Destination: Istanbul (IST)- To many passengers, the three letters "IST" that follow behind "Istanbul" are unnecessary, merely repeating the obvious that the plane they will board will get them to the city of Istanbul. Yet it means so much more. I spent my childhood staring up at traditional-style departure boards at airports. Initially startling, their loud clacking soon became synonymous with the excitement of flights having departed and even more being readied for departure.

The sky through my plane window was piled high with cotton-candy clouds the color of ashes. It was the beginning of what was bound to be a long day; I'd been up since eight o'clock in the morning, prepping for my trip, and this flight - the first of two - was set to land at just past five in Charlotte, North Carolina. The forecast had said thunderstorms, and though we hadn't seen any lightning yet, the pilot had warned us to keep our seatbelts on through the turbulence.

Hello again from Wien! 

This past Friday my IES crew took a day trip out to the Austrian Alps in nearby town of Semmering to do a little hiking. After about a half mile of climbing directly up the side of the mountain, we finally found the trail we were supposed to be on (I blame Professor Stipsits, one of the Psychology professors here, but don't tell him I said that). 

A week has passed since a very hectic arrival to Chile, complete with many delayed flights.  Everyone is beginning to become more comfortable with the busy schedule we have planned for the next six weeks in Santiago.

What better way to jump back into life in America than going to a Cardinals Baseball game three hours after you landed from an overnight flight? As crazy as I may have been to come home and go straight to the ballpark I decided it was a better alternative than sleeping all day and moping around over the fact that I am no longer in South America and will not be gallivanting off on amazing adventures every weekend. I have also had the chance to do a lot of thinking over the past two weeks as I ended my South American journey backpacking in Peru.

Hello everyone and welcome to my blog! My name is Jennifer Fendt and I will be a senior at the George Washington University this fall. I am originally from a small town in South Jersey right outside of Philadelphia. I am so excited to be spending my summer in London this summer with IES!

Another few days have passed here in Vienna, full of adventures and visits to beautiful places!

Stephansdom (St. Stepehens) located in the heart of the city captured my attention first with its massive stature and strength. The cathedral towers over the city (literally! By Viennese law no building can be taller). 

Time has been absolutely flying by - I can't believe it's already been a week since I landed here in Barcelona! Although the transition has not been easy, everyday it seems to get a lot better.

Barcelona is home to 1.6 million people whereas Chicago is home to 2.7 million people. However, I am strucken with awe at how big Barcelona is. Maybe it's because I don't know my way around yet, but being surrounded by the sea on one side and mountains on the other, Barcelona feels like a huge place and I am constantly getting lost.