WanderLoveee.

Yes, I work for a travel company.

It’s 9:52 am and you have eight minutes to get to class. The streets are flooded with people, you wonder to yourself why anyone would be up and about this early on their own will. Your head is still a little cloudy from your night last night at the local Irish pub that is constantly flooded with students from the states that are just like you. You are almost to the front door of your school building and you hear that age old question, hey are you studying abroad? You think to yourself again, who else would be walking into a school building wearing a sweatshirt from a college in the states? You look away, say no and walk inside.

This scenario happens about a million times a day for the first few months of the semester. I will be the first one to admit that I have experienced it myself on the student side. What I have also experienced is being on the side of the person that is genuinely interested in talking to you.

Yes, we are there because we have to be. Yes, we most likely would rather be doing other things than walking up to students when they are rushing to not be late. Yes, we do want you to travel with the company we work for. Yes, we are paid to be there. However, the most important yes of all is that we truly do want your study abroad experience to be as amazing as ours was.

I remember when I was a student studying in Florence not so many years ago. I declined loads of flyers and disregarded more Facebook messages from people working for travel companies that I could count. Due to the fact of booking my own trips was extremely tedious and time-consuming, I did end up booking with travel companies and I was extremely thankful that I did. On those trips, I made friends that are forever; people that live on the other side of the country that I still talk to today. Those people being ones that I wouldn't have met, memories that I would have never made, because of this I am more grateful than I could ever explain.

The most important thing though was that the people leading the trips really did want me to see the locations and have an amazing time doing so, which made my experience. I wouldn't have seen what I saw and went to the places I did without the guides to take me there. Yes, I could have booked on my own and seen the popular sites that I have dreamed of since I was a little girl, but I wouldn't have seen the secret spot one of the guides found or a hole in the wall bar that I wouldn't have even noticed walking by. Having someone to show me those places is what was most impactful, that is what made the trip, not the clichés around every corner in popular cities like Paris and Prague.

I walked away from my four months abroad dying to return. Being a senior when I was studying in Europe, I only had a few months until graduation and I found myself applying to be a travel guide as soon as I returned to the states. Not only did I want to live abroad and travel every weekend, but I also was determined to make an impact on students like my guides impacted me. I work every day to try to expose students to the amazing memories and wonderful encounters I had by traveling with a company like the one I work for, and I can promise that nearly every single person that works in the field I do feels the exact same way.

This isn't a giant sales pitch sob story that you all may think it is. It is an honest explanation of why we are here.

We are here to better your study abroad experience, we are here for you to walk away from this experience like we did.

You never know, you might be in our shoes in a year or so. So next time, just take the flyer or have the conversation on Facebook. We are more genuine than you think.

Yes, I work for a travel company.

So I was offered and I accepted a position with a student travel company called Euroadventures. It is a an extremely easy way to travel while you are studying abroad. They were my savior during my semester in Europe. I don't think I would have been able to see all of the places that I did if it wasn't for this awesome company and now I get the opportunity to give other students that experience! I am moving back to Italy on August 19th!

6 Reasons to Travel with Euroadventures

1. Convenience - planning out hostels and transportation for a trip can be such a headache, especially if you plan on going to multiple places in one trip. If you go on a trip with EA, all of that is taken care of for you. You just have to sign up for the trip online and show up to the departure location and leave. SOO EASY. Not staying in a departure city? That's okay. EA also offers a fly-in option so you can meet us there!

2. Knowledgable Guides - I loved all of the advice I received from guides when I was a student. The trips are structured just enough so you don't feel like you are on a middle school field trip, but you aren't just sitting around either. EA offers walking tours and nightlife excursions in every city. Not feeling the whole group thing? That's totally fine. You can ask the guides what to do or where to go and we would love to help!

3. $$ Saving - Studying abroad in general is an expensive thing, and if you plan to travel it can add up pretty fast. Going on trips with EA means that EA bundles all of the necessities for you like transportation, accommodation and more, to make it one low price as opposed to a bunch of different prices. This makes seeing all of the places on your list not as hard on your bank account. I would not have been able to see all that I did if I didn't travel with EA.

4. The Travelers - EA gears more to study abroad students so you would be most likely traveling with a bunch of people just like you! This means that you will be experiencing the awesome destination with a bunch of people your age! This makes traveling alone a lot easier and it also means that if you want to do something that your friends don't, there is probably someone in the group who does!

5. The Destinations - All of EA destinations are top rated places in Europe so chances are that they are also on your list as well. EA also offers trips to places that you might not think of right away like Slovenia, Turkey or Hungary. This means that no matter the weekend, you will have a new awesome place to go.

6. FUN - I had so much fun on my trips with EA. After my first trip with EA I couldn't even imagine traveling with anyone else. No matter the time of year or destination Euroadventures has so much to offer students. I promise you will come back to your host city wanting to book another trip!

I cannot wait as I start my journey with Euroadventures. Going back and being a guide is exactly where I want to be right now and I am so thankful for the opportunity.

