DAY 2: NIGHTCLUB DISASTER

Day 2 we finally met with Fogarty and he suprised us with a tour of international Geneva where we saw all of the international organizations and the UN and where I am going to work! After we peeled off and got lunch and wandered, then we all pre gammed together and tried to go out but failed and ended up following a random German guy to a car dealership and Ubered home at 4 am. Definitely not what we were expecting, but was hilarious and bonding and so much fun.

The whole day I loved being in Geneva and seeing the IO's but my mind kept drifting back to the Hill and DC and how part of me wanted to be the one giving the tour to visitors on the Hill. It confirms a lot to me about what I think my interests are to have my mind and heart be in DC even while I am here. Not to say that I wish I were anywhere else, because I don't, I wouldn't change anything about this program or time in my life, but I know that my passion for my life is in American politics more than diplomacy.

DAY 3: OLD CITY EXPLORATION

Professor Fogarty took us on a walking tour of the Old Town of Geneva which I found to be much more beautiful and European than the other parts of Geneva. We learned about the history of Geneva speifically its Protestantism and neutrality. The tour was freezing cold and long but really intersting and the tour guide was captivating and gorgeous. After we had lunch and walked around a bit, then at night we went clubbing again. This time we had a plan and went with a smaller group and were much more successful. We had a fantastic time with my friends and the people in the club although some of the guys were old men who were very forward and agressive. Overall a really fun night that didn't end until almost 5:30 AM.

DAY 4: GROUP BONDING

In the morning Erin Lauren and I walked around Geneva exploring the lakefront area and found an adorable cafe in the old time. We then met up with Lucia and Charlotte and Manny and all went out to dinner at a local Swiss restaurant. At night Lauren Erin and I watched a comedy show and planned a ski trip.

I again felt really excited and comfortable and giddy about the future and what is going to come on this study abroad adventure. The group is fun and very down to explore and be adventorous and get the most out of our time here.

DAY 5: SKI DAY!!!!!

Charlotte Erin Lauren and I got up early and rented a car to drive to Morzine France and ski for the day. We skiied at Morzine & Les Gets. We took a beautiful drive through the French Alps and rented gear and drank coffee and by 11:30 we were on the ski slopes. The mountains were the most gorgeous dramatic mountain range I have ever seen. The ski was perfectly blue and the weather was beautiful and we had an amazing time skiing for 5 hours straight. The snow conditions were a little icy, but a lot of fun. The four of us had a great dynamic and similar ski skills so we all kept together perfectly. We stopped for crepes and hot chocolate and then after skiing Apres skiied by drinking beer and watching the sunset. Then we went to a beautiful Italian dinner in the town of Morzine where we got free shots from the waiter and then had a bottle of wine and I ate pesto pasta. We drove home and I CRASHED because I was exhausted.

DAY 6 & Day 7: UN TOUR & EXPLORING

Exhasuted from skiing we got up the next morning to go to tour the UN headquarters in Geneva. We had a great tour guide who showed us some of the conference rooms including the one where the Human Rights Council meets which Spain donated to the UN. The history was fascinating and the tour was interesting, but the whole time I was thinking about how I wished I was that tour guide but actually an intern giving a tour of Capitol Hill. Helpful information. It was really cool to sit in on a conference and see where all of the international diplomacy takes place.

After the UN we walked around Geneva more exploring the beautiful parks around Lake Geneva. Then we did a little bit of shopping and I bought a new black trench coat, beautiful leather pants, and a cute brown going out top from a store called Bershka.

We also went to the main Art Museum in Geneva which had a ton of Renaissance art and beautiful Impressionist Art (Monet, Van Gogh). The art was interesting to see, the Impressionism is my favorite to look at (so I am so excited to go to Paris). It was fun walking around with people and seeing their styles at looking at art.

After, we went to a cafe after Fogarty cancelled Berlin and Lucia Manny Erin Lauren and I plotted and thought through the decision to cancel Berlin over Vin Chaud *hot wine*. At our problem solving and persistent encouragement Fogarty said he would reschedule Berlin for a later time in the trip and decided that we could go to Krakow a day early.

We also had a meeting with Susanne Peters who gave us tips for our internships like communication and networking and adhering to the norms of the different work environments. Even though she seemed extremely agressive over email, in person I thoguht she was direct and honest and a very intriguing person. We will see her again at the end of the semester when we have cocktails with our supervisiors and her and Fogarty.

One of the nights we all ordered pizza and played charades and then Erin Lucia Lauren and I watched the Shining which was terrifying and I had to stay up late watching Friends to get over the creeps of sleeping alone after watching that movie. The next night we all made Sangria and then went to a Karaoke Bar which ended up being empty so we all took over the bar ordered shots and pizza and played our favorite songs and danced and sang with the bar tenders. It turned into a really fun bonding night.

These were the first days that I felt really bonded to Lucia and Manny and Erin and Lauren and we started forming a little group to go to Zurich which we planned while drinking Sangria.

DAY 8 & 9: ZURICH

We spontaneously planned a trip to Zurich. Manny Lauren Erin Lucia Margo and I all piled into one car and one tiny hotel room and spent 24hrs exploring and experiencing Zurich. We walked the streets of the Old Town, went to museums, met locals, ate at a fantastic restaurant, ate kababbs, went clubbing, and had a beautiful breakfast at a cute cafe before driving back. We had such a fantastic dynamic and spent the entire time laughing.

When we got back we went to Fogarty group dinner at Fondue and sat in the corner telling Fogarty and the group about Zurich and joking and laughing. We talked to Fogarty about Zurich, his perceptions of us individually and as a group, how the application/selection process of the group works, the superiority of women (he said you guys are taking the opportunities, you are working harder, you are going to take over the world, and the world will be much better off for it). ***When I was talking to Fogarty I told him who my grandfather was and he FREAKED OUT, he called me royalty and was so impressed and said that we had to talk more about it. He loved Ben and said that he wished he was still alive so that he could meet him and we could bring him to Colgate*** We also talked about his girlfriend and that she lives in Olivia Perlman's building in NYC which is absolutely hilarious. I can't wait to run into him on the Upper West Side. Dinner was hilarious and very fun, I think the group dynamic is perfect and continuing to develop in a really fun chaotic way. Everyone is bonding and making fun of each other in a loving way and its a great vibe. After dinner Fogarty and I were talking and walking and talking about DC and my plans for the future and the summer and how I am made for networking. He was really interested and wanted to know about my family and my extrovert endless energy and the pandemic and my work for him at Colgate. How I got a 4.0 in the semester where I went out at least 3 times a week and was so busy with tutoring, research, volleyball, and Colgate Dems. Its fun to learn more about him and everyone on a human level. He is a major WASP from Greenwich, went to Choate and Middlebury. It is really fun to have the opportunity to get know a professor in a personal way. After dinner we went home and did laundry and packed to leave for Krakow the next morning!

It was so fun and excited to explore the French Alps and ski in a cute little European town surrounding by dramatically beautiful mountains. I felt great on my skis and was carving in the snow was was so fun. I am so happy that I bought the more fun light playful skis.

We started the day, they rented gear, drank coffee, then skiied for 5 hours straight only stopping to drink hot cocoa and eat sugar crepes. Then we did double Apres, beer on the mountain, and dinner in town. Then we drove home and dropped off the rental car at the airport.

Even though the snow was kinda icy the mountain was huge and empty so we skiied all day on and off the chairlifts with no lines. Skiing, talking, and taking in the beauty around us.

I had a really fun time talking to Charlotte and getting to know her better and talking about her experience growing up in the city and going to Riverdale. We also talked all about our Colgate experiences and relationships and friends and opinions which is really fun because we all have different perspectives but know the same people.

Apres skiing drinking beer and watching the sunset over the peaks and then skiing down while the sun went down was one of the most beautiful magical experiences of my life. The driving was fun, the skiing was fun, and I am so happy I brought my skis and excited for our next ski trip.

I was disapointed that Berlin was cancelled so instead of moping around, I found Lauren and Erin and Lucia and said lets go to Zurich. I booked a car and the next morning picked everyone up and we squeezed 6 people into a tiny station wagon. Manny and I drove and it was hilarious. First we stopped in this little beautiful town and got a croissant and a coffee and found a church related to Mozart's family. We finally made it to Zurich and I instantly loved the energy of the big city more than the energy of Geneva. It is old and gorgeous but lively and vibrant. The old town and its pastel colored buildings are absolutely stunning. I instantly bonded to Margo and Lucia. We then went back to the hotel that I found and booked and after calming Erin's nerves about squeezing 6 people into a tiny room and breaking the rules we relaxed in the room.

Everyone was suprised and impressed by my leadership, taking charge, and endless energy to keep moving and interacting and having activities. Everytime I get feedback like that (particularly from my peers) it reconfirms my desire and confidence in becomming a leader and really having a big career and impact on the world.

For dinner we took the suggestion of a local girl and went to this restaurant that looked like it was a whole in the wall. We went in and it was trendy and fun and felt very local. We ate MUSSELS and fries which I tried for the first time (I am not sure what came over me) and actually really liked and we had drinks. We met this group of locals who were celebrating the completion of their studies in Lussane, and ended up sitting with them and talking for hours.

After we went to the hotel to drink and get dressed and then went to the nightclub that our new local friends said that they were going to. It was a raging club in a basement with a fog machine and great music. We ended up all dancing together and getting free drinks and having a fantastic time. After, me Manny and Lucia got chicken nuggets and french fries at like 4 am and went back to the hotel where I slept smushed into a queen bed with Lucia, Margo, Erin, and Lauren. Manny slept above us on a little twin bunk bed. It was hilarious because it seemed like he was a king with all of his suitors sleeping beneath him. It was a really fun night, but not a good night sleep.

The next morning we got up and went to get coffee and walk around more and went to a beautiful art museum. After we drove back to Geneva and joined Fogarty's call while still on the bus coming back. We spent the entire car ride laughing until I was crying about the night and Margo telling everyone in the bar that Lucia has a boyfriend or Lauren drinking too much and sleeping the wrong way in the bed and crawling around the room like she was an animal. It was chaotic fun, but one of my favorite silly fun nights in a long time. I feel really really close to my Zurich gang now and I feel really secure in my friendships and role in the group.

After the trip, we had our first group dinner tonight and we went to Bain de Paquis which is a local fondue restaurant on a pier jetting out over Lake Geneva. It is a beautiful fun spot with a young local atmosphere. At dinner I sat with Manny, Erin, Lucia, and Margo (the people I am feeling closest to), and we laughed the entire time. We were talking to Professor Fogarty and he said that Lucia, Erin, Lauren, and I are the ones he could tell would be the extroverted fun "trouble makers"; however, he distinguished that I was a trouble maker, but one that could get a lot done, that he knew I had a lot of real impressive powerful strengths. I like being seen as someone who can have a lot of fun and be loud and confident and silly and still get all of my shit done and be impressive and successful. Its a good balance.

Successful trip to Zurich, spontenaity, adventure, and pure fun. I am really really really exicted for the next week and to see what else we all do together. I am also really happy and excited to be getting close to different Colgate people who share my interests and are fun and expand my circle of friends at school and to go back to Colgate with these new people around me.

Saturday morning! We are off to Krakow. Although I am kind of tired I am excited to see Poland. I am sitting on the plane with Erin and Lauren and across from us is Charlotte Manny and Professor Fogarty. Hilarious. I have spent most of the plane journaling and reading, I am not anxious at all about flying which feels really nice and relieving. I CANNOT wait to see Krakow!

Successfully flew from Geneva to Warsaw and now flying to Krakow in a teeny weeny little terrifying plane. You can feel every movement a million times more. Not a fan. I was just texting with Omi about Poland and the Holocaust and our family and had not realized how direct the connection to the Holocaust. Her four grandparent's immediate families completely wiped out expect for the one family in Poland who survived by hiding in the basement for two years. It is a more direct connection that I have let myself realize, if they had stayed, it could have been Omi, it would have, and if I were born back then it would have been me. It is personal and much more recent than I realize, and horrifying. I am curious to see how I react to seeing the concentration camp itself. It makes me sad for the family, how do you live beyond that knowing your whole family was killed. It makes me sad thinking about death, and Papa's death is particularly on my mind because a picture from Tanglewood popped up on my IPad. Feeling so closely connected to his work and being in the center of international diplomacy is making me miss him in the beyond, and yearn for what our relationship could and would have become. He would have loved engaging with these ideas with me and seeing what I was doing in Geneva and in DC he would have been such a huge presence in my life and the more and more that my acedemic and professional work alligns with what he did the bigger the hole feels. Professor Fogarty's incessent praise would have made him so happy if he knew that anyone being related to him made them "royalty". Hearing how much he was revered by my random Professor makes his presence in my life and mind bigger which makes me feel happy sad; happy that I can carry on his legacy and all of the strengths he had as an individual and he gave to the world with his mind, but so so sad that he isn't here to engage with the ideas and make decisions and give advice and have conversations with. It has become less about me missing who he was in my life, and more yearning for what he could have been once my polticial international interests bloomed, not as a grandfather, but as an academic, a role model, a genius mind. It is why my relationship with Omi is so special to me, she is a grandmother with all of the love and unconditional support and nurturing that comes with that but I admire and respect her and her beliefs and opinions and advice and don't know who or where I would be without her voice and advice and opinions.

Krakow is a beautiful old city. It has a vibrant buzzing energy and the streets of the city center are beautiful. Walking around last night was super fun and interesting and we had such a fun dinner at this Polish restaurant and I had warm beer and chicken and fries and Emma, Josie, Lucia, Margo, Lauren and I talked about everything from future plans and dreams to family to divorce to abortion. It is so fun getting to know all of them. Then we came back and made punch and played paranoia with the apartment crew (we got so so so lucky and got a beautiful six person apartment with me Lucia Lauren Erin Charlotte and Margo right in the center of the city). Then we all went clubbing which was super fun until ALL of my credit cards and IDs were stolen by a guy who was dancing near me. I freaked out in the club but everyone espeically Margo was super sweet and helpful and was totally there for me. Professor Fogarty was also super supportive and helpful and said it was not my fault and wanted to reassure me and even acknowledged that I am from the city and know what I am doing. Now I know there is absolutely nothing that I can do so I kind of think it can be laughed at, I keep joking that all I have is 82 CENTS in Euro coins. Today was a good day, we slept in and went to an adorable cafe and then went on a tour of the Jewish Quarter outside of Krakow. It was beautiful but freezing cold and sad to see the ghettos and everything that was lost during the Holocaust. It made it all feel much much more real. We all got a big dinner as a group after and then Manny Lucia and I went to go find him boots, he told us that Lucia and I are by far his favorite people on the trip. Surprisingly he is growing on me as a person and that meant a lot. Came home tonight and the "Crazy Crew" cozied up on the couch and watched Pride and Prejudice which was AMAZING. I want to ve in love and I want to read that book. Going to Auschwitz tomorrow, I am weirdly excited because I have always wanted to see it and I want to see how connected and upset by it I feel. I do not think I have to be phony sad, I want to experience it, acknowledge it, respect it, and honor it by living to the absolute fullest and feeling lucky and acknowledging the reality and integrating it into how I live, not just by feeling sad for a day.

So we are on the overnight train from Krakow to Vienna. Bizzare experience. Lucia and I are sharing a train car with a weird bunk bed and everyone is in our train car in different rooms. It is chaotic but really fun. Lucia and I are getting along so well and are becomming closer and closer and talking about our frienships and views of everyone else on this trip and in our lives. Today we went to the Salt Mines which were cool but underwhelming, it was interesting to see and funny and yummy to look but less cool than I thought that they would be. Then we went to a great long lunch next to Schindlers Factory and went to the musem there. Lauren and Erin ran off (as per usual) which was weird but also hilarious. The rest of us had a great time exploring the museum then going to the flea market and Zara and the Mall. I bought amazing lip gloss and we bought cute clothes for the Opera in Vienna!! Then we went to this FABULOUS sushi restaurant with Lucia, Margo, Manny, Naomi, and Erin which was super super fun and we did Sake bombs and ate a ton of sushi and salmon and it was delicious and we had great conversations and got a little tipsy for the train. Margo and I are getting closer and closer everyday and I am really starting to like her and we have a funny rapore but I also feel really comfortable with her and talking to her and I have opened up about family stuff and friends and guys and everything with Kendall since she is also friends with her and we just connect in a really easy nice way. I can see me Lucia, Margo, and Manny becomming super super super close, like for life. Then we found Fogarty and got onto the sleeper train, me and Lucia offered to sleep with a strnager nad eneded up with our own room which is super super lucky. They train is chaotic but super fun and we all were hanging out and drinking and fucking around and it is definitely a fun bonidng experience, I am not sure that I would want to repeat it, but it is cool and fun that we will have all shared this experience once.

