Venturing into the city center on a random Tuesday afternoon for pranzo (lunch in Italian) is a rarity in the typical university education system. However, for an Italian project, my professor asked us to go to one of her favorite restaurants around the city and order in Italian.

My group, consisting of three people total, chose Panino Romanesco as our destination, a quaint little paninoteca near Piazza Navona in Rome. The owner, Simona, is a good friend of my Italian teacher, and she welcomed us with a huge smile and hug as soon as we told her “Siamo studenti di Daniela!” (We are Daniela’s students” in Italian).

Simona homemakes every item in her café, from the bread to the delicious pollo (chicken). Simona happily serves all her customers, most of whom are very Italian and regular customers. Aside from the life-changing panino of grilled chicken and peppers I ate on this beautiful, 65 degree Tuesday afternoon in February, Simona and Panino Romanesco has been on my mind ever since.

The happiness and passion that Simona exudes when a new customer walks into her shop is heartwarming – each customer is welcome, appreciated, and special. Although numerous cultural differences during my time in Italy have allowed me to reflect on how I live my day-to-day life back in the United States, Simona made me reconsider the idea of “happiness” that Americans seem to hold on such a high pedestal.

The difference, however, is that so often we Americans have a dangerous form of myopia – we believe that the only way to achieve happiness or self-worth is through material goods, whether it be the latest iPhone model or the new Lilly Pulitzer dress that rings up to well-over $200. We constantly are wanting, which, arguably, is the basis of why so many Americans are unhappy. We dwell on comparison and our shortcomings, but not on the basis of character or moral goodness, but on materialism and the fatal idealism of the American Dream.

Meanwhile, in Rome, a woman brings light to so many others simply by serving homemade sandwiches every day. Her happiness comes from the ability to nurture customers’ hunger, and, more importantly, ability to bring joy to others through this special talent she possesses.

Perhaps we should all try to be more like Simona, and remember that the important things in life are right in front of us. The best things in life are not things. Cliché? Perhaps. However, I am grateful for this kind Italian woman’s kind soul that allowed me to learn something about myself and the way I live my life.

For those that happen to find themselves wandering around Rome, Panino Romanesco is located at Via di Parione 34.

I need to make corrections to my last blog post. As it turns out the Milk Market is EVERY WEEK, not an annual thing. I guess I should have been playing closer attention, but I am finally getting used to being here. A lot has happened in my first few weeks here and it just keeps getting better and better. So far, It feels like I have seen almost all of Limerick and it is truly a beautiful city where there is always something to do. I also visited Adare and Cashel where I found little village walks and plenty of castles. Last weekend, a friend and I planned a hiking trip to Doolin in County Clare and were surprised to find ourselves so close to the Cliffs of Moher! So, feeliing adventurous, we decided to walk the entire length of the Cliffs and it completely amazed us. The pictures we took do not do it justice.

If you are going to travel around in Ireland, I highly recommend Bed&Breakfasts because you meet incredibly interesting people and you feel at home. My friend and I stayed at Doll’s Cottage and we had two warm beds and full Irish breakfasts each morning along with some great stories from our hosts and the wonderful company of their big dog called Johnny Depp. Just to give you an idea of Irish hospitality, they gave me one of their coats because they knew mine would not be warm enough and then they drove us to the cliffs so we would not have to take the bus. We even made a stop at St. Bridget’s fountain, which a lot of people pass by. I am so glad we stopped. It was filled with pictures and candles lit for those who come to pray for loved ones who are sick or dying.

If there is one thing I am so happy I did is get involved and join a society. For the sake of keeping some free time to travel and explore, I joined one society which is the International Student Society. Through this, I am able to meet new people not just from Ireland, but from all over. We even plan trips together so we can all explore the country as a group. Just this past weekend, about 30 of us went to the Ring of Kerry and had a great time. We also have weekly movie nights and epic dodgeball games. With all this going on, I can say that I have never in my life been around people who are so nice and welcoming to everyone. Hopefully I will be able to keep in touch with the friends I make here after I go back to America. 

Our time in Cambodia was a whirlwind of sights, tastes, and lessons. The five-day trip was split between two prominent cities: Phnom Penh and Siem Reap, and for having such a packed schedule, everything (save for one flight delay) went incredibly smoothly. In both cities, we had tours and private buses – or in some cases, private tuk tuk squads – to take us from one site to the next.

