Within the past two weeks, I’ve traveled to Capri and Bologna. I loved both of these places for different reasons and experiencing these new places with friends from IES Abroad has been really special. However, as I’ve been traveling more and planning more trips, I am constantly learning from the missteps that I took and am preparing for possible problems that might occur while I’m away.
In some ways, writing about a week in my life seems so mundane and routine because it has become so normal to me. Then, I remember the fact that my normal is living abroad, studying some of my favorite subjects in an absolutely beautiful country. That’s not mundane, that is an experience worth celebrating! So, here is a week in my life as a student in Rabat, Morocco.
Daily Life
Here is a small vlog of our recent trip as a program to Berlin, Germany to understand Berlin's role in German politics, as well as Germany's role in the EU. Our trip consisted of a number of historical tours, political monuments, and a lot of walking and exploring the city!
Last week, I joined hundreds of thousands of people in the queue to see Queen Elizabeth II lying in state. After her passing, the Queen’s coffin was brought to Westminster Hall in London, where, for five days, people were allowed to walk through the hall to view her coffin, draped in the Royal Standard flag, topped by the Imperial State Crown and the Sovereign’s orb and scepter. The experience became international news, not really for the lying in state itself, but for the incredibly long line to view it—at maximum, it was a 10 mile walk with an estimated wait time of over 24 hours.
There’s one fact of life I believe everyone can agree on: the ability to get yourself from place to place is absolutely critical for our personal independence. After all, if we can’t get to the fun restaurant for dinner with friends, that exciting new exhibit at the museum across town, or wherever we want to be, being abroad becomes really frustrating. This dilemma is what inspired me to get a closer look at public transportation in Rabat and give all my readers an idea as well.
Taxis
Translated into English, the words Côte d’Azur mean “coast of a blue-ish color”. This being said, there is nothing “ish” about the color of the Mediterranean Sea in Nice, France.
Though it is hard to believe, I have now been in London for three weeks and will soon depart for Oxford to start my term at St. Catherine’s College.
Note: I wrote this article over the course of a couple of weeks! Stuff was crazy, you’ll see why. The days jump around a bit, so I am sorry if that is confusing, but I believe it reads kind of like the experience of living it. Thanks!
Well, I made it through the first three days without crying for real.
By now we have all lived through COVID-19 for more than two years. But what does that mean when you are travelling abroad, especially now that we have vaccines and boosters out there? I’m writing this article because, knowing immunocompromised people and being an anxious person myself, I want to be able to provide as transparent of picture as I can for interested students.