Switzerland

 5/14/22

This morning was travel day to Switzerland. I went with the choir to the airport, but boarded a different flight. It was a seamless flight and I got to see Sam again after three years. I was so excited to get away from cities and see more of nature, especially the nature of Switzerland. He picked me up in a van that he converted into a camper. It had 9 seats, a kitchen, drawers for pots, electrical units, and a pull out bed. It was so cool to see how he had completely renovated the vehicle. Immediately when I landed, we went to Zürich and met up with Jackie. We walked about nine miles total that day as we saw everything that the city had to offer. I got to see the University where Jackie studies to become an educator. We grabbed a salad from the supermarket at her school and then went up to a park that overlooked the whole city and the river that runs through it. Then we walked down the most expensive street in all of Europe. It was fun to window shop. There was also a demonstration in the street that was about the war in Ukraine. We walked around and found a flee market with many trinkets and clothes. On the way home, Sam and I went grocery shopping for the week and I got to see what a typical Swiss store looks like. Everything was fresh and organic from the local farms. We even got milk straight from the farm! We stopped over at his parents house to say hi, and they invited us over for dinner. He lives two minutes away from them so we walked over. His mom had the most extravagant garden that overlooked their small town with a view in the mountains in the back. We at dinner outside and I felt like I was looking at a photoshopped image. It was stunning, and they live there everyday! I got to eat a homemade Swiss meal and it was delicious. His mom is also a music teacher and so we bonded over all the instruments that she had in her house. It was a special moment for me bonding over my passion with someone from a different country! We went to Sam’s apartment and it was also impressive to me. You could see the mountains and the whole wall was window! It was bright and scenic. He let me have his room to myself, and I went to sleep almost immediately after such a long day. 

5/15/22

This morning, we woke up pretty early to go hiking during the best part of the day. We picked up Melanie on our way to the Mountain. It was such a good reunion with those two, Sam and Melanie. They were two of my dearest friends from Up with People. We all sat in the front seat of Sam’s camper van and reminisced together as we drove. We listened to call songs and talked about people that we missed. Once we got to the hiking trail, we had lunch that we packed. On the hike,  it was about four miles long and it took us two hours. From the top, you could see the Swiss alps for miles and miles. The weather was absolutely perfect. It was sunny but not too hot. We ate ice cream while we were admiring the view of the lake, the mountain, and the city of Lucerne. Then we hiked all the way down, and went to explore Lucerne.  It was a 20 minute drive around the lake with mountains. It was absolutely stunning, and I was freaking out the whole time. Then, Melanie showed us her school and her favorite spots. Then Sam and I drove back to his house and we made dinner. As I took off my shoes, I noticed that I had a major allergic reaction to something because there were hives all over my feet. Then I started feeling sinus and ear pressure. My nose was running and I was sneezing a lot. We looked up my symptoms and realized that I had Hay Fever. I am not allergic to anything in the U.S. but I definitely am allergic to the forest here. And of course, we will be in nature the entire time I am here!

5/16/22

This morning I woke up, and my allergies were still very irritating, so we went to Sam’s parents house, and his mom gave me some Swiss allergy medicine. It helped a little bit, but it was still brutal. During the day, the first thing that we did was tour an old city called Stein am Rhein. The buildings in this town were built in the 1300s and they were beautiful! There was a river around the town and the buildings were built right around it, and it honestly looked fake. I couldn’t believe how picturesque it looked. After that, we went to the Rhein falls which is close to the boarder of Germany. It was the biggest, most powerful waterfall I had ever seen! There used to be a glacier there, and that’s where all the water flows from. We walked around it and took some cool pictures. On the way home, Sam wanted to show my Winterthur. This town is right next to his hometown of Elgg. In it was his hairdresser. She traveled in Up with People in 1992 and was the reason that Sam traveled as well. She was so excited to see us and to meet another Uppie. We all knew Walter, so we sent a selfie to him and he was excited. Those types of connections are so valuable to me. I was in a small town in Switzerland with so many small connections. It was crazy! After that, Sam and I went on a small hike in Elgg where we could see all the Swiss Alps as well as his entire town from the top. It was gorgeous. However, the hike up was extremely steep and my allergies were killing me! Hahah! Once I got up to the top it was worth it. Another full day exploring this amazing country, and tomorrow I am off to Belgium. 

