Passport to Paris: Reischman style!

As expected, my adventure to Europe was nothing but a blast! As some of you may or may not know, I took a course at Southeast that allowed me to travel across the world and experience different parts of Europe. I couldn't be more happy I took both Sue and Kat's advice to enroll in this class. Two weeks in Europe? What sounds awful about that?!

When I first arrived in Europe, my debit card wasn't working...It was a Sunday, I was halfway across the world and I had no internet/phone access. Did I mention that you have to pay for everything in Europe?...I couldn't even use the ladies room. Luckily, after checking into our hotel and getting settled, I got money from a different machine! Such a relief! :)

Our first week was spent in Strasbourg, France (Yes, Strasbourg is in France, not Germany.) (; The first couple of days spent in this beautiful city consisted of going to the Christmas Markets, visiting the cathedrals and indulging in some of the best food I have ever eaten! The vin chaud and nutella crepes are mind blowing! I could eat a crepe every day, they were always so magnificent.

There were multiple little shops everywhere like these! They were filled with crafts, food and clothing!

Potato Pancakes!

Chevre, tamatoe flambee! 

Nutella crepe! Yum!

One of my favorite parts of Strasbourg was the atmosphere. It reminded me of home with more of a city feel. The small sandwich shops we ate at every other day became familiar with us and it definitely felt like back at home where everyone knows you. :) I enjoyed spending New Years with my colleagues playing Cards Against Humanity and drinking wine. It was a great way to get to know one another early on in the trip.

There is a ton of history in Strasbourg and even though I'm not a huge history buff, I loved learning about the city and development of it! My professor, Mark Langenfeld, is entirely too knowledgeable for his own good, haha...he knew so much about Strasbourg and the cities/countries we ventured to. Hanging out and taking small adventures with him and my colleagues became so beneficial as our trip progressed.

Inside Notre Dame Cathedral de Strasbourg!
Absolutely beautiful inside and out!

I took a day trip to Turkheim and Colmar about four days into the trip. We took a vineyard tour and enjoyed a history museum. As we were on our wine tour through the small towns, I kept noticing large crucifix statues everywhere...and I mean HUGE! I found this interesting and finally asked Frederick (our tour guide driver) what they were there for. He said most of the towns housed/house Roman Catholics. The crucifix statues represented Christ protecting and guarding over the town (health, land growth, farms, etc.) I found this fascinating because you won't find this in the U.S. like they do in Europe.

Our vineyard tour! So snowwy!

Apple flambee I had in Turkheim! Soo good!

A week into the trip, we enjoyed a new weekend getaway to Freiburg, Germany. I thought Strasbourg felt like home?...Freiburg felt even more like home to me. People seemed to be a lot more friendly and hospitable. We stayed at a hostel for two nights. Hostels remind me of a giant residence hall where everyone shares everything. I was not a huge fan of the hostel, it was too hippy-like for me.

Enjoying Gewurtz at Black&Wine!

Sightseeing in Le Petite France.

I enjoyed a tofu pita for the first time...it was interesting! I also had the chance to go to an Irish Pub. The group went there both evenings we were in Germany -- we had too much fun! Todd, the owner, was all about hiring me to work there. I said the customers couldn't handle my sassy personality and told him I love my family too much to pick up everything and leave. :) Also while we were in Freiburg, we went to Keidal Bad. This was a giant sauna/therapeutic pool place.Talk about relaxing! Although, I enjoyed the experience, I was not a huge fan of how open everyone was about stripping down and showing their goodies.

Switzerland was our next side trip on day eight. We toured a pharmaceutical company: Novartis. I loved hearing about their marketing/strategic plans regarding healthcare. Very intriguing! As college students, we had the pleasure of visiting a university (public high school) while in Strasbourg. This was one of my favorite parts of the trip. I attended a music and English class. Of course I loved both of them. They were so welcoming to us! I got to sing with them. :) The English class was great too! It was spent with the three of us answering any questions the students had about us and life in general in the U.S. My favorite questions were: What was your sweet 16 like? Do you speak any other languages? Your family has 5 cars?! Is America like the movies? Do you have cheerleaders, what are they like? They were very curious and very well-mannered!

On our tour of the chemical process of medicine making.