If you have ANY questions about booking a trip or anything please email me! Also if you use the code KJP you get 20€ off!!!

Check out the website!

Euroadventures.com

All of my love!

KJP :)

Budapest, Vienna & Salzburg

Hungary and Austria
November 21st-24th

I never planned on traveling to Hungary or Austria prior to actually being in Europe. It was one of those things where some of my roommates were contemplating going and we ended up getting the trip for a really good deal so I just decided to go for it. That alone set it up to be a really good trip, until we actually went. Not saying that there weren't ups to the trip, but let's just say there were a lot of downs as well. Side note, this has NOTHING to do with the destinations! I loved all of the cities very much, we just didn't have good luck while being there. I would go back in a heartbeat to all three cities. I want vindicate the cities and actually enjoy being in them.

Budapest - Let me start by saying Eastern Europe is great. I have only been to two cities over there but I enjoyed both of them quite a bit. It is a different feel than Western Europe, but not in a negative way at all. It's hard to explain but the two sides are really different and really European at the same time. If you ever make it to the east side you will know exactly what I am talking about. We took an overnight bus ride from Florence to Budapest and arrived to Budapest in the late morning. I was really excited when we got to where we were staying because it was a hotel not a hostel. See, Budapest is a very cheap city to go to. Most things are significantly cheaper than a lot of other European countries and the US as well. This means that it makes sense that we would stay in a hotel rather than a hostel. After we were settled into our rooms, we headed on a walking tour of the city. The first stop on our walking tour was a huge market called, The Great Market Hall. The name alone describes it perfectly. The market was HUGE. Everything from food to clothing were for sale in the multi-level building. Everyone in our group broke off to go explore, most went to find something good to eat because we were on the bus all night. One of my friends, and also one of the tour guides, said that there was this really good Hungarian food called lángos. It's a flat fried bread with toppings on it. We obviously decided that it sounded so good so we wanted one. We found a little stand on the second floor and bought one. It was so cheap and so delicious. Once we were done eating we explored the market some more. I bought this really cool wooden box with a hidden lock. It was really confusing at first to figure out how to open it, but once you know, you know. It is purple with a floral design and Budapest carved into it.

When we left the market we started walking towards a really big bridge and the other side of the city. My roommate and I began talking about how cheap tattoos would be if we got them there, we had talked about the topic prior to arriving in Budapest, but it didn't get serious until we were on the walking tour. Naturally, about 20 minutes into the tour Nicole and I decided to ditch it and go see if we could make it happen. We told the guides that we were leaving the tour to go get tattoos and with surprised looks they told us how to get back to the hotel so we could start research, I never thought that would be the beginning to such a long process. We headed back to the hotel to get some internet to start looking up places to go. Since we were so excited about the idea of getting tattoos, we kind of forgot to pay attention to what the guides were saying and we ended up getting a little lost along the way. We eventually found it though and we researched a few tattoo shops in the city. We read great reviews of one that wasn't that far away from the hotel so we decided to check it out. After getting a little lost we eventually found the shop. It was in a little intimidating area and it was actually in the basement of a building. We walked in at the person working looked at us like we were crazy. We asked if there were openings and she looked at us like we were even more crazy. She then said no and we were really upset. We left that shop and we were determined to find another one. That was extremely hard though because we didn't have internet. We found this little bar on a side street and ordered a drink so we could use there Wifi. After a little bit more research we came across another shop, Green Skull Tattoo. We emailed them right away and after a few replies and the sending of pictures, we were on our way to get tattoos. I was so excited. When we got to the shop we were surprised about how small it was. It was really nice a clean, but it was smaller than a bedroom all together. The artist said that she could do mine now and Nicole's a few hours later than night. I wanted an outline of a world map on the back of my shoulder and Nicole wanted a compass. It was my seventh tattoo so I had been down the whole tattoo road before. It wasn't even my first tattoo abroad. I got a tattoo done when I was in Berlin as well. When she told me the price of the tattoo I was shocked. It was pretty big and she said it would be the equivalent of $57. If you know anything about tattoos you will understand my shock. I couldn't believe how cheap it was.

After I got my tattoo we headed back to the hostel to change for the night, the plan was that we were going to go to dinner, go get Nicole's tattoo and then go and meet the rest of the group to go out for the night. We went to an American restaurant really close to our hotel. It was pretty good and decently cheap so we couldn't complain, we then headed back to the shop so Nicole could get her tattoo. Her tattoo wasn't much bigger than mine, but man did it take the artist a long time to do. It felt like we were there for forever. At one point myself and my other roommate Lizzy even left to go walk around while she was getting it done, it took so long. She eventually finished and we were on our way. Since Lizzy sat with us for so long at the tattoo shop, we said we would go with her to look at the Hungarian Parliament building. If you have seen pictures of people in Budapest you most likely have seen it. It is an extremely touristy place to go and take pictures. I was a little excited to have my picture taken in front of it to I have to say. After about what it seemed like 2 hours of walking around. We realized that due to construction, the building was not lit up and pretty. We then made our way back to our hotel because it was too late to go out. We were really upset that the night portion of our trip was kind of a bust but oh well.

