As I await the second of three planes in 28 hours, I’m realizing the dramatic difference between planning study abroad and actually embarking on the trip. I personally didn’t really think about the 20+ hours of travel, the time changes, and the small but mighty task of navigating new airports. Now, sitting in New York’s JFK airport, all the planning, excitement, and preparations culminate into one feeling - exhaustion.

Hello again!

In this video, I finally travel to New Zealand! It was one of the longest days of my life with a total of three flights and about 20 hours. 

When the curtains close and your time abroad seems to come to a close, it hits you like a brick wall. At least in my experience, hugging your friends good-bye is the first time you realize it may be the last time you’ll see them again. What may be even worse is realizing you have to go home, back to reality.

So what did I do? Well I decided to extend my stay for a week and travel around the parts of Spain I hadn’t seen yet, of course!

I came to Madrid with no expectations – but had I set them, they would have been met. One thing that I wasn’t expecting however were the moments of true boredom in a city with a million things to do. So, after the frustration of sitting around for an entire weekend, I decided to bite the bullet and plan for a weekend getaway with some of the other American students I had met.

I can admit it: I am a food driven person. I love to garden and cook and grocery shop, and I even chose nutritional sciences as my major because I love food (both healthy and not so healthy)! As a vegan, however, in my small town I am lucky enough to have an expensive all vegan cafe and a few Chinese restaurants where I can eat. Although it may satisfy some vegans, as an aspiring nutritionist, I do not consider a whole plate of fries or a salad sans protein as a real meal––thus limiting my dine out options.

You never know how fast time will pass until it's already happened. And boy, being in a foreign country just makes it seem so much faster.

I knew from the start that my study abroad program would fly by – I am doing a summer program, so I only have had around a month and a half here. In many ways, I feel that even if I had done a full semester, or even a year, I would come out of it still wanting more time.

What happens if my depression gets really bad for a couple of days? What happens if somehow lose my medication and have to go without it for a period of time? What if my anxiety prevents me from making friends and doing and seeing the things that I’ve always wanted to do and see while in Italy? How am I going to get a counselor who I can connect with if I end up needing one while abroad? And what will I do if I have a bad panic attack or anxiety attack, and I’m alone but need help?

Interning abroad and studying abroad are two very different things. Luckily for me, I get a taste of both. I have an internship at a modeling agency in Milan, and I am also taking two classes: Beginner Italian and an internship seminar. All students participating in the IES Internships program are required to take the internship seminar, either 3 credits or 6 credits, but the Italian class is optional.

I knew that my life in Salamanca would be different than New York City, and have discovered that these differences are mostly in Salamanca’s favor. If only I could return to New York with my extended midday meals and late night churros and conversation in the Plaza Mayor.