Prinsessan Tuvstarr aka Princess Cottongrass

My favorite story of all times is 'Sagan Om Älgtjuren Skutt och Lilla Prinsessan Tuvstarr' or as it is translated into English: 'Leap The Elk and Little Princess Cottongrass', with beautiful illustrations by the artist John Bauer.

I probably have one of the worst memories in recorded history, but this beautiful fairy tale made such an impression on me as a child that the story and its illustrations have stuck with me ever since.

The fairytale weaves the magical beauty of the deep dark Swedish forest into the main theme of the story and it begins....

"Have you ever been in a large forest and seen a strange black tarn hidden deep among the tall trees? It looks bewitched and a little frightening. All is still - fir trees and pines huddle close and silent on all sides. Sometimes the trees bend cautiously and shyly over the water as if they are wondering what may be hidden in the dark depths. There is another forest growing in the water, and it, too, is full of wonder and stillness. Strangest of all, never have the two forests been able to speak to each other...."

The tale is that of little Princess Cottongrass [Prinsessan Tuvstarr], a small, vulnerable and nymph like little girl with long wavy blond hair who quietly slips away from the Dream Castle where she lives and meets Longleg Leap the Elk, a strong, loyal, and protective animal who carries the little princess out in the world on his powerful back after the princess pleads to take her with him:

" 'How big and stately you are. You have a crown, too. Let me come with you. Let me sit behind your neck, and then carry me out into life.' The elk hesitates. 'The world is big and cold, little child, and you are so small. The world is full of evil and wickedness, and it will hurt you.' 'No, no. I am young and warm. I have warmth enough for everyone. I am small and good, and want to share the good that I have.' 'Princess, the forest is dark and the roads are dangerous.' 'But you are with me. You are great and strong, and can easily defend us both.'"









Thus, the strong and wise elk carries the innocent and vulnerable Princess on his back out into the world. At first, all is well and the princess is delighted with what she sees on her journey. But, the princess is vulnerable and dangers from the dark forest lurk everywhere and, little by little, rob the princess of her innocence. At some point in the journey, she finds herself naked, robbed of her fine white gown. The elk watches over her vulnerable naked body as she sleeps under the stars at night. He becomes anxious, worried that his strength and wisdom will not be sufficient to protect the little princess.










"He seems to want to move on, and bends down to let the princess climb on his back. Then they are gone in a rush, galloping east. He hardly hears when she calls to him, and rarely answers. As if in a fever he breaks through the tangled forest at a furious rate. 'Where are we going?' asks Princess Cottongrass. 'To the pool,' is the answer. 'Deep in the forest is a pool, and that is where I go when autumn is coming. No person has ever been there, but you shall see it.'"

The elk warns her to be careful of the danger in the water, to watch her golden heart chain around her neck. But, the princess, mesmerized by the dark shining water bends forward for a closer look and the golden heard slips over her head and drops in the pool. 'Oh, my heart, the golden heart that my mother gave me the day I was born. Oh, what shall I do?' She is inconsolable and wanders over the tussocks to look for her heart. The elk warns her 'It is dangerous for you here. Looking for one thing, you will forget everything else.'

But, the princess wants to stay to find her heart. She gently strokes the elk and kisses his bent head. 'Then, small and slim and undressed, she goes and sits down on a grassy hillock. For a long time the elk stands quite still and looks at the small girl. But when she no longer seems to notice that he is there, he turns and disappears with hesitant steps into the forest.'

"Many years have passed. Still Princess Cottongrass sits and looks wonderingly into the water for her heart. She is no longer a little girl. Instead, a slender plant, crowned with white cotton, stands leaning over the edge of the pool. Now and then the elk returns, stops, and looks at it tenderly. Only he knows that this is the princess from Dream Castle. Perhaps she nods and smiles, for he is an old friend, but she does not want to follow him back; she cannot follow any more, as long as she is under the spell. The spell lies in the pool. Far, far under the water lies a lost heart."

Still Princess Cottongrass sits and looks wonderingly into the dark depths of the water.

