18 countries and 11 months later

18 countries and 11 months later what have I learned? What will I take away from this experience? Try new things. Take time to contemplate. Be prepared when traveling, but okay with diverting away from the plan. Never sit in the middle seat of an airplane. Immerse yourself in new cultures. Don't hold back. Less is more. Learning a language in a classroom is excruciatingly different then using it in the real world. Train schedules are constantly in flux. Always charge your ipod. Don't forget to view the world through your own eyes instead of constantly worrying about capturing it through the camera lens. Find people to travel with who are okay with an hour of silence. Never travel without a deck of cards. Go with the flow, unless that means missing out on something you know is worth it, in that case speak up. Pack snacks no matter how short the excursion is supposed to be. Always have an emergency 50 cents to use a bathroom. The store brand jelly tastes just as good as Smuckers. If you get lost, try turning the map the other way. People are and always will be different. Everyone will know you're an american, embrace it but don't define yourself by solely that. Share your experiences people are genuinely interested. Never hesitate to ask for help. Live in the moment. Foreign people are still people. Scarves are in style all year round. Things will go wrong. There are no language barriers when it comes to laughter.

About a year ago as I franticly packed my life into two 50 pound bags and a camping backpack researching different lavish excursions I was going to embark on over the coming months I couldn't have even begun to understand how this experience would change my life. It is something hard to truly personify. I think what affected me most this year was how much I challenged myself. That is where the true growing process lies. I learned a new language which I can pretty definitively say I will never use in the United States, but that's not the point. I lived in Belgium for an entire year of my life and to not completely immerse myself in the culture, language being part of that, would have not given me the full experience. I participated in every cultural event, went on every trip imaginable, tasted every dish, rode each public transportation line, and made it a point to have a conversation with a local in every single country I visited. Had I not done these things and more I would of just been on a year long vacation, which some of you may still claim I have been. But to me, it was a year of growth, reflection, and understanding. Something I cannot put a price on, something I am so grateful I have had time to do, and something that has forever changed me.

When I think about it I literally removed myself from the life I knew and loved to come and see the world for an entire year. I was comfortable, happy, and very settled. I left my friends, my family, my school, my home, and the love of my life back in America, or so I thought. In reality, I carried them with me the whole time. The excitement I got when I saw something in a foreign country that reminded me of someone at home was heartwarming; I couldn't wait to tell them. When my dad, mom, uncle, and boyfriend came to visit me I couldn't have been more thrilled because they were able to see me in my surroundings here, something I could of never described in words had they not seen for themselves.

Some people get adrenaline rushes and natural highs from scary movies, roller coasters, or sports games, I get that feeling when I look at something so beautiful that had I not been in that place at that time I would of never known existed. Photography, art, wine tasting and beer pouring are now something I am well versed in, things that barely got my interest a year ago. I have always enjoyed challenging myself, but this year allowed me to step out of the box, for an extended period of time. That box of normalcy. I was able to challenge myself more here, then I ever could of at home and now I am ready to bring back everything I have learned and incorporate it into my daily life. My promise to myself is to do something that challenges me everyday, let myself divert away from the everyday rhythm to do something worthwhile but also intriguing and enjoyable. Whether that be sit down and read the New York Times before class, taking a weekend trip to a random city in Pennsylvania, or taking a walk in the woods to take pictures of the foliage I want to continue this feeling of everyday excitement. No two days were the same for me this entire year, maybe thats what I loved about it. Don't get me wrong, I love the thought of coming home and cooking dinner and snuggling up on the couch after a long day of work, a pattern is good, it's necessary, but just a small little something each day to spice it up is what I am going to focus on...

This seems a bit of an abrupt place to stop but this reflection has perhaps led me to the beginning of my next blog site "life after the adventure, back to normalcy." But, to be fair life in itself is an adventure and this was just a chapter of it. Thanks for following me on this European Adventure.

Spain: Barcelona and Palma Mallorca

Barcelona turned into one of the wildest experiences of my life. Not only were there riots going on, not violent, but just hundreds of people camped out in tents and dressed up in strange outfits holding random artifacts and posters to gain attention but the first night we were there Barcelona played Manchester United in the final soccer match of the season and WON. I was in a local bar watching on las Ramblas, I guess you could say the equivelent of a times square, and literally within seconds thoussands of people flooded the streets, fireworks were going off, bands were playing, traffic was stopped and every car was honking, people were lighting things on fire, climbing up traffic lights, it was complete mayhem I forever feel like I am a Barcelona fan after just experiencing the utter excitment and countries pride in athletics it was truly surreal.

