Holiday Availability: All IES Abroad offices will be closed on Dec 24, Dec 25, Dec 31, and Jan 1 as we take some time to celebrate. During the weeks of 12/22 and 12/29, our team will be smaller, so responses may take longer than usual. Thanks for your understanding—and happy holidays!
Only 21 days separate me from finally being in Shanghai, China, to study abroad for an entire semester. To simply say I am anxious would not fully summarize my thoughts on the experience I am about to face. How can I know what I should feel or expect about this experience when there is so much uncertainty over what I will do, what I will learn and who I will spend my time with?
What I will miss:
-The people: All the amazing friends made on the program, teachers, co-worker, locals, our amazing RA Wang Min
-The food: The ease, cheapness, and homecooked feel of street food that can’t be found in the states
-The ease of travel: Taking the subway or bus literally anywhere and everywhere (and is nearly always on time) and a train that takes you from Shanghai to Beijing in 5 hrs? Can’t beat that.
The countdown in my phone is telling me that there are only 13 more days until I board a flight from Detroit to Madrid, where I will muster up some confidence and slowly make my way to Rabat. So many pieces fell into place for me to end up at this moment. The hunt for studying in an Arabic-speaking country was one that took YEARS. I have ended up with a college-budget-friendly program that places me with an Arabic-speaking host family (a rare pleasure in the world of study abroad) in beautiful, colorful, overwhelming Morocco.
The day comes when you pack up and say goodbye to what home was to you. The bittersweet emotion you feel in the empty space hits you in an unexpected way. But after eight weeks of growing and shaping yourself, it's time to say goodbye. I headed to the airport, prepared for the 24 hour treck home, and reminisced on the summer that changed me.
While I was interning and studying in London, I had free time to continue some of the things I love doing in the US. I also started a couple new things. Here are a few of my art pieces and hobbies from the trip.
Welcome to my IES Abroad Blog! Fortunately, you don’t need your passport, because I’m here to take you on a virtual trip around Europe! I think that’s my favorite part about technology: you can travel the world without having to physically be there (of course it’s 10x better if you’re there in person!) Social media, blogs, and books have always inspired me to travel as much as I can.
As someone who has barely left my hometown, I would say I'm not versed in international travel. Preparing for the Galapagos Islands has been a time of many firsts. My first time considering going abroad. My first time applying for a passport. My first time applying for a student visa (and failing). My first time buying a plane ticket, and, in four days, my first time on a plane going through TSA.
Welcome to my blog! Here I will document my ecuadorian experience through pictures of various mediums (such as colored pencil, sharpie, or whatever crusty ink pen I can find at the bottom of my backpack).