Interview 6: Ellie

Favorite City?

My favorite city was Rome; it was hot (just my temperature), it was ancient and beautiful, it smelled like pizza and rain, it smelled old and it smelled new to me. It was my first out of country experience and it was breathtaking and more than I could have ever hoped for.

One place you wish you had stayed longer?

I wish we could have spent more time in Erfurt, (or any of the other cities, really, but if I'm picking one...). It was a really relaxing city and it was a fun adventure to have the whole family living in one room, and the food was delicious.

Favorite food?

I loved the gelato, the ice cream, the brats, and the doner kebabs. But if I must pick one, at the moment I'm desperately craving doner kebabs.

One of the coolest things you saw?

I loved Palatine Hill/the Forum/Ancient Rome. It is just amazing to walk there and to think about how long those structures have stood and how well they were built to battle the elements. The Romans' building skills are unsurpassable.

Something you remember being different from America?

The culture in general was so very different. One thing I'll point out is that Europeans love being outside. They walk, they grow gardens, and they eat outside. They keep their windows open (with no screens) and they just seem so much less absorbed in their own personal bubbles. Us Americans need to learn from their example and spend more time outside.

What was your favorite purchase?
I loved buying Christmas gifts for our parents, secretly. It was so amazing to see how surprised they were in December that we had bought and hidden the gifts from them for so long. We pulled that one off quite well, I must say. 

Something that you thought was funny on the trip?

Definitely a sarcastic jab that you directed at me as we went into Neuschwanstein castle; "Ellie, the sign says no dogs are allowed, that means we can't bring you!"

What was the prettiest thing you saw?
The Alps, and Hannah's secret city of Gondolin.

What is one of your favorite memories?
Archery in the Alps; it's a combination of two of my favorite things! Weapons and Europe. Heh heh heh.

How were the plane rides?
They were fine, I suppose. Abby and I watched part of In Time (in Italian, none the less) during the plane ride to Italy, since it was playing on the aisle televisions. Neither of us could sleep. But on the way home I felt pretty queasy, so I really didn't enjoy that. You know, that might be where my disliking of Captain America is rooted; all I wanted was to get off that plane while watching it for the first time.

How was the train ride?
So, so much fun. Abby, Hannah, and I sat in a compartment together, and we acted out scenes from Harry Potter, and we have a lot of videos of us just laughing our heads off. And it was a lot of fun to eat in a dining car!

What was your favorite museum/object in a museum?
My favorite museum was the Pergamum Museum, and my favorite thing was actually inside of it; King Nebuchadnezzar's city gates. They are so old and so incredibly beautiful. 

Anything else you want to say?
I'd like to draw everyone's attention to how amazing our parents are for pulling this off, this was the best vacation ever.