Ever since watching the sci-fi thriller Ex Machina, I've wanted to experience the beauty of Norway firsthand. The film, one of my all-time favorites, was partially shot at the Juvet Landscape Hotel in Valldal, Norway. As I was preparing to depart for my semester abroad, I emailed the head of the property to inquire about booking a stay at the hotel. It was pricey, and the prospect of traveling to and staying in a small Norwegian village was daunting; but three months later, as I sat in a hot tub surrounded by snow and trees and mountains and streams, I knew it was worth it.
Read MoreWhen you've only partially recovered from the flu, getting up at 4:00am for a 7:30 flight to Geneva isn't particularly appealing. But it's a bit easier to do when you were never asleep in the first place.
The night before my trip, I tossed and turned and literally never fell asleep. I want to emphasize the no sleep part as well as the still recovering from the flu part. It wasn't an ideal circumstance—and yet, there I was, walking in the still-dark morning hours to the train station.
Read MoreI'm sitting on my bathroom floor, and I'm sweating and shaking and pressing my face against the wall to cool myself down, and I'm wondering what will happen if I pass out here in a different continent all by myself, and so I prepare the Dutch emergency number on my phone just in case.
Read MoreI landed in Amsterdam just before 6:00am. It was the start of a new day in a new year on a new continent—and I was all alone.
Before my first flight from Kansas City to Detroit, I did something I'd been dreading for months: I said goodbye to my mom, my dad, and my boyfriend, Tyler. It was my first time going to Europe and my first time leaving for such a extended time—and it felt surreal.
Read MoreAs they say, time flies. As it turns out, they are right.
I leave for Europe in five days. In many ways, the reality is setting in: when I'm packing clothes and considering what I have room for, or when I'm saying bye to friends and thinking about being apart for so long. But in many ways, I know that the reality will only truly set in once I've landed in Amsterdam.
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