The Sahara Desert trip is the pinnacle experience for students studying at IES Abroad Rabat. This experience was what swayed me to chose this study abroad program in the first place, and it certainly was worth it.

When we finally arrived in the desert after our 12 hour journey, I was faintly able to see the outline of a massive dune. Thanks to the winds that day, the visibility was quite poor. It was so faint and so large I simply doubted my eyes, but when we went passed it again, the air had cleared. I had no idea that some of the desert dunes were so massive!

This blog will consist of the most heavy, realistic, and honest topics from my experience studying abroad. While it is not exciting or fun like some of my other posts, I hope this post will provide a realistic, honest insight into some of the darker moments of my time in Salamanca.

Homesickness

This past weekend was full of Christmas festivities! Being so far from home leading up to the holidays means some of my traditions have looked a little bit different this year. One of my favorite things about being in Europe is how they celebrate the holidays. Here’s a little recap of all of the Christmassy things I have been doing recently to get in the festive spirit.

I am currently sitting on a train on my way home from my last weekend trip this semester. We only have two weekends until we leave and I’m having a lot of mixed emotions. One part of my brain is dreading having to back everything up and say goodbye to this life I have built in Europe. The other part of me is weirdly ready to go home. I feel like this is something you don’t hear a lot of people talk about. From all of my friends who had been abroad before me, I heard the same story: “It was the best three months of my life, I was dreading going home, etc”.

As November unfolds, college students across the United States find themselves caught in a whirlwind of last-minute assignments, aching for a break, and yearning to return home for the Thanksgiving holiday. The quintessential scenes of turning on the TV to watch Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade and relishing in a filling Thanksgiving meal surrounded by family are etched into the American college experience. It's a time when parents pamper their children, providing a much-needed respite from the demands of academia.

I believe most of us who want to or are already ready to study abroad are anxious to know about the experience and get settled. I thought it would be helpful to share a day-to-day week in my life, not only as a student studying in Rome but also doing an internship.

I've always been more busy than I've acknowledged. Since I was a child, I've always been involved in a gazillion different things, whether they're extracurriculars, academic endeavors, volunteering, etc. That's just a part of my life that I don't think (nor want) to ever change. I haven't been as involved on Oxford's campus as I'd hoped (in terms of clubs and societies), but I've definitely been focused on so much more that's going on with my professional and academic careers.

I am highly aware of the situation I am in; I am blessed with the opportunity to study abroad at the University of Oxford. From my home institution, I've served as the introduction for HBCU students coming to Oxford. That is rewarding within itself, but it came with a great deal of commitment and responsibility. Many people in this world want to be the first and/or greatest to do something, but when they're daydreaming about whatever it is they want to do, I fear that they don't consider the preparation and "works" that is required in order for these dreams to come into fruition.