The Final Days

And so, before I knew it, six months abroad were over and it was time for me to pack up the life I had created in Europe and board my plane home. My last few days in Paris were quite bittersweet.

Amsterdam

Amsterdam had been one of the top cities on the list of those I wanted to visit in my time abroad but I hadn't been able to figure out how to fit it in until my last week abroad. Ceci and I were the last two remaining who hadn't yet visited so we bit the bullet and bought our tickets and planned a quick, two-day trip to Amsterdam!

A Night At The Opera

Those of us remaining in Paris for the last two weeks of June got all dressed up and went out for a night at the opera. This ended up being one of my favorite things I did while in Paris!

The Star of Paris

I had seen the Arc de Triomphe many times throughout the months I lived in Paris, visiting with friends or just passing it by, but I had never made my way to the top until my last week. Here's a few pictures I snapped while finally climbing to the top.

We're Doing It Live..

Our return from Italy marked the beginning of our last week together in Paris as a complete group. We decided to make the most of the week together, trying new things and doing our favorite things one last time. We relished being together in Paris for these last few days, adopting the motto "we're doing it live!"

The group after our final lunch on the last official day in Paris.

What Dreams Are Made Of!

The second leg of our Italian journey was five days in Rome! The Eternal City was one of the top cities on my bucket list and it is so large that we allotted more time so as not to feel rushed when exploring the city and its' history. Of course the girls on the trip were all hoping we'd meet an Italian pop start who would need us to sing with him in the middle of the Colosseum, but no such luck. Here's a look into some of the adventures we had in place of that dream!

"Promise me that when we're here, we'll find adventures."

Prego!

The week after our last final exam, six of us travelled to Italy for a week, spending three days in Venice and five days in Rome. We joked all week that the only Italian word we needed to know was "prego" because it seemed to be used for everything. It was a fun group and we had a great time exploring the cities and immersing ourselves in the culture during our time in Italy.  Here's a peek into our stay in Venice!

The group on our first day in Venice, in the center of St. Marco's Square.

Granada: When it Rains, it Pours.

The second half of our spring break trip to Spain took place in Granada. We woke up bright and early on our fourth day in Seville and boarded a bus for a three hour ride to Granada. Unfortunately, it poured for a majority of our stay but we made the most of it. Here's a peak into the three days I spent in Granada, Spain!

Seville: The Fun!

If you bring almost twenty college students to a warm, beautiful Spanish town for a week, there are bound to be some silly shenanigans. Here is a peak into some of the fun we had in Seville!

Seville: The Sights!

Maybe it was the warm weather and the spring break mindset but I found Seville to be a bright and colorful city just waiting to be explored.

"Welcome to my new home," I wish I was saying.

Seville: Food!

I can be a picky eater at times, although that has changed since I've been abroad (slightly), but I do love food. Being on vacation, I was excited to try new foods and treat myself this week. Here is a look into the delicious cuisine we encountered in Spain.

Seville: Holy Week

Our spring break trip to Spain fell right in the middle of Holy Week, the week leading up to Easter Sunday. Holy Week isn't a very big thing in the US but we realized immediately how important it is in Spain. (Side note: It might just be me but this blog post is a bit all over the place, sorry!)

Auvers-sur-Oise

In my time abroad, I've come to the realization that a day-trip outside of Paris isn't complete without a grass nap and a photo shoot. Our visit to Auvers-sur-Oise proved to be no different.

My Goodness, My Guinness!

Now, I've heard from some pretty smart people that Guinness is scientifically proven to taste better in Ireland. So, in order to truly do justice to the drink, even though I am of legal drinking age in France, I decided to wait until I visited Ireland, and more specifically the Guinness Storehouse, to have my first taste of Guinness. I'm definitely glad I did.

Cliffs of Moher!

We hit the ground running when we arrived in Ireland in order to soak up every second of our trip. Through our hostel we were able to book a day trip to the Cliffs of Moher for the next morning. It was an early wake up call but we all agreed that we didn't mind giving up sleep if it meant experiencing Ireland to the fullest.

A Trip to the Homeland

Ireland was on the tip-top of my list of places to visit while studying abroad so, naturally, I brought it up whenever traveling was mentioned and immediately jumped on board when others showed interest in a trip to Dublin as well.

Straight To The Top!

Here's the story of one of the most thrilling and terrifying experiences of my life.

That Time I Took A Selfie with Mona Lisa..

Of course, going to the Louvre for the first time, I had to be a typical tourist a take a selfie with Mona Lisa.

Selfie (err.. célfie?) with ma girl!

AEPhi Takes Paris!

A few weeks ago, my friend and sorority sister, Sabrina, visited me during her spring break! She's a senior graduating this semester, so it was especially nice to have her visit me here in Paris, knowing that she won't be at school when I return in the fall.  We did loads of stuff during her time here so it won't all fit in one post. For this post I have pictures from various things we did during the week, where I only took a couple pictures, but it's still a pretty loaded post. I'll upload other posts that focus on single events (the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre, for example) soon. So, here's a peak into the week AEPhi took on Paris!

Shakespeare And Company

As touristy as it is, Shakespeare and Company was one of the places I was most excited to visit when I came to Paris.  I'd heard about so many people going there and how cool the atmosphere and the arrangement of the store are.  It took me forever to finally visit but when I finally did, I absolutely loved it.

No pictures allowed inside so this is the only picture I have.