Our journey to Phnom Penh began with a pitstop in “No Man’s Land”, the stretch of land and time in between officially leaving Vietnam and entering Cambodia. Already we could feel the difference between Saigon’s more humid heat to the inner arid heat of Cambodia.

Our first half-day in the capital was spent at the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum. Tuol Sleng was first a high school, but was used as a prison during the rule of the Khmer Rouge. We were told that around 20,000 people passed through the prison, referred to as S21 (Security Office 21) by the Khmer Rouge. Heinously inhumane acts taint the grounds and the walls, as prisoners from all backgrounds were kept, tortured, and killed there. And yet, the grass was green, the sun was shining, and the birds were chirping. How disorienting it was to learn of pure violence in the midst of such tranquil scenery.

This feeling continued on the next day as we visited the Killing Fields of Choeung Ek, one of the over 300 killing fields pockmarking the landscape of Cambodia. According to the audio guide, the first grave on the tour held around 450 bodies. It was the largest, but there were plenty more empty graves to suggest a much higher number.

I listened to the survivors’ stories, and while they moved me to a deep sorrow, I know I could never truly understand what they went through. I hope and pray that no one else will have to ever again.

The following day we departed for Siem Reap. Our itinerary in the city was comprised primarily of a tour of the temples. Beginning at Angkor Wat at sunrise, we made our way to the Bayon, and finally, Ta Prohm. Although dated and crumbling, the temples were a stunning sight to behold. Intricate carvings adorned every wall, column, and tower. They were magnificent. No photos could do them justice (although I tried).

A whirlwind it was, but Cambodia isn’t going anywhere, and in my opinion it would be well worth a second visit (or a third, or a tenth).

-Walt Disney

I’m writing hot off the heels of my Dramatic Criticism class, where weekly, us students get together with our instructor to painstakingly point out all the flaws in every piece of theatre we see. I find it hard to take part in this class because it’s SO much easier to nit pick personal dislikes than it is to appreciate a certain director or actor or designer’s personal vision for a play. I know they’re just opinions…and I know we’re supposed to be critical (not mean!)…but if we artists don’t defend each other, who will?

So, that’s why the title is what it is! Just enjoy theatre, feel what you feel, if you go into the show wanting to find something wrong with it…well that’s just no fun at all!

ENOUGH! Let me tell you about my adventures this week now!

So, this weekend me and my roommates went on a guided bus tour to Stonehenge and Bath! (So, I guess you can say we got stoned and took a bath…..sorry. Okay, I had to. Stop. I thought it was funny!) On the way to Stonehenge we passed miles and miles of  beautiful farmland separated by hedgerows and stone walls! The whole place really looked like a giant green patchwork quilt. The air was so fresh I could’ve bottled it and sold it to Chinese people who spend their lives breathing in smog! (MAXWELL.) Anyways, this is the crazy thing about Stonehenge…it was constructed between 3000 and 2000 BCE by prehistoric tribes of people. We don’t know WHY. The two types of rock used for the monument were blue stone and sarsen stone. The sarsen stone was dragged from 20 MILES AWAY. DRAGGED. BY PEOPLE. THESE 30-TON SLABS OF STONE. And the blue stone was taken from 3 miles away! WHY on EARTH did they drag these things all the way to THIS spot?? It blows my mind. And the blue stone is volcanic rock so it’s slightly warmer than the sarsen stone. The blue stone is in the inner circle of the formation, so scholars suggest this was a place of healing. Oh, what’s even more remarkable-The arrangement of stones matches up with the solar calendar AND the lunar calendar. (Yeah, big deal, Taylor, they can see the sun and moon, what’s so impressive?) WELL, voices in my head-People in that time lived only to be about 20. The lunar calendar is 18.5 years. Do you know how intelligent these prehistoric people had to be in order to track the movement of the moon over generations and then BUILD a giant stone structure that perfectly aligned with it? SO INTELLIGENT. I have one explanation:

 

ALIENS.

 

Okay, I’m kidding. (OR AM I) But seriously, though, how did they do it? This kind of mystery is so fascinating!!

