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Europe Study Abroad
  • Halle Booher

Europe Study Abroad

Fall 2023 Westmont Study Abroad Trip woohoo!!
Northern Ireland, London, Germany, and Slovakia Read more
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  • Trip start
    August 28, 2023
    Halle BooherEurope Study AbroadTraveler
    111

    Welcome to Northern Ireland!

    August 29, 2023 in Ireland ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

    Hi hi hi! Today was my first FULL day in Rostrevor, Northern Ireland and it was quite a lovely day. Yesterday I flew from Indianapolis to Chicago and then to Dublin. No flight complications except for that my fancy business class seat (thank you dad) on the international flight would not lay down on its own. Big bummer but thankfully the very nice flight attendant was able to manually lay it down. And I got 5000 miles added to my account because of the inconvenience. After an enormous dinner and delicious wine I slept very well for the majority of the flight.
    Once in Dublin we took a bus to Rostrevor. Rostrevor is beautiful. There are tons of sheep and horses all around, the grass is healthy and green, and there are lots of trails to walk on. I am loving the cool weather. It reminds me a lot of home actually.
    Today we started class (first day of 16th grade pics:) and went on a long walk to the village of Rostrevor. Groceries are cheap here and the coffee shops are super cute. Tonight we are hanging out and getting myself organized for school the next few days.
    Lots to learn here and more pictures to come! Love and miss you all <3    Read more

  • Halle BooherEurope Study AbroadTraveler
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    Guinness is gross

    August 29, 2023 in Northern Ireland ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C

    Alright alright back to give a little update. Mostly this week has been settling in- getting used to the fact that we are sort of in the middle of nowhere (which is beautiful and also isolating sometimes), making new friends, and figuring out the schedule to my classes. Unfortunately being a STEM major makes it a little bit harder to adjust to all of the reading and writing that’s required for most of my classes. I guess maybe it’s helpful to share the classes I’m in for the semester:
    1. Exploring wellness (PE)
    2. English literature in Europe
    3. German
    4. Encountering Cultures
    5. Conflict and Peacemaking (Philosophy/History)
    So I’ve spent a lot of time outdoors recently, partly to get my hour in of PE I’m supposed to have, but also because it’s very peaceful and beautiful outside. Most of you know I normally hate the outdoors, but here it feels like the place I can go to be by myself. And that’s really helpful since I live in a house with 7 other girls.
    On Friday, we went to 2 Irish pubs. The first to get dinner- my burger was fire and the fries were sort of strange tasting- and the second to hang out and hear live music. The girl playing that night LOVED taylor swift and she loved that we knew all the words. It was super fun singing with her and I think she loved that she had an engaged audience that knew the music!
    We also had an event called a Ceili which is a traditional Irish gathering of music, poetry, and dancing. One of the videos shows a song from this gathering. They played traditional Irish instruments (Irish bagpipe, flute, and some kind of drum) as well as the guitar.
    Lastly, I went to mass yesterday and sort of liked it a lot. It was very peaceful and simple. I loved sitting in silence and participating in church in a very different way. The monks there are super funny and cool. They have a lot of interesting thoughts about how to be the church and how to best support our local communities.
    3 other random things:
    1. I tried Guinness just for Kevin Clutter so you can let him know it is disgusting.
    2. The hot water is on a cycle so I took a FREEZING cold shower the other afternoon. Tyler would be proud since he adores ice baths.
    3. The piano here doesn’t have as many keys. It ends on an A and I don’t know why. It’s also tuned a different way. C on this piano is not C on a piano back home. Weird.
    4. I go to Dublin on Friday!

    Thx for reading

    🤍    Read more

  • Halle BooherEurope Study AbroadTraveler
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    Potluck and Prayers

    September 5, 2023 in Northern Ireland ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C

    I begin with the potluck:
    We had a wonderful Labor Day celebration last night. Burgers, sausages, charcuterie, guacamole, sweet potato casserole, salad, pigs in a blanket and more. My heart was happy and my stomach full. We had another Ceile of singing and sharing which was a good way to end my night.

