Wow, I can’t believe that in a few short days, I will be on a plane on my way back to the United States. It’s crazy to think that I’ve been in Ireland for eight weeks, so practically my entire summer. I’m not going lie, time went by really slow the first few weeks to the point where I felt like I could watch paint dry. However, as the weeks progressed, I found myself losing track of time through my travel adventures and increasing work responsibilities.

Hello everyone -

After two weeks of intense coursework in San Cristobal, we were rewarded with a week-long island-hopping adventure before we returned to our host families in Quito. Our adventure began in Santa Cruz, where we toured the bay and visited North Seymour, which is home to colonies of frigate birds and blue-footed boobies. From Santa Cruz we then traveled to the island of Isabela, where we explored the flooded lava tunnels created by the currently erupting volcano, Sierra Negra, as well as snorkeled through mangrove systems to see sharks and stingrays.

Coming down the mountain from the airport on the tiny island of Baltra, we were all shocked by the brilliant blueness and clearness of the water that stood in stark contrast to the dusty, reddish desserts surrounding the ocean. Unable to contain ourselves, we took countless pictures, wanting to capture this picturesque scene of utter paradise. Little did we know, we would be seeing this exact same scene for the next two weeks as we studied and lived among the locals on the island of San Cristobal.

Last week, I had the amazing opportunity to go to Wimbledon. I was seriously nervous about it, though, because I really had no idea what to expect and I was going with a British person who definitely would know the ins and outs of Wimbledon etiquette. I did tons of online research, but the articles I read were either confusing or contradicted other articles. So here we are, a week post-Wimbledon, and I’m sharing my experiences with you to hopefully give more guidance than what I found.

It was a quick turn around after the near 24-hour flight, but an awesome first day in Australia. The IES Abroad squad hit the road for a trip to Featherdale Wildlife Park to check out some of the native animals like the kangaroo, wallaby, koala bear, croc, dingo, and much much more. After the park we headed further up the road to hike the Blue Mountains. We descended through the mountains and saw beautiful waterfalls, rock structures, and a skyline full of picturesque scenery.

“You have to blend in, otherwise they’ll single you out.” I heard that phrase so many times before arriving in Milan this summer. Obviously, there was a safety aspect to this advice. Tourists are much more likely to be taken advantage of than locals. But just how would I go about “blending in” with the people in Milan? At the very beginning of my IES Abroad program, we had an orientation that taught us all about Italian culture, including what to and what not to wear and how to behave.

New and exciting things were happening everyday while I lived and interned in Santiago, and I realized I needed a way to appreciate and remember each moment. I'll always have memories, but memories can get lost: I'll remember that one time I chased after an ambulance on Cerro San Cristobal, but over time I might forget to remember that moment. And with everything that was happening and everything I was learning, I didn't want to forget to remember.