I’ve now been back in the states for almost a week. I quickly went to all of my favorite restaurants and had all of my favorite home cooked meals. There are some things that even the amazing food in Italy can't replace. These past months have been the greatest times of my life and I’ve had the privilege of experiencing so many new and different cultures. Through my time abroad, I’ve gathered quite a few helpful tips and pieces of advice.

(Caution aux francophones: Mon français n'est pas la meilleur, mais j'espère que ça va changer cet été.)

My editing software was unable to include subtitles in the video, but I hope it is easy to follow no matter what language you speak. This was all shot on my luxurious iPhone 5s Camera.  Here is the English translation of the video:

Contrary to what my friends and family from home think, I am enrolled in four classes at UC Canterbury.  I’m writing this blog post because when I was preparing to depart for New Zealand I had no idea how to choose the right classes. Even when first I arrived in Christchurch, the other IES Abroad students and I would discuss what classes we were all going to take and which teachers sounded the best.

            As if exploring one of the most beautiful regions in Italy wasn’t incredible enough, I got to do it…with my best friend! One of the great things about studying abroad in Milan and Europe in general is, chances are, you have at least one other friend studying abroad in Europe! It is very cool to meet up with old friends in various locations. In this case, my friend Golda and I have been very close since we were 15 years old. During this semester, she was studying in Stockholm, Sweden!

I’ll start out by saying that I’m not sure how I got myself into this blogging business.

desiderata

meaning: desired things

source: Max Ehrmann, 1927

“go placidly amid the noise and haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence.”

Nestled in the mountains of North Carolina is a small town with rich history. I grew up in that town just as my father, father’s father, and so on and so forth had. I say this to acknowledge how a place can take hold and deeply root itself in your life.

Nearly a week into my exchange program, I’m still finding it hard to register that I’m living in a place like this. Being 4,176 miles from home is a lot to come to terms with, and somehow it’s even harder to believe when you have actually arrived. Nevertheless, being here is absolutely exhilarating. I don’t think that I speak only for myself when I say that I’ve been running on what I’ve come to understand as a study abroad high. I go to sleep each night knowing that tomorrow will be even better than the day before.