Unfortunately for me, my laptop broke a few weeks ago, leaving me unable to get to keep up with my posts.  But, I’m back now with a lot of exciting new adventures to talk about!

After Thanksgiving, my friend and I took a quick trip to Paris.  As a child, I would tell my parents I wanted to run away to Paris and become an artist.  Well, I didn’t create any art while I was there, but I did see a lot of it! Paris had beautiful museums and of course I got a picture in front of the famous Mona Lisa.  Luckily for me, my friend knew a girl also studying abroad in Paris and she was our personal tour guide for the day.  She took us to great spots in the city and taught us a lot about Parisian youth culture.  I think my favorite part of the trip was sitting in a cafe, drinking coffee, and just people watching.  Paris is a much larger and more diverse city than Vienna, so it’s interesting to spot the differences in citizens.

The weekend after Paris was my last weekend available to travel, so I gathered my closest friends in Vienna and booked us a trip to Prague.  I have been to Prague before, but I had been dying to go back.  It’s a gorgeous city with a fascinating history.  My friend is also Czech, so she helped us navigate the city and taught us a few phrases to say to the locals! This trip was very special to us because it was one of the last times we were all together hanging out without the stress of finals or having to pack and leave each other.

My last two weeks in Europe were obviously spent exploring my home city of Vienna.  I truly love it here and there is so much to see and do.  With a broken laptop, I have realized how much extra time I have.  Instead of going home to do work or do nothing on the internet, I do what I need to do at the study abroad center, then I take long walks around the city.  I could walk for hours and hours! There are so many areas of the city that are not as well known as others, but still as beautiful.  I’ve really taken my time to be alone and get to know Vienna as best as possible.

Now, I am almost to the end of my exams and I am feeling very bittersweet.  Of course I miss my family and friends, and I cannot wait to see them when I get back to America.  But, the past four months having been the most exciting and adventerous months of my life.  I am so lucky to have had this opportunity and would do it all again if I could.

Location: Paris, France