Praha, Czech Republich

Charles Bridge, Prague, Czech Republic

St. Vitus Cathedral, Prague, Czech Republic

Traveling to Prague from Italy is actually cheaper then trying to get to Germany. It's amazing how cheap flying is here in Europe compared to trains. I didn't know how long I would actually be staying in Prague. We bought a one way ticket in hopes of eventually finding a train to Nuremburg, Germany about 40 minutes north of Ansbach, Germany where I will be spending Christmas. Prague was something else. I had never thought of going there before I started looking at ways to get to Germany the cheapest.When we landed at the airport the air was foggy and it was the coldest I had been since January of last year. I was excited. Something that I have been doing since we arrived in Europe is collecting the different currency's. I now have British Pounds, Euros, and Korunas. We took a
bus to the metro, then the metro into the city where we were staying at the Mosaic House Hostel. I did not miss dragging my suitcase around cities trying to find out where I am staying. If I could give advice, less is more when studying abroad. I wish I could just leave half of what I brought because over time I have collected memoirs from each country I have visited. Erika and I ventured off into the city while Kayla and Bryan watched our luggage. It's awful when check-in isn't until 15:00 and you arrive at 12:00. We walked aimlessly into the city, trying to find places not a lot of people have been. We ended up having lunch at Restaurant "U Sevce Matouse". It was a traditional Czech restaurant where I ate sausage and sauerkraut. I think my favorite part about the city is that I felt like I was apart of history. Gothic cathedrals and statues everywhere set the scene for medieval times. The Christmas markets were for miles and the food smelled delicious. The astronomical clock was beautiful. I had never seen such an elaborate clock.

St. Vitus Cathedral, Prague, Czech Republic

While my time was short in Prague, I appreciated every moment of it. I met a few new friend around the would and I want to go back again someday. My trip is winding down and I only have three more countries to visit.   

If you want to see more photos from Prague, Czech Republic please click the link Hannah Swick Photography- Prague

Over The River And Through The Woods... To Ljubljana We Go

Erika and I made our way to Ljubljana this weekend. It was a last minute decision I will never regret. There are no trains that travel from Italy to Slovenia, which made it difficult for planning. We had to take train from Trieste to Gorizia in Italy, walk 30 minutes to the boarder of Slovenia then get on the train from Nova Gorcia to Jesenice, transfer trains and then head to Ljubljana. We partially thought that we were literally going to have to hop the fence from Italy to Slovenia but we just had to continue following the sidewalk. In Nova Gorcia we waited for the train for about an hour and at the time of departure we had to run across the tracks to get to our train. In a weird way, I could tell that I was no longer in Italy. Thirty feet away was the familiar Italy and here in Nova Gorcia, everyone was speaking Slovene. Once on the small regional train in Slovenia, we could feel the cold drifting the train by the condensation on the windows. Until the dreary fog rolled into the Alp’s, we were able to see the perfectly clear rivers rushing down the mountainside. The river was turquoise. After four hours of train we finally arrived in Ljubljana, the capitol of Slovenia. We had no idea of what to expect. We began our journey to our hostel when stumbling upon old town Ljubljana. It was decorated like the North Pole. Little street booths covered the street with homemade food and handmade gift. The smell of hot wine filled our nostrils. Christmas lights covered every tree and deep blue lights illuminated the building facade. We stayed at the Sax Hostel, which was in the attic above a small jazz bar. We headed back out into the town after we left our bags behind at the hostel. Our stomachs gurgled for anything to devour. We had only eaten croissants and cappuccinos that morning. We found a street vendor selling giant hamburgers, only they weren't the typical "American hamburger." They smothered mustered and onions on top of the greasy sausage patty. It was phenomenal. We couldn't wait any longer to eat. After enjoying the sights and sounds, we decided to quench our thirst with the hot wine that we smelled earlier. 
The following morning consisted of street shopping and enjoying the traditional Slovenian dish of beans and sausage called "Pasulj s

Klobaso" with Kuhano Vino (belo/rdece) with lemon. I think Ljubljana was a lovely surprise. It was definitely a city I could see myself returning to in my future traveling excursions.

