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jill honeycutt

DESIGNER + EDUCATOR + CREATIVE THINKER

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heidelberg, germany.

day 15 // fri jan 26 

Our train left Bonn at 3PM on Friday and headed South down the Rhine. It was such a pretty train ride. I lost count of all the castles I saw along the way. We arrived around 5:45 at the Heidelberg main train station. From here we stopped by the information desk. *Pro tip–I always recommend stopping by the tourist desk or info desk at the main train station—even if you feel lame, they most always speak English and have good info to share. We got a city map and she pointed us in the right direction of our Airbnb. We found our cute little place which was about a 15 minute walk from the station. Airbnb tour coming soon! 

We settled in for a bit then decided to venture out for dinner. Wade and I were traveling with our friend from school, Lin. We decided on an Asian place and split food family style. I know, I know not traditional German food, but hey we are here for awhile and I will definitely have my fair share of schnitzel before the time is up! 

day 16 // sat jan 27

Holy walking Batman. We walked 10.51 miles or 23,862 stinking steps today. Worth it, though! We started bright and early and ventured toward Old Town. There were only a handful of people out and about at this hour. I played my basic card and got a skinny caramel latte at Starbucks. Partially because I really was craving it, and partially because we had to go to the bathroom and you had to pay, so might as well get a coffee with that money and pee for free. Sorry, TMI. I also love the way Germans tend to spell “Gill” maybe I’ll start spelling it that way, spice it up a little.

Okay, enough of that. We walked through the streets of Old Town Heidelberg which was like an outdoor shopping mall mixed with historically beautiful storefronts. We found the well-known Karl Theodor Bridge, literally called the "old bridge." But we were sad it was so foggy and hard to really see a lot of the cool landscapes and castle views. 

After this we found another info desk and the nice lady informed us the fog was out of the norm and she hadn’t seen it this bad in pretty much ever. coooool. She did however sell us tram tickets plus entrance to the Castle for €4 euro a person (with the student discount), we will take it!  

We eventually stopped for lunch at a little cafe. I had a mozzarella and tomato focaccia sandwich. It was cheap and definitely worth the carbs. Wade had ham & cheese pizza bites, which was essentially a calzone with a garlic sauce.   

THEN, my nerd dreams came true again and we found a packaging museum. It was €3 a person and a cute little spot. They were showcasing a traveling exhibit on Stollwerck. Stollwerck is a German chocolate manufacturer. It was founded in 1839 and expanded internationally in Europe and America, becoming the second largest producer of chocolate in the United States by 1900. The museum showcased an assortment of packaging designs, processes and tons of really beautiful intricate designs.

After our museum visit we took a tram up the mountainside to the Heidelberg Castle. This was very cool. They had a free exhibit of the history of pharmacy. They also had what I assume is the world’s biggest wine barrel. That thing was massive! 

We started to head back to the Airbnb but were pleasantly surprise when we stumbled upon a little store front with loads of people outside. I asked what they were waiting for and they said Schneeballen... um sure, sign us up! Turns out they are essentially a fried crunchy dough covered in your choice of chocolate, cinnamon, or whatever option you could dream up. We got an apple cinnamon sugar one and one with chocolate inside. So good. The stranger in the street really sold us on them, maybe he was secretly getting paid by them, who knows. He said they were a Heidelberg tradition, but he could also be making that up. Nonetheless they were yummy. After our accidental find we took an afternoon break and relaxed at the apartment for a bit. 

Being the culturally adventurous people we are, we went to an Indian place for dinner. Then we were pooped. Fun day. 

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day 17 // sun jan 28

Totally writing this from a McDonald’s waiting on our train. I forgot from my last study abroad that Germany closes shop on Sundays. Like everything. That being said, we had a little time to kill before our train so here we are. ALTHOUGH, I am usually never disappointed in McDonald’s coffee. Isn’t that right, Netta? Haters gonna hate, but the flavor of their coffee is pretty good. 

Our train leaves soon then back to Bonn we go! We have a busy week with several excursions to Cologne for school things. Tomorrow we go to a cinema to see the moving ‘Loving Vincent’ and then again on Tue/Thursday for museums visits.

Brussels, Belgium this weekend. We also bought our tickets to Spain which I’m pretty pumped about! Also, Ris and Jarrod have officially booked their flights to France for Easter. All the good things to look forward to, or as my boy Mat Kearney says, “all the feels tonight are real. All that’s real you can’t buy or steal.” Except train tickets to different countries, those you can totally buy. 

