Top Twenty Moments of Studying Abroad

In No Particular Order....

1. Exploring the Royal Library in Copenhagen.
2. Walking down the Unter den Linden at sunset from Alexanderplatz to the Victory Column and climbing on a Soviet tank. 
3. Eating a delicious quiche in a quiet Amsterdam courtyard with two good friends and a Banksy work behind us. 
4. Speeding down the autobahn at nearly a hundred miles an hour.
5. Playing ping-pong in a bare-bones hole in the wall bar with native Berliners.
6. Climbing to the top of Our Savior Church in Copenhagen on a beautiful Saturday morning. 
7. Helping repaint the Vaterland mural on the East Side Gallery with artist Günther Schaefer. 
8. Ordering a three-liter tap of beer with friends, old and new, at a bar in Kreuzberg. 
9. Seeing the city explode with life with the advent of spring. 
10. Sitting on the Dingli cliffs drinking a beer and overlooking the beautiful Mediterranean with a new friend.
11. Wrestling and playing with my youngest host brother.
12. Racing public transport - U-Bahn vs. Bus
13. Sitting on the top of my friend's houseboat in Amsterdam with three friends from home, eating fresh fruit, snacks and sandwiches in the sun on a beautiful day. 
14. Spending the day with a friend and his fascinating hostparents exploring the Teufelsberg NSA Listening Post, wandering around Wannsee, and petting a cat for first time in two months.
15. Commuting regularly on the S-Bahn, U-Bahn, trams and buses. 
16. Feeling the weight of memory and history when visiting the Soviet War Memorial on the 75th anniversary of World War II's end in Europe. 
17. Wandering Mauerpark market and listening to street performers
18. Regular talks over jasmine tea with my host family.
19. Taking a boat ride to the Blue Grotto in Malta, and absorbing the beauty of the Mediterranean. 
20. Seeing a friend for the first time in four years and exploring Berlin together for May Day weekend.