Off to Vienna! We will be there in the morning and I am excited to see it and go to museums and the Opera and take in the beauty. I loved Krakow, but much much more than I thought I would have. It was beautiful and full of history and the clubs were fun and the food was delicious and it was so powerful and moving to go to Auschwitz. Everything was beautiful and meaningful and fun and inexpensive, the perfect place for young people exploring. I would hands down recommend to anyone.

How on earth could that possibly have happened? Is it even possible for me or anyone to wrap their mind around the reality of the Holocaust? It would have been me.

Those are the three thoughts that kept circulating my mind while we walked around the camps. How did Hitler get so much power, why wasn't there more resistance, rebelion, and refusal. The Jews fell into their role and for a huge part did what they were told (although they had no real other option) and the majority of Germans followed the power and message of the Nazi party. How did it become so eerily systematic and planned out and engrained in society.

As I was legitimately standing inside of a gas chamber and doing the walk that the selected women men and children took from the train car at Birkenau to the gas chamber, I could not concieve of mass murder on that scale, of actually murdering over 6 million people. Its horrific, but I don't think that my mind can actual grapple with the reality of what happened or the way that those people felt or how afraid they were.

It could have been me, it would have been me. Even though I have no real attachment to Judaism and don't practice religion at all if I were alive and living in Nazi occupied Europe 80 years ago I would have been a target of Hitler and I easily could have been killed at Birkenau. It was my family murdered, my blood, my heritage. It was not that long ago and I am not far removed from it. I just kept thinking while I was walking the road they would have taken and standing inside the buildings and the gas chamber that if it were 80 years ago I would have been there against my will and murdered, I would not have had the freedom to leave and go home and return to my life, I would not have left alive. I have the freedom to leave. If I had been in that chamber at the time I would be dead right now, but instead, I am home about to get a cozy night sleep in bed. However, instead of feeling sad or enraged or dispairing, it makes me feel lucky and feel like I have the obligaion and opportunity to leave the camp and to live fuller and happier with the knowledge and awareness of what happened, but more so with the memory of and connetion to those lost. I should be happier, live fuller, and fight harder simply because I can. I want to move forward in an empowered detgermined way to engender a safe equitable world. I also saw the last name Weiss on a bag in the exhibit where they displayed people's bags and shoes and glasses and hair. It could have belonged to someone in my family, Omi is a Weiss as is Bobby and Sarah and Rachel and so am I if not by name. It was their bag, it could have been my bag. But even more so it was someone's bag with a name and a heart and a family and they were killed for something entirely out of their control and desire.

We finished the night with a long conversation with Charlotte, Lucia, and Margo where we talked about how far or not far we have come and what this means and how it could have possibly happened. I really appriciate being here with these people who share my passions and interests and desire and willingness to have real conversations and deliberate and connect. It is really rewardng and interesting and helpful. They are all very intelligent with different knowledge sets and different perspectives, I think we all have a lot to learn from each other. I also think that I am not cynnical and have no pessimistic cynnical bones in my body. I acknowledge reality, but I believe in a brighter future and I believe in us to fight for it and to create it.

First day in Vienna, we arrived on the train and 7 am this morning. I am so completely exhausted and overwhlemed but having the greatest time of my life and having so much fun being a part of this group and friends with these people. Vienna seems beautiful, the whole city kind of feels like a magical antique museum. I am excited to explore more and see the rest of the city.

Today 1/26/22

• Arrive on morning train, we got here so early this morning and took the train to the hotel, it was insane and exhausting but bonding and fun. I definitely would not highly recommend the overnight train, but it was not terrible
• Shower in hotel room
• Breakfast at hotel, we all went downstairs after showering and got breakfast in the hotel with Fogarty and talked about his last study group and their relationships and drama. Then we reflected about the holocaust where I articulated that I have felt the most connected to my Jewish heritage when thinking about and relating to the persecution of Jews in the Holocaust. My identity is strongest in Europe when confronting the Holocaust, not in daily life.
• Briefing at hotel with OSCE, we had a zoom breifing with the organization for security and cooperation in Europe. The information that they had to share was interesting and I enjoyed listening to them, the woman was much more informed and eloquent than the male PR speaker. I asked two questions which impressed Fogarty and impressed the speakers. I asked about efficacy of consensus and if it leads to equality and promotion of the needs of all countries or if it leads to corruption and manipulation, if nations take advantage of it. Then I asked if there was a huge influence that overrides the consensus if certain countries aka the United States donates a lot more money than smaller countries. The man misinterpreted the constitution which was frustrating, "more perfect" does not mean ideal utopia, but more complete. I also thought it was really interesting that the US and Belarus are the only two countries with the death penalty and that the US has the moral highground to ask other countries to be held to standards like voting that they cannot hold to themselves, ie. voting rights & equality.
• ATM with Fogarty, we went to the ATM to finally withdraw my Colgate money so I was no longer broke and we talked about Colgate and Papa and the OSCE and our families and it was fun. He said he was impressed by our group and our questions specifically mine. It was nice to talk to him one on one and get to know him on a more personal level.
• Lunch with Lucia, Margo, Naomi, and Lauren, after Lauren and Erin tried to run off again we all went and got lunch together which was super fun and really yummy. I had pizza *finally* and a chocolate muffin.
• Belvedere Palace Museum, after lunch we went to the Belvedere Palace which was AMAZING because we saw a Klimt collection and saw The Kiss and we saw Van Gogh and Monet and it was beautiful. It was also really fun because we were all talking and walking around and Manny found us. Our different perspectives are so interesting, I know a lot about art and different periods and artists, but Manny knew everything about the religious Renaissance paintings. I love going to museums.
• Covid tests ........ fingers crossed for the opera :)
• Schnitzel dinner with FOGARTY, we had the most insane dinner with Fogarty. We went to the best Schnitzel in all of Vienna and invited Fogarty and had the funniest banter, fascinating conversations, and fun talking and eating. We had beer and Schnitzel and Apple Pie, I sat between Fogs and Margo. We talked about everything from Ukraine to the supreme cout and politics to his girfriend, family, favorite drink, to him being about to outdrink Manny, tenuring professors, Ben Barber, study abroad, Colgate Professors, his house, honors thesis, and everything in between. He told me that he heard about me from Professor McCabe which was unusual but very impressive and now all I know is that I really really wanna know what he said. It was really fun talking to and joking around with Fogarty. I said I have endless energy and he said he would have me do research stuff this Spring maybe then we talked about Papa a little bit and his cosmopolitan idea about Mayors and global governance because Fogarty agrees that interdependent Mayors are more effective and representative than supranational entities. He also said that I should never worry at all about qualifying for anything and that he knew I held myself to a really impossibly high standard and work extremely hard. It was just so much fun talking to him and everyone in a different setting and joking around and actually getting to know him in a real way. He is a good guy and an interesting person. After dinner Bobby had the most hilarious encounter with a German man who thought he peed on the street and Fogarty stepped in and separated them and put him in his place. After we got home Fogarty offered to have us to weekly pizza which I would love. We got back to hotel and everyone talked and went to bed. I panicked about going back to Geneva and having no structure, but I think it is going to be fine and I will create structure and plans and travel and probably be impossibly busy this entire time. I cannot cannot truly cannot wait to keep adventuring!

My heart needs rest,
my mind wants action.
My curiosity needs different,
my comfort wants same.
My dreams need big,
my fears want small.
I'm stuck like this, all of
my days, in the hot coal
of human paradox….
writing new chapters of
myself with every bit
of ink around me.
Nobody told me that
the messy Now &
terrible Unknown could
dare to be so beautiful.

Mom sent this poem this morning. It speaks to me in the paradox of being human and getting tired, but never wanting to stop and my anxiety always fearing that I will have to stop or be alone. But I don't want to, don't know how. My mind always wants action, my curiosity always wants change, but my comfort does not wants the same, it wants the promise of action and consistency in company and activity. I need big. It all feels messy and inconcievable, but amazing and beautiful. This trip is a paradox, a wonderful exciting paradox.

Day 2 Vienna, 1/27/22

Agenda: OPEC Briefing, Wandering Vienna to castles, palaces, and museums, Lunch *delicious salmon teriyaki bowl and mango juice*, Art History Museum, Covid tests part two, OPERA, Street Kebabs, Hanging out in the hotel

Today was a fun day, OPEC was kinda boring and not very substantive, when I asked the presenter a question about accountability she got defensive and started quizing me about my knowledge of current climate change affairs. Wandering was super fun, I think that Vienna is the most beautiful city that I have ever been to. I love it here and definitely definitely want to come back and see more and stay for longer, I would live or work here its gorgeous and fun and lively. I want to see it during the summer. Lunch was delicious and fun and then the museum was magical and the art was gorgeous, we saw Rembrant, Velazquez and so many famous artists. Prep for the opera was an absolute disaster because we could not find tests and we had to get ready but it was hilarious and we ended up drinking wine and walking around the streets laughing which was hilarious and so much fun. The Opera was beautiful, we saw Pique Dame or The Queen of Spades. I sat with Margo and Lucia and we got all dressed up pretty. The show itself was beautiful, the singing was really impressive and the orchestra was beautiful. I was mesmerized watching the conductor. The whole experience felt magical and the State Opera House was magnificent and felt like it was straight out of a fairytale. After we got Kebab and fries on the street and took the metro home laughing and discussing the Opera. Another exhausting, exhilerating, nonstop, extremely fun day. More and more I love the group and my friends (specifically Margo, Lucia, and Manny) and am really having the greatest time.

Heading back to Geneva now. On the plane from Vienna to Amsterdam, then from Amsterdam to Geneva. I am excited to go back, and to have a few days to gather myself and respond to email, and get things done and start working out and get settled in, but I am also anxious that I will be alone and not have anything fun or exiciting to do. But I know that is just anxiety and I will turn Geneva into an adventure and travel again very soon with my friends. I loved Vienna. This morning we went to the Spanish Riding School and watched horses train which was magestical and cool. I wish I was good at horseback riding and could gallup down the beach on a horse. Being in Vienna made me romanticize the olden days. Balls and horses and beautiful dresses and valuing romance and time together and no electronics. We were all picturing ourselves riding on horses as transportation and spending time at balls and at the opera and theater. After we went to the Sisi Museum and then Manny and Lucia and Margo and I went to the fanciest expensive cafe to get the original special chocolate cake in Vienna. I had a falafel lentil bowl which was delicious (I think I like falafels and lentils?) its insane how willing I have been to let myself be spontaneous and go with the flow and try and enjoy new food. I am really impressing myself, especially with the food. It is expansive and exciting and fun. Then we had champange and coffee and chocolate cake and apple struedel. We feasted. It was delicious and fun and great conversation. We finally got to the airport, with a lot of struggle from Professor Fogarty, and now we are flying back to Geneva. Next adventure is waiting for me....

The nightclub was really fun, we made tequila sunrises and sangria and pre gammed in my room playing Paranoia. Lucia and I were having so much fun and we were using the heart from the Krakow Salt Mines that I am going to give to Omi to chase our tequila shots. We went to the club at 1 am and it was insanely fun and they played American music so we were all dancing and singing and having a blast until 5 am. We met some cute guys, and I am going out on a double date with Charlotte and two of them tomorrow night.

Today was the first day of my internship. It was exciting and a little bit intimidating. I met my supervisor and she introduced what I will be working on for the next few months. My primary goal is to edit and write and research and promote information for the iDiaspora platform and to increase membership from 167 to 1000 by the end of March. I am going to be supervising a team of volunteers in research and outreach. Also, I am helping her plan and organize a global summit in Dublin at the beginning of April. I really really hope I get to go to the summit. It is for the promotion of the invaluable impact of Diaspora communities globally. Tonight we all got together and cooked and ate and discussed our days and played Cards Against Hummanity, it was really wholesome and fun and I am having a good time getting to know everyone and sharing these experiences. Excited for my second day and to present the Key Points I drafted for my supervisor Larissa. I think I went above and beyond so I will send it to her before our meeting and see what she thinks!

We got off and walked around the waterfront and had a great time chatting and exploring. It was beautiful, much bigger and more magesitc than I expected. We walked to the Olympic Museum and it was really interesting. It went through the history of the Olympics and had relics and costumes and interactive games (like this fun ski racing course where you get on a machine and pretend to be an olympic downhill ski racer). We walked around and saw everything and learned a lot about athletes and the history and evolution of the Olympic Games.

After the museum we walked back to Lake Geneva and had a delicious lunch. I had a mexican Crepe which was basically chicken fajitas in Crepe form. It was yummy and we had a fun time getting to know eachother and we talked about her boyfriend and DC this summer and our experiences growing up in San Fransisco and NYC and our different private prep schools. After we walked around the old town and saw a beautiful cathedral. It was gorgeous and I would love to go back for another day trip with a little more time and maybe when it was warmer.

After we got back I went for a gorgeous run and ran almost 4 miles around the embassies and UN agencies to a gorgeous field. It felt amazing. Then I did laundry and packed and cooked a yummy bowl of jasmine rice, avocado, sweet potato, brocolli, and carrots mixed together with terriyaki sauce and soy sauce. It was healthy and delicious. I took it to Charlotte's room and ate with her and Margo and Emma and Erin and Lucia. We hung out and drank wine and talked for hours. I had to leave to go to the career services meeting for the Lampert Scholars program that I was identified for, it was interesting and thinking about it has made me start to think about taking a more international focus and comparing US democracy to other democracies and taking time this summer to use the Lampert money to go somewhere (like Norway or Sweden or New Zealand) which have the most successful democracies and see what is so different and analyze the partisan inefficient diaster that is becomming America through an international lense. I am not sure yet, the ideas are still formulating, but it is really interesting to think about, and being here in Geneva this semester is the perfect place to think about it.

We just had the most iconic unbelieveable trip skiing in Chamonix. We got there Friday evening and after chaotic travelling we finally made it to the town of St Gervais and had a big yummy dinner at a delicious restaurant. I had steak and french fries and salad and red wine and bread and it was delicious. We had a great time talking laughing. It was me, TJ, Margo, Lucia, and Erin. Lauren and Manny had a hard time making it to Chamonix so they missed dinner. I have been having the greatest time just laughing and joking and talking to my friends here, they are all funny and smart and clever and goofy and good at laughing at themselves (except for Erin). We just have a really good time being around each other and laughing. I think that laughter is the best feeling in the world and people who love to laugh and don't take themselves too seriously are my favorite kind of people. After dinner we went back to the AirBnB which was SO CUTE and perfectly located with a gorgeous view, and drank wine and played Uno and all put on our ski goggles and just hung out.

The next morning we woke up super early to start the longest most chaotic poorly planned but perfectly executed day of my life. We stumbled upon this tram that took us to the top of Les Houches where we skiied down in the worst visibility and took a few runs and somehow figured out how to get to the bottom of Les Houches (after crossing two strips of pavement) and got breakfast (I ate an entire baguette and had an espresso). Then we took the bus from Les Houches to Chamonix and then took another bus to ski at Grands Montets. We followed Lauren to this random spot in Chamonix Valley that turned out to be THE MOST BEAUTIFUL ski spot I have ever seen. We were nestled into magestical huge peaks and spent the entire day amazed by the views and skiing really fun and challenging off-piste terrain. We laughed and fell and talked on the lifts and explored an iglo and skiied a lot. I feel really confident on my skis and love the Line Pandora skiis I bought in Vail they are fun and playful and I feel 100x better and more confident skiing in moguls and off-piste and carving even on super steep icy terrain. Even though it was not where we intended to ski it was beautiful and so much fun and later we found out that it was the place to be. After we finished skiing and took the bus in the wrong direction we made it to Chamonix village to Apres. We found the most insane Apres ski spot where we got pitchers of beer and some pizza and a bottle of champagne and two finance guys who work remotely and live in different ski towns in Europe. They were really nice and attractive and funny and it was nice to hang out with them and have new energy and get local recommendations. They bought us a bottle of champagne that we sprayed everywhere and listened to loud music and hung out for hours around a fire pit and watched the sunset and there were random olympic gold medalists there that they were celebrating at the hotel. It was the iconic picturesque apres ski. After we found a great little restaurant in town and got dinner and hung out and talked about the day. When we got back to the house we passed out because we were all SO EXHAUSTED from travelling and skiing. It was a chaotically perfect day.

