Ice Skating in Wien

Before leaving for this trip, we tossed around the idea of traveling to Budapest on the final day. When that day finally came, the majority of us decided on having a relaxing day in Wien instead of spending 5 extra hours of travel the day before our 11-12 hour flight home. To start the day off right, we turned off the alarms and slept in. After a breakfast at the hostel we spent 2 hours at the Central Café. In Europe, it's very traditional to spend multiple hours at a Café and read multi newspapers, or come with a few friends and have in depth discussions about each other's lives. We used this time to reflect on the entire trip. We also discussed how life is going to be different from here on out. For me personally, I have been inspired to live a greener lifestyle that is more sustainable. Europe has taught me that man kind has the ability to take care of the planet and make it a better place for generations to come.

To further our amazing day, a large group of us went ice skating. This was no ordinary ice skating rink however. There were three big ovals that were connected by a series of trails. This was my first time going ice skating and oh my goodness it was fantastic. Annalise thankfully stuck by me in the beginning while I was trying to figure it all out because she has had a lot of past experience with ice skating. Claire and I were cracking up because how much we were struggling but we both got the hang of it! It was fun to skate up behind members of the group and take action photos of them. We were all so encouraging to each other and I honestly can't imagine having a better time. We could've saw Budapest but we ended up having the most fun and relaxing day of the entire trip, and so I'm confident that we made the right choice. It was so nice to cherish all of these amazing friendships that have been truly cemented over this past month. I cannot stress how incredible this trip has been and how I am forever changed in a positive way. I'm very thankful that I was able to share this experience with my friends.