In my last weeks with IES Rome, we had a meeting with some of the staff to talk about preparing to return to the United States. We talked about reverse culture shock and how to overcome the obstacles of our friends not giving a you-know-what about your unbelievable, unforgettable, unmatched experience in Europe. These things all sounded like a joke to me and to be honest (sorry guys) I only came to the meeting for the free snacks.

This past semester has taught me so much. It’s surreal that I’m going to be heading back to the United States and these past four months will only be memories. Many I will never forget.

How could I blog about my experiences while in Morocco without including the food!

Although Morocco is known for things like their leather goods and oils, in my opinion, the best part of the trip has been the different foods and fish tajine steals the show!

For the holidays, try adding a different flavor to the mix and try the Moroccan fish tajine. Below I have written out the recipe, courtesy of my host-mom, for her delicious meal!

Ingredients:

Fish

Potatoes

Fifteen days ago, I flew home to Seattle. Since then I’ve reunited with old friends, celebrated Christmas, hiked for three days with my mom and sister, and bid farewell to 2013. It was a whirlwind of a year.

Getting ready for my study abroad trip to Ecuador! I’ve spent the last few days running around collecting all my stuff and doing some last minute shopping trips to make sure I’ve got everything. I’ve been reading up on Ecuadorian culture, too. The suitcase is packed (and heavy). Hope it’s less than 55 pounds! Still finishing up some last minute copying and paperwork. I’m sooo excited for tomorrow….T-minus 12 hours until I fly out of Hartford!

“First time out of the country? Really? Not even Canada?”

I nod, a little embarrassed, while the bank teller counts out euros. They look like Monopoly money.

“Well, I’ve got to warn you, you’re going to catch the travel bug.”

It takes me a few moments to realize he doesn’t mean food poisoning, but I’ve been hearing this from all sides: travel as much as you can! Relatives in Scotland, friends in London, and surely Dublin isn’t that far from Oslo…

Hello there!

My name is Anh and I will be your writing and photography blogger this Spring. よろしくおねがいします！