So how does one pack for a four month trip? Where do I start, and what do I take? These were all questions running in my head as I took out my suitcases this week. First I threw all of my clothes in there along with my cameras. Then I got yelled at by my mom for not folding the clothes. So I had to repack.

For Vietnam, I decided to save my post until the end of my trip so I can give you the highs & lows. 

Hello friends!

English: It’s been quite the adventure here the past seven weeks, and the fact that I only have four more nights here is extremely bittersweet. There were points of homesickness this summer when I wished for this moment to come, but in the back of my head I always knew I wouldn’t want it by the time it happened, and I was right. I have to say, though, I truly feel like I’ve made the most of my time here. Until now, I haven’t felt like I was running out of time.

It’s been a little over a week now since I flew in to O’Hare International Airport in Chicago. I wanted to wait before writing my final blog post so that I could share any feelings of reverse culture shock that I would possibly experience, but for me, that phase never really hit in a big way (yet, at least). When I got off the plane, I was so overjoyed to see my dad and sister waiting for me that all I could think about was how great it would be to relax at home for the next few weeks leading up to the fall semester, schoolwork-free!

One of the biggest stressors I faced in the week before flying to New Zealand was what I should bring with me.  I thought about what types of activities I saw myself doing while abroad, and also looked up the seasonal weather reports in Christchurch.  IES Abroad recommended that I try to pack everything into one suitcase and a carry on.  I almost succeeded, but ended up taking a suitcase, duffel bag, and a backpacking backpack full of clothes, camping gear, GoPro accessories, and other random items that got chosen to come along for th

            So I didn’t go to Rome. We missed the plane because of this thing called military time which, despite all the practice I’ve gotten up to this point, still isn’t my mental default. I was pretty mad at myself. If we’re gonna be real about it, I’m still pretty mad at myself. Not only was I pumped to go to Rome, but for the first time, I wasn’t taking the trip solo. Nothing like dragging another person down with you.

English: This past week has been an absolute blast – my family came to visit and I got to show them all around Barcelona and then I travelled with them to Rome for an amazing wedding! Until they came I noted down places that I wanted to take them and recommendations of things for them to do while I was at work. They stayed at a hotel in the Gothic Quarter, which is one of my favorite areas of Barcelona – old architecture and narrow alleyways everywhere you look.