Flashbacks! Eurotrip 2006/Getting to Germany.

Inspired by a conversation from last night and also Pat's "Flashback Fridays" and "Wayback Wednesdays" I'm going to start occasionally posting blogs that I have written in the past.  For those of you who do not know, I've been keeping a blog since 2003, but then I made it "Friends only" because I didn't want everyone reading all of the personal thoughts I put up there (you get older and wiser, right?)  I don't really use that blog anymore, but there are some interesting things in there.  At least, to me they are :)  And without further ado, here are a few from my time in Germany.  The first one is from when I first got to Germany (befitting I think), and then two from the Eurotrip that I took while I was in Germany right before coming back to the states.  Along with some pictures :) 

Friday, 19 March 2004

Hey everyone,
I'm finally in Germany, and suffering from serious jet lag and nose stuffiness, but this place doesn't seem bad at all!  I like it for what I can tell, except the base is weird.  There are a bunch of small ones... and I have to show my ID card at every entrance into the little ones that are like five minutes apart.  It's hard to explain, but I'll get used to it!  I'm in Manheim where I was supposed to go, but actually it turns out they HAD changed it to the First Armored division or something.  But my sponsor, well, not sponsor, First line supervisor actually who was there with my sponsor, managed to get it changed back to Manheim, he said they needed me here.  Yay.  Except that I'm not on the systems yet!  That worries me.  Anyways I'm at my sponsor's house for a little get together, and I'm LEGALLY drinking some beer, it's good.  Anyways, that's what I have to say for now.  I'm real tired, I haven't really slept more than a few hours in the last 24 hours.  So I'll talk to everyone later!

Love,
Nina Rose

Thursday, 08 June 2006

Well, I am currently on my second day in Budapest (hungary), and I leave tomorrow for Split, Croatia.  I started my journey in Vienna (well, technically Mannheim, but that doesn't count), took a day trip to Bratislava with my Vienna travel buddy who I met in the hostel there (hey Larissa!), missed my train I needed to be back in time to go to Budapest, so I had to wait until five hours after my original plan, but it's all right.  Currently I'm in my hostel, everyone else is out, but since I got lost wondering around this huge city I decided that I was tired and wanted to stay in (that, and I'm on a budget, lol).  So, when I get to Croatia I think I will be enjoying lying out on the beaches.  Woohoooooooooooooooo.  After Croatia my plan is Southern France, not sure which city yet though...

So, thus far I've had an awesome time, and I will be continuing on with my journey tomorrow... with a 16 hour train ride from here to Split.

Well, I'm EXHAUSTED, good night all!

Love,
Nina

Tuesday, 20 June 2006

Okay so I suppose I should put an update out.  For all of you who don't know I managed to kill my two most valuable pieces of portable electronics on my trip (other than my laptop, because I didn't bring it).  Those items would be my cell phone, and my digital camera, so if you need my new #, let me know.  But other than that, I had a great time.  Actually the cell phone was locked in the room on the island I got stuck on for a night... yeah, I did get stranded on an island, lol, but only because I missed my ferry back.  It would've been okay except all of my luggage was in Split (on the mainland).  But I managed to visit Vienna, Bratislava, Budapest, Split (Croatia), and two islands off the coast of Split, to include Hvar and Brac.  It was a great time, and I now have a nice tan :)  I will load the pictures soon.  I'm sorry I haven't been returning comments- my internet has been down, and prior to coming home I was using internet cafes (moneeyyy).  They are pretty expensive in Croatia, even though everything else was quite cheap. 

So, what else is new you ask?  Well, I am currently clearing the Mannheim community and will be home on the 1st of July.  Woohooo... then starting July 14th, I will be a cadet candidate.  Go me!  I guess... lol.  I'm not looking forward to two more Basic Trainings, really not, but oh well, I guess it will be easier for me than the first time since I've done it once, right? Anyhows, I better get going so someone else can use the internet here.  Everyon have a great week

Love,

Nina

I will also post some pictures that I took from that trip :)

 --> The view from my window of the island I was stuck on in Croatia (Hvar).

 --> That little area that sticks out is where I spent all day reading and getting tan/sunburned.

 --> I rented a bike and rode around on the island of Brac.

 --> Statue Park in Budapest (or somewhere right outside).  They took all of the Communist monuments and put them in a park.  I remember it taking me all day to figure out how to get to the place using public transportation (which, by the way, is really difficult when you don't know Hungarian).

