I’m ashamed to admit it, but this past weekend was the first I’ve spent in Barcelona since the first weekend of September… It’s absurd. How can I consider myself a local if I don’t spend my time in the city? Well, this weekend I experienced a self-designed crash course of all things Barcelona. It was semi-forced. A group of my closest friends visited, and I was determined to make their stay memorable. So, I added a few of my favorite places to a list and asked my peers for recommendations of the top places to eat, places to see, etc.

Visiting Peru was the most amazing educational vacation, not to mention, the process of transitioning from Argentina to Chile was significantly smoother. We visited Peru for a solid week, where we got to engage with Peruvian college students, visit three historical cities, and experience one of the wonders of the world: Machu Picchu. The contrast between Buenos Aires and Chile seemed less drastic when positioned with Peru.

My university only allows the credit equivalent of 3 classes per semester while abroad, yet I am required to take at least 5 classes here at Universidad San Francisco de Quito. Naturally, that is initiative to fill the other two spots with interesting or experimental classes.

We’re saying goodbye too soon – to our cafes and treats,

the people who’ve become home in this strange beautiful place

that breathes life and grace upon our existence.

The city is chalk full – dog poop lining the streets,

high top shoes busting ankles on mostly finished pavement,

thieves that stalk in the night, too carefree you dance, old friends and recent

acquaintances all eager to enjoy a boliche as night and day tango on a corner.

I am a creature of habit. And that hasn’t changed since I’ve been in Barcelona. Everyday I walk the same route from my house and I now know the streets of Eixample like the back of my hand. I know how long it takes to get around my own block, past the scent of warm croissants from the various cafeterias which have already been open an hour before me, and the morning cigarette smoke that spins around me as I pass one corner to the next.

After a week of not showering and $10/night hostels in the depths of Argentina's south I was about to be shocked by the amount of pampering and pre-planned activities in the north of Argentina. A mere 4 days after our spring break trip into the wilderness, 9 other students and I were heading to Salta and Jujuy - 2 northern provinces of Argentina - and the real kicker? The whole 5-day excursion was planned in full. This trip would be hotels and real meals instead of campgrounds and undercooked sausage.

People say a lot of different things when they try to describe what study abroad is really like. For me now, it is also hard to articulate what exactly I am currently experiencing since there is a whirlwind of events and emotions all happening.

              Against all reason, I am already halfway done with my semester abroad. I really can seem to make sense of it. It feels like the plane landed, I blinked, and then here I am, post midterms, fall break so close I can almost taste it, and not being able to imagine what it’s going to be like to not be here. Granted there are things that remind me that it really only has been two months that I’ve been here.

What a month it has been! This is the month in which all my other friends who are studying abroad decided to visit me. All the visiting of me in Paris is done until my parents arrive during Thanksgiving week near the end of November. Two different weekends were full to the brim with two different friends visiting me, both of whom, hilariously enough, are currently studying abroad in Spain! Together we did all the usual tourist stuff, the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, Montmartre, etc. etc. etc.

Over these past few weeks, I have traveled a lot. I ended my program in Buenos Aires and quickly flew to Lima for my week long field trip for cultural immersion in Peru. This also included a flight to Cusco, a visit to the iconic Macchu Picchu, and then flying back to Lima to fly to Santiago for the second half of my program.