Two years ago today, I left for the required after-college backpacking trip to Europe. If I think about it, no single experience in my life thus far has changed me as much as seven weeks in Europe all by my lonesome.

It seems rather far away now even though I remember just about every moment. I kept a written journal and travel blog and took over 1,000 pictures to help log the journey.

It was a trip that most Americans are not lucky enough to take and besides being asked the oh-so-annoying “Is it true that only 2 percent of Americans have passports?” question a million times, it was fantastic. (Incidentally, the answer is no - I think it hovers around 20-25 percent.)

Anyway, as a trip down memory lane, I’ve decided to post just a couple pictures from the best two months of my life.

At the top of Arthur's Seat, Edinburgh St. Stephen's Green, Dublin Spring in London The beach in Howth, Ireland Gelato in Barcelona Eiffel Tower, Paris Neushwanstein, Germany Cinque Terre, Italy Crazy sausage man, Florence Me, pissed off at the bad weather in Venice

As I said, there are about 900 more, so if you fancy a look, head over to my Europe collection on Flickr.