CHEERS! It has been a bloody whirlwind of a few days, so here’s a recap of my first few crazy days in London!!! So DAY 1: Day 1 was full of not fun orientation events BUT we took a splendid stroll through the Kensington Gardens. I am staying in Olympia which is right next to …
“Vorrei un caffe per favore” (meaning I’d like one coffee please) has become a cherished phrase in the land of cappuccinos and afternoon macchiatos. Milk is considered taboo to drink after noon, so ordering a cappuccino at 3pm not only designates your nationality but your inability to adjust to the Italian mindset, which also has …
Recently, I broke up with the United States. After a 20 (almost 21!) year long, committed relationship with only one brief break (to test my feelings for China) it was time to move on. Comfortable relationships are fun, don’t get me wrong. The United States understands me on a level that I’m not sure my …
Hola! My name is April Skillings, and I am a sophomore at Loyola. I am a finance major and Spanish language and literature minor, and a month ago as of yesterday I left O’hare Airport for Costa Rica, This is my first time out of the country for more than a week, and the first …
Hey guys- So I have finally gotten my access to my blog site, which means that now I will begin posting! Again, I will be posting every two weeks (perhaps once every week), so keep up with everything as I take you along for my incredible journey through Italy, Europe, and beyond! Anyway, I thought …
Hola! I boarded the plane with much anticipation to meet my host family, whom had contacted me just days before my arrival date of August 15, 2014. I was heading to a country that I’ve only seen in pictures and videos (I did a lot of research ahead of time, which I recommend!), a country …
Tomorrow will mark the third week of being in Rome. My time here has been so packed thus far that it seems like I have been here much longer! At last everything is slowing down after a whirlwind of excitement following my arrival. The strangest thing about my first encounters with the city is how …
I really love France. It’s at first glance straight out of a Disney film. Take your pick: The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Beauty and the Beast, the streets, buildings, and people of France are practically unchangeable and stand the test of centuries. It’s not at all shocking to see people, places, and things directly out …
The fact of the matter is that no one likes to fail. But studying in a foreign country where I barely speak the language means I fail at everyday things. And deep down, that hurts. As a writer, I take pride in my language. I know it inside and out, reveling in my ability to mold it …
These past few days have gone by so fast! Trying to take it all in at the same time is exhausting–combine that with classes, homework, excursions, and jet lag and you’ve got one tired puppy… but–of course–it’s an exhaustion I wouldn’t give up in a million years. Being here in the south of France is …