    The prayer:
    At 5:15am the potluck no longer made me happy. To make a longish story shorter, I ended up at the Irish Emergency Room around 8am. My roommate, Isabella, was hugely instrumental in caring for me while I was still at home. She did all of the right things and helped the group leader make good choices on how to best handle the situation. Turns out I have some sort of stomach bug- likely food poisoning. The doctors and nurses at the hospital were very nice and it was a very interesting cultural experience being seen there. It is so fascinating how we all speak English, but communicating cross culturally can still be really difficult. I'm proud of myself though for navigating the differences as best I can and for sticking up for myself/listening to my body. I also was able to experience the free healthcare system which was a good thing to learn about. Now, I am at home, have some medicine, and am resting. I appreciate all of your prayers. I AM OKAY and will get better so soon, but prayers still appreciated. Thank you all!    Read more

  • Halle BooherEurope Study AbroadTraveler

    The monastic life is not for me

    September 6, 2023 in Northern Ireland ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    Thank you all for your prayers, I am feeling much much better! On Wednesday I was able to go on a hike and lookout over Northern Ireland. Apparently, the overlook in the first picture is what CS Lewis pictured when he thought of Narnia. As you can probably tell, the weather has been gorgeous. Low 70s most of the time we have been here. The locals tell us that is very abnormal. Usually it is rainier and colder this time of year.
    Thursday, we went to all of the church services at the Abbey. There are 5 in total: 6:30-7:30am, 11:30am-1pm, 2:15-2:30pm, 5:30-6:30pm, and 8:30-9:30pm. The day felt sooooo long and I can confirm that the monk/nun life is not for me. Praise be to God, but I don’t think personally I am called.    Read more

  • Halle BooherEurope Study AbroadTraveler
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    Dublin

    September 8, 2023 in Ireland ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C

    Friday was super super fun because Olivia Rodrigo dropped her new album. Just kidding, it was fun because we went to Dublin (but we did listen to the new album on the way there). It was about 1.5 hour drive to the city from Rostrevor. In Dublin, we walked through Trinity College which is where the Book of Kells exhibit is. Some of you may know that is where there is a copy of the 4 gospels on a manuscript. I didn’t go through the exhibit but others said it was cool. As a group we walked to the Garden of Remembrance which remembers all of those who died fighting for the freedom of the Irish. It was a beautiful place devoted to peace and reconciliation. After this, we broke off from the group and 5 of us went to a place called Bread 41 for lunch. There we had some scrumptious croissant Benedict, French toast, coffee, and pastries. In the afternoon, Isabella and I went to the Jeanie Johnston Famine Ship tour. The tour tells true stories of the Irish Potato famine and explains how people wished to escape to North America on ships. The Jeanie Johnston is a special ship because not a single person died on any of the voyages (that is practically unheard of on any other ship). It was a great experience. Isabella and I then rode the Luas (their public transportation) so that we could meet up with some others for a tour of the Jameson Distillery. This was for sure my favorite part of the day. The tour explained the history of the distillery and went into details about how they make their whiskey. There was so much chemistry involved I was loving it. We ended with a mini tasting of their 3 most popular whiskeys. Then we were off to dinner. I fully took advantage of my speedy walking abilities and got us to our reservation in time. Dinner was great, and then we headed back home. Overall, a fantastic day in Dublin!Read more

  • Halle BooherEurope Study AbroadTraveler
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    Saturday in Rostrevor

    September 9, 2023 in Northern Ireland ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C

    Yesterday was a great day adventuring. We started the day by going to a few thrift stores in a nearby town called Newry. We then went to another town to go to a soccer match there. It probably felt like the least touristy thing we have done so far. There were lots of families and kids running around everywhere. It felt like we were taking part in the community event which was really fun. For dinner, I went with the girls in my house to a pizza restaurant in Rostrevor. It actually was so yummy. We had a great time together. Unfortunately I must now return to my responsibilities. I have protected my peace hard these last few days but I think it is time I return to some school work now.
    Also, my roommate Isabella could use all of your prayers. She is now in the hospital for a stomach issue. We are praying she doesn’t have to spend any more nights in the hospital!    Read more

  • Halle BooherEurope Study AbroadTraveler
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    Giants Causeaway

    September 12, 2023 in Northern Ireland ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

    Prayer update: Isabella is out of the hospital! I think everyone is feeling good besides some small colds.

