As many of you may know, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, Google, and other American sites are blocked in China. Before starting my semester abroad in Shanghai I was worried about not being able to communicate with friends via conventional social media sites, however, now that I’m here I have truly embraced Chinese methods of communication and media. Although I have a VPN (Virtual Private Network) in order to access typical American sites, I have to say Chinese apps are a must have!

Self introductions are a big thing here in Japan, so here I go:

Hi! I’m Marlow Freeman, Mar for short. I’m a mechanical engineering and computer science major from Tufts in Boston, MA. I like to cook and make music, though I’m more interested in improving my skills than the end result. I’m 21, I don’t speak Japanese, and I’m currently living in Japan.

It's hard living away from your family and friends during important life transitions.

I'm not new to long-distance dating. I'd already done it for three semesters, attending school in Connecticut while my love stayed in Florida. We see each other quite often, once every month normally, and live together over breaks from school. By this time, I figured we'd nailed it and a semester abroad in Chile would be a piece of cake.

Growing up, I was always so excited for my birthday - a whole new year, eating my favorite cake with my loved ones but only after the tradition popularly celebrated in Mexico, la mordida, the bite, where they would push the birthday person’s face into the cake.

I just returned back to Barcelona from a weekend in Paris and the city truly lives up to its reputation. The romance on Love Lock Bridge, the smell of Nutella crepes on every street corner, and the energy given off from the Eiffel Tower at night all make up the exact experience I was hoping for.

“1, 2, 3, smile!”

My roommate was trying to take a picture of me for me at the blue gate in front of the Chefchaouen city. I tried hard to turn up the corners of my mouth so I could fake a cute smile.

Salut! In less than a month, I will depart from Nantes; that idea feels incredibly bizarre, especially because the rhythm I've found myself in coupled with the many new things I learn about and from the city every day make it feel like such a constant in my life.