As a student living in Rome, we are given a week break after midterms allowing students to travel. I was fortunate to go to both Paris and Amsterdam. Both cities were extremely different but so beautiful and filled with culture. In Paris, I was able to visit all of the top attractions like the Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe and the Notre Dame. Paris I felt was a mixture of modern and old. For example, a lot of the architecture is old but there are modern buildings incorporated into the mix including a modern museum. Another thing about Paris that I loved was the public transportation, which was so efficient and easy to use.
After Paris, we hopped on a plane and flew to The Netherlands (Amsterdam). My friends and I know some people who go to school there so we were given a personal tour. We went to the Anne Frank and Van Gogh Museum. The food here incorporated a lot of different cuisines and cultures which was nice.
After visiting two great places I came to realize how much I miss little things from home like my favorite brand of shampoo and access to american food. This led me to have these once small objects turn into meaningful items I didn’t take for granted anymore. I also have a deeper appreciation for studying in Rome because of how different it is from other cultures. I feel like Rome stays true to its ancient history and roots and doesn’t conform to norms that are prevalent in other European cities.