Vienna - We got up the next morning and headed to Vienna, Austria. It was about a 3 or 4 hour bus ride so it wasn't horrible. We arrived in the early afternoon at our hostel. We were so excited to see Vienna and all of the christmas markets. Right after the hostel we headed to the train station to do a little necessity shopping and grab a quick bite. After that we went to the zoo! We were all so excited because we got to see pandas and many other cool animals. I felt like a little kid when I was exploring the grounds. We were at the zoo for around two hours total. I know I mentioned this before when I talked about when I went to the Berlin Zoo, but European zoos are so much different than ones in the States. Instead of hundreds of feet between you and the animals, it is only a few. It is a little scary, but really cool at the same time. I know going to the zoo seems weird because they are pretty much the same everywhere, but that is not the case! If you are ever in Europe I highly recommend visiting one.

After the zoo we went straight to the christmas markets. Christmas markets are extremely popular in Europe. They are little markets with a such a festive feel. You can buy christmas themed things and drink mulled wine. Some of the biggest ones are in Germany but they are located in many different countries. I went to christmas markets in Austria, Italy and the Czech Republic. I just loved the feel of exploring them. I am so used to extreme festivity the day after Thanksgiving to Christmas Day in the States and since my apartment wasn't decorated obviously, it was nice to have that feeling again while I was abroad. While I was at the market, I bought my stepdad a beer glass and some mulled wine that was bottled for his gift. I was really excited about the stuff I found. My roommate bought a really pretty ornament and some other things. I really enjoyed being there. After the market we headed back to the hostel to get ready for the night. We were really excited to go out and experience the nightlife in Vienna. After we were all ready, we headed down to the bar in the basement of the hostel. It was a little small and expensive but we didn't mind. I bought a drink called a snakebite. I had never heard of it before. It was cider mixed with beer and topped with grenadine. I wasn't really in the mood to go too crazy because I was still feeling a little sick from the birthday earlier that week. Let's just say I went a little crazy. I will post about my night soon I'm sure. The snakebite was pretty good, a little weird, but still really good. This is when the night went wrong. We were all hanging out, having a good time when my roommate noticed that her purse was gone. She was pretty much freaking out when a random girl walked up and asked if the bag she was holding was hers. Nicole said yes and the girl said she found it in the bathroom. Nicole opened her bag to find her iPod, her phone and her wallet gone. Her tears began to fall and she was freaking out. I wasn't sure what to do so I started looking everywhere. I read that when people steal wallets, they are only really interested in getting the cash and many of them throw the rest away. We checked every garbage in a two block radius and we didn't find anything. I even found two random credit cards that weren't hers. We then went to the police station to file a report. We knew that it wasn't really going to help, but it made nicole feel better so we did it. After that no one was really in the mood and it was getting late so we just decided to head back to the hostel and crash.

Salzburg - So we were already in kind of an off mood because of the events that happened the night before and that plus the horrible weather, I wasn't really expecting a great turn out to my sunday day trip to Salzburg. When we arrived, some people went on the Sound of Music Tour and some of us went to explore the city. We opted out of the tour and headed on a walking tour of Salzburg. I didn't plan for rain so I left my umbrella in Florence. That was a horrible idea. When I went to go take out cash so I could buy an umbrella, the only ATM that we could find was broken. This is when I started to get really frustrated. We found a little store that sold umbrellas and when I went to pay, they had a 10 euro limit on cards. So my roommate and I decided to buy a little bottle of kiwi schnapps to enjoy on the walking tour, that is what kind of day it was. We began on the walking tour and that is when, of course, we found a working ATM. We stopped so I could get cash, thinking we would just catch up to the group, little did we know they decided to go on a short cut under ground into the old city. We did not know this so we ended up losing the group. The day just kept getting worse and worse. We then head to a restaurant with wifi and hung out to get out of the rain for a while. We didn't really know what to do because we knew we weren't going to be able to find the group. We did know that the end of the walking tour was at the Augustiner Beer Hall in the city. We then decided to go there and wait for them. We got really bad directions and ended up walking all the way around the building without even knowing it. We eventually found the entrance and the group. We got liters of beer to make the day feel better, and it worked. We spent the time getting to know some of the Euroadventures guides on the trip better. That is when I decided that I could see myself being one.
After a few hours we headed back to the bus with a nice little buzz and a somewhat better ending to the day. We took the bus back to Florence and arrived around midnight.

Like I said it had nothing to do with the destinations of the trip, we just had a lot of bad luck. I really hope that I have an opportunity to travel back to the cities so I can enjoy my second trip more than my first one!!

Sorry it took me so long to post this. I had been working on it forever, but with my move home and my new job, I got a little busy. I hope it was worth the wait!

Job Update!

Hello Readers,

If you guys are friends with me on Facebook you might have already heard, but I just wanted to let everyone know that I landed an interview for a job that is in Europe! It is with a student travel agency that works out of Florence, Rome and Barcelona. I first applied for the job in February so it is extremely exciting to get the ball rolling with this.

