Traveling. Studying. Living.
I've met so many amazing people along the way, and I think it's only fair to acknowledge them. Being happy in life is not only about where you are but also about who you are with. The people I've met, be it in Hamburg or in foreign cities, have made all the difference. It's hard not knowing when I'll see these people, my friends, again. But I'm honored to have met each and every one of them. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for letting me into your lives. And thank you to Kaitlyn and Daniela - this experience would not have been the same without you.
I was flipping through my agenda book last night looking back on everything I've done and everywhere I've been. My planner is my life - everything from flights, to excursions, to dinners, to nights on the Reeperbahn, to homework assignments, to test dates are marked in it. To pay tribute to the best of the best, I've compiled a list of my "Top 3":
Top 3 Favorite Cities:
1) Hamburg, Germany
2) London, England
3) Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland
Top 3 Favorite Excursions:
1) Paragliding over the Swiss Alps
2) Walking along the Cliffs of Moher
3) Hiking in the Swiss Alps
Top 3 Favorite Classes:
1) Public Choice (the economics of politics)
2) Media Representation of Climate Change
3) Energy & Climate Policy
Top 3 Favorite Travel Mishaps:
1) Drunkenly sprinting through the Amsterdam airport trying not to miss our flight
2) Getting lost in the München airport looking for the ticket counter
3) Accidentally walking 1 hour in the wrong direction while sightseeing in -20C weather in Prague
Top 3 Favorite Drinks:
1) Orangey Cosmopolitans in London
2) Girly, frozen cocktails in Barcelona
3) 50 cent Mexikaner shots at Lucky Star on Hamburger Berg
Top 3 Nights on the Reeperbahn:
1) 1.6.12: Our first night (aka the night we fell in love with Hamburg)
2) 7.28.12: Our last night (aka the night a crazy Albanian man chased Kaitlyn and I down the Reeperbahn)
3) 2.10.12: Tequila Night 1.0 (aka the night all hell broke loose)
Top 3 Unexpected Events:
1) Meeting a random British guy at a bar in Amsterdam and visiting him in London
2) Learning to effectively communicate in a language I barely speak
3) Discovering my sense of self
They told us before we left that the next seven months would be the best ones of our lives. They told us we would have the time of our lives. Well it's true. They really were, and we really did. But now it's time to say goodbye. I choose not to morn over the fact that this is the end. Because it's not the end. It's just the closing period on this chapter of my life. I choose to remember the good times. I choose to remember the memories I've made. You only live once. And who knows, perhaps the next chapter of my life will be just as memorable. There's no need to cry. It's just a new beginning. Goodbye Hamburg. Goodbye Germany. Goodbye Europe. I will be back. You mark my words.
Love always,
Nicole
Bravo!
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