One of the main reasons why I chose to do the IES Abroad Metropolitan Studies program in Berlin was because of the field trips that that are built into our semester. Initially, our first field trip together was supposed to be to Istanbul, but because of political conflict, it was changed to Paris. 

This was my first time to Paris and it has been one of the most interesting experiences I've had abroad so far. 

The University of Canterbury is not sparing on breaks.  We had 4 days off for Easter, (which I may have stretched to 10 days), 5 days of school, and then another three- weeks off for “mid-semester” break.  Anyone following me on social media probably questions whether or not I actually attend school.  I find myself asking the same question, too, from time to time. 

I couldn’t think of a better way to close off our last program trip other than the weekend we just spent in the Berber Village. From the bustling medina streets of Fez, to the majestic sands of the Sahara, to the charm of Southern of Spain, little did I expect that 3 days out in the middle of nowhere would be my favorite excursion yet.

Hey everyone!

Throughout my time abroad, my roommate and I have been really good about asking each other quiestions, checking in, and taking time out of our days to reflect on our experience. We often ask for the highs and lows of a trip together, check in on things that we are excited for or things that we would have done differently. 

On our last day in Dublin, we talked about lessons learned, things that we would maybe do differently. 

Dearest Dublin, 

I’ve been resistant on writing this post, putting it off and off until, quite literally, the last possible minute. I left you early Tuesday morning and am still trying to process that. I know that this isn’t the end - there is still so much of the city to explore, more areas of Ireland I haven’t been in awed by yet. But for now, goodbye has come and gone, and these things are always bittersweet. 

I’ve seen an obscene amount of beauty since arriving in New Zealand.  

After a week here, I caught a bus to Taylor’s Mistake Beach and became overwhelmed by nature’s beauty for the first time since leaving the US.  I’d never stood on a cliff overlooking dark blue waves that crashed continuously on the black rocks beneath me.    

I then traveled to Lake Tekapo and saw the most incredible stars that lit up an ominous black sky. 

I’m currently sitting in the living room of my homestay here in Granada, mostly missing my mother and brother back home, and simultaneously figuring out how in the world I’m already at the end of April. 

Next adventure took me and my classmates to Asakusa to go check out the Tokyo Skytree. One really cool thing about this tower is that you can see it from neighboring cities. Inside there is a plethora of shops and specialty food you can buy.