I loved walking through Rome, and seeing the streets that others, more than 2,000 years ago would have walked on. The one day in Florence was not enough, though if I ever return in November, I will be sure not to wear shorts. Barcelona was simply gorgeous, and despite the many hours spent talking to the police, it was worth visiting. Amsterdam has to be my favorite. I biked around, in the rain and sleet in the city of sin. In the end I lost my passport. But if I had to lose my passport as a trade for the trip I wouldn't hesitate going again.

All in all the trip was so much fun, too much fun I must admit.

What interested me the most, was that talking to the police, whether you are in California, or Vermont, Barcelona, or Amsterdam is exactly the same experience, except with added language barriers. The lights, that make you feel guilty and suck the juice out of your eyes are always blinking rhythmically. People always look rather "lifeless." The police seem judgemental and seem to care more about their own regulations, than about actually helping people. I was surprised in Barcelona, that there were a lot more female cops and they were all gorgeous. Government buildings are never open when you need them to be. the U.S. Consulate in Barcelona only operated from 9am to 1pm. No government agency quite knows what the rules are. You get led from one place to the next, in order to get you off someone's back, not in order to help you.

I am not a criminal, but I have had to work, if you can call it that, with the police more than I'd ever like to. I am sure they don't appreciate all the rules that make it harder for them to help people. That is why you become a police officer right?

If it were not for the sweetest Spanish lady in Barcelona, who took time out of her reporting her car being broken into, to help us translate to the police, we would never have made the flight to Amsterdam. If it had not been for 1 police officer in Holland, who took the time to sit down with me. I would never have made it back to Dublin.

Just for reference for future travelers, if you are studying in Dublin and you have your GNIB card (if you study abroad here you will know what this is) you can travel within the EU without a passport, so long as you have a police report and that card. Don't let anyone tell you other wise.

I couldn't believe all the crap we had to swim through to get through this trip, but I also can't believe all the help we got from people you would never expect it from.

I know they will not ever see this, but thank you so much to the wonderful woman in the police station near Barcelona who translated for 3, very hopelessly confused Americans. And thank you also to the police man in the airport police station, who didn't try to send us to the embassy, but sat down with 2 sleepy and 1 weepy American to try to get them back home. You not only helped us in that moment, but you reaffirmed what was a shaky faith in people.