While studying abroad, I’ve been taking a Gastronomy class where I’ve been learning a lot about French cuisine, wine, and etiquette. What I have come to realize is that France takes a lot of pride in its cuisine and places a lot of importance on the presentation and sharing of a meal. You can see this is the aesthetic of the table spreads, the choice of cutlery, and the order of dishes, making each meal a sort of event in and of itself.

Today is November 24, 2016. In the United States families and friends are sitting around tables topped with turkeys, mashed potatoes, stuffing, and pumpkin pies. Today, I’m sitting around a table four thousand miles away, in an apartment owned by my best friend from high school in a little city in France called Metz. Although a very tiny chicken has replaced our turkey, and raspberry jam attempts to hold the place of my favorite Thanksgiving side of cranberry sauce, today I’m still filled with immense gratitude.

During the previous semester of college at Occidental, a single month went by slowly.  This summer, my two months in D.C. passed by a little quicker.  Now, after three whole months of being abroad, I find myself shocked at how fast it has gone.

One of the best things about studying abroad here in Spain has definitely been the food. I’ve had no problems with the food here.  I think I’ve said “¡muy rica!” (very good/delicious!) after so many meals here that my host mom is starting to think I’m exaggerating for her benefit. No Manuela, I’m not trying to exaggerate, I just can’t believe how good this food is.

"Congratulations!

Today is your day. 

You're off to Great Places!

You're off and away!" 

Public transit in Milan is absolutely fantastic. Between trains, buses, trams, and the metro, the city is easily navigable and you can cover a lot of ground in a short amount of time. (Fun fact: the trams are a Milanese invention that were quickly brought to other major cities like Lisbon and San Francisco.

This weekend I was extremely lucky to have one of my dearest friends from Colorado visit me in France! In the hopes of doing some exploring and adventuring we planned to go to Cassis, France for a night. Cassis is a little town known for its proximity to the Calanques National Park. The Calanques are large inlets, that almost resemble fingers, stretching into the Mediterranean Sea. Calanque directly translates from French to English as a 'rocky inlet'.

Today is November 26, 2016. About a month ago, I boarded a ship across the Strait of Gibraltar, a narrow strip of water that connects the Atlantic and the Mediterranean sea, to Morocco.

1.     Go to the beach