5/17/22

Travel Day to Belgium was a rough travel day for me yet again… Sam dropped me off at the airport in the morning. Then, my first flight was delayed and so I was worried that I would miss my connecting flight! The flight attendant reassured me that I would make it in time, so then I relaxed. Once we landed in Amsterdam, I was informed that my second flight to Belgium was CANCELLED!

See Juliette…

Italy

 5/3/22 

Travel day to Italy was one for the books! It was an adventure that did not have the best start. My luggage was lost in the airport when we arrived in Italy. I was pretty overwhelmed and upset, but I wasn’t alone. Two of my good friends did not have their luggage either. On top of that, we had a six hour layover in the Amsterdam airport after an eight hour flight. Needless to say, I was devastated that my luggage was lost. However, I knew it would would arrive tomorrow morning! When we got to our hotel, there was a welcome dinner for the choir. Everyone started putting on beautiful dresses and skirts, and I had to wear what I wore on the plane for 48 hours straight. The trip did not start off very well because of a very long and draining travel day. However, the dinner that we had was phenomenal and we got to order some wine and just decompress with each other. I needed to accept the situation that I was in and look on the bright side of things because I was in ITALY!

5/4/22

Today was an absolutely incredible day! I borrowed a dress from my roommate, Teagan, because I did not have my suitcase with any of my clothes! I still felt very cute in what I was wearing. In the morning we took a boat from our hotel to the city of Venice! I was blown away by the beauty and the architecture of the buildings while looking at it on the coastline. We first did a guided walking tour of the Basilica San Marco and the St. Mark’s square. We entered into a glass blowing shop where a master demonstrated how he makes glass vases with an intricate horse detail on the top. He sculpted this horse in less than four minutes right in front of us! I was in awe. He created chandeliers, vases, and wine glasses out of glass in all shapes, colors, and sizes. The shop was right outside a bridge that overlooked the rivers flowing through the buildings. I couldn’t believe how the water just flowed throughout the entire city. Then, we visited the royal palace where the court of law used to judged crimes. In each room there were gorgeously decorated ceilings with gold leaf, mosaic, and paintings. Each room kept getting bigger and more impressive with the intricate details of the art. Then a group of us got lunch at a little pizzeria down a tiny street in Venice. The pizza was thin and so delicious. We had someone playing the accordion by our table, $ and it was the full experience. Then, we went on a gondola ride which was a boat ride that took us through all the tiny rivers flowing through Venice. We saw the grand canal with all the colorful buildings on the water. The views from that ride were the best part of my day, and it was incredibly peaceful. This is a MUST if you’re in Venice. Then we walked around to get souvenirs, gelato, and a dinner place. We ended up going into this tiny bar in the inner part of the city. Gabe, Samara, Teagan, Maddie, and I got a bottle of Prosecco with dinner and it was the most delicious thing I’ve ever tasted. I will always be on the hunt for Prosecco that good when I get home! We got a little wine drunk in Venice and it was an incredible time! Then we went back on the boat to go home for the day!

   

5/5/22

This morning we took a two hour bus ride from Mestre to Trieste which is in the north east part of Italy. Then, we went on a guided tour around the city and scoped out our venue for a first performance. As we got off of the bus, there were many buildings and houses built on the hills along the Adriatic coast. They were stunning. In the water of the port, there was a mass of jellyfish in the water. We got lunch at the Caffe Degli Specchi, and it was in the middle of the main square of the city. The food was delicious and we got an Italitan Nero, which is a shot of espresso with a chocolate chaser. The deserts were fantastic, and the pigeons were attacking! Then my group of music education friends: Kaylee, Teagan, Kathryn, Dylan, Isaac, Samara, and Gabe went exploring the city. We went to this armory that was overlooking the entire city and the view was spectacular. We got many beautiful pictures that captured the view and the great company. Trieste is a city that I will always recommend to people because it is not touristy. It is cheaper, gorgeous, and full of hidden treasures. On the way back we got authentic Italian gelato and pesto pasta. The food has been one of the best parts of expecting Italy. It is fresh, healthy, and delicious. Then it was time for our first show on tour! We performed in a Church in the middle of the city and the acoustics were fantastic. This was maybe one of my favorite shows I’ve ever done with the Concordia Choir. After every song, the people went crazy cheering for us. It was validating to hear positive shouting from the audience. The acoustics of the church were so beautiful that it rang for at least 5-8 seconds after a chord was cut off. As a Choir, our sound was blended and we sang with dynamics that we have never experienced before. The energy in this magical church was indescribable. I got very emotional during Softly and Tenderly and Beautiful Savior. This day was a dream and I’m feeling extremely grateful to be here singing in Italy!

