Edelweiss, Edelweiss.....................

So, here I am: at the Kartause on the weekend. Why, you may ask? So that i may get ahead in my work for next weekend: the Pilgrimage to Poland. The most epic trip of the semester, after 10 day and Rome/ Assisi. I am SUPER excited, but enough about that ;-). So to back track, last weekend was chalk-full of activities. On Friday about 100 students loaded up on a bus and headed to the area's nature park to set out on a 22 Km (approximately 15 miles) Pro-life pilgrimage/hike to Mariazelle. It was soooo intense. I ended up taking the school van the last 5 km because my feet were so badly blistered. Yes, I wore sock and tennis shoes, i just get blisters, it is a sad fact of life. As Dad said this morning, we walk, we get blisters. SO TRUE. Anyways, the day got better when I got to watch Professor Cassidy's (who is scottish) kids while he finished the hike! Once we all got up to the shrine we had mass in the gorgeous church! It was super amazing, the only bad thing was that the day of exertion had taken its toll and I was sick, so I ended up sleeping the whole way back to the Kartause to help feel better, and it did. That night we had an amazing FOP and my heart was filled with the joy and love of Christ. Its funny how we need to hear the same things over and over and OVER until God can break through and shower us with His mercy.
      Saturday morning dawned bright and early and found us on the aforementioned busses AGAIN. This time we were headed to Salzburg and Munich. THE HOME OF THE SOUND OF MUSIC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It was so amazing there, and we got to see all sorts of beautiful churches and shops and things. We toured the town and had some free time to roam around which was nice. I decided on a whim to go to a concert through the school that night, so we made a pit stop in an H&M so that I could buy an outfit. Based off of the shoes on my feet (gold gladiator sandals from target ;-D) I bought the cutest black ruffle dress, a gold belt, and a black and gold headband for around $40. The outfit is my new favorite! Hahaha. Then we were off to the concert and that was delightful. It was a piano/violin duet was superb. (I am running out of adjectives =D). After that we went back to the hostel exhausted.
           Sunday morning broke and found Anna, Marc and I with many others wandering around Salzburg before mass. We trekked up to Nonnenburg Abbey, another part of the Sound of Music, and took many gorgeous pictures. Then we took a different way down from which we came, which is what any adventure-er/ explore-ers do, and that put me in an angsty mood. I was really worried that we were going to get lost, and miss mass, but Marc led the way. We ended up at the outdoor concert venue where the musical competition at the end of that Sound of music takes place. I had wanted to find it, but hadn’t known where took look, and we found it! I should have never doubted Marc. Lol! After more meandering through the streets we went to a German Cathedral where mass was celebrated in German, which made things interesting. There was a full band and choir on both sides of us, and every song lasted like 12min. no exaggeration! It was really cool. My favorite part was the closing song though, because the band kept playing and it sounded like a song that would be played at the opening/closing ceremonies of the Olympics, and I thought it was most fitting since it was my mom’s birthday and I had offered that mass for her. HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! After mass we headed out to Munich which was cool, but we didn’t have much time there so it wasn’t as fun as I had anticipated. We did go to the Haufbrahaus which was really fun! Then we headed back into Salzburg for the night.
         Monday took use over to Mondsee for mass and an afternoon at the warm lake there, which was by no means warm at ALL. We celebrated mass in the church that the wedding between Maria and the Captain took place in the Sound of Music, and my music ministry group got to sing for mass which made it even more special! I was soo excited about that since the Sound of Music is a Borchers Family Favorite, all the cousin pretty much know all the music by heart ;-). Swimming in the lake was soooo cool and really fun even though you were pretty much numb when you were in the water! When everyone had their fill we loaded up the buses and headed back to the Kartause. It was a great weekend and a great week. Tomorrow I am in charge of a birthday party…so pray that it all goes well!!!!!!!!!!!!







Love you all!!!!


Maddie

P.S. I Love You

So needless to say....things are crazy busy over here. The school staff and their families have kept alll the students moving to help us get over jet lag, so I have hardly had any time to catch things up on here.  When we arrived in Ireland on Wednesday night, my lost bag had arrived and so I GOT IT BACK!!!! hooray!!!! I know ;-) Then we met with my roomate Katie and her cousin who took us back to their home and we stayed with them overnight. We walked to Trimm Castle, where part of Braveheart was filmed, and toured around.  Then we made our way onto Galway.  It was sooo beautiful. We checked into our hostel then went exploring. We got really good Irish food at a pub and then ran into some other franciscan students while I was giving Marc and Katie the silent treatment ;-) so we hung out with them the rest of the night. It was amazing. Friday we toured the Burren and the Cliffs of Moher. It was absolutely breathtaking!!!!!!!!!! Words cannot even describe.  Saturday took us to Knock where we prayed at the shrine and then headed to Dublin. It was so muc hfun. Dublin isvibrant and full of life. We met up with another of Katie's cousins and toured around the city on Sunday after going to mass in a beautiful church tuckedaway in the heart of the city.  We even got to watch a celtic football game. It was super intense! I found out that I did not like Guiness, but loved Bulmers and Aspall hard cider, for fear of sounding like my mother, it was like an adult apple juice ;-).  the trip was amazing and we then made it safely to the Kartause, where they have been running us ragged these past few days. Teusday we went to the Melk Monastary and toured as well as scaled the side of a mountain going to durnstein. I didn't have the right shoes on and I paid dearly to the tune of like 5 new blisters in addtion to the exhisting ones. LOL, life goes on!!!!!!!!!! classes started today with Christian Marriage, and that brings you up to speed with what I have been up to!!!!

all my love,
maddie

Oh the Places You'll Go........and fall in love with

So, this last week has been SUPER CRAZY and SUPER GOOD. First, I made it to Dublin with only one of my two chacked bags, and thanks to Marc I got everything taken care of, and we left for London, without my bag......AAAAAAAHHHHHH to say the least.  We got to London, without much trouble besides that until what I thought was a 4 or 5 block stroll in the city turned into a 1.5 hour 2.5-3 mile treck with our 22+ lbs. backpacks. SORRY MARC ;-) Englad is soooo beautiful. We went out to Oxoford one day, and came back and walked through Hyde park, which was a 2 min walk away. We were really close to Notting Hill and Kensington Palace, which I referred to as my home. On Tuesday we went to see the Wilton House, which is the home of the Early of Pembroke, who just got married, (I was sad I missed my chance =D) and was filmed in Pride and Prejudice. And then we topped the night off with another walk throught the park. We wanted to rent bikes but couldn't because the British hate us !!! lol it was an adventure to say the least!!! Wednesday we toured the city and went to all the sights. It was sooo amazing!!! Its super late here now, so I'm gonna go clean up my room, and then get some sleep. But tomorrow I will write about IRELAND =D

With Love from Gaming,
Maddie

I'm About to Show You Just How Missing Me Feels, In My Sperry Topsiders????

Today the goodbyes continue and packing commences.  Last night we had a sort of fair-well party at Kelly's house where we hada giant slip n' slide going and we also square danced ;-). The rest of the week will be wal-mart runs and packing, sprinkled with family and friends. Also, fatima up @ Maria Stein Kicking off my semester of deeper devotion to Mary. Stay tuned for more updates as I travel to England through Wednesday of next week and head into Ireland the 19-23.

Still Stateside,
Maddie