I feel like I did not truly understand London until March 22nd, 2017.

That is, of course, the day of the attack outside of the Houses of Parliament. Before that day, I saw London as a beautiful, multifaceted, and fascinating city. After, I also saw a city with a backbone of steel, a heart of gold, and diamond-coated determination. I understand just how London weathered World War II, the Troubles, and the 2005 attacks. I have a newfound appreciation for the city I’ve called home for the last few months… and everyone in it.

I’m lucky enough to say that I got to spend my 21^st birthday in Dublin, Ireland. Though 21 isn’t the huge landmark that it is back in the states, it was still an endlessly lovely day.

Likely when I come back to America, I will ask myself, “What was the best thing I had to eat while abroad.” And now I am sure the answer would be “the ham, cheese, and onion Galette from Chez Allen Miam Miam.”

How to be a uni student? First, make sure you pronounce it “you-knee,” not “oo-knee,” because you will surely be laughed at.  On the positive side, you can make some incredible sushi jokes. 

I’ve gone to a few clubs (or boliches) and bars in my time in Buenos Aires so far and it’s been a pretty mixed bag. The boliches are the same as any club you would find in the United States: dark space with flashing lights, blaring the top 100, packed with people either dancing or awkwardly two-stepping, and the bathrooms always have a long line and never have any toilet paper.

TJ left Madrid the Saturday morning that started a three-day weekend. Most everyone in my program was already traveling and, for a moment, I regretted not joining some plan last minute. Walking home at 6am, I wondered what I would do without anyone around. The week had taken a toll on my body so skating seemed out of the question for the next couple days. The moment passed when I got home and I fell into a dreamless sleep. When I awoke, rays of afternoon sun dappled the clothes scattered across my floor.

This is a blog about blogs.

A course (which shall remain nameless) that I am taking this semester seems to exist exclusively to pressure students to fabricate entertaining online content to satisfy a specific audience.

I forgot how to study? Or so I thought when IES Abroad Milan slid into midterms week.  I looked at my spirals and Google Documents filled with notes from my courses and slowly felt dread wash over me. I had been traveling nearly every weekend. Classes had been fun and engaging. But I had totally forgotten that studying for exams was, like, a thing. 

I have officially been in Freiburg with IES Abroad for over a month, and I can’t believe that it has been this long. The time is going so fast. I have already done so much, but I still have so much to do. I have traveled a bit, counseled a camp in Switzerland, met with my tandem partner a few times, and my classes have started up. The last three things are the most recent, and I haven’t written on them here yet.

‘Twas the night before St. Patrick’s day and all through Dublin airport everything was stirring. In fact, every single American college student studying abroad was stirring.