After 5 years of trying to coordinate this trip, my cousin Erin and I finally visited Portugal. We ate and drank our way through the cities of Porto, Lisbon, and Cascais in the span of a week.

I visited my cousin Madeline and her family in Stuttgart, Germany. Together we explored Esslingen, Heidelberg, and the Black Forest. After a transportation strike canceled my solo trip, I changed plans and visited Ludwigsburg and the Ludwigsburg Palace.

A trip to the Mediterranean is the perfect Summer experience. Not wanting to travel solo, I signed up for one of Contiki's group trips: Rome to Barcelona by Train hosted by the YouTuber Morgan Yates.