I thought it appropriate to dedicate one of my blog posts to all the wonderful people I have gotten the privilege of spending this semester with. Studying abroad is no easy task wherever you go, but I personally think Morocco is one of the hardest places to be.
Honesty time: I loved my time at Oxford, but that doesn’t necessarily mean you will.
A semester (or, term, as they would say it in the UK) at Oxford is amazing, but it’s fast-paced and rigorous. If you are studying any humanities subject, you can most likely bet on writing an average of 3,000 words per week, on top of the various readings your tutors will assign.
When you go to a foreign country, you aim to immerse yourself as much as you can. That includes learning and talking the local language, living and traveling with locals, and, of course, eating. A lot of eating!
One of the most incredible experiences, amongst all others I’ve had while studying in Morocco, has been the trip to the Sahara Desert, which was well worth the 12 hour drive for only a day spent there.
As I'm sitting here in my gorgeous hotel room in Seefeld, Austria, I can't help but be both saddened and happy that my study abroad has come to a close. My first day here seems like yesterday, and yet it also seems like over a year ago. I remember meeting Beverlee in the DC airport, and us buying Starbucks one last time before leaving the States. I remember landing in Florence and seeing all of the other girls in the program--all of the boys' flights were delayed, and they arrived the following day.
My favorite column in the New York Times (and therefore all print journalism) is the 36 hours travel column. It’s brought me to incredible tortellini in Modena, fascinating museums in London, and some of the best views in Barcelona. However, its fault lies in its glamour—the restaurants and activities tend to run out of the range of a student budget. With that in mind, here is my personally curated and researched guide for 36 hours in Milan, Italy for study abroad students and young travelers.
Friday
Thank you Wien, Österreich for an amazing 4 months. Thank you for allowing me to learn your rich history and experience your beautiful culture. Saying goodbye was harder than I thought it would be. There were a lot of tears on the last day in Vienna. The city's appreciation for Classical Music and love for Mozart is perfection. And the city's love for the Christmas Holiday is divine. (These people go ham for christmas decorations all around the city & Christmas Markets) I will miss this city so so much.
My host family is so sweet. My host mom doesn’t speak any English, but since we both speak French, it doesn’t matter so much. In the mornings, she’s trying to get the kids ready for school, and in the evenings, she always is helping them with their homework. She doesn’t like to cook, and she likes to watch Turkish soap operas. I tried to follow them with her, but I can’t understand anything they’re saying.
One of the greatest changes I’ve seen in myself over the past 5 months is my ability to be flexible. Flexibility became the norm for me this semester. With frequent cancelation of classes that made any shot of a routine impossible, to the chances I had to travel with just a few days notice, Cape Town requires you to be amenable to any situation that may arise. But that underlying sense of uncertainty that is present in every day is what shaped me as a student, traveller, and global citizen.
After three long months, I believe I have been in Paris long enough to have some repeat places and favorite spots in the city. I know this city better than the city I go to school in because I put so much pressure on myself to go out and explore in all of my free time. There's a lot that I am going to miss about here, so here's a sweet little list of some of my favorites in the city. My Parisian favorites list.