Mid-semester blues are real. How do I know that? Because I’m going through it right now. Being in a study abroad program in places like Paris, Amsterdam, Madrid, etc is an incredible opportunity that not everyone gets to experience, so it’s important to make the most out of the time here and be grateful for it. But at the same time the struggles of academics, keeping up with social life and settling in a new place can catch up to you, so let yourself feel those mix of emotions.

Seven weeks abroad. Wait, I’m sorry, what?? That just doesn’t sound right at all. The time has completely flown by, there’s no way I’m almost halfway through! For any newcomers, I’m posting weekly updates on what I did while studying abroad each day and any new self-discoveries/reflection points I may have. So… here’s the run-down on my seventh week abroad:

My niche tips and tricks for your time before going abroad!

1) Spotify Top 50

This is probably one of the easiest things that I did before going abroad that I thought everyone else was also going to do but didn’t. Go on Spotify, go to top 50 *insert country you’re visiting*, download the playlist and listen away before you leave and while you’re there. I personally think songs can be a little more fun when you sing along and its funny to surprise local friends you make by knowing the words to their favorite/popular songs!

I'll be honest, when I was preparing to study abroad this fall, one of my biggest worries was what my living environment might look like. I scrolled through countless IES Abroad blog posts to try to find one about housing in Milan, but really only found one. So, once I found out that I was an IES Abroad Correspondent this semester, I vowed to write about my housing in Milan in the hopes that future Milan students can use it as reference and know what to expect for their living environment abroad.

Sono passate sei settimane da quando sono stato all'estero. Yes, that’s right, I’m basically fluent in Italian now. Not really, and I’m sure most people reading this aren’t either, so let me translate for both of us: It has been six weeks now since I’ve been abroad! For any newcomers, I’m posting weekly updates on what I did while studying abroad each day and any new self-discoveries/reflection points I may have. So… here’s the run-down on my sixth week abroad:

You heard that right: I’ve been here for 5 WHOLE WEEKS! Can you believe that?? I can’t. For any newcomers, I’m posting weekly updates on what I did while studying abroad each day and any new self-discoveries/reflection points I may have. So… here’s the run-down on my fifth week abroad:

Week 4 marks a whole month completed in Milan! Can you believe it?? For any newcomers, I’m posting weekly updates on what I did while studying abroad each day and any new self-discoveries/reflection points I may have. So… here’s the run-down on my fourth week abroad:

3 weeks down, 13 more to go! Once again, for any newcomers, I’m posting weekly updates on what I did while studying abroad each day and any new self-discoveries/reflection points I may have. So… here’s the run-down on my third week abroad:

Week 2 is officially in the books! (Or, blogs, should I say?) For any newcomers, I’m posting weekly updates on what I did while studying abroad each day and any new self-discoveries/reflection points I may have. So… here’s the run-down on my second week abroad:

Hello, my lovely readers - however bountiful or few you might be - and welcome back to another iteration of Wade-O's Word Vomit.