Well Dear reader(s),

I’m going to argue that one of the greatest parts about studying abroad and traveling around to different places is the souvenirs. Not only are you in this awesome country and having a great time, but there are also mementos available for purchase so you can always look back and remember that great time when your eye catches that city-themed shot glass in your cabinet. And of course, there are all the souvenirs and gifts you have to get for your family and friends back at home. Seriously, souvenirs are the greatest.

Well, dear reader(s), it’s hard to believe it but I have officially reached my last day doing study abroad in Salamanca, Spain. Seriously, it’s crazy to think that I’ve spent the better part of four months living in a foreign country, exploring a new culture, and taking classes in a different language, all without my friends and family right there by my side. It’s been a great four months and I’ve definitely learned a lot, both academically and about myself.

Now that my time in London has come to a close I wanted to give you a list featuring some of my favorite places that are scattered around the city. It's in no particular order because it would be impossible to rank my favorites among the favorites.

The night before I left Dublin, I spent a couple of hours with a group of fellow students who had become like family. We laughed and reminisced and made a promise for a future reunion, which is usually how those sort of goodbyes tend to go. But I think we really meant it.

Upon asking one of my IES Abroad mates what his favorite part of the semester was, he told me it was “hanging out with people.” He said that it wasn’t so much the city itself that he would miss, but the friendships he had made and the people he had met along the way.

Finals are over, my suitcases are halfway packed, and my flight home leaves in just a few days.  That must mean the semester is over, right?  Think again!  Because at IES Abroad European Union, nothing is over until you have put your knowledge to test by roleplaying as the EU itself.

I'm in the airport at Nagoya waiting for my flight right now, and I still can't believe that I'm actually... Leaving... It's especially strange to recognize the airport, but also remembering being so bizarrely lost confused and being so rusty in Japanese that I could barely find the exit. Now I've been able to ask workers to check my bag for me, to please switch my seat, to cancel my resident card... It's amazing how far I've come in these mere 3 months.

Saturday, December 15, 2016

Dear Family and Friends, 

I've officially completed (and survived) my first semester abroad in Milan! The semester that I had anxiously been anticipating for so long has come to an end and I'm half way done with my year abroad. The phrase, "Time flies when you're having fun", has a lot of truth behind it...