Nice Trip

A couple of weeks ago, my professors told us that we would not be having class March 16, 17, or 18. So, I decided to take a last minute vacation to Nice, France and Monaco. Since it was during the week, all of my friends still had classes, so I sucked it up and went alone.

Nice was absolutely beautiful, just like the post cards. The buildings had the colorful hues of Italy with the elegant architecture of France. The streets were small and winding, and made it difficult to find your way. However, there were also big open spaces in the middle of the city with trees, parks, and fountains. The ocean was so blue, and the beach was covered in gray stones. I went shopping, ate food, drank

wine, and relaxed on the beach. For the most part, the weather was perfect and I was finally able to remove my winter coat.

My favorite part of Nice was the scenic view of the city (I don't know if you can tell, but I'm really into panoramic views). I hiked up a hill and when I reached the top, my breath was taken away. The clear, blue ocean, the light beach, and the colorful city made an impressive combination.

On Friday, I took a day trip to Monaco, which is only a 30 minute drive away. Monaco is the second smallest country in the world and is ruled by a Prince. The entire country sat on the very edge of coast and was made almost exclusively of skyscrapers. Of course, I went to the world famous Monte Carlo Casino. I was a little disappointed by its size, as it was only three rooms, but I was amazed by how

beautiful it was.

On the way back, I stopped in this little medieval town called Eze. It sat on a rock at the top of a mountain overlooking the sea. Completely constructed out of stones and bricks, Eze was a very cute town. There were no cars (obviously) and it had a peacefully quiet atmosphere.

As this was my first solo voyage, I would like to share a little bit about how it compared to other trips I've taken with friends and family. There were definitely a few things that I did not like. I was a bit uncomfortable going into restaurants and eating alone. However, it was nice to be able to really pay attention to and enjoy my food. Also, it was always awkward for me to ask people to take my picture. Usually, with friends and family, I can ask for a redo as many times as I want, but with a stranger, I just took what I could get. Other than these reasons, I absolutely loved traveling alone. I could do anything I wanted whenever I wanted. If I was tired, I could sit. If I was hungry, I could eat whatever I wanted without arguing with people about where we all want to go. I didn't feel any pressure about doing

something I didn't really want to do, and I didn't feel like I was missing anything I wanted to do. Also, going alone made me practice my French. Whenever I wanted to order food, go into a store, or ask for directions, I couldn't rely on my friends who all speak French much better than I. I really enjoyed relaxing and reflecting on the beach. The whole experience was just very freeing.