Student Blog: One Month Abroad: My Favorite Moments So Far!

Studying abroad has been like one giant whirlwind so far. I have had the privilege of having so many new experiences and incredible moments, so I thought I would share a few of my most cherished!

By far, one of the pinnacles of studying abroad (for me) was being able to do The Sound of Music tour in Salzburg, Austria. It was a four-hour experience that we did with a company where we just hopped in and out of a van. We started with one of the houses that they used to film (because they used a total of three locations to create the von Trapp "house") and it was just incredible. We later went on to see the famous gazebo from "Sixteen Going on Seventeen" and "Something Good" as well as the church where they were married, the steps of "Do Re Mi", and more! We even drove past the Red Bull headquarters because apparently they are based out of a small town in Austria? The whole day was a dream as it also snowed and felt just so blissful.

Another favorite moment of mine was going to The Louvre but going late at night (by late I'm talking 6:30/7 pm). It was much less crowded and so I could easily maneuver around (and I'm specifically talking about the Mona Lisa, that I could even get close to). I brought headphones and listened to music while I walked around. It was such an incredible vibe because it was also pouring outside so it could not have been a better environment.

I took a solo trip one weekend to Berlin and found it the best place to do so! I was occupied by so many different historical museums and places that Berlin can easily be conquered alone. Besides absolutely eating it on a Lime scooter, it all went pretty smoothly! My favorite part, though, was going to a show called "Falling in Love" at one of their famous theatres. Swarovski sponsored the show so all of the costumes (which were made by Jean Paul Gaultier) absolutely sparkled. The whole thing felt like a Vegas show. Very razzle dazzle, very much a spectacle. It was in Germanglish (German-English) so I missed some of the plot, but overall it was just wonderful to see another country and culture's form of entertainment!

However, I do not just travel alone! A few weeks ago, some of my friends and I took a trip to Prague! It was so much fun to do with six other people because there was so much more going on and it was a lot more spontaneous. One of my most favorite parts, though, was a spontaneous hike we ended up doing. After the most amazing Thai food of my life, we decided to try and find this famous lookout that had an overview of Prague. It quite literally took nearly 200 hundred steps to get there, but it was a beautiful hike and I found the view to be so rewarding. The area also ended up feeling more residential than touristy so it was nice to get a different perspective of the city.

Overall, I have been loving my experience abroad so far! I love the unpredictability of the semester and all of the unexpected moments!