The goodbye dinner was fun and very sweet. The program directors all said very nice things about how they would miss the group, and we all knew we'd miss each other. It was no doubt a very special and great group that I got to spend my entire abroad experience with in Ecuador. At the dinner we all got to bring our host moms or another family member.
My time in Paris can be described in one word: enchanting. Of course there are many more words and feelings I could use in attempt to convey my love for this city, but enchanting does a pretty good job of encompassing it all. Although I was busy, I was busy within the buzzing city. I was also tired, but tired from exciting days filled with new experiences. I was also wet from the rain, but who can complain about the beauty of Paris under the gleaming streetlights under a hazy night sky?
I've been losing track of all this time I've been in Japan. First a week in Ibaraki, then some time with IES Abroad in Nagoya, and finally my first full week at Nanzan University. It's been incredibly busy and incredibly fun being here in Japan, and the program at Nanzan University is really impressing me with not only the magnitude of learning material, but all the trips and experiences offered to students.
Culture shock.
It’s the first thing you’re going to have to deal with living when anywhere outside of your home country. When living abroad you might find some behaviors that shock you, but be wary not to condemn them just because they are unfamiliar to you. This is their culture, and the only way to get over culture shock is to accept the new and the strange.
This evening marks a full 17 days of being in Paris! And even though it’s true that Paris is beautiful in any weather it’s overcome by, I am so happy that it’s finally starting to clear up! The forecast for today is 73 degrees Fahrenheit and sunny – and we’ve gotten to enjoy that weather for the past few days now. It’s what this city needs to soak up all of the excess weight that the Seine has packed on!
My big sister got married this month. When I was applying to study abroad in New Zealand, I made sure that I would be able to travel back to California to support my sister the week of her wedding. Since everyone in NZ is so relaxed, my teachers seemed confused when I asked them if it was okay for me to miss class. They sort of looked at me like, “I’m not sure why you are asking permission; you are an adult who can make their own decision about whether or not you will attend class.” So with that was settled, I boarded another
From the very beginning of my travels, I knew this was a period of my life which I would be learning. I’m not quite sure I understood the depth to which I’d be learning – until I sat down after a week of being in Ireland and reflected.
People keep giving me that look when I tell them that I’m going to Barcelona with IES Abroad for six weeks to take a class in Spanish conversation. It’s that look of skepticism and confusion, sometimes even with a little bit of disgust mixed in, that people show when they see or hear something completely unexpected. You see, I’m extremely introverted. I often ignore people or pretend that I’m too busy to talk in order to avoid having conversations. Even when I’m
This past Thursday, I drove the familiar road to Muizenburg to attend an afternoon session at the 9Mile Surf Project.