4 Weeks and 4 Countries Later…
Four = the amount of weeks since my last post, the number of hours I sleep on Saturday nights, the cost for a jar of Skippy brand peanut butter in Euros, the number of countries I have been lucky enough to visit so far.
Four countries later and I truly love Europe even more than before. I have visited a variety of unique places, all of which were complete opposites. If someone were to ask me my favorite place I’ve traveled so far I honestly could not provide an answer. Not only did each trip have extremely different agendas, but also quite a range of climates. As promised I brought a little piece of the University of Michigan with me! Here is a recap of my travels and experiences from the last four weeks…
Interlaken, Switzerland
Never in a million years did I expect to travel to Switzerland while abroad. On my mind were places like Rome, Paris, London, and all sorts of other tourist trap cities. Needless to say our trip to Interlaken was a little unexpected but totally worth every minute. I can officially say I have skied in the Swiss Alps and let me first say that the scenery is breathtaking. The air legitimately sparkles. For any Twilight fans out there – I am talking how Edward sparkles in the sun status. Also, there was a little tepee tent at the top of the mountain with a bar inside. We were literally above the clouds in the mountains. I will warn that the beginner hills in Swiss Alps terminology is like a black diamond in my mind considering the biggest mountain I’ve ever skied on was man-made and in Brighton, Michigan. In addition, Interlaken is a spot for some crazy activities if you are looking for an adventure. Canyon jumping, paragliding, and skydiving are just a few examples. Clearly our first destination gets a stamp of approval from the Bachelor who was just filmed taking his date canyon jumping there! While my feet stayed firm on the ground the entire weekend, I still can definitely say this trip was one of the best experiences of my life.
London, England
London was number one on my list of places to travel while studying abroad in Europe. I really don’t know why I had such a huge desire to travel there over all the other locations available to me. Maybe because London is a fashion capital, Harry Potter’s homeland, or that Chipotle (my favorite) exists. Even more likely could be my obsession with British accents, or that Prince Harry is officially single and resides there! There are numerous sites to see and I feel like we did a successful job of visiting most of them. Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, Camden Market, Tower Bridge, and the government offices are just a few to name. The nightlife was equally as fun, however it still does not even compare to Barcelona. I personally thought the food was phenomenal so disregard any comments from people who tell you otherwise. Another wonderful thing about London is the shopping. I only purchased two dresses (that are super cute if I say so myself) but this took some serious self-control. London fulfilled all my expectations and I would recommend it make anybody’s short list of travel spots when going abroad.
Nice, France
The French Riviera is absolutely gorgeous. Nice is situated on the Mediterranean Sea and offers a cute little city and beautiful beaches. I went specifically during the celebration called “Carnival” that is celebrated all over Europe. It is basically a kick off to the Catholic Lenten season, but could be described as a cross between Mardi Gras and Halloween. The parades and parties are insane. Everyone dresses up in outrageous costumes, throws confetti and silly string, dances, and parties all night long. The weather was definitely warmer than my last two destinations. Was it warm enough to tan on the beach? Probably not but we decided to stick out like tourist sore thumbs and do it anyways. Despite the goose bumps all over my body I totally felt like a celebrity being able to lay on the beaches of the French Riviera with a drink in hand. And I even got a little sunburned so I’d like to think it was a success!
Monte Carlo, Monaco
My trip to Monte Carlo was fairly short-lived, both in time and the amount of money left in my wallet. Monaco is a ritzy little country and of course home to the Monte Carlo Casino. I hoped for one of two things to result from going inside the famous casino – either I would meet a prince or celebrity and live happily ever after (unlikely I know but a girl can dream) or I somehow get extremely lucky and win some money (once again totally unlikely in my case)! Unfortunately neither of those things happened. What did happen was I quickly realized I have no idea how to gamble and should probably stick away from the casinos. We still were able to shop around, see the harbor and numerous yachts, and take some pretty cool pictures.
¡Adiós y vamos azul!