Guest blog by Donovan Lowe
The business school journey spans many experiences. From recruiting and classes to extracurriculars and fireside chats, business school can quickly fill up one’s schedule from week to week. There are, however, breaks in between all those commitments. One common way that Boothies use the time off is to travel, and I was no exception to this trend. I chose to spend my time between the end of my summer internship and the beginning of my second year at Booth by traveling to Central Europe.
Prague
We began our journey in Prague, Czech Republic where we were greeted by magnificent gothic architecture towering over the brick roads and bridge-lined rivers. This city, steeped in history and culture, offered a host of experiences for our group. We did a free walking tour that took us all around town and gave us historical context for everything we saw on the tour. Our trip took us to underground beer cellars, traditional Czech eateries, and even an expat sports bar to watch NFL games.
Vienna
We then hopped on the train and headed to beautiful Vienna, Austria. On the way, we admired the rolling hills of the European countryside. We once again took advantage of one of the free walking tour services just like in Prague. During the tour, we got to take in the ample historical sites (fun fact: the city likes to preserve the beauty of its historic architecture through its approach of keeping buildings under a certain height). We also made plenty of trips to the various cafes and street vendors to get the best wiener schnitzel and bratwurst we’ve ever had.
Budapest
After a short train ride, we were welcomed into Budapest which ended up being my favorite city on the trip. Instead of our organized walking tour like we did in the previous two destinations, we decided to self-explore. Budapest is an excellent walking city and has breathtaking views including the Parliament building, the Széchenyi Chain Bridge that crosses the River Rhine, and the legendary bathhouses.
Munich
Finally, our group took on Munich, Germany for Oktoberfest. We had high hopes as this is a common bucket list destination for many people across the world. The experience certainly didn’t disappoint as we visited the festival grounds multiple days throughout our stay. There are dozens of festival tents to choose from, with each having its own unique flair.
Trip Recap
My trip to Central Europe was one for the ages as it exposed me to loads of history, new cuisine, new experiences, and helped me forge greater bonds with my Booth friends. As someone who didn’t have much international travel experience prior to business school, I cannot recommend enough to travel with Booth friends if you have time before starting school again.
