Ten hours later and the wait was finally over. Even though I was fulfilling one of my life’s goals by studying in London, I had no idea what I was getting myself into. There’s no book, YouTube video, or friend’s experience that can prepare. All I had to do was figure my way through the maze of Heathrow airport to receive my short-term student stamp and it would be smooth sailing from there.

Amsterdam is a city that offers a unique experience of food. From traditional foods like stroopwafel, apple pies, and pancakes to street food like kaas souffles, the food in the city is phenomenal. Amsterdam is a city with years of history and diversity in culture. These factors are reflected in their food. Food is a part of everyday life, and when traveling food can be an essential part of experiencing culture. For me, tasting new foods and explorung the unique food culture of Amsterdam was an essential part of the trip.

One of the first things we did as a group on our free day out was head over to Lion's Head Mountain to go hiking. Despite the fact that everyone said this was the easiest mountain to climb, our understanding of the word "easy" soon changed. Our group of mostly out-of-shape Americans got passed by literally every child, dog, and elderly person in Cape Town before we reached the top. I'm a fairly active person but this hike changed my idea of a "casual" weekend hike.

Amongst the flowers, the pools of water,

The lily pads,

The swans and geese, 

The greenery enchanted my soul and made me feel at peace. 

The birds chirped and sang songs of the tunes people whistled before us...

Here, on this ground, lie the Kew Gardens.

Kew Gardens 

A place where majesty and nobility join together to welcome you into the throng.

See the glass palace where the mists kiss your cheeks and the palm trees tickle your nose.

Winter in New Zealand is not nearly as cold or “wintery” as I expected. No snow or freezing rain. No days where it’s so chilly you can’t bear to leave your bed. The days are in the 50s and 60s (Fahrenheit), and with a light jacket you don’t notice the weather. It has been the perfect premise to explore Auckland and orient myself to a New Zealand way of living—which is relaxed, flexible, and fun!

My Uber driver laughed when I told him I was traveling to Santiago for four months. 

"And that's all you packed?" 

The Spirit of Mate

Here is everything that I knew about South Africa before I left: It was super far away, there were a few YouTubers that I knew were from there, South African accents sounded like a mix of British and Australian accents and it’s warmer than Michigan. I think that not knowing anything might be better than knowing a ton about South Africa, more specifically Cape Town. Everyone I told about this trip had pretty much the exact same reaction. "Wow.

I spent the week before I left in Eastham on the cape where there is infinite entertainment at the shore: drive-ins, flea markets, ovens cooking twenty pizzas at a time, a grave unmarked except for bones and shells, a seal eating an octopus just ten feet from sandy onlookers, the sun descending each night into alternate islands of Rothko reds, after dark the beach alight in bonfires and the dancing flashlights of elves.