Justin Paxton

Vienna and Budapest - The Tale of Two Cities

Vienna and Budapest could not be more different. Vienna was borderline snobby in some aspects, and Budapest reminded me of an East Asian city. (I’ve never been to Asia, but that is what I would expect.)

Traveling from Prague to Vienna was another 7 hour train ride, in which I finished book one of the Hunger Games and started reading the second book in the Dragon Tattoo series. (Hunger Games was pretty freaking awesome btw.) We arrived in Vienna and thankfully Maggie picks hostels near the train station, so we didn’t have far to walk. Unfortunately, that meant long walks into the city, so we invested in a 48 hour metro pass. The first day we went to the State Opera House, St. Peter’s church, Parliament, and the treasury at the Hofburg palace. (There are three palaces in Vienna. I guess the Hapsburgs got bored of their first 200 room palace, so they built two more. Completely understandable.) We then headed back and took a lovely nap, which has become standard protocol on our trip after continuous nights of going out. How no one is sick yet must be because of the naps. We went out that night for a traditional Austrian meal, and we were recommended a place that was pretty inexpensive and to say the portions were generous would be an understatement. We went to the famous “Bermuda Triangle” to go out, but since it was a Monday, the city was dead. I mean so quiet that a pin could drop and everyone would turn to see what had happened. I didn’t mind though, as that just meant more sleep!

We spent most of the next day at the Schonbrunn (Summer) Palace. We did the tour with audioguides, which gave a comprehensive overview of the history of the palace and the rooms we viewed. The palace was absolutely breathtaking, with elaborate decorations and gold everywhere. We then had lunch in the gardens and did the labyrinth and walked all the way up to the top of the hill and got a fantastic view of the city. We headed back to the hostel to grab food for dinner and made sphagetti. (It is really hard to cook for 4 and not try to have leftover food to bring with you…) We went out that night and found a great little pub that was super hipster and I was definitely in love. Our roommate Rachel went out with us that night as well. She was from Beijing, but was studying abroad in Finland. She was traveling by herself, which I applauded, since she is no more than 90 pounds. She doesn’t normally drink, but I guess we got the best of her because half a beer and a shot of tequila took her out pretty fast. We headed home and took the bus this time, as the night before it took us nearly an hour to get home by foot.

We took the train to Budapest the next day and it was supposed to be a three hour train, but of course, with our luck it took over four hours. We arrived in the train station and I immediately felt that we were no longer in Western Europe. Things looked older, more run down. There were way less signs in English and the tourism office was standoffish with one word answers and gestures. Finding the metro station and buying tickets was a nightmare. I’m pretty sure that was the first time I have genuinely gone through culture shock. We finally made it to our hostel and I didn’t know what to think of Budapest. It was busy, dirty, and unfriendly in my eyes. That view didn’t change when Monique, Ted, and I headed to the bus station to book our bus from Budapest to Krakow. The bus station was beyond sketch, but we went in anyways. As luck would have it, the bus was already full. Yep, completely full. So I was tasked with finding out Plan B, which consisted of me spending an hour figuring out the trains. It also meant we would have an 11 hour train ride, instead of a six hour bus ride. It also meant that we would lose half a day in Budapest. We decided to book our other buses, because I couldn’t figure out the trains for Lithuania and Tallinn. After 2.5 hours later, all the travel was booked and I was exhausted. We went and got dinner and then headed to Simpla, a small bar and had some beers. The next morning we did the walking tour at 10:30 a.m., which took us around St. Stephens cathedral, the science museum, opera house, and the palace (which never housed any kings). We saw Hereos Square, Chain Bridge, and another big church that I can’t remember. We fit alot in one day, but we would have loved to have an extra half day and see the baths. We cooked breakfast for dinner that night and went to the bigger Simpla that night. It is a ruin bar, which basically means that it is super cool. It made the coolest bar I’ve ever been to look pathetic. It was so hipster I was literally drooling. They had great music, little nooks and crannies all around with sawed bath tubs, quirky furniture, and great lights. I wish I could take it home with me and open it up in Dallas. We left early in the morning to head to Krakow. Budapest definitely grew on me over the two days. I began to respect the craziness of the place, but the people were still pretty short in my opinion. I’m still unsure if I would go back.

