Amalfi Coast

My weekend on the Amalfi Coast was probably one of my favorite trips of the semester. The sea and sunshine made it feel like summer, and it was so relaxing. We didn't get to explore a whole lot of Sorrento, where we stayed, but our dinners were always delicious.

We spent the first day on the black sand beach in Positano. We had great weather, so I laid out for a good portion of the afternoon. Italian beach towns definitely feel different from the touristy ones I'm used to back home. There was no real boardwalk, but there were tons of cute shops lined up on the mountainside.

The next day, we hit Capri, where all the ridiculously rich people (like the Gerber family, of Gerber baby fame) go. Starting with a boat tour was great because it gave us a chance to see all the cool cliffs and rock formations, like the ones used in Dolce & Gabbana ads a few years ago. Our tour also made a stop at the Blue Grotto, which is a cave lit with what looks like must be artificial lights but is actually naturally that bright blue from the sun. In general, the water was the clearest, bluest sea I've seen in my life. I couldn't stop staring down at it, hardly believing something that breathtaking could be real.

Since a couple of my other friends and I had already been to the archaeological site at Pompeii, we spent that afternoon taking in the town. There's not much in the area, but we chatted up a local for recommendations on where to get cheap food and his favorite drinks, then we chilled outside sipping some beers. Sticking with the vibe of the whole weekend, it was such a relaxing way and a great end to a great trip.

Morocco

Morocco was by far the most unique of the places I've visited while studying abroad, which I guess makes sense considering it was the only country I went to outside of Europe. It's a predominantly Muslim country, so girls (and guys, I suppose) have to dress modestly, with knees and shoulders covered.

The hotel we stayed at was kind of in the middle of nowhere, but that meant our bus rides took us past some gorgeous countrysides. Chefchaouen was by far my favorite of the places we went. It's known for the vivid sky blue on a lot of its buildings. Whereas a lot of cities have their one typical landmark that you see in every single picture, all of Chefchaoouen was spectacular, and it was hard to resist taking another picture after every single turn. Plus, the city was built on a mountain, so there was an awesome view of the land below.


Asilah was a really cute beachside town. We didn't spend much time there, but we got to stroll around the area for a bit. A lot of the walls have street art, so it almost felt like we were walking around an outdoor museum. Later that day, we headed to another area of the Tangier region for some short camel rides on the beach. Even though camels are kind of spitty and weird, the ride was a lot of fun and I couldn't stop laughing.


To get to Morocco, we flew into Seville to take a bus to the ferry, so we got to spend a little time in the city. It was so nice that I wish I'd gotten to spend more than an afternoon there. Maybe it was just because it was such a generally beautiful day, but seeing palm trees and so much green space made me feel like it was summer.

Assisi

I hadn't even heard of Assisi before my school planned a day trip there, but turns out it's something of a hidden gem of Italy. It's a medieval city in the mountains in the Umbria region and has the most beautiful views of the countryside below. Thank goodness we went on a clear day, when the views were absolutely breathtaking. I'm a sucker for stone buildings even in modern suburban America, so I found the buildings in Assisi super charming.


The town is best known for the Church of St. Francis because it's where the saint used to live. Inside the church are lots of really awesome frescoes of Jesus and of St. Francis. I didn't know much about the saint before the visit, but he's known for obtaining stigmata — the same wounds as Jesus did when crucified — after an angel appeared to him.

Aside from St. Francis' cathedral and all the other churches in Assisi, there's also a military castle overlooking the town. We made the trek up and spent some time inside, where we got to shoot bows and arrows, and climb a narrow spiral staircase to the top tower, where we got an even better view of the gorgeous green landscape below.

Pompeii

Obviously the big draw of Pompeii is how well preserved the lost city still is. So I guess I shouldn't have been surprised at how huge it was. When my brother and I took a day trip there, I went in picturing it like any other historical site, figuring it'd be just a bit bigger than, say, the Roman Forum. But it's the same as a day trip to any other city, considering how beautifully preserved it is and how most areas are open to the public. There was so much to see, and I couldn't believe how intact everything was.

Seeing Pompeii with my brother was definitely a good choice because he's apparently thought it was super cool since learning about it for the first time in elementary school, and I loved seeing his reactions to everything. And he was absolutely right: the place was awesome, and every turn had something new. The mosaics were fun to see, along with the columns, pottery, and general structure that's miraculously intact.


We were lucky that the beginning of our stay had clear skies and warm temperatures. Eventually, the skies started to darken and we could hear thunder in the distance. But even though I hate rain, I couldn't find it in my heart to get mad about the eventual rain that started. Something about dark skies and ominous weather seemed fitting at a place known for a natural disaster. A volcanic eruption is a bit different from a rain shower, but the idea was there.

