I can’t believe it’s practically been a month! So much has happened and yet nothing at all. If one thing is certain, time is flying. In this past month classes started and so did excursions! The first excursion was to Normandy. We learned a lot about D-Day, visited several beaches, and took in the beauty of the French country. We got to walk on Omaha beach, and it was very emotional. The second was to Giverny. There we learned about the famous impressionists and walked through the gardens that inspires the paintings of Claude Monet.

I keep missing Wednesdays. My alarm must have a mind of its own because I swear it decides not to go off. At approximately 15 minutes before class, I always snatch my head off the pillow, spring up out of bed, toss on the nearest thing to me (brush my teeth of course), and scramble out the door. I perfect the post-frantic stroll into class and begin the mental examination of my outward appearance (do my eyes have crust in them? Do my clothes match? Any stains?).

It's been almost a month since I arrived to Dublin. Pretty crazy, huh? And, I would've written another blog post sooner, but I was genuinely taking the time to revel in every old street corner and every warm, smiling face that passed me by on the city streets of this lovely place.

Typically, the story of anyone’s study abroad experience is centered around their exciting adventures throughout cities unknown and places unexplored. And while my experience has followed that same narrative (traveling to Oktoberfest in Munich and celebrating La Mercè in Barcelona all in the same weekend), I would like to take a moment to appreciate one of the most often overlooked adventures of the study abroad experience: the homestay.

Seven brave souls set off to go build houses in the villas of Buenos Aires... this is their story:

I had been looking forward to TECHO since it was presented to us the first week we arrived in Buenos Aires. TECHO is an organization that began in Chile, that promotes social action and community building to overcome poverty. The organization now exists in 15 Latin American countries ~inlcuding Argentina~ and rallies volunteers for a variety of activities, including building houses for families in the villas!

The end of this week marks one month since my arrival in Spain. With classes well underway I have finally established a daily routine. I know that doesn’t sound too enticing but honestly its nice to settle into a groove. For this blog post I thought I would focus on a topic that is not the most exciting but is still a huge component of your time overseas: academics.

It feels like years have gone by since I last posted.  I've since begun classes, traveled outside the Netherlands for the first time, become comfortable enough to cycle in the city without Google Maps (win!), joined a dance class taught almost completely in Dutch, learned how to top up my OV Chipkaart to use public transportation, biked 10 miles outside the city to explore Zaanse Schans, and most importantly figured out how to do laundry here.

I’m three weeks into my study program in Rome. I live a few blocks away from the Vatican, and I can see Castel Sant’Angelo from the window of my school. Around every corner is a breathtaking piazza, a church painted in the Baroque style, a monument recognized by UNESCO.

And the city just has the most beautiful color palette - burnt orange, shades of red, peach. Each building relies on its neighbor to paint stunning city blocks. Rome is just as breathtaking as I hoped it would be - I can’t help but stare upwards as I walk.