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I’m in Europe! Yes, the wonderful time of spring break has arrived. A time to rest and recuperate from months of studying, work and no sleep. So naturally I decided to take this week to travel to another continent, and visit FIVE different countries…

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Everyone is different when it comes to taking a vacation. Many people will simply pick a location where they know there will be lots of sun and a beach, and don’t plan much beyond that. I have to say that there is absolutely nothing wrong with this tactic (trust me, I’ve done it). Honestly, taking a break from the constant planning of my everyday life is wonderful and often very recuperative.

However this time around, I decided to put my planning skills to the test and see as much of Europe as I possibly could in seven days.

I won’t lie—it was an incredibly daunting task, and took up almost all of my savings and my spare time to plan efficiently, but it was WORTH IT. This was my very first trip to Europe, and I wanted to make every second count. I know I will be back again several times, but I feel I created a trip that gave me a perfectly small taste of each country.

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I also feel a strong connection to this trip because I am able to trace back my ancestry to each and every country I am visiting. These countries being England, France, Germany and The Netherlands. It has been such a wonderful opportunity to take the time to visit my “roots” and discover more about myself as an individual outside of the United States. I really believe that travel is such an important part of my life, and I will continue to see as much of the world as I can within my lifetime. There is so much to see, and quite honestly so little time. I’m so thankful that I made the sacrifices that I did, so that I could be witness to yet another piece of the amazing world around me.

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This trip has really been a whirlwind of running around with not very much sleep, and many people may think this was a ridiculous way to “rest” for my spring break. However I have to say that every one is different when it comes to finding a way in which to recuperate from their everyday lives. For me, I honestly just needed to breathe different air and see beautiful things in places where I didn’t even know the language. I needed a change, and even with extreme jet lag and sore feet—I feel more rejuvenated than ever.

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