S’agapo was the first Greek phrase we learned on the Greece Study Trip 2011 and also reflects the warm feelings I had for Greece upon my departure from the country.

Between travel, midterms, and trying to get the most out of being in Rome this has been a very busy semester. Fall break was a welcome reprieve and I was excited to get out of Rome for a while to embark on the longest trip (10 days) out of Italy that I will be taking this semester. During study trip sign-up at the beginning of the semester there was a lot of controversy over the Greece trip: would it be worth the money? But after this experience I can say that this trip is definitely worth it. It was really nice that all the transportation and hotels were prepaid and everyday we had at least one group meal included. The meals were ridiculously good and consisted of multiple courses… and unlimited wine. I was really excited to have some new cuisine outside of the pasta and pizza that I eat day in and day out in Rome. Plus, gyros are awesome, especially in their place of origin. I also feel like the trip allowed me to see the different sides of Greece because we went from the city (Athens) to towns (Delphi, Nauplio), to even smaller towns (Karyes), and to some islands (Spestes, Hydra). Attempting to see these locations would have been very difficult without this study trip. Also, although I am not really a museum person, I liked how at each site we got to go in the accompanied museum and see some of the artifacts that were removed from the site. Our guide also didn’t try to make us stay too long at each museum either; we would hit up the highlights with 15-20 minutes of free time and head out on the next leg of our journey. Since this trip was so long, I don’t think I would be able to describe what we did each day in detail (nor would you want me to) so I’ll just give a couple highlights from each city/ island that we visited.

Also, it is definitely necessary to mention that the current political situation in Greece is very tumultuous. Many of the cities have recently been hit by a series of strikes and protests. I have never witnessed first-hand a situation like this before; many of our travel plans were impacted by the strikes and I saw a couple protests during my time in Greece. It was a little stressful to be unsure of what was going on or whether we would be able to reach all of our planned destinations but luckily the leader of the trip, Ioanna, was able to amazingly adapt our plans whenever any obstacles appeared.

Athens:

We began our trip to Greece in Athens. Our hotel was walking distance from the Acropolis and Parthenon. I learned that the Acropolis is the hill and the Parthenon is the specific structure dedicated to the God Athena. Unfortunately, we were not able to see the Parthenon up close because that area was closed off due to the strikes but we did see it from the bottom of the Acropolis. We also so got to go to the newly built Acropolis museum, where we saw a lot of the artifacts. I was really glad we got to go into this museum because it made up for not seeing the actual Parthenon up close. The museum was built to mirror the orientation of the Parthenon and houses a lot of the relief sculptures so I still got a good idea of the site. Another interesting point about this museum is that when they stared excavating the land to lay the foundation, they found the ruins so the whole museum is built on stilts above the ruins. There are also clear glass floors in sections of the museum that allow you to see down under into the ruins that they are presently still in the process of excavating.

There was also a market in the area around the Acropolis that was a little tourist-y but it was fun to walk around all of the stores in the area. Some of my friends even got fake Ray-Bans that only cost 5 Euros.

Delphi:

We only stayed in Delphi for one night but it was in a really pretty location among the mountains. Being so high up did mean that it was pretty cold however, and I was really glad that I decided to bring my Northface. Apparently, Delphi is a really big skiing area in Greece. There was even snow on the top of some of the higher, neighboring mountains. Overall, Greece had a lot more hills/ mountains that I expected; many more that even Italy. We went to the ruins of the Oracle of Delphi, which I was excited to see, especially since we had just watched the movie 300 on the bus ride to the site.

Nafplion:

On the way to Nafplion, we stopped at Epidaurus Theater. It is an outdoor amphitheater that seats 17,000 with amazing acoustics. You can hear a coin drop or a piece of paper rip from the top of the seats. I was really impressed to learn that scholars today still do not really know what makes the sound travel so clearly. Nafplion was a really pretty city. It was really clean and well kept (especially compared to the piles of trash laying around in Athens due to the strike). My favorite thing we did in Nafplion was climbing all 999 steps up to the Palamidi Castle. It was definitely a work out but not as bad as I expected. There was a great view of the city and harbor from the castle. From the castle you can also see that the city below is laid out in a grid pattern, which is really unusual for old towns like this.

