International Travel While Abroad

One of my main goals for my semester abroad in Dublin was to explore as much of Ireland as possible. As described in my previous blog posts, I spent many of my weekends in incredible places across the country. But another great thing about studying in Dublin is how accessible the rest of Europe is by plane. I went on two international trips during my semester abroad, first to Amsterdam at the end of October and then to Paris at the end of November. In today’s blog post, I’ll be taking you through my international adventures through my camera roll!

Amsterdam

A view of the sunset over the water

I visited Amsterdam with a group of friends that I met through my program. Our trip to Amsterdam was my first encounter with RyanAir, and I managed to avoid excessive baggage fees by squeezing my clothes into a backpack. The flight from Dublin to Amsterdam takes about an hour, a very manageable trip even if you’re sick with a cold like I was. My friends and I stayed at a hostel across the river from most of Amsterdam’s downtown, but this proved to be a non-issue. The sheer number of canals in Amsterdam was both surprising and a bit confusing when trying to navigate. 

One of the city’s many canals

Outside the Rijksmuseum at sunset

Our three days in Amsterdam were jam-packed with activities. I really enjoyed visiting the Rijksmuseum and seeing paintings by Vermeer, Van Gogh, and Rembrandt with my own eyes. I also loved seeing the city from the water on an evening canal boat cruise! Amsterdam was such a fun whirlwind of a trip, and I would love to go back.

“Self-Portrait” by Vincent van Gogh in the Rijksmuseum

A view from our nighttime canal cruise

Paris

A Parisian street view

The Eiffel Tower and the moon

I visited Paris to meet with my sister (who was studying there for the semester) and the rest of my family for Thanksgiving. It was so great to be with my whole family again, and we got to see a lot of the city! My favorite activities were walking the streets (and climbing the hill) of Montmartre, visiting the Louvre, and seeing the city from the top of the Eiffel Tower.

The courtyard of the Louvre

View of the city from the top of the hill in Montmartre

Me on the top of the Eiffel Tower!