If you are an active user of social media, you have probably stumbled upon pictures of Chefchaouen, also known as the "Blue City," at some point. Morocco has always been a country on the top of my to-visit list, so I made sure to allot enough time to see this dreamy, picturesque city during my time there. We landed in Marrakech and spent a couple of days there before taking two trains and a bus to get to Chefchaouen, which took about 11 hours of travel time.

I did not expect all the things that I would do and experience while studying abroad in New Zealand. I actually wasn’t very ambitious in the beginning. I arrived in Auckland with the simple goals of taking classes, meeting new people, and learning about Kiwi culture. I thought that I would spend all my time in Auckland, studying and hanging out with new friends. But once I got to Auckland, I realized there were so many more opportunities that I hadn’t expected.

In Quito, it’s a time of celebration. December 6 marked the 483^rd anniversary of the city’s founding—and while that might not be a milestone year, it is a national holiday, complete with chivas (brightly colored party buses), a traditional hot drink called canelazo, and lots of music and dancing in the streets. Add in the fact that we’re only a few weeks from Christmas, and the city as I have experienced it over the past few weeks can only be described as festive.

This semester I've spent many class days outside hiking and I've absolutely loved it. I've always loved the outdoors but truly reinvigorated my passion for hiking and camping this semester. For my forest management and ecology class, we went on a trip to the Swiss Alps, studying the forests while immersed in them. We learned a lot and had a lot of fun too. Switzerland absolutely exceeded my expectations, and I already can't wait to return to this stunning country.

A couple of weekends ago I had the pleasure of visiting Paris for the very first time.  Now, for some reason, I've heard very mixed reviews about the city.  I've heard that it's "dirty" and that it's just not as romantic or beautiful as it's made out to be.  Well let me tell you, all of that is wrong.  Of course I was only in the very touristy areas of the city because I was only there for three days, so I can't claim to know the city very well.  But from what I did see, I loved it.

For many students in the IES Abroad program, the thought of Thanksgiving break was both exciting and an instant reminder that we were all starting to miss home. For me, this was the first year I was actually going to be “home” for the holidays. The train to Paris was a seven-hour scenic ride through Italy, the Alps, and the South of France. Thanksgiving is obviously not a holiday in Europe, but it is so easy to make it a memorable experience if you plan it right.