This morning Margo and TJ left so Erin Lauren Lucia and I went skiing together in St Gervais. It was 100000 times easier and the terrain was more expansive, but it was not as dramatically beautiful. We had the most fun amazing day. We skiied for almost 7 hours and Lucia and I fucked around joking and laughing and trying silly tricks and riding every chairlift together. We skiied really hard in these huge bowls and ate a big lunch with a beautiful view and the most delicious nutella waffles at the top of the mountain. I had so much fun but I had this happy sad feeling for a few hours thinking about Vail and the familiarity and routine and comfort of skiing with dad and the family and in Vail and Beaver Creek and doing the same ritual every night hanging out in the condo and cooking dinner and playing Wizard or Charades or another fun game. It gave me a warm fuzzy longing feeling of home and family, but in a nice way, being flodded with happy memories, and experiences that I carry with me and that will continue in the future. It made me think about how lucky I am and how much I love every part of my life and how I would be so happy to be sitting talking with mom in her apartment with Ziggy or sitting in Omis bed playing cards and cuddling and listening to music and eating Diner food, or skiing with or talking to or having an adventure with dad, or being in Little Moose or Vail with the Harts, or hanging out with Owen and Willa and being silly, or at Colgate in office hours, or with my school friends in the library or at a frat party or lounging around in the apartment, or in DC walking around Capitol Hill and working in Congress and being there with Adam, Cole, and Zuby. And how unbelievably happy I am here, having this adventure with these people espeically Margo, Lucia, and Lauren. I am eating new foods, making new friends, seeing new places, being so incredibly spontaneous and more easygoing and adventurous. I feel like I am growing and becomming more comfortable with myself in so many ways and am just really having a lot of fun. Anyway, after skiing we skiied all of the way to the bottom and raced to make the bus that took us to the train to the next train to the bus and back to the Graduate Institute. Even on the bus we were being silly and laughing and talking the entire time. The weekend was magical. It feels impossibly unreal and I feel so lucky to be having these experiences and making them happen for everyone. Margo and Lucia especially kept thanking me and emphasizing how amazing it was that I plan like I do and make all of these adventures happen, and how it wouldn't happen without me. I know its a group effort and I would not be doing it all without them, but it is nice to be acknowledge because even though I love organizing and planning it isn't easy. I guess I am a natural leader, its a good thing to keep in mind :)

The next day we woke up early and went and got a yummy brunch french toast and coffee and then walked all around London to Westminster Abbey and saw the center of their government and walked to Buckingham Palace. It was beautiful and fun to picture the king and queen living in there. Then we spent hours in a bookstore which is my happy place because I am a total book nerd and I bought Jane Eyre because I have always wanted to read it and I so much prefer reading a real book (even though my Kindle has been so useful). Then we went to the British Museum and saw the imported art there which Bryn was obsessed with and then we went back to the hotel to shower and relax a bit. At night we had drinks at the hostel and then went to a delicious Chinese food restaurant which I had totally been craving and then we went to a pub and had cider and sat and talked for hours. The whole night was so much fun talking to Bryn, she knows me so well and I feel so comfortable and safe talking to her and sharing things with her. It was very comforting and fun to be with someone who knows and loves me so much. The next morning we got up and had bagels and then took the train to Cambridge!

After punting we went to the porters and they gave us a cup of tea to warm us up and to chat then we showered and got ready for dinner. For dinner we went to this fun Mexican restaurant with a lot of her new friends which was fun. They had two for one drinks and pitchers so we had Strawberry Margaritas and then I had delicious steak fajitas. It was fun to meet her friends and talk to different people who went to Columbia, Penn, Amherst, Williams, Cornell and grew up in different places. A lot of people were from the city or went to school in the city so it was fun to talk about stuff that is around the upper west side. After dinner we went back to their house and pre gammed and then went to a club called MASH. It was a really fun night and I also met their guy friends and we danced and sang and talked all night until 4 am. Then we got french fries and nuggets from a food truck and hung out in their apartment until 5 and then we crashed. Bryn went home pretty early but forced me to stay with her friends which ended up being really fun and I loved hanging out with Sydney and Madison. They both are going to be in the city this summer so hopefully I can hang out with them more.

This morning we woke up and went to a cute cafe and got cinnamon bun french toast and talked about the night and then we walked to the boathouses where Bryn does Crew which was beautiful. It is really cute, each college has their own little house all next to each other on the river. After, we walked around and went to a few thrift stores and then I walked to the train to venture back to Geneva. I am completely exhausted but elated. I am having the most insane lucky experience, it has been 10000 times better than I could have ever concieved.

Florence is definitely hands down the most beautiful place I have ever been (maybe other than Amalfi Coast) ever. Its gorgeous and big enough to have a vibrant energy and culture but small enough that it feels managable and navigatable. Walking down to the Arno the first day and past the Duomo I had the same giddy awed feeling that I had when dad and I got off of the train in Venice the first day and took a water taxi down the main canal. Just blown away by the beauty and majesty of what was surrounding me.

The day we arrived we found our airbnb which was perfectly located next to the Duomo and then Lauren and I started walking around and got yummy thick pizza and sat on the wall of the Arno eating pizza. I facetimed Omi and basked in the sunlight and just felt so happy. Then we walked around and found Lucia and got gelato (Stratciatella) and watched the most beautiful sunset over the Arno. Literally one of the more gorgeous moments of my life. We went to Trattoria ZaZa for dinner which was this great restaurant with big outdoor seating that had a 30 minute line to get a table. It was SO WORTH the wait. We had red wine and Bruschetta and I had tagliatelle with pomodoro sauce. It was defintely the best tomoato sauce ive ever had. Dinner was so fun we sat and talked and laughed for hours and hours and hours. I love Lauren and Lucia so much we just really have a great great great time together adventuring and talking and laughing. I couldnt have chosen better people to be on this experience with. After dinner we went to SPACE nightclub and met up with Colgate people and it was fun but not that much fun because it was packed with Americans. Apparently, there are 10,000 Americans studying abroad in Florence right now dominated by the Syracuse Greek Life social scene. I would absolutely hate that. It was fun to see our friends and dance, but it was too crowded and gave off vibes of a frat party which are fun but thats not why I came to study abroad in Europe. The news just popped up on my phone about Putin invading in Ukraine which seems imminent. I don't think Biden will deploy US troops to Ukraine if Putin invades, just fiscally support Ukraine with resources and put sanctions on Russia. BUT, its crazy to think about war and real war happening in Europe while I am here and how easily wars could be started. If COVID put a stop in our lives I can only imagine what war would do.

The second day we woke up and Lucia and Lauren had to work so I went off on my own and had an acai bowl and a mega ice coffee for breakfast and read my Jamie Raskin book and then I walked to Piazza Michelangelo which is a beautiful plaza over looking Florence with a bronze replica of the statue of David overlooking Florence. It was fun to go off on my own and see the city and move and it was sunny and gorgeous. I am so glad I did that. I facetimed dad from the top and talked to him while I walked down about Florence and Geneva and this summer. I like bringing everyone into my experiences with me and connecting it all so it feels continuous and not just a separate aspect of my life. I knew people said study abroad was super fun and amazing, but I had no fucking idea. This will definitely be one of the most amazing adventures and times of my life. I found Lucia and Lauren and we went to the Uffizi museum which was AMAZING it was so cool to see the art especially the Birth of Venus in real life after spending so long looking at it in textbooks and online. I love that especially Lucia loves art so much and we appriciate culture and it is not just like Meredith not wanting to look at the art in the Met or Kendall saying she doesnt like art which is one of the more ignorant and obnoxious things ive heard. It is so fun having people who not only appriciate it but seek it out and are so knowledgeable. After we got these yummy famous sandwiches and gelato and Lauren went to do more work so Lucia and I went to Pitti Palace which was a palace from the Medici era. It was beautiful and decadent and fun to see. After, we found Lauren and went to a bar for drinks and met an American named Henry who we spent over an hour talking to over aperol spritz's. It was so fun to just randomly meet someone interesting and connect with him. Then we met Lucias friend at a margarita bar and had the most sweet massive frozen margs I have ever seen in my life. It was fun to talk to her and hear about studying in Florence first hand. Then the three of us went to another great dinner across the street and had Bruschetta and pasta and pizza and wine and talked and became friends with the waiter. Then we smoked a cigarette with the waiter and he recommended a club that we go to so we went with Henry and all of his friends where they got a table. It was called Babylon. It was one of the more fun nights we have had in Europe. There were more local people and good music and Henrys friends were so nice and fun and we all had a really really great time. It is so cool and fun that there are so many young people here having these shared experiences and just having fun and connecting with eachother.

Friday, Lucia Lauren and I got up and had breakfast in the square near the Duomo before climbing to the top of it which was mind blowingly gorgeous and expansive views. It was so cool and hard to climb up but the view was 1000% worth the steps. I could have sat up there staring over Florence for hours completely content. After the duomo we found Erin and got lunch where I ate more Bruschetta and salad and then went to the Academia museum to see David. I was again blown away, David is HUGE I had no idea and beautiful. It is so magnificent no other sculture can even be compared to it. Michelangelo was only like 26 when he spent two years non stop carving that sculture. I cannot even dream of being that patient and talented, its unfathomable. It was actually so so so so so much more amazing and magnificent than I was expecting. We literally stood staring at it and walking around it for an hour. Then we went and got the oldest Gelato in all of Florence which is older than the United States as a country and walked around. Erin and I went on the carousel in the middle of the square which was silly and so fun. I love that I can be silly and young spirited and have people stare at me and not care at all, it is such a freeing feeling and I love that I am surroudned by friends that feel the same way. It is like a release from insecurity. After the carousel we went back to the apartment changed and got ready to go to dinner. We went back to Trattorria Zaza and had the DELICIOUS dinner again which was so fun. At dinner we had really deep intense conversations about family and divorce and what we want from our lives in the future. The waiter was pouring me heavier glasses of wine and Lucia and Lauren were saying that they notice that people (especially men) treat me differently than other people or pay me more attention which I never thought ever. They said they thought it was a combination of my hair my energy and the fact that I smile so much and that people like that. I think its really interesting because I never noticed little things like that but if people are drawn to me and like my friendly lively happy energy I love that. After dinner we went back to the Margarita bar and randomly met these Italian guys from Florence and they sat with us at the bar. It was so so so much fun the music was great the frozen margaritas were delicious and the guys were so fun. They did not fully speak English so we had broken communciation but it was so cool and fun and I really really really enjoyed it and getting to know them. We did a round of flamming shots with tequila absinthe \240and tabasco and it actually burnt my entire mouth throat and stomach. It was so fun to be with locals and just meet random young people out and about, I love love love being abroad.

For our last day, we got up early and went to have breakfast and then we went to a cool leather market and then at 1 we went to the coach busses to go to Tuscany for wine tasting!!!!! The Chianti reigion was a beautiful dramatic setting and it was so fun to try the wines and to learn about how they are made and how and why they taste different. The first vineyard was beautiful, we had three different red wines and some yummy bread with olive oil. I liked the last wine we tried best which was actually their house brand made with grapes from France not made with the grapes from the Chianti reigion. It felt very fun and sophisticated to sip wine and talk and laugh and learn a lot. It made me want to be a wine person. Then we took the bus to a cute little town where we had pastries and walked around and then we went to the second vineyard which was much more commercialzied and felt like a much larger production. We toured the inside and then sat in a room where we tasted a bubbly white wine like a prosseco which was absolutely delicious and light and sweet. Then we tried a light crisp white wine which I enjoyed but it was almost too light and did not have as much flavor. Then we tried three different red wines and the last was my favorite it was strong and flavorful but still crisp. I was tempted to buy some of it. We also tasted delicious olive oil and two balsamic vinegars that were the yummiest thing I have ever tasted. I thought to myself that I have fully not been having balsamic vinegar in life, that is what it is supposed to taste like. It was fun to try the expereince and gorgeous to be in that setting and it made me want to learn and know wine and care about it and be able to have preferences and know the differences in wines. After we went to dinner with Carmel, Jane, Kai, Morgan, and Jordan who are all studying in Florence and go to Colgate. We had a big long dinner, we had Bruschetta, free red wine, and then Lauren and I split a spicy tomato pesto pasta and margarita pizza. It was all delicious and it was so fun to talk to them and compare experiences and hear about what they were doing and their thoughts on Colgate and abroad. It was also really fun to be with a big group and crazy to see them in that setting. After we all went to a few bars and clubs and then went home and went to bed. This morning we got up at 6 am and went to the airport to fly home to Geneva. It was literally a perfect weekend and I feel so content and happy we went, I love Italy and I love Europe!

We are on the plane on the way to Barcelona! I am so excited to go back, I cannot believe it but it was almost four years ago to the day that I flew to Barcelona junior year of high school. I was terrified on that plane ride, I remember never wanting the plane to land because if the plane landed then I was going to have to meet my host family and start speaking Spanish and eat whatever they fed me and be completely entirely out of my comfort zone. Now, coming back all I feel is happy warm associations with Barcelona and traveling and pushing myself out of my comfort zone. I loved the month I spent in Barcelona, and though it was definitely challenging at times, it was such an incredible opportunity for growth and exploration. I am going to have lunch with Ariadna today and it is going to be so strange but so nice to see her. I am just so excited to see her and be somewhere that I feel comfortable and know and familiar and see what I think of it now in comparison to everywhere else I have been and all of the other experiences I have had. On the plane, I am reading Jamie Raskin's book Unthinkable. What happened on January 6th is so unthinkably terrifying it is completey unimaginable and I hate how desensitized we have all become.

Learning about the inner workings of Congress and of the impeachment trials is fasciating. Reading the documented conversations between Raskin and Pelosi is making me want to go to Law School, practice law for a bit, and then run for office. I know you do not have to follow that path anymore but I think that our legislators should be trained Lawyers and I think that I would be a great lawyer and law school student. Georgetown Law school? I think it does truly make the most sense for me, Obama went to law school. I think being trained in Law and what that would do for my argumentative skills and writing and logic would be incredibly worth the time and money. Plus, I like being a student. But, I do think I need to take more time to work for a bit and see who has what degrees and what advice before making any decisions. We are about to land in Barcelona!!! Ariadna, Barcelona, beach, Abroadfest here we come!

When we first arrived I went to meet Ari and Txell for lunch which was so much fun but so strange and surreal to see them. We went to a delicious restaurant for lunch and had healthy salad and potatos and salmon. We talked for hours completely loosing sense of time about our experiences hosting each other and COVID and all of the other girls who were on the program and what we all have been doing and are doing now. Ari remembers the cutest things about being in NYC like the book that Omi gave her and the lasagna that dad made and the chinese food that mom ordered in. She wanted to know about owen and willa and what they were doing and about all of my friends and I asked the same about her family. It was cool to see how much we all matured and how much more comfortable I am with myself and trying new foods and attempting to speak spanish and exploring independently and sleeping alone and travelling and missing home. But at the same time we were all exactly the same people and it felt just like picking up where we left off. After lunch we went and got ice cream and I left to go meet my friends for abroadfest, but it just felt so cool seeing her again at this moment in my life and feeling familiar and connected to Barcelona. Then I met my friends for Abroadfest which was chaotic but fun and it was cool to see Barcelona's nightlife scene and be around other young Americans and international students studying all over the world.

Saturday Erin and I walked to Barceloneta beach and had lunch then met Margo and the three of us walked Las Ramblas to La Boqueria then we met Manny and Lucia and walked around and went shopping and went to Park Guell. Going to Barceloneta was so much fun because I freaking love the beach and the ocean and it was funny to remember different random things I did and experiences I had when I was in Barcelona last time. Erin and I had a delicious tapas lunch with Pan con Tomate and Patatas Bravas and Pollo. Then we met Margo and it was amazing to walk down Las Ramblas and go to La Boqueria where I got fresh squeeze OJ and pomergranate seeds and watermelon and chocolate covered strawberries. All of my favorite foods and fruit. Walking around and talking and shopping was nice too and laughing and talking about the events of our night out. Then going to Park Guell was amazingly beautiful and cool to see again and experience with my friends here. I just kept feeling so happy that we decided to go to Barcelona and be back there and experience it again in the context of all of the other travelling I am doing abroad.