With this job I would have the opportunity to hopefully travel back to Florence and take my love for travel and students studying abroad to a whole new level.

I know it is only an interview and I shouldn't get my hopes up, but my heart has basically been set on it since the beginning and getting one step closer feels great.

I will keep you all updated on what is going on with that. I am so happy that I have people that appreciate what I have to write and people to celebrate this wonderful moment with.

Advice - No matter your dream big or small, anything is possible. It is easy to feel discouraged when things don't seem to be going in your way, but just know that if you want it bad enough, you can make it happen.

All of my love,

KJP

August 28th - December 13th, 2013

I am clearly biased because Florence is where I decided to study abroad but prior to deciding where to go I was really undecided. I always planned that if I ever studied abroad it would be in Germany because I took the language and I have always showed interest. Due to lack of options in Germany, I ended up in Florence and I couldn't have studied abroad in a better city.

A Few of the Many Reasons Florence is a Great City to Study Abroad in

1. The Size - Florence is the most populated area in Tuscany and arguably the most popular city there. When I first picked Italy as the country I wanted to study abroad in, I naturally thought of studying in Rome first. I later decided that Rome might be a little too big for my taste and that Florence's size might be a better fit for me. I am so thankful I made that decision. Florence was the perfect size. You can walk just about anywhere and everything is very centrally located. With bigger cities like Rome, it is more of a headache to get around and you can often feel detached because the city is so big. In a matter of weeks, navigating Florence was a breeze and it started to feel like home.

2. The Schools - Florence is a huge study abroad city, and because of the size a lot of the schools are near each other. There are a countless number of programs in Florence that you can go do. I decided to go to Lorenzo de' Medici, which is a really big program and it is actually ranked globally. There is a range of courses there from art to business, so it is a great fit for all majors.

3. The Nightlife - I understand that every city in Europe has pretty great nightlife, but I learned to love the bars in Florence more than the rest. Since it is a college town, the drink specials on any given night are endless and there is always something fun to do. No matter the type of nightlife atmosphere you prefer, you can always find a good time. Plus, the walk home at bar close usually isn't that far, but if you have to take a cab, females get a discount after nine, just make sure you ask for it.

4. The History - Florence is famous for its history and it is home to many different historical landmarks. Around almost every corner there is something old and beautiful to see. I found myself stumbling across history every where I went while I was living there. That is something that I took for granted while I was there and if I ever have the opportunity to go back, I am definitely going to explore that aspect a lot more.

5. The Locals - Put your Europeans hate American skepticisms aside. The locals in Florence seem to embrace the fact that the city is a huge tourist location. Not every local acts this way but a majority of them are really nice and welcoming. I never once felt uncomfortable because of the fact that I am American. Some other cities that I traveled to felt like there was a little more hostility, so it was nice to go home to Florence and not feel that way.

6. The Shopping - Florence is a great place to shop in Europe. It is known for its famous leather markets, but that isn't the only thing when it comes to shopping. Other markets in the city have anything you could ever imagine from souvenirs to many types of food. Interested in luxury fashion? I walked by Louis Vuitton and Cartier every day on my way to class. There is even a Gucci Museum. From bargaining at the markets to buying luxury items at Chanel. There is shopping for everyone there.

7. The Food - Italian food is some of the best in the world. Who wouldn't want to taste their way through the city? The number of genuine local restaurants are endless and all very good. Not feeling Italian? There are multiple other types of food options around the city from Mexican to sushi. Anything you could ever want.

8. The Architecture - Every building in Florence is beautiful in it's own way and it really just blends together so well. From the famous landmarks to the little old apartments, the architecture varies so much and clustering it together just looks so right. The overall feel of the city is a lot more homey and quaint than a huge city and I loved exploring the streets everyday.

9. The Study Abroad Tour Companies - Euroadventures being an example. These companies cater mostly to study abroad students and they leave on trips right out of Florence. Their trips are pretty cheap and the guides are a whole lot of fun. I did all of my trips that way and I actually hung out with a lot of EA guides when I was out in Florence even. They are very insightful and love to help out a student anyway they can.

As you can tell I think very highly of studying abroad in Florence and I would recommend it to anyone. There is something for everyone there, no matter the person, and I think that is very important for a study abroad city. I fell in love with Florence and what it had to offer and it was really hard to leave it when I had to go back to the states. I never thought that my study abroad city would start to feel like home and it completely did. I would love to move back to Florence in the near future and I am working every day to try to make that happen.

Along with all of the traveling you do while you are abroad, many people experience things for the first time. Hostel life is usually on that list because hostels aren't as popular in the States.

7 Tips to make your stay at a hostel go smoothly

1. Be open minded - Know right now that staying in a hostel is nothing like staying in a hotel. You often share a room with people you do not know, and that can kind of be overwhelming at first, but it just takes getting used to.

