Disney….Making Dreams come True

Neuschwanstein 
Photo Credit: Danielle Gadsby

Hello, My Readers...

When I was little, like every little child, I loved

Disney Castle at Walt Disney World Orlando
Photo Credit: Google Free Images

Disney films (still do...ssshhhhh). My parents saved and saved to take my sister and I to Disney World in Orlando, Florida. I was 7 and my sister was 9...this was back in 1998 - wow aged myself. Now, it was very expensive to fly then - still would be for a family of 4, so my parents chose for us to drive there. The distance from Oil Springs, Ontario, Canada to Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida is approximately 2,000km. How do you keep the children occupied? How do you plan on eating, drinking and making stops for the bathroom? The answer is you can't plan on those things, you just have to take them as they come.

In the United States they have it planned out for drivers. There are many rest areas in each state, as well as many signs that tell you where you can get gas and restaurants. If there are no gas stations for many miles there are usually signs posted on the major state highways, like Last Stop for Gas for 55 miles.
To keep us engaged, we played car bingo, license plate watching - finding the different states license plates, I spy with my little eye, and other car games. I also wasted an entire roll of film (yes Film, my sister and I got Crayola Panoramic Cameras for Christmas that year) on photos of my stuffed Bunny. Oops, sorry mom for paying for 25 photos of Bunny when we got them developed.

Once we arrived at Disney, it was a wonderland. There is nothing else in the world like a Disney Theme Park. My favourite park is Epcot, because you can travel around the world in about a day. 

My Family Holding up the 1976 Sign in front of the Castle.
Photo Credit: Kathy Gadsby

25th Anniversary Castle
Photo Credit: Kathy Gadsby

Disney World Resort was celebrating their 25th year and we got to be a part of it. Attached is a photo of my family where my dad is holding up the 1976-year sign. Many people held up year signs from 1965 until 1998 when this celebration was happening. This was in Magic Kingdom in front of the Cinderella Castle that was transformed into a giant pink birthday cake, topped with faux icing, lollipops and gum drops. My parents were approached and asked if our family wanted to be a part of the celebration and could have pom poms and a sign in front of the castle while the celebration went on with Mickey, Minnie and many dancers. There was also celebratory cake served. 

As an adult now, I want to go back to enjoy the park more and see all of the new additions. When we went, they didn't even have Animal Kingdom like they do now. So, it would be great to go back and stay in one of their resorts on the property and do all of the parks again.

In 2017 I got to go to the Neuschwanstein Castle, in Füssen, Bavaria, Germany. This castle is one of the real castles that was the inspiration for Cinderella's Castle. As Disney World in Orlando, Florida is home to the Cinderella Castle, seeing the Neuschwanstein Castle brought back some of those childlike memories of being at Disney World. This Castle was built by King Ludwig II. It was never finished but they do show the parts of the Castle that are finished. King Ludwig II was killed at age 41. There are many speculations that he was murdered however, it was ruled suicide. His father King Ludwig I, "King Max" owned a bright yellow Castle Hohenschwangu. The Hohenschwangu castle is situated in the village while Neuschwanstein is up the mountain. 

Neuschwanstein from the Bridge
Photo Credit: Danielle Gadsby

My Sister and I with Goofy.
Photo Credit: Kathy Gadsby

If you are ever in Germany and have the chance to see the Castle, you should go! It is ginormous in size and the scenery is stunningly breathtaking. I also recommend going on the short hike around the castle to the bridge. There are some great photos that can be taken from there of the castle. While living in the Bayern Region of Germany, I visited this Castle twice, and I loved it both times. Once was with some classmates through the University, while the other time was more nostalgic as I was with my parents. My parents and I rented a car and drove to the Castle. We could see it from a distance peering through the trees, but once we took the horse and wagon ride to the top you could really see the extravagance of the architecture. 

Thanks for reading...

All Adventures Must End

Hello Readers,

February 15th was the day I left Kempten, Germany and head back to Rovaniemi, Finland. I was bittersweet about leaving because I met a lot of nice people from all over the world (I now have connections to Hungary, Spain, Ireland, Mexico, USA, South Korea, and India to name a few), but I was also excited to get back to my friends that I haven't seen since May of last year.

