How Studying Abroad Changed My Life

If you are in college, the idea of studying abroad has probably crossed your mind a few times. While it used to be rare for students to spend a semester or year abroad, it's almost seen as a rite of passage for college students today. I was lucky to go to the school with the #1 study abroad program in the country, but most colleges are expanding their international programs to help turn their students into global citizens. Almost everyone I know from school studied abroad at least once, and it was amazing to see how much studying abroad can open up someone's eyes and really change them for the better.

I spent a semester abroad in Lyon, France during my junior year of college. I was excited going into the semester and expected to have a great time, but I had no idea just how much the semester would affect me. I didn't realise it at the time, but once I returned to the US at the end of the semester, I could really see how I had changed over the course of four months (in a good way!) If you are considering studying abroad, my advice would be to take the leap and do it! I was a little nervous before leaving for France, but once you settle into your new country, the positives of being abroad completely outweigh any negatives you might encounter. These are the changes I experienced with myself when I studied abroad, and that you may be able to expect if you study abroad as well.

I became much more independent.

Going away to college definitely makes you become more self sufficient than you were in high school, but living in another country makes it that much harder to rely on parents or others in everyday life. Going abroad, you will need to make a lot of decisions on your own, such as opening a bank account in that country, getting a phone, navigating the public transportation of your city, and planning trips. At first, it can be hard to figure all these things out by yourself (and the people in charge of your program can help you if you get really stuck), but after a while it will start to feel natural to figure things out on your own. While I was in France, I really started to feel more grown-up (even though I definitely don't consider myself to be a real grown-up yet!)

I became more open-minded to different types of people and different cultures.

The program that I studied in was international, and out of 170 students only about 15 of us were American. So I met a lot of people from different cultures and backgrounds, and most of the best friends I made were from countries other than the US. I met a lot of French people during the semester, but also students from every corner of Europe, Canada, Latin America, Australia, Asia, the Middle East... everywhere! I made friends from countries that I knew nothing about, and I loved learning about their cultures and teaching them about mine (including a French Thanksgiving celebration)! I was surprised by how much I had in common with people from such different backgrounds, and this helped me see that no matter how different someone's culture may be, we could still have so much in common and become good friends.

French-influenced Thanksgiving where a few of us Americans shared this aspect of our culture with friends from Canada, England, Holland, and Australia

I realised my passion for travel and international education and decided it is the field I want to work in.

My freshman and sophomore years of college, I had absolutely no idea what I wanted to do for a career, but after going abroad I realised how passionate I am about travel and international education. I felt more myself in an international setting than I ever had before, and I felt happier than I ever had. Seeing how happy I was during my semester abroad and how travelling just felt natural to me, I decided to look into working in the travel/international education industry. The summer after going abroad, I interned with Education First in Seattle and could confirm that it is the perfect industry for me! And since travel is my biggest passion, a job in that industry wouldn't even seem like work to me since I would be doing what I love!

I discovered my incurable case of wanderlust and curiosity.

I have always been a very curious and adventurous person, but studying abroad brought that side out of me even more. Ever since returning from France, I explore as much as I can whether that's planning trips of my own, checking out new parts of my city, or researching future destinations by reading lots of travel blogs! I feel like I'm definitely a free-spirited person, and I don't know if I can see myself ever really settling down. I'm always looking to learn and experience as many new things as possible, and that really began during my semester abroad.

I became more aware of the fact that life is short, so you need to take advantage of it and not let opportunities or happiness pass you by!

I'm sure you've heard the "life is short" phrase about a million times, but I never realised how true it is until I returned from my semester in Lyon. Once I got adjusted to life in Lyon, it felt like the semester would never end, but once it was time to return to the US, it felt like no time had gone by at all. While I was in Lyon, there were so many times I decided to relax at home rather than go out and explore, because it's not like the attractions, restaurants, and shops in Lyon were going anywhere. But once the semester ended, I realised there were so many things I wanted to do and see, but I never did because I figured I could put it off to another day. There's nothing worse than regretting things you didn't do, and since experiencing this after returning from Lyon, I really try to live in the moment as much as possible. Now that I'm living in New York, there are endless things to do, and especially now that it's getting warmer, I plan to go out and do something new and exciting almost every day!

I became more easy-going and "go-with-the-flow."

