This past weekend was my final full weekend in London. So, I decided to spend only a single day apart from the place I have called home for the last three odd months. My roommates and I all took a day trip to Bruges. As in Bruges, Belgium. In less than twelve hours.

The day began with a 4 am wake up call and a hasty Uber to the train station, before the trains were running of course. That was followed by a brisk two-hour bus ride towards Dover, and its famous white cliffs, which our entire foursome slept through. From that first bus ride, the entire charter bus and all its passengers boarded the most massive ferry I have ever seen. Did you know that I get sea sick? Neither did I. But, upon further research once on dry and steady land, the English Channel is known for its choppy waters. It's not my fault, really. Once that crossing was completed, we drove through bits of the coast of France and made it into Belgium.

Bruges, fondly known as the Venice of the North, is lovely in the winter. The canals that wind around the city are gentle, lilting, and full of pristinely white swans. There was no snow on the ground but the air was crisp against our exposed cheeks. We definitely did not dress warmly enough, but the promise of hot chocolate kept us warm. The four of us had officially 3 1/2 hours to explore the entire city and I think we did a pretty good job consuming the main attractions. My roommates and I collectively bought over 150 pounds (currency, come on) worth of chocolate. Worth it, even if our backpacks were excrutiatingly heavy on the tube ride home.