An Open Thank You Letter to Coach Frank Beamer

Dear Coach,

I entered Virginia Tech as a freshman in August of 2011. Prior to September 3 of that year, I had never watched a college football game, let alone a Virginia Tech game. At orientation when 'Enter Sandman' played, I stood idle for a moment. The girl behind me smacked me and yelled "What are you doing? START JUMPING!" At the time, I didn't understand why I deserved that smack, but on September 3rd, I learned my lesson. When 'Enter Sandman' played, Lane Stadium erupted. Things have changed quite a bit for me since then. After just one note of the Metallica song blares, I'm jumping.

The Hokies went on to have their eighth consecutive ten win season that year, and I started to understand why you are so highly regarded. As they say, all good things must come to an end however, and the streak came to an end the following year. It was over the next few years that I truly learned why you are so highly regarded. Yes, winning is important, but it is a very small part of why you are so loved by the Hokie Nation. As proven in the hours following your announcement today, there are countless stories of times when you have positively influenced people. Some of these stories come from people you know very closely, others come from fans that you've met just once or twice. I'm one of those fans that has only interacted with you a few times, and yet when your retirement was announced today, I teared up a bit way more than anyone should upon reading an ESPN notification on their phone. While I'm sad to see you go, I'm also very happy that I got to meet you while attending Virginia Tech.

Prior to the start of the 2013 football season, I entered the 'Coach 'Em Up' contest hosted by Virginia Tech Athletics. The Grand Prize was the opportunity to lead the Hokies through the tunnel in Lane Stadium as "Coach for the Day" alongside you. While the video is nothing to write home about, it fit the parameters of the contest rules, and won me the grand prize.

I vividly remember the day we met. It was September 21, 2013. The forecast called for rain as the Hokies dawned their camouflage Military Appreciation helmets against the Marshall Thundering Herd. I watched the teams warm up from the sideline and spent some time chatting with then head basketball coach James Johnson. As the stadium filled and kickoff neared, I made my way toward Merryman Athletic Center to meet you. Just before we met, I was introduced to your son, Coach Shane Beamer. He gave me two pieces of advice as I prepared to run on the field. "Have fun and don't get trampled." We were introduced as we walked from the locker room toward the tunnel. I remember you introduced yourself, as though I didn't know who you were. After a brief chat, we marched on. We entered the tunnel with the echo of cleats stomping behind us and 66,000 people alternating the chants of "LET'S GO!" "HOKIES!" ahead of us. We waited at the entrance of the tunnel, as 'Enter Sandman' blared and the Hokie faithful jumped in the stands. We stood at the entrance of the Hokie Stone clad tunnel in our matching white Nike windbreakers, staring into the sea of maroon and orange that filled Lane Stadium. As the drum beat of Enter Sandman sped up, we were ushered onto Worsham Field, to lead the Hokies in what would turn into a triple-overtime thrilling win over Marshall.

Just a few weeks later, on October 15, 2013 I was walking through Squires Student Center when a couple stopped me and asked for directions to Class Ring sales. We got to talking and it turned out the couple, members of the Virginia Tech Class of 1954 and 1956 respectively, live in my home town of Vienna, Virginia. The wife told me a story about you that made me smile. She had grown up in Blacksburg in a house on what is now Main Street. Her family moved, and rented the house out. Not long after, the house burned down, but not before you met your wife Cheryl in that very house. A few years ago, she told me she found a picture of the house in her attic. It was the only picture she had of the old house. On her next visit to Virginia Tech, she brought the photo with her, to give to you. She explained that she left the photo at your office, as you were not available at the time. A few weeks later, she received a thank you note from you that she described as one of kindest thank you notes she had ever read. I tell this story as it shows once again how special you are to so many people.

