This past Saturday, I woke up at 4 am to hastily pack the remains of my shirts and assorted, mismatched socks into my already-too-full suitcase, took one last look around the place I'd called home for the past six weeks, and left the apartment to catch a 6:34 am train out of Berlin. 

     My final days in the US crept up on me, and then once they were there they sped right on by, and in no time I was on a flight out of Minneapolis, bound eventually (24 hours later…) for Christchurch, New Zealand! Since being here, I have taken part in the spectacular events planned for the IES Abroad students by Eunice, our absolutely incredible program director. We spent some time getting to know each other, learning more about Christchurch, and being taught some Kiwi dialect.

So I was dropped off at the airport, checked in my bags, went through security, the usual. I was excited to be leaving for South America. Then it happened again…I truly am an unlucky person when it comes to flights. I get to my gate, and there it was….flight delayed. IF the delayed flight came in, I would have had thirty minutes to rush through the gigantic airport that is Miami international to catch my connection to Lima, Peru.

 Taking it one day at a time is much easier said than done. I’ve been stuck in the hamster-wheel effect up until the academic year ended. Continually running in circles, struggling to keep up with the demands of academia, with work, with keeping stress levels to a manageable level (and failing miserably). Then summer arrives! (Bringing the 50+ hour work weeks). I got this! (Or rather, I got to do this to pay my tuition bill).

Only a few days after my program ends, and I already miss my friends, co-workers, and teachers. Shanghai is a great place for students to study abroad in China, especially for students who want to go outside their comfort zone but still take on a challenge.

I promised myself that when I had the chance to visit China, I would make it my goal to visit Shanghai.  My uncle and aunt are currently living in this futuristic city along the Huangpu River and my cousins, my sister and I agreed that we would visit them together.  So, for my last weekend in China, I bought some high-speed train tickets myself and went to visit them.  

With only two busy weeks, one short weekend, and a showcase to prepare, the last bit of time in Dublin seemed to fly by. I began looking at the city and seeing a multitude of places that I had yet to visit. My bucket list of experiences was extensive (but my list of restaurants, coffee shops, and pubs was even longer). Even more pressing was the thought of leaving all of the people I had met in Dublin this summer.

Just a week before I was set to depart from America and embark on a 17-hour flight from New York to Cape Town, South Africa, the place I’d be calling home for the next four months, my mom was greeting me with a joyous “welcome home!” But honestly, my childhood home in Connecticut, the place I’ve lived for the past 20 years, didn’t really feel like home anymore. In the past year, I’d been home for about 3 weeks in total. In the past 365 days, I’d managed to travel to 10 different states, 5 countries, and 3 continents.

2 weeks after I landed in Auckland, I already have so much to share and stories to tell – isn’t that incredible?!

After eight weeks in Shanghai, I’ve accumulated a lot of things: notebooks, clothes, souvenirs. But now that it’s time to go, I have to make some decisions and start cleaning out the room that’s been home since May. Unfortunately, that also means adding to the trash heap and wasteful attitude of Shanghai.