Midterms are over, and the end of midterms means one of the greatest things a college student has ever experienced…Spring Break. Spending Spring Break while in Europe is a whole new world and, naturally, we had to hit as many countries as possible.

Our first stop on the list was London, England and it become one of my favorite places. The best way I could describe London was that it was the land of princes and fashion. Anyone who knows me knows that I love accents, and every time I heard practically anyone speak, I blindly followed them. Iyana and Deanna actually lost me a few times. We visited all the typical tourist places: Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, the London Eye, Platform 9 & ¾; we also ate fish and chips, tried to find celebrities–mainly any member of One Direction . Okay, maybe I was the only one trying to find One Direction, but I was in London, so I had to at least try. Although I failed at finding any celebrities, London was still one of the best cities I have ever visited so far..

Next stop after London was Dublin, and I had absolutely zero expectations for the city. I couldn’t even tell you what I pictured when I thought of Dublinm except for maybe a lot of pubs, Everyone was so friendly and kind. We met this Irish local at a pub and he talked to us for hours. It was great! We also visited Trinity College, which is the most beautiful college I have ever seen (potential grad school, anyone?). Another stop in Dublin was the National Botanical Garden and the Glasnevin Cemetery, and then after that, we visited the infamous Guinness Storehouse. It was an elaborate exhibit explaining how they make Guinness, and Iyana, Deanna and I became official Guinness Pourers, as we were able to pour the perfect pint. I definitely am planning on adding that to my resume. Our last stop in Dublin was the Leprechaun Museum, which was an extremely last-minute decision. The museum turned out to be a lot of fun! We were told folklore from Ireland’s past and it was explained through an interactive museum. As much as I wanted to stay in Ireland, I did have another plane to catch, but this one was to Amsterdam.

I had no higher expectations for Amsterdam than I did for Ireland. I had no clue what to expect from this city. We had no game plan, besides the Anne Frank House. After three excruciatingly cold hours in line, we made it inside. I couldn’t even begin to describe the experience to you. It made me appreciate The Diary of Anne Frank so much, and I have every intention of rereading it now. After the museum, we wandered aimlessly around the city, finding free things for us broke college students to do. One of the highlights of our free adventures in Amsterdam was the cat boathouse. Yes, you read that correctly, a boathouse filled with cats that we could play with. We spent two hours on that boathouse and the only reason we left was because it was closing. Goes to show that free things can easily be just as fun as anything else.

Sadly, after Amsterdam, we had to go back to Prato. But then again, it’s not so sad because we had to go back to Prato. I am so grateful that I got to travel to those three amazing places for Spring Break and I will forever have the memories (especially of the British accents) to cherish. School is upon us now, and it’s time to buckle down and power through until the end. Until next time. Ciao!