It certainly has been a long time since I visited this blog. I must say looking back now and remembering how excited and anxious I was I realize how much I wish I could go back. However, with a summer filled with an internship I sadly will have to hang the backpack up for only a little while.
One thing that I will remember though and things I hope to pass onto you, the person about to travel and experience the world maybe for the first time or tenth, are the tips that made my adventure truly valuable and something I will not forget.
So here are my top 6 travel tips from someone who went through a trip like you:
1. Don't be afraid! This trip was something you picked so take a chance to and fly with it! You are in another country, it will be scary and you will be terrified. But just relax and know that you are safe and have the best people with you during this experience.
2. Always travel with a buddy. There are times where traveling alone can be safe, however, just be cautious with it. When I was in London on our last weekend I went and did some exploring on my own and went and saw a movie on my own. It was a nice reprieve to have some time to myself but I also felt comfortable at this point with traveling. At the beginning of the trip however, I was very strict in finding someone to go with or having a group of people to go with.
3. Don't over pack! I know this sounds silly but carrying too much will hinder you while traveling. When I was on my program we were doing intense traveling for the first couple weeks which included carrying my almost 40 lb luggage up and down small hostel stairs. Even at the beginning of the trip it was heavy. I think if I had brought less I would have done better but you also want space to keep all the things you buy in there too!
4. Take a walk around your neighborhood. Even if it's not a walk or a bus ride. Enjoy the scenary and enjoy the fact you're in another country outside of your own. I remember taking the bus to get to the underground and I would love to sit and watch the city goers. I also would love to people watch while on the Metro in Spain as well as walking to and from my apartment.
5. Try new food. Even if you are a picky eater there will be something new to try that will be worth it! Even if it's trying haggas in Scotland or having the opportunity to have octopus such as I did while I was in Spain, there is always something new to try and why not do it when you have the chance to in a foreign country?
6. Enjoy yourself. There will be so many things to do in the new city you have just arrived in. Take the time to yourself to find the cool things in the city. Remember though to be responsible, it's not fun being groggy the next day on a field trip.
So, those are just a couple of my study abroad #TravelTips! I am always willing to answer more questions and I always have more advice ready to flow!
Thursday, March 31, 2016
Sunday, November 15, 2015
Can I go back?
Now that the semester is somewhat coming to a close I feel like I can reflect on my adventures more from this side of things. As this week is International Education Week I am honored I get to talk more about my experiences and how my study abroad affected my life.
I have come to love my experience and have taken what I learned from those classes and my time overseas to my advantage. I have learned so much about myself. I learned that I can push myself a lot further than I once thought, I have become a lot more responsible for not only myself and my finances but for the people around me. I have realized to not be as uptight over events and to not let stress get to me. While I was overseas I had a hard time letting go and actually going to experience some things on my own. However, I never regretted not doing anything that I did. Especially towards the end of my trip when I was more stationed in my apartment at the end of the day because of how tired I was from the beginning of the journey.
I have learned so much about accepting the cultures around me. I have come to appreciate the risk and the elation that the international students at my school have. Simply because at one point I was one of those students! Especially while I was in Spain and I was new to the language and the food and the people around me. While I was in the British Isles I was very comfortable and did not feel as though anything could get me down since I was so familiar with the food and the culture around me. I realize now though that I was not as invincible as I had thought. I was very naive honestly, regarding some of the times I would go out with friends and meeting new people. However, I learned to become more aware of my surroundings and to sometimes question the people around me and get to know more about them before assuming anything about them.
I want to share my study abroad experience with everyone. Starting from the moment I decided on my program to the moment I had to leave my apartment in Spain and trek it to the airport and wait for 8 hours for a flight! I want to share all the great cultural experiences as well as the experiences I had in meeting new people, all the food I got to try, and of course the history I had the honor of learning. I wish that more people I knew had the chance to study abroad and I will forever stand by the fact that everyone should at least get out of their home country at least once in their lifetime.
So now where do I go from here? Well I have had the honor of representing CISAbroad as one of their alumni ambassadors. I have loved every minute of it because it all benefits me in talking about my studying abroad as well as getting the chance to meet others like me who want to study abroad as well. I want to study abroad again sometime. Anywhere honestly, but if I could chose another destination right off the bat I would have to choose Australia. Shout out to all of my Ozzie friends!
Well, it could be possible this blog is over, but I know that I will probably reflect on my study abroad next year and the year after that and I will want to blog all about it!
