“3 trains, 3 busses, 6 planes, 14 days, over 11,000 miles, and a lifetime of memories.”
Madisyn Saunders
The Beginning.
We began our travels back at home in The Steel City of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We drive into the city to catch the ‘Megabus.’ (Yes, this is a bus where you are jam-packed next to a hundred of your closest… strangers.) My mom, dad, sister and I hopped on the bus- our new home for the next 8 hours. 8 hours come and go, and needless to say my but is sore and I am getting antsy. We arrive in New York, New York and inevitably- it’s time to shop! A night or two in Times Square never hurt anybody.
Here’s a quick tip: If you are going to Ireland, make sure you like Guinness Beer (or at least willing to try it.) We did not go anywhere without the locals mentioning how outstanding this beer was. And many of you are probably asking “was it?” and… well, we’ll get to that part.
I’ll be honest, I didn’t know what I was getting myself into. Whenever we arrived, the first thing we did was eat at The Washington Bar and Grill. Even the menu was different from what we are used to.
Luckily, my parents high school friends moved from a small town in Pennsylvania to London, England. They were our designated tour guides for the 2 days we stayed. We visited various tourist sites- such as the London Eye, Buckingham Palace, Kensington Palace, the National Museum of London, London Bridge and many more. It was in The National Gallery where I got to appreciate the works of Jan van Eyck and Leonardo Da Vinci for the first time. London quickly became one of my very favorite travel destinations due to its rich history and modern interpretative of the arts and the fast-paced learning system.
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- Paris, France
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- Mallorca, Spain
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- London, United Kingdom
We arrived in Paris on July 28th… our third stop. And this one was an adventure to say the least. We bought tickets for a train ride to Paris at 7am, and got to the train station around 5am that morning. Running on no sleep and physically drained, we walk up to the counter only for the lady to tell us that we need our passports and the train is leaving in 30 minutes with or without us.
…Our hotel was 30 minutes away.
This is where the chaos sets in. By the grace of God (and a very kind train attendant,) we made it onto the train just in time.
Next stop- Barcelona, Spain. What can I say? The perfect city to learn, eat, drink, shop, go to the beach. Who am I kidding? This is the perfect city for any and everything. Being engulfed in the culture and learning from locals themselves was something I will never forget. Everyday was La Leche (meaning “the milk” or the greatest!)
Last stop… Mallorca, Spain. This is by far the most beautiful place I have ever vacationed. The weather never drops South of 85 degrees and the hospitality of the locals is unbeatable. From the young and lively Tapas bars to the smaller local restaurants, everything about Mallorca is unique.
Some places and memories have a significant effect on who you are as a person. This trip changed my life forever and for the better. I will take these lessons with me wherever I go.
“If you reject the food, ignore the customs, fear the religion and avoid the people, you might better stay home.”
-James Michener
