If you start at St. Stephen’s Green and go down Grafton Street, past the Decent Cigar Emporium and T.G.I. Friday’s, past the street performers and Carroll’s Irish Gifts, you’ll end up at the front gates of Trinity College. There’s lot of construction around there at the moment, so much of the sidewalk around the entrance is blocked off, but nonetheless, all along the pedestrian walkway, there are signs pointing toward what is probably the school’s most precious possession: the Book of Kells.

Let's face it: Life is never 100% peaches and cream fantastic. With every situation, there is bound to be an off day, or a bad situation, something you wish you didn't have to deal with. And most of the time, it's something you have no control over. Don't get me wrong, my time in Cape Town has been one of the happiest times in my life. If I could move every single person I love from Long Island and put them here, I'd be all set for the rest of my life.

I've grown to appreciate solitude over the years. Solitude, mind you, is not synonymous with loneliness. In fact, I'm never lonely, but I'm often in solitude. Solitude is an intentional state of being by oneself, whereas loneliness is a state of having no one around or there for support. Anyways, solitude is definitely something I have grown into. Much like the taste of natto or the texture of sashimi, solitude can be an acquired taste. I, however, much like most other things, have grown to like it with eagerness. 

Fall is officially in the air, and along with that comes lots of wind, rain, and piles and piles of leaves! The canal next to the IES Abroad Center is absolutely gorgeous right now, with yellow and orange leaves lining the pathways and the tree branches hanging over the water. I love it.

Ecuador, like many South American countries, has a little bit of a street dog problem. You often see dogs on the streets of Quito, particularly in the colonial center. In rural villages and towns, there is an even higher concentration of stray dogs. 

      The semester is now coming to a close and students are scurrying around trying to get last minute assignments finished and some study time in for finals. Leading up to this point, everyone had been planning a few last minute trips around the island during our week off before tests. I was lucky enough to only have one to worry about this semester, which has left me the time to enjoy my break by relaxing and soaking in as much of New Zealand as I could in the final 2 weeks of my trip.

After a great day in Sevilla, we made our way to Granada. The first stop was La Alhambra. La Alhambra is both a fortress and a palace that has beautiful gardens and stunning architecture. I think one of my favorite things about La Alhambra was the detailed tiles that adorned the walls. Below are various pictures from the visit. The top left shows an example of just how beautiful the tiles were, engraved with Arabic inscriptions. On the bottom left you can see the stunning fortress from a distance.

On the Friday morning before our trip to Sevilla and Granada, Jess and I woke up before the sun to make the 20 minute trek to the IES Abroad Center. The night before I had gone a bit crazy with the packing and ended up carrying over half my weight in the duffle around my shoulder. I think I packed enough clothes for a week for a 3-day trip. 

If you've been keeping up with news in South Africa, you know about the nation-wide protesting that has been taking place for the past two weeks concerning education reform and the outsourcing of university jobs. Before you come to South Africa, you should know that protests and demonstrations are things that happen often here. Keep in mind, this country is a little over two decades away from Apartheid and in a lot of ways, they are still trying to create equality like the rest of the world.

Let's face it: You came here to study, but you're not going to have your nose in the books for the whole four months that you're here. You're going to want to see the country you traveled all this way to see! I know you already have plans to climb the peaks and mountains, hit up the beach, and check out the Waterfront and Long Street, but whatever you do, DON'T miss out on these 10 great things that Cape Town has to offer.

1. Old Biscuit Mill