Hello!

It’s that time again: classes are coming to an end, professors are rushing to make sure you know everything you can, and papers are piling up. The only difference this time is that all five of my professors want me to write a paper and I’ve been in vacation mode since I got here. Or, rather, since school let out in December.

Needless to say, I have a stressful couple of weeks ahead of me, and I probably won’t be going anywhere exciting. All of my favorite dramas have ended, too, so I literally have no excuse not to be productive.

Vijf More Vignettes (and a Wish)

Wow! I can’t believe my last days in Santiago have arrived so abruptly. This past week has been so hectic especially since I’ve tried to fit in as much as possible. I felt as though June came so quickly and I was hit with the fear that I hadn’t experienced enough in and around Santiago!

The small amount of summertime I was able to spend in the states before departing for Cape Town was short, but very sweet for certain. In between the end of my Junior year and my departure for Cape Town, I have been traveling all over the East Coast, paying special visits to the people and places that I love most, before I leave them all behind for five months to start a very exciting new journey in South Africa.

In the land of Apfelstrudel, Sachertorte, and Wienerschnitzel, it’s easy to think that eating here 100% gluten free would be a nightmare. However, over the past (almost) six weeks, I’ve been writing down and photographing everything that has gone into my mouth to create this comprehensive guide. I’ve managed to only eat something with gluten in it once (I should never shop hungry) and be cross-contaminated once or twice.

This past Monday, the 25th, was my 21st birthday which also happened to be the day that we went on a field trip to Pienza. This small town only about an hour away from Siena is famous for a few things including its Pecorino cheese and its architecture. Pope Pius II lived in this town, which was originally called Corsignano but later was changed to its current name after Pope Pius II decided to rebuild it.

As someone who has never taken Irish history, much of the story of the troubles was unbeknownst to me.  Circling through Belfast in black cabs this past weekend, remnants of the city’s painful past were everywhere.

I’d always thought of Ireland as a peaceful country. And for the most part, it is.  The nation has an overall low rate of crime in comparison to other places.  But the murals with violent images painted on sides of houses in Belfast serve as a reminder that it wasn’t always this way.

Welp, it’s been one heck of a ride, these past five months.  And these last few days I’ve gotten to see a few things that I wasn’t able to during the semester.  The day after our last final and following goodbyes to flat mates and friends, my Purdue friend Allie and I hit the road in a bright pink, golf cart-sized rental (we didn’t get a choice) up towards Hanmer Springs, a resort town about two hours from Christchurch.  Arriving in the snow was a bit of a relief from the constant freezing rain that has plagued Christchurch for the pa