It officially has been a week since I have left good old Minnesota for fancy pancy Paris! A lot of things have happened since I've been here in Paris. I've had some great adventures here while in Paris and some normal day-to-day activities as well. I feel like I’ve officially started to get into the grind of things here in Paris. I have a set schedule, started walking to school, and even have managed to put on more black clothing than I have thought was possible. Yes, the more black clothing the better.

It was the first time I brought my camera out but boy was it worth it! Unfortunately we weren't allowed to take pictures within Windsor and it rained while we were at Eton. So not my best photos (I promised they improve) however it was the first real outing and it was a ton of fun! I highly recommend everyone going and visiting the Castle as well as walk through the adjacent town of Windsor and Eton college. A quick and fun story we learned during out time there... The photo titled Gapped Columns has to do with the Guildhall of Windsor.

           My first week in Spain has now come to an end, and the experience has been nothing short of amazing to say the least.  The week was kicked off with a delicious Spanish 3 course lunch, where we first were introduced to everyone in the IES Madrid Program. The rest of the afternoon was dedicated to orientation on subjects such as academics, behavior, and of course safety.

On a brisk January day my roommates and I set out from our flat to Pearse Station, the DART station next to Trinity in the city center. The DART, is a train that runs outside the city to several seaside towns, including our destination for the day, Howth. The Howth trip was one of the IES sponsored excursions outside Dublin. After the usual confusion of assembling a group of young adults, we all boarded the DART bound for the seaside village of Howth.

So I'm sitting at JFK waiting for my flight and it is still unreal. I have been looking forward to studying abroad since before I knew what college I was going to and yet I'm still in disbelief. Just like with every other significant life event it's not real until it happens and just like in the past my mind has been racing with a slew of hypothetical situations in which I forget something or something goes wrong.

Greetings from the frozen tundra of Ohio! My name is Callan Swaim and I am a junior who attends Wittenberg University where I am studying Business Marketing and Spanish. When my face isn’t buried in books (like every college student) I play for the Wittenberg volleyball team, am involved in Greek Life, and hold a few jobs on campus. There is never a dull moment. 

This week we finished our orientations and had some time to explore Quito and the Otavalo market.

Studying abroad is all about adjusting. Some things are easier to adjust to than others, but it should be expected that you will come across many differences that can be difficult to get use to.

As with every new city one encounters, there are some things about the qualities, characteristics, and culture that you notice right off the bat. There are other things that remain a mystery, only to be revealed to those who stay long enough and immerse themselves deeply enough to deserve such enlightenment.