Karyes:

The leader of our trip’s family was from Karyes so we stopped there after a wine tasting during the day. The town was really small and is based on agriculture so on the way there were a bunch of goats blocking the road. The village is also located on the land that was formerly part of Sparta. Looking around at the surrounding countryside, I tried to imagine what it was like in Spartan times. The people of ancient Greece must have been really resourceful to have been able to transverse such hilly terrain. Before leaving the town I got to try some Greek coffee (delicious) and homemade donuts (extra delicious!).

Spetses:

After the day trip to Karyes, the original plan was to stay in Mykonos for the rest of the trip. The boats were on strike, however, so we ended up going to a much closer island, Spestes, instead. This was disappointing at first, but Spetses was really beautiful. We mostly just walked around and hung out at the beach, which was fine by me after so much busy traveling. We also rented bikes for a day and rode around the island, which was a really fun way to get around.

Hydra:

On the last full day in Greece we went to Hydra. It was about and hour and a half boat ride away from Spetses. It was super small and there aren’t even any cars on the island- the main form of transportation is donkeys! We walked around a little bit when we got there and then headed straight for the beach. There aren’t normal sand beaches many places in Greece, but there are rock ledges on the side of islands where you can sit of lay out. Then there is just a ladder that goes down into the water. This was a really cool change of scenery. The water was so blue and crystal clear! I tried to take pictures but they really can’t even begin to show how insanely beautiful the scenery is in person.

Overall I gained so many great memories in Greece. Greece felt like the most foreign place that I have visited so far. Mostly because they use a different alphabet so I had no chance of reading any signs, but also because they were ruled by the Ottoman Empire for a long time so Middle Eastern culture has had an effect on the area. It was cool to see mosques and more European architecture all in the same plazas.

This week is turning out to be a busy one with another midterm and lots of reading to do for class, but I’m already getting excited for next weekend. It will be my second weekend in Rome- I can’t wait to explore the city some more!

I just got back from fall break. The amazing thing about fall break while studying abroad, is that it is a full week which allows you to go on a long trip and see multiple countries. I spent time in Spain in high school with a host family and loved it. I knew I wanted to go back as well as see other places I didn’t get the chance to.

My friend Lindsay and I flew into Barcelona. The first night was a bit of an adventure. We got to the hostel that we were supposed to stay in and they said they were full. Bummer. So we tried to find another one, but that was full as well. The metros closed at midnight and my watch read 11:55 pm. We quickly took the metro to the train station beacause we were hoping that we could stay there. Unfortunately, they kicked us out and we set out to try to find a hotel. We found a large group of hotels and prepared ourselves to drop a lot of euros. Our luck was really running out because they were full too, as well as the surrounding hotels. Luckily, the receptionist offered to keep our bags for us behind the front desk and gave us a map and told us where we could find areas that were open 24 hours. We set off towards the ocean. After making friends with  two professional water polo players, hanging out with the owner of a local bar, walking until our feet fell off and finally crashing in a McDonald’s where we slept, the night was over.  The next couple of days were much more relaxing and filled with the beach, tapas, sangria, Gaudi architecture and shopping.  Barcelona was everything I hoped for and more. The Catalan capital is filled with vibrant people and culture. Everyone is friendly and there is so much to do and see.

Our next stop was Porto, Portugal. The most well known city in Portugal is its capital Lisbon, but we decided upon the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Porto. We took Ryan Air,which had tickets as inexpensive as 20 US Dollars (definitely look into using this airline).   The city was the most picturesque one I have seen besides Prague.  It hugs the Duoro River and is minutes away from the ocean. The old city is teaming with small crooked cobblestone streets that weave along the river. There are hundreds of cafes, restaurants, bars, pubs, and houses all from different centuries spanning as old as the 13th century to the mid 19th century. Along with the amazing history, Porto is also known for Port Wine. We went on several wine tasting tours and saw how the wines were made and stored. It was delicious! The 2 days we were in Porto were blissful and not enough.

