B

• Budapest

This was a total by-chance trip. As a traveler you will become intimately familiar with RyanAir and other cheap airlines. Every week they have incredible and unbelievable dirt cheap deals. Like a $5 return trip to Poland anyone? So I was browsing flights and found a great deal to Budapest, which coincidentally my friend had been raving about and said it was a must. So...of course I booked it and my friend and I spent 5 days in this Hungarian town not many tourists had ventured to. It's like the new Prague, before Prague became trampled with tourists. So a bit of advice, go soon before the word gets out. I would suggest going in the colder months only because you will spend most of your time in the fabulous Roman and Turkish baths. My skin never felt so smooth nor my body so relaxed. The town itself is pretty small so everything can be seen and done without the stress and rush. Here are some tips.

• There are a lot of baths to try out but I would suggest Rudas, which is in a cave with colored mosaic lights, and Gellert, which is a a traditional separate men and women bathhouse/hotel and they have incredibly cheap massages, pedicures and manicures. So after a nice long morning hike in the Buda hills it is the perfect place for a bit of R&R.
• One Hungarian forint is .005 US dollars. So shopping, eating and bath time does not cut into the budget. (If you are traveling on a tight budget, stick to Eastern Europe). You can get great Hungarian beer for less than a buck, a traditional sausage dinner for $10 and delicious Esterhazy cakes for $2.
• Some site-seeing musts: the Parliament building (most unique one in my opinion of all of Europe), Fisherman's Bastion, Matthias Church, Gellert Hill, Stephen's Basilica and the Royal Castle.
• Eat at Gerbeaud. It is right in the middle of the square of the old shopping street and it is delicious, cheap and traditional. The restaurant is underneath the cafe, and my friend and I definitely visited both many times.

Budapest is a must. End of story.

• Beverages

You know the saying, you can't understand a country and its culture until you eat its food? Or perhaps the one about food being the highlight to any experience. Well beverages should be right up there. Like every country having a national dish, they also prize themselves on brewing a special drink. For Italy it is wine, for France, champagne, for Eastern Europe, vodka. Drinking is a big part of many of these countries history. Germany drank beer for breakfast during the early years of the East India Trading Company. And what would England be without their tea. Even if you aren't a big drinker, please be adventurous and have a sip or two. When in Denmark, try the aquavit (though it is absolutely revolting) and in Spain settle down with a glass of Sangria. Each country has their specific drink of choice, and are proud of it, so don't miss out. Take a chance. When else in life will you be able to say, "I'm in Capri drinking Limoncello." Life is good.

• Belgium

Not the most popular of countries when people plan European vacations but I am here to hopefully change that. Filled with small, beautiful, untouched by war Flemish inspired towns, Belgium is a great country to explore. It is by far the cleanest of countries I have been to and has the most surprises. Stay awhile in the capital of Brussels, eating waffles, taking in the unique architecture and sipping beer. Then make a couple of day trips. The train system is great and within an hour of the capital are some must see towns, like Bruges and Leaven, you could even make a trip into Lichtenstein (now how many people get to do that?). I thoroughly enjoyed my stay in Belgium. It was more relaxing than most trips and the beauty of the small towns were so calming. My grandparents, who are world travelers, say the only place they really want to see again is Bruges. So that must mean something. Go find it for yourself.

• Backyard

After I returned home from my year abroad I learned a quite deal about myself and the world. I also realized how much of my own country I hadn't seen. Though I have been to my fair share of states there is so much more to discover. I made it my goal to apply the same research I did abroad to my home town, state and country. I needed to view my birth place with the eyes of a newcomer, and figure out what important history and sites I had been

missing. Don't underestimate the richness of your own backyard and the adventures you can have by simply strolling at a slower pace. I don't believe a traveler can ever fully learn about the world and different cultures without first experiencing and understanding their own.