Finally, a month after my big European adventure, it's safe to say things feel normal again. I didn't come home a different person or knowing the secret to a life of happiness; however, I have found a deeper appreciation for cultural differences. Everyone is a product of their environment, and actually visiting different countries really helps one understand why certain people act a certain way or have certain opinions. If I had to chose one lesson as my take home message it would be that; you have to understand the place to understand the person.

The temperatures in Italy have been skyrocket high this summer. The locals say that this is the hottest July in the past 150 years. I may have misunderstood that number, but it just goes to show how hot it is. The heat didn’t stop us this weekend though as we made our way to a weekend in Naples and Pompeii.

Staring at a blank white wall
With blue around the edges
Sunlight streaming from the window
Pigeons peaking in

Even with the cooler air
I can't help but think I'm missing
Something on the outside bigger
Than a tiny hospital room

The wifi doesn't reach out here
Except for when it does
But one channel plays only Sherlock Holmes
Which I've found transcends all language

It isn't really boring
It isn't really dull
It just feels like missing out

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Over the course of my stay in China, I've had to overcome many "great walls". An extremely challenging workload, language immersion, an unfamiliar environment, knowing no one else, etc. But who knew that the last great wall to climb(besides finals) would be the actual Great Wall of China?

"Indeed à bientôt Hannah, enjoy coming home as it is also part of the experience abroad, and come back soon." I read these words in the reply to an email I sent to one of the IES Paris staff members upon arriving back home after my seven weeks abroad but it has taken some time to really process what they mean.  

I want to dedicate a blog entry to the things that have been completely unexpected during my trip. I knew that certain things would be different here, but there are lots of things, good and bad, that I was completely unprepared for:

Hey everybody! I didn’t have time to write last week, but that’s because I had the most fun weekend here yet…I went to Paris with two friends for the 14 Juillet, French Independence Day!