Lastly, we headed to Madrid. I love Madrid. I loved it when I first visited as a mere sixteen-year-old and if I had forgotten why I loved the city, I quickly remembered the minute I stepped into the Plaza Mayor. The city has such a colorful energy to it. It is fast-paced and relaxing at the same time. Spaniards truly know how to have a good time, and it is so clear in this city that never sleeps. We toured the Palacio Real or Royal Palace, watched flamenco in the Plaza Mayor, shopped in all the little local tiendas that sell handcrafted pieces made in Spain, visited El Parque Retiro, ate amazing tapas,and met my Spanish friend from the university.  Spanish hot chocolate is something that everyone must have before they die, I swear. It is fantastic, with a consistency like pudding, it is so thick and creamy. There so many bistros and cafes filled with locals and tourists alike with their hot chocolate. I was able to practice my Spanish and I was even able to help some other tourists who were a little lost in translation. One of the funnier moments, was that when I was helping an Asian woman understand the Spanish at a little cafe, she told me that I spoke really good English. I guess my Spanish appeared to be so good, that she thought English was my second language. It made my day for sure, and although I know that my Spanish is far from being fluent, it motivates me to practice more at home. Overall, It was a jam packed 3 days and so worth it. I was so sad to leave because honestly I could live there.

Few Notes and Handy Advice

1.) Note to the wise, be careful when arriving into new cities at night. Even if you book a hostel online, sometimes things happen. Have a backup plan. Also, if you are forced to stay up all night, try to find a place for your luggage. You are a much lesser target for any sort of pickpockets without your luggage that screams tourist. Try the lockers in the train station, or ask at a hotel. Chances are if you ask, they will let you.

2.) Try cities off the beaten path. I would have never had gone to Porto if I had not found incredibly inexpensive tickets on Ryan Air and if I had not researched best places that tourists have not found yet in Portugal. Porto is now one of my favorite European cities and I cannot wait to go back. Often, the lesser known places are the best. They are often clear of teams of tourists, and the local people are overwhelming happy to escort you around.

3.) Go to Spain and Portugal. This is all I can say. I have gone to Spain twice and I can not get enough of that country. So pull out that middle school Spanish dictionary and visit. I promise, you won’t regret it.

I have a little less than 2 months in Europe.  It’s not enough time here. I better get going. I have places to go and people to meet.

Happy Reading!

Hola amigos,

Ooops, sorry I haven’t posted in forever. Mi vida mexicana has been exciting and a little busy, so I kind of forgot about this blog. In about a month, I will be back in the windy city for my final semester at Loyola. It’s all kind of hitting me now and I’m getting sad about leaving Mexico. When I came here 3 months ago, I was happy to be having a new adventure, meeting new friends, going places, ect but I was also counting down the months and days until I was back in my city. Now I’m having that nervous feeling about going back and trying to make the most of every week here because I’m not sure when I will have this chance again.

For Dia de Muertos, I knew I had to find something to do or see because it is such an interesting holiday and tradition in Mexico. I remember learning about it when I was in 4th grade and first started learning Spanish and I thought it was the coolest thing ever that families would go to their loved ones’ graves and eat and drink all night. So I decided to plan an excursion and gather some friends to experience this cultural celebration. I heard from a teacher that Panteon Civil de Dolores was worth seeing, and it wasn’t very far from school, so we decided to check it out. It’s one of the biggest, if not the biggest, cemeteries in Mexico and everybody famous is buried there (Rivera and Orozco for example). There were ofrendas (altars) made by every university in the DF and then we walked the paths to see the graves. The graves were so beautiful, decorated with flowers and candles and trinkets and there were a few families sitting around the graves laughing and drinking and eating. It was a really interesting feeling, since in the US we’re used to being solemn around graves but this was very open, joyful but also respectful.

Mexicans view death not as something scary, but something inevitable and part of life. So instead of being scared or sad about death, ofrendas are made to welcome back loved ones by putting their favorites things to eat and drink on the altars. Families visit the graves and bring food, sing songs, tell stories and drink to celebrate the lives of these family members. For me, I like this idea that we can celebrate our loved one’s lives and the memories we have with them by making ofrendas and visiting their graves and living our lives, like how they would want.

This was definitely one of my favorite experiences in Mexico because it was MEXICO. This celebration is an example of the true mix that is Mexico: the indigenous rituals and Catholic traditions, which is one of the things that fascinates me about this country and people.

Pues, nos vemos pronto!

Last weekend I went on my long- awaited trip to Barcelona for the weekend. I was especially excited because we booked the flight to leave Thursday night and return early Monday morning to maximize the time we would have in Spain. I was also excited to see how much Spanish I would remember from high school. People in Barcelona actually speak a dialect called Catalan, but I was happy to find out that I could recognize some basic words and phrases. We arrived in Barcelona late Thursday night and stayed at Hostel Urbany. It was a really large hostel: we were on the 10^th floor. There were seven people in my group traveling together, so we got our own room. It was really clean and the free breakfast was good, but it was a little difficult to share one bathroom with that many people.

