It is finally time to leave! Tomorrow morning bright and early I will board my flight to Costa Rica for a new adventure. I am slightly apprehensive, but from past experiences abroad I know that once I get there it will be completely amazing. The past week has been quite a struggle in getting everything ready; I am chronic over-packer because I feel like I must be prepared for every situation. Yes, on past trips I have been the girl who carried emergency toilet paper in her bag – but friends traveling with me never complain!

Earlier this week I took a cooking class at the IES Center taught by an ISC (Italian Student Companion). When I signed up for the class I was under the impression that we would make our own sauce, boil the pasta, and then enjoy. But once the class began, I quickly realized that not only were we making our own sauce, but we were also making homemade pasta! My peers and I tried our best to shape our pasta to look like that of the ISC, but more often than not we failed quite miserably.

“With a leap of faith I feel a little stronger, wanna swing from a star in the big blue sky, don’t wanna watch it all go by– so I’m gonna fly…” — Sydney Forest, “I’m Gonna Fly”

When we all landed in Vienna, we got on buses and drove about three hours to a town called Mariazell. In Mariazell, we had a few information sessions, intro to German for us beginners, and a few fun activities.

On Friday, we went into the town center and did a tour of a medicinal schnapps factory and of the beautiful Mariazell Basilica. We awkwardly watched a funeral for a sec outside the church, but other than that it was really cool. The town was very pretty and there was a great view of the mountains all around us.

After 3 safety talks during orientation, Quito has been made out to be a scary, dangerous city. But using our new knowledge to take proper precautions, a friend and I have taken to exploring the city.

Hello!