On our tenth day, we hoped on the train to head to Paris for the last stretch of the trip. Once we got settled into our tiny hotel room, we received word of the terrorist attack. Welcome to Paris, Rach!!! This entire situation put a damper on the trip for myself and some other girls on the trip. We didn't do much the first day there since a lot was on lock down. Below were the many desserts I had. ;) Gaufres (waffles) are extremely popular there. I had two different kinds. One with nutella and gelato and one with bananas and nutella! They taste like heaven! I also had a peche' melba -- nothing comparable to the waffles, yet still delicious! :)

Paris truly was amazing and much like New York, but a bit dirtier... The first day of going out, I got to go to Versailles, Orsay, Orangerie and the Eiffel Tower! Not many people can say they spent their birthday up in the Eiffel Tower looking out at the city. I consider myself very lucky! It was such a blast and thrilling to say the least! Along with this I enjoyed going to the Arc de' Triumphe and the Louvre.

At the Orsay Museum, loved the art work there!

Arc de' Triumphe

The food in Paris was to die for! Well, at least the desserts! :) I enjoyed a gaufre (waffle) with nutella and vanilla and caramel gelato on top, all homemade! This was by far my favorite dessert on the trip, I could go on forever about it! Crepes, gaufres, gelato and coffee were some of the best things I enjoyed in Europe.

It was even prettier at night!

Hanging out by the Eiffel Tower

My last day in Paris was spent in the city sightseeing and shopping. I got to see the Notre Dame Cathedral of Paris. Very gothic looking, yet beautiful at the same time. They were having mass as we walked in so I joined in. This was such an amazing experience! I'll be honest, I have no clue what was being said at times, but I could follow along just by the rhythm. Very interesting, once in a lifetime experience! :)

In front of the Notre Dame Cathedral de Paris!

Everything seems to look even more beautiful at night.

Flying home, I started to realize how blessed I am to have been able to travel the world at my age. I traveled a lot in high school and quite a bit in college, not many people can say the same. I am incredibly lucky to have been given the opportunities I have been given to see and travel the world and what God has created! It was not only an eye-opener, but is a part of me now and who I am becoming. Isn't life just mind-blowing?! I hope you've enjoyed reading about my travel experience as much as I enjoyed actually going on the trip. :)

More pictures below! Check them out! :)

Adam, me, Alex and Paige at Maison Kamerzell. The food was excellent!

Took a trip to Kehl, Germany to enjoy some gelato! Yumm! :)

We went snow shoeing in the Vosges Mountains. This was a blast!

Chateau du Haut-Koenigsbourg Medieval Castle

Downtown Strasbourg -- the lights change colors. It was pretty cool!

Hanging out at the Irish Pub!

The weather was awful all day and cleared up about 30 minutes before we headed over to the Eiffel Tower.
So incredibly beautiful!

Happy Birthday to me!

View from the top!

View from the bottom! The tower is so much bigger than you'd think!

'Tis the Season!

Christmas was yesterday and I leave for my trip to Europe tomorrow! Can someone pinch me already?! I love the holidays, especially when I get to visit and see my family for a couple of days.

My family always goes to Christmas Eve mass at our local parish each year. After church, we enjoy a big delicious breakfast made by mom, of course! :) Breakfast pie, breakfast bread rolls and sticky buns! Can you say, yum?? Unwrapping gifts happens later in the evening with all of us around the tree.

My favorite part of this whole evening is having everyone in the same room whether it's while we're eating or opening presents. We have a decent sized house, but when everyone is in one spot together it tends to get crowded. This is the best part of Christmas, every year. Call me weird, but I love seeing my parents, siblings, in-laws, nieces/nephews and the pups (you can't forget the dogs) crammed into one room. Story telling, enjoying each others company, poking fun at one another and indulging in great food is nothing but priceless. :) Check out the photos below to get a glimpse inside our Christmas! 

Like I said earlier, I'm leaving for Europe for two weeks so I won't be in contact with anyone for the time being! In the mean time, enjoy the rest of 2014 and have a happy New Year for me in the good olé U.S.! 

God Bless, 

Rachel

Latest happenings!...

Hello! I hope this post finds you doing well and enjoying the holiday season. Can you believe we only have a week until Christmas?! Are all of your Christmas decorations up? Have you gotten your shopping done? Wrapped all the presents?

