This weekend we took a trip up to the capital of Northern Ireland, Belfast. The experience was very cool and gave me a lot of insight to the history between the two countries. The first day we met our tour guide, Fergal, who was one of the most charming people I've ever met. We were taken into the heart of Belfast where we saw the Town Hall. Fergal then took us on a tour of the Peace Wall and the murals protesting injustices. 

For my Communal Identity class, my teacher took us to tour Croke Park, which is Ireland's largest sports arena and headquarters of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA). Irish people take a lot of pride in their athletics, and it is heavily woven into the cultural history of the country. Four sports are played at Croke Park: hurling, handball, gaelic football, and camogie.

Tonlgi is a beautiful ancient water town in the Suzhou area of China, located about two hours outside of Shanghai by car. It has canals weaving throughout the town, and it is easier and quicker to travel places by boat here. Over these canals they have lovely circular arced bridges. This ancient town is quaint and a perfect getaway from the bustling city of Shanghai.

I spent two weekends in a row in the south of Chile, first backpacking in Torres del Paine National Park and next relaxing in Puerto Varas. Chilean Patagonia extends all the way from the southernmost point (Antarctic region) up to the Lakes Region, including Puerto Varas. While each was magnificent, the back-to-back trips made me think about the pros and cons of destinations set up for tourism.

As my time abroad is dwindling down, I wanted to reflect on all the places I’ve been able to travel while in Argentina and Chile. South America has so much unknown beauty to offer and I feel blessed to have been able to experience just a sliver of it.

In news that probably isn’t remotely shocking, given that I’m writing for IES Abroad, I came to Dublin as part of the writer’s program. I wanted to go on this program because, in part, I was so excited by the prospect of all my time in study abroad being dedicated to reading and writing, so much that the location was nearly an afterthought.

Say that you decided to study abroad not for the Tinder possibilities in another country, but for the educational opportunities alone. In fact, just the opposite: you have a very serious relationship back home. Long-distance relationships aren’t always easy, but don’t despair! People may say that long-distance is hopeless, but if both parties in the relationship are willing to commit to it, there’s nothing to prevent two people from staying together.

One of my most meaningful experiences during my semester abroad in Quito has been my service learning placement at Extreme Response, an international organization whose Quito site involves an after-school program for kids whose parents work tirelessly sorting trash and recyclables in Quito’s dump. I originally decided to take IES Abroad’s Service Learning class because I wanted to experience different aspects of Ecuadorian culture, not simply the tourist attractions.

When I first left to spend four months in Dublin, it seemed like an eternity. We had over one hundred days at the start. One hundred days sounds like an endless amount of time, and simultaneously no time at all. Of course, I knew the time would go fast, but this anxiety about trying to get the most out of my hundred days worked to my advantage.