 

After my mindblowing Stonehenge experience, our chipper tour guide, Alice, corralled the group on to the bus. From Stonehenge, it was another winding road through the countryside (past a LOT of sheepies!) to Bath! The best thing about Bath (besides how it has the only natural hot spring in the UK) are their building regulations! Since historic Bath was built with nearby quarries’ limestone, all new projects must use the architectural style and materials of historic Bath! That way, the whole town looks like this amazing, synchronized civilization! Tall, thin, yellowish buildings nestled in the valley emerged as the bus rounded the last hill. Rows upon rows of them became more detailed as we got closer, revealing the subtle differences and quirks in each. The cobblestone roads shined in the rain when we arrived, making the whole town look like a movie set. We toured the Roman Baths, which was a Roman temple and bathhouse built around an ancient hot spring. It was beautiful to see the hot water making mist in the cold winter air…I could imagine the allure of such a place before central heating became a thing. We all got to taste the water, too, which supposedly heals people because of it’s obnoxious mineral content. (Let’s be real, though, it tasted like pennies and playground equipment-and my sore throat was the opposite of healed!) But hey, it’s fun to pretend! After that, of course, we headed to the local Lush and bought ourselves a couple Bath bath bombs! (They’re bubbling concentrated soap bars that fizz in your bath to make one feel super fancy whilst you marinate in your own person soup-incredibly necessary after a long day in the rain.)

Alrighty, friends-that’s all I’ve got for you today! (PS- I SAW RALPH FIENNES IN THE MASTER BUILDER AT THE OLD VIC AND I CAN’T WAIT TO TELL MY FUTURE CHILDREN THAT I SAW VOLDEMORT PERFORM IN PERSON AND MY LIGHTNING BOLT SCAR DIDN’T EVEN BURN OKAY RANT OVER.)

Okay my mother and my two other favorite women are coming to grace me with their presence tomorrow and I MUST go to bed now so that the day comes sooner! SO FAREWELL! I can’t wait to fill you all in after my mid-semester break adventures!

Cheers!

Taylor

 

Greeting from Auckland, New Zealand! It’s around 72F here, but it feels so much hotter…as do most days. It’s humid, and there is LITERALLY a HOLE in the ozone later above us. No, that’s not us trying to be cute and make you put on your sunscreen. There is a hole. right. above. us. So put on your sunscreen, dammit.

I guess I started my post off a bit negative. Hot is great! It beats Chicago’s snow! Plus, the people are so wonderfully friendly here! We hold doors open for each other just like at Loyola! But that is just a standard for NZers. Too bad it’s not a standard for Americans.

Something about my experience so far: I’m in a homestay with 2 wonderful parents (Samantha and Jacko [pronounced Yah-ko]) and their 2 hilarious kids: Bella who is 9 and Pim who is 6. Pim calls me “his student” and gives me a hug. It’s freaking adorable. Sam’s dad comes over a lot with his little dog, Mister (who certainly helps when I’m missing my doggy!). Mister follows him around like, well, a dog. It’s the cutest thing you ever did see. The neighbors are also super welcoming and wonderful! Even the neighbor kids greet me when I get home with “Hannah’s home!!!” and give me hugs!! I just get little mini hugs all day. What’s not to love??

Some other facts, I’ve accumulated so far:
-Auckland drivers are the worst. I’m not being overdramatic. Please look both ways several times before you cross because even Auckland drivers admit that they’re bad. **Take special note of this if you’re biking around Auckland. Heavy Traffic + Crazy Drivers + Bike Lanes = Still Dangerous.** At least helmets are required by law?
-The bus drivers are on strike to keep their jobs. They have scheduled strikes where they don’t work. No one bothered to tell me this right away, so I thought they would have an indefinite strike like in the US. In that case, I would be SOL in getting to uni (university). Now they’re operating, but striking in such a way where they follow the rules to a T. That includes stopping the bus to “stay on schedule,” taking their time to switch out bus drivers, or sometimes they just don’t show up at all. You can just imagine the grumpiness. **Always allow at least an hour to get anywhere if you’re taking the bus.**
-Portion sizes are smaller than in the States. A large coffee is about the size of our small, but the coffee is the best I’ve ever tasted. And chockfull of caffeine, too. It’s a bit smaller, but it gets the job done.
-There is a very high population of Chinese, Japanese, and Korean folks, so really good sushi is never far!
-Being “PC” hasn’t really come to NZ yet, so don’t be too surprised if people say something that someone would freak out over in the States. It’s just not a thing here. As an Anthropologist, it’s confusing but also refreshing.

One other (sort of related) note. I was talking to the other American in my home stay (Alex) and a NZer (Heide) who was babysitting the kids. I don’t know how it came up, but Alex and I were talking about how we (unfortunately) always have to be on our guard when trying to make friends because maybe they only want to use us, or they’re a fake friend, and so on, so we have to be careful what we tell these people. And Heide chimed in with “Wow. You guys are really over-thinking this. That has never even crossed my mind.” Damn. How refreshing. Think about it. Really.