Amsterdam + Munich + Prague = Eurotrip Week 1

The flight into Amsterdam wasn’t terrible, and with four hours of sleep we arrived early Thursday, actually make that Wednesday morning. Yep, we planned so thoroughly that we thought we arrived a day later. After registering this, we decided to visit Monique’s friend, Luke, who studied abroad at TCU. We headed to Boxmeer and took a 2 hour train ride after 11 hours of travel. SO FUN. Boxmeer was very cute with about 20,000 people and his family was so nice. They made us spaghetti for dinner and cookies for dessert. In the morning, we had bread with chocolate sprinkles (surprisingly good) and left promising to send a postcard along the way to them. We arrived in Amsterdam before noon and headed to our hostel, which was right next to the coffeeshop. (The special kind of coffee shop). That day we bought sandwich stuff and ate in the park, did a boat canal tour, went to a museum, saw the red light district) and enjoyed a beer at a cafe. We still had jet lag and went to bed early, which was helped by the strong smell of “coffee” next store that made it feel like we were hotboxing our room continuously.

The next day we headed to Munich and had a long train ride. We bought peanut butter and bread for lunch aka the lunch of travellers. We only had 12 hours in Munich, so once we arrived we dropped off our bag at a bar of a friend of a friend. (Yes Mom, a bit sketch.) But Martin was super nice and gave us a free round of beers and two free pizzas! We then explored the city and went up to this church to take in the view overlooking the Marienplatz, which was breathtaking. We headed over to the residence and the church of my fair lady. Before long we were thirsty and headed to the Hoffbrauhaus for a beer. It was completely packed, as the Chelsea vs. Munich game was happening the next day. You heard constant chants, and lots of red and blue. We had a traditional German dinner and had another beer back at Martin’s bar. We were exhausted, but our train wasn’t leaving until 4:52 a.m. We headed to the train station at 2:30, which was super mega sketch at that time. Staying awake was a struggle. The conductor let us on the train an hour early, and we fell asleep on a dark tram. (Sorry Mom, I’m still alive to write this, so it obviously turned out okay.) We had a seven hour train ride with three switches, so we got some sleep, but ultimately felt gross and dirty. But that’s what backpacking is all about, right?

Our train ride into Prague was going smoothly, but of course something had to happen. We stood at a standstill on the tracks for a good 30 minutes. Finally we were told to get off at a small station on the outskirts of Prague. We had no idea what to do, at all. Thankfully this older lady with broken English saw our helpless faces and told us to head to the bus stop. Once at the bus stop we realized we had no Czech kronas and we couldn’t get on the bus. Extreme panic set in, and adrenalin was pumping. How the heck will we get to Prague!? Thankfully the helpful lady directed us to the next train and we made it into the city, an hour and a half behind schedule. We got to the hostel which was in tim buck two and then headed to one of my favorite places, Prague Castle!! It was just as beautiful as I remembered and I loved looking at the saint Vitus cathedral stained glass windows. This time around Golden Lane was open, so we got to see some of the trade houses that were within the castle. We went back to the hostel and napped and I swear I woke up with heat stroke. Luckily I was just dehydrated and drank about six 24oz waters. The next day we moved hostels to one near Old Town and we took the free walking tour around the city. We saw the major sites and got a serious history lesson. The Old Town Square was even better than I remembered and Charles Bridge was gorgeous at night. Even though I already had tons of pictures from the last time I was there it was still impossible not to keep snapping photos left and right. Praha has been and will be one of my favorite cities in the world. I was definitely sad to move on to Vienna so soon!

