Yesterday, I spent six hours working on my Computer Structure lab. Six hours and I’ve not even finished half of it. Yesterday was Saturday. I must have forgotten that this is college. As I prepare to have a repeat of yesterday’s adventure, I find myself panicking a little about how I am going to finish this lab by Tuesday night and still have time to do my other homework and prepare for my midterm exams on Wednesday morning. Plus I have a difficult quiz tomorrow afternoon–fantastic.

Over the course of my semester in Cape Town I have had the amazing opportunity to work with Western Cape METRO EMS, the public ambulance service that provides care to the country. Once a week I get to accompany two EMTs, Anthony and Christo, on a 12-hour shift. As an EMT with my University’s on-campus service, I usually don’t get to experience a wide variety of calls or patients (I’m usually dealing with college-aged students in either alcohol-related incidents or sports injuries).

My most recent trip led me to Gifu Prefecture (岐阜県), which is just north of Aichi Prefecture (愛知県 – which Nagoya is in). The first place I went to was Shirakawa Village (白川村). It is a small village that has preserved a traditional style of architecture with steep, thatched roofs. My friends and I toured the Nagase House (長瀬家 – the largest building in the area of this traditional style), had a そば lunch and wandered around the village. We went up a nearby hill to a viewpoint that allowed us to see the entire village.

The last time I got to get to know a city was in 2012 when I began my college experience in Pittsburgh, PA. For some reason, perhaps being the ‘training’ I received while getting my bearings in Pitt, I feel an encouraging confidence in exploring Vienna.

And let me remind you that this is without smart-phone service, nor much grasp on the local language, being Deutsch (although my novice classes I’m taking with IES Abroad certainly help).

Autumn is my favorite time of year. The colorful leaves falling from the trees, the start to sweater weather, apple cider, pumpkin picking, I love everything about this time of year. I look forward to autumn in Geneva. Nothing is more beautiful than the drive along Seneca Lake during a sunny October day. When I found out I would be studying in Berlin, I was definitely thrilled, but it meant I would miss my last fall semester in HWS. Berlin, however, hasn’t disappointed.