2. Wear shower shoes - Communal bathrooms are gross. No matter if it is in the room or on the floor you are staying in, I do not recommend acting like the bathroom is yours at home.

3. Clean up after yourself - There is no maid service. You are sometimes responsible for even making the bed and bringing the bedding downstairs when you check out. You are always responsible to bus your own dishes at breakfast. The workers in the hostel are there to provide insight and check you in, not do your dirty work.

4. Bring a luggage lock - When I stayed in hostels, I always stayed with someone in my tour group so it was a little easier to trust them, but if you are staying with strangers, lock up your bags. I am not saying that all people are thieves, but I do not want you to get your stuff stolen and regret the whole experience of staying in a hostel. Take precautions and you will not regret it.

5. Ask the people who work there for advice - Some of my favorite things that I did were things that the people who worked at the hostel suggested. If you have any questions, they are there to help. Don't know a lot about the city you are in? Ask for sightseeing advice. Want to find a restaurant? ASK. Want to do some crazy activity? Sign up through your hostel. Its the perfect hub to customize your experience.

6. Be considerate - The room with the most beds I stayed in was 16, that means that I had to worry about not waking them up after a night out. I have been the person sleeping when a bunch of loud drunk people come back in the middle of the night and it is not okay. I know that sometimes it's hard not to be kind of loud but just do your best.

7. Have FUN - Staying in a hostel is a one of a kind experience. Many people are skeptical of hostels because of stereotypes and such but it is a must if you are traveling through Europe. It really gives you a different perspective of traveling because you are exposed to many types of people with many different stories. TALK TO THEM. Enjoy your time you are having with different people. It makes the experience.

Hostels I've Stayed in

1. Nice, France - Villa Saint Exupery Beach

2. Berlin, Germany - Industriepalast Hostel Berlin

3. Amsterdam, The Netherlands - Stayokay Amsterdam Zeeburg

4. Paris, France - Plug-Inn Boutique Hostel

5. Barcelona, Spain - Equity Point Centric

6. Interlaken, Switzerland -Funny-Farm Hostel

7. Vienna, Austria - Wombats City Hostel Vienna - at the Naschmarkt

Other Accommodations

1. Munich, Germany (Oktoberfest) - Stoke Travel Campsite

2. Budapest, Hungary - Hotel (Name Unknown) :[

3. Prague, Czech Republic - Hotel (Name Unknown) :[

Prior to deciding to study abroad, I was really nervous about the whole going there alone thing. I consider myself pretty social and I never really have an issue meeting people, but something about going and living in a different country without knowing anyone is a little scary. I knew though that I was going to push through it and tough it out because I needed to experience this. The semester prior to me going abroad, I had the opportunity to travel to Germany for two weeks with a class. On this trip I spent time getting to know two girls on the trip named Libby and Nicole. After two weeks of crazy fun, I knew that I had to bring up them coming with me to Florence. They agreed almost instantly and finally the fear of traveling abroad alone was gone because I wasn't going alone anymore.

When we got there the first night we met our other three roommates, Lizzy, Meisha and Rachel. I had Facebook stalked them before I got there so I kinda knew what to expect. I bonded with Lizzy and Meisha a lot in the beginning and I was overall happy with my roommate situation. I spent a lot of my time with them and they are a really big part of the reason I had such a great experience.

7 Reasons why my roommates were my saviors while I was abroad

1. Someone to party with - Like you can tell, I went out quite often while I was in Florence and thankfully, there was always one of my roommates down to go out whenever I wanted to.

2. Someone to travel with - I was really devoted to seeing a lot when I was abroad, and anywhere that I wanted to go, there was someone in my apartment that wanted to come with. So I never had to travel alone.

3. Someone to just chill with - Apart from the nights that we went out all together, many days during the week more than one person stayed home. So if I was just feeling like staying in, there was someone that was most likely down to do the same.

4. Someone to explore Florence with - There were many times where we just walked around the city to take it all in and just appreciate the fact that we were living in this amazing city.

5. Someone to be in the same boat with - The whole experience is perfectly described as a roller coaster. Some days, I loved being there and some days I wanted to go home. I just had to realize that I had five other girls feeling the same and experiencing the same things as me.

6. Someone to talk with - Along with this great experience, there is always drama that comes with it. Tears were shed and amazing nights were had and the best part about drama or good times is being able to talk about it with someone the next day with no judgement.

7. Someone to reminisce with - 90% of the conversations I have with my roommates I had in Florence today are talking about past times while we were abroad or something that leads to talking about memories from our experience together. Your friends and family that weren't there will get sick of hearing about it so having people you experienced it around is really great!

I am so thankful for my roommates I had while I was in Europe. I am so glad that I got along with most of them so well. I am actually currently living with Nicole, my roommate from Florence, and I am still so thankful for her. :] I move out of Mankato, MN in 8 days!

So I thought I would do a post about packing. When I was preparing to go to Italy, I was a little worried about what to bring because I didn't really know what to expect as far as the climate and many other factors.

