I suppose wherever you study, the end of the semester can be a bit hectic. Professors pick up the pace to cover as much material as possible before finals. Every class seems to have an end of the semester essay or project –sometimes more than one. Students stress about grades, calculating what percentage they need to earn on their final exams. I haven’t prioritized writing post in a while, because I have been plenty busy lately, but that’s just what I’ll right about now: the typical use of my time here in Santiago.

    Being adopted from China, I always knew that going back to “the Motherland” would be a trip I had to take. After nearly twenty years, I found IES Internships and decided to go to the completely wrong area of the Motherland: Shanghai.

My first week in Rabat has been an overload of the senses. I live in the most colorful, detailed, and lively place I have ever seen: The Rabat Medina. It is the old quarter of the city, far more traditional than other parts. In order to record my feelings and observations, I have been using sketching amongst other media. Here are some of my doodles that capture things I have seen or thought throughout the week.

Tomorrow is the day and I could not be more excited to head to the land down under. I have had the opportunity to go on many amazing trips in my life, however this will be the longest one yet and first one alone! Although I am a little scared to be traveling alone for the first time, I know that once I am there and settled in I will never want to return. 

Salut de New York,

I have returned “home” home and it’s not the same here. As Buzzfeed said, “Studying Abroad in Paris Destroys You For Life.” Here are my own reasons why:

1.The métro was the fastest, easiest, and quietest way to get around.

I Scream, You Scream, We All Scream About Everything

Argentines are very vocal people. Strolling the streets of Buenos Aires on any given day, one can encounter various demonstrations. Masses of people will march through the city streets, carrying colorful banners, chanting, and beating drums.

 Literally everyone holds a demonstration for every conceivable issue and occasion.   

Title Translation: Life Through Rose-Colored Glass (and in the Rain)

Every vacation I've ever been on has lasted a week, more or less. It's seemingly the perfect timeframe to explore cities, dip your toes into another culture, and return home with your little snippet of somewhere new. I've always been a bit of a homebody, to be honest. I love spending time with my family and my pets, so usually a week's vacation is a great timeframe for me to satisfy my wanderlust and curiosity and then return home to what is familiar and safe.

Hey everyone!

Well, after a crazy 11 months of traveling around East Asia, I am finally back in the US for the foreseeable future. It’s really weird how permanent it feels not knowing when my next traveling adventure will be. I foresee problems with serious boredom in the near future, as I have been adventuring and exploring for the last year, but am now at home with no major plans for the rest of the summer.