Procrastinating, and a scant bit of an update

Oh my gosh guys, I'm so behind!  It's 11.30 Wednesday night and I'm trying to write a philosophy paper (I procrastinated for literally half a day...I watched videos and planned my aunt's trip out here), but I thought, while my brain cools, I'd let everyone know I'm alive!  Lol.  I haven't written anything about spring break - which was awesome! - or my weekend in London - stressful, but still good - but I'm working on it.  I've just been really busy, as I got back April 19 from Prague (the 4th stop on my break- after Brussels, Bruges and Amsterdam) and realized I was leaving for London in four days and hadn't planned a single thing.  Now I'm writing papers and doing crazy amounts of homework and eating yet MORE Easter candy (thanks guys!!) and realizing how very close my departure is!  26 days, people.  It's really amazing just how fast the time has gone, you know?  Like, I haven't seen my parents and siblings in about 4 months, but I feel like it's just been a few weeks, and I haven't seen my extended family in about 8 months, but it feels like I've just been at school for a month or so during the semester, like normal.  I think maybe it'll hit me more once I see everyone and everything again at home.  Which I can't wait to do!  

While we all wait - I sound like an event host, haha - here are a few pictures from spring break!  

This is over a canal in Bruges - very cute city, though luckily I found someone to hang out with, since I think I would have run out of things to do on my own.  Ingrid and I actually rented bikes our second morning and rode 18 kilometers from Bruges to the Belgian sea!  It was really cool, though it was cold and we only spent a little while there.  We made it though!

I have 100 photos of the Keukenhoff Gardens outside Amsterdam in Lisse (I love the name of the town; it reminds me of Alissa's name), but I think this one shows a little bit how almost overwhelming it was.  Everywhere I looked it was stunning, and I didn't want to stop looking for a moment in case I forgot something.  

While I was uploading and editing these photos, my roommate Caroline kept going on about what an amazing camera I had (that, tragically, was lost in Prague- sniff.  more on that later), but my response was that - besides my amazing abilities - I think it's just about impossible to take a bad picture there.  I mean, unless you took a photo of just like, a stone.  But then the stone would probably be so clean and reflective you'd even be impressed with the image!

Okay, I'm having a hard time stopping with the photos.

Okay, I really can't.  Look how pretty!

Okay, this isn't as impressive, but Mom requested a photo of me with the photos, so I figured I'd better comply.  Anyway, ciao, everyone!  

Lugano

I never really wrote anything about Switzerland two weeks ago, but I'm leaving tomorrow for spring break and I thought I'd catch up! First of all, I've been sick since the middle of last week, which accounts for my lack of an update as well as my lack of news from this past weekend. I spent the whole three days in bed watching different TV shows online, lol, since my head hurt too badly for homework (maybe a little conveniently...). I did manage to make it to an Italian soccer game Sunday, though! Very cool, and hopefully I'll be able to go to another before I leave in May.

So anyway, two weekends ago my roommate Caroline and I went to Lugano, in the south of Switzerland, to see her cousin, who had moved there about 20 years ago and lives there still with her two daughters. We couldn't find a Friday flight that would work with Caroline's schedule, so we flew out early early Saturday morning and just came back Sunday evening. I had been a little afraid of it being awkward, since I had never met these people, but it was fantastic! Leslie, Caroline's cousin, picked us up from the station and we had the nicest, most relaxing weekend. She made us chocolate chip cookies that were so much better than our sad attempt a couple months ago. We spent some time Saturday hanging out downtown wandering around, and then we all watched a movie at Leslie's house before dinner - fondue - and getting to sleep.

Oh, so I don't have the photos, but at one point we ran across these little statues of cows in the road. They were decorated one with an apple on its head (means something, not sure), one like Swiss cheese, and one with tools out its back like a Swiss army knife. It was really cute! Anyway, Caroline goes,

"look at those pigs!"
"those what?"
"those pigs?"
"you mean the cows?"
"The cows! Look at the cows!!"

The next day Leslie made us American breakfast!! with pancakes, bacon, toast and everything. It was great. Then we drove to some old fortresses in the area so we could take a look at the valley - which is apparently the same valley that Hannibal came through when he crossed the Alps! Lol, Caroline was not impressed. We also saw a dam where they opened a James Bond movie with people bungee jumping off the side. It was such a relaxing weekend - just like visiting one of my own cousins.

Well, tomorrow I'm leaving for spring break, for Brussels first and then Bruges, Amsterdam and Prague. I'm really excited, though still feeling a little sick, so hopefully it'll clear up and I can enjoy my break. I hope everyone's doing okay! Happy Easter!