When in doubt, Try Wine!

How often do you get the opportunity to taste high class, top quality wines from around the globe, with the push of a button and swipe of a card? Not many for me. Last week, I was blessed to do so.

I love wine. I have always been intrigued by viticulture and the science behind it. Whenever I get the chance to travel, especially internationally, I try to experience wineries or vineyards. Last week, I went to St. Petersburg, Florida with some customers on a trip. Even though the weather was less than desirable in the mid-50s, we did not let that get us down. We Try Wine.

Thankful 30 - Day 13, rest

I don't rest much. Ok, I don't make time to rest hardly at all. Last night, I drive from Nebraska to Ohio. That drive straight east was tiring. I arrived to my parents house at 5am. What did I do when I arrived? Hit the pillow.

I probably got about 2 hours of sleep. However, I am thankful for rest, no matter how little it is. My body needs it. And even though this weekend is going to be a quick, busy one, I can rest once I get back to Nebraska.

Be thankful for what rest you can get. Take advantage of it. I definitely didn't do that in kindergarten or college. :D

Rome and the Italian Outskirts

Since my mom doesn't even read my blog posts to their fullest, let's see what happened on the last leg of my European vacation. :)

The last two and a half days on my Europe escapade were spent in beautiful Italy. I truly wish I could have learned Italian before going on this trip. The culture, history, and people were remarkable and I would love to go back to Italy for a longer experience.

We took an overnight train from Milan to Rome. That was a unique experience on its own. I managed to sleep a bit, among my excitement and the normal challenge to get a good night's rest in new places with new people. My group started the day by getting some espresso. Me and another gal split from the group to go to Vatican City. It was the last Sunday of the month and gave free admission all morning. The line only took 30 minutes to get through and we were in.

Caroline's Moments in Milan

Harvest is upon me in Nebraskan and I have yet to share some of the great moments from my short day in Milan. When we arrived that day, it was a warm one! Mid-90 temperatures had us melting under the sun as we approached Duomo, one of the most well known churches in the world. Like many other old structures in Europe, it was under renovations, as seen on the left side of the building. It is nice they are attempting to maintain the history of the cities, but it can certainly take away from the whole ambiance.

Duomo Church

As you may know, Milan is known for fashion and high value brands. Within Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, you no longer find the niche, small stores it housed when it first began. Now, you must be a high bidder like Prada, Valentino, and others to maintain your spot in this high traffic strip.

Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II - oldest shopping center in the world!

When in Milan, you shop. Or try not to melt in the high 90 temperatures.

Sweet as Swiss

Remote. Friendly. Authentic. Value. Beautiful.

These words describe my two-day experience in Interlaken, Switzerland. If they don't inspire you to want to move there too, just wait.

During my vacation, a main goal was to identify different personal enjoyments and passions. Since starting in my first career out of college, I have struggled to find balance between work passions and personal passions. The two days spent in Switzerland brought forth a great realization: I love enjoying the outdoors through hiking and taking paths less traveled.

The group arrived in Switzerland by train late one evening and we had two full days after to adventure and see the sites. I woke up early (6:30 am) to head towards my first adventure: hiking Harder Kulm in the Swiss Alps. Interlaken is nestled in a valley of the Alps. This "mountain" served as a challenge. I was advised it would take slightly more than 2 hours to reach the peak. Sounded like a great start to the day!

Off I went to the base of the trail. It was 15 minutes from my hostel to the entrance. There was also a "wildlife park" near the entrance, where I saw some mountain goats. I backtracked a bit to find the actual trail and met a couple who were parking their bikes and prepping to trek to the top. I asked them if they were hiking to the top. The gentleman said "yes" and his wife started speaking in German. Luckily, the man spoke good English and told me to join them on the trail. So, I did. This was the beginning of learning from Yulie and Frannie.

Picnics in Paris

After the short day of wandering London in a "lost" state, I joined 15 other travelers from around the world to go by train to Paris, France. We arrived late that evening to Paris and made our way on a 15-minute jaunt to our hostel. I had never stayed in a hostel before, let alone with complete strangers. But here went nothing! Parisians seemed to enjoy a few things: bread, cheese, wine, art and history. These things combined made for an adventurous two days in Paris.

On the day of my group's arrival, there was much activity in the streets and sites. The weather was gorgeous on our three-hour walking tour to see sights including Notre Dame, the Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Paris, the Seine River, the fountain of Saint Michel, the lock bridge, the Royal Palace, the Louvre, Luxor Obelisk and more. We made our way through the streets and eventually to what was one of my favorite stops in Paris.

Lost in London

The last week of August, I took an 8-day vacation to Europe! Life has gotten away from me lately, after my competition, starting a new seed sales season, going on vacation and playing catch up when I returned. Now, I'm eager to share some of my experiences in each country, sights seen and lessons learned. My adventure began by being lost in London.

I mean, I was lost, but I was not. After about 12 hours flying, I arrived to the London airport at 6:30 am before meeting my GAdventures group. It was time to exchange some U.S. dollars, climb on the train and head into central London... or so I thought.

