So we are a few weeks in here at IES Abroad Siena and nothing has been less than amazing! The city is more beautiful than I could have imagined, the people are so welcoming, and any worries about being unsafe in a foreign place have been diminished. Honestly, Siena is so small that the couple times I got lost I really didn’t have much to worry about. Sorry mom! I thought it was best you didn’t know until now!

Here are just a few things from the first couple weeks I thought best to cover:

While exploring the shops and restaurants right around campus, I began to realize there were whole sections that, despite looking otherwise totally ordinary, never seemed to be open. I soon found out that an entire portion of hou jie (literally "rear street;" a bustling street behind campus full of lively small businesses) was to be knocked down to build apartments. 

We’re standing in line, rather a mob, waiting to get into the building – I start to prepare myself for the cirque du sole of Argentina.

But I wasn’t ready…

After spending one entire week in Shanghai, China, I have observed and absorbed a lot so far. First of all, this city is enormous. The sheer size of Shanghai is incredible, and no U.S. city comes close to rivaling it. Being an America, I've grown up thinking cities like New York, Chicago and Washington D.C. were heavily populated cities, but with a population of approximately 25 million people, China easily dwarfs these American cities.

"Look the fish in the eyes," our IES Abroad professor told us on our food tour of La Boqueria, a famous old marketplace in downtown Barcelona. Spaniards use all of their senses when deciding what food to buy to ensure that it's fresh. When buying a fish, for example, you have to look it in the eyes to see if they're clear and bright or yellow and droopy. It should also smell fresh and look shiny and clean, not dulled and discolored. 

As the clock strikes the end of my first two weeks in Milan, I am overwhelmed with excitement, exhaustion, and the realization that these next few months will fly by. The first week of study abroad made me feel like I was back in “welcome week” of freshman year in college. My IES Abroad program hit an all-time high this year, with 135 students participating in the various classes offered here in Milan. Most students arrived with friends from their colleges while a few others, like me, knew absolutely no one.

Monday | September 4th 2017 | Chiyoda - Shibuya - Harajuku

This first week is speeding by, to say the least. Every day has been jam-packed with orientation, making new friends, and exciting London excursions. Even before classes have started, I find myself learning new things about this city. Here are 10 things I've learned about London in my first 5 days!

Last week, as part of our IES Abroad orientation, we got to experience the "Tiananmen Trifecta," visting the Beijing Planning Exhibition Hall, Tiananmen Square, and the Forbidden City. We first went to the planning hall, which I promise was much more exciting than it sounds. It was much easier to understand the layout of the city, both in the past and the present, thanks to the museum's numerous models of the city.

^{Snapshot of one of many scenic afternoon walks in Vienna}