    It’s crazy to think we only have 1 more week in Ireland! Next Friday we travel to London. I’m super excited to go to London. It’s the only place on this trip I’ve been before and I’m really excited to go back. It is a bit sad though, I’m really loving my time here. It is peaceful, quiet, and beautiful. I’m for sure excited to get to a bigger city with more things to do, but we have found lots of fun things to do here in Rostrevor. It’s really special to get to know the people on my trip very well since we spend pretty much every moment together. And I’m glad we’ve been able to do this here in a small town before we go to bigger cities. I also have loved learning about the history of Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. I’m excited to share all I’ve learned!
    The pictures I posted here are from our trip to Giants Causeaway on Tuesday. It’s at the northern most part of Northern Ireland and is right on the water. It was formed from volcanic eruptions and made polygonal columns of basalt. It was beautiful. And the weather was perfect. Sarah and I also left the group for a minute to go try to find the cows and that’s when we found the beautiful open fields. Love that everything is so green here!    Read more

  • Halle BooherEurope Study AbroadTraveler
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    Belfast: Most importantly Lord Kelvin

    September 19, 2023 in Northern Ireland ⋅ 🌧 15 °C

    Last week, our group took a day trip to Belfast. This is where the Titanic was built so we went to the Titanic Museum there. It was pretty cool. Sarah, Mitchell, and I enjoyed breakfast and coffee at a cute little place. We also went by Queens University and ended up going to a cookout with some of the students. That was super fun and gave us the chance to meet some local students our age. Glad we happened upon it! Most importantly, I saw a statue of Lord Kelvin who created the absolute temperature scale (ah chemistry hehehe). I sent a picture to all my chem professors, and they loved it. I’m in London now and will update soon!!Read more

  • Halle BooherEurope Study AbroadTraveler
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    I 🤍 London

    September 22, 2023 in England ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C

    We have made it to London! And it has been an incredibly busy and exciting last few days here. The pace in London is different from Rostrevor. There are a million things to do, places to eat, and not enough time to do it all! Thankfully we arrived here on a Friday, so we had the weekend to explore and adjust before classes resumed Monday. We’ve done lots of walking, ridden on buses and trains (which i love… the efficiency is incredible), and eaten at some wonderful restaurants. We don’t have kitchens here, so most of our meals we eat out. I’ve tried lots of new foods and drinks. I love how many options there are. We’ve gone thrifting, shopping, gotten our nails done. and went to a very interesting and bizarre shakespeare play at the globe. Big Ben was beautiful and I’m glad I was able to see it in all its glory since last time it was hidden by scaffolding. Today, we visited the Imperial War Museum which was heavy, but powerful. Love you all. It’s been hard to keep in touch with the time difference, so if you’ve texted or called me, I will respond as soon as I can. I appreciate your grace!Read more

  • Halle BooherEurope Study AbroadTraveler

    More of London

    September 26, 2023 in England

    Ok ok ok I've been meaning to post this for many days now. Embarrassing that I am just now doing it. . . but here are some awesome moments from London.
    It was Em's 20th birthday on September 26 so we went to dinner together. About 20 people squished into one table (too many in my opinion), but we had yummy dumplings. The next day some friends and I discovered Ed Sheeran's restaurant. Apparently he owns it? It had some amazing food and the best burrata I've ever had. That night we went to see a play called Mlima's Tale which was about the ivory trade. The main guy plays an elephant and he was fantastic (and also apparently was in the Barbie movie?) Then on September 29 we took a day trip to Coventry. We saw the Coventry Cathedral which was bombed during World War 2. The church is now committed to peace and reconciliation. We prayed the coventry litany of reconciliation with them. I would recommend reading it on your own! It is a great way to pray for the healing of our world. Churches around the world and especially in Europe often pray this prayer. That weekend I went to Borough's market which was super fun. Sarah, Mitchell, and I got cheese, bread, and Prosecco slushies. Perfect little snack.Read more

  • Halle BooherEurope Study AbroadTraveler
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    Goodbye London😓

    October 1, 2023 in England ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C

    Just a few pictures to share from the end of London. First, the NFL game I attended (AHHHHHH IT WAS SO FUN). It seriously was a blast. I had a great seat, sat by myself but was surrounded with amazing fans that were super invested in the game which is truly the best, and I got a T-shirt. The whole area was decked out in Jacksonville stuff so I became a Jaguars fan for the day. My last full day in London was on October 6. It really was a blast. I went with Sarah and Mitchell to a test kitchen in Notting Hill. We paid 7 pounds to get in, they seat you in a bookstore, and then you are served a 3 course meal. They try new recipes daily. It was super good and such a fun experience. Then we went shopping at Harrods… love. I found the most amazing pair of sunglasses that I decided to pass on as it would be a poor financial decision. BUT I did buymyself a curling iron because I was tired of my straight hair. Unfortunately I will now forever have a curling iron that plugs into a UK outlet. So I will always need an adapter to use it hahaha but I’d say it was worth it. Lastly, I put together a very short video (a “reel” as we like to call it) of some clips from London for you to see.
    Overall, London was fantastic. It seriously is the most beautiful city with beautiful people. It is big, there are so many things to do, so many different types of food, great public transportation, and we really lucked out with great weather for our time there. I MUST go back soon. The next update will detail how our group finally made it to Berlin after a cancelled flight:) stay tuned    Read more

