I am now more than halfway through my time studying abroad. It’s been full of amazing trips, new friends, interesting studies, and so many life lessons. One of the biggest things I think I’ve learned since being here is the importance of staying close to my people from home while also maintaining a balance to allow myself to make new friends. When I first arrived, I was calling my family and friends from home almost every day. I think this was a way to combat a bit of the homesickness that is to be expected when moving to a different country.

Hello Once Again!

It's good to be writing again, and I hope everyone who's reading is doing well! Today I will be giving some pointers and realizations I have had with learning Japanese since arriving a few months back. I've modified a few of my methods but of course those changes have only enriched my understanding of the language and the culture together. As a quick aside before jumping into the main stuff, I wanted to mention just how surreal it is that I've been making my strides here in Japan, as coming to this country was always a far off dream of mine since childhood.

Adjusting to a new country, especially if you’re living in a big city, can be tough. That’s why I think it’s important to find your comfort zone, whatever your destination. For me, I tried to find spaces where I could relax and take a breather from hectic city life.

This fall, I had some time on my hands, especially after my morning classes on Wednesdays and Tuesdays, so I decided to go on some solo hikes. The awesome thing about Korea is that it is very safe, so you don’t have to worry when hiking and/or walking alone, especially during the middle of the day. In my opinion, the best month to hike in Korea is October. This is when the weather cools down a bit (June-September are really hot months and hiking is a little bit miserable) but it’s before the temperature plummets and it’s too cold to hike.

It is now the beginning of November, meaning I have been abroad for a little over two months now, and have a little less than two months left in the semester. I knew going in that the four months was going to fly by, but I didn’t realize just how fast. It is a little unfortunate to think I’m already halfway through my time abroad, because I would stay here for a whole year, if not more, if I could. However, I am grateful for the time that I’ve had so far, of course.

I had the amazing opportunity to study abroad for two semesters in two different places. I did each semester very differently and I am here to tell you some pros and cons of provider programs. 

Take everything with a grain of salt, because every single experience is going to be unique. 

During one of the most wonderful times of the study abroad semester, the highly anticipated "fall break," students in the IES Abroad Vienna program are allowed to take a week off to relax and recuperate after a long week of midterms. I decided to take this time to visit three locations in Italy and Spain: Catania, Barcelona, and Seville. Reflecting on the fact that my fall break is coming to an end, I thought it would be fun to share the moments from my first few days in the gorgeous region in Southern Italy, none other than the timeless city of Catania.