So there you have it.  Right when I got to Germany and around the time I left.  I'm sure I'll post more of these when I'm sitting in the Soldier Scholar lounge between classes because I'm too lazy to walk up the six flights of stairs to my room when my next class is in the same room as my last class (right next to the room I'm in). 

~Nina

Battle Command/Mil Art/etc.

I have managed to finish my last "History of the Military Art," or... Mil Art...  paper prior to midnight.  I attribute that success to staying up entirely too late the last two nights.  Now I'm down to two more graded events before the week's end: a presentation for my social psychology class (which we had to actually present to our instructor today, so that's mostly done) and a paper for my colloquiem class (Positive Psychology) about resiliency. 

Tonight we had our first Battle Command Conference speaker.  He was actually pretty good, but unfortunately, I was also pretty tired, despite my three-hour nap today.  After the speaker we went and mingled with some ROTC cadets from other schools and officers.  I'm not terrible good at mingling (despite appearances, I actually get semi-shy in settings where I have to confront people I do not know), but it turned out well.  I got to talk to someone else who is going Finance, but his training is a month before mine, so I'm sure we'll bump into each other again.  It is kind of cool to meet people who you'll be seeing again, which is why these events are kind of cool.  I think a trip to the Firstie will be in order tomorrow night while people are still here.  It's a bit easier to be social and mingle in that setting. 

Oh, it was also neat because I got to meet someone who was mentioned in the book The Long Gray Line, and he also writes history books.  His name is Tom Carhart, and the name actually sounds very familiar, so I looked him up online.  He was a '66 graduate who served in Vietnam and wrote several books about Vietnam.  I'm wondering if his name also sounded familar from what I had read in The Long Gray Line, but I'm not sure because it's been years since I've read the book - as in - I haven't read it since I was enlisted. 

Anyways, now that that paper is complete, and the Battle Command Conference is complete (for tonight... we have a whole day tomorrow), and we have an early wakeup tomorrow, I should actually get some sleep :)

~Nina

Study break!

Since I've actually been productive today, I don't feel guilty actually taking a study/homework break while I eat my udon noodles and blog.  And since I type quite fast, this won't even take me long at all.... An update beyond just a poem is needed, I think :)

So, first, I am back to my running routine again and managed a 9 mile run this afternoon.  I didn't plan on it, but I was feeling so good that I didn't want to stop.  I looked down at my Garmin, and oh, I was at 4.5 miles :)  I don't know how I managed it, actually, because I got less than 4 hours of sleep last night, and there was definitely some mouth pain in the first mile (that went away), and then it returned very painfully this evening.  I took a Vicodin and it kind of helped... I also drank coffee because I couldn't fall asleep.  Yep, haven't had a nap yet.  I have a counseling presentation tomorrow along with the submission of my plan for a presentation on Thursday.  This is in addition to a paper due Wednesday and another paper due Friday as well as a "Battle Command Conference" when we will also listen to officers talk about leadership tomorrow night and all Wednesday, SO, not getting much sleep this week! It's a good thing I'm graduating in oh... 32 DAYS!!!  Oh, I simply cannot wait, except I'm going to miss everyone.

  I was telling a couple of people how graduation can't come soon enough and yet I feel like it's coming too soon at the same time.  I still have several tasks to finish and I have stuff I still want to do in the area, but very little time to do it.  Like see an opera in the city, for instance.  I intend on doing that before graduation at some point.  This Saturday morning I am running a half marathon here, and then that night I intend on hitting up NYC with the girlies for some final dancing/bar action, since we haven't actually all made a trip to the city yet together.  Friday night, I have no idea.  I'm thinking almost everything I want to do is going to have to happen on a Saturday though because we have events almost every Saturday morning which means I can't really go too far on Friday (though there is still plenty I can do on a Friday!)  I also still want to hit up a few more hikes, Bannermans castle, and I just want to explore more before I leave! 

Anyways, I suppose I am thinking outloud, hence the stream of consciousness.  Must be the combo of lack of sleep + coffee/tea + Vicodin + a LOT of school work.  BUT, I am listening to a very excellent Pandora station as recommended by someone :)  The xx, who I hadn't heard of before ... well... yesterday, but they are awesome!  The station is playing several favorite songs of mine. 