The Mysterious Vanishing Act

It has been a rough week. One that culminated in one of the most awful days in my life today. It's hard when your professional life AND your personal life take a nose dive at the same time. Professionally, it's just the same old exhausting schedule. Being on call every fourth night is not my idea of a restful lifestyle. I swear that I find new gray hairs post-call every time that were not there pre-call. And it wears on you (not the gray hairs - well them too -but the being on call every fourth night). I've noticed that I've started to make mistakes. Missing things here and there that before I might have missed out of ignorance but now I miss because I'm so tired and stressed. And, it's not just me. The schedule wears on everyone and even the most competent seniors miss things too because they are over stretched and sleep deprived much like us interns. It's just not a healthy lifestyle for anyone.

But, as if that's not enough, my personal life has been taking a toll on me too recently. You might remember that a few weeks ago it was all 'la vida es hermosa'. And it was. Briefly. Being in love will do that to you.

After I had my heart completely shattered last year, it took me a long time to heal and to be in a place emotionally where I was ready to try my heart at love again. As you may have gathered from my recent cryptic postings, I finally met someone I felt was worthwhile. Someone I thought was different. Sweet. Thoughtful. Smart. Funny. Loving. Very loving. Someone with a lot of potential. There was only one issue. And it stayed there at the back of my mind, gnawing. Eating away. Yet, the temptation to give in and enjoy was too great. So, I did. Yet, I tried to be careful. Mindful of the issue looming at the back of my mind. It was a precarious balance. Little by little, his warm and loving ways made the concern fade slowly. Little sweet text messages daily. Love pages when I was on call to break up a stressful day. Little good night notes. It was all so wonderful. Romantic dinners with live guitar music and him feeding me, which made my friends gag, all the while secretly wishing they had someone doing that for them as well. It was all so perfect. Whisperings of love, of never having felt this way before, of a future together. He made me believe that this really was something special. Until, suddenly one day....nothing. Complete silence.

No texts, no phone calls, no pages. No response to my concerned phone calls. Nothing. Nada. Just silence. And not a silence I enjoy. I wear down my phone battery daily by constantly checking to see if there's any word. Anything? Nothing. The worst is that I have no idea what happened. Everything was fine and now there's nothing. My heart broken all over again.

And then came today. Completely unrelated to the above, it was news that hit me hard where it hurts. It's all too much to handle all at once. I'm overwhelmed. Exhausted. Tired. Sad. Very sad.

Panta Rei

It's funny how quickly things change. One minute, it seems completely indisputable that things are a certain way. The next minute, you find that they have changed drastically. You're not quite sure why or how. All you know is that something is different. You don't fully understand how it reached that point. You wonder if it was something you said. Or perhaps, something you didn't say, or should have said. But in the end, you conclude that it really would not have made a difference. Or would it? You cannot help but to wonder what difference, if any, an alternate conversation or action would have had on the outcome. In the end, isn't it the bigger picture that rules? You'd like to think so, but realize that life isn't always fair and that sometimes things are skewed by one tiny detail that was off. You hope it's not the case, but really, what, if anything, can you do about it at this point? It's said, it's done. It's over. Time to move on to the next thing. Panta rei. Everything flows. You can never step into the same river twice. All you can do is keep passing the open windows.

Oh, The Entanglements We Weave

It is interesting. Us humans, we are such social creatures. We crave human connection. We thrive on it. Little bridges between people. Uniting us. Keeping us connected to one another. At times it almost reaches desperate proportions. We do what we know is not good or healthy for us, just to maintain a connection with one another. We know that sooner or later, the bond will be severed. Slit. Torn to shreds. Mutilated. Violently trashed. A human connection consumed like yet another commercial product we carelessly toss aside when we are done with it.

Yet, we forge ahead knowing full well that disaster waits around the corner. All to avoid the desperate feeling of being an island, alone. At times we thrive on the desperate pursuit. At times, it brings us to the darkest brink of despair. The agony and the ecstasy. But, when the unavoidable happens, you know. De Niro said it best in Ronin: "Whenever there is any doubt, there is no doubt." In your heart of hearts, you know. You know it's coming. The end. But, do you stop? No. The voice of reason speaks to you. You hear it loud and clear. Still, do you stop? No, of course not. You are too desperate to be alone.

