They’ve been doing some pretty heavy duty exploring over the past few months, both in and out of their host cities. They’ve tried new foods, met new people, and received brand new stamps in their passport. Here’s what some of your favorite USWIB gals have been up to!
Jodie Miller, NYU Sydney
Maddy Pagnucco, NYU Florence
Taylor Casey, NYU London
Advika Nambisan, NYU London
February 18, 2016: Brussels, Belgium
My friends and I decided to take a day trip to Brussels, and the entire experience was interesting to say the least. The trip started out great, as we arrived in Brussels via Eurostar and began exploring what the city had to offer. We stumbled upon a bakery and had some scrumptious macaroons (vanilla and coffee flavors!!) as we made our way to the Grand Place. It was rather difficult to navigate around Brussels due to the lack of Wi-Fi—it really highlights how dependent we are on technology! We finally reached the Grand Place, and it was absolutely breathtaking. This was my first trip into continental Europe, and to see this view was just something else. The only thing that could possibly overshadow the Grand Place were the absolutely delicious Belgian Waffles. They were possibly the best thing I’ve ever eaten in my entire life. It was a truly life-changing experience.
February 24th-28th, 2016: Milan and Venice, Italy
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Italy has always been at the top of my travel list, and I couldn’t wait to finally go. So when I found round-trip tickets to Milan for 30 pounds, it was an opportunity I could not pass up. Milan was absolutely beautiful in every single way. The weather, food and people were just so lovely, and I’m glad it was my first introduction to Italy. Our Airbnb was near the “Rodeo Drive” of Milan, so we had the opportunity to window shop at all the designer stores, which was really fun. We then took a train to Venice, which was the real highlight of the trip. Venice honestly felt like a movie set. There were no cars, lots of bridges, and every building and canal was just so picturesque. The weather was a little chillier, but the scenery and experience made up for it. Also gondola rides are kinda my new favorite thing. Venice is probably my favorite place that I have visited and I am so glad I had the opportunity to go! I literally fell in love with every aspect of this beautiful city, and absolutely cannot wait to go back!
March 11th-12th, 2016: Cornwall, United Kingdom
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This trip to Cornwall, UK was actually part of the Biology class I am taking (I’m on the pre-med track!), and it was such a beautiful city and great escape from the hustle and bustle of London. Newquay (picture on the left) is a little surf town on England’s west coast with a spectacular view. From one vantage point, you could literally only see the blue Atlantic Ocean. It was simply breathtaking. The actual point of the trip was to visit The Eden Project, a conservatory that houses rainforest and temperate (Mediterranean / California) biomes with their native plants. Visiting the rainforest biome was so cool because they managed to completely recreate the environment, from the plants to climate and even the sound! I felt like I was visiting my grandmother in India because it was exactly the same feeling and view. My favorite part, however, was the temperate biome, because I literally felt like I took a flight back to California and was home again. The weather and plants were spot on! They had the same orange trees, flowers, palm trees (which I so dearly missed) and even managed to install buildings with the same architecture. It was just so beautiful (they were actually having a wedding there that day!), and that’s when the homesickness began to kick in again. I am so glad I had the opportunity to visit this part of England, because honestly I don’t think it would have been a place that I would naturally gravitate toward. It was a great experience and I would love the opportunity to go back!
Ashley Hall, NYU London
Hello USWIBers! I just got back last night from a solo tour around Eastern Europe. Everyone says that you should travel alone during your time studying abroad, so when everyone booked trips to the south of Europe to spend time at the beach, I booked a trip to Poland that would end in Slovenia, stopping in Latvia and Austria along the way.
Before I went, my biggest fear was not that it wouldn't be safe, but that I would get lonely. However, there are tons of people who travel on their own, and with these people I was able to form a temporary friendship that in some cases I think will last longer than our one evening spent together. I met some amazing people, all who were traveling alone. One was a woman from Portugal who couldn't get over how cheap Hard Rock Cafe was there. Another was a teacher from Australia spending time in the UK and traveling during every school break. I also met a Canadian police officer getting off a stint in the Arctic Circle who plans to visit every country in Europe. I even ran into someone from my January Term class in a hostel in Warsaw, and another student who lives in Shanghai, where I'll be studying next semester and we plan to meet up there! Of course I love traveling with my friends, but if I had been in a group, I would never have taken the time to meet these people and hear the stories of their travels. There's a quote someone gave me that sums this up: "A journey is best measured in friends, rather than miles.”
And Eastern Europe is absolutely beautiful. I am an aspiring history buff (in high school I planned on majoring in history), and the historical backgrounds of the countries I visited (Poland, Latvia, Austria, and Slovenia) are diverse and interesting, particularly in World War II and during the Soviet occupation. They are young countries, some formed as recent as the 1990's. I went on free walking tours of all the cities I visited, which are a great way to see the sights and learn about a place really efficiently. Plus, it's free!
All in all, traveling alone was everything I thought it would be and more. My advice to anyone hoping to travel alone would be to just do it. There are people to meet, whose kindness you can rely on to help you out if needed. Hostels are a great way to meet people and, especially in Eastern Europe, are super cheap. If you're on a train alone, sit with someone about your age - you might make a friend, and you also won't look like you're alone and vulnerable. Remember that you don't need Wi-fi to use Google Maps if you just follow the blue dot. There's an amazing world out there, and generally I've found that it will welcome you with open arms.
If any of you have any questions about traveling alone, travel in general, Eastern Europe, budgeted traveling, or anything London-related don't hesitate to reach out!
Before I went, my biggest fear was not that it wouldn't be safe, but that I would get lonely. However, there are tons of people who travel on their own, and with these people I was able to form a temporary friendship that in some cases I think will last longer than our one evening spent together. I met some amazing people, all who were traveling alone. One was a woman from Portugal who couldn't get over how cheap Hard Rock Cafe was there. Another was a teacher from Australia spending time in the UK and traveling during every school break. I also met a Canadian police officer getting off a stint in the Arctic Circle who plans to visit every country in Europe. I even ran into someone from my January Term class in a hostel in Warsaw, and another student who lives in Shanghai, where I'll be studying next semester and we plan to meet up there! Of course I love traveling with my friends, but if I had been in a group, I would never have taken the time to meet these people and hear the stories of their travels. There's a quote someone gave me that sums this up: "A journey is best measured in friends, rather than miles.”
And Eastern Europe is absolutely beautiful. I am an aspiring history buff (in high school I planned on majoring in history), and the historical backgrounds of the countries I visited (Poland, Latvia, Austria, and Slovenia) are diverse and interesting, particularly in World War II and during the Soviet occupation. They are young countries, some formed as recent as the 1990's. I went on free walking tours of all the cities I visited, which are a great way to see the sights and learn about a place really efficiently. Plus, it's free!
All in all, traveling alone was everything I thought it would be and more. My advice to anyone hoping to travel alone would be to just do it. There are people to meet, whose kindness you can rely on to help you out if needed. Hostels are a great way to meet people and, especially in Eastern Europe, are super cheap. If you're on a train alone, sit with someone about your age - you might make a friend, and you also won't look like you're alone and vulnerable. Remember that you don't need Wi-fi to use Google Maps if you just follow the blue dot. There's an amazing world out there, and generally I've found that it will welcome you with open arms.
If any of you have any questions about traveling alone, travel in general, Eastern Europe, budgeted traveling, or anything London-related don't hesitate to reach out!
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