I studied abroad for the fall at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland and traveled to various cities in Europe throughout the semester. Upon returning to Berkeley, I began reflecting on my experiences solo traveling, making new friends all around the world, and exploring new cultures.Â
My first stop was London, a place of many firsts. It was my first time solo traveling in Europe and staying in a hostel. I can still remember struggling to lug my broken luggage to check into the hotel, scared to talk to anyone. Despite not really having any plans for the next couple days, my fears slowly went away as I found myself excited to begin a semester-long journey. The excitement continued as I visited Big Ben and Buckingham Palace. The different viewpoints inspired me to fill my sketchbook full of viewpoints I visited throughout my semester. My first weekend trip of sightseeing slowly came to a close as I spent my last night in London watching the sunset by the water with a view of the London Bridge, knowing I would want to come back later on in the semester.Â
When my brother visited Scotland, we went to Brussels and Amsterdam together. Both cities being on my bucket list for the longest time and being there in person felt like a new experience entirely. I wasn’t the biggest fan of British food, but I couldn’t wait to try chocolate and waffles from Belgium. My brother’s friends from Belgium visited and gave us the tour of Brussels and took us to try the infamous waffles, fries, and chocolates. I left the trip with an entire bag full of chocolates, sad to leave such a friendly and tourist-welcoming city filled with amazing food choices. The next stop was Amsterdam, a dream tourist destination of mine ever since my middle school obsession with The Fault in Our Stars. My favorite part of the trip was the canal boat tour, being able to not only learn more about the history and culture of Amsterdam, but also have amazing views of the city during sunset.Â
In Edinburgh, I became friends with a student solo-traveler who was studying abroad in London. We quickly became friends after meeting at the park drinking the famous hot chocolate from a food truck. This led to another visit to London staying at my new friend’s dorm in order to celebrate Halloween. I was excited to go back to the city that was filled with so many different markets and places to visit. This trip was particularly memorable since the person I was traveling with lost their phone. They left it in an Uber and we tracked down the driver to find the missing phone, truly experiencing a classic phone-losing London experience.  Â
My next trip was to Portugal, a chaotic weekend between two people who collectively slept around ten hours total. With the trip being so short, both of us wanted to make the most of the trip. Our first night of the trip led us stranded on the highway in search of McDonalds. We arrived late at night, and it was the only thing open near our hotel. The ten minute walk on Google Maps led us walking on a highway at almost midnight. Eventually, we called an Uber and spent our first night eating dinner at McDonalds. The rest of the trip was filled with exploring different sightseeing spots such as the Belem Tower and Castelo de Sao Jorge. We also visited the aquarium, known to be one of the best in Europe which was something I haven’t done since elementary school.Â
My next two trips were in Paris and Dublin. Upon arriving in Paris, I fell in love with the city. I loved the architecture, the monuments, wandering the Louvre, and eating pastries with coffee everyday. Paris became one of my favorite places to visit. My trip to Dublin was something I could only describe as cold. My friend had the idea to travel to Dublin for only a day, landing in the morning and leaving at night since the flights were really cheap. Upon arrival, we were hit with consistent strong winds. We quickly found shelter in the museum and came up with a gameplan to hide from the cold. When the wind died down, we went to more tourist destinations until the wind picked up again and we were once again seeking shelter from the cold. This pattern continued until it was time to go back to the airport. Traveling to a country for a day, while not recommended, created a memorable experience.Â
My study abroad experience came to an end while traveling to Coppenhagen, Malta, and Rome. I went to Coppenhagen to meet with my friend studying abroad there. It was Christmas time, and I was greeted with Christmas decorations and festivities. I attended my friend’s dorm Christmas party, playing Danish games and eating traditional Danish food. My next trip was to Malta, my favorite country I’ve ever traveled to. I loved being by the water, taking the ferry to different parts of the country, seeing the architecture, and meeting friendly people. My favorite part of the trip was walking around the narrow streets with beautiful architecture covered in Christmas decorations. Traveling to Rome left me in shock, seeing so many different famous monuments and art pieces at once. I was absolutely speechless throughout the trip.Â
As the new semester in Berkeley begins, I look back on these experiences with such fondness, excited for any future adventures and memories. I learned so much about different cultures and customs and explored new environments. I hope to travel more in the future, filling my travel sketchbook with more famous tourist destinations.Â