You have helped so many people in your time at Virginia Tech. Countless players, current and former, chimed in today on the impact you have had on not only their football careers, but their personal well being as well. People from all throughout the Hokie Nation have sent their praises and thanks your direction throughout the day, and I am sure the praises will only continue over the coming weeks. I can only imagine how many people you helped throughout the years. Your donations to the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund have helped support the families of military personnel lost in service and severely wounded military personnel and veterans. Your establishment of Herma's Readers in 2008, has led to the collection of over 100,000 new and used books and $125,000 to promote literacy in the Commonwealth of Virginia. In 2013 when the Virginia Tech Baseball team surged into the NCAA regional tournament, you donated $5,000 to increase the seating capacity of English Field. While you may not have thought twice about it, it made a difference. The examples of your selflessness listed above are just a few of the many I've heard in the five years since I joined the Hokie Nation. With 29 years as head coach under your belt, and many more as an Alumni of Virginia Tech I am excited to hear many more stories about the "Beamer Way" in the coming weeks.

While winning the 'Coach 'Em Up' contest is as close as I'll ever get to being like you, it was an honor to stand by your side, if only for one game. On behalf of the Hokie Nation, thank you Coach Beamer, for all that you have done for our beloved University and congratulations on an incredible career. Go Hokies!

In the spirit of the theme of this blog: Ciao, Coach Beamer!

P.S. Danny Coale made that catch.

4 Overtimes Later...

I checked ticket prices for the Arkansas versus Auburn game on Tuesday. Nosebleed seats ran no cheaper than $75. As of Tuesday, I was not attending the game. By Wednesday, the price had dropped to $50 because the weather channel predicted a 100% chance of rain at the Hogs' 11am kickoff. So I waited, patiently. By Friday, the chance of rain had dropped to 30%, yet ticket prices continued to decrease. When ticket prices dropped to $6.73 cent on StubHub, I gambled. I figured, if I woke up Saturday and the chance of rain increased, I could skip the game and only be out $6.73.

I bet the house and won. I woke up Saturday morning to find a zero percent chance of rain during the game, and ticket prices had skyrocketed back upwards of $100. Within thirty minutes, I was on my way to Fayetteville for what would be one of the most exciting games I have ever witnessed.

I arrived in Northeastern Arkansas about an hour before kickoff. The drive from Conway to Fayetteville as the leaves changed colors through the mountain valley was breathtaking. My ticket read section 506, row 23, seat 10. When I arrived in the stadium I realized that there were no attendants checking tickets, so instead of making the trek up to the highest section in the stadium, I treated myself to some of the best seats in the house. I found my way to section 105, and made myself comfortable.

Following the national anthem, the Razorbacks rushed onto the field, weaving between members of the marching band who formed the shape of an 'A' on the field, after being smoked out of the "Hog Pen."

The Razorback entrance was cute, but Virginia Tech's 'Enter Sandman' is the best entrance in college football.

This weekend's game was an attempted "Stripe Out." In theory, the Stripe Out is epic. Execution is no easy task however, as proven by today's crowed. I was excited to see the stripe out, as a lover of all things "Hokie Effect" but the result was unimpressive compared to this year's Maroon and Orange Effect games.

Virginia Tech vs Ohio State - Orange Effect - September 7, 2015 

Virginia Tech vs Duke - Maroon Effect - October 24, 2015 - Photo courtesy of Warren Nooger

I lucked out that nobody claimed the seat I borrowed for the game. The Hogs took an early lead, but the game ultimately need four overtimes to find a winner. This was not my first college football game that required multiple overtimes to settle. In 2013, I led the Hokies on the field for the Virginia Tech versus Marshall game. The Hokies won that game in triple overtime despite monsoon conditions.

The Razorback Marching Band performed a medley of songs by Bruno Mars during halftime, and the fan's chanted "Wooo Pig, Sooie" at every opportunity. Highlights from the game, including the entrance from the Hog Pen can be seen here!

The Razorbacks pulled off the win after four overtime periods, 54-46.

Both the Hokies and Hogs played through four overtimes this weekend. While I may have been a Razorback fan for the day, I'm a Hokie fan for life!

