Collegio di Milano

5 stars - 600 reviews 
#1 for student accommodations in Milan
“Loved this place!”
“Would return!” 

I got my second keychain two Saturdays ago at a large tourist stop on the road to Guérande, a fortified medieval town.

So, it has been a few weeks since I first arrived in Freiburg and the need to travel had already hit me and about everyone else in my program. I love Freiburg, and I plan on turning every single stone in this city while I am here, but to the west there is a country some of you may know... it goes by the name of France.

One great benefit of studying abroad with IES Abroad is the promise of field trips, which coincidentally means the opportunity to build friendships. 

Like Ryan Lochte during the Olympics, I find myself in a foreign place. But over the past few weeks, I have found solace and wisdom in the advice of an affable (if disgraced?) swimmer.

The following are all direct quotes from swimmer, reality star, and aspiring entrepreneur Ryan Lochte.

“What defines me? Ryan Lochte.”

It’s true, I’ll say it, FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) is as real as ever. I love Colorado but I could not give up the opportunity to study abroad. Just because I am in France having the time of my life does not mean I don’t miss my friends, football, tailgating season, sweater weather, and long pants — especially leggings, even more taboo than pants in France.

Tonight, some students in my program are headed to Chef Clementine’s kitchen to learn to prepare and cook traditional French cuisine. Each cooking class has 4 students in order to get the most out of their time with Clementine.

Late Wednesday evening my friends and I headed to the airport anticipating our weekend in Ireland!  Exhausted, we immediately hit the bunk beds in our crowded hostel but woke up first thing Thursday  morning for a free walking tour.   The tour guide took us around the city of Dublin and taught us all about Irish history and most importantly about how proud Irish people are of their heritage, which he couldn't help but mention upwards of ten times.

Milan, on top of being a dynamic and exciting on its own, is perfectly situated for any variety of day trips. Picturesque towns and cities—both well-known ones and hidden gems (say that in your Rick Steves’ Voice)—are only a few hours from Milan’s main train stations. Even on the slower (read: student-budget friendly) “regionale veloce” trains, you can still fit in a full day’s worth of travel. So far, I’ve been to Parma, Bologna, Ferrara, and Florence, and I have my eye on Bergamo, Turin, Modena, and Genova.