So. . . until then!
I have come to love my experience and have taken what I learned from those classes and my time overseas to my advantage. I have learned so much about myself. I learned that I can push myself a lot further than I once thought, I have become a lot more responsible for not only myself and my finances but for the people around me. I have realized to not be as uptight over events and to not let stress get to me. While I was overseas I had a hard time letting go and actually going to experience some things on my own. However, I never regretted not doing anything that I did. Especially towards the end of my trip when I was more stationed in my apartment at the end of the day because of how tired I was from the beginning of the journey.
I have learned so much about accepting the cultures around me. I have come to appreciate the risk and the elation that the international students at my school have. Simply because at one point I was one of those students! Especially while I was in Spain and I was new to the language and the food and the people around me. While I was in the British Isles I was very comfortable and did not feel as though anything could get me down since I was so familiar with the food and the culture around me. I realize now though that I was not as invincible as I had thought. I was very naive honestly, regarding some of the times I would go out with friends and meeting new people. However, I learned to become more aware of my surroundings and to sometimes question the people around me and get to know more about them before assuming anything about them.
I want to share my study abroad experience with everyone. Starting from the moment I decided on my program to the moment I had to leave my apartment in Spain and trek it to the airport and wait for 8 hours for a flight! I want to share all the great cultural experiences as well as the experiences I had in meeting new people, all the food I got to try, and of course the history I had the honor of learning. I wish that more people I knew had the chance to study abroad and I will forever stand by the fact that everyone should at least get out of their home country at least once in their lifetime.
So now where do I go from here? Well I have had the honor of representing CISAbroad as one of their alumni ambassadors. I have loved every minute of it because it all benefits me in talking about my studying abroad as well as getting the chance to meet others like me who want to study abroad as well. I want to study abroad again sometime. Anywhere honestly, but if I could chose another destination right off the bat I would have to choose Australia. Shout out to all of my Ozzie friends!
Well, it could be possible this blog is over, but I know that I will probably reflect on my study abroad next year and the year after that and I will want to blog all about it!
So. . . until then!
Sunday, August 2, 2015
I'm home!
Wow. After a very long couple of days I finally am safe and sound in my warm bed back in the United States.
Wow. What an amazing trip I just experienced. I can't believe that it is all over now. I have such amazing and fantastic memories. I will never forget those and if I do I have my postcards and pictures to help me remember some of those little details I forget.
When I landed in Dulles I was super excited to see my mom. Of course I had to go through customs first. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. I actually made it through in less than 2 minutes. It was super awesome. Then I waited for my luggage which felt like eternity. I had this fear it would not arrived with everyone else. That sort of freaked me out last night when they said that some countries don't do overnight baggage. I was just worried. But I had no need to be because I got it and was able to head up to meet my mom.
It was so nice to see her. I was so happy to finally just hug her and know I was home and I was doing good. We got in the car and made our way to Bob Evans where I finally had, you guessed it, my wonderful pancake breakfast. It was so nice and delicious. I could not have been happier with it all.
When I finally made it home I started to unpack and unwind and it just felt so nice to be in my own room and have a space for everything to go. It was just nice to feel like I had a solid place here.
I am so unbelievably thankful I had this opportunity. It has shown me so much about the world and myself I would have never learned any of those things without this chance. I have also learned that time differences and jet lag are very real. So with that I give my final farewell.
Until later.
Wow. What an amazing trip I just experienced. I can't believe that it is all over now. I have such amazing and fantastic memories. I will never forget those and if I do I have my postcards and pictures to help me remember some of those little details I forget.
When I landed in Dulles I was super excited to see my mom. Of course I had to go through customs first. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. I actually made it through in less than 2 minutes. It was super awesome. Then I waited for my luggage which felt like eternity. I had this fear it would not arrived with everyone else. That sort of freaked me out last night when they said that some countries don't do overnight baggage. I was just worried. But I had no need to be because I got it and was able to head up to meet my mom.
It was so nice to see her. I was so happy to finally just hug her and know I was home and I was doing good. We got in the car and made our way to Bob Evans where I finally had, you guessed it, my wonderful pancake breakfast. It was so nice and delicious. I could not have been happier with it all.
When I finally made it home I started to unpack and unwind and it just felt so nice to be in my own room and have a space for everything to go. It was just nice to feel like I had a solid place here.