  • Halle BooherEurope Study AbroadTraveler
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    Ich lebe in Berlin

    October 7, 2023 in Germany ⋅ 🌬 17 °C

    Hallo! I’ve been living in Berlin now for one week (it is currently October 14) so here is my summary and review of things so far:
    1. Our flight was cancelled from London to Berlin, so we ended up having to change airports. That turned travel day into a really really long day.
    2. Our first day in Berlin, one of our leaders Chris bought us all croissants and cappuccinos. Super yummy. Also I live directly above a coffee shop so I go there all the time. Today I ordered completely in German and answered all the baristas questions in German (what kind of milk, for here or to go, cash or card, etc). Yay.
    3. We went on a 3 hour boat tour of Berlin. No boat tour should ever be that long in my opinion. It was also all in German so I understood nothing except at the end when they said auf wiedersehen.
    4. That night we went to the light festival where they light up all of the big buildings including political buildings and museums.
    5. I was in a horrid mood the first few days here so that is why there is a picture of me sitting by myself on the tram. I put in my airpods and listened to music to make myself happier. Sometimes just hearing other people’s voices made me annoyed. That is definitely a me problem and not a them problem. And it’s better now.
    6. We travelled to Leipzig and went to a peace prayers service at a church for the 34th anniversary of a peaceful protest march where 70,000 people marched on october 9, 1989 for the freedom of those in east germany. Soon after, the berlin wall fell. The church played a big part in this. We couldn’t understand the German service, but did participate in Vater Unser (the Lord’s prayer) since we all know it in German now.
    7. We found peppa pig on the Berlin Wall
    8. Döner is so yummy it’s my new favorite food. Sarah loves it too.
    9. I found out my host family for my German Homestay (I’ll be there for 3 weeks starting October 23 while I’m studying at the German language school). I included a picture that I think is her. She’s a personal trainer. Her husband is a judge. They have a private lake. Apparently I have the rich family homestay. We shall see.
    10. Tyler comes to visit on Wednesday, and Im stoked. He’s meeting Sarah, Mitchell, and I in Prague. We’ll be there through Sunday for our fall break. Also today marks 5 years of us dating woohoo🤍    Read more

  • Halle BooherEurope Study AbroadTraveler

    End of Germany Pt 1

    October 16, 2023 in Germany ⋅ ☁️ 9 °C

    October 16- Grace, Rory, and I travelled to our homestay just to make sure that we didn't have any trouble finding the house. Our home is located an hour northwest of central Berlin. The small town is beautiful. It is quiet, full of trees, and our house backs up to a lake (actually a sea). We will live there starting October 22.
    October 17- our group travelled to Ravensbrück Concentration Camp Memorial. This camp was not a death camp, but was a work camp that primarily hosted women. I included 6 pictures of the camp. It is eerie how extremely beautiful the location is. There is a lake, there are many trees, and it is very quiet. It is hard for me to imagine the horrors that took place here. I was especially moved by the exhibit they had on women guards at the concentration camps. I found myself asking How? and Why? It is deeply sad and angering, but I was glad to visit the site after learning more about German history.    Read more

  • Halle BooherEurope Study AbroadTraveler
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    Fall Break in Prague

