Italy Stole My Heart, and My Stomach

This past weekend was one of the greatest weekends of my life. I cannot believe how much I did and saw in Italy. It was absolutely incredible! The first day we spent in Rome where we walked around the city visiting various sites like the Colosseum and St. Peters Cathedral. Throughout all of this walking we stopped for gelato about every other hour. Even though our diets were about 50% gelato, the other 50% consisted of the most delicious pizza and pasta I have ever had. I still cannot fathom how delicious every single meal was. From their seafood pasta, to their Margherita pizza; I still don't know how I was able to get myself to leave this amazing food capital.

 

Oh and lots and lots of tiramisu… there is no such thing as too much tiramisu.

The second day we headed to the train station for Florence! Took us about 20 minutes to figure out that Florence in Italian in Firenze. We probably sounded like stupid Americans shouting "I don't see Florence on the schedule!" Luckily we eventually figured it out thanks to our good friend Google.

Florence was absolutely beautiful. We walked all over through the different alley ways with various shops and restaurants and along the river. The most breath taking moment was definitely the view of the river with the famous Ponte Veccio, a bridge with a bunch of shops all along it.

Our third and final day was definitely one I will never forget. We woke up early to get tickets for the Vatican. I had been to the Vatican about 8 years ago and it was just as beautiful as I remembered it to be. Incredible artwork everywhere, and the most meticulously detailed ceilings. Of course the ceiling in the Sistine Chapel was the most beautiful of them all (no photos allowed of the Sistine Chapel but this is one from the museum).

After the Vatican we jumped on another train to head to San Marinella beach! It was such a surreal moment swimming in the Mediterranean ocean surrounded by the beauty of Italy. The beach was definitely one of the highlights of my entire summer so far. The water was warm and the weather was absolutely perfect for a beach day. I couldn't have asked for a better way to end my trip in Italy. Well, the seafood pizza was actually a really nice ending to the trip.

Ciao!

Cambridge Formal

Our second formal was an absolute success! We had it at Kings on a beautiful warm day with a clear blue sky. We had a blast taking a bunch of goofy photos outside on the lawn (which is a treat to walk on the grass as shown by our celebratory kicks).

Dining in the beautiful dining hall is always an incredible experience. The long tables draped in white table cloths, and all of the paintings hanging on the walls really bring together the whole atmosphere.

The food was absolutely phenomenal! I didn't understand a single word on the menu but I ate it all anyway!

Weekend in London!

It has been about 9 years now since I last explored the incredible city of London. This past weekend was by far one of the best yet! It is hard to put into words how much fun I had with a great group of people in one of the greatest cities ever. We wasted no time when we got there. We dropped our stuff off at our extremely sketchy hostile, that oddly did not look anything like it did in the pictures; and then set off for the city. Our first stop was Westminster where we saw Buckingham palace, Westminster Abbey, The London Eye, and even watched Big Ben strike midnight.

The next day we got up early so we could head to the ticket booths to see Wicked! We were all so unbelievably excited to watch a musical in a London theater. Before the show some of us decided to go see the changing of the guards at Buckingham Palace. It amazed us how big of a crowd this ceremony draws and how elaborate the whole spectacle is.

Next stop on the list was Covent Garden. This was one of the most exciting market squares I have been too. There were so many cute shops, delicious places to eat, and exciting street performers on every corner. I absolutely loved the excitement of the whole place.

After walking around for a little it was finally time to head off to the theater to see Wicked! The show did not disappoint! The singing was incredible and it was such a weird experience, having seen the play before, to hear the show with a British accent! Definitely an experience I will never forget.

We then finished the rest of our day in London with some tea at the very place the Queen orders her tea, and grabbing some English food from a pub in Picadilly Square. Our trip to London was an absolute success and I cannot wait to head back to the city in just a few short weeks!

Weekend In Paris!

Paris was absolutely everything I imagined it to be! I was so unbelievably excited to explore a city that I had yet to be in. Vienna and I saw and ate so many exciting things during our short time in Paris. Our first stop was the Louvre, which was one of the most breathtaking museums I have ever been to. From the outside to the inside; there was so much detail and beautiful art.

Both of us were so excited to see the Eiffel Tower, so our next stop was to the most iconic building in Paris! It exceeded both of our expectations. Looking up at the giant tower on a beautiful sunny day with the hustle and bustle of tourists all around was a moment I will never forget. It felt so surreal being in Paris staring up at one of the most dazzling structures in the world.

