Milton Keynes 06/07/22
I had such an amazing time with the Knights and exploring more of England. I am headed home to the USA after being in Europe since January. It was so lovely to see everyone again before I left.
Stratford-upon-Avon 06/07/22
Gill and I had such a fun day exploring Stratford-upon-Avon where William Shakespeare is from! We saw the house he was born in, the house he and his wife lived in, and the house his wife Anne Hathaway grew up in. The town was so cute and we enjoyed walking around and poking in shops. They had beauti...
Canterbury 06/06/22
I got to see Zoe today!! We had a great day exploring Canterbury, England. We saw the beautiful cathedral, walked around old town, saw the Chaucer statue, some fun houses, and the river. It was so lovely to see Zoe again and explore another part of England!
Oxford 06/05/22
We had a great day exploring Oxford today! We had a great tour guide and I loved seeing all of the Harry Potter filming sites including the infirmary, where McGonagall teaches the Gryffindors to dance, the stairs to the Great Hall, and the room that inspired the Great Hall, along with some courtyard...
Bletchley Park 06/04/22
Today we went to Bletchley Park! That’s where the allies cracked the German Enigma code in WWII and it was really cool to see. I loved hearing about all of the women that did incredible work there. We got to go through all of the different buildings where different tasks of reading the messages occu...
Stony Stratford 06/04/22
I had a lovely day with the Knights exploring the area near them! We had breakfast in Stony Stratford which is such a cute town! We went to “the worst costa” and “the best co-op”. Tonight we celebrated the Jubilee with a neighborhood party where I was chosen as the “guest of honor” to light the beac...
London 06/03/22
Today Josh flew back to Seattle, which I believe officially makes me the last one still in Europe. Sad to be apart for a few months but I am so excited to be spending a little bit more time in England with the Knight Family! After bringing Josh to the airport I went to Buckingham Palace to see the P...
Istanbul 06/01/22
We’ve done a lot of day trips on our travels, but this might be the coolest on paper. Today we went to Asia! It’s general consensus that the river that divides the city of Istanbul into East and West is also the diving line between the continents of Europe and Asia. Again, depending on who you ask b...
Istanbul 05/31/22
Last night we arrived in our final new country of the trip, Istanbul Turkey! Today we started with the Grand Bazar which was absolutely huge! I loved seeing the beautiful lamps and getting some cool souvenirs. I was told so many times today that I looked Turkish and asked if I was from here. I told...
Bran Castle 05/29/22
Today we took a trip to Bran Castle, more commonly known as Dracula’s Castle in Transylvania! We were a bit disappointed that an entire school with about 300 kids was there, they definitely should have a limit for the amount of people allowed in with such narrow passages and small rooms. We were exc...
Brasov 05/28/22
Transylvania Mania! Today Josh and I took the train from Bucharest to Brasov in the Transylvania region of Romania. It is such a cute city and we are staying right by the main square. It was a bit rainy today but that did not stop the massive festival happening downtown! It reminded me a lot of the...
Bucharest 05/27/22
Today Josh and I went to the most beautiful bookstore in Bucharest, Romania! 8th grade Kaitlyn would have died, it was four stories and had beautiful architecture and stairs. We also explored the city and saw the Royal Palace, explored Old Town, and saw the former Dictator’s Palace which is now the...
Sofia 05/25/22
Josh and I enjoyed 2 days exploring Sofia, Bulgaria. We started by visiting the beautiful and grand St Alexander Nevski Cathedral and the nearby Church of St Nicholas the Miracle-Maker. Beautiful architecture and colors. We then walked to the main street, Vitosha Boulevard. We enjoyed walking along...
Zagreb 05/24/22
One short day in Zagreb! We had a 12 hour layover and made the most of it seeing the city! I was really excited to see St Mark’s Church with the unique roof. We visited Ban Jelacic Square, walked along Tkalciceva Street, and wandered around both upper and lower town. We saw the National Theatre, Lot...
