Up at 6, on the bus by 7. We stopped in the middle to refuel with a cornetto and a coffee, and finally arrived to Pompeii at about 11:30.

Catalonians have been pushing for independence for decades, and October 1 was the climax of the movement, when citizens across Catalonia (ilegally, according to Spain's constitution) voted si or no to whether or not they wanted to secede from Spain. For the past month that I've been here, I've heard varying opinions about the movement from Barcelonians, other Catalonians, Spaniards outside of the Catalan region and my IES Abroad profesors.

Three weeks ago, we had a weeklong break following the end of our German Intensive period. Naturally, as this is the only full week off during the semester, all of us made elaborate plans to travel near and far. Some students, including three of my roommates (the Elizabeths, as it were. Really, 3 of my roommates are named Elizabeth. We have embraced it), went on the World Heritage Tour organized by IES Abroad.

For the weekend of September 21st to September 24th, I travelled to Copenhagen to reunite with a friend, Delpha, and witness this gorgeous city I have never seen in person before. A few days before the trip, personal problems from home arose, so I was even more excited to get away and take my mind off things by exploring a new country. Delpha stays with a host family in Allerød, a beautiful, green suburban part of Denmark.

Before flying to Barcelona, I traveled to Germany with friends from UNC-Chapel Hill. I choose Germany as my first destination because a close friend of mine (who is participating in the IES Abroad Madrid Engineering program) has a sister living in Kusel, a town near the western border. We spent the first couple days exploring the German countryside and then caught a train from Kaiserslautern to Berlin with a carriage all to ourselves (Harry Potter style).  

It began with a bell chime, and then one by one, clanging, metal against metal, repeatedly switching between the various hollow melodies of sauce pan acoustics. I walked out on my balcony and realized I was not alone. I glanced up at the various silhouettes of all shapes and sizes on the other balconies. Each unrecognizable by the darkness of the streets with only the light of their apartments glowing around their deliberate metal drumming arms.

Today marks one month since I stepped out of the train and into Milan for the first time. Though I have already done so much here, it worries me to think I am already one third of the way done with my stay! So far, studying abroad has been a very eye opening experience. It gives you the chance to be selfish with your time and your priorities, and helps you identify some of the unhealthy habits you were too blind to see in the midst of routine in your college campus life.

So Spring Break is almost almost over. By tomorrow evening I'll back in Cape Town, and then by Monday I'll be back in classes, trying to ignore the fact that (for now) my time in South Africa is half over and I have a return ticket to the U.S. waiting for me. But besides all that 'all good things must come to an end' doom and gloom, I'm feeling pretty good about everything. I'm ready to be back in Cape Town! I've missed my bed. I've missed the city. I've even missed school?

“Hola, eh, me llamo Mary Katherine” *buzz*. There I was, timid and sweaty, I entered the 3 x 3 elevator of my homestay apartment. Realizing how out of shape my spanish speaking muscle was from the summer, I anxiously awaited the introductions with my host family. Ana greeted me at the door, smiling in a cotton dress and followed by a white ball of fluff named Pongo, my mother for the next 3 months welcomed me into her home.