My Last Days As A Gamecock

 "December, you've always been a problem child."

Can't believe my time as a UofSC undergrad is winding down. Like I've said in all my social media posts and vocally to anyone with ears, I am SO EXCITED about all the new adventures that lay ahead, and equally as anxious/incredulous/shocked. But with new things and opening doors, comes leaving behind things that you love and closing doors. It's called the next chapter for a reason. You turn the page, leaving behind what you've just read, but every word before has carried you to where you are now.

<insert cheesy, but true, quote here>

As I pack up my apartment, send my graduation announcements and lock down details for my upcoming moves, I can't help but think about all the things I'm excited to do for one last time with the people that have made my time here amazing. *Most of these are food related and that is not only because I love food, but because these are social activities.* In chronological order, of course.

• Carolina v. Clemson

And Gamecock Football in general. I spent Saturday screaming for the Gamecocks and watching them beat our rival team, the Clemson Tigers, for the fifth consecutive time. I dressed head to toe in garnet and black and sandstormed over and over again. I never saw Clemson win against us as an undergrad at UofSC. I'll never step foot in the stadium as a student again, but I will always get chills when I hear 2001. Forever to thee, Carolina.

• 

  Freshman year. 

Sophomore year.

Sophomore year. 

Junior year! When I got to work with the amazing Road Trip crew! 

Senior year! 

Senior year! 

Senior year! 

Chicken Finger Wednesday
A UofSC tradition. Chicken fingers and CURLY FRIES in Russell House every Wednesday. Enjoy this picture of me holding the treasure of all curly fries.

Thursday night at the Whig.
A new tradition this semester (for us young people that just turned 21 this year.) Thursday nights at the Whig this semester held me together. No matter how sick I felt or how much I needed to do, I made sure this social time was mandatory and it was the greatest decision. Looking forward to seeing some of my favorite people on Thursday nights and catching up got me through most weeks.

Saturday Morning at Soda City market
Not a tradition, but a lovely way to spend a Saturday morning in Columbia, SC. This Saturday it'll be festive and the ice rink is out by the Museum so there will be a lot of life going on on Main Street. Something unique to Columbia that I'll miss (mainly I'll miss the goat cheese)

Spending a late night working in student media and solving my late night hunger with a Beezer's sandwich or late night Marble Slab.
This happened far too often. The amount of all-nighters I spent in Student Media because I couldn't focus on editing a video because of all the wonderful people around me. I would attribute at least 90% of all my laughs to time in Student Media. Or, spending hours being the one distracting everyone from their work. 

Graduation party.
This is still tentative, but I need to have everyone all together before everyone leaves for winter break. Which leads me to....

GRADUATION

• All the work I've put in over the past 3.5 years will be worth it when I cross that stage. This degree is something I will be proud of forever. Plus, my whole family will be in town and will be watching and they have done everything possible to support me and help me succeed.  

And, in regards to the beginning of December and this transition point of my life, I think my girl Sara Bareilles summed it up perfectly.

The month of December is always, kind of, a happy month because I love the holidays, but it's also always brought me a sense of melancholy. There's this idea of reflection where you're looking at the year that has past and you're thinking about what's to come. And it's this kind of transition point where you want to believe that anything is possible but, really a lot of times you end up reflecting on what didn't work from the year before.

Here's to whatever's next. If you know, don't tell me. I'll figure it out as I go.

Coffee in Austria, White Water Rafting and Wine in Italy.

From Germany to Italy, we made a quick stop in Innsbruck, Austria to grab some food and check out the home of Swarovski crystals.

Since the crystals were just a little out of my price range, I settled for my Austrian souvenir being a brunch of coffee and pastry.

We continued our bus trip through beautiful scenery to the Alps of Northern Italy, where we suited up for a whitewater rafting trip!

The water was around 40 Fahrenheit so we made sure to cover ourselves in neoprene wetsuits. Fashionable, right?

I wish I had pictures, but I still don’t think they’d do the trip justice. It was such a unique experience and an awesome way to escape the usual 100 Fahrenheit Italian heat.

After more driving, we finally made it to our hotel in the small town of Padua where we had our first Italian pizza and wine!