Alas, these are some thoughts from recently - and mostly the past few days and today.  I guess I have been quite busy and if I was to type everything in, this would turn quite long, and would probably bore you, my reader :) 

Now I need to start on actually WRITING this paper... It's about a Vietnam war memoir, Stalking the Vietcong.  It was actually a good book, but unfortunately, it is still a book I had to read in order to write the paper... which meant spending time reading instead of writing and working on other assignments.  That book is why I'm so tired today, because I knew I had to finish it, so I was up into the wee hours reading.

Anyways, goodnight readers!  Time to move onto tasks of greater importance :/ 

~Nina

About music

So I have been feeling particularly creative lately, for whatever reason.  Based on my recent readings for my social psychology class, that might suggest that I've been socially rejected, but that hasn't been an issue in recent weeks.   Perhaps it's all of the classical music I've been listening to lately.  So here is a poem that I wrote earlier today (or rather yesterday, because it's now past midnight) about a song... or rather, multiple songs. Enjoy.

Drifting away
In clouds of sound
Carried high
Round and round

Fluttering, flying
Through open night sky
Shimmering stars
Reflect through my eye

Dancing, swirling
Attuned to each note
Moving quickly
Now Slow
I still float

Performance

Since I hadn't shared it on this blog... here is a link to me singing at a talent show thing from a couple of months back:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TyWp1MahsTo


My roommate is the one on piano.  

And now I shall sleep again... I'll tell you what, ballroom dance class while a little high still on Vicodin is one interesting experience, lol.  I did find, however, that chili is quite a good way to get in some protein while unable to eat a lot of real food.  Some disconnected thoughts that I felt I would share with the world.  Now to get some rest.  Goodnight world.


Love,
Nina

Wisdom teeth and other random updates

Well I finally got the remainder of my wisdom teeth removed (three of them).  My lip is still quite numb, my cheeks are quite swollen, and the left side of my mouth hurts, BUT... it's over!  Well, now there's the recovery period, which means being lazy and not running or anything for a week.  As such, I did a 13.3 mile run yesterday.  I actually felt quite good!  Except my tendinitis kind of started bothering me around 6-7 miles, and as usual, I started getting tired around mile 12, but somehow caught my second wind and finished feeling great.  I actually ran negative splits, which was nice!  And now I've got an entire week to recover!  Woohoo!  And what is essentially a four-day weekend since I am on quarters (meaning, I don't go to classes or anything) for today and tomorrow.   I must say I was quite high this morning, but my escort took good care of me and made sure I ate, took my meds, and left me a note with the time/etc. when I took the meds.  I think I must've slept for about four hours and finally woke up again around 1:30'ish this afternoon and have been trying to get some work done. 

And now... now I'm just absolutely famished, and am sitting here eating strawberry sorbet that I bought yesterday.  I ate a LOT of food yesterday because I knew for the next few days I would be hungry, haha.  Actually I feel a little nauseous, which may be from the pain meds/sedation earlier, but I'm in pain, so I'm waiting for that six hour mark to roll around so I can take some more, and likely pass out for awhile.  And yet I feel like there is SO much to do!  I got very little actually accomplished this weekend, though it was a great weekend.  Friday night was dinner out with friends at a delicious Thai restaraunt that recently opened up nearby (sooo glad there's a nearby Thai restaraunt!!).  Saturday was what WAS going to be a long-run turned really rocky trail run, followed by a cute little diner in the town of Tuxedo, followed by me not wanting to come back because it was such an AWESOMELY gorgeous day, so going up Bear Mountain and taking pictures, followed by hurrying to get ready for a friend's birthday party dinner.  And then yesterday was a friend's bridal shower followed by a long run... So, what might've been a very free weekend actually turned out to be very busy, but in a good way!   

So next up on the agenda: next weekend is Sandhurst weekend, which means two very large BBQs, lol.  Following that is the first annual West Point 1/2 Marathon.  It is comforting for me to know I can still run 13.1, haha.  I seriously doubt I'll be setting any personal records, especially because I won't be running this entire week, but it should be fun.  The purpose is to honor the graduates who have died in combat... I think it's a great idea and am excited to run it - even if we have to do it in our physical fitness uniforms (that are terrible for running).  I'm honoring those who died while in uniform, so I can't really complain there. 

Alas, I should get some more work done until I fall asleep again (which will likely be soon because I'm about ready to take my second dose of pain meds).  I also need to eat some real food... I did buy soup, so that will likely be my next "meal."

