After four incredible months, my study abroad journey has come to an end! Though there were both highs and lows, I wouldn’t change a thing with my experience. Here are the final destinations I visited during December before flying back to Colorado.
Barcelona, Spain (Dec. 1-3)
It’s not super ideal to go to Barcelona in the winter, considering it’s a coastal city that usually sports warm weather and sandy beaches. However, not going felt worse than going when it was colder, so a couple friends and I planned the trip and headed on our way.
Even in December, Barcelona is bustling with young people and nightlife. This was my first out-of-country trip I had been on with more than just me and one person, so the dynamic was very different and fun as the four of us explored the city. Someone in our group had already been to Barcelona before, so he was able to act as our tour guide and show us the best touristy spots.
The biggest highlight of the trip was visiting the Sagrada Familia, the biggest unfinished Catholic church in the world. The architecture was different from any other church I had been in (and trust me, by this point I had visited a lot of European churches), and the stained glass windows made it one of the most beautiful places I’ve seen.
Budapest, Hungary (Dec. 14-15)
This marks the beginning of my big solo trip, where I would travel to five different countries in six days by train, completely by myself. My parents were absolutely terrified, but I was excited to go on this journey. This idea started completely as an ‘I want to go to these places and no one wants to go with me, so I’ll go alone,’ but turned into one of self-discovery and confidence improvement. If I could survive this trip, I could basically do anything.
I started by flying to Budapest, Hungary in the morning, where I dropped my bag off at my hostel and started to explore the city immediately. The public transportation was fantastic, the food was amazing, and the architecture looked incredibly cool. Something that I found very interesting was how wealthy Budapest looked, and how unwealthy everywhere outside the city looked in comparison. Trash and half-paved roads were everywhere on the bus ride from the airport to the city, and things were pretty sparse looking on the train towards Slovakia.
Bratislava, Slovakia (Dec. 15)
I was only in Slovakia for approximately six hours, but I definitely wish I was there for longer. The train ride into Bratislava was beautiful; there were castles on top of hills everywhere and fields as green as when I was in Ireland.
The capital of Slovakia, Bratislava, is much smaller than other European capitals, but it was a nice change of pace not feeling like I was going to get run over by traffic. It was also the first place that didn’t have many translations in English, so it was up to me to find where I was going with my phone and Google Translate.
I visited a castle and a couple Christmas markets there, along with some other walkable sights. The only thing that hindered this trip a little was the fact that I wasn’t able to put my huge backpack anywhere, so I was carrying it throughout the entire day.
Vienna, Austria (Dec. 15-17)
Vienna was the only city that I was in for two nights rather than one, and I can definitely say I probably needed another week to effectively visit this city. But from what I saw, I absolutely loved it.
In Vienna, I was able to visit multiple palaces, the biggest Christmas market in the world, and go to a Mozart Orchestra concert. The highlight of this trip was getting to meet up with one of my roommates back in Milan, who just happened to be in Vienna visiting with her dad. We spent half a day together exploring various parts of the city, and said our goodbyes since we weren’t going to see each other again before we left for home.
Something that was very welcome was that it was sunny for both the days that I was in Vienna. Budapest and Bratislava had been cloudy, and so was Milan. It was great to finally see some blue sky.
Prague, Czech Republic (Dec. 17-18)
The train ride to Prague was about 4 hours long, and it was also my earliest train, which left at seven in the morning. Even though I was exhausted and starting to feel the exhaustion of the trip creeping up on me, I kept pushing myself to see the city since I was only here for one day.
Prague feels like the closest thing to my vision of a medieval European city. The Old Square was cramped and confusing to navigate, and there were Gothic inspired churches and bridges all over the place. I loved getting to see the famous Prague Castle (which looked more like a church to me), along with getting a bird’s-eye-view of the city at Letna Park.
I had a few friends visit Prague before me, so I was able to get some really good food recommendations. Both my lunch and dinner spots had some of the best food on the trip—shoutout Cafe Louvre and SmetanaQ Cafe!
Berlin, Germany (Dec. 18-19)
It’s so cliche to say that my favorite city I visited also happened to be my last, but it’s true. Despite the fact that it never stopped raining, it was freezing cold, and there wasn’t a single hint of sun the whole two days, I fell in love with Berlin.
I was going everywhere with no stops for both days, trying to accomplish everything that I had on my itinerary. I visited the Reichstag building, Berlin Cathedral, Oberbaumbrucke Bridge, Brandenburg Gate, Eastside Gallery, Berlin Wall Memorial, various WWII Memorials, three separate Christmas markets and went on a guided walking tour all in about 24 hours.
While I technically accomplished everything on my list, I still felt like I had a lot left to check out, including the museums and famous nightlife. Berlin felt like a place that I could live in rather than just visit, which was an interesting experience near the end of the trip. I definitely have to go back at some point in my life.
For this entire solo trip, all of my trains between cities and public transportation had been amazing. There hadn’t been a single problem or delay… until disaster (almost) struck as I was trying to fly back to Milan from Berlin. The train to the airport kept getting delayed, and 45 minutes later I ended up having to take a very expensive taxi to the airport. Because of traffic, I didn’t arrive at the airport until five minutes after my app said that the gate was closed, but I still ran through the airport and cried my way through security to get to my gate. It was a miracle that they were still boarding the last few passengers, so I made it onto my flight and out of Berlin on time.
A Final Reflection
I knew from the beginning of my experience abroad that I wanted to put more emphasis on the ‘abroad’ rather than the ‘study.’ I’m very happy with the places that I was able to travel to during my time in Europe, and taking initiative for planning both solo trips and trips with friends. I’ve learned so much about different cultures and the histories that make each place unique to the other.
It’s easier for me to ask for help now and express what I need, especially after traveling solo. When the only person you have to rely on is yourself, you’re going to figure it out one way or another. Going on all these trips helped solidify that for myself.
In the end, I traveled to 12 different countries (not including Italy) and more than 25 unique cities in Europe. I wouldn’t change anything about my experience abroad since life is all about the highs AND lows. I hope that everyone who wants to go on an adventure in their lifetime will get to do so. Sometimes you just have to jump in and do it!
As for me, I’m taking it easy for a while… but will hopefully have another European trip booked sooner than later.