The summer of 2024 will always hold a special place in my heart.
Charli XCX’s new album deemed it a “brat” summer, I had just graduated high school and I was about to spend three weeks traveling around Europe.
The trip, which was a graduation gift from my grandparents, was planned with excruciating detail to account for all of the places we would be hitting: London, Scotland, Ireland, Belgium and France.
London
On June 25, I arrived in London early in the afternoon. I was so jet-lagged from switching time zones and being on a red-eye flight. My mom and I fell asleep almost immediately in our hotel.
After our nap, my grandparents took us to dinner at The Black Dog, the bar that inspired one of my favorite Taylor Swift songs. I had completely forgotten that it was in London, and it was a wonderful surprise to start off my trip.
The next day, we got on a cruise ship, which would take us to Scotland, Ireland and France.
Scotland
I was excited to visit Scotland. This was the place that inspired the trip in the first place. It was my answer when my grandparents asked me a year in advance where I would go if I could go anywhere.
Even in the middle of summer, Scotland was cold. I was dressed in layers and even ended up buying a woven fleece-lined headband to wear. I visited Cawdor Castle and collected some rocks for my best friend back home. I was surrounded by rural land and there were animals everywhere.
Despite the cold, gloomy atmosphere, Scotland was beautiful.
Ireland
When I was in Ireland, I visited Dublin, the largest city in the country. It was bustling with people and traffic, which was a stark contrast to Scotland’s vast hills and farmland.
My family tried to visit the Guinness Storefront, but the line to get inside was so long. We had lunch in a pub and walked around shops in town. I bought a ring with a Celtic woven pattern, which symbolizes harmony and interconnectedness. It’s one of my favorite rings, and I still wear it today.
Belgium
After two days of being in cold, rainy weather, I was happy to arrive in Belgium. It was sunnier and warmer than where we had previously been.
My mom and I obviously had to try Belgian chocolate while we were there. We even bought some to bring back home to my dad and brother, who weren’t on the trip.
While walking through the quaint town with all of its colorful storefronts, I was passed by several horse-drawn carriages giving rides to tourists. I even came across a small pond full of swans.
France
Our last stop on the cruise was northern France. My grandmother and I had no activities planned for the day, so we just walked around the city.
We toured an old church and visited small shops along the streets. I prided myself on being able to carry simple conversations in French with shop owners. The two years of the language I took in high school did not go to waste!
Although the cruise was over, we still had a few more stops on our itinerary.
London: Part Two
We were back in London for a few more days to see all of the famous landmarks we possibly could. I saw Big Ben, Tower Bridge, Buckingham Palace and I even visited a memorial site for Princess Diana.
I loved taking buses through the city and seeing how people lived outside of the U.S. On one of our last nights in London, my family ate dinner at a local pizza place and reminisced on everything we had seen. I couldn’t believe the trip was almost over.
France: Part Two
Paris, France, was our last stop and my personal favorite. It was only two weeks before the summer Olympics would start, and the whole city was in preparation for the event.
My first day in Paris was spent seeing the Eiffel Tower and having lunch at an Italian restaurant in town. Then, we took a train to Giverny and took a tour of Claude Monet’s house. His garden was beautiful. I remembered learning about it in my French class and couldn’t believe I was there in person.
The next day was the final full day of our trip, and we had saved the best event for last. I was going to the Louvre.
I was so excited to see my favorite artwork, the Winged Victory of Samothrace. The sculpture depicts Nike, the Greek goddess of victory, leading a ship to victory and was said to be made in commemoration of a significant battle being won. While the sculpture originally had a head and arms, those pieces must have broken off and were never found. Only a portion of her hand was discovered and is on display in the Louvre with the original sculpture.
As I walked in, I immediately saw her at the top of the staircase leading into the museum. That was the first of several times I was in awe of the artworks I saw in the Louvre.
I remember the immense feeling of gratitude I had sitting outside of a restaurant with my mom on the last day of the trip, just watching the city. That summer was special for several reasons, but the most special reason was that I got to share a brand new experience with people I love.