This is where I got a little bit lost. I have traveled abroad before (as you can read in some older blog posts). However, this was the first solo travel out of the U.S. I've had. Well, I thought I had prepared myself by calling my banks, credit card companies and getting it all squared away. Wrong.

Lost luggage and long meetings

It got lost... again. After all the airfare I have paid these past 12 months and frankly, past 9 years or so I have been flying, you would think I would know better. I consider myself an experienced flier (no, I am not yet TSA Pre-Check certified but I'm sure later on in life, I'll make the investment). Sunday was not a good example of my flying prowess. I checked my bag when I should not have and it got left behind.

I had been waiting for my boarding group in Detroit Metropolitan Airport. The guest services worker asked if anyone was willing to "complementary check" their bag. Since I was not in a hurry with a layover in Dallas and not arriving to Grand Island, Neb. until about 10 p.m., I figured why not. They were covering the costs and it was one less bag to lug around in addition to my exceedingly full backpack, securing two laptop computers, an iPad and camera case with my body and two lenses. The least I could do was provide more overhead bin space for other travelers and continue my voyage back to Nebraska after a nice holiday hiatus. As I handed the clerk my ticket and made my way down the jet bridge, it didn't occur to me that my bag would not get moved from its location.

8 Things Learned from Living "On The Go" for One Week

In my current role, I am constantly traveling. I am either meeting up with people, attending events, riding along with coworkers or visiting farmers/growers independently. This past week, I primarily visited growers on my own.

I believe one of the best ways I, and many others, learn is by doing. Don't just show me what that means. Teach me; allow me to try it and execute it myself. I retain that information or learn the task much quicker. It has been trying and invigorating, with highs and lows. Nonetheless, it is preparing me for a territory of my own in a few months.

Reflecting on this past week, I have pinpointed eight valuable things learned from living "on the go" for one week. 

1. Plan your schedule ahead of time.
Making appointments with farmers can be difficult. This is their busy time of year. I plan my schedule as much as possible to save on wasted drive time and by meeting with people who are in close proximity on the same day or two. My Outlook calendar has become my best friend by keeping me organized with reminders and addresses for appointments.

2. When your schedule changes, be adaptable.
Since people are very busy, things come up. Schedules change, technology issues occur and not everything goes as planned. I have learned to adapt. Sometimes spending an extra hour at a grower's house trying to resolve an issue with their computer builds an even stronger relationship, no matter how frustrated you might feel when things aren't going smoothly.

3. Never solely rely on a GPS.
Moving from Ohio to Indiana, I figured I would be fine navigating this new state. Surprise! I have gotten lost more times than I can count, even with the use of a GPS. Back country roads and rural landmarks can be more beneficial in finding my way than inputing an address into a computer. Always have a backup way to find your location, whether it is a paper map or by calling the grower and asking for directions.

4. Pack snacks and water to go.
I have been attempting a healthier lifestyle by eating less processed and "fast" foods. Unfortunately, that is even more challenging when staying in hotels and not having fresh groceries. Now, I always carry at least 2 bottles of water with me and pack some granola bars, fresh fruit and veggies in a cooler for a few days. You don't always have to get a meal from a restaurant. Stop at a grocery store for a package of hummus and vegetables, fresh fruit or even a pre-made sandwich. The cost of those foods is comparable, if not less, than purchasing a meal from McDonald's or Wendy's.

Kia Ora, New Zealand! A trip of beauty and knowledge.

Kia Ora! Or, hello, I wish you good day! After a 10-day adventure, I made it home from New Zealand just in time for the holiday season. This trip was by far one of the most insightful, invigorating trips I have ever been on. From the food and culture to the landscapes and agriculture me and 40 students from Ohio State witnessed, it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

In the next few blog posts, I will elaborate on some specific things I learned during this study abroad. Until then, enjoy some of the photos I captured along the way. The biggest learning moment I had: always, ALWAYS carry an extra battery for your camera. I didn't and was lucky. Next time, I might not be!

Why not disconnect?

Photo from mashable.com

What is the purpose of social media? To stay connected with all your friends, relatives, peers, coworkers, professors, animals and long-lost Abominable snowman, right? It is nice to have the minute-to-minute updates from all the people and news sources in our lives. But sometimes, I think it is down right obnoxious, annoying and tiring.

There are many times I just want to disconnect for a while. It is refreshing to take a break from the hullabaloo of social media that can wear us down. Whenever I go home for a weekend or break, I try my best to keep my iPhone away so I can embrace the present people around me. And you know what? It is less stressful that way!

Oh the places I go and the people we know

These past few months have proven to me how much I love traveling. Even though packing can get tedious and is still one of my least favorite tasks, it leads me to marvelous locations. Most recently, I ventured to Raleigh, North Carolina with AFA. Truthfully, I didn't want to leave.

Compared to our visit to California, this meeting was focused more on collaboration with corporate partnerships rather than the production agriculture. The student advisory team had the pleasure of joining leading agricultural companies, Caterpillar, Inc., BASF, Bayer CropScience and Syngenta. Not only did we present about AFA to nearly 30 business people during these visits, but we learned about their agricultural innovations as well.