The weekend before all IES Abroad classes commenced, every student in our program received the opportunity to travel to the Loire Valley, where the majority of France’s mesmerizing chateaus reside.  This type of excursion is something I was looking forward to before I came to Paris.  Although I love every aspect of this city, I wanted the opportunity to see other parts of France, and this short trip gave me that chance.

I'm going to make an analogy, and I hope by the end of my explanation you will understand what I'm trying to share with you, and the analogy is that -- immersing one's self in a new culture is comparable to learning how to walk.

The choices of where to study abroad seemed endless. Spend a day in France eating a croissant and being able to visit the Eiffel Tower on the weekend? Going to Italy and being able to drink wine with good food at every meal? Going to Australia to see kangaroos and hear Australian accents all day- sign me up! And these were just some of the popular study abroad locations I could choose from.

“To be away from home and yet to feel oneself everywhere at home; to see the world, to be at the centre of the world, and yet to remain hidden from the world—impartial natures which the tongue can but clumsily define. The spectator is a prince who everywhere rejoices in his incognito.”

― Charles Baudelaire, The Painter of Modern Life and Other Essays

One of my main goals when I came abroad, similar to most students studying abroad, was to make the most out of how easily accessible travel is in Europe. Although weekend trips to other countries are always incredible, I've also enjoyed spending weekends in Italy and taking day trips. Because of Milan's central location, it's quite easy to hop on a train or bus and get to a neighboring city in less than 2 hours. One-day excursions have many advantages, one of the biggest being they're a huge cost-saver because there's no need to find accommodation.

The second I stepped off the train in Rabat, I knew what I wanted: a McDonald's cheeseburger. I know, I know. I'm in Morocco! Why would I go to an American fast food chain for food? Why wouldn't I want an authentic Moroccan experience? But you know what? There were no Americans in that McDonald's. I have seen numerous American tourists at the marché central, the souqs, the Andalusian gardens, the vista by the Rabat beach, and any number of other "authentic" Moroccan attractions.

I’ve been to two temple fairs, back to back over two days, and I still can’t tell you exactly what a temple fair is. The very idea of what I had imagined it would be was completely different than what was actually there. I believed that we would go to a temple, pray if we wanted to, and maybe buy a couple of souvenirs to take home. Both fairs were drastically different, but had some things in common. Despite the cold air blowing outside, both fairs were crowded, people of all ages attended, had games, and celebrated the new year.

These past four weeks in Dublin, I’ve experienced more change than I have in my entire life.

My apartment is new and foreign, the cars don’t turn the way I’m used to, and the accents lilt in a way that begins to feel familiar but still trips me up now and again.

But beyond the physical, there's been a huge amount of change in my life. In this place I am truly alone with myself for the first time ever.

View of the Eiffel Tower from the neighborhood :)