I can't believe how fast my time here has been passing by. I still have a month left, but it seems so short. I am excited to see my friends and family at home, but I am definitely not looking forward to leaving the friends I have made here. We have become so close through all the things we have experienced together. Even though I have only known these people for a little over two months, it feels like we have all been friends for years. I think a lot of this has to do with the fact that you get to know a person very well when you travel with them. Traveling is not easy. It takes a lot of patience and you have to prepare yourself for transportation delays and cancellations which can cause major stress. In the end it is all worth it because you gain so much knowledge and so many memories from visiting different places. It's a great feeling!

My most recent trip was to London. It is a beautiful (despite the rain). I liked it a lot, especially because they spoke English there. I was still surrounded by a lot of different languages but it was the first time since being in the U.S. that I was in a country where English was the primary language spoken. I loved seeing all the touristy places that are in London. St. James Park was my favorite. I recommend it to anyone traveling to London. I also saw Wicked which was such a good show! And we got student discounts so we got a really good deal on fabulous seats. Just one of the benefits of being in school! The hostel we stayed at was really cool and I met a lot of people there. And the fish and chips were amazing!!

It's interesting listening to other people's travel stories. I have met a lot of people who are traveling alone throughout Europe. Personally I'm not sure if I could handle the stresses of traveling on my own. It definitely helps having someone there to help figure things out when necessary. It's also nice to be able to enjoy all the things you see with friends. I think the experience of traveling would be very different if I were alone.

My next trip is Ireland. I'm going to Derry first which is part of the UK and then to Dublin for a night. This is the trip I have been looking forward to the most since coming to Europe. I have always wanted to go to Ireland and I finally have the chance. It's amazing how easy traveling is here. It's not difficult to go to a different country for a weekend and be back in time for classes on Monday. It is definitely something I will miss when I go home.

Having friends spread throughout the U.S. gives me a lot of motivation to see the country. It's sad that I've lived there for 20 years and have barely seen any of it. I think that will change after this experience though. Traveling has taught me so much about other countries and their cultures and I look forward to gaining more knowledge about the U.S. as well.