On the first morning, we went on a free walking tour around the Old City district, which is within the area where the original city walls stood. It was nice to be on a tour and hear some interesting facts about the sights (instead of just seeing buildings and not knowing what they are like I usually do). After the tour, we wandered around for a bit and stumbled upon a really cute store called “Happy Pills”. It was a fun store because you bought a “medicine” jar and got to fill it with whatever candy you wanted. Naturally, I ate all of the candy I bought by the end of that same day. We also saw the triumphal arch in the city before returning to the hostel to get out of the rain that had been brewing all day.

The artist/ architect Gaudi made a huge impact on Barcelona, so the next day we set out to see some of the amazing sights he created. The Sagrada Familia was the first stop and it was honestly one of the single most amazing buildings I have ever seen. This church was designed by Gaudi and is still under construction to this very day. They have been working on it for over 100 years already and it is not projected to be completed until 2025. The one piece of advice that I have is to definitely go inside the Sagrada Familia if you are ever in Barcelona. At first we did not know if it would be worth the 10-euro entrance fee, but I would gladly pay even more now that I know how beautiful the church is inside. There is also an exhibit under the church with information about its construction. We ended up spending around 2 hours looking at everything! Once we realized it was already getting late in the afternoon, we quickly headed over to Park Guell (also designed by Gaudi). I was excited that we saw the serpentine bench that I had seen so many pictures of during Spanish class in high school. The whole area around the park was really cool because Gaudi put so much thought into every element of its design. As soon as wewalked into one of the arched areas, I immediately recognized it as the sight of a runway on America’s Next Top Model! I haven’t seen the show in a couple years, but the fashion- loving part of me was still pretty excited.

Sunday was our last full day and it turned out that on the first Sunday of every month most of the museums are have free admission. We went to the Picasso museum in the morning. The line was extremely long since it was free, but luckily it moved pretty fast and we got into the museum in under an hour. Then, we stopped a tapas place for lunch, which was delicious. I am definitely a fan of Spanish cuisine! Finally, we walked around the city to see some of the other buildings designed by Gaudi before having a traditional paella dinner.

The flight back to Rome left pretty early in the morning so we got up around 4 to leave for the airport Monday morning. I was glad that we didn’t leave until Monday, however, because it freed up all of Sunday for sightseeing. Barcelona was one of the longer trips that I have taken this semester. I’m happy that I had some extra time to see all of the beautiful and unique sights that Barcelona has to offer.

I can’t believe that there is only a little over a month left! Time has flown by so fast since I’ve been in Rome. At the same time, however, I feel like I’ve done a ton of awesome things this semester so far. This past weekend was no exception: definitely one of the record books.

On Friday afternoon I went to the Rome Zoo with a couple friends. Its official name is the “Bioparco” and is located in Villa Borghese. It was a really perfect, beautiful day to be walking around in the park. It’s weird to think that at home in Chicago it has already snowed, but here in Rome it feels like the beginning of fall. All of the trees looked really pretty with their leaves changing colors. The zoo was a lot of fun, as well. Yes, the animals do look the same as they do in zoos back home. What I didn’t think about, though, was that the names of animals are different in Italian so I wasn’t exactly sure what a couple of the animals were.

Saturday, I ventured out by myself on a day-trip to Milan. I was really excited to get to plan my own agenda. Although I was a little nervous to go by myself, I luckily didn’t get lost and would definitely consider it a successful trip. When I arrived, by train, in Milan I went straight over to the Triennale Design Museum. On my way there, I stopped at Castello Sforzesco. The professor my Italian Fashion and Design class talked up the museum a lot so I was pretty excited. It turned out to have some cool stuff even though it had less to do with fashion than I expected. There was a really cool exhibit about time, in which there were many different artistic interpretations of clocks. One of them had knitting needles that knit a stitch every half hour, which ends up creating a whole scarf by the end of one year! There was also an exhibit featuring a bunch of Italian designers and the unique furniture pieces they have created. It was cool to see some of the furniture we learned about in class in person, but there was so much jammed into this one room that it was hard to really focus on any one thing. After the museum I was starving, so I stopped for the traditional quick lunch, pizza, on my way to the Duomo. The Duomo is a giant church in the middle of the city. It was seriously huge; it took me about 10 minutes just to walk around the side aisles. It is pretty dark inside, but the outside is a brilliant white color and very ornate. It reminded me of Sagrada Familia in Barcelona. Next, I was going to the Quadrilatero d’Oro to see all of the designer stores when I stumbled up on La Rinascente, which is the first Italian department store. It was so amazing. It was just like a Macy’s or Nordstrom’s back home, except literally everything in the store was designer. It was so crazy to see all of that in one place! After visiting La Rinascente, I once again set out to see the Quadrilatero d’Oro but I was sidetracked again when I saw Bershka, which seems to me like a European equivalent of Forever-21. They had so many cute clothes! By the time that I made it over to the area with all the designer stores, it was already getting dark. I walked around for a bit and went into the Armani multi-concept store, which held an amazing amount of Armani clothes in one place. They literally had everything: clothes, shoes, and accessories. When I finally left the store, I realized I had completely forgotten to eat dinner so I grabbed some pizza at the train station before my train left to go back to Rome. I totally loved Milan. The whole feel of the city reminded me a lot more of the US than Rome does. It seems a lot more like the commercial culture that invades the US. Rome, on the other hand, has a lot more small businesses. It was awesome to have a day that was all about some of my favorite things.

