Welp, it’s time for my last blog post and the end of my time at the University of Auckland (UoA). The last few weeks have been quite hectic, to say the least, from studying for finals to squeezing in last-minute activities and packing 😢.

In celebration of the LGBTQIA+ community, Milan hosted Pride events across the city throughout the month of June. Despite a trend towards some conservative politics, the city has remained mostly accepting of people’s diverse sexual and romantic preferences, and it is not uncommon to see same-sex couples holding hands or kissing in the streets. 

If you've been admitted to a study abroad program through IES Abroad, you can count on there being support every step of the way, and this was made clear to me long before I ever left the United States. Leading up to departure, I had the chance to connect with housing specialists, internship coordinators, and more, but something I was kind of surprised by was the fact that there was also a team of people planning a wide variety of events and field trips at every price point for students in my IES Abroad program.

As a Filipina living in Indiana, it’s not often that I hear my parents’ native language. However, as soon as I arrived in Milan, I was struck by how often I began hearing it. In the metro, at tram stops, in coffee shops… I could go on. 

When I was lucky enough to have my friend Anastasia visit me in Milan, I knew it was time to try out a bunch of vegan food. She has a dairy allergy, so both at home and when abroad, she finds that simply eating at vegan restaurants helps lessen the stress that comes with avoiding dairy. As someone who was vegan for several years, I know that it can be a challenge to find places with good food that is vegan (or even just vegetarian) friendly.

The other day one of my friends talked about a conversation with his taxi driver who, on his way back,  told him “que dejas en Argentina?” (what will you leave in Argentina?) My friend, confused at first, asked what he meant. The taxi driver explained that he was referring to the things that changed in him that he would not carry with him after traveling back to his home country. And that made me think. Many times, we think about what we take from an experience, but not what we leave back, what parts of ourselves “die” or change during the process. 

Thinking back to embarking on the 10 hour plane to Buenos Aires, I could not imagine experiencing the things I did while abroad. I truly came into the experience with no expectations but a hope to connect with people and learn more about its politics and culture. However, there is so much I learned to embrace and memories I will take with me for a long time. 

Approaching the last weeks of my stay in Buenos Aires, it seems that time truly passed by like the speed of light. In the beginning, I kept on thinking I would have time to go to those museums or go to that cafe. But in retrospect, it was easy to get caught up in so much that I forget to savor even the small moments! Since I am writing this blog post while I am back at home, I wanted to create a combined blog post reminiscing little moments from the last week in Buenos Aires and some ways I have been adjusting back to the U.S. 

Just a few days ago, I hopped on a plane and headed back to Texas from Australia. To say it was a rough day would be an understatement. I pushed through a tearful goodbye with one of my friends at the airport then cried off and on the entire 15-hour flight back to Dallas. All of this was contrasted by the joy I felt from seeing my family and dogs when I got home. I was so happy to be with the people I love, but so heartbroken after leaving Australia and my new wonderful friends. 

One of my favorite parts of my time in Sydney was a day trip to Royal National Park. I loved seeing a new part of Australia with dense forests, and stunning coastline views. More importantly, I had so much fun spending time with my friends from IES Abroad. Below is the link a video of our trip!