I Studied Abroad in 2019

Hi everyone, I’m back with another post after months of chaos! In this blog, I’ll be discussing my study abroad adventures from 2019, where I visited Germany, the Netherlands, and England, plus a couple of other places as well.

As with many memorable events in my life, the decision to spend almost a month traveling Europe was made on a whim. I was studying business management at USF when the opportunity presented itself.
This trip wasn’t like most study abroad ones, where you spend an entire semester across seas, but instead only 2 weeks. In that time frame we’d travel from Germany to Netherlands, and end our trip in
the UK. My girlfriends and I then decided to spend a few days in Paris, and I stopped by Zurich on my way back to the states to visit my cousins in Switzerland. So in a span of 3 weeks, it was A LOT of moving around. This trip was especially exciting because I had never been to Europe before.

This was back in 2019, when a good friend of mine (shoutout to Val) needed to study abroad to fulfill her International Business degree requirements. She wanted a travel buddy just as much as I wanted to tag along on her fun adventures, so it was the perfect situation for us both! Just before the trip we befriended someone amazing that’s like a sister to us today, and it worked out so well that this fated
connection happened when it did.

I’m gonna purposely leave out details of the “studying” aspect of the study abroad adventure because we basically just visited breweries and automobile production plants, which was fun in some ways, but
nothing really worth noting (until Netherlands-I’ll get to that later.) Our first stop was in Munich, Germany. The first thing I noticed here was how clean everything was, and how there was practically no
litter anywhere. This was one of my favorite countries I visited since everyone kept to themselves and respected each other’s space, even in packed metros (which my introverted self appreciates.)

Speaking of the metro there, I don’t think I ever grasped any of the routes. Out of all the countries I’ve ever visited, I didn’t remotely learn how to navigate the metros in Germany the way I easily could in Italy or Spain, for example. There was a night my friends and I even got stuck after everyone had left the metros for the night and the poor conductor had to let us off after he was done for the night (oops).

One of my favorite spots I visited in Germany was Neuschwanstein Castle. It’s located on the Alps in Bavaria, and it’s actually the inspiration for Cinderella’s castle! Getting there, we had to take a bus and walk uphill for quite some time. After the trek, there’s a little bridge that can be found where most Instagram photos of Neuschwanstein Castle are taken since it’s the perfect view/shot, but sadly it was closed when we got there, so we had to admire from another angle that in my opinion, was equally as beautiful.

Another favorite spot I went to was Nymphenburg Palace, which is a Baroque palace and park situated in Munich. It has one of the most beautiful rooms and gardens I’ve seen, and wish to return there one day. The guards were even making fun of how many photos we had to get of the place, and photobombed us here and there. It’s so easy to feel like royalty when you’re at Nymphenburg Palace, even if you’re a mere visitor. Being exposed to that type of architecture for the first time was such a magical experience I wish I could re-live all over again.

We then stopped by Amsterdam for a couple of days on the way to the UK. This is a fun spot to visit, and there’s so much to see in such little time. Remember when I mentioned earlier that I’d talk about the breweries here? There’s a place called the Heineken Experience in which you get to immerse yourself in an interactive tour of a former brewery, and there’s a tasting room at the end! When I was there, admission included two free drinks. I sadly don’t have any photos from here because I honestly forgot to take any, considering how much fun I was having. Essentially, you were taken into different rooms, some of which have flashing lights and feel like a disco, and other rooms you were taken to had explanations of how the beer was prepared. If you ever go to Amsterdam, I highly recommend visiting the Heineken Experience.

Another place I highly recommend is the Van Gogh Museum. It’s packed with his most famous works, and some of them, like Starry Night, was placed in another museum as they transport it to multiple spots so unfortunately, I didn’t get to experience that one, but there were so many that stop you dead in your tracks as you try to decipher his meaning behind all of them. If you like museums, visiting this place is a MUST, as well as going to the Rijksmuseum. I’m someone who can recognize works of art by whether or not I’ve seen them in Animal Crossing, which is hilarious because one of the paintings, The Milkmaid by Johannes Vermeer, was one that was so cool to finally see in person.

