I was playing a video game when the text came in. I’d always expected it to be bigger, somehow; I was raised in a superstitious family, where we believed in energy and in stregas and in knowing when something important was about to happen. But I guess that was wrong, because I was in bed playing Borderlands 2 for probably the tenth time when I got the notification. My mom had sent me a simple message; it just read “Hi Lou, please call me when you can.”

When my SO (significant other) came to visit me last weekend, I was super excited. I couldn’t wait to show them all the big tourist sites: the churches, the museums, the churches that have been turned into museums, and the giant statue of la Virgen de Quito with the view of the whole city. They were flying in late friday night, so I spent the whole day getting everything in order for their arrival. I packed my things, checked in at the AirBnb, double checked the bus schedule, and napped for a couple hours.

I have been in Morocco for over a month now. As life here begins to feel more and more normal, it also doesn’t.

Every day I walk home through the Medina, and every day I see something I never noticed before. I wonder if the stalls and landmarks are constantly changing or if some of these new items get lost within the chaos. I get lost too.

How is it even possible to study for final exams while studying abroad? In Cape Town, it feels especially difficult because the weather is starting to warm up, and I am realizing I only have a month left to plow through my neverending bucket list. With finals just around the corner, though, we’ve had to think back on what spots around Cape Town have been the best for settling in for a day of studying.

For most, studying abroad in a country in Europe means studying abroad in Europe as a whole. Weekend trips to Paris and London are the norm, and students can end up not seeing very much of their host country.

Destination: wherever. The point is the whole process, not just the destination. I guess I’m weird like that though, I have always enjoyed every part of air travel. The airports, the flying, the packing and unpacking with the souvenirs you come home with, the trying to sneak an overweight bag onboard disguised as a regular book bag, all of it is fun for me. I even enjoy turbulence on flights, every now and then - it breaks up some of the lull when you’re just sitting there cruising through the air.

Unsurprisingly, quite a bit has happened since you last heard from me. A busy week of midterms saw me with my nose finally (frantically?) in my books, and I was generally happy with how my exams came out. The following week of spring break I stayed in Buenos Aires while all of my classmates travelled around the continent. After the first few days of feeling lonely and jealous, I started to make the best of my break and get out into the city.

The places we travel can be beautiful and awe-inspiring.  Monuments carry profound meaning and breathtaking vistas remind us to pause to soak up the majesty of creation.  The hustle and bustle of the active city brings a rush to our veins. 

Hi everyone!

I'm writing this post on my train ride from Paris to Freiburg. The EU Institutions trip was amazing; I especially loved visiting the European Commission and the Court of Justice of the European Union. A review of Brussels, my new favorite European city, is coming soon but for right now let's talk about something very important: music.

There are three reasons for this post:

This past month has been a whirlwind of changes and newness. It feels like being a freshman in college all over again; meeting new people, living with a ton of roommates in a small space, trying to figure out the city where you’re living… Yet, I still have three years of college under my belt and have not forgotten the lessons I’ve learned along the way.