Almost 3 weeks in Berlin and it has all been a blur. Between making new friends, exploring, eating out, orientation, and trying to get some sleep, this blog has been the last thing on my mind. Luckily, I don't have classes on Friday, so I was able to decompress a bit and think about what it is about these past few weeks that I wanted to share with you! 

It's been awhile since I've written/posted something here, but I have been incredibly busy. I've finally started to get into a rhythm here with classes, when to go grocery shopping, planning outings with friends and such. So far, classes have been fantastic. They're all so interesting, and surprisingly easy to follow and understand even though they're all taught in French. My professors are obviously passionate about the subjects they teach.

Yesterday, February 18, 2016, was my first day of teaching English to students here in Spain and it was truly an experience. Not only did I find myself surprised at the comfort with which I navigated around and with the students, but also the comfort with which they navigated with me. I’d been cautioned over and over that the Spanish classroom was different than the typical American classroom and would be quite shocking, and in the words of my roommate, “They talk about culture shock like it’s a disease.” (Perfect analogy, Caroline.

Bonjour! 

I recently visited the Louis Vuitton Expo at the Grand Palais and it beautifully brought to life the history of Louis Vuitton. The expo is named "Volez, Voguez, Voyagez" because Vuitton designed his bags for all modes of transportation: Fly, Sail, Travel!

Louis Vuitton. Who hasn’t heard of him? The famous brand was founded by a box maker / packer apprentice. He founded his company in 1854 and it has grown to be the phenomenon it is today.

Bonjour from Versailles!!

Clearly, I like Europe.  If I didn’t, I wouldn’t keep coming back. 

Strangely enough, the British talk about “Europe” as if they aren’t part of it, which is a hilarious concept from an American perspective.  If you aren’t part of Europe, who do you think you are?!  Silly Brits.  

(On that note, England actually might legally secede from the EU, in which case…)

Wrocław, Poland

The first stop on the New Old Europe tour was the city of Wrocław, in Poland. A few things were immediately apparent; the city was quirky, endearing, intriguing with it’s mysterious side streets marked with graffiti and neon lights. These quirks were further expressed through their pastel painted buildings, the fronts looking flat and fake like the set on a stage. And best of all, throughout the city you can find around 300 gnome statues, each with their own unique personality traits and stories.