Luxembourg

Just a few weeks before starting my freshman year at the University of Miami, I planned to backpack through several European countries. One of the countries on my itinerary was Luxembourg, but accommodation there was far beyond my budget. Instead of spending the night, I decided to take an early train from Paris, spend the day exploring Luxembourg City, and continue on to Germany that evening.

The only problem was my heavy backpack. After arriving, I spent my first couple of hours wandering from hotel to hotel before finally finding one willing to store it, even though I wasn’t a guest. Once I was finally free to explore, Luxembourg City’s picturesque old town felt almost storybook-like. Oddly enough, lugging that backpack around is what I remember most. It perfectly captured the spontaneity, small challenges, and sense of freedom that made backpacking across Europe such an unforgettable experience.