Split 05/23/22
We had a great afternoon in Split, Croatia! We explored old town and enjoyed the underground market. The boardwalk/marina is beautiful as well. We were looking for just a simple drink out but most places were only serving dinner. Josh comments frequently that “every city has an Irish Pub” so that’s...
Hvar 05/23/22
This morning Josh and I visited the island of Hvar! We had a few hours to explore Hvar Town including the Old Town, Marina, and visit the Homo Ex Humo special exhibition. The exhibit had artifacts that were recently found around Hvar old town including ancient skeletons, coffins, artifacts, etc. fro...
Dubrovnik 05/21/22
We had a great and relaxing full day in Dubrovnik! I was very happy to sleep in, then we enjoyed the buffet breakfast! We sat at the outdoor pool and had drinks from every bar at the resort! We walked along the beach and saw a little bit of the surrounding area as well! This is attempt #3 for me sin...
Dubrovnik 05/20/22
Today we arrived in Dubrovnik, Croatia! We really enjoyed exploring old town when we arrived and seeing the history and scenery. We had a bit of a scary situation when our airbnb unexpectedly became an unsafe place to be, and I am beyond grateful to my parents for helping us find a new place to stay...
Kotor 05/19/22
Today Josh and I took a day trip to Kotor, Montenegro! Kotor is located on Kotor Bay near the Croatian boarder. It has beautiful water and scenery and a lovely old town. We visited the Cat Museum which Josh was super excited for, and we saw two baby kittens inside! I’m allergic to cats and even I wa...
Podgorica 05/18/22
Today we flew from Belgrade to Podgorica, Montenegro! Podgorica has been called “the most boring capital in Europe” by many websites with top suggestions on sites like trip advisor being “day trip out of the city” and “the shopping mall”. Lucky for us tomorrow we are doing a day trip to the coast an...
Belgrade 05/17/22
Early this morning Josh and I flew from Skopje to Belgrade, Serbia! I was not expecting to love Belgrade as much as I did, it’s a beautiful city. Today we made the long walk to Saint Sava Temple, which is beautiful on the inside and outside. We passed by Novi Dvor where the President lives, visited...
Pristina 05/16/22
Today Josh and I made a day trip to Pristina, Kosovo! Kosovo is recognized as an independent country by 117 countries, with the U.S. being one of its earliest supporters. Serbia still claims Kosovo as part of their country. In Kosovo, they LOVE America and they LOVE the Clintons. In 1999 President C...
Skopje 05/15/22
Today is the first day of just Josh and I for the rest of our Eastern Europe travels. This morning we took a bus to Skopje, the capital of North Macedonia. We have a lovely airbnb apartment with a balcony. We enjoyed walking around the city, seeing Macedonia Square, the Stone Bridge which was built...
Ohrid 05/15/22
After weeks of the weather report saying thunderstorms all day today, we woke up to a surprise and got sun until 3pm! We loved exploring more of Ohrid. This morning we expected to have sun until 10am so we got up early to go on a boat ride on Lake Ohrid, see the Church of Saint John, climb up to Tsa...
Lake Ohrid 05/13/22
We’ve made it to Lake Ohrid, North Macedonia! We left Saranda early this morning and took the long bus back up to Tirana where we caught another bus to Ohrid. It is so beautiful here, we are grateful we had some time to explore this afternoon since it is scheduled to thunderstorm the rest of the tim...
Saranda 05/12/22
Today is our last day in Saranda. We are some of the only people at the resort so the breakfast today was not even a buffet, they just took our orders. We went back to the main boardwalk area and just enjoyed wandering around and relaxing. We came back to the resort for dinner and sitting by the bea...
Saranda 05/11/22
Today we got to sleep in for the first time in a while. We walked down to the main part of town where there is a beautiful pier on the ocean lined with shops. We spent some time on the beach, getting some cocktails, and enjoying the scenery.
Saranda 05/10/22
This morning we made the long journey to the southern coast to Saranda, Albania! The bus ride took about 5 hours but it was not as bad as I expected. Saranda is a beautiful coastal town and it has many Greek and Italian influences. We can see Greece from our hotel room view. We are staying in a beau...