The next day, we left to explore Venice. Since Venice is an island, we had to take a boat after bussing to the port. Our group had our own private boat!

First stop for our boat was a glassblowing demonstration and the famous Murano glass. We watched a demonstration for a few different types of figures, and then walked around the factory store.

Just a warning, this stuff is incredibly overpriced and not really worth it. Small souvenir shops sell identical replicas for a fraction of the price in Venice.

The boat dropped us off in the center of Venice, where we then took a guided walking tour of the city. Even though it was still early morning, it was already scorching and full of tourists.

The city's history and architecture was beautiful. We could see stereotypical pieces of Italy everywhere - guys in striped shirts rowing gondolas down the canals, accordion players, narrow winding streets with gelaterias on every corner.

Of course, we took a gondola ride. How can you leave Venice without doing the most touristic thing?

Then there was this random Italian man. 

Overall, I found Venice very overrated and not worth the trip. As I've told friends and family already, I felt like I was in an amusement park and nothing was real. They say the city only has around 50,000 locals with 150,000 tourists visiting daily. It definitely showed.

If you're planning a trip to Italy, I recommend going to our next stop - Verona.

A smaller town and more of how I envisioned Italy.

We got to see Juliet's wall, where lovers place a lock on a grid iron to make a statement that their love will last forever. There's also a wall where you can write your lover's name with a sharpie.

Hahah. 

We spent the next few hours strolling through the streets, stopping at a farmer's market for some fruit and a cafe for a shot of expresso.

I would love to go back to Italy and explore the smaller towns and countryside. We hit some of the most touristy areas, and I don't feel like I got a true taste of Italy. Who wants to plan a trip with me? :)

Munchen! Stop #1 of Traveling Beyond Study Abroad

My study abroad program officially ended on Friday, August 2. I knew I’d want to see more of Europe so I booked an additional trip through EF College Break to explore Germany, Italy and Switzerland. EF College Break gives people from 18 – 26 the chance to experience places with a packed itinerary and with people their own age.

After a night of no sleep from kissing Barcelona goodbye, my 8 am flight to Munich was an easy one. I landed in Munich around 10AM still exhausted, but ready to meet the people I’d spend the next week traveling with.

I spent the next 3 hours waiting for our bus to pick us up to take us to the hotel, and when we finally made it to the hotel, we waiting another hour to get our room assignment. It was a very long, hot day and I’ve never been so ready to take a shower. We immediately dropped off our bags, showered and met back up with the whole group to make our way into downtown Munich to explore.

This is where I, of course, had my first real German beer and pretzel.

Exhausted, we wandered through the streets and hung out in the main square while people watching. I will say that Germans are my favorite group – so far – to people watch.

I love how many clock towers there were around the city. Beautiful. 

The next morning, we boarded our bus and headed to Neuschwanstein castle (please never ask me to pronounce that) built by the supposedly mad King Ludwig II in 1892.

The castle is isolated in the Bavarian Mountains in Schwangau, Germany. 

We had to walk up the mountain in close to 100 Fahrenheit, but it was worth it. The castle and the surrounding view were completely worth it.

Princess found her castle! Ha. 

We spent the next few hours at the English garden, hanging out with locals and jumping in the river. Through the English garden runs Munich’s main river, which is known for its strong current and river surfers. The river's current makes a natural wave, and you can always find people surfing.

We quickly changed into our suits so we could join the locals and jump in the river.

Here’s how it works. You walk up to the top of the river, jump in, then pick up your feet and let the river’s current take you downstream. Think of it like a fast lazy river. For someone that usually hates water and isn’t a very good swimmer, I had a great time.

We wrapped up our last night in Munich with dinner at the famous Hofbrauhaus, one of Munich's oldest breweries founded in 1589.

Sit up front, right next to the stage for the best view of the live entertainment. These guys used whips to make music. 

And, if you're "lucky" like I was, a piece of the whip will snap off and land in your plate.  

Weizenbier. 

Apple strudel! 

I lied. We didn't wrap up the night with dinner. Because, when in Munich, go to the clubs at Kultfabrik for a great time.

While walking to this district, I ran into one of the german boys I'd met while staying in our hostel in Dublin. He lives in Munich, but it was still such a coincidence! How small is this world.

