If you are like me, you may have a lot of questions about studying abroad in the summer. Is it too short? Is it enough time to travel? Do you get full credits for the courses you take? Are there less places and courses to choose from? Do you get the full experience of being abroad? Well, my short answer to all of these questions is … yes. Like everything in life, studying abroad in the summer has its pros and its cons.

I feel like pinching myself when I say it, but I miss home a lot. It’s so hard to admit it to myself. How could I possibly want this wonderful trip to end? It seems ungrateful, and whiny. But I guess my brain is hardly ever in cahoots with my emotions, and whenever I start to get lonely and miss home, my thoughts tell me that I should not feel this way. I should go out there and love every second of my time here. I guess it’s similar to the way I felt upon arriving- unable to accept my trepidation at the idea of adjusting to so many new things.

In addition to our internships, we all have Chinese class once a week, as well as our internship seminar course. Our internship seminar course is a two-and-a-half hour class, which meets Thursday nights after we arrive home from our respective internships. After a long day at work, everyone from the program gathers to address issues in the workplace, as well as our individual intern experiences and how they may be similar and/or different to previous internships in the States or elsewhere.

Nothing, absolutely nothing prepared me for the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that would be the winning of the World Cup by France while I was abroad. I always liked sports (mainly American football - I am a die-hard Pittsburgh Steelers fan) but because America was never good at Football (Soccer - but I'll use its proper name football), it wasn't something that crossed my mind a lot. Particularly not the World Cup - which only occurs once every 4 years.

This is one of those things that you just can’t make up. I didn’t think Europe would change my opinion of the United States – and I’m still not entirely convinced it has. So, let’s just call this the story of the time I thought for a second it did.

  I have to say, celebrating the Fourth of July in a different country was a weird experience. Not seeing people all decked out in American flag gear and expressing high amounts of American-themed patriotism and nationalism on a nation-wide day off was a new experience.

Going abroad is shocking in many ways. Naturally, we will feel surprised, and at times, even overwhelmed by the differences between us and the culture of our host country. No matter whether or not you have been there before, traveled a lot, or have done extensive research, you will still find some things in your new society hard to adapt to. However, rather than complain, find ways to see knowledge in the way things are done. Seek to understand these traditions and cultures on a deeper level.

With my second (and last) final exam today, there is less than one week left before the program ends and I return home. With that comes the inevitable question, from people here and those at home: how are you feeling? Will you miss Berlin?

In my previous blog I discussed the two classes I’m taking through IES Abroad, the internship seminar and the beginner’s Italian class. I thought it would be fun and interesting to learn Italian while studying abroad to better ease my transition into a new culture. I had heard in the past that Italian is similar to Spanish, and I have taken many Spanish courses in the past. So I thought that my background in Spanish would be beneficial in learning the new language. Knowing Spanish did prove to be somewhat helpful as the languages are similar.

Since I left my home in Indiana and my journey to New Zealand has began, I have felt almost every emotion in the books. From anxiety, loneliness, and fear, to happiness, excitement, and most importantly, gratitude and amazement. Through the 11 days filled with travel and settling in, I have came to realize that studying overseas, as well as solo traveling is going to be filled with ups and downs. While this might sound negative, that is not what I am trying to focus on.