I am so unbelievably thankful I had this opportunity. It has shown me so much about the world and myself I would have never learned any of those things without this chance. I have also learned that time differences and jet lag are very real. So with that I give my final farewell.
Until later.
Final blog post *part one*
Well I am breaking my final blog post into 2 parts. I am still on my way home at this point and I will have one when I return to the states an am back in my home!
So it has been an amazing experience having to travel home. It was a tricky situation. I was not allowed to stay at my apartment in Barcelona past noon so that meant I had to figure out something to do. So I decided I could go and get some coffee and lunch and just relax before going to the airport especially since how early it would have been. So I waited for 3 hours and decided it was time to go and make my way to the airport. I had enough train passes to get me there in time. I took the metro one last time and then took the rail train to the airport terminal. From there I just relaxed. I got a little anxious when I found out though I was not able to check in until 8:45. That was not something I wanted to hear when I had to wait at the airport for so long and just wanted to get to my gate. After having a little tantrum to myself I pulled myself together bought some wifi and just watched some movies.
After that around 8:15 I started making my way to the check in desk. I found a seat close by to the desk and was just sitting there when I heard someone talk to me. I remember seeing this girl previously when I had just got there at the airport. I found out that she too had done a study abroad in Barcelona for 5 weeks. I also found out we would be having the same 8 hour layover in Iceland. We immediately became friends and got to hang out. We were even in the same row. It was so nice to have someone to talk to and connect with. It made me feel safe. It was also nice because time really flew by. When we got to our gate our flight was delayed because a passanger on the earlier flight had medical complications and therefore she had to be taken off the plane. It was a sad moment. But we finally got onto the plane about a half hour late and then we didn't take off until around 1am. We landed in Barcelona time at 4 in the morning but in Rekjavic that was 3 in the morning. So Stephany (my friend) and I went to go and find somewhere to sit. We realized it was silent and that most people were already on chairs sprawled out and sleeping. It was so different to see this. There was even a section of the airport that had bean bag chairs! How awesome is that?! Then we found a set of chairs and settled in for a little nap. We both napped for a couple of hours which was nice and gave us a little bit of energy. Afterwards we woke up and decided it was time to just walk around and see what there was going on around the airport. We found the customs the night before so we felt comfortable going there. However, that is where we are now.
I am currently waiting in the Iceland airport to get through customs and border control. Make sure to follow part two to see how the rest of my day pans out!
Until then!
So it has been an amazing experience having to travel home. It was a tricky situation. I was not allowed to stay at my apartment in Barcelona past noon so that meant I had to figure out something to do. So I decided I could go and get some coffee and lunch and just relax before going to the airport especially since how early it would have been. So I waited for 3 hours and decided it was time to go and make my way to the airport. I had enough train passes to get me there in time. I took the metro one last time and then took the rail train to the airport terminal. From there I just relaxed. I got a little anxious when I found out though I was not able to check in until 8:45. That was not something I wanted to hear when I had to wait at the airport for so long and just wanted to get to my gate. After having a little tantrum to myself I pulled myself together bought some wifi and just watched some movies.
After that around 8:15 I started making my way to the check in desk. I found a seat close by to the desk and was just sitting there when I heard someone talk to me. I remember seeing this girl previously when I had just got there at the airport. I found out that she too had done a study abroad in Barcelona for 5 weeks. I also found out we would be having the same 8 hour layover in Iceland. We immediately became friends and got to hang out. We were even in the same row. It was so nice to have someone to talk to and connect with. It made me feel safe. It was also nice because time really flew by. When we got to our gate our flight was delayed because a passanger on the earlier flight had medical complications and therefore she had to be taken off the plane. It was a sad moment. But we finally got onto the plane about a half hour late and then we didn't take off until around 1am. We landed in Barcelona time at 4 in the morning but in Rekjavic that was 3 in the morning. So Stephany (my friend) and I went to go and find somewhere to sit. We realized it was silent and that most people were already on chairs sprawled out and sleeping. It was so different to see this. There was even a section of the airport that had bean bag chairs! How awesome is that?! Then we found a set of chairs and settled in for a little nap. We both napped for a couple of hours which was nice and gave us a little bit of energy. Afterwards we woke up and decided it was time to just walk around and see what there was going on around the airport. We found the customs the night before so we felt comfortable going there. However, that is where we are now.
I am currently waiting in the Iceland airport to get through customs and border control. Make sure to follow part two to see how the rest of my day pans out!
