Well, my trip officially ended last weekend and so many thoughts come to mind. There is so much going on around the world and it was such a privilege to be able to witness it first-hand. Too often, I find myself guilty of not being aware of what’s happening around the globe and living in my own little SD ‘bubble.’ As I settle back into work, school, and home, it’s almost as if nothing changed…yet I find that for me, a lot has changed. It’s so hard to portray to the people around my everyday life all of the experiences I went through. Pictures kind of tell the story, but they don’t tell of the times I laughed so hard that my stomach hurt, or cried at night because I was homesick and frustrated. For now, I will settle for torturing my sister with random stories and memories that I will remember spur of the moment.

Here are my top moments of the trip, in no particular order:

1) Third Eye Blind concert. You can’t beat seeing your favorite band, unplanned, running through the metro stations and taking three different lines to get there, with David buying tickets from a crack dealer! Awesome!

2) First day in Paris. We saw soooo much, starting with the Notre Dame, then to the Louvre, the Bastille, the Arc de Triomphe, Eiffel, very good dinner and wine, and then going up the Eiffel at night. Somewhere in this day, a fake Egyptian mummy was involved that scared me so much that I got a cramp in my side.

3) All day trip to Versailles. Much of the day before Versailles was spent walking around all of Paris. It was nice to lay back on the lawn in the gardens, take a nap, and eat some ice cream.

4) Slushy 7. Looking through some pictures I took and some that others took, we really did hang out together a lot. I’m so happy to have hung out with such a fun group. From the Cricketers to Revolution (tossers!)…I had a blast! Damn, we laughed a LOT! Not only that, I think I had the chance to talk one-on-one with all of them, which truly means the world to me. This leads me to one of my favorite “Slushies” and part of the Core Four….

   4a) Getting to know Laurie better. Best roommate ever, even with the snoring. ;) All  joking aside, she was constantly there for me…even when I was frustrated with everyone. For two weeks she had to listen to me vent and complain, but we also laughed sooo much, especially when we talked about our “meetings.”

5) First day/night in Cambridge. I can’t even remember what we did during the day but I remember laughing a lot (played apples to apples with the professor) and thinking that Cambridge is such a beautiful little town.  The first night was pretty special also. :)

6) Paris nightclub. I had so much fun with Ozzie and Laurie; at first getting denied at a few nightclubs before finally getting let into one, then dancing to Michael Jackson and all the typical American club songs. And then finally ending the night with a cab ride back to the hotel and trying to find late night food, but settling for Ozzie’s trail mix. 

7) Whirlwind stop at Brussels. Waffles, fries, chocolate, beer, a peeing statue…need I say more? I only wish I was there longer to do more shopping.

8) Punting. The perfect way to end our stay in Cambridge. Very calm, peaceful, and relaxing. Also, watching Bruce (our professor) punt was hilarious since he just spun our boat in circles and almost fell in the water.

9) Shopping with the girls. I barely got to hang out with these fabulous ladies so I’m so glad that I was able to go to Harrod’s with them. Oh, and also eat burritos in Cambridge and spill nachos all over the floor!

10) Late night talks. :)

That pretty much highlights the best parts of the trip for me. Mixed in were countless train rides and multiple methods of transportation. I think in one day we took a bus, a plane, and a train to get to our final destination. Of course, I slept on every single one of them! As I reminisce and procrastinate on finishing the course work for this trip, I am already planning my next visit to Europe. I can’t wait!