Tomorrow is the day!

I am so excited! Tomorrow Adrian and I are heading to Europe on our very anticipated vacation together. We've been on vacation together before, but the reason why this one is so special is because I'm going to introduce him to my family, to the town I grew up in and to the familiar sites I hold so dearly in my heart. It is going to be an action-packed vacation for two weeks in which we're going to travel from Germany to Hungary, to Romania.

We're going to land in Stuttgart, Germany where my brother is going to pick us up and take us to Karlsruhe where he studies. What I love about Karlsruhe is the amount of greenery you find here, not to mention its historical landmark, the Palace. It was built in 1715 and it's dominating the city with its beauty. Also, you can take a little train that takes you through the woods and parks and just in general, the city is breathing youth because of its student population. I cannot tell you how excited I am to be soon sitting on a little street on a terrace having a cappuccino while I people-watch. Plus, seeing my brother and his girlfriend! Huh, I love those guys: they're an endless reminder of how cute young love can be!

After two days spent there, we are taking a plane to Budapest, which is Hungary's capital. I love Budapest. It's an ever changing city where old and new dance together in a song of harmony... The river Danube splits the city in two: the hilly, historic Buda and the flat, administrative Pest. I have visited this city before but I feel that now I will take everything in more consciously, I'll be more aware of everything it has to offer. I'm determined to look at it with a different set of eyes. Besides, I am so excited to be photographing it...a lot! And to be seeing my parents finally!

My parents are going to take us back to Timisoara, Romania, my hometown. I was born and raised there and I have tons of great memories there. I'm excited to be sharing them all with Adrian now. My house, my old room, my old pictures of when I was little, the streets, the people, the food, and mostly the f.a.m.i.l.y! I am happy they have accepted him even before knowing him directly and that shows me that my parents are truly happy when I am happy. They can't wait for us to get there either. It's always an emotional trip when I go home because I always feel guilty for leaving...this far... I always feel that I don't spend enough time with everybody, that I don't give my love enough to everybody, that I don't cherish everybody as much as I can. But to keep sane and real, I try to make the best of all the trips and all the memories. And this time it's different because I'm joining my past with my future and only good things can come out of that, right?

Timisoara is a beautiful city, it was even named "Little Vienna" because it resembles so much with Austria's capital. It lies in Western Romania and it's been a cultural melting pot for a long time. Its people are cosmopolitan and open to Western European trends. Every time I go back and visit, I notice something new and many improvements, which shows that the city is booming with progress. The city breathes culture, with its Opera House, lots of theatres, art galleries and museums. It is also home to a number of highly regarded Universities in the country, which always brings fresh air with its thousands of students attending here. I couldn't have been born in a more beautiful town. I absolutely love it and I am proud to be from there!

After Timisoara is fully explored and we'll have visited my Grandma in the countryside, we'll be taking Adrian on a little "historic road trip". He's into castles and history so we'll be visiting Hunyadi Castle in Hunedoara, which dates back to the 14th century. Here's a preview.

Then, I think we'll be heading to a medieval town called Sighisoara, which I have not visited before but I always wanted to go. So, here's my chance and I'm super excited. Here's a preview.

Then, we'll be visiting my favorite castle in Romania: the former Royal residence of the Romanian King, the Peles Castle. It was built between 1873 and 1883 and both the exterior as well as the interior are magnificent.

The next stop on the itinerary is an American favorite: "Dracula's Castle", wich for us is just Bran Castle. You can't go to Romania and not visit this castle. In my opinion it's just a legend but everybody believes what they want. A little preview...

So, pray for us to have good weather to be able to have a good time and do all the things we planned... We're very excited! I'll hopefully post during our trip so stay tuned for our adventures.

Ta ta