The above quote is found on a blue girder in the Guinness Storehouse, and what better way to spend Paddy’s Day than on the streets of Dublin! My parents visited me here in Ireland, so they got to participate in the festivities as well. The city is lit up with green lights at night, there’s a carnival on Merrion Square, trad music plays in almost every pub, and the city is incredibly crowded with tourists from around the world. It seems as though everyone wants to claim Irish roots, and I don’t blame them. The Irish are absolutely wonderful people!

The first night in Chengdu was a slow one. 
This was deliberate since the next day the plan was to go hiking. 
Whilst the city itself offers many places to walk to, we went to QingChengShan, about an hour outside of the city to go hiking.

Over the last 6 days, I went to more cultural events than I ever remember attending in a single week. This is exactly what I meant in my first blog post when I said that I was particularly excited about learning opportunities that only a big city could offer.

Some of the highlights this past week included:

I had no idea before coming to Ecuador that I’d end up not only meeting Ecuadorians, but also people from many other countries, such as Australia and Japan. It turns out that my host family owns a Bed & Breakfast (although technically it’s more of a Bed & Breakfast & Dinner). So far I’ve really enjoyed the experience. I get the opportunity to meet people from all over the world, learn about their backgrounds, and find out why they’ve chosen to come to Ecuador.

It’s hard to believe I have already been in Argentina for 15 days. It feels so short and so long all at once. Orientation is over, and we are starting classes here. I am excited to have a routine and feel more like a resident of this city. I am already loving seeing different neighborhoods, learning how to hail the bondis (city buses), and getting to know the kids in the residence hall.