Until then!
Friday, July 31, 2015
One last night
So tonight is my last day and night here in Barcelona.
Before I talk about my day I just wanted to say a little farewell.
From the moment I knew I was going to be studying abroad to now, I did not realize how lucky I was. I did not realize what kind of opportunity I was getting. Now that I am about to leave my apartment for the last time and get onto a plane tomorrow I realize just how wonderful this experience has been. I have grown in many ways that I can't even pinpoint to tell you. I have learned so much about myself and those around me that I have a new admiration for everyone around me and I have come to learn so many new things as well. If it were not for the study abroad chance I would not have come to find myself and fall in love with all these different cities. It still astonishes me the fact I have made it through 76 days worth of travel and I have made it out okay. I am very ready to be home in my nice new bed but I will miss all of the people and all of the adventures I got to partake in. Not only the adventures but the history and wisdom I got to learn on this trip as well really made the experience that much better. I am so thankful for this trip.
Okay, okay I know enough blabbing. Though truly I did have an amazing time and I am so thankful I had this opportunity. Thank you to everyone who stuck it out with me and read every day about my adventures and what I was up to. It was because of you that I wrote down my every day thoughts and feelings.
Okay onto my day!
It was finals day. My Spanish final I feel like was super easy. I feel so confident on it that I know I did well on it. I flew through it and even on my speaking I did well. Afterwards she said that I spoke very well and that other then the few mistakes I made I had made wonderful improvements over the course. This was one of my goals on this trip was to be able to become decent in the Spanish language and I can say that I did just that and I am so proud and happy to say this!
Afterwards I had my psych final. I was not sure what to expect but what I had to do was a lot easier and I was thankful for that. It was a case study with questions I had to answer regarding what we learned in class. I feel very confident on this as well. I wrote a lot of what I knew related to the topics and I just felt a lot stronger with my writing abilities.
Afterwards we had our farewell lunch. It was delicious. I got these wrap things that were in lasagna noodles that were stuffed with meat and covered in cheese. Then I had this really good grilled chicken. For dessert I had the Catalan Cream that I made during our cooking class. It was delicious. Then we all got to toast with Cava which is the Spanish champagne. It was a wonderful meal. However, having to say farewell to those I have known for so long was very difficult. Knowing people for only a month was hard but not as hard as saying farewell to those I have come to know for over 2 and a half months. They are the ones I will remember more and think of during our memories in the British Isles. It was quite an experience and I am so thankful for it all. After the lunch we all separated ways and I came home and got to relax a little before I got ready for dinner.
I met up with some other friends for dinner as another farewell kind of dinner. We went to a sushi place. I found it ironic we went here rather than a Spanish place but I did not mind! It was super good nonetheless. Plus I got to try sushi. It was so good! I am thankful I had the chance to try it and taste something new on my last night here. After dinner the storm had cleared a little so we could see the end of the magic fountain show. It was a perfect ending to the perfect trip.
Tomorrow I will wake up ready to tackle the world. I will be leaving my apartment early and then traveling to the airport in the mid afternoon. Tomorrow night I will be on my flight to Iceland where I have a layover and will then proceed back to the States.
Thank you all for following my journey. Although I have probably 2 more days worth of blogging I will just say it means a lot to me that all of you have read my adventures and what I have come to do everyday. I know some days are more boring than others but it was seriously some of the best experiences of my life. So with that I will say,
Until tomorrow.
Before I talk about my day I just wanted to say a little farewell.
From the moment I knew I was going to be studying abroad to now, I did not realize how lucky I was. I did not realize what kind of opportunity I was getting. Now that I am about to leave my apartment for the last time and get onto a plane tomorrow I realize just how wonderful this experience has been. I have grown in many ways that I can't even pinpoint to tell you. I have learned so much about myself and those around me that I have a new admiration for everyone around me and I have come to learn so many new things as well. If it were not for the study abroad chance I would not have come to find myself and fall in love with all these different cities. It still astonishes me the fact I have made it through 76 days worth of travel and I have made it out okay. I am very ready to be home in my nice new bed but I will miss all of the people and all of the adventures I got to partake in. Not only the adventures but the history and wisdom I got to learn on this trip as well really made the experience that much better. I am so thankful for this trip.
Okay, okay I know enough blabbing. Though truly I did have an amazing time and I am so thankful I had this opportunity. Thank you to everyone who stuck it out with me and read every day about my adventures and what I was up to. It was because of you that I wrote down my every day thoughts and feelings.
