"We travel, some of us forever, to seek other states, other lives, other souls..."

Berlin and Prague were next on the list for the beginning of the week. I arrived in Berlin late afternoon where I was meeting my two friends Katie and Jess.  I was exhausted from traveling with my family for the week and was really excited to be back traveling with my friends where we usually are on the same page throughout our busy days. The first night in Berlin was spent getting prepared for the next day and catching up at a relaxing dinner with my friends at the hostels restaurant.  I was happy about this because I was starting to feel really sick and run down and needed a night dedicated to sleep and unwinding.  We were all soundly asleep by 10pm, which helped us get an early start the following morning.  We woke up on Sunday and walked down the street to a cute little German coffee shop, ate breakfast, and hit the road. 

            Our first stop was the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe.  When I first walked up to the memorial it appeared as rows upon rows of grey bleak cement blocks.  At first we were slightly confused as to what they were supposed to represent since there was no writing or explanation on any of the blocks.  As we continued to walk toward the center of the rows we realized that the blocks were getting taller and taller and darker and darker as you walked more toward the center.  It gave off a bit of an eerie feeling as it seemed more like a maze and as I walked on my own I was worried I would lose my friends in the stretch of the tall grey blocks on the grim rainy day.  We learned afterward that the architect who built the memorial, Peter Eisenman, the memorial was supposed to represent the holocaust and give off a feeling of disorientation and make people feel uneasy, confused, and lost.  When you looked down one way in the cement blocks it was different than looking another way, giving you the full effects of losing your sense of which way was which.  It was a really powerful memorial to witness and was a really amazing representation of even the slightest feeling of what those years must have been like.

Afterwards we went to Checkpoint Charlie and visited an art exhibit that had a huge panorama picture of what Berlin was like when the Berlin wall was still up in the 1980s.  It was really amazing to see as the room turned from day to night giving you the full effect of what it must’ve been like while the wall was still intact. It felt like a really historical day, and we all felt really honored to be able to see all of these things that played such a huge part in history.  All of a sudden history classes of the past seemed much more interesting as we tried to recall facts of high school history classes.

The next day we were off to Prague. After our 4-hour long train ride we arrived to our hostel and were happy to settle get settled in.  However, when my friend went to pay for stay at reception, we were told that there was a different currency in Prague (which we unaware of) called, the Czech Crown.  We though we were good a dealing with different currencies between the Pound and the Euro, however the Czech Crown was by far one of the most confusing things we had to figure out over spring break.  This was because 1 US dollar was approximately 25.59 Czech Crowns, and although the conversion rate was very good for us, we could not seem to get the hang of it during our stay.  When going out to dinner and receiving a bill of over 1000 crowns, it was a whole lot different than anything we were used to.            

The following day we spent sight seeing and exploring the beautiful city of Prague.  Our first stop was the John Lennon was which was really cool with quotes all along the wall and more colors than you were prepared for.  There were even people there with cans of spray paint contributing to the wall, which also resorted in spray paint on our jackets and in our hair, but we didn’t mind too much.  The rest of the day we walked around and found ourselves at a market in a beautiful square filled with traditional Czech food stands and Easter decorations brightening up the square.  We walked around trying different foods and making small jewelry and artwork purchases for family and friends.  

It was beautiful city unlike any other we had been to, feeling much like a fairy tale.  Although we don’t want to leave Prague we are all excited for our next stop, Vienna, mostly to go back on the Euro, which has been sorely missed during our short stay here.

"Never go on trips with anyone you do not love..."

