“Wow, that’s a lot of luggage… It’ll be fun carrying it up the stairs. Good, it’s only to the second floor,” said a landlord who I and my friend met next to our apartment building in Barcelona. With those words he opened the front door and walked up the stairs, leaving us on our own with our 6 huge bags. “Wow, that’s a warm welcome. Am I already allowed to conclude that all Spanish people are rude and shameless?

It's officially week number three in the Eternal City and I have learned so much and loved every minute of it. From weekend trips, to field studies for class, to exploring the ancient streets by myself, it has all widened my view of living in Italy and Italian culture. While I haven't found my study spot quite yet, I already feel at home in Roma and can't wait to see what the next couple months bring. Here's a sneak peek into my daily life!

So it's almost been a month, and I'm pretty settled here. I've got a plant for my room, I know where the grocery stores are, and I've met all my flatmates, which is pretty darn cool.

In my one month of living in Germany, I've learned all sorts of stuff. It feels weird to think that because what's unfamiliar has become habit now. I guess that's exactly what happens when EVERYTHING is unfamiliar... you have to make it familiar. Atleast for someone like me who can't function without some kind of routine. 

¡Hola amigos, buenas! I have had the most amazing first few weeks in Granada. Everything has been moving so quickly, I can hardly believe that I’ve almost been here for an entire month! Each day has been one exciting whirlwind after another, and each day, I’ve found more and more reasons to love this incredible city. One reason is the breathtaking view of Granada from our apartment building’s rooftop terrace!

Although the first month here in Spain has yet to end, as I sit here on the corner cafe of Calle Nunez de Balboa, I cannot help but to marvel at what's been going on, and the pace of events - which has basically been to arrive in Madrid after an 8-hour flight and hit the ground running. Breaks? Pausing to catch your breath? Taking it easy? Staying in? Haven't heard of her.

    It’s hard to explain to someone else what it feels like to be abroad. I’m constantly in awe of the space around me. Sucked into these new cultures but somehow simultaneously overstimulated to the point where I can barely tell you what I do every day. I’ve been here for over a month now, and while some of the novelty of the city has begun to ware off I find myself still so taken by the city and it’s people.

I have been in Barcelona for three weeks and it has been a life changing experience. My experience has been unbelievable, and I am absolutely in love with Barcelona. The wonderful food, amazing people, and all encompassing beauty that is radiates through the city has exceeded any expectation that I had.

やほー!

Study Abroad is filled with opportunities for adventure, excitement, and exploration. I love showing my friends and family pictures of all the cool places in Japan I go. A lot of my best exploration and travel happens on the weekends, when I don’t have class. During the week, most students are too busy with homework, studying, clubs, and the daily commute to and from school.

Three weeks into studying abroad and I can’t believe the number of beautiful places I’ve traveled to already!

When most people think of studying abroad in Europe, they envision living and taking classes in a city during the week, then jetting off to another country for the weekend. I am sure that I will be guilty of that at least a few times during this semester. However, I decided that instead of exploring Paris or Barcelona this weekend, I would go on the IES Abroad trip to Parma.

Parma is a city about 1 ½ hours south of Milano. It is much quieter than Milano, but still has a rich culture and cuisine that we spent several days exploring.