Adventures in Arkansas: The Natural State

It's hard to believe I've been in Arkansas for over three months already. Needless to say, it's been an adventure in and of itself. A lot has changed all at once. I've been challenged time and time again, but I am learning to love Arkansas and all it has to offer. At long last I have a blog post to share, combining multiple adventures including trips to the Clinton Presidential Library, Graceland, Crater of Diamonds State Park, and of course, my beloved home of Blacksburg, Virginia.

Jurassic Park(ansas)
During my first weekend in Arkansas, I made a trip to Little Rock largely in part because I was going through Chipotle withdrawal, but also to check out the William J. Clinton Presidential Library. The Clinton Library is the fourth Presidential Library I have visited. A few summers ago I visited the George W. Bush Library in Dallas and the Lyndon B. Johnson Library in Austin while on vacation with my family.

In March, I visited the George H.W. Bush Library at Texas A&M University while at the Conference on Student Government Associations with the Virginia Tech SGA. While there, I gave a presentation on the Hokie Effect Program. Unlike my visit to "Aggieland" the Clinton Library did not include a recreation of the closing scene of the second season of House of Cards. It was, however, reminiscent of a trip to Jurassic Park. 

Over the summer, the Clinton Library hosted a "Dinosaurs Around The World" exhibit complete with life size animatronic dinosaurs. Having just seen the new film Jurassic World a few weeks before, this exhibit was particularly cool. I learned a lot more about the Clinton Presidency than I had ever known, and admittedly lost count of the number of saxophones on display throughout the library. 

My fascination with the presidency is undying, as I spent many years thinking I wanted to be President of the United States one day. While that aspiration is now long gone, I greatly admire the individuals strong enough to take on such a taxing job. With four Presidential Libraries checked off already, I have ten more to visit. 

My mom and sister got a chance to visit the Clinton Library and the dinosaur exhibit when they visited me in late August. Their time in Arkansas, while too short, was easily one of my best weeks here. We really got to explore Conway for the first time, and tried some of the best food the town has to offer. Since moving here, I started painting canvases to relax and decorate my apartments bare walls. I got to share this new hobby with my mom and sister while they were in town. We all painted together one night, and some of my paintings are hanging in my apartment now. My move also marks the first time I've had to cook on my own. While my cooking skills have improved since I have arrived, nothing beats my mom's cooking. I don't know when their next visit will be, but I can't wait to be home with them for Thanksgiving.

Warriors of Worsham - Orange Effect
Even a twelve hour drive wasn't going to keep me from being in Lane Stadium for the Orange Effect game vs the defending national champion Ohio State. On my drive, I stopped halfway for a night in Nashville, Tennessee with Austin Tatum. We went to dinner at a Burger Parlor/Beer Garden called Pharmacy Burger with a few of Austin's friends who go to University of Tennessee. They were in town for the Tennessee vs. Bowling Green game. It was that night that I had one of the most delicious falafel burgers of my life. If you're ever in Nashville, don't miss this restaurant. Austin and I made the rest of the trip Saturday morning. We jammed out to Justin Timberlake's 20/20 Experience on the way, just as we did on our road trip to his concert in Philadelphia last December.

Upon arriving in Blacksburg, I was reunited with my brother who seems to be thoroughly enjoying his freshmen year so far. Words cannot describe how jealous I am that he has four more years in Blacksburg. My first stop was Cabo Fish Taco, where I began my weekend of catching up with friends. I needed that weekend in Blacksburg more than I could have ever imagined. As the days went on I saw more and more familiar faces, made my way downtown, ate some Benny's Pizza, and crashed on my favorite futon in Blacksburg.

Sunday's Brad Paisley concert was all kinds of awesome. There is no denying it, that man knows how to put on a show. A projected crowd of 30,000 fans packed the McComas parking lot for the free concert. He sang his hits, "facetimed" Carrie Underwood in for a duet of Remind Me, and managed to play his own rendition of Enter Sandman. Jumping occurred.

An already amazing weekend led into Monday's gameday festivities. As I sat outside Gillie's for breakfast with my SGA adviser Jaime, I was blown away by the number of people wearing Orange Effect shirts. I couldn't wait to see the the stands in Lane filled with people in Orange. The turnout did not disappoint.

