One of the things I love about Buenos Aires so far is the abundance of outdoor markets around the city. The most popular ones seem to be those in the quaint center of Recoleta on Saturdays and Sundays, and the famous San Telmo market that happens every Sunday. I also stumbled upon a large outdoor market full of vegetarian, vegan, all-natural stands selling various organic foods and treats. All the samples of breads, olive oils, jams, not to mention the usually hard-to-find veggie burger, made this organic market one of my favorites.

After spending a summer in a South American metropolis, Lima, Peru, I expected the transition to life in Lima to be a little bit easier. I had never lived in a big city before this summer, and for the first time in my 20 years had to learn how to navigate the highly disorganized public transportation system, become a pro at crossing treacherously trafficked streets, walk with brisk purpose in my step, ignore catcalls and wolf whistles, and speak a lot of survival Spanish.

As I write this, pouting over the difficulties of getting a ticket to the Royal Shakespeare Company’s production of Richard II this late in the game, I have time to ponder the many firsts that this coming semester marks for me. Like the first time I’ve ever set foot outside of the country. And the first time I’ve flown on a plane by myself. And the first time I’ll be making all of my own meals (that’s right, I’m going to be getting very familiar with the nearby Tesco’s selection of microwave soups).

The lyrics from Michael Bublé’s hit song “Home” have never been so apt:

Another airplane

Another sunny place

I’m lucky, I know

But I wanna go home

I’ve got to go home.

Berlin is…

The man cycling on Kolonnenstrasse while practicing a song on his tin whistle.

The friendly bus driver in Dahlem who is chatting everybody up.

The champagne bottle that explodes all over a man atop the Kreuzberg.

The group of festively dressed young people throwing rose petals in the air in front of Rathaus Schöneberg.

The sharp needle-like peak of the TV tower.

The happy, shrieking kids getting soaked as they run through the series of fountains in front of the Kanzleramt.

Here are my snapshots from Florence. I joked with my parents that from my photos it doesn’t look like we did much, but it is really because you aren’t allowed to take photos at the Uffizi and Academia Gallery which houses some of the most amazing pieces of art. We visited both, seeing The David, Botticelli’s, da Vinci’s, Titian’s, and much much more. So enjoy what I could take photos of!

Our other side trip from Florence was to the city of Siena, famous for its horse race. The city as tons of history!

Following our day in Switzerland, we headed towards Italy! Our first stop was Bergamo. Both my parents have been here before with our Italian friends, so they knew exactly what to do. We headed to the old city, taking the funicular to the lower part. I was taken to the sights and we then sat down and grabbed a quick bite.

Giants the size of cities live in Tibet. They’re hidden, of course, underneath vast, thick blankets of yellow and brown topsoil, sparse shrubbery, and the occasional concrete road, but they’re there—sleeping. Underneath their godlike bedding, they look like mountains to us, so that’s what we call them. Their bodies sprawl for miles, creating long, breathtaking ranges, and at night their gargantuan heads quickly emerge to drink from startling blue glacial rivers in serpentine valleys.