Fall Break

Traveling across Europe exposed me to a wide variety of culture, history, and scenery which proved to be not only a fun experience, but an educational one as well. Exploring new areas brought upon many difficulties due to the language barrier and different customs. From these challenging interactions, I was able to learn something new about the places I visited and myself as a person. It did not take long to figure out that your time spent traveling is completely what you want to make of it.
Looking back on the entire trip, I am glad that Paris was the first stop on my holiday. It was a bit intimidating to be thrown into a different country with a foreign language, but the city was very accommodating to tourists as almost everyone spoke excellent English. The stereotype of rude Parisians did not hold true for me, and I had some of the greatest interactions of my trip with the locals. For instance, I had the most entertaining waiters while at dinner in the Bohemian neighborhood who would jokingly scold me for not speaking French and attempt to teach me some phrases. However, one difficult aspect of the trip was being faced with a subway system in a different language where not even the information desk can understand my thick American accent. I quickly learned that simply phrases like bonjour and merci can go far and make people willing to help you. Once I was able to maneuver about the city, I saw all the major attractions such as the Louvre, Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe, and crepe vendors! As a result of my great experience, Paris will definitely be a city I visit again and get to learn about more in depth.
One city which I will not visit again is Geneva, Switzerland. There is no denying its amazing beauty or history, but I was disappointed at how commercialized it has become. It felt exactly like a normal US city with flashy stores and was not very unique. However, there were some picturesque areas in the old city and interesting attractions such as the garden clock. The next place I visited was Interlaken, Switzerland which was completely different from Geneva. Not even the language, architecture, or landscape was similar, and it made me realize how European countries can be extremely diverse just like the United States. Interlaken was a small town situated in between the Swiss Alps and had magnificent views no matter where you looked. Not only were the mountains and rolling hills beautiful but the water was even a glorious color that I have never before seen. I felt so close to nature there and aspire to one day live in a place equally as enchanting.
As the trip progressed, I was able to once again see how places within one country can be vastly different. Milan and Venice had very little in common and made two contrasting impressions upon me. Milan was very urbanized and did not have Italian feel that I imagined it would. Moreover, my time spent there was frustrating because many churches and exhibits were closed on Mondays, the only day I happened to be there. It was aggravating to think that I went to Milan in order to see The Last Supper and was unable to do so. However, I learned to better plan my trips and go with the flow because I still had the whole city to explore. The trip did eventually get better as I traveled onward to Venice. It had the true Italian atmosphere for which I was longing, and I was taken back by the gorgeous canals and delicious food! Once again I was faced with navigation issues as the city has no major roads or canals besides the Grand Canal, and it could take hours to get from one place to the next, even with the best map in hand. This layout was extremely confusing, but it undoubtedly created a unique setting found nowhere else in the world. While there are some name brand stores, most are locally run and in this way, Venice can stay true to its past.
Another thriving city full of history is Vienna, Austria. I was least excited about visiting this city, but it surprisingly became one of my favorite stops throughout the journey. The exceptionally clean streets, efficient transportation system, and beautiful architecture were not what I had expected to come across. There were grand theaters, numerous museums, and exquisite traditional dishes. After being with a large group for many days, I took this opportunity to venture off on my own and use the German language that I spent so many years learning. I quickly found out that I sounded like a three year old as many people laughed at my attempts, but I was at least able to convey what I was thinking. While off by myself, I visited the Kunsthistorisches Museum and spent time looking through the Italian Renaissance gallery. Again I was disappointed that the Titan gallery was closed for an upcoming exhibition, but I was still able to enjoy the remarkable collection at this museum. Back at the hostel I also had a great time discussing common stereotypes of Americans with people from all across the world. It was interesting to find out that they thought of our sports, school system, and politics. One Australian could not grasp the concept of lacrosse, but luckily a Canadian helped explain because it is their national sport.
The final destination of my fall break was Prague, and it was most definitely a fantastic ending. At first I was a bit apprehensive because the outskirts were very run down and not aesthetically pleasing. It was a wake up call to the vastly different lifestyle of Eastern Europe, and even the inner city of Prague had this uniqueness that the other cities lacked. The city was shockingly beautiful, and there was so much history in such a small area. This made me think of how young the United States is compared to European nations, and I was eager to learn about everything from the Thirty Years War to communism. I was fortunate enough to get a private tour with just six students for a bargain price, and we were taken around the city for four exciting hours of information catered to our interests. Monuments such as the astronomical clock, Charles Bridge, Prague Castle, the fortification wall, and the Jewish Quarters each had unique stories and history behind them. For instance, there is a controversial statue on Charles Bridge of the crucifixion with a statement acknowledging Christ on top in Hebrew. This was paid for as punishment by a Jew who made a joke about the statue as he walked past it. Clearly this is disrespectful to the Jewish faith as they do not believe Christ is God, and the Jewish community of Prague has fought to have a tablet next to the statute explaining the historic context. In the future I would like to return and gain a greater appreciation for the culture instead of simply visiting the tourist attractions.
By the end of my journey, I was without doubt ready to come back to a clean flat in London, but the experiences I had and the sites I saw were ones I will keep with me forever. It was a privilege to see so much of the world in so little time, and I now know where I would like to travel more extensively. I also acquired useful skills such as navigating a foreign city, working in a group for a lengthy amount of time, and being more open-minded to different ways of life. The experience made me truly appreciate that the American way of living is not the right or only way, and I can not wait to see more of the Europe in the years to come.