Tirana 05/09/22
Today we flew from London to Tirana, the capital of Albania. We had a bit of trouble finding our airbnb and navigating the city. We were there just for the night and we cooked pasta for dinner at 10pm before having a quick sleep.
Milton Keynes 05/08/22
We said a sad goodbye to Damian who went home to the US today, but we finally got our pictures in our matching EU shirts. Today we start the next chapter of this incredible European adventure and are excited to see some unexpected new places!
London 05/08/22
We flew back to London from Dublin. Sylvia and I got rush tickets to Frozen which was so fun! We loved seeing all the little Elsa’s in the audience and the beautiful set and costumes. I particularly loved at the opening announcements after turn off your phones they said “we’d like to give a special...
Dublin 05/07/22
Yesterday we arrived in Dublin, Ireland! Last night we went to a pub in Temple Bar which had 3 stories, ate dinner on the roof garden, and had drinks on a level playing Christmas music. We got up early this morning to go to Trinity College where we saw the Book of Kells from 800AD and their beautifu...
Edinburgh 05/05/22
We had a great time exploring the Royal Mile in Edinburgh today! We started at the Edinburgh Castle where we saw the Scottish War Museum, Crown Jewels, and beautiful architecture. We walked along the mile and enjoyed the “Scottish Whisky Experience” where we rode in a barrel ride and sampled Scotch....
Edinburgh 05/04/22
We had a great afternoon getting to know Edinburgh! We started by walking up Calton Hill to see the beautiful views of the city. We were so surprised by all the beautiful angles from up there where you could get the cliffs or the city in your picture. Afterwards we walked around downtown, saw the Ed...
London 05/04/22
This morning we made our way to Kings Cross London and visited the Harry Potter Platform 9 3/4 before we followed the Hogwarts Express route ourselves up to Edinburgh, Scotland! A new country for all of us. We are excited to explore the next few days!
London 05/03/22
We had a crazy transportation day but we made it to the Knight Family’s house! It is helping us out so much that they are hosting us and letting us leave our extra luggage while we travel! We then had an AMAZING time sitting in the FRONT ROW at SIX in the West End! It was so incredible to finally se...
Cardiff 05/02/22
Today we checked off another new country with a day trip to Cardiff, Wales! We visited Cardiff Castle and saw different buildings around the complex. We walked through the city and saw the different arcades, before heading down to Cardiff Bay. Sylvia and I went on the Ferris wheel on the pier, and t...
London 05/01/22
We made it to London! Yesterday we said goodbye to Belgium and made our way to the UK on the Eurostar train to begin our post-study abroad adventure. Today we saw all the main sights in London including Big Ben (which I had never seen before, it was under construction last time I was here), Tower Br...
Brussels 04/29/22
I cannot believe that our time in Brussels is coming to an end! Today we took our last final exam and are officially seniors! We are so sad to leave Brussels tomorrow but so excited for the journey ahead of us this month! Today we said goodbye to downtown Brussels visiting the Grand Place, Mont des...
Brussels 04/23/22
I had a great day exploring a part of Brussels I hadn’t seen yet! I went to the Atomium which was built for the 1958 Worlds Fair which was held in Brussels. I really enjoyed going up to the top and seeing the exhibits inside, especially the “a view from my Window” which put together photos from arou...
Brussels 04/21/22
I am so excited to be back in Brussels after being stuck in Cyprus quarantine. Josh met me at the airport and I was excited to see Noelle and Sylvia and friends at school.
Perivolia 04/19/22
After lots and lots of drinking and time of the beach yesterday, this morning we found out that we are leaving Cyprus at 5am tomorrow (Wednesday) and will be back in Brussels by 10:30am. I cannot be more excited to get out of quarentine, get back to Belgium, and to see Josh, my host mom Noelle, and...
Larnaca 04/18/22
Today we were able to go into the city of Larnaca to get our day 6 covid tests. We were not able to rejoin the group to fly home because the results did not come in in time but we are able to leave on Wednesday. After our test we took the opportunity to see a little bit of Cyprus since we've been he...