Eurotrip - FULL of Surprises

Europe so far has been breathtaking and gorgeous. We have all been getting along and have enjoyed each others company. My picture taking has been lackluster since Maggie’s camera is awesome and takes good pictures. In fact, my camera is the “going out” camera because I have the only point and shoot. But we have made sure to take lots of individual and family pictures as all our parents dont want to just see landscapes.

But why is the blog called surprises? Well here are just three ones we have had so far:

1. We arrived a day earlier than expected - Somehow we thought the plus one meant we lost the next day. We got to Amsterdam on Wednesday, not Thursday. Thankfully Monique has a many international friends so we took a two hour train to Boxmeer and stayed with Luke and his family. It was actually a great start, as we got a home cooked meal and learned more about the culture.

2. Night trains are rough - It wasn’t exactly a night train, but the 4:52 am train was rough. We kept our bags at a friends and got to the train station around 2:30 am. It was cold and a bit scary. The conductor let us on the train at 3:30 am and we got in one of the cabs. It was completely dark and really sketch, but we were so tired that we all ended up falling asleep. Moral of the story is, early morning trains are rough and should be avoided.

3. May weather is not fair weather - we have had some cloudy and rainy days over the past week. Thankfully I brought a fleece, but Monique didn’t and has been freezing. And we are in the southern part of our trip. Also interesting has been the early sunrise and late sunsets. Our 4:52 am train left at sunrise, and by 6:00 am it looked like it was almost noon. Sunset is around 9 or 10 depending on how far north or south we go, giving us lots of daylight. It is an unexpected, but fantastic surprise.

Actual posts on cities to come and pictures will be posted when I get back.

Hope we have many more surprises to come! :)

Last Day of Class. “Ever.”

This morning was my last ever official class at TCU. Good ole Digital Marketing at 9:00 a.m. in the morning. I still have to come back tomorrow to give a presentation in the class and I have a final on Friday in Smith, but beyond that, I won’t really need to walk into Tandy or Smith for a long, long time.

It’s a weird feeling thinking that class is over for now. After roughly 14 continuous years of school, knowing I won’t be carrying around my backpack, meeting for group projects on the weekends, and buying scantrons feels super strange. It is even somewhat depressing because the next who-knows how many years will be filled with waking up early, carrying a briefcase or messenger bag, and not getting that summer vacation ever again. But in all honesty, I’m ready to move on. I’ve enjoyed school, in fact, I’ve downright loved it. Learning knew things, challenging myself to get good grades, and balancing everything with work and extracurricular activities has been very rewarding. But now I can’t wait to play tennis and golf regularly, read books I actually want to read, watch sports on the weekend and not feel guilty about it, and do some community service. Though I may be worried about where my time will go, if there is one thing I do know, it’s that I will always keep myself busy.

Here’s to “no more” school (quotes because grad school looms in the distance), and less than 10 days until Neeley graduation!

Go Frogs. (It felt needed.)

Frog Aides and the pARTy.

Last Wednesday is when everything came together for Frog Aides. After months of preparing for the big event, the day was finally here. After a quick two hour stint at work, I headed back to campus to prepare for the event. First, I come to find out that my chalk artists are already here, but lost on campus. GREAT. But after some quick directional skills, we got them set-up and they produced some beautiful artwork.

Next, we come to find out that our silhouettes guy has no ride to get to TCU. He thought the shuttle from his hotel would get him to campus, but never checked with them. You just got to love these artists. At 2:30 p.m., we started setting up, and that was a whirlwind of fun. Moving tables, trying to figure out which outlets work, getting vendors set-up, I think I could have used two of me and two of my other co-director to get everything where we wanted it. (Note to self next time:  Make sure tables are set-up before vendors get there so that they don’t pick their own spot and change the entire logistical set-up…)

After finishing set-up just after 4 p.m., the pARTy was finally starting. T-shirts went out to the first 50 people, cupcakes were flying off the “shelves,” and crafting was in full force. Most of the artist vendors were very nice, minus this one senior who was the biggest diva this world has ever seen. Why you need the whole table to display one small sculpture fails to amaze me. The Frog Aides were doing a great job running the booths and all was well. Unfortunately, the stage facing the grass ended up backfiring, as less people watched the bands and more people painted, made pottery, got their caricatures done, or just sat down and ate food on the bricks. However, the bands for the most part were polite about it!

