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Dear End-of-Trip Rachel,

I’m leaving for Europe in just a couple of days, and what the heck??? It’s going to be the Trip of a Lifetime, and I truly hope you have the best time. I hope you’ve explored these cities and countries with the excitement you’ve always felt toward them. I hope you’ve experienced the beauty and history of these places. I hope you’ve cried at the immensity of this journey at least once. I hope you’ve taken tons of pictures, but not too many - enjoy the moments. I hope you’ve grown in your friendships with Laura, Taylor, and Tyler, and I hope you’ve started making friends around the world. I hope this trip is everything I’ve ever hoped it would be. You will have learned so much about the world and its history. And I’m sure you will have learned so much more about yourself. Carry those lessons with you forever, and start planning your next adventure!

I’ll see you on the other side, Before-the-Trip Rachel

[rachel-takes-europe-blog]

7/30: Surprise: I'm still in love with Amsterdam and I still want to move here. I've spent the last 24 hours asking locals about their rent and how much they love this city. Everyone who lives here is obsessed, still in love after 15 years. It just makes me feel even happier about he prospect of living in this amazing city (if I could ever afford it). Today we also went to the Anne Frank house, and it was very moving. As a kid, I was really into Anne Frank and I read everything about her that I could. I learned that she dreamed of being a famous author and writing a book, and I can't imagine how excited she be to know that she achieved her dream and more. As Emma Thompson said, "her what-ifs are our opportunities."

[rachel-takes-europe-blog]

7/26: Today mom and I are in the Isle of Skye and this place is stunning. It looks like a cross between Iceland and Colorado. It rained for the first part of the day, so I spent it sleeping off a cold I picked up on my last day in London. Once it stopped, we went out and explored this part of the Scottish highlands and I was blown away. It is a sweeping and dramatic landscape that keeps in awe of nature. We stopped at an old graveyard where some of the headstones are from 1833!! Just take a look at the uncovered in moss, I was astounded. It started raining while we were there, but Scotland left us with a cute rainbow at the end. Hopefully it rains less tomorrow so we can spot some otters and explore the fairy glens.

[rachel-takes-europe-blog]

7/24: Edinburgh, I'm in love with you! I'm truly astounded by how magical and beautiful this city is. It feels like I'm walking through history/a storybook. The architecture is gothic yet romantic, and old mixed with new. The sunset last night was one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen. My mom and I have just started our part of my journey; from here we go to the Isle of Skye in Scotland, then Amsterdam and The Hague in the Netherlands. Here's to my last two weeks in Europe!

[rachel-takes-europe-blog]

7/24: I've been MIA for awhile because London stole my heart + my time. I met amazing people, had amazing food, and saw amazing things. I saw Boom of Mormon, Twelfth Night at the Globe, an American in Paris, and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. I explore Notting Hill, Shoreditch, Camden, and Kensington. I saw art by Gerhard Richter, went on a Jack the Ripper walking tour, and danced at a silent disco overlooking the city at the Shard. I jammed to Laura Marling at a music festival, I partied the night of Pride, and I saw of the world's best art. Spending three weeks in London was one of the best times of my life, and now I get to spend two weeks with my mom in Scotland and the Netherlands! I am so thankful for this amazing summer, and I don't think I'll ever want to go back home.

[rachel-takes-europe-blog]

7/6: The last couple of days I saw amazing art in museums and dope street art in Shoreditch. I was originally in a Shakespeare class, but I switched to a museums and galleries class and all we do is go to museums and look at/learn about art. After, I get to go explore with two friends who are history and art history majors, so I spend all morning learning about the history of this gorgeous art. Shoreditch is full of colorful street art, and we even saw some artists spray painting under a bridge. I love exploring all of the neighborhoods and museums of this wonderful city. But Tyler leaves tomorrow, and I don't know what I'm going to do once he's gone.

[rachel-takes-europe-blog]

7/3: I'm in London! I was lucky enough to make four cool friends on the program, and we're already talking about going to Amsterdam this weekend (I just can't leave that city). Yesterday we took a bus tour and I got to see Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, and other beautiful places in London. We also went to Hyde Park last night and listened to the festival going on next to us. I'm excited to get to know this city over the next few weeks!

[rachel-takes-europe-blog]

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7/1: Our flight was delayed 3 hours so we landed at 3 am yesterday, then our AirBnB was disgusting and moldy so we bailed and got a new one for last night after sleeping until 12:30. I didn’t get to see much of this place, but I saw was lovely. The gold accents on these buildings give everything a touch of regality. I hope I get to come back one day to drink more Delirium beer made by monks and see the rest of the city!
And now, onto London to study abroad.

