Hi Everyone,

After 3 months and 3 classes, Monday the 22nd of October marked the beginning of our weeklong fall break island hopping with IES Abroad. We set out early that morning to Floreana the southernmost and least populated of the four inhabited islands in the archipelago. The island is similar to San Cristóbal with an arid coastline but relatively lush highlands. We stayed for only a few hours to tour the old settlements in the highlands and snorkel at the black sand beach.

Halloween is not the most celebrated holiday in Paris, to say the least. My roommate and I found this out during a regular trip to the grocery store. 

Our initial intention was to dress up the interior of our apartment, which is usually bright and cheery thanks to the French doors that dominate one wall of the common area. But the season of fall came with gray skies and showers, so the apartment was beginning to darken more and more. 

Last weekend I had the amazing opportunity to go hiking in France! Sure, I had been to France on a fieldtrip before…but that was literally only walking over a bridge crossing the Rhine River, so does it really count?  Not really.

But last weekend did!

It was an optional field trip that was presented months ago, and we could pay a little extra and have our name put down. Let me tell you, it’s worth it!

    When you plan on studying abroad, more likely than not one of the main things you’re thinking about is travel. Whether it’s within different parts of whichever country you pick or somewhere different entirely, studying abroad is seen by many as a opportunity to visit the places you dreamed of while growing up in the States. Admittedly this was a big reason I wanted to study abroad as well, having never been to Europe before now.

Mid-October. The leaves are turning from their green to yellow-gold and amber-orange tones. The sunlight is honeyed and gentled by the cool breezes that make their way through the city streets and avenues. Coats and scarves are coming out, but the coffees and cigarettes along every street cafe’ continue undisturbed, determined to drink up as much of the absolutely delicious October climate.

Last night I walked down King Street to the local cinema and saw the movie Halloween. Ya know the original story line with Michael Myers? Well this movie was absolutely terrifying, way more thrilling and gory than the original 1978 film (in my opinion). I was freaked out, and it took me forever to fall asleep last night. I normally set a 30 minute timer for my eucalyptus nightlight, but I shamelessly slept with it on the entire night because I was simply too scared of the dark.

The Alhambra is one of the world’s most visited tourist attractions, and it’s not hard to see why. With exquisite architecture, lush gardens, and a rich historical past, the Alhambra is more beautiful than any tourist pamphlet could describe. Trekking up through el bosque de la Alhambra was a bit of a steep climb, but being surrounded by a lush green forest really made it a walk in the park. When we arrived, we first explored the gorgeous gardens and fountains of the Generalife, which was used as a summer home.

    So I may have lied about getting better at posting!  Turns out blog posts are pretty easy to forget about when you’re doing amazing things like gastronomy trips to Bordeaux!  (Nice segue)  

How is it already the end of October? How could it be that November is creeping up on me? How could it be that my time in Berlin is flying by? The expression is true. Time DOES fly when you're having fun. But I feel as if this is my new permanent home.