With the end of exams passed and a month to go before leaving the UK, the logical thing to do was to go see as much of Europe as possible!
This was my first time ever solo travelling, and while I was lucky to meet up with friends for periods of time, it was still rather daunting. There was a fair bit of research I did in advance in order to avoid having to ask locals questions in very poor attempts at French or German, and I’d often have to remind myself of the country I was in, so I’d say “grazie” in Italy instead of “merci”!
There were bonuses though, there’s nothing quite like bonding with the American who’s the only other person in your train compartment that speaks English, or an Aussie you meet when visiting a castle in France! I came across many Aussies when in Europe, but surprisingly, I never found any New Zealanders other than ones I already knew.
Château de Pierrefonds
Despite all this, it was such a pleasure to be able to explore places I’d only ever seen photos of. Some of my favourites were the fairytale-like castles such as Neuschwanstein in Bavaria or Château de Pierrefonds, in northern France but I was also in awe at the old ruins of the Acropolis and Pompeii, it was incredible to see these sights that had been around for millennia.
A bear mosaic preserved in Pompeii
The Erechtheion at the Acropolis
After arriving back in the UK after this wonderous experience, I was lucky enough to do one of my favourite things yet again before heading back home, which of course, was seeing a show (in this case, shows) on the West End. Cabaret and Next to Normal were fantastic, both profound and heartbreaking, and I find myself so lucky to have had the opportunity to see them.
The cast and band of Next to Normal
I’m so grateful to have been able to spend this time overseas, to all the friends I made and sights I saw, and I can’t encourage you all enough to try it too! What a life-changing experience this exchange has been, I hope you all manage to have a chance to do the same 🙂