Top: Photo by Alex Stadnik.

Rome was everything I thought it would be, but also nothing like I thought it. That sentiment rang true on the trips and excursions I took as well.

One weekend, the majority of the study abroad group was going to Poland. This was an optional excursion that sounded amazing, but it was also around $700, and I really did not want to spend the money at the time.

I was not about to sit around all weekend and watch Netflix, though. I had a couple friends who were not going to Poland either, so we wanted to plan a trip somewhere in Italy that would not break the bank.

We settled on an area of coastal Italy called Cinque Terre, a collection of beautiful towns on the northern coast.

This was a place I had never heard of, but my friend Mike swore it would be an amazing trip. A couple YouTube videos later, I was sold.

The weekend came around, and we hopped on the train to start our new adventure. We took a slick bullet train through the Italian country side on our way to Cinque Terre.

Once we were almost there, we had to stop off in a little town to switch to the regional train. It was late in the evening when we arrived — the McDonalds was closed.

My friend Steph, who was one of the three others I was traveling with , ventured with me further into the city. The only thing that was open was a sushi restaurant. We had to run to avoid missing our train, but we made it.

We arrived in Vernazza, got into our bed and breakfast, and it was on to the next day.

Let me start by saying these towns are some of the most beautiful places I had seen on my trip so far.

Vernazza is one of the smallest of the towns in Cinque Terre. The multicolored homes and shops all reside on basically one main street. At the end of that street is a beautiful bay that had some of the bluest and clearest water I had ever seen.

After breakfast, we started on our hike.

I’m a city boy, and while I do enjoy hiking, it wasn’t something I had done a lot of, so I was a little nervous and winded while everyone else was going strong.

I’m so glad I didn’t let that stop me.

On the hiking path from Vernazza to Corniglia, we ascended the steps up the hill and walked along the coastline. Every time we looked to the right, we saw the sparkling ocean and gorgeous trees and plants that made up the hiking path. The first part of the hike was definitely a challenge, but it was made completely worth it when we made it to Corniglia.

This small town is situated much higher on the hills than neighboring Vernazza, which gives it a picturesque view of the ocean and the hills and cliffs that surround it.

We walked on the small cobblestone street through the tiny village, going into the small church and peeking into each nook and cranny we could find. After we had been through the city it was time to take a break and get ready for the next hike.

To my dismay, the “scenic path” to the next town, Manarola, was closed down. That left the equally beautiful but steeper path available. We had talked about taking the regional train there, but ultimately, we decided we could handle the large scenic incline.

The hike up was a rough one. The path was covered in what seemed like an infinite amount of uneven steps. The path was basically a right angle, but after that it was pretty flat. I thought I was going to see breakfast again, but once we finally hit the top, I knew this was the best decision I had made on this trip. The view was something out of a movie. I looked at my friends and asked if this was for real.

The views of the ocean and the cliffs and hills were breathtaking. It felt like we were on top of the world. We weaved our way through the quaint and beautiful villages and vineyards on the hiking path until we finally could see Manarola.

This small town was bursting with charm and beauty, especially looking at it from above. We arrived in the town and made our way to the scenic overlook, where we watched the sunset, and I took a time lapse.

At dinner, we ditched the “ballers on a budget” mantra and got some of the freshest lobster seafood pasta I had ever had. It was the perfect way to end the day.

The next day we hiked north to Monterosso, which was the biggest and most “touristy” of the towns. My legs were dead from the previous day’s work, but I got through the pain and my reward was yet another beautiful view of the ocean and the towns.

The first day was about hiking, our time in Monterosso was more about walking around the town and relaxing. After an amazing lunch of lasagna and calamari that tasted like it was caught that morning, we spread out on the beach and soaked up the sun.

Cinque Terre was a trip that I didn’t see coming, but it was one of the most rewarding and beautiful trips I have taken during my time in Europe.

This little known gem of Italy pushed me out of my comfort zone, but rewarded me at every turn.