On Sunday night, I went with some friends to a Chinese restaurant; a good change from all of the pasta and pizza I have been eating. We also went to the “secret bakery” which is an easily overlooked store by the Vatican with delicious, cheap baked goods. It was a great end to the weekend. Milan was a great city to visit in order to round out my trips within the country.

Hola hola!

I don’t even really know how to start this post to describe how incredible the past trip I took was. Our school had a break from Friday through Monday and so some friends and I decided to go to Leon, Guanajuato and San Miguel de Allende for a few days. We started in Leon because there was a hot air balloon festival (Festival de Globos) and have a friend that lives in Leon who was nice enough to let 5 girls crash in her place for 2 days. The festival was so beautiful, even my pictures couldn’t capture how amazing it was. We went the first night for a bit, and as we came closer to the grounds via bus we saw all of them light up, sincronized to the music. But the next day, we were able to get up at 5:30 am and see all of the people preparing their balloons and then seeing them all take off. There had to be close to 150-200 balloons all in the sky; just gorgeous. After that magic, our Leon friend took us around to local places to eat and to buy shoes, since Leon is famous for them….yeah not a good idea for a girl on a budget. I ended up with part leather/part fake boots for about $25, a leather bag for $20 and a fake leather purse for like $5. I’m actually proud I was able to resist that much, since my friends all ended up with at least 4 pairs and a few bags.

After being in Leon for 2 days, we set off for Guanajuato and enjoyed the rest of that day, a night and an afternoon there, eating, drinking, exploring, buying more stuff, ect. I had been there before when I came to Mexico with my high school senior year, but it really is a precious city to see it again in person. The next afternoon we set off for San Miguel and enjoyed a night there and part of Monday until we headed back for DF. I had also been to San Miguel, but this a much more enjoyable visit since I was able to spend more time there (and being of age makes going out a lot more fun). And my friends and I made our debut on stage in the plaza singing Mexican ballads…we sounded pretty good….too bad i didn’t know the words 😀

It’s amazing how the time flies, so this little break from my daily routine was nice and the friends I went with are amazing girls. It’s moments like the ones I had this weekend that make me sad to go back and some days I feel like I could just never go back and live here and sell tacos or something and be completely happy. But then I just make a promise to myself to come back many many times so I won’t miss it so much.

Hola queridos!

It’s finally starting to hit me that this is really and truly my last week in Mexico. I have friends that will be staying in Mexico for the entire year and when they talk about the classes they’ll be taking or the upcoming parties and outings they’re planning, I realize that I won’t be around for that. It’s very hard to have things come to end, especially when you’ve made good friends and become accustomed to the lifestyle here. My semester here has truly been like a vacation. Schoolwork, up until this point, hasn’t been very stressful so I’ve been able to relax, explore the city and take trips without the burden of homework and tests. The climate has been a dream, considering I’m a born and raised Chicago girl, which has made for many afternoons tanning and being outside. The trips I have taken have been amazing and the friends I have made are fun, truly lovely people that make me laugh and love being Mexico too. The food is incredible (which I think shows haha), my house family has been welcoming and helpful, so many factors that come together to make this a very enjoyable place to be. At times, I have felt guilty about not having a typical semester, which consists of spending hours in the library and very few days of relaxing. But this was a well deserved rest for me, being a senior and having a tough semester of student teaching coming up in the spring.