We ran out of some food early on, but at 7:15 p.m. (roughly 2.5 hours later), we had over 1,000 people pass through the event.  It was the first event where I had seen people stay for long periods of time in the Commons. The ate, they painted, they talked, and most of all, people had lots of fun. It was just the relaxation and study break they needed before dead days and finals. Clean-up was just as intense, especially since some paint got on the bricks. But a select group of dedicated Frog Aides brushed away as much as they could! (Thanks again guys!) All in all, the pARTy was no rage-fest, but it was fun, cool, and just as hipster as I envisioned it. Thank you everyone who helped to make it a reality!

Maggie and I have now passed on the reigns to two of my favorite juniors, Will and Jennifer. I know we are sad about leaving the program, but we both know it is in good hands. This year the program has moved from SGA to more self-discovery and outside SGA opportunities. I can’t wait to see where the next directors take the program. I might just have to stop by and see what kind of “pARTy” they throw next year.

2 Weeks

I can’t believe this is happening,  but two weeks from today, I will turn in my last paper for TCU. EVER. My roommate last night said we have eight days of real school left. This semester has absolutely flown by. I’m still getting my work done, but senioritis is definitely starting to form. (Hello HR project I haven’t started yet…) Trying to balance hanging out with everyone with projects and getting ready for Europe seems overwhelming, but I know I’ll get it done!

Here’s to living up the last two weeks of school! Then Europe, home, and REAL LIFE. (Not ready at all…)

It’s Already Over.

Checked my calendar and guess what, I barely have a month left of school!! That’s including non-school days. While I’m tired of school work, I’m not that tired of school. Time for the freakout to begin! Let’s see how the rest of this semester goes. Somehow I think it’s going to feel like the final days of leaving Australia.

What Mary Poppins Can Teach Us

This past weekend was quite exciting with my roommate’s formal on Friday and then Mary Poppins on Saturday night. My friend, Katie Norry, knows someone who has a box at Bass Hall and had free tickets to go see Mary Poppins. I was lucky enough to be invited, and it was an excellent show.

It has been years (man that makes me sound old) since I have watched Mary Poppins. I remembered that she was a nanny, that there were penguins, and that there was a chimney sweeper, but beyond that, I couldn’t remember what happened. I was surprised to see how much Mary Poppins taught/reminded me in two hours. Here are a few tips from Mary Poppins:

1. The Person is more important than the Idea - There was a scene with the father, who is a banker, where he turns down a great idea (basically making money out of money…sound familiar?), because he saw that entrepreneur wasn’t a good person. Instead, he invests in a man’s factory, because he could tell the man was passionate and would do whatever it took to make the business successful. I took this to heart and it made me think of my entrepreneurial classes. It’s not to say that you should invest in a good man with a bad idea, but certainty character can outweigh the idea itself. Though the father was suspended from his job for a time, the bank that invested in the “great idea” was in serious debt (hello Lehman Brothers), while the “great man” was opening up other factories by the end of the play.

2. We are capable of change - Mary Poppins has a bit of magic and supernatural powers up her sleeve, but through her “outings” and talks with the family, she is able to help the mother gain the courage to be more than just a household wife. She also reminds the father that just because his nanny was harsh and cruel, doesn’t mean he should do the same to his children. By the end, he becomes tender, gentle, and involved with his children. When we get stuck in a rut or routine, think about what Mary Poppins would do and remember that when we make a conscious change, anything can happen.

