Semana Santa

Don't let your dreams be dreams, just do it

---

When I think spring break, I picture a relaxing time by the beach. This spring break was not like that at all. It was the only time I was really exploring other parts of Europe, so 10 days, too many cities. Dreams came true, and new dreams were created. I have dreamed of going to Greece for ages and I finally made it! It was absolutely beautiful but did not exceed my expectations. It met my expectations but did not exceed my hopes. However, I have never felt more inspired to design than while in Greece. Greece became my muse during this trip. I now have a new dream to go back to Greece, design more dresses, and make them there. I hope someday it can happen.

---

Welcome to my spring break adventure! Each row of pictures is in the order of our travels. There are only 3 pictures from each place. I traveled with Armana for the entirety of the trip and Christine jumped in part of the way. It was an absolute riot! We started Saturday, April 13 at 4am. We took a BlaBlaCar (a rideshare company) to Seville. Man was it interesting. I slept a good majority of the time. In Seville we wandered around, seeing as many sights as possible. Let me tell ya, Seville is GORGEOUS! I wasn't sure what I was expecting, but it definitely exceeded my expectations. After a lot of wandering, we headed to the airport for our flight to Vienna! When we arrived in Vienna, it was a hot mess trying to find transportation to our hostel because it was 10pm. But we called an Uber to make life easier. The hostel was really nice and we were able to sleep well. The next day we made a quick trip to Hallstatt, Austria! It is a beautiful little town by the lake of Hallstatt. We spent a couple of hours walking around and then we discovered these delicious pastries, that we still don't know the name of, but honestly, they were the most amazing things I have ever eaten (see pic above)! After a couple of hours of wandering and eating, we headed back to Vienna. Another successful day! On Monday, we spent the day in Vienna! Vienna during the day was pretty, but seemed like a lot of the other cities I'd visited. But Vienna at night was stunning! Cities take on an entirely different view and vibe at night. The most exciting thing to happen during the day was that we walked 1.5 hours to a well-known palace, which ended up not being very pretty. However, the gardens were beautiful so it evens out. We ended the night at a cute café, eating traditional Viennese desserts. Getting to the airport the next day was much easier, we just took a train there and everything was good to go. At around 3pm we landed in SANTORINI! The public transportation system in Santorini is very interesting but well-connected. We met up with Christine at the bus station in Fira, which is where we were staying. After relaxing for a bit we headed to Oia, which I was told is the most popular city in Santorini (I obviously did not do my research before traveling). We explored the little alleyways and the little shops. We took a lot of pictures and we even got to see the sunset! For dinner, we had gyros, which are now one of my favorite things. That night, Armana and I went to what we thought was a local bar, but Santorini is so full of tourists that it was really a tourist bar. The next day we visited the beach! We went to Akrotiri for the red beach, which really was black with red rocks. Imagine a beach in Sedona (for all my AZ peeps). I was the only one who got in, but it was nice and relaxing. The water was actually warmer than the air haha. After exploring the beaches in Akrotiri, we headed back to Fira so that we could explore there too. It was really pretty and we definitely got our steps in. That night, Armana and I flew to Athens! We ended up staying in the Athens airport overnight so that we didn't have to spend money on a room and so that we could head into the center with Christine the next morning. It was a rough night, but we were able to get an hour or two of sleep. Once Christine arrived we took the metro to the center and then headed to our Airbnb. I discovered along the way that I don't like Greek coffee. Once we got settled in the Airbnb, we headed to the Acropolis! I feel like I was expecting more of the ancient architecture to be standing, but that's not the case. When we reached the Acropolis, we got in line only to discover that it was closed due to the weather. So we went to the Acropolis museum instead. I loved it! But then again I love most museums because I get to learn more. After the museum, we checked out the Temple of Zeus, Olympia, and the Panathenaic Stadium. The rain let up at that point so we decided to head back to the Acropolis and try and get in. It was a good thing we did because there was no line to wait in and we got to take our time seeing everything! We ended the night exploring the city center and eating at a restaurant that our Airbnb host recommended. Our next location was Wroclaw or Breslavia! When we arrived, we were surprised by how cheap public transportation was, less than $1 to get to the city center from the airport... Insane. We headed to our Airbnb, got settled in and then went to the Market Square, which is one of the largest market squares in Europe. We ate pierogi, walked around, enjoyed the ambiance of the city. We explored a good amount of the city because Christine was leaving the next morning. The next day Armana and I took a last minute trip to Wałbrzych, which is where the third largest castle in Poland is located. We had to hike about an hour to get to the castle, but the hike was peaceful and the castle was beautiful. The entire trip did not go as planned, but we still had a great day. We ended the night back in Breslavia, enjoying the laid back atmosphere of the Market Square. The next day we explored more of Breslavia and even went on a WW2 and Jewish heritage tour. It was really cool to learn more about the history and see the city in a different light. I think I'll be joining a tour whenever I visit a new city. After the tour, we went back to the Market Square, ate more pierogi, then headed to the airport for our last flight of the trip to Alicante! When we arrived it was almost midnight, so we took the bus to the center then walked a bit in the rain to our Airbnb. Our Airbnb host was so nice! He helped us get settled in and even made the check out process super simple. Our day in Alicante was fun! We hiked to the Castillo de Santa Bárbara, relaxed at the beach, and even walked the boardwalk. We finished the trip by taking the bus back to Madrid. Overall, spring break was CRAZY, but a very incredible experience! Now onto May break...

---

This upcoming week (or next few weeks) is going to be CRAZY! There are group projects due, presentations to present, and tests to study for. The groups are just now starting to get into work mode with two weeks left! Please pray that I am able to find time to take care of myself and that I don't get too stressed with all the deadlines. Also, pray for the motivation to keep going. We are so close to the end of the semester, but I really want to go home and rest, relax, and spend time with my family. Please also pray that doors will be opened for this summer. I know it seems so far away but I'm already thinking about getting a job, taking a class, and travel plans. It's easy to get swept away in planning and forget to enjoy the moment. Thank you for your prayers and support!!

---

Thank you for reading to the end! Or scrolling to the end....

If you have any ideas on how to make the website or blogs better, LET ME KNOW! I hope you have an amazing week!

Until next time!