Okay onto my day!
It was finals day. My Spanish final I feel like was super easy. I feel so confident on it that I know I did well on it. I flew through it and even on my speaking I did well. Afterwards she said that I spoke very well and that other then the few mistakes I made I had made wonderful improvements over the course. This was one of my goals on this trip was to be able to become decent in the Spanish language and I can say that I did just that and I am so proud and happy to say this!
Afterwards I had my psych final. I was not sure what to expect but what I had to do was a lot easier and I was thankful for that. It was a case study with questions I had to answer regarding what we learned in class. I feel very confident on this as well. I wrote a lot of what I knew related to the topics and I just felt a lot stronger with my writing abilities.
Afterwards we had our farewell lunch. It was delicious. I got these wrap things that were in lasagna noodles that were stuffed with meat and covered in cheese. Then I had this really good grilled chicken. For dessert I had the Catalan Cream that I made during our cooking class. It was delicious. Then we all got to toast with Cava which is the Spanish champagne. It was a wonderful meal. However, having to say farewell to those I have known for so long was very difficult. Knowing people for only a month was hard but not as hard as saying farewell to those I have come to know for over 2 and a half months. They are the ones I will remember more and think of during our memories in the British Isles. It was quite an experience and I am so thankful for it all. After the lunch we all separated ways and I came home and got to relax a little before I got ready for dinner.
I met up with some other friends for dinner as another farewell kind of dinner. We went to a sushi place. I found it ironic we went here rather than a Spanish place but I did not mind! It was super good nonetheless. Plus I got to try sushi. It was so good! I am thankful I had the chance to try it and taste something new on my last night here. After dinner the storm had cleared a little so we could see the end of the magic fountain show. It was a perfect ending to the perfect trip.
Tomorrow I will wake up ready to tackle the world. I will be leaving my apartment early and then traveling to the airport in the mid afternoon. Tomorrow night I will be on my flight to Iceland where I have a layover and will then proceed back to the States.
Thank you all for following my journey. Although I have probably 2 more days worth of blogging I will just say it means a lot to me that all of you have read my adventures and what I have come to do everyday. I know some days are more boring than others but it was seriously some of the best experiences of my life. So with that I will say,
Until tomorrow.
Thursday, July 30, 2015
Remembering home
So today was an interesting day.
However, before I start since I have 2 days left here is 2 different sets of advice I give to those who are considering study abroad.
1. Pick a place you find interesting. When I was considering my study abroad I originally considered Australia. But then my mom told me it would be too far away and to maybe choose somewhere else. So I looked into other places and found Ireland. I fell in love with the profile that CIS had created and I wanted to go there. However, I knew I wanted to travel. So after looking more into their programs I found mine and realized that I would get to see so many different things plus everything I would have wanted to do on my free time if I had done a semester program. I fell in love with this program for the fact it was decently priced, the excursions that were offered, the classes, and the idea of traveling to more than one country. Also don't just pick a place for the price. You never know how great a country would be based on the money.
2. Take a chance. This is more for even just starting out on the study abroad experience. It truly is an experience and I believe that everyone should take this opportunity. Even if it consists of going to a country for a mission trip or even going to Canada. It is part of the experience of going that makes a difference. I think that this also most definitely applies to when you are abroad because you never know what kind of opportunities will arise while you are abroad. For example, my favorite memory is going to see the Queen for her official birthday and had I not taken the chance to go and see her I would have never experienced this awesome ceremony.
So go and study abroad! It is truly a once in a lifetime experience and I think everyone should do it at least once in their life even if it isn't for studying but just for traveling. It is worth it. Learning about other cultures and becoming more open minded is one of the best things I have learned on this trip.
Okay, enough about my advice! Onto my day!
So today I had Spanish and we did our final review for our exam tomorrow. I feel very confident that I will do really well. I am so impressed with how much I have come to learn through this class and that I am able to do so much with how much Spanish I have learned in this short amount of time. I am now able to create 100 word essays, and speak about different things in my life almost fluently. It may not be very good but I can hold a decent conversation and that was one of my goals on this trip and I have successfully completed it.
In psych today I presented my photo project. I talked about the different aspects of the cultures I visited had impacted me. I spoke about the Scots and how their culture with superstitions and kilts were different from my expectations originally. Then I talked more about the Queen and then about the housing situation in Spain as well as the food and the beaches here. Then we went for drinks as a class and closed for the semester. I found it interesting how we were able to talk about going home and connect to the culture we now know here.