Time for a cheesy life lesson from Pompeii. Walking around the city, I kept finding myself staring at my feet because I didn't want to trip on the cobblestone, so I needed to remind myself to keep my eyes up and look side to side at the ruins of rooms and courtyards all around me. I guess it goes to show that if you keep tunnel vision for too long, you can miss out on some pretty cool things in life. And that staring at rocks when you could look at mosaic floors and ancient rooms of a lost city makes no sense.

(Finally) The Colosseum and Roman Forum

After a full two months of living in Rome, I've finally seen the inside of the Colosseum. My excuse is that I was waiting for my brother to visit, and it was worth the wait. The outside is so impressive, and I find it amazing that the ancient Romans had the technology and knowledge to build it. The inside is a cool sight too, and picturing the gladiator games taking place inside has a way of making history feel so real.


Even though the Colosseum is the poster child for Rome, I thought the Forum was way cooler. Walking around what used to be the center of Roman public life was unreal. My poor brother had to listen to me geeking out in the main square as I gazed at ruin after ruin. And being able to see the Colosseum, the Capital Building and all kinds of other monuments all from one place made me so giddy.


Seeing other cities in spring break had sort of left me jaded to Rome, but sightseeing reminded me how much I love it. We got some great views of the city and its warm colors and beautiful architecture, and I adore how accessible all the ancient monuments are. Plus, my main complaint about Rome is its spotty transportation, and even that came through for us without a hitch. I really couldn't have asked for a better city for the ultimate study abroad experience.

Spring Break: Barcelona

I knew Barcelona would be cool based on the number of people I know who love it, but I really didn't know much about it. What I didn't expect was that it would end up having some of my favorite spots in the world.

I didn't know anything about Antonio Gaudí before my trip, but he's now my favorite architect by far. Parc Güell and La Sagrada Família, both of which he designed, were two of the coolest places I've ever seen. Parc Güell had such cool features and felt nothing like your typical park. The mosaic gardens inside were well worth the visit too, though I honestly thought the parts around them were even cooler.

In La Sagrada Família, I had to remind myself to keep my mouth closed after my jaw dropped. The outside, which is still under construction after 100 years, looks like a sort of creepy castle. But when you step inside, you're met with stained glass reflecting on white pillar-like structures that reach up to an incredibly high ceiling. It's designed to feel like a forest inside, and pictures can't do justice to the unreal design.


One thing I was surprised I enjoyed as much as I did was the "magic fountain," Font màgica de Montjuïc. At night, it features a light show set to music. Normally I can only watch things like that for so long before getting bored, but the varied music selection, which ranged from Destiny's Child to choral hymns, kept it interesting, and I couldn't keep my eyes off the changing colors.

At least among the college crowd, Barcelona is probably best known for its nightlife, and it was everything I'd hoped for. The clubs don't start filling up until 2 a.m., meaning rolling home after sunrise is pretty common. We went to a club called Opium, which is located on the beach, giving my friends and I the chance to escape the club scene for a bit and chill by the water.

Spring Break: Paris

Among all the cities I visited this break, Paris still has my heart. It was just as beautiful, romantic, and simple to get around as I'd remembered.

My only hesitation about hitting Paris over spring break was that I'd already gone just a month before. Turns out there was no need to worry though: I ended up doing way different things from the last time. For instance, even though I'd been to the Louvre before, I hadn't had time to see the Mona Lisa. Everyone says it's hardly worth seeing, but it was still something I wanted to cross off my bucket list. Maybe it was just my low expectations, but I was not at all disappointed by it. Sure, it's probably fifty times smaller than the painting across from it, but I still managed to take a decent selfie, and that's all that matters, right?

Another new experience was seeing the Eiffel Tower in the daylight. It's still cool and all, but I have to admit I much prefer it at night. There's a certain romance in looking at it lit up that even single ol' me is a sucker for.

Eiffel Tower in daylight: cool but industrial-looking.

Eiffel Tower at night: industrial-looking but gorgeous.

I also got to walk through the Versailles gardens for the first time this trip. It wasn't freezing out, but it was still sort of dreary and probably would have looked better on a sunny day, but it still made for a really cool walking spot. My friend and I wandered around for a couple hours having a life chat, and I can't think of a more perfect spot.

The greenery of Versailles made it feel more like spring.

Daffodils brought some needed cheer to a dreary day.

From my experience, the stereotypes about the French being rude aren't totally accurate. During lunch at a restaurant off the beaten track in Versailles, the waiter was very patient and didn't mind explaining what each of the dishes were. After our meal, he even gave us complimentary coffee, probably because we looked like we needed. Plus, during the meal, a man at a nearby table heard my friend and I speaking English and came over to tell us other places in France we should visit. We ended up having a long, eye-opening talk about French policies in terms of immigration and religion.

In that restaurant, I also got to try some actual "French" fries. Not that those are the most authentic of French foods, but I made sure to also try French onion soup and a blackcurrant violet macaron from the Ladurée near Champs Elysée.

I swear matching my macaron to my nails was an accident.