The game itself was a thrill and while the final score wasn't what I had hoped for, nothing beats jumping to Enter Sandman with 66,000 of your closest friends.The weekend served as a welcome reminder that while I may not be in Blacksburg anymore, I am a Hokie for life.

Taking Care of Business In A Flash
My dad came to visit for a few days during the first week of October. We made a trip to Memphis, Tennessee to visit Graceland: Home of Elvis Presley. Memphis is about two and a half hours from Conway.

I didn't know what to expect from Elvis' home. I went in with low expectations, and was very impressed. The tour was led by John Stamos on an iPad, and included Elvis' private jets and his estate which he purchased at age 22. I knew "The King" was a big deal having loved his music for years, but I hadn't realized how young he was when he first found fame.

The estate was truly fit for a king, including gold plated seat belt buckles on the plane and a personal racquetball court among other things. The amount of Elvis memorabilia for sale was astounding. The gift shops sold everything from Elvis nail files to Elvis clocks. I was surprised to learn that Elvis and many of his family members are buried at the estate - that is, if you believe Elvis is really dead.  If you ever make it out to Memphis, Tennessee make some time to visit Graceland, and be sure to have a peanut butter and banana sandwich while you're there.

No Pressure, No Diamonds
Last weekend I visited Arkansas' famous Crater of Diamonds State Park. This park is the world's eighth-largest diamond bearing volcanic crater. It's open to the public at only $8.00 admission, and if you're lucky enough to find a diamond, you get to keep it. The week I moved to Arkansas, someone found an 8.52 carat diamond, the fifth largest ever found at the park. It has since been named the "Esperanza" Diamond, and is valued at well over $300,000. I knew I had to make a trip out to the crater to find one myself. Spoiler alert, I didn't find a diamond.

Crater of Diamond State Park is located about two and a half hours southwest of Conway in Murfreesboro, Arkansas. I made the trip early Saturday morning and arrived at the park around ten. I had only anticipated being at the park for about two hours, but before I knew it it was almost one o'clock and I hadn't even tried wet sifting yet. I had spent well over two hours simply digging in the dirt in hopes of finding a diamond. Once I realized the time, I filled a five-gallon bucket with dirt, and made my way over to the troughs of water to wet sift. The wet sifting process was physically taxing, but a lot more rewarding. There were multiple points during my search that I was certain I had found a diamond, only to later find out my findings were quartz and jasper.

There were people of all ages at the park. Most of the children were more enamored with the fact that they were allowed to roll around in the dirt than that they could find a diamond. I overheard conversations of people who had traveled from all over just hoping to get rich quick. One elderly lady had traveled with her two daughters, one of whom has Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and has always wanted to come to the park. When they arrived however, the daughter was having too difficult of a day to even leave the hotel. So her mom and sister went to the park to dig and clean off rocks for her. The park allows visitors to take up to 5-gallons of cleaned rocks out of the park to search at home. That's exactly what they did, so that the daughter with MS could search through the cleaned rocks for a diamond just as she intended. I really hope she finds one. Another couple nearby had decided to change their plans of a vacation to Jamaica to instead go on a "prospecting vacation." Earlier in the week they were in Colorado for gold mining, and the next day they were leaving for North Carolina to mine for ruby and sapphire gems. For many visitors, it was their first time at the park, but the group nearest me had traveled from Oklahoma City three times already this month.

Supposedly an average of two diamonds are found at the park each day. Maybe next time I make the trip I'll find one like the immaculate Strawn-Wagner Diamond, which is on display at the park.

My plans to attend this weekend's University of Arkansas football game vs Auburn in Fayettville appear to have been washed out by impending thunderstorms. Stay tuned for my next adventure! Ciao!

Arkansas Bound!

