Since coming back to the States, I feel a lot better. I had known before I left for Morocco that there would be certain luxuries that I’m accustomed to having and even take for granted that I might have to live without in a different country. Many amenities that are readily available for me in the States just weren’t available in Morocco, and I could deal with almost all of them. The one thing I’m super happy to not have in my life anymore is the daily cat-calling and sexual harassment.

This is the first time I've ever blogged, so I went all out and am wearing a sweater, with my Apple devices, listening to the Hamilton recording, in a local coffee shop. My former co-workers are so proud.

It’s been one week since I arrived in France, and as if on que, I had my first dream in French last night. Granted, it was quite short and bizarre, but nonetheless I consider it a small victory in my effort to master French.

The title speaks for itself, as usual! Thank you all for sticking with me and watching my vlogs and reading my posts. I really do hope they are useful or at least entertaining for future study abroad students! As my last post, I wanted to talk about IES Abroad Tokyo as a program.

Click. Click. Click. Gravity presses my back against my seat. My entire body shakes, covered in a cold sweat. As my heart attempts to beat its way out of my chest, I question my decision making. Should I have done this?? The process of preparing for a semester abroad reminds me of the time I went on a rollercoaster with my brother.

It’s officially been one week since I left my cozy little suburb in Illinois and traveled across the pond to Dublin! Though it has been just a week, and I keep reminding myself of this fact over and over again, it already feels like I’ve been here for at least a month. The cafes and shops around me are becoming familiar, the swans a part of my everyday routine. And while it’s been comfortable and homey in so many ways, it’s also been a complete and utter rush.

Besides the fact that pedestrians do not have the right of way here (which can be troublesome to an egocentric walker like me), Dublin is a lovely place to be quaintly situated for the semester. The people are infinitely more friendly than your average American, ivy and fairytale foliage grow everywhere, and most streets are flooded by tea and pastries.