While growing up, I, like everyone else I know, heard fantastic stories of what there was to see in Europe. Adults would get glassy-eyed as they told us of places like Paris, Rome, London, and quaint little European villages that were either known for some kind of cheese or an obscure dessert. And then, of course, there was the most intriguing one of all — Venice.

     Of all the places in Europe, Venice was always the one I wanted to see the most. The idea of a city that relied on narrow streets and canals ignited my imagination, and I desperately wanted to see it.

      The nice thing about studying abroad is the fact that you get to kill two birds with one stone. It whisks you off to another country to study in, but doesn't give you an overwhelming amount of responsibility. At least for me, there was ample time in which to travel. When I went off to Germany in the Spring of 2006, I made sure to spend a few days in Venice. For that trip, my brother was able to join me, and it was nice to have a travelling companion.

     Venice lived up to the hype. The canals were just as beautiful and the streets just as labyrinthine as I had expected. Part of the fun of the city was simply exploring the streets, much the way I would later explore Tokyo. Sure, the usual tourist attractions are nice to see, but when the city itself is like a museum, it's fun just to poke around.

     And I should have taken more photos.