My new home here in Quito, Ecuador

This week, my Chinese identity seems to be at the forefront of everyone’s mind. Personally, I identify as a Chinese American. I am too “Americanized” to truly be Chinese and I am too “Chinese” to truly be an American. Labeling myself as a Chinese American felt like the best fit for me. I consider myself to be a typical Chinese girl, sometimes unknowingly continuing the stereotype that people associate with Asians. I am quiet, enjoy studying, and most importantly, am tan and wear glasses.

Last weekend I took my first trip outside of London and flew to Copenhagen, Denmark. After a fun (and truly exhausting) three days there, I thought it would be nice to reflect on my personal must do’s for the city. Fair warning, the following list comes in no particular order.

Thanks to the wonderful IES Abroad staff and their incredible orientation, we have not only survived our first two weeks living in Vienna, but have thrived! During orientation, we were given crucial information about acclimating to daily life in a foreign city, while creating inseparable bonds with our fellow students. Orientation was the perfect balance of instruction and fun; on one of the last days, Helmut, an Austrian IES Abroad staff member, taught us all how to waltz in preparation for the Viennese ball season.

One needs only to step foot in the airport to realize Japan is a very expensive country. Rent is incredibly high, especially Tokyo and its surrounding areas, groceries come in small, overpriced portions (especially fruits and vegetables!), handbooks on Japan frequently recommend bringing clothes as cheaper than trying to shop here, and the variety of cute items for sale come with quite the pretty price tag.

Friday January 20th and Saturday January 21st we had a Quito City Tour and went to Otavalo to do some exploring and to the indigenous market. USFQ set up the city tour and the events taken place saturday were coordinated by IES Abroad. The city tour began with us visting Itchimbia Park. the park is located at the top of Itchimbia hill. the summit sits at 2,900 meters (~9,500ft). The park gives you a beautiful view of the city Quito and its surrounding mountains. Our second stop on the city tour was Plaza de Independencia in Quito.

I have been a Northeast girl my entire life.  Living in upstate New York has kept me well-prepared for blizzards, cold winds, and anything else that winter decides to throw at us.  We often joke that we only get two seasons here: construction and winter.  As I prepare to head off to Germany, I have been thinking of the best ways to stay warm while I travel.  Here, I've decided to impart the tips I know (along with pictures to prove I've had my fair share of snow).

When I left school in December, it felt like I had a lifetime before I would be leaving for Germany in February.  And to be honest, I was dreading the months I had coming up at home.  I was envious of my friends who only had a couple of short weeks until they would be departing on their world adventures.  I didn’t like the idea of leaving the business of Washington, DC to come sit in my boring hometown with nothing to do.

After finally getting settled in and learning how to use the metro and ask for a baguette it was time to start exploring Paris. And this past weekend was a perfect weekend to get a taste of what will be around me for the next four months.

Saturday