Today is the day, folks! The blog has been revived for new adventures. I am moving to Conway, Arkansas to start my career in sales with Hewlett-Packard. My new home is located about 30 miles north of Little Rock. There should be a lot of college age students in Conway as The University of Central Arkansas, Hendrix College, and Central Baptist College are all located there. I'm excited to share the beauty of Arkansas and its 52 state parks with you. They don't call it "The Natural State" for nothing! I am thrilled about my opportunity to live in a different part of the country as I start my career. Stay tuned as I set out to discover what Arkansas is all about.

Ciao!

Ciao Lugano! - The lost blog post

**Note: This post was written on May 13, 2014. It was never published. While preparing to publish a new blog post, I found my final post, "Ciao Lugano!" a few weeks ago. It doesn't share any new stories, however it provides a bit of reflection on my time abroad. I found it appropriate to share today, as I left for Lugano exactly one year ago. Enjoy!**

This is a blog post I don't want to write. When I click 'publish' it all becomes real. My semester abroad is over. 

It has been 17 days since I returned from the adventure of a lifetime. It's hard to fully explain the thoughts and feelings that come with returning from such an incredible journey. It's strange not seeing the Swiss Alps when I wake up every morning. Dinner is a bit quieter in my house than it was with 47 students in the Montarina. It's taking time to recognize that everyone here speaks English, and that I don't have to translate my thoughts. Everything is different, and yet nothing has changed.

Kaitlyn Malcolm found this quote, and it sums my thoughts up perfectly:

"It's a funny thing coming home. Nothing changes. Everything looks the same, feels the same, even smells the same. You realize what's changed is you." 
- Eric Roth, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button Screenplay

I have changed. There's no doubt about it. My point of view on the world is very different now than it was when I left the United States in January. I have realized how big the world is while at the same time confirming that it is indeed a small world after all. 

Over the last four months, I have logged my adventures across Europe in words, pictures, and video. However, no photographs can capture the beauty of the Cliffs of Moher. No words can describe the excitement of eating eight waffles in 27 hours in Belgium, although this video got pretty close. If I could, I would do it all again, and I would not change a thing.

I could go spend another four months in Europe and visit all the same places, but it wouldn't be the same without my Lugano Family. They are the people who made it all so memorable. While I witnessed some amazing things, it's clear that it's the people I was with that made the trip special. If you are reading this, and ever have the opportunity to study abroad, do it. Do not hesitate. It will be the best decision of your life.

Whether this is the first post you've read or the twenty-fifth, thank you for reading. Ciao, Lugano!

Closing Time in Lugano

My final 12 days in Lugano went by in what seemed like 12 hours. As you may remember, I arrived in Lugano just before 8am on Monday the 14th of April after spending the night on the floor of the Milan Airport.

While I loved my time in Spain and Portugal, I was particularly excited to return to Lugano to see my family who was arriving that afternoon. I met them around 4pm at AnaCapri, the restaurant by the train station where I celebrated my birthday exactly three months prior. Having not seen them in months, our reunion was incredible. I had so much to tell them before they left for Zermatt the next morning.

Within a matter of minutes of meeting with them, my mom noticed the large purple bruise on my left forearm. It was then that I told my family about my incident in an ambulance a week before. Having survived it, I didn't want to concern them by telling them via text while they were enjoying their time in Italy. Following a light snack, I took my family to the Montarina to show them around my home and introduce them to my Lugano Family. 

Disclaimer: Arjan is standing on his tiptoes.

I later took them to the castle for a view of the city from above and later the newspaper tunnel, just for fun. We ended our evening at the Spaghetti Store, where Molly, Cat, MK and I enjoyed one of our first meals in Lugano when we arrived in January.

I met them again the next morning for breakfast before they caught their train to Zermatt. My hope was that they would see the Matterhorn clearly after we missed out due to snow on our first weekend of travel. Within minutes of their arrival, I received a photo of it. That afternoon I took advantage of the lovely weather and explored Lugano with some of the ladies on the trip.

Professor Brinberg welcomed us in as part of his family for Passover. Led by Jenny and Dana, we were taught about the traditions of the Passover Seder. We celebrated the evening together as a family and it was wonderful.

