One of the taglines of IES Internships is helping students “put their résumé on the map.” There’s studying abroad, interning abroad, and volunteering, all of which look good for future employers.

A to-do list for the last day in Berlin

1.     T-shirts

2.     Sweatshirts

3.     Shoes

4.     Hairbrush

5.     Underwear

6.     Don’t forget to say goodbye to everyone, even the people who are like, “But you’re not really leaving” because taking an expensive airplane ride over a literal ocean isn’t really leaving, apparently

It’s currently three hours before my first plane ride boards, and I don’t think it’s hit me yet that my life is about to change—really soon. In a blink of an eye, I will be leaving my home, my family, my friends, and my way of life. Instead of spending my fall living with my best friends in sophomore housing, I’ll be enjoying spring in a different hemisphere. I’ll be by myself in a country where I know no one, am not fluent in the language, and know nothing about the culture.

When I first came to this country, I was overwhelmed and unsure whether I would really like it here. I have never lived in a big city before, and it was a little daunting. At the time, my mom reassuringly said, “You’ll love it here, and you’ll never want to come back.” As much as I hate admitting it, she was right. I love the diversity, the rich history, and the culture. I had never thought about moving out of the states after college until this trip. I could see myself living here, hopefully sooner rather than later.

Well, let's start out with the obvious: adjusting back to American culture has been the easiest thing I've ever done. I loved exploring, putting myself into new situations and embracing the new cultures of Europe this summer, but my goodness if the air wasn't sweet as apple pie in that airport! I'm just a homebody at heart.

Whether you’re wondering what Freiburg has to offer or you’re already there and looking for something to do, here are ten things I did that are worth looking into.

The start of the weekend was spent at Robben Island; the place where Nelson Mandela and many other political activists were imprisoned for decades. Our guide was an ex-prisoner himself, which made the experience all the more powerful as he told us about the horrors of living in the prison and the torture he endured. The prison made it nearly impossible for anyone to visit the prisoners; some families were unable to see each other if last names did not match that of the prisoner. We left feeling both inspired and appalled.

The Storm

This week we experienced one of the biggest rainstorms in Beijing for the past two months.  You're probably thinking, "what's so significant about a couple drops of water?" Normally in America, or at least in my hometown, when we have large storms, we just need to wear proper attire and be cautious when driving, then our lives can go on.  However, when it rains in Beijing, the city basically shuts down.  Internships got cancelled, restaurants closed, streets flooded, and people got soaked.  

All I have to say for myself is that, yes, I am ashamed of using the word "fun" as an end rhyme, and no, I'm not going to fix it. I don't have time for that. I got stuff to do. I haven't even started packing yet. I need to vacuum the cat hair out of my suitcase. 

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Let’s go way back to March, see my plane touching down

I went to study abroad but I picked the wrong town

I’m not one to go clubbing, I really hate beer,

I’m a dang English major—what am I doing here?

Location: My room
Current Mood: Enthusiastic/Anxious