Hiatus Update

Yes yes I know it's been a quite a while since my last post in late February. You'll be happy to know that I've just wrapped up an 8 week break jam packed with fun and travelling, hence the lack of activity. I was on the road for the majority of February and March visiting friends and seeing new places; a 2 month break in between semesters wasn't so bad! This post isn't going to be a fleshed out story from one of my travels, but instead will be a little update on where I'm going from here and what I'm up to.

I'm going to break up each travel destination into its own blog post. Hence, I plan on writing 5 separate posts to paint the picture of how I spent the 8 week break.

Part 1: Karneval

For readers who know about Mardi Gras, Karneval is no new concept. It is the same holiday, just celebrated with the German twist. Karneval was the first thing that kicked off my break, and I was able to host my friends Samson, Miranda, Samir, and Justine for it.

Dressing up as LSU fans during a day at Karneval

 Part 2: Nottingham, London, and Cambridge

My first stop while travelling during the break was over to England to visit Samson, who studies at the University of Nottingham. On the way I made detours to London and Cambridge and for the first time got to experience English culture.

Wollaton Hall, Nottingham

Part 3: Paris, France

I went straight from London to Paris to visit Miranda, who studies in Paris this semester. I stayed for a week in her tiny little apartment right around the corner from the Arc de Triomphe and experienced Paris culture. My first time in France was a blast!

A real French dinner with Miranda, Justine, and Justine's family

Part 4: Cape Town, South Africa

I flew down to Africa to meet up with my old roommate Martin, who is studying abroad in Cape Town for the Spring semester. I stayed there for a week, did a bunch of hiking, swam with penguins at the beach, a handful of touristy things, and had an absolute blast.

View from Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden

Part 5: Road Trip through Namibia

After my week in Cape Town wrapped up, Martin, two friends and I flew to Namibia and started a 10 day road trip through the country. We hit some of the most photogenic parts of the country, did a safari tour through the National Park, saw the sunrises and sunsets over the deserts and plains, and much more. I had the time of my life.

View of Deadvlei

So I hope to have these posts out soon. My second semester at the University of Bonn began the second week of April so things are just now rolling again. The semester will run through the end of July, but the (unfortunate) realization that my year abroad is ending sooner rather than later is hitting hard. The time is flying by, and I honestly can't believe it. I know the coming semester will be packed with fun activities, a few trips, interesting classes, and much more. Let the 4 month countdown begin!