In just a few days I will get on a plane to fly over the Cascade Mountains and leave Western Washington, where Mt. Rainier seems to float on clouds, and our little bit of ocean is calm and collected in the Puget Sound. Less than 24 hours later, I will be in a taxi heading towards my hostel a block from the Spree, 1.4 km from the Brandenburg Gate, surrounded by significantly more history but fewer mountains. 

This video is very special to me because it was our last day in Rome. I went around the farewell party and asked my peers what they were going to miss about Rome and what they were excited to go back to. This party was very bittersweet for us all. After the summer in Rome, we were sad to be leaving. It flew by! Seriously. Do not waste a second of your study abroad experience because it comes and goes faster than anyone can anticipate. But also, we were very excited to see our loved ones back home.

During my time abroad, I was lucky enough to visit Köln, Germany. My best friend was nannying for a family in this town, and therefore I was able to not only see the city, but the suburbs. We met a professional German soccer team, explored the city, and drank their famous Kölsch. I must say, Germany was everything I expected it to be and more! I was raised in a very German household, as my father's is our family's first generation in the United States. I hope to go back and explore more of the cities and meet more people!

After two weeks, my trip to Buenos Aires feels so far away. Without daily use, my Spanish language is still struggling. Without the familiar setting of the city, the memories can easily fade. It is up to me to hold tight to my accomplishments and my adventures. As people ask me about my study abroad experience, they ask about my favorite part, or just the general, “How was it?” It is a surprisingly difficult answer to find.

This is it, guys! In approximately one week, around 50 IES Abroad students, including myself, will be taking the leap out of the U.S. towards Nantes, France! Now that I’m so close, however, I’m almost terrified that something tragic is going to happen before I can get on that plane. Like a lost visa, or worse: my latest nightmare (this is real) comes true, and I wind up taking the wrong plane to my college in Ohio instead of the one to France! Ok, ok, that’s probably not going to happen.

Stars Aligned

I watch pink clouds dissipate into twilight, and in this moment, I realize that I only have seven more sunsets in my home of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It feels as though it’s summer that is setting, summer and all its essence: long hours of daylight, talks with friends, dinners with family, and my way of living and being in this sun-soaked time. On the 18th of August, my flight leaves for Vienna, Austria, where I will continue my musical studies with IES Abroad. 

Welcome to my study abroad blog! My name is Betsy, I’m an English major at Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota, and I live a few miles north of the Chicago city limits in Evanston, Illinois. I’m currently gearing up for my semester abroad in Amsterdam, as my flight is in less than a week (!!!).

Studying abroad at Nanzan University this summer was very busy, but very fulfilling. I learned so much, and even though every day was a struggle, every day was worth the experience. Us international students often had field trips or activities on Wednesdays, and the other days were full of Japanese language learning. I would tag along with friends I have made along this experience to places such as Osu or Sakae shopping district. I also got along with my host family and my classmates well.