To those of you going abroad, a few things to keep in mind:

-Work your butt off now to save money. I was lucky to have made enough to come here (and with the dollar being very high, it was to my advantage). Being abroad definitely takes a toll on your piggy bank. Going out more, taking more trips, eating more, shopping, ect are expenses you usually don’t have when you’re in Chicago and only going out once or twice a week and generally being frugal. You will enjoy your stay a lot more if you dont have the money issue hanging over your head. That doesn’t mean you should go nuts because the money does go fast. But find simple ways to save like taking public transit when you can instead of cabs, or shopping at the grocery store instead of eating out all the time.

-Make a list of things you want to accomplish before or during your first week abroad. Having a goal in mind about what you want to see and experience will give your trip purpose. You will have a lot of time to do fun things if your homework load is light (which it probably will be), so make the most of what your destination country has to offer in terms of theatre, concerts, tours, ect.

-Mingle! If your school has an orientation day(s) for international students, mingle with everyone. You don’t know who you are going to become friends with, so its best to get to know as many people as you can, exchanging info so you can have new friends to go out with. Some of the people in the exchange group decided they were only going to hang out with people from their own country, and they cut themselves off from the rest of us, which was sad. The friends I have made are from all over, and that makes for a great mix.

For any of you who are coming to Mexico next semester, please contact me with questions! Or for anyone considering studying abroad to Mexico City, please keep what I have said in mind and feel free to ask any questions you have about this wonderful city. I know there haven’t been too many Loyola students come here, but it is a great option if you are looking to improve your Spanish and are on a tighter budget. Because Loyola is Jesuit, and the Ibero as well, they have an exchange program set up. This means that you do not pay anything extra to studying at the Ibero, you pay what you would for Loyola and all of your grants, scholarships, benefits, whatever transfer over. Housing here is also very reasonable (about $400 a month to live with a family and about the same for an apartment), and I actually saved money on rent. Food is also crazy cheap, so you can definitely survive on about $5000 (including housing).

Again, contact me with any questions! escanlon@luc.edu

Adios amigos, nos vemos en Chicago 🙂

I can’t believe that I’m already back in Rome after my last trip of the semester. I loved Paris (coming soon: ranking of the places I’ve been this semester) and I definitely made some great memories there.

The weekend was kicked off on Wednesday night last week since it was the beginning of Thanksgiving break. It was a little weird to not be home for the holiday. There was a special dinner on Wednesday night in the cafeteria though. It consisted of wine, pasta (of course), turkey, mashed potatoes, and peas. The pasta was really good: it was pumpkin ravioli with melted cheese on top. I wish they would make that regularly for meals! Overall, it was a good time and I ended up going to sleep pretty late even though I had to get up at 4 am the next morning to leave for my flight to Paris.

Of course when we got to the airport we saw people from JFRC that were on the same flight. It always seems so crazy to me that I just run into people I know all over the world since everyone travels so much here. “Yea, I’m in [insert European city here] and I know the people sitting at the table over there, no big deal”. It is a really cool feeling. We had a nice ryan-air flight and arrived in Paris pretty early Thursday so we had time to do a lot of sightseeing right away. After dropping our backpacks off at the hostel, we headed over to the Louvre. It was really easy to get there, and everywhere else around Paris because they have such a great public transportation system. We took the Metro all over the city. It was really clean and trains came every couple of minutes so the wait was never too long. That was a great change from Rome because in Rome public transportation is more often than not a nightmare. The Louvre was HUGE so we didn’t get to see even close to everything in the three hours that we spent in the museum. We did get to see all of the highlights, however. Also, it was really nice that almost all the museums in Paris are free for students so we just had to show them the Visa in our passports to get in. The Mona Lisa was naturally one of our stops in the museum. It was smaller than I imagined, though. I really liked the Winged Victory statue. We also went to the D’Orsay Museum during that first day in Paris. It has the more modern impressionist painters, who built their own museum because their artwork was not allowed in the Louvre. That museum was pretty cool too. It was a long day of traveling, however, to by the end of the night I was glad to get out of the museum.