Five more cities later and i am sitting in the Dublin airport after spending a week with my family waiting for my next flight to Berlin.  The week with my family was great, it was refreshing to take a step back from my abroad life and spend time with my family, especially getting to see my brothers.  It was a taste of home that was well needed after 3 months without seeing my family. Each place was different, even my second time in Amsterdam was completely different than the first, however my favorite was Dublin.  Dublin was so lively i was in love with the culture and the city, along with the live performers flooding the streets.  I have never heard so many covers of Oasis in my life. Although my visit was short in Dublin with under 24 hours in the city, i was so happy with all of the places we saw.  The first time i visited Amsterdam my friends and i had planned to go see the Anne Frank house, however when we arrived there the line was so long we decided to skip it.  Luckily the second trip there my family and i toughed the line out and got to go inside.  It was such an amazing experience to be inside of her house knowing all of the events that took place in that building.  There were quotes all around the walls from her diary, it was extremely moving and we were all honored to be able to see it.
During our stay in Belgium my family and i got some unfortunate news.  We entered a museum as all of our phones started to go off and we were told that our grandmother had passed away.  She had been sick for a while and fell ill with pneumonia and the flu several times prior.  My cousins were extremely upset that they were not there for her passing but my family accommodated to their euro trip, not wanting them to cut it short, and pushed the funeral to the following week.  It was really upsetting to get the news while i was with my family however i was also very grateful to be with my family when it happened instead of traveling with friends.  It was sad news to get but my parents wanted me to stay in Europe and continue on with my journey, so onward i go.
Berlin, Prague, Vienna, Athens, Santorini and Mykonos are next on the list throughout the last 2 weeks of my spring break travels.  It was amazing to be with my family but i am so excited to reunite with the girls from my trip that i will be traveling with the remainder of the time and to get back to our traveling routine that we seem to have down so well.

So the journey begins...

It has officially been 10 days into my month long spring break and it has already been absolutely incredible.  The past 9 days were spent in France on a Loyola sponsored trip to Paris, Montpellier, and Nice.  Along with these cities were quite a few day trips to other cities including Avignon and St Guilhem Le Desert.  Most of the days were filled with sight seeing and tours, attempting to see as much as we could in the time that we had.  I was excited for the France trip but it was even better than i could have imagined.  We saw so much and did so much and made great use of every day we had there.  It was amazing seeing the south of France and how different Montpellier and Nice are than Paris, as well as the warmer weather.  One of the best days of the France trip was wine tasting at Chateau Bas D'Aumelas, a beautiful vineyard in the south of France which was accompanied by 60 degree weather which felt like summer compared to northern England.  I spent my last full day in France walking around the beaches of Nice, riding my first Segway, and making in evening trip to Monaco.  The Segways were absolutely hilarious as a group of 14 of us rode them through the streets of Nice on them grabbing the attention of everyone we saw. I learned there is no way to look cool on a Segway, and I now know what i will be asking for when my birthday rolls around.

This morning all 40 some of us parted ways headed on journeys all over the world.  Last night was spent asking each other, "what country are you going to tomorrow?" and i couldn't help but think how unreal our lives are.  Everyone was a little sad this morning as last hugs were given knowing that many of us won't see each other until we are back in Newcastle in 3 weeks.  I headed to the airport with 3 friends and had a rushed goodbye as i jumped off the bus to my terminal.  We are all together so often it feels a little strange not traveling in a pack.  

Currently i am at the Nice airport waiting for my flight to Belgium where there journey continues.  There, i will be meeting my 2 older brothers, as well as 5 of my cousins and we will be traveling to Brussels, Antwerp, Amsterdam and Dublin for the next week and i know it is going to be an absolute blast!  It'll be great to see my family and get a little taste of home. After that i meet back up in Berlin with the 4 girls i will be traveling with for the remaining 2 weeks.  I imagine that after this month of nonstop traveling with just a backpack and a small carry on duffle bag we will all be wiped.  It's a little scary how quickly spring break came, none of us want it to end.  It is now nearing the half way mark of our study abroad adventure and i am no where near ready to go home.  I think i could live this life for years as the travel bug inside of me has never been so happy.

My friends and I just arrived at the airport for our trip to Amsterdam and we couldn’t be more excited. This is our first flight from Newcastle since our arrival so we overestimated how long it would take us and arrived two hours early.  In our anticipation we found a restaurant to wait at and discuss what everyone wants to do while we are there.  There has been talk of possibly renting segways and cruising around Amsterdam sight seeing which would be hilarious all in itself however the one thing we all want to do is go to the Anne Frank museum.  Our hotel is smack in the middle of the city (or so we heard) so hopefully everything will be right at our fingertips.  Either way, it’ll be amazing weekend and we have the perfect crew to make sure that happens.

"You can't buy happiness, but you can buy a plane ticket..."

