What Dreams Are Made Of.

"Hey now, hey now.

This is what dreams are made of."

- Lizzie McGuire/Isabella.

You know how they all say "save the best for last"? Well if that means going to Italy and Greece at the end of our study abroad program, I will totally take it.

Don't get me wrong: I was waiting for ages for this trip and my expectations were beyond high. I romanticized the thought of what I'd seen in movies like Sisterhood or Lizzie McGuire. I just imagined perfection in each city we planned to see.

And that's exactly what I got and more.

I can definitely tell you there is not a better way to say goodbye to the continent I called home for a semester than to watch a sunset by the pool or eat pizza next to ancient buildings. Even typing that sentence makes it sound as epic as it was. 

I am so lucky to have this life and for the memories I made throughout the past four months. It hit me even more so as I sat on our Greek front porch and watched the sun go down to bring the small stars out. Man, I am too lucky. No doubt.

It really has been what dreams are made of.

I may not have met my Paolo, but Rome still gave me some of the best spaghetti and gelato I could have asked for. And unlike boys, good food will never let you down. (Yeah, Paolo. You don't lie to nice girls about international music awards.)

Santorini. Talk about a place that absolutely changed my life. Take the most beautiful thing you have ever seen and multiply that by 10. That, right there, is Santorini for you. From Oia to Fira, everything is perfect. It's the closest to heaven and euphoria that I will ever get. No joke. I think my most used phrase was, "I wish we had another week here." Something along those lines. Promise you I will be back sooner rather than later. 

It's hard to match the wonder that is Santorini. But Athens is one city that surprised me more than I thought. Yes, I wanted to see the ruins and learn about the history. But the Greek just know how to run this whole business of being awesome. While the language may be Greek to me, I am sure of the fact that I love this country and I could not be more thankful for it being our last stop upon the Euro tour. (P.S. No coffee will ever match the perfection that is freddo cappuccinos.)