So after ten crazy days, I returned from Fall Break this past Sunday. Although I did get a good bit if time off of school, all of the traveling that took place over my break was more tiring than school itself. No complaints here, though. All of the great experiences I had were completely worth being a little more tired than usual.
My time in Paris lasted from Friday morning to Monday morning, and every moment was occupied with one thing or another. Our activities on Friday and Saturday included eating some delicious crepes, jumping around a bounce house replica of Stonehenge, and walking pretty much all over the city. We saw the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, the Arc de Triomphe, and every pretty building in between. On Sunday, we left the city to visit the palace at Versailles, and it exceeded every grandiose expectation. The building itself was beautiful, but the grounds on which it was situated were even more impressive. We rented some bikes to ride around the property, and then saw the amazing fountains that are peppered throughout the palace gardens. Everything that I saw in France was just beautiful.
Next, I flew to Madrid on Monday morning. After waiting for a two-hour RyanAir delay, that is. My cousin is teaching English at a local elementary school, so I stayed with her in her apartment until Friday morning. While she was at work during the days, I walked around the city by myself, just taking all of it in. I even managed to meet up with three friends who are studying abroad in Madrid! The reunions were great, but the Spanish food I got to eat was a close second. I got to try so many different foods that I had never eaten before, sampling everything from chocolate churros to bull’s tail.
My bus to Barcelona left early on Friday morning, and was eight hours of listening to music, sleeping, and enjoying the view. When I finally arrived, I managed to find my other cousin, who was vacationing in the city. I stuck with her and her tour group all weekend, and made some new friends doing so. We ate a lot, walked a lot, and got a taste of the Barcelonan night life. The weekend ended sooner than I wanted it to, but I really had an awesome time. I left the hotel early on Sunday morning to return to Rome, and managed to get home safely. I spent all day on Sunday laying around and relaxing after such a busy week.
Fall Break was busy and tiring, but amazing. I’m really glad that I got the opportunity to travel to so many new and fun places. Now that the semester is beginning to come to an end, I’m running out of opportunities to do so, but I’m going to enjoy every one that I get.