There and Back Again: A Graduate's Tale by Christine

I'm back! My blog needs some massive renovation before I start law school next month, but I wanted to give you an update on how I've been these past two months.

First of all, I graduated in June! Somehow I got through finals week and earned an A on my honors thesis (the one I never thought would get done). I didn't do quite as well as I would have liked academically, but still ended strong and held onto my 3.8. Right after graduation, I worked for a few days and then moved out. I'm back in Davis for a bit this summer to work, but mostly I'll be at home until I move out east for law school.

I headed off to Europe just a week after graduation and it was the trip of a lifetime - yet hopefully not the only time I'll see Europe in my lifetime! So many cappuccinos, so much wine, so much history, so much art, and so much good (vegetarian) food! Quick overview of the trip:

Ireland - I started in Dublin and absolutely loved the city, as well as Ireland as a whole. Clean city, friendly people, gorgeous architecture, and some amazing revolutionary history. I got to spend a good bit of time in the Irish countryside and even made it to the Cliffs of Moher, which was one of the highlights of the entire trip for me.

A view to literally die for at the Cliffs of Moher

Beautiful Dublin!

United Kingdom - We took a ferry to Wales, spent the day visiting villages and checking out castles, and then spent the night in Liverpool before moving onto London the next day (with a stop in Stratford-upon-Avon). London was my favorite city of the trip and the one place I could 100% see myself living. I loved the history, culture, and fast pace of life. I could have easily spent two weeks in London and never gotten bored! I took day trips to Stonehenge, Oxford, and the Warner Brothers Studio (for the Harry Potter Experience). 

Castle at Beaumaris

Stonehenge with Nicole

St. Paul's Cathedral in London

Harry Potter love!

Netherlands - We took the ferry to the Netherlands and headed to Amsterdam for the next leg of our trip. Amsterdam had stunning views - cobblestone streets, picturesque (and narrow!) houses, and very clean canals. The countryside was also gorgeous - we did a bike tour through the city and surrounding area. At the same time, I wasn't as excited as some of my tour-mates for the coffee shop scene and the city was a bit too laid back for me.

Beautiful canals everywhere 

The narrowest house in Amsterdam



France - From the Netherlands we moved onto France (with a quick stop in Belgium on the way). We spent four days in Paris and it was nothing like I'd imagined or expected. The bad: we were staying in a very dangerous part of the city and Paris overall was very dirty and crowded. The good: the food was amazing, the artwork and museums were to die for, and even the tourist traps (Notre Dame, Eiffel Tour, Louvre, etc.) were some of the highlights of the trip for me. I would go back to Paris in a heartbeat, but I'd stay in a nicer and more central part of the city for sure. I'd also want to learn a bit more French before traveling again. I knew some basic conversational phrases and had decent reading comprehension, but it would have been wonderful to carry on a full conversation with a Parisian.

One of my favorite parts of the Louvre

Notre Dame was gorgeous inside! I got to sit in on mass for a bit

View from the top of the Eiffel Tower

I'll never get tired of this view...

Very hot day at Versailles

Switzerland - From Paris we moved onto the Swiss Alps for about a day and a half. We stayed in a small ski resort town (Engelberg) and did a day trip to Lucerne. Most of our group went up to Mt. Pilatus, but Nicole and I spent a relaxing day in the town eating fondue, paddle-boating on the lake, and exploring in general. Our time in Switzerland was very relaxing, with great food/views/wine, but I think I'd go stir-crazy if I spent more than a week or two up in the Alps.

Lion Monument for the Swiss Guard

Chapel Bridge

Lovely Lake Lucerne!

Pic credit goes to Nicole for this fun fondue photo

Italy - From the Swiss Alps we moved into Italy and Florence. Oh, Florence. I would have happily spent another week here. The food was to die for. I had the absolute best pasta of my entire life and so much gelato, all crammed into a day and a half. I'm devastated that I didn't get to spend more time exploring the beautiful Renaissance artwork and architecture, as well as seeing the lovely Tuscan countryside. First thing on my travel to-do list is going back to Italy so I can spend more time in Florence (and see Venice and Rome as well!). 

Beautiful bridges and water everywhere

The Neptune Fountain - would have loved to spend more time in this square

We spent an afternoon in San Gimignano eating the best gelato in the world and went wine tasting that evening as well!

Dusk in Florence, looking out over the hillside

Duomo, I miss you <3

We stopped in Pisa on our way out of Italy

French Riviera - After a way-too-short time in Italy, we headed back to France to spend a little time on the lovely French Riviera. This was my first time on the Mediterranean, which has been a lifelong dream for me, and the sparkling azure water certainly didn't disappoint. We stayed in Nice and spent an evening in Monaco (Monte Carlo, anyone?), which was gorgeous but also reminded me just how wealthy people could be.

Night out in Monaco

Gorgeous sunset over the Mediterranean

Photo credit goes to Nicole for this stunning shot at midnight in Nice - gotta love those rocky beaches!

Spain - We ended the trip in Barcelona, which was another one of my favorite cities. Even though our tiny and disgusting hostel could have ruined the city for us, it was impossible not to love Barcelona and all of its fun architecture. I adored all of Gaudi's works - Parque Guell, Casa Batllo, Sagrada Familia - and fell in love with the gothic quarter that we stayed in. I came home with an obsession for tapas and sangria (which I'll have to satisfy in New York), and a longing for some crazy city nightlife (which I'll, again, have to satisfy in New York since I was too exhausted at this point in the trip to spend much time going out). The only downer for Spain was losing my favorite pair of flats in the Mediterranean - oops - and not having another day to spend in Barcelona!

The city is so fun at night!

Crazy yet stunning skyline

Oh, Parque Guell. Oh, Gaudi.

Again... Oh, Gaudi. How did you  make Casa Batllo so fun?!

Photo credit again goes to Nicole! Loving the roof of Casa Batllo

There you have it... 25 days in Europe, gone. I definitely need to head back there. But as you know, my  next adventure lies in New York City! I start orientation in mid-August and am both excited and nervous. Law school is such a big step in my life and one I've been planning for the past eight years. I can't believe it's finally here!