To view more photos from Ljubljana please view Hannah Swick Photograpraphy- Ljubljana, Slovenia

Wrapping up the Season

While my time here is limited in Trieste, I have a lot of things to look forward to this week. I finished all my exams today, one of my best friends is coming to visit me tomorrow, and Bryan, Kayla, Erika and I all leave together to head to Prague on the 17th. Trieste is ready for the holidays. There are two huge Christmas trees now up, Christmas markets everywhere, lights down every road, an ice-skating rink, and delicious food everywhere. I officially have only 5 days left here and it's a little heart breaking. I have met so many new friends here and learned how to live abroad. While being away from loved ones has been tough, I think that it is something every young adult should do for a period of time. I can say that living in a foreign country as a 20 year old has changed my life. Meeting people isn't something I am afraid of. I have navigated my way across the world and allowed myself to open up to new experiences. I have eaten some of the most amazing food and I absolutely love creps. I have noticed that when you come half way around the world with only a few things you realize how lucky you are to have everything at home. I thought I was independent before, but I can say I have changed a lot. My heart is open to new people and I am going to miss everyone I have met here! Thank you Olymar, Nikola, and Danio for helping me get settled in here in Italy. Thank you Marco, Elio, Iacopo, and everyone else who has been a friend to me here for being so kind. Lastly, I was lucky enough to come half way around the world with someone who I can now say is a friend for life. Thank you Bryan for being the best first roommate, eating dinner with me every night, and just always being there to talk when I miss home the most.


Today Bryan and I finally got pictures of us in Trieste. It has been our "home" for four months and we never actually documented us being here. It's funny that I carried my camera everywhere except here. Maybe I thought that four months wouldn't go by so fast. I guess time really does fly when you are having fun!

- Addio miei amici. Mi mancherai.

That’s a bunch of Turkey….Just kidding it’s Bologna

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This Thanksgiving I was in Bologna, Italy spending it with two friends from back home. While Thanksgiving obviously isn’t celebrated outside of the States, most exchange schools put on a dinner for the Americans. Miguel, Ashlynn and I had dinner at a restaurant that made a “Traditional Thanksgiving Dinner”. They first brought out bruschetta, olives and other Italian foods. Next, came the pizza! I know, it sounds like I didn’t have Thanksgiving dinner at all, but that was just the appetizer.  Finally, after two hours of eating Italian foods and chatting with Americans and Italians, the turkey came out with an American flag sticking out of it along with sparklers. It might have been the most American turkey out there! Spending time with my friends on Thanksgiving was fun!Friday morning we woke up early to head to Florence. Miguel and Ashlynn had never been there, so I showed them around. We climbed to Piazza de Michelangelo and visited the basilica San Miniato al Monte. It was beautiful. The basilica overlooks the entire city of Florence at one of the highest points. The Romanesque basilica is said to be one of the most beautiful churches in Italy and I can confirm that it is my favorite so far. Although it is not the biggest, it is the most decorated by far. Geometric shapes cover the tiled floor and stripes are on all sides.

Every church that I have visited in Italy has unique characteristics. Some are simple, some are extravagant and some are big and some are small. What I love about Europe is that everything is old. We have very few places in the States that have such beautiful architecture and nothing is as old, clearly because we are the “New World”. I am lucky to have been able to see the east coast in the States. I’ve seen Plymouth Rock and Jamestown. The States has a different beauty that I love.

Being the adventurous person that I am, I led Miguel and Ashlynn through the streets of Florence not knowing where I was going. As we strolled thru the streets, we stumbled upon a Synagogue and decided to see what one was like. I have never been in a Synagogue before the one in Florence. There were palm trees in the garden in front of it.

Being thankful for family is something that I appreciate more now that I couldn’t spend time with them this year.