Coming down the mountain from the airport on the tiny island of Baltra, we were all shocked by the brilliant blueness and clearness of the water that stood in stark contrast to the dusty, reddish desserts surrounding the ocean. Unable to contain ourselves, we took countless pictures, wanting to capture this picturesque scene of utter paradise. Little did we know, we would be seeing this exact same scene for the next two weeks as we studied and lived among the locals on the island of San Cristobal.

Last week, I had the amazing opportunity to go to Wimbledon. I was seriously nervous about it, though, because I really had no idea what to expect and I was going with a British person who definitely would know the ins and outs of Wimbledon etiquette. I did tons of online research, but the articles I read were either confusing or contradicted other articles. So here we are, a week post-Wimbledon, and I’m sharing my experiences with you to hopefully give more guidance than what I found.

It was a quick turn around after the near 24-hour flight, but an awesome first day in Australia. The IES Abroad squad hit the road for a trip to Featherdale Wildlife Park to check out some of the native animals like the kangaroo, wallaby, koala bear, croc, dingo, and much much more. After the park we headed further up the road to hike the Blue Mountains. We descended through the mountains and saw beautiful waterfalls, rock structures, and a skyline full of picturesque scenery.

“You have to blend in, otherwise they’ll single you out.” I heard that phrase so many times before arriving in Milan this summer. Obviously, there was a safety aspect to this advice. Tourists are much more likely to be taken advantage of than locals. But just how would I go about “blending in” with the people in Milan? At the very beginning of my IES Abroad program, we had an orientation that taught us all about Italian culture, including what to and what not to wear and how to behave.

New and exciting things were happening everyday while I lived and interned in Santiago, and I realized I needed a way to appreciate and remember each moment. I'll always have memories, but memories can get lost: I'll remember that one time I chased after an ambulance on Cerro San Cristobal, but over time I might forget to remember that moment. And with everything that was happening and everything I was learning, I didn't want to forget to remember.

July 19th, 2018

"I really have no intention on ever going to Italy..." 

Last year these words came out of my mouth when discussing where I wanted to go abroad. Though at the time I insulted my older sister who studied here in Rome a few years back, I have to admit, I will never be so wrong in my life. Oh boy, I cannot believe how close-minded and wrong I was.

Travel

Hi everyone!

I wanted to take a post to appreciate the beauty of Ireland and highlight the places I have traveled to within the country. I know I have mentioned it before, but Ireland truly is such a naturally beautiful country and I have had such a lovely time going to different cities along the coast. Without further hesitation, here is a comprehensive list of the places I have been able to experience while in Ireland.

Cliffs of Moher

Hello ladies, gentlemen, and non-binary folk!

So last time I was speaking to you, I was just arriving in Auckland. As I am writing to you now, I am just a few days away from ending my program. I still can not believe that.

It’s hard to believe that one more week has passed by and there’s only one week left of the program. It feels like we just landed yesterday, and everything went by in the blink of an eye. Sounds cliche as all hell, but it’s true. Over the course of the past eight weeks, being able to intern at LivItaly has been a wonderful experience—a lot of what the other intern and I have been doing there has been working as part of their content team and helping them with the marketing for their company.