My Top 5

It's the final countdown. But, I refuse to get sappy until like July 29th at 11 AM when I am physically boarding the plane back to the US. So I'm making a list of my favorite cities!!! Also, I know that everyone and their mother will be asking me what my favorite places were when I get back home, so don't be offended if I just refer you to this post (lol jk) (but actually not at all jk).


HONORABLE MENTION: LONDON, ENGLAND

It's no secret that I'm low key obsessed with London. It's no secret that 99% of people that have visited London are low key obsessed with London. Which is why I'm giving it honorable mention.

The food, the people (yes they're a little stoic but, hey, so am I), the sights, the atmosphere. It's amazing. You channel your inner Joey Tribbiani, fight the urge to buy an ultra-patriotic UK flag hat, and jump in a phone booth to take a picture. That's what London does to you.

In all honestly though, London is a MASSIVE city that is one of the most modern, fast paced cities in the world, and yet is home to iconic sites like Buckingham Palace and Westminster Palace, both of which are older than the United States. Being in London is like stepping into a movie. All of these sites that I'd only ever seen on TV are now right in front of me, and it's honestly pretty unreal. Long story short, I 💗 London. [SURPRISE I have another blog that I started while I was studying abroad last fall. Check out my London post here.]

Westminster Palace (as seen from the London Eye)

The British Museum

#5 BERLIN, GERMANY

I love Berlin, not just because it's the capital of the country I've lived in for the past year (and now feel pretty attached to), but because of it's crazy mishmash of culture, history, and nature.

Berlin has been known (especially in the 80s) for having a real ~hip~ (excuse my old person lingo) club/art scene that prevails throughout the city. From tiny cafes to some of the most artistic graffiti I've ever seen, hipsters can THRIVE in Berlin. Mash that with decades of rich political, economic and cultural history, and you've got a pretty awesome city.

Also, I'm really not trying to be *that* person who studies abroad for a year, but one of my favorite things about Europe is the abundance of massive green spaces in the middle of major cities. Berlin is the epitome of this, with huge parks all throughout, including directly behind one of it's most major sites, the Brandenburger Tor.

The city of Berlin is truly unique, and it mixes such drastically different elements in a way that strangely work perfectly together. Get a better glimpse of Berlin in my post here.

Der Reichstag

East Side Gallery

#4 WARSAW, POLAND

Warsaw was a really dark horse, because as excited as I was to visit, I had no clue what to expect (please see my formal apology to Warsaw here). I was certainly not expecting the multiple lavish palaces we visited, the overwhelmingly adorable Old Town, and the literal feeling of history in the air. Despite well over 50% of the buildings needing to be rebuilt after WWII, Warsaw feels like taking a step back in history to a simpler, nicer, and quieter time. 

I'm still in awe by Warsaw's wide streets lined with flowers, huge parks, and intricate statues and monuments littered throughout the city. I could seriously wander around this city for days (which, to be fair, is basically what we did). Oh also, Warsaw was by FAR the least expensive city I visited in terms of food, and hotel. By FAR. 

Łazienki Park

Warsaw Old Town

#3 PARIS, FRANCE

Soooooo I really debated putting Paris on here, because honestly how basic am I trying to be with this list? Like, yeah, duh, of course Paris is amazing. But I guess the fact that I'm even making this post at all solidifies how basic I am, so yolo.

Paris is everything you want it to be and more. Seeing and climbing the Eiffel Tower for the first time is as amazing as it seems, Versailles (which, YES, OKAY, is not actually *in* Paris) is more beautiful than any picture can give credit, and I feel a bit more ~cool~ saying I bought my Adidas on the Champs Élysées. The city of Paris has a sophisticated feel to it, where it's almost like the city understands it's importance in the world, and throughout history. 

And let's talk about the food for a second, shall we? Never have I ever had better bread, more Camembert, or such tasty wine in my life. Add that to the duck, veal, and daily crepes, and yeah, this place is heaven. Paris, you have my heart. Read about how I fell it love with Paris here.

The Seine River with the Eiffel Tower in the background.

Palace of Versailles

#2 EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND

Another somewhat dark horse on this list is Edinburgh, only because I feel like it really gets overshadowed by Dublin and London. Truthfully, though, this city blew me away with how stunningly gorgeous it was, and how despite it's tourist-y vibe, was also incredibly ancient and historic feeling. Coming into the city from the airport felt sort of like going back in time, or transporting yourself to The Lord of the Rings or Harry Potter or something magical and quaint like that. 

Arthur's Seat is an absolutely must while in Edinburgh, as it gives you incredibly views of the city, and is unnaturally beautiful itself, it being a hunk of rock protruding out of the ground and all. The Royal Mile, which connects the Edinburgh Castle to the Palace of Holyroodhouse, is another one of my favorites in the city. It's filled with pubs and tourist shops, but something about it still just feels so....nice. 

My appreciation of this city is a bit hard to explain. There was a calm, but excited feeling I had while I was there that was impossible to overcome. I might've done a better job of explaining myself here. In any case, Edinburgh is a must. 

Arthur's Seat

St. Giles' Cathedral

#1 MYKONOS, GREECE

Did someone say something about being basic?! Greece....there are really no words for how breathtaking ALL of the Greek islands are, but let me try to find some for Mykonos. 

So if you've ever seen a picture, video, any kind of travel post trying to convince you how insanely beautiful Mykonos is, they're 100% accurate. The houses are the typical white houses with blue roofs that you think of when you think of Greece. But truthfully, the best part is the stark contrast of the simple houses with the bright pink flowers that are overflowing from window boxes and off old wooden porches. The cobblestone paths wind through streets filled with boutiques, bars and restaurants and lead you to the ocean. 

I could gush on and on about the simple charm of the island, and the majestic windmills that stand overlooking the water, but I think I'll just do a photo dump, because that will probably convince you more than anything I could type. If you want to see me attempt to use my words to explain Mykonos, check out this post.  

So that's my list. I haven't been everywhere, but I've been a lot of places and experienced a lot of cultures. Each city is truly beautiful, unique and exciting in it's own way, but the ones I mentioned above are my favorites. 

This year has been a challenge. I can't deny that for a second. But throughout it I have interacted and connected with people from places I had only ever dreamed of visiting. We all like to complain about how 'hard' or 'intense' our day-to-day lives are, but shoving myself this far outside of my comfort zone for an entire year gave me the ability to crave that normalcy, and those comforts of my day-to-day life in the US that I previously saw as challenges. 

Not to get too sappy and philosophical (I said I was going to wait on this!!!!!), but I believe that traveling can give you the clearest perspective of what you think of as home, and what you're looking for in your life. When you only know one thing, it's hard to imagine anything else. Getting out and exploring can lead you to finding more of who you are, and getting to the root of what your passions are. 

Rant over. Let me simmer in my emotions for these last two weeks 😅