these memories would have been possible. However it is time for the next adventur...

Aaaaand Montpellier is almost a wrap! The past 2 days have been oh so bitter sweet with many goodbyes with many good times. Yesterday was my last day of service at the after-school care  I have been working, "Zadigozinc". The kids were so incredibly sweet and gave me so much love and jus let all of their barriers down. One of the little girls Aunt and I were talking last week about food and this week she made and brought me an entire platter of couscous with different vegetables, I mean dos it get any more thoughtful than that? Yesterday evening we had our closing dinner as a group at a relish restaurant next to the river which was followed by staying up until 5 a.m because it was Fete de la Music! Fete de la Music is the music festival that is held all across France on the 21st of June and was one of the most fun nights I've had. There are different musicians on every corner of the city from rock to reggae and everyone and their mother is out. The only downside was that ...

Change of locations with my room today, I have moved from the downstairs studio to the upstairs room and simply adore it! Today was the last day of French class which resulted in a not so happy French teacher a.k.a he said he that he was in the same boat with my last French teacher who hated me, but hey C'est la vie! As my time here is wrapping up I spent the afternoon wondering the streets and alleys of Montpellier and enjoyed the most delicious raspberry macaroon with a lemon compote, I mean does it get much better than that?! The days here are long and lovely and it is so bittersweet as school is wrapping up, but time to make every moment count!

I now know why Barcelona is in Ed Sheeren and George Ezra's songs. Friday afternoon me and 5 of my friends took the train from Montpellier to Barcelona and right when n we got there is a refreshing change of hospitality, everyone wanted to help us get to here we were going, nicer, and just friendlier-those qualities aren't so much in the French regime. We made it to our hostel easily, it was nice and clean and kind of felt like we were all just staring in one big house. The area was a bit shotty but the location over all was fabulous and were a 2 minute walk from the main street in La Rambla. Friday night we went to the coolest Tapas restaurant that had a dj, disco ball, and some delicious home made food. The host was very friendly and ended getting all of us into a club across the street, love the Spanish hospitality. We ended up at this very fun little hole in the wall dancing club with a live band and salsa danced until 4 in the morning.  In La Rambla you can be walking down...

I have been working past the language barrier and finally feel as if I am having a minor break through. The past two days have been a whirlwind, yesterday I worked at my service site Zadigozinc and after spending four hours with them I couldn't help but be happy. The kids are some of the kindest, generous, and most patient I have met. They just want to get to know you, are so fun and lively and have made some wonderful artwork for me. Today was my second to last day of French classes (YAY) and my tres French, French teacher managed to cut me some slack. Wen went to my favorite restaurant here for lunch and had a deliceux plat du jour of tabouli, melon, prosciutto, and vegetables, oh how I'm going to miss the French food. At Croix Rouge I did more shopping than volunteering, but it was a wonderful afternoon there and the air-conditioned room was a big plus in the smoldering heat. The weather here is beautiful but bizarre especially when today it was 95 degrees and started hailin...

St. Gulhiem Le Desert Where else in the world can you get away with eating a wheel of cheese? Drawing from kids at one of my service sights Zadigozinc

The language barrier is officially getting old. It is also getting old for my French Professor who was not so happy with me today and my lack of pronunciation skills. I have never realized how big of a disadvantage it is of not knowing a language. So often us English speakers take for granted the relevance of our language and need to step back and think how frustrating it must be for those who do not understand English. Just to be able to order something you want at a restaurant is difficult, which can be a pro and con because at least now I'm becoming very easy going! Yesterday, my adventures took me to a great thai restaurant where I ate an obsene amount of pad thai and then to Montpellier's river, which is very peaceful but needs a little revamping to get to the Seine's level. The whether the past two days has been utterly hot in the way that makes you sweat even after you take a shower. Today, I attempted going to the beach however the schedule online did not match up w...

Oh what a perfect Sunday! I slept in after a late night out dancing last night had some breakfast wrote a paper for school, went to the market, bought some things for lunch, had vegetable pasta, bread, and melon for lunch then when my host mom invited me to a rock music like festival this afternoon the real adventure began. She is so much fun. There were two great bands, ironically one from California and the other from Texas and the venue some absolutely fabulous vintage shopping- I mean fabulous. I found the most perfect hand crotched top asked how much it was, expecting 30 euros and instead was told 3, quite the steal! It was so much fun and my host mom just knows how to embrace life and I just adore her presence and the music was actually very good. Trés fab day, but back to l'cole tomorrow!

