One month down, and a little over one month left to go until I’m back home in America. Time seems to fly by here, and it feels like I haven’t been able to do half of what I’ve wanted to do during my time here. Between visiting the beaches at Santa Marinella, hiking and swimming in Cinque Terre, touring Pompeii, visiting the Amalfi Coast, cliff jumping in Sorrento, and exploring Rome even more than I already have, not a moment that’s passed has been boring or uninteresting.

There’s no point in sugar-coating it- study abroad so far has been a mixed bag. Managing the push and pull of wanting to explore an entire country and of making the most of an almost-job is a whole bunch, all at once. Just to show you how great and awful of a time I’m having all at once, here’s an example of all of it smooshed into one weekend.

Phase 1) me, missing Kansas and Toto.

During the semester, I’ve been volunteering with an organization weekly and with another periodically. Volunteering with these organizations shaped my study abroad experience in multiple different ways: I was forced to speak Spanish, I got to meet many locals and people from around the world, I was able to learn a different aspect of Buenos Aires, the capital and the province, and contextualize the social issues and statistics we talk about.

I volunteered with two organizations: Pilares and Techo.

Originally this post was just going to be about a haircut, but then I realized adding fish ice cream made for not only a better title, but also a more aesthetically pleasing cover photo. And so if I haven't confused you enough - allow me to explain my first month (yes... month!) in Madrid:

It’s been a whirlwind since coming back from Chile — when you study abroad, it’s almost as if you’re in a little capsule far far away from the rest of the world. When you return, you realize life has been moving just as steadily without you and you must race to catch up.

I was thrown back in the game immediately, back to my studies and responsibilities and my summer gigs. Life continues, and I haven’t yet given myself time to reflect on my experience, even though it’s only been a week.

Disclosure: this photo was taken during February, the peak of Chilean summer. It is now May, and oh yes. Winter is coming.

There’s a common misconception that study abroad students are the thrill seeking, let’s-go-skydiving-just-because-we-can type people. I’m not really that type of person. I love traveling and seeing the world, but the idea of spending my summer in another country was intimidating. If you’re afraid of going abroad and having everything unfamiliar, this one’s for you.

After a long flight and over 35 hours of being awake, I found myself in Berlin with nothing but my luggage and printed out directions. I was awake enough to figure out how to buy a ticket at the airport, but had failed to verify it––meaning I could have been fined 60 Euro! Thankfully I met no ticket checkers on my way into the city.

After a week of exploring Hong Kong and getting to spend my last week with the students from my Economy, Business, and Society spring semester program, I’m back in Shanghai! Although Hong Kong was beautiful and full of new adventures and memories, I have grown to call Shanghai my home and am so happy to be back and settled into my new apartment (which is just across the hall from the apartment I lived in last semester).

I take a labored breath in, and decided I’ve had my fill. The past week my throat had been constricting, tighter and tighter. Within the pasts two days, a deep weight settled on my chest. A strange, unknown type of pain that I couldn’t ignore. I needed to go to the hospital.

The problem was, I was in Turkey, at the beginning of a weeklong trip around eastern Europe. My international insurance had run out with the end of my abroad program, and the possibility of an English-speaking doctor was scarce.