Following my parent’s path, I decided to choose Portugal for my scholarship. I applied to the famous in Portugal University of Coimbra and after four weeks of submitting my application, I was a happy winner of the Socrates Erasmus scholarship. Even though it’s been long years since this experience, I still miss this worry-free time of my life. I have to admit I was lucky. I arrived to Coimbra in October, after all other students have already attended a monthly course of Portuguese. So everything I would normally have to arrange myself, was already waiting for me thanks to my goo [View Full Entry]

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A hundred years ago, the movers and shakers in the motion picture business sought a sunny, exotic locale to establish themselves. They discovered Santa Barbara, California. That was where they chose to launch their industry. Thus the very first movie studio, "Flying A Films," was born. Now I’ve chosen to discover this glorious area, too. Still a popular vacation spot for the stars, this "American Riviera" is a delight to visit at any time, with a pleasant year-round climate. What strikes the most about Santa Barbara is that it boasts an amazing blend of architectural styles. Its sunny [View Full Entry]

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Snowy, rainy, freezing cold and grey. Regardless of the season or weather conditions, Amsterdam is always full of people - locals on bikes and distracted tourists crashing with bikers. I was of course the second one, clumsy tourist with her nose in her map walking on bike paths instead of sidewalks. I seriously think I was being protected by some force majeure which stopped me from being run over a zillion bikes! This time Amsterdam welcomed me with just a few Celsius degrees above zero and a freezing drizzle. It didn’t stop me, however, from going out of the apartment I [View Full Entry]

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The City by the Bay. There's only one place that could refer to - San Francisco. This historic city offers so much to see and do, I could visit it again and again without growing tired of it. San Francisco has a lively and fascinating history. Originally settled as a fishing village, it was transformed almost overnight into a fabulous city thanks to the '49ers. No, not the football team--the delirious hopefuls who rushed here from across the country when gold was discovered in 1849. The city has been attracting folks from across the country ever since. During the Internet revolution, [View Full Entry]

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Sitting majestically along the coast of the Florida Panhandle, Destin is without doubt one of the most gorgeous stretches of beaches in the world. A relative newcomer among the popular vacation destinations of the Emerald Coast, this city is fast becoming one of the best places to go for sun, sand, and relaxation along the Gulf of Mexico. In Destin you will find not only the multitude of golf courses and the beautiful beaches but also the abundance of water activities that will keep you coming back year after year. As a part of the Emerald Coast, Destin is blessed with [View Full Entry]

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Country of the Happiest People in the World When I look at the travel brochures and sites offering exotic trips to South America, I see Brazil, Argentina and Peru. Almost none of them mentions Colombia. As a person who has lived in Colombia for two years, I can only say one thing - people don’t know what they are missing. When asked about Colombia, people usually refer to stereotypes that have been spread by media years ago. Not many people know, however, that this image has been gradually changing over the past decade creating the new Colombia, the country of the [View Full Entry]

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8:30 pm local time, the captain turns on the seat belt sign as we are about to land at JFK. Landing in New York City cannot compare to anything else, especially to landing in European cities where all you can see is fields, forests and country houses. Even from the plane, the view is simply overwhelming. Dozens of lights, sparkling skyscrapers and suspension bridges that create the Big Apple bring excitement and curiosity. During my first moments in NY I could only be compared to a child in a huge candy store on Christmas. With my eyes wide opened and my [View Full Entry]

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