Dear Europe,

I promise I have been meaning to write to you, but this past week has been a little hectic. I have celebrated three birthdays (my best friend’s, America’s, and my brother’s), I unpacked the suitcase and three carry-ons I brought back, and tried to catch up on both sleep and The Bachelorette as much as possible. Therefore, I have just gotten around to writing you a much deserved thank you letter. The twenty-one days you hosted me and my “family” felt like twenty-one minutes and are the days I hope to remember as I sit in a rocking chair telling my great-grandkids stories about “the good old days” in the far future.

The first thing I want to thank you for is reminding me that not all of the world is a bad place. Recently, our lives have been filled with tragic mass shootings, terrorist threats and attacks, and news headlines too horrific to even imagine happening, however, all of these events are very much happening. Getting a travel advisory for several of the beautiful sites I planned to visit put me on edge. Watching terror unfold three hours away from my home and being a million miles away, seeing no trash cans in Italy because of a fear bombs might be dropped, and not being allowed to stop in front of the United States embassy, my own country, because of heavily armed guards sending me away made me even more scared. However, with every step we took and the six countries we visited I received more love than hate. I met people from all around the world and we all shared feelings of awe as we looked at the beauty of a new place. We shared an enumerable amount of hugs, handshakes, and smiles with strangers we met on our adventures. Most of the time, we even shared a look: a look that said let's make the world a little better today. Maybe this is the idealist in me but I am pretty sure that my paranoid self prevents me from being an idealist, therefore, my thoughts must be a reality. A testament to this reality is our Athenian guide, Yota, wishing us a “good life” and moving everyone on the bus with those words. How often have you told someone that? Or even thought about what a “good life” is? Therefore, I am pretty sure that while some people are out in the world doing bad, most of us are really just trying to do good. At least, in my opinion, I would rather live in a world of hope and a chance for the better than in what might be a bad chapter of my future grandchildren’s AP History book (what it feels like most of the time). Europe, thanks for helping me see the good hidden behind the bad.

Secondly, thank you for reminding me life can begin again. While in Europe, I celebrated the year anniversary of what could have possibly been the worst summer in history. I was lost, confused, and quite frankly searching for myself in places I would never be found. Last year, I stood on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial longing for home and searching for answers to life’s question. Those are emotions I will never forget nor wish to forget because as cliche as it sounds they help me realize when life is good. For example, a year later I am proud to say I stood in front of the Louvre wondering when I would be back and feeling truly happy with my life/self at the moment. With such a contrast in emotions, I knew my life had begun again. What felt like my life crumbling faster than the ruins of the Parthenon (a must see in Athens, seriously 100+ degree weather and all) became the foundation of my real life Leaning Tower. I say the Leaning Tower because the foundation of the tower is so strong that no matter how far away the tower tilts it never falls much like the new life I aspire to live. I also came back from Europe invigorated to make life changes: become healthier both physically and mentally. I have the rush to change and grow like never before and I think its because of the incredible energy I absorbed abroad. Europe, thanks for being the birthplace of a new me and reminding me that we can move past our toughest struggles.

Thank you for reminding me that a real relationship (friendship, romantic, or familial…) is rooted in one thing: unconditional love. This might be the most important lesson I learned while visiting you because so far its the only one that gave me goosebumps and made tears well up in my eyes. I learned this lesson on so many levels this trip it is difficult to say exactly one moment but I will try my best. For the past 18 years, I heard the term unconditional love and know I have certainly been loved in this manner before, however, I never understood the meaning. In turn, I never knew how special it was to receive/give that kind of acceptance and affection. Unfortunately, I did not find my hot European husband on this trip even though there were plenty of possible candidates (Best friend, you know exactly all the people I am talking about *wink wink*). However, when I do go back with that special someone I want to feel that unconditional love with him as much as I did by all the people on this trip. The unconditional love I felt on this trip came from my parents, all of them. My two dads who give me the opportunity to travel and teach me how important it is to learn about the cultures and the world in the meantime putting up with my sometimes bratty and selfish behavior. My mom who, while not on the trip, answered the phone no matter what time it was because of the time change and showed me that the truest form of unconditional love is being separated from your kids for a long period of time. Think of it this way, she let my brother and I be away from her even though she knew it would hurt her and that she might need us. I felt unconditional love as my best friend put Vicks Vapor Rub (Viks Vaporu) on my back when I felt as if I couldn't breathe, but more importantly when we shared long conversations about life and the future. When we were reminded about the good times and the bad and how we lived through the torturous high school years by each other's sides. I was even reminded of it when she gave me her signature head tilted “Tiffany” that means I must have done something stupid but the love was still there because even though I did something stupid she was still willing to help me correct it. Is that not what we all ask for in a friendship? A person to be there during the best and worst of times to make you feel as if an entire army stood by you when in reality it was jus the two of you looking like little half-dead cats. Plus on the few occasions she did something totally outside of her comfort zone, I felt just as proud and hope she feels that the leaning in was totally worth it. Lastly, the love came from the family that grew out of this trip “The Garbagez”! They saw me in the morning, smelled me after sweating all day, and helped me overcome extremely difficult language barriers. Some of us stood in the rain together, others of us played “bingo” all night, but all of us grew fond of the other 19 strangers we were destined to travel with. Through every disagreement and celebration, we grew together. I gained an entirely new family, unlike the other ones I have acquired over time but every time I meet a group of people like this I have to celebrate it. A friendship became a family. Strangers became siblings. Like became love. Europe if the only thing you have taught me is how to love then I think you have taught me a lifetime worth of knowledge.

Now on to much lighter subjects. Thank you for exposing me to your food. From baklava and gyros in Greece to spaghetti in Italy ending with escargot in France. I ate food and experienced dining like never before. It tasted authentic and it made my stomach never want to eat American food again. However, my favorite meal may or may not have been at Cagney's Steakhouse. Thank you for making me put down my phone. Yes, you had the power to make 9 teenagers get off their iPhones for the most part and in turn made us have fun in ways we never expected #SaintSuzy #Stalkerpics. Thank you for the great Instagram photos, my feed has never been so pretty and my friends have never liked my pictures as much. I guess the European aesthetic does something to one's social media presence. Thank you for the tan. Something about the Mediterranean sun on my skin allowed me to loose that sickly white look I have. Not to mention without the pain of a terrible sunburn the Miami sun loves to bless me with. Thank you for teaching me to travel light-50lbs, one suitcase, twenty-one days… need I say more. Thank you for giving me group messages and blackmail pictures that will forever serve as a reminder of the bonds we created and the delirious moments we shared. Thank you for giving me catch phrases- Salty, Shady, Got to Blast, Pookie and Get together for a picture!

In turn, I could probably write an entire book thanking you, Europe, for the most amazing twenty-one days, but I am not to sure the whole world wants to read it so I will stop right here. However, I will leave you with the following hopes. May everyone find a place like the places I found within you, in which they find themselves. May people learn to dream bigger like I did while on my visit; all the while knowing that like the view from the top of Notre Dame we can only see the beauty of our dreams by climbing up to new heights. Lastly, may I forever feel the need to try new things, explore, and live life like I do at this very moment. Europe I love you and I hope to come and visit you soon because while I was there I left a piece of my heart that I should visit often. For now, all I ask is that you keep it safe. I will look back on these past few days and smile because to be honest it was life and I decided to live it.

With much love and thanks,

A wanderlust traveler