This post serves as sort of a cliff notes version of where I have traveled so far. I intend on writing longer full versions of my adventures in the future with more details and photos. Please enjoy this version for now! For my travels in the US, I decided not to go into depth with my experiences, as most of my passion stems from experiencing other cultures. If you have any questions about where I have traveled in the US, feel free to comment in the section below the post and I will respond there ❤
The United States
I was born and raised in the USA. Therefore, the traveling I did, up until 2018, was in the United States. I have traveled to 12 of the 50 states.
The Short Story: I was raised in Michigan, moved to Wisconsin, went to Ohio for work, traveled with my family to Kentucky, Tennessee, Florida, Indiana, and Illinois, traveled through a school group to California, Virginia, and Washington D.C., traveled with another group to Georgia, met my boyfriend in Wisconsin and then traveled with him to Minnesota.
European Destinations
United Kingdom
My time in the UK was spent in London, which I’m sure is typical of most international visitors . While I studied in Scotland for a year, I didn’t spend a ton of time in England which was a shame! I was having too much fun exploring Scotland, I didn’t have time to venture into England.
In January, I traveled to London with my mom when she came to visit me. Honestly, I don’t think I gave myself enough time to fall in love with London. Getting around the city was crazy and took forever to get anywhere. If you’re looking to make the most out of your time, I suggest picking a top few attractions that are “must see” and then try and find things in closer proximity that you can add to your sightseeing. Next time I go to London, I plan to spend an entire week there so I can explore it a little more in depth.
Scotland
In my list, I am counting Scotland as a country separate from the UK. Politically Scotland is part of the United Kingdom, but from my experience living there I feel Scotland is a independent and proud nation (This is my personal opinion).
During my time there, I fell in LOVE with Scotland. I felt like it was the only place on earth that I truly belonged. Every rain drop that fell was meant to be and every rainbow I saw was meant just for me. The dramatic waterfalls, the gorgeous bridges that tame the wild rugged landscape, and the rolling fields of green stole my heart. I couldn’t believe I was there. I couldn’t believe I had the privilege of living in such a beautiful place.
I was living in the city of Aberdeen, which is the third largest city in Scotland. It’s where I found adventure, new friends, and the truest version of myself. Aberdeen is famously known as the Granite City because most of the buildings are made of gray blocks of granite. When the rain falls, the city looks a tad dreary but once the sun comes out the city sparkles. I absolutely love Aberdeen and I believe that everyone has an Aberdeen out in the world. You just have to get out there and find it.
Italy
Italy was the first country I traveled to after settling into my new home in the UK. On a whim a friend and I decided we were going to Italy. We booked flights on a Monday and flew out that Thursday. We decided to go and within a week we were there! I had never done anything like this travel-wise since flights in the US are not very affordable to make last minute on-a-whim travel decisions. It was one of the most exciting things I’ve ever done. I never thought I would be at the point in my life where I could just fly to Italy for a few days and I certainly didn’t think I would be able to at the age of 21.
That morning we landed in Rome, ate the best lasagna, pizza, and gelato I’d ever had. Two days later, we took a train to Venice, where it was pouring rain for 4 of the 6 hours we were there. The city was still breathtaking. While in Venice, I bought a rose-colored leather backpack which makes me feel super fancy so I can literally take my Italy memories around with me. (Yes, I am a bit of a dork). The next day, we caught a train to Milan. My fellow travel buddy is ALL about fashion and was in her element perusing shops on the streets of Milan. Overall, It was a delicious adventure!
Preface to Eastern Europe:
My trip to Eastern Europe was inspired by a fellow blogger I found on Pinterest who wrote about when she traveled to Prague, Vienna, and Budapest. After reading her article, I had to travel there one day. It took three years for me to get there. For the next two years, I would be saving and applying to study in Scotland. After I was accepted and received my visa to study, my next mission was to plan the trip for our winter break. The most challenging part was convincing three strangers to travel with me. I say strangers because I didn’t know anyone before I moved to Scotland.
Generally speaking, I am a bit of an introvert. As a result, I’m not great at making and maintaining friendships. It is a serious flaw that I try to overcome. I had to force myself to be social in Scotland. Even though it was a bit of a struggle in the beginning, I’m so glad I did. I met so many amazing people! Luckily, I was able to convince three wonderfully adventurous people to travel with me that January! My trip to Eastern Europe consisted of a 6-day trip spent with these three lovely people.
Czech Republic
We landed in Prague late at night after a car ride from Aberdeen to Edinburgh and then our 2ish hour flight. We spent two days wandering around to different landmarks and sites. I was mesmerized by the magic of Prague. It felt like the city where fairy tales took place. I love the cute little streets filled with shops that lead to big open squares. One path lead, us to the famous astronomical clock. We also spent time exploring the castle grounds. Prague has history, majesty, and endearing character.
The next morning, we traveled by train to Vienna. After visiting the Communism Museum in Prague, I watched out of the train window for the physical evidence left behind from the communist era. I noticed it in the architecture of massive block builds and the expansive fields that had been collectivized.