Quite a bit has happened at the Reischman residence these past few weeks. Everyone from both sides of my family came over for Thanksgiving lunch and dinner. Nothing is more exciting than having everyone together to spend the day with one another. It's my favorite time of the year! :) We finally have our Christmas trees and décor up and lights on the house! (Dad wasn't too happy about having to do this (; haha.)



Hanging out at the house!

Rolen with his gun! He had so much fun squirrel hunting. :)



Sarah, mom, Kat and myself!

We had our Annual Reischman Christmas Tea last Sunday. All of the women on my dad's side get together and enjoy each others company before the busy holiday season kicks off. Every year we donate to a local organization (Birth Right, Salvation Army, etc.) I look forward to it every year!

The Reischman gals!



Mom and Gwen! :)

I have finally completed the Mass Communications program at Southeast! One step closer to graduating in May! Ekkkk. :) A couple weeks ago, the team I worked with pitched our campaign to the Show Me Center (this was our client.) It was such a great experience to work with my colleagues and a client I was extremely familiar with. What I loved most about this entire process was receiving feedback from the client and our professors. Nothing is more reassuring than your professors telling you that you're going to be alright and they know "you are ready." One more semester to go and I will be walking across that stage! :D

These fabulous people were some of the best to work with! :)

This past weekend my sister, Sarah, and I made our way up to St. Louis to run in the Hot Chocolate 5K. Even though it's only 3 miles, we felt it necessary to train since we both have not ran a full 5K since high school. Well training started in November and lasted roughly every other three days. Before the race, we haven't ran in over two weeks. Sooo, to say the least we had no clue how this race was going to end. Luckily, we pulled through and finished without walking (which was our initial goal.) It was such a blast! Although we ran at 7:30 in the morning, the atmosphere of everyone around us was so fun and energetic!

Before the race, by the start line!

After the race! We were tired. :)

If you know my sister at all, she's got a sweet tooth like nobody's business. Sarah could probably eat sweets for every meal of the day. ;) During the race, there were stations that handed out different kinds of chocolate...holy heaven, right?? I declined the offer, but Sarah went with it. At the end of the race we received these awesome "Finisher Mugs" full of sweet goodness. I'm pretty sure I was in a sugar coma for a couple hours...

This past week I got to watch Gwen. Let me tell you, she's so precious! I cannot believe how much she's grown in the past four months. Yesterday, I caught her sucking a thumb!

She's going to be just like her Aunt Sue! ;)

She looked up at me every time I took a picture, haha.

Coming up this next week, we will finally get to see Becca, Josh and Isaiah...and the newest edition to the family! Or at least, Becca's tummy. :D I cannot wait for everyone to be home already! Christmas will be here in a week and then two days later I'll finally be in Europe. :)

For now, I hope you enjoy this wonderful time with the ones you love.

 

God Bless,

Rachel <3

Try Something New! :D

I hope you all have been doing well and preparing for the holiday season ahead of us!  Thanksgiving is in less than two days, can you believe it?! Christmas will be here sooner than we know it, which means I'm even closer to my trip to Europe! :)

I've done a few things here and there and have yet to share them with you. I have finally checked two things off of my DIY list....

1: Butternut Squash Soup
2: Homemade Tool Tutu

I love butternut squash soup, but anytime I order it at a restaurant it is loaded up with sugar and salt and other unnecessary ingredients. So, I took it upon myself to make my own semi-healthy version of this deliciousness! The recipe is very simple and easy and inexpensive! Win, win, win!

Ingredients:

1 butternut squash
2 cups vegetable broth (any broth works)
1 onion (medium sized, red or white)
1 t ground nutmeg
1 t ground cinnamon
Salt - to taste
Pepper - to taste

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Cut squash in half and place face down into the baking dish. Bake for for about an hour, until tender. After the squash is done, peel the skin of with a fork (it should be easy to remove.) Cut the squash and onion into chunks. Bring the squash, onions and broth to a boil.