Saturday night we had the best Tapas dinner and Sangria and then went to Opium. We had pitchers of Sangria and then shared tapas at this cute little restuarant that we found. We were there for hours and the conversation and laughter flowed so easily. We had potato onion omlette, patatas bravas with truffle oil, chicken croquettas, pan con tomate, mussels, jamon, and tuna tartare and then for dessert we had catalan cream and this yummy chocolate thing which was basically bruschetta with chocolate instead of tomatos. It was so fun to eat and feel free to try new foods and talk. After dinner we went to a bar and then to Opium which was so fun and Las Frequencies was DJing and it is a cool famous bar on the beach packed with young people dancing and blasting music. We were there until after 6 am dancing and having the greatest time.

Sunday we walked around and went to yummy pancake brunch. The food was delicious and we ate so much and I had pancakes with carmalized bananas and strawberries and yummy berry orange juice, it was nice to talk through our night. Then we went to MOCO modern art museum and then we went to the jewelery little shops on Las Ramblas and then we went to Casa Battllo and Sunday night we went to delicious Pallela dinner. The MOCO museum was amazing they had Banksy and Andy Warhol and Basquiat and so many famous artists and it was done really well and spaced out nicely. I stood in the Banksy rooms for at least 30 mins just mesmorized by his work and his story and the video of him haning up his art in different museums including the Met and the Lourve around the world. I think it was one of my favorite museums that I have ever been to. I also loved how he recreated famous impressionist and other art pieces and then wrote graffiti on them. The way he uses art to make a statemnet speaks to me and I find it beautiful and crucial. After the museum we went to the cutest jerwely tents and I bought a beautiful bracelet for mom, gold hoops for myself and cute stud earings for Willa. Then we went to Casa Battllo and it was really cool to see it again and share it with Erin and Margo and at the end there was a cool virtual reality exhibit called seeing into the mind of gaudi which showed images of what he would have seen and tried to immerse you into his brain. The food we had after was delicious, I had never tried pallela before but I had seafood shellfish pallela with shrimp and lobster and scallops and mussels and of course I also had pan con tomate. It was delicious and so fun to sit at dinner and talk for hours about our weekend and everything we had experienced. I am starting to feel so close to my friends here especially Margo and it feels great. After dinner Margo and I lay on the couch being silly and talking and could not stop laughing. I see us being friends forever. We woke up at 4 am Monday morning to fly back to Geneva for a short 48 hours stopover and work marathon in Geneva before heading to Luxembourg for our class trip. I fucking love Barcelona and my friends and travelling and everything this abroad program has given me and enabled me to do so far.

On the plane on the way to Luxembourg, Lucia and I are sitting together which is fun, Margo and I are gonna be roommates. Eva is meeting us there. Seeing Fogarty in all of these different settings is really fun but so weird, in class then last night watching Dirty Dancing, then all together travelling to another European country. I cannot wait to get there and see it and I am excited for the ECJ tomorrow. Going to go read Unthinkable now.

When we got to Luxembourg we took the bus to the hotel which was right in the downtown and then Eva came! It was so very exciting and fun to see Eva and I gave her the biggest hug when she came. We made a dinner reservation at a restaurant called Vapiano which is a chain Italian restaurant for our entire study group and Eva and Professor Fogarty and it was so much fun. We all had red wine and pasta and pizza and sat together and hung out. It felt so nice and easy and comfotable to see her and she fit into the group dynamic seemlessly. At dinner I talked to Manny and Fogarty about politics and Trump and professors at Colgate and it was so fun to debate Manny and put him in his place about the asshole republican professors at Colgate who he worships. Fogarty told him that he should stop telling people that he voted for Trump in 2020 because of what people will assume about him. Then we went to a fun bar next door and played cards and hung out.

The next day we woke up early to go to the European Court of Justice. It was so much fun to dress up in heels and a pantsuit and look professional. We had an interesting presentation about the ECJ and how it functions and what its role is as an international institution. However, we watched the MOST BORING hearing of all time which was about bus parts. But it was a funny experience to all have together and it was cool to see the physical space and walk around and learn about. After we met up with Eva and a bunch of us went to a Thai restaurant in the Old Quarter which was delicious and I had spring rolls and cashew chicken. Then we walked around and got ice cream and went to this beuatiful ravine which felt like a 100 times more beautiful Riverside Park. It was below a beuatiful bridge that we walked across. Then we went to a few shops and a cute cafe and walked into a beautiful cathedral. After we walked around all day I met with Fogarty to discuss my research proposal while everyone else was relaxing. We talked for an hour about my research proposal and course registration and Lampert institute and my liking to be busy and my schedule for next year and the dynamic of the study group socially and the dynamic going forward how it will be so fun for us all to be on campus together next year. We also talked about how he has the most advisees of any professor at Colgate and how that is somewhat problematic because it makes it harder to be a good advisor and other professors get frustrated. But that it is a lot of word of mouth and that multiple sophomores listed me as their reason for reaching out to him which is hilarious. It was fun to talk to him and he is definitely growing on me as a professor and a person. Then I went to dinner at Snooze Burger with Eva, Margo, Erin, Lauren, Nikoy, Emma, and Josie. IT was so much fun. The group dynamic was fantastic and I had the best chicken burger of my life it was chicken and bbq sauce and avocado and pico de gallo and homemade bun and shoestring fries and a beer. A perfect dinner. We sat for hours talking about everything from study abroad to what we want to do next steps to death and how Erin and Eva and I all have very similar thoughts (terrifying fears) about death and how it also makes Erin start to have a panic attack thinking about it. It was so nice to have a deep real conversation. After dinner we walked around and found this cool bar with IPAs and we each got different cans with cool designs, mine was a sunshine fruit IPA which basically tasted like Mango juice and was delicious. Then we went back to the hotel and Margo Eva and I watched divergent. I loved hanging out with both of them and I'm so excited especially to have Margo as a friend on campus next year.

The last morning we woke up and Lauren, Margo, Erin, Eva, and I went to get brunch and had coffee and avocado toast. IT was lovely and fun and we sat outside which was beautiful. I think that Luxembourg is a beautiful city with a very similar vibe to Geneva, it was not youthful or fun and energized, but small and gorgeous and pristine. It was fun for 36 hours but I would not want to have been there for longer. On our way to Milan! My life is so crazy!! Eva and I will be there tonight and tomorrow just us and then Kendall and Meredith are coming tomorrow. It is going to be so weird but so so so nice to see them. I cannot wait!

I had the most amazing magical time in Milan. Eva and I arrived after our flight from Luxembourg and checked into our hostel which was cute and had a fun bar and we were staying in a shared 8 person room but it did not feel creepy at all and we locked our things in a bin underneath our beds. After we got situated we walked to a canal where there are bars and restaurants and sat outside and had aperol spritz and bruschetta and talked for hours. Then we walked all of the way to dinner and had delicious dinner. I had steak and potatos and she had pasta. It was so fun to talk and debreif on the entire semesters we have been having and hear her thoughts about my friends from Geneva. After dinner we had drinks at our hostel and then Eva went to bed and I met Jack and Lucia at our hostel bar and had drinks. It was really fun to see them together and see them so happy and comfortable together. I really enjoyed spending time with Jack and Lucia with him she seemed so happy. After we walked around the streets of Milan talking and laughing and went to a nightclub and then went to McDonalds and they dropped me back off at the hotel. After hearing so much about Jack and talking to him on Facetime it was really really nice to see him in real life and see her with him.

The next morning we woke up really early to go see the Last Supper by Da Vinci. It was really cool to see it in real life, the colors were faded, but it was huge and beautiful and is located in a dramatic setting. I love seeing art like that in real life after seeing it so many times online and in textbooks. Then Eva and I went to get breakfast and spent all day walking around. We walked 30k steps. We walked around a palace and an arch and around a park and went thrift shopping and I bought one beautiful colorful long skirt and a silk lacy black long skirt and courdaroy black pants. It was so much fun to sort through the clothes trying to find the best sutff. Eva is wonderful to talk to and spend time with but her intense speed walking rushing to no where was exhausting to be around all day. After we stopped for lunch and had the most delicious Foccacia pizza and Arranchi (fried rossoto balls). It was so delicious I would have that for lunch every single day. The pizza and oil on that bread was unbelieveably yummy. After we thrifted we went into Ben Heart leather a fancy famous Italian leather brand and met the Ben Heart in the store. He noticed us and played a fun Italian song for us to listen to and then showed us photos of the opening of his store in LA and then took a photo of all three of us to put on his Instagram story, then he gave us free leather bracelets. It was insanely cool and fun to get to meet someone so interesting like that. Then we had aperol spritz and chips waiting to go to meet Meredith and Kendall. We met them at the train station and it was so exciting to see them and then so quickly felt normal and easy and confusing because where are we but normal because of course we are together and have spent so so so much time together. We went to the hostel and then walked to dinner and went to a restaurant called Da Oscar and I had the Da Oscar Tagliatelle which was DELICIOUS. It was tri colore homemade tagliatelle with a creamy tomoato sauce with parmesean cheese and fresh tomatos. We had yummy Chianti Classico red wine and just talked and caught up on everything we have been doing for the last few months. It felt so nice and normal to be with them talking and gossiping and catching up and hearing about everything. After dinner we scootered to the Duomo and got gelato and I had scratiatella and then we went back to the hostel. We had drinks at our hostel and met local Italian guys and played foosball with them and talked about our travels and their recommendations. Then we went clubbing and went to an exlusive Italian club that had a list at the door. We were about to leave and go home, but then a guy came up to us and offered to let us in. He bribed the bouncer and got us in and it was a cool exclusive Italian local atmosphere and it was so much fun. It was great to be out with my friends again, it felt so easy and natural and familiar and fun.

This morning, we woke up and packed up our things and then went to a big breakfast. I had OJ and coffee and blueberry pancakes and hasbrowns. Then we walked to the Duomo and climbed to the top of it which was amazingly beautiful. I did it when I was in Milan with dad but it was still so special to do again and share with Meredith and Kendall who have never been in Europe before. I cannot even imagine the sensory experience overload that Meredith is feeling right now having barely ever even left upstate NY. We sat at the top of the Duomo basking in the sun laying on our backs for almost an hour which was so much fun and felt amazing. Just talking and laughing and Kendall hugging me. Then we climbed down and went inside the Cathedral which is magnificent. The stainlight glass is so bright and colorful and beautiful. There was a mass occuring and it reminded me of singing at Cathedral. After we walked through the galleria and then back towards the water canal and showed it to Meredith in Kendall in the sun. Eva left us to go to the airport and the three of us had a big pizza bruschetta lunch. We continued to catch up and process all of the adventures I have been having and their time at Colgate and all of the dynamics there. Then we walked to the Arches and ran into Jack and Lucia which was funny and then we got gelato and went back to the hotel and took a taxi to the train station. Now we are on the train heading back to Geneva. Kendall and Meredith are staying with me until Tuesday and then heading to Copenhagen. I am so so happy they are here and with me and I am sharing this European adventure expereince with them and that they can see where I am living and that I got to see them.

Verbier was the most amazing magical time with the family. Owen and Willa and Dad arrived on Monday and took me and Meredith and Kendall out to lunch and we walked around the old town. Then they went to ski at Zermatt and came back Wednesday night and picked me up from class. We went out to El Catrin for tacos and then I stayed at the hotel with them Wednesday night. It felt disorienting but so sweet and cozy to be together again right back in the old dynamic of family. Then Thursday I took the day to show them around Geneva, we had breakfast at Le Fix, walked around the Lake, climbed the church tower, explored the Old Town, got chocolate, took the ferry across the lake and explored the fancy neighborhood and found lunch in a cute town. Then I showed them around international Geneva, the UN, the ILO, WHO, IOM, UNHCR, my school, and my dorm and the Grand Morillion in general. Then I had french class and then we all met up again at a restaurant called Ciro. We had dinner with Owen, Willa, Dad, Margo, and Lauren and it was delicious adn so much fun. I had this yummy pasta with shrimp and red sauce and we had red wine and talked for hours. It felt like a significant deeper step in my friendships to have the worlds collide. It made me feel so so so much closer to Margo because she really seemed to want to get to know my family and talk to dad and ask him questions about me and us and everything. It was just so easy and full of laughter and rich conversation, it was just really really fun. It was an unforgettable evening. Then I stayed out with Margo and we met Manny, Jordan, Jack, and Lucia at a bar to celebrate st patricks day. The next morning dad came and picked me up and we met mom at the airport.

Seeing mom felt so amazing and so right, I had not let myself realize how much I missed her but it felt so comforting and natural and easy and happy happy happy. We drove to Verbier and skiied that afternoon. We checked into the AirBnB which was beautiful and had jaw dropping views and then got mom and owen rentals and ski passes and skiied that afternoon. It was cloudy so we could not see the views, but it just felt so amazing to be skiing with the family and to have everyone together happy enjoying each other. After skiing so much with my friends it felt great to share it with the whole family and especially dad since I have spent so so much time skiing with him and picking out skis and talking about skiing. I enjoyed showing him and everyone my improved ski skills from my European skiing adventures. After skiing we apres skiied at a cute place with stunning views and we had cider and beer and soda and talked and then found the greatest burger joint in Veriber. I had a delicious chicken burger and fries and we had the most open important conversation about our relationships with each other, specifically with dad, and about my and his relationship and how it was at times contested and we acknowledged a lot. Willa opened up too about feeling ignored sometimes. It was just great to process and share and acknowledge and be open together. After dinner we went back to our house and watched a movie in the TV room. Mom and I stayed up late chatting and laughing and catching up and processing. It was so fun to be in bed with her with the news on the TV laughing and being together again.

Saturday morning we woke up and went to have a big pancake breakfast right next to the mountain before skiing and we explored the entire mountain. We were all able to ski together and have fun and we skiied everything. The views were incredible. I have never seen anything like it. The mountain ranges almost looked fake. We had lunch with a gorgeous view before taking the tram to the highest peak and skiing down off piste. It was a once in a lifetime expirience. We all just had a lovely time on the chairlifts, taking in the view, skiing, talking, and laughing. After skiing we went back to the airbnb and showered and then got a delicious Italian dinner in town which was so much fun. We had great easy fun conversation again. It just made me so so so so so happy to be together as a family and see everyone and be together exploring the Alps and skiing. On Sunday we skiied again all day exploring the four vallees and skiing our favorite slopes. Then we had a big lunch with a beautiful view on the mountain before skiing down. Owen and Willa skiied down first and me and mom and dad did a few runs just the three of us. It is weird, but of course natural, that it feels so easy to be just the three of us. Me and my parents. Then we drove back to Geneva and had yummy chinese food dim sum dinner and talked about my course registration and dads work and laughed a lot. Then I stayed with them at hotel. In the morning me dad and Owen went on a 5 mile run around Lake Geneva and dad left to go to Zurich.

After dad left Geneva, me mom owen and willa spent the day exploring Geneva. My supervisor got Covid so I did not have to work so I took them all around Lake Geneva and the Old Town. We got crepes for lunch and walked around and went to a few shops and into the church and to the park with the reformation statues and we sat in the grass and talked and laughed. It was perfect. Then we got smoothies and walked back to hotel. Then mom and I went to my room and I showed her all around the graduate institute and the grand morillon and the roof and study room and cafe and my room. It was so nice to show her everywhere I have been living and describing for the last two months. Then I had a meeting with Dudrick about course registration and I told him I was going to take his seminar and he was so sweet and excited and I cannot wait until the fall for my class with him. After my meeting Owen, Willa, mom and I met Lucia, Lauren, Erin, and Margo at El Chat Rouge for dinner. We had tacos and burritos and margaritas and talked and laughed and they all got to know each other. It was so easy and so much fun and everyone did a great job of all having one big conversation. It was so so so much fun to hear about what my friends thought about my family and what mom and owen and willa thought of them. Mom could feel how close I was to Margo and willa loved margo, owen loved lucia. It was so interesting and funny to hear perspectives, especially of us all being on this trip and knowing its because we are super smart and hardworking and that dynamic. After dinner, mom and I got snacks and we all lay around talking about dinner and judging everyone and hearing perspecitves.

