Coucou! It’s been a while since I last posted, but things are starting to settle down now! I’ve gotten some time to explore Nantes and surrounding cities in the region of Bretagne with IES Abroad trips to Vannes during the week of orientation, Clisson, Saint-Malo and Mont-Saint-Michel.

Some impressions from the first few weeks:

So yeah... I've been here for a month. It feels weird saying that. For some reason, it feels as if I've been here longer (but I'm not complaining). On a scale of 1-10 determining how comfortable I feel here, I would have to rank my comfort a 3. Just kidding, I'm saying 10. I love it here! Since being here for a month, I've had the opportunity to try new foods, explore new places, and speak a whole lot of German (well, Dinglish - Deutsch and English). 

Home has always been a confusing concept for me. I recall going through my childhood and catching myself thinking, "I wanna go home" when I was already within my own house. I struggled to find comfort in my surroundings. Growing up in Minnesota, my brown skin always stuck out against the white background. When I visited Pakistan, I would feel a strong sense of familiarity. Being in an environment where I wasn't totally different from others created comfort.

On a beautiful Thursday morning, our IES Abroad group boarded a bus and headed to the hills of the Chianti region of Italy. We were ready to connect what we were learning in our classes to some traditional business in the area. We had two stops planned, the wine producers of Rocca di Castagnoli and the pasta producers of Pastificio Fabbri.

So I thought I’d start this blog post with a couple of goofy, culture-related anecdotes!        

This weekend, my friend and I headed over to Cinque Terre to hike and explore the picturesque towns.  If you have ever wanted to visit this part of the world, in my opinion, it is an absolute must.  The hikes were challenging but incredibly rewarding, the food was amazing, the views were breathtaking, and the experience is one I will carry with me forever.

A couple weekends back I had the most spectacular weekend in Melbourne! It was my first weekend trip that I planned since arriving in Australia, so I absolutely balled out with my research to make the most epic trip plan ever. It’s kinda funny because I really had no clue how hard it was to plan a trip somewhere–it’s a lot of work. I always took for granted the trip itineraries my mom would make for our family vacations growing up...hopefully she ends up reading my blogs and realises how grateful I am now!

Here are some easy ways to really get to know a new city in a matter of few weeks and start feeling at home in a new country:

Language can tell you a great deal about a person, a culture, and even entire civilizations. In today’s evermore connected and globalized society, more and more people are being raised bilingual by their parents or learning languages in schools and universities. However, unless you’re a natural with the predominant language of the country in which you’re studying, odds are at some point you will run smack into a language barrier.

-¿Hablas español?

-Solo un poquito.