There are so many possible things that could go wrong while you're studying abroad. To name a few I experienced: getting your wallet stolen, delayed or cancelled flights, problems loading minutes onto your retro flip-phone, having difficulty communicating in another language, public transportation strikes, going to a doctor who doesn't speak a word of English... the list could go on and on! You'll definitely experience some problems while studying abroad, but getting upset or overly stressed out won't help you much. Staying calm will definitely help you come to a conclusion faster, and even if you do encounter a big problem (like getting your wallet and camera stolen the night before going to Paris for the weekend), you just need to think about how much that problem will affect you in the scheme of things. Yeah, of course it's annoying to have to buy a new camera and get a new debit card, but a few years down the road, you won't even think about any little problems you faced!

trying escargot (aka snails) in Paris for the first time. I was so nervous to taste it, but it ended up being so delicious!

I made some of my best friends!

I can't mention my experience abroad without talking about the friends I made. As I said, I met so many people from all around the world who I really clicked with. I got closer to other girls I knew from my college and made friends that I still talk to almost every day. Since returning from Lyon, I've even been able to see some of my good friends when they came to visit the US and when I visited England! Some of the friends I made while abroad are now my best friends, and I know I'll be close with them for the rest of my life!

So as you can probably tell, I had an absolutely amazing experience studying abroad, and I know I wouldn't be the same person I am today without it. I encourage as many people as possible to apply for an international program because I know how beneficial they are. Of course studying abroad in college is an amazing experience, but if you aren't in college there are so many other programs available today to get a similar experience. There are internships and management training programs abroad, working holiday visas, international grad schools, teaching English abroad, volunteering abroad, or working abroad. And if you're hesitant to leave the country, you could always work with international students or host someone from abroad to get a similar cultural experience! I know that there are so many more international opportunities ahead of me, and studying abroad was just the beginning!

City Spotlight: Lyon, France

When you think of travelling to France, I'm sure you picture Paris, or maybe the French Riviera. But a city that is often overlooked is also my favourite city in France—Lyon. I spent a semester abroad in Lyon a couple of years ago, so I got to know the city really well, and it felt like a second home to me. Even though Lyon is the second biggest city in France, compared to Paris it feels small. It doesn't have as many famous landmarks, but there are a lot of things that make Lyon such a special place.

First of all, the people are all so friendly. French people tend to get a reputation as being rude, and to be fair, that is pretty true when it comes to Parisians. But in Lyon, it couldn't be further from the truth! Lyon's location in France is also pretty perfect. It is in the Rhône-Alpes region, a short train ride away from Paris, Geneva, Marseille, Milan, the Alps, the Mediterranean, and lots of vineyards. Both the Rhône River and Saône River run through Lyon, which makes for really pretty views from many different parts of the city. And you know how France is known to have some of the best food in the world? That's all thanks to Lyon, which is home to some of the finest French chefs and is often considered to be the gastronomical capital of the world! Here is my list of the top places to visit while you're in Lyon, and hopefully I can convince you of why you need to add Lyon to your travel bucket list!

Vieux Lyon

In case you don't speak French, Vieux Lyon means "Old Lyon" and makes up the historical (and in my opinion, the most beautiful) section of the city. All of the streets are narrow and most of the roads are cobble stone. The architecture in Vieux Lyon is very historical and classic-looking, but also so colourful and unique. Lyon's history was influenced by the Romans, and that is pretty evident in Vieux Lyon. Of course the main example of this is the Roman ruins that are on top of a big hill! The ruins are so pretty and reminded me a lot of the ancient ruins in Rome and Pompeii, Italy. I've always been fascinated by ancient history, so I found it so cool walking through the ruins and seeing what the city was like thousands of years ago! Next to the ruins is another Lyon highlight, La Basilique Notre Dame de Fourvière. Fourvière is a beautiful basilica that looks a lot like a palace, so my friends and I always referred to it as "the castle." And probably the best part of venturing up to the Roman ruins and Fourvière... the amazing view of the city! Another reason to explore Vieux Lyon: it has the best restaurants in the entire city! The most popular restaurants are traditional French "bouchons" that often have prix-fixe menus and have delicious traditional French food! When I studied in Lyon, I lived right next to Vieux Lyon, so I got to explore it a lot, and it became my favourite section of the city!

