Lessons learned this summer:

1.       I shouldn’t try to lift heavy suitcases into overhead compartments on airplanes. Unless I want premature back problems.

2.       I do not know how to say “no” to more Nutella.

3.       Especially when it’s found in such abundant quantities at every supermarket.

It’s a strange feeling, having to say goodbye to people you have only known for six weeks, yet who have shared an experience with you so special you feel like you have known them for years. An experience that has stripped you down to your ultimate self; the self that you were too busy, or to shy to really get to know, or simply the self that you never had the opportunity to get to know.

After having been back in the States for two weeks now, I’ve finally come to face the question I must have asked myself a hundred times already: How do I go back to Indiana after all this? With a summer full of constant activity behind me, I don’t really know what to do with myself at the moment. There’s nothing to study for, no field trips to jet off to, no new places to eat, no reason to take pictures, and no one there asking “So what’s the move?

As I prepare to leave for the states, I’m constantly changing my mind. Home or Ireland? Where do I want to be more? Being abroad has introduced me to so many opportunities, but it has also reminded me of the roots I have back home. Over the past few weeks, homesickness has set in. I’m treading the fine line of never wanting to leave such a beautiful country and experience, and wanting to see my family and my home. In this inner conflict, I’ve seen that when you’re in one place, you’re always looking for another.

¡Hola amigos!

My name is Katrina and this semester I’ll be studying in Salamanca, Spain. You, dear reader, will soon be witness to the good, the bad, and the truly embarrassing of my travels in Southern Europe as I recount my life abroad through the most modern of mediums: the Blog. I hope you enjoy reading about my (soon-to-be) adventures and that you will pardon my eventual digressions and distractions as I navigate this new (for me) form of sharing. So, without any further ado, let’s begin.

In less than a month now, I will be getting on a plane. I will be leaving the country for the first time in my 20 years of life. I will be heading to France completely alone. Not knowing a single person I will be living with or studying with. Once I get on that plane I won't be coming back to the comforts of my California home for three and a half months.

And the craziest part of all of this, I haven't spent more than an hour thinking about it all.

I can’t believe the program has come to a close.  Not only have I been able to significantly improve on my Chinese language skills and travel to major historical sites around China, but I have also been able to make such wonderful friends that I will cherish forever.  We ate together, went on trips together, sang annoying songs together, watched GoT together, and of course studied together.  I wish I could 打包 dabao (take away and pack）this experience with me. I'm going to miss everyone!

So, it has been a week since I left London. It took a couple of days before the jet lag hit me, and about around the same time I became homesick for London. Adjusting to being back at home has not been too hard, though. I came home for a couple of days and then flew out to Colorado for a family vacation, so I have managed to keep myself busy enough not to feel depressed. I am really just waiting for school to start, so I won't pine for London so much. Still, I haven't been through any form of culture shock on re-entering the United States.

It´s my last day in Barcelona, and that can only mean one thing:  Food Time!  That special time when, before leaving a foreign country, you go to binge eat enough of your favorite region exclusive cuisine to hold yourself over until next time.  My must-eat specials from Barcelona are:

Patatas Bravas