I just returned from my last weekend trip of the semester and it seems unreal that I will no longer be able to travel to a different country for a weekend trip. This semester has had a lot of ups and downs, but mostly ups. This past month was definitely the most hectic out of my time abroad. There wasn’t one weekend in the entire month that I wasn’t abroad.
I started out my month with a long weekend, for Easter break, in the Amalfi Coast. Everyone always tells you how beautiful the Amalfi Coast is, and how it is just one of the many places you can’t miss when you go to Italy, well they are all 100% correct. Despite the fact that we didn’t have perfect weather, the Amalfi Coast was still one of my favorite trips of this semester. All of the coastal towns are gorgeous, and it was amazing to walk through the ruins of Pompeii and think of how quickly one thriving town could be wiped out. We were also able to see the Easter procession in Sorrento and it was one of the most interesting, and creepiest things I have ever seen in my life and it is definitely something I will never forget.
The second weekend I went on a trip to Umbria with SAI. It was amazing to explore another region of Italy that I never even considered before SAI. We had an amazing weekend exploring Visso, Assisi, and Perugia. We even saw the process of how ricotta cheese is make, had a delicious lunch with the sheep farmers, and of course picked up some chocolate in Perugia.
Next I traveled to Switzerland and Munich. I loved the quaintness of Switzerland, and of course the amazing chocolates. We also traveled up a mountain and I learned that there is indeed snow on the Swiss Alps in April. Good thing I was prepared for the snow with lots of layers and my winter coat! Munich was also very interesting, and another place I never thought of visiting until given the opportunity. It was a beautiful city and it made me want to travel more around Germany, and learn more about their history and culture. We walked around the city and I had an authentic German pretzel, and apple strudel, it’s all about the food. We also had the chance to visit Springfest, and it was a sight I will never forget. Lastly we went to Dachau, a concentration camp located outside Munich. It was a very emotional trip, but it was very interesting and heartbreaking to see the physical proof of this awful time in our history and I’m glad I had the opportunity to go.
On my last weekend trip of the semester I went to Ibiza, Spain. Although Ibiza’s tourist season hasn’t officially started yet, I had a great time relaxing with my friends on the beach and walking around the town. It was the perfect weekend to relax before finals and our long trip home. This month has been so busy I’m excited to have this next weekend to enjoy Florence again, and of course all the Italian food before heading home.
Jordana – Lynn University
