April, my last full month in Scotland, was my most eventful month by far. Not only did I have final projects and exams to prepare for, but I had multiple trips coming up that I had planned before realizing how busy I would be. I began the month working day and night to make progress on my final capstone project; I knew I would be going on a lengthy trip during Heriot Watt’s April break, so I wanted to get as much done as I could before I left. Fortunately, I made enough progress that I was able to finish the project on time with my group – but it was close.

On April 6, I took a flight to Milan with two of my flatmates to meet a friend from home. On the way there, we passed over the Swiss Alps, granting some of the most breathtaking views I’ve ever seen. As soon as we landed, we met up with my friend for delicious pasta, as we were all starving from our airplane food diet. Our first Italian meal was very good, and we each made sure to sample all the food on the table. Thus began our tradition of jealousy-induced food sharing for the rest of the trip; someone else always seemed to have ordered something better. Over the next few days in Milan, we explored the sights at Lake Como, visited the ancient ruins beneath the Duomo and ate a scenic dinner along the Navigli canals.

After four days in Milan, my flatmates flew back to Edinburgh while my friend and I took a train to Florence. We arrived in Florence without much of a plan, but after walking for no more than 20 minutes from the train station, we stumbled across the towering Florence Cathedral. The image of the cathedral peeking through the narrow street as we first set eyes on it will be seared in my mind forever. For the next five days we hopped around Italy, visiting the Colosseum and Vatican City in Rome, eating great pizza in Naples and – my favorite – exploring the ruins at Pompeii. In fact, I got to recreate an image from the exact same spot in Pompeii that I stood in 10 years ago.

Unfortunately, my friend had to fly back home, so I headed to Munich alone for a short solo trip. Munich had beautiful buildings, a great art museum – the Alte Pinakothek (Old Picture Gallery) – and some excellent sausages. Berlin was also very nice, with no shortage of museums, monuments and delicious German food.

By the time I flew back to Edinburgh from Berlin, I was exhausted. My allergies were killing me, I desperately needed a shower and my ears were partially deaf from the RyanAir flights. However, I did not regret a single moment of my trip and would’ve done it all over again if I could. Once I arrived home, I had about four days to continue working on my capstone project before I headed back out to Budapest for a short final trip.

I was amazed by Budapest’s beautiful architecture, rich history, and of course, its delicious food. Lángos, a fried flatbread with cheese, garlic, sour cream and seemingly any topping you could imagine, was one of my favorites. I didn’t know much about Budapest before I went, so I was very pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed my stay there. In all, April was an excellent way to cap off my study abroad experience. I got to interact with a wide variety of different cultures, lifestyles and people over the short span of a few weeks, an experience that I will certainly never forget. Now that the month has passed and I’ve come home, I’m just waiting for an opportunity to go back.

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Learn more about this blogger’s study abroad program: Heriot-Watt University