After my escapades in Italy, I went off on my own. After saying a potential lasting goodbye to all the new friends I had made on my trip, I set off on a train headed north...all the way up to London. I spent 2 nights there and ended up meeting with one of my moms old friends to meander through the British Museum and get lunch at a classic English Pub. Him and all his friends were extremely kind and I'm so glad I got to spend some time with him.
After London I headed out east, via train, to Germany. In Germany I met up with my step family who took me into their home for the week. I had been there once before with my family, but this was my first time going alone. It was really nice to get to know that side of my family a little better and see what things they thought would be very interesting to me. I stayed in Frankfurt and Berlin for that week. After roughly a week in Germany, I set out on my last leg, off to France.
I graduated high school in 2016, and that summer, my aunt took me to Paris, France. And on my last leg of the trip, I decided to head back. I was in Paris for the 2018 World Cup, and I also happened to be there during Bastille Day. When I went to go see the Arc de Triomphe and the Eiffel Tower, they were both closed, which was kind of upsetting, but even seeing them from far away took my breath away. I had stayed in Paris for 1 night and two days, heading back to the United States.
This nearly month long journey I took had changed me forever. I am now an even more independent person than when I started.
I will forever be thankful to the people who made this happen.