A paper by me written on fashion, migration, and cultural intersection... In the History of Immigration museum, a traditional Russian outfit worn by Olga Froleff displays a meeting point for different cultures. Embroidery is included on the outfit and can be traced back to the Cro-Magnon days, around 30,000 BC, and currently found on runways in 2017.   The garment represents fashion as transmission of culture through patterns, accessories, and apparel. Fashion serves as a crossroads for cultures, allowing a migrant to be able to express themselves in a direct manner in their new environment.   Fashion is often a symbol of wealth or economic merit. The intricate patterns and various colors used in the embroidery, as well as the lace displayed on Olga Froleff’s outfit was a testament to her class. The   Mère de France garments, or otherwise known as Marianne de la Barricades, found in the murals at the History of Immigration museum is an example of cultural intersec...

Only two more weeks in Montpellier... :( Today we went  to St. Gulheim as a group (round 2 for me!) This time we started the day at some very interesting grottos/caves which could never slide in the U.S because if one of those rocksicles drop it is a lawsuit waiting to happen. After we went into St. Gulheim where I had a wonderful lunch of a whole wheel of brie which is one of those things you can only get away with in France but was just simply delish. We then went to the dam/swimming area and dipped in the very cool water but was tres refreshing as it was very chaud (hot!) The countryside here is beautiful and reminds me of home ,ats I'm writing we are on our way passing through the cutest little towns that resemble the little towns of Napa Valley almost exactly except everything's in French! Thursday was another good day of volunteering and I found a fab dress for 3 euros, definitely a perk of being a volunteer there! Not drinking coffee here is definitely catching up with ...

Très bonne journée aujourd hui! My brain is starting to think of certain phrases in French which is a good sign but other than those certain phrases is what makes my French Teacher, Jean-Phillipe, go " I tell you something one day and you forget it the next!" But other than making him be tres frustrated and still struggling linguistically I am enjoying my French journey oh so much. I keep thinking life really doesn't get better than this, my host mom has breakfast for us in the morning we have to go to class in the morning get to explore lunch spots everyday volunteer, explore the city, or shop in the afternoons, have delicious dinners (tonight was pasta salad, melon, and prosciutto), don't have to do dishes, don't have to clean, get our sheets washed and ironed, and are in beautiful Montpellier I mean does it get better? My volunteer work today may have something to do with this fabulous mood as I got to work at "Zaidigozinc" an after school care and wa...

Yesterday the adventure took the group to Marseille...The drive was about two and a half hours so quite the roadtrip (there's no French translation for that so English prevails!) Marseille is significantly bigger than Montpellier and is decorated by the blue Mediterranean waters which leaves some things to be desired in Montpellier's city layout. We started our tour at a Cathedral which marks the highest point in the hilly city and which gave us a 360 view of the sprawling ville. It was quite windy so photos weren't at their prime but the beautiful day and scenery made it worth it. After we took in the view we headed to a all you can eat buffet but French style which means the plates are smaller but the food 100x more delicious, my best discovery was a baguette with brie and honey (10/10 recommend no matter where you are in the world!) We then went to the History of Mediterranean Cultures museum which has a fabulous layout as it is constructed on it's own little private...

My alarm goes off this morning at 7:30. I hit the stop button and after a late night last night think why am I going to rappel down waterfalls again? Little did I know today would result in one of my favorite adventures. I met a friend at the tram station at 8:30 to then meet the company we were going canyoning with. After hunting and searching for a bus that had the companies name on it we had no luck and finally a guy approached us probably due to the lost little American girls look on our faces and he was our guide! We got into his car and took a road trip about an hour away to the beautiful countryside of greenery, beautiful tree lined roads, and vineyards stretching for miles. Once we got to the location we threw on some wetsuits and went on a fabulous canyoning adventure that included repelling, floating, cliff jumping, and free falling. The setting was stunning and my only injury was a bruised eye from a caribeaner hitting me in the face!After that adventure (photos to come) the...