Typically, the story of anyone’s study abroad experience is centered around their exciting adventures throughout cities unknown and places unexplored. And while my experience has followed that same narrative (traveling to Oktoberfest in Munich and celebrating La Mercè in Barcelona all in the same weekend), I would like to take a moment to appreciate one of the most often overlooked adventures of the study abroad experience: the homestay.

Seven brave souls set off to go build houses in the villas of Buenos Aires... this is their story:

I had been looking forward to TECHO since it was presented to us the first week we arrived in Buenos Aires. TECHO is an organization that began in Chile, that promotes social action and community building to overcome poverty. The organization now exists in 15 Latin American countries ~inlcuding Argentina~ and rallies volunteers for a variety of activities, including building houses for families in the villas!

The end of this week marks one month since my arrival in Spain. With classes well underway I have finally established a daily routine. I know that doesn’t sound too enticing but honestly its nice to settle into a groove. For this blog post I thought I would focus on a topic that is not the most exciting but is still a huge component of your time overseas: academics.

It feels like years have gone by since I last posted.  I've since begun classes, traveled outside the Netherlands for the first time, become comfortable enough to cycle in the city without Google Maps (win!), joined a dance class taught almost completely in Dutch, learned how to top up my OV Chipkaart to use public transportation, biked 10 miles outside the city to explore Zaanse Schans, and most importantly figured out how to do laundry here.

I’m three weeks into my study program in Rome. I live a few blocks away from the Vatican, and I can see Castel Sant’Angelo from the window of my school. Around every corner is a breathtaking piazza, a church painted in the Baroque style, a monument recognized by UNESCO.

And the city just has the most beautiful color palette - burnt orange, shades of red, peach. Each building relies on its neighbor to paint stunning city blocks. Rome is just as breathtaking as I hoped it would be - I can’t help but stare upwards as I walk.

Alright, real talk here. Module (aka course) registration is stressful. And not your normal amount of course registration stress—like REALLY stressful. But guess what? I survived!!!! And, if I’m being totally honest, it wasn’t nearly as bad as I thought it was going to be. This is my personal experience with module registration, which is something you will have to do if you are directly enrolling in a university.

If time flies, then time abroad is like an Andean Condor. Time has a ten-foot wingspan, time glides at 125 miles per hour. Time doesn’t land to rest.