“Not all those who wander are lost…”

And then again, some are.

How many times have I gotten lost since I’ve been abroad? Well, honestly, I lost count after the first week. But I can’t say that I have ever been upset about it. Getting lost is part of the adventure. Here are a few of the places where I have gotten lost so far:

1. Paris – Paris was amazing. But it is so simple to not know where you are. The fabulous thing about Paris is that every view is beautiful and offers something new. And if all else fails, the metro system is one of the best I have seen anywhere. It runs like clockwork and connects you everywhere. None of the famous Parisian sights are really close together, so the public transportation system becomes your best friend. My favorite part about Paris was sitting under the Eiffel Tower with all my new friends. I love them, they’re great. It was wonderful to share that moment with them. And did you know that the Eiffel Tower actually sparkles at night? Seriously, it sparkles.

Other highlights: The Louvre, Musee d’Orsay, Arc de Triomphe, Notre Dame, The Champs-Elysees, Sacre Coeur, Montmartre, and the best bakery in the world

2. Venice – I went to Venice during Carnevale. It was amazing. Venice can be difficult enough to navigate as you wind through the endless, narrow streets. Throw a bunch of masks on everyone and it’s even more difficult to figure out. It was freezing when we went and we tried to keep walking as much as we could to stay warm. But every time we came across something beautiful (every few feet), we would forget our chills, throw off our gloves and snap pictures like crazy. It was beautiful. Everyone there was having a ball!

Other highlights: Piazza San Marco, the Accadamia Gallery, the Grand Canal (and all the little baby ones), the Rialto Bridge, and all the amazing mask shops (which were really like art galleries themselves)

3. Orvieto – I LOVED ORVIETO. It was my favorite place to get lost for a few hours. It’s just a cute, quaint town way on top of a plateau. The Student Life Assistants (SLAs) planned the trip and took about 15 of us through the school. We had such a good time. All we did was eat and walk around, enjoying the scenery. We were able to take a cooking class with wonderful Chef Lorenzo of Restaurant Zeppelin. I learned a ton and I can’t wait to go home and cook for my family!

Other highlights: A guided tour of the Duomo by one of our own JFRC professors, a cooking class, the fresh foods market, a local wine tasting and a local olive oil tasting, and walking around looking at the beautiful ceramics that make the region famous

4. Florence – Actually, I didn’t get lost in Florence. Rather, we lost my friend John. Don’t worry, he’s okay. He had a blast wandering around while the rest of us saw the sites. (He’d been there before). This place was beautiful, but it’s easy to go through your money too quickly. The markets are so much fun. They have beautiful products to offer and you get pretty good at haggling. Also, if you get the chance, climb the duomo! It’s terrifyingly high, but so worth it. You can see everything for miles and miles.

Other highlights: The Duomo, the Campanile (bell tower), Ponte Vecchio, San Lorenzo Market, Michaelangelo’s house, Dante Aligheri’s house, Galleria degli Uffizi, the Galleria d’Academia (where the David is!), and many other sites featured in Assassin’s Creed

The point is, if you’re not getting lost, you’re probably not really seeing anything worth seeing. So wander, get lost a little. But maybe bring a map, just in case.