The following day we took a bus tour through the entire city where you could hop on and off at different locations, we spent 10 hours on the bus. My favorite stops was the Olympic Stadium from the 1992 Olympics, the Barcelona Stadium, Park Guell - a park completely made of mosaic benches and statues, truly amazing, and the Sagranda Familia, a really beautiful strangely designed church. It was about 90 degrees so sitting on top of an open topped bus was scorching but it was so cool to see everything. The food was delicious too, paella filled with huge prawns, baby lobsters, and mussels and all different kinds of tapas, and home made sangria.

After Barcelona we took a 20 minute flight over to Palma Mallorca one of the Balaeric Islands sadly the weather didn't cooperate for the next 4 days of our stay but we still saw a lot of the islands everything from the beautiful beaches to the old town and port which were filled with spanish architecture, but surprisingly more British food and inhabitants. Evidently, it is a huge British vacation spot so I was able to get one more serving of fish and chips before leaving Europe and was also able to communicate with just about everyone. It was a beautiful island and had it been hotter and not rainy totally would of been the perfect beach vacaction but despite the weather we still explored and went to a katy perry cover artist concert, walked the beaches, went out on a mile long pier, and enjoyed the architecture of the old town. I liked it, but wish we would of spent more time in the big city of Barcelona.

Nice, Cannes, and Monaco

Though feeling like I was trapped in the Good Charlotte song from the 90's "Lifestyles of the Rich and the Famous" I loved the French Riveria despite the celebrity status that made me feel like I was dressing to go to prom every time we stepped out there door and the fine dining that made eating an affordable meal near impossible the beauty of the clear water and sandy beaches made it all worth it.

Nice was where we stayed and then traveled to the surrounding towns on the water via train from there. The first day we went to Cannes during the Cannes Festival, which was so surreal, red carpets, celebrity tents everywhere, paparazzi, yachts, the whole kit car and caboodle. I can't say I actually saw a celebrity but I did see Steven Spielbergs yacht which both Leonardo DiCaprio and Blake Lively were on, so that was pretty neat. The nautical views were amazing and the beaches were lined with clubs and restaurants in cabanas where you took your shoes off to enter and just step in the sand, it was to cool.

The following day we went to Monaco, also during a very good time of the year, the Grand Prix car race. The streets were painted like from the video game Grand theft auto and there were guard rails up and stadium seating facing the road, not to mention the hundreds of overly priced, yet amazing cars which filled the side streets. We got to go into the Casino which was all marble and just magnificent but to even walk into the gambling room you had to pay an ungodly amount, once I actually have money to bet in my life I would go back and do so without doubt.

The weather was 80 degrees and sunny the entire weekend, just perfect and on the last day as we laid on the beach before our flight home we ended up getting a free parasailing ride. Merry and I tend to get lucky that way, just minding our own business sleeping on the beach we were approached for a free parasail ride to attract other customers, what a deal. So we got to see the French Rivera from above and the boat driver was crazy he kept dipping us in the water and then speeding up it was an absolute blast. So glad I met up with Merry and her two friends from Ireland to go do this excursion. It was one of my favorite places. It was nice to see this part of France after being in Paris a couple times.

Budapest

After a 7.5 hour train ride from Prague to Budapest stopping in Slovakia for a bathroom break we arrived in Hungary. It was similar to Prague but more commercial and less "magical" still very pretty but just not as amazing to me as Prague. I absolutely loved the parliament building in Budapest though, it was it's most beautiful piece of architecture situated directly on the Danube River with three bridges going across leading up to the cathedral and palace on the other side of the river.

It was pretty cool as soon as it got dark it was as if someone had a light switch and turned on the city, within seconds every bridge, castle, parliament, and church were glowing simultaneously, i would like to be the person to flick that switch. At the top of the hill near the castle was a labyrinth which was pretty creepy at night, they give you a lantern and you have to find your way through. Inside of the labyrinth are fountains that have wine from the earth flowing out that tasted pretty gross, like vinegar, but it was still pretty neat. The views from the top of the hill were magnificent.

The second day we were there we spent our day in the bathes which are something Budapest is known for. There were 15 different bathes inside this huge beautiful building and each one is a different temperature heated naturally from the earth. so some were freezing and some were like hot tubs. One of my favorites was a sauna that was at boiling point, 100 degrees celsius and you could really only stand it for a minute but as you enter they give you a snowball to rub on yourself while you're inside the sauna. There was also a very large heated bathe outside and even though it was pretty chill in the air the medicinal waters were amazing. And if you know me you know I love my bathes so this was of course my favorite part haha.

