I can summarize this post in three words...I MISS AUSTRALIA.  Being back in the states for the first time in three months is beyond odd, and I'm finding myself missing absolutely everything about my life in Sydney.  More than anything though, I've found myself reminiscing on some of  best memories that I've ever had, with some of the best people that I've ever known.

Bye Emily have fun in Australia!

Have a safe flight to Germany Meg, tschüss!

Vi ses, enjoy Denmark Kiersten!

Hi there! My name is Laura, and I'm excited to take you along with me on my adventure abroad! A little bit about me: I'm a rising junior at American University in Washington, DC, and I'm studying public health. I'm participating in the Health Practice and Policy Program in London and Kingston, Jamaica this fall. London is one of my favorite places in the world, so I'm thrilled I'll be living there! This blog can serve as your virtual ticket to join me on my journey.

I will soon be entering my second week in Quito, and cannot wait to detail my experiences here later on. However, I finally have the chance to describe my unconventional journey of getting to Ecuador. This story allowed me to enter this study abroad experience with some new perspective.

If you’re thinking about studying abroad in Auckland or you’re already signed up to go, I hope that this advice will be helpful to you. Of course, your RAs and program director will be incredibly helpful in getting you settled and letting you know what you need to do, so I won’t bore you with basic advice. Instead, here are 10 things you might not hear in orientation:

Our first long weekend meant a journey to the bodegas of Mendoza (that translates to "cellar" on Google, but for our purposes a better translation is winery). Why a long weekend you may ask? Argentinia loves to celebrate, especially when it revolves around San Martin who is basically considered a god around these parts. San Martin's death fell last Thursday which meant Monday was a national holiday, and for us it meant our first adventure to Mendoza.

This year I will spend more time abroad than in America, and I can’t say that I’m sad about it! I wrapped up my sophomore year at Northwestern in June and briefly went home to pack my bags for the upcoming 7 months. I traveled around Morocco with my family for a month and continued onto France before reaching my final destination: Milano!            

As I sit at home in sunny Los Angeles and prepare to leave for Europe tomorrow, I wanted to reflect back on my first summer in D.C. The decision to stay in the District over the summer was undoubtedly one of the best I have made, because it led to a challenging but productive three months.