I had always wished to visit Europe for my 15th birthday. The idea of going to the other side of the world to visit the old towns, bathe in their cristine beaches, and meet people with diverse lifestyles was fascinating to me. In the summer of 2023, this dream was finally able to come true. Even though my birthday was in October, I traveled 4,429 miles in July to make it to Europe. With school taking up most of my time, I couldn’t find a more ideal time to go than this summer. My travel partner for this trip was my dad and we chose to go to three different countries. 

My dad’s whole family is from Madrid, Spain, so that was our first destination. We also decided to go to visit the beautiful city of Barcelona because I wanted to be able to visit as much of Spain as I could. Our journey then took us to Genoa, Italy and Budapest, Hungary. Out of all the places we went to, I would definitely have to say my favorite was Madrid. The city was breathtaking and the people were so welcoming and kind. There were a vast variety of tourist attractions that made for a full day of adventure. Additionally, I loved Barcelona for the same reasons, but I felt most connected with Madrid. I am a big fan of both of their soccer teams, so I went to the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium and Camp Nou to see where they played and find out more about their history. 

After visiting Spain, we went to the boot of Europe: Italy. Italy was as gorgeous as I thought it would be. The authentic food was amazing as was the scenery and beaches. I had never visited the beaches in Italy before, so I went to experience it for the first time. It was honestly unbelievably stunning and not comparable to any other. Due to everything in Italy being so close together, we didn’t rent a car. We spent the time to walk around and get a feel for the views it had to offer. Every place we went to was unique and beautiful in so many different ways. We walked up a mountain that led us to a small town where they had delicious homemade food in the restaurants and homemade clothes in the family-owned shops. The last day in Italy, we visited other areas nearby, such as Chiavri and Portofino, and saw as much of the country as we could, which was my main goal. 

When we got to Budapest, I found out my suitcase had gotten lost and didn’t know when I would get it. Fortunately, I received it the next day, right before coming back home. We saw so many castles and beautiful architecture which were fascinating to see as the United States doesn’t offer the type of architecture found on this side of the world. The whole city of Budapest seemed like it was straight out of a movie. It was just so incredibly different compared to back home. We went to the Vajdahunyad Castle, which had a large lake in the front in which people were able to rent boats. There was also a ravishing garden that was surrounded by many statues of Hungarian history. The whole city was filled with carefully detailed monuments that all had a different meaning and story behind them which allowed me to learn more about their rich past. 

In two weeks, I was able to discover the beauties and wonders of three different countries. Europe was the best way to celebrate my 15th birthday and I definitely hope to go back and experience the same rich culture, cuisine, and people as I was able to do this summer. It was definitely an unforgettable trip filled with so many memories and long lasting experiences!