For my Semana Santa, two of my best friends went to two very different countries: different than the Mediterranean culture of Spain and different from their own respective cultures. First we went to Dublin, Ireland, to set foot on an unexplored country (at least, for us three) and have a taste of the Irish culture. Most of us have been in the UK before Ireland, so it was cool to look at the differences between two adjacent nations. Then we moved on to the Netherlands to explore the intricacies of the Dutch culture.

Yesterday was my last Kicker Rock dive of the Galapagos; it was a pretty sad moment realizing I won’t be able to dive there again, unless I come back, and also sad because the conditions were not the best. Typically Kicker has mild currents and good visibility. Yesterday however, the visibility was poor and the currents were incredibly strong. I felt like I was diving in the Boston Harbor again because I couldn’t see anything that was 5 feet or more away from me.

As my time in Nice comes to a close, I want to share with people the best parts of this city (and surrounding areas) and the experiences that I most enjoyed. In case you’re ever in the area… here are some of the highlights:

It's been a month since I've settled in and adjusted to daily life in Japan. I grew somewhat accustomed to using the trains, although still getting lost here and there. The walks to Kanda University is not as energy consuming anymore even though I would sometimes be running out of breath and panting for air. Most people don't speak English so it is a bit hard to communicate what you want to say. The ticket counter workers are really friendly and helpful though!

To the Girl in the Yellow Hat,

One of the things I was told to be prepared for while spending my spring semester in Amsterdam was the celebration of Kings Day. And what is King’s Day? It’s pretty much what the name makes it out to be: a nation wide party to celebrate King Willem-Alexander, the crowned king of the Netherlands’ birthday. I wish I was making this up, but more than that, I wish we had a King’s Day in America.

When studying abroad, it's natural to have the desire to visit everywhere. Each place you hear about in research looks more beautiful or more fun than the next. That can be a challenge due to timing and, of course, money. It's hard to travel the world on the college student budget. I am no exception and wanted to share my travel tips with other students in the hopes that it will help.

I never appreciated the fearless, invigorating feeling of joy until I lived in South Africa. It sometimes feels as if I had been half-appreciating and half-loving the beauty of the world until now. I am realizing the extent to which my perspective on the world has broadened in the two months that have passed.

Exactly two weeks from now I will be leaving the Galapagos, two weeks from tomorrow I will be leaving the country, and two weeks from Sunday I will be home… It’s crazy how fast time flies especially when you’re having the time of your life. I came into studying abroad thinking “wow by the end of the semester, I will just want to go home” but I’m starting to realize I don’t have that feeling… At least I don’t have 100% of that feeling. I do want to go home, well some part of me does.

The first night in Japan was honestly exciting and also a bit hard for me. I didn't think I would start to feel this way until much later. I remember during one of my home university's orientation for studying abroad they mentioned how there is a cycle or series of stages that almost everyone will experience. Our feelings will fluctuate from having fun meeting new people and experiencing a new culture to suddenly just wanting to be alone. The feelings will keep going down to the point of being sad or depressed.