Howdy! Since I touched down yesterday and have had the chance to explore one city already, I thought it may be a good time as any to write my first city post! After taking the CAT from the airport straight to the city, the first thing that struck me about Vienna was the beautiful dichotomy of the quaint-ness & touristy -- there's a great blend of parks and busy streets, birds trilling and cars honking.
This happened to be one of the hottest days in Vienna, reaching 90 degrees, but luckily, a wonderful stranger-now-friend, Fabian, came to my refuge by taking me around the city in his dope stick-shift car.

Johann Strauss, a famous composer, in Stadtpark!

Some church that we walked by--look at that contrast lighting!

View of Vienna from the top that was actually insane--thank you Fabian for driving me up!

The Rathausplatz at night!

I stayed in a hostel in District 7, a very busy and young area. After Fabian & I said our goodbyes close to midnight, I headed to my hostel in District 7, another very busy and young area. And of course, what would a first day traveling be without some random mishap? For me, this was locking myself inside the bathroom after I finished showering. After turning the key every which way and ramming all my weight against the door, I was rescued by a guy from Wisconsin, who I threw the key to over this open ledge and he helped me open the door. What a #klassic cat move, and God bless this wonderful human.

The next day, was my day to prove to myself, yes I can walk around a city by myself with this 40 L pack and be independent! I exchanged some money, walked around 7 miles through parks and streets (which is less than half of what I will be walking everyday on the EPW, but definitely built confidence!), and saw a guy in a horse mask playing an accordion! What a time to be alive!

A thought from today on moderation: As I walked around looking for a public fountain to fill up my water bottles and quench my thirst, it wasn't until around 90 minutes later when I finally found one. When I did find it though, I was so freaking happy I did a little jig, and I realized that this was simply because I found water, something I can have anytime, all the time back home. I had the same feeling of elation when I found an amazing döner kebab stand in the middle of the street that sold a döner with Pepsi for 2.5 euros! It got me thinking about how we appreciate things more when we don't get it as much. When I thought about how saturated my life is with so many different things, it prevented me from appreciating such life-giving miracles like water and food! Especially in an era of consumerism, it's nice to slow down, carry your entire life on your back, and be grateful for what is now taken for granted.

On another note, I think I had sunscreen all over my face today and I didn't notice until I decided I went to the bathroom in the train station (which you also had to pay 0.5 euros to get in--blasphemy! Bathroom rights for all!). But ah, such is life. I am now on the train to Budapest, and will be staying here for 3 nights to hopefully take in as much of the city as possible! Until then :)

xx,

cat

Woah! I can't believe this is actually happening!

This is the first time I've ever blogged my adventures because I tend to be a "live in the moment" type of traveler (although I do think there's nothing like pictures to capture the moment), but 2017 is for trying new things: hence, the European Peace Walk.

I've heard so many people who just are free spirits and travel and I find myself wondering why I have not just let myself go. I realized it was simply fear holding me back: fear of not using my time productively, fear of others' judgement, fear of being selfish by focusing on myself, fear of uncertainty and instability when all my peers are doing internships that are career-focused. Once I recognized that and thought about all the times I said I wanted to walk across Europe and truly challenge myself physically and mentally, why not the hell do it now?

So here I am, waiting for my plane to Vienna! And I guess it's a good time to introduce myself :)

My name is Catherine, and I am an adventurer, student, and life-lover. Writing intros always seem formal to me and I don't think I'm a formal person, so let's do extreme cat facts!
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•I grew up in Pittsburgh, currently live in Boston, and hope to travel the globe! My dream is to visit every single country, but if that doesn't happen, travel to as many dang places as I can :)
•The only smell I can think of that I really dislike is "new car." There's something about it that makes me feel sick. On the other hand, I love the smell/breathing in of fresh air--Iceland forever holds the standard for high quality air (and if you find something better please let me know!)
•I've done some extreme sports like skydiving and bungee jumping, but I am honestly one of the most scared people I know (a true scaredy cat with strong emotional reactions to just about everything)
•When I was younger, I loved Pokémon (and still do), Yu-Gi-Oh, and this very interesting show that I am still unsure of what it is called Boobah (definitely look it up). I also suck at pop culture references and even after I watch movies, I still don't remember them enough to either quote them or understand when other people quote them.
•One of my biggest goals for the next two years is to run the Boston Marathon! I've run two half ones so almost there?
•I LOVE food, am very adventurous in what I try, and tend to eat anything in front of me, so if you ever want to explore, hit me up! This summer, I am definitely trying to work on willpower when it comes to food because right now, I have absolutely none hahahah
•Without my family (parents and older sister, Lily), boyfriend (Grant aka Nature G), the most supportive friends from all walks of life, & mentors, I would not be the person I am today. To them I say thank you ❤️
•Someone once told me that optimists are always late. I can confirm this, and I apologize to everyone I have given a heart attack to especially when it comes to catching flights at airports.
•I would love to go into education in some capacity and love being with kids (because I am a kid myself!) Unsure what that exactly means, but time will tell and life shall take its course!
•I think I have become more introverted since I've gotten older although I am still pretty out there weird and extroverted. I love more than anything listening to people's stories and these days tend to do a lot of reflecting. A goal of mine for the EPW is to learn how to be comfortable being alone (especially as I travel myself in the beginning!)

So there's me in 10 bullet points--that's kinda wild! I'm really excited for the adventure ahead and definitely really nervous because I don't think I have prepared myself enough, especially when it comes to all the physical walking. In fact, the first and only time I've ever backpacked for more than just a day hike was my school's pre-orientation program where we were in the woods for 5 days, and not gonna lie, those were definitely 5 really tough days. But I'm all about the challenge, and if you don't do things you're scared of, how do you ever expect to grow? It truly is a time to be alive, and since this post has already gone on quite long, I'll leave it here right now, and say hasta la vista for now!