Dana, Professor Brinberg, and Jenny at the Passover Seder

Wednesday was the last day my Eurorail was active. I made a quick trip to Riva San Vitale, where Virginia Tech's other Swiss campus is located, to meet up with Jenna Zschaebitz. Jenna made a trip back to Blacksburg for Ring Dance a few weeks prior, and returned to Switzerland with a gift from my SGA friends. From Riva I got back on the train and went to Bellinzona. I figured there was no better place to end my a Eurorail travels than where I started them. With David's card in hand, I made my way back to Montebello, one last time. On the way the train stopped in Lugano and eight other members of the Lugano family boarded. The nine of us spent the afternoon throwing a football and enjoying the weather in the beautiful castles of Bellinzona. As you may recall, the first two times I visited the capital of the Ticino canton, it was snowing. 

Back Row (from Left): Kyle, Jenny, Kaitlyn, Susan
Front Row: Ashley, Logan, Mary Katherine, Trip, Me

Bellinzona was even more beautiful on this clear day. Mary Katherine, Trip and I made a visit to the top of Castelgrande before returning to Lugano.

Enjoying the view atop Castelgrande with Mary Katherine.

That night we celebrated both Professor Brinberg's birthday and Trip's 21st birthday at dinner. We moved our celebration to Coyote Ugly after dinner. As the celebrations came to an end, a handful of us took a dip in Lake Lugano.

On Thursday morning we spent the day at the pool before going paddle boating. Logan and I invested in 750 water balloons at the 2-franc store and had filled most of them in preparation for an epic water balloon fight at the castle set to take place after going to the lake. About twenty of us rented boats. Once we were in the middle of the lake, Trip started jumping between boats, stealing shoes and taking them back to his boat. Who knew there were pirates on Lake Lugano? When we returned from paddle boating we were devastated to find our water balloons were all gone. Where they disappeared to is still a mystery.

Coyote Ugly was hosted a thirty-two team beer pong tournament on Thursday night. When we arrived there was room for one team left. Trip and Taylor were our best bet. They needed a little bit of time to adjust to the strange rules of European Beer Pong, but after narrowly winning their first game they went on to win it all. They hoisted a large trophy and each got medals for winning.

On Friday night we went to the carnival located near USI. We spent a while playing in the bumper cars, which were way more intense than any bumper cars you will ever experience in the US. After the carnival, we made a trip to Oops Bar directly next to USI. A group at the table next to us had a delicious looking pizza on their table. Logan and I started talking to one of the guys at their table, while eyeing their pizza. He told us he would offer us a slice, but since it was a vegan pizza, he didn't think American's could handle it. I explained to him that I've been a vegetarian my entire life. With that, he walked to the back of the bar and returned minutes later with an entire pizza for us covered in vegan meat. It was delicious. Hands down, one of the best pizza's I've ever had. We thanked him profusely, and enjoyed the pizza thoroughly. We also came across a stick on mustache at some point, which made for some fun photos.

Kaitlyn, Logan, and Trip showing off their mustaches.

Lugano was a happening place over the weekend. An Easter festival took over the town. Saturday morning you couldn't walk ten steps without being handed free chocolate samples from people in bunny costumes. As I walked around town while doing some last minute souvenir shopping, I ran into Molly and her parents. As it turns out, this was not Mr. Piffath's first time in Lugano. He had returned with a mission: to find the mysterious George Washington statue near the lake. Molly had told me about this earlier in the semester, but I had never seen the statue myself. To my delight, we were just a few minutes walk from the statue. I joined them in their hunt for the presidential bust. It was a nice treat to see Mr. Piffath's journey complete, and it reminded me of the last thing I needed to do in Lugano. My Uncle Farid had been to Lugano before and insisted I find Cafe Minerva, a hot spot when he was in town.

Giorgio Washington

I said my goodbyes to the Piffath family, and made my way back up the hill to find Cafe Minerva. I was told that it was near the Hotel Colorado, which was visible from the soccer field we frequented. As I made my way to the Hotel, I was delighted to find Cafe Minerva was still there. I treated myself to a celebratory beer and took a few pictures to show my uncle when I returned.