A long night of dancing and we were ready to sleep on the bus to Innsbruck, Austria and the mountains in Northern Italy.

More pictures on my Flickr account. 

Hasta luego, Barcelona. I will miss you terribly.

I spent my last day(s) in Barcelona having a sort of internal toddler tantrum. I can't tell you how many times I thought, "but I don't wanna leave!" in a whiny, pouty voice. Cue stomping of the feet and crossing of the arms. I couldn't believe this amazing experience would be over as soon as I walked out of our apartment door, two heavy suitcases and backpack in tow.

But, it didn't matter how many time I pouted about having to leave, time kept flying by and finally it was my turn to board a plane to Munich.

These past 6 weeks not only taught me so much about how to be a better traveller, to speak Spanish more fluently, to be a pro at mass transit and to survive constant, unbearable heat, but it taught me so much about myself in general. About what I want - and what I deserve - for my future.

I think one thing that made it so hard to leave was all of the incredible people. The students in my program came from all over the country. Some people will return to their home University with new friends on campus, or at least a short drive away. I was the only student from the Southeast at all to come on the trip. (There was a whole new meta-level of culture shock going on.)

Leaving my host Mom family difficult, too. How many times can you say thank you to the woman who insists on packing you a lunch so you don't have to buy food in the Airport? Lauren and I got so lucky with our living situation - I could not have asked for a sweeter, funnier woman. She was always willing to teach us anything. Her son, who is my age, and daughter who is a few years older, were equally as helpful and entertaining. I always looked forward to our nightly dinners.

So just like that, I'm on to the next one. Throughout the next week, I will be traveling to Germany, Italy and Switzerland. I'm excited to meet all the new faces I'll be traveling with and ready to explore these countries that are so different from Spain.

Barcelona will always, always have a special place in my heart. Planning for the day when I can return and be someone's tour guide!

Going Dutch! What a weekend in Amsterdam.

My new friend and travel buddy, Laura, has already written a magnificent recap of our incredible weekend in Amsterdam. Read  both of ours for the best feel about how great our weekend was.

We left Barcelona as quickly as we could on Thursday afternoon, excited to check yet another destination off our bucket lists!

Ellen and Laura being dorks boarding the plane. 

My excitement vanished quickly when I experienced the worst airplane turbulence in all my travels. My knuckles were white on my armrests and my entire body shook through the rest of the hour-and-a-half flight. Me and Jesus had a long conversation on that plane ride!

Again, dorks. Welcome to Amsterdam!

We landed safely and wandered through the airport looking for the train that would take us to center city. When trying to buy our train tickets, we learned quickly that most places in the Netherlands require a "chip" in your credit card. If you don't have this chip, you cannot use your regular Visa. After a humourous conversation with a flustered dutch man behind the counter, we eventually realized we could also pay in cash - as if it wouldn't have been easier for him to suggest that to us at the beginning.

We finally arrived to our hostel, appropriately named "Hotel My Home." For four young girls traveling alone, we could not have picked a better place to stay! We were no more than 15 minutes walking distance to the bigger attractions and surrounded by restaurants, shopping and plenty of things to do. The owners of the hostel were some of the nicest people I've met. Each morning beginning at 8:30, breakfast was served in the common room. Eggs any style we wanted, plus toast with peanut butter, nutella and hagel. 

Hagel was a new discovery for me but I loved it! Hagel is basically sprinkles that melt in your mouth and the dutch eat it on bread & butter and call it hagelslag. Try it!

On our first night in Amsterdam we decided to go bar/restaurant hopping. We were tired from a long day of school/traveling (not to mention an anxious plane ride!) and decided this would be the best way to acquaint ourselves with the city until Friday. We walked directly out of our hostel door and saw a bar named Harlem. As soon as we saw the waiter carrying a big bowl of nachos, we all looked at each other and immediately grabbed a table. Yes, nachos on our first night in Amsterdam.

How could you deny these? Before... 

...after. We didn't see anything wrong with them. 

Ciney blonds with our nachos! Dutch beer.  

Ellen and I matching in stripes! 

We then walked around until we found what claims to be "the best Pancakes in town!" I'll back that up. But, dutch pancakes are much different than what you'd find at IHOP. These are a lot thinner and more like a mix between a crepe and pancake. We split a traditional bacon and apple pancake and some sugary, buttery poffertjes.