Place Bellecour and Rue Victor Hugo

Next up is the biggest square in Lyon and the biggest pedestrian square in all of Europe, Place Bellecour. Place Bellecour is right in the center of Lyon and is a common meeting place for people.  The square is a huge open area and features a statue of Louis XIV right in the middle. Also in Place Bellecour is a ferris wheel, and the views from the top are really stunning. I rode the ferris wheel during Fête des Lumières (which I will tell you about later in the post), so the views I got were especially incredible! Bellecour is perfectly situated between the rivers Rhône and Saône, is walking distance to Vieux Lyon, and is surrounded by some of the best shopping streets in the city. My favourite of those streets is Rue Victor Hugo. Rue Victor Hugo is a long street lined with shops and restaurants that was right between my university and Place Bellecour, so I became very familiar with the street over the course of the semester! There are lots of amazing shops, both chain stores and small boutiques, and some great little restaurants. Rue Victor Hugo and Place Bellecour are always so lively, so they are great spots to people watch and soak up the atmosphere of Lyon!

Parc de la Tête d'Or

Like all major cities, the people of Lyon need a quiet place to relax and enjoy nature. In Lyon, that place is Parc de la Tête d'Or, which literally translates to "Park of the Gold Head." While there aren't actually any golden heads there, the huge park is so beautiful and the perfect place to go on a nice Spring, Summer, or Fall day. There is a big lake, a botanical garden, lots of trees, and ice cream stands. And if you are in Lyon during the warmer months, you can visit the zoo, which is my favourite part of the park! There are lots of different animals, including giraffes, lions, monkeys, and flamingos. Spending a few hours in the Parc de la Tête d'Or is the perfect way to take a break from the hustle and bustle of the city and enjoy some quiet time.

Wine Tasting in the Beaujolais

No trip to France is complete without a nice wine tasting, and Lyon has one of the most famous vineyards in France close by: the Beaujolais. I went on a wine tasting with my program to a vineyard in the medieval town Charnay. We got a tour of the vineyard, learned how the wine was made, and of course got to sample lots of wine and cheese! The region has great red and white wine, but the wine that the Beaujolais is especially known for is rosé wine. It is so delicious, and the myth that wine is cheaper than water in France is actually true, because you can get a great bottle of Beaujolais wine in Lyon for 3€! Wine tastings are such a fun experience, and definitely something you need to do during your visit to France.

Fête des Lumières

If you get the opportunity to visit Lyon during the Fête des Lumières weekend in December, you can not pass it up! The Fête des Lumières is a light festival that attracts millions of tourists from other parts of France and Europe. The festival began in the 1600s when Europe was suffering from the plague. The people of Lyon decided to put candles in their windows in honour of the Virgin Mary hoping it would help spare the city from too many deaths. Ever since, it has become a tradition for the people of Lyon to put a candle in their window on December 8 every year. Since the start of the tradition, the Fête des Lumières has expanded to include an entire weekend of festivities. There are so many impressive light shows and the city really feels magical with all of the decorations! I know just explaining the light shows won't do them justice, but hopefully the pictures above will give you an idea of just how beautiful the festival is!

La Croix-Rousse

Every city needs an artsy, eclectic neighbourhood, and in Lyon, that neighbourhood is La Croix-Rousse.  This section of the city was full of silk workshops a couple centuries ago and for a while was considered a working-class area. But now, La Croix-Rousse is becoming more popular and is emerging as one of the trendiest parts of Lyon. La Croix-Rousse is full of little shops, restaurants, cafés, street markets, and has a great view of the city. Walking around in La Croix-Rousse, you can really pick up on the artistic feel of the area with lots of galleries and bright colours. Since the neighbourhood has so much history, it really blends the old with the new and has a great atmosphere. I only ventured into La Croix-Rousse a couple of times during my semester in Lyon, and I really wish I explored the area some more because it has such a cool feel to it.

Let me tell you about the food in Lyon...

And now for the part of the post you are probably most excited about—the amazing food in Lyon! Lyon has a lot of diverse restaurants (Italian, Chinese, Turkish, Japanese...), but by far the most popular type of cuisine in Lyon is traditional French food. Everywhere in the city is full of tiny little French restaurants that have some of the most amazing food ever! In France, the cultural norm is to spend several hours eating a meal and talking to the people you are with. so if you go out to eat in a French restaurant, it's completely normal (and encouraged!) to sit for several hours, eating lots of food and drinking lots of wine. Most of the restaurants in Lyon are independently owned rather than chain restaurants, so you get a really authentic dining experience most of the time, especially in the bouchons of Vieux Lyon. A ton of restaurants also have prix fixe menus, so you can get an appetizer, entrée, dessert, and glass of wine for a fixed price. (This is what I usually did!) Some of the most amazing dishes I had in the French bouchons were quenelle (similar to manicotti with chicken or fish and a cream sauce), salade chèvre (goat cheese salad), and salade lyonnaise (salad with bacon, croutons, and a poached egg). And of course I can't leave out dessert! Chocolate mousse is a delicious and common dessert to order in France, but my favourite dessert experiences were the crêpe stands in Vieux Lyon! At these stands, you can watch your crêpe get cooked, and then you can add whatever toppings you would like—strawberries, bananas, nutella, whipped cream, powdered sugar, and endless other options. Crêpes are so delicious and are definitely something you need to try while you're in France. Just writing this has really made me miss the food in Lyon and has made me hungry :)

