Good Morning from Germany!

This is what I wake up to every morning. Thought I would share. Have a wonderful day. xo

First day in Berlin, amazing.

I am staying in the outskirts of Berlin, in Potsdam, on a gorgeous lake. My bedroom looks outs to not only one, but two castles. After a day of jet lag, Gina and I took the train that goes into Berlin. It was about a 20 minute ride into the city.  Graffiti was drawn on so many buildings but still so beautiful. 

 To begin, Berlin is a HUGE city. Absolutely dripping with history, culture and of course, fashion. Mercedes Benz Fashion Week starts next Wednesday, the 19th. As we were walking through the streets, we found the venue where MBFW will be taking place. While I did not get a press pass to the shows, Sylvio is still working on it for me as well as Bread and Butter. So fingers crossed, but if not, I will still be able to see a lot and be in the city while it's taking place. 

So many people roamed the streets. Since it is Sunday, tourists and locals alike were enjoying the "warm" day. Most shops were closed but restaurants and coffee shops were filled. There were double decker buses, century old buildings, funky fashions and wonderful architecture. That is one of my favorite things about Europe, the architecture. So much history and detail behind buildings.

We also saw about 10 museums, which I want to go to all, a market, TWO starbucks, the Parliament, and checked out the Mercedes Benz shop. Next stop was the Sony Center, where premiers take place as well as other fascinating things. After about a four and half excursion through central Berlin, it was time to head back. Now it's dinner time. Off to enjoy the rest of the night. Good night to all. Will update tomorrow.

To see all my photos so far, click here!

XO, Jody

Well said. 

My new car, no big deal. 

Double Decker!

The Jewish Memorial.

Willkommen in Deutschland!

"Willkommen in Duetschland," or Welcome to Germany were the first words to greet me coming off the plane. 

The flight was long, but caught up on some Glee and tried to get some sleep. Once we flew over Ireland, the ride was bumpy all the way. A couple big drops too but I finally made it to Germany after my flights were canceled and pushed back two days because of winter storm. After flying over NE America, I could see just how bad the storm had been. It was a winter wonderland recovering...  

(pictures of NJ and NY I took from the plane)

Miss Ellen, my travel agent, is the best. She always seems to get me window seats, which are my favorite because I can look out and see the world below. Once we prepared to land I looked out my window to find luscious, green scenery everywhere. I thought, because of it being winter and freezing, it would be brown, like Florida, but to my surprise it was stunningly gorgeous. 

I checked the weather all week to see what I should expect.... rain and snow next Wednesday. Gina greeted me once I went through customs, which is a piece of cake compared to US immigration, and we were off. Blue skies with the sun peeking through the clouds and a cool temperature of about 45℉. The 20 minute drive from Berlin to Potsdam was gorgeous. The scenery is just amazing. 

We arrived to a gorgeous house on the lake and freshly made breakfast with her parents, Sylvio and Nana. After eating, Gina and I went on a walking tour. We went around town and to the fresh Saturday market. So many delicious things. There was fresh meats, cheeses, fish, coffee, pastries, anything you could imagine, it was there and everyone was walking because of the wonderful weather. 

After picking up a few things, we went to, of course, Starbucks. I had to get my fix, since they have them over here too! We enjoyed a tea while catching up and walked back to the house. But before we returned, we walked up a street with absolutely gorgeous architecture. 

After a little exploration, it was time for me to catch up on sleep. Totally jet lagged, today is my relaxation day so I can be rested for tomorrow. Tomorrow the REAL exploration begins in Berlin. Until then, ciao. 

xo

The adventure has officially begun....

Everything is a go! I have officially checked in, checked one bag (40 pounds), have my two carry on bags and now I just wait to board the first of two flights. 

Saying goodbye, or as I like to say "see you later", to my boyfriend of over four years was SO hard. I didn't think I would cry as much as I did, but the tears kept coming. This trip signifies not only a new chapter in my life but a new chapter in his. This is the year where we are getting all our ducks in a row. 

Now that I have calmed down-- after crying my way through security, having a worker tell me I'm too beautiful to cry, and having two others think I was crying because I was scared of flying( ha!)-- I am just anxious and curious to see what this adventure has in store for me. 

I miss everyone so much already, especially daddy, who I just had my first skype session with. I will keep you all updated with my travels, until then, it's time to board! 

XO, Jody 

And so it begins....

It's the day before I leave for my big adventure BUT there is a horrible storm brewing in the north east  part of the US. I have been constantly checking the weather and finally checked my flight status: CANCELED.

I hit panic mode. What do I do, how do I fix this? Totally bummed, I called Continental, wondering where do I go from here?


A big thank you to the lady at Continental who was so helpful and nice. Never having dealt with a canceled flight I was  worried but she helped me through it. I had already been rescheduled for Friday the 14th and everything has worked out. AND I can even extend my stay for free. So now I wait, anxious and excited for another 2 days, as this winter storm hopefully passes quickly, with no extreme damage or destruction to those who live in the states affected.

(weather.com)

Fingers crossed....

MBFW Berlin will be running January 19-22, a week after I get there. Im trying to volunteer or get a press pass…. let’s hope it works! Even if not, just being in the city while it’s going on will be ah-maaa-zing.

(Photo from mercedes-benzfashionweek.com/)

It's crunch time!

I leave in 5 days! Just 5 days, and I have SO much to do. Do you ever feel like no matter how prepared you are, you just won’t be prepared enough? I live in FL, where the weather is in the 60’s, sometimes 50’s or below. Berlin is 41 and expecting snow within the next few days… what’s that? Just kidding but knowing that I am going into a completely different climate AND different country makes me a little nervous, like I can’t prepare enough.

I am so excited about this big adventure. It will be a life changing experience. I will be going to Germany, Turkey, and maybe England and Italy. In Germany I will practice better filming and photography techniques. I will be learning so many new things. 

I can’t wait to arrive and explore all the wonderful new things there is to see. 

I am a little, nervous, but really excited and anxious to see what this trip has in store!

xo, Jody

p.s. this is where I will be staying.. it's the back yard. Brrrrrrr! but oh so pretty.