Ok, so in the last 6 months or so I have been to 9 different countries (including the England which I visit on wednesday) with 5 different languages.
Here is a detailed list including cities:
Italy: Florence, Venice, Rome (twice), Naples, Capri, Mantova, Milan, Como,
France: Paris, Nice
Vatican City (twice)
Austria: Vienna
Hungary: Budapest
Monaco
Ireland: Dublin
England: London
Switzerland: Geneva, Lausanne, Montreaux
I think about all of my early trips and they feel like a million years ago now. I don't think I could choose a favorite but I definitely have places I want to return. Some places only needed one visit, for me anyways. I would love to do at least a week in Paris someday, there is so much to see. Something for everyone. It maybe a cliche to love Paris but I don't care. cliches are cliches for a reason.
I think I will really love London, I only have 2 days to spend there and my travel book has too many options! The plan right now is to see the Tower of London, Westminster, Parliament, and Buckingham palace on thursday. Possibly some window shopping too. On friday: The British Museum, The National Gallery, and The Tate Modern. Thank god they are all free and open late! I will get to see one last Da Vinci before I leave europe too, at the National Gallery.
I really loved Dublin, the Irish people are by far the nicest people I've come across. The Austrians are a close 2nd. I would love to go back to Ireland and see more of the country side and coast.
Switzerland is the most beautiful country I've been too. It's so clean and natural, you can't help but enjoy it. There is not much to do in the cities though so traveling alone was slightly uneventful. Same with Nice. Its a little too romantic to go to alone.
Vatican City was crazy unbelievable. Like going to Mecca for me. Art, religion, and history in a perfectly combined city. It is truly surreal seeing it.
Rome is a fantastic city, so much to see.
Naples, I will never go to again. Dangerous, dirty, and not pretty.
Capri is amazing and like a time warp of quaint and charming coastal towns.
Florence is amazing simply for the art and history but it is SOOOOO Americanized. Everyone there is american. I was pretty disappointed. What's the point of traveling so far just to be with all Americans? Although Italians aren't the most charming people in the world.
Venice seriously lives up to the hype. It is beautiful! No place like it.
Como is so beautiful. A combination of Swiss Alps and Italian architecture. Too bad I missed George Clooney by like 2 days though. I heard he got pulled over on his Vespa just so the cop could get his autograph. haha!
Vienna is amazing. So clean and organized. In Italy I feel like I'm in complete chaos most of the time. Vienna has a beautiful cultural history of music and monarchy.
Budapest was such a different experience. It is so eastern looking. The churches and palaces are all very turkish and middle eastern looking. It is clear that the city and country have been through some very hard times but it was still amazing to see.
Overall I've had a really great experience. I've had my ups and downs with being alone a lot of the time but I think I came out in a better place. I've learned a lot about traveling, culture, and myself. I miss my family and friends and Brian terribly but I am also so sad to leave. I have made some great friends here. I could not have been luckier with my apartment and roommates. I feel like I have gotten a true Italian student experience. I live with Italians, in an Italian apartment, shopping at Italian grocery stores, and dealing with the chaos that is Italian public transportation. Also, attending an Italian school with Italian professors and students. I learned so much.
I have a new appreciation for America and what it means to the rest of the world. For some it is a dream, others just a a mix of ideas they get from watching the OC and Gossip Girl on TV. For many it is the cause of immense envy and frustration. Many people have told me they believe Americans to be ignorant, uneducated, and unappreciative to historical culture. Which we all know is simply untrue. I suppose everyone needs some way to justify their pride in their own country. Every country has a different sense of nationalism. Italians are very proud, probably too much. But I don't know that I could say otherwise for Americans. Usually when I am traveling I speak as little as possible as not to cause problems if they figure out I'm American, I keep a cover on my passport so you cannot see the American seal. Americans are easy targets. They are viewed as the overly privileged people of the world. Others think they are entitled to the things that Americans take for granted. Its very sad that the rest of the world views our blessed country in this way. I have always thought of the US as the "Helper" country.
My view of the US has changed immensely since being here. Before arriving here I was so frustrated with the politics and Bureaucracy of American life. But now, I see that it is all for a larger purpose to make the world a better place. I am blessed to be an American citizen. I can come and go from the land of the free as I choose. Others are not as lucky. It is a great deal of work and convincing just to get a student visa to live in the US for a semester. Immigration is one thing that the US struggles with. People come to the US to get to a better place. To improve their life or their children's life. We should be more accepting. I have spent my whole life comfortably speaking English in a social system that I understood. I will never take that for granted again.
It maybe a dream that will never come true but I hope that one day the US will be more unified. I'm so sick of hearing about conservatives vs. liberals and republicans vs. democrats. To me, our countries politicians spends so much time defending their ideals from one another that they never get anything worthwhile accomplished. Hopefully something will change to make things more fluid and unified.
This coming fall I start with Integrated Project for my senior year. It is an intensive 6 credit course for 2 semesters. Essentially a thesis studio project that lasts a year. While writing this entry, that I only intended to be a recap of my travels and has quickly turned into an epiphany of my thoughts and ideas, I have come up with what I want to do for my project.
Homeland security, Immigration, Customs, and Travel. When you look online or at the secretary of state. The documents and information is not people friendly. It's written and designed for people who have the time to read lengthy documents. It is for the officials, not the people who really need it. I want to redesign it into a fluid system that can be used by people wanting to establish residency, immigrate, travel, get a passport, and anything else that may apply to those categories. I would like to address some of the social issues too. Such as why it is so difficult to immigrate, why everything is so complicated. Why they deter people, and why they deny people freedom. I want to address it from an objective point of view. I don't consider myself conservative or liberal. I am somewhere in between.
Anyways, thats just an idea. I clearly have a lot of research to do.