Now that’s a word you don’t often see in a blog about traveling internationally: normalcy. But as I’ve settled into my classes and my homestay, I’ve begun to feel exactly that. Should I be concerned? Well, not exactly.

“Excuse me, could you please tell me how to get to the Alhambra?”

I must get asked this at least five times a day.

Ok, maybe I’m exaggerating a little, but it happens all the time. When I’m walking to class, sitting alone at a cafe, or even jogging with my headphones in, people seem to go out of their way to ask me for directions (often instead of asking a Spaniard nearby).

Millions of people visit Rome every year, and for good reason! It’s a crazy, metropolitan city with tons of sights to see, tours to take, and food to eat. Rome is great place to study abroad because there is so much to see! I firmly believe that you can’t do Rome in a weekend, too much history is trapped in the city beyond the museums and tourist attractions. Spending weekends in town has been a fantastic move for me because it seems as though new things pop up every day for me to explore.

The buddy system is the golden rule when exploring a new city, but sometimes you will find yourself traveling alone when studying abroad. A few weeks ago I traveled alone to meet a friend in Paris, and this past weekend I explored Edinburgh for a few hours while my friends were in class. Traveling solo brings a whole new level of responsibility and independence, but also allows you to explore a city on your own terms.

It’s been more than a few years since I’d been on a bike.  So when I began my semester in Amsterdam, it was beyond intimidating to have to swing my leg over a bike, hop on, and somehow navigate my way through this city. But I’ve done it, I’ve succeeded in winding through the crevasses and canals of the Amsterdam streets, and you can too. Even if you’re someone who’s more comfortable purchasing a monthly tram pass, I want to encourage you to get on a bike at least once.

It seems like taking a trip to Italy is on every travel junkie’s bucket list. I mean, for being world renown for exquisite wine, high-end fashion, rich history, and stunning natural beauty, there really is no wonder why Italy seems to have a charismatic and addicting charm. And let's not get started on the food… just thinking about the ever abundant gelato, pizza, and pasta will get my mouth watering at the thought.

As a long-term, intense introvert with social anxiety, past orientations have proven to be difficult for me. In fact, I hated high school orientation so much I’ve essentially blocked it from memory and after day one of college orientation, I decided I would not be returning for day two. I don’t regret this decision. It actually allowed me my first step toward bonding with my first roommate as she had decided to skip day two activities as well.

I’m sitting here reflecting and realizing how quickly time has gone by...it has been one month since I’ve arrived in Berlin. In that one month, I have learned how to order in German, how to dance bachata and salsa surprisingly, where to find tortillas in Berlin, to not jaywalk in front of children (but also not to jaywalk in general!), and how to navigate Berlin’s transportation system. I have yet to try to weinerschnitzel, but it’s on my to-do list.