By far, the biggest challenges of attending boarding school are living far from my family and finding the time to continue fostering memories with my siblings. Therefore, my two older siblings and I decided that this summer was the perfect time to pack a bag, board a flight, and explore the world. For a whole month, just the three of us backpacked, jumping from city to city by bus or train, through Europe!
The excitement before our flight was palpable. After months of inspecting maps and analyzing train routes, it felt unreal that we were off to explore the world. As we landed in Brussels, the first stop of our trip, we could not stop smiling; our dream was finally becoming a reality. The next four weeks consisted of visiting landmarks, museums, and plazas and discovering hidden gems in historic cities. We would spend hours learning in museums and losing track of time sitting in cafes at the corner of a plaza. We would also often find ourselves watching the sunset next to a river (probably eating a Belgian waffle or a French crêpe) or laughing our hearts out in a plaza filled with dynamism and noise.
Some of my fondest memories were also those of chaos and adrenaline. Whether it was because of our lack of punctuality contrasted with the amazingly precise timing of the European trains, or sheer culture shock and language barrier, we had to improvise constantly. Unexpectedly walking into a music festival in Berlin, getting stuck in an obscure Czech town, and spontaneously biking to a tiny Dutch village in search of fourteenth-century windmills—these were some of my favorite parts of the trip.
The outcomes of this adventure were far better than I could have ever imagined. I became comfortable with uncertainty and being outside of my routine, learned about dozens of new cultures, and became much more knowledgeable about other parts of the world. But, most importantly, I appreciated every single second with my siblings. We really did take this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to catch up, grow closer, and create ever-lasting memories.