Hello! I am back from Senegal! What? Was I not just in Morocco?

Well, yes, but as part of the Rabat summer program we were also taken to spend a week in Dakar, Senegal. And so here I am. Spending a week in Senegal was, to say the least, interesting. I usually don’t like when people describe things as interesting because I can never tell if it’s a good thing or a bad one. My experience in Senegal is one that will definitely be hard to repeat in the future.

After a day of orientation, we left Rondebosch for Langa Township to eat at the famous Mzansi Restaurant. Welcomed by several warm faces, the smell of hot food and a live band it was the perfect ending to a long day of learning. Moreover, it was a wonderful start to the next 24 hours centered around this culturally rich neighborhood.

I am characteristically indecisive, and up until 11:50pm on the night last of fall when it was due at midnight, I had not submitted any applications to study abroad in any program. So many countries excited me, but nothing could beat the excitement I subconsciously felt at the chance to spend 4 months in Brazil: a tropical, Latin country known for its social emphasis on having fun.

I have finally uploaded the thousands of pictures from this epic week, spent in a place I’ve dreamed of traveling to my whole life. It is one of the biggest sources of natural beauty and resources in the world, and one of the most fascinating ecosystems in existence. Some communities in this region are of the least-assimilated to western society, medicine, and technology. I’m still overjoyed and overwhelmed with everything we saw and did there, so for now, I’ll use pictures (instead of words) to share my time spent in the Amazon.

Today I realized that Siena stopped feeling like “just yesterday”. When I made lasagna (with my new Italian recipe, of course) I was excited about bringing a part of Italy back home with me. But somehow, quietly and without me noticing, over the past month the last “part of me” somehow left Siena. For the past few weeks I’ve felt as if I’ve been adjusting well. Living back in my American life with my family, friends, school, and job..but also still “living” in Siena. At least in my mind.

Bonjour tout le monde!

I sit here at the wooden kitchen table in a chair that has become “mine,” and it all feels so natural. The paintings that my host-mom did, the small lamp on the counter that my host-mom made (she’s really quite artsy), are all becoming familiar. Then I remember that only a week has passed by. It feels like I’ve been here so much longer!