After a semester of studying abroad, I can say I have seen a lot of incredible places along the way. Each place that I visited holds a special place in my heart for all different reasons. Here are the places I've seen this semester and the ways they made me love them.

Edinburgh, Scotland

This is the first weekend trip I took during my semester abroad. For this reason alone, I will never forget Edinburgh. It made me feel independent and capable of going to a new place for a weekend. The town itself was so quaint, and I absolutely loved it. It also helped that there were tons of Harry Potter references throughout the city.

Cardiff, Wales

This was a day-trip we took one weekend, and it was a perfect day-trip. We toured a castle, ate street food, went to a Rugby Fanzone, and ate dinner on the bay.

Amsterdam, Netherlands

I adored Amsterdam. The way the livelihood of the city contrasted with the peaceful feel of the canals, bikes and tulips made my heart happy. There was amazing history within the city at the Anne Frank Museum, and I loved the people.

Brussels, Belgium

We took a bus from Amsterdam to Brussels and I'm so glad we did. We spent a day in the city and if you asked me what we did that day, I'd basically say that we ate...a lot. We had Belgium waffles (duh), cones of fries smothered in Ketchup and Samurai sauce, Belgium chocolate (duh again), and more waffles. It's safe to say we loved Brussels.

Berlin, Germany

Berlin was a cool place. I felt submerged in a lot of recent history the entire time we were there. We visited the history museum, saw the Reichstag, ate curry wurst, and even toured the Sachsenhausen concentration camp just outside of the city. I learned a lot that weekend and would love to go back to Germany one day.

Florence, Italy

We spent our week long fall break all over Italy, but the city that we lived in for that week was Florence. Florence felt small and easy to maneuver and it was full of everything I expected of Italy. The gelato was incredible and the leather market was possibly the best thing that's ever happened to me (and the worst thing that's happened to my bank account).

Pisa, Italy

Pisa was cool, but there honestly isn't much there besides the leaning tower. I'm so glad I got to see it, though because it actually is leaning and it's bizarre.

Siena, Italy

We spent a couple of hours in Siena, but I would absolutely go back. It was quaint and quiet and just an overall beautiful Italian town. The cobblestone roads and the laundry hanging out of peoples' windows was like a scene from a movie.

San Gimignano, Italy

We went to San Gimignano for one reason and one reason only - the best gelato in the world. It didn't disappoint.

Cinque Terre, Italy

This beautiful place will forever and ever have a special place in my heart. I can't even begin to describe the peace I felt that day being surrounded by such stunning scenes.

Venice, Italy

After the initial shock of the fact that there are literally no cars in Venice, I loved it a lot. The canals run all throughout the city and it's absolutely beautiful. There was amazing Venetian blown glass in nearly every store front and it felt like this secluded island of bliss and pretty things.

Copenhagen, Denmark

This was one of my absolute favorite weekends of the whole trip, and I think that's partially because I had no expectations going into it. I knew very little about Copenhagen, but I ended up adoring it. The people were so nice and the city itself was precious. We spent one of our afternoons/nights at Tivoli Gardens on Halloween, and it was actually one of the most fun things I did this entire semester.

Barcelona, Spain

Barcelona was incredible. It felt very different from all the other European countries I had visited throughout the semester because it was warm and sunny and beyond lively. The food was incredible and so, so fresh.

Disneyland Paris

I don't feel as if I can actually write about Paris since I didn't get to see the iconic parts of the city due to unforeseen circumstances. However, I did get to experience Disneyland Paris and it was perfect. I love all things Disney and Disneyland Paris did not disappoint. It was just as magical as I hoped it would be.

Wengen, Switzerland

This weekend trip came at just the right time. I am convinced that I needed the beauty of Switzerland this weekend more than I even realized. I have literally never seen such incredible views before. We stayed in an AirBnB up in the mountains of Wengen and woke up on Saturday to miles and miles of snow.

Dublin, Ireland

I only spent one night in Ireland toward the end of my semester; however, that was the perfect amount of time to feel like I really experienced Ireland. The people of Dublin were so kind. There were multiple occasions that someone offered to help us get somewhere or gave us good deals in restaurants. Their accents were also so fun to listen to.

London, England

Last but not least, the place I called home for three months. London will be one of my favorite cities for as long as I live. I love it. I love the people, I love the culture, I love everything about this popular city. I am so thankful that it was my home for the semester. There is no doubt in my mind that I will be back one day because I can't imagine my life without it.

These are just a few of the reasons that I loved all the places I got to see this semester. Writing this made me realize just how incredible of an opportunity this experience was. I cannot wait to travel more throughout my life, but what an amazing feat it is to have seen all these places at 20 years old.