Six Things You Think You Need But Don't

1. A Blow Dryer/ Flat Iron - I did not bring a blow dryer but I did bring a flat iron and broke it on my first day there. Previous tenants of my apartment left us a blow dryer and I bought a flat iron for 20€. If you can't live without your flat iron or curling iron make sure to buy a voltage converter, and there is no promise that it won't break anyway or that you won't blow a fuse and turn off all the power in your building, may the odds be ever in your favor.

2. Towels/Home Stuff - My apartment came equipped with everything we could possibly need dishes, towels, bedding, you name it. We did make a run to the Ikea near by though to buy some organizational stuff for our closets and more hangers. I also bought more towels and a duvet cover, but every apartment is different so make sure to check out what you have first.

3. Heels - In Europe at least, most of the streets are made of cobblestone, meaning uneven pavement all over. Also, most people who wear heels, wear them out so cobblestone + heels + alcohol = a big mess. I brought a pair when I studied abroad and I wore them once. If you have to have them I suggest bringing only one pair. I am taking my own advice if I get to go back and the pair I want to bring has a thicker heel.

4. Too many of the same thing - If you are going for the fall or winter semesters it is really easy to pack in abundance of the season that it is when you get there. Keep in mind that if you go for the semester, the season will change and chances are you will be traveling to moderately different climates. I found myself with a lot of summer clothes and not a lot of warm clothes, which is weird since I live in Minnesota. Just pack a variety and things that can be layered. Basic colors and patterns are always classy and are appropriate for every season. :]

5. A bunch of adapters - Having a different outlet than all of your stuff is annoying, and something that I happened to worry about a lot when I was getting ready. I had like four and when I got there, the previous people that lived there left us like 10. I am not saying not to bring any, but two or three are plenty. Plus, they are really cheap abroad so you can buy them there.

6. "Scrub" Clothes - I know that going to class in the US is all about comfort and less about style, no one has time to get ready for their 8 am. Fashion in Europe is a lot different than it is here. Especially in Italy, people don't leave the house unless they are completely ready to be seen. I found myself getting stares when I left the house not so ready just to go to the grocery store. So leave most of your comfortable clothes at home, but bring one pair though because you will want it at some point, like if you get sick or lounge around your apartment all day.

There are a lot of other things that I brought that I didn't end up using. Examples being, different kinds of perfume, lotions, nail polish. I brought too many purses and bags. I even overpacked when it came to clothes. I brought two big suitcases and a carry on so I was bound to bring a few things I didn't need. My recommendation is to make a list and stick with it. Extras will most likely find themselves in your bag and that is okay but just be aware, because you are most likely going to come home with a lot more than you came with so be smart!

Six Things You Definitely Need Besides the Basics

1. Medication - Obviously if you have a prescription you know that you need to plan and have enough to get you through your time abroad but I am talking about the over the counter stuff. I recommend bringing ibuprofen, tylenol, and cold medicine if you take it normally when you get sick. I ran out of ibuprofen at the end of the semester and I ended up paying 8€ (around $9.50) for 16 tablets, when you can get like 100 tablets for $3.00 in the states. Getting sick without my mom was already horrible, and without medicine to make me feel better it was even worse. So just listen to me!

2. Extras for the weather - I mean gloves, an umbrella and whatever else you might need to keep you comfortable outside. I brought gloves, but I didn't bring an umbrella or a hat. I used the hat and the umbrella more than the gloves even. In Florence it rains a lot and you walk EVERYWHERE, be prepared.

3. Your beauty musts - I don't know about you guys but I am a huge fan of specific brands when it comes to beauty products. Chances are you that you will run out of shampoo and conditioner eventually but I made it at least a month. The shampoo and conditioner that you can buy in Europe isn't the same, it is doable but it isn't the same. The same goes for make-up. If you buy brands that are sold at Sephora or a department store, chances are you will stumble across them in Europe, but it will most likely be more expensive so just bring some and only buy it if you run out. Also, if you are going to Florence there is this great make up store called Kiko with great make up for pretty cheap, it's a hidden gem so find it. :] Plus, if you bring some of your own beauty products, that weight from your suitcase will go away and leave room for the stuff you buy while you are abroad.

4. Little reminders of home - What this is depends on the person. An example being pictures or little trinkets. I brought pictures of my family, my sorority, and my dogs. I taped them up on my closet and it was a nice little reminder of what I had waiting for me back home. It helped with home sickness.

5. A rolling carry-on - If you plan on traveling, this is a must. I didn't bring a rolling one and regretted it on my first trip because we had to walk to the train station and lugging it around was just inconvenient. I ended up borrowing one of my roommate's for all of the other trips I went on. So to make things easier, just bring your own.

6. An unlocked smart phone - This isn't a necessity but I really am glad that I brought mine. I got my phone unlocked right before I came and decided to get a SIM card with an Italian number to fit my iPhone instead of getting the cheap free one they provided. The reason why I was glad I did this was because I made sure to have it wherever I went. Plus, I used it for a phone, map, and even a social tool with Facebook and Instagram. I know that many people had two different phones, but they found themselves only carrying around one, and since I only had one, it was really convenient.

