Traveling Throughout Europe

My time abroad so far has been nothing short of incredible. I am extremely thankful for the time I have had here so far, even though it has only been two months. I have a great situation here with my classes and living situation. Overall, Strasbourg has been an amazing choice of a city for the location of my study abroad. It is a great home base where I can feel safe and comfortable in a smaller setting in France. I enjoy being able to go out and travel to bigger cities ​while also being able to come back to a place that feels like home.

I have already been given the opportunity to travel to so many different new cities. Since I have never been to Europe before, I wanted to see as much as I could during my time here. I will take you through some of my trips and how spectacular the experiences have been. Studying abroad has given me the chance to engage with other cultures and see things I never thought I would have the opportunity to.

My first trip was a weekend trip to Paris. This was a great starter trip because we didn’t have to go out of the country. We got to see the Arc de Triomphe, the Louvre Museum, the Notre Dame Cathedral, the Musee d’Orsay, and the Eiffel Tower ​of course. My favorite part of the trip was visiting the Louvre and getting to see all of the art and history inside. Paris is a great place to do a weekend trip ​and I would love to go back in the future and might visit ​again when my father comes to see me!

My second trip was a more in-depth weekend. I started it off by traveling to Prague for a night. This was one of the greatest trips I have had so far. It was absolutely beautiful there and we experienced very sunny weather! I got to see the Old Town Square and even see the Astronomical Clock strike at a new hour. From Prague, I took a train straight to Salzburg in Austria. Sadly, the weather I experienced here was not quite as good, but it didn’t stop us from seeing the amazing sites Salzburg has to offer. I got to visit the Mirabell Palace and Gardens as well as ​see their amazing architecture and cathedral. From Salzburg, I went straight to Vienna. This city had a great feel​, and I loved the place where I stayed. We got to go shopping and eat amazing food and hot dogs in Vienna! Our last location for the weekend was Budapest. We experienced the worst weather they had during the entire year, but it was still an amazing trip. My roommate's family gave us a tour of the city and it was one of the most unique cities we got to see. Overall, this was a jam-packed weekend, but I was thankful to see so many things in just ​a few days.

The last trip I will touch on was my trip to Spain followed by a weekend in Lisbon. This trip lasted about 10 days because we had a week off from school. The food, weather, and length of this trip definitely made it my favorite so far, ​although I still haven’t been to Italy! We started our trip off in Barcelona for a few days. This was my favorite place in Spain mainly because of how fantastic the weather was and how inviting the community truly was. I got to see La Sagrada Familia and eat a ton of empanadas. I even got to see a Flamenco dancing show, and this was a huge highlight of the trip. Next, I went to Valencia. This was a quieter city, but it still had so much to offer. My favorite part of Valencia was definitely the Arts and Sciences Museum. It was a huge area with an aquarium, museum, and a huge water area. I even got to go boating and this was such a great memory. Lastly, in Spain, I went from Valencia to Madrid. Madrid was amazing mainly because of the food. Madrid has the San Miguel Market, and I spent most of my time visiting this city in the market. They had the best empanadas and croquettes I have ever eaten in my life. The community here was great to be around and the city itself was huge. ​My time spent visiting Spain was such an amazing week and I am so thankful I got to see so much of this country.  

The weekend in Lisbon was a fantastic way to end our break. We got a huge Airbnb with our other friends studying abroad from Ohio State. We made meals together, sang together, and hiked up and down the hills of Lisbon. I wasn’t expecting to enjoy Lisbon as much as I did, but it was a great city filled with amazing sites such as the Castle​s but also peaceful parts like smaller beaches. We also got to go on a sailboat ride and learn more about the history of Lisbon. I am so glad I got to be part of this experience in a city I didn’t know much about before coming abroad.

Overall, traveling is an essential part of studying abroad. I will never have the opportunity to travel so easily and inexpensively in Europe again. I am glad I am making the most of every day I have here, and I urge anyone else who goes abroad to do the same.  I hope you enjoyed learning a little more about some of the trips I have been on since coming abroad!