Valparaíso is a paradise as per its name, a city awash in every hue imaginable and the smell of the sea. Even with all the amazing nature to see in Chile, Valpo offers the kind of raw, manmade views that makes every tourist smile. My boyfriend flew in town to visit for about a week, and we did our first stint in Torres del Paine before taking a day trip out to the coast.

I had a sore throat in Meknes on the last day of the orientation week. I felt better after drinking some hot water. As I was packing my luggage, my host mom called me for lunch. I went back to the dining room, only to see some fried chicken legs with vegetables. I told me host mom in French, “The fried chicken is too hot.

“The routine is the enemy of time, it makes it fly by.” I remember hearing this as I was graduating high school (for more on the quote, check out this video of a guy who decided to rebel against routine by biking across South America). In that moment, I didn’t understand how this could be true. I had had a 7:30am – 5:00pm repetitive routine at school for the past twelve years of my life, and it did anything but fly by.  When you’re young, every day feels like an eternity.

Every morning since school ended has consisted of me waking up at 7 am, crossing off yesterday’s date on my hanging "cats doing yoga" calendar, and settling down to study for the next five hours at the local coffee shop. While many of my friends celebrate the end of finals and the school year with trips and exciting, new summer jobs, I feel as though I have been wasting my time away, trapped in my notes and flashcards.

I was faced with a huge dilemma when I shared with all of my friends how desperately I wanted to visit Split, Croatia and not one of my friends was able to join me. Although I would have to do it alone, I remained determined to venture off to the beautiful country of Croatia. Prior to my trip to Split, I had nerves and doubts about my decision. What if I wasn't ready to navigate a foreign country on my own? What if I get lonely being by all by myself for four days?

The conception of a city has evolved substantially over the past few centuries. Before coming to Berlin and Paris, I thought of Paris through the words of Emile Zola and paintings of Cézanne, and I imagined Berlin as a place where beer and sausages flow around. However, having lived in Berlin for the past three months and visited Paris three times, I would argue that both cities are different from my previous imaginations about European cities—döner shops pop up at every street corner in Berlin, just as many as the Starbucks in Paris.

Hey!!