5/6/22

Today was a rainy day in Venice! The choir took the train over to the island of Venice and we had a free morning to explore. A group of us immediately went to a coffee shop and I ordered an Irish Coffee. It was a strong cup of coffee, but it was incredibly delicious. Then I walked around and got souvenirs for people that are important to me. I was on a hunt to find meaningful gifts. We went to a fancier restaurant for lunch and I think I had one of the best meals of my life. I ordered crab pasta, zucchini, and wine and it was so wonderful I almost started crying. The table split a bottle of Prosecco and a bottle of Merlot. The red wine was so smooth, I was surprised. The wine is the best part of this trip for me personally! On the way back to meet the group, Levi, Elena, and I got very lost in the rainy city. Running through the streets of Venice with them is a memory that I will hold dear to my heart. Then, we drove about an hour to a beautiful church to complete a recording session. We sang through our longer pieces and got fantastic takes for our CD! It was so easy to sing in this space because of the acoustics. It felt like butter on my vocal chords when singing the soaring high notes over the chorus. It was an out of body experience. We got dinner at a restaurant located 2 minutes away and got hand-rolled pasta. Then the concert stated and it was another incredible concert with the Concordia Choir because I sang my personal best today. Everything was floating and effortless. It was an incredible feeling and the songs were resonating throughout the space. I got emotional again because I just couldn’t believe that I get to sing with such a high caliber musical ensamble in Italy. I can feel the music again, and that hasn’t happened since before Covid! It’s a fantastic feeling and I am fulfilled with these life-changing performance we keep having. Another incredible day for the books!

5/7/22

Today the choir started our journey to the south of Italy. We rode in the bus for four hours from Venice to San Gimignano. This city is a well-preserved medieval city build on a hilltop known for its unique wine and saffron abundance. There were tall towers all throughout the city that demonstrated the power of individuals living during this time. When we arrived in the city we went on a guided tour walk and walked around the major landmarks. There were torture museums and unique medieval structures. It was completely different from Venice, but it was so peaceful and refreshing. It might be my favorite city so far. The choir had an impromptu performance in the middle of the Square and we drew in a massive crowd. People were drooling over the performance, and cheering very loud! It was a very impactful experience for me. Then we did soprano bonding in this cute little winery. We drank a type of wine that is only grown in San Gimignano. It was called Vernaccia and it was 13% alcohol. Needless to say, we were feeling very silly and goofy after a couple of glasses. It was awesome to spend time with the section like that. Then we got on the bus and drove to our hotel in Montecatini. At night, we decided to go out for Kathryn‘s birthday. It was our big friend group, and I got delicious sushi. Then, we walked around downtown. The streets were very rowdy with Italian locals, and we got to interact with them for a little while. It was another fantastic day.

5/8/22

We had a very slow morning and got to sleep in today. Then we drove even further south to the city of Luca, the birthplace of Puccini! Then, we had about four hours to explore this walled-in city. There were many fashion shops around the street, and the girls and I went shopping for souvenirs. Then we met up with a different group and walked around the outer wall that was encompassing the whole city. It was very peaceful and meditative up there. We ended up walking for 4 miles. We got lunch in the main square, and I finally had a Bufalina Salad. This is a salad with buffalo mozzarella. It is thicker and softer, and it is to die for! Then, we got gelato and met up with the full group to drive to our venue for our third concert of the tour. We were a part of a festival got to hear at the local choir sang at their home church. Then we performed for them, and we wowed the audience. they yelled bravissimo after every song! It was rewarding to get such positive validation for all the hard work! It nice and cool inside the church which was nice in the blue velvet robes. I was just very tired from walking and I needed to sit down. We had an hour and a half bus ride back to the hotel, and it was very needed!