Lastly, here are some pictures from our Airbnb! I love the way it was styled. We rented this space for two nights. The owner was a photographer and had a very cool style/vibe in his apartment. We picked up the key at a restaurant across the street which made it feel even cooler? Maybe that was just me. Here's the link if you're interested. 

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tags: Heidelberg, Germany, Travel, Blogger, photography, design
categories: travel
Tuesday 01.30.18
Posted by Jill Honeycutt
 

cologne, germany.

day 11 // mon jan 22nd

Mondays are movie nights. Down the street from our apartment/school is a local theatre that does a €5 English screening of a movie that isn’t out yet in the states. It’s apparently a very big deal and the movie theatre was recently voted one of the best in Germany. That being said, we had planned on going this week but tickets sold out faster than normal (due to mentioned award above) so we forfeit our tickets to a few of the students. Maybe next week though! 

 

day 12 // tue jan 23rd

Normal class day—nothing too fancy. I have been going to a gym this week, though. My thought is that I can feel better about eating ALL the amazing goodness if I work out during the week. All about balance right? Speaking of, we have a weekly faculty meeting for all the visiting faculty to met each other, discuss the program and socialize once a week. This week we met at Beirhaus Machold, which is a traditional German style restaurant. Wade had jägerschnitzel and I had something I couldn’t pronounce but it reminded me of a potatoe pancake topped with apple compote. Felt like I needed a nap after that meal. 

 

day 13 // wed jan 24th

I woke up with a bit of cold, maybe due the fact we ran around Koblenz in the rain last weekend? Anywho, I took it easy (and took Dayquil) before adventuring that afternoon to the Haus der Geschichte (House of the History of the Federal Republic of Germany) Museum in Bonn. This museum focuses on the history of German after WW2 and gets around 1 million visitors every year. We had a led tour that was very informative and intriguing.

 

day 14 // thurs jan 25th 

Today we had a day-trip to Cologne, Germany. It's very near to Bonn and very full of life. We started the day off with a trip to the Wallraf-Richartz Art Museum. We went to lunch at a chain-style restaurant that is pretty well known and for good reason. It was called Vapiano's. I had a pesto and spinach pizza and Wade had mushroom risotto! Then we did a guided walking tour of the city and last, but definitely not least, we toured the Cologne Cathedral (Köln Dom). We had a roof-top tour that is not generally offered to the public. You literally take the work elevator up, then crawlled through the very top attic-like parts of one of the biggest (top 4) cathedrals in all of Europe. We took a tiny spiral staircase all the way up. So cool and only slightly terrifying! 

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tags: Köln, Germany, travel, blogger, cologne
categories: travel
Sunday 01.28.18
Posted by Jill Honeycutt
Comments: 1
 

apartment tour.

day 3 // sun jan 14th

A day of rest and playing a bit of catch up on tasks. I finally finished unpacking, then got caught up on email and school things. Now to enjoy some time of rest before adventuring out for dinner.

Here’s a little apartment tour. We are on the 5th floor of the AIB building. It’s got great views out of literally every window, and more than enough space for the two of us. Not to mention my legs are gonna be looking good by the time I climb those 5 floors multiple times a day! 

 

Wade and I had a date night and found a local Asian restaurant called GinYuu. It had good reviews and looked like a fun joint. I ordered pad thai and Wade had a curry rice dish! The restaurant was a few stops away by train, so not a bad journey. We also both decided we needed more scarves and hats - ha! 

tags: Asian Food, Bonn, Apartment Living, Germany
categories: travel
Monday 01.15.18
Posted by Jill Honeycutt
 

guten morgen!

day 0 // thursday jan 11th

We made it to Germany! Day zero was a success. We flew out of Houston at 7PM CST on Wednesday January 10th and landed at 11:40AM (german time) on January 11th. Which means 4:40AM CST. 

Successfully loaded 31 Texas A&M students onto the flight. The total flight time was 9 hrs and 40 mins—not too bad. I knew from my last study abroad that jet lag was going to be a real issue, so I forced myself to sleep a tiny bit on the flight. We landed and loaded a bus in Frankfurt to take the group to Bonn.

Wade and I got settled into our apartment (I will post pictures soon) and then got treated to dinner with AIB (our  school) at a local restaurant & brewery, Brauhaus Bönnsch. I had flammkuchen (German translation is flaming pizza) with bacon, egg, potato and creme fresh). Wade had meatloaf with fried potatoes and peppers. Very tasty! 

