Summer Spotlight: Emma Cooper, Izzy Nino (Part 2)
8/9/2019 1:25:00 PM | Women's Soccer, Features
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- University of Michigan women's soccer rising junior Emma Cooper took the opportunity over the summer to study abroad in Italy as well as take a trip around Europe with teammate and fellow rising junior Izzy Nino.
In part one of the summer spotlight, Cooper recounted her six weeks in Rome enrolled in a thermodynamics class as well as a three-week art and archeology class, during which she visited various historical sites in the city.
In the second installment of Summer Spotlight, Cooper and Nino discuss their nine-day excursion around Europe.
Q: How did you two decide to take this trip?
Cooper: We thought since I was already over there (Italy), it was the perfect time for us to travel together. It was almost an on-the-fly decision and too good of an opportunity to pass up.
Nino: The day Emma decided to study abroad, I told her to plan her return flight for a week after her classes ended because I had my heart set on visiting her once spring term ended. I try to travel a little bit every summer and couldn't think of a better opportunity for that than to visit one of my closest friends and teammates in Europe.
Q: Did you have the entire trip planned out or did you decide your adventures on a whim?
Cooper: We planned the majority of the trip while I was in Rome and basically had a very generalized game plan then took each place we visited day by day. We had certain things we were each determined to see or experience, but overall tried to enjoy our time in each city rather than just cross each tourist spot off a list.
Nino: When it comes to planning, Emma and I are polar opposites. I love to have trips planned to the minute, and I actually got really stressed at one point that we didn't have much planned because I was busy with school and not doing enough planning. Looking back, I wouldn't have had it any other way. We were able to do and see amazing things in Europe while keeping relaxed and just enjoying our vacation every day.
Q: How did you decide where you wanted to go and what you wanted to see in the nine days you were together in Europe?
Cooper: We wanted to do as much with our time as possible, so we decided to country hop in Western Europe a bit. Izzy was set on Paris, especially since she'd be going back for the World Cup, and I was eager for Amsterdam. Truthfully, Cologne landed on our radar in large part because we wanted to try authentic schnitzel.
Nino: We had an idea for a few main things we wanted to do, like taking the stairs up the Eiffel Tower, but when we visited the smaller city of Cologne in Germany we actually ended up Googling things to do there and just getting up to go. We were able to visit a beautiful palace there that we had never heard of before our arrival and do some other really cool things.
Q: You spent the first four days in Paris. What was your favorite thing you did while you were there?
Cooper: I think my favorite thing we did was explore via Birds (electric scooters) our first night out, so we zoomed about along the Seine River and through the city and just got our bearings. I'm also partial to impressionist art and loved Musee d'Orsay.
Nino: My favorite part of Paris was after dinner we would get on electric scooters and just ride around the city. Paris is way bigger than we were both prepared for, but everyone was scootering around by the river at night and it was a very surreal experience to zoom through the beautiful city.
Q: You then traveled to Cologne. How did the city surprise you and what were some of the differences you saw there compared to those in the United States?
Cooper: The city surprised me in that I enjoyed it far more than I expected. Compared to Paris and Amsterdam, it was relatively small and had significantly fewer tourist attractions. We got a chance to interact with locals and bond over the World Cup and have a more authentic experience than elsewhere. I found Germany to be the most similar to the States of the countries I'd traveled while I was there, aside from the hundreds of bikes and war-ravaged monuments.
Nino: Cologne was very refreshing after the high-energy Paris experience. It was a much smaller town that we were able to navigate through right away. Neither of us spoke a lick of German, so I was nervous to meet local people, but the people there were so warm and inviting.
Q: The final three days of your trip were spent in Amsterdam. What was your favorite part about the city?
Cooper: It's very appearance was my favorite part. The canals wound their way around every corner and down every street, and buildings were crooked and bending and just charming in every way.
Nino: My favorite part about the city was the canal running through the streets. We took a dinner cruise through and had a really great time. We also got to visit the Anne Frank House which was the main reason we chose to visit Amsterdam. Even after reading Anne Frank's diary a few times and knowing her story very well, my eyes were opened to so many things at the museum.
Q: In what ways did the culture change surprise you as you traveled from country to country?
Cooper: Language was a constant barrier; however, it was less of an issue the farther north we traveled. I also found that the more northwest countries bore the most similarities to our culture in America, but consistently with a more easygoing approach to life.
Nino: I was fascinated by the changes in architecture in each city. Amsterdam struck me the most because there were so many crooked buildings that you would never see in America. Each city also had its own atmosphere from the high energy in Paris to the calm, casual environment in Cologne.
Q: If you could only pick one thing on the trip to do again, what would it be?
Cooper: If I could do one thing again or over I would head to Versailles on Sunday rather than assuming it was open Mondays and missing it altogether.
Nino: The overall highlight of my trip to Europe was getting the opportunity to watch the U.S. Women's National Team win the World Cup Final in Lyon, France. I really hope I'll be able to attend another World Cup final someday.