After ingredients have been boiled, place everything into a blender. Puree ingredients until you get the desired texture or until smooth. Place in your finest china, serve and enjoy! :)

*Take note, this is a recipe that can be modified to your liking, so have fun with it!*

So good! <3

I finally made an adorable no-sew tutu skirt made of tool! I may only be 21, but no one is ever too old for a tutu. Am I right or am I right?? :) I finally had a reason to make one for my Halloween costume this year. -- I was Minnie Mouse. :) I was planning on buying one and then realized how expensive it would be for something I'd only be wearing probably one time. Check out my easy how to below:

Materials Needed:

6 yards of tool (Any color)

Elastic band (Big enough for your waist)

2 safety pins

White paper

Scissors

White paper

Hot glue gun/glue

Instructions:

Cut the tool into strips. Mine were 1 inch wide and roughly 2 feet long. Keep in mind, not everyone is the same height, so cut them to your desired length. Additionally, you will essentially be "doubling" these strips so don't make them too short! (It sounds confusing, I'll explain further below.)

Place your elastic band around the back side of a chair (I used a small ladder) and tie it in a knot. This will allow both your hands to be free and you won't be struggling to keep the elastic from going crazy. The next step is a tad confusing. Refer to the picture below:

In the end, your tool should be tight and look like this....

This entire process takes quite awhile, so be patient. Make sure to turn some tunes on or watch TV while doing this. It will make the process go by much faster.

After all the tool is on, untie the knot and pin the safety pins in the desired place on the band. (I used two just in case.) You want the tutu to be somewhat tight, but it's okay for it to be a little loose. Keep in mind, it is elastic so putting it on and taking it off is easy regardless!

This next part is specifically for the costume I chose. I used a coffee cup to outline my circle and cut away! I then hot glued them all over the tutu. On a side note, the mouse ears and tail were already purchased from prior Halloweens, I just glued ribbon on them!

Here's the finished product! Super easy and super simple. Minnie Mouse is always a crowd pleaser, plus I had lots of fun in making my costume instead of buying an overpriced one!

The joys of being from a big family...

As many know, I come from a rather "large" family. Numerous times people will get to know me and ask how many siblings I have or how many siblings my parents have, etc. and their reaction never gets old..."You have FIVE brothers and sisters?! How did your parents do that?" Well folks, it's called having a lot of trust in God and each other along with having a little patience and lots of love. Boom! THAT'S how my parents did it!

With this being said, I've compiled a list of what I think it's like to come from a big family. I have multiple cousins, aunts, uncles, nieces/nephews and so on. There are many perks that come with being from such a huge, loving family and I'm going to share them with you! Keep in mind, these may seem like faults to some, but I truly think these are some of the greatest reasons of why I love being from such a big family. Here's to looking inside my life and what I'm surrounded by daily. :)

These are in no particular order, so here goes:

1. Everyone knows every detail of your life. Be prepared for any family member to ask you about your latest gossip at the next family convention.

This can be a bad thing, but also good. When your cousin and her husband have their first child all the way in Maine and you don't get to talk much, you still find out every detail the day they're born! This typically happens through numerous phone calls from every single aunt and uncle calling each other multiple times to make sure everyone knows. :D It never gets old!

On the other hand, words spread like fire in a big family. You're pregnant? Grandparents know the day you find out. You broke up with your significant other? Aunts and uncles question you about it at the next family get together. On the plus side, knowing what everyone is doing and how everyone is never becomes an issue because someone always knows!

My baptism way back in '93. Man, we were little! :)

2. What's yours is mine and what's mine is yours... ALWAYS.

Whether it's your clothes, food, advice or whatever, when you come from a big family everything is shared with everyone.

Many times you'll see yourself giving advice to your family members and realize that you should probably listen closely to what you're saying too because that piece of advice pertains to you too! :)

Your closet become your sisters closet...every time. "Oh you're coming to visit? Don't worry about packing anything you can borrow my stuff!" "Rach, can I borrow this?" "Hey, I went through your clothes, I'm going to wear this tonight. Hope ya don't mind." -- Nope look away, glad ya like my style! ;) I also love the fact that I have four sisters and all of us can wear each others clothes. My wardrobe is expanded in .2 seconds during the holidays when they all visit. :)

3. There's constantly a helping hand. Sometimes too many!

Growing up, us kids always kept up with chores around the house. Even when we went to grandma and grandpas house, cleaning up after dinner or doing dishes was always something we did, just because. Mom needs veggies chopped up for soup? BAM, done! Need help getting groceries out of the car? When all of us kids went out at once, we got this done in one trip. And yes, if you're wondering, we were quite proud of that, haha. With so many people around there's always someone willing to help with anything and everything.