Of Sleep

I am still not able to sleep at night. I'm tossing and turning. These past few days have been days off with no work related stress whatsoever. Should have slept like a baby and enjoyed it before the good vacation comes to an abrupt end tomorrow. Alas, no. No such luck. I'm still plagued by the thing that is bugging me at the back of my mind. I know it's there. I should just deal with it. Perhaps if I did, I would actually sleep well at night. Not right away, of course. Once I actually deal with it, the sleeplessness will get far worse before it gets any better. Not to mention that it will make me restless during the day as well. Not sure I can handle all of that right now.

Dialing In A Forgotten Voice, Rolling In Like Waves Coming Off The Coast

We have been enjoying a wonderful time at the lake house. Long leisurely dog walks along the beach. Lake side fire chats. Indoor fire chats. Lounging and sipping wine and other beverages of indulgence. Amazing friends. Great food. Relaxing and playing games. We even have a talented writer among us who generously entertained us by reading some of his stories. It really has been a dream come true. One couldn't ask for a more perfect weekend. If only it weren't for this one thing nagging, tugging, pulling at the back of my mind. Last night I couldn't sleep and this morning I awoke early. Not even the dogs are awake yet. The waves too are quiet this morning.

A Dream Come True

From the early days since my arrival in this country, it's been a dream of mine to gather together with a group of good friends for a cozy weekend getaway in a Wisconsin cabin. After years of quietly harboring this dream, it has finally come true! However, as it turns out, the cabin is beyond my wildest expectations and is more of a luxury villa right on the lake.

We arrived here late last night. As we pulled up, it was pitch black outside so I could not make out any of the scenery, but could hear the Lake Michigan waves rolling in, roaring loud like the ocean. Inside, it was warm, welcoming, spacious, yet cozy and luxurious with a beautiful fireplace. Tired after the week and the drive up, we had a quick night cap before crashing into bed.

This morning, I awoke to the sound of the waves rolling in from the lake. Curious to see the scenery that had eluded me last night, I quickly jumped out of bed. Looking out the large bay windows, I excitedly discovered that there is but a stretch of green lawn separating us from the beach. Aaah! The sun shone warmly through the windows. I ran downstairs and was greeted by the wonderful aroma of coffee brewing. Unable to contain myself, I rushed outside to explore. The sun was warm and the waves loud and beautiful. I skipped to the lakefront in my bare feet and slipped them in the lake. Brrr, cold!

We watched the dogs play around on the lawn for a little bit and took pictures to share. Unfortunately, I left my card reader at home (card reader curse at work again!) so cannot upload any pictures until I get home. It's been a leisurely day since. Reading by the bay window while contemplatively watching the waves. Chatting. Laughing. Playing with the dogs. Sipping coffee. Snacking. Think I'm going to take the dogs on a walk along the beach now.

More later...

Ode To Big Red

I had a 7a lecture this morning. After a fun dinner party with Big Daddy and the Kitty Kats that got a little late last night, it was hard to drag myself out of bed to make it on time this morning. So, I was running a few minutes behind. I had almost made it to the Institution on my bike when I had to stop for a red light. As I began pedaling again, I heard a snap and realized that all the pedaling I was doing wasn't getting me anywhere. I looked down and saw my bicycle chain broken on the pavement. Since I was already late, an expletive or two escaped my lips as I scooped up the chain and walked my bike the rest of the way. I arrived at lecture 10 minutes late and took a seat. Since I was so tired, I had made an entire thermos of nice strong Swedish coffee to keep me awake for the three hour lecture. Imagine my surprise when lecture was over at 7:45. Hmph! I dragged myself out of bed, pedaled like a maniac to make it on time and had my bike break - all for a 45 minute lecture. Grrr. Oh well. Nothing to do but to walk my bike home again. Thankfully, it was a beautiful, bright, sunny fall morning. As I was walking and enjoying the sunshine and the tunes on my iShuffle, I started thinking of all the times my big red beast and I have shared together. The good, the bad, and the ugly. Hence, I would like to dedicate today's posting to my faithful friend, Big Red.

