One of the hardest parts about adjusting to life in the Netherlands, and abroad in general, is the amount of free time I now have. At University of Rochester, my home school, I've been involved in a myriad of activities.

November is the trickiest month of study abroad: you begin with fall break, followed by two weeks of school during which you’re already looking ahead to Thanksgiving break. In this weird in between period, it becomes harder to find the motivation to keep discovering Milan because you’re recovering from a trip and preparing for the one that’s around the corner. In addition, November is when the change of season really hits the city. The sunshine becomes rarer, daylight savings hits and you find yourself under a night sky at 5 p.m.

One of the reasons I wanted to go abroad with IES Abroad Auckland was because I wanted to study at the University of Auckland. The UoA is a lot different from my university in the states. I’m used to a small college of 1500 students with a campus so small you can walk across it in 15 minutes. The UoA was a big change for me, not to mention it being in a foreign country. The first thing I learned about university in New Zealand that they use different terminology.

Saturday | November 18th 2017 | Makuhari, Chiba

Appreciate アプレシオ (a-pu-re-shi-o)

This isn't your typical love story, in fact it is more of a love tragedy. I never expected to come to Argentina and fall in love, but sometimes these things happen and obviously you can't control it. My better judgements told me, you are abroad and things are inherently different. You can't just do this. It couldn't happen, and yet as he followed me to Plaza San Martin and sat down on the bench behind me, I felt myself falling.

Culture shock is not always very obvious and easy to recognize. Sometimes it is sneaky and seeps into you like a draft.

By the time week seven of the semester rolls around everyone is ready for a break from classes. While it’s officially called “Reading Week,” abroad students infamously utilize this week to fit in as many trips as possible. After all, when’s the next time you will have Europe at your disposal? If Reading Week is planned correctly, you can really accomplish a lot. However, there’s a lot you should know about how to make this week memorable & affordable!

My final stop on Fall Break was Ireland! While I didn't play the fiddle in an Irish band, I was lucky enough to meet up with a friend from the States while I was there. We explored the Cliffs Moher, Galway City, and Dublin. 

We weaved through the hanging scarves and bowls of spices of the outdoor vendors to reach our final destination of the day and appease our growling stomachs. I had designed the perfect “authentic” Barcelona day for my visiting friends, but it wasn’t exactly going as planned. We had just watched the magic fountain and light show at the Palau Nacional in Montjuic and were so excited to get a front row view of the main fountain—until we realized we were in the splash zone.