Last Trip to the City Center of Kempten. Photo Credit: Danielle Gadsby

I haven't written a post in about a month because when I arrived back to Kempten after Christmas we had 2 weeks of classes and then exams began. I was just in my apartment studying for the exams because in Germany the exam is worth 100% of the mark, there are no assignment marks or anything, so studying for the exams was very important to achieve the grades.

Last View of the Mountains from the Train. Photo Credit: Danielle Gadsby

Prior to leaving I had a lot of tying up loose ends like closing my German Bank account, cleaning my apartment, preparing my luggage and saying goodbye to everyone. There were a few things I didn't do while I was here, like visit a few people I wanted to see while I was in the area but I just ran out of time and the 5 months just flew right by. I did get to meet up with my exchange student from High School who I hadn't seen for 12 years, I got to go to Italy, I went home for Christmas, and I got to explore much of the Allgäu region. That to me means that it was successful, just being here and meeting all of the generous people and exploring would have been enough experience for me.

Delicious but Expensive Hamburger at Helsinki Airport. Photo Credit: Danielle Gadsby

I will met with my Teacher Tutor on Monday February 19th to discuss my progress for school, since I was planning to arrive later into the semester. This was known before I left for exchange because in Finland the School Terms are End of August to Just Before Christmas, then January until Beginning of May and in Germany it goes from Beginning of October to Middle of February, then Middle of March to End of July. However, I only have two courses to take over the course of the term and they start on March 12, so currently I am enjoying my study week at my friends house.

Reminiscing about Venice with these lovely girls from South Korea. Photo Credit: So Young Lee

I will be posting again this week about when I attended a Reindeer Race last week. Stay tuned...

Bye for now...

Flight Adventures

Hello Readers….

Passing the Time at the Airport
Photo Credit: Danielle Gadsby

As promised in the last post, I will give some feedback and insight into what happened when my flight had been delayed in Toronto. I went to the Airport Via Robert Q bus from London at 2:30pm January 7, so I had said good bye to my family in London, Ontario. When I reached the airport the attendant at the Check-In desk informed me that the flight had already been delayed. It was originally scheduled to leave Toronto at 8pm but at this time it was delayed until 9:40pm. Given that I was traveling in the middle of winter from Canada it wasn’t entirely a surprise to have a delay due to weather conditions.  I was slightly concerned as I had a connection to make in Iceland, however the Iceland-air Attendant during check-in informed me that if the connection was missed that Iceland-air makes it their responsibility to reschedule my flight.

Anyone who knows me, knows that usually I would have panicked and gotten upset at this point however, as I continue to travel and gain experience I managed to stay calm and decided to just go with the flow at this point. It was completely out of my hands, and it was the flight coming from Iceland that had been delayed due to storms. I enjoyed some dinner at my gate, and got comfortable to sit around for about 3.5 hours at the airport, thank goodness for technology.

The flight boarded late around 9:30pm which meant take off was around 10pm. They had to de-ice the plane so that created more delays for take off. Once in the air it was smooth sailing. I did get around 2.5 hours of sleep and enjoyed some Orange Juice and some great movie options from Iceland-air. Once the plane landed in Iceland it was local time 9:40am. My Flight to Germany had departed at 7:20am. I had missed it. What was next??? I had to go through security as I was entering Europe and then proceed to the Customer Service Desk. The line was relatively short and moved quite fast, as I am sure they were expecting us (pretty much our whole plane was in line). I got to the counter and they informed me that I would be re-directed with a flight to Oslo, Norway and then to Munich, Germany my final destination. I also received a voucher for some food as they apologized for the delay, I was very grateful as I was getting hungry. At this point they also informed me that I would have to go to baggage claim and re-check into the airport and go through airport security, I had time since my Flight wasn’t until 12:50pm local time. The line to check-in was abnormally long (Again mostly all of the travelers from Toronto) but there was only one check-in counter open. This to me was the part where passengers would get very angry, which some in line were getting impatient, but again it was out of my control so I remained calm and went with the flow. I got to the counter, the man checked me and my luggage into the airline and away I went to security. The bonus for me was that I had done airport security in Iceland from the trip I took with my parents in the fall 2016.