Big Red entered my life randomly one day as a cheap $70 impulse deal at Target. A heavy mountain bike of questionable quality, he squeeled loudly every time I would break. He was also not quite suitable for my height and we frequently did not feel like we fit well together. But, we got along ok. At first, we lived a quiet suburban life together where our outings mainly consisted of exercise or nature seeing, but were never utilitarian. We would get together and ride the paths in the forest preserve, count deer and bunnies together. One beautiful summer evening at sunset, we saw 10 deer grazing. It was one of those moments when life stands still and you stop to take it all in.

As we got to know each other better and spent more time together, things began to break. At first, it was the water bottle holder. The plastic snapped and created a sharp edge that would frequently catch my pants. Then the bike lock I had bought broke and I had to acquire a new lock. The lock holder had some screws that stuck out in an odd place and tore my pants. There were little annoyances like this, but we did not let it deter us from our togetherness. Then, we moved together to the big city. At first, I thought we would just continue our leisurely relationship of riding together for exercise and enjoyment. But soon I came to realize the utilitarian value of Big Red in the city. Quickly, we grew closer.

But, I have to admit that our enhanced togetherness was also inspired by the guy I was dating at the time, who was an avid bicyclist. Riding Big Red was a great way to get to know my new neighborhood better and to get around without any parking challenges. We went near and far. Once, on a Saturday night, I had plans to go out to a party and got all dressed up, made up, then straddled Big Red and pedaled him across town in my high heels. The guy I was dating was impressed when we met up later that night that I had biked all that distance, all dressed up for a night out. However, as we were heading home, he wasn't quite up for riding back, so we found a cab willing to take Big Red home in the trunk while we rode in the back seat.

However, as our relationship began to crumble, so did Big Red. One rainy day as I was heading home from school, I hopped on Big Red to ride home in the rain when I discovered that the rear tire was flat. We walked home in the rain that day, getting soaked and enduring all kinds of highly intelligent remarks from pedestrians we encountered along the way: "Do you realize that your bike has a flat?" No, duh, why else would I be walking my bike home in the rain? Dumbass. Or, how's this one: "You're getting wet, aren't you?" Well, no shit, Sherlock. It's raining outside and I'm walking in the rain. According to the laws of physics that would naturally make me wet.

Shortly thereafter, the guy moved away and completely broke my heart. I struggled to stay afloat emotionally. Big Red would keep me company. We would ride around the neighborhood and reminisce while taking in the scenery and listening to music or podcasts. This was when we bonded the most. Like a true friend, he was there during the darkest of times, always leaving me feeling better afterward. However, it was a period of darkness that also put Big Red and my relationship to the test. With my heart broken, all of a sudden everything broke in my life. My car was side swiped and the side mirror was taken off. One of my shelves at home fell off the wall and all the glasses and china on it crashed to the floor, leaving shards of glass and china strewn all over. Then Big Red broke.

At this point, I felt really overwhelmed by all the heart break and was not sure how much more I could endure. But, thankfully, Big Red was quickly fixed and back in my life again with renewed strength. We became faithful daily companions, riding together to work in the morning and home together in the afternoon. He was always there, come rain or shine. Straddling Big Red for a ride to or from work was, and still is, the best part of my work day. He gives me such an unbridled sense of freedom and independence, invincibility and empowerment.

Since starting residency, which has been one of the most challenging periods in my life, Big Red has been the one to keep me sane. When I need peace and quiet from all the craziness, he provides that sense of peace and tranquility. When I need to furiously work off some angry energy, he is always up to the challenge. And, when there is a beautiful sunrise at 5:30 in the morning, with a fiery red sky as a backdrop to the skyline, he is always there to savor the moment with me.

Big Red is excessively heavy, his seat height has had to be adjusted multiple times, the brakes and the wheels make all kinds of odd, age related noises, he's rusty, his gears don't shift reliably, he's had numerous flats, he's been fixed a number of times, he's cost me more money to fix than it does to operate my car, and he's got the look of a true ghetto bike, but I love him. He is my faithful companion and I hope today's injury can be fixed too so we may enjoy many more rides together. To Big Red. I love you.