Austria
When we arrived in Vienna, it felt more American than I had anticipated. I was expecting the kind of quaint charm that Prague offered with its stone streets and colorful buildings. Instead, there were wide roads with spacious sidewalks. Something I was used to seeing throughout the US. After a tour of the Opera house I realized that most of Vienna had been rebuilt after bombing in the World Wars. Vienna felt more modern because it was “newer” than most of the cities I had been travelling to recently.
Our time in Vienna was spent trying to understand bits of German, while wandering through museums and opulent cafes made famous by forward thinking visitors of the past. On the first night we got to see a performance of the classical music Vienna is known for. Vienna was grand, historic, and expensive. I had never paid so much for dessert in my life, but I would say it was worth it.
Hungary
After our train ride from Vienna, we arrived in Budapest and headed for our Airbnb. One of the girls I traveled with had a friend in Budapest that met up with us and made sure to show us some of the best nightlife in the city! Our last stop that night was a ruin pub, where the bathrooms were horrific but the experience was unforgettable. The next day we were relaxing in the thermal baths. This was a dream even in the middle of January!
The next day we spent time at the Museum of Terror and learned about Budapest’s darker history through the Nazi and communist occupations of the city. Afterwards, we wandered through the city happening upon statues, monuments, and eventually the Hungarian Parliament Building. During our walk, we passed the Budapest Eye and checked out the Great Market Hall! For lunch we thoroughly enjoyed some Goulash at the “For Sale” pub. After all the sightseeing we did in Budapest, I still feel like there was so much more to see! Budapest was electric, cultured and unforgettable.
Ireland
Our original plan was to go to Ireland during St. Patrick’s Day, which felt like a brilliant plan until we went to book flights and accommodation only to find that if we wanted to go during St. Patrick’s Day, we should’ve booked our trip months ago. It’s a good thing we are adaptable! We decided to go the weekend after as it was much cheaper and easier to find a place to stay.
Our trip was amazing! On the first day we signed up for a guided tour around the city. It was filled with historic sites and the uniquely Irish side of Ireland’s history and foreign relations. We drank some Guinness, went to a pub for some live music and then caught a taxi back to our Airbnb. The next day we spent more time wandering around. We checked out the EPIC (Irish Emigration) Museum that showcased everywhere Irish people moved and settled abroad. For someone who’s genealogy is very Irish, I recommend visiting this museum. Wherever we went in Dublin, the people were very friendly and welcomed us to the city. Dublin was cozy, welcoming and exciting.
Spring Break : Paris & Barcelona
For spring break, my boyfriend Dillon traveled over from the US. Our trip would be a little over one week spent together and we wanted to make the most of it. We planned on visiting two places with the time we had together. We had decided previously that we wanted to experience Paris together. Then, Dillon got to choose the second place as he had traveled over 3,000 miles to come visit me. It was also his birthday that week! He settled on Barcelona, which was a bit of a surprise to me.
France
Paris was absolutely one of the most captivating places I’ve ever traveled. Everywhere we went felt like we were the only two people in the world. The city is whimsical and romantic. We saw the Eiffel tower, the Arc de Triomphe, the Louvre, took a river cruise, wandered through Montmartre, and took a French cooking class!
The one thing that amazed me was the quality of food in Paris. Our French cooking class included going to the market to buy the ingredients for our meal. Our teacher met us on a street where we visited a meat shop, then a cheese shop, and a separate shop for fruits and veggies, then finally, a bakery. It was wonderful to see all the different shops.
Our teacher told us Parisians shopped this way because each shop owner is an expert at what they sell. As an appetizer she taught us the proper way to cut different types of cheeses on a cheese platter based on their shape. The whole class for us was an introduction to the etiquette of Parisians. During our time in Paris we also made time to eat croissants, macaroons, crepes and enjoyed our share of cheese platters.
Catalonia
After our magical time in Paris, we traveled to Barcelona. Our hotel wasn’t near the city center, but it was gorgeous! We had a corner room with windows on both sides flooding the room with light. That afternoon we walked around and stumbled upon what seemed like a street fair which we had a wonderful time wandering through.
On the second day, we hiked up to Parc Guell and found an amazing viewpoint of the city meeting the sea. After our trek up to Parc Guell, we found an escalator on the way down. We had a good laugh about it after we were out of the sun. Next we headed into the city center to catch a walking tour that we never found. Thankfully for us we were able to download an audio tour that led us through the city and into the Gothic Quarter. We stopped along the way for tapas! After our audio tour we went to see the Palau de la Música and then the Sagrada Familia. We found that getting around in Barcelona was easy once we figured out the underground system. Barcelona was lively, energetic, and carefree.
If you enjoyed this article you may like: For the Love of Travel.
US Only: To stay safe during your travels, I recommend signing up for the STEP notifications from the US Department of State. The STEP program updates you on current travel restrictions and lets you register your travel plans. For general international travel safety information visit: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel.html.
