With my departure date only a week away, I can’t help but think of all that I have fallen in love with during my semester abroad. Here is a list of the things I wish I could bring back home with me:

Cheap food

Let me specify, inexpensive delicious food. The fact that I can get a bocadillo and large coffee for 2 euros in between my classes is insane. Also, just the other night, my friends and I went out to eat at a nice restaurant. Three courses later, I spent less than 20 euros.

With only a few days left in Santiago, I reflect on how amazing the Emerging Economies program was and the amazing things that I got to do. I visited four countries - Argentina, Chile, Peru and Uruguay - and have seen some amazing wonders of the world. From the Iguazu Falls to the Atacama Desert to Macchu Picchu, I was in awe at all of these things. These were all experiences that I'll remember for the rest of my life.

If you are an active user of social media, you have probably stumbled upon pictures of Chefchaouen, also known as the "Blue City," at some point. Morocco has always been a country on the top of my to-visit list, so I made sure to allot enough time to see this dreamy, picturesque city during my time there. We landed in Marrakech and spent a couple of days there before taking two trains and a bus to get to Chefchaouen, which took about 11 hours of travel time.

I did not expect all the things that I would do and experience while studying abroad in New Zealand. I actually wasn’t very ambitious in the beginning. I arrived in Auckland with the simple goals of taking classes, meeting new people, and learning about Kiwi culture. I thought that I would spend all my time in Auckland, studying and hanging out with new friends. But once I got to Auckland, I realized there were so many more opportunities that I hadn’t expected.

In Quito, it’s a time of celebration. December 6 marked the 483^rd anniversary of the city’s founding—and while that might not be a milestone year, it is a national holiday, complete with chivas (brightly colored party buses), a traditional hot drink called canelazo, and lots of music and dancing in the streets. Add in the fact that we’re only a few weeks from Christmas, and the city as I have experienced it over the past few weeks can only be described as festive.