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My time abroad has come to an end. My time in Europe was fantastic. It was a truly eye-opening experience being able to see the things I saw and experience the things I experienced. I could not be more lucky than I already am. Not many people can say they have had an experience quite like that. It is something I would recommend to anyone and everyone. The experience is invaluable and would do anyone well. If you happen to have the opportunity to study abroad, or even just visit somewhere knew, somewhere where you don't know the language or the customs, do it. Do that as fast as you can. Nothing can quite compare to that feeling. But now that I am home, I will enjoy my life here, and remember just why I like it so much.

Trip 2 Day 13 & 14 Budapest

After a long time exploring the western countries of Europe we decided it was time to head east. After a short stay in Vienna to drop off our packs and restock for the next trip, we went to Budapest! We had not been in a city like Budapest or even a country like Hungary yet. I myself had not been there so I could not speak of anything from experience. The language, culture, and lifestyle was completely mysterious to me. Despite that we took advantage of city tours in order to see a large part of Budapest, making sure to get off and walk around the areas that sparked our interest. We visited the former castle of Buda that was destroyed during WWII. The sights from the top of the hill it was situated on was phenomenal. We also had to make a stop in Budapest's famous "medicinal hot springs". That was my mother's idea. It really turned out to be more like lukewarm bathwater that smelled strongly of sulfur. If you've never smelled sulfur before... it stinks. It was almost reminiscent of the Gustavus hot tub in cleanliness and warmth. Regardless the warm water felt good after a long trip. Our stay in Budapest could not be too long. Today we ended up returning back to Vienna for one day before my parents make their trip home. It has been quite a journey.

Trip 2 Day 11 Salzburg

Another day of travel. After 10 previous days of going through Europe, all 3 of us are fairly tired. Because of that after a nice hearty breakfast and a good view of the Munich Glockenspiel, we caught the next train to Salzburg. In Austria however, the Monday following Easter is a holiday as well, so the local shops were still closed. There was not much to do save for walk around Salzburg a little, get some Schnitzel as our authentic meal for the day and drink some Salzburg beer. I would have to say it wasn't too bad a of day! Tomorrow we plan to explore the town more, seeing some of the sights from The Sound of Music. Our original plan of exploring Kehlsteinhaus or more commonly known as Eagle's Nest were foiled because it is closed until May 10th. We will then just extend our time in Salzburg and see more of this city before heading back to Vienna for a bit.