Halloween, especially in Barcelona, is super fun, and coincidentally one of my favorite holidays, but as I was putting on my costume to go out yesterday, it was also a reminder that this abroad experience is a little over half done (or for the optimist, there is still half left).

Disproving the Japanese myth that idiots cannot catch colds, I fell sick for about a week during mid-October. It was a genuine joy to navigate the Japanese healthcare system, however, and I’ve never felt more at ease sitting in the waiting room at a clinic before. Everyone was nice, and accommodating, and I only had to pay about 30% of the total fee, thanks to my National Japanese Health Insurance card.

Nice is a city located in Southern France but which may well be Northern Italy; a conglomeration of cultures with a very pleasant ambiance and atmosphere tying it all ogether.  As the destination of our second fall break for two friends and I, Nice was a nice change of pace from Freiburg.  We were able to leave behind the stresses of school and the recent rainy weather for sun and relaxation.  On our trip, I decided to interview my travel companions - Josh and Chris - about their study abroad experiences.

Dear readers,

As you know, China is a huge country that covers a surface several times bigger than many countries in the world. Traveling here entails preparing everything in advance, be really sure about dates, places you want to see, activities, travel style and money. However, none of this previous preparation you’re supposed to do was the case for my first DYI trip. I decided I’d go to Nanjing around 3-4 days before the guoqingjie 国庆节 or the Chinese National Holiday.

The south bank area along the river Thames has quickly become one of my favorite spots in London to explore. One of the best ways to spend an evening in London is to walk up and down alongside the river. Between the London Eye and Westminster Palace all the way down to Tower Bridge there is so much to explore. St. Paul’s Cathedral, the Tate Modern, and Borough Market are only a few of the gems hidden alongside the Thames.

There are so small differences between the education system—not to mention the culture—in the United States and the one adopted by Oxbridge (the slang term for the combination of the UK’s highest educational institutions, Oxford and Cambridge). So here are some things I wish I knew before I arrived.