I have a massive sweet tooth when it comes to French pastries, most specifically the pain au chocolat, or chocolate croissant. When I was planning my travel for this past weekend, I definitely considered locations depending their food (as that’s one of the most important things for me when I travel!). The promise of chocolate croissants was too enticing, so off to Lyon I went!
Bonjour from the Paris BIA center!
Hola! Ciao Ciao! Bonjour!
Spring break came early for our program! Je suis alléé en Espagne et en Italie. Here are some of my favorite experiences in these wonderful (and closeby) countries.
Adulting: (v) A word which here means mostly “feeding yourself” and “pretending like you aren’t lost even when you totally are.”
In the past week, four Germans and one American have asked me for directions. I’ve kept track. They come up to you and go, “’Schuldigung, wo ist Mumblemumblestraße?” (Or alternatively, "Guten Tag, sprecken see English?) and you have to pretend like you might be able to help.
With all this traveling going on, I’ve barely had any time to think of home and what I miss about it. Unfortunately, I think it finally caught up to me. What’s bad about the crash of homesickness after all this running around is that I’ve gotten a little sad and sleepy. But what’s great is that I’ve realized pretty much everyone else is in the same boat as me. All my friends here aren’t afraid to talk about how much they miss Dunkin Donuts iced coffee, driving a car, or sitting around the TV with their families.
Sunday, March 13th, 2016 20:18
Salut!
It’s been a while since I spoke about my homestay because everything has been going well. No news is usually good news (attention mom and dad). I have learned the ropes on how to work my way around the apartment and I have gotten to know my host family better. Everything was great, that is, until the weekend after winter break when I blew out the electricity in the kitchen on a Sunday.
There are so many reasons why this was one of my gravest mistakes yet. Here are the top three:
A few days ago, some of us went to Umbria on an IES Abroad trip. I was excited to see another region of Italy after spending so much time in Tuscany. When we arrived in Perugia I was surprised by how much it reminded me of Siena. It was a medieval town with modern aspects just like Siena. It is a town with a fascinating, independent history that the people are so proud of.
So, if you haven't ever been to Rio de Janeiro, you may link it with images of sprawling beaches, pristine waters, and pure relaxation. If you have been to Rio, you probably know that the beaches are indeed sprawling, but with people sprawled every couple of feet, the water can be pristine if you distance yourself from the Guanabara Bay, and you can relax as long as all of your personal belongings are secured.