Perivolia 04/16/22
Our beach house is quite nice, we have a beautiful view of the water and beach access. Our spirits have been low but at least we have a nice place to tough this out.
Nicosia 04/15/22
We had a very scary day yesterday with a lot of miscommunication about where we were being sent to quarantine. After a day of worrying we figured it out with AU last night and we will be heading to Larnaca to isolate, but we get to stay at a rental beach house instead of a state facility! I said som...
Nicosia 04/13/22
The third year of living in a pandemic and I’m positive for Covid for the first time. And on a school trip to Cyprus at that. I am always very careful with my mask and am fully vaccinated, as are my classmates. In Bosnia and Herzegovina where we were last week, they have around a 20% vaccination rat...
Warsaw 03/18/22
This morning we flew from Krakow, Poland to Prague, Czechia (Czech Republic) with a stop in Warsaw! It was a very emotional morning seeing all of the Ukrainian refugees at the airports in Poland trying to get further in to the European Union. We gave our remaining Polish currency to families with sm...
Pocitelj and Zitomislici 04/10/22
We made a quick stop in two other towns before heading back to Sarajevo. Pocitelj was a 15th century town built into a hill and Zitomislici had an Orthodox Monastery.
Blagaj 04/10/22
We made a stop in Blagaj, BiH which was right along the river. The river was flooding a little when we were there so it was rushing quite quickly. The water was a beautiful blue-green color, and there was a cave! We were able to walk along the paths and see the water from all different angles.
Mostar 04/10/22
I was very excited to go to Mostar today! It is a 15th century town in Southern Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is famous for the "old bridge" which we were able to see from a few different angles including the top of a Mosque, on the rocks below the bridge, and walking on the bridge itself. It was a bea...
Jablanica 04/10/22
On our way to Mostar today we were able to stop and see some beautiful scenery including mountains and rivers. It was a great drive down to visit Southern Bosnia.
Sarajevo 04/08/22
Yesterday we had some time to explore Sarajevo, we went to the Bascarsija market with beautiful souvenirs and shops. We also walked through the old town and saw beautiful views. Today I took the cable cars up to the top of the mountains surrounding the city and I saw the Olympic Bobsled track! It is...
Sarajevo 04/06/22
Today we began our 12 day long trip with the program! We met the Easter Bunny at Brussels airport and got Belgian chocolate from him! We had a quick change in Vienna before flying to Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina! We had a quick walking tour of old town this evening where we saw the Turkish distr...
Bologna 04/03/22
Today is our last day in Italy! This morning we went and saw a little bit of Bologna, the town we have been staying in. We went downtown to the Piazza Maggiore main square, saw some street performers, beautiful buildings, and some ancient Roman ruins. After exploring for a little bit we walked to th...
Rimini 04/02/22
In order to get back to Bologna from San Marino we needed to transfer in Rimini, Italy. We scheduled are bus and train to give us some time to see the city before heading back. We saw a 2,000 year old bridge built by the Romans, we walked along the marina, and we saw the beach and Adriatic Sea. We w...
San Marino 04/02/22
This morning we made our way to another new country, San Marino! San Marino is one of 5 micro-countries in Europe along with the more well-known Vatican City and Monaco. San Marino is about 24 miles in its total area and located in the Northern part of the Italian Peninsula. Today we visited the Old...
Bologna 04/01/22
Today Josh and I flew out of the secondary Brussels airport, Charleroi, to Bologna, Italy! We went early in the morning to the airport and we spent the day booking our travel for the next few months! Our flight was at 5:30pm and when we arrived in Italy we went to a restaurant that had numerous awar...
Barcelona 03/27/22
We had a wonderful weekend in Barcelona that was way too short! Today we went to Sagrada Familia, which after 133 years of construction is still not finished. It was designed by Gaudi who I studied last year in my online Mediterranean Art History class based out of AU Madrid. It is beautiful on the...
Barcelona 03/26/22
Spending my 21st birthday weekend in Barcelona, Spain! Somewhere I’ve wanted to go since I was 5 years old from the Cheetah Girls 2! We got in late last night and had a birthday surprise hotel room upgrade and Cava (Spanish champagne) from my family! This morning we went to Park Guell which has beau...