TL;DR: NZ is different. Drivers are crazy, and they’re not very politically correct. People are just freaking nice. I love it here.

With constant sweat and smiles,

Hannah

The bustling streets follow you wherever you go, a maze of stores.  Amidst the castles and the seaside views, you find yourself going back to trains, for this bustling port, is just that, a layover for your adventures. You get to know it for a while, and then embark to travel back in time.

Two days you ride in the beaten tracks. Two days the skies cry. Two days you are met with clouded views. But there lays the heap of rocks, the giant, Vesuvius. You climb it.

Descend only to come face to face to the remains of the city the giant has destroyed. Subtle hints of life peek behind the occasional ray of sun and then splattered against the wall, lies in brushstrokes the daily life of an ancient town.

You see the remains of the cities that once were. Everything still and soundless, until you take the train back to the bustling streets.

 

 

 

Surprise, surprise, being in Rome is fabulous and I’ve explored and had loads of fun and loved every second of it. I’ve seen Papa Francesco, been to an AS Roma game (vs. Real Madrid aka Cristiano Ronaldo & crew), and eaten enough gelato for a lifetime. However, I still am studying abroad. Contrary to popular belief, or at least what my friends and family’s think I do with my time, studying abroad in Rome does actually involve studying. Between the bowls of pasta and glasses of wine (with dinner, of course), school is the reason why I am here. I still take a full-time course load, my classes are still challenging, and I continue to work hard for my grades. Being in Rome doesn’t automatically make my academic life easier. However, as with most other things, classes in Rome are still a quite a bit better, and that is for one reason: on-sites.

 

 

“On-sites” are classes that will meet on-site at a location somehow related to the material the class covers. I’m currently enrolled in Roman Catholicism, Writing Rome, and Honors: Encountering Europe, all of which are at least partially on-site. I cannot stress enough how amazing these classes are. Though it may be a little frustrating to make time during the day to get up early and take the hour-or-so public transport ride to the site of the day, on-site classes are the perfect opportunity to get out of the classroom and experience Rome while learning a bit more about it.

 

 

Through my on-site classes, I’ve been lucky enough to visit several churches and basilicas (including the biggest one of them all, St. Peter’s), places where famous writers lived and worked, and sites with incredible histories. I’ve explored the trendy Trastevere, tasted new foods, soaked my senses at markets full of fresh foods, and had a blast learning at the same time. I’m also able to move away from campus regularly, which can be hard when you’re wrapped up in assignments and trip-planning, and get to know the city I came to enjoy. For any of my readers who are interested in studying abroad at the JFRC, or even another center with on-site courses, I highly recommend them. The ability to return to campus every other day with more stories to tell of the new things seen while just being in class is a blessing that should be taken advantage of.

 

 

Still, beyond my beloved on-site classes, there are other opportunities to get out and experience Rome, its surrounding areas, and even other countries while getting a good education at the same time! Study trips, aka school sponsored and organized educational trips, are available to all JFRC students. I myself took a day trip to Ostia & Antica to visit coastal ruins and some of Rome’s most impressive catacombs. The chance to explore both and pretend to be Indiana Jones for an afternoon is one I’m happy I didn’t pass up. At the same time, I also got to learn about the lives of the everyday Italians of centuries ago and their burial practices, broadening my knowledge and understanding of my place in the world. If this doesn’t sound appealing to anyone going to the JFRC, don’t fret – there are plenty of other study trips offered that would offer a day or several days of enjoyment for someone with any set of interests.

 

All in all, the studying part of studying abroad may continue to be as rigorous as back on my home campus, but there’s nothing like being able to learn and explore new surroundings all the time. Check it out for yourself in this video. Ciao for now!

P.S. to those going to/interested in going to the JFRC: Seriously, on-site classes are amazing. Take them.

Kia ora, Namaste, Aloha, Hola, Hello!

This post is more informative and will cover the dynamics you may possibly experience within your study abroad community if you choose to live in a home-stay. I was pretty real in this post, and I did so in order to be candid and not sugar coat anything for the reader seeking information. I didn’t really look at any blogs before coming here (I probably should have), but I’m sure my situation is not unique to me. I’m sorry for the length (again). A “Too Long; Didn’t Read” (TL;DR) sentence-long summary of this post is at the bottom, and I think I’ll keep that a habit with my entries as I just like to type. 