    October 18, 2023 in Czech Republic ⋅ ☁️ 12 °C

    Oct 18-22 was our fall break, and I took a trip on the train with Mitchell and Sarah to Prague. We had a horrible time getting there. We had 2 connections. We missed the first which put us on a later 2nd train. About 10 minutes before this train departed we realized that it wasn’t in the train station we thought it was in. This had us RUNNING around the station with our suitcases asking everyone in sight if they spoke English and if they knew where our train was supposed to be. Somehow, we found the right location and turns out our train was replaced by a bus…. so we took a random bus across the border from Germany to Czechia. It was super sketch. Note: this is all while we were trying to write papers due at 9pm that night. Then our last train took us to Prague where Tyler met us! He got in earlier that day, and we were so happy to see him!
    Our time in Prague was pretty relaxed. We saw a few sights like the Prague Castle, the National History Museum, and the Charles Bridge. We ate some awesome food and found a couple of cool cocktail bars. Overall our time was good and restful. I don’t know if I’d want to go back to Prague, but I’m glad I got to see it once. It was very beautiful, but I think I like the other European cities I’ve been to more. Also you have to pay for water at every restaurant (tap water isn’t an option or you still have to pay for it), so that seems unreasonable.
    I was sad for Tyler to leave, but I’m so glad that he was able to come visit. It was super fun to welcome him to Europe for the 1ST time ever. I hope we get to explore more places together in the future!    Read more

  • Halle BooherEurope Study AbroadTraveler

    Szczecin Poland

    November 3, 2023 in Poland ⋅ ☁️ 10 °C

    We went to Szczecin, Poland for one weekend during German Language School. It was a chance for our group to regather and spend some time together. Szczecin is a very interesting place... there wasn't a whole lot to do there, but it was the perfect place to rest. During our homestays, we were up to 2 hours away from friends, so it was nice to have the weekend all in the same hotel. I ate lots of yummy food (meat and potatoes which I had been craving), and I spent lots of time with friends- shopping and exploring the city. Also I have accidentally not been taking pictures so I stole some of these from my friend Isabella.Read more

  • Halle BooherEurope Study AbroadTraveler
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    End of Berlin

    November 6, 2023 in Germany ⋅ 🌬 10 °C

    The last few weeks of Berlin were great. I saw a few great museums- the Jewish Museum and the People/Body Museum were super cool. It definitely started to look like fall. The leaves all changed colors and the weather got much cooler. For our PE activities we went bowling and also to a trampoline park. I included a picture of Rory, Grace, and I with our host parents. They were really quite sweet. It was sad to say goodbye. And GLS ended! I am definitely not a German pro BUT I will say that I can understand it much better now. I at least have the ability to try and communicate with people in German now.Read more

  • Halle BooherEurope Study AbroadTraveler
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    Bratislava, Slovakia

    November 11, 2023 in Slovakia

    And now to the next new country! Slovakia! Definitely somewhere I never thought I would visit, but I am glad to be here. We spent the first few days in Bratislava- the capitol. Our hotel is super cute and is in the old city. There are a few different restaurants just across the street that have been scrumptious. I've also ordered eggs Benedict at about 5 different places. It must be a favorite here. While in Bratislava we visited a Jewish cemetery, a castle, and even had a class with Slovakian students.Read more

  • Halle BooherEurope Study AbroadTraveler
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    banska stiavnica, slovakia

    November 15, 2023 in Slovakia ⋅ ☁️ 8 °C

    Our next stop in Slovakia was Banska Stiavnica. This is an old mining town. Here, we saw an old castle, went into a mine, and learned about the "7 wonders of Banska Stiavnica." To be honest, it was kind of boring.Read more

  • Halle BooherEurope Study AbroadTraveler
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    The Tatras

    November 17, 2023 in Slovakia ⋅ 🌧 3 °C

    Next we made our way to the Tatra Mountains and stayed at a nice hotel/ski resort. Here I got to RELAX. I booked my massage and enjoyed the pool, sauna, and room service. We also had a couple of planned events. One day we went to a facility near the Ukraine/Slovakia border and learned about an organization that helps refugees. Another day we went to an integrated village where Roma and nonRoma live. It was fascinating to learn about, and it was a pleasure to meet so many lovely people. I have genuinely been shocked by the level of racism and sexism here in Slovakia. Remind me to tell you all about the Easter Monday tradition… We made a stop at the Tatra Tea store/factory? It’s a Slovakian specialty. We also went to a library with SUPER OLD books- it was really cool but no pictures allowed. Finally we visited a wooden church. Oh and then also our train caught on fire :)Read more

  • Halle BooherEurope Study AbroadTraveler
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    Thanksgiving in Bratislava

