I’ve always gotten really excited for trips. When I was little and my family used to go on vacation to Cape Cod every year, I would always pack a week early and pack EVERYTHING. I brought all the clothes that I could ever possibly need, at least five stuffed animals, and all the toys and books I could fit next to me in the backseat of the family sedan. I like to think I’ve gotten better. Moving in and out of college wasn’t as bad as it could have been. I say that, but as I drove all my belongings back home after fall semester, the car looked like I was a severe hoarder.

So, now that I’ve been home for almost two weeks I figured it was time to write my final blog and say goodbye to IES Melbourne. To begin with let me just say if you’re scared or uncertain about studying abroad DO IT. It’s been such a rewarding and unforgettable experience. Of course at first it was daunting to be somewhere new and know zero people but that’s what makes it so exciting! Going to Melbourne on my own opened me up to so many new people and allowed me to be completely independent for almost six months.

I come from an Austrian background so I’ve been to Austria nearly every summer.  My father’s family lives in upper Austria, so I usually visit for near a month as soon as school lets out.  Austria is truly beautiful in the summer––the alps are covered with flowers of every colour, morning doves nest in the trees around my grandparents’ house, and the lush countryside is green and full of life.  Though it is brilliant to visit Austria over the summer, I feel that I’ve only skimmed the surface of everything Austria has to show.

Wow.  I can’t believe it’s already time to ship off to Spain, to say goodbye to my friends and family, my dog Bunson, Great Falls, Charlottesville, everything and everyone that has been a part of my tidy Virginia existence.  A few weeks ago I made a pre-Barcelona checklist — get the visa, settle the sublet, dust up on el español, write this blog post — but just a day away from my flight, the margin full of check marks belies the inevitable anxiety life in a new country presents.

In just a few hours, I will be driving to the airport, getting ready to board my plane to Quito, Ecuador. It seems so strange to think that this day has finally come. I knew since my freshman year of college that I wanted to study abroad, but it wasn’t until this past semester that I finally settled on Quito. While I have been to Central America before, this is the first time I’ll be in South America, as well as the first time that I will have lived in another country for more than three weeks. It’s exciting, nerve-wracking, and pretty much guaranteed to be life-changing.

After deciding that I wasn’t ready to go home, I made a quick change of plans and extended my stay. I set out after the program ended and went to Berlin, Venice, The French Riviera, and ended in Barcelona for the New Year. Now, I am sitting back stateside wishing it never ended and I missed my flight home. It’s a bittersweet feeling coming back to the states after getting a taste of the sweet European lifestyle but everything has to come to an end. Below is a visual diary of my past two weeks. Enjoy

It’s been a crazy month! Since I last posted, I’ve been to five countries, taken about ten flights, and driven 1000s of kilometers. After quite a bit of struggling, I managed to pack up all of my things and organize shipping for two of my bags to Hanoi, Vietnam, my last destination before my flight back to the states. Of course there were a few hiccups throughout the shipping process but they eventually arrived at my airport the morning before my flight after some finagling with Vietnamese customs.

As I sit down, I contemplate how my two weeks of Christmas vacation seemed to have flown by. I feel like it was just yesterday when I dragged my 49.5 lbs suitcase to my sister-in-law’s car at Logan airport and told her I was ready to go home. Now I’m sitting at my desk staring at what my mom calls “baby doll money” due to the Euro’s colorful nature. It’s strange to think I’ll be spending almost the first half of 2013 in another country, speaking another language, and living with another family.