My flight will land in Dublin a week from now. I have less than a week to have everything packed up and ready to go. I am not sure how the time flew, but fly right on by it did. How am I preparing? By reading of course! 

I come from a family of travelers.

Before every trip departure, as we roll out of our driveway, my family says the same phrase: "Here's good luck and away we go." My grandmother started this tradition and I still find myself saying it whenever I leave home for a good chunk of time. Whether it's a family trip to Austria, 2 months in Israel, or just move-in day at Penn State, there is something comforting about this simple ritual of ours. It is a sense of familiarity before inevitable uncertainty.

There are two things that I underestimated when I arrived in Ireland: just how much tea the Irish drink, and just how easy it is to travel around the country! After our first full week of classes (and more cups of tea than I've ever drank in my life), my roommates and I joined other IES Abroad students on hike around the picturesque Howth Head just north of Dublin, then branched out on our own to explore Galway. 

It’s been a little over a week since I first arrived in Quito, and there have already been too many sights and experiences to count. Every Ecuadorian I’ve met so far has been incredibly kind and welcoming, and I can already feel myself falling in love with the culture. Between getting to know host families, starting classes and exploring the city, it’s been a busy time. On top of all this, we are also practicing a new language.

When preparing for college, I was fortunate enough to have my parents do a lot of the administrative stuff for me. I had no idea how daunting forms, applications, and appointments could be!

One of the things I've quickly come to appreciate about IES Abroad is how they ease you into your program. The morning after arriving to Nagoya, the 4th largest city in Japan (which may not sound super impressive, but keep in mind that Tokyo is one of the largest cities in the world), we were whisked away to a smaller, much quieter castle town for the IES Abroad orientation.

Welcome to my IES Abroad Blog! For those of you reading this that don’t know me already, I’m Megan, and I’m a junior at University of Wisconsin-Madison, who in a few short days will be leaving the freezing Wisconsin countryside for the cobblestone streets of Paris, France. I’m a finance and international business double major with a French certificate (aka a minor at every other university in America) and I love making art, watching movies, traveling, and eating ice cream.

Ciao tutti! My name is Sam Brown, and I am a junior at Brandeis University located right outside of Boston, Massachusetts. Massachusetts has always been my home, and this will be the first experience spending an extended amount of time away from home and out of the country. I am studying in the Milan Business Studies program. When I first got to college I never thought I would have the opportunity to study abroad, but I am elated to take on this experience.