Spending four weeks in Paris, France was life-changing. I rode a bike through the Louvre at sunset, saw the Eiffel Tower sparkle and dipped my feet in the Seine.

Living and learning in a location where the most haunting events in world history happened is an experience unparalleled by anything you can learn in a classroom or read in a textbook.

I have never been as happy as I was when I found myself exploring the streets and the monuments of Italy with a group of my best friends, eating all the gelato, tomatoes, and mozzarella we could get our hands on, and watching as the sun set over the Vatican and the lights went up in the Coliseum.

Everything touched upon in the classroom, from Irish history, literature, and art to modern European economic issues, was brought to life outside of it. The walking tour of Dublin, weekend trips to the south and north of Ireland, day trips to the Boyne Valley, Kilmanham Gaol, and Glendalough put everything into perspective.

The one-on-one experience I had with my teacher, Dr. Stackhouse, was amazing and her knowledge of London, its transportation, food, and sights was invaluable to a novice to the city such as me.