I’d never been so excited to head to the airport, even with crowd and delay nightmares looming. I must admit, the day of travel is always difficult, but meeting the rest of the group made things a lot more bearable. Although we arrived in London a little later than expected, all our worries disappeared when we touched down in Heathrow airport. Driving down the streets of London reminded me a lot of New York City, where I was born. I couldn’t have dreamed of a better way to start off the trip then with a traditional fish and chips dinner. To top it off, we finished with views of Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, and finally, shopping in Covent Garden!

Boarding the EuroStar to Paris was an event in itself! We hit the ground running with a trip to Louvre Museum. No matter how many times you see the works of art reproduced, it doesn’t compare to the real thing! Nothing can prepare you for your first view of the Eifel Tower. Paris is a beautiful mixture of a beautiful countryside village and a posh city!

Arriving to the airport was bittersweet, but the long plane ride home offered a lot of time to reflect. Traveling can be stressful, especially when you are going with people you just met! I wasn’t sure what to expect when I signed up for this trip. I couldn’t have been more blown away and grateful for each experience and each person in the group. It was truly life changing and has lit the fire in me to continue traveling the world!

Another early morning train ride, we arrived in the ‘city of canals,’ Amsterdam! I was blown away by how quaint it was: the architecture, the number of bikes, the houseboats, and of course, the Red-Light District. The Anna Frank House was an emotional and awe-inspiring experience, the cheese and wooden shoe factory was delicious, and spending Sunday morning at a local market made me feel just a little bit more like a local! Of all the cities we visited, Amsterdam is where I could see myself living. I suppose I’ll have to start saving now, since a houseboat can go for almost a million dollars! Although our trip was almost over, ending it in Amsterdam made it just a little bit sweeter; the Stroopwafels helped too!
– Erica, SPC Western Europe Study Abroad Program, July 2022