La Confluence

Next up is a part of the city that has really developed over the past few years, the Confluence which is the spot where Lyon's two rivers meet. Lots of businesses and apartment buildings have been built in the Confluence, and it has become a major economic hub in Lyon. When I lived in Lyon in 2012, there was lots of construction being done in the area, and by the end of my semester abroad, the area had transformed so much! A big mall was built with lots of great shops and a movie theatre, and being right between the rivers Rhône and Saône, there are some really beautiful views in La Confluence. La Confluence is probably the most "up and coming" section of the city, and definitely somewhere worth visiting!

The Lumière Brothers Museum

Something really interesting about Lyon is that movies were actually invented there! The Lumière Brothers who lived in Lyon invented the cinematograph in 1894 and became the first filmmakers in history. A lot of their short films were shot in Lyon too! Lyon has a museum called the Institut Lumière where you can learn about the history of les Frères Lumières and filmmaking, tour the Lumière house, and see some of the Lumière Brothers' films. I have always had an interest in movies and filmmaking, so I loved this museum. I learned so much while I was there and enjoyed it even more than I expected. It is definitely something worth checking out if you are in Lyon!

Party time!

If you like to go out and party, Lyon is a great place to do that! During my semester in Lyon, I became very familiar with the city's party scene, so I can definitely recommend some great places to go. First of all, Lyon has a huge student population, including a lot of international students. If you have never heard the word "Erasmus," that is what studying abroad is called in Europe, and there are student groups that organise Erasmus parties for the young people of the city several times a week. I went to so many Erasmus parties while I was in Lyon, and they were so much fun! They usually took place in a nightclub, and sometimes even in a different venue, like big indoor hot tubs or a castle! If you are looking for a fun bar to go to, the regular spot for everyone in my program was a New York-inspired bar called Cosmo. Monday nights are especially awesome because beer is 1€ and the bar is always packed! The French really know how to party, and people always end up dancing on the bar and tables! If you're looking for somewhere low-key to go, there are steps next to the Rhône River that are always crowded at night. There is a great view of the city, so it can be so fun to go to the steps with some friends and a bottle of French wine. Vieux Lyon is also full of some cool, relaxed pubs where you can get a beer or glass of wine and spend time with friends. Other great spots to check out are a bar called Boston and an Australian bar called Ayers Rock (which has two locations—one standard bar and one on a boat!) I have never experienced a city with a better nightlife than Lyon, so it really is the perfect city for students and young people!

And some bonus places to check out:

I hope this post has taught you a little about Lyon and gave you a good feel for the city. If you are a student considering a semester abroad in France, I would highly recommend going to Lyon! I had such a great experience there, and it really felt like home to me during the semester. I made some of my best friends and had some of the best experiences of my life there. Writing this post has made me feel really nostalgic and has made me remember all the great times I had in Lyon!

Thanks for reading! If you made it to the end of this post, leave a comment saying what part of Lyon you'd most want to visit or some cities you'd like me to feature in future posts!

What I'm Thankful For This Thanksgiving

Over the past year, so much has happened in my life, and I really feel like I have so much to be thankful for this Thanksgiving:

My family

                       

                       

Good friends all over the country and around the world

I was even lucky enough to reconnect with some of my international friends when I went to England and France a couple months ago!

     

                                 

My first post-grad job at one of my dream companies

I'm working on the Garnier brand at L'Oréal USA, and I have loved it so far!

                           

Having the opportunity to move to New York City

In October, I moved to one of my favourite cities, New York City, for my job and have absolutely loved it!

                      

All of the travel opportunities I've had in the past year

In the past year, I have been to New York City 4 times (before moving there of course!), Washington DC, Atlanta, North Carolina, Prince Edward Island, Boston, Provincetown, London, Bath, Cardiff, Weston-Super-Mare, and Paris :)  

                                                                       

                                

                   

                                                                  

Happy Thanksgiving!