Bacon and apple pancake! 

Poffertjes!!!!! Basically soaked in butter, so very delicious. 

Laura and I with our first dutch pancake! 

Since the sun doesn't really go down until around 10 or 10:30 in Amsterdam, we walked around the rest of the evening and made our way back to the hotel so we could get a good night's rest before a long, busy Friday.

Picturesque scenery. 

We woke up the next morning with aspirations of beating the crowds to the Anne Frank House. Even though we got there right when it opened, we didn't make it in time and the line was already growing. We decided to join the bike-riding bandwagon and rent bikes to pedal around the city all day.

Green budget bikes was the cheapest we saw. 

When in Amsterdam, rent bikes. We would not have seen so much of the city if we didn't. Though our butts were sore the next day (evidence of lots of pedaling!) it was beyond worth it. Also, everyone rides bikes - the number of bikes outnumber the amount of bike racks and next to Central Station there is even a bike parking deck. 

First stop on our bikes was the "I Amsterdam" sign and the Rijksmuseum.

In the garden!

The museum was beautiful. We spent a couple hours exploring the multiple floors of Van Gogh, Rembrandt, Vermeer and other dutch artists. Since we went early in the morning, we didn't have to fight through too many people to look at the art.

Hungry, we hopped on our bikes in search of some lunch. I was skeptical at first, but we chose a small deli to get a sandwich. Luckily, there were some cute dutch boys in the deli that spoke english and could recommend us some things. I ended up with a crab salad on brown bread, with slices of young cheese and dutch salami. It was delicious and so cheap!

Brandweizen beer. Muy bien. 

We biked off our sandwiches and beer all the way to Vondelpark, where we parked our bikes and laid down for a quick ciesta.

We were amazed to look at our watches and see that it was only early afternoon. In Barcelona, time flies because you spend so much time walking to and waiting for the metro. (I was also really excited that I had to wear a sweater most of the time while I was biking. In Barcelona? Forget it. You're melting in a tank and shorts.)

We explored the rest of the afternoon. Found the cheese museum. Biked to different landmarks. And made our way back the Anne Frank House at dusk, when the line was much shorter. We only waited about 20 minutes to enter.

Little piece of heaven. 

I definitely recommend going to the Anne Frank House when in Amsterdam. The stories are so touching, and it brought a reality to something I've studied and read about so much. Seeing the original pages of Anne's diary left me speechless.

The next day, we turned in our bikes early and took a bus to a smaller town called Volendam. It was so nice to get out of the city for a few hours and see a new take on dutch culture. We spent half the day walking around this town.

When we returned to Amsterdam, we took a short nap, then started our 40 minute walk to a brewery called Brouwertij 't IJ, in an old windmill. It's far away from the hustle and bustle, but well worth the walk. We saw no other Americans as we entered and knew we'd found what we'd been looking for!

Beer, salami and cheese. Perfect! 

We stopped for dutch pancakes for dinner - so nutritious - and caught our boat for our canal cruise!

My camera batteries died, or I would have some more pictures. 

Everyone on the canal cruise!

We spent the night exploring the town after dark. Yes, that includes the red light district. I have to say that you need to go during your visit, but I wouldn't return myself. Understandably, I was pretty uncomfortable. I really just wanted to empower these women and tell them they can be more, but something told me that wouldn't really go over well.

My favorite part of the night was splitting fries with Ellen. The hardest part was choosing which type of sauce we wanted!

Sunday was a long, lazy day for us. We packed so much into Friday and Saturday! We woke up, checked out of our hostel, and ate, shopped and walked around the city until our flight left at 9:30 pm.
This included: a cup of coffee from an actual coffeeshop (there are some that serve coffee!), a nap in the park, clothes and souvenir shopping and enjoying the weather by having dinner on a boat.

We only spent 3 days in Amsterdam, but it felt like a week! These girls know how to travel and I'm so glad we got to see so much of the city in such short amount of time. I absolutely loved Amsterdam, and did not want to leave. I will boldly say that it is the most beautiful European city I've seen to date! I'm ready to plan another visit.

xoxo

Meredith