[rachel-takes-europe-blog]

6/28: They should rename this city Beautypest because it’s so god damn pretty. Today we got an amazing tour from my cousin’s friend, who he met last year in Budapest. We met up with him the other night, and he made showing us around in 90°+ a blast. We learned so much about Hungarian history and got to see the most gorgeous views. So many of the things in this city were built for the millennium, in 1896 (see? I learned), but everything feels so storied. Yesterday we got massages at a bathhouse, which is on the hill in the last photo. This place has been amazing, and I can’t believe our month together is almost over!

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6/25: We finished up our trip in Copenhagen and I already miss it! In all, we ate at the street food market for five meals and I got to eat the best food I've ever had. The dessert in the top right is a creme brûlée donut topped with ice cream, and it saddens me that I'll have to eat other desserts until I come back to Denmark. We also climbed to the top of a tower on a church and saw gorgeous views overlooking the city. The mist and rain started rolling in, casting a mysterious vibe over Copenhagen. The love I have for this city is indescribable, and I'm already excited to come back one day (mostly to eat more creme brûlée donuts).

[rachel-takes-europe-blog]

6/23: We have spent two full days in Copenhagen and I love this place. What a beautiful, colorful city. It has the perfect mixture of old and modern, and everything works together. On the first day we went to Nyhavn street, which is a pretty road next to the canals. We wandered around colorful gardens and castles, ate wonderful food, and drank delicious local beer. On the second day, we went to a peaceful little area called Christiania, which considers itself separate from the EU. This little city is full of gorgeous street art and quirky people - I loved it. A little bit away was the Copenhagen Street Food Market, which is made of old shipping containers and has the best food I've ever eaten. It was so good that we ate there twice yesterday (including two pieces of cheesecake, impossible to resist). I am so in love with this city, the question now becomes do I move to Amsterdam or Copenhagen? Or how can I live in both?

[rachel-takes-europe-blog]

6:19: I got to spend Father's Day weekend with my dad in beautiful Ireland. When he and Brad picked me up from the airport, we first went to the Cliffs of Moher. The mist started to roll in and we all really felt like we were Ireland, it was an iconic image. You feel like you're standing on the edge of the world, and sometimes it's a little scary looking over the edge. After, we drove to the little town of Galway and had a blast! What a lively place with lovely people. We met two guys on a stag party ("bachelor party") and talked to them all night. They were so funny and nice, and taught my dad the entire history of Ireland and Northern Ireland. We spent the next day walking through the city, exploring their boutiques and markets. We also ate at Ard Bia, perhaps the best two meals I've had so far this trip. We stopped back at a pub and watched an entire game of hurling, an ancient Irish sport. Sadly for me, it's the only sport I've ever really been interested in - and there are no teams in America. I guess I'll just have to come back one day. Thank you Galway for your charm, and I'll see you shortly Berlin!

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6/16: We got matching tattoos yesterday! I'm so glad I get to commemorate this life changing trip with amazing people through that beautiful tattoo. We went to a great shop with talented artists, and the person who tattooed me and Laura gave Laura's brother his first tattoo last year. The second picture is my view when waking up this morning. The airbnb has a bed where their little patio would be, so it almost feels like you're sleeping outside. I love this beautiful city and I don't ever want to leave!

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6/15: Yesterday we decided to rent a boat and guide ourselves through the canals of Amsterdam. This was truly one of the best days of my life. For over two hours, Laura steered us through this gorgeous city and we watched as the buildings and other boats passed us by. The architecture in this city is stunning, it speaks to my heart in a way that other architecture hasn't. I will never forgot those few hours boating with my friends, and today we shall make more memories in this amazing city!

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6/14: If I don't come home at the end of this trip, it's because I'm staying in Amsterdam. As soon as I stepped foot in this city, I felt at home. It is so beautiful and friendly and clean, and it just feels like it's where I belong. We have an exciting couple of days in this lovely city ahead of us, and I can't wait!

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~Festival de les Arts~

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6/13: Adios Spain! Yesterday we went to Park Guell and now I want to resurrect Gaudi so that he can design my home. I am in love with all of his creations. It was a beautiful day, part of which we spent on the beach, relaxing from our exhaustion from traveling. We're heading out to Amsterdam today and I couldn't be more excited!