We further explored the city, walking across the various bridges and going to Notre Dame. We surprisingly never had too many issues with the language barrier, which was definitely a relief for the both of us. I did find myself occasionally saying "donde esta…"but overall we made our way through the city and enjoyed the view the whole way.

Of course we were in Paris so we had to have some escargot! Vienna had never heard of it before and when I told her it was snails she nearly threw up on the spot. But I made her try it and after that she couldn't stop raving about how much she loved snails! I felt so nostalgic eating escargot in Paris with the Eiffel Tower in the background. Doesn't get more French than that!

Au revoir France!

My First Week

A lot has happened this first week! After only being at Cambridge for 4 days we set off for Edinburgh, Scotland! We walked downtown, went clubbing with men in kilts, and even had Scottish dance lessons. Even though we were freezing our butts off we hiked up large hills where we were greeted with over 60 mph winds and rain hitting us like hail. I had an amazing time just laughing with everyone as we tried not to go tumbling down.

We also went to a lighthouse right by the sea where we all sat on the rocks eating bread and cheese and admiring the beauty of Scotland. Once again it was cold and windy, but at least it wasn't raining! Nothing could dampen our spirits.

And of course it wouldn't be a trip to Scotland if I didn't have the traditional Scottish haggis! I was obviously the only one brave enough to try it. While I was eating haggis, everyone around me was having mac n' cheese. Classic Americans…

When we got back to Cambridge it was time to do the traditional English pastime of punting! We punted down the Cam river, and let me just say it is not as easy as it looks. The boats have a mind of their own and those poles weigh about 30lbs! It was exhausting but so much fun traveling down the river seeing our beautiful school from a different angle.

Of course none of this wonderful day would have been possible if we didn't have the day off for the Tour De France! It was so exciting to be there amongst everyone on the sides of the street as the cyclists passed by us before they set off on the 3rd stage. 

Let The Summer Begin

I have officially arrived at the Pembroke-King's College Program here at the University of Cambridge, and needless to say this is the most breath taking place I have ever had the privilege of living in. I arrived at my dorm and took one look out my window to find myself staring at the beautiful Cam river with dozens of people punting boats. The site was absolutely incredible. After moving in all of my stuff, which miraculously all fit into one suitcase, I said goodbye to my family and was then left alone, in a foreign country, with no one I knew. Thankfully, I walked into the lounge that everyone was gathered in and quickly made friends whom I laughed and joked with for hours.
Our first meal at Cambridge was in the dining hall, which looked straight out of Hogwarts (yes, I know the real one is at Oxford… who cares?) Once dinner was over we of course all decided to go out to the Pub's and have some drinks. It was pretty exciting drinking in a pub with a bunch of locals and watching the World Cup. Definitely an experience that is unique for an American like me.
After having a day of orientation and my first day of classes, I feel more and more excited about the journey that is ahead of me. Studying in a place like England has been a dream of mine ever since I came here nearly 10 years ago. Now, I am studying at one of the most prestigious schools in the entire world and I am so unbelievably grateful for the opportunity. It is hard to believe that this will be my home for the next two months.

First Stop: Berlin, Germany

What I always admire most when traveling are the beautiful and unique things that can only be found in the particular place I am traveling. Upon arriving in Berlin, I set out to try and see as many things that are unique to Germany.

To get the full experience of Berlin I toured through the city learning all about the history of this beautiful European city including the impacts of WWII and the Cold War. 

One such unique building that I admired was the Humboldt University of Berlin, which was the University to many intelligent minds including Albert Einstein.

Of course, as beautiful as the buildings are, there is one other thing that excites me about being in a foreign country. The food. Germany is known for meat & potatoes, apple strudel, and beer. So naturally, that's all I have had my entire four days here.

The most impacting part of my time in Germany was touring the concentration camp, Sachsenhausen. It has been one thing to grow up hearing about the horror of the Holocaust, but it was another to go to the site where the horror happened. Touring through Sachsenhausen and hearing the stories that were once lived through on the very grounds I was standing on was, for lack of a better word, a saddening experience. I am so grateful I was able to travel to Germany and visit a concentration camp; something I have always wanted to do and will never forget.