Tuesday mom owen willa and I went to Annecy for the day. It was gorgeous and so much fun. Definitely fits reputation of being the Venice of the Alps. We had acai bowls and walked around the lake and the canals. The water was so bright blue green it almost looked like the Carribean. We walked to a castle church where we saw nuns and did some shopping. Mom and I bought fun colorful pants. We just talked and explored together and got gelato. It is so fun how good and content exploring and walking everyone is now. Then I had my Lampert interview in the park with Professor Nam which was fantastic and made me excited at that prospect and then we drove home and I had class and then I met them back at the hotel and we ordered room service and hung out and talked and goofed around until late and then went to bed. Then on Wednesday, I took mom and Owen to Le Fix and then they went to the International Red Cross museum and I did some work in my room. Then we all met up for lunch at my cafe which was suprisingly yummy and then I took them to my room. We lay around talking, watching my trip videos, and discussing my paper. Then Willa stayed to relax and me mommy and Owen went on a walk of the route of my run which was super fun to show them around the field and embassies and missions. Then I had office hours and class and then I met them at Scandale and we had pizza dinner. The next morning we woke up and got on the train to Paris.

Paris is my favorite city in the world. It just feels so full of energy, art, laughter, beauty, noise, people, life, culture, food, shopping, and everything one could imagine. Thursday when we arrived we walked from the hotel to the Tulierrie Gardens and got sandwiches (moms favorite sandwich of her life) and sat by a fountain eating in the sun because it was the most gorgeous day ever. Then we walked to the Louvre and saw the Mona Lisa. It was cool to see in person but honestly slightly underwhelming because it is small and crowded and covered in glass. The four of us were being so silly and laughing endlessly and making funny jokes about everything. It felt so right to be with them joking around and laughing. I really missed them and our natural goofiness without judgement. After the Louvre we sat in a field in the sun and listened to music and talked and laughed and rested and sun tanned. Then we went to the Musee d'Orangierie which was amazing. It had a ton of Monet and the rooms with the water lillies. It was maybe one of the more magestic pieces of art I have ever seen. I love Monet and he is my favorite artist, so the Impressionist art part of Paris was unbeliveably wonderful. Then we walked home and got ready for dinner and Willa went out with her camp friend and me mommy and Owen walked to Champ Elyssee and the Arc de Triomfe and found dinner on the street. We had a long fun dinner playing funny silly games, talkinga bout hte family and people watching. I don't think I have ever laughed harder. Then we got ice cream and snacks and walked through the streets doubled over laughing. It made me so so so happy to be spending time with them. After dinner we found Willa and all lay in bed watching Law and Order SVU and went to bed.

Friday morning we woke up early and took an Uber to Versailles. It was the most overdone grand thing I have ever seen in real life. After always hearing about Versailles and seeing other palaces it was cool to see it and to imagine the kings and queens living there. Walking around the gardens was the most suprisingly mind-blowing part because there was so much outdoor space for different interesting purposes. It was so fun, and so fun to be sharing a new experience all together seeing something for the first time. After Versailles we took the train back and went to the d'Orssay which was SO COOL. It is an old train station converted into a museum with beautiful sculptures and gorgeous impressionist art ranging from Monet, Manet, Renoir, Pissaro, and Degas to Van Gogh. It was a remarkable collection, definitely the best collection of art I have ever seen. I am thrilled that we went. After the museum we were desperately trying to find food so we went to three different stores collecting things and then had a big picnic by the Eiffile Tower. We had baguettes and fruit and grapes and apples and cookies and brioche and it was wonderful. The Eiffile Tower almost felt comperable to the mountains in Verbier where it just looked so fake because of the haze and beauty and lack of clouds and bright blue ski. It was incredible. We sat in the grass and called omi and talked and laughed and just enjoyed being together not doing anything. Then we found a yummy restaurant for an early dinner which was fun, I had an Asian salad and Willa and I had cocktails. Then we scootered home across the Seine laughing because we were definitely on the wrong bridge. Then we saw the Eiffle Tower light up in the dark. We found snacks and went back to the hotel to watch Marie Antionette. It was so fun to watch the movie after being at Versailles for the day. Although hers is a tragic story, it was fascinating and so fun to watch.

Saturday morning we woke up and took lime scooters to the Jewish Quarter where Willa wanted to go. It was really cute and reminded me of SoHo. We walked around and explored and then went to Subdued and I got cute white linen pants and a flowy mini skirt and then we went to two thrift stores one of which had great inventory and was fun because you weigh the clothes to see how much it costs. After thrifting we found a beautiful square for lunch and had baguette sandwiches which were so yummy and delicious Parisian macaroons. Then we walked to Notre Damme to see it even thought it was under construction and walked back to the Tullierie Gardens and spent hours sitting in the sun tanning and talking and relaxing and listening to music and got crepes and ice cream and found more grass to lay in. It was warm and sunny and everything happy happy happy. Then we walked home and got dressed cute for dinner. I wore my long newd ress that I thrifted which I love. Then we went to a cute neighborhood and a yummy typical French restaurant that felt very local and less touristy and had Steak Frites and light red wine. It was delicious! The conversation was so fun, even though I was sad it was the last night we had a great open honest conversation and we all planned and described each others perfect partners (husband/wife) which was so much fun. Apparently mine is going to have the insides of someone like Cole, the attitude of someone like Manny, and the looks of someone like Adam, and the emotional openness of Josh. Who knows.... Im open to anyone finding me the perfect man :) It was so fun and nice and felt really reassuring and relaxing and comfortable to be known so well by people and to not have to try anything new or push myself out of my comfort zone. I am 100% myself in my element comfortable at ease and happy with my family. How lucky is that? Then we went back to hotel and watched movie and cuddled and then went to sleep. In the morning we woke up and mom and owen and willa went to the airport to go to NYC and I went to the train station to go back to Geneva. It made me beyond happy to see them and I love them so very much. Time to get back to real life here in Geneva and work and internship and travel and friend time, although I miss them so much, it will be good to be back.

We arrived in Lisbon on Friday afternoon. It was a beautiful plane ride coming in you could see the ocean and it was gorgeous. When we landed we walked around our neighborhood because we could not check into our Airbnb yet and I was taken aback by the gorgoeus colorful buildings. Everything feels very playful and young and happy and it helped that it is perfect weather and sunny and warm and everyone is so so so so nice. We found a cute restaurant on a side street and got shared plates and we had shrimp rice adn grilled vegetables and fries and bread with yummy olive oil and we had Sangria and tried this yummy green wine which kinda tasted like Prosecco. We sat baking in the sun eating and talking and laughing and our waiter was so kind and the food was so delicious, the shrimp rice was one of my favorite things I've ever had. I am so happy I like food now and like trying new food. Then we went to the AirBnb which is in Alfama which is a cute neighborhood and is the oldest quarter in Lisbon. Then we walked down to the ocean which is stunning and walked around the plaza and to little shops and explored Lisbon. Then we got coffee and Natas which are custard pastries and are absolutely delicious and sweet and creamy. Not something I would have thought I liked, but I loved. Then Lucia and Lauren had to work on their papers so Margo and I went to explore more and walked around an outdoor marketplace and got hot wine and cute souvenirs. I got a fun wine opener that looks like a wine bottle and a postcard and new cheap cute sungalsses that I love. Then we found the greatest restaurant for dinner because we were walking and a guy who was eating told us that it was the best meal he has had in Lisbon and we had to go. So we went in and met up with Lucia and Lauren and ate a huge meal. We had mussels and salmon and veggies and then we tried the Ginginjha cherry liquor which is apparently typical to Portugal. Dinner was amazing we sat for over three hours talking and laughing and sharing stories and details about relationships and families. I love it when you have a meal and feel so much closer to people afterwards and that is exactly how I felt after dinner. I really appriciate having friends who want to be close and get to know eachother in a real way. Then we went to Pink Street and went bar hopping which was really fun, we met cool guys from Dublin and talked and explored. It was a fun way to be out but be places that we could actually talk and hear each other and enjoy each others company.

Saturday morning we woke up and went to get a yummy yummy brunch which had a line out of the door. I had veagan toast which was basicallyh avocado toast with homemade olive oil and tomato garlic creamy sauce and was delicious. We also had orange juice and coffee and their homemade bananna bread with walnuts and peanut butter and sliced bannana. It was so so so yummy and nice to sit together and talk and debreif the night and we figured out what we wanted to do for the day and discussed summer internships and my excitement for my EMILY's list interview. Afterwards we walked around the old gothic quarter and saw so many beautiful buildings and marble and tiles and color and people. We found a gorgeous plaza with breathtaking views of the city and the orange roofed buildings and the ocean. Then we walked around more and explored Baixa and then we went to the Tower Belem which was also old and gorgeous. It was a tower used to protect the city from the port. We sat along the water and saw the tower and then got these yummy Pina Coladas that were in pineapples and everyone was walking around with and they were cool and sweet and so fresh they were full of pineapple bits and pulp. Then Lucia went home to do work and Lauren Margo and I sat in the grass and talked and talked and talked for hours about life and relationships and our families and everything and I feel so much closer to them and feel like I understand them on a new level. It was so nice to connect. I really really think I will stay friends with them for my whole life. Margo especially is one of my favorite people who I have ever been friends with, we click and understand each other on a deep level and I really really feel like I can trust and rely on her and just have fun with her and love talking to her. Its really lucky. We also all travel well together. Then we went to a monastary which is a UNESCO world heritage site and was beautiful and we got the best Natas in all of Portugal. Then I ran around the neighborhood talking to mom and Owen and showing them Portugal and the cute streets and views while my friends relaxed. It was so much fun to share with them and to show them I loved it and felt so comfortable and at home walking around. Tonight we are going to go out to dinner and then probably go clubbing or go to a bar! More to come.........

We ended up getting dressed to go out and walking around our neighborhood until we found a spot for dinner. It was a cute local restaurant where people were actually speaking Portugese. We had delicious pitchers of sangria and tapas for appetizers we had salad and pimiento peppers and I had a yummy vegetable dish. Then we had pasta and I had yumnmy shrimp pasta with red sauce. It was delicious and the vibe of the restaurant felt very authentic and fun. The fish is so deliciously fresh I have never tasted anything like it. We also had chocolate cake and a typical Portugese cake dessert that was like fruity chocoloate cake and was delicious. After we talked for hours, Lucia and Lauren were tired and went home and Margo and I wanted to go for another drink so we found a hole in the wall bar called Damas. We walked in and everyone was speaking Portugese and there were three guys rapping in Portugese it was a cool restaurant in the front and club/bar dancing scene in the back with a bar. We had mohjitos and listened to the live music and although we could not understand what they were saying watching them and seeing the utter joy and fun that they were having was infectious. They kept bringing their friends on stage and laughing and dancing and it was a really fun crowd to be a part of. Then we went home and went to bed to get sleep before the beach!

Yesterday morning, Sunday, we woke up to get ready for the beach. I wore my fun linnen white pants and white tanktop and sandals and felt so beachy summery it made me happy. First we went to Copenhagen Coffee Factory for breakfast and had coffee and homemade cinnamon rolls which were so yummy. Then we called an uber and went to the Sintra coast to the beach to a beach called Praia Grande. The uber driver was so kind and showed us around the countryside a bit on our drive which was absolutely gorgeous and then we arrived at the beach and I was blown away by the beauty. It was this gorgeous beach, its on the Atlantic ocean, and there were so many surfers and cute restaurants along the coast and massive dramatic cliffs and rocks on one end of the beach. We walked towards the cliffs and lay out all of our stuff and started sunbathing and listening to music and talking. Just laying in the sun and listening to the sound of the ocean waves breaking on the beach made me feel so so so so so so happy, the sun and the smell and sound and sight of the ocean and the warm sand underneath me just feels me with light and joy and sunshine and happiness. I love the beach more than aboslutely anything. I really think it is my happiest place. I want to get married on the beach barefoot, I think that would be perfect. Then Lucia went to explore and Lauren and Margo and I went to run in the waves and in the ocean along the shore and sandbar and the ocean was freezing but felt so good. I could not stop smiling and feeling so happy and giddy and excited and silly and I loved how much they loved the beach too and how they wanted to have fun. After we saw a beautiful cove that we wanted to explore so we took all of our stuff and hopped across rocks around the corner of the cliff and went around and found a beautiful secluded cove. It was maybe the most gorgeous secluded natural beauty beach I have ever seen and it felt so private and nestled away from the wind. We climbed up some of the rocks and then they kept climbing and I sat in the sand baking in the sun (wearing sunscreen of course!) staring at the most beautiful beach I have ever seen. The tide started rising slightly and I just embraced the freezing water hitting my body. I could not stop smiling and feeling so appriciative of my life and that moment and the people who I was with that were so game to always adventure and seek out fun new experiences together. I also just keep being taken aback by the amazement and wonder of the world and how it is possible that I am having this adventure and ending up in places like the mountains in Chamonix or this cove on the coast of Portugal. It really is a once in a lifetime adventure of wonder and light. Lauren and Margo came down and Lauren and I ran into the ocean and dove under a few waves. It was freezing cold but the shock of it felt amazing and my heart was racing and I felt like I was on top of the world. I truly think those two hours were my favorite of study abroad thus far. BUT THEN we noticed that the tide was rising, and it was rising really quickly, and we had not accounted for the 5 hour time change in our calculations about high tide, so we looked it up and realized that high tide was not for another 3 hours and we needed to get out of the cove quickly and get back to the beach. So we packed up our stuff and tied all of our things into three different bags so that each of us could hold one bag and we started walking back to the beach. But the tide had come in so much that we couldnt walk on the sand anymore and we couldnt climb on the rocks because they were submerged in water. But we had no other choice than to try to get across. So we started going and Margo got knocked over by a wave and then kept forging ahead, Lauren then me then Margo but the water without waves was probably up to our waist and slamming into the cliffs and into the rocks around us. So we probably spent about 10 minutes getting smashed into rocks and having our clothes and phones and everything in our bags drenched in ocean water and knocked over by waves. It was terrifying. I have never felt the power of the ocean, of nature that forcefully and I really had a few moments where I felt so powerless and helpless in the face of the power and strength of the ocean. All three of us were terrified. There were probably three big waves that came in and knocked me over and I felt like I was being tumbled under and smashed into rocks. The scariest moment is I was freaking out a little bit but climbed up onto a rock and turned around and watched Margo get swept under by a huge wave. We all stayed really focused on the task of moving forward and getting onto the beach, but I just felt trapped and scared and completely out of control and the will of the strength of the ocean. We got out and I started panicking a little bit but the three of us sat and caught our breathes and hugged each other and felt instantly so much better. We got so so so lucky, lucky that we left the cove when we did and lucky that we were able to make it through without someone hitting their head or breaking a climb. We all have bad scrapes and bruises from the rocks, mine are on my knees and shins and butt and back, but nothing terrible, and none of our stuff was ruined. We walked on the beach and lay out all of our stuff to dry in the sun and I just lay in the sand because I needed to feel the safe ground on my body and it felt so grounding and comforting. The three of us debriefed and all felt so close, Lauren kept saying that nothing bonds people more than feeling like we were going to die together. It is a powerful reminder of the strength of the ocean and in the future I will be certain to be more careful and thoughtful and respectful of the ocean. Then we found Lucia and told her what happened and spent an hour laughing and talking about it and processing and drying our clothes and getting our bearrings. I felt so close and safe and trust them infinitely more and am so so proud of us for staying calm and focused and getting ourselves out of a situation that could have easily been much much much worse. After we caught our breaths we walked down the beach to one of the restaurants on the shore where they let us sit without shirts or shoes and let us drape out our clothes in the sun. We sat outside right next to the ocean which was perfect and then we ate a huge delicious meal and talked more about our near death experience. We had fries and bread and salad and steak and Lucia had fish and we had some sangria and laughed and laughed and got warmed up by the sun. Then we went to a surf shop and bought flip flops and got ice cream and sat in the sun some more and then called an Uber. The Uber took us to the main square of Lisbon where we walked around an outdoor market with food and jewelery and then went to a few souvineer trinket stores and then watched the sun set over the water and orange roofed white buildings of Lisbon which was also gorgeous. Then we showered, which felt so amazing, and changed and the four of us went to a restaurant called Bairro de Avillez which was the restaurant that Victoria Pekarovic said was her favorite restaurant in the world. It was a super cool ambinance and bustling and the food was delicious, we had some wine and bread and olives and then we ordered these cod fritters and risotto rice with red sauce on it. It was delicious, I was proud of myself for comfortably without much shot trying cod. I thought it was yummy and light and fresh, but I do think that I prefer salmon. Then we sat and talked over a bottle of wine for hours. We were there talking for almost four hours about our families and lives and relationships with parents and grandparents and stories and divorce and politics. I feel 10000000x closer to them and know more about them and they know so much more about me. It was so nice to talk and be together and process and it was really fun to be at such a cool trendy restaurant. I think it is so rewarding and interesting to open up to other people and to be really interested in what your frineds have to say and to learn more about them and their lives and their personal context. Then we got a hazelnut dessert and realized that it was almost 12:30 and we had to be up early for our flight so we went home and now are on the plane home from Geneva. There was something so perfect and long and beautiful about the weekend. I think that Portugal might be my favorite country I have ever visited. Everyone is just so nice and happy and it is filled with music and noise and color and art and culture and happiness. We had three or four waiters who were singing to themselves while serving us. The combination of the culture and fun with friends and genuine love for life that was emminating from the city and the beach and the fact that I feel so much closer to Margo and Lauren and being a little sunkissed tan and having light streaks of blonde in my hair and freckles makes me so so so very happy and feel so content and filled with light and joy and pleased with the weekend. Even though our ocean experience was scary we handled it and learned from it and I think that I would not change one thing from the weekend!