Today I finished booking my plans for spring break and I couldn’t be more excited.  One of the best parts of the study abroad program in Newcastle is the one month long spring break that comes with it.  I will be visiting eight countries in four weeks.  For the first ten days of our break, our study abroad group goes on a Loyola sponsored trip to France.  There, we visit Paris, Montpellier, and Niece.  I have been to Paris once before during my sophomore year of high school, but I am still looking forward to going again, and am especially excited to see Nice which looks gorgeous.  From Niece, I fly to Belgium where I will meet a group of my cousins and two older brothers for a mini “cousins Euro trip.” We have been planning our trip through email chains since August and they are a few of my favorite people, every time we are together we have the absolute best time so I know without a doubt it will be a great week with them.  In Belgium we will visit Brussels and Antwerp and take a train to Amsterdam from there.  From our short two and half-day visit in Amsterdam we fly to Dublin, Ireland.  I had to cut my trip a day short in Ireland so I will only be there for a day, but I know we will make the most of it.  From Dublin I will say goodbye to my family once again, and take off to Berlin, Germany to meet with the four girls from my study abroad trip I will be traveling with, Melissa, Katie, Kori, and Jess.

            From Berlin, the five of us will take trains traveling to Prague and Vienna.  After a few days visiting there, we fly to Greece and take a ferry to Santorini and there we will spend the last week of our spring break relaxing on the Greek island. Although I couldn’t be more thrilled to visit these places there are still so many places I want to see.  A month seemed like a long time to travel, but with the amount of places we wanted to see space quickly ran up.  However we still have some time after spring break so we are hoping to cross a few more places off our list before our journey ends.  It’s a little scary how quickly our time is going by here, but I love every second.

It seems that all of my travels have finally caught up to me and I finally caught “freshers flu” as the brits call it. In my opinion it just seems to be a very bad cold, but I suppose it was going to get me sooner or later. Luckily for me, this past weekend I was left in Newcastle while majority of my friends were on a Loyola sponsored trip to Wales for the weekend. So, in a positive light, it probably was the best possible weekend for me to get sick.  The past two weeks have been a little hectic. Two weekends ago, a good portion of us Loyola kids spent the weekend in London.  It was my third time in London so I wasn’t as excited as I will be for some other trips I will be taking.  However, to my pleasant surprise it was by far my best trip to London and I think it will also be one of the most memorable.  We stayed in an amazing hostel called “Wombats” which was so inviting and perfect for a group of overly excited 20 somethings. We did all of the touristy things but it was also relaxing and enjoyable, nothing to crazy or hectic to take the fun out of it.  It was a great weekend and although it was a short time spent there we made perfect use of every second there.

            Last weekend I visited Wales with half of the Loyola crew.  It was very cool to see as well, however with a 6-7 hour long bus ride there and back, majority of the weekend was spent traveling to and from.  It wasn’t all too much different from Newcastle, cute streets, pubs restaurants and small shops.  However the highlight was Cardiff Castle, which was right in the center of the city.  It was a beautiful old castle and lucky for us the sun came out for a short 30 minutes to capture some great shots.  It was a good time overall, but after sitting on the bus Sunday on the way back to Newcastle, I was very happy to be returning.  As much as I love all of the traveling we have done, and will continue to do, it definitely gets exhausting quickly, and being in a familiar place brings a whole different kind of comfort.

            However the traveling is picking right back up this weekend as 8 of us head to Amsterdam for a weekend trip.  This will be the smallest group trip to date and we are all very excited.  It will be our first trip here outside of England and I think these trips are the trips most of us are looking forward to.  Sometimes it’s unbelievable to think that our lives are casual weekend trips to cities all across Europe.  I can’t help but smile when I think of how unreal our lives are sometimes.  As corny as I may sound, who has this life?  We are beyond blessed, and fortunate doesn’t even begin to cut it.  I am just so happy to be here.

            This past week has been the first week since I have been here that I have felt myself come out of the honeymoon phase a bit.  However, I still wake up in the morning thinking… “I live in England,” and it never fails to put things into perspective.  That’s the great thing about study abroad though, it isn’t just a vacation or a trip without worries, we actually live here, and the ups and downs of reality happen to us here the way they would back in the states, and that’s the magnificent thing about it.