As I'm sitting here in my gorgeous hotel room in Seefeld, Austria, I can't help but be both saddened and happy that my study abroad has come to a close. My first day here seems like yesterday, and yet it also seems like over a year ago. I remember meeting Beverlee in the DC airport, and us buying Starbucks one last time before leaving the States. I remember landing in Florence and seeing all of the other girls in the program--all of the boys' flights were delayed, and they arrived the following day.

My favorite column in the New York Times (and therefore all print journalism) is the 36 hours travel column. It’s brought me to incredible tortellini in Modena, fascinating museums in London, and some of the best views in Barcelona. However, its fault lies in its glamour—the restaurants and activities tend to run out of the range of a student budget. With that in mind, here is my personally curated and researched guide for 36 hours in Milan, Italy for study abroad students and young travelers.

Friday

Thank you Wien, Österreich for an amazing 4 months.  Thank you for allowing me to learn your rich history and experience your beautiful culture.  Saying goodbye was harder than I thought it would be.  There were a lot of tears on the  last day in Vienna.  The city's appreciation for Classical Music and love for Mozart is perfection.  And the city's love for the Christmas Holiday is divine. (These people go ham for christmas decorations all around the city & Christmas Markets)  I will miss this city so so much.

            My host family is so sweet. My host mom doesn’t speak any English, but since we both speak French, it doesn’t matter so much. In the mornings, she’s trying to get the kids ready for school, and in the evenings, she always is helping them with their homework. She doesn’t like to cook, and she likes to watch Turkish soap operas. I tried to follow them with her, but I can’t understand anything they’re saying.

One of the greatest changes I’ve seen in myself over the past 5 months is my ability to be flexible. Flexibility became the norm for me this semester. With frequent cancelation of classes that made any shot of a routine impossible, to the chances I had to travel with just a few days notice, Cape Town requires you to be amenable to any situation that may arise. But that underlying sense of uncertainty that is present in every day is what shaped me as a student, traveller, and global citizen.

After three long months, I believe I have been in Paris long enough to have some repeat places and favorite spots in the city. I know this city better than the city I go to school in because I put so much pressure on myself to go out and explore in all of my free time. There's a lot that I am going to miss about here, so here's a sweet little list of some of my favorites in the city. My Parisian favorites list.

coffee shop

Over the course of my college career, I watched many of my closest friends study abroad. They travelled across the world to places I’d only seen on social media and read about in history textbooks. They made friends that looked foreign and interesting and different than the people I surrounded myself and I can remember thinking—I want that. I wanted friends from different cultural backgrounds that would make me think differently and question why I was the way I was.

Growing up with my mom thinking she is Mrs. Claus, I enjoy Christmas all year round.

Christmas is always a fun time of year if not THE BEST time of year. Being able to spend the beginning of Christmas in London is exciting. London has so much to offer during Christmas time. Whether you are a foodie, in it for the decorations, or just love shopping, London has got you covered.

Every morning at 8:38 a.m., I walk through Vauban, the alternative/hippie/college dorm community in which I live, and board the Line 3 Tram to head to school.  Freiburg’s trams are sleek and clean, inviting and colorful.