I Finally Did It This Weekend

The schedule since I started Medicine has been absolutely ridiculous. I have no idea how the medicine residents survive three years of this insanity. Eleven to 12 hour work days that are non-stop crazy busy with the pager filling up at least twice each shift, and then on call every fourth night for 32+ hour shifts (the new resident law says no more 30 hours of work allowed in a row, but whatever) and getting no more than 1.5 hrs of sleep at the most while caring for truly medically ill patients. One weekday (i.e. no weekend days) off for every seven days of this out of control schedule. At the end of the first week, I was completely exhausted and officially hated Medicine.

I was sitting at home on Friday night to gather up my strength for getting up again at 5a on Saturday for another day of this stressful stuff when I got a text message from someone special I had not seen or heard from in quite some time, inviting me out on the town for some jazz. My first inclination was to decline since I was exhausted and had to get up at the crack of dawn. Then I thought better of it and said, fuck it, I only live once, and I'm already sleep deprived, so what's another lost night of sleep? We met at The Jazz Showcase and saw Chris Potter Underground perform. I was so sleepy, I could barely keep my eyes open, but it was a great show! Sensuous sax tones and great extended vigorous drum solos made for a wonderful session. I didn't get much sleep that night, but felt so rejuvenated by the change of scenery and being out relaxing with a couple of drinks, amazing music, and great company.

Saturday a.m. was rough though. Oy! But, the benefit of going to work early is the beauty of being able to enjoy a gorgeous sunrise. Here is the downtown view I enjoyed as I was walking in to work, sleepy but light on my feet from my previous night's debauchery.
















I knew I had to hustle to get my work done early on Saturday because I had an appointment that afternoon that I had been contemplating for months and struggling to fit in for weeks: permanent hair straightening. I was born cursed with a frizzy, unruly mane that has been untamed since the day I left the cozy comfort of my mother's uterus. Ever since I heard of a way to enjoy permanently straight hair so that I could be that girl that I have always aspired to be - the wash & go girl - I have been covetous of its easygoing status.

After a lot of stress on Saturday a.m. to get all my work done in time, I finally found myself in Andrea's chair at Orbit beauty salon for a four-hour long session of conquering my DNA by converting my bird's nest into smooth and straight shampoo commercial-like silk. I was exhausted from my lack of sleep and it was such a relaxing procedure that I had to struggle to stay awake and upright. But, once it was done, voila - silken and bone straight! It's almost too straight and will take some getting used to, but what a magical change. And the girl who did my hair, Andrea, is a true artist and super sweet! She takes her work seriously and does a very thorough job. If you are looking for a new stylist, I cannot recommend Andrea enough. You can find her here.

More Stockholm Pics

Back home again. I had a wonderful time and have to admit that I am feeling a little sad to be back, not just because I have to return to work, but because I also miss my family. It was simply fantastic to see my sister, nephew, aunt, dad, and my high school friend again. We had a great time together. I'll post more details over the next few days, but for now, here are some more pictures so you can see for yourself what a beautiful city Stockholm is.

Stockholm street food: Tunnbrödrulle...mmm...Swedish hotdog nestled in mashed potatoes and shrimp salad, cradled within a thin bread roll. Simply scrumptious!










Old Town


















My Sister's Cozy Living Room. Note the beautiful old tiled fireplace in the left corner.












Af Chapman, a youth hostel [ship] anchored by Skeppsholmen










Ah, here it is: My favorite painting, The Enigma of Wilhelm Tell (Moderna Museet)









Farmer's Market in the center of the city, at Hötorget











Kungsträdgårdens Tunnelbane station (Display at one of the city's subway stations)

Greetings From Stockholm

I have not had much internet access and don't have much time right now, but here's a little something to show you beautiful Stockholm until I get home and can post more pictures.

Linus På Linjen And Barbapapa

No more work related postings for a while! Instead, I would like to relish in a couple of cartoons from my childhood that I recently came across.

As you may recall from an earlier posting, we did not have commercial television when I grew up in Sweden. We also did not have many cartoons or animated TV shows. We did get them on occasion, but they were so rare that we always treasured them much like we savored our Saturday candy. Also, remember that we only had two television stations so everyone in the whole country in your age group would pretty much watch the same channel you did since the two stations rarely aired competing shows of interest simultaneously. (Swedes are so considerate and such rational thinkers!) Hence, everyone grew up watching the same cartoons more or less. There were the big Disney, Looney Tunes, and Hanna Barbera cartoons that were most popular, of course. But, there were also others, from various corners of the world.