The second day of the trip, we went to Versailles. I was so excited! It was really cool to see the place that I had learned about so many times in history classes. It really is a giant palace. Although it is outside of Paris a little bit, it was really easy to get there by train. The whole palace is not open to the public so we saw the inside pretty quickly. Luckily, along with our free student tickets, we got free audio guides that told us about each room. It was a little dreary that day, and it started raining as we stepped out into the giant gardens that surround the palace. Not even the rain could stop my excitement, however. The gardens were so beautiful! After about a 15-minute walk through the gardens, we arrived at the Grand Trianon, where guests stayed, and the Petite Trianon, which was Marie Antoinette’s personal space. At this point I still just couldn’t get over the fact that these famous people in history had walked the same halls! There is also a little village that Marie Antoinette had built on the grounds that was super cute. It looked like it was straight out of a fairy tale! I was also surprised to see that there were a lot of animals on the grounds, I could have reached out and touched a bull at one point. By the time we finished walking around Versailles, it was already around 5pm, so we headed back to Paris in order to see the Eiffel Tower at night. Naturally, it was really pretty. If you get a chance to go there, make sure to be there on the hour after it gets dark because there are small lights all over the tower that twinkle.

Our second full day in Paris was also a lot of fun. One of my friends and I were staying a day longer than the other people we were traveling with, so we were able to sleep in a little. This was one awesome benefit of having some extra time because weekend trips get really tiring when you wake up at 8 and are out until past midnight every night. We met up with our friends to go shopping for souvenirs and ended up stumbling upon a Christmas market! There were tons of stands with food and gifts. It was awesome and really helped me get into the Christmas spirit (it hasn’t really felt like winter to me here since its still so warm). I had a variety of delicious snacks at the fair for lunch: soft pretzel, chocolate covered marshmallow, chocolate covered waffle, and hot wine. It was so nutritious… not! I also got a bunch of souvenirs for family, friends, and myself.

On our last day in Paris, we did some more traditional sightseeing. We checked out Notre Dame in the morning. Then I had a ham and cheese crepe by the Eiffel Tower (delicious!) before going up to the top of the tower. There are a couple of choices for ways that you can go up. We chose to walk to the first level instead of taking the elevator. It was 40-sum stories! It wasn’t too bad of a hike though. There is a good view from that level. Even though we heard that going to the top didn’t give you a much better view, we decided to do so anyway. We had to take an elevator to the top level.

The view was pretty much the same, but the elevator ride was really cool. It was weird because usually elevator rides are within a building, but going up in the tower felt like the elevator was just going up in the middle of the air. The whole Eiffel Tower experience took a bit longer than we expected, so by the time we were back on the solid ground, we had just enough time to pick up our backpacks from the hostel and we were off to the airport!

I only have 17 days left in Europe. While I feel like bursting into tears at the thought that these beautiful months are close to being over, I cannot help but let the tinge of joy spread as I think about sharing my stories, pictures, gifts, and laughs with those closest to me back home.  I have grown to understand that home is a relative term.  For me, it is the people that make up my home, not the place.  I recall the tearful goodbyes that I said in August, and I know that those people are my home.  I have found comfort in the idea that no matter how far I travel, I always carry the love and support from them.

I am overwhelmingly grateful at all that I have seen. So far I have been to 17 countries and 23 different cities all the while calling Prague my temporary home.  I will end this semester’s adventure in the UK and Ireland where I will visit London, Edinburgh, and Dublin.   I have learned so much about myself and grown in more ways than I can say. I know now that my eyes were meant to see foreign skies, my feet to walk the cobblestone streets, my ears to hear melodies from a far, my mind to soak up new individuals’ stories, and my soul to wander the crossroads of cultures.

I am fortunate enough to continue this wonderful year in Australia as well, so I honestly feel like I am perhaps undeserving of this wonderful fortune. Studying abroad has changed my life forever. Much to my chagrin I cannot restrain myself from using that cliché to describe my time in Europe.   Prague has truly captured my heart. I bid farewell to the little girl that I taught English to today. I met her and her mom in the Christmas markets in Old Town Square and we meandered in among the venders soaking up the Christmas spirit. It was a perfect way to say goodbye and I cherished the last moments that I was able to spend with them.

As much as I would like to continue telling you about my time, I am painfully behind on my final papers. It is easy to forget that I am still in fact in school while living over here. Reality has hit and I need to get to work.

I regret to say that I am desperately behind on updating this blog on my recent travels to Poland, Croatia, Germany, Montenegro, and Rome.  As soon as finals are done, I will share all of my tales, I promise.

Happy Reading!

