“You have to move out of your house by the end of the week.”

It had barely been a week with my family in Rabat when I got this message from my IES staff. I was shocked. My first week in Rabat was smooth and enjoyable. I had no qualms about my decision to study in Morocco and I loved my family. They were hospitable (as most Moroccan families are), caring, French-speaking and enthusiastic about hosting me. There was nothing to complain about, unlike other students who vocalized their dissatisfaction with their housing placements.

This past weekend I wanted to do a little hiking by myself. I decided to tackle Cape Town’s third famous peak (for those following along at home, I’ve hiked Table Mountain and Lion’s Head already), Devil’s Peak to complete the trifecta. I looked up the best way to get to the top: Google gave me a route that begins at Rhodes Memorial, which is located just above UCT on the lower part of Devil’s Peak. Once I got myself up there, I climbed up the mountain along a path that took me to a crossroads.

Here are a few photos from an IES Abroad field-trip to Rotterdam and Kinderdijk. Rotterdam feels like a very modern city, compared to Amsterdam. Rotterdam was bombed during the second world war and was completely destroyed. When the city was given the chance to rebuild, it attracted architects to build a completely “new” city from scratch. You can see elements of experimental architecture all over the city of Rotterdam.

We traveled to the Cinque Terre Region of Italy last weekend and it was by far the most beautiful place I’ve ever seen. We spent the weekend hiking, exploring, cooking, and at the beach. 10 of us rented an apartment through air b&b for the weekend and took a train to get there, which was very easy and affordable.

Milan has very quickly become my beloved new home. It has been a relatively easy transition and extremely enjoyable experience so far. I love my roommates and my apartment is in a great location. We have been so busy meeting new people, seeing new things, attending intensive Italian classes, and taking in the new culture.