I spent hours and hours researching what to bring when I was studying abroad and I found a lot of good lists but there are some things I wasn't prepared for. Remember that what you bring varies from person to person and some things are more important to people and not to others. So make sure to customize the lists you have found to fit your needs. If you have any other questions on what to pack feel free to contact me! I honestly would love to help!

Interlaken

Switzerland

November 14th-17th

I never planned to visit Switzerland before I actually booked the trip. The reason that I went really was because I had the opportunity to go for only 99€, who could turn down a trip for that cheap? um no one. I didn't really know what to expect when I decided to go to Interlaken. All I really knew about Switzerland was that the Swiss Alps were there. That made it kind of exciting though because I wasn't sure what to expect.

We arrived in Interlaken in the middle of the night on Friday morning. It was about a six hour bus ride so we got there at like 3am. That gave us time to sleep a little and then wake up and be ready for the day Friday morning. When we woke up the first thing I did was look out the window. Since we arrived at night, I didn't get a chance to see how beautiful it actually was until morning. Even with the insane amount of fog covering the mountains the landscapes of the alps were breathtaking. I couldn't believe how beautiful the city was. When I went down for breakfast I realized that we were staying in the a replica of the hotel in the movie "The Shining," the hostel was really old and rustic. It was cool in it's own way and creepy at the same time. The main selling point for tour companies for Interlaken is the "extreme sport" activities. The main activities that you can do in Interlaken is sky dive, canyon jump, ski/snowboard, horseback ride, ice skate, and sled. Unfortunately we picked the worst weekend to travel there because there was a lot of wind and lack of snow so no activities were open. We still managed though. I overall had a lot of fun there and it was a pretty relaxing weekend.

After breakfast on Friday morning, the whole group went on a walking tour of Interlaken. Like I previously stated, the city is so beautiful. It is a pretty small town with a whole lot of character. As we went on the walking tour, I was amazed. The small town feel was so cute, I couldn't get over it. We walked through the whole city and saw the river, the water was ice blue. Everything about the city from the water to the alps in the distance was so pure and perfect. I recommend going to Interlaken for the outside type. There is hiking trails and just so many places to explore. Side note though, Switzerland is extremely expensive. The activities vary from 100-500 Swiss Franc, which is almost worth the same amount of the US Dollar. We went to Hooters after the walking tour for lunch and we spent amount 30 CHF a person, which is clearly a lot for lunch. I don't want that to keep anyone from going but just a heads up to budget for that portion of your trip to cost a little more. After Hooters, we went back to the hostel to nap for a little bit before going out that night, we were really tired from not getting much sleep from the night before. After a short nap we woke up and got ready and went to a Swiss chocolate tasting. I love chocolate and I have never been to a tasting so I was pretty excited to go. We went to this little chocolate shop in the city, it was really cute. After a million kinds of weird chocolate we headed back to the hostel to hang out for the night. We had to get up early the next morning to head to Bern for the day so we spent the night in the hostel lobby just relaxing and talking.

Saturday morning we woke up pretty early to head to Bern for the day. I didn't really know what to expect from Bern either. I knew it was going to be a somewhat bigger city than Interlaken but that was all I really figured. The coolest thing about the city is that they have real live bears on display because Bern translates in bear in German. The bears looked a little sad being locked up like that but they were still cute. The first thing we did after looking at the bears was head to Starbucks, but of course! After we got our Starbucks, which was like 9 dollars might I add, we went and explored the market there. I was in need of a beanie because it was pretty cold out and they are really stylish in Europe in the winter time. We spend the next couple hours just walking around and getting lost in the city. The architecture of Bern is really pretty, it reminded me a lot of Germany. There is a famous clock tower there and that was our navigating point. We went back and had some really good tacos, of all things, from a stand in the market area. We spent lunch sitting on a bench in the town square just taking everything in. The city center was filled with many different types of people. The vibe I got the from city was a seriously powerful one. I was so glad I decided to check it out for the day. We decided to just walk around more in the narrow side streets and we took some pictures by some bear statues for about an hour too long. We stopped at the grocery store in the city to buy booze to pre-game with because it was a lot cheaper than in Interlaken. We caught the bus around 4 to head back for the night. Like I said before, I really liked the city of Bern!

When we got back into Interlaken we went and got and got ready for the night and went and had swiss fondue at a famous restaurant called Bebbi's. Let me tell you, that was an experience. Bebbi himself works there and he is such an animated person. He hooked us up with a really good deal and he was a joy to have around. We had a three course meal with three different types of fondues and it was so good. After dinner, we headed to the hostel to pre-game a little before we went out. We didn't have a fridge so we chilled our booze on the balcony and it worked out perfect. After about an hour we headed to a bar called The Three Tells. It had a similar feel as the bars we went to in Florence so that was nice. We stayed there until bar close hanging out with some of the guides on the trip, after that we headed to a club in the basement of the hostel called Balmer's. It reminded me a lot of a middle school dance with a bar in a sense but it was still cool I guess. After the club we headed back to our hostel and then called it a night.

