When I pictured travelling, I always imagined just me stepping onto a private jet with a red carpet rolled down the stairs. The wind would be blowing the perfect amount to give my hair a Victoria Secret runway look and I would step on the jet in a white trench coat and just land anywhere in the globe.
I was in for a rude awakening after my 10-day travel adventure. I signed up for my fall break tour which would take me to Berlin, Amsterdam, Paris and Barcelona. Ten-hour bus ride, after 10-hour bus ride, I would get off each time in desperate need for a chiropractor and a shower. Despite the bus (whose TV screens broke so we couldn’t watch any movies!!!), each city gave me something special which I won’t forget.
Berlin is somewhere I never thought to go to and I still didn’t think of it as a place to visit signing up for the trip. I just thought of it as a layover spot to Amsterdam. The rich history of the Berlin Wall was enough to keep me fascinated by the city. Each panel of the wall is now decorated by hundreds of different artists with messages and interpretations of peace and unity.
Everyone knows why people go to Amsterdam … the PANCAKES. To my surprise, not all pancakes are thick like American diner pancakes. They looked like crepes and were filled with cheese, mushrooms, ham and other combinations of food you would never think belonged near pancakes. At first it felt so wrong, but it tasted so right. Amsterdam is also the birthplace of fries so obviously I had them three times a day to fully immerse myself in the Amsterdam culture.
Paris needs no introduction. Those corny movies that always make a big deal about Paris are right. There was something in the air that made everything seem like you were in your own movie. We toured important sites like the Notre Dame Cathedral, the Lourve and the Eiffel Tower. Notre Dame had some of the most beautiful stain glass windows I’ve ever seen, but I still rate it a 9/10 because there were no talking gargoyles like the Disney movie told me there would be. The Lourve holds the notorious Mona Lisa. Most of the people I was with said that she didn’t live up to the hype, but I think there’s more to my girl Lisa than meets the eye. Our tour guide told us that if you looked at every single piece of art in the Lourve for 30 seconds, it would take a lifetime. The Eiffel Tower at night was one of the most breathtaking things I’ve ever seen. There was so much to do, but we had a limited amount of time. It’s safe to say that Paris and I are unfinished business, but it’s au revoir for now.
We finished our 10-day exploration in Barcelona, or as the natives say, “Barthelona” (obviously I pronounced it like this every chance I got because I’m study abroad trash). Barthelona is the most colorful and vibrant city I’ve ever seen. The architect Antoni Gaudi designed a lot of important monuments and his style uses shapes and colors he saw in nature. Much of the city is in his style so it feels surreal. We went to a spot he designed, Park Guell, featured in the awarding-winning film Cheetah Girls 2. I definitely got the chills knowing I stepped where Raven Symone once stepped alongside her cheetah sistas.
Even though I didn’t fly in a private jet and will probably have permanent nerve damage from sitting on a bus, I was in four countries in 10 days. When I finally achieve reality star fame, I don’t think I’ll have the chance to experience these places in the same way (obviously because I’ll be swarmed by the paparazzi).
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