We got approximately 2 hours of sleep Thursday night because we had to wake up at 3:30 am to go to the airport for our flight to Athens. It was just me and Margo a solo honeymoon weekend together in Greece. We arrived in Athens and took the train from the airport towards our AirBnB and met these American guys on the train who were taking a year after graduating college to live in Madrid and teach English to children and were heading to Mykonos. It was fun and interesting to talk to them and it is just so cool to be young and traveling and meeting new random people and learning about other people's stories. When we got to the apartment we were BLOWN away by the space because it was gorgeous and had a pool and had a direct view of the Acropolis and the Parthenon. I sat by the pool reading my novel while Margo finished an assignment and then we went out to the streets to find food and we got street food. I got pizza and a yummy smoothie which was so fresh and delicious. I was surprised by how many beggars and homeless people there were on the streets, you could definitely feel that Greece is a poorer country and that Athens was a grungier city than others I have visited. But the history and natural beauty that surround it make it wonderful and beautiful and the grit of the city felt a little bit like home. I got really excited because EMILYs list emailed me saying that they progressed me beyond the internship round to the round where they call my references and ask them about me. I texted Charles to give him a heads up that they were calling, it makes me so happy to know that I interviewed well and they liked me and want to know more. After we got food we walked around a cute street market and then went to the Ancient Agora which was stunning. It looked like the Roman Forum that I went to with dad in Rome. It is ruins in a garden, I felt like I could totally see Socrates and Plato walking around discussing democracy and philosophy right there and shopping and markets and people. The way that they have preserved it makes it really easy to picture what it would have looked like back then. After the Agora we walked up to the Acropolis and climbed up to the Parthenon. I was absolutely blown away by the magnitude and majesty and beauty of the Parthenon and the contrast with the bright blue ski and the view of the entire city of Athens and you could see the ocean and the coast and some islands off of the coast. It is miraculous that they saw this peak and thought, yes lets make this temple to the Gods, to Athena. So very cool. Especially after thinking about it and seeing photos for so long, it was really amazing to see it in person and be standing up there on top of Greece looking out. After Margo and I went to the Acropolis Museum and saw a lot of the artifacts and statues they saved from the Acropolis and then we sat outside at the museum cafe and had a happy hour drink sitting in the sun staring right at the Acropolis. It was actually so fun and so happy. And the whole time Margo and I had easy rapport, we never got sick of each other or ran out of conversation and had real really deep conversations about everything I can possibly think of. The whole time we were walking and sitting for meals or drinks we had real conversations and got to know each other and our lives on a really deep new level, one that I have with few friends. After our drinks we walked through the market back to the apartment and Margo bought linen shirts for her whole family and I bought evil eye jewelry for me and mom and owen and willa because mom and I since our trip to Positano always are both wearing the evil eye and I want us all to share it. I got Owen a black bracelet, Willa a silky blue one, and got gold ones for me and mom, mine is light blue with beads and hers is darker blue with leaves. I also got an evil eye to hang in Omis room and a magnet for her fridge, so that she is apart of the spiritual bond connection we all share. I also got olive wood salad tongs for grandma and bubba because I am going to make Athens the trip that they gave me the $500 for so I am going to give them each their own postcard and the salad tongs and a little package of Greek spices, honey, and olive oil as a thank you and because I think it is really nice and will make them very happy. I got a second pair of tongs which are either for me or for dad, but I have not decided yet. Then we got back to the airbnb and changed for dinner and then we went out and found a restaurant really close to the house and had a HUGE dinner accidentally we ordered way way way too much food but it was delicious and I was so proud of myself for trying all of it. I tried olives, fried gruyere cheese, honey almond feta salad, mushroom truffle risotto, pork pita kebab, and seafood risotto. It was yummy but it was way too much food and we could not finish. But we laughed and had great conversation and it was so much fun. I just cannot express how much I love talking to Margo and how much I trust her and value her advice and perspective and feel that she is super open and deep and healthy and cares deeply. After dinner we went to a rooftop bar at a fancy hotel which her parents recommended because they stayed there so they said they would buy us a drink there. So we went to this hotel and had a yummy tequila ginger cucumber drink staring at the most beautiful view of the lit up Acropolis. We talked for hours and completely lost track of time and talked more and its so nice having a friend who is not complicated and has a healthy more typical family and childhood and having her perspective on my life and feelings and relationships. After drinks we went home and crashed because we were so exhausted.

Saturday we woke up around 9 and left the house to walk to Pynx Hill which is where democracy was founded and was Papa's email for most of his life, thepynx, I felt really spiritually connected to him and his legacy and his studies and contributions to democracy standing there, but also it was gorgeous and had clear beautiful views of the Acropolis and Athens. It felt really special to see that and to be there and to have made the effort to go and connect myself to that part of history and him and my legacy and family. Then Margo and I walked down through a beautiful neighborhood and found cinnamon buns and coffee and ate in the sun and then took an Uber to the beach! We went to the beach in Vougliameni beach in Athens. It was beautiful and it's fancy beach club is where all of the fancy rich famous people go, but we went to a different beach club which was GORGEOUS and so much fun. It was nice to have chairs and food nearby. BUT the ocean was the most beautiful color of any water I've ever seen. It was clear bright blue green. It was so freaking beautiful it made me so happy. We got sandwiches and water and sat in the sun sunbathing and talking and laughing and honestly just smiling. Then we ran into the ocean and dove under the cold water which felt amazing and I stayed in and swam for like 10 minutes playing in the waves floating going under the water. It felt so right and so fun and made me want to move to the beach tomorrow. I truly believe that the beach is my happiest place in the world. I fucking love the beach and the ocean and the sun. After swimming I went and bought us white wine and ice cream bars. The ice cream was so yummy and refreshing and the wine was also delightful. We drank it talking and lounging in the sun for a few hours and then changed out of our swimsuits into long dresses. Then we walked around town, got coffee and ice cream, saw all of the stores and restaurants and its vibe reminded me of Malibu. Then we found a spot above the water and sat for an hour and watched the sunset over the ocean. It was so fucking beautiful and made me so happy and I got to call Omi and share the sunset with her! Then we walked to our restaurant on the sea called Labros and had a lovely almost 4 hour dinner talking and laughing and sharing and drinking wine and we ate a delicious cranberry honey soy sauce tomato salad and fried calamari and I had shrimp linguini and Margo had sardines and I even tried one of her sardines. My adventurous eating surprises me every time. Dinner was so wonderful and lovely and made me feel so cared about and happy and listened to and connected to Margo. After dinner we decided to rally and go clubbing! So we showered and changed and I blew dry my hair and then we walked to the Lohan night club. In line we met these two cool guys who bought us beer and we talked to them, one Issac was from Canada and was really outgoing and nice and funny and he was with his friend that was from Italy and we hit it off talking and laughing in line and then we also met the girls who were in line behind us who were American. We had so much fun talking to them and all got in together and we spent the entire night the seven of us. It was actually by far the greatest night out I have had in Europe so far, maybe in my life. It was just good people having fun and wanting to be together and dance and laugh and sing and Margo and I could not stop smiling and we had a few drinks but it was a good amount and they were playing fun American music that everyone was singing and dancing to like they literally played Justin Bieber and Katy Perry. It was just a feel good pure endorphins fun happy night out. Cute boys loud fun music great friends and a great energy of the club where it was crowded and huge but was not suffocating. I love every second of it, and I really enjoyed getting to meet and hang out with the five people we found. The guys were fascinating and the girls were super sweet and one was shamelessly silly and goofy and everyone was just having a fantastic time. Then we ubered home to be safe and we went to bed at 5:30 am. Exhausted but exhilarated and so happy.

This morning, Sunday, we woke up and showered and got out of the Airbnb and left stuff in lockers and went to find breakfast. We had brunch at this cool modern agora market place. I had pancakes and coffee and Margo had eggs and toast and hash browns. It was nice to sit together and talk and process the night before and wake up a little before walking around all day. I am so happy because I got so much sun and my hair is getting lighter and very highlighted and blonde and my skin no longer looks wintry pale, I look beginning tan and summery and all of my freckles are coming out. I love how I look in the summer with slightly darker skin and lighter hair. Every chance I could get I lay or sat facing the sun and chose to be in the sun soaking in all of the vitamin D. After brunch Margo called TJ so I walked around the busy market place that is almost like a flea market. I searched and searched and searched and finally found two beautiful evil eye necklaces for me and for mom because she said on the phone that hers started to tarnish, these will only tarnish if worn in a chlorine pool, no where else. The eyes are the same but hers is rose gold and mine is gold. I also got myself a beautiful gold necklace with bright blue opal stones which are apparently native to Greece. I am excited to wear both together I think it will be really really really cute. Then I got a smoothie and found Margo and we sat in the sun and then went shopping for sandals because there were so many leather sandal shops. We both got cute natural leather sandals that we are excited about and mine are a little platform, like an inch, but they are probably the most comfortable shoes I've ever worn I love them and am so happy with the choice. Then we stopped in a shop and I got the spices for Grandma and Bubba and I bought a grinder full of bright blue sea salt that I am excited to try but might also give as a gift, but I think I am going to keep it. I also got another little cute matching pink evil eye bracelet with Margo and a deck of cards for Owen that are cards that have Greek art of sexual scenes on them. I think he is going to find them absolutely hilarious and love them and really appreciate it and laugh when I give them to him. Then we went and found lunch and we got street-food kebab. It was like a hole in the wall with Chicken Shawarma on pita with tzatziki sauce and onions and tomatoes and lettuce and french fries wrapped in a big warm and toasted pita bread. It was delicious, arguably the best food I had in Greece. It was just fun and felt very Greek and fresh and fun and cheap but yummy. After our late lunch we walked to the Odeon Herodotus theater which is beneath the Parthenon and is gorgeous and has been really \240well preserved, apparently Elton John has performed there. We saw it and sat and talked and then walked up to a beautiful viewpoint near the Acropolis to get one last view of the city and the Acropolis in the gorgeous cloud free day (which we had perfect weather and lots of sunshine every day). It was so nice to take it all in. Then Margo and I went to a pastry shop near our apartment which kept catching our eye and tried a couple different types of Baklava and I had iced coffee. The baklava was really sweet and yummy and I enjoyed it. Then we got our bags and went to the airport to fly home back to Geneva. I have work tomorrow and will be getting ready to go to Paris on Wednesday for our school trip fun. I think that Greece is one of the more uniquely beautiful places I have visited and I love it and I am so beyond glad Margo and I decided to go. It is so fun and so so so so happy and beautiful and it was warm. I cannot wait until I get the chance to go to Mykonos and Santorini. I just keep getting struck by how lucky I am, I am so grateful and appreciative and fully getting the most out of traveling and abroad \240and living life \2401000000% to the absolute fullest! I love Athens and Margo and abroad and Europe and traveling.

We arrived in Paris late Wednesday night after a tumultous 24 hrs on the internship hunt where I got turned down by Nadler then asked for a walk with my supervisor and then an offer to work for Kathy Hochul's reelection campaign and then I went to an impromptou dinner with Larisa and Vero and then did my Delgado interview from the steet corner before going to movie night. Wednesday I packed for Paris and slept in a little bit and figured my research project out. Fogarty tested positive for COVID so his girlfriend Julianna accompanied us to Paris and he put Charlotte Birsh in charge of our trip, so like a good leader after we checked into our hotel, Charlotte invited all 16 of us to her apartment near the Arc de Triumph that her uncle bought for her grandmother. It was probably one of the more grand stunning apartments that I have ever seen. We all got pizza cheap beer and wine and all of our study group sat together around Char's dining room table talking and playing games and bonding and catching up and getting to know one another better. It was so so so much fun to be all together doing something social and bonding as a group. Then, we migrated to the living room and hung out listening to music and talking and laughing until 5am and Erin and Lucia and Charlotte and I ended up staying at her apartment for the night.

The next morning we took the train back to our hostel which was a diaster without soap and all of our beds kept breaking and then I went to explore with Lauren and Nikoy. We scootered to the Notre Damme and then walked all the way past the Louvre, through the Tuilleries Gardens and to the Eiffel tower where we met Charlotte and Emma and Josie and the six of us got mimosas and watermelon and baguettes, and strawberries, and grapes and had a huge picnic outside of the Eiffel Tower. It was warm and sunny and gorgeous and so much fun. Lauren and I ate the watermelon whole and it was delicious and so much fun. Then we had a talk from a man working at a think tank in Paris about European peace and integration. Then we had French class on zoom so we all went to a cafe to sit together but we could not get the wifi working so instead we got Pina Colada happy hour drinks and talked. Then I went with Charlotte and Emma and Josie and Erin to a cute French Bistro on the corner of one of the streets in Champs Elyssee and we had a big long meal. We had steak frites and chocolate cake and discussed our lives and futures and we talked about politics and how Clinton would neve have one, and even if she had, Trump would have beat her in 2020, and how liberal or conservative we are on a political compass scale, and we talked about American culture and identity and how we all have very different connections and attachments to being American. I can understand the American identity and culture but do not personally feel connected to it I feel much more connected to the identity of being a New Yorker, but Charlotte rejected the entire idea of American identity because everyone in the country is too different and there is not one thing you could say that would apply to everyone. Then Charlotte and I went back to her apartment and talked and got the rest of her bags and went back to the hostel. The dinner was so fun, we sat for almost four hours talking and debating, I love how smart and intellectual and interesting and different everyone on this trip is, I feel like I am learning a lot and growing.

The next morning we woke up and went to UNESCO for a tour and talk where we heard all about disinformation and misinformation and the balance between protecting privacy and freedom to expression and limiting the spread of misinformation and the role UNESCO plays in the international conversation. Then we walked through the Tuilleries Gardens and got a sandwich from the same place I went with mom and owen and willa the first day they were in Paris, and it was so so so delicious I had a chicken tomato avocado sandwich. Then we went on a three hour tour of the Louvre and saw the famous Winged Victory and Venus de Milo statues and the Mona Lisa but we also walked all around and saw the Mesopotamian room and the Hammurabi's Code and the ruins underneath the Louvre that were the moat and walls of the castle that used to exist there. The tour guide was fantastic and knowledgable and hilarious and I feel like a learned a ton and saw so many new pieces of art. Then like ten of us and went and had ice cream in the Tuilleries Gardens and walked around and went to the bookstore and I bought the Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and then Lucia Manny Naomi Emma Lauren Nikoy and Josie and I went to a cheap fun sushi restaurnat and ate a ton of sushi and did Saki bombs and talked there for hours. It was fun to spend time with Lucia again. Afterwards we went back to the hotel and got ready to go out and we all pre gammed together and almost all 16 of us went to the PachaMama nightclub in Paris! It was so cool it looked like Moulan Rouge and had mutliple stories and a lot of really fun people and music and dancing. It was fun to go out and party all together and dance and let loose. We had a fantastic time.

