If I had a million dollars

The Mega Millions Jackpot is now 540 MILLION dollars! 

I have been seeing this all over the internet for days with the question, what would you do with the money if you won?

Who hasn't thought about what they would do if they won the lottery? I know I have plenty of times. Obviously I will not be winning the lottery anytime soon as I currently live in Europe but hey maybe someday I will. (I believe in the power of positive thinking!) Everyone always says that they wouldn't help the people coming out of nowhere looking for hand outs and I guess I would say that too but when I think about it, they must be really desperate or pathetic to be asking someone for money. I KNOW who my true friends are. They are the people who have stuck by me during my hard times. The ones who randomly send me messages on Facebook or twitter to just say hi. The ones who have kept in touch with me while I've been in Europe. The people I know I can count it. Some people might think it is sad that I don't have that many good friends but I like it. I would rather have a few really close friends that I can depend on than a bunch of "friends" who are only there when it is convenient for them. 

If I were to ever win the lottery I would take the yearly payout then with that money I would:

1) The first thing I would do is pay off my debt. Student loans are piling up from the past 2 years of college. Thankfully my first few years I was able to work full-time and pay for school right out-of-pocket so I haven't incurred as much as I could have but hey private college & study abroad aren't cheap! 

2) Family is extremely important to me so with that being said the second thing I would do is help out my family. Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles, cousins they would all have my help because they have all been there for me in a time of need. My family is HUGE! This of course includes Bobs family because I consider them to be my family as well. 

2a) I would also help out my friends. It is a tough economy especially for young adults just starting out. Why not help a friend pay a bill they can't cover or buy their groceries? You can't take the money with you so you might as well enjoy it while you can! 

3) If you know me then you know that I love helping others. I believe that God put me on this planet to help others and give everything I can to charity.  That is why a majority of my money would go to helping my favorite non profits and possibly starting one of my own. Instead of working I would volunteer and donate my time as well as money to deserving organizations. 

4) I love hearing stories around the holidays of people's bills being paid by a total stranger but why does it just have to be like that during the holidays? Wouldn't it be great to know that you can make a complete strangers life a little easier. It is like when the person in front of you pays for your coffee or breakfast at a restaurant. It makes you feel good knowing someone else wanted to do something good. It makes you want to do something nice for someone else. Pay it forward! (Great movie) 

5) Travel, I know you're thinking I am traveling now but there are plenty of places I still haven't seen! I have a whole list of places I would like to visit that I doubt I ever will but with gobs of money I would be able to see most of these places. I don't think I would want to travel all the time though. I think it wouldn't be special if you did it all the time. I would definitely send my family and friends on trips too. 

6) I would obviously treat myself to some things as well. First thing I would buy for myself is a car because well I currently do not own one. When I sit here and think about what kind of car I would buy, it isn't some fancy car that would cost a lot of money, it is a JEEP! I know you are thinking why in the world would she buy a jeep? The only answer I have is that I have also wanted a jeep. When I was a teenager waiting for the day to get my license I always thought it would be really cool to have a jeep. I would finally buy that jeep. 

I would probably upgrade some things in the house and buy new clothes and shoes (obviously giving my old ones to those in need.) 

7) I would invest some of the money. I would also create savings accounts for my future children, nieces, nephews, and grandkids. 

These are all great dreams but to be perfectly honest I am happy with the way my life is going now. I am studying in Europe for another 4 months while earning a duel degree. My family, friends, and boyfriend are all wonderful. I hope to get a good job (not necessarily well-paying one) when I graduate and make a difference in the world. It would be fantastic to win the lottery but I consider myself to be pretty lucky already. 

I guess the 540 million dollar question is, what would you do with the money? 

“To travel is worth any cost or sacrifice.” ― Elizabeth Gilbert (Eat, Pray, Love)

Okay so this past week has been a little crazy between school and booking trips. 


School has been nothing but challenging however in the end I believe it will all work out. I just need to use my time wisely, and not waste any free time on useless things. I am only taking 4 classes this semester however the one will prove to be the most challenging class I have EVER taken and I also have to write my thesis. 


I think I have finally decided on a thesis topic. I plan to write about the motivations of volunteers in the non profit sector. I will be reaching out to the organizations I have worked with along with others to gather information on why people decided to volunteer and what makes them want to keep volunteering. If any of you are affiliated with a non profit organization and want to help with my thesis please let me know! I would love the help! 


Okay on to more exciting things! 


This weekend Claire and I are going to Brussels! We are excited to get there and see the city. Unfortunately the organization that we usually take tours with do not operate until the summer so we will not be able to take a tour with them. 


We thought it would be fun to do blind booking for Easter weekend so yesterday we got together and booked it! We were really nervous because there were some places in the category we didn't want to go to but also didn't want to spend the extra money to exclude them so we just had to hope for the best. We ended up getting Prague which is super exciting because we both wanted to go there. I had promised Sarah I would go with her so that was a bit of a disappointment but I am planning another trip with her. (more about that in a few minutes) We will be gone from Saturday to Tuesday. I can not wait! I have hear such wonderful things about Prague. 