Afterwards I had a reentry workshop brought on by CIS. We had a good time talking about our experiences but in particular how it will be like to go back to the US. We first talked about how this study abroad experience can actually be helpful when looking at jobs and graduate schools. We did practice interviews in how these experiences will help us and learned how to portray this experience. Then we talked about what it will be like talking to others when we return to the US and how people will ask us about our experience and how to go about telling them and showing them different aspects of our trip. I also had my first empanadas of the trip during this workshop. They were not what i was expecting honestly. I thought it would taste different but either way it was good.
Then I came home and got started on my paper and I can officially say that I am finished with my 10 page paper! I am so proud of the fact it is done and over with. I am also just thankful it is done so I can finish studying for my exams tomorrow and relax for the night.
Tomorrow I have finals and then I think I might go back to the magic fountain as a last hurrah.
Until then.
However, before I start since I have 2 days left here is 2 different sets of advice I give to those who are considering study abroad.
1. Pick a place you find interesting. When I was considering my study abroad I originally considered Australia. But then my mom told me it would be too far away and to maybe choose somewhere else. So I looked into other places and found Ireland. I fell in love with the profile that CIS had created and I wanted to go there. However, I knew I wanted to travel. So after looking more into their programs I found mine and realized that I would get to see so many different things plus everything I would have wanted to do on my free time if I had done a semester program. I fell in love with this program for the fact it was decently priced, the excursions that were offered, the classes, and the idea of traveling to more than one country. Also don't just pick a place for the price. You never know how great a country would be based on the money.
2. Take a chance. This is more for even just starting out on the study abroad experience. It truly is an experience and I believe that everyone should take this opportunity. Even if it consists of going to a country for a mission trip or even going to Canada. It is part of the experience of going that makes a difference. I think that this also most definitely applies to when you are abroad because you never know what kind of opportunities will arise while you are abroad. For example, my favorite memory is going to see the Queen for her official birthday and had I not taken the chance to go and see her I would have never experienced this awesome ceremony.
So go and study abroad! It is truly a once in a lifetime experience and I think everyone should do it at least once in their life even if it isn't for studying but just for traveling. It is worth it. Learning about other cultures and becoming more open minded is one of the best things I have learned on this trip.
Okay, enough about my advice! Onto my day!
So today I had Spanish and we did our final review for our exam tomorrow. I feel very confident that I will do really well. I am so impressed with how much I have come to learn through this class and that I am able to do so much with how much Spanish I have learned in this short amount of time. I am now able to create 100 word essays, and speak about different things in my life almost fluently. It may not be very good but I can hold a decent conversation and that was one of my goals on this trip and I have successfully completed it.
In psych today I presented my photo project. I talked about the different aspects of the cultures I visited had impacted me. I spoke about the Scots and how their culture with superstitions and kilts were different from my expectations originally. Then I talked more about the Queen and then about the housing situation in Spain as well as the food and the beaches here. Then we went for drinks as a class and closed for the semester. I found it interesting how we were able to talk about going home and connect to the culture we now know here.
Afterwards I had a reentry workshop brought on by CIS. We had a good time talking about our experiences but in particular how it will be like to go back to the US. We first talked about how this study abroad experience can actually be helpful when looking at jobs and graduate schools. We did practice interviews in how these experiences will help us and learned how to portray this experience. Then we talked about what it will be like talking to others when we return to the US and how people will ask us about our experience and how to go about telling them and showing them different aspects of our trip. I also had my first empanadas of the trip during this workshop. They were not what i was expecting honestly. I thought it would taste different but either way it was good.
Then I came home and got started on my paper and I can officially say that I am finished with my 10 page paper! I am so proud of the fact it is done and over with. I am also just thankful it is done so I can finish studying for my exams tomorrow and relax for the night.
Tomorrow I have finals and then I think I might go back to the magic fountain as a last hurrah.
Until then.
Wednesday, July 29, 2015
Finals time
It is still crazy to me that I leave in 3 days and that finals for this trip are approaching quickly.
Today for only 3 days left will be the 3 things I will miss the most from my study abroad experience.
