Amsterdam and the Final Days

After Italy we only had a 24 hour layover to repack a bag and get ready for Amsterdam the next day. This time I was lucky enough to have some girl company thanks to the lovely Olivia. I also have her to thank for planning the trip (transportation, directions, activities, etc.) since I knew almost nothing about Amsterdam before going.

Embarrassing story: Our first day of getting to Amsterdam was mostly focused around flying there and then getting to our hostel. When we got to the hostel I made a very American mistake when we were greeted by a young Italian guy. He saw my last name on the reservation and asked if I was Italian. I've always been very proud of being Italian so I answered, yes of course! To which he started asking me if I spoke Italian and where I was from in Italy. After explaining that I didn't speak Italian, only knew the general region where my family was from, and that I studied in America he started to realize that I was not from Italy. It was about this point that I also realized he did not consider me to be Italian and that to him I was American (duh). So, I meekly told him that my great-grandparents had lived in Italy and I was from America as I tried to finish the paperwork as fast as possible. Luckily I didn't see him the rest of our stay.

Our trip wasn't very long but we got to see the famous Red Light District (of course) and learned the difference between a cafe and a coffee shop. We also went to see Anne Frank's house where her and her family hid from the Nazis during World War II. Unfortunately, the palace and churches were closed to prepare for the coronation of the new king which was happening later that week but we still got to explore the city and Olivia and I went to the Rijksmuseum while the boys did the Heineken experience. Overall, I found Amsterdam to be a beautiful city and it definitely exceeded my expectations so I was happy we went.

Derek and CJ in front of one of the many canals

Olivia and I in front of the Rijksmuseum 

One of my favorite things: Whipped cream with a bit of waffle

After Amsterdam we headed back to England for the start of finals. Just by luck, I didn't have any actual exams and only had to do final papers. Unfortunately, this also meant that I had weeks of nothing to do while everyone else was busy studying and taking tests. So, I decided that I wanted to surprise everyone (especially my mom) and come back early.

My last days in England were spent seeing London a few last times and soaking in my whole experience. And, of course, for my last meal I had to go to a pub and have the best steak and ale pie I'll probably ever have. Then the day arrived for me to say goodbye to the place I had called home for 4 months and return to the U.S.

I planned it with my dad that he would tell my mom he was working late and come get me from the airport then I would sneak into the house and surprise her. When we got home, she was upstairs on the phone and when my dad told her he needed her downstairs she told him to wait. I hid for about 10 minutes until she finally came down. Here's the soon to be infamous reaction- fair warning, it will be loud: 

  

The time I spent in England was an experience I will never forget and I am so grateful for every second. I got to spend 4 months abroad, visit 3 other countries, and make countless memories. Thank you to everyone who encouraged me to go and supported me through the ups and downs, because there are downs even if you don't expect there to be. I still plan to write at least one or two more posts about what I learned and some advice for anyone going in the future but for now I am home and happily reminiscing about my fabulous time abroad. All I have to say is I will definitely be going back one day. Until then, cheers London! I'll miss you!

When in Rome...and Venice

Author's Note: Surprise, I'm back in the US early! Unfortunately my posts have not caught up to this yet but I'll try to post again really soon with the very funny video of me surprising my mom. In the meantime, this is about my trip to Italy. 

These past few weeks have been such a whirlwind of adventure. In two weeks we were in 3 countries, saw 3 new cities, and had a lot of fun. After CJ's parents left we had a few days to get ready and then we headed off to Italy for 6 days.

To say Italy did not disappoint would be an understatement. Our first city was Rome which I was most excited to see. I fell in love with it immediately. The mix of vibrant new city with the remnants of an old city was truly something all its own and I doubt there's anything else like it in the world. We got used to getting around the city pretty quickly since the metro only has two lines but that also meant that there was a lot more walking.