The next morning Margo and I went and got breakfast and then went to the d'Orssay museum with her grandparents which was super fun they were sweet and funny and I enjoyed getting to know them even tho that combined with being in Paris after just being there with mom and Owen and Willa made me miss everyone so very much. It was great to see the impressionist art again and see all of the Monet and Renior and show them around. Then I met Josie who was my Paris roommate and who I have been having a really fun time breaking out of her shell and getting to know her, and we walked to meet Charlotte and Lauren and Nikoy and have crepes for lunch. Then the 5 of us went to the Luxembourg Gardens which were absolutely gorgeous and lay in the sun listening to music and playing cards and talking and it was maybe one of my favorite moments of the semester abroad, it just felt so happy and surreal. We kept saying it was one of the moments from a movie that you have to remember for the rest of your life. Then I walked back to the hotel talking to mom on the phone and met Margo to go to a fancy 5-star Michellin star restaurant with her grandparents. We got dressed up all fancy and went and met them at their hotel on Champ Elyssee and I ate by far the most expensive meal of my entire life, like it probably cost $500 dollars. I had a shrimp thing and mushroom scallop raviolli and steak and we had wine and dessert. It was yummy and super beautifully presented, but I was shocked by the price of the food and the lack of shock from her grandparents. We had lovely conversation and carefully discussed politics and life and our families and afterwards Margo told me how happy it made her that I got to know her family on that level and how impressed and grateful she was that it was so easy for me to confidently converse with her grandparents and be elloquent and smart and not nervously sit there not inserting myself in the conversation. After dinner we went back with them to their hotel and they showed us their suite and the rooftop with beautiful views of all of Paris and the Eiffel Tower and we were all super giggly and it made me love Margo and understand her more and her sense of humor and silliness she got right from her grandma who was laughing that they could hear their neigboors having sex and snuck us the hotel lotions and soaps and slippers. It was so much fun, I loved being included. Afterwards Margo Lauren Charlotte and I met Charlottes two friends from home and the six of us went to a fantastic Live Jazz Bar Club. We got mojitos and listened to old jazz music. It felt like it was straight out of the 1920s and was a beautiful intimate setting with fantastic music. LaLa Land has a scene that was filmed there. It was by far my favorite night out we danced our hearts out probably looking like fools to Jazz music surrounded by people of all ages feeling alive and connecting to music and togetherness. It was a magical expereince and it was just so freaking fun. After we sat by the Notre Damme and got Crepes, I had Nutella and Strawberry.

The next morning we woke up and a bunch of us went to a big brunch for Easter Sunday by the Notre Damm it was me and Erin and Sarah Westergren and Manny and Lucia and Margo and Charlotte and Nikoy and Lauren. It was really fun. Then we walked around a few street shops along the Seine and I bought a cool map poster for dad and a fun Vogue rainbow elegant poster for myself. Then we went back to the hotel and jumped on the train as a big group heading for Brussels!!! On the train Margo Lauren and I sat with Professor Fogarty asking him about Lampert and Honors and courses and our French Class and the study group in general. Even though he does not give the best advice it was really nice to talk to him.

After the short train ride from Paris to Brussels we checked into our hotel which was perfectly centrally located and Erin Josie and I went out to explore Brussels. We saw the beautiful square with impressive architecture and gold finishes and the Grand Duke Royal Palace and a beautiful church and a cute street market with tents and then went and got a beer sitting in the sun in the square. It was really nice to sit and process and talk to both of them. We talked about family and the weird transition period we are in between the families we were given and the family we will soon create. Then we met up with Lucia and Manny and Char and Margo and Lauren and Nikoy and Naomi and all got a flight of beer trying different Belgium beers that they were famous for. I was not expecting to like Brussels but I thought that it was gorgoues and not large, but had great things that one would need and was super energized and lively, it felt more similar to me like Zurich did than Geneva. It was so fun to sit outside as a huge group in the sun laughing and talking and making fun of Fogarty and enjoying the culture of Belgioum. Then a bunch of us and went and got asian food for dinner and had spring rolls and noodle bowls and it was delicious. Then we got ice cream and went back to the hotel and all climed into a big bed together and snuggled and watched a few episodes of Arrested Development because Charlotte thinks its hilarious and wanted to share it with us. It was nice to have a cozy relaxing night in after having such a go go go time in Paris.

The next morning Erin and I got coffee in the hotel on the top floor which had beautiful views of the city and met Laruen and Margo and got Acai bowls and walked to the beautiful Gardens called Cinqueterre Gardens or something, on the way there we passed beautiful monuments and also saw another beautiful park. Then we got some fresh fruit and coffee and saw the magnificent arch and fountain and sat in the gardens in the grass next to beautiful tullips in the sun smiling and listening to music and talking about realtionships and family and how it is crazy to think in 10 years a lot of us will have husbands and families and careers, and how we will look back on this time of uncertainty and excitement and togetherness very fondly. Then we scootered back to the old town and got Brussels' famous beer and belgium fries and sat outside eating. Then we met up with the group and all of us went to the Parliamentarium Museum. It was a little boring and felt like a propaganda machine. Afterwards Margo and I went to get a coffee and I talked to dad on the phone to try to figure out what I wanted to do this summer right as I got offered the internship position for Delgado's office in Washington DC. Then all of my choices felt familiar and clear and I feel now very sure that I should move to DC and work on the Hill with Kendall! Then we walked for an hour talking about summer plans and her relationship with TJ and her maybe moving to Paris and my decision not to join her and then met the group at O'Reiley's pub and I celebrated my sticking with it and getting the internship that I wanted by having and IPA and a cider. We sat on an elevated balcony talking and drinking beers and being together and it was a lot of fun. I enjoyed myself a lot and felt so exhausted and overwhelmed but so deeply happy that I did it. After beers Charlotte Josie Margo and I walked to a restaurant and got seafood dinner, I had salmon and we talked and it was lovely. Afterwards, we went back to the hotel and I talked to mom abou thte summer and my options and my predicament between living at home and campainging or moving to DC and working on the Hill even though I know the choice I am going to make unequiviocally. Then we all sat together watching TV and hanging out and I fell asleep and slept so well.

This morning I woke up and Margo and I went to a Brussels style diner and had waffles with strawberries and banannas and powdered sugar and maple syrup and iced coffee and talked about the future and this summer and the plans we are both making and how scary and exciting it is to be making huge forward facing decisions and how our views on these decisions is so largely shaped by our parents and grandparents and the advice they give and the paths they took. It is fascinating to contextualize how people see the world differently. Then we went thrift shopping and I bought a cute cozy cardigan sweater and I navy and white work dress and a cute summery deep red dress that I really like a lot. It is fun to have something new and a cute comfortable day dress. Then we met the group and went to have our tour and museum visit and presentations at the Europe Commission which was very interesting and I made a pro con list for the summer and feel good about my decision. This trip and this program is so cool in how much I am experiencing and being exposed to and I feel just so so so greatful for the opportunity and I feel like I am having 10 years of life expereince in these five months and seeing and doing more than some people do in a lifetime, wow. Then I took an uber to the airport to head to Copenhagen and sat and had a pizza and talked to dad on the phone. On plane to Copenhagen to see Sarah and Olivia now! I cannot wait!!!

I arrived in Copenhagen late late late Tuesday night flying straight from the European commission. I met Sarah at the train station and we scootered back to her apartment which was really clean and modern and I met her roommates Justin and Mel and Caroline who were super sweet. I was feeling a little worn out by travelling and being on the move so much, but it was so so so nice to see Sarah and be with her again. It felt refreshing and fun and easy and I love spending time with her. We got ready to go out and then we biked (its so funny how everyone bikes everywhere) to a bar called Heidi's with some of her friends and met up with Olivia Perlman! It was unbelievably fun to see Olivia, it has been way way way too long since I caught up with Olivia or saw her. Seeing her feels like seeing family. We sat for about an hour talking and catching up and talking about abroad and next year and classes and this summer, it was just so fun to hear about their lives and see where they have been living and to tell them about everything going on in my life abroad too. Then we went to a second bar called Proud Marry's where all of the American DIS students go out on Tuesday nights because they don't have class on Wednesdays. It was so funny we ran into so so so many people I know from Colgate in that bar. We got drinks and danced and sang to literally all of the best American songs for hours and it was so much fun. Then we biked back to Sarah's apartment.

The next morning Sarah and I got up and started walking around Copenhagen, she showed me some of her favorite places near her apartment and then we met up with her Danish group to go to the Rosenburg Castle because they had to do a group project there and she wanted me to see it. It was a gorgeous old Danish castle and houses the crowned jewels of the Danish royalty. It was so cool to see the crown and jewelery and swords. After we went to the glass market for lunch and met up with Olivia. We got smoothies and salad and fries and sat outside talking. It was a really cool marketplace and it was a lot of fun to see where they typically get lunch. Then Sarah and I went to a bakery to get the a typical Danish pastry which tasted like a cinnamon roll. Then we went to an outdoor market food place called Reffen. We had to bike out of the city to get there which was fun because I got to see a lot of Copenhagen by biking around. The food market was the coolest thing ever it had all of these colorful shacks serving different food and drinks and had a sandy beach with lawn chairs. We walked around and then got a drink and sat in the sun talking which felt so nice and was so much fun. After Sarah went to a lecture and I met Olivia for an ice cream cone and she showed me around the area of Copenhagen on a canal with all of the colorful buildings that you always see in the pictures. Then we met Sarah for dinner and had a big yummy pizza dinner and had some wine and talked and talked and talked. It was so fun to sit with both of them it made me feel like I was connected to home and familiarity and it was just so fun to hear about their experiences. Then we went back to Sarah's apartment and hung out with her roommates and went to bed.

The next morning everyone had class so I got up and went to explore myself. I walked through some castles and gardens with cherry blossoms to the little mermaid statue which was smaller than I expected but still really cool to see. Then I sat on the water in front of the statue reading my book and then biked to a beautiful park and lay in the grass reading my book, The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. It was fun to have the morning to myself to explore and see the city and read and be in my thoughts. Then I met up with Zuby (from DC) for breakfast and coffee. We had blueberry muffins and coffee and her favorite cafe near their school. It was so so so much fun to see her I forgot how much I enjoy spending time with her and I loved hearing about her abroad and plans for the summer and next year. She is also thinking about interning on the Hill and is going to live in DC after graduation. It made me want to do the Hill internship 1000000x more. Then we met Sarah and Olivia to get thai wok for lunch which was like a bowl with noodles and chicken and terryaki sauce and yummy veggies. It was so funny to have so many of my friends from different places in my life talking together especially when they are all studying in the same place. After lunch we all got ice cream and Sarah and Olivia went to class and Zuby took me back to her apartment and introduced me to her friends and housemates. It was a really cute apartment and we sat in the sun talking and catching up more and making a million plans for the summer. She also introduced me to her friend Ben who also goes to American and had worked for Delgado and only had glowing things to say about his staff and him and working for him and his political future, it made me so excited about the summer and to hang out with Ben and Zuby and their friends in DC and continue to build the network of people I know there! Then I went back to Sarahs apartment and we cooked dinner and packed and then went to the airport to fly to Iceland!

Sarah and I landed in Iceland flying into the most beautiful sky of blue and green and pink and purple and red. It was gorgeous. We landed and went to our hostel which is really close to downtown Reyjkavic and went to bed because we had to wake up early.

The next morning we woke up and got breakfast before getting on a bus for our 10 hour tour of the southshore of Iceland. We got croissants and coffee and then got on the bus with the greatest tour guide ever. He was engaging and funny and so knowledgable. We sat on the bus listening to the history and information about Iceland and then we got to our first stop which was a rest stop where everyone went to the bathroom and got snacks and then we got to our first real stop which was a BEAUTIFUL waterfall. Every driving to the first stop I was blown away by the diversity of the terrain and the surrounding beauty. It was unlike anything I have ever seen before. The first waterfall had a bright double rainbow in front of it which was insanely borgoeus and felt like magic. We climed up the side of the waterfall and looked down on it and then walked around the stream leading to the falls which was really special and cool to see, then we climbed back down and took photos and got super close to the waterfall. We were drenched in water because we went super close but it was giddy and hilarious and so so much fun. After taking in the beauty we got back on the bus and drove to a black sand beach. It was ridiculously windy but it was stunning to see the dramatic coast with rugged cliffs and rocks and dark black sand. Sarah and I were talking about our futures and uncertainthy and plans and how time passes while staring out into the powerful huge ocean waves on the coast. Then we stopped for lunch and I had a chicken sandwich and a cider in this restaurant that looked over the coast. It was the most dramatic setting I have probably ever had a meal. After we went onto the beach and saw lava caves and could touch the ocean and the sand. We got to go inside a lava cave so I called dad to show him the rocks and sand and wanted him to tell me about the geology of the rocks and how it looks like that and why and why the sand was black, it was erroded lava rock. It was so fun to include him and bring him in and hear to gain knowledge from his expertise, I took him a sneaky souveneir from the beach. Then we got back in the bus and we drove to a glacier. It was huge and the ice was insane to look at, it was drop dead gorgeous. But it made me sad because there was a huge lagoon at the bottom of it which has only formed because the glacier is receeding and melting because of climate change, but it was cool to see the iceberg chunks swimming in the lagoon. After we drove to our last stop, a second waterfall. This one was narrower but taller and we were able to walk behind it. It was probably the most fun insanely cool mment of abroad wallking behind this massive powerful huge stream of water pounding into the water beneath us. We got soaked by the water but I could not stop smiling and laughing, it was fucking beautiful. Unlike anything I have ever seen before. Then we got back on the bus and were taken back the city where Sarah and I showered and changed and then went and got Asian seafood fusion food for dinner. It was delicious and we were starving from the day and exhausted but it was so much fun to sit together and process what we had just seen and experienced. It feels really special to have shared this once in a lifetime experience of pure natural beauty with her. After dinner we got on another bus to try to see the Northern lights outside of the city. It was too cloudy to see them which was dissapointing but it was still a wonderful experience because Sarah and I sat together outside discussing life and how abroad has so singificantly changed our perspective on the world and ourselves and its size and the millions of possibilities and people and places to see and live and travel. It was amazing to just lay staring at the sky in the middle of the night talking.

The next morning we woke up and got breakfast from this famous place for its cinnamon buns which was delicious and got on a bus to go horseback riding. We got to the stables and had coffee and then got taken out to the field of horses to see which one we wanted to ride. It was so much more humane and personal and connected to the animal than anything i've seen in the United States. We got on the horses, mine was dark and beautiful and Sarah's had a hair color that matched mine, and we went out on a trail and rode for almost two hours. It was peaceful and gorgeous and so so so so so much fun. I loved seeing the horses and the sights and riding on the horse nad feeling connected to it and just thinking and being in my head and thinking about the summer and my internship in DC with Delgado and abroad and relationships and life and just sitting on a horse, feeling connected to it and its thoughts and movement and taking in all of the natural beauty around me. After the ride we got to stand with them and take photos and pet them and bond, it was so fun, i've never felt conencted to any animal (other than Ziggy) like that before in my life. Then we took the bus back to Reykjavik and got a big lunch from this food hall. I had shrimp bread with tomatos and avocado and pomergranate seeds it was delicious and fresh and so so so good. I could have eaten that all day. After lunch we got ice cream and souvineers and I found the best gift for Owen and we walked around and then went home to change. Then we took another bus to the Sky Lagoon a half man made half naturally geothermally heated lagoon hot springs. It was stunning. You swam out around rocks into a foggy haze and then saw a waterfall end into a beautiful lake. There were rocks and the water was so warm but the air was breezy and chill. It was probably my favorite moment of study abroad sitting there in the hot water with one of my best friends and a glass of champagne staring at the beauty all around me. Then we did the seven step ritual which included going into a freezing cold pool plunge, sitting in a sauna looking out onto the volcanos and moutnains and water, standing in a cold mist, putting on salt earthy soft scrub to exfoliate and hydrate your body, sitting in a steam room, and showering it off and going back into the lagoon. It was fun and exhilarating to go from hot to cold to hot to cold and my skin still feels soft and smooth. It really felt refreshing and rejuvinating. I felt so freaking lucky to be there. Then we sat longer talking and swimming around the lagoon, it was just the most perfect moment of all time. After the lagoon we came home and changed and went out to dinner and got seafood and salad and cocktails and cauliflower and a traditional Icelandic restaurant. Dinner was so much fun to again process the day and our trip and time together. After dinner we went to a bar that had live music and guitar and fun drinks and listened and danced to the music which was relaxing and chill and funny and so fun. Sarah and I laugh together more than any other of my friends. Then we went to sit along the water away from the lights of the city and try to see the northern lights again. We saw bright colorful skies and defineitly were looking at a sky and colors unlike anything ive seen before, but it was not the full Northern lights. It was still so fun to try and afterwards we went home and cozied in bed and ate snacks and watched Friends.

