So there we were… standing on the Eiffel Tower and looking down at a breathtaking view of Paris. It was a perfect moment. Actually as we would learn, it was just one of many such moments that Europe had to offer and this was only day four! But we're getting ahead of ourselves here. The Northwestern Graduation Tour actually started in London… 

 I think we were all a little unsure of how this trip would go before it got started. Needless to say, everyone was very excited to have just graduated and be heading to Europe for three weeks with no reservations. But for the most part, few people knew anyone else on the trip. As it turns out, that became one of the best parts of ‘Euro Trip 2007’. It didn't matter who you knew or who your friends were, everyone on the trip was there only to have a great time and meet some new people. 

 It took two days in London for every single person to feel like they had made 20 new close friends. It could have been the London Eye, Big Ben, the National Gallery, or any of the incredible sites we saw throughout the city that brought us closer together. Most likely it was the times that we all just hung out and explored on our own. There is nothing like a sturdy English lager (or many!) to make people comfortable and talkative! 

 There are many things that this trip offers that a 'backpacking-through-Europe' experience misses. For one, everything is taken care of ahead of time. You stay in only four and five-star hotels the entire trip, you ride in a luxury coach bus from city to city, and maybe best of all, you get an unapologetically funny Austrian Tour Director that not only has great stories, but prepares you with a brief history and highlighted map for every city. Upon entering each new city a short tour is already arranged, often along with some kind of authentic local demonstration; whether glass blowing in Venice, or wooden shoe carving in Amsterdam, you really can't get a feel for the cultures without experiencing some of the traditions. 

 But hopefully this doesn't sound like a hand-held trip through Europe. Everything that appears planned is only an option. While there is a lot of free time in each city, the tour itself is only a guide. Choose how much or how little of it you want to participate in and do whatever you want for the rest of the time. The tour director makes a point of showing off the nightlife (we had some of the best nights of our lives in Paris, Mainz, and Florence…) from authentic cabarets to the craziest of discotheques. 

 For some of us the trip lasted for 19 days and took us from London to Paris to Amsterdam (in all of its glory) to Cologne and Munich, through Austria and into Italy. Others went on to Greece for another few days and by that time it was a hard goodbye. The people were great, the scenery beautiful, and the experience… unforgettable.

Jordan Kwok (McC07) & Brian Klesh (C07)

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