1. The food. There is really something special with the food they have here. It tastes so different. Even just regular things like Oreo's taste different. They have a lot of strict regulations compared to the U.S. and also things are more fresh. Just today I had probably one of the best juiciest peaches in awhile. It was so fresh. Not just the fruit but rather than fast food they believe in having a pre-packaged sandwich and almost every deli, café, or even restaurant's have these. I think that this is one of the biggest changes I will experience. I will also really miss Fanta limon. It has come to be one of my favorite drinks while I have been here. It is a Fanta version of lemonade and it is delicious.
2. The ability to see a lot in a small amount of time. While on my study abroad as mentioned before I have been to 5 different countries, about 23 different cities, and have been traveling at this point for 73 days. I have seen so many different exhibits and tourist things as well as some of the local things. I have been able to see famous paintings, churches, musicals, and sites. This will be one of the things I miss the most. I will miss every day seeing the Sagrada Familia as I walk to class or when I was in London and making it to the center and seeing Big Ben or the London Eye. These are views and images I will never forget. 3. The independence. Part of growing on this trip has been my independence. I have learned to travel by myself in the cities I have been to thus far. For example, I walk home from class through the barrio of Gracia. I get to people watch on my way home and I get to see the different characteristics as they pass by. While in London I got to explore different museums on my own. Not only physically have I been independent but I feel as though I have learned to be more conscious of my own money and being careful with how I spend every dollar. I will miss having the ability to walk through these cities and learn about them as I get lost thru their beauty and people.
So onto today!
I got ready earlier than normal because I started feeling sick this morning. But I am doing good now. I came to Spanish today and it was one of the best classes I have had this whole time. I was the only one in class which was really nice because I had the ability to speak more and actually hold conversations with the teacher and get the one-on-one help I needed before this final. I know I will do greatly on this exam.
Then I had psych where we discussed an article on mental illness and how different cultures can sometimes perceive these as something different. Then we started presenting our photo projects. I will be presenting mine tomorrow.
I came home and got to relax for a little bit. It was kind of hot today so getting to just lay down and sit by the fan was really nice. Then I had the chance to work on my paper for my psych class. It has to be about 10 pages and so far I am on page 4. I feel like I can really get this done tonight. So that is my goal!
Until tomorrow!
Today for only 3 days left will be the 3 things I will miss the most from my study abroad experience.
1. The food. There is really something special with the food they have here. It tastes so different. Even just regular things like Oreo's taste different. They have a lot of strict regulations compared to the U.S. and also things are more fresh. Just today I had probably one of the best juiciest peaches in awhile. It was so fresh. Not just the fruit but rather than fast food they believe in having a pre-packaged sandwich and almost every deli, café, or even restaurant's have these. I think that this is one of the biggest changes I will experience. I will also really miss Fanta limon. It has come to be one of my favorite drinks while I have been here. It is a Fanta version of lemonade and it is delicious. 
2. The ability to see a lot in a small amount of time. While on my study abroad as mentioned before I have been to 5 different countries, about 23 different cities, and have been traveling at this point for 73 days. I have seen so many different exhibits and tourist things as well as some of the local things. I have been able to see famous paintings, churches, musicals, and sites. This will be one of the things I miss the most. I will miss every day seeing the Sagrada Familia as I walk to class or when I was in London and making it to the center and seeing Big Ben or the London Eye. These are views and images I will never forget. 3. The independence. Part of growing on this trip has been my independence. I have learned to travel by myself in the cities I have been to thus far. For example, I walk home from class through the barrio of Gracia. I get to people watch on my way home and I get to see the different characteristics as they pass by. While in London I got to explore different museums on my own. Not only physically have I been independent but I feel as though I have learned to be more conscious of my own money and being careful with how I spend every dollar. I will miss having the ability to walk through these cities and learn about them as I get lost thru their beauty and people. 
I got ready earlier than normal because I started feeling sick this morning. But I am doing good now. I came to Spanish today and it was one of the best classes I have had this whole time. I was the only one in class which was really nice because I had the ability to speak more and actually hold conversations with the teacher and get the one-on-one help I needed before this final. I know I will do greatly on this exam.
Then I had psych where we discussed an article on mental illness and how different cultures can sometimes perceive these as something different. Then we started presenting our photo projects. I will be presenting mine tomorrow.
I came home and got to relax for a little bit. It was kind of hot today so getting to just lay down and sit by the fan was really nice. Then I had the chance to work on my paper for my psych class. It has to be about 10 pages and so far I am on page 4. I feel like I can really get this done tonight. So that is my goal!
Until tomorrow!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)