Was it all a fever dream? That question has echoed throughout the halls of my mind since returning. Having said my goodbyes, I was already struggling to grapple with the end of my study abroad experience in Rome. That said, returning home has left me with indescribable emotions. In the moment, it becomes easy to underestimate just how short of a time 3 months is, almost as though it passed in the blink of an eye; yet, as I lived that time abroad, it felt infinite.

So, you've decided to do a homestay. Yay! You are well on your way to immersing yourself in a new culture and getting to know the ways of a new culture firsthand while also making precious memories with your host family. However, spending all your time at home can be a little boring, and sometimes starting things with a new family can be awkward. Sometimes, your host family has lots of suggestions for where to go, but if you want to give them a break from doing all the planning—or if they don't plan at all—perhaps suggesting a field trip is the way to go.

There is so much about the public transportation system in Barcelona that I learned later on in my trip. If you are studying in Barcelona for at least three months, which means all the students studying for the semester, you need to know some things. 

This week, I got to see some of my family for the first time since arriving in Ireland. On Saturday, my dad and sisters picked me up in a rental car and we drove out West towards County Clare. We were headed to visit the area where my family ancestry is from. We don’t know a whole lot about them, but it was pretty special to get to see some of where they would have lived. 

One of my favorite things about Korea is the food. And of course, a lot of people's reasons for choosing to come to Korea is to indulge in all of the delicious cuisine. I do have my regular spots that I frequent around Seoul, but these are some of the best ones that have secured a spot in my mind. 

I don't have the exact address to a lot of the places on the list, but I included the ones that I could find or remember. 

Note: You can find the locations for these meals in the photo captions!