One of the best perks about going to Fuqua is its spring break, and specifically the length: two weeks instead of one. We were out of class from March 4 – 18. Now, I have no idea who the brilliant mind is behind this, or why there’s such a long spring break, but I’m not complaining. Knowing that I’m soon going to be working and vacation days are going to be a rare luxury, I decided to take advantage of my two-week break by spending it all in Europe, visiting four countries in 15 days.

Traveling is my favorite thing in the world to do, as I love experiencing new cultures, seeing new things, and witnessing a different way of life. This is something I’ve pursued heavily, and I can proudly say I’ve visited over 25 countries in my life. I’ve been very fortunate to have that opportunity, but at the same time, my bank account has suffered immensely as a result. As a close friend of mine said, “You spend money on two things: food and travel.”

For this journey, I started out by going to the city in Europe I’ve always wanted to visit most: Barcelona. Being a huge fan of FC Barcelona, it was also a perfect time to go, as I was in town for their Champions League match against Bayer Leverkusen. After getting the opportunity to take in the sites of Barcelona and experience my first ever game at the Nou Camp, I was off to Germany, where I visited a friend from a previous job. From there, I went to Bulgaria and stayed with a friend who’s in the Peace Corps. Then I spent a day in London before coming back to Durham for the last term of the MMS program.

The MMS program is very challenging academically, but the structure also gives you plenty of time to explore your interests. I encourage you to do that if you come to Fuqua, because you won’t have a 5-week winter break and a 2-week spring break once you’re in the workforce (well, maybe you will if you live in France).