Now, I’m no weirder than the next person, and my host-mom has confirmed this happening to her other “homestayers” in the past, so I know it’s not just me.

Homestayers, don’t expect to be BFFs with your study abroad crew staying in the university apartments. In a worst case scenario, expect to be ostracized by at least half of your group. You have chosen to be completely submersed in the country of your choice. It can be terrifying and invigorating at the same time. You’re not in a little village of apartments with around half of your direct study abroad crew and other international students feeling the same things as you. You’re a part of an actual real-life family, and if yours is/will be anything like mine, you will feel loved and accepted by these absolutely wonderful people. Very in-depth research is done by these study abroad professionals to ensure that you truly are paired with the best family possible. IES does a really fantastic job of this. Thus, you may not be informed of your homestay assignment until about 5 days before you’re set to leave (instead of the 2-3 weeks that the IES website says).

At least with the IES Auckland program, the first weekend you’re here, you go to a Marae, which is a sacred Maori (native peoples) meeting house. You participate in different outdoor activities, and get a basic understanding of Maori cultural practices and values. Plus, it’s a bonding experience for you and the other students in your direct IES program. They do a great job, you learn and bond together, create a Facebook page, and friend all of the people in your program because you genuinely think that you’re all friends, now. 

Along with that Facebook page, your peers will probably create a group text (via text message, GroupMe, etc.) within their own little separate apartment communities to plan outings and whatnot. But remember in elementary school when you were planning or invited to a birthday party, and your parents taught you not to talk to everyone about it because maybe not everyone was invited? Well, it’s good advice, and these apartment folks may not follow it.

Outings will still be planned on the Facebook group, and, hey, take advantage of it! I just went to the Waitomo Black Water Rafting Cave tour (Program I did: http://www.intercity.co.nz/tours/waitomo-black-water-rafting-labyrinth/?gclid=CLHHmbTVjcsCFdgsvQodRtUOcA) to see the cave’s glow worms with some of my direct IES group memebers, and it was awesome! However, the dynamic of the group had changed. Before, when we were all out at the Marae, anyone could strike up a really nice conversation with anyone.

Now, not so much. If you try to strike up a conversation, maybe the other person will only give very short answers, or perhaps they try their best to have the shortest conversation with you and walk away. Confusing and disheartening, to say the least. Do they not like you because you’re not in the apartments? Do they just feel awkward around you, now? It’s only been about 2 weeks since our bonding experience. However, there are still some very lovely people in the group who will talk to you first, and you’ll still have good conversations with them.

Well, this is an opportunity to step even further outside your comfort zone, my friend. Join some clubs to meet more Kiwis. I’m going to the next Tramping (Hiking) Club and Canoe Club meetings to mingle with other university students. Also, there are socializing apps (Tinder, Primate [an exclusively NZ, platonic friends app], etc.) that allow you to meet people in your area. Just be smart about it. I’ve already met a pretty incredible Kiwi off one of those apps, and it’s only Tuesday of my third week here. Meeting locals can seem intimidating because, if you’re anything like me, you don’t want to seem like the out-of-place dumb American. Well, fun fact, you’re not. And there’s no reason to lose hope. 

If I had an appropriate opportunity to ask some of these folks what’s up, I would because that’s just who I am. Though, it is a matter of picking your battles and using my social energy wisely. Shit happens, and you can’t let anyone get you down. You are a damn lovely person with that amazing thing that makes you YOU! Plus, you’re in an amazing country with so many opportunities at your feet.  This is your experience, and you get out of it what you put into it. 

With Love and A Bit Less Sweat,
Hannah

TL;DR: Staying in a homestay may make your other study abroad peers not talk to you anymore, but who gives a damn because you’re here to be submersed in the local cultural goings-on, anyway. (Word count: 960. I’m so sorry.)

 <–Some Waitomo Cave pics

 

 

We were warned that Mui Ne would be a beach town for foreigners by our friends, teachers, and every review we read online. Still, when we alighted from the bus and looked around, we were still managed to be a little bewildered by the number of blonde-and-fair-skinned visitors we saw walking around. However, like almost everyone else who stopped in Mui Ne, we were there for the pristine beaches.

And pristine they were. Unlike the beaches in Vung Tao, these beaches were uncluttered, unlittered, and utterly clean of garbage. Sure, the walk along the back road had its fair share of trash but as soon as we stepped onto the soft sand, we were in a different world.