Prague

Prague was perhaps the most European city I feel like I have visited. It was like a fairy tale village or amusement park, every castle and cathedral blended to make the cityscape so picturesque. The old town was my favorite filled with so much history within the Jewish quarter, then we crossed the Charles Bridge which gave you the best view and you climbed up this hill to parliament and the palace it was really neat. We also visited the John Lennon wall which is the most famous graffiti wall in the world.

The second day we took a train outside of Prague to a town called Kutna Hora which is world known for its ossuary, which is a church made completely of bones. It is the only one in the world and a UNESCO world heritage site, at first the thought seemed a little morbid but the story has it that during the plague people were said to make it to heaven faster if they donated their bodies to the construction of the church and within 3 days their bodies would completely disintegrate to only bones. It was creepy, but really cool, I was glad we made the hour trip outside the city center not only to see this but just to see the Czech Republic countryside. It was a really beautiful train ride.

Barbeque American Style

Our good friend Sam held a BBQ with a few members of the Leuven Lions Football Team and some of us Americans. It was so great to have a BBQ in 80 degree weather-record high temperature for Belgium in May complete with ribs, kabobs, sausages, picnic salads, stella of course and a water balloon fight! We have gotten so close with this group of locals it will be hard to say goodbye at the end of the year, they are always so hospitable and make us feel so at home.

Smallest Country in the World: Travel Writing

Vatican City: the smallest country in the world, population 800, 0.2 square miles in size, home of the Pope and religious capital of Catholics. The walk up to Vatican City from Rome is almost fairytale perfect. White statues line the one entrance to Saint Peters Square on either side portraying the Stations of the Cross then hundreds of columns make up the barrier dividing Rome from Vatican City. The moment you pass through the barrier you see a huge statue in the center with fountains on either side and hundreds of hand carved statues on top of the barriers conveying the faces of all important saints, apostles, and other religious figures. Chairs filled Saint Peters Square in preparation for Palm Sunday mass and two huge screens to show the popes mass to those not close enough to view him face to face.

But almost just as magnificent as the outer façade was what lay underneath Saint Peter’s Basilica: the scavi. Beneath the basilica were ancient mausoleums that had been uncovered; it was described as a separate town for the dead. As you walked down the flight of stairs underground the temperature got very cool and humid, to correctly preserve the ruins. I felt a little bit like a spy because of the controlled temperatures, dark atmosphere, and automatic glass doors that slid open the moment you were about to walk through them, not to mention the red lasers beams that were in some of the rooms to ensure nothing was touched.

There was such a sense of serenity and peacefulness whether it be the perfectly controlled temperature or the silence, probably a combination of the two. The tour guide spoke in a soft rhythmic tone; just enough to keep you listening but still stay completely peaceful. She didn’t say much, the story almost told itself in the paintings, tiles, bricks, and urns that had so perfectly been home to the dead years ago. It seemed a bit morbid initially to have such a haven for dead bodies, even to the point where they had holes in the caskets to be able to pour liquids to let them drink. But, it was their beliefs and part of their customs and to be able to witness the area where these events took place hundreds of years after the fact gave me goose bumps.

From the scavi I climbed up another flight of stairs and found myself in the middle of Saint Peters Basilica, the most massive Catholic Church in the world. It almost seemed too big to be a church, there were numerous altars, my eyes didn’t even know where to look. It went from peaceful serenity underground to complete and utter amazement beyond words to the ornate design of this massive structure that so many travel halfway around the world to step foot in. I didn’t even know where to begin the silence was filled now with cameras snapping, flashes, people crying, people praying out loud, people chatting about the ceiling paintings, it was chaotic I needed to step back and remove myself from the noise to focus on the amazement. So, I lit a candle and said a prayer for my Dad. At the time all I could think about was how amazed he would be at this place. As we walked back outside I couldn’t help but think about the differing feelings from the scavi to the basilica resonating within me- peacefulness to chaotic amazement. I almost wished I could enter the basilica at 2am alone when no one else was crowding the room trying to capture the moment on film or read in their guidebooks which painting was by who. I wished I could go back and sit in silence with no one around and appreciate the grandeur of the building everyone in my faith has talked about for years. I feel so grateful to have been able to visit, but I think I more appreciated the scavi for it’s peaceful and quiet depiction of religious history.

