St. Patricks Day should be spent sporting the most green one can find, drinking beer and making new friends. Since I am living in Europe, I thought why don't I celebrate this glorious holiday in the land of its origin- IRELAND! Arriving in the Dublin airport, I was surprised to find Gaelic written on all signs, underneath the English phrases. I didn't realize that the language was still so widely spoken. After speaking to an Irishman on the plane, I found out that 20% of the Irish population still speaks Gaelic, with most popularity in the south-western area of the island. Talking to more locals and asking them about it, it really varied. One person would look at me crazy if I asked if they could speak Gaelic and then the next person would be like, ... read more

I AM EXTREMELY HAPPY TO ANNOUNCE THAT I CAN ADD A THIRD CONTINENT TO MY TRAVELS! Yes, its TRUE! I have hit my third continent, the motherland of creation, the largest continent- AFRICA!!! Unfortunately I could only stay for three days but I will be returning soon! As much as I would've preferred to go to a west African country for my first visit to Africa, Morocco is something like 9 miles away from Spain, needless to say, Morocco was the easiest and cheapest route. So hows here it all shook down. We decided that the best idea would be to take a guided tour with a group since since conquering Morocco seemed rather daunting. I honestly can't even wrap my head around trying to navigate a developing country whose official languages aren't English or Spanish. ... read more

Living in a foreign country with an American poses many obstacles to true cultural immersion. To find yourself entirely independent of all American comforts is rare, unless you truly push yourself. They say that it is easy to stay in the "American bubble"- which means hanging with Americans, speaking English and involving yourself in American activities. When you live abroad, whether it be volunteering, studying, living or simply traveling- to shake all the comforts of home and put yourself in compromising, vulnerable, uncomfortable and usually awkward position is not easy and one must be very brave. I am proud to say that I have finally gotten to the point where I can independently travel abroad, go places and experience people without hesitation. Well...at least in Spanish speaking countries. I am fortunate enough to be teaching adults ... read more

It's November 9th. Have I really been in Spain for nearly two months? Time has flown by, I think when there are so many new things to become accustomed to, it's easy to forget how fast it's all happening. Although, I am thrilled that I have a solid sense of my schedule and am in a nice little routine. My life has truly begun as a Spaniard! I really couldn't be happier with my job. I think I said this in the last entry but I am teaching adults, at an official language school and they are fantastic! They want to learn and are curious about my topics of conversation. My friends from my program are all teaching children and they say most days are very unorganized and incredibly stressful because the kids are off the ... read more

Well, here I am. The lone traveler has landed in her homeland. Excited? Yes. Distressed? Absolutely. Confused? Without a doubt. These feelings are something I knew would be inevitable upon my arrival to my home state. The things I saw and experienced will never be forgotten or disregarded; I intend to use what I have learned to expand my horizon through a refreshed state of mind. I know my life will be forever changed whether I chose to acknowledge these changes or not. Now, going through my daily tasks sometimes seem simple and meaningless. For example, when I go to the store and am trying to chose the right beauty product or thinking about what I might eat for dinner, it is easy to forget all the things that I have seen, heard and lived. Sometimes ... read more