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!
I have been in Ireland for exactly 10 days and every moment has been unbelievable. My sense of direction seems to improve everyday, the weather has been unseasonably warm, and the views from my room are breathtaking.
“Life turns to dust and rain it turns to rust. Gossip is a truth and money pays for the lies we trust. Your love is a surprise, hopeless saints are in disguise. I’m just trying to find a nice place for you and I.” – The Strokes, Machu Picchu
Well hello, hello, hello! Here I am just finishing up the first full week being in Dublin. Even though it really only has been about a week, I feel like I’ve been here forever. I’m adjusting to the city and to the country very well. There are a few cultural differences that were—and still are—awkward to get used too. For example, many people here almost speak at a whisper. Or really, Americans are just very loud.
Ever heard of that song Old Macdonald had a farm? Well I can confirm Old Macdonald really does have a farm and it consists of sheep escaping over a fence and being herded back (literally through the barbed wire fence) by a sheep dog, cows mooing all night long, good company, and New Zealand stars filling up the sky.
Photo of Old Macdonalds Farm Park by Eric Madson (taken while I was playing cards in the tent).
This past weekend, my program took a field trip to the cities of Fes and Meknes. Although we had a lot of great experiences and saw some incredible sights, I wanted to share some highlights here. If you ever visit Morocco, these are cities you shouldn’t miss.
Consumed by final papers, projects, and exams, it has been difficult to find time to fully digest the reality that my final days in Buenos Aires are here. Somehow, an entire four months has managed to pass and it has felt like a matter of a few short days. I feel like I have written in every previous blog post my awe and amazement as how much time has passed—first month, six weeks, etc.—but I did not really imagine the ending of the semester. I mean, I knew it would happen (or is happening) but it feels a little like a daze.
As I sit here and type this blog post, I have been in Vienna for 21 days, and unfortunately, I depart in a short 23 days. So by the time this gets posted, I will be exactly halfway done with this journey. That being said, I did some more exciting things this past week and have many more adventures planned for my remaining time here. Here’s this week’s update!
"I grew up in a forest. It's like a room. It's protected. Like a cathedral... it is a place between heaven and earth." - Anselm Kiefer