One final place I’ll quickly mention was Zaanse Schans. I unfortunately, for some reason, only have one photo from this spot even though it was absolutely breathtaking. It is located in the province of North Holland, near Amsterdam, and is an old neighborhood with windmills, lots of clogs, and exhibits. It feels like a quaint, quiet town that you wish you could retire in. The countryside here is so different from Amsterdam, due to its wooden houses and old feel, but it is quite literally one of the cutest spots I’ve ever been to.

Up next is the UK, and more specifically, England. It was the last country we visited on our study-abroad trip, right before my girlfriends and I ran off to France. We only stayed a couple of days there and visited brewery after brewery. (Not much to say about them, just lots of beer.) Some of my favorite spots to explore were Tower Bridge, St. Paul’s Cathedral (where we went down to the Crypt AND climbed all the way to the top), and Windsor Castle. My only regret was that I have nothing to document my time in the Crypt, as video and photos weren’t allowed; however, I definitely recommend giving that place a visit, as it’s both spooky and historical (did you know you can reserve the Crypt for special events??)

I also had desserts at the cutest spot ever, called Peggy Porschen Cakes, and even visited Stonehenge, which is even cooler to see in person. If memory serves me correctly, I believe there’s specific parking, then you’re taken there by bus. They come and go all the time, so you can stay for a while to lie down in the grass and take some pictures there. Stonehenge was one of my favorite spots of this entire trip.

From London, we took a Eurostar to Paris, which took a little over 2 hours. I’m no stranger to the Paris effect, which, if you haven’t heard of, is a phenomenon in which one visits Paris with the expectation that it will be the most magical, romantic place, only to be extremely disappointed by the reality of it. Since I was well-acquainted to this idea already, I didn’t have high expectations. However, I will say that if you know where to go and what to explore, Paris *can* be very beautiful (if you know how to avoid pick-pocketers/scammers).

My favorite thing about Paris, besides the Eiffel Tower sparkling at night, is the food. There were SO many bakeries and cafes on every corner and the simplest foods somehow tasted better than at home (baguettes, croissants, pretty much any type of bread) and the desserts were amazing. We visited a McDonalds where macarons were sold, and our Airbnb was walking distance from a bakery that sold one of the best chocolate desserts I think I’ve ever had. After leaving Paris, I’m *still* trying to perfect my own macaron recipe, over 4 years later.

One of the days, we visited the Palace of Versailles. This was the residence of kings such as Louis XIV and Louis XVI. I recommend buying tickets in advance online and then getting there as early as you possibly can. The line for pre-purchased tickets were already out the door by the time we got there (around 9 am) and the line to purchase tickets were even longer. We didn’t walk through the palace in the typical order, and instead bolted straight towards the Hall of Mirrors. Its beautiful Baroque interiors made me feel like royalty as I walked through it, and it was especially magical since my girlfriends and I had it all to ourselves for the first couple minutes (it gets packed QUICKLY).

The Gardens of Versailles were breathtaking as well. It’s absolutely massive and quite impressive, with the amount of upkeep it takes to maintain every day. There’s a little restaurant which is outdoors if you walk far enough inwards, in which my friends and I enjoyed sandwiches and crepes with cappuccinos.

If you ever visit Paris, you’d be doing it all wrong if you DON’T visit the Palace of Versailles. In fact, it’s really one of the only remedies to that Paris syndrome everyone talks about anyway.

The Champs-Élysées is very close to the Louvre and contains the Arc de Triomph. It has many designer stores and cafes, and is definitely the most popular place to shop at and have a glass of wine while you’re visiting.

I don’t remember too well how we got there, but I do know of a not-so-obvious entrance to the Louvre. In fact, there are four different entrances you can take. The one we took was slightly less busy, located in Galerie du Carrousel, which took us through some of the shops at the Louvre. I believe we also purchased tickets in advance, therefore the lines were not too terrible, but as this is one of the most famous museums in the world, you’re bound to wait some long lines despite ordering tickets in advance or not.

