The top 5 weirdest things that happened to me while getting repeatedly searched at the airport...

This list could go on and on, but I will keep it short.

5. Getting my ankles checked. Dude, I my ankles are bare. You see my brown skin...

4. The security guard repeatedly used the wand to check my boots. Not just once, but twice.

3. The security guard checking to make sure I have nothing hidden in my bra....thoroughly. Lady, I'm not hiding anything in there. I'm just big chested.

2. The security guard checking my waistline. Really? Why must your thumbs be in my pants?

And the #1 weirdest thing to happen to me why getting "randomly" searched at every airport was...

1. Getting my hair checked. I had my hair up in a small bun. It was smaller than usual (I am known to rock bigger buns, like sock buns). It was the first time I did not set off any alarms, but the woman insisted that I, little sorority girl, who was wearing her letters, get my bun checked. What was she planning on finding in there other than split ends and dandruff? I don't know. Ladies, Be sure to wear your hair down when flying. The security checks are a hassle, and they mess up your hair.

Burger King International

While in Vienna for quick day trip, my classmates and I were hungry and we knew we only had a little bit of time before we had to meet up with the rest of our group. So instead of eating at a Viennese restaurant, we wanted something quicker. We settled with Burger King.

We thought we would be able to get in, get out no problem. We even thought that our stomachs wouldn't get upset. Don't worry, this isn't a story about us getting sick.

We walk into Burger King and realized everyone in Vienna speaks German. And they have all the right to assume we speak German too. Only problem is, for some odd reason, we thought because we were at Burger King, that ordering would be easy. "Its all in English." That was partly true.

The menu options were in English, the cashiers spoke German. So, it was far more difficult for my classmates to order their Whoppers.

After a small game of "what to say that makes sense" we all successfully ordered our food. We felt so accomplished. The food, of course tasted a bit different. And the mannerisms of fast food in America is very different. In a fast food restaurant in America, when a person is done with their meal they clean up after themselves and move their tray to the trash area. In Vienna, a Burger King employee does it for you.

I felt so rude leaving my tray and trash on the table. It was just such a strange experience for us. However, eating fast food over seas is an experience i would recommend. Sometimes its nice to have something familiar in an unfamiliar place.

Burger King in Vienna, Austria. 

Shoes on the Danube: The most important shoes in Budapest.

Shoes on the Danube is a memorial for victims who were shot into the Danube by Arrow Cross Militiamen from 1944-45. The memorial was erected in 2005. The reason for the shoes is that before the militiamen shot the victims, the victims were forced to remove their shoes because they were valuable.

The memorial is made out of a steel-like material. My people place flowers and candles in and around the shoes. As you can see it is right on the edge of the river. 

My classmates and I agreed that this memorial is beautiful and an interesting idea for a memorial. There was a silence that hovered over us and we felt a sense of great sadness. We spoke about how it must have been to have been standing on the ledge in 1944 knowing that you were about to die. It was almost too much to think about. 

Budapest has a large history and many museums and memorials regarding the Holocaust. The city is moving forward yet not leaving behind its past. 

Szputnyik has landed in Budapest

One more thing Julia recommended to us while in Budapest was a second hand shop called Szputnyik. We are all so interested to check out the shop, not only because of the name, but because we were all genuinely interested in what it would have.

Luckily it was not a far walk from our hotel. Julia and the rest of us explored the two story shop. She ushered us to the top floor first because she claimed it had the best stuff.

She was right. We found some really cool stuff in this shop. There were costumes and funky clothes. My favorite section had to be their jacket section, or their leather section. Julia said that the leather is cheap at Szputnyik considering it's real leather. There were a lot of good finds. Abbey's find was by far the greatest.

Abbey found a sequenced leotard. It was red, white and black. We had to give her words of encouragement but she purchased it. I bought a sequenced black, purple and green top, rabbit hair shoes, a teal dress with gems on the shoulders and a black 20s reporter's style hat.

I would recommend this shop to any Budapest traveler. Even if you do not buy anything, looking around through the fun outfits is  just as fun.

The upper floor of Szputnyik holds anything from men and women's shoes, jackets and costumes. Photo by: Miranda Carney 

Labello+lips=heaven.

While in Budapest, my fellow classmates and I received great insight regarding lip balm. Julia Sabatine, a Muncie local who now lives in Budapest was kind enough to share this information to us.

She said, that Labello, a lip balm brand, was one we all needed to buy and take home with us. Sabatine also stated that this lip balm was better than any balm you would find in the U.S.

I felt the need to then list off brands like Nivea, EOS, Burt's Bees, Blistex, etc. and she said that Labello, a german lip balm brand, was better than the rest. So of course, being a lip balm fiend, I bought 10.

I'm not kidding. I purchased 10 Labello lip balms. But they are not all for me. I bought 4 for me, and 2 for each of my 3 sisters. They are lip balm fiends as well. I mean, who knows when the next time I'll be able to get it? So I'm set for a while.

All the more reason to go back to Budapest.

Things I have happened in Europe so far,

1. We all have been asked for our hand in marriage.

2. One of us accidentally asked a Hungarian man out on a date, when not intending to.

3. Thought we were cheated out of money, but realized we have no idea how Hungarian money (Forints) or Euros work.

4. Reenacted a statue.

5. Had a bird sit on one of our shoulders. 

6. Took a picture with a soldier guarding the President palace. 

7. Met an old man who is a street performer and gave him some change. He was really excited we video taped, and photographed him. 

8. We ate Marzipan. 

WE'RE IN HUNGARY!!!!!

Hello everyone!!!! 

We made it safe in Budapest yesterday!!! Everything here is so wonderful! We arrived around 2 p.m. and immediately got dressed and went exploring.

We went to many shops. I bought a lot of souvenirs for my family and friends. We had a small snack at Anna's Cafe. I had a Cherry-like schnitzel. It was delicious. 

I have realized that Hungarian food uses a lot of natural flavors. The schnitzel had no added sugar. Professor Swingley's mixed fruit had grapes with seeds.  Hungary does not like messing with their 

foods. 

On the first day in Budapest we went sight seeing and also went shopping. Here are some photos of us on the streets of Budapest. 

I have already fell in love with Budapest. It is so exciting and filled with such fun places to go. We went to a traditional Hungarian folk dancing concert. I really enjoyed it even though I was jet lagged. We went on a boat for dinner afterwards. It was really fun. It had traditional Hungarian foods we all could eat and a deck to check out all of the locations on the Danube (River in Budapest). 

I felt really immersed in the Hungarian culture. The Danube is beautiful. 

I can't wait to see what else I'll see in Budapest in the next week! Stay tuned with more updates on my blog!