Out of all my trips outside of Spain, the most unique and culturally immersive was definitely my trip to Morocco. I stayed in Marrakech in an Airbnb with several other kids from IES Abroad. We had been planning this trip for months, and it was easily what I was anticipating most all semester. On the first night I was there, I had the unfortunate experience of having bed bugs in my bed, which was a big first for me. When I found the itchy series of red bumps in the morning, I was ready to get angry and let it ruin the rest of my trip.

Most of the trips I took around Spain and Europe involved at least a few days of planning. Finding flights, finishing school work on time, making an itinerary of things I wanted to do, etc. Usually, that’s the best way to do things. You always want to be prepared and aware when you’re travelling. However, don’t count out how much fun spontaneous trips can be.

The first week of studying abroad is really weird. Being in an entirely new place with new people is uncomfortable no matter who you are. However, there is one week of the semester that is even weirder: the last. Watching the people you’ve spent the greatest four months of your life with leave and go home, one by one, is almost overwhelming. Out of my apartment and friend group, I was the last to leave. By the Friday of the last week, only two of us were left.

As the holiday season approached, I expected to have some major fomo. Being from New York, I was pretty confident that I was going to be missing out on all the holiday festivities I was used to. No snow covered streets, no Rockefeller Christmas Tree, no Santas roaming the metro, no bright lights above. As mid December, hit I was more than happy to be wrong. Whether you celebrate Christmas or not, Madrid has some really fun activities to offer during the holiday season and is an exciting place to be. Here were some of my favorites:

Before I left for Madrid, I made of list of things I wanted to do in Europe. One of those was a scenic hike. When most people imagine hiking in Europe, the first places that come to mind are Switzerland, Germany, Northern Europe, etc. When it comes to hiking specifically in Spain, the most popular routes are the various parts of the Camino de Santiago. I had my eyes on the Tour de Mont Blanc, a beautiful and popular route through the Alps that passes over the borders of Switzerland, Italy and France.

Home

(n.) the place where one lives permanently, especially as a member of a family or household

Well not really "yesterday" since I've been back in the States for three weeks now, but I really do miss my time in London. This last blog post is some of my favorite photos I took that I did not already publish. I've enjoyed telling all my fun stories to my friends and family. Sadly I am still not able to fake a British accent of any kind, but I do believe my love for tea has grown (or at least that's what my friends have said). I very much miss my bus, "73 to Stoke Newington", or all the yummy food markets.

Since getting home from my junior fall semester at Tufts University last week, I have slowly been moving various objects of clothing through different bags in my room. One, which I will take to Nantes in less than a week, is usually placed on my bed every morning and moved back to the floor every night so I can navigate the cluttered mess that is my bedroom. This is full of all sorts of things I have been told I will 'need' in France, and well as a few I definitely won't need but am determined to fit anyway.

I am a terrible packer. Well, I guess that's not entirely true. I can pack well enough, I just always pack too much. I tried not to overpack for my semester abroad, but I still ended up with excess clothing and items that I really didn't need. If I could do it all over again, I would leave more things out and make sure I actually had space left for the items I would acquire during my travels. The good thing is that I made it back to Texas.

For many, the beginning of 2018 is a time of resolutions and new beginnings. For me, 2018 means the dream of studying abroad in Japan for an entire semester is quickly approaching. The crazy thing is, my bags are all packed, and I’ll be leaving in a few days but I haven’t completely wrapped my head around this-- it still feels like a dream. So to try and grasp the reality of it all my pre-departure prep has been a bit more in-depth than packing my bags and brushing up on my Japanese. I’ve been researching, reflecting, and goal making as well.