Saying Goodbye

Saying goodbye to Cologne was probably the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do…even though I’m coming back. My last day was the day of the Christmas advent celebration at my school so I got an extra double dose of German goodness before departing....

New Routines

Whether it comes on all at once or in a steady progression, you soak in the culture of your host country. You don’t have to eagerly dive in head first to find yourself picking up the mannerisms and habits of everyone else around you- it’s inevitable and crucial to...

John’s Visit

What’s up Bama nation! So my good friend John Fredericksen decided to hop on a plane and come check out Barcelona. The weather was dismal, he was sick as a dog, and his new iPhone 6+ got stolen his first night here, but man did we have a good time. I showed him...

Down To The Wire

There are only 3 days left of this 100 day adventure in Berlin, Germany. There were many times that it felt like I had been abroad for a lifetime and was never leaving but now as I start to pack, I cannot believe that the time has come to an end. Looking back on my 3...

Good Bye for now South Africa!

I’ve been back in the USA for two days now. The jet lag is ferocious, but I am glad to be home. It was bittersweet leaving a place that has become so close to my heart. The sensations I felt seeing my loved ones was so strong, but so are the feelings for those...

Life So Far in Köln

I can’t believe that I’ve only been in Cologne, Germany for three months. It feels like a lifetime. When I first arrived I was overwhelmed but excited. I was ready to learn. I was ready to take on new challenges. Now, I feel much more settled into my...

Venga

You know the moment when you realize you’re in love? Personally I’ve never experienced it, but the movies have to be a pretty great indication of how it happens. The typical story of the girl who has had the guy there for all this time and just when she realizes that...

From Russia With Love

Walking the half mile to the Church of the Intercession, I had already handed my last bit of cinnamon bread over to a horse and had given up any hope of staying warm (despite wearing every layer of clothing I had packed). Since leaving the U.S. three months ago I have...

Now What?

I’ve been back in the States for a little over a week.  It’s been strange to be back on the right side of the road and to not hear Kiwi accents everywhere I go, and it’s even weirder to not have morning tea every day.  To be homesick for another...

La vita e bella!

I am in love. It is an odd love that I will never forget. My time here in Florence has passed by so fast, I feel like I just got here yesterday. The thought that I only have a little more than two weeks left here breaks my heart. The last two and a half months, I have...