Vienna, Austria
Vienna had a sense of class to it that I have never experience before. I felt under-dressed for the entire city. Everybody seemed so elegant and to seem to have a purpose when going somewhere. There was always somewhere to be and something to do. The streets were mixed with locals and tourist alike, shopping and enjoying life. We, fortunately, had beautiful weather so there was time for us to just sit out and admire the tulips and people watch. My favorite thing that we saw was National History and Science Museum. It had a giant display of rocks from around the world (including one from Nebraska!), as well as a planetarium and fossils. I really enjoyed my (limited) time in Vienna and I hope that I will be able to make it back eventually to explore more and to see what the rest of the city is really like.
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| Sami and I being sassy at the Museum of History and Science |
Venice, Italy
From Vienna, we took a six hour bus ride through the Alps to Venice. The views that we saw from inside our bus were phenomenal. It was a perfect time for me to listen to my music and just admire the beauty that was before me. I have driven through the Rockies numerous times, however, the majesty of the Alps can not be compared to our American mountain range. Once we finally got to Italy, we had to cross the canal to get to the island of Venice. I had never really thought that I wanted to see Venice, however, after I have experienced it I would recommend it to anyone and everyone. Every turn was a new sight to see and a new piece of the canal to look at. It was extremely easy to get lost (which we did...several times). However, it was interesting to see a city that was once one of the most important trading hubs in the Adriatic Sea. Everything had to be transported by boat or carts. The sheer work that it would have taken to build such fantastic buildings is unparalleled.
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| Beautiful day in Venice with beautiful people |
London, England
One of our main points of interest over spring break was London. London was severely overwhelming and different from anything that I have ever discerned. There was no stopping in London. People everywhere, going everywhere, doing everything. From the tube, to the buses, to the main tourist attractions, there were people everywhere. However, we jumped right into the flow of people and saw a lot. We did a famous "Hop On Hop Off" tour through the city and got to see the Tower of London, Big Ben, the London Eye, and much more throughout the course of a day. In addition we also got to see three shows on the West End (Brianna had a big influence in this :)). They were "a phenomenon and phenomenal". My favorite thing that we got to see in London, however, was Shakespeare's Globe. Because their season is opening soon, we actually got to sit in on a rehearsal of A Midsummer Night's Dream. It brought back my acting past and playing Hermia in Blair's very own auditorium. But, after three days of seeing London and taking the Tube everywhere, I was most definitely ready to take on Ireland next.
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| Globe theater |
Dublin, Ireland
Our flight left at 1:10, so we got up pretty early to give ourselves enough time to get to the Stansted airport, check in, and go through security. To get to the "off shore" airport, we had to take a train. But, go figure, the overhead rails were down that morning. So, we had to take a roundabout way to get to make our flight. Because the one train station was down, it backed up the entire public transport system (a supply chain and logistic nightmare). So, long story short, we missed our flight. Ryanair did not have a flight for all three of us to make it to Dublin, so we had to split up. I took a late flight that night and left Sami and Brianna to spend another night in London. When I finally got to Ireland, everything immediately started working out. It helped that all signs were in English and there was no language barrier, but I effectively made it to the hotel and then met up with Megan, Kassidy, and Holly for a Guinness and some dinner. Looking back on the day, it was easy for us to get frustrated and annoyed, but in all reality, there was no reason for us to feel that way. Everything works out in the end, and it did. By the end of the day I was happy, optimistic about Ireland, and ready to start the next day. Two highlights from Dublin were the Guinness factory where I fell in love with the hoppy beer full of flavor and happiness and the Cliffs of Moher. We took a tour to see the cliffs and I couldn't help but fall in love with the country. There is so much to see and appreciate in the country of Ireland and I was disappointed that I couldn't see more of it. We truly saw all 40 shades of green that the Irish countryside had to offer while listening to the tour guide who was the funniest person I have ever talked to. Ireland has my heart and I can actually see myself living there. I am extremely proud to call myself Irish.
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| Guinness factory. I'm in love. |
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| Cliffs of Moher from below. Pristine weather for an immaculate sight. |
The past two weeks have been full of life and have definitely added to my story that I have been writing. So much more happened than what I can portray in this short post, and I can't relay all the feelings and moments that I have lived. I know that this world has so much to offer and my study abroad experience has already showed me that I live in a box when I am in Nebraska. I am excited to see what the next chapter of this global endeavor will bring.
"I'm an empty page, I'm an open book. Write Your story on my heart come on and make Your mark. Author of my hope, make of the starts. Let me be Your work of art, won't you write Your story on my heart."~Francesca Battistelli
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