There are many emotions you feel at the end of any journey; happiness, sadness, excitement, etc. No matter what you feel a the end, it is important to reflect on the journey and realize how gracious and proud you are of everything you have done to get to the point you are at now.

The day I left France I expected to be sad, depressed, etc., and though I was sad I was overcome with a sense of happiness and pride in myself. I lived abroad in another country, I experienced other cultures of the world and saw the beauty it has to offer, I broadened my horizons and made memories to last a lifetime. I am so proud of myself for accomplishing these things.

I also cannot forget everyone who helped make this journey possible for me, I am beyond grateful to everyone who was apart of this. Below is an Instagram post I made in memorize of my journey.

My parting words for ending a journey are to remember your amazing experience and be grateful it happened.

I’ve lived a lifetime in these past few months…don’t really know how to sufficiently express my appreciation and gratitude. I’ve been beyond blessed to have had this experience. Special thank you to @studyabroaduml , none for this would be possible for any of us students without you, thank you for this amazing opportunity. Thank you to all the amazing people I’ve met and great friends I’ve made who have made this experience one I will never forget. Et, ma chérie, la France, je vous aime. Vous m’avez donné une rêve et l’espoir. Je reviendrai, vous avez mon coeur.

During my semester abroad, I was fortunate enough to have another opportunity to explore more of Europe’s beautiful land. On my spring vacation, I was with my father for the first part, we visited Paris first (of course), followed by Vienna, Austria then Prague, Czech Republic. After my father left and I met back up with friends, we went to Dublin, Ireland and Berlin, Germany.

Vienna was an awesome city to visit, while there we ate delicious traditional Austrian dishes like Tafelspitz and Kaiserschmarrn,

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and saw beautiful Austrian architecture like pictured below.

Prague reminded me of a fairy tale land, the architecture was so beautiful and the castle was breathtaking. The food in Prague was amazing as well, goulash, potato dumplings (my favorite), and trdelnik for dessert!

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And I could never forget the gorgeous views.

Ireland was a beautiful country, full of friendly people and amazing scenery. Dublin reminded me very much of Boston.

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We enjoyed a delicious traditional Irish breakfast.

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During our time there we had time to explore the Irish country side and saw stunning landscapes.

Berlin was a very cool city and well-known for it’s lively night-life.

Tresor is one of Berlin’s best-known night clubs, and is one of the original techno clubs. The club opened in 1991 and has become an icon of Berlin.
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France is a country known for its impeccable style and the birthplace of some of the world’s greatest designers.

While brands like Louis Vuitton, Balmain, and Christian Dior are well known French brands, and can be seen being worn by many, it is not a sustainable wardrobe for most college-aged students.

While in France, I took note of where most young people shopped, and was surprised to find many of the brands can be found here in America.

The most popular brands I found were: Zara, Mango, Morgan, and TOPSHOP.

Zara
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Zara is a international fashion brand, they are a great brand when you’re searching for any kind of outfit; whether it be a night out or a job interview, they have clothing options for any occasion.

Mango

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Mango is a retailer similar to Zara. In my personal opinion, their clothes tend to be more feminine and don’t have as wide of a variety as Zara. However, I think their clothes are more chique and they are one of the best shops to find a statement jacket.

Morgan

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Morgan is an edgier fashion brand available in France. Morgan is a little more expensive compared to Zara and Mango, but the quality of their clothing is superior and they are great for finding a dress for a special occasion.

TOPSHOP

TOPSHOP is an English brand that is very popular in Europe and in the US. TOPSHOP is another retailer similar to Zara and Mango, what makes them different is their English and Irish style influence in their clothing.

Seeing how people your age dress in other countries can make for a really interesting parallel between your home country and the foreign country. It’s fascinating to see the similarities and differences in style. Style is a language we all speak; self expression.