4. There is an endless amount of role models surrounding you.

I'm learning not only from my parents and siblings each day, but also from my grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins and more. It never fails to amaze me how much knowledge I've gained from my family and being around them. I come from a family very rich in love and knowledge and it rubs off on not just our family, but the friends and random people we surround ourselves and I love it! My grandpa always has a life lesson to teach us kids when we visit whether it's how they did things a certain way when he was younger or his opinion about the modern world we're surrounded by. These stories and moments never get old.

Not only did we wear matching outfits for Christmas, but we looked good doing it!

Who knew I'd be as close as I am to these goofballs?

5. There is no place for silence.

Between all the laughter and "yelling" there is never a dull [or quiet] moment in the house. There is constantly so much energy in the house, especially during the holidays! Nothing is more joyful than being surrounded by loved ones and sharing great laughs and memories. Specifically during Thanksgiving and Christmas, you have to speak up else you won't be heard in our household. I'm sure mom and dad enjoy this greatly! HAHA.

6. You are "forced" to find who you truly are.

With having so many siblings surrounding you, it forces everyone to become a completely different individual than everyone else. You have to find yourself in the chaos - allowing yourself to be heard! This not only built character in my siblings and me, but it allowed all of us to be completely different and find our own niche. It's nice for others to enjoy an array of personalities, it becomes contagious and makes people wonder more about us. Going along with this, coming from a large family allowed me to be more open minded about others. I was always taught by my parents and family to not judge others and coming from such a diverse family allowed me to understand and accept others' beliefs, morals, backgrounds and more.

Kat, Sue, Sarah and me at another family wedding.

Bottom Row: Sarah and Cesia (cousin)
Top Row: Kat and me
At a family wedding!

7. Family dinners. Nuff said.
When I was younger we had dinner around 5:30 at least 6 out of 7 days. This included all six kids and my parents. There was never a dull moment at the kitchen table with a spilled drink or two. Elbow to elbow with every dish crowding the table as we ate, laughed and enjoyed the beauty of family. Mom always knew exactly what to make to please all of us and if we didn't like it, we sat at the table until we ate it! I still enjoy family dinners even though it's usually only my parents, my sister and me. :)

8. You have an endless amount of friends who truly care.

My closest friends are my siblings and cousins. I go to my family for everything. Nothing is more reassuring than knowing I will always have a friend to lean on and talk to. I've been asked numerous times if having my siblings as some of my best friends get annoying since they know all of my business. My answer is always no, of course. I love the fact that not only can I go to them for anything, but they're always honest about what they have to say or how they feel.

Kat getting kisses from Becca and James. (She looks like she really loves it!)
And of course Suzanne is cheesing it! :)

All of us now! I can't believe how old we're getting...it's weird! 

9. Valuing non-material/material things seemed to come a lot easier.

Valuing the simple things in life came very easy for my siblings and me. (On a side note, I'm not saying small families don't value the simple things in life.) Being from a larger family can be challenging at times. Often, in many instances while growing up, I (and I'm sure my siblings) found I would have to give and take or do without something because we just couldn't have it -- you get where I'm going....

Our parents always taught and still teach us the value of our faith, family, relationships, saving up and just life in general. Having the simple lesson of how to value the important things in life is something I will always cherish that I am forever grateful that my parents and family have instilled in us.

10. Your house is always the place to be...usually.

I remember growing up and my siblings constantly had friends over at the house. Of course, being the youngest I thought it was awesome to have older kids to "hang" out with and look up to. Our house became the house to go to after school, sporting events and especially during those long summer days. We were so lucky to have parents with open arms to every one of our friends. Knowing friends and family are welcome at all times is always a plus and I think we did a great job of doing that! :)



Although this list may be different for others, this sums up what it was like for me during my younger years. I'm still constantly thanking God for blessing me with such a big family surrounded with love and support. The older all of us get, the closer we get (regardless of how far apart we live from one another.)

So my challenge to you is to reflect on your life for a bit. What was it like growing up when you were a kid? Is your family similar to mine? Different? Share your thoughts below, I would love to know more about you!

As always with love,

Rachel <3