Prague was the number one spot on my list. That is, my list of cities I hoped to visit while abroad. Although the list was very long and modified many times, there was one bullet point that remained in the number one spot: Prague.  Friends had told me how beautiful the city was and how much fun they had while they were there.  When my friend and I found cheap travel tickets, we knew we had no choice but to go.

"So, how was your trip to Barcelona...?"

As a senior in high school deciding where to apply for my undergraduate education, I scrutinized the study abroad offerings more than I did the housing options or meal plans. The study abroad experience has always been part of my college vision and five months later, I am beyond thrilled I was able to call Barcelona home during my semester abroad.

This past week I had the privilege of showing my sister around Freiburg. She visited over Germany's Ascension Day break for 6 days. It was so much fun to have her here because I missed her but also because it gave me a chance to realize how much Freiburg has become my home.

Finally it's time to leave for London! I am so excited to start my internship…and scared I'll fail at something during my internship. That is nothing new though. I am currently writing from Atlanta where I am waiting for my second flight that will take me across the pond. For those traveling and packing, I wanted to share some advice.

Oh! I forgot to mention my little gator friend Tic will be joining me on my trip! He likes to be in my pictures so be on the lookout for him!

This past week I have been confronted with the fact that my Spanish has really taken a hit from lack of practice. Up until this point, my progression with the language has been going very well—from not being able to ask where facial soap is in Farmacity to having conversations about the environment and politic sphere. Now mind you, I struggle with finding the right words or sometimes don’t understand a response but I can get by most situations.

It has been almost ten days since I left Europe, and I’m definitely starting to feel more adjusted. So far I’ve only seen family members and a few close friends, though, so it may be a whole new story when I’m back at college.

My name is Anna Ortega, and in one week I leave for Dublin, Ireland. I study History and Folklore at Indiana University. Some fun facts about me: I’m bilingual, I recently watched all of “That 70’s Show”, and currently I can’t stop listening to Princess Nokia. As I get closer to and closer to my departure, I’m becoming an odd mix of excited anticipation and straight up fear.

I had to take a lyric from Jet Plane again for my last blog post. The writer in me wanted to come full circle and that song pretty much captures how I feel about having left Rome.

By the time this is posted, I will have been in Vienna for a week already! It’s crazy that 1/6 of my study abroad experience is already over! So I just wanted to update everyone on my thoughts so far.