Although I don’t consider myself particularly religious, Judaism was a large component of my upbringing. Ever since I can remember, Shabbat dinners brought my family together on Friday nights and Saturday brunches and holidays were spent with our network of Jewish family friends. For me, Judaism has always meant community, laughter, and of course good food.

As the semester comes to a close, it’s sadder to say goodbye than I had previously thought! During this final week, I wanted everyone to be happy and focus on that, rather than wallowing in the sadness of leaving. This semester has taught me so much about myself, the world, and so much more. I am so grateful to IES Abroad for giving me this experience in such a lovely city in an incredible country.

Before I first left for Ecuador, quite a few people I talked to hadn’t realized that humans lived in the Galápagos Islands. It is supposed to be a land of mystical wonder, filled with dragons that swim and shelled beasts that skulk around inch by inch. However, it is estimated that nearly 35,000 people call these islands home.

And just like that, my time abroad has come to an end! It seems like I was just landing in Buenos Aires, and now I am sitting in the Santiago airport anxiously awaiting to board my flight. It’s such a cliché, but time really does fly in the blink of an eye! The past few days I have spent my time trying to savor my last moments in Santiago, but admittedly the anxiety of packing and prepping was a big distraction.

I have no idea how this happened, but my program officially ended last Sunday—I must say, it still hasn't hit me yet. The last few weeks were filled with final papers and presentations, so I was so busy studying I didn't register that exam week meant the end of the program. I started to think about it the day we had our farewell gathering with all the IES Abroad students and the dinner with members of our host families.

Hola, chicos, chicas, and my gender non-conformers!

Hi! My name is Maddie, and I am currently studying Early Childhood Education and Special Education at Temple University in Philadelphia. I will be traveling to Europe for almost seven weeks, spending about two weeks each in France, Italy, and Spain. First, we are going to Paris, then Rome, and finally Madrid. This is my first time traveling to Europe, and I am super excited to be able to visit three beautiful cities and countries. I also do not know anyone in the program and know that they are from all over the United States.

It’s been more than a week since I’ve left Freiburg, but the city and the time I spent there is still often on my mind. The four months that I spent there might have felt long when I was still in the middle of my program, but looking back, it feels as if the past four months of my life have gone by in the blink of an eye. 

I am grateful for the trips that I went on. I visited numerous countries for the first time—these countries were, in the order that I travelled to them: Switzerland, Belgium, Denmark, Hungary, and Bulgaria. Each and every country that I visited offered a new insight into the continent and was unique in its own way, regardless of whether I travelled to it as part of my program or on my own time.