Eurotrip Part Four: Paris

This is the fourth and final blog post about my recent trip to England and France! If you would like to read about everything I got up to in England, you can scroll down to the three previous posts, and if you'd like to hear about my time in Paris, keep on reading!

On the last morning in London, my parents and I got up super early, ready for a long day of travel ahead of us. But London and Paris are so close together, you say? Well, they are... if you take the Eurostar. But since we had waited until so last minute to book our transportation to Paris, we decided it was more economical to take a bus instead! The bus actually ended up being really perfect for us because 1. we were all so exhausted from all the walking we had done during the trip so far and really needed a day to rest, 2. taking the bus meant seeing pretty views of the English and French countrysides, and 3. it meant we got to experience driving under the English channel! (By the way, how that works is they have all of the cars, buses, and trucks drive into a really long train car, and the train takes us under the channel at  a high speed while you sit in your car. Mind-blowing!) The ride ended up being a really pleasant one in the end, and about 8 hours after leaving Victoria Station in London, we had arrived in Paris!

Rather than booking a hotel in Paris, we had taken the recommendation from one of my mom's friends to rent an apartment instead. Our apartment belonged to a girl named Élodie who, we came to the conclusion, must be a travel photographer based on the photos around her apartment. The apartment was in a really cute and very Parisian looking neighbourhood in the Montmartre district. This is the district I had stayed in last time I was in Paris, and it is such a great area. The architecture looks so classic Parisian, and there are so many great restaurants and landmarks like the Moulin Rouge and the Sacré Coeur. When we arrived after our long bus ride, we were pretty tired, but still decided to walk around and get some dinner. We found a little Italian restaurant that had amazing pasta and wine, and we walked right past the Moulin Rouge!

Moulin Rouge

The next day, the weather wasn't too great, so our original plan to climb the Eiffel Tower was postponed, since we wouldn't have been able to see anything from there. So instead, we got croissants and a baguette and had a relaxing morning in the apartment and then headed to a mall to do a little shopping. We wanted to hit one more Primark while we were in Europe, and the Paris one ended up being pretty great!

After shopping, we took the metro over to the Arc de Triomphe. I love the Arc de Triomphe a lot. Unfortunately, while we were there, it started to downpour, so we had to take some pictures quickly and then find a restaurant where we could stay dry. 

the Arc de Triomphe

For dinner, we stuck to the same Italian theme as the night before, and this time we found a restaurant with a really great prix fixe menu (which means you pay one fixed price and get an appetizer, entrée, and dessert). This food was amazing as well! I ordered a goat cheese salad, steak, and tiramisu. We also got a delicous bottle of rosé wine, and once the waiter brought it to our table, we saw that it was called "Christi", so then my mom wrote an "e" on the end, so the wine was named after me :) Something interesting that happened after we finished our meal was the waiter brought out three limoncello shots for us at no extra cost. The waiter the previous night had done that too, so I wonder if it's an Italian tradition at the end of a meal. We also noticed that no other tables were brought the limoncello shots, so I guess the waiters liked us better!

This wine was named after me!

complimentary shots of limoncello that we got after dinner

The next day, we were worried the weather would be bad again, but it ended up being so perfect! There were lots of places I wanted to go with my parents before I would be leaving the next day, so we had a lot to fit in!

First, we headed to the Louvre. I think the Louvre is so cool and it is probably one of my favourite places in Paris. My parents said it was smaller in person than they expected, but I don't know what pictures they've been seeing of it, because they expected it to be the size of the pyramids in Egypt haha. 

the Louvre

It took my mom about 30 attempts to finally get this picture! She kept taking it when my
hand was too high above the point of the Louvre or too low. I made her put on her glasses
and she finally got a few decent ones! :)

Next, we walked over the the Pont des Arts which was really close by. You may also know this bridge as the "lock bridge" and have probably seen some pictures of it before. I didn't get to see this bridge last time I was in Paris, so this was something that I really wanted to do. I knew there would be a lot of locks on the bridge, but I was really blown away by just how many their actually are. There are so many that it's impossible to find a spot to put a lock on the actual bridge now. You need to lock it onto another lock! Of course, while we were there, we added a Goyette family lock to the bridge! I would say I'll try and find it next time I'm in Paris, but I'm sure there will be thousands more locks by then, so it would be pretty impossible to find!

the Pont des Arts

pointing to our lock on the Pont des Arts

Next up, we walked through the Tuileries Gardens. This was something else that I didn't see last time I was in Paris, and it was so pretty. It was really relaxing, and the architecture surrounding the Gardens looked so classically Parisian.

the Tuileries Gardens

We saw an old couple napping in the middle of the Gardens and could not stop laughing!