The next morning myself, two of my roommates, my friend Sam and a few other people went and had coffee and breakfast at this little cafe in the city. We were there for a few hours talking and hanging out until we headed back to the hostel to get our stuff together to check out. When we were done we decided to head back to The Three Tells to have a beer in the middle of the day. It was great. We stopped at this little restaurant to get a yummy wrap to go for the bus ride back and then hung out in the hostel lobby for awhile. A little bit later we headed back on the bus for a short bus ride back to Florence.

I was really happy that I decided to visit Interlaken for the weekend. Even though we didn't get to do any cool activities, it was still nice just relaxing in a cool location for the weekend.

Just a Side Note;

A Bunch of Random Thoughts.

So this post is just a lot of topics strung together in one post. Welcome to my thought process when I think about my time abroad. Here it goes.

I want to first start out with advice. There is always a time to be frugal. With your budget, with your decisions, with your time, let me tell you studying abroad is NOT the time to be. You are never going to regret skipping classes for a day to explore a nearby city or that time you booked a trip randomly and spent extra money to get the flight you want. When you are abroad it is the time to let go and just live. Do things that you normally wouldn't or rock that outfit that you wouldn't normally wear. This is the time to be whoever you want to be. Why not take advantage of that?

I spent around 9,000 dollars while I was abroad. I know that sounds like a lot and it really is, but I did a lot of traveling. I saw 11 countries, so that means I basically traveled every weekend. When you put it into perspective, that is a lot of traveling and including that with living expenses, it isn't that bad. Plus, I indulged in the nightlife, a lot. That means I was spending like 30 euro every night I went out, it adds up. I am not saying that everyone spends that much. Some people spend less and some more, but it kind of gives you an idea of what to expect. Going abroad with a budget is important, but I promise you will not regret the money you spent expanding your horizons and taking risks. Those are the moments that I cherish from my experience.

My nights out were the best I had. I know everyone likes staying in and watching Netflix every once in a while but remember that even from day 1 abroad your days there are numbered. Live every night like it's your last and you will come back regret free, I promise. Memories come from things that you do that aren't inside your norm. So even though impulsivity is risky, it also makes for a great story, so go for it.

Your love life while you are away is also something important, at least I thought it was. I spent a lot of my time crushing on guys I've met and I even spent time seeing some of them. It is really hard for people, like me, to let their guard down and just go with it. For the most part though, I did and it felt great. I had things with a two main guys while I was living in Italy and both experiences with them still mean a lot to me. One of them I don't really talk to anymore and the other one I talk to occasionally, but they will both forever me apart of my experience and I thank them so much for that.

My friends, oh my lovely friends. My roommates were the people I was closest too while I was in Europe. Every night I went out or went on a trip at least one of them was right there with me the whole time. They were my rocks when I needed them and I love all of them so much. I met people from all over the United States and even the world in Italy and every last person had an effect on me. I had the opportunity to make great friends from students, tour guides, bartenders at the pubs I frequented, and even random people I talked to for the night. Such a different array of personalities and life stories, which was so eye-opening to me. I thank them all so much everyday for helping me create the person I am right now. No one truly understands the affect of the experience of studying abroad has until you do it, and let me tell you, you will be forever changed by the experience.

My family, I know that they were far away during my experience but they still affected it greatly! Just hearing from them randomly was enough to make me miss home less. About halfway through the semester I received a care package and that was great! I spent my first birthday and Thanksgiving without my family and it was hard, but I had the support from my lovely roommates and friends to make it less hard. When you are away, your family will miss you more than you know, so make sure to stay in contact as much as you can!

My travels, I went to places that I never ever thought I would see. I didn't plan on going to Austria, The French Riviera, The Czech Republic, Hungary or Switzerland and I am so glad that I did. Some of the cities I went to that I didn't plan on were some of my favorite trips! I got to experience such a vast range of cultures and people and I cherish every second I spent traveling. Europe is the central hub of the world and traveling is pretty cheap so DO IT. I swear you will not regret a minute of it.

My school, Lorenzo de' Medici in Florence is a ranked study abroad school in the world. Yeah the attendance policy sucks, but other than that it is a great school to go to! It was tough sometimes, but I got through it and I am thankful for everything I learned over there. Going to school in a different country is different but I think that I actually liked it better, besides the essay tests for midterms and finals, that wasn't that great.

My apartment, I was in love with it! It was in the perfect location and it was so big! Apart from the broken TV, dishwasher, and washing machine for a while, I could not have asked for a better place. I was kinda nervous about living with six girls. but it was so big it didn't even feel like it. It was in Piazza di San Firenze and right over a bomb restaurant. The views from the windows were so cultured and historical. I am never going to have a better place than that one.

I know that this post is really random and all over the place, but honestly this is how my thought process is when people ask me about my experience in Florence, so I hope you liked it!
A lot of the pictures in this post are from my last night abroad!

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Interlaken

Just a Side Note;