Chun Jie, the Spring Festival, happens this Saturday at midnight. This year is the year of the snake. It’s really amazing to see Beijing being completely transformed in preparation for the year’s largest holiday. Buildings, roads, parks, restaurants are all being decorated. Red and gold are the main colors of the celebrations thought to bring luck, and ward off evil spirits.

It’s been one month now since I landed at Heathrow airport and made my way in a taxi to my new home in central London! It feels both so long ago and like it was yesterday at the same time.

You know that moment when you realize you are right where you should be? I had that moment tonight. I have a night class here in Dublin, and as I was walking back to my flat, a strange feeling came over me. I had butterflies in my stomach and felt incredibly happy. It was the moment when it finally hit me that I am abroad for the semester, and that Dublin has become my home. I didn’t think it would take this long to have the “moment,” but I’m so glad it happened! This place that was so foreign to me at first has become normal.

As my days here pass by, I’m starting to feel more and more pressure. More specifically, pressure to go out all the time. I’m not sure if it’s my host-mom’s constant inquires in the middle of the week of what I’m going to do during the weekend or the fact that everyone tells me study abroad passes by in the blink of an eye and I have to take advantage of EVERY opportunity. Perhaps it is the fact that by nature I’m a homebody.

There is a quote by Temistocle Solera that says, “You may have the universe if I may have Italy.” How true that is!!!!! I am absolutely in love with Siena and Italy and the people and the culture! I could not be more blessed! I have transplanted myself across the world and it already feels like a second home. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine that this adventure be so wonderful already!

My Spanish professor begins each class with the above question. In English, it translates to “Something new, something strange, something different?” With this question, she has each of us talk about some aspect of culture shock or just something interesting that we’ve noticed about Ecuador. And so: what follows is a list of some of las cosas diferentes that we have  spoken about in class.

Its crazy to realize that I’ve already been with IES in Vienna for 3 whole weeks! It’s even crazier to think that intensive German will be over by tomorrow afternoon and all that will remain will be a final exam, some worksheets, and crows feet by our still young eyes. Some say New York City is the city that never sleeps, but after some time here and time to reflect on my weeks thus far in Vienna, I’d like to give Vienna a moment in the sun. In fact, I would like to describe Vienna as the city that “never stops giving.” But wait, giving what Ramon?

So now Deanna and I are all settled in, and we have our own little separate wing of the house, with 3 bedrooms – their niece Marie has the room off the top left of the stairs and off the top right there are 2 bedrooms, you go through one to get to the other. Deanna has the one further back and I have the closer one. We have both completely unpacked, and I have frames and an excess of things – as is my style.