I just got back from a trip to Milan with IES Abroad. Milan was exciting and fun…but it definitely isn’t the constantly picturesque, romantic, relaxing Italy that I am used to (Tuscany has spoiled me already!). It is a big city and you have to constantly avoid men trying to tie bracelets on your wrists and sell you corn to feed the pigeons, as well as keep your hands on your purse at all time.

Paris is known as a lot of things; the City of Lights, the City of Love, the fashion capital, or Paname (less common for non-French people). However, spend a day there and you’ll discover what’s even more present than sparkly towers, eccentric outfits, and overly affectionate couples: street music.

I was fortunate enough to have a lovely spring holiday last week. I think it is safe to say that it was truly the most amazing spring break I have ever had. One of my good friends in the Irish General Studies program here in Dublin joined me on an excursion to Scotland for three days! We flew into Glasgow and headed off to Edinburgh to do some exploring around the city. Edinburgh Castle was absolutely amazing, and the views from the castle walls were unexpected and beautiful! I didn’t realize that Edinburgh was surrounded by hills and mountains!

A really interesting part of Beijing is the many opportunities for foreigners to earn money, especially students. Last summer when I was studying in Beijing, a few local students who were developing a hand writing software program approached me. They paid me two hundred Yuan to write a few sentences on a cell phone and on a tablet.

I can already say that Scotland has been one of my favorite places I’ve traveled so far in my life. I know I’m going to look back on all my adventures here and remember in particular this past week. It was just four days of utter bliss. And shortbread.

Research, research, research! It seems that’s all anyone can talk about these days. The number of PHD’s has sky-rocketed over the past couple of years and the competition for tenure positions has become as fierce as the competition for the last Oreo amongst a group of 8 year old boys.

So, I have been here for almost a week in Buenos Aires, this huge sprawling city of cities. Each neighborhood here has a distinct feel, character and population, connected by a complex web of bus lines and underground “subte” trains. I’m excited to know everything I can about this place, but for now I am exploring my neighborhood of San Telmo and all it’s cobblestoned streets, beautiful street murals and iron fenced balconies.

So I wasn’t planning to go on the IES Prague/Dresden trip. I’m not really a fan of being in a group and going places. I had a bad experience in high school where every single minute of a trip was planned and it was just horrible. Therefore, I assumed that IES would probably like that too. Surprisingly, our little day trips have been very lax and really fun and I’m warming up to group trips. So ERGO – I’m going on the Prague/Dresden trip!

(Italiano)

Una delle mie amiche di Cornell, che studia la moda a Parigi, è venuta a Milano la settimana scorsa, e ci siamo divertite un sacco. Per caso, è stata anche Milano Moda Donna, dunque siamo andate alle sfilate per vedere la gente e tutti gli abiti pazzeschi. Anche se non potevamo entrare, è stato incredibile essere sulla scena e interagire con gli altri appassionati della moda!

(English)

“One of those flash epiphanies of travel, the realization that worlds you’d love vibrantly exist outside your ignorance of them. The vitality of many lives you know nothing about. The breeze lifting a blue curtain in a doorway billows just the same whether you are lucky enough to observe it or not. Travel gives such jolts. I could live in this town, so how is it that I’ve never been here before today?” -Frances Mayes