On Sunday morning, our friends who were teaching in Kenya for two weeks finally returned to Lugano. The highly anticipated reunion was tear-filled and much needed. We spent the afternoon listening to the stories of their time in Africa, including their experiences teaching at Bambakofi Academy and their safari. Later that afternoon we played soccer at Franklin University and enjoyed Easter dinner by the lake.

A photo of Kenya taken by Marissa Forte 

On Tuesday we were treated to a fancy dinner by the owner of the Montarina as part an end of semester celebration. We enjoyed dinner outside with wine made on the property. It was there that the winner of the promotional video contest for the Montarina was announced. It was no surprise that the video produced by MaryKate Goff won the grand prize.

On Wednesday we took the train to Riva San Vitale, to take a hike up Monte San Giorgio. The hike itself was arguably the most difficult hike we've completed while in Switzerland, even more so than Monte Boglia which is directly across the lake and almost 500 meters higher. Kyle, Trip, Nick, Molly, Marin and I completed that hike about two days before our trip to Spain. The view from the top of both mountains were incredible.

All smiles atop Monte Boglia! From Left: Marin, Molly, Trip, Kyle eating a snowball, me, Nick

The view atop Monte San Giorgio

When we returned to Riva, Professor Brinberg took us to the Riva campus to show us around. We saw a few of our friends and got a feel for what their campus was like. After our brief visit, Professor Brinberg treated us to gelato. That delicious cup of banana gelato was the last cup I had in Europe.

On Thursday it finally started to sink in that our time in Lugano was almost up. We gave our final presentation and finished packing. That evening Nick, Trip, and Taylor hosted the 2014 Lugano Superlative Award Ceremony. I was honored to take home the award for Best Blogger. Thanks to everyone who has been keeping up with the adventures!

At the end of our award ceremony we presented Professor Brinberg with a Swiss flag that was signed by every member of our 2014 Lugano Family.

Immediately following the award ceremony, we took the Smiley Train a few towns over to Bioggio, Switzerland for "The Last Supper." We enjoyed an appetizer buffet followed by a risotto dish. As dinner came to a close, Professor Brinberg gave a speech that brought almost everyone to tears. Our time together really was coming to an end.

Following a sentimental dinner, we made a stop at the newspaper tunnel before our last visit to Coyote Ugly. We closed down Coyote Ugly to the tune of Closing Time by Semisonic, before making our way to Club One. Our plan for the evening was to avoid sleeping. We stayed at Club One briefly, before heading to Lake Lugano, to jump in all together, one last time. We did exactly that.

We returned to the Montarina just hours before our bus left to take us to the airport. At 5:30am we were loading the bus and by 6am we were on our way to the airport after saying our goodbyes to the wizard himself, Professor Brinberg.

We arrived safe and sound in the USA on Friday around 4pm. While my European adventure has come to a close for now, this blog has not. Stay tuned. Ciao!

Four Cities in Four Days: Madrid, Lisbon, Cascais, Carcavelos

Our trip to Lisbon did not go as planned. The overnight train from Sevilla was booked, so we made adjustments. The next available train was 24 hours later. There were only three seats left on the bus, with 9 passengers eager to get to Lisbon. We considered renting a car. I really wanted to drive stick through Europe, but the 500 euro charge for taking a car across borders deterred us. To my delight, we decided to take a train to Madrid for the afternoon, and a bus overnight to Lisbon from there. I watched the movie Gravity in Spanish on the train ride to Madrid. I look forward to watching it again in English to see if I missed anything.

We were only in Madrid for a few hours. Within my first hour in Madrid, I wound up in the police station. Believe it or not, I wasn't there for committing a crime. Jenny had her credit card eaten by the ATM machine in the train station and I joined her to attempt to translate. The officers were very helpful but were unable to retrieve her card. Poor Jenny was without her credit card for the last few days of our break. She was a good sport however, and since she was the only one of us who had been to Madrid before, she showed us around a bit. Under Jenny's direction, we wandered our way to Madrid's main square, Plaza Mayor. It was there that we settled in for our last Spanish meal.