Two of those are what I recently came across and would like to share. The first one, Linus På Linjen (Linus On The Line) is basically just a walking man, consisting of a line with a smurf-like creature coming out of the line. The cartoon depicts him as he's walking about, experiencing various adventures. As you may notice, he's got quite the anger management problem (told you there are lots of angry folks out there), always getting angry and yelling in some foreign language that I have yet to make out. He also has the most contagious laughter that still makes me snicker. Here is Linus På Linjen for you to check out.

Another favorite childhood cartoon I remember fondly is Barbapapa, a French cartoon about a family of blobs, amoeba-like in their ability to morph themselves into pretty much any shape necessitated by the situation. This one is a little more geared toward children, but I still find the characters' morphing ability pretty neat. Check out Barbapapa here.

Isn't This Just The Coolest?

Check this out. This guy did what we have all dreamed about doing at one point or another. Here is the video. Here is the written story. So cool!

Let Them Eat THIS Cake

So, today I stumbled across what I think must be the creepiest cake I have ever seen. I apologize for slamming an artistic creation as somebody obviously labored (ha, ha) hard to create this piece of edible art, but seriously? Would you like a piece of this cake? Although I am certain it is quite delicious, I would not. I hope Megan does. However, if I were Megan, when push comes to shove, I would shove whoever decorated it out of my kitchen!

European Reflections

On my last day in Madrid, it was raining. I usually don't mind the rain, but had planned to spend the day reading in the beautiful Parque del Retiro, so was a little disappointed. Instead, I spent an hour or so on my hostel bunk bed to finish up the book [I Know This Much Is True] that had captivated me during the trip. I can highly recommend it; it is a profound and beautifully told story. It was still raining when I was done, so I headed out to do some last minute souvenir shopping. Again, I was disappointed, much like during my previous shopping attempts during this trip. I had anticipated to be able to find unique and distinctive items, things I wouldn't normally come across on a shopping trip to the mall here in the U.S. But, all over Europe it was the same stuff! Nothing unique or specific to a particular country or region. I don't know if it is me imagining things, but this seems different from just four years ago when I went to Italy. Living in the States, you get used to big market commercialism with Walmarts and Targets ruling our lives of convenience. I had hoped to escape that to lose myself in small independent shops featuring a more local offering of interesting items. While the size of the shops were granted smaller and they were independently owned, the products were all the same everywhere and there was nothing unique that we can't find here in the U.S. It saddened me to see that big market commercialism has taken such a hold as this seems to be moving us toward a world ruled by large corporations where individuality and independence are lost.

Frustrated, I headed back to the hostel for a midday snack, which included half a box of sangria that thankfully made me sleepy enough to enjoy a brief siesta and temporarily put me out of my world capitalism worries. When I woke up, the rain had stopped and I headed off to the park. The ground was still wet from the morning rain, so couldn't really find a spot to sit in to read my new book, but I was able to wander about and enjoy the scenery. Luckily, I had saved some battery on my iTunes Shuffle and completely lost myself in thought while listening to some great tunes and taking in the stunning vistas. The park is huge and I meandered about for more than two and a half hours without making it from one end to the other.

It was wonderful to be able to end my journey in such a beautiful area while also having a chance to fully reflect on the trip I was fortunate enough to have enjoyed. Traveling around Europe was a fantastic experience, but it was not a expedition of exploring unchartered territory. In fact, if that morning had solidified anything, it was that the world is getting smaller and smaller and discovering unique cultural experiences will become more challenging as we grow increasingly interconnected via technological advances and commercialism.

However, people can and still will be what ultimately allow us to have life altering experiences. As I was traveling around, I was randomly struck by how little the things that I'm wrapped up in in my daily life in Chicago mattered. The thoughts and events that preoccupy me on a daily basis when I'm at home did not make a difference here. Certain personal relationships that affected me deeply and had me dwelling on things, making me doubt myself and question who I am were no longer important. They were a world away and had no bearing on anything. It was a very freeing feeling. I had a little epiphany that the people and experiences that we allow to make us feel bad about ourselves and who we are really do not matter. It simply comes down to how we feel about ourselves from within. Kirstie, lovely angel that she is, solidified this for me. She helped to restore my faith in myself and as I packed my bags that night, I felt like I had been blessed with that life altering journey after all.

