I've now been in D.C. for a while and have (mostly) acclimated to life back in the U.S. I still have to remind myself of the new date format (day/month/year really is more logical), am second-guessing myself when I don't see a Floor 0 on elevators, and even found myself converting pounds to kilos when judging the price of meat at the supermarket (oh right, it's called a grocery store over here).
The semester as a whole was transformative. I've been asked if I am a "changed man" after this new crazy life experience, and my answer is definitely "no". I'm still the same Jacob that I was 6-months ago, with the same personality and the same bad jokes. Maybe just my beard is a little longer and more unkept.
What these past months have done, however, is open me up to this new thing called "travel". I love meeting new and exciting people, both locals and fellow travelers. I love exploring fresh places, be they beautiful, ugly, or somewhere in between. I love learning more about the culture of everywhere I go. It's exhilarating, maybe a little addictive, and unmistakably so important. I cannot emphasize enough how thankful I am for this fantastic opportunity. It's a little cliche, but it has undoubtedly been the best semester of my life.
Mackie and I are already planning when we next try to replicate this past adventure in a new part of the world. It's not easy to find time to go run around some new place for a couple months, but I know we'll find a way. Right now is the best time in my life to travel, with no kids, no mortgage, no pets... nothing holding me back. So we'll make it happen.
That all said, thankfully (because I was worried about this), life is still exciting back States-side. I'm loving D.C., my internship is great, the people are interesting, the work is challenging, and I really do feel like this is just another adventure. I'm in DC this summer, at Georgia Tech for the Fall and Spring, somewhere next summer, and at Georgia Tech for one more semester next Fall. From there, I have no idea!
Statistics & Superlatives
Countries visited: 27
(Not counting those I only passed through -- Austria, Slovakia, Albania, Turkey)
Iceland, Denmark, Sweden, Germany, Czech Republic, Belgium, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Italy, Vatican City, Norway, Poland, the Netherlands, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Macedonia, Kosovo, Serbia, Hungary, France, Ireland, United Kingdom, Spain, Romania, Greece
Cities visited: 51
(Only those that I spent meaningful time in)
Reykjavik, Vik, Hofn (Iceland)
Copenhagen (Denmark)
Lund, Stockholm (Sweden)
Hamburg, Berlin, Cologne (Germany)
Prague (Czech Republic)
Bruges, Brussels (Belgium)
Luxembourg City (Luxembourg)
Interlaken, Gimmelwald (Switzerland)
Rome, Florence, Cinque Terre, Venice, Bergamo (Italy)
Bergen, Gudvangen, Flåm (Norway)
Wroclaw, Krakow (Poland)
Amsterdam, Zaanse Schans, Amersfoort, Utrecht (the Netherlands)
Lake Bled (Slovenia)
Zagreb, Karlovac, Split, Dubrovnik (Croatia)
Mostar (Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Kotor, Cetinje (Montenegro)
Skopje (Macedonia)
Pristina, Prizren (Kosovo)
Belgrade (Serbia)
Budapest (Hungary)
Paris (France)
Dublin (Ireland)
Edinburgh (Scotland, UK)
Seville, Ronda, Júzcar (Spain)
Bucharest (Romania)
Athens, Skopelos (Greece)
Top 5 Countries All-Around:
- Ireland
- Italy
- Spain
- Croatia
- Denmark
- Iceland
- Montenegro
- Switzerland
- Norway
- Croatia
Top 5 Big Cities:
- Florence, Italy
- Seville, Spain
- Prague, Czech Republic
- Krakow, Poland
- Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Barcelona, Spain (Mackenzie's Choice)
- Copenhagen, Denmark (Mackenzie's Choice)
- Paris, France (Mackenzie's Choice)
Top 5 Towns:
- Ronda, Spain
- Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Kotor, Montenegro
- Bruges, Belgium
- Skopelos, Greece
Top 5 Tiny Villages:
- Gimmelwald, Switzerland
- Zaanse Schans, the Netherlands
- Manarola, Italy
- Gudvangen, Norway
- Júzcar (Smurf Village), Spain
Top 10 Natural Wonders:
- Fjallsárlón Glacial Lagoon, Iceland
- Nærøyfjord, Norway
- Rijeka Crnojevica River Bend, Montenegro
- Swiss Alps, Switzerand
- Cliffs of Moher, Ireland
- Plitvice Lakes, Croatia
- Skógafoss Waterfall, Iceland
- Skopelos Island, Greece
- Thingvellir National Park, Iceland
- Matka Canyon, Macedonia
- St. Peter's Cathedral (Rome, Italy)
- Seville Cathedral (Seville, Spain)
- Saint-Chapelle (Paris, France)
- St. Stephen's Cathedral (Budapest, Hungary)
- Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore (Bergamo, Italy)
- Sagrada Familia [Barcelona, Spain (Mackenzie's Choice)]
No comments:
Post a Comment