Brussels 03/25/22
My 21st birthday! Yesterday we were on the Belgian News talking about Ukraine! I was interviewed and they used two clips of me speaking in the final edit for TV! After class we went to dinner in downtown Brussels and to a Ukraine Support Night at a nightclub which my Internship supervisor invited me...
Vienna 03/20/22
Today we are heading back to Brussels after 10 days of traveling Central Europe for Spring Break! This brings my country count up to 17! I was impressed with myself for fitting everything including souvenirs in my carry on luggage (thank you Josh for taking a few things so I didn't have to check a b...
Brussels 03/10/22
This morning we had midterms and afterwards we went downtown to celebrate the beginning of Spring Break. We got waffles at our favorite place, The Waffle Factory and took some photos at the Grand Place. We got some Brussels souvenirs before heading home to pack for our trip!
Prague 03/19/22
Today was our second day in Prague and our last day of spring break! We visited Prague Castle this morning and went into the different buildings on the complex. We saw beautiful views of the city from various viewpoints around the castle including at a cafe Josh and I went to. We spent some time wan...
Prague 03/18/22
When we arrived in Prague we checked in to our airbnb and explored the area. We saw Wenceslas Square and Old Town, before going to watch the Prague Astronomical Clock ring at 5pm. We then went to the Charles Bridge for sunset which was beautiful. We saw views of Prague Castle which we will be going...
Auschwitz 03/17/22
Today was a very emotional and powerful day. We visited Auschwitz Concentration Camp where approximately 1.1 million people, primarily Jewish people, were killed by the Nazis. Josh has suspected Roma heritage (more commonly known as gypsy, which is actually a slur towards that group of people. Altho...
Krakow 03/16/22
Today we are in Krakow, Poland! We arrived this morning and explored the main square and saw the Wawel complex which has a cathedral and palace. We donated to Ukrainian refugees since they are coming to Poland, everything we donate here is effective right away. Local legend includes a Krakow dragon,...
Budapest 03/15/22
Our second day in Budapest, Hungary! It was a national holiday in memorial of the Revolution of 1848 in Hungary so there were lots of flags and celebrations! We went to Buda Castle which we thought might be closed for the holiday, but turns out it was free admission for the day! We also went to Fish...
Budapest 03/14/22
Today we took a 3 hour bus from Bratislava to Budapest, Hungary! We rode the Ferris Wheel, explored the area we’re staying in, and got souvenirs and groceries! Josh made dinner for everyone at the Airbnb and it was wonderful! Tonight we went walking along the river Danube to see the Hungarian Parlia...
Bratislava 03/13/22
We have one day in Bratislava, Slovakia! We left Vienna today and arrived in Bratislava where we have an adorable Airbnb. We started by visiting Bratislava Castle which was beautiful on the inside and out. I was surprised to find that inside was not just about the castle, but a museum of the history...
Vienna 03/12/22
We started with an early morning at the Schönbrunn Palace, the Summer Palace of the Hapsburgs. We arrived an hour before it opened so we could explore the grounds before going inside. It was beautiful and similar to Versailles! Then we went to the city center and went to The Hofburg where the Sisi M...
Vienna 03/11/22
Last night we arrived in Vienna, landing at about 10pm. We made our way to our hostel and when we got out of the cab we noticed that the fire alarm was going off and everyone was coming out of the building. We assumed the problem would be over quickly but soon after 6 fire trucks arrived with at lea...
Paris 02/13/22
Today we went to the Louvre where we saw the Mona Lisa, Liberty Leading the People, Hammurabi’s Code, Winged Victory, and many other wonderful works. We ended our visit in Montmartre where we saw Sacre Coeur and rode on Le Petit Train through the village. A wonderful early Valentines Day!
Paris 02/12/22
Today we climbed the Arc De Triomphe and saw beautiful views at the top. There were anti-mask protestors and there were lots of French military around the city. I particularly enjoyed the police officers in roller skates. We added a lock to the love lock bridge which was very exciting for me. We wen...