Travel Writing: Luxembourg Brings Laughter

Since arriving in Belgium seven months ago, I have constantly suggested a weekend day trip to Luxembourg, one of the smallest countries in the world. I knew it was the land of greenery and bridges, picturesque for photo taking and a beautiful day. It was in fact the perfect day, 70 and sunny, but what most excited me about our day trip yesterday was not any view or picture in specific, but the overall experience, conversation, and laughter shared with some of my best friends. People I perhaps wouldn’t have had the pleasure to get so close with had I not been abroad, but now cannot imagine my life without.

I intended on writing about the trip, but that’s so generic and kind of what I always write about so I will rest my case in saying Luxembourg was amazing, pictures are attached below and I would suggest anyone who is in train distance to go for the day, it was worth it. Instead, I would like to write about the individuals who were with me yesterday, the ones who have affected me so strongly the past few months. Is it funny that I have made such strong bonds in such a short time? Not at all, the experiences we have gone through have surpassed years. The challenges of traveling: this includes but is not limited to, bad food, getting lost, dirty hostels, language barriers, delayed train rides, sleeping in buses, homesickness, not being able to shower and being over exhausted. These trying times bring you closer together, but also those magnificent moments like sunsets, the taste of a foreign food or beverage and the wow factor of a monument you have only seen in pictures but are now standing directly underneath. There were six of us yesterday: myself, Maggie, Peter, Dan, Duke, and Justin. Each personality is so unique but together we make such a great group. I laugh so hard when I with them.

I’ll start with Maggie she is a sweet, genuine, down to earth, tell you what you need to hear not what you want to hear, makes you work to gain your trust but once you’ve earned it she’d trust you with her life kind of friend. The kind you could call if you were stranded on the side of the road at 3 o’clock in the morning and needed someone to pick you up and wouldn’t whine about it. In fact, she would pick you up with a cup of coffee waiting in the car for you ready to hear the whole story of what happened. She knows the inner most workings that compromise me of who I am. She constantly praises me for my strength, willingness to help others, and activeness in the community but allows me, when need be, to run to her with a vulnerability or issue.

Peter, Maggie’s boyfriend, would do anything for me as well, including saving me from a burning building, literally. He is a fire fighter, EMT, and marine, three things I greatly respect about him. I feel very safe with him in my presence and he is the best listener. One of those friends you start off talking about what you’re having for dinner tonight and an hour later just walk out of a very deep, yet motivating conversation that was completely unplanned. When I’ve been sick he’s made the doctors appointment, picked up the soda and ice pops, and made sure I was staying hydrated and medicated. That’s a combination of the training he’s had but the strength of his friendship as well.

The truly comical individual though is Justin. One of the wittiest individuals I have encountered, he is like my older brother. He makes fun of me like it’s his job, but also looks out for me like it’s his job as well. I admire him for his novel writing, hunger to be a voice actor, and courage to join a football team in a foreign country. Justin doesn’t have friends, he only has best friends, and seriously he is really a best friend. He doesn’t only remember your birthday but makes you your favorite dinner and picks up the most delicious chocolate cake in the world.

Duke and Justin play on the same football team, Duke too is hysterical and jokes around with me often. I knew Duke prior to this experience, he was one of the first people I met at college. From early on he had such high respect for me, he constantly praises my ability to sew a button on his shirt, get out a stain, make a home cooked meal, correct a paper, or give “motherly” advice. While he does come around for these favors often, he repays them ten fold with his almost cliché, but very kind gentlemanliness and is always looking out for my safety.

Last but not least is Dan, like all the other guys loves to make fun of me, whether it be for my poor sense of direction, a word I made up, or some incidental and innocent sexual innuendo that slipped out of my mouth unknowingly at dinner conversation, but he always follows up making fun of me with one of those “oh common, I didn’t mean it smiles.” I’ve never met anyone who had a qualm with Dan, he is just like your All American Guy; parades around Leuven, Belgium in his Levi’s and flannel shirt.

There was a moment yesterday walking past the Adolphi Bridge at sunset in Luxembourg where all six of us were hysterical laughing at peter the paparazzi man. He was taking photos of the sunset at every angle, while Justin, Duke and Dan mocked him by taking photos of him. Meanwhile, Maggie and I were posing the whole time thinking they were taking photos of us. At that moment, I didn’t want to be anywhere else in the world except in Luxembourg with six of my best friends.

Santorini, Greece

Santorini took me by surprise, I knew it would be beautiful, but I didn't realize the town was literally on top of a huge rock formation that was an island created from a volcano. I literally rode a donkey up the side of a mountain it was too cool.

Heraklion, Crete

Crete was pretty neat, it is the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean. It was definitely more city like, but had another cool fortress to get a good view and a great main street bustling with greek locals. More residential and densely populated then the other islands for sure.