During the spring of my junior year in undergrad, I studied abroad in Europe. I packed more camera equipment than I did changes of socks—those I could buy after I landed. My first DSLR, a tripod, and six lenses (four of them vintage) filled my barely carry-on-sized backpack. Personal towels served as makeshift padding for the gear, leaving little space for souvenirs. Before and after leaving Austria, I had more photography equipment than clothing. Here are just a few images from my time there.

My time abroad wasn’t a story of extravagant backpacking or fine dining. Limited resources kept me grounded, but where I did go, I savored each moment. When I could, I pulled out my camera to capture an image—a fragment of memory. I travel less these days with my personal and professional focus on caregiving and nursing. But once I trot, I know I will again. This series is a testament to the creative eye I carried along the way.

The images here were taken in Austria (including Salzburg and Vienna), Budapest, Prague, and London