~Nina

A poem (and procrastination)

Feeling particularly bleh after a slightly crappy day and being quite tired for no good reason, I decided that ice cream would help when Melissa invited me to go eat with her.  It did. And then I came back and wrote a poem, which I just don't do often enough anymore.  The good news is, being tired and feeling slightly melodramatic inspired me to write something that might actually be semi-decent (for some reason my happy poems always suck).  It's called "This Secret." 

This Secret

It’s been some time since I’ve been here

In this hidden spot where I lie

This little secret a little too near

But I won’t let you know

Cause I’m frozen on the outside

And I won’t let it show

                   Through the ice where I hide

                   This is how it’s always been

                   And how it’ll always be

       Hidden inside a wooden den

                   Is this secret within me

                   But put your flame to that frost

                   Watch it melt, watch it burn

                   I might be scared, I might be lost

                   But that little secret you might earn

Okay, instead of writing poems I'll start on this paper that's due tomorrow.  And studying for an exam I have tomorrow.  My motivation to do ANYTHING has decreased exponentially this past week.  Anything except run, that is, and play my flute (which I did with my roommate playing accompaniment on the piano!  I found my accompaniment books!!!) .  I ran today for six miles on the treadmill.  I only ran on the treadmill because I just felt like not thinking about where I was running and drowning myself in music with endorphins (told you I'm feeling melodramatic - I'm even wearing the artsy hat to prove it), and we can't run with headphones on post.  Oh, I'm also listening to my chick-rock/Indie/whatever-genre-you-wanna-call-it... Or hippie-music as my roommate calls it.  Love it. 

And since most of you have no idea I write, or haven't read any of my writing, I'll finish with a couple of other random poems I've written in the past, like...  well, years.  I only had to copy and paste these :)   

Here is a favorite of most people's... I don't remember the title.  I don't really title most of my poems...

Looking at the reflection on the mirror
The past hidden in almost-black eyes
Wondering why in my heart I fear her

Walking through a thick, dark door
Leaving all the old ways behind me
Leaving behind every known horror

Running isn't even fast enough
Needing to get away from that girl
A little farther, just a little more tough

Am I far enough away?
I wonder
To not hear what she wants to say?

Finally exhausted and tired
Forgetting why I'm running
A reason finally being required

I turn slowly around
And there she stands
I can only look down

Eventually I must
Look her in the face
I gaze up with no trust

I am astounded by what I see
Not a huge monster
Only me

------------------------------------

Hanging on to the ledge

Hardly grasping

Close to the edge

Swinging up

Then falling down

Fingers slipping

Afraid to hit

The cold, hard ground

Grab my hand

Before I fall

Pull me up

This slippery wall

And if your hand

Lets mine slip

Let clouds soften

The hardened land

---------------------------

I have several more, but I don't know where they are right now.  I think they are on writing.com under username nrb2233 if anyone is curious. (http://www.writing.com/main/portfolio/view/nrb2233)  I also have other ones scattered about the internet somewhere...  And in journals... and... yep.

Okay, paper-writing time now.

~Nina

 

Race and stuff

First I suppose I'll talk about something upbeat.  I did my ten-miler yesterday.  It was a great race, but I destroyed my ankles on all the rocks and mud.  I twisted both of them several times, and my right one had a slight pop at one point... It's a bit swollen and bruised today, so needless to say, I'm not running today. I was actually holding a pretty decent pace until I hurt myself... I slowed down significantly after hurting both ankles.  I think the right one is just a sprain... But we'll see.  I wish my wisdom teeth removal was this week instead of next week so my rest could coincide with the week where I won't be able to do anything after the removal anyways.  This way, I may have to take two weeks off :/  Not fun considering I intend on doing a half marathon on the 23rd.  Anyways, my time was okay I guess... I did it in 1:33:20... a 9:20 minute mile average.  I got 19th overall, and I think third for the women.  I wish I could've run it faster, but yeah my ankles weren't having any of that.  I also veered away from my usual racing strategy, which is start slow and get faster.  Oh well.

And I was going to say a lot more, but changed my mind.  As in, I typed it up then deleted it.  And I think I didn't eat enough yesterday because I am CHOWING DOWN today.  Oh man.  Haha. 

~Nina

IT'S RACE DAY!

And I didn't fall asleep til around one and woke up at 4:30.  AH!  This always happens, and it's quite frustrating, but nonetheless, the weather should be good :) 

Good news is that I slept a LOT the past few days (minus last night), and that's what counts.  Alas, I must finish getting ready.  I just felt like sharing that :)   I'm sure I'll have pictures posted later

~Nina