You’ll have to forgive me for not knowing classical pieces of art very well, but the Winged Victory of Samothrace was the coolest sculpture I saw at the Louvre, mainly because it was something else I recognized from Animal Crossing (I know). However, it’s awesome regardless, because it overlooks the crowd at the top of the Daru staircase. It was originally found on the island of Samothrace, north of the Aegean Sea, and this sculpture from the Hellenistic Era is actively being sought after by Greece for its return.

The Louvre famously houses the Mona Lisa, as you may know. I’d say at worst, the crowds to see her feel like a mosh pit, so I’m not sure that I would recommend trying to get a close look at her on a particularly busy day, as there’s way too many awesome pieces to admire throughout the rest of the museum. Getting to say I saw the Mona Lisa in person is somewhat brag-worthy, though. I do not have a photo of her, however, because I was reconsidering my life choices after being in that crowd and thought an up-close quick glance at one of the most famous paintings in the world would suffice.

Paris is really not that intimidating if you do proper research before going and have an itinerary planned. Definitely purchase tickets in advance for places such as the Palace of Versailles and the Louvre, and try getting there when it first opens, if you’re able. Download an app that is my personal favorite to use for public transport, called CityMapper (not sponsored). I used it almost every day when I first moved to Spain and when I visited Italy with my family. That along with google maps will be your best friend. Don’t be afraid to show off any French phrases with the locals, as they actually really appreciate the effort, rather than feeling like they’re expected to cater to your own language if you have any questions and need some help. Definitely ignore people who come up to you to try and shove objects in your hands such as jewelry or flowers, as these are likely scams and they will expect money for it. Keep your purses close to you, and never set your phone or any valuables down on a table while at a cafe or restaurant. More often than not, someone will take that as an opportunity to snag it. Definitely don’t keep anything in your pockets, and be stern if you must. Basically, trust no one. However, there’s a fat chance you’ll deal with this in other popular cities as well, especially in Europe; so it’s not just Paris. I will definitely be back in France one day, but maybe to visit the countryside.

Lastly, I took a quick stop to Zurich to visit some family with my mom. For some reason, it was really hard to find photos from this trip. I fell in love with Switzerland and have since been; it’s all green and lush and eased my stressed American mind for a bit. One of my favorite stops were this chocolate museum in Buchs, Aargau called Chocolat Frey where we got sample after sample of chocolate (sadly I was so immersed in the experience I didn’t even think to take photos, but there is a tiny video saved onto my Instagram reels of Switzerland.

Ruine Stein was a really cool area in which I got to climb upwards and admire the town below us, which felt straight out of a fairytale. Then we went to Feldbrunnen, where we got to walk around for a bit and explore the pretty sights. Seengen is a cute municipality that has a castle and feels dreamy to walk around, and Feldbrunnen was another dreamy, fairytale town that had lots of nature and perfect photo ops.

I feel guilty rushing through the Switzerland part of this blog post because really all I have to say about it is that it’s absolutely beautiful and hands-down the most beautiful country I’ve been to overall. The people are also great and keep to themselves. I’ve since been back December of 2021 and have enjoyed it just as much.

Now onto our Tarot card pulling! <3

Four of Swords; I actually find this quite fitting right after the new moon in Leo occurred. We’re called to claim back our energy, time, confidence, and boundaries. This can mean honoring our need to rest and recuperate-especially if you’ve been feeling anxious or stressed. The harmony in the current sun-moon transit should allow you to take the time to yourself today, whether that means cuddling up with a loved one and having a Netflix binge or bringing to life creative ideas with the help of the moon in Libra. How have you been feeling this Venus retrograde? Have you been wanting to revisit past ideas or rekindle old passions/creative pursuits? I personally don’t believe that this upcoming Mercury retrograde happening soon should stop you from doing so. There may be some delays, but I’m a firm believer that delays happen in your favor. In other words, things in the spiritual will materialize in the physical when it’s the right time.

Well, that’s all I have for you this week! Thanks so much for the read!