I am homeward bound tomorrow. It is nearly impossible to wrap my head around the fact that I will not be in Europe in less than 24 hours. It is definitely bittersweet.  I cannot wait to be home for the holidays. I have this great picture in my head (similiar to the ending scene of Love Actually) when I arrive in the airport to the open arms of my family. Needless to say,  it will be the perfect holiday reunion.

My program officially ended on December 13th so I have spent the last 9 days on a solo trip in the UK and Ireland. As much as I love traveling with friends, there is nothing more thrilling or exhilarating than solo travel.  It is a true test of your independence, travel smarts, and ability to make friends with strangers.  I definitely reccomend it if you are comfortable and confident with your travel abilities.  There is nothing more freeing and satisfying than knowing you traveled somewhere all on your own. In total, I traveled to Croatia, Montenegro, England, Scotland, and Ireland solo. If you are worried about being lonely, trust me you are not. I made instant friends with so many people in my hostels and I was constantly surrounded with other fellow backpackers.

Because I was watching my budget ( I mean I spent it all on Christmas presents) I took a bus from Prague to London mostly to avoid the outrageous fees for my luggage, which of course has doubled since my arrival.I quietly shed a tear as I watched the beautiful Praha (Czech for Prague) fade away in the distance.  I know it is my time to go for now because I dearly miss my family and want to return home. However, I know that I will not be able to return  to Prague for at least 2 years and that saddens me. How do you leave something that has literally embedded in your soul and become a part of you? Praha has forever left its mark. I left a piece of myself that day. I’m not quite sure how to go back to my life before I went to Prague.

I fell in love in love with London. It is as fast paced as New York,  has the quirkiness and good nature of Chicago; it is filled with amazing history that I only dreamed about in books, and those accents are to die for.  Let me tell you: chivalry is still  alive in the land of tea and crumpets.  Being a bit of a theatre nerd I spent most nights in London’s West End seeing  various performances. Over my stay I saw the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace; toured the Tower of London; went to Platform 9 3/4 at King’s Cross; went to mass at Westminster Abbey; saw Big Ben, Parliament and the London Eye; visited the Tate Modern Museum,the National Gallery, and the British Museum and much more. It  was an amazing trip and I will make London one of my first stops when I return to Europe.

Next I ventured up to Edinburgh in Scotland. It is said to be one of the most haunted cities in Europe because of its bloody history. I went on a ghost tour and loved hearing about all the Scottish folklore and myths. Edinburgh was gorgeous with its castle sitting a top a giant hill overlooking the rest of the city, and the winding streets lined with stores, pubs, museums, and amazing medieval architecture. Plus, the Harry Potter nerd in me came out as J.K. Rowling used many aspects of Edinburgh for inspiration; the Elephant House Cafe even claims that it is the birthplace of Harry Potter. Although, when she actually started writing it in Porto, Portugal (a little fun fact I discovered while visiting there earlier.)    I also took a trip into the Scottish highlands and Loch Ness. The Highlands were simply breathtaking. Covered in snow, the mountains were striking and the lochs that lay nestled in between were majestic.  I survived a battle with Nessie and I have to say we are quite good friends now. I highly suggest leaving the city for a trip into the Scottish Highlands, they are amazing.

Lastly, I ended in Dublin, Ireland which is where I am writing this entry from. I felt completely at home with my fellow Irish and redheads. I have been to Dublin before but it is always nice to come back. I had a lovely time touring the city, spending time at Temple Bar, O’Connell Street, Trinity College, St Stephen’s Green, and the River Liffey.  Overall, it was time well spent with the spirited and most welcoming people.

I am overwhelmed with gratitude for the last 4 months. I thought I would make a small list to put in perspective all that I have done and  the different methods of transportations to the destinations.

Planes: 22

Trains: 7

Buses: 12

Currencies: 7

Countries: 18

Cities: 27

When I tell people that I have met in the various cities that I have traveled to 18 countries, their jaw usually drops and they are shocked. In all honesty, I cannot believe it myself. I cherish my time with the people I have met, the places I have been, and the life changing moments that I have experienced. I am forever changed by time abroad and I cannot wait to share my stories, experiences, and adventures with all my friends and family.

Luckily for me, only half of my adventure is over as next semester I will be in Australia. I am so sad to leave my precious Europe, but over the moon to live down under. They always say: when one door closes another one opens.  Bring it on Aussies!!

If I have one piece of advice being on the other side of studying abroad, all I can say is GO! You will never regret it and it will be the best experience of your life.

Happy reading and Happy Holidays!!