At first, fall break seemed like a daunting time period. When I got to Florence, many people already had plans for break like having parents visit or going to see friends studying abroad somewhere else in Europe. However, I knew that I wanted to solo travel at some point, so I decided that along with a few mini trips with friends, I would embark on a solo trip! My fall break ultimately consisted of 3 different trips to Zürich, Edinburgh, and Amsterdam.

Zürich, Switzerland

The first segment of my break was with two of my friends in Zurich! We took an overnight bus from Florence and arrived on a rainy morning. After getting some overpriced coffee and delicious bagel breakfast sandwiches, we walked around old town Zurich and took a cruise around Lake Zurich! Then, we went to our Airbnb and made tomato soup and grilled cheese for dinner (the kitchen was very bare bones to say the least). The next day, we went on a hike in Sihlwald and then continued exploring that night. The last day in Zurich started off with a trip to the Lindt factory, which was definitely a highlight for me! We stopped by the cafe and I had a Lindt hot chocolate and got a few Lindor truffles to try! Before I knew it, my time in Zurich had come to an end and I departed on the solo leg of my journey!

Edinburgh, Scotland

I have to admit, I am definitely not somebody that you would think of when solo traveling comes to mind. Before this trip, I liked my occasional alone time, but I love being around people and traveling solo felt like something way out of my comfort zone. However, I was determined to make the most out of my 2 days in Edinburgh! The first day, I went on a 12 hour bus tour through the Scottish Highlands, which I cannot reccomend enough. On the tour, I met the sweetest older couple from Colorado Springs who I sat by on the bus and got to know by the end of the day! The trip took us to see highland cows, visit Glencoe (where scenes from Skyfall were filmed- if you know me, I am the biggest James Bond fan ever, so I totally fangirled). Then we went to the Glenfinnan Viaduct, which is more commonly known as the bridge from Harry Potter. Although the weather wasn’t the greatest, the fog hanging low over the hills made everything feel magical. Along the way, we stopped in a few more cute villages and got back to Edinburgh late that night! The next day, I wandered around Edinburgh, stopping at Dean Village, Prince St Gardens, Advocate’s Close, St. Giles Cathedral, the National Museum of Scotland, and I got a pint at Greyfriar’s Bobby! That evening I got an early dinner at Dishoom, which I had in London 7 years ago and knew I had to go back (the Indian food is SOOOO good, I wouldn’t stop gushing about it for days after). I ended my night at Knoops, where I got the best hot chocolate of my life with cinnamon and a homemade marshmallow (it blew the Lindt out of the water!!). The next day, I caught a flight to my final destination! Overall, this was definitely my favorite part of my break- I got pushed out of my comfort zone, and learned so much about myself (I know that is such a cliche, but whatever).

Amsterdam, the Netherlands

I knew that Amsterdam would be the perfect end to my trip- I visited my junior year of high school with my childhood best friend and our moms for our 16th birthday and I had dreamed of coming back ever since. I also got to meet up with my roomate/partner in crime, Kira and her family here! Although it was only a day and a half, I fell in love with Amsterdam all over again. The first day, we got in and just walked around Amsterdam, got drinks at a cute bar and dinner at Verona (ironically got Italian food even though I have had enough pasta in Florence to last a lifetime!). Side note- Kira’s older sister got food poisioning from this restaurant so maybe beware. The next day, Kira and I got breakfast at Pluk, a cafe I had tried during my first visit to Amsterdam and we also stopped by the hotel I stayed at to grab some of their delicious room scent. We went to the Anne Frank House museum which was incredibly powerful- not only how resilient Anne was but how positive of an attitude she had despite the circumstances. We ended this night with a cruise at dusk and then after a stroopwaffel sweet treat, tucked in for the night.

Fall break truly flew by and I loved getting to reunite with old friends, make new ones, and experience so many new places!

Arrivederci,

Caroline