3. Be whoever you want to be - Burt is the perfect example of someone who is good at being who he wants to be, when he wants to be. Sometimes a painter, sometimes a chimney sweeper, but always kindhearted, Burt is the prime example of someone who is passionate about life and adaptable to any situation. You don’t like who you are, then change who you are! You don’t like your job, then change your job! While life is a bit more complicated than that (people do have responsibilities and obligations to meet), if we are ourselves and believe in ourselves, then we will find the happiness and eventually make the money needed to maintain that happiness.

So I may be a little idealistic, or maybe you think I’m crazy that I could read that much into Mary Poppins.  Honestly, the play was fantastic, inspiring, and reminded me of a few lessons that I won’t forget. May Mary Poppins remind you to be yourself, invent new words like “supercalifragilisticexpialidocious,” and enjoy life.

Co-ops, Free Music, Hipsters. I LOVE Austin.

This past weekend I started off my Spring Break my driving down to Austin for the weekend. I wanted to see SXSW (South by South West) also known as “south by” to locals. They have lots of interactive art, music, and free stuff everywhere. After a three and a half hour drive due to traffic and a bathroom break that looked to be right off the road but seemed miles from the freeway, I arrived at the French House. I stayed with my friend Susan who I studied abroad with. I didn’t know what to expect from the Co-op, but I decided when packing to treat it like a dorm. I brought shower shoes and a towel.

The French House has roughly 20 people living there. They have some common food called “guff” that comes out of their rent, and then they label and buy their own personal food. For the most part, the food system seems to work, minus the fact that breakfast food seemed to be the main meal of choice, which I wouldn’t be able to handle for long periods of time. (This could also be because the regular labor rotation wasn’t happening…) They also have 5-7 hours of “labor” a week, which is dealt out in chores. This can include bathroom cleaning, cooking, cleaning dishes, gardening, etc. Overall, the experience was great, and it seemed like a good transition between dorm life and living in a house.

On Friday, we ended up heading to a bar with some bands and a “vintage clothing shop.” Now, vintage clothing shops and second hand stores are practically the same thing, however by calling it vintage, you can charge at least double the price. Needless to say, I didn’t buy anything from there, though a sweet jean vest did call my name. (It didn’t call loud enough though, it was $34.) We tried getting into some bars on 6th street, but the lines for good bands were very long, so we headed back to West Campus. We went over to a bigger co-op called Pearl Street, which has naked swim Fridays…and it was Friday. Thankfully, they were clothed, but Austin sure knows how to take things to the next level. We then headed over to 21st Street, which was a massive co-op. This one is known as the “hippie/party” co-op, as there was large groups smoking anything and everything and it is clothing optional. (One man was just wearing a shirt…) We lucked out and Susan’s friend, Sarah, knew one the staff members. We got to cut the line (of 300) by helping to carry waters up to the band. We watched Maps and Atlases play in a room with no ventilation. It was freaking hot, but well worth it.

On Saturday, I woke up at 9:15 a.m., late for me, but early for Susan. I just kind of hung out and we eventually left for our day around 12:30 p.m. We headed to a coffee shop and then over to South Congress. We had yummy pizza from Home Slice and then we ate at Amy’s Ice Cream. There was tons of live music over in SoCo as well, but we had a mission of eating and stuck to it. I ran into my old director, Tracy, and it was great to catch up with her. We headed back to French House and then walked over to the Law Building where we had free tickets for a moving viewing and concert. Susan never got her confirmation, but after some smooth talking and a hair flip, she convinced the guy to let her in. (He was really nice.) The movie was called Big Easy Express and showed three bands traveling and jamming out in a big train from Oakland to New Orleans. The video had a slow start, but it was awesome. The bands looked to be having a blast. We then were treated with Mumford & Sons and Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros playing some new songs and some “classics.” They even brought the high school marching band to play that was in the movie. I couldn’t have asked for a better day, and let me remind you, IT WAS FREE!!!!

I left early the next morning to beat the traffic. I also wanted to hit the outlets, where I picked up some new shorts and a shirt from J-Crew. All in all, a great weekend in Austin. I learned one thing though, Austin may be too weird for me to live, but it is great to visit.