Today I turn 29. For the larger majority of the last 29 years, I have work towards the label that has the greatest impact on my life. Soldier.
Whether it was working hard in high school to earn a scholarship, in four years at a military school to deserve the title or the six years since where I have put on my uniform and lived the title. I've given everything to get to where I am. Along the way I have suffered from a lot of injuries, none as significant or long lasting as my chronic knee pain. As a result, I can no longer run, walk down stairs or simple daily stuff. In my line of work there's a lot of judgement when someone is unable to do something. I haven't been immune to it. There have been a lot of comments, "advice" or out right discrimination because of it. So it's been a long time since I've done something that makes me feel like a still deserve the title Soldier. Today I start the West Highland Way, 94 miles to try and change that. I might not be the fastest, I might not be the strongest but I can persevere. I will finish this hike and prove to myself I've still got what it takes to hold my cherished title.
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Day 1-2: Bled, Slovenia and Pula, CroatiaThis weekend's adventure was the Istria Peninsula in Croatia. This is a trip we tried to make back in June but it just didn't work out. So this weekend we boarded the dogs and took off to enjoy the beaches and seafood. The drive itself took about 6 hours after leaving Germany, through Austria, Slovenia and finally in to Croatia. On the drive down we stopped in Bled, Slovenia to grab a bit to eat. We went to the Restaurant Sova Bled. The food was excellent. They had a lot of different options and the atmosphere was perfect for a quite lunch by the lake. http://www.restavracija-sova.com/en/# After lunch, we got back on the road and went straight to our Airbnb just outside of Pula, Croatia. The place we rented was in a quite neighborhood a few hundred meters from the beach at Gortanova uvala. After we got the bags dropped off we put on our suits and went for a short swim. It's been awhile since I swam in the ocean, so it was absolutely incredible. Day 2. We got a pretty late start the second day because of the rain storms. It didn't clear until close to noon. But when it did, we headed into the city to try and make the best of the half day. We stopped first at the Pula Arena. It was 20 Kuna a person but definitely worth it to walk around the 6th largest Roman amphitheater left in the world. It was built between 27 BC - 68 AD. After the amphitheater, we went into the old town to grab some food. We ended up at Q Time Cafe, located right next to the Arch of Sergii, constructed in 28 BC. After that quick bite, we continued around the city and saw the Temple of Augustus and Rimsko kazalište, another amphitheater before heading home to try the beach again. Unfortunately our luck with weather ran out again and we ended up just having a beer at the beach bar while waiting for the storm to pass. When it did finally clear we ended up just going back in the city for dinner. We went to a restaurant called Kantina. The food was great! But it was pretty small so we were lucky that it wasn't very busy.
kantinapula.com That closed out our first full day in Croatia. We had our fingers crossed that the next day the weather would be better. September 1st.
The begining of fall, my birthday month and the beginning of my second year living in Europe. It's been quite awhile since I written anything. This year has been more challenging then I could have ever imagined. Coming here last year, I thought that when my instagram feed looked like the dreams that I had since I was a kid, then I'd be happy. Well my feed does! Seven countries visited this past year, countless experiences and memories, but this year turned out to be harder than anything I've ever experienced. It's been full of frustration, broken friendships, and an indescribable loneliness. The depression I've always had was my only constant companion. It sat on my shoulder like a demon, whispering in my ear all the things that kept me up at night or caused me to stumble. I'd be lying if I said that today, the 1st of September, that it's all behind me, but today is as good of day as any to start moving forward again. Over the past two months, I've been able to lose weight, about 13 pounds, and that's gone a long way to boost my self esteem. Last week I finally learned what company command I would take, giving me an idea of what the next few years look like. And I've planned a trip to hike the West Highland Way for my birthday. I've talked about this for a year and now I'm going to finally do it, by myself. I've upset some people by insisting that I do this alone. But I know it's important, I need the confidence in myself again. So Prost! To a new start, a new focus and giving myself the confidence to tell that demon to pound sand. Thanksgiving has come and gone, now it is the ever anticipated Christmas season in Bavaria. To begin the season, we decided to check out the Regensburg Market which surrounds the Regensburg castle, Thrun and Taxis. There is an entry fee for the market (4,50€).
Getting there: We met a couple friends at the Weiden bahnhof and using a Bavarian pass (9€) took the train an hour south the Regensburg Hbf. After got off the train, we ended up leaving on the wrong side of the station so we had to backtrack a bit and go out the north entrance. From there it's a short ten minute walk north west to the Romantischer Weihnachtsmarkt. Schloß Thurn und Taxis, 93047 Regensburg Food & Drink: Gluhwein is a must. It's a mulled wine, generally red but comes in white as well. It's served warm in holiday mugs. The gluhwein cost between 3-5€ and you put a deposit down (pfend) on the mug. Many people end up keeping the mug as a souvenir. They also serve kinderpunch which is a nonalcoholic version for DDs or kids. For dinner we tried the Feuerlachs Stand or fire grilled Salmon. It's was incredibly and very reasonably priced. The final thing to try to try is the roasted mandeln (almonds). At the Regensburg market they offered an assortment of different favors. I highly recommend the amaretto ones. Shopping: The main event! The market is filled if different stalls selling all types of holiday decorations, clothes, specialty foods and more. Our original plan was to walk completely around before deciding what to buy. However that quickly when out the window as we found the free samples and unique gifts that were there. All in all I walked away with flavored honey and some spice mixes to send back home. The market also has an area for kids as well as a exhibit with two camels where Santa hats. This market was a prefect opening to the holiday season. We had a great time exploring and it definitely set the bar high! One of the things about the Army is living in different places throughout the country. Some places are great and some, well, not so much. But its about making the best no matter where the military sends me. I was excited when I moved into my new rental and realize the entire front slope was covered in blackberries.