St. Julian's 03/06/22
This afternoon we went to the town St. Julian’s where we walked along the promenade. It is a beautiful walk, we stopped at many spots along the way and visited St. Julian’s Beach and Balluta Bay. It was so beautiful there and the weather was perfect! We found a spot serving bottomless brunch right o...
Valletta 03/06/22
We are officially in love with Malta and so sad that we have to leave today! This morning we spent some time in Valletta, explored the narrow streets, and went to the top of the Barrakka Gardens where there was a beautiful view of the city. It has been really interesting to see the mix of Italian, B...
Gozo 03/05/22
We spent a little time walking around the capital city of Valletta before taking a ferry over to the second biggest island, Gozo! We landed in Mgarr and a cab driver offered to take us around the island all night for a very fair price! Gozo is home to the oldest structure in the entire world, dating...
Sliema 03/05/22
We began our day today with a boat tour around the grand harbor from Sliema. We went on a traditional Maltese boat, explored the main area of Sliema, and found some tourist shops! We then had lunch at a wonderful Sicilian/Maltese restaurant where everything was homemade! We got handmade garlic bread...
Malta 03/04/22
Tonight we arrived in Malta! Malta is a small country of islands in the Mediterranean near Sicily. It also happens to be where the Maltese dogs originate from so I was very excited to call Pippa and show her her homeland on FaceTime! It is absolutely beautiful, warm, and full of history.
Luxembourg 03/02/22
Today was the last day of our 5 day trip with the program! We visited the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg where we watched a Court case live and heard from guest speakers. We later got to go into the chamber room. Afterwards we visited the American Cemetery in Luxembourg for WWII soldiers. G...
Luxembourg 03/01/22
We arrived in Luxembourg City, Luxembourg this afternoon and we have loved exploring the city! We have a beautiful view of the museum which looks like a castle from our balcony! We visited the Grand Duke’s Palace, and The Grund which is at the bottom of the gorge. At dinner they brought over free ch...
Schengen 03/01/22
We drove to Schengen, Luxembourg which is where the Schengen Agreement was signed, opening the borders within Europe. We saw France, Germany, and Luxembourg from the same spot and enjoyed walking along the river.
Maginot Line 03/01/22
This morning we drove to the Hackenberg Fort at the Maginot Line in France where the French set up to protect the border in WWII. We had a tour around the fort and we got to ride on the train within the fort on the original railways. Josh and Damian really enjoyed the tour.
Metz 02/28/22
We have since made our way to Menz, France where we have visited the main square Place Saint Louis, saw an adorable fairytale carousel, and a the cutest tiny buses! We are here for just one night and leaving early in the morning!
Strasbourg 02/28/22
We spent the day in Strasbourg, France! We visited the Council of Europe where we had a tour of the building, saw the chamber, and heard from a guest speaker. Later we had crepes, saw the cathedral, and walked around the beautiful city. I had possibly the best cookie I’ve had since being in Europe a...
Strasbourg 02/27/22
We have since made our way to Strasbourg, France and had a short walking tour with our Professor tonight! We are looking forward to visiting the Council of Europe tomorrow and seeing some of the sights in the daytime!
Riquewihr 02/27/22
Today we explored the Alsace region which is in between France and Germany and has switched back and forth between the two countries throughout history. Today it is part of France. We first visited Riquewihr, a village that looks like a fairytale town out of Beauty and the Beast! It was really prett...
Trier 02/26/22
We had a great time today exploring Trier, Germany! It was my first time to West Germany and first time back since 2016 Worlds. Our Professor brought us on a tour of all of the Roman Ruins dating back to the 1200s. We saw the Ponte Nigra city gate and climbed to the top, saw a beautiful cathedral, t...
Trier 02/25/22
We have made our way further east from Bastogne and are ending the night in Trier, Germany. This is my first time back to Germany since the World Tap Championships in 2016 and it will be my first time exploring West Germany! We saw a tiny bit of the town tonight and are excited to see more tomorrow....
