Off to Berlin!

I haven’t been back to Europe since I was 20 years old. That’s the equivalent of a leap year ago from where I am now. Back then, I was still exploring my sense of place in the world as a young college student. What I liked most about traveling was that it made me feel unrestricted—I could put my current life on standstill and do something entirely different than my routine.

There’s a part of me that comes alive in Europe. I’ve missed listening to jazz on the banks of the Seine River in Paris with the locals, indulging in gelato during those hot summer nights in Rome alongside friends, surviving a one-on-one altercation alone at knifepoint in the bazaars of Istanbul, and wandering around the Red Light District in Amsterdam with a group of complete strangers. Fortunately for me, all these excursions were made possible through UW’s great study abroad programs—and I never had to pay a penny out of my pocket for these experiences because of financial aid.

The travel bug in me has reawakened. I’m back in Europe to explore Berlin, a city that has long been at the top of my bucket list. Now that I’m here for the first time, I want to make the most of it and live in the moment.