While studying abroad in southern Italy, I have had the privilege of taking many different day and weekend trips around the country and around Europe as a whole. The transportation system present in Europe, with the presence of high-speed trains and budget airlines, makes quick and cheap trips accessible to everyone. While I was in Sorrento, I was able to take trips to places all over, including Paris and Budapest. 

While in Paris, I attended Lollapalooza, a music festival, with my two roommates. We were able to see some of our favorite artists from home, like Niall Horan, Lil Nas X, and OneRepublic. All of the artists we saw put on great shows, and we even caught OneRepublic’s guitar pick! This was a great way to spend some time in another country and get a unique experience.

On our last day in Paris we took the metro to Disneyland Paris! We had so much fun spending a day in an amusement park and comparing our experience to the parks we had visited in the United States. This was a very tiring day, but the memories that we have will surely last a lifetime!

Another trip that I got to take while abroad was to Budapest, Hungary. While looking for cheap flights to fun destinations, we saw that it was relatively cheap to fly and stay in Budapest. Neither me or my roommate had been there, so we decided to go! We took a night cruise on the Danube River, which gave us great views of the city. We also took a ghost tour of the Buda Castle and learned all about vampires and other myths that took place in Hungary! We met so many other travelers in Budapest, and it was great to connect with so many people who have a love of traveling and exploring the world!

While you’re abroad, it is important to appreciate the place that you are living and experience it to the fullest, but it is also okay to branch out and explore some countries that you are close to!