 

That's all for now. Here are a few of my tips for traveling for an extended stay, specifically during the colder months:

  1. Outdoor Apparel - It will be cold and potentially snowing the first month of our stay in Germany. So we were sure to pack warm jackets, comfortable AND warm walking shoes, socks, hats, gloves, etc. Also, if you wear your biggest coat on the plane you can store it in the overhead bin once comfortably your seat AND it saves precious suitcase space for more shoes! 
  2. Layerable Clothing - Our trip will be cold, but the seasons will also change (unlike Texas). It is a good idea to bring layers. Under shirts, tights, etc. It is currently winter, but by the time we return it will be nice spring weather. Be sure to pack items that can be layered for warmth, then be worn separately later in the year.
  3. Backpack - I would recommend a good (comfortable) secure backpack that you can travel with. Secure meaning a lot of zippers and inside pockets for valuables. 
  4. Copies of Passport - It is good idea is to bring a few notarized copies of your passport in case something happens to your original passport. You can make color photocopies (of the full spread including the signature page of your passport) and have them notarized (most banks have a notary). It is a good idea to put them in different places. i.e. hidden in your backpack, suitcase, and then keep one secure with your family back in the states. I would also recommend storing them in dry place like a ziploc bag. 
  5. Reusable Water Bottle - Europe is great about recycling plus buying water can be very expensive! Bring a water bottle you can easily attach to your backpack or suitcase when traveling. 
  6. Money & Fees - Talk with your banks. Be sure to let them know you are traveling abroad and discuss the ATM and withdrawal fees. Fees can add up really quickly, so using a debit card will be option B for us. Whereas our credit card has no transaction fees or extra hidden charges.
  7. Converters & Adaptors - Do your research on your electronics and buy appropriate converters or adaptors. Most electronics now days have built in converters, so you only really need an adaptor. 

Hope that was helpful! Excited for more adventure... and sleep! 

 

 

 

tags: Study Abroad, Texas A&M, 2018, Germany
categories: travel
Friday 01.12.18
Posted by Jill Honeycutt
 

germany!

Sometimes I have to pinch myself. Like, really. It amazes me at the doors God has opened for Wade and I in our relationship so far. Wade wanted to go back to school? Boom—teaching job, bought a house, working remotely, etc. It has all fallen into place so smoothly that I have no doubt that God's hand was weaving it all together. 

All of that to say, WE ARE GOING TO GERMANY. 

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Only for the spring semester, don’t worry, we aren’t moving away for good. Although after a semester in Europe we might not want to come back. If any of you have been following me for awhile (by that I mean like my mom and a handful of my mom’s friends), you saw the ridiculous videos Marissa and I posted while studying abroad back in 2010. If you are new around here, I studied with the same Germany-based program while attending Texas A&M in the spring of 2010. I traveled Europe with one of my best friends, Marissa. We made videos literally every step of the journey, we ate lots of Burger King, and we stuffed our backpacks full of sample Nutella packets from McDonalds. Sometimes I go back and watch the videos just to laugh at how dumb we were (also how young I look). You can watch our very first video here if it interests you, just know that you have been warned. Now, I get to do the same thing but with my HUSBAND—so crazy. Also, Ris is also going to make a guest appearance, so watch out.

I will be teaching motion design at the AIB in Bonn where Wade will be attending classes. We will be living in an apartment in the city of Bonn. Our hope is to explore and travel as much as we can with our school and work loads! 

A little more about the city of Bonn, Germany.  

The charming city of Bonn with its baroque buildings and century-old history is a modern and dynamic city with an exceptional international and diverse community. The richness of music, culture, science, business and nature, as well as its location at the Rhine River, make Bonn a hidden gem in the heart of Europe.

Since it is located in the heart of Europe, it is easy to reach many of our top travel destinations. From Bonn, it is only a three hour train ride to Amsterdam and a four hour ride to Paris. Many European cities such as London are also only a one hour plane ride away.

We depart on January 10th (WHICH IS 12 DAYS AWAY!!) and arrive back stateside on May 2nd. Follow along for travel posts, design inspiration and even (maybe) some European fashion tips. I will also be using Instagram story to document a lot of the highlights, so be sure to follow me on instagram. Feel free to join the email list too so you don't miss a thing. 

That's all for now, I've got a lot of packing to do! tschüss! 

 

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tags: Germany, Europe, Travel, Texas A&M, Shiplap
categories: travel, married life
Friday 12.29.17
Posted by Jill Honeycutt
 

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