5/9/22

Florence is the capital of the Tuscany region. It is also the city of the Renaissance period, which is a cultural movement from 1400-1500 that revived art, music, and culture. Florence was a center of culture and trade. Gelato was invented in Florence. To make it, they add eggs to ice and milk. In the middle of the square, there is the 4th largest Catholic Church in the world. The largest church is the Vatican in Rome. It took them 140 years to build this church in Florence. They would have competitions in architecture to show social status. After walking around, exploring, taking pictures, and getting lunch, we went to our concert venue. Show number four was the worst concert I’ve probably ever gone through. I was beyond overtired. We had gotten back to our hotel at 1:00am for the past three night. And this concert was when it all hit me. I need my beauty sleep and without it, it is a bad story. It all started with rehearsal. We were standing for so long recording our songs after I had walked 7 miles in Florence. I was physically, mentally, and emotionally exhausted. But, Culloton decided to do our longest concert of the trip without any set breaks. It was cruel for him to do that, I was not the only one struggling to even stand up in the choir formation. Before the concert, he asked me to sing the Beautiful Savior solo, and I just told him that I was not in the head space to do that solo well. Because of that, I got down on myself for missing the opportunity to sing my solo in a beautiful Italy Cathedral. But, I could barely get through the concert without fainting. I couldn’t focus or hear anything other than my inner thoughts of wanting to sleep and sit down. It was a very rough concert, and what made it worse was when he called me out during the applause and said “you can do it, Liv” in front of the whole ensamble. He noticed that I was holding back tears and felt the need to give me encouragement. It was a nice sentiment, but I felt very embarrassed in front of everyone. It made me just wanna leave the stage even more and just go sleep it all off. But of course, we had another 1.5 hours to the hotel on the bus. So we didn’t get back until 12:30am once again. It was the longest day of my life.

5/10/22

This morning, we spent another day in the city of Florence. When we got there, we broke off into groups and walked around to find some Chianti, which is a red wine found only in this region. We stumbled across this record store bar that overlooked the beautiful church. So, we got our wine and looked around at all the records that were displayed. After that, I got to tour the famous art museum called Galleria Dell’accademia Di Firenze. In this museum, the statue of David, sculpted by Michelangelo, was preserved. He was 14 feet tall and incredibly impressive. This is the David in the Bible that killed Goliath, and also became King David. It was fascinating to see how biblical stories had impacted incredible artist during the Renaissance. Within the museum, there were also preserved instruments. For example, the remnants of the first flutes, clarinets, violins, and pianos were showcased. This part of the museum was particularly interesting for me because of the classes I have taken in this past year learning instruments. After the morning in Florence, the choir drove down to Rome which was about a 4 hour drive. During the drive, we saw vineyards, mountains, rivers, palm trees, and even a rainstorm with a full rainbow. This country has every type of topography, and it was gorgeous to pass through it on the drive. Our new hotel in Rome has four stars and it is fancy. We felt like royalty walking into our room. The next few days are going to be very fun in Rome. 

5/11/22 

This morning, we went and toured Vatican City. It is its own independent state because it used to rule over other countries that exists today. We had a guided tour of the Vatican museums where ancient art and sculptures were laid out and commissioned by the pope. There were three sections of the museum including tapestries, sculptures, and a geography of Italy. We got to see the dome of the Saint Peters Basilica as well as the Sistine chapel. The name of the Sistine Chapel comes from the name of the pope who wanted to build it for himself. He asked the artists to focus on the comparison of the Old Testament and the New Testament. An example would be the paintings of Moses on one side and Jesus on the other. Michelangelo was the painter of the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. He was upset because at that point, he was not a painter, he was a sculpture. He tried to refuse the commission by the Pope, but he was forced to anyway. He painted the story of Genesis across the ceiling. There are nine central stories on the ceiling. The first three are about the creation story. The second three are about the creation of man, especially with Adam’s finger and God’s finger. This painting shows that man has a divine spirit because the fingers are almost touching. The last three are about the life of Noah. The Pope wanted only the 12 apostles, but Michelangelo painted ancestors and prophets. He painted this whole thing in four years all by himself. The painting on the back of the wall is judgement story. He signed this painting by putting his own face on the skin of Bartholemew. This image is depicting how he died by being skinned alive. The Vatican museum stretches for 9 miles with different rooms. After we toured the museum, we got our robes and went into the largest Catholic Church in the entire world, St. Peter’s Basilica. The ruins of the bible character, Peter, are in the center of the church. I got emotional walking into this space because of the sheer size of the room and beauty of the architecture. It was absolutely stunning and I couldn’t believe that we got to sing there! After we walked around the entire church, and looked at the tombs of the previous popes, we got to sing in the mass! We saying five songs, including

Beautiful Savior. It was interesting to see how Catholic worship differs from Lutheran worship. It was a little spooky at times, but it was still a good cultural experience. It is a rare experience to be able to sing in the Vatican. I feel very honored that the Concordia Choir had this opportunity. I will never forget this trip and this performance. 

