I can't believe it has been nearly a month since we arrived in Milan. At the same time, I can't believe it has only been three and a half weeks. While I am getting more and more settled into my new home, I am getting anxious at the passing of time and worrying about wasting precious travel time.

   It all started on Sunday night when I found myself googling up where the closest Pizza Hut in Paris is. I don’t even like Pizza Hut in America, let alone eat it frequently to remember the last time I ate it. Yet somehow on a Sunday night it ended up in my google search with the nearest location in Paris. So maybe I’m starting to crave a slice of the US. Its official: The three week mark has hit, and with it has come a small case of reminiscing about the US. I was so set on leaving the US.

Here is my first blog about my stay in Istanbul! It includes trips to the awesome tourist sites (Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, Topakapi Palace, the Grand Bazaar, etc), and a general overview of what the program has been like so far. In my first two weeks I made tons of new friends, discovered just how much Istanbul loves cats, drank so many cups of Turkish tea, and learned how to order a dürüm or baklava in (far from perfect) Turkish.

            Time passes differently here. I wake up and the sun hasn’t shown its face yet; it hides behind the Sierra Nevada mountains until close to eight o’clock. In the states I wake up with ample time to eat breakfast, because I adore breakfast. But here I eat less, less in general really. I reluctantly get out of bed in the dark and slowly begin pulling on clothes and stumble into the kitchen.

Greetings to all fellow/interested travellers!

Hey look, we already share something in common.

I’m assuming that most of you who are reading this post are students who are potentially studying abroad, families of students who are potentially studying abroad (my mom read every Christchurch student’s blogs on here), and my own family and friends.  For those who do not know me, here is a short and sweet introduction:

Last Friday I was playing on a playground in a park in Quito when an elderly Ecuadorian man came up to me and struck up a conversation. He asked me where I was from and what I was doing in Ecuador. He told me that he hoped I was enjoying myself and the beauty of the country, but more importantly, the beauty of the people. He explained to me with a big smile on his face that it is the people that make Ecuador a wonderful place.

The third week of living in France has come to an end. It’s official: I have stayed in France longer than I have on my vacations. The whole concept of not being a tourist is finally sinking in for me. I live in Paris (eek!). With classes having started last week, my daily routine is beginning to slowly come together. Of course though, I’ve left parts of my days unscheduled to roam about Paris. I’ve really begun to enjoy walking around the streets of Paris with my friends throughout the day.