Time is flying by so quickly! I have gotten so close to some of the people in my program, and I can’t believe our classes are about to end. We had an amazing time in Scotland, and I’m going to start looking into Masters programs there. It was partially a combination of the kilts and bagpipes that sold me! We had a quick transition from the northern part of the island to the southern part, by going to Brighton the next day for my British Youth Culture class.

I’m starting my last week in Arles. A few weeks ago, the half ruined towers that marked the entrance of the city were slightly terrifying. Now they feel welcoming and familiar. A friend of mine even described them as “confining,” which is odd when you consider the fact that Arles is the largest commune in France. However, you have to take that record with a grain of salt; that commune includes the Camargue nature reserve. The actual city of Arles is small enough that you can walk from one end of the town to the other in twenty minutes.

After a long, and emotionally draining week of shadowing doctors and nurses at Rob Ferreira tertiary hospital in Mpumalanga, we woke up at 4 Am for our African safari experience. After seeing a seemingly endless number of patients ravaged by HIV, TB, and other communicable diseases over the past few weeks, surrounded by endless desolation, poverty, heart-breaking stories, and illness, it was refreshing to have a day to simply sit back and experience the natural beauty of South Africa.

I don’t think I realized quite how much I took my host mom for granted until I moved out of her apartment and into the dorms for a few days.

At the end of six weeks, I’m raising a pint of Guinness to commemorate a splendid summer in Ireland.

Cheers to new places- both in Ireland and elsewhere in Europe. I couldn’t have imagined the delight of being in the middle of Grand Place in Brussels with a chocolate-soaked Belgian waffle, walking alongside beautiful Loch Lomond in Scotland and clapping along to traditional Irish music in Killarney.

Looking back at my pictures as I compose this post, I can’t believe that all of these exciting things happened within only the first week of being in South Africa. There is so much to do here, you really have to pack it all in! I actually keep having this reoccurring dream where I find myself waking up to my last day in Cape Town and come to find that I didn’t do anything that I had planned. What a nightmare! Thankfully, with all the events that were jam packed into this one week, I truly already feel extremely fulfilled.

It’s today. It’s finally here. Suitcases are packed, electronics are charged, good-byes have been said.Who would have thought I would be literally hours away from being in Australia. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t scared or nervous, but the things that scare you the most are usually most worth a try. So many adventures await me and I can’t wait to take part in every single one of them. While this trip is a dream come true, I am going to miss UD more than anyone can imagine.

Gelato