Once we made our way through the Gardens, we came out into Place de la Concorde. Right in the middle is the obelisk, and on either side are two big fountains. These are the fountains that Anne Hathaway's character throws her phone into at the end of Devil Wears Prada, so I was tempted to recreate that, but decided against it for obvious reasons!

the obelisk

the fountain that Anne Hathaway threw her phone into in Devil Wears Prada

Then, we stopped to get some lunch at a little outdoor café on the Seine. Unlike our waiters from the previous two nights who had been so nice, the waiter at the café was extremely rude to us and openly ignored us if we tried asking him something! I'm guessing he didn't like us because we are American, but even when we tried speaking in French, he scoffed at us haha! It is really funny though, because the stereotype that waiters in Paris are rude is actually true a lot of the time!

And then it was time for the main attraction of the day... the Eiffel Tower! We walked along the river toward it and got lots of pictures. We decided to walk up the stairs rather than take the elevator, because it really does make you feel more accomplished, and the stairs are tiring, but not as bad as you would expect. We had timed our climb up the tower perfectly so it was still nice and bright for most of the climb, and when we were on the "second floor" of the tower, the sun started to set. The views were incredible, and by the time we got up to the very top, it was nighttime and the city was all lit up and looked so beautiful!

view from the first floor of the tower

view from the second floor of the tower

The view of the Arc de Triomphe from the tower was so cool!

family picture at the top of the Eiffel Tower!

the view from the top

the view from the top. City of Lights, you are beautiful.

After walking back down to the bottom, we met up with a guy I know from French classes at Elon named Jackson who is studying abroad in Paris now. We all headed to an outdoor cafe that ended up having an amazing view of the Eiffel Tower all lit up at night! I got a glass of rosé wine (French rosé is amazing) and had a fun time getting caught up with Jackson.

the Eiffel Tower all lit up at night was so surreal looking and so pretty

After saying bye to Jackson and the beautiful Eiffel Tower, my parents and I hopped back on the metro to Montmartre. Once we were there, we realised we had never actually had dinner, so we stopped at a French chain restaurant called Hippopotamus. I had been to Hippopotamus a couple of times in Lyon when I studied abroad and really liked it. And rather than dinner, I decided to go for a delicious dessert instead! I got a fresh-backed huge macaron that came with ice cream, chocolate sauce, and whipped cream. It was so amazing and the perfect final Parisian treat!

yum yum yum this was amazing!

The next day, I was leaving Paris, but my parents were staying an extra three days. I had booked my flight home out of London rather than Paris because it was much cheaper, so I was off back to London for one more night! I ended up taking the Eurostar on the way back, and it was really fast and efficient! Once I got to London, I headed to Ciela's to pack up all my stuff and start getting ready to leave the next morning. After Ciela was out of work, we headed to a little café for crepes that were so good, and then she had to go to a work event that evening, so I took that time to go to a couple souvenir shops near Marble Arch. Later on in the night when Ciela's work event was over, we considered going out, but instead just walked around which was really nice. I got to see Oxford Street one more time as well as Carnaby Street, and there were so many pretty lights all over!

Oxford Street in London

Carnaby Street in London

The next morning, Ciela and I went for one final Full English Breakfast (which was really good, but still not as delicious as that very first one that Lexi and I got in London!), and then it was time to head to the airport. Leaving was pretty sad, because after spending almost three weeks in England and France, I was enjoying myself so much and really didn't want to leave. Going back to the US, I was flying into New York City to start my new job, which of course I was excited about, but there's something about England that just makes me feel so at home. I love New York too, but it has such a different feeling and energy than London, and I feel like London is definitely more "me" between the two. After this trip when I got to spend a lot more time in England, I can definitely confirm that that is where I want to live someday, so I am going to do everything I can to make that happen!

Now, I have been in New York for a little over a month and am all settled in for the most part. I am really liking the company I'm working for, and I love the city, but I will tell you all about my experience here so far in another post. Thanks so much for reading, and I hope you enjoyed hearing about my European adventures!