For my last 2 weeks in Europe, I planned a couple quick trips so that I wasn't sitting in a Berlin apartment all week just eating yogurt (which there is nothing wrong with, as I fell in love with German yogurt).

Amsterdam was a spot that was 100% on my list, as it is the former home of my very dear friend Henri Hooft. Lucky for me, his daughter still lives there and she was my tour guide for the trip. A boat ride through the canals, a cup of the best ice cream I have ever had, and a delicious dinner t an amazing Chinese spot, all would not have been possible without her. I really dug the city. Cool shops, a busy downtown, and what seemed like a very open and diverse crowd.

Amsterdam, Holland

I knew I wanted to go to Spain, but I wasn't sure if I wanted to do Madrid or Barcelona. To be honest, it was just a coin flip. I speak bad Spanish, so I was excited to go somewhere where I could sort of communicate with the locals. In Berlin, my beyond awful German got me nowhere. Unfortunately, and to the shock of most, Barcelona didn't really do anything for me. Maybe I had been spoiled this whole trip with some amazing cities, so I was expecting too much. Either way, I'm glad I went, but I am a bit bummed that the city didn't really speak to me the way I had hoped.

Barcelona, Spain