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5/12/22

This morning, we went to the downtown part of Rome and visited the Pantheon. It was built 2,000 years ago. This is located in the middle of a modern looking city. Today, it’s now a catholic church. The doors are the original ones of the time when it was built. The Pantheon is perfectly round. We sang "O Day Full Of Grace" under the dome of the pantheon and it was magical. We drew in a crowd and filled the space with gorgeous chords in a mixed formation. It was the best that I had ever sand that song. Then we explored and shopped in the afternoon. Tonight was the last concert of the Concordia Choir for my Junior year of college in Rome, Italy. This concert was so incredibly special that I will never ever forget this moment. I wish I could freeze time and stay in that incredible moment forever. The acoustic of the church was the best in all of our churches from both  Italy and Domestic tour. The sound bounced back and it was so clear and crisp! We did a collaboration with a professional local ensamble and they were absolutely amazing. We sang our set after them and ended with Beautiful Savior. I had the opportunity to sing this solo in this beautiful space for our very last concert. I was feeling a lot of pressure, but I pushed through and ended up singing it the best that I ever had. It was so sweet and expressive. I was truly amazed at the beauty of the sounds that was coming from my being. It felt like an out of body experience hearing my voice echo and blossom in an incredible church. I knew I had people that love and support me singing right behind me. I justed want to bottle up all these feelings and save it and open them when I need them. It was the best concert of my life, even better than the Vatican. After we got off stage, everyone was crying, hugging, and embracing the truly incredible moment we just had together. Almost the entire choir came up to me and said that I had sang so gorgeous. It was heartwarming and I will never forget that. Right as we were getting on the bus to leave, the choir that we collaborated with stared singing “And so it goes” in the street. We all hopped off the bus and joined in. There was probably 150 people singing in harmony on the streets of Rome. IT WAS SO SPECIAL! I was emotional thinking about how music united people of all different cultures and languages. I want to recreate moments like these, and that is why I cannot wait for my career! This is everything I work hard for, and it pays off.  We got on the bus and completed the tradition of “meowing” Signs of the Judgment. That was so memorable as well. I will sleep will a full heart tonight.  

5/13/22

Today is the last full day in Italy! The entire choir spent the morning getting Covid tests in order to travel back into the United State. I will be traveling to Switzerland next, so I didn’t have to test. Instead, I had I a slow morning and I got to relax for a little while. The rest was needed. It’s been a long few weeks, and I have been walking a lot everyday. Once everyone tested negative, we got to go downtown Rome. We shared the day with free-time for lunch. Have, Samara, Teagan and I found a restaurant and split two bottles of wine. We were very tipsy when we started the tour the Colosseum, which made it even more fantastic! I have been excited for this day ever since I saw the itinerary. This is one of the seven wonders of the world, and I will have officially been to four of the seven after today. In the Colosseum, Gladiators would fight against animals and sometimes even people. The last man standing would win and get freed from slavery. The arena seated 70,000 people who would come and watch the gruesome event. This is where football stadiums originally got their design. This place was filled with rich history and it was incredible to see! We even saw the cages where they used to keep the lions for the fights. Then we got to tour the Roman Forum with a tour guide. There was ruins at every corner. It blows my mind that materials from so long ago still exist! After touring, we went to our farewell dinner. It was a 5 course meal with delicious bread, veggies, pasta, pork, and tiramisu. They also paid for all of the wine! It was a wonderful dinner and I found myself reflecting on such an incredible choir tour. I feel beyond blessed to be apart of this choir and to have another opportunity to travel to Europe to experience Italy! I love the people who surround me here, and I am grateful to have spent all this time with them. It has been one of the best trips of my life… and it’s not over yet!