I have mentioned in earlier posts that I have a week off in May and was hoping Bob would be able to come visit. Unfortunately it looks like that is not going to happen because the Sabres have been doing so well lately which is fine because a week isn't long enough to come and really enjoy Europe. I have a two week break in July so hopefully he will be able to come then. 


Since I have a while week off I really wanted to make the most of it and take a break from what will be a very demanding school load. I have decided to go to Palma de Mallorca, Spain. It is an island off the coast of Spain and is supposed to be beautiful! This is the trip I am planning with Sarah. We have not booked our flights yet but hope to do so in the next few days. We will be staying with her friend that lives there. I am really looking forward to the beach! Our plan is go to there the 5th- 9th or 10th. 


Once I am back I will be going to Budapest with Claire. We will be there the 10th until the 14th! Our flight isn't until the evening on the 10th so I could come back from Mallorca in the morning and then leave for Budapest in the afternoon/evening. (I know I am crazy)  I am really looking forward to it. We will be staying with my friend Emily from high school. Emily is going to show us around the city too!


Those are all the trips I have planned for the rest of my stay. The only other place I would really like to go is Paris but we will have to see what my schedule and wallet look like after these amazing trips I have planned. 


I hope everyone had a great weekend. I hear the weather in Buffalo has gone back to cold and rainy. It is still in the 60's here but is supposed to go down into the 50's for the weekend. 


Until next time my friends! Keep in touch! 

When will you realize, Vienna waits for you? - Billy Joel

Hello friends! 


This past weekend I had the opportunity to go to Vienna and let me tell you, it was WONDERFUL! Our flight was at 6 on Saturday evening so we headed out to the airport at 3:30. The airport was boring as most are however the flight was entertaining as Claire and I annoyed our neighbors by playing a game of Phase 10. If you do not know what Phase 10 is I highly suggest you google it, and then invest in it! You can thank me later! 


We arrived in Vienna around 7:30 and hopped on a train to the city center. We had to transfer to the underground which took us to our hostel. I will say this, the transportation in Vienna is fantastic! It was easy to figure out where you were going and the wait for trains was never more than 5 minutes. 


We stayed at wombats CITY HOSTEL at „The Naschmarkt“ and it was AMAZING! This hostel opened a little over a year ago and they will definitely be in business for a long time. This hostel was absolutely fantastic. It was nicer than some of the hotels I have stayed in. The whole building was spotless, the rooms had lockers that you used your key card to unlock, the bathroom was stocked with shampoo and soap in case you forgot some. Each morning we bought a breakfast ticket for 3,80 that got us a very nice buffet breakfast. I would recommend this hostel to anyone going to Vienna. They have a few other hostels in Vienna as well as Berlin, Budapest, and Munich. 


After we got settled into the hostel we decided to go out in search of dinner seeing as it was 10 p.m. and we hadn't had food since before we left at 3:30. We walked around debating which place to go to. We decided to try an Irish Pub however it was a bar that did not serve any food. Once we left there we decided to go to an italian restaurant down the street. There were only 3 people inside, all workers. They were still open so we sat down and enjoyed our meal. I ordered a pizza which was HUGE but delicious. After dinner we headed back to the hostel for the night. 


Sunday morning we woke up and enjoyed a nice breakfast before heading out for the day. Our first stop was mass at St. Stephen's Cathedral. The cathedral was stunning inside and out however the inside was freezing! It was supposed to be 70 degrees that day so I had worn jeans and a short sleeved shirt. I froze all through church which was all in German so I had no idea what was going on. Below are a few pictures of the inside and outside of the Cathedral. 

After mass we headed out to explore the city. We spent the whole day walking around and seeing all the amazing things Vienna has to offer. Monday we woke up early to enjoy the nice breakfast buffet and once again went out to explore. Later in the day we were able to meet up with my friend Kristina who was an exchange student in high school. She showed us around for a few hours in the afternoon before we had to leave for the airport. It was such an incredible trip. Below are pictures some with captions and some without. Sorry I don't know exactly what everything is. I am planning on taking another trip next weekend this time to Brussels or Edinburgh. I will know more later this week so stay tuned & enjoy the pictures! Please feel free to comment under the post. I love getting feedback! 

