leaving on a jet plane...

After about two years of planning to study abroad, it's finally happening, not in a few months, no now, as in...17 HOURS! I am every emotion about this huge experience, I get so excited to go experience European culture, nostalgic knowing my father and grandmother lived there, scared because I don't know the language or how to get anywhere, sad that I'm leaving friends and family behind, surprised that it's actually here, frustrated that I'm not packed, and on and on. I once learned that during the renaissance times, young men would travel through Europe (called a tour) as a means of A. finding their career and B. as a right of passage. This is my 21st century Tour. I honestly feel that after this trip I'll A. gain knowledge for my career and B. truly become a woman with understanding and independence.
I feel so blessed to be able to have this experience. My parents are the greatest at supporting me and helping me to achieve my dreams. It's almost unreal to think that a year ago I took an entire year to study the architecture and design of Europe in a book; now I get to live those pictures. This blog will now become my journal away from my journal. I invite all of you to partake of these experiences with me, in the hopes that you can see these pictures, not in a book or tested on facts, but to inspire you to one day take the opportunity to go there and experience it for yourself.

some esplaining to do....

So... As you noticed first and foremost upon this blog page of mine, the fantastic header, Kow Tails. Now you might be saying, who does this girl think she is some type of cowgirl with an odd style? Perhaps she forgot how to be a cool indie college student? No kids, as I have created this blog I suppose I must explain the title for it. For those of you who happen to know my kid brother Tommy Jack you would understand, but since none of you out there really do.. Here is the explanation. When he was a small child he could not pronounce my name, the YL sound was just too complicated for his little mouth. Therefore he called me Kowee (yes, with a k, you could hear it in his speech, clearly decipherable from the hard c sound). Later as time went on he got lazy and simply retorted to Kow. From this day forward my nickname in the Groskreutz household will forever be Kow. You may be saying, how horrible for her, her own family calls her a cow. I've learned to cope after several years of therapy and now embrace the name, hence... Kow Tails. I present hereforth my stories, thoughts, pictures, and "tails." There you have it... Kow Tails. Don't ever question my creativity again, as I didn't even come up with it. My great big brother Ryan did. So if you hate it..take it up with him, I won't hear any of it.