For our last morning we woke up and walked around Reykjavik and got crepes lunch and talked and shopped a little bit more and I bought the book Beloved which I have been wanting to read for a very very long time. Then Sarah left to go to her flight and I went to sit in a bookstore and do work and make progress on my research paper and get back on top of being a studnet. I am now going to go find food and maybe to more work before my night of travelling back to Geneva. I loved the week with Sarah and the break and choosing my internship for the summer and Iceland and am so glad to have the balance of nature and beauty and culture and fun in my time abroad!

We just had the most wonderful adventure in Amsterdam. We took an early flight from Geneva on Friday morning and arrived by lunchtime and we met TJ in the airport with Lauren and Margo and then went into downtown and checked into our hostel, it was a cool hostel called BUNK hostel where we slept in bunk pods. I really liked the hostel it was so cozy and I think that it was the coziest comforter and nicest shower I have slept with since being abroad. After checking in we went into the city center and met Charlotte for lunch at this famous pancake place. It was so fun to see her and we had savory Dutch pancakes and sweet American pancakes with strawberries and bananas and stroopwaffle and chocolate. We played a fun game called red flag or deal breaker where we went through different traits and said that our significant other having those traits would be a big red flag or a total deal breaker, like being religious or a repbulican or liking the Jug or hating travel. It is a funny silly game and a really good way to get to know each other better. After lunch we walked to the Moco musem around the canals and I remembered how much I like the energy of Amsterdam. Its a great city with a chill but vibrant energy and its beautiful. We went to the MOCO modern art museum which was so cool because they had a huge collection of Banksy's art which was fascinating to see in a museum and so cool and I love the anti-capitalist and anti-establishment messages in all of his art. It is beautiful and thought provoking and other than Monet I think Banksy is my favorite artist. After going to the museum we went to our canal cruise where they had bottomless cheese and wine and beer and we had wine as we went around the canals listening to the history of Amsterdam. It was so fun and we were all being really silly and laughing a lot and just felt really really happy and carefree. It is a great fun wy to see the city and learn a lot. After the cruise we met back up with Charlotte and went to FoodHallen which was a mega huge food hall which was packed with young people and great food. We ran into a ton of TJs friends from Copenhagen and all got different kinds of food and shared it all. It was so so so much fun. I had Asian food and fries and wings and salad and pizza bites and fun fruity cocktails and sushi. It was so fun to sit with a ton of people talking and trying a ton of food. Afterwards, Charlotte, Lauren, and I met up with Char's friend Lea and we went to two different bars talking and having deep converswations and hanging out and listening to music. I decided while we were out that a Mexican Mule is my favorite drink. It was a great chill night with amazing people. Then we went back to the hostel and cozied into bed and it was wonderful.

Saturday we woke up and went to the Van Gogh museum. On our way we stopped in a beautiful park for waffles and coffee and then went to the Van Gogh museum which was really cool to see. We walked around and saw like 500 different pieces of his collection and learned a lot about the different type of art he made and his story and inspirations. After the museum we walked around the city and got lunch to go, I had tomato soup and a yummy veggie salad with cauliflower and peppers. Then we got on the tour bus to go to the tullip gardens. On the bus I talked to Lauren and looked at her beautiful photos of her trip to Cyprus and then we got to the tullip festival! It was amazingly beautiful. It was an endless park with rows and rows and rows of beautifully colored tullips and water fountains and statues and vines and grass. It was truly unforgettable. We walked around talking and had ice cream and sat in the sun and got belgian fries it was just a fun and relaxing afternoon and I loved every second of it. The natural beauty and fun company made it a perfect afternoon. I loved seeing all of the flowers. Then we took the bus home and changed to go out and I wore my pretty black dress and silky turquoise button down overshirt and we met up with Charlotte Lea and TJs roommate Will and went to Mexican food for dinner. We had pitchers of mango margaritas and guacamole and chips and taquitos with chicken and veggies. It was a great dinner. Hours of delicious food and drink and laughter and friends and learning things about new people and bonding with old friends, I loved every second of it. At the end of dinner we did a round of Tequila shots and did the arriba abajo a centro a dentro chant which was funny and fun. After dinner we walked through the red light district at night which was a scene, and insane and I cannot believe those women do that and people actually go and use prostitutes. After dinner we went to a fun bar to keep talking and then went to a crazy nightclub which was so much fun. Lauren thought that it was the most fun night of our entire semester abroad. It was a packed nightclub with intense dancing and singing and loud music and strobe lights and we were all singing and dancing loudly and jumping around and laughing. It was a fantastic night. My favorite part was one of the guys on stage was playing a trumpet and another was playing a saxaphone. It was such a cool venue and a really really fun time. We all had a fantastic time letting loose and having fun together.

This morning we woke up early to go to the Anne Frank house which was a moving experience. It feels so touchingly real to be in the house where she wrote the journals and where they lived listening to and reading about what she wrote and what she was thinking and feeling at the time. The whole thing feels so powerful and terrifying and I cant ever stop feeling that it would have been me and was our family. The way Anne Frank detailed her feelings and experiences is invaluable and her fate was such a tragedy in a sea of terror, but it is amazing to be able to see inside her mind and what she was thinking. I am so glad that I went again and was able to have that experience and relive those real powerful feelings. When I walked outside afterwards all I could think was that I can leave, and she couldnt, and when she did it was in captivity as she was being sent to her death at Bergen Belsen. After the Anne Frank House we got lunch and talked which was fun and then met up with Charlotte and Lea the two of them and Laruen and I went to a "coffeeshop" to get weed for Lauren and Lea. It is so funny how open they are about weed. They got a joint and then the four of us went and sat outside on a canal having coffee and talking in the sun and talked about life and travel and Myrtle beach and Colgate and our experiences and hopes and dreams and how crazy it is that we are going to be seniors and then real people in a years time. Afterwards Charlotte and TJ left and we found Margo and went to get an early dinner before flying home. We played cards and I had a delcious chicken burger with grilled pineapple and avocado and BBQ sauce and fries and we talked and laughed and compared our experiences and perspectives to Charlottes friend Lea who grew up in Paris and Singapore. Then Margo Lauren and I went to the airport and I finished my book the Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo that I bought in Paris. I forget how fun it is to read and be really into a book and I just absolutely love it and need to and should read books that I love more. It is so rewarding. I am now going to start the Tatooist of Auschwitz on the plane! Back to Geneva, less than a month left. That's a totally terrifying and exciting prospect, I can't figure out how I feel. Totally totally bittersweet.

Friday morning we woke up early to go to Berlin for our last group trip with the whole study group and Professor Fogarty and his girlfriend Julianna. All of us got to the airport and onto the plane and then when we landed we took the train to our hotel! It was really fun and wholesome to all travel together and talk and sit on the plane and goof around and joke with Fogarty. After we got to the hotel we went and got lunch and we all got Kebap and then walked to Transparency International for our site visit presentation. It was interesting to hear the presentation and although it was long, it is bonding to have those experiecnes and be together and the information they were talking about was really interesting. They talked about the ndeed to fight corruption and the Pandora papers and the Oligarchs in Russia. Afterwards we walked back to hotel and got ready for dinner. I went with Margo, Josie, Emma, Charlotte, and Lauren to a biergarden in Tiergarten park! We had schnitzel and beer and sat outside and there was live music and it was exactly what I had pictured. It was still sunny out when we got there and there were beautiful lights, the vibe was great, food was yummy, the whole thing was so much fun. Especially the beer :) After dinner we went to the hotel and sat in our room talking and playing Red Flag or Deal Breaker. It was cozy and bonding and I loved finding more out about people, it felt like we were at a slumber party. Then Lauren and I met up with Lucia and Erin and Manny and Bobby and Naomi and we went to a nightclub with a really cool rooftop bar. It was great music and fun people and we all just had a blast dancing and singing and talking, especially when we went up onto the rooftop bar and sat outside talking. It was a great night.

And on Saturday morning we all got up early and had breakfast in the hotel before going to the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe. First we had a tour of the outside memorial with all of the concrete blocks, it was interesting to reflect on the experience that we each individually had walking around. I felt small and insignificant in the maze of blocks with everything getting bigger really quickly with the light distant, it was cold and darker the further in you got and it was hard to tell exactly what was going on. Maybe attempting to emulate feelings people would have had at the time during the Hollocaust. Then we went to the museum underneath the memorial which details the way the Nazi party came to power and has stories and quotes and notes of people. It is interesting because as we were in Berlin I was reading my book the Tattoist of Auschwitz which is heart wrenching and about the hollocaust so I had Lale and Gita in my mind the whole time we were there, it all felt intertwined. Then a bunch of us went out to lunch at a Asian Fusion noodle place and sat outside and talked. Josie came up with game to play where you say if you could know the answer to one of the world's mysteries what would it be, I think it would be the start of the universe for me, different people had really different answers though which was fascinating. After lunch we went to the Stasi Museum which is the museum about the police during the cold war which was also fascinating, and sad, but interesting. Then we went to the Berlin Wall Memorial and got iced coffee and sat in the park talking. It is crazy to imagine what that must have been like having the wall with two completely different worlds on either side, separating one community, country, families, its horrible. After that we went to a cool hip neighborhood with my friends and Bobby and Giselle and Linda and a few people they have met while we have been in Geneva to a big italian dinner. We got Bruschetta and wine and salad and pasta and it was delicious and super cheap and a ton of fun. We played a game Josie thought of and plays with her family where you go around the table spelling and if your letter forms a word you get a point and the person with the least amount of points wins. Then we got into a political debate me Margo and Charlotte because people were saying Charlotte and I should run as president and vice president and we were joking that while two rich white girls from the Upper West Side of Manhattan probably wouldn't be representative of the general public, we would do a fantastic job making decisions and running the country. I love Charlotte and I am thrilled that we are getting a lot closer. Then I was saying how I hate when people shit on career polticians because public office is a job and one that you should have a lot of training for but Margo was saying they should have also worked in business which I don't disagree with but Char and I were arguing that business is not more important than other industries and perspective and depth is important but so is having insider experience and knowledge, not Trump. Margo disagreed but it was a friendly spirited debate, my favorite kind of conversation. After dinner we changed and then a ton of us went clubbing again which was super fun, we were there dancing and scream singing until I lost my voice and until 5:30 in the morning. It was super fun. A great night, they played Empire State of Mind at the end and it made me miss home and want to be in NYC. 3 more weeks........

Sunday morning we woke up at 11 and checked out and I went to brunch and walked around the East Side Gallery and Berlin with Josie Emma Charlotte and Margo. I had iced coffee and an Acai bowl and then we walked around more before going back to the hotel to meet the group and go back to the airport to fly home to Geneva. It was a fun trip, but Fogarty was not very present which was frustrating and it was funny because then he almost missed the flight home which seemed like Karma. It was a great time, I feel so lucky to have been on this program that takes us to travel all of the time as a group. We have so many crazy funny stories and have shared so many experiences all of us together, its truly remarkable and wonderful!

Lauren Charlotte Margo and I got on a plane early Friday morning to fly to MAJORCA for our last trip of the semester beach weekend my favorite thing in the world. When we got off of the plane Margo and I had to join French class remotely from the taxi cab which was hilarious and I was just super excited to be there becaue I love the beach so much and I love Spain and speaking Spanish (now that I don't have to for school I find it fun!) We got to the hotel which was BEAUTIFUL and on the beach and got our seaview connecting room and then went straight down to the pool area which had two pools and an outdoor restaurant and a beach bar. Margo and I got pina coladas and went to sit by the pool. We jumped in the water and went swimming and lay in the sun and listened to music and I read my book, Where the Crawdads Sing, and we talked and laughed and it was just so so so relaxing and fun. Then Charlotte and Lauren came out after finsihing work and we all had lunch sitting by the pool outside with view of the ocean. I had chicken nuggets and fries and it was so yummy and so much fun. Then I had a call confirming my internship withg the Hochul campaign \240and we all walked down to the beach and lay in the sun down there and I swam in the ocean and it just made me so happy. The sound and smell of the ocean plasters a huge smile on my face. After the beach we went up to the room to shower and changed and got ready to go to dinner. Then we went to a locla Majorcan restaurant a ten minute walk away from the restaurant and had delicious cheap local spanish food and sangria for dinner. We sat for hours talking and playing games, one of my favorites thinking of different traits in a boyfriend and ranking what is most important to you. I think that is so fun. After dinner we went back into the room and got under the covers and stayed up for hours talking and hanging out which was wonderful and so cozy and we all fell asleep and slept so well with the sound of the ocean.

Saturday morning we woke up around 10 to go downstairs for the buffet breakfast. It was the greatest thing ever. I had a huge plate of watermelon and kiwi and pancakes and yogurt and fresh squeeze orange juice and coffee. It was endless and included in our stay and we sat outside in the sun on the deck above the ocean and it was just magical and beautiful and so fun. After breakfast we went down to the beach to lay in the sun and listen to music and relax. It felt so good to let ourselves relax and take in the sun and not be stressed about work. Charlotte and I swam in the ocean for almost two hours laying in the waves and beautiful most crystal turquoise water I have ever seen. We swam out to and around and talked and it was just nice to float around. After we had our share of the beach we went and sat by the pool and had two pitchers of Sangria by the pool listening to the loud music and the pool was lively and fun and it was so happy and lovely to lay in sun and talk and laugh and drink sangria. It felt so youthfull and free and just blissful. After we had enough of the sun we went inside and got dressed up to look pretty for dinner and we went outside to find a restaurant on the beach. We found a gem on the beach with the cutest beachy atmosphere that was entirely open air and we had delicious food. The best fried calamari Ive ever had in my life and me and Margo got Seafood Pallela that was delicious and so fun to try and Charlotte and I split shrimp. I still find it so freeing and fun to be able to order new things and try all of this fish that I don't really know what it is and not feel anxious about it and like a lot of it. Growth and change is so fun!!! After dinner we went to Gringo Bingo night at this crazy club event where we were sitting in a booth with table service playing bingo and listening to loud fun music like the friends ill be there for you song and other great things with people on stage dressed up in crazy costumes dancing around. I have never seen more bachelorette parties and people just laughing and singing and having a great time playing bingo and being with their friends and standing on the booths dancing. I said verbatum that I was going to have a hard time explaining it in my journal and I was right :) After the bingo we met a bunch of guys and all of us went to a few bars on the beach talking and hanging out and dancing! Then Margo Charlotte Lauren and I ran into the ocean in our undies after our night out right before going back to the hotel. It was exhilirating and so fun and funny and just a great thrilling fully feeling so very alive moment. The perfect college night out in Majorca.

Sunday morning we woke up early because we had booked a boat tour starting in Palma at 10 which was about a 30 minute drive from where we were staying in Magaluf. We got to the boat tour which was us and one other great couple who were new parents with a 2 year old and she was pregnant and they were living near Lincoln Center in NYC raising their kids there. We got on the boat and immediately went to the front of the boat to lie out in the sun and Margo played music from the speaker and with the wind blowing in our hair we went out to sea on this fun sailboat. It was hands down my favorite thing we did all semester. We lay out on the boat surrounded by the most beautiful water and clear water I've ever seen in my life and sailed for 4 hours. We docked by a remote island cove and everyone jumped in the water and I think we swam around snorkling and jumping off of the boat and floating in the water talking for an hour. I think it was the purest joy I have felt since being in Italy with mom on our similar boat trip almost three years ago (wow thats terrifying). Then we went into the boat and talked to the couple and Charlotte and I shared our experiences growing up in NYC and they were telling us about how they got married in college which seems completely insane but wonderful. We had snacks and got back on the front of the boat laying in the sun drying off. Then we got off the boat and walked around the town a little bit and Lauren and I bought matching dresses and I bought a new bathing suit. After we went back to the hotel and went down and sat by the pool and Charlotte and I went swimming and we sat in the sun napping and reading and soaking it all in. Then Lauren and Margo and I walked down the beach to get tapas and drinks in a sandy tiki bar which was super fun and nice to sit and talk and have our feet in the sand. Then we walked down the beach and got ready for dinner and went to the hotel buffet for dinner. We watched the sunset over the sea while listening to a live singer and eating the buffet food. It was so fun I had salmon and steak and fries and salad and apps and then watermelon and kiwi for dessert. We all loved getting exactly what we weanted