This week we went on our spring break/ one week break from school. We traveled all around Europe. We hit Krakow, Poland; Auschwitz-Birkenau; Prague, Czech Republic; Berlin, Germany; Munich, Germany; and Salzburg, Austria. But of all those places we saw, my absolute favorite thing we saw was the Alps. They were by far the most beautiful, breathtaking views I have ever seen. We really saw the Alps in three different places; the first time we saw the Alps we were on a train on our way to Neuschwanstein Castle in Füssen, Germany, in the region of Bavaria. Alongside the Alps, the castle was my absolute favorite place on our trip. It has been my dream since I was a freshman in high school to see this castle. It is absolutely everything I dreamed it would be, the mountains were towering over it on 3 sides, and everything around me just dwarfed me and I felt so insignificant next to all God’s creations and masterpieces. It was most definitely the perfect day for me. We went to go up to the bridge for a view of the castle, but it said it was closed because of the snow and it was dangerous. We really wanted to go to this bridge so, we did what any college traveler would do… we slipped around the barriers and signs, and hiked up the Alps, to the bridge where there is the most beautiful view of the castle nestled into the Alps. It is stunning. I legitimately did not want to leave at all. Jess, Lauren and Emelie had to convince me to leave.

After Neuschwanstein castle, where I thought the mountains could not be any more beautiful than what I had seen there, we saw another part of the Alps in Salzburg, Austria. They were so amazing and breathtaking. We went to the top of the observatory tower, at the top of the fortress, at the top of Monk Mountain in Salzburg and stared at the mountains.

I felt like I was on top of the world. After about fifteen minutes our tour guide told us we had to leave and go back down and I was so sad we had to leave. I felt so close to God when I was at the top of the tower, looking at all his creation as far as the eye could see. I loved everything about it. After we had to leave the tower, we went down a little lower where we could stay as long as we wanted and I stood and stared at the mountains for literally thirty minutes. It was literally the perfect day; the sun was shining as bright as could be, it was 65 degrees out, the sky was a prefect blue with puffy white clouds, and I didn’t even need my coat. I was wearing just a t-shirt. I could have stayed up there forever, but the other girls told me that we had to leave and go find Emelie.

The next day, we went on the Sound of Music Tour and we literally were driven an hour up into the mountains and it was the most breathtaking views, and I know I’ve already said that but this was seriously amazing. I literally cried I was so happy, and everyone made fun of me. I wanted to climb the mountain and pick some edelweiss all while singing the song “Edelweiss” out loud for all the mountains to hear. I was seriously in my element the entire time I was in the mountains. I hope someday I have an opportunity to go back there. It was absolutely amazing.