As my time in Dublin is coming to an end, I am filling my last few weeks with a lot of self-reflection. Despite Dublin being a safe and progressive city, I am bothered by a pattern of bigoted behavior. I do not believe that it is my responsibility to prove to the ignorant that misogyny still exists, but I can understand that it may be difficult to empathize with an injustice if you are not directly affected by it every day. I am extremely privileged, and I understand that receiving a few catcalls a week is not the epitome of a challenging life.

Iñaquito market. The amount, variety, and color of all the food is incredible.

While I’ve talked a little bit about food in previous posts, food is such an important and fun subject that I decided to devote an entire post to it!  In general, it’s hard to go wrong when choosing what to eat in France, especially after eating dining hall food for the past two and a half years.  During the week, I eat breakfast and dinner with my host family.  Breakfast is not all that different than in the U.S.

My travel philosophy for this semester has been based on deliberate intention. That means that when I’m planning a trip, I want to get a real taste of the culture and not just go to a country because I can. I want to go to places that have meaning or excitement to me, and I also wanted to do my trips at convenient times. For that reason, a little under a month ago, I went on my first trip out of Spain. It was an IES Abroad sponsored trip, which was nice because I didn’t have to agonize over housing or transportation plans.

The most important thing during the week is going to class. However, my class schedule has been very nice to me and allows me to explore Paris…or catch up on homework (unfortunately the work part exists abroad). 

When I first saw the statue of Louis XIV commanding his horse, I felt intimidated.  Even with all of the tourists and the decades that have passed, the sense of power emitting from this statue remains palpable.  Clearly, the first image one sees before entering Versailles still has the effect Louis XIV always wanted.

“And that’s why I have to go back to so many places there to find myself and constantly examine myself with no witness but the moon and then whistle with joy, ambling over rocks and clods of earth, with no task but to live, with no family but the road.” - Pablo Neruda

I meant to post a blog earlier this week but kept forgetting with all the activity going on. I wanted to talk about the week my family came to visit in a separate post but I just got back from IES Abroad Island hopping spring break so I have a few things to talk about. Both my family visiting and vacation were a blast and I am so sad both of them ended. To start off my family visited me about a couple of weeks ago during the third module.

The pedestrian signals on streets in London don’t say “Stop” or “Go”. They say “Wait” and “Cross with Care”.

I like that Londoners do not deal in absolutes. You are not stopped when you see a red light, you are merely waiting to move forward. And you should still be careful even when being given the green light.

Studying abroad demands for a world of new experiences. One of the coolest parts is the amount of travelling you can do-and usually for cheap. But planning a holiday can be overwhelming and stressful, and really get in the way of having a good time. But with five simple tips to keep in mind, your holiday could be the best you’ve ever had!
_{^{*These tips can be applied to anyone and are not just for students studying abroad, please feel free to share these with your friends and family members}}