I was way out of my depth when I started planning this trip with my Singaporean friend Hui. While I had some help figuring out the logistics of the initial trip to Denmark such as a basic budget, where to get housing, etc., I would be totally on my own when it came to planning my own trips outside of the country. One of the reasons why I chose Denmark in the first place is because of its central location in Europe, and so when my friend showed interest in planning a trip together, I was nervous but eager to get started.
Over the course of a week, we hashed out the details including how we were going to get around, locations we wanted to visit, and of course, the budget. Research was the easiest part, but thinking about finances was a necessary evil. Thankfully, she was taking her degree in Finance, and so whenever I did my part of the math, I trusted that she would be able to find any errors once we reviewed them. And so, we booked our flight for the beginning of October and landed in Zürich. The flight itself wasn't too bad, but our main worry was our first lodging, which was in a small house about half an hour away from the airport. We both had never been in an Airbnb before, but everything went smoother than we thought. In fact, in went more than smooth; the rooms were very lived-in in a positive way, and all the amenities were provided. The owner even provided us a Swiss breakfast, including fresh bacon, eggs, toast, orange juice, and even a sampling of three different types of Swiss cheese that she had apparently made herself from her own cows. After that pleasant first night, we were in for some very, very long train trips, our first destination being Zermatt. I couldn't help but wonder at the scenery we were passing by; it was completely different than Hawaii's nature. Everything seemed so much expansive and completely opposite our normal city environment. As we came closer and closer to our location, the snowy peaks of Switzerland's famous Matterhorn mountains came into view. The reason we came to Zermatt? We wanted to have a taste of being on top of a mountain, and so by trolley, we went to Jungfraujoch, the highest accessible point in Europe. It was simply breathtaking, both literally and in a metaphorical sense, seeing the mountain ranges below us. It would also be the first time I saw and touched snow with my own eyes. Despite the cold, we stayed up at the summit for nearly three hours, just taking in the views and took the last trolley down before sunset. Our next destination was the Rhine Falls--the largest plain waterfall in Europe, and while that wasn't as stunning compared to Jungfraujoch, it was definitely a memorable experience because it was situated near a medieval castle. Of course, my very mediocre photographing skills became very apparent to my friend, and so throughout our trips together during the semester, she gave me some much needed pointers. Our final destination was the city of Lucerne, a cute looking resort town situated near a massive lake, followed by a trip to Geneva for our flight back to Copenhagen. While the first half of our trip was exciting, the calmer second half was much needed because our lack of sleep was very noticeable between the two of us. Honestly, the best thing about this trip was just getting to know each other, as well as learning how to deal with the unexpected when it came to traveling. By the end, we were sure that we would have more treks together in Central Europe. Me, personally? I couldn't have asked for a better excursion.
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Matthew Calulot
Aloha! I am a fourth-year Marketing and International Business student currently studying at Copenhagen Business School in Denmark. I have never been to Europe before, which is exactly why I wanted to study abroad as a student from Hawai'i. Archives
January 2023
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