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!