Snapchat from Oslo Airport, Checking
Flight Status Photo Credit: Danielle Gadsby

The flight boarded and left on-time from Iceland, even though again the plane needed to be de-iced. It was only a 2.5-hour flight, but I managed to sleep about 1-hour. I arrived in Oslo, Norway (checking in with my family the entire trip, so someone knew where I was at all times). I had even woke up mom up out of a sleep at one point. I had never seen Oslo, but even though it was local time 4:30pm local time it was already pitch black. So I got to see the Airport J. I still had my sandwich and some snacks left from home, so I enjoyed those at this time while waiting to board. I had about 1.5-hour layover then to travel to Munich. This flight also boarded on time, it wasn’t full so there was no one sitting beside me, thank goodness for extra room on this flight. Again it was a 2.5-hour flight and I managed to sleep another 1-hour or so.

I landed in Munich at local time 9:10pm January 8. This was 3pm the next day at home in Toronto. I had been traveling for over 24hours and still wasn’t to my apartment in Kempten yet. I had some naps but not an actual night of sleep. I managed to get a ticket on the last train from Munich to Kempten and finally arrived to my apartment safe and sound at 1am Tuesday January 9 (7pm January 8^th in Toronto).  Whew!!!!

I showered and went straight to sleep, and slept the entire day Tuesday. I finally got adjusted by Wednesday evening to the time change and have been fine since.

This was a different adventure than I had expected, but I did it and was treated very well by Iceland-air. There was nothing I could do, nor could they change the weather so making the best out of the situation was all I could do.

Although they only happen occasionally, I hope you can make the best out of unfortunate situations.

Thanks for the support from my Mom, and Sister through this. Love you.

Bye for now…

Update...

Hey Readers,

The Market. A Band playing Christmas Carols
Photo Credit: Eugene Kim

I have not forgot about my blog, I just haven't gone on any trips. The last few weeks before Christmas Break were filled with presentations and final seminar paper preparation. I did however take a break on December 2nd to attend the Christmas Market in Kempten, or in German "Weihnachtsmarkt". It is a tradition in Germany that they have Christmas markets in the city centers.The one in Kempten runs from November 29 to December 22, 2017.

One of the Vendors at the Market.
Photo Credit: Danielle Gadsby

I traveled home for Christmas on December 23rd without any delays. It was an adventure to get to Munich Airport though. From Kempten you have to take a train to the city and hop on the subway S8 to take you to the airport. I had not traveled to this airport as when I arrived in Germany we arrived in Berlin. Once I got to the airport I quickly discovered that the Terminal in which I was flying out of was fairly new. Therefore, there were many signs and many many shops to browse in during your layover or stay at the airport. I was also taking a direct Flight from Munich to Toronto, so I was not worried about food (there was a meal on board) or being late for a connection. The plane was like new, new technology and new window dimmers instead of the traditional window shades.

I was ecstatic when I arrived in Toronto to see my family. My mom was waiting for my arrival. We are a very close family so being apart for any length of time makes it very exciting to see each other once reunited. I was surprised when I got home because my family put up outside Christmas lights and had decorated the house for the holiday season. I was excited for Christmas because it is a great time to relax and hang out with family members. This is my favourite holiday for the food and spending uninterrupted time with family.

Our Christmas Tree at Home. Photo Credit: Kathy Gadsby

There was time in the SHORT two weeks to visit many family members and friends, sorry if you were not one of them...see you soon-ish. I got to relax and celebrate the holidays and do some shopping. I got to ring in the new year with some great friends by my side and celebrated with my parents on January 1st.

New Years Celebrations with Kayla Burr. Photo Credit: Kayla Burr

Currently I am writing this blog from the Toronto Airport while I await my adventure back to Germany. It should be an exciting adventure as the weather has already delayed the flight 1hour and 40minutes....This means that the connection might be missed, as I only had 1 hour between my flights. Hopefully, it is exciting and I have some experiences to share on this blog once I arrive in Germany.