To conclude the travelogue (although I will continue blogging), I'll include a few tips for those of you looking to go on your own European travel adventure:

-Always look up. The interesting architectural details are near the top of the buildings and not necessarily at ground level.
-Curry ice cream may sound gross, but try it, it's quite interesting and really not bad! Don't be afraid to try something new.
-Bring your flip flops. Showers in hostels can be, ahem how shall I put it politely....unhygienic.
-The Lonely Planet is overrated. Get a free map from the tourist information office/hostel/hotel. Do your research about sights to see online or ask the locals. Public transportation is almost idiot proof. No need to carry around a 5 lbs book with outdated information that you paid $27 for and barely ever used!
-Cheapest food and drink is found in the grocery stores (usually, but there are exceptions) and picnics make great meals and memories.
-Traveling alone may be intimidating at first, but opens the door to new people and experiences. Hostels are great for meeting fun, friendly, and adventurous people!
-Ask your hostel/hotel/tourist information office if there is a free walking tour in your city. The guides are usually knowledgeable and fun. It's a great way to orient yourself to a new city before heading out to explore on your own. But, the guides work on tips alone so be sure to tip your guide appropriately.
-Best exchange rates are either through the ATMs or using your credit card. Don't bring cash to exchange, but you may want to keep some emergency dollars on hand, just in case.
-Buses are cheaper than trains. Unless you are younger than 26, buying the Eurorail pass is not necessarily a bargain. But, if you do decide that you want to go the Eurorail route, buy it and have it delivered before you leave the U.S. It costs less for some reason.
-If traveling by RyanAir: Oy, so many things to say here, I'll limit it to the most important: checking a bag costs extra (currently 13 euros per bag), maximum weight to carry-on is 10 kg; 15 kg for checked bags (or you pay extra). You MUST be checked in 40 mins before the flight leaves or you are S-O-L. Get to the gate early and get in line, cuz there are no assigned seats; first come, first served....
-If traveling to an airport, check and double check how long it will take to get there. Sometimes, there's only a bus every 1.5 hrs, so even if you think you're early, you might miss your flight if you miss your bus by 5 mins...
-Bring less stuff than you think you'll need. If you do miss or need something, you'll be able to find it there. I hear shampoo is available worldwide these days. No, but seriously, it really is.
-If you have a student id, bring it. It can save you some good money. Ask the hostel/hotel/tourist info office or locals about free museum days.
-Hostelworld.com is invaluable for finding and reserving hostels anywhere quickly and easily.
-Check out couchsurfing.com before you leave if you are on a tight budget. It can also be a great back-up in case there are no hostel/hotel rooms to be found.
-If there is a free bathroom opportunity, take it! You never know when you'll find another public bathroom without some kind of charge until you get to your hostel/hotel
-If you are a TMobile customer, you can bring and use your phone in Europe, but you do have to activate the WorldClass service first (free) and then pay for roaming.
-You will need a converter for charging your digital camera or other electronic equipment.
-Post offices don't necessarily sell stamps. I don't know why that is really or WHY a post office would not sell stamps, but it does happen. I really do wonder why that is. Did I mention that I'm very curious as to why a post office would not sell stamps?
-Bring a small note book and a pen. You never know when you'll need to write down random information, booking numbers, e-mail addresses, hot guys' phone numbers, etc. It's nice to have it all in one place and not dig around for lose pieces of paper that inevitably get lost.
-If staying in hostels, be sure to bring a towel (needed in most hostels), a sheet (needed in some hostels), a lock (needed in a few hostels), soap, AND flip flops (needed in 99% of all hostels)!!!
-Remember that fear is temporary, regret is forever, and life is too friggin' short so go and book your trip now! If you're going to India, let me know cuz I want to go too...

A Pictorial Selection

Porto.

Marseille

More Marseille

Prague

Amsterdam

Amsterdam Urine Guards

Barcelona and Girona

Here it is....the Barcelona Phallux: Torre Agbar, An Office Building








Girona

Barcelona: Gaudi Architecture

Sagrada Familia


















La Pegrada