An FYI/trigger warning: I usually keep it pretty light in my blogs, but this one is a little more serious, as it discusses the deadly and highly destructive Christchurch earthquakes of 2010-2011. Topics surrounding death, psychological distress/trauma, and natural disasters are touched on.

The process for getting a student visa is delayed in Chile, so when I entered, it was with a 90 day tourist visa. Unfortunately, our semester is longer than 90 days, which means we have to pay to extend the 90 day visa or exit the country and reenter. I decided to pay a little bit more than the $100 fee and take a trip across the Andes to Mendoza, Argentina.

Over spring break, my boyfriend and I went to Dubrovnik, Croatia! We had the most amazing time exploring the city and I created a diary of what we did on our trip and include lots of recommendations and things to do. 

My semester in Italy was unforgettable. I knew leaving Italy would be difficult for many reasons, but I somehow still wasn’t prepared for how it ended up feeling. I didn’t just leave the country I’d stayed in for a couple months—I left all the people I met and held close during the semester. Before long, upon return, I returned to the comfort of routine.

Pompeii was my first historical interest; I’ve been wanting to visit since I was a child, and suddenly a few weeks ago there I was, in the ancient ruins. I surprised myself with what I found most interesting, though. I found myself entranced by the ancient graffiti, some out in the open and some far more hidden, that unlocked secrets of Pompeii’s daily life.

I remember at the start of my study abroad program in Madrid that the one thing I wanted to be able to do by the time I finished was to be able to roll my r’s. At the end of my program, I can confidently say that I wasn’t able to learn how. Even though my pronunciation still leaves much to be desired, I feel like my life has changed since coming to Madrid. As I am heading back home soon, I wanted to take the time to reflect on how my life has changed since being abroad, my life back home in the U.S., and some major differences between the two.

Two weeks ago, as I looked at my semester calendar, I noticed that my remaining time in NZ is dwindling down at an alarming rate. And there's still so much I want to do! However, one particular trip I had been thinking about doing for a while was a journey down to Stewart Island. Two weeks ago, looking at how little time I had left, I realized it was now or never for that trip, so I chose the now. Last minute trip planning is never my first choice, but I'm so glad I took the leap. I booked my bus, shuttle, ferry, and hut bunks, and scored a nice pair of gaiters on Facebook Marketplace.