This weekend I took the opportunity to pick some before the birds eat their fill and I decided to play around with a making a blackberry crisp. BLACKBERRY-LAVENDER CRISP Author: Jennifer Lenz Recipe type: Dessert Serves: 6 Ingredients: 5 cups fresh blackberries 1/4 cup white sugar 1/4 cup flour 1 tsp lemon juice 1 tbsp culinary lavender For the crisp: 1 cup old-fashioned oatmeal 1/2 cup flour 3/4 cup brown sugar 1/2 tsp cinnamon 1/8 tsp salt 1/2 cup cold butter, cubed Instructions:
Enjoy! Throughout my travels I've tried a lot of different bags, outfits and bought tons of travel accessories. Some things were a definite keep, others not so much. The key to travel is making things as comfortable and easy as possible. With my luck, a flight is always delayed or I end up departing from a gate on the complete opposite of the terminal. So it's important to choose an outfit and bag that with make each trip easier.
Outfit: My go to outfit is a pair of cotton blend leggings or pants, comfortable fit shoes, general an athlete shoe for me, and a loose fitting shirt that doesn't show a lot of wrinkles. I tend to avoid shorter skirts or shorts because you end up sitting in a lot different places throughout the day and that just adds to the travel grime. I will wear maxi dresses from time to time if I'm not going to have an extended flight. For shoes, I'm a huge fan of light weight tennis shoes and socks. While I normally get pre-check, I still avoid sandals or flats because you'll have to walk barefoot through the security check point. Finally, I bring a light sweater, regardless of the season. Most airports are kept slightly chilly so it always comes in handy. Bag: I try to avoid checking a bag whenever possible. If the trip is under two weeks and not in the winter, I'm usually able to fit everything into a carry-on size bag. I'll post later about how to pick outfits and pack to avoid checking bags. I have three types of bags that I will rotate through depending on the trip. Standard Roller bag. I choose this bag when I am going to a special event and need to keep my clothes wrinkle free or have to carry a couple of different types of shoes. This bag is convenient for longer layovers and when flying on larger aircraft. It also provides a great place to rest your personal item, making moving through the airport even easier. Weekender. I use this bag when I'm flying on smaller aircraft. When I pick seats and the aircraft has four or less seats across, the overhead space is often quite limited. The weekender bag allows you to still fit in the small overhead or under the seat if necessary. The downside to this bag is that you have to carry it and sometimes when carry your personal bag, trying to get food or through security it can cause additional stress. But not having to gate check the bag and spend time waiting when the plane lands makes up for it. Backpack. This bag is often the easiest when my trip involves a lot of additional travel like flying and public transportation. It is the most comfortable because the weight is evenly distributed and you aren't worried about pulling something along side you. It is not ideal if you need to keep a dress from being wrinkled or have to carry a lot of different pairs of shoes. However the use of packing cubes can over come this hurdle. Personal bag. For this, I choose a larger purse that has the ability to zip closed. I like to carry leather because its easier to clean than a cloth purse. The trade off is that it can get scratched throughout the course of the travel. Accessories: Travel Wallet. This is a must. I carry a larger wallet when I travel. My requirements are that it is big enough to hold a boarding pass, my passport, a pen, have pockets for paper currency as well as coins and most importantly zip completely closed. A bonus is if it have a strap. The wallet I currently have is made by Coach however Vera Bradley makes great budget friendly wallets as well. This wallet allows me to only pull one thing in and out of my bag when I trying to checking, go through security or customs. It limits the chances of things falling out of your bag and allows you to keep your bags zipped making you less of a target for pickpockets. The strap is convenient because you can loop it around your wrist of clip it to the strap of your personal bag when your not using it. Pillow. This is always helpful. The key is to pick a pillow that is washable. I also replace it every couple of years. Blanket. I always throw a travel blanket or large scarf in my purse. I prefer the window seat and it pretty cold. Happy travels! Christmas time in Colorado is absolutely beautiful. This year we had a lot more snow fall in the mountains when it was time to get our Christmas tree. The same as last year, we got our Christmas tree from the Pike National Forest. For $10 you can by a permit at the local ranger stations that allows you to cut a Christmas tree from national forest. So we grabbed our permit, packed up the dogs and headed into the mountains to get our tree. Last year we stopped on one of the earlier roads and the variety was limited. This year, we were determined to find a less "Charlie Brown" tree so we drove further in to the cutting area. We drove about 45 minutes in to the park from the Woodland Park entrance before we found a good place to pull off. Then we took off on foot looking for the perfect tree. The dogs had a wonderful time running and chasing each other in the snow. About a quarter of a mile from the truck, we found the tree we wanted. Armed with the bowsaw Tom cut it down and drug it back to the truck. I collected some of the remain branches for decorating the mantel. I decided to tie part of the tarp to Samson so he could help with the weight. Well he decided I was going too slow and took off to catch up with Tom. He was so proud of himself and he drug the tarp all the way back to the truck. While the tree was still a little Charlie Brownish, with ornaments and ribbon, it made a beautiful centerpiece for our Christmas decorations and a great way to start my final Christmas in Colorado. Plus for only $10 and a day hiking around the mountains, it more about the experience. Every season in Colorado is beautiful, from the snowy mountains in the winter, the wildflowers in the spring to the vibrate green of the summer months. But in the fall the Aspen groves turn beautiful shades of red, orange and bright yellow as the leaves change, making mountains look like they are on fire. This year I had the opportunity to take my Grandma into the mountains to see the Aspens.
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AuthorJennifer Lenz. Wife. Soldier. World Traveler. Fur Mom. Archives
September 2017
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