Bastogne 02/25/22
Today we started our first big trip with the program! Our 5 days began with exploring Bastogne, Belgium where the Battle of the Bulge took place in WWII. I really enjoyed the museum and thought it was very well done. I learned a lot about what occurred in the spots we were seeing. We later saw the m...
Lille 02/20/22
We had a quick day trip the Lille, France! Only 30 minutes on the train from Brussels. We explored the Old Town and their Grand Place, went to the Sunday Market, visited the house where Charles De Gaulle was born, and Palais de Beaux Arts museum. I’m so glad we got to go to this beautiful city that...
Brussels 02/17/22
Today was Josh's 21st birthday! We went to dinner at a nice restaurant in downtown Brussels before heading to Delirium bar, which holds the world record for having the most beers, over 2,000. We were seated next to a group of men from Florida, I told them it was Josh's 21st and they gave him a free...
Waterloo 02/19/22
Today we visited Waterloo, Belgium! Our professor brought us on a tour of the battlefield, we visited the museum, and climbed the Butte de Lion and got beautiful views of the area. We learned a lot of the history, the exhibits were really well done. We were there for nearly the whole day and I am re...
Paris 02/11/22
We had a wonderful time celebrating Valentine’s Day weekend in Paris! It was Josh’s first time in France! We arrived Friday night and walked by the Eiffel Tower to get to our gorgeous hotel where we enjoyed free champagne and macaroons! We had crepes by the Eiffel Tower and walked around for a bit,...
Brussels 02/08/22
I had my first day of my internship today with Open Dialogue Foundation! I am very excited to be working with this company that fights for Human Rights and democracy in post-soviet countries such as Ukraine, Moldova, and Kazakhstan. I am looking forward to getting more involved with the company and...
Amsterdam 02/05/22
We spent our first free weekend visiting Amsterdam! The Netherlands marked my 10th country! We took an early morning bus from Brussels, and checked into our first ever hostel in downtown Amsterdam. We actually really enjoyed it! We bought the Amsterdam city passes and had access to everything in the...
Disneyland Paris 02/02/22
I unexpectedly had the day off today and none of my classmates did. So I did the obvious thing and took an early morning train from Brussels to Disneyland Paris! I have been wanting to go for so long and I am so glad I did! I went to both Disneyland Park and Disney Studios (along with Disney Village...
Ghent 01/30/22
We spent the night in Antwerp, Belgium and took a morning train to Ghent. I think this was our favorite city we have visited yet. We visited the Gravensteen Castle, St. Bavo’s Cathedral, walked along the canals, had buckets of pasta for lunch (one thing we need in the usa), and took in the beautiful...
Antwerp 01/29/22
Today we took a group trip to Antwerp, Belgium. It was our first time staying overnight. We saw the Antwerp Diamond district where 80% of the worlds diamonds pass through, the Steen castle built in 1200, 16th century houses, the port of Antwerp, the shopping district, grote markt, Cathedral of our L...
Bruges 01/23/22
We took our first group trip to Brugge, Belgium (Brugge- dutch Bruges- french). Brugge is located in the Flanders region where they speak Flemish. It has beautiful canals and architecture. We enjoyed a tour given by our professor and some free time to explore the city! We visited the main square, cl...
Brussels 01/22/22
Today Josh and I went downtown to visit the Grand Place, M’ont dés Art, Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert, and Palais Royal where the royal family lives. Sylvia was released from quarantine after a false positive test and she met us at the Royal Museum of Fine Arts, a nightime trip to the Grand Place, M...
Brussels 01/21/22
Today was our first full day in Brussels where we got to explore the city a bit more! We woke up to the great news that we had tested negative for Covid-19 which meant we were allowed to leave quarantine. My host mom is so kind and got me a Belgian Waffle for my first breakfast! The house and the ne...
DC to Brussels 01/19/22
We are starting our journey to Brussels, Belgium this morning! Josh and I celebrate our one year anniversary today as well. We are flying from Washington D.C. to New York, then we fly from New York to Brussels. We should arrive in Brussels early in the morning. We are excited to finally be going to...