Whenever I go on an IES Abroad trip, whether it’s orientation or one of the excursions, if it’s a multiple day trip then we almost always stay in a ryokan or traditional Japanese hotel. If you’ve never been to one before then it’ll be a great way to experience Japanese hospitality, but there may also be a lot of confusion about what you should and shouldn’t do. So I just wanted to share a couple things about staying at a ryokan that’ll allow you to get the most out of your stay there.

Today I walked to class in the bright sunshine, wearing a tank top and shorts, while my friends at my home university walked to class wearing as many layers as they could.  It’s an average of 16C here in Christchurch, New Zealand (60F), but my home university in Ithaca, New York, is experiencing another Nor’easter storm, with temperatures below freezing. I definitely made the right choice to study abroad in New Zealand during the northern hemisphere’s spring semester...but the weather is not the only reason that I makes me grateful.

Last year, I watched an episode of Modern Family wherein the native Colombian character Gloria exclaimed exasperatedly at her white American husband, “I am so much funnier in Spanish." When I heard her say this, I thought of my own Chinese immigrant parents who have been in the States for over twenty years. My mother and father are respectively a professor and a researcher, thus they use English quite frequently in their professional lives. Their grasps of English, however, falter when it comes to social spaces.

There’s a fairly prevalent stereotype of the study abroad student; you’ve almost certainly encountered it before. The entrepreneuring college junior or senior packs their bags and, amidst Snapchats of boarding passes and their passport, sets off for their semester abroad. The next months are a flurry of Instagrams, Facebook albums, and video calls home, and when the student eventually returns, they undoubtedly can’t stop talking about their time abroad.

One of the most exciting parts of snorkeling and diving in the Galapagos, is the opportunity to see sharks. The islands are home to hundreds of black tip reef sharks, white tip reef sharks, Galapagos sharks and even scalloped hammerhead sharks which are listed as an endangered species. When I've told people about seeing sharks in the water when diving or snorkeling, the first question they usually ask is if I was scared. With what you see in movies and television, this isn't a surprising question at all.

Time flies! It is hard to believe that I have already spent almost two months in Berlin. When my friends from home ask me how my study abroad experiences have been, I always find it difficult to respond anything but “It’s been fantastic.

It all started with a realization that I would not, under any circumstances, be hauling my full-sized international suitcase through the cobblestone streets of Europe after my program ended.

One day in my IES Abroad Acting Workshop class, I was practicing my melodramatic lines in Federico Garcia Lorca’s play, Bodas de Sangre, when I became distracted in conversation about weekend plans. My friend Drew and I momentarily abandoned our parts as Leonardo and La Novia to compare the prospective adventures of the weekend to come. After hearing Drew’s plan to hike a portion of the Camino de Santiago I recognized that his weekend was going to greatly exceed my humble plans of hanging out in Madrid.

Spring break is finally here! Which also means a whole week of stay-cation in Paris, showing my parents around the city of lights! 

While abroad, one of the biggest non-problems I’ve faced is figuring out the best way to keep my memories of my time abroad, as well as how and how much to share with friends and family. I’ve been an avid journaler for years—my pen and (fourth!) little Moleskine notebook are always in my pocket—and like to keep my Instagram feed updated and looking nice.