Our first day was spent getting to the hotel and exploring the area around our hotel, in search of somewhere to eat. One thing you need to know heading into Rome, and probably most of Italy, is that all the restaurants close down from about 3pm until at least 7pm. Unfortunately for us, we hadn't eaten lunch yet and it was well after 3 so almost everything was closed. Luckily we found this little pizza place open. It definitely wasn't the most luxurious first meal in Italy but we made up for it that night.

We found a little hole in the wall place that our travel guide recommended but we definitely wouldn't have found on our own. It was probably one of the best meals I've ever had. The service was so friendly from the second we walked in, singing loudly and just bringing us tray after tray of food. The appetizer antipasti could have easily been my whole meal. Overall it was definitely the best way to start off our trip in Italy!

The next day was reserved for sightseeing. We got up and headed straight to the Colosseum. It’s amazing when you see the Colosseum for the first time because you take the subway and you exit onto a normal city street but then you look up and you see this giant ruin right in front of you. We headed straight in and luckily didn’t hit many lines. The view from the top was beautiful and you could see for miles around. We took tons of pictures but here are some of the best:

After the Colosseum we headed across the street to the Palatine Hills and the Roman Forum. Together they form the ruins of the ancient city. We couldn’t have picked a more perfect day since the sun was shining and the flowers were in bloom everywhere. I could have spent an entire day wandering and as it was we spent a few hours and only saw about half of it. 

Once we had had our fill of Italia beauty we headed to the Trevi Fountain. I’ve been excited to see the Trevi Fountain ever since I saw the Lizzy McGuire movie. While it was definitely a lot more crowded and I didn’t open my eyes to find an international pop star staring at me, it was still amazing! Weary as we were, we headed over to the Spanish Steps, our last tourist spot of the day and then headed back to the hotel for a little break before heading out for a delicious dinner. 

The next day we headed to the Vatican because my mother would have killed me if I went to Rome and didn’t make time for a stop at the Catholic center of the world. While we didn’t see the Pope I was still blown away by the sheer extravagance and beauty. We saw St. Peter’s Basilica first and then after getting a little lost, finally found the Vatican Museums. In order to get to the Sistine Chapel you have to walk through the whole museum which is in the shape of a horseshoe with the Sistine smack in the middle. The museum had lots of very cool art but everyone was mostly anxious to get to the Sistine Chapel. Unfortunately, we weren’t allowed to take pictures in the Sistine Chapel but I’ll tell you that it was definitely worth the walk and was absolutely amazing. You’re mostly struck with the idea that someone painted the entire ceiling by hand and was able to create this immense masterpiece. 

Overall, my time in Rome was amazing and I got to see so many sights that I've always dreamed of seeing and the city did not disappoint. However, the next morning we boarded a train and headed to another place I had been dying to see: Venice. 

The first thing that strikes you about Venice is that you have absolutely no idea how to get anywhere but neither does anyone. We spent at least 2 hours wandering the city and trying to find out hotel and every local we asked gave us different directions. I found out later that there are only 3 bridges that cross the Grand Canal and if you're not nearby them you have to use a boat. I also found out that it's common for street names to change and numbers to not follow a pattern...go figure. 

However, despite our travel woes, Venice was one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen. It's lively and peaceful at the same time. We didn't spend too much time on a schedule during our few days there but that's what made it so nice. I felt like I could have taken a whole week and just explored all the twists and turns of Venice and I would have been happy. 

Of course, being in Venice, CJ and I had to take a Gondola ride despite the high price tag. It was so cute and our Gondolier was very friendly. He even explained the process of becoming a Gondolier and the history behind it. It may have been cliche but I definitely thought it was worth it. 

Another highlight was our trip to Murano, a small island off the coast of mainland Venice, where all the glass blowing is done. We got to see a master at work making sculptures from molten glass. It was incredible! And of course I couldn't leave without getting myself a little glass jewelry! 

Italy was so much more than I had ever imagined it would be. I was so sad to leave and I know I could have spent another month just exploring the country. I definitely plan to go back again one day! That's all I've got for now. Until next time, Ciao!