Holiday Availability: All IES Abroad offices will be closed on Dec 24, Dec 25, Dec 31, and Jan 1 as we take some time to celebrate. During the weeks of 12/22 and 12/29, our team will be smaller, so responses may take longer than usual. Thanks for your understanding—and happy holidays!

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Jeonju Trip Pt. 1

Right before the Chuseok holiday weekend, IES Abroad Seoul took us on our first weekend field trip to Jeonju. It was a four hour road trip to the Jeonju Hanok Village, so we stopped by a rest stop, which is much cleaner and nicer than those in the United States. Once we got to our destination, we went straight to a hanbok rental store to try on Korean traditional clothes for the day. There were so many pretty colors and options. I spent so long deciding on the final hanbok I wore.

Final Thoughts: Post-Departure

Earlier today, I ate lunch at my host family’s house like usual before heading to Nantes Station. I watched as my host mom waved goodbye, and I boarded the TVG with my friend. In three hours, we’d be in Paris.  
 

And now I’m sitting in the taxi on my way to Charles De Gaulle, reflecting on the memories that I’ve made while living abroad for the last four months. And just like that, four months went by as quickly as everyone said it would. 
 

French Music: My Top Recommendations

If you’re trying to learn a new language, listening to music in that language is helpful. Fortunately, being the student that lives the farthest from the IES Abroad Nantes Center, I’ve been gifted with a 30-minute busride to and from the Center; the perfect opportunity for me to get lost in the sea of French music. These are my top French songs (and quotes from those songs) that I’ve been listening to during my commute, in the library, and on my way to the Kebob store. 

 

Unforgettable Lessons: My Teaching Internship Experience in Nantes

During my first few weeks at IES Abroad Nantes, I mulled over my course selections, eager to find courses that sparked my interest. After much difficulty, I settled on four different courses, but the pressure to choose a fifth loomed. Then, as the deadline to choose a fifth class approached, I found myself grappling with unexpected circumstances; suffering from COVID-19 (fifth time with COVID, but the first time having it in another country!). I hastily scribbled down “teaching internship” just to fulfill the requirement.

Celebrating Thanksgiving in France

Celebrating Thanksgiving in Nantes, France, was a surreal experience. This event marked one of the biggest celebrations of the semester, and it was an occasion to get dressed up and extend invitations to friends and family. Sharing this American tradition with every IES Abroad host family, alum, faculty, and staff member made it an exceptionally meaningful memory.  

My Semester in Review

I remember coming back to our hostel from an extraordinary day out nearby Nador. We were in our friend's car, listening to Berber music, winding up mountain roads, in a city that was an overnight journey from our studies in Rabat. At the top of the mountains, we could see the Mediterranean sea gleaming in the evening sun on both sides of us. I felt so removed from my ordinary life, I felt as though I was flung to a random corner of the earth to see its true beauty, both naturally and in its people. 

Midterm Break

As part of our semester-long study abroad program, we were given a week on our calendar labeled “midterm week”. At first, I thought it was a finals-style intensive week, but it turns out to be a weeklong break! We were advised to make the most of that (which translates to “travel as much as you can physically and financially without burning yourself out”), and after a bit of deliberating and perusing Kayak and HostelWorld, I decided on four places to go: Düsseldorf, Prague, Budapest, and Amsterdam. 

It's Okay to Miss Home

On the surface, it might sound weird that while in Dublin freaking Ireland, I would miss life on a 1000-student campus in Essentially Heck-Nowhere, Illinois. But it’s true—I really, really missed Knox College and even my hometown of Champaign, Illinois for most of the first month of my study abroad experience.

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