Justine, Trip, Taylor, and I treated ourselves to paella and sangria. While we ate, FC Barcelona fans flooded the plaza for a rally in support of the team prior to their big Champions League match versus Atletico Madrid that night. The fans chanted for hours as we enjoyed our meal. With time to kill before our bus, we made a stop at a Churreria for Madrid's finest churros. They were divine. As the sun set, we boarded the bus and arrived in Lisbon at six in the morning as the sun rose.

With only one day in Lisbon, we made the most of it. Our first stop was São Jorge Castle. The castle offered a beautiful view of the city of Lisbon and the Tagus River. Armed with cannons, it once stood on the hill to defend the city.

Our group split up after the visit to the castle. Part of the group visited the aquarium while Jenny, Dana, Madison, Carolyn and I made a trip to the city and Belem. The girls and I enjoyed a lovely lunch by the Praça do Comércio (Commerce Plaza) and then hopped on a tram to Belem. After five minutes on the tram, we had moved about one hundred feet. Realizing that it would take us at least an hour reach Belem by tram, we got on a high speed train instead, and arrived within fifteen minutes.

Belem is a beautiful part of the city of Lisbon, located on the water. Home to multiple museums and monuments, Belem is a must see. Most prominent are the Padrão dos Descobrimentos, a monument celebrating the Portuguese Age of Discovery and the Belém Tower. Thanks to the encouragement of Madison, connoisseur of everything sweet, I tried Pastel de Nada (also known as Pastéis de Belém) for the first time. This delicious pastry tart, served warm with a coat of cinnamon and powdered sugar is heavenly.

Following a beautiful day along the river with good company we had a wonderful Portuguese dinner and went to bed early knowing we would be going to the beach the next morning.

We made our way to Cascais, about 40 minutes from Lisbon by train first thing Friday morning. Once settled in we rented bikes near our hostel and took them to the beach. We spent our day relaxing on our beach, playing paddleball, and frisbee. Our last few days were incredibly relaxing. We enjoyed a delicious dinner and spent the evening at an Irish Pub. Upon returning from the pub, I was facetimed in for the Virginia Tech Soulstice Concert at the Lyric in Blacksburg. With the help of Maddie Potter, Taylor Cugini, Austin Tatum, and Patrick Acker I enjoyed the Rock N' Soul of my favorite a capella group. If you missed their concert, check it out here:

We spent Saturday at a different beach, this time in Carcavelos, about 20 minutes by train from where we were staying in Cascais. Since surfing conditions were less than ideal, we spend our afternoon playing wiffleball and reminiscing on our time in Europe. We decided to take advantage of the grill at our hostel and had a cookout for dinner. We stopped at a grocery store on our way back from the beach and everyone made a dish. I found mango-curry tofu and a smoked tofu and made mini sandwiches. They were delicious, if I may say so myself. The cookout was a blast. We ended our evening on the beach, and laughed the night away.

We woke up Sunday morning in disbelief that our final trip was coming to an end. We spent our afternoon on the beach before a delicious all you can eat sushi lunch. Around 4pm we made our way to the airport. We arrived a few hours before our 10pm flight. If all went well, we were set to arrive in Milan at 1:20am with plenty of time to catch the final bus to Lugano at 1:50am. Instead our flight was delayed 25 minutes giving us only five minutes to make our bus upon arriving in Milan.

We arrived and sprinted through the Milan airport to catch the bus. We ran to the bus in time, only to find out the entire bus was reserved for the students of the Lugano Center for the Arts. We were forced to spend the night in the airport until the next bus at 5:50am. We did just that.

We finally arrived in Lugano around 7:30am. I took a short snooze before our meeting for our final project.

My final two weeks in Lugano are wrapping up. Stay tuned for the final days of fun! Ciao!