Ancient Roman Baths 

Just walking down the street

 Danube River at Sunset

 Hanging out at the Danube River at sunset

 Schönbrunn Palace

 Palace again 

 Balcony at the palace

 Stairs to the balcony

Sacher Torte at Sacher Hotel 

City hall 

 Zentralfriedhof  (Central Cemetery)

 Cemetery again

 Beethoven's Grave

 Beethoven's grave & Flat Stanley

 Lower Belvedere

 Schloss Belvedere

 Schloss Belvedere 

 Karlskirche

Prater Park

 Kristina and I 

 Flat Stanley and I at Prater Park

 Claire and I

St. Ruprecht (It is funny because my boyfriend has his name on facebook as Ruprecht even though that is not his real name I found it funny) 

You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough. ― Mae West

I have now been back for almost a week and I am feeling really great about being here. Saying goodbye is the worst part about leaving. Once I said my goodbyes and was on my way to Germany I felt okay. I have such great friends here and I am having so much fun. Today while I was walking back from a friends apartment I realized how happy I am. Sure I miss my friends and family but I wouldn't trade this for the world!

Yesterday was Sam's birthday so we all went out to dinner on Wednesday. We went to a great Thai restaurant in Cologne. They have great prices on food and drinks.

Last night marked the start of a great weekend. Sarah had people over before heading to the club for the Welcome Back Party. Sarah's was a lot of fun but since I am not a fan of the club here in town I decided to bail on the welcome back party which was fine because it was 12:30 when people started to head over there and I was exhausted.

Today was 70 degrees and beautiful out so I went down to the island to read with Claire and Anna. We stayed for almost 3 hours to enjoy the sunshine and fresh air. It reminded me that I hate the cold and would love to live somewhere warm!

Today I had my first visitor and quite possibly my last. Flat Stanley came for a visit all the way from my home town of East Aurora! I am super excited to show him around Germany and Austria!

Tomorrow Claire and I are heading to Vienna until Monday night. I am so excited! I get to meet up with my friend Tina who was an exchange student in high school. I get to check another thing off my list of places to visit. I might be going to Prague for Easter break but that is not for sure yet because it is kind of expensive.

Well just thought I would write a quick update on life in Germany. Hope everyone has a fabulous weekend! Check back on Tuesday for my recap of Vienna!

Cooking & Baking with Brittany

While I was home I decided to have some friends over for dinner & game night. While I was making the meal a friend asked me to take pictures and blog about the dinner. This post is about my adventures in the kitchen!

I decided to make a pot roast with carrots, onions, and potatoes for dinner and a chocolate mousse cheesecake for dessert.

I have a crock pot which I love so I used that for my pot roast.

1. I cut up potatoes into small chunks, cut up an onion and poured a half a bag of carrots onto the bottom of the crock pot. 
2. Take roast and cover with flour, salt, and pepper. 
3. Sear the roast in a pan with some olive oil. Here is a link to a video which shows you how to do it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L3khonZqxOw
4. Then I put my roast on top of the vegetables. I bought 4 lbs for 6 people and it was the perfect amount. 
5. Then I put a 2 bottles of beer and 2 cans of french onion soup (campbells) on top. I probably could have gone without a bottle of beer or can of soup because I had lots of extra gravy. If you want to make mashed potatoes with the meal skip putting potatoes on the bottom and make them later. 
6. Cook on low for 10 hours. I cooked it on high for 3 hours and then low for about 7. It depends on how big of a roast you make. If you check it halfway through and find that it is not cooking how you would like it do then you can turn it up for a few hours. 

                                                          Pot Roast when it first went in

                                                 Pot Roast after a few hours

                                                   

I did not get a picture of the pot roast when it was all cooked because I was trying to get everything served while it was still hot. I can tell you that everything was delicious which means something because I am my own worst critic.

With dinner we also had caesar salad and crescent rolls. 

Chocolate Mousse Cheesecake
http://www.mangiodasola.com/2010/02/chocolate-mousse-cheesecake.html

The cheesecake recipe came from Pinterest and I have included the link above. The following is just a brief overview of the recipe with pictures. I am not including every step. To get the full recipe please go to the website listed above.

1.  The first step was to make the crust which was crushed Oreos combined with some butter. 

2. Get a spring form pan 

 3. Pour in crumbled cookies and press them firmly into the bottom of the pan

 4. Start combining ingredients for cheesecake filling & preheat oven

 5. Put cheesecake in oven for 1 hour and 15-30 mins

 6. Once cheesecake is cooked leave in oven for 1 hour then remove and let cool to room temperature before putting in refrigerator for 4 or more hours. 

 7. Once the cheesecake has chilled for at least 4 hours start making mousse for the next layer. I used Bakers chocolate for the mousse and used a knife to chop it. 

 Chocolate finely chopped 

 Chocolate melted and ready for next step

 Eggs after they have been whisked 

 Final product

Final product side view 

The cheesecake was time consuming but was worth every minute. It tasted amazing and I will definitely be making it again in the future. If you spend the time preparing everything before you start or while you wait for the cheesecake to chill, you will save yourself a lot of time. The cheesecake could have used more time in the fridge/freezer but it was already 9:30 by the time I finished it so I just served it not completely chilled.

What is your favorite meal to make when you have guest? I would love to know.