While the beaches were postcard-worthy, the wind discouraged us from staying too long. The coast of Mui Ne is a popular spot for wind sports; kitesurfers dominated water while the other beachgoers suffered from sand daggers. We were among those who felt the pricks of miniscule grains of sand piercing our skin, and left to head back to the hotel before the sun had set.

Mui Ne offered a number of attractions in addition to its beautiful beaches. We visited both the white and red sand dunes as well as a small fishing village and Fairy Stream in one organized morning. We opted to go for a sunrise tour that began at the white sand dunes. Mui Ne is the easternmost point in Vietnam, and therefore is the first part of the country to see the sunrise. Not quite the same as being the first part of the world to experience the new day, but isn’t that pretty amazing?

Although our stay was short, it offered just the right amount of relaxation and calm for us all to recharge our batteries. These next two weeks will prove to be an interesting struggle – we will attempt to complete midterms while in vacation land – and the brief respite in Mui Ne before the storm was just what we needed.  

After about three weeks of travel, I’m back in Santiago and have my first class tomorrow. But, obviously I do not want to think about that! So, I’ll share a bit about the month of February, which in this program is a month open for traveling! It took tons of planning and stress beforehand, but my trip included five main stops, Torres del Paine, Chiloé, Pucón, San Pedro de Atacama and Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia.

From this trip, we have our crazy stories of course, met interesting travelers, ran into the same travelers multiple time because South America is actually so small, ran into a few hostel problems and nearly missed a bus, but it was all so amazing!

Torres del Paine is a Chilean national park known for glaciers, mountains, rivers and lakes. It is known all over the world for the W trek and Circuit trek. These respectively are five or ten days each, and it is one of the most popular destinations for backpackers. We decided to take a tour – don’t judge – not everyone enjoys hiking. This allowed us to see the highlights of the park in one day and continue to travel to diverse areas of Chile during our vacation.

For lunch this day, we were supposed to make reservations to eat at the one restaurant that is in the National park. It turns out we did not make this reservation or bring a picnic for lunch, so we went to a small supplies store which is there for the hikers. Not having the reservation ended up being a blessing in disguise. We enjoyed the only food available in the supplies store for lunch which was chocolate and Pringles. But even more special was spending the time right on the water, of a Patagonian lake being so much closer to the nature than we would have ever been in a restaurant.

Our next stop was Chiloé, where upon arriving at our hostel we were told that they did not have enough beds for all of us, despite our reservation! It all worked out, but there is nothing like arriving at a hostel expecting a bed for the night and being told “surprise”. Chiloé was the most laid back destination over the month. We enjoyed a penguin tour, exploring the neighborhoods and waiting for sunsets which unfortunately never happened because of the cloudy weather.

The last stop on our “South” trip was Pucón, the adventure capital of Chile. We were able to white water raft at sunset, zip line across rivers and finally “canyon”. I did really want to either paraglide or skydive while I was there, but for the time we were there it was too windy and the conditions were not safe enough. Out of our three activities, “canyoning” was the favorite. It was an unexpected adventure, as none of us had heard of it before doing it. Essentially, early one morning we went to the office and changed into wet suits, booties, helmets and harnesses. After a short ride, we arrived at the start of our trek with the group. We walked along with the river, sometimes crossing it, other times using it as a natural water slide. And then at three points of our exploration we hit water falls. There we were able to repel down next to and within the water falls into caves. Pucón was absolutely amazing!

After this fourteen day trip all of us were quite tired, but we still had a week until school started. So I met with a friend and within two hours we had booked a four day tour in Bolivia to see the Salar de Uyuni! Ironically, near her host family’s house the only place that was open for us to meet up and plan the trip was Fuddruckers! I don’t think I have ever gone to a Fuddruckers in the States, but I will say their milkshakes are not bad! So for this trip we took a 24 hour long bus ride from Santiago to San Pedro de Atacama. Now, flights are available but obviously were very expensive when we booked two days before leaving. I liked to believe we are young and can rough it sometimes! Overall, the bus ride was not terrible, except for the fact that the AC broke three hours into the trip.

The Bolivia tour was absolutely amazing. We saw white lagoons, green lagoons, rock valleys, a train cemetery and the Salar de Uyuni. No words can describe it.

So, I’m back to reality pretty soon, after two trips of a lifetime. Classes start tomorrow and the goal is to get a schedule with class times and room numbers before they start in the morning (this is my reality in Chilean time).

~Ciao