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We hiked from Monterosso to Vernazza, and spent the rest of the day lying around the harbor and eating gelato in Vernazza after a fairly strenuous couple of hours hiking. The scenery is gorgeous, the ocean is impossibly blue, and the towns are stunning. I can’t wait to go back.

I’ve lived here my entire life, except for the year I spent abroad. Beautiful, scenic, laid-back town that’s easy to get to love. I can still attest that Astoria in the summer is one of the most beautiful places on Earth.

Maybe it was just that it was a national holiday and everything was closed, but I honestly wouldn’t reccommend Bratislava as a tourist destination, especially if it would involve more than a few hours of travel. For me it cost a 9€ round trip train ticket from Vienna and gave me something to do on a day off of school, but if you’re in Europe on holiday I wouldn’t say to set Bratislava as a priority city.

If you do go there, the main castle is quite interesting, and the blue church is charming. Also, the town center is very historical and was nice to stroll through even though nothing was open. Make sure to go on a good day (not too cold!) because it’s easier to get around by foot than by bus, and don’t make the same mistake I did.

Wien (Vienna) is the ONLY major city I could ever see myself living in. It has a population of 1.5 million, but it still feels to me like a friendly and much smaller city. The architecture, history, music, and overall ambience is fantastic. Stephansdom, Schönbrunn Palace & Zoo, and the Hofburg are all must-sees. Don’t spend less than a week in Wien or else you’ll miss out on all it has to offer.

Hotel Sacher, in my opinion, is overrated—try going to some smaller bakeries more out of the way. Sacher might claim to have the ‘original’ Sachertorte, but it’s ungodly expensive and isn’t as great as it’s said up to be. If you’re into shopping, definitely take an hour (or two) (or three) on Mariahilferstraße—expensive, but worth it. I reccommend spending an afternoon or evening just walking through the first district by foot—there are usually street artists & performers, it’s a good way to check out all the shops and cafes, and it’s just a nice way to soak up the culture there.

i’ve been in austria for almost three weeks now, and i can’t begin to fully describe the experiences i’ve had here. in wien with friends we got lost at night and ended up wandering by u-bahn and tram across the city until we ended up at stephansdom, absolutely awestruck by the grandeur of vienna’s breathtaking cathedral.

i’ve missed europe more than i thought, and austria to me represents all of my childhood memories of europe wrapped into one country. here i’ve found the alps; here i’ve found twisting cobblestone streets, gorgeous old buildings in a multitude of pastel shades, and air that tastes fresh. here the atmosphere is relaxed; all of those uptight worrisome american fears have been left behind.

this place is intoxicatingly beautiful, and i don’t want to leave. i have over nine months left here, and i plan to savor them.

In a mere ten days, this country will be crossed off my list. I’m going there for a ten-month Rotary student exchange; I’m headed to Baden bei Wien, a suburb of Vienna. I can’t wait!

For some reason I’ve always had the strangest urge to go to Antartica—yes, that huge white thing at the bottom of world maps. I’d love to stand in the middle of a sheet of pure ice and sky and see nothing but blank pale air and ice for miles in every direction. It would be humbling, I think, to see a place so virtually untouched by human trappings and modern civilization.

Plus, penguins are adorable.

Newfies are the nicest people I’ve ever met! We drove from Corner Brook to L’anse-aux-meadows for the 1000th anniversary of Lief Erickson’s arrival, and throughout the whole trip I always felt welcome there.

The scenery of Newfoundland (it’s pronounced ‘NewfundLAND,’ not ‘NewfundLUND’) was quite a shock for someone used to dense, sprawling forests. There (particularly in the northern part of the province) the trees pale in comparison to the Pacific Northwest: they’re scrawny and short, and seem barely attached to the ground. My impression was that, like Nova Scotia, there was an abundance of granite—dramatic for photographers, but not so encouraging for forests. Quite stark, but beautiful nonetheless!

I’ve been to Nova Scotia four times, each visit being one or two weeks long. It’s one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever seen, and definitely a place I would like to return to. I’ve traveled from Cape Breton to Shelburne, but the majority of my time has been spent in Lunenburg and Halifax. The culture there is unique, and still bears significant traces of Celtic influence. I ♥ Nova Scotia.