Three days left….three days and I say goodbye to new friends, new experiences, and my new home.

What am I feeling you might ask? I’m torn. I’m torn between longing to go home for the holidays, but I’m longing for more time in this wonderful place. I am overwhelmed by feelings of sadness and feelings of joy. I’m going day by day preparing for what the future has to offer back home and the new possibility that I might come back to London.

1. Messing Up Public Transit

Public transit systems—at least in Europe—are all pretty similar but just different enough to confuse you each time you go to a new one. My favorite is the London Tube, which is consistent and efficient. However, some of the other ones across the EU can be a bit more confusing. For instance, in Rome they have buses, trains, and trams. However, a lot of natives won’t necessarily know the difference between these English terms and might tell you “bus” when they mean “tram” or vice versa.

     So unlike this title suggests, this blog isn't solely about camping in the Sahara Desert.  But not to fear: desert camping is still a piece of the story!  This blog is about my recent trip to Morocco, which was definitely one of my most exciting trips this semester.  I had never been to Africa before so I was very excited to finally see part of the continent.  All of my expectations were completely blown out of the water; I especially was not prepared for the chaos that made up the city of Marrakesh (although

I thought it appropriate to dedicate one of my blog posts to all the wonderful people I have gotten the privilege of spending this semester with. Studying abroad is no easy task wherever you go, but I personally think Morocco is one of the hardest places to be.

Honesty time: I loved my time at Oxford, but that doesn’t necessarily mean you will.

A semester (or, term, as they would say it in the UK) at Oxford is amazing, but it’s fast-paced and rigorous. If you are studying any humanities subject, you can most likely bet on writing an average of 3,000 words per week, on top of the various readings your tutors will assign.

When you go to a foreign country, you aim to immerse yourself as much as you can. That includes learning and talking the local language, living and traveling with locals, and, of course, eating. A lot of eating!

One of the most incredible experiences, amongst all others I’ve had while studying in Morocco, has been the trip to the Sahara Desert, which was well worth the 12 hour drive for only a day spent there.