STAY TUNED...

Danielle

Weekend Hike in the Mountains

Readers...

I made it there and back without a heart attack. As some of you know, I am not much of a hiker...so this weekend was a big challenge for me. I achieved some personal accomplishments today. I climbed most of a mountain up to a cottage for the weekend, even though I wanted to turn back probably 10 times.

There was no cell reception but the views were spectacular. It was the Schwarzberghuette Cottage (sorry the link is in German), you should look into it if you are ever in the Allgäu Region of Germany. The mountains had barely any snow on them on Saturday morning when we began our climb. It took about 1 hour 30minutes to get to the cottage after the bus ride from the nearest village. It was hostel style rooms but they all had a view from the small window. The food there was good as well.

This is the outside of the Cottage. Photo Credit: Danielle Gadsby

After we got settled in and left our backpacks in our rooms (do not even try to take a luggage bag, you are walking up steep inclines and pulling luggage is that last thing you want to be doing) our coordinators offered another hike. I was done at this point so, I stayed back and did a small walk to the meadow where they usually have the cows on the mountain. I enjoyed my views and sitting and talking with the one coordinator, it was like my own personal tour. While I was doing that, the rest of the group was walking further up the mountain and across to a lake. The lake was ice cold, as it is mostly mountain run off from melting snow and ice. Some students came back after the lake but others went on to the peak. They did an additional 2 and a half hour climb that I did not. I still have added some photos others shared with me.

The lake the others hiked to. Beautiful view I missed out on. Photo Credit: International Office, Hochschule Kempten

In the evening we just hung out in the cottage playing games and socializing with the other students (there were about 34 of us in total), some we had met during Orientation here but others were just international students we had not met yet. 

The Sunday Morning, Fog and Snow on the Mountain. Photo Credit: Eugene Kim

I was very happy that I even decided to do this trip at all, and totally worth it for that view and experience with the other exchange students here. When we woke up on Sunday morning at the cottage, there was more snow on the mountain. Being at a higher altitude it had snowed overnight, it was just a light dusting, but still a wonderful sight to see in the morning.

Thanks for reading!!!
Talk soon...

Lindau, Lake Constance...

Readers, 

Another week here in this beautiful country. The past weekend I went with some friends to see Lindau. It is a city located on mainland and island. It is on the Eastern side of Lake Constance. Lake Constance borders 3 countries – Germany, Austria and Switzerland. You could see the Austrian Alps, and the Swiss Alps…faintly. It was an amazing site, even though the mountains were covered in fog. It was also a great cultural experience because my friends were from 5 different countries and none of us were German. 

 

The Group of us down by the water. Photo Credit: Eugene Kim

We took a 1-hour train ride from Kempten to Lindau (Island) and everything there was in walking distance. We even looked at two churches in the city center. One was more plain with white walls while the other had beautiful paintings and marble throughout the entire altar, always beautiful stained glass as well. We got some Kebab and ate it in a local park along the waterfront. 

Attached to this blog you will see some great photos. It reminded me much of home, where I live. We live in the heart of the Great Lakes of Southwestern Ontario. This lake, the smell, sight, and sound all seemed like it was where I was meant to be. If only they could move the University about 1-hour to the West, Germany would be heaven. There were sail boats on the water and even a few swimmers, though the water was way too cold for me.

The Bluewater Bridge in Sarnia, Ontario. It is the crossing from Sarnia, Ontario, Canada to Port Huron, Michigan, USA. It is also across the St.Clair River where it meets Lake Huron (One of the 5 Great Lakes). Photo Credit: Cyndie Vanderwerf

Along the St.Clair River...Looking towards U.S.A.- Summer 2017. Photo Credit: Danielle Gadsby

This weekend we go on a hiking/cottage weekend in the mountains. There is barely any cellphone reception and I look forward to going and seeing the beautiful landscapes from above. It is about an hour hike from our drop off location, but I will go into that later.

I wanted to add that I have a few past vacations I want to share on this blog as well. Hopefully I have those written in the next little while. It’s not always about going forward but sometimes reflecting on the past experiences can enhance the experience of the future.

Talk later…