6 months.
12 countries.
16 cities.
And now I find myself at home.
Not just Nottingham home but back in my sleepy town of Whitchurch.
I have been asked by many people how my time abroad was and I have struggled to say more than 'it was amazing' to each one. If you haven't studied abroad or travelled for an extended period it is really difficult to explain what the experience teaches you, gives you and how it makes you feel. If you have studied abroad or travelled then so few words are needed because you understand completely and so the explanation becomes irrelevant.
Yet after saying all this I'm still going to tell you about my trip. Feel free to backtrack now, scroll down for the pictures or if you are interested you can continue to hear about the places I've been and the people I've met. I will try and keep it to the best bits!
On the 22nd of May I took a Viking Line ferry away from Helsinki for the last time (for now). It wasn't easy saying goodbye but I don't think I could have asked for a better day to sail toward the horizon - beautiful blue skies, a warm breeze and reading a book at the harbour back to back with my favourite Polish friend.
Arriving in Stockholm, the weather was even hotter. I only stayed for one night but I made the most of my time walking around the Djurgarden, the National City park, and visiting the Vasa museum (a recommendation that I too would recommend), the best preserved 17th century ship in the world - all thanks to it sinking on its maiden voyage...in the harbour. Seriously though, check it out, it's a beautiful ship.
From Stockholm I took a train, the first of many using my interrail pass, to Copenhagen. Once more blessed with gorgeous weather I made my way to the hostel, where I was staying in a 66 bed dorm! I loved walking around the city (a running trend throughout this trip) and one of the main port of calls was of course the little mermaid. You know, the thing you have to see to say you've been to Copenhagen and then when you get there you really wish that there was something else that said you'd been to Copenhagen. Let's face it, it's a bit rubbish. Yet in the immediate vicinity is the Citadel, a flower shaped military base which has a gorgeous walk around the perimeter and a war memorial which is designed in a beautiful and thoughtful way. There is also a large fountain and the only Anglican church in Copenhagen - which happens to have roof tiles from my home county!
There were so many other things that I got up to on my winding through Europe; Auschwitz deserves a mention as it is something that I think we all should do at some point. It is such a thought provoking place that seeps into you and leaves you in a difficult but I think essential place. I also walked in on a free organ recital in Vienna (the saving grace, as I found it quite boring on my own) in a gorgeous church, saw fireworks for a dragon festival in Krakow, a panoramic view of Tuscany from the top of Siena, got lost in Venice - countless times, did not see David in Florence but instead saw the sunset behind the mountains which turned the river into gold and to defile any cultured sensibility I thought I had...I took a selfie in the Pantheon.
The most important part of my trip however was the people I met. It was very strange going from constant company in Helsinki, where I could walk into my friends' rooms within minutes to having just myself for company in Europe. Luckily I was meeting a few Helsinki-ans on my way round and I couldn't have asked for better cities (Prague, Krakow and Paris) to have spent one last moment with them but it was the other people who I met for a moment or a day that made my trip so memorable.
Copenhagen, so shortly after leaving Finland, greeted me with 30 or so Helsinki university students watching the Ice Hockey final. They lost. This meant there was a not a crazy night out as planned - where they would 'try and find somewhere to get naked and swim, as we usually do' - but instead a night of chatting in the common room and finding out one had remembered me from a drunken rendition of 'I'll be there for you' and 'Drunken sailor' at a Sit-sit...oops.
Italy provided the most company however and what company it was. Most of the people I met were Australian, something I am more than happy with as they are a beautiful bunch. There were two in particular though; a girl, from Lake Macquarie, in Venice who showed me the best gelato in town and whom I spent an inordinate amount of time aimlessly wandering the beautiful streets with, the second was a guy from Melbourne who I met in Rome. We watched the opening World Cup game and on departure to the airport I thrashed him in a game of rock, paper, scissors - this is after him saying that he was actually pretty good at the game and so the accomplishment was even more satisfying (though I was skeptical as he called it paper, scissors, rock).
I met a Canadian guy on the train from Venice to Florence and immediately we clicked due to what were far too high brow conversations for a month out of any intellectual thinking. We wandered around Florence taking in the beautiful architecture and then together with a Londoner and German we watched the aforementioned sunset and found the best view of Florence imaginable...and then a rather lovely cocktail bar too.
