Rome was amazingly beautiful and I was having Lizzie McGuire Moments all weekend! I'm going to try to keep this post short because I think the pictures can speak for themselves. For anyone thinking of going to Rome, Tivoli is an absolute must. They are hands down probably the most beautiful gardens I have ever seen. The Colosseum was cool in a historical sense but it was pouring rain when we went so we were a little miserable. The Vatican was interesting and we got to see the ever so famous painting in the Sistine Chapel done by Michelangelo. My favorite part about Rome was probably getting gelato by the Trevi fountain. For anyone who knows me you probably know the love I have for gelato. Combined with my love of the Trevi Fountain it was an awesome time. I also loved all the food on food on food. It was all yummy in my tummy except when we had a $10 cup of hot chocolate that was straight up a melted chocolate bar. Pretty sure we weren't supposed to drink that but use to dip cannolis and stuff in. Oops. I'm going miss that city so much. It was a very bittersweet experience because it was our last trip of our study abroad experience so I felt extra sad to be leaving. Before any of you ask, no I did not find a less douchey version of Paolo although that would have been nice. We just walked around singing "This is What Dreams Are Made Of" without him lol. I could probably stay in Rome for at least a week and still be amazed by its timeless beauty. Rome really is the Eternal City, full of old time charm and forever beautiful.|
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WB Harry Potter Studios
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| dinner by the Seine |
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| Versailles |
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| Bus on the ferry |
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| CCTV sign |
Lesson number 1: always carry an umbrella. Whether it looks sunny or cloudy it is most likely going to rain. We got lucky the first few days with beautiful sunshine but then London welcomed us with it's usual overcast, chilly, and rainy weather. (I may have used this as an excuse to buy a beautiful red trench coat) This past week we pretty much got a crash course on London and have walked around most of central London including the South Bank, Waterloo, Westminster, Trafalgar Square, Covent Garden, Picadilley Circus, the City of London, and Tower Bridge. The more I see of the city the more I love it. It's not really comparable to any city in America because the beauty of London doesn't lie with it's not so towering skyscrapers but with the Victorian era buildings at the street level. Generally you aren't allowed to change the outside of buildings here so you're surrounded by history wherever you go. I've seen powerplants that were converted into museums and hospitals converted into college dorms. Every street you walk on has a story whether its Gracechurch St from Pride and Prejudice or Fleet St from Sweeney Todd. Another thing that's different about London compared to American cities is that that there are camera's everywhere. It's seriously like Big Brother is watching except it's called CCTV. I guess I can't complain too much about CCTV because it does make me feel safer even though it's a little weird to know that you're being watched at all times. But other than walking around we spent the rest of the week booking trips for traveling around Europe. So far I'm definitely going to Paris, Amsterdam, and Rome which is so exciting! Au Revior, Vaarwel, Ciao!
I've been in London less than a week and I'm already in love with this city. It is just one of the most beautiful places I have ever been. I will probably ramble about how much I love Europe for the next three months so I thought that before I start doing that I should talk about a few issues with studying abroad in London so you know its not all unicorns and rainbows over here.
1) Spending all your money on travel/ going out means no money for food. I'm always, always hungry. I literally think the last time I felt not hungry was in America. My meals this past week have consisted of microwave noodles, microwave pasta, bananas, and bagels. Yum.

2) Having constant near death experiences every time I try to cross the road because I always forget which way to look since they drive on the opposite side.
2) Head injuries from getting hit by double decker buses while looking out in the road for cars is apparently very common. While that may sound laughable I actually think it might happen to me
3) Their use of military time. Why?!!
4) Everything is so expensive. When you come to Europe you want to do everything and see everything but you most likely don't have an unlimited budget. The more I look at maps of Europe the more countries I want to visit!
That being said London is amazing and I'm super excited for this semester and all of trips we have planned. I'm so thankful to have this opportunity and I promise I will try to post more often to keep you guys updated.
1) Spending all your money on travel/ going out means no money for food. I'm always, always hungry. I literally think the last time I felt not hungry was in America. My meals this past week have consisted of microwave noodles, microwave pasta, bananas, and bagels. Yum.
2) Having constant near death experiences every time I try to cross the road because I always forget which way to look since they drive on the opposite side.
2) Head injuries from getting hit by double decker buses while looking out in the road for cars is apparently very common. While that may sound laughable I actually think it might happen to me
3) Their use of military time. Why?!!
4) Everything is so expensive. When you come to Europe you want to do everything and see everything but you most likely don't have an unlimited budget. The more I look at maps of Europe the more countries I want to visit!
That being said London is amazing and I'm super excited for this semester and all of trips we have planned. I'm so thankful to have this opportunity and I promise I will try to post more often to keep you guys updated.
| Photographic Evidence for all you non-believers |
| Before I added all of my shoes, backpack and pjs |
♡Avani
For me wanderlust is like a thirst that cannot be quenched. I love traveling and I decided to create this blog to document my experiences. I will be studying abroad in London this fall semester and while I am there I plan on traveling around the UK and mainland Europe. I'm sure this semester will fly by as fast as the past ones have. I'm still in shock that I'm starting my senior year! I think it is so easy to forget but important to remember as you only get some experiences once in lifetime. I'm creating this blog so that I can remember what I did and how I felt during what is sure to be one of the most amazing experiences of my life. I'm looking forward to sharing my journey with everyone and I hope you all get a chance to have your own travel adventures!
♡Avani