    November 23, 2023 in Slovakia ⋅ 🌙 5 °C

    We had a happy Thanksgiving in Slovakia this past week. We were back in the capitol city, Bratislava, and were able to celebrate there. It was sort of strange to be out of the country on Thanksgiving since other places obviously don't celebrate it. But we were able to make the most of what we had. In the morning I visited the Bratislava Christmas market. This was super exciting and was the first time it felt like the holidays. They had booths set up with food and drinks and they were setting up Christmas lights all around the square. I tried the holiday punch which was nice and warm and then headed over to the nearby university where we had Thanksgiving dinner. In Slovakia, it is traditional to have goose feasts so that is what we did. It was definitely not your normal Thanksgiving food, but it sufficed. We had goose, baked apples, potato salad, pumpkin pasta and these crepe looking things. Then we did some karaoke and our hosts, Alena and Juraj got our professors a cake since this is their last year of leading the study abroad program. It was sweet time together but I was really missing home. And I am really looking forward to seeing you all in just a few short weeks!Read more

  • Halle BooherEurope Study AbroadTraveler
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    Quick trip to Vienna

    November 24, 2023 in Austria ⋅ ☁️ 8 °C

    After Thanksgiving, I travelled with the rest of the seniors (Sarah, Mitchell, Isabella, and Tyler) to Vienna, Austria for the weekend. Sarah booked us a lovely airbnb which worked out great and was just north of the city. Upon arrival, we quickly found lunch at an Italian restaurant. Yum. That evening we went to a smaller Christmas market and then had dinner at a sushi restaurant. I am so happy to say that I ate the sushi and even liked it a little. I know my family will be shocked. Back at the airbnb we watched a Christmas movie, the newish grinch movie (so cute) and then headed to bed. On Saturday, Isabella and I went on an adventure to find brunch. We walked through the snow to get there. It was SO cold and SO windy. I realized I should have bought a hat and a scarf. After brunch we found a super cute tea house and got a schokocinno which is hot chocolate and a cappuccino combined. It was so yummy. Then we met up with the rest of our group at the Rathaus Christmas market. It was adorable and it snowed while we were there which was magical (especially for Isabella who had never seen it snow before:) Then Isabella and I headed to Belvedere Castle because she really wanted to see the painting "The Kiss." It was a beautiful art museum. My stomach was feeling upset (sad) so I went home early and ended up watching part of the Ohio State vs Michigan football game with Mitchell and Sarah. Then Isabella and I got Indian food delivered to our house and watched Mall Cop with everyone. It was a great relaxing, and minimally adventurous weekend. Now we are back in Berlin for the rest of the trip!Read more

  • Halle BooherEurope Study AbroadTraveler
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    Tschuss Deutschland :(

    November 27, 2023 in Germany ⋅ ☁️ 1 °C

    I just finished my last few weeks in Germany and concluded my study abroad program. It was such a fun and meaningful end to our time together. We visited another church, a memorial for those executed during World War II, went to lots of Christmas markets, ice skating, visited Dresden, celebrated Isabella's birthday, and hung out one last time together as a group. Also Sarah and I started Gossip Girl. And we had lots of papers due so we became frequents at St Oberholz coffeeshop. Lastly, we read our final reflection essays to the class and it was so nice to hear memories from the trip and how each person was shaped by their experience. I would love to share mine or anything you all would like to know about my trip! There are so many stories to share. Right now I am in Barcelona with my mom and Aunt B. It was so so so so good to see them I am still smiling. We are enjoying a few days here and then heading home. They have asked to be featured on here so there will be a Spain update coming soon... :)Read more

  • Halle BooherEurope Study AbroadTraveler

    Barcelona, Spain

    December 13, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

    I was so blessed to be able to relax these past few days with two of my favorite people: my Mom and my Aunt B. I was SO excited to see them and spend time with them. I arrived in Barcelona on Wednesday and met them at our hotel. The hotel was beautiful and located on a busy shopping street with many nice stores and restaurants all around. The first day we found a place to get tapas, enjoyed a coffee in the hotel lounge, and had a yummy Italian dinner. The next few days we went to a basilica, the spa, and walked around the pier. The bright blue sky and palm trees reminded me so much of Santa Barbara. On Saturday we took a day trip to Montserrat. It was about an hour and a half train ride up the mountain to the little village. We went to the monastery, the museum, and went out to the viewpoints. It was good to get out of the city for a few hours and to enjoy nature and some beautiful architecture. Overall, our time was really nice. We ate some good food, met a lot of wonderful people, and I started transitioning out of speaking German. It still is hard for me to say "no" instead of "nein", but maybe those German phrases will just become a part of my vocabulary haha:) Right now I am at the airport ready to head home. Pray for safe travels today and that I make it home when I am supposed to. So far so good, but you know airports... anything could happen. Love you all and so happy to see many of you soon.Read more

    Trip end
    December 20, 2023
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