If you were to ask what I was doing at this very second two years ago, "studying the poetry of Seamus Heaney" would be the right answer a good 95% of the time. I was a senior in high school, and amidst athletics and jobs and college applications, my peers and I spent nearly every moment of our free time flipping through our stacks of Heaney's poetry, each piece highlighted and annotated until the pages were covered in our pencil marks.

I’ve been in Milano for almost 3 weeks now, and I am already dreading going back to the States. I don’t know what this “homesickness” is that everyone warned me about, but I haven’t experienced that at all… and I don’t think I will. Don’t get me wrong - I miss my family and friends back home, but the relaxed lifestyle of the Milanese fits me to a T. Italians take their time for many things. Even when you’re on your way to work or class, no one’s rushing to get to their destination. They also value social interactions.

On my way to class every day, I pass by dozens, maybe hundreds, of works of graffiti and street art. Quito is an amazing city, with so much to look at, so I hardly ever glanced at the words, names, and designs that covered almost every available wall. I’ve never known anything about street art, so even when I did notice one piece in particular, my thoughts were mostly limited to, cool, a big snake or wow, those letters sure are big. 

Before leaving for Rome, there was a lot to organize, like what to pack, getting my visa, and finalizing my travel plans. With thousands of little details running through my head before I left, there were inevitably some things that slipped my mind that I had to deal with once I arrived. Here are some details that slipped my mind so that you can be a little more prepared than I was.

Rome Permit to Stay

I’m so excited to study abroad in Morocco. I chose Morocco for a few reasons. First, I’ve always wanted to learn Arabic. Many people have emphasized the best way to learn a new language is to live in an area where that is the primary language, so Morocco seemed like the right choice. I know I won’t become fluent in a new language overnight, but this semester will give me a good start.

It still feels crazy to think that I am in Milan! The first week was so busy and filled with such fun adventures that IES Abroad had planned for us. I went to my first aperitivo which I loved and explored more pasta dishes. We were able to visit Chinatown which was surprisingly a lot bigger than I expected. It was so fascinating to see Italians eating Chinese street food such as dumplings and pancakes, and I was glad to get a taste of home when we ate at a Chinese restaurant there.

One of my favorite quotes was written by John Lennon: "Living is easy with eyes closed misunderstanding all you see." Why live a life that feels like a chore? Why spend every day coasting by not interacting with the world around you?

Just a two hour Eurostar train ride away from London, Belgium was a quick and easy getaway after a full week of classes and my first glimpse of Europe as I had seen in the movies growing up. It's crazy how a country so close the U.K. could have such different culture, architecture, and language but still have the ability to captivate me just as easily with its cobblestone streets and picturesque landscape as any castle or back-alley street in London. 

Today, a group of other students and I hiked to the first base camp of Cotopaxi, the second-largest active volcano in the world. At about 16,000 above sea level, the base camp (or “Refugio” in Spanish) is far enough up that there is noticeably less oxygen. Climbing Cotopaxi with strong winds pushing against us, icy temperatures, and not enough breathable air made this one of the toughest hikes of my life, even though it wasn’t that far of a distance. Despite these factors, it’s a highlight of my past two weeks in Ecuador.

Hola Amigos!

I apologize for this reflection that seems late, but it was actually intentional because I wanted to take note of how interesting adjusted back to the American society would be and account for the many differences in every aspect of my life. Firstly, I would like to thank you for following my journey while studying in Quito and I truly hope that your experience is as personal, life changing and worth while as mine was.