Two girls from Dallas managed to keep me company throughout Italy as I followed the same route as them, this meant having drinks in Venice, Florence and Rome with a not-so-gruesome-twosome and generally having a wonderfully chilled time laughing and hearing about each other's lives and plans. Although now I am constantly updated with photos of their continued travels which makes me insanely jealous - so it's a good job more travelling is in the works.
As my adventure was a train adventure I think it also makes sense to tell you of my favourite train journey. This came in circumstances you would normally not expect to enjoy. My train back from Siena to Florence was delayed...then cancelled. We had no information as to what was going on and then proceeded to follow the crowd - as apparently some Italian women knew what she was doing. What this meant was that as a typical Brit I had something to complain about and luckily I wasn't alone in my feelings as a family from Arizona and grandmother and granddaughter from Indiana & Ohio felt much the same way. We spent the journey talking about anything and everything. After getting our second train for the final stretch I sat with the pair and talked classical music, life, plans and even more of anything and everything. It was a wonderful trip and the company was brilliant! I am still in contact with the granddaughter as we update each other on what we're getting up to. Again I am made to be jealous as she is on a beach in Greece drinking cocktails as I have a coffee, with the football, on a sofa.
As I said at the beginning, it is so hard to explain these thoughts, feelings and experiences. What you have here is the smallest amount I could possibly give you and on reading it back it's not really enough to give you a small idea of what my last 6 months have been like. What I can say though is that I now have a global family; USA, Canada, France, Spain, Portugal, Holland, Sweden, Finland, Czech, Poland, Germany, Italy, Austria, Switzerland, Belgium, Ireland, Russia, Belgrade, Australia, New Zealand and back home; Holmfirth, London and Reading - all these have people residing within their borders who I consider a close friend and I find that an incredible thing.
Helsinki has been the best thing I have decided to do, so far, in my relatively short life. Not because I have managed to see more of the world but because I have these friends. If you ever get the chance to travel, do it. You will then understand why when asked how everything was I will say three words (with thanks to my Australian) - "Life is great".
12 countries.
16 cities.
And now I find myself at home.
Not just Nottingham home but back in my sleepy town of Whitchurch.
I have been asked by many people how my time abroad was and I have struggled to say more than 'it was amazing' to each one. If you haven't studied abroad or travelled for an extended period it is really difficult to explain what the experience teaches you, gives you and how it makes you feel. If you have studied abroad or travelled then so few words are needed because you understand completely and so the explanation becomes irrelevant.
Yet after saying all this I'm still going to tell you about my trip. Feel free to backtrack now, scroll down for the pictures or if you are interested you can continue to hear about the places I've been and the people I've met. I will try and keep it to the best bits!
On the 22nd of May I took a Viking Line ferry away from Helsinki for the last time (for now). It wasn't easy saying goodbye but I don't think I could have asked for a better day to sail toward the horizon - beautiful blue skies, a warm breeze and reading a book at the harbour back to back with my favourite Polish friend.
Arriving in Stockholm, the weather was even hotter. I only stayed for one night but I made the most of my time walking around the Djurgarden, the National City park, and visiting the Vasa museum (a recommendation that I too would recommend), the best preserved 17th century ship in the world - all thanks to it sinking on its maiden voyage...in the harbour. Seriously though, check it out, it's a beautiful ship.
From Stockholm I took a train, the first of many using my interrail pass, to Copenhagen. Once more blessed with gorgeous weather I made my way to the hostel, where I was staying in a 66 bed dorm! I loved walking around the city (a running trend throughout this trip) and one of the main port of calls was of course the little mermaid. You know, the thing you have to see to say you've been to Copenhagen and then when you get there you really wish that there was something else that said you'd been to Copenhagen. Let's face it, it's a bit rubbish. Yet in the immediate vicinity is the Citadel, a flower shaped military base which has a gorgeous walk around the perimeter and a war memorial which is designed in a beautiful and thoughtful way. There is also a large fountain and the only Anglican church in Copenhagen - which happens to have roof tiles from my home county!
There were so many other things that I got up to on my winding through Europe; Auschwitz deserves a mention as it is something that I think we all should do at some point. It is such a thought provoking place that seeps into you and leaves you in a difficult but I think essential place. I also walked in on a free organ recital in Vienna (the saving grace, as I found it quite boring on my own) in a gorgeous church, saw fireworks for a dragon festival in Krakow, a panoramic view of Tuscany from the top of Siena, got lost in Venice - countless times, did not see David in Florence but instead saw the sunset behind the mountains which turned the river into gold and to defile any cultured sensibility I thought I had...I took a selfie in the Pantheon.
The most important part of my trip however was the people I met. It was very strange going from constant company in Helsinki, where I could walk into my friends' rooms within minutes to having just myself for company in Europe. Luckily I was meeting a few Helsinki-ans on my way round and I couldn't have asked for better cities (Prague, Krakow and Paris) to have spent one last moment with them but it was the other people who I met for a moment or a day that made my trip so memorable.
Copenhagen, so shortly after leaving Finland, greeted me with 30 or so Helsinki university students watching the Ice Hockey final. They lost. This meant there was a not a crazy night out as planned - where they would 'try and find somewhere to get naked and swim, as we usually do' - but instead a night of chatting in the common room and finding out one had remembered me from a drunken rendition of 'I'll be there for you' and 'Drunken sailor' at a Sit-sit...oops.
Italy provided the most company however and what company it was. Most of the people I met were Australian, something I am more than happy with as they are a beautiful bunch. There were two in particular though; a girl, from Lake Macquarie, in Venice who showed me the best gelato in town and whom I spent an inordinate amount of time aimlessly wandering the beautiful streets with, the second was a guy from Melbourne who I met in Rome. We watched the opening World Cup game and on departure to the airport I thrashed him in a game of rock, paper, scissors - this is after him saying that he was actually pretty good at the game and so the accomplishment was even more satisfying (though I was skeptical as he called it paper, scissors, rock).
I met a Canadian guy on the train from Venice to Florence and immediately we clicked due to what were far too high brow conversations for a month out of any intellectual thinking. We wandered around Florence taking in the beautiful architecture and then together with a Londoner and German we watched the aforementioned sunset and found the best view of Florence imaginable...and then a rather lovely cocktail bar too.
Two girls from Dallas managed to keep me company throughout Italy as I followed the same route as them, this meant having drinks in Venice, Florence and Rome with a not-so-gruesome-twosome and generally having a wonderfully chilled time laughing and hearing about each other's lives and plans. Although now I am constantly updated with photos of their continued travels which makes me insanely jealous - so it's a good job more travelling is in the works.
As my adventure was a train adventure I think it also makes sense to tell you of my favourite train journey. This came in circumstances you would normally not expect to enjoy. My train back from Siena to Florence was delayed...then cancelled. We had no information as to what was going on and then proceeded to follow the crowd - as apparently some Italian women knew what she was doing. What this meant was that as a typical Brit I had something to complain about and luckily I wasn't alone in my feelings as a family from Arizona and grandmother and granddaughter from Indiana & Ohio felt much the same way. We spent the journey talking about anything and everything. After getting our second train for the final stretch I sat with the pair and talked classical music, life, plans and even more of anything and everything. It was a wonderful trip and the company was brilliant! I am still in contact with the granddaughter as we update each other on what we're getting up to. Again I am made to be jealous as she is on a beach in Greece drinking cocktails as I have a coffee, with the football, on a sofa.
As I said at the beginning, it is so hard to explain these thoughts, feelings and experiences. What you have here is the smallest amount I could possibly give you and on reading it back it's not really enough to give you a small idea of what my last 6 months have been like. What I can say though is that I now have a global family; USA, Canada, France, Spain, Portugal, Holland, Sweden, Finland, Czech, Poland, Germany, Italy, Austria, Switzerland, Belgium, Ireland, Russia, Belgrade, Australia, New Zealand and back home; Holmfirth, London and Reading - all these have people residing within their borders who I consider a close friend and I find that an incredible thing.
Helsinki has been the best thing I have decided to do, so far, in my relatively short life. Not because I have managed to see more of the world but because I have these friends. If you ever get the chance to travel, do it. You will then understand why when asked how everything was I will say three words (with thanks to my Australian) - "Life is great".
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| The nicest church square ever. |
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| Urban Outfitters you're doing this right. |
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| Flowers in the sinking sun of Stockholm |
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| Parliament Building Stockholm |
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| The Botanical Gardens in Copenhagen is basically the Garden of Eden |
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| Prague Castle |
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| Auschwitz Berkanau |
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| [not